The Cost of Discipleship

Text: Luke 17:1-10

Focus: Being willing to serve

Function: To help the congregation focus on God instead of themselves.

Form: Bible Study

Intro:

I love the way the NRSV introduces this passage with the heading: SOME SAYINGS OF JESUS.

Most often, they translators put these things in there to help us find passages when we are flipping through pages looking for something.

But, there is no category here.

5 Things, in just a 10 verses:

1). Be careful what kind of example, or what temptations you give to others, because God is very concerned about the safety and security of Children. (nuff said)

2). Be careful about allowing sin. If someone sins, rebuke them. Again, God cares about the example we set. (repentance and quickness to forgive)

3). If someone sins against you, keep on forgiving, even 7 times a day. (you must forgive)

4). Have faith (you can't manufacture it -mustard seed)

5). The Cost of Discipleship. (rewards for ourselves? Or for God?)

In one sense, none of it sounds related, but it isn't unrelated at all.

The shoes up front, are here to remind us from the scripture, How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who share good news.

Did you ever hear of the missionary who spent his entire life serving in China. He is sailing home from overseas and he finds out that the President is on his same ship.

When they land at NYC, there is a band and a crowd and cameras and reporters. When he finally makes it down the gangway, the crowds are gone and he is alone. No one notices him.

He spends the night in a dingy hotel and begins to feel sad because no one was there to greet him.

And in prayer, he is questioning God about it, asking God when it is his turn. And God says to him, “you aren't home yet?”

That Missionary was reminded of the last part of this scripture. No servant, after spending the day serving the master in the field comes into the house and hears the master say, thanks, take it easy, good job today, you deserve a break and I'll serve you. No the servant continues to do his job, after bearing the brunt of the workload, doesn't get his rest until the master is served.

Jesus is talking about the cost of discipleship.

They are all related. The servant is to keep himself as an example toward others. Remembering the importance of the salvation of others in the eyes of God. He doesn't want us to think that this is about us, getting our needs met, that people are here for us. No, the servant of God lives for the welfare of others.

Then he deals with sin in two places. Sin in others and sins committed against you.

In both of these, he calls us to be leaders.

First in those who are sinning. We are to exhort them to change, and be quick to forgive them. Leadership in purity, and leadership in forgiveness. And remember, the goal is repentance.

Then, the leadership in forgiveness is taken very personal. If he sins against you 7 times a day, and comes back 7 times a day, keep on forgiving that person.

Can we do that?

I love a book I studied in Bible College that was based on this entire passage. The title? “Have we no rights?”

The Author's point, we gave our lives to Christ and to His cause. We become soldiers in His army. And the commander, for the greater cause of the mission, uses both equipment and personnel in order to gain the objective. The soldier gives his rights over the the cause. The same with us.

Then faith. Faith isn't something we manufacture. When we are in the midst of service, being faithful, God supplies the faith. We act on it, but we don't create it. God gives us this partnership to take risks with Him.

And again, He ends with the point: “It isn't about you.” We serve the Master. It is about Him.

Here is how to tell a spiritual person in the Church. It is about Jesus, they are quick to forgive, they lead people into doing the right thing, they care more about Jesus' glory than their own.

What does this have to do with Love Feast?

In the Love feast, Jesus is inviting the disciples into His circle. He knows that they are going to be famous leaders. He knows that except for Philip, every one of them will die for their faith. So He stops them with the cost of discipleship.

Servanthood.

It is expressed in two ways. They eat together, a sign of equality. They, washing their feet. This is a symbol that they truly do live to serve each other instead of being served.

Then he shared the bread and wine with them. He excuses Judas. Judas will die but not for Christ. He will die for the inability he has to forgive himself, to accept the price that Jesus paid for him