Adrian Rogers: How to Be a Fully Committed Disciple of Jesus [#2434]

welcome to love Werth fine with Pastor teacher and author Adrian Rogers reaching out with God's love bringing people to Christ touching lives around the world and helping you find the answers you need today join us as we prepare to open God's Word and discover how your life can be changed forever by his great love worth finding I want to talk to you today about how to be a fully committed disciple of Jesus Christ a fully committed disciple of Jesus Christ what is discipleship what does it mean to you to be a disciple are you a disciple the word disciple means learner the Latin word the scipio means to learn now a disciple is a learner you can be a disciple of anyone but to be a disciple of Jesus is to let Jesus teach you okay so far so good jesus said come unto me now listen and then he said come after me that is follow me a disciple is someone who learns from his teacher his master and then this is very important becomes like his master would you like to be a disciple of Jesus Christ now before you answer Mateo the answer is not as easy as you may think discipleship cost salvation is free but discipleship costs are you willing to pay the price you know we sing it pays to serve Jesus it pays every day it pays every step of the way and it does doesn't it if I had a thousand lives I'd give them all to Jesus it pays over and over and over and over and over again I'm always in debt to the Lord Jesus but may I be honest and tell you it costs to serve Jesus it cost every it costs every step of the way in today we want an air-conditioned upholstered streamlined faith many of us don't want to pay the price notice here in verse Luke by the way turn to Luke chapter 14 did I tell you to do that turn to Luke chapter 14 Luke chapter 14 get in the Gospels Matthew Mark and Luke come to chapter 14 and then look in verse 25 and there went great multitudes with him and he turned and said unto them if any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters J and his own life also he cannot be my disciple now think about this the crowds were following Jesus Jesus had great multitudes he was at the zenith of his ministry his popularity and all these people were clamoring after him now what does he do he thins out the crowd he doesn't do some sensational miracle to get more followers he doesn't water down his teaching with user-friendly evangelism what he does is turns to them and in the sternest terms possible he talks to them about something that seems almost shocking if any man come after me and hate not his father and his mother his wife and his children as brethren he can't be my disciple well one thing you have to say about the Lord Jesus Christ is no fine print in the contract amen he's not he's not mislabeling if there's no bait-and-switch he's not looking for easy followers I know that many times today in our churches we have watered-down the gospel in an attempt to gain more followers Jesus never did that nor will I nor should we when you follow Jesus he's not inviting you to to share in his popularity but his unpopularity are you willing to do that does that makes sense to you well I trust that it will let me tell you four things that a true disciple of Jesus Christ is that I hope you'll say and I want to pay the price because it's worth it now listen before you make up your mind man to this the bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of cheap price has been forgotten that's true about anything if you buy something cause it's on sale and it's not any good you don't want it you don't remember that you got it for cheap you just remember you don't like it you don't like it the bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of cheap price has been forgotten is that not true but if you pay a price for something you work for it you earn it you pay a price for it and it is something that you value and your treasure you soon forget the price because you say it was worth it there's no cheap discipleship it costs to serve Jesus it cost everyday but friend it is worth it now I'm aware that there's some who won't pay the price I believe there's some people who would give up following Jesus before they would give up getting a new refrigerator that's how careless they are how flippant they are and people think they've done God a great favor when they come and sit in church on Sunday morning they call that serving the Lord well I'm glad that you're here but serving the Lord goes far beyond that for things that discipleship means and I want you to see them here in this passage of Scripture Jesus wants disciples that will worship at any cost go back if you will to verse 26 jesus said if any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yayyyy and his own life also he cannot be my disciple and whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple again there's no fine print here in the contract Jesus Christ must come before personal relationships you called upon to hate father mother wife children and brethren it's Peter minute pastor I thought Jesus taught us to love what it does teach us to love as a matter of fact Jesus here is not breaking the commandment that tells us to honor father and mother Jesus is not telling us to hate our children if you love Jesus you're going to love your father and mother more if you love Jesus you're going to love your wife more if you love Jesus you're going to love your children more the word hate here is used in the