A Few Thoughts On Commitment

Reading: Luke 14:25-30

25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,

26 If any [man] come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have [sufficient] to finish [it]?

29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish [it], all that behold [it] begin to mock him,

30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

This passage was not spoken to make people feel good or spiritual. It was spoken to a great multitude of people who were following Jesus simply because he was a charismatic person. In speaking these words, He intended to give those who were insincere a reason to leave right then. Why? They were in the way. You can just imagine how hard it would be with a big crowd of people following you around.

In His attempt to weed out the real disciples from the false ones, Jesus stated a few things that I should preach on Sunday, and might. I can't talk about everything He said, but first He said that you can't be a disciple if come to Him and don't hate your father, mother, wife, children, brethren, sisters, and your own life.

He didn't say you couldn't come to Him at all, but He did say you couldn't be a disciple: that means a student who follows Jesus. You can come to Him and be saved, but you can't be His disciple unless you hate all the people and things He mentioned. And you understand that the word "hate" is a word of degree - all it means is to love someone or something to a lesser degree.

If you come to Jesus to be a disciple, you have to love everyone else and even your own life less than you love Jesus. What a commitment it takes to live this lifestyle called Christianity. You have to commit to Jesus over every single thing to be a disciple of Christ. If you don't, you're wasting your time, the Lord's time, my time, and the church's time. You can't be a disciple. You can be someone who goes to church occasionally, but that means very little. Jesus can't use part time workers and this church can't, either.

Illustration:This past Sunday I went to church at my old home church where I was asked to bring the morning message. An old friend who never goes to church was there. This person always comes to hear me preach, but other than that he or she never does a single thing for the Lord. Why were they at church? They love me more than they love the Lord. This is the kind of person who can't be a disciple.

People who put life ahead of the Lord and His work can't be a disciple. Well, I'm only off on the weekend and I can't come to church on Sunday because I'm resting. Well, you can't be a disciple.

I like to do things on the weekend and it keeps me out of services. Well, you can't be a disciple.

See, Jesus was trying to weed out people with those kinds of attitudes. He didn't need people who didn't have what it took. He called for a serious commitment and urged us to examine ourselves - to count the cost - because we try to follow Him.

First, you have to commit your soul to Jesus. Then you have to make Him to be more important than your family and your own life. You have to commit life to Jesus and follow Him.

You have to count the cost of doing that before you ever try. Is He more important than everything else in your life? Does your life show that He's more important? Does you Bible study show it? Does your witnessing show it? Does your church attendance show it?

Count the cost, and see if you have what it takes. Jesus meant that we should commit, or quit. Ask God you help you to be a disciple and He will. If you can't do it (or if you won't do it, because you can do it), then quit.

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