Discipleship
To be a true follower of Jesus, we must understand and pay the cost of discipleship, which requires a willingness to follow His teachings.
Zac Poonen emphasizes the importance of understanding the true cost of discipleship as taught by Jesus. He highlights how being a disciple requires counting the cost upfront, just like a builder estimating the expenses before starting a project. Poonen stresses that Jesus warned about the cost of discipleship right from the beginning, not after years of following Him, and compares an unwilling believer to salt that has lost its flavor, being useless to God.
Text
When Jesus told His apostles to go into every nation and to make disciples, they had no doubt in their minds as to what He meant. (Matt. 28:19). For He had already explained what it meant to be His disciple.
Luke 14: 25-35 reveals most clearly the three conditions of discipleship. There Jesus speaks about a man who having laid a foundation for a tower, couldn't complete it, because he was unable to pay the cost of construction (v. 28-30). That proves that it does cost something to be a disciple. Jesus told us to sit down first and count that cost before even starting to build.
God doesn't want us to wait for many years after our sins are forgiven, before understanding what discipleship really means. Jesus told people about the cost of discipleship as soon as they came to Him.
He said that a believer who was unwilling to be a disciple was as useless to God as salt that had lost its savour (Lk. 14:35).
Sermon Outline
- What Jesus meant by discipleship
- The conditions of discipleship
- Discipleship is not a delayed process
- It costs something to be a disciple
- We must count the cost before starting
- Jesus told people about the cost as soon as they came to Him
- God doesn't want us to wait to understand discipleship
Key Quotes
“He said that a believer who was unwilling to be a disciple was as useless to God as salt that had lost its savour (Lk. 14:35).” — Zac Poonen
“Jesus told us to sit down first and count that cost before even starting to build.” — Zac Poonen
“God doesn't want us to wait for many years after our sins are forgiven, before understanding what discipleship really means.” — Zac Poonen
Application Points
- Before starting on a spiritual journey, take time to count the cost of discipleship and understand what is required of you.
- A willingness to pay the cost of discipleship is essential to becoming a true follower of Jesus.
- Understanding the cost of discipleship helps you make informed decisions about your spiritual path.