Text: Luke 9:21-26, 57-62; 14:25-33
(Homework: Read the rest of Mathew (vv24-58) from last week)
From last week: there are 4 types of hearts that hear the message of Kingdom Salvation (Matt 13):

1. The Unresponsive Heart.This is a hard-hearted, stubborn person. They are unresponsive, unconcerned, inattentive, indifferent, negligent, and sometimes hostile.” Each time they hear the Gospel they are viciously attacked by Satan and he steals the seed of the Word.
2. The Superficial Heart.This is the “stony”, “rocky”, or “shallow” heart. These are the folks who “look saved” at least for awhile. This kind of heart is enthusiastic but shallow. It responds positively but not with saving faith. There is no thought involved, no counting the cost. It is quick, emotional, euphoric, instant excitement without any understanding of the actual significance of discipleship. So when it’s time to stand in the midst of trouble for Christ and His Word, they fall away.
3. The Worldly Heart.This is the heart surrounded by thorns of secular concern and money. This is a heart that loves and cares for their own success, status and prestige more than submitting to Christ and Kingdom things.
4. The Receptive Heart.This is the “good” heart, properly conditioned and prepared for the seed.

The Heart of the Matter

1. After several weeks in this series and finding out that we must repent, be born again, receive the revelation of His Lordship by the Spirit, be on the narrow path, and be lovers of the Light…we arrive today at what I believe is the heart of the matter, the “crux” if you will of Christian salvation.
2. After studying how Christ presented His Gospel: we are now at an inescapable (but a culturally uncomfortable) conclusion. Unless a person is willing to die for Christ and His Word…unless he or she is willing to give up everything to follow Him…he should question his salvation!
3. It would seem friends that Christian salvation requires everything! It is not easy and is not about our self-esteem and fulfillment. It doesn’t seem to be about our happiness and goals and dreams. As a matter of fact, everything Christ said about following Him seems to require the death of those things!
4. If at the point of conversion a true believer is willing to die to love and obey Christ, what do you think would happen to our families, churches, and world?
   • What would happen in the battle against sin and unrighteousness?
   • What would happen to the Christian divorce rate?
   • What would happen to our worship and praise and growth in the Word?
   • What would happen to our willingness to share our faith?
   • What would happen with our personal finances and ability to give to Kingdom causes?
   • What would happen to the selfishness and self-centered lenses that wreck so many homes, churches, and relationships?
   • If true believers are “dead” to their old lives and “alive in Christ” (Ro 6:11), how would things change?
5. This conclusion is bolstered by the lives of John the Baptist (suffered and died for Christ), the Apostles (suffered and died for Christ), and Christ’s own words to His churches in Revelations: “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown. 11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Those who are victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.” (Rev 2:10-11)

Luke 9:21-26

• There are three things a truly converted must be willing to do: 1) They deny themselves daily, 2) They carry their cross daily, and 3) They follow Him daily.
• Please try to view this teaching through 1st century lenses. Jesus’ audience could not misunderstand what He meant.
• These were people who had literally seen hundreds if not thousands of people die on crosses throughout the land. They would instantly make the connection between “cross” and a brutal, humiliating death.
• Christ’s call though was death in this life for paradise in the next! J He commanded that any that would follow Him be willing to lose everything now to gain it later!
• And He also asked that we not hide that kind of commitment (being ashamed) but rather be like a lit up city on a hill that cannot be hidden! (Matt 5:14)

Luke 9:57-62

• The first two situations reiterates Christ’s teaching that we cannot follow both God and money (Matt 7:24; Lk 16:13). Following Jesus means:
  1. You must be willing to be uncomfortable (v58) regardless of worldly standards of living. In other words, are you willing to give up your home, your prestige, your life of ease?
  2. You must be willing to lose money (v59). This would-be follower sounds so noble, but the verse implies the father wasn’t even dead! What he was saying was “let me wait until he dies and get my share of the inheritance.”
  3. You must be willing to leave all behind if necessary, including family (v60). Again, this person sounds so noble. But given the context, could this “family farewell” have been a push for support? J
  4. In any case the bottom line was “be willing to leave everything for Him.”

Luke 14:25-33

• Please consider the power of the language here. Hate your father? Hate your mother? Hate wife and children? Brother and sister? Hate life itself? Yes we understand that He means “love me more than all of these people” but the language suggests that other things and people should not even be close!
• This is why we must teach seekers to count the cost. “In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.” (v33)
• Salvation (following Christ, being a disciple, getting saved, whatever we want to call it) means “giving up everything.”

And I submit my dear friends, the if the church of Christ ever got back to making true disciples who have this mindset, we’d see a revival of unprecedented proportions! I mean the Kingdom of God would just go crazy. All of a sudden, we’d be fasting, repenting, refusing to compromise on how we operate in marriage or in single life, how we raise our kids and how we steward our money. Gone would be the selfishness and worldliness that has weakened our churches and families. The power of God would return! We’d be taking on the devil at every turn (and the deception in society) while having non-circumstantial joy and peace the whole time! We’d be filled with the Spirit, armor on, Sword of the Spirit in hand! We’d finally see a glimpse of the conquering army the church is supposed to be!

Oh Sovereign Lord…let it be so!