Latest / HBCWestminster / 5.9.21 Luke 14:25-35 Pastor Danny Gardner

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5.9.21 Luke 14:25-35 Pastor Danny Gardner · HBCWestminster

• 0:00
  If you have your Bibles, you can open to Luke chapter 14. Luke 14, verses 25 to 35. As you're turning there, we do want to issue another Happy Mother's Day. And like Nathan said, we are thankful for all of the women of Highland Baptist Church, the ones who have kids, the ones who do not have kids. We are grateful for the women that the Lord has brought to our congregation and made part of our church body. Some who are mothers of biological children, some who are spiritual mothers as well. We know that there are so many women who disciple younger women here at the church, and we are grateful for all.
• 0:29
  of you pray that you would be blessed today well I've titled this morning's message saving faith is walking faith saving faith is walking faith and if you've got your Bibles open allow me to read our text I would ask you to stand in honor of God's Word we'll read our text and then pray and begin and in verse 25
• 0:50
  Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?
• 1:15
  When he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish. Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him who comes against him with 20,000? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
• 1:45
  Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. And Lord, I pray a blessing over the preaching of your word. Make our hearts and ears attentive to your truth. And God, may we commit to change our lives and to modify the way we live according to it. And it's in Jesus' name we pray.
• 2:16
  amen amen well at this point in luke's narrative and at this point in jesus's journey toward jerusalem the teaching emphasis shifts from confrontation with the jewish leadership which is what we've been talking about the last several chapters to preparation of his disciples for his departure and that's really we're going to see that shift beginning today where he's going to shift his audience the focus of his audience directed rather at the pharisees and the religious leaders now to his
• 2:44
  Disciples, in preparation for his leaving and discipleship, we will read again, is not easy. Any who determine to follow Christ must understand the rigorous call he makes. Any who desire to follow Christ must decide not only to believe, but to follow, not only to start the race, but to finish the race. When I was in my early 20s, and in fact, Hallie and I were just newlyweds,
• 3:11
  I had a very good friend and he is still a very good friend who enjoyed mountain biking. And we were all in our twenties and all in relatively good shape. This is back when I used to have a flat stomach. Uh, and so he invited me to go. Now I was not a mountain biker. I never did anything like that, that kind of activity. I just never did. So I was completely unprepared, but I thought, you know, I'll go mountain biking with.
• 3:31
  My friend and then all of his buddies were all into it. Now he did not tell me how difficult the biking would be. He didn't tell me how difficult the trail was. He didn't tell me how long the trail was. And he didn't tell me that like the first 12 miles was up a steep hill. He didn't tell me any of that. He also did not disclose to me that one of the guys that we were riding with that day, they were all in great shape. They all did this every weekend. This was their thing. But one of those guys was even semi-professional.
• 4:00
  He had another job, but he also got paid to race mountain bikes. He was sponsored by some mountain biking company. He didn't tell me as well that I didn't have to stay with them. And so when we set out from the trucks, we're all tearing up this hill. And I decided I was going to try to keep up with them and not long into the ride. I completely ran out of gas. My bike dropped. I laid down on that trail. You guys, I just said, I quit.
• 4:26
  This is not what I thought it would be. I am no longer interested. And I'm not kidding when I say that I laid down on the trail for like an hour before those guys wrapped back around and finally found me. I laid there on the trail, my mountain bike next to me, my eyes shut, and I had just given up. And church, the road to heaven is riddled with the souls of those who began to walk with Jesus, but decided not to finish.
• 4:54
  who began the journey, the spiritual Christian journey toward heaven, but just gave up along the way. They quit. It is riddled with the souls of those who put their hand to the plow initially, but then longingly gazed back. And that group are the target of his sermon this morning.
• 5:15
  directing his attention not to the mixed multitude as it has been the last several chapters as he had before, but now rather directing his attention at those who had made a decision to follow initially. He wanted to make them aware what it actually takes not to begin the race, but to finish. Not just to walk the half route with Jesus, but to walk till the finish line with him. And there are plenty. We know.
• 5:42
  There are plenty who claim the name of Christ, but who don't actually follow. There are plenty who wear a cross and sing the songs. They even attend churches, but who do not prioritize Jesus in their lives and who are therefore, according to our text this morning, not true disciples of his. There are many modern churches that teach that salvation and discipleship are two different acts.
• 6:05
  that one can be saved by Christ without actually becoming his follower. But what we see in our text is that it is not the case. Darrell Bock says it this way, though faith and discipleship are separable conceptually. In other words, I know that if you wanted to define faith as
• 6:23
  starting to breathe, right? Now your spiritual heart begins beating and you wanted to define discipleship as now walking after Christ. We know that those two things are separate, breathing and walking. Those are two different things conceptually. The ideas in scripture we find are inseparably linked since Daryl Bach says one trusts Jesus by an act of faith and then walks with him in trust. The saving faith is the walking faith. That's what he says.
• 6:50
  Jesus calls us into a relationship, not just a decision. This is why only cross bearers can be disciples. Now the apostle Paul rightly called this faith journey in Romans chapter one, verse five, the obedience that comes from faith. It's not just being saved. It's walking with him in obedience, discipleship. Again, the apostle Paul in his sermon to King Agrippa in Acts 26 and verse 20, he says that the Gentiles should repent.
• 7:19
  and turn to God, being saved. And then he adds this, performing deeds and keeping in with their repentance. So it's not just believing and being saved. It's also walking in obedience after that salvation. Again, the apostle Paul, Galatians 5, 16, he says, walk by the spirit and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. And in verse 25, if we live by the spirit, let us keep in step with the spirit. And church, there can be no doubt, saving faith is walking faith.
• 7:48
  Jesus calls us to more than a mere transfer of eternal status. He calls us to walk the road with him, a road that we know ends in eternal joy, but that requires daily sacrifice along the way. We must dispel the notion popular today in many Christian circles that one can be saved apart from becoming a disciple of his.
• 8:13
  As in chapter 9, when he said that if anyone desires to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow. So now Jesus reminds us in chapter 14 that the Christian road may not be for everyone. And he gets right to the point. Notice in verse 25, he says that all followers of his must abandon past allegiances. All followers must abandon past allegiances. Look at verse 25. Now great crowds accompanied him and he turned and said to them,
• 8:44
  If anyone comes after me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. In a conversation regarding my love of the Los Angeles Dodgers, a man one time asked me what I would do if one of my sons were ever drafted.
• 9:10
  by the San Francisco Giants. Now, if you know anything about West Coast baseball, there is a rivalry. In fact, one of the biggest and best rivalry in all of sports.
• 9:20
  is the Dodgers versus the San Francisco Giants. It rivals, that rivalry even rivals the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees rivalry, okay? And so for generations, there have been people fighting between the Dodgers and the Giants. And you guys know I love the Dodgers, which means I therefore hate the Giants. Our family wears Dodger blue. We do not wear San Francisco orange.
• 9:45
  And so this guy comes up to me and he just says, yeah, Danny, if one of your sons was ever drafted by the Giants, what would you do? My immediate response was, I would discard every article of blue clothing I owned and I would buy a Giants hat. I would do it without hesitation and without looking back. Why? Because my loyalty to my sons is far greater than my loyalty to a sports team.
• 10:14
  Right? I mean, of course my son plays for, I don't care what team it is. I don't care if it is the San Francisco Philistines. Doesn't matter to me. I am now a Philistine fan. Now in our text, Jesus uses a controversial word. He uses the word hate. Whoever does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children, even his own life, hate his own life. He cannot be
• 10:41
  my disciple and that word hate that he uses has caused so much heartburn for so many in fact modern skeptics will even use this verse to castigate christianity by saying that jesus taught us to literally hate our own families i have to hate my parents i have to hate my wife i have to hate my kids in order to follow jesus but christ's statement is not actually difficult to understand
• 11:07
  His use of the term carries what James Denny calls comparative force, comparative force. And you hear that word compared. Modern skeptics will criticize the softening of that term hate.
• 11:22
  But Jesus' use here, the way that he did it, this hyperbolic use, this use of exaggeration or comparative force was actually completely appropriate to use. It was even standard practice in ancient philosophy where they would speak something dramatically, hyperbolically, right? Very forcefully in order to convey the severity of a given topic. In other words, for Jesus to call us to hate,
• 11:51
  our families means simply that he is to be loved more than anyone else.
• 11:59
  In other words, in comparison to Jesus, your love for Jesus should make your love for your family members look like hate. That's how much we are supposed to love him. In comparison, the love for our own family, which we would rank as number one love in our lives, right? I love my family more than I love anything on this earth. But our love for our families, which is ranked number one, shouldn't even compare. It will pale in comparison to our love.
• 12:28
  for Jesus, and if we were ever forced to choose between the two, my love for Jesus or my love for my family, the winner in that contest must be Christ. Now I know that this strikes home for many in a very literal sense. Some listening this morning have probably never been forced to make this decision.
• 12:54
  between following Christ and following family. But there are many probably listening this morning, some in our own midst who have this battle every day between family and Jesus. There are many they live with, are related to, they are married to even, whose eyes have yet not been opened to the truth and beauty of the gospel. And so even their own spouses do not understand the passion and conviction that their spouses have for the Savior.
• 13:24
  For some, even coming to church is a battle. I help with, I pray with, I counsel spouses whose own husbands or wives don't want them to come to church, have no interest in spiritual things. Even coming to church on a weekly basis is a battle. Raising their kids is a battle. Intimacy is a battle. They say, well, what do we do in this instance?
• 13:49
  What do we do if that is you? If you're like, man, my spouse doesn't get it, what do I do? Listen to 1 Peter 3 in verse 1. Now, he uses the instance here of wives because, honestly, church, most common, it is a wife who loves the Lord, is passionate about the church, and the husband is not. Okay, so most common, stereotypically, it is the wife who knows the Lord, who is leading the family spiritually, and the husband who has no interest. And so he calls them wives here. He gives advice to wives.
• 14:19
  But in verse 1, likewise, he says, wives, be subject to your own husbands so that even if some do not obey the word, in other words, they are not believers or they're not walking with the Lord, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives when they see your respectful and pure conduct. I would give a book recommendation here. If this is you, if this is...
• 14:44
  where you're at if that describes your life then may i recommend the book winning him without words winning him without words the sub title is 10 keys to thriving in your spiritually mismatched marriage winning him without words 10 keys to thriving in your spiritually mismatched marriage and the author goes on to say a couple of those keys are committing to a christian community you know what the author just says even if your husband will not come
• 15:13
  Come to church. Commit to a Christian community. Another one. Trust the Lord with the spiritual condition of your spouse. It's not up to you to save your unsaved spouse. It's up to the Lord. And so trust the Lord with that. Don't wear the burden of their unbelief, as many are so prone to do. If we return to our text, we'll pick up here in just a moment in verse 27, but Christ's call.
• 15:38
  To compare our commitment to him with our commitment to our families what were for most people would occupy first place in their hearts Then would extend to everything else that would typically come in second place, right? You can kind of extend that truth So if he says your love for your family Which is normally number one should look like hate compared to your love for me then anything that would come under that Love of work love of school love of recreation and hobbies all of that should come under the same truth
• 16:07
  even he says love of your own life look at the end of verse 26 he says yes even your own life even your own life he cannot be my disciple whoever doesn't bear his own cross and come after me cannot bear cannot be my disciple now one thing i suppose that covet has done that i'm thankful for is that it has been a very stark reminder of
• 16:36
  my own and our own mortality. Our lives, I'm going to say generally speaking, because I understand that there are some exceptions to what I'm about to say, okay, but our lives until now in 21st century America, our lives have been relatively easy. They've been relatively comfortable. Most of us have had to sacrifice very little. I'm going to say that our lives until this last 18 months have been, I'm going to use the word affordable.
• 17:07
  They've been affordable. In other words, they haven't cost very much. We have been able to count the cost of following Jesus and until now have been able to foot the bill. But church, that may be changing. Our culture in the last 12 months, and especially in the last six months, politically, economically, our culture is shifting and you can feel it shifting underneath our feet.
• 17:33
  our culture is shifting and the tide seems to be turning against christianity against the church against what has been our our morality our values according to god's word
• 17:47
  So what this book describes as right and wrong in all things, in relationships, in employment, in social justice, in things like equality and equity, even in things like gender that this book talks about now are being redefined against God's word and not for it. Now, I said this in greater detail at Thrive this last Wednesday.
• 18:14
  If you didn't get to hear it, then I would encourage you to reach out to Lori, our office manager, and request a copy of that sermon. I said it in a lot greater detail, but I believe it bears repeating. Beloved church, we are not far from Christian preaching, and I believe the word of God itself being considered hate speech here in the supposed Christian nation of America. I don't think we're very far from it.
• 18:44
  And if that day comes here, the way that it has in other places through the centuries, that biblical Christians are arrested and fined if persecution eventually comes here, the way that it has other places, we will be forced to decide if we will, as Jesus says in verse 27, bear our own cross and follow. His call, church, is for wholehearted devotion.
• 19:12
  And he says, if Christ doesn't take first place in your hearts, then you should probably check whether you're really a disciple. In simpler terms, if I may sum up that first point, Dodgers are out, go Giants, right? That's what he says. Dodgers are out. Whatever you had an affinity toward before, abandon that allegiance and now get on board with Jesus. Note a second though, he continues. He says all followers of his must assess the odds of success.
• 19:41
  All followers of his must assess the odds of success. To make his point, beginning in verse 28, to make his point, Jesus offers two short parables kind of back to back. One about a building, the other about a battle. And you're going to notice that both parables begin with which one of you or which king. It's as if Jesus is saying, by show of hands, which one of you would do this or think this way? Raise your hands if you would ever.
• 20:05
  Do this. And that similar language kind of creates an escalation. Which one of you is willing to endure ridicule and financial expense for quitting? Which one of you, the second one, would be willing to lay down your own life for the sake of quitting? Look what he says in verse 28. For which of you desiring to build a tower does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?
• 20:30
  Otherwise when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish all who see it begin to mock him saying This man began to build and was not able to finish That's a very simple question that what is the first step in home renovation if your answer is step one swing sledgehammer Then you're not only foolish you are likely to spend some nights on the couch
• 20:56
  apart from your wife okay if that's what you do first if you're just like you know i don't like it i'm ripping it all out and i'm just going to start swinging a hammer that is not step one the first step in building isn't building in fact the first step is also not demolition the first step is figuring out the cost before you build
• 21:18
  Get some bids. Go to the hardware store. Check the price of lumber. Check the price for new appliances. Determine first if you can afford to build because building costs a lot of money. And in the same way, Christ says, following him, it offers a lot, but it costs a lot too. The finished product is fantastic, Jesus says, eternal joy. But the cost along the way is expensive.
• 21:46
  And what a waste, what a waste is half a building. Jesus in verse 29 really drives the point home when he says, all who see it begin to mock. You are going to endure ridicule. Mocking, he says, will ensue if your building goes unfinished. And believe me, church, the world is lined up and ready to mock you if you start and don't finish.
• 22:16
  How frequently we hear of those who started well, but then quit. How often we hear the stories of those who were running the race, but then fell into immorality. How many times we open the news and hear about another formerly prominent church leader who has now rejected the gospel and turned his back on Christ and the church. And every time that happens, friends, the world laughs.
• 22:45
  The world laughs. See another one. See another one couldn't do it. Another one preached, but then didn't walk. Another one did it. They laugh. So he says, don't start the building and then quit halfway through.
• 22:57
  Do it the right way. Determine the cost. And then he noticed he switches from a building to a battle in verse 31. What king going out to encounter another king in war will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able to finish with 10,000, whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him who comes against him with 20,000. And if he's not able to do it, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. My advice.
• 23:27
  Church, kind of to those who are teetering on the fence or living a double life or are reluctant to commit to Christ, I would just say consider your army. Consider your army. What are you coming into the battle with? And church, we know ourselves. We know the weakness and frailty of our own souls and spiritual walks. We know how often we fail. Consider whether you can actually win apart from Christ. I know full well that this is Mother's Day.
• 23:58
  I also know that standard practice on Mother's Day is that moms ask their spouses and kids to attend church with them. Mother's Day church attendance goes up. It does every year. It will be the same this Sunday for Mother's Day. Mother's Day church attendance goes up. Father's Day church attendance kind of goes down. I mean, that's the normal thing. Mother's Day, all the moms say, just come to church with me. Father's Day, all the dads say, I want to go be in the mountains. That's typical, typical practice.
• 24:26
  And so I know that some who are attending this weekend or some who are watching this online probably don't normally attend. You know, if you're one of those, if you're planning on going your own way, if you're here today despite your belief, or if you're here today maybe simply because you're just trying to appease your mom, then consider your army. Jesus says only a fool would go to war outmanned. Only a fool.
• 24:54
  would knowingly go to war fully aware that they will lose and none of us none of us would ever pick a fight with somebody who was significantly larger and stronger with us why not send a delegate why not send a delegate ahead and try to make peace before there's this showdown at the okay corral why right if you know you're going to lose why not send somebody an emissary to go and try to make peace
• 25:21
  And what a delegate we have. What an advocate we have in Jesus Christ. If you've got your Bibles open, turn to the right with me if you would. I want you to see it in your own Bibles. But in 1 John, go to the right. Look at 1 John in chapter 2. 1 John chapter 2 and verse 1. My little children, I'm writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, look what it says. We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
• 25:51
  We have an advocate. And if you're listening to this and you don't know the Lord, there will be a day when you stand before him in judgment. There will be a day where you have to go to war with God. It'll be your army against his army. And listen, you cannot win. You can't win. So why not send a delegate? Why not send an advocate? And that is what 1 John 2 is describing here, that Jesus is willing to go to the Father and say, hey, he wants to be at peace.
• 26:20
  She wants to be at peace with you. She does not want to go to war. He does not want to go to war. He knows he'll lose. And so Jesus goes to the Father and says, be at peace. And the Father, because of Jesus' work on the cross, the Father says, yes, you can have peace with me. Look at verse 2. He is the propitiation, satisfaction for our sins. Not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
• 26:46
  The peace that Jesus offers as our advocate is real peace. And you can have that peace through faith in Jesus Christ. We'll go back to Luke 14. You'll notice finally that Jesus says that all followers of his must align their priorities. So they must abandon past allegiances. They must assess the odds of success. They must align their priorities. Look at verse 34. He says, salt is good.
• 27:16
  But if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It's of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It's thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Now, this is not the first time that Christ called his disciples salt. We know that. We quote frequently that the church is salt and light. Christ concludes this morning's sermon with a call to his followers to stay on course. Align your priorities.
• 27:44
  We are indeed the salt of the earth. We are a savory seasoning like salt is. We are also a preserving influence like salt is. And there is no other source of salt on earth. The church is it. Which means, church, that if we don't do it, if our salt loses its saltiness, it won't get done. Look at what Craig Blomberg says.
• 28:14
  fail to live up to their calling to be salt right there is no one else for the world to count on for similar tasks there is no one else there is no plan b the the church is it this is it we are the salt of the earth i was again put to shame this week by my youngest son chase chase the evangelist i've told you stories about him how
• 28:37
  forward he is with the gospel it's unbelievable to me all of our neighbors all anybody who walks by all of his classmates he talks to them about heaven and hell he talks to them about jesus he talks to them about the about the church chase the evangelist and it happened again this week
• 28:53
  When a woman from our neighborhood who I do not know I have no idea who he's talking about a woman from our neighborhood and her three-year-old son We're cruising by he on his little tricycle and she walking behind him cruising by our house My son chase was out in front in the front yard riding his scooter just around our little cul-de-sac Around and around and around and she came up to him. I have in the front of my house
• 29:17
  one of those kind of support the police flags, one of those blue line American flags, right? It's black and white with the blue line down the middle. I fly one of those in the front of our house to support our police officers. Woman comes up to Chase and he says, hey, is your dad a police officer, right? She assumed based on the flag.
• 29:36
  And my son Chase just said, no, my dad's not a police officer. He just likes police officers. He supports the police. My dad's actually the pastor of a church. And she said, oh, that's nice. She was just walking by. She's taking a walk with her son. She said, oh, that's nice. He said, my dad's the pastor of a church. And he said, my church is Highland Baptist Church. He said, it's a great church. We love our church. And in fact, you should come.
• 29:59
  You and your son, he would love it. He starts talking to him about the children's ministry. He starts talking to her about all of these things. You should come to our church. It's the greatest church. You would love it. The church, listen, that started a 20 minute conversation between my 11 year old son and this woman who I don't even know where she lives. One of our neighbors somewhere in the neighborhood, a 20 minute conversation where she ends by saying, you know what?
• 30:22
  I think maybe we will come. I think we'll come check out your church. What was the name of it again? He gave her the name again. You guys, it's unbelievable to me. For all I know, she's going to be here this Sunday. I don't even know who she is. It's incredible. He is salt. That's it. He is salt. He's just filling up the empty chairs. He wants as many people to be in the kingdom as possible. And church, he puts me to shame. If we don't do it.
• 30:50
  Did you catch up what Craig Blomberg said? That we are it. If Jesus' disciples fail to live up to their calling, there is no one else for the world to count on for similar tasks. If we are not the evangelists, there are no other evangelists is what he's saying. A lot of hay has been made about worldview in recent decades. What shapes and defines your worldview in actuality shapes and defines who you are.
• 31:15
  The way that you view the world will be determined by your heart. And the Christian worldview must be shaped and defined by Christ through his word. Our families, our work, our education, our passions, our pursuits must be run through our discipleship grid. Everything in our lives must be run through the grid like this. A follower of Christ must abandon past allegiances. We must put our hands to the plows and not look back.
• 31:44
  We've got to assess the odds of success. Church, don't quit halfway through because a half-built building is unusable. We must align our priorities. We are the salt. We are the evangelists. And we just need to ask the question, do I yield to the Lord in every aspect and area of my life and my work, my family, my everyday decisions? Or do I feel like I have to help him? Do I seize the wheel and take control? Are you on course to start the race? And will you finish? Saving faith, we know, is not the end.
• 32:14
  We need walking faith. And so, Lord, I pray that you would give us the strength to walk. Make us not only believers by faith and saved by faith, make us those disciples and those followers who walk after you, who don't just put our hands to the plow and look back, who don't just start the building and then quit halfway through. Lord, we don't want to just run the race. We want to finish the race. That is our goal. And so, Lord, give us the strength, the grace.
• 32:42
  the resolve to do that very thing. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.