Luke 14:25-33<\/p>\n\n\n\n
October 11, 1998<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since arriving in SF, I now have a Safeway Club card and a Lucky Rewards card. Like you, I use them to discount my groceries. One time in Pennsylvania, I saved over $20.00 from using coupons! The cashier lady was surprised that I saved so much. I think because I didn\u2019t fit into her stereotype of a discount shopper. Now I also have these MacDonald\u2019s Get Back with Big Mac coupons that are still good until October 20th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And at the risk of embarrassing my good friends, Marjorie and Charcoal, we would go to \u201cearly bird\u201d dinners. Why not when you can discount the same dinners for $2-5 dollars! Even though we\u2019re not hungry yet!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reading, PA is probably the best-known shopping outlet center in the whole country! Tourists from all over the world would skip the historic monuments like the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall to not miss shopping in Reading. Bus-loads of travelers want more than leisure and learning; they want \u201cworld-class savings of 20 to 60 percent everyday!<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the Travel Industry Association, shopping is the number one activity of people when they travel. And of a total of 149 million adult travelers for business and leisure, 55 million of them are discount outlet shoppers. Stopping for shopping at an outlet mall has become integrated into the fabric of U.S. travel and tourism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unless we can see a percentage discount from our checks or bills, we feel that we have been ripped-off. We have become expectant of deep-discounts in many aspects of our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In our passage for this morning, we read that Jesus was at his mid-journey pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Large crowds are now following him, probably hoping to gain something from Jesus. Jesus was heading toward the cross and he knew that the ranks would soon thin out once they hear what may happen. Aware of the throngs, Jesus turns to them and utters words to deliberately diminish the \u201cdiscipleship wannabees.\u201d He wanted to see who would be the committed core who would remain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The large crowds were desiring the same kind of \u201cworld-class\u201d savings that tourists crave today. Without skipping a beat, Jesus turns to them and says that he wants followers who are willing to pay the full-price\u2014not deep-discount disciples. There are no sale prices on salvation, no discount outlet malls with faithfulness marked down 50 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some churches, preachers, and TV programs present the gospel as though they were selling a used car.\u00a0 No money down!\u00a0 Attractive terms!\u00a0 Low, low monthly payments!\u00a0 They make it sound as easy as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus\u2019 call for real commitment is unlike a used car salesperson! He wasn\u2019t recruiting disciples who may say, \u201cWe are just looking.\u201d He wasn\u2019t looking for superficial commitments or a crowd of tagalongs. Instead, Jesus was requiring his followers to be totally committed if they were going to follow him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To be a full-price disciple and not a deep-discount disciple, Jesus said there are three requirements.\u00a0 To pay full price, the cost of discipleship is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Loyalty Shopping at Full Price<\/em> Jesus wants us to have a detachment from our family ties and an ultimate attachment in him.\u00a0 The call to \u201chate\u201d cannot be taken in face value.\u00a0 That would be a mockery of the gospel and contradict everything in both testaments.\u00a0 What Jesus is saying is that our ultimate loyalty is in him.\u00a0 It is like being loyal to a favorite store so much that you are willing to pay full price on everything!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Buying Only Essentials<\/em> Many of us enjoy going to the mall to cruise and window shop. Although we may have no specific thing to buy, sometimes we come home with non-essentials: nice to own, but not necessary. Jesus is saying that to be a full-price disciple, we need to buy only the essentials: carry the cross of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCarrying the cross\u201d is an anachronism in our day. Sometimes, during Lent, churches would act out the scene of having a person portray Jesus as he carried his cross up to Mt. Calvary. When we see this re-enactment, we think about it as only a story and not necessarily real. Crucifixion is not like the sugary religious art we have seen. It was not a sweet sight, and few of us would dare to have a real picture of a crucifixion on our bedroom walls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To be a full-price disciple, we need to reflect and live out the meaning of \u201ccarrying the cross\u201d today.\u00a0 Carrying the cross is constructive Christian behavior that we participate in and not simply the empathy of sharing in Christ\u2019s suffering.\u00a0 Carrying the cross of Christ<\/p>\n\n\n\n involves walking in the way of Christ.\u00a0 Carrying the cross is being a full-price disciple who sacrifices and suffers in the name of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shopping Spree<\/em> What does giving up our possessions means for us today? Do we sell everything and give it all to the poor or to the church? Is material poverty a condition for following Christ? I don\u2019t think so. To me, giving up our possessions means that we recognize that all that we have comes from the Lord. Therefore, we give them up into his hands. We seek his guidance as to how he desires that we use these resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Donald Trump visited a New York public school, he offered to buy the children new sneakers. A student asked, \u201cWhy did you offer us sneakers if you could give us scholarships?