Counting The Cost

Luke 14:25-33 How my brain works! Great Crowds ● doesn’t appear concerned with maintaining his popularity in front of large crowds. ● “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” (John 6:68) ● “Prayer, Communion, fellowship, and reading don’t attract large crowds.” - Francis Chan ● Our focus at Cornerstone should be on discipleship, more than “Great Crowds!” Looking Forward to 2019 ● Continuing to participate in Treasure Valley prayer the 1st of every month. Sign-ups in the back! ● Communion - NOT JUST A CATHOLIC THING - but commanded in Scripture (:18-20). ● Fellowship - Relaunching Men’s Ministry, Home-groups, etc. ● Bible Reading - Reading the Bible in three-years, reading each Sunday from those passages. Great Crowds “Our greatest pressing obligation today is to do all in our power to obtain a revival that will result in a reformed, revitalized, purified church. It is of far greater importance that we have better Christians than that we have more of them.”

- A.W. Tozer The Cost of Discipleship ● How should we understand “hate” in verse 26? ○ This is hyperbole to contrast the severity of the issue! (Plucking out eyes, cutting off hands in Mt 5:29-30) ○ Jesus is speaking to the idolatry of the Jews toward their families, themselves. ○ Jesus is saying these things after teaching the of the Great Feats (:12-24). ● Bear your own crosses (vs 27). The Cost of Discipleship “Costly grace is the which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus . It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life….. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: "ye were bought at a price," and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship Failed Planning / Diplomacy ● If you were a house, what would you be? ○ A failed building project, open to public scorn. ○ A king outnumbered 2-to-1, seeks diplomacy. ● These word pictures are to here to help us Count the Cost! ● “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” - Bonhoeffer Renounce & Follow ● Jesus is asking us to renounce everything and follow Him. ● Everything include family, career, education, riches, talents, sexuality, social standing, dreams & aspirations, etc. ● “Having "much" makes it harder to focus on the mission because it requires so much energy to maintain the system. In other words, the more you have, the more you must focus on keeping "it" going.” - Ed Stezer Renounce & Follow ● “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” - Mark 10:17-31 ● “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he hand a bought it.” - Matthew 10:44-45

Renounce & Follow ● So as we look to 2019, have we counted the cost? Have we adopted a view of cheap grace? Have we renounced all and sought Jesus like buried treasure or the world’s greatest pearl? ● Confession and Communion