Bible Text: Matthew 16:24-28, 1 Timothy 6:10, John 10:10, Matthew 25:46, 1 John 4:10
Subject: Cost
Title: The Costs Associated With Christ
INTRODUCTION
Biblical Orientation:
In this time when we are in economic turmoil, many are eyeing their retirement account and their savings account. We wonder if they will profit us. It is a time of upheaval, confusion, and wonder. The reason so many worry about money is it represents earthly stability
Speak of the need for stability. The disciples, who had given up everything to follow Jesus, have just been told He would die! Yes, He also spoke of His resurrection, but they did not hear that. They were wondering, what does this mean to me. What will I do, where will I go and how am I going to survive
That may be how you are feeling today. You might be worried about how you will live and survive. These things can be a real shock. Just like the disciples were shocked, only they had given up much more than you and I have given up. It is at that exact moment Jesus told them that earthly riches would not profit them like heavenly riches. There is something of far greater value than worldly riches
Sermon Orientation:
Jesus said the cost would go on even after He died. There would be the cost of discipleship, this is the expense incurred by being a follower of Jesus. Things must be given up and things must be done to follow Him. There is the cost of a soul, nothing is more important than a man’s soul; this cost determines one’s eternal destiny. With such great costs, there is also great benefit for those that live for the Lord. They will find themselves the recipients of the greatest rewards given to mankind
EXPOSITION/MAIN TEXT
I. THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP V 24
A. There Is The Cost Of Denying One’s Self
1. Self is made up of personal desires and ambitions
a. In the Old Testament self was frequently equated to being “stiffnecked”
b. It was characterized by a refusal to obey the Lord
2. The denial of self comes when we give up all of our earthly and fleshly ambitions
a. David was a man who loved God with a passion, he desired to build a temple that the people might worship the God he loved so much
b. However, God would not let him build the temple. That could have been a crushing blow to David. Instead, he decided to deny himself; he did what God wanted him to do
3. To practice denying self we must remember what God wants out of our lives and do as He has asked
a. Christ said, not my will, but thine, be done
b. When self is in conflict with God’s desires, we must yield to His ways
B. There Is The Cost Of Taking Up One’s Cross
1. The cross is an emblem of crucifixion
2. The cost of being Christ’s disciple is being willing to crucify ourselves to the claims of Christ
3. What claims does Christ make?
a. Humble yourself and be saved
b. Submit to baptism and join His church
c. Study and grow in being a disciple
d. Teach others to be His disciple
4. Essentially, Christ requires four things out of your life
a. Have you crucified self and submitted to these claims?
b. If you are not obedient in these areas, you are saying: God my way is better than your way
i. No, it is not
ii. Man’s ways never profit man, they are like the stock market, down, down, down
C. There Is The Cost Of Following Christ
1. Since we cannot literally follow the footsteps of Christ this must have a spiritual application
2. To follow Christ we live and act as He lived
a. Simply, holily, reverently
b. Always seeking God’s will for our lives
c. Honest before all men
3. Oh preacher, don’t you know what that will cost me if I truly did as God asks
a. I would have to be honest in business, with my wife, with my family; it would be too costly
b. Why is it whenever we study God’s claims upon our lives we look at what it will cost us from a worldly standpoint?
i. Instead, why don’t we look at what it is costing us already spiritually?
ii. It is costing you your fellowship with the Lord
iii. It is costing you the ability to be an influence on others for the gospel
iv. For some, it is wracking your souls with sin
4. The real cost of discipleship is failing to live as God desires not as God desires
II. THE COST OF THE SOUL V 25-26
Riches have been a snare to many in this world. 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil… Many do not realize that its cost is the greatest cost a person can pay, their soul
A. To Keep Your Way Is To Lose Life
1. If the cost of discipleship is too much, you will continue to keep your ways
a. Most of these ways are sinful
b. Most of them are in rebellion to God
2. The great thing about being your own man/woman is that you will gain life your way
a. You can do things as you like
b. You can live life with all the fun this world has to offer
c. You will trivialize sin to the point it no longer brings conviction
3. While you are busy living it up, you are losing life
a. How can that be, how can one live and lose life?
