If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26-27
Dear HBIC Family,
Last week, we celebrated the good news of being redeemed by Christ by remembering that our redemption was made possible through God’s grace. This grace afforded to us freely by God is only made possible because of Jesus, but not without a cost. Jesus was our ransom – the price of a grace most costly. Our rescue from sin and separation from God was Jesus’ body broken and his blood poured out for us.
Repentance is our pathway back to God. However, it is only a first step. Walking with God in this life is discipleship. Or as pastor and writer John Mark Comer puts it, it is apprenticing Jesus by being with Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and doing as Jesus does. Jesus is the way, and promises to lead and guide us. It is easy to think of discipleship as something we do, but the call to the way of Jesus says being a disciple is who we are, or who we are not.
As we continue our Good News for the Lost sermon series on the book of Luke this week, we find ourselves back in chapter 14. After promising Good News for the World to guests far and near at a Pharisee’s house, Jesus now turns to tell us the price of following him. It is not just about faith and belief, but complete submission and obedience. Jesus’ discipleship is giving up everything, taking up our crosses, and following him.
As you prepare for this week’s service, I invite you to read and meditate on Luke 14:25-34. As you reflect, I would like to ask you to focus on the following questions:
How do you define discipleship? Where did you learn that definition?
Does your definition of discipleship match what Jesus says in our passage this week?
How have you been discipled?
How have you discipled others?
Has your discipleship made you more like Christ?
How is your walk with God growing your faith and transforming you today?
It is a terrible marketing strategy to invite people to follow you and requiring them to give up everything. It is seemingly very unwise to tell people to hate everything and everyone else, except you. It probably isn’t good, either, to ask people to expect hard things, do hard things, and to only step forth in complete submission and obedience. But this is what Jesus calls for all of us.
Sisters and brothers, Lent is a journey with God. May our walk with God be filled with surprises and blessings. May our lives be led and enlivened by the Holy Spirit. May our words and deeds overflow with God’s grace and mercy. And may we live and love like Jesus our Christ.
God bless you all!
Love in Christ,
Pastor Hank (Luke 14:26-27)