The Cost of Discipleship

4/20/08

 

 

(The following was used with a PowerPoint presentation, the asterisks indicate slide changes.)

 

*The Cost of Discipleship

 

It does cost to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

 

The path is narrow.

 

*Mt. 7:13 …broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But …narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

 

Pray

 

*(Blank)

 

*Counterfeit Christianity

 

·        *No cost

·        *No commitment

·        *No self denial

·        *No discipleship

 

*Mat. 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. ²⁶What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

 

*²⁷For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

 

*Last Sunday I mentioned that there would be forum with Obama and Hillary Clinton on pressing moral issues.  It was so disturbing.

Empty religion has filled American society!

 

*Lk. 6:43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. ⁴⁴Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. ⁴⁵The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his

 

*mouth speaks. ⁴⁶“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? ⁴⁷I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. ⁴⁸He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. ⁴⁹But the

 

*one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

 

The people of America are a lot like the men of Athens.

 

*Acts 17:22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. ²³For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

 

Paul went on to proclaim to them about the resurrection of Jesus!

 

*(Blank)

 

Show the video of Oprah.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW4LLwkgmqA

 

I make this statement very humbly, yet very seriously.  I in no way believe we are elitist or better than anyone else.  I know God is moving on the hearts of people across the globe and across our own country.  We are not the only church that is doing the things we are doing.

 

Since the time the Lord started directed us in the direction we are going I never realized just how sick the American Church really is.

 

Wednesday night Johnnie Baca came up to me and shared an experience he had with one of the church leaders in Marion.

 

We are standing up for the lives of the unborn and against indecency—how could any true Christian leader take offense at that?

 

*Mother Teresa had it right.

 

If America turns back to Jesus it won’t start from the political top, it will start with the church!

 

It’s critical that we vote and vote in the right way.  But it’s even more critical that the church has a wake up call!

 

You know what God might do?  He might give us Obama.  It might cause the church to get serious.

 

*Show the three candidates.

 

Yes we are a country full of religion!

 

*2 Tim. 3:1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. …⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

 

As I have shared in recent weeks, just because you believe in God or believe in Jesus and feel bad about doing some wrong things, that does not make you a Christian!

 

Jesus made some strong statements.  Was He serious?

 

*Lk. 14:25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ²⁶“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. ²⁷And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

 

*(Blank)

 

Read Mat. 25:1-30

 

·         The Parable of the Ten Virgins

·         The Parable of the Talents

 

Why does God show us miracles?

 

He shows us miracles to bring us to repentance!

 

*Mat. 11:20 Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.

 

*Show Governor Sonny Perdue

 

November 14, 2007

Governor Sonny Perdue led a public prayer service today for rain in Georgia.

 

Several hundred people attended the service outside the state Capitol.

 

Although it was announced as an interfaith event. Only three protestant ministers joined the governor.

 

And 20 protestors demonstrated outside.

 

Show video Governor Prays for rain

 

http://www.wdef.com/news/governor_sonny_perdue_prays_for_rain_in_georgia/11/2007

 

Show video now that was aired on CBS Evening News.

 

After twenty months of drought, Georgia's in the market for a miracle.

 

Gov. Perdue: "GOD WE NEED YOU. WE NEED RAIN."

Sonny Purdue, Georgia's GOVERNOR today became the state's chief pastor. He led a prayer for rain, right on the front lawn of the State House.

 

Lake Lanier, North Georgia's main source of drinking water, dropped more than 17 feet below normal.

 

In a very public way, Purdue looked to the sky for answers.

GOV. Sonny Purdue - (R) Georgia: "WE DO BELIEVE IN MIRACLES. WE DO BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE THE MIRACLE CREATOR."

 

Bruckner: "IT'S A PUBLIC DISGRACE."

Ed Bruckner wants rain, too.

But like these protestors, mostly atheists and agnostics, Bruckner sees a clear church-state violation. A PUBLIC prayer on state property led by Georgia's top executive.

Ed Buckner - Protestor

 

" MY PUBLIC LEADER IS MAKING A FOOL OF HIMSELF AND ACTING AS THOUGH ALL THE PEOPLE OF GEORGIA AGREE WITH THIS FOOLISHNESS."

 

The next day, up to an inch of rain fell in and around Atlanta.

 

In fact in rained 9 of the last 12 days of the year.

 

God honored the faith and humility of the governor but did the hearts of the people change?

 

*Yes Discipleship does cost!

 

You can talk it or walk it.  A true disciple of Jesus walks it!

 

Are you a church goer or are you a true disciple of Jesus Christ?