COST OF DISCIPLESHIP - NYOBS 69.13

COST OF DISCIPLESHIP

Must we HATE our mother and father in order to be a disciple of Christ?

Hate Your Father

·         Right off the Bat we see Jesus speaking to a “great crowd” of people about discipleship. – He is stressing the priority and place of importance in following His teachings of the Kingdom of God.

·         Many Versions of the Bible have the words of Jesus in RED, so this is one of those times that these very words in RED are quoted directly from the mouth of Jesus Christ.

·         Jesus said; if anyone comes to me and does not HATE his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

·         Wow, what a strong statement.  I have never HATED my Mother, Father, Sister, Wife or Children; does this mean that I cannot be a Disciple of Christ?

Luke 14:25-26 – Hate your mother and father
²⁵ Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them,
²⁶ If anyone comes to me and does not HATE his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. (ESV)

Nut Case

·         Now let’s take a look at another passage when a man takes a message to Jesus that his mother and brothers and most probably his sisters wanted to see Him. - His father Joseph had probably already passed away by the time that this occurred.

·         NOTE: Verse 47 is missing from some manuscripts and from the ESV Bible, but I have included it from another version in order to get the full flavor of what is being said; the family was probably standing pretty far off because they were undoubtedly embarrassed at His claims of Deity, so they just sent Him a message to let Him know that they were there.

·         When a man is so given over to God with total dedication, he is branded a lunatic or fanatic or a NUT.  – Jesus’s family and even His friends thought He was going out of His mind. – Jesus said (in letters of RED) that He “was NOT honored in His own household”.

·         It was prophesized by Jeramiah that even His brothers would deal treacherously with Him and instructed Him to not believe them, though they speak friendly words. – Loaded with these emotions of what family and friends thought of Him and still reaching for His own high calling; Jesus responded.

·         Jesus stopped what He was doing and (in RED letters) responded, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever DOES THE WILL of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Matthew 12:46 – Family minus Joseph shows up
⁴⁶ While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. (ESV)
Matthew 12:47 – They are standing outside with a message
⁴⁷ Someone told Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to You.” (HCSB)
Matthew 12:48-50 – Who is my Family
⁴⁸ But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”
⁴⁹ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!
⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

(ESV)

John 15:14 – You are my friends if you obey
¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you.

(ESV)

Mark 3:21 – Jesus has FLIPPED OUT - He is out of his mind
²¹And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

(ESV)

John 7:5 – Even His brothers did not believe in Him
⁵ For NOT even his brothers believed in him.

(ESV)

Matthew 13:57 - Jesus was rejected by his own household
⁵⁷And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.”

(ESV)

Jeremiah 12:6 – Prophecy – Brothers will deal badly with Jesus
⁶ For even your brothers and the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you; they are in full cry after you; do not believe them, though they speak friendly words to you.” (ESV)

Hyperbole

·         Hyperbole is not a word that we use much in our everyday speech and seems to have taken on more of a foothold during the elections when those running for office would often say something and seem to back track by just saying it was just a hyperbole; a figure of speech.

·         Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration as perhaps a rhetorical question that does not require an actual answer or is used as a figure of speech that emphasizes and evokes strong feelings, and creates strong impressions and it is usually NOT MEANT TO BE TAKEN LITERALLY.  Understanding hyperboles and their use in context can further one's ability to understand the messages being spoken.

·         Jesus used the Word HATE in reference to His Mother and Father as a hyperbole to emphasize the importance of the kingdom of God.

·         If Jesus had said you must LOVE your mother and father LESS; and the kingdom of God MORE, you would have walked away with a totally different emotion. – He was saying that we must foremost seek Him and the Kingdom of God over all other things including family.

To be a disciple of Jesus Christ,

You don’t have to hate your family and friends,

you just have to love Jesus and the Kingdom of God more.

Give up everything

·         Wikipedia says a disciple is a follower and student of a mentor, teacher, or other figure.

·         In Jesus’ “Words in Red”, He says “those of you who do not give up everything that you have cannot be my disciples”. – Another heavy statement –

·         Let’s look at this through the eyes of an old country preacher named J. Vernon McGee, who points out that there is a difference between a Believer and a Disciple. – Three times in His teachings was the phrase used “Cannot be my Disciple”.

·         Jesus was addressing His disciples in a series of teachings on the seriousness of “counting the cost” of WARFARE and what it means to be His Disciple. – The key word is “apotassetai” which means “to give up” or “renounce” or perhaps even better is “to take leave of”. – In this teaching, Jesus is not telling them to sell everything that they have and give the money to the poor, but rather the thoughts are more of abandonment, yielding up the right of ownership, having the willingness to part with their goods, to focus on the ministry.

·         A disciple of Christ must have a Single Focus, with NO hindrances, to be able to go anywhere and stay as long as necessary with no thought to what he will wear or what he will eat or drink or what is going on back home. – The love for God must be greater than the love of having your own way, greater than family affection and greater than the love of property or possessions. - Jesus demands a complete and total RADICAL commitment; this is the “Cost of Discipleship”.

·         Paul drives home a point about Singleness of Mind, when he says that it is his “opinion” and not a command from the Lord, that a disciple should stay single so that his thoughts are NOT on pleasing his wife and worldly things, but fixed on spiritual things of God. – I must point out that some of the Disciples were married and even took their wives with them.

Luke 14:33 – A Disciple must give up everything
³³ In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

(NIV2011)  

1 Corinthians 7:6-8 – Better single while serving the Lord
⁶ Now as a concession, not a command, I say this.
⁷ I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.
⁸ To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to REMAIN SINGLE as I am. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 7:32-34 – Single free of anxieties worldly things
³² I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord.
³³ But the married man is anxious about worldly things, HOW TO PLEASE HIS WIFE,
³⁴ and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband.

(ESV)

Matthew 6:25 – Tale no thoughts of what to eat, drink or wear
²⁵ Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? (KJV)

Believer vs; Disciple

·         What I am about to say next may upset many of you, but I look at this recognizing that there are TWO paths, both taught in scripture, leading to salvation through Jesus Christ which paths never cross, but terminate in heaven. Those that of their own FREE WILL accept Jesus Christ and those that were PREDESTINED to accept Jesus Christ. – There were thousands who were called Disciples of Christ, but it was this predestined inner circle of twelve that were being called to be the First Missionaries.  It was this special group of twelve which Jesus was teaching the “Cost of Discipleship”.-  NYOBS 29.28 - PREDESTINATION REVISITED

·         Everyone that believes is technically NOT a disciple; “one who gives up everything”.  - Mitch Martinez and I both shared a love for the Lord, but Mitch, packed up his family of five and left everything behind and moved to the Dominican Republic to be a missionary and  at this writing he has been there some 35 years and I have remained back in the USA enjoying all of its benefits and blessings. - So you can see that a BELIEVER and a MISSIONARY are not necessarily the same thing.

·         There is a special attitude of the Disciple or Missionary that the things he has in his possession that have been given to him for his use, no longer belong to him; they are in his “trust”; in his “stewardship”. – This same attitude is necessary for today – It’s in the Book -

·         The parable of the Rich Young Ruler indicated that he had kept all the commandments of God, but was told he lacked one thing; to go sell everything he had and give it to the poor.  The problem Jesus brought to the surface with this young man was his HEART PROBLEM, his ATTITUDE; his attachment to his extreme wealth, that wealth was “LOVED MORE” than discipleship. – It was better that he left in sorrow than stayed with a barefaced lie.

·         This is not a teaching to go and sell everything you own and give it to the Church so you will be saved, but it does teach a Spirit of Stewardship; to be able to “part with our goods” that happens to NOT be ours anyway. – Dr. Luke says; “if you have NOT been faithful with the “unrighteous wealth” of the world, who would entrust to you the true riches of the Gospel”.

·         Some time ago I hired a man to work in TV production and within a week he was seeking a promotion with higher pay.  He became disillusioned when I told him that most of our positions received the same hourly pay. - He told me he had sold all that he had, and given most of it to his church back home and relocated to get a job in a Christian endeavor.  He quoted scripture saying; “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap”. – What I saw, was a man who was “giving” in order to “get more”. – He had totally missed the point of having an “Attitude of Abandonment of things” and had not yet embraced a “Spirit of Stewardship”. – NYOBS  04.30 - TITHE

Luke 18:22-25 – Rich young ruler – sell everything – give to poor
²² When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. SELL ALL THAT YOU HAVE and DISTRIBUTE TO THE POOR, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
²³ But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.
²⁴ Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!
²⁵ For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

(ESV)

Luke 16:10-11 – Faithful in little; will be faithful in much
¹⁰ One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.
¹¹If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? (ESV)

Luke 6:38 – Give and it will be given back to you running over
³⁸ give, and IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” (ESV)

Last Thoughts

·         Jesus was thought a nut case for His radical teachings, even by His own family.  After His resurrection, He appeared to His “unbelieving” half-brother James just to encourage him in the faith. - Tradition has James as an important leader in early church history and appointed as the first bishop of Jerusalem by the apostles and the Lord Himself.

·         Jesus used Hyperboles such EAT my body and DRINK my blood, and many disciples left Him.  These were HARD TEACHINGS. - To magnify the “Cost of Discipleship” and the preparation for war, He taught HATE your mother and father.

·         To be a disciple of Jesus Christ, You don’t have to hate your family and friends, you just have to love Jesus and the Kingdom of God more.

·         J. Vernon McGee says there is a difference between a Believer and a Disciple or what we might call today a Missionary. - NYOBS 08.02 - GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT

·         An Apostle or Disciple or Missionary is one who is sent – There are many ways of serving noted in the Bible with missions being just one of them.  There are offices of prophesying, teaching, evangelism, leading, administration, mercy, serving, encouraging and contributing. Some Believers find their niche by working in the kitchen, running the sound board or being a part of the praise team. – All the parts are needed in the Church.  If you were called to be a disciple or Missionary you would certainly know it.

·         As an introvert, it is doubtful that I could be a disciple as a missionary, but I can do Word Studies and share them on the internet; I can water the spiritual garden of others.

·         If Wikipedia is correct; a disciple is a student or follower of God and that would be something we can all be – (Something to just ponder - Could you leave your family & possessions?)

1 Corinthians 15:4-7 – Appeared to His half-brother James
⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
⁶ Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
⁷ Then he APPEARED TO JAMES, then to all the apostles. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 11:24-26 – Eat my body – Drink my blood
²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
²⁵ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (ESV)

John 6:53-67 – Many disciples left Jesus – HARD TEACHINGS

53 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you EAT THE FLESH of the Son of Man and DRINK HIS BLOOD; you have no life in you. …

60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "THIS IS A HARD TEACHING. Who can accept it?"

61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this….there are some of you who do not believe For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.

65 He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."

66 From this time MANY OF HIS DISCIPLES TURNED BACK and no longer followed him. NIV

Rom 12:6-8 – More offices & gifts

6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.

7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;

8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. NIV

Eph 4:11-12 – And More offices & gifts.

11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up NIV

1 Cor 12:28 - And even More offices & gifts

28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.

1 Cor 12:14-31 – We need ALL the offices & gifts in the church

14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.

16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.

17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.

20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!"

29 Do all work miracles?  (NO) - Do all have gifts of healing? (NO) - Do  all speak in tongues? (NO) - Do all interpret? (NO) NIV

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical

information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders

and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

                                                                                                                                     

A Commentary; Critical, Experimental and Practical - Eerdmans

Antiquity of the Jews – Flavius Josephus Matthias

Apocrypha – Goodspeed

Baker Commentary on the Bible – Elwell

Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White

Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer

Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row

Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Dake’s Annotated Bible – Dake

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein

Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow; The – Constance Cumbey

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale

Interlinear Greek-English New Testament - Baker

King James Version Bible – KJV

Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible (2011) – NIV

NOTE: The “new” NIV has been corrupted and made gender neutral.  AVOID IT.

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament – Mac Donald

Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner

Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer & Harrison

Wikipedia –

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney