If You're Not a Disciple, You're Not a Christian | VBPH SUNDAY MORNING
Watch Video Replay:
Sermon Summary
Today, we gathered to worship and reflect on the true meaning of discipleship as taught by Jesus in Luke 14. This is a transformational and powerful message about what it truly means to be a disciple of Christ.
Discipleship is not merely about being a follower in name but involves a deep, all-encompassing commitment to Jesus. Jesus' words in Luke 14 challenge us to reconsider our priorities and the cost of following Him. He uses strong language to emphasize that our commitment to Him must surpass all other relationships and possessions. This means being willing to forsake everything, even our own lives, to follow Him.
Jesus illustrated this with examples of a man building a tower and a king going to war, both of whom must count the cost before proceeding. Similarly, we must understand that following Jesus involves self-denial, sacrifice, and a willingness to bear our own crosses. This is not a path of convenience or comfort but one that demands total commitment.
Moreover, Jesus likened discipleship to being the salt of the earth. Salt, in ancient times, was valuable for its preserving and healing properties. As disciples, we are called to be a preserving force in a broken world, maintaining righteousness and spreading the gospel. However, if we lose our "flavor" or fail to live out our calling, we become ineffective and worthless.
The message concluded with a call to action, urging us to examine our lives and make a genuine commitment to discipleship. This involves prioritizing Jesus above all else and being willing to make uncomfortable and inconvenient decisions for His sake. True discipleship is about surrendering all to follow Christ, knowing that He has already given everything for us.
Key Takeaways
True Discipleship Requires Total Commitment
Jesus emphasized that to be His disciple, one must be willing to forsake all other relationships and possessions. This means prioritizing our commitment to Christ above everything else, even our own lives. This level of commitment is not optional but essential for true discipleship. [58:25]
Counting the Cost
Jesus used the examples of a man building a tower and a king going to war to illustrate the importance of counting the cost before committing to discipleship. Following Jesus involves self-denial, sacrifice, and a willingness to bear our own crosses. It is not a path of convenience but one that demands total dedication. [59:21]
Being the Salt of the Earth
As disciples, we are called to be the salt of the earth, preserving righteousness and spreading the gospel in a broken world. If we lose our "flavor" or fail to live out our calling, we become ineffective and worthless. Our lives should reflect the preserving and healing properties of salt. [01:24:25]
The Challenge of Discipleship
Discipleship is not about comfort or convenience. It involves making difficult and sometimes painful decisions to follow Jesus. This means being willing to give up self-interest, possessions, careers, hobbies, and even dreams to prioritize our commitment to Christ. [01:10:14]
The Reward of Discipleship
While the path of discipleship is challenging, it is also the most rewarding. Jesus promised that those who lay down their lives for Him will produce much fruit. True discipleship leads to a deeper relationship with Christ, greater spiritual growth, and the fulfillment of God's purposes in our lives. [01:27:41]
YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[15:05] - Opening Worship: "I Will Praise Your Name"
[18:07] - Lead Us Up the Mountain
[19:59] - Hearts Abandoned
[21:25] - Send Me Out
[25:12] - Jesus, Savior: The Victory is Yours
[29:17] - I Will Look Up
[41:55] - Announcements
[48:20] - Offering and Tithes
[51:31] - Outreach Report
[53:07] - Introduction to the Sermon
[56:50] - True Discipleship: Luke 14
[58:25] - The Cost of Discipleship
[59:21] - Counting the Cost
[01:24:25] - Being the Salt of the Earth
[01:27:41] - The Reward of Discipleship
[01:29:21] - Call to Commitment
[01:33:17] - Altar Call and Prayer
[01:42:28] - Closing Remarks and Prayer
-
What a blessing it is to serve the living God.
It is an opportunity that we have each and every day.
Just a few quick announcements we want to share with you.
Today is our, as already mentioned during the worship, is our World Evangelism Sunday.
We do this every month.
On the last Sunday of the month, we put a highlight and a focus on the needs of world evangelism.
We are reminded about how great need there still is to reach the nations for the kingdom of the Lord.
Can you say amen?
And so tonight in our evening service, we're going to be doing something special.
As most of you know, we just got back from our annual missions trip.
We were in the nation of St. Lucia for one week.
And so tonight we'll be seeing a video report from that trip.
Also, those that were with us on the trip, a few of us are going to be testifying tonight in a kind of a testimony service this evening.
So you want to hear about St. Lucia, tonight would be a good opportunity to come and hear about that.
So our service begins this evening at 7 p.m.
We open the door for prayer at 6 p.m.
We also want to remind you this week, we have a Wednesday night, our week, we call it our midweek recharge service on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
That is another opportunity to gather together to worship and hear the word of God.
It's a full service that we do.
It's a full service that we do on Wednesday nights at 7 p.m.
Then this coming Thursday, we were planning to start our new believers class last week.
We were not able to make that happen.
So part one of our, what we call the fresh fire new believers class that is beginning this week, Thursday night at 7 p.m.
We have a sign-up sheet.
If you are a new believer or if you want a good reminder of foundational principles of the kingdom of God, what it means to be a follower of Jesus and a disciple, this is a great class to be part of.
It's going to be five or six weeks, Thursday nights beginning this Thursday at 7 p.m.
There is a sign-up sheet on that table if you would like to put your name so that we can prepare for how many people we're going to have.
This coming Saturday, we're going to be having a movie night.
We'll be showing a film here in our building and that's going to be this Saturday at 7 p.m.
I believe, hopefully, we have a trailer available.
We'll give them a minute to get that ready.
The name of the film is called Sight and it is a true life story.
It's a true life story of someone who came from China, a doctor, who developed a...
Yeah, there we go.
Go ahead, hit play there.
Amen.
So, we want to invite you to that.
This is not publicly available without paying for it online.
So, we want to encourage you to come, invite your friends and co-workers.
We have some invitations available on the tables out there.
You can grab one of those before you leave.
That's going to be this Saturday at 7 p.m.
Powerful presentation.
And so, we'll be having a movie night.
You'll be inspired.
A couple other things quickly.
We want to remind the teenagers.
There's a rally happening in Jacksonville, North Carolina for all teenagers, 13 through 19.
That's happening next week, Friday and Saturday.
It's the 6th and the 7th of September.
It's a Friday night and a Saturday morning event.
It's an overnight stay.
And so, we do have a few teens that are going to be joining in that.
If you have a teen that is interested to go get inspired as we begin a new school year, this would be a great opportunity.
So, again, next week, Friday and Saturday, an overnight stay, Jacksonville, North Carolina, just about a three-hour drive away.
And then, finally, we want to announce our upcoming Bible conference in Chandler, Arizona.
We are very excited, as always, to join together with our leadership church.
Pastor Campbell hosts this every year to inspire us, to help us, to retool us, and get us back in working condition.
Amen?
And it's like taking your car to the mechanic.
Sometimes you just need a tune-up, right?
This is our annual spiritual tune-up.
And I want to encourage you, if you can, to come along with us in Chandler, Arizona.
There is more information.
We have the brochures out on the table.
The dates on that are September the 30th through October the 4th.
I've heard some families already planning to go.
That's very encouraging.
And I wish that you get that time available.
You will be inspired.
You will see the heartbeat of our fellowship.
You will see churches launched.
You will see missionaries go.
And we're excited to always be a part of that.
October the 30th through...
Sorry, September the 30th through October the 4th.
And we are preparing for all that God is going to do.
Our ushers are going to come forward this morning as we receive the Lord's tithe and offering.
And as we do that, we always want to remind you how important it is that all of us do our part.
We are not independently financed by some large benefactor.
We are completely supported by the giving of God's people.
We don't have a side project, a side business.
We don't have angel investors.
What we have is we have faithful people.
Ha ha.
We have faithful people who are with average, normal, everyday jobs.
And as we set aside a tithe and an offering, God is able to use that together to further His kingdom.
That this church can continue to thrive, can continue to meet our obligations, and can continue to fulfill our mission of winning souls, making disciples, planting churches.
And I want to encourage you in that this morning.
If you see something that God is doing here, you believe in that, then this is your way.
This is an obvious way that you can support and you can continue to help us as we give tithes and offerings.
Cash, if you are giving cash this morning, the ushers will have envelopes.
If you would like a record of cash giving, put that in an envelope.
You can also give with a check.
You make that out to the Potter's House.
Most people are giving through our online giving system these days.
And you can do that by scanning the code up on the screen.
We also have Cash App available if you prefer.
That Cash App tag that you can give to is the letters VBPH, standing for Virginia Beach Potter's House.
Let's pray for this offering this morning, asking God's blessing over it and the rest of the service.
Amen.
Brother Mason is going to pray.
Oh, Lord, I will sing about your mercy.
And I will sing about your mercy.
Lord, you deserve the highest praise.
You deserve the highest praise.
Be exalted here as we begin to praise.
We lift him higher.
Let our praises sing.
Wonders of his love.
Lift him higher.
For he deserves the glory.
Oh, we're gonna lift you.
Lift him higher.
Let our praises sing.
Wonders of his love.
Lift him higher.
Wonders of his love.
Lift him higher.
For he deserves the glory.
Oh, yes, he deserves the glory today.
He deserves the glory.
For he deserves the glory.
For he deserves the glory.
For he deserves the glory.
Amen.
If you love Jesus, give me a shout.
Hallelujah.
God is good.
All the time.
Amen.
We're grateful.
Thank you for your presence here this morning.
What a blessing it is to be gathered in his house.
And we're grateful for those who fulfill the needs of ministry both here on the stage for our song service.
For those who helped us yesterday with our outreach.
I want to bring a good report from our outreach yesterday.
We had a van full of people that went and outreached in a local apartment complex.
Many of you saw what I posted that there were people who were saved as a result of our outreach yesterday.
Who prayed for salvation.
We also prayed for healing.
Several people made some good contacts.
We're believing God to help us.
I just want to say thank you for people who go on outreach.
We appreciate that.
We do that every Saturday.
And that outreach is not just an outreach team but is also a cleanup team.
The reason that you can look down at the carpet and not see too many crumbs is because we came back from outreach and did a cleanup crew.
And so I want to say thank you.
That's a big job for our church building.
And we appreciate all of you who labor, set aside that time to help us.
And you can be a part of that.
We always are looking for people to help us on Saturdays as we prepare for our services on Sunday.
So I'll just put in a plug.
If you are interested in that or service in any area, maybe in the AV team back there in the booth or in music ministry.
We're always looking for people that are willing and able to help us with those things.
And so I would appreciate anyone who would like to find out what is necessary to do that.
Amen.
So we're going to open up our Bibles this morning.
We're going to look together in Luke chapter 14.
If you would join us there.
Luke chapter 14.
We are grateful for all that God has done.
Amen.
We had a powerful week in St. Lucia.
And you're going to hear a lot about that this evening.
But I do want to just say.
If you gave to world evangelism in the last few weeks.
Last year.
We thank you.
We thank you for your support.
We do this on a yearly basis.
A missions trip.
And that comes as a result of your generosity.
Giving specifically to the need of world evangelism.
So we thank you for that.
This morning I want to turn our attention to the word of God in Luke chapter 14.
Words of Jesus.
As we consider the topic of discipleship.
This was the ultimate goal.
Also the topic of the message that was preached on Friday night.
There was a men's discipleship class that happened in Jacksonville.
Myself and a few others from local churches went to go be a part of that.
On Friday night it was a great time.
But I was just really, really inspired.
And I wanted to share with you some of the themes that came from that message.
Luke chapter 14.
If you'll join us there.
So there's a wilderness area in Bridger, Wyoming.
And this particular wilderness area.
Remember it's called a wilderness area.
And they have a comment card box.
Have you ever seen the comment card boxes?
And so this was a few comment cards that were collected at the wilderness area in Bridger, Wyoming.
One person said, too many bugs, leeches, spiders, and spider webs.
Please spray the wilderness to get rid of these pests.
Okay.
Another comment.
Please pave the nature trails.
We need chair lifts.
So that we can get wonderful views without having to hike.
Another comment.
From the wilderness area.
Coyotes made too much noise last night.
Kept me awake.
Please eradicate these annoying animals.
One person said there was a small deer that came into camp and stole my job.
A jar of pickles.
Can I get reimbursed for this expense?
Please call.
One person said escalators could help on steep uphill sections.
A McDonald's would be nice at the trail head.
One person said too many rocks in the mountains.
Maybe they missed what was on the sign.
This is a wilderness.
Maybe they should go to the shopping mall if they have all these expectations.
These comments and complaints indicate that people who made them do not understand what a wilderness area actually is.
They were looking for something more convenient, more comfortable.
This is why some people don't go camping.
That's okay.
I'll stay in my bed, Pastor.
I have a house with air conditioning.
Why would I go fight with bugs?
But in the same way that here's people who went to a wilderness area looking for something that was not there.
In the same way, there are many people today who do not know what it really means to be a believer and a follower in Jesus.
They don't know what it means.
They have different expectations.
They assume that living for Jesus means one thing when it in reality means something very, very different.
And so I want to take this opportunity this morning to reset some expectations.
Going back to the source, to the original blueprint, Jesus himself.
So that we can learn exactly what it means to be his follower.
We want to follow him, yes?
If you want to get to heaven, this is how.
Jesus, the one who came from heaven and went back to heaven.
If we want to live eternally, we got to follow the one who knows about it.
The tour guide who's been there, who knows about it.
He is there now.
But we have to follow correctly.
There are many people who consider themselves and even name the name of Christ.
But in many ways, they're not really followers.
It's possible to be religious, to go to church, to profess faith, to read the Bible, even give in the offering.
But like people who expect an escalator to the top of the mountain, we often have expectations buried.
And we are secretly disappointed because Jesus isn't doing everything we thought he would do.
I want to preach this morning a message that I've simply titled True Discipleship.
And let's look at Luke chapter 14, beginning with verse 25.
Now great multitudes.
Say great multitudes.
That means that's a whole lot of people.
Great multitudes went with him, Jesus.
It's almost like Jesus gets a sense.
Okay, there's a large crowd here.
I got to do something about that.
And he turned and said to them.
Here it comes.
He's about to drop the bomb.
If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Say cannot.
That means it's impossible.
And verse 27.
Whoever does not bear his cross and come after me.
He who intending to build a tower does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it.
Lest after he has laid the foundation is not able to finish.
And all who see it begin to mock, saying this man began to build and was not able to finish.
Second example.
Verse 31.
What king going to make war against another king does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him who comes against or 20,000.
Or else while the other is away off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.
Verse 33.
So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all.
Say the word all.
Does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple.
Final example.
Jesus uses his salt as good.
But if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?
It is not fit for the land nor for the dunghill.
But men throw it out.
And he who has ears to hear, let him hear.
True discipleship.
Father, we come today once again in the name and by the blood of Jesus Christ.
We thank you for your spirit.
We thank you for your grace.
We thank you for your power this morning.
Lord, that you would remove the guilt as a result of misunderstandings today.
We are praying, God, that you would reveal once again what true discipleship looks like.
Lord, that we would set our hearts to that.
If we want to live for you, this is what is required.
And we give you glory in Jesus' mighty name.
What is a disciple?
What is a true disciple?
We often, when we think about what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus, we call ourselves Christians.
And the word disciple, I think, has fallen out of favor with many Christians.
Because right there in the word disciple is the word discipline.
And that is not an easy word, is it?
We don't like discipline.
Discipline is what professional athletes have to do or super jacked movie stars.
That takes discipline.
But living for Jesus, I don't know.
I just want to go to church on Sunday.
You know what I'm saying?
The more common term that we use for a Christ follower is Christian.
And the problem is that when you look at the Bible, the word Christian and the word disciple are not used interchangeably.
In fact, far more often in the scriptures, the word Christian is only used three times.
And it is only after Jesus has gone back to heaven in the book of Acts.
And it was in Antioch.
Acts 11 verse 26.
It says the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.
And do you know why?
The reason they called them Christians is that they were making fun of them.
It was a derogatory term.
The word that they used for themselves was not Christians.
They would run from that term.
The people who were living for God in that time, they said, we are Christ followers.
And so when we understand, we think sometimes that there is this two-tiered salvation system.
We think that in many churches, okay, I can be a Christian without being a disciple.
Like if you profess faith in Jesus and you answer an altar call and you do some religious things, okay, I can be a Christian.
But discipleship, that's like serious believers.
That's like the ones who are pursuing ministry or want to be a pastor or a missionary or, you know, they are in leadership.
And those are the guys that need discipleship.
I want to tell you that's a false view.
That's not how the Bible represents.
In reality, every disciple is a Christian and every Christian ought to be a disciple.
There is no difference biblically speaking.
In fact, if you are not a disciple, you are not a Christian.
And that might be hard for some people to hear.
Pastor, but isn't there a way that I can be a believer without being a disciple?
And I say to you scripturally speaking, no, you cannot.
To be a disciple means to be a Christian.
And that is what we all must strive for.
So we have to understand what then does it mean to be a disciple.
If just being a Christian without discipleship is not enough, then what is required of me to follow this guy Jesus and make eternal life with him?
Alright, good question.
I'm glad you asked.
I'm about to answer it.
To be a disciple, number one means to be all in.
How many ever heard the term all in?
It's a poker term, right?
It's when you take all of your chips, all of your winnings, and you got the hand that you know is going to beat everybody else at the table.
And you're going to put it all in at the table.
And you might be bluffing, you might not.
But when somebody goes all in, you know what that demands? A response.
I'm going all in.
I'm putting it all on the line.
I want you to understand from our scripture, first of all, that to be a disciple means to be all in.
In our scripture, it said that large crowds, multitudes were following Jesus.
And when he understood this, there was probably something happening in Jesus' mind.
He's saying there's a lot of people following me here, but not many who are actually disciples.
And so this is why he began to challenge them.
This is why he began to use some harsh language.
He began to understand that there were some people just traveling around the countryside hoping he would multiply a few more loaves and fishes.
That's a good day when Jesus is multiplying fish sandwiches.
You know what I'm saying?
Like the McFishes.
Come on, bring some more of those, Jesus.
Maybe if I follow this guy for another day or another week, he'll multiply some more food and I'll get to fill my belly.
But Jesus began to understand some of the people here are not following for the right reasons.
It means to be my disciple.
It's more than just physically present.
It means more than just having a positive attitude toward Jesus.
The Bible says even the demons believe in Jesus and they tremble.
And so even just mental acknowledgement that yes, Jesus is a cool guy, that Jesus is the Lord, Jesus is in charge.
We can say all of those things and still not be a disciple.
They considered themselves followers of Jesus, but in reality, they had not gone all in for him.
I wonder if there's any churches today in the same place.
I wonder if there's any Christians in the same place in their lives today where we like to do many Christian things.
We leave Caleb on the radio, positive and encouraging.
And we listen to the nice Christian artists who record nice Christian pop songs.
And I'm amazed at how many people have Jesus fish on their bumper sticker but still drive like maniacs.
Like if you're going to drive like a maniac, maybe take the Jesus fish off.
You know what I'm saying?
Bad advertisement.
In a sense, people are along for the ride, but they haven't gone all in.
Is it possible that there are large crowds in the world today in America?
Listen, we have a legacy.
We have a culture of Christianity.
This nation founded in Christian principles.
I would say we were a Christian nation at one time.
But I don't think we can describe ourselves that way anymore.
Unfortunately, I'm not happy about that.
I'm sad.
I'm grieved in my spirit.
We are no longer a Christian nation.
We have turned from the God that founded this nation.
And America is mostly a backslidden nation.
