Will you be able to finish your salvation tower?
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it — lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish,
all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’?” (Luke 14:26-30)
We cannot be a disciple of Jesus
● IF we love ourselves (or a relative) more than Jesus
● IF we do not bear our crosses and come after Jesus
Jesus warns us to count the cost
● of being a follower of Jesus
● of building our salvation tower
● of laying a proper foundation
● of finishing the whole process
● of enduring the shame of not finishing
Are you taking up His cross and following Him?
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will
lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man
if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26)
Jesus warns us to count the cost
● of coming after Him (being His disciple)
● of denying ourselves
● of taking up our crosses
● of losing our fleshly desires for His sake
● of exchanging our fleshly desires for eternal life
Back to foundations
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord’, and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house
on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently;
and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.” (Luke 6:46-49)
Jesus warns us
● to obey His teachings (for this is most critical)
● to dig deep when building our salvation house
● to build our foundation on the Rock who is Jesus
Remember the narrow gate and the narrow way?
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction (eternal death), and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to (eternal) life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
Let’s not forget
“… as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.' ” (1 Peter 1:15-16)
“… those who are with Him (Jesus) are called, chosen, and faithful.” (Revelation 17:1)
.
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it — lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish,
all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’?” (Luke 14:26-30)
We cannot be a disciple of Jesus
● IF we love ourselves (or a relative) more than Jesus
● IF we do not bear our crosses and come after Jesus
Jesus warns us to count the cost
● of being a follower of Jesus
● of building our salvation tower
● of laying a proper foundation
● of finishing the whole process
● of enduring the shame of not finishing
Are you taking up His cross and following Him?
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will
lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man
if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26)
Jesus warns us to count the cost
● of coming after Him (being His disciple)
● of denying ourselves
● of taking up our crosses
● of losing our fleshly desires for His sake
● of exchanging our fleshly desires for eternal life
Back to foundations
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord’, and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house
on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently;
and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.” (Luke 6:46-49)
Jesus warns us
● to obey His teachings (for this is most critical)
● to dig deep when building our salvation house
● to build our foundation on the Rock who is Jesus
Remember the narrow gate and the narrow way?
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction (eternal death), and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to (eternal) life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
Let’s not forget
“… as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.' ” (1 Peter 1:15-16)
“… those who are with Him (Jesus) are called, chosen, and faithful.” (Revelation 17:1)
.
