Can You Pass the Three Tests? (Part 1)

High cost of discipleship today on leading the way with Dr. Michael, you said you want to be my disciple, then your loyalty to me must be above everything else is in the blood. Loyalty causes you to be misunderstood. Loyalty causes people to attack you and criticize you for his namesake do it in a because he's going to give you the strength to do Christians in the Middle East and other volatile areas of the world baptized declare publicly their willingness to suffer for the sake of Christ. In addition, they pledge to their brothers and sisters that with God's strength. They will not deny the name of Jesus. Even under the most difficult of situations. Please remember that leading the way is listener supported.

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It's called can you pass the three tests. It's a look at the real cost of discipleship, but is a phrase that was ordered by Jesus in Luke chapter 14 and was out of several times actually met once or twice, and I have to confess to you every time I read the I just winced just for a moment, have little bit of a shiver going down my spine, Roy's. It has an impact on me.

I know I'm saved in on him from heaven and am a disciple of Jesus Christ. But somehow, every time I read the phrase it has an impact on me and that's phrase is you cannot be my disciple. You cannot be my disciple. You cannot be my disciple and Jesus made about several times and reporting to ask myself why did Jesus have to be so negative in such positive world.

We all want to think positive thoughts, positive thinking, all of that stuff Jesus comes in such negative statement obviously he has not read the book, how to win friends and influence people have to ask myself why you have to put it in the negative.

What if you cannot be my disciple.

You cannot be modest. One is I will if you want your mother softly do this and this and the other thing and I'm convinced now is because Jesus did not want anyone to follow him for the wrong reasons.

Jesus did not want any one to follow him under false pretenses. Jesus was deeply concerned those who merely interested in him because of his power because of his miracles because of his wisdom. Those are merely interested in him because of his provision. Because of his feelings and so he looks at the multitudes of people multitudes who pushing and shoving and straining to follow Jesus and his set of them, unless you carry your cross every day and follow me.

You cannot be my disciple Jesus what you say is saying that if you want to be a disciple of Jesus. You gotta be loyal to Jesus to be able to love like Jesus in your gotta be able to live like Jesus. So what is loyalty to Jesus all about.

What does it look like look at verse 25 of Luke 14 verse 25. Prior to that, Jesus gets a huge graph. I mean it was a large crowd of people there were all pushing and shoving.

That's a marketers dream right it's a marketers dream and the Bible said great Jews were following him and then what happens seven when some Jesus becomes winnowing Jesus, Lord, what are you going to give it a people like to brag about how many thousands of people following right doing this then this but you got understand this about Jesus.

If you want to be a disciple of Jesus you have to be loyal to Jesus the beloved voluntarism. There is so much cheap grace that is been dispensed to congregations and to people and through preachers and teachers throughout this land throughout the world. This so much cheap grace that is been dispensed and breaks the heart of any sensitive Christian and Muslim. For one reason they do not want to offend anyone. As Jesus did not want to offend anybody offend anybody. I be offensive, but I won't tell you something. Listen to me very carefully if I lied to you and all not friend you I've already offended you feel you have to choose not to offend you already offended you. If I tell you what I know you want to hear that is not the truth, then I will in fact I have greatly sinned against you loyalty to Jesus requires blazing integrity and integrity.

Beloved is on the list of endangered species in our culture we are seeing company executives and she is seeing the stockholders in order to reach themselves under think there's nothing wrong with that. We are seeing journalists and writers plagiarizing and making up stories and fictitious savings and missing we are seeing preachers in the pulpit who have messed up lives and down the truth that you can't even recognize that the thing is nothing wrong with that. We are seeing students in greater and greater number who are cheating on their exams and their plagiarizing tone papers from the Internet they see nothing wrong with that television program after the program is designed to find this section we see nothing wrong with no wonder less than 13% of the population in the United States of America believe that the 10 Commandments are applicable to us today less than 13%. No wonder no wonder when the trouble riven alter to him the rock from this one because it all began with both of us fits when we began to place marketing ahead of truth when we have a good place pleasing people above pleasing God.

When we accommodation to say instead of condemnation of sin. When we began to place popularity of God's precepts all began. And today we see the consequences of what have begun in the pulpits. Why do I say this because as goes the pooper go society and the truth is this our culture is in big trouble.

It really is because of that colossal slide and integrity shoving history can ever survive that sly. And so Jesus gets a huge crowd which is a marketers dream.

What does he do he says to them, unless you are prepared to carry your cross every single day and follow me.

You cannot be my disciple.

I'm sure some of the clever marketers would have advised Jesus and the Madison Avenue boys there would've said not Jesus.

Just relax and chill out. Let me show you how you do this just please give them some soft words.

Give them some smooth words and then tell them the truth.

Jesus at least let them follow you for a while. I wish you and tell them about the cost of discipleship.

Jesus at least let them see you are and tell them the cost of following you, Jesus, at least let them gradually understand the importance of her telling a lie is a decision of my following you. Because of the just give them a chance for Jesus. At least let them hear about the good things that you going to give him the forgiveness of their sins eternal life with you.

Peace of mind, freedom from anxiety and fear about the importance of it to you later on, but not upfront, but was Jesus there are no misleading subtleties in no small prints with Jesus.

There is no sugarcoating everything is spelled out out up front that you hate small prints will not talk about those my age who have a hard time reading glasses but I'm I'm going by small prints. It's increasing everywhere you go to the big closing 75% when you read the small print is going to take you in for 75% more amino this this little thanks for the truth in advertising. At least now when you advertise a pill that is going to make you better get the voice you know that speaks so fast he can understand a word to say. After the tell you this pill to make you feel better. What is going to give you head. I got rear crimes heart attack limit problems, disease, blindness your hair will fall that is going to make you feel that you love the integrity is the integration is what you believe. Here's how you live and when to integrated what integrity is all about. No discrepancy. But if and when discrepancy occur as it occurs to all of us and with all of us. We are ready to repent limited to, can we are ready to come with us for forgiveness, not pretend put on a mask where there is no integrity in preaching. We cannot expect integrity living where there is no integrity in the plant but there can be no integrity in the pew. And that's where the all began when preachers preach compromise gospel people would live compromise lives when preachers do not call sin soon people will wink at sin when preachers tell only half truth.

People will be blindsided in the trouble that we are in today as a society can be placed squarely at the feet of the preachers and the ministers and the priests and so Jesus said you cannot be my disciple. Without total loyalty to me without total loyalty to me what you look at verse 26. Some of you probably already read down there. Verse 26 and said I hope he says something about that verse. I know some of you read verse 26 and got stumbled over some of you probably said how in the world can Jesus say this is what he said if anyone comes after me and does not hate his father and mother, etc., be my disciple. How can Jesus say something like this.

There are some people I've come across who take that verse of Luke 1426 and the absolutely twisted to please and sooth themselves and suit the purposes I've seen a man with two small children, heartbroken set across the lunch table from me and he said my wife opened the Bible believe it. This lady does not believe that the Bible is the word of God. She does not believe that Jesus was the divine son of God, but you took that verse from the Bible are set. I've got to walk out on you and the children because I've got to love the ministry more can be further from the truth can be further from the truth.

Furthermore was a false ministry anyway. What did Jesus mean unless you hate your father and mother except what it does Jesus really want people to know know know know is absolute fallacy its absolute misunderstanding what Jesus is doing here is making a distinction between the redemptive love which is divine and possessive love which is human. That's what he's doing. Jesus was saying is this relationship to our loved ones unless it grows out of redemptive love, it will not last.

He is saying that of a husband and wife love for each other, does not flow from Christ's love for the it is possessive love, not redemptive love Jesus is saying that possessive love is selfish love but redemptive love is self giving love and selfish love is doomed to failure. But love that comes as a result of total commitment at table loyalty to Jesus Christ is the love that we can only drop deeper and stronger and high that's what he means. I wanted to hear me right please. When Jesus is on arrival in your life when Jesus is unrivaled in my life. You will love for others. My love for others will be real and genuine, not selfish and possessive. So what is loyalty to Jesus me to sit on the superior cross that's identifying with me every single day no matter what the cost. You really shouldn't call yourself my disciple.

I spoke loyalty to Jesus mean you cannot call yourself my disciple without total loyalty to me you cannot call yourself my disciple when you're keeping your mouth shut about me you cannot call yourself my disciple.

When you are ashamed of my name. You cannot call yourself my disciple. When you deny on Monday what you profess on Sunday. You cannot be my disciple. When you habitually practice deception. You cannot be my disciple.

When you worship gold more than worship God you cannot be my disciple. When your pursuit of happiness is far more important to you than the pursuit of holiness. You cannot be my disciple. When success is far more important to you then surrender. You cannot be called my disciple. When you spend more time in front of you in your box than with the holy book.

You cannot be called my disciple. When power is more important to you in prayer you cannot be called by disciple. When truth means less to you than treasure. That's Luke 1425 means of coming across every day and following me if you want to be my disciple, then your loyalty to me must be above everything else, even if that loyalty causes you embarrassment among your peers, even if that loyalty causes you sacrifice.

It is nothing in comparison to his sacrifice, even if that loyalty causes you to carry the cross of Christ on your shoulder every day, even if that loyalty causes you to be misunderstood, even by the nearest in the dearest are you, even if that loyalty causes people to attack you and criticize you and maligning you for his namesake even if that loyalty would cause you to be hated by others do it anyway because he's going to give you the strength to do it you not on your own because, in comparison to the privilege of being a disciple of Jesus. All these things are pickings in comparison. They cannot be compared with the glory that is revealed in us. The fact that when adopted by the King of Kings recalled his sons and daughters as children as long is signed on adoption paper. All of these things are nothing in comparison. In fact, Jesus is if, since, is that the crowd is Canada feeling an easy about crosses and carrying them every day in and so forth and and and as if they were single Jesus why are you pushing us away what you doing this why you have to make it hard for us to follow.

You want to have to talk about crosses and want to just give us the food give us the healing give us all the things that they do good Florida and just let us talk about crosses Lord is saying what will all Lori of 50 you should be costing us anything, he goes on to say to them right at the end there.

He says nobody of his right mind would build the tower without first counting the cost is if there is no military leader who is worth his salt would go into war without assessing the situation, why why is saying because building a building that's unfinished when you start and you never finish it invites also to ridicule on the owner. It invites all kinds of attack on the owner.

It invites all kinds of squatters and bandits in the same way if you claim to be my disciple. I have no clear-cut to me you will and five ridicule upon Jesus's name. If you claim to be my disciple. Without a clear copy to me and what I stand for the outcome in your spiritual battle will be without a doubt defeat. What does your loyalty to Jesus look like only you can answer that. Is it halfhearted is it on the outward.

Is it only when you are with other Christians is on occasions.

Is it only when you need him all can you say to Jesus Lord Jesus, I want to be a disciple. You have my complete loyalty regardless of the cost because in reality, Lord Jesus, you have paid all of the cost on the cross of In the little things I do is in comparison.

Dr. Michael you sent on today's leading the way, beginning a series called can you pass the three trust, how did you do I hope that you make it a point to listen to the rest of this series through radio or podcasts. There's also an online stream or the leading the way and makes it really easy.

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