“Are You All-In?”
Strange Tales—Part 9
Luke 14:25-33
June 30, 2013
Following Jesus:
1. REQUIRES A CONSCIOUS DECISION.
“Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he
said: ‘If anyone comes to me…’” v 25-26a
2. REQUIRES A CORRECT DEVOTION.
“‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife
and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such
a person cannot be my disciple.” v 26
3. REQUIRES A CONTINUOUS DEDICATION.
“And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be
my disciple.” v 27
4. REQUIRES A CALCULATED DESIGN.
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit
down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to
complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to
finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This
person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’” v 28-30
5. REQUIRES A COSTLY DEFEAT.
“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king.
Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten
thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty
thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the
other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the
same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have
cannot be my disciples.’” v 31-33
6. REQUIRES A CAREFUL DEPICTION.
“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty
again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is
thrown out. “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” v 34-35