The Cost of Following Christ

Luke 14:28 KJV

For which of you, intending to build a tower, *sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it ?*

In the above scripture, the Lord Jesus Christ questions a group of people by asking which of them intending to build a tower, will not sit down first and count the cost, if he has enough to finish it.

And the reason why the Lord Jesus Christ asked them this question was that, at certain point in his ministry, Alot of people wanted to follow Him,👇

Luke 14:25-26 KJV

*And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,*

 [26] If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

Is it not amazing that in our dispensation too, there are Alot of people who also wants to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, but are not willing to count the cost of following the Lord Jesus?

Are you able to bear the cost of what it takes to follow Jesus Christ to the end?

Truthfully, I want to sound it once again to you that, there is a cost involved in following the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not a journey of sweet roses all the time.

And so, ask yourself

1. Have I counted the cost involved in following the Lord Jesus Christ?

2. Am I able to pay the cost involved in following the Lord Jesus Christ?

3. Am I willing to pay the cost to the end?

Luke 14:29-30 KJV

Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

 *[30] Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.*

The Lord Jesus Christ tells them the consequences of not counting the cost before Starting to build the tower.

The Lord says, people will begin to mock him and say that he couldn't finish what he started.

Will you be able to complete the journey you have started with the Lord Jesus Christ? Then you have to count the Cost of following Him, else you'll end along the way and you'll become a mockery artifact to the world!!

*WHAT THEN IS THE COST FOR FOLLOWING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST?*

*1. ABSOLUTE SELF DENIAL*

What is Self denial?

It is the denial of *one's own interests and needs; which comes with self-sacrifice.*

Every human being by virtue of the fallen nature has innate desires and ambitions. But for you to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, you have to lay aside all your self interest or ambition and pick up his own.

Christianity is a call to sacrifice.

What have you sacrificed or layed aside because you're following the Lord Jesus Christ?

Nothing yet? Then it is not the Jesus Christ of the Bible you're following

The Lord Jesus Christ said👇

24. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If you truly want to follow me, you should at once completely reject and disown your own life. And you must be willing to share my cross and experience it as your own, as you continually surrender to my ways.

 25. For if you choose self-sacrifice and lose your lives for my glory, you will continually discover true life. But if you choose to keep your lives for yourselves, you will forfeit what you try to keep.

Matthew 16:24‭-‬25 TPT

This is the first cost for following the Lord Jesus Christ.

You have to completely disown your personal desires, fun, enjoyment and pick up the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ and walk with it.

Have you counted the cost? There's a cost in following him, you have to deny yourself

*2. PERSECUTION, INSULTS AND AFFLICTIONS*

The second cost for following the Lord Jesus Christ is persecution and insults.

Have you read about the first Church? They endured persecutions to ensure that, the Gospel was passed on to you and I today. And it is our own time too to endure persecutions for him.

I tell you the truth, if you're serving the Jesus Christ of the Bible, you'll be persecuted. If you're not, then you haven't started yet!!

2 Timothy 3:12 KJV

*Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.*

The Word Yea in this scripture actually means, most assureldly, those who will serve Christ in godliness will suffer persecution.

You can't resist and cast away persecutions, you have to ENDURE them

Matthew 5:10-12 KJV

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

[11] Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 

[12] Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

You want to follow the Lord Jesus Christ? Count the cost, you'll be persecuted and insulted for his name sake.

*3. SUFFERING*

The third cost that everyone who intends to follow the Lord Jesus Christ must count is the cost of suffering.

I know by now you're binding and casting and rebuking me for saying this, but relax, if you want to follow Jesus Christ, you'll suffer. It is not pleasant to your ears, but it's the truth.

Before you all me an evil teacher of the word, see what the scripture says👇

Philippians 1:29 KJV

For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, *not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;*

Brother Paul says, it is not given us to only believe in Jesus Christ, but also to SUFFER FOR HIS SAKE.

ARE YOU WILLING TO SUFFER BECAUSE YOU'RE FOLLOWING JESUS?

These things I am teaching you, they don't teach it in the Church again, because they believe they will leave the Church, and eventually, they will leave because it is a cross that everyone must carry.

There is one scripture that amazes me so much about the Apostles. The Bible said they were banned from preaching the Gospel, yet they kept on preaching and they were caught and brought before the counsel of the day.

The Bible says, they whipped them at their back. Instead of them to have left angry and not willing to keep on preaching, look at their disposition👇

Acts 5:41 KJV

And they departed from the presence of the council, *rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.*

From this scripture, it implies that, it is even an honor to SUFFER FOR THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

If only people knew that following Jesus Christ also comes with suffering

Read this passage too 👇

1 Peter 4:12-16 KJV

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 

[13] But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 

[14] If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye ; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

 [15] But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. 

*[16] Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.*

*4. AFFLICTIONS*

Somone is home saying, what at all is Sir Francis teaching with all these negative terms. Well, that is the cost for following the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 1:8 KJV

Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: *but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;*

2 Timothy 4:5 KJV

But watch thou in all things, *endure afflictions*, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

Someone is saying should afflictions not be for the unrighteous.

Well, the Bible says, the Christian also suffers afflictions

Psalm 34:19 KJV

*Many are the afflictions of the righteous:* but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

Many are the afflictions of the who!? The righteous. OK. Case closed!!

But the good news is that, when the afflictions come, the scripture says, God delivers you from them all

*5. HUNGER*

Beloved, if you're going to follow the Lord Jesus Christ in truth and in spirit, you'll also go hungry some times. Yes! You'll sacrifice for the Kingdom at your expense. 👇

1 Corinthians 4:11 KJV

*Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;*

The Apostle Paul said they both

Hunger

Thirst

Are naked

Are buffeted

And have not dwelling place.

Why!? They chose to follow the Lord Jesus Christ..

*6. REJECTION*

You want to follow the Lord Jesus Christ? Many people will reject you. Your family, friends, love ones etc, they will reject you. You'll be lonely 🥲

Luke 6:22-23 KJV

Blessed are ye, *when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company,* and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

 [23] Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

John 15:18-19 KJV

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

 [19] If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

1 John 3:13 KJV

Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

Lemme end here and continue at another time, but remember that, there is a cost involved in following the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. Self denial

2. Persecutions, Insults

3. Afflictions

4. Sufferings

5. Hunger

6. REJECTION

The question now is, HAVE YOU COUNTED THE COST FOR FOLLOWING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST?

The ball is in your court now.

Blessings