For the first part of this series, go here.
Yesterday we took a look at the 3 ‘Would Be Followers’ of Jesus found in Luke chapter 9. All 3 thought they were ready to become His disciples. All 3 crashed and burned. My question is this. What are the implications for us today–living in a country where 85% of the people claim to be Christian (i.e. “Followers” of Jesus) and the impact is anemic at best?
It’s difficult to escape the likelihood that most are simply kidding themselves. In America we have become accustomed to looking for the best deal, the free lunch, the ‘something for nothing’ scenario. And millions believe they’ve found this with an apparent ‘get out of Hell free‘ card signed by God Himself–followed by a lifetime of having next to nothing to do with Him! But I have yet to find this scenario in the Bible.
At the same time I’ve found that time and time again Jesus says things like, ‘take up your cross daily and follow me,” “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Or, “Jesus said to him, No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things behind] is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62 He also said, In Luke 6: 46 He seemed to all but say that it was pointless to call ourselves Christians without living the life: “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?” And what about what He told the rich young ruler?…” Lu 18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Here are a few more:
- Matthew 7: 13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.14* But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
- Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life–he cannot be my disciple.
- Luke 14:28, ” “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?”
- Luke 14:31, “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?”
- Luke 14:33, ” In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”
- Mark 10:25, ” It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
- John 12:25, “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
- Mark 8:35-36, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”
The thing is, there seems to be an endless supply of scary sounding verses like these on the one hand, while on the other hand, next to nothing to support the cult of Wimpy Christianity that has become so popular with “Christians” today. So what support do theses modern day ‘would be followers’ (WBF) have?
- Comfort
- Group think
- Majority of their friends and acquaintances probably believe the same way
- Large and ever growing ministries today reinforce this false teaching
- It’s easier
- Makes us feel better about ourselves
- Doesn’t talk about uncomfortable things like sin and repentance and Hell much at all.
- Sounds like a free lunch
- Frees us up to live life for ourselves rather than others
What do all these things have in common?
None are in the Bible.
But there is hope, and much joy in understanding what Jesus really means. So don’t get discouraged. Tomorrow we’ll unpack this further.