But what that means, what that has produced is that people can name the name of Jesus, can have a church membership, can have a Jesus fish on their bumper sticker, but not know anything about Jesus, about following him, about going all in.
Let's be clear from our scripture, from what Jesus said here.
To be a disciple means to have a 100% commitment to Jesus.
Let's make that totally clear.
He said, unless you are willing to forsake all that you have, you cannot be my disciple.
Does that describe you?
Are you willing to forsake all that you have to follow him?
Now Jesus is not going to force all of us to forsake everything that we have.
But if that opportunity came, if the choice was follow Jesus or keep all your stuff, if the choice was if you are going to serve Jesus, you have to be destitute, would you make that choice?
Would we be willing to give up self-interest, possessions, careers, hobbies, goals, dreams even to follow Jesus?
Verse 26, anyone who comes to me but is not fully committed.
In verse 26 it said, anyone who comes to me and does not hate father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and his own life also cannot be my disciple.
Jesus, Pastor, is Jesus telling me to hate my family?
No, he is saying that your commitment to your family must be the number one.
To Jesus must be your number one commitment.
Your commitment to Christ must come before any other commitment.
He is saying that this principle applies to everyone who is following Jesus.
Jesus uses hyperbole to show us exaggeration to show us that our commitment level to him is number one.
Not number two, not number three, not number four, not number ten.
That following Jesus is our number one commitment.
And let me just give you a hint.
When you seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, then God is good.
He is a blesser.
He will add all these other things to you.
People get this out of order in their lives.
We seek the things and hope that Jesus can come along with it.
But that is not how it works.
He is saying we must seek first his kingdom.
Our commitment to obey and follow the Lord must be greater than any other commitment in our lives.
Is Jesus bigger than your house?
Is Jesus bigger than your bank account?
Is Jesus bigger than your social media?
Is Jesus bigger than your gaming system?
Is Jesus bigger than your lake house?
Is Jesus bigger than your family?
Now I don't think God makes a practice of making us choose between our family and serving him.
That is not a common thing, right?
But when we serve Jesus first, when we have this priority correct, God helps us to work out other things.
To be a disciple, we must be committed to him above even our own lives.
Verse 26, it is not just father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, but also his own life also.
That means our commitment to Christ is not only about our possessions, our relationships.
It is about what do we count most dear to us.
And in an environment where Jesus knows who he is talking to, he is talking to disciples that in a few short years they are going to have to make a very real choice.
Either to confess Christ as Lord and Messiah or to lose their very lives.
He is making it clear for them.
Listen guys, you have to love your commitment to Christ greater than even your life.
There is not many in America today who are called to become martyrs for the faith.
You know, it is not a calling that is very common in our Christian experience today.
More often it is harder for us to live for Jesus, much less die for him.
But if it came down to it, if you like that girl with the Columbine shooting so many years ago, you remember that story?
I think her name was Chrissy, is that right?
Somebody will correct me.
But those armed gunmen came into the Columbine High School, pointed a gun in her face and said, do you believe in Jesus?
And she said yes.
And she went straight to heaven.
I wonder, I wonder if it really came down to it.
Somebody threatened you with your life and said, do you really believe in Jesus?
What would you say?
Would you seek to preserve your life instead of confessing Christ?
Jesus uses a metaphor here in our scripture.
Verse 27, whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
Everyone present would be familiar with what Jesus was talking about about carrying their cross.
Ultimately Jesus was going to carry a cross, right?
They would put the cross on him, on his back, and they would make him carry it up to Golgotha the hill.
The very thing that he carried would be the thing that they would crucify him on.
It was a common form of execution during those times.
And so when Jesus says this to his followers, he is reminding them that following me is going to lead to self-denial and self-sacrifice.
Following me does not mean comfort and ease.
Following me, Jesus is saying, does not mean everything is going to be convenient.
Oh, we love our convenience.
You know how much we love convenience here in America?
We don't even want to get out of our car to get food.
America is the land of the drive-through.
We want it handed to us through the driver side window.
And you could drive down Lynn Haven and count 20 drive-through restaurants because we want it so convenient that I can pay and I can eat in my car before I get home.
Can I tell you serving Jesus is not convenient?
It is not comfortable.
Following Jesus means that we are going to have to choose some difficult roads.
Hello.
Jesus said you cannot be my disciple unless you bear your cross.
For him, what about you?
Here is a good illustration.
Let's say that I had a desire to climb Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world.
And suppose that with that desire comes a cost.
There is a price that is involved.
So first of all, I have to give up my time to be able to prepare for that.
I have to buy equipment.
I have to set aside money and time for people to help me.
Let's say that the cost to get up Mount Everest is $70,000.
I don't have that kind of money, right?
So suppose there was a wealthy businessman who heard about this desire and he felt inclined to offer and pay for that expedition.
He would pay for the clothing and the gear and the transportation and the guides and the training.
It is free for me.
So I don't have to pay that money out of my bank account.
But if I accept his free offer, then that means now I am committed to doing this thing.
Now I am committed to going to training and preparing my body and preparing that time and to give that effort.
If you are going to be the one who sponsors me, then I have to put in the work.
Hello.
Anybody getting the picture yet?
Is it possible that Jesus has paid the price for us?
And the price that he paid was so great that we can never repay him.
The blood that he shed, the body that was broken on our behalf, the salvation that he provided.
He has purchased us with a high price.
And that price that he paid, he offers freely a ticket to eternal life.
I want to tell you there comes an expectation if you receive this offer of salvation.
Be aware, count the cost that there is a life attached to this salvation that Jesus comes with expectations.
That we are going to choose to do a few things that are not comfortable, not easy.
We are going to choose to be a disciple.
And to illustrate this, Jesus gives us two examples in our scripture.
The first example is a man intending to build a tower, a building.
And he says he has enough to finish it after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish.
All who see it begin to mock him, saying this man began to build and was not able to finish.
This is a picture of many, unfortunately, in the Christian world who get into this thing.
They have been invited by a friend.
They come.
They hear a nice story.
They hear a good scripture.
They confess a sin.
They find themselves what it means to serve Jesus, find themselves building a building but not having enough to finish.
We call it false conversions.
Jesus described the seed that falls on the rocky soil and it is able to take some root.
But when it sprouts, the sun beats down or the weeds begin to choke it out and it does not have enough to sustain through the difficulties.
The church today in the West has created so many false converts.
They say just follow Jesus, everything will be good.
Just follow Jesus, just come to church and your life will get better.
Just follow Jesus and name him, put the bumper sticker on, everything will work out.
That is not reality, is it?
I tell in our little sneak preview of our fresh fire new believers class, what I tell new believers is actually it gets harder before it gets easier.
The first year of salvation, just like the first year of marriage, is the hardest year.
And you are going to be willing to go through a few things and pay a price.
That is why we have to count the cost.
To be a disciple means we have to be committed through the high value.
If you have ever done a building project, you know it is always going to cost more and take longer.
We figured that out here in our building when we build this place.
We knock down some walls.
Yeah, I am talking to Pastor Campbell.
Yeah, Pastor, I think we can get it done for $5,000.
We can finish this thing in a couple of weeks.
Yeah, right.
It always costs more.
It always takes longer.
And the same way this building, this tower that we are building in our faith, yeah, it is going to cost you more than you thought.
It is going to mean giving up more than you thought.
The second example is he speaks about a battle.
He speaks about a king.
What king, verse 31, going to war against another king does not sit down and consider whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him against 20?
Or else while the other is a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks a condition of peace.
Isn't this life, this Christian life, isn't it a battle?
We are waging a war.
Not a war of guns.
There will be casualties.
You know who is most often a casualty of war?
Those who are unprepared.
When the bullets start flying, you really know who is the warrior.
There are so many believers that find themselves in the middle of a battle.
All of a sudden they begin following Jesus and then there is a war in their home.
There is division.
How many know Jesus came?
He said I will bring a sword.
I will turn you against family.
That there will be people that you start serving Jesus and there is a war.
They say we don't like this.
We like the old version of you better.
You are going to make decisions.
Friends that you used to care about, used to hang with, and all of a sudden you are serving Jesus.
Man, there is a division there.
It is polarizing to serve Jesus.
Some people will love it, other people will hate it.
There is a battle.
You are going to have to fight some battles.
Be willing.
You are going to have to fight flesh.
Hello.
There is a recent poll.
It showed little difference between the way the world lives and the way professed Christians live.
For example, polls show that Christians are just as likely as non-Christians to be divorced, just as likely to buy lottery tickets, just as likely to watch rated R movies, just as likely to watch even pornography.
There is a problem with that.
Yes, that means that there is a large number of Christians who are not fighting the battle for holiness.
There was several years ago in Washington, D.C.
It happened to be on a Palm Sunday.
You know that is the Sunday before Easter.
And the city had scheduled a marathon, a running marathon on that same day, Palm Sunday, which greatly interfered with all the traffic in Washington, D.C.
All the leaders of the various churches were upset and made their feelings known in the local newspapers.
They reported that their attendance was down 70% on that Sunday.
Why?
Was it impossible for people to get to church that day?
It was not impossible.
It was just inconvenient.
Because the race delayed traffic to those churches, many by their own admission were unwilling to spend an extra 30 minutes in traffic to get to church.
See, those are Christ followers, but those are not disciples.
He makes it clear to us, doesn't He?
Jesus says following Him means to give up everything.
It means to be committed to Him above everything else.
The final picture that Jesus uses, he uses a building and then a battle and then finally he talks about salt.
Verses 34 and 35.
He says salt is good, but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?
It is not fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out.
Salt is a very interesting picture in the Bible.
Salt was very valuable in the ancient world.
In fact, that is where we get the word salary.
You get a salary comes from the word salt because in the ancient times it was possible to be paid in salt because it was so valuable.
It was used as a replacement for currency in many places.
Why?
Because in a world without refrigeration, the way that you would keep meat fresh is you would salt it so it would preserve things.
It was also a way to cleanse and bring healing to wounds.
They could use salt as a fertilizer to keep plants growing well.
Salt had many, many good uses in the ancient world.
Today we just keep it on our tables and it doesn't do a whole lot.
But to them, they would understand how valuable salt is to the world.
Salt is a preserving and Jesus says you are the salt of the earth.
My followers, disciples, we bring a preservative power to a desperate and dying world around us.
This is what Abraham prayed for in those wicked ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
And God says to Abram, I'm going to destroy that place, but because Abram prayed, he said, Lord, if there's five righteous there, would you preserve the city?
And God said yes, I will.
I'll answer that prayer.
In the same way, we live in a wicked world today, but because for the sake of believers doing the work of the kingdom in wicked cities, we are preserved.
That we are supposed to be the force that preserves righteousness in a broken world.
But Jesus is making a point here.
He says salt is good, but what happens if it loses its flavor?
What happens if the salt is just mush?
What happens if the salt doesn't do what it's supposed to?
Then it's worthless.
It's lost its value.
In the same way, what happens if a church is no longer doing what it's supposed to do?
No longer winning souls, no longer making impact, no longer all we do is gather and pat ourselves on the back on Sundays.
That's not discipleship.
True discipleship leaving all to follow Christ.
Leadership magazine ran a cartoon with a billboard that spoke about the light church.
24% fewer commitments, 7.5% tithe, only 15 minute sermons, 45 minute worship service, we only have eight commandments, everything you've wanted in a church and less.
Some people are hearing that saying, man, that sounds pretty good.
What's the address?
What time?
What time do they meet on Sunday?
To be a disciple means committing our lives above everything else.
But I want to leave you with a promise.
There are great possibilities.
It is not just doom and gloom.
It's not just sad news this morning.
Following Jesus is not a bummer.
It's the best thing that you could ever do because Jesus gave us this promise.
Listen, John 12 verse 24.
Most assuredly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone.
But if it dies, oh, it produces much grain.
If you take a look at the map that's on that back wall, what you see is the product of people laying their lives down for Jesus.
What you see is 38.
What's printed there is 3595, 3595 churches.
But that was as of January 2024.
Since that time, there have been nearly 500 more churches planted in our fellowship.
We're getting close to 4000 in just what month is it?
August.
In just 8 months, our fellowship planted close to 500 churches.
How do you do that?
By laying down your life.
How do we reach the nations?
How do we reach our city?
How do we reach our neighborhood?
We have to be willing to be disciples, to be followers, to be learners, give up our lives.
So I ask you, are you willing to forsake all to follow Jesus?
That's what it means to be a Christian.
You cannot be a Christian without being a disciple.
And my call for us today is that, Lord, I want to take seriously your call to discipleship.
This is not about me.
It's not about Pastor Adam.
It's not about the Potter's House.
This is about your decision, what it means in your life to be a disciple of Jesus.
And some of us is going to require some uncomfortable decisions, some inconvenient ideas.
And I want to ask you to allow the Holy Spirit to challenge you into the realm of discipleship.
Let's bow our heads and close our eyes for just a moment.
We're bringing this service to a close.
And as we consider these things, this powerful scripture from the words of Jesus, I wonder maybe you've come here this morning and if you'd be honest for a moment, you'd say, Pastor, I'm not sure.
I'm not sure if I'm right with God.
I'm not sure I'm really living for Him.
I'm not sure that I'm truly a disciple.
I've made comfort my idol.
Things and the opinions of others and fear of the world and my job and possessions have become more important to me than what God thinks.
And as you're here today, maybe God would convict you of sins.
Sin is what separates us from God.
Sin is when we do what we know is wrong and it brings death.
The Bible says the wages of sin is death.
First, sin separates us from the Lord spiritually, but then it ultimately, sin will separate us from Him forever.
When our physical bodies die, the Bible says we will stand in judgment before the Lord and our sins will be convicting us.
You know what the Lord will use as evidence in the court?
He will use your own words against you.
He has every word you've ever spoken recorded in His book and your words will bring judgment against you and separate you from God unless there is a change in your life.
The Bible says the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus.
And that is the good news we are here to proclaim.
The church of Jesus Christ exists to send this good news into the heart of every person.
Our sin will destroy us, but there is a God in heaven who loves you, proved it by sending His son Jesus to die for us.
And if you're here today, you want to receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ who died for you, paid the price.
And I'm asking you to do one thing.
Somebody here, you're not right with God, but you want to be.
I want to ask you to just lift up your hands.
Say, Pastor, pray for me.
I want to get my heart right.
I want my sins forgiven.
I want to live for Jesus.
I want to leave it all behind this life of sin and brokenness.
I'm not going to stay there.
I'm going to trust Jesus to save me.
I'm going to follow Him.
Is that you?
Someone here unsaved or backslidden in your heart?
Thank you, honest hearts.
Is there someone else?
Quickly, God is speaking to you.
