Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Luke 14:25-35

It costs to serve Jesus Christ; we must be prepared to pay the price. Many will try to water down the Gospel in an attempt to gain more followers, but Jesus is not looking for easy followers; He wants fully committed disciples.

Jesus wants disciples who will worship at any cost. Luke 14:27 says, “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”

Jesus must come before personal relationships and reputations. His disciples must prioritize Him over their families and loved ones, and even before themselves. He must come before personal realization. The decision to follow Jesus was the last independent decision any Christian ever made; our lives now belong to Jesus.

Second, Jesus wants disciples who will work at any cost. “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it…” (Luke 14:28).

Jesus calls us to build our lives according to His blueprints, spiritually conceived through prayer. We cannot look for a cheap, easy, lazy way to build our lives for Christ. We must count the cost, and steadfastly work to completion.

Third, fully committed disciples will war at any cost. Adrian Rogers says, “When I follow the Lord Jesus Christ, I follow Him into battle.” There is no such thing as neutrality in this spiritual warfare. Though we are outnumbered, we cannot be cowards or compromisers. Nor can we be cautious; we must go into the battle with all of our hearts and souls.

Finally, Jesus wants disciples who will witness at any cost. “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 14:34-35)!

Salt preserves, flavors, and heals; likewise, we are called to preserve truth and to have a zest about our lives that heals this sick world. But salt also burns and penetrates; it is an irritant that permeates everything it touches. We cannot fear our nature to irritate this corrupt world and permeate Jesus Christ into everything we touch.

Apply it to your life

Are you a fully committed disciple of Jesus Christ? Are you willing to pay the cost of worship, work, war, and witness?