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n To be a full-price disciple means that we take our possessions and go on a shopping spree! We are willing to give generously and sacrificially because we know that our treasures are in heaven and not on earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Besides the obvious of giving our possessions and resources to the work and ministry of Christ, the cost of discipleship today is also on our time and talents. We are so busy and overly committed that we literally don\u2019t have time to give to the church. Sometimes we would prefer to give our resources before we are willing to give our time. Some of us may sincerely want to serve this church, but we haven\u2019t figure out a way to do this in the midst of the \u201coutlet mall rush\u201d in our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus shared two parables. The builder of the tower should count the cost before building the tower if he is to complete it successfully. Likewise, if the king carefully assesses the battle-readiness of his troops, he is likely to gain victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we approach ever so closer to the time when we are invited to consider our financial commitments to the Continue the Legacy stewardship campaign, we will all need to count the cost of retrofit and renovations.\u00a0 We will be assessing the preparedness of our congregation\u2019s ability to successfully see these projects through to their completion. \u00a0The cost is our time and talents we give to First Chinese Baptist Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n William Willimon tells of an irate father who phoned him one day, accusing him of influencing his daughter to make a decision that he felt was foolish. You see, she had informed her father that she intended to go on a Presbyterian mission to Haiti.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIsn\u2019t that absurd!\u201d he shouted. \u201cShe has a degree in mechanical engineering from Duke University and she wants to throw it all away digging ditches in Haiti. You\u2019re responsible for this!\u201d he accused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d Willimon inquired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The father explained that Willimon had won his daughter\u2019s admiration and had influenced her to make her decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Dean of the Duke University Chapel was on the verge of losing his ministerial composure and asked if he (the father) weren\u2019t the one who had her baptized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, yes, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He went on to ask if he hadn\u2019t read her Bible stories and brought her to Sunday school and worship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t but me!\u201d Willimon exclaimed. \u201cIt\u2019s your fault that she decided to throw it all away on Jesus, not mine. You\u2019re to blame that she believes all that stuff about the gospel and the full cost of discipleship because you\u2019re the one who introduced her to Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll we ever wanted her to be was a Presbyterian,\u201d he meekly commented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSorry, you messed up and made her a disciple,\u201d the chaplain said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even today, the call of Christ is for full-price disciples, not deep-discount disciples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us pray<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n O merciful God, grant us the forgiveness of seeking an easy term, deep-discounted discipleship when your Son gave all of himself for our sake and life. Challenge us to give only you our utmost loyalty. Strengthen us to be able to carry our cross knowing that discipleship means sacrifices and sufferings. And help us to give so lavishly and generously that we believe our rewards are truly in heaven. Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Luke 14:25-33 October 11, 1998 Coupons & Discounts Since arriving in SF, I now have a Safeway Club card and a Lucky Rewards card. Like you, I use them toDiscipleship Wannabees<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Luke 14:25-33<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Jesus said, \u201cWhoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife or husband and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.\u201d\u00a0 Designed to shock his listeners, Jesus demands that disciples hate–yes, hate\u2014their\u00a0 fathers, mothers, wives, husbands, children, brothers, sisters, and even life itself.\u00a0 Cut your family ties, he seems to be saying, and focus only on strengthening your faith-ties. Fortunately, the Greek word for \u201chate\u201d does not mean anger or hostility; it suggests that a true disciple should value his relationship with Christ over his relationship with family members.\u00a0 We are not to despise our relatives, but we are not to worship them either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next Jesus said, \u201cWhoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.\u201d\u00a0 Being a full-price disciple requires us to focus on the essentials of the faith.\u00a0 Jesus calls us to carry the cross and follow him, to accept challenges, risks, and sacrifices instead of seeking our comforts.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lastly Jesus said, \u201cSo therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.\u201d\u00a0 If Christians give with generosity, we know that they have escaped the discount outlet mall mentality.\u00a0 They see it as a privilege to give\u2014generously, lavishly, joyfully, recklessly\u2014knowing that their treasure is in heaven, not on a 60 percent off rack.\u00a0 It\u2019s not the Lucky Rewards card expecting something back. They have discovered that the greatest joy and satisfaction come from giving to others, as Jesus did.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCost of Discipleship Today<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
Being a Disciple<\/h6>\n\n\n\n