Would you lift up your hand?
Unsaved or backslidden?
We want to believe God to help us.
See, religion and church membership is great, but it's not enough.
Religious activities and good deeds are great, but it doesn't save us.
I declare right now that there are people who have been convincing yourself that everything is good when everything is not good.
Jesus said many there will be on that day that call Him Lord, Lord.
Did we not do so many things in your name, casting out demons, praying for the sick?
Jesus said I did not even know you.
And I wonder if there's anyone else quickly.
You'd say, Pastor, I don't want to deceive myself.
I want to know Jesus.
I want to know His forgiveness.
I want to know His mercy.
Would you lift up your hand?
Anyone else quickly, quickly this morning as God deals with hearts.
Holy Spirit moving right now upon the hearts of somebody.
You lift up your hand.
Don't forget about me.
We're going to pray together.
Amen.
Thank God.
Thank God.
If you lifted up your hand, I want to ask you to come.
We're going to pray together.
Would you come?
We're going to pray with you.
I need a sister to come and pray.
With our heads bowed for just one moment more, we're going to open up this altar for prayer right here at this altar.
We're saved in this place, but the challenge always remains to surrender our hearts, to surrender our lives.
God's speaking to you today.
Would you come?
We're going to pray together right here at this altar.
Would you come and join us?
Say, Lord, I don't want to just be a follower.
I don't want to just be a Christ.
I don't want to just have a bumper sticker.
Lord, I want to be your disciple.
I want to give up all and surrender my life to serve.
And so we're going to pray together for a few moments here.
If the Lord is speaking to you, don't miss this opportunity.
Would you come and pray with us for a few moments right here at this altar?
Hallelujah, Lord, we thank you.
If you do me a favor as you're here at this altar, please remain here.
We're going to pray together before we go back to our seats.
But God, let's cry out to the Lord right now.
I want to pray with you, church.
If we could stand right to our feet right where you are, or if you need more time to pray at the altar, please take as much time as you need.
But I want to pray with you for a moment.
I want to believe God with you.
I want to lead you in a prayer.
But before we do that, I just want to remind you, you know, if you have heard this message today and it has touched your heart and you realize that there's some things that it's been difficult for me to let go of, well, welcome to the Christian experience.
Welcome.
We're glad you're here.
Even if it was a little late, but we're glad you're here.
It's difficult to give things up.
The word for giving things up in the Greek, it's also the same word for the word goodbye.
Being willing to say goodbye to things that we care about.
It's like missionaries in times past.
You know, there was a time before airline travel that when somebody said goodbye, they're packing their casket with them.
We're going and we're not coming back.
They would say goodbye forever.
And they'd be willing to plant their lives in a foreign nation.
You know, that's a picture of what it means to actually follow Jesus.
But we're not saying goodbye to our friends and family.
We're saying goodbye to our old lives, to our old way of thinking.
That's what water baptism is.
It's a picture.
I'm saying goodbye to that old person and I'm saying yes to the Lord and all that he has for me.
I want you to think about this.
What did it cost Jesus to get you here?
What did it cost him?
Was there anything he was unwilling to give to save you?
Was there anything that Jesus withheld from the Father so that you could have a place in heaven?
What I'm saying is we don't get the liberty, we don't have the right to receive that salvation from Jesus and then to say, nah, I'm not willing.
We don't get that right.
So he's asking for all of you.
He's asking for your mind, for your heart, for your joy, for your future.
He's asking for your family, for your possessions.
He's asking for it all.
And he has the right to do that because he gave it all himself.
Serving Jesus means he's the Lord.
He's not just Savior, he's Lord.
So we're going to lift up our hands together and we're going to make a commitment to the Lord.
And I am right along with you and I understand this is not easy, but we're going to pray together.
Let's say, God in heaven, thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross for my sins, to pay the price for all humanity.
I thank you, Lord, that you are faithful, that you are just, that when we confess our sins and trust in you, that God, you are able to cleanse us and heal us and adopt us into your family.
Lord, today we realize that true Christianity means discipleship, means leaving all to follow you, means placing the first priority on Jesus and his will for my life.
I'm asking you now, remove every excuse, remove every earthly lover, remove every earthly idol, remove everything, even you.
And I thank you to have given you that you are faithful.
Therefore, when we now worship your kingdom and great things, kingdom and pray in this world, life by the Holy Spirit.
In Jesus' mighty name.
Amen.
Now, come on, let's give God praise right now.
How many feel His presence right now?
You know, it pleases the Father.
It pleases the Father.
You know, if you have kids at home, you know, sometimes we want to explain to our children why we're making all the decisions, right?
And we want them to understand things so that in the future they can make good decisions also.
But there are also times when as a parent, you're making decisions that the child cannot understand.
And you're going to ask them to trust you.
I can't explain everything about this, but you're going to have to trust me.
And we are imperfect as parents, right?
If that's true for us, isn't it also true for the Father in heaven?
That when He asks us to give up of ourselves and we say, why?
God, it's painful.
And He doesn't owe us anything.