b. It has to do with the life we lead
i. If you live life only for this world and its ways, you will easily find them and have them
ii. The cost is eternal life
ü One cannot ignore God and His promptings with out a great cost
ü You can gain the life of this world, but real life which is eternal, that is the trade off
ü The world will blind you to the real issue, your soul and its eternity
B. To Give Up Worldly Life Is To Gain Eternal Life
1. The person willing to give up the ways of the world for the ways of Christ will find blessing
2. God wants you to give up the ways of the world because He has something much better for you
ü John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly
a. The thief is Satan who gives you the world and its pleasures
b. Jesus wants you to have life, a life that has more abundance than the world could ever give
3. When you give up the world and accept Christ, you will gain life, God’s life; life eternal
C. Keeping Your Way Will Give You The Whole World, But Cost You Your Soul
1. You are made up of three parts
a. Body- that is your flesh
b. Soul- it is the part which makes you alive, this part of you is without beginning or end
c. Spirit- the part of you which feels, thinks, and makes decisions
2. Jesus states that if you lose your soul, there is no profit
a. There must be a great loss
b. In Matthew 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal
i. Who are these to be banished?
ii. Those who have given their souls to the world and saved their life for their own selfish pleasure
D. There Is Nothing You Have Or This World Has That Is Precious Enough To Pay For A Soul
1. Each man, woman, boy, and girl will at some point, in this life or after it is too late, realize that their soul was the most precious thing they had
2. When a person comes to the place where they realize that the world has deceived them, what will they give to have salvation of their soul?
a. Nothing, because a soul is so precious that nothing can be given for its worth
b. There is not enough gold or good works on this earth to pay its value
3. However, there is a payment, a payment that will free the soul from eternal punishment
ü TT 1 John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins
a. The payment that is given for a man’s soul is the sacrifice of Christ
b. When He went to the cross, He paid for your soul
c. He paid for your worldly ways and desires
d. He has ransomed your life
4. If you will give your soul to the Lord Jesus Christ He will save it and keep it and give you eternal life
III. THE REWARD OF GOD’S KINGDOM V 27-28
While it is not our intention to preach Matthew 17, you cannot understand these next two verses unless you know what happens next. Chapter 17 is the transfiguration of Jesus. The disciples were allowed to see Him in a portion of His beauty like when His kingdom comes to earth
Understanding this, now we can understand why some will not taste death till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. Peter, James, and John were about to get a glimpse of the future
A. God Is Sending His Son To Return To This Earth With Rewards For Each Of Us
1. We will be rewarded according to our salvation and relationship with Christ
2. Jesus will return to this earth
a. The next event to happen is the rapture, God will remove His saints from the earth
b. There will then be seven years of Great Tribulation on the earth
c. At the end, Christ will come and literally, physically set up His kingdom in Jerusalem; where He will reign for a thousand years
d. We will return with Him and rule in His kingdom
3. To be part of the Kingdom of God is filled with honor and reward
B. To Those Who Have Given Up The World And Have The Promise Of God’s Kingdom
1. This is the promise to those that are willing to forsake the false riches of the world for the love of Christ
2. Never does Christ dismiss our basic needs as real, we need money to live
a. However, we are of great value to the one who saves us
b. His promise includes to meet our basic needs of life
3. The question is: what are we willing to forsake now to receive eternal reward?
PREACHING PORTION
One Who Wants To Be A Disciple Must Give Up Their Personal Desires, It Is One Of The Costs Associated With Christ
Is knowing Christ enough?
Not if you continue to live life without the influence of discipleship
Self will not allow you to be Christ’s disciple; therefore, that which self is using to keep you from truly living for Christ, that is what you must give up
Your cross is the crucified life, you cannot be partially crucified; you must give in to God’s complete way for you
Then, you will be able to follow Christ’s direction for your life and find there is blessing in doing so
One Who Is Living Life Their Way And For Their Benefit Must Give It Up To Save It
You may not say it this way, but if you live your own life and only live for the things of this world, you are telling Christ you do not need Him
You are keeping your life, your way; but you are in all actuality losing eternal life by denying Christ
Christ asks you to forsake the short term for the long term, seek eternal life by calling upon Him to be your Savior
CONCLUSION
Therefore, do not think, “I cannot give up all I have to live for Christ.” Instead, think this way, “I can give up the false short term ways of the world and gain eternal live and riches if I am willing to give up self”
