The Cost of Being a Disciple
Following Jesus will cost us. The free gift of salvation in Jesus comes...
When the world feels like it’s spinning out of control, how will we respond? Jesus warns his disciples about the destruction and chaos that’s ahead of them. Knowing our instinct is to panic, Jesus reminds us to keep our eyes firmly fixed on him and his word, always being prepared to tell the people around us about the hope we have - a hope that rises above any chaos the world brings our way.
Jesus reserves some of his strongest warnings for those who like to act religious but whose hearts are, in reality, far from him. Recognizing Jesus as Lord involves a surrender of our own agenda and instead seeking his will and his way in every aspect of life. No matter how small or large an influence you feel like you have in this world, we all have something to offer of our time, talents and treasure.
Religious leaders often attempted to trap Jesus into taking positions on Roman politics and philosophical debates. But Jesus always points us back to this core question: to whom do you belong? If we declare that Jesus is Lord, it means everything else in our life comes second to the priorities Jesus gives us - to love God, love the people around us, and share the hope of his gospel. Governments will come and go, politics will constantly change, but the hope we have in Christ will last forever.
Jesus’ life, death and resurrection is the ultimate evidence of God’s love for us - that’s why he’s called the “cornerstone”. In a confrontation with religious leaders, Jesus points out the reality that God’s gift of a Savior will be accepted by some, but rejected by others who don’t see their need to be saved. What we believe about Jesus will mean everything to our relationship with God.
Jesus was most confrontational with the religious leaders of his day who claimed to be followers of God but who were more interested in their own personal gain. Jesus sees through outward appearances and directly into our hearts and motives. Only when we surrender our hearts and motives to Christ will we find true freedom from self-righteousness.
Jesus provided the greatest commandment: love the Lord your God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. He also left the church with a great mission: go and make disciples of Jesus Christ. As we look to the year of ministry ahead, God has provided incredible opportunities for Highlands to live out this mission by loving and developing families, reaching the lost, and equipping people to go and do the same.
Throughout history, God has shown His people the importance of looking back on His faithfulness and provision. We want to do the same as a church family: to look back on the last year of ministry at Highlands and marvel at the way God has worked in and through His people to love and develop families, reach the lost, and equip the church to serve others.
Where does our hope come from when life is hard? When we’re in Christ, God’s goodness and mercy are always with us, even when life doesn’t feel good at all. We can look back on God’s faithfulness that sees us through hard times, and we can look with hope and anticipation toward an eternity of dwelling in God’s perfect and loving presence forever.
As we walk through a life of challenges and valleys, God’s promise is to protect and provide for us. Even when it feels like the world is stacked against us, pushing us constantly in the opposite direction of our faith, we can find rest in our Good Shepherd who is with us every step of the way.
Hard times, challenges and suffering are a reality of living in a fallen, broken world. The promise of God - our Good Shepherd - is that no matter what valleys we arrive at in life, He’ll be with us every step of the way, lovingly leading us through the darkness, providing comfort, and reminding us of the hope of eternal life with Him forever.
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Sermons by: Knowing Jesus The Gospel Of Luke
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