Can You Be a Disciple?

Last week’s sermon was all about discipleship.We focused on Jesus’ last command before ascending into Heaven: Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always, even to the end of the earth. (Matthew 28:19-20). 

Since this was the last thing Jesus said to his disciples, we also looked at how Jesus called his first disciples, Peter, Andrew, James, and John, who were all fishermen. He told them to “come, follow me” and he promised that he would make them fishers of men. They immediately followed.

It can be easy to say “be Jesus’ disciples” — especially as a pastor — but listen to what Jesus said in Luke 14:25-33. 

25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you,30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

Throughout the Bible, we see God making this clear: he gives his followers the option to follow him or not. In the Old Testament, following the Exodus from Egypt, the Israelites were following Moses. After Moses’ death, as the people were about to enter the Promised Land, Joshua gave them an ultimatum. You can find it in Joshua 24:15. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

You see what Joshua did? He tells them that if they don’t want to serve God, they don’t have to. God isn’t forcing anyone to serve him. The Bible (and life in general) is clear in this: whoever we are, we will serve something or somebody. In Luke 16:13, Jesus famously says: “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” You will serve something or someone. 

So, if your choice is to serve God, Jesus invites you to “come, follow me.” But he also gives you a choice to not follow. There are Christians out there who will tell you that if you follow Jesus, all of a sudden everything in your life will be great. This is not what Jesus says! I want to say that again! Jesus does not say that if you follow him, you will instantly get rich. He does not say that you’ll be popular. He says you have to prioritize Him above family. When Jesus tells his followers to count the cost of discipleship, he is on his way to Jerusalem to be crucified. Salvation is free, but discipleship costs. Jesus wants anyone who follows him to be clear on what those costs are, and he gives examples of why. If you want to build a tower (or a church building) won’t you first see if you have the resources to finish? Otherwise, you’ll be the object of ridicule. People will make fun of you. Or if you’re a king taking your people to war, you’ll try to identify if you will win or not. If you know you won’t win a battle, why get your people slaughtered? Instead, you’ll send a delegation to come to peace terms, saving the lives of all your people.

So, what is the cost of discipleship?

First Jesus says one must hate his own family. Does this mean what it looks like? Why would Jesus, who even tells his followers to love their enemies, tell us we have to hate our families? The answer is that Jesus is really saying that we must set aside our family, clan, and tribal allegiances. We are no longer Bemba or Shona or Losi or Mzungu. In fact, Jesus is saying that our primary identity is now Christian. To be Jesus’ disciples, we have to put aside our personal feelings and preferences as well. Because, as Paul put it in Galatians 3:28, There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Now we find our belonging and even our identity is shaped by Christ. 

Now we don’t have to carefully create an image for others to see; instead when they look at us, they will see Christ! That’s what discipleship is supposed to be all about! This hints at the next cost of discipleship: Jesus says in verse 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. When he says this, he doesn’t mean we have to physically carry a cross. He doesn’t mean that we have to be crucified literally. He is saying that the old self must be crucified. The old self is full of sin. The old self believes Satan’s lies about you: that you can never accomplish anything, that you are no good, that you will never succeed, that you don’t deserve Christ’s love. The new self is remade in God’s image. Carrying the cross is a reminder that we have to daily surrender to Christ, daily walk in his steps. 

Jesus finally says that a disciple must follow him. It is almost silly to have to say this, but there are people who call themselves Christian who have no intention to actually follow his commands. They say that they like this idea of a Jesus who is a good teacher, but they’re unwilling to actually do what he says. That is not a disciple. In fact, if you’re in a job and you refuse to do what your boss tells you to do, you will get fired. Immediately. If you’re on a team and refuse to do what your manager tells you to do, you won’t play. Listen to what Jesus says about that, from Matthew 7:21-23: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

So, the cost is clear. Next week we will look at the benefits of being Jesus’ disciple.