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A Serious Choice Pentecost 16 Luke 14:25-33 Sept. 4th, 2016 I. Intro. Comes to decision making, 2 ends of the spectrum. One, impulsive decision. Impulse buy. See something, looks good, attractive, may be useful, take out cash, credit card, buy it, without giving it a lot of thought. Modern marketing depends on impulse buys. Placement of items in groacery stores or discount stores is intentional to have something catch your eye, entice you to buy. Glazed donuts at Smith’s as an example, Home Shopping Network on cable, bigger ticket items, cars, time shares, often driven on impulse. Buying 1st minivan story- not entirely an impulse buy, but on that end of the spectrum. Opposite, cost benefit analysis, or, list of pluses and minuses. Dad, civil engineer, most of his career designed bridges, many of which people still drive across every day in Mpls./St. Paul area. Bridges are not designed by impulse. Every detail is considered, for good reason. So, it’s in my blood to usually think things through pretty carefully. What’s the cost? Advantages? Disadvantages, etc. Throughout the summer, Jesus Galilean ministry, preaching, teaching, miracles. Begin today and continuing throughout the fall, focus becomes discipleship. What does it really mean to follow Jesus? Today he tells us, in no uncertain terms, serious choice, serious implications, not an impulse buy, but a decision to think through carefully. II. Body Large crowds traveling with him. These were your impulse buyers. People who were seeing the benefits of following this new rabbi. Forgiving sinners. He had compassion for the poor, the sick, the handicapped who were pushed to the side, of no value and worth. Spoke against the rich, who oppressed the poor. Spoke against the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees who lived in a bubble, shielding themselves behind their religious laws from the real problems of the day. Hop on board that train. Follow him, sounds great. Wise person once told me, “It’s easy to attract a crowd, much harder to attract a congregation.” Crowd- professional musicians, lights, polished sermon, nothing controversial, no challenges, make people feel good, go home. Plenty of crowd churches around, you can even watch in your pajamas on TV or today, the internet. But what’s beneath it? Is it really about what God has done for us in Christ, about sin, forgiveness, new life? Or is it something else entirely? Jesus looked over the crowds and basically told them, you do not follow me on impulse. This is a serious decision that needs to be thought through like an engineer or a king in war. Two examples Building a tower- Money, resources, labor to start what you finish? House in our neighborhood. Finish it or not? Truthfully, kind of an eyesore, and embarrassment. King- choosing to fight a battle. Troops, ammunition, weaponry, firepower. Evaluate the situation before the battle. If you can’t win, maybe better to offer terms for peace. Just what is this cost Jesus tells the crowd the need to consider? Three things, all related. 1) To follow Jesus, hate your mother, father, sister, brother. That’s what it says. Don’t blame me for saying it! But clearly, this is an example of hyperbole, overstating an example, to make an important point. Did Jesus hate his mother? Did he hate his brothers? Did the disciples hate their wives and children? Of course not. If Jesus preached hate, just be another in a long list of terrorists. Jesus was saying, when it comes to following him, this was a serious choice. Following him, God’s own son, is first, above all others. This relationship is eternal, eternal consequences. 2) Carry the cross. What does that mean? It means many things, I think, depending on your point of view. Certainly, the way of suffering and death, the path Jesus took. This was the path the first disciples ultimately took, along with the Apostle Paul, and many others. It was the way of the martyr, who put it all on the line and was even willing to die for their faith, it was that important. It can also mean carrying the message of Christ and the burdens he bore for the world. So concerns for the poor, the outcast, the sinner, the sick, knowing all have a place in God’s kingdom and deserve compassion and love. You’re carrying that cross, doing what Jesus did for others. More generally I think it means choosing to follow Christ and his teachings as your way of life. You believe that this is the way God intended his creation to live, loving God and loving one another. You seek to be in tune with the Spirit and follow the way the Spirit leads. This is the path of life, abundant life, in the world. You’re carrying the cross, being a witness to God, in all you do. What are the costs? Putting no one else above your relationship with Christ, carrying the cross, and then that last sentence at the end, that we also don’t like to here- giving up all possessions. Again, hyperbole to make a serious point. No one can live without any possessions. Jesus had to have people assist him, provide, housing, food, a place to sleep. But the point is that he used his possessions to fulfill his mission. Possession, too, fall under the Lordship of Christ. Just like our relationships, they are secondary to our relationship with God. They serve the mission to which we are called. Well, I wonder how many of that crowd continue to follow after these words of Jesus. For you see, this was not an impulsive decision. It was to be thought through, a deliberate choice, to follow him. Once again, Jesus, becomes the model to follow. He loved his mother, father, brothers, the whole world. But not more than he loved God the Father. He literally carried the cross, the way of suffering and death. He used whatever possession were necessary, to carry out his calling. And so we look to Jesus, and follow his example. Will we carry out God’s will in the perfect manner he did? Of course not. But we can to some degree, as we make the serious choice to follow. III. Conclusion The impulse decision is common place. I’ve done it, so have you. Sometimes it works out fine, sometimes, not so much. But the decision to follow Christ is not an impulse decision, it is serious. There is a cost. But in the end, the cost is worth it. For the cost, leads to life, as God wants for us. So choose life, the way of Christ. Amen