Download 9-4-16 A Serious Decision

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