Bible sense in comparison jesus said no man can serve two masters he will love one and hate the other now if you're working for Texaco it doesn't mean that you hate Exxon that's not what he's talking about not in the sense but he's just saying you can't serve two masters you're gonna work for one oil company you're going to work for the other and so he's using the word here to mean choice what he is saying is that Jesus Christ must come before any other personal relationship Joyce knows that she's number two in my life not number one she doesn't mind being number two because she knows that I love her more making her number two than I ever could making her number one my children know that I love them with all of my heart but they know they're not number one you see what our Lord is saying is that if you're going to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ if you're going to be his disciple he must be number one in your life is Jesus Christ number one in your life Joyce and I put a child on a shiny airplane to fly overseas with our grandchild and his lovely wife to go to be missionaries in Spain I know that David loves us I know that Kelly loves her parents I know that and my own personal flesh would be to have my children my grandchildren here with me but I know that my children love Jesus Christ more than they love me that doesn't bother me that thrills me to know that do you love Jesus Christ more than personal relationships you must if you would be as disciple and not only personal relationships but personal reputation and his own life also that you you're not even to love you more than you love the Lord Jesus Christ to be a disciple of Jesus Christ you have to take yourself off the throne and in throne Jesus Christ in many modern churches today the theme is what fulfill yourself self-realization a self fulfillment and and our churches have become sort of a cafeteria line where we just go by and pick up things that are going to make us feel better about ourselves and I hope that you have a good self-image a healthy self-image but if it comes between Adrienne and Jesus I must say no to Adrienne and yes to Jesus Christ are you willing to do that are you willing to say Lord Jesus I put you first I in spite of my own reputation my own fulfillment what people think of me you see a cross Jesus is going to talk a little bit about picking up a cross now many people have a cross a gold ornament around the neck and there's nothing wrong with that that I can see but friend of cross is not a thing of beauty a cross is a thing ultimately of shame and reproach that's what it meant in Jesus day when he said pick up your cross when I was in college I took a course in criminology and we visited our Penitentiary there in Florida Raiford penitentiary and I went into the room there where they had the electric chair I sat down in the electric chair I checked the switch and everything see no one was standing over there but I sat down in the electric chair got up and looked at it tried to imagine what it would be like to sit in that chair knowing that someone behind that panel is ready to pull the switch and that chair was hideous it was ugly can you imagine somebody with an electric chair on a chain around the neck a little miniature electric chair well the cross we have made it sort of a piece of jewelry but when a person comes to Jesus Christ he is a worshiper who will worship at any cost personal relationships personal reputation to take up your cross as a mark of shame personal realization now somebody says well my my sickness is my cross not unless you got it by serving Jesus as if my mother-in-law is my cross she may be cross but she's not your cross a cross is something that you willingly take up you don't have to bear it jesus said no man taketh my life for me I lay it down of myself to follow Jesus is a worshiper who worships at any cost above the cost of personal relationships above the cost of personal reputation above the cost of personal realization somebody asked dr. Tozer was it mean to take up your cross what does it mean to be crucified with Christ he said three things number one a man who's crucified is facing only one way number two a man who is crucified is not going back he has said goodbye he's not going back and number three he has no further plans of his own take up your cross facing one way not going back no further plans of his own can you say it I am crucified with Christ we say glibly do you mean it that's what it means to be a disciple still want to be a disciple take up your cross that's what the Lord Jesus Christ said my precious friend when you gave your heart to Jesus Christ and said I will take up my cross that's the last legitimate independent decision you ever make there from now on your life belongs to Jesus Christ you you're not your own you're bought with a price now what a disciple is number one is a worshiper who worships at any cause got it okay now let's look number two disciples not only must worship at any cost but they must work at any cost take your Bibles now and begin reading in verse 28 Jesus goes on to explain for which of you intending to build a tower sitteth not down first and count at the cost whether he hath sufficient to finish it lest haply after he had laid the foundation he's not able to finish it and all that behold it began to mock him saying this man began to build and was not able to finish now why does he mention a tower well back in these days they had vineyards and in the middle of the vineyard they would put a tower and the tower was there to protect the vineyard and therefore it was there for fruitfulness and and God says our lives are to be like a tower now you see he speaks first of all of a crucifixion and now he speaks of a construction because it's not all negative it's also positive our Lord has called us to build our Lord has a plan for my life for your life and my life is to be constructed by his plan the tower is to be spiritually conceived again I don't have any right to say Lord what do you want me to do with my life when I start out as a kid I thought I want to be a lawyer or an architect but I laid those plans aside because God called me to be a minister God come to preach I want my tower to be spiritually conceived and then I wanted to be sacrificially construct jesus said if you're going to build a tower count the cost you want to be disciple count the cost be looking for a cheap way an easy way a lazy way forget it that's what most people want but not only spiritually conceived sacrificially constructed but steadfastly completed he says count the costs so you'll be able to finish the tower deal the problem in America today we have some in half built towers that are causing people to laugh and mock men who said they were called to the ministry they're no longer in the ministry deacons who no longer serving as deacons Sunday school teachers who once had a class of boys and you don't teach that class of boys anymore well why don't you teach that class of boys well if you knew that class of boys you know why I don't teach them anymore I've never seen such bad boys well who do you think needs a Sunday school teacher except bad boys that's why God is there some who used to tithe you don't tie some who used to be Bible students you stop studying the Bible some we used to be prayer warriors do you know what you are you're in hath built tower you have not finished the task jesus said no man putting his hand to the plow and look at back is fit for the kingdom of God now what we need what a disciple is is a worshiper who will worship at any cost what a disciple is is a worker who will build at any cost he will not ah back away he will not stop disciples worship at any cost disciples work at any cost and now disciples war at any cost look if you will now been in verse 31 and he says this and what king going to make war against another kings if not down first and consulted whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand or else while the others yet a great way off he sendeth an ambassador's eye earth conditions of peace now notice what our Lord is doing first of all he speaks of a crucifixion then he speaks of a construction and now he speaks of a conflict a war you see when I follow the Lord Jesus Christ I follow Jesus into battle there's a war and it is a fight to the death and you're on one side or the other you cannot be neutral and so far as the odds are concerned we're outnumbered we're the Masters minority in the parable that Jesus gives or the question that Jesus gives is 10,000 against 20,000 that's two to one except the favor is still on our side because if God be for us who can be against us but what we need our warriors are not cowards are you willing truly to to go into the battle many of us want to get out unscarred uncritical many businessmen will not stand up against gambling because they're afraid it will hurt the business many will not witness for the Lord Jesus Christ in their offices because they're afraid it may not be politically correct that is they crucified Jesus on the cross of gold they're cowards we need lawyers disciples are not cowards and disciples are not compromises our Lord says if you don't count the cost when the battle gets thick what you're going to do is to send out an ambassador or to try and make peace with the enemy who is the enemy is the devil do you think that you can negotiate with the devil do you think you can appease him or buy him off or you can come to some sort of a standoff with the devil forget it General Douglas MacArthur said in war there is no substitute for victory that is so true ladies and gentlemen in this life there is no substitute for victory over the devil now if you try to have a peace treaty with the devil he's going to beat you either you get him or he'll get you but there's no such thing as neutrality I've off Talde the story of a bear hunter went out one time to hunt a bear he found a bear got him in the sights starting to squeeze the trigger but the bear said hold it hold it hold it hold it don't pull that trigger let's go out here in the middle of the road you put the gun down and let's talk let's reason this thing out why are you hunting you want a fur coat isn't that right the hunter said that's right he said why am i here in the woods I want a good meal can you understand that the Hunter said yes the bear said let's talk it over they did and when was finished the bear had a good meal and the man had a fur coat that's where the devil is he said now let's just see if we can't compromise here a little bit within what our Lord wants his disciples who are not cowards ten thousand years twenty thousand what our Lord wants is disciples who are not compromisers sending out ambassadors to sit down with the devil and what he wants his disciples who are not cautious listen when you go into battle you have to go in with all of your heart and soul look in verse 33 likewise whosoever he be of you that forsake is not all that he has cannot be my disciple you say well lord I give you something he doesn't want something you say lord I give you prominence he doesn't want prominence he deserves an immense preeminence all that he has let me ask you a question is a rhetorical question so don't answer that loud does Jesus Christ have everything that you have is there any part of your life that is out of bounds to the Lord Jesus Christ is there anything that you would say now Lord Jesus take your hands off of that if there is you cannot be his disciple didn't I tell you that discipleship costs it costs to serve Jesus it cost every day it costs every step of the way you see there must be worshipers who worship at any cost take up your cross there must be workers who work at any cost take up your tools that there must be warriors who war at any cost take up your sword he cannot use cowards he cannot use compromisers he cannot use cautious people we need a reckless burning blazing and mass emotional passionate love for Jesus Christ we do I want to be that kind of disciple then last of all look if you will now disciples must witness at any cost Luke 14 beginning in verse 34 salt is good but if the salt has lost its savor that is it staying as s wherewith shall it be seasoned it is neither fit for the land yet for the dunghill but men cast it out he that hath ears to hear let him hear hi Lord knew that some people would not listen to this some people have no ears for what I'm preaching this morning they're saying I didn't come to hear a message like that I came to be made to feel good to be petted to be praised to be flattered but not to be challenged but notice what our Lord does our Lord speaks first of all about a crucifixion then a construction then a conflict and now a commission we're like salt we are the salt of the earth and that means we're to witness that's what salt does salt speaks of witness and testimony now think about what salt does salt preserves Jesus called fishermen to follow him to be his disciples they they didn't refrigerate their fish they couldn't they salted their fish down it is salt that preserved may I tell you that America needs the preserving salt of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ folks the problem in America is not the drug deal not the pornographer not Hollywood not the liberal theologian the problem is saltless Saints people who will not be disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ America is in a moral meltdown sodomy has gone from a sin to a sickness to a socially accepted practice to a virtue here in America at our watch families are rattling standards are lower the entertainment industry has reached the bottom of the Garbage Pail it's like a sewer has broken on America and we need something to deep decontaminate our land do you know what it is it is salt Jesus said you're the salt of the earth it is salt that preserves it is salt that flavours is there something about your life that's different vascular boy what what is salty said salt tastes bad when you don't have it that's what it is makes the potatoes taste bad when it ain't there is there's esta bout your life can your neighbors see something different about you or you just bland and tasteless and flap it and Placid and just a person with no zest in your life why would anybody want to have my faith why would anybody want to be like me if he cannot see a change in me Jesus Paul said in Colossians 4 verse 6 let your speech be always with grace seasoned with salt salt seasoned salt heels salt is an antiseptic and it heals and our world is sick I've seen the salt of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ heal broken hearts and broken hopes and broken homes our world needs salty saints I'll tell you something else though salt burns it stains you rub the salt into an open wound in a personal say couch that burns that stings uh we're going to irritate some people no irritation then it's lost its saltiness friend no offense no effect we need to stop trying to win popularity contests not everybody's going to love you if you follow the Lord Jesus Christ Jesus said over there in Matthew chapter 10 that the disciple is not better than his master if they've hated me they'll hate you if you're assaulting you're going to be an irritant salt penetrates you take just a pinch of salt and put it in a jug of water and the whole jug will become salty salt penetrates it it just permeates everything that you put it in matter what the problem is in America we have Christians just like you wonderful folks today and these in the choir these on the platform and we come to church and and we hear sermons and you know what we do we salt the salt we're salting one another you don't salt salt Jesus didn't say you're the salt of the church he said you're the salt of the earth now should we live separate lives should we be separated yes separate from sinners but not isolated from sinners do you know why they crucified Jesus because he's a friend of sinners that's why they nailed him up on the cross do you know what this church needs to do friend we need to get out of the salt shaker we need to get out in our community as genuine disciples of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ you know Jesus said if salt loses its saltiness he said this in the gospel in the Sermon on the Mount if salt loses its saltiness it's good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men they got de salt in this day from the Dead Sea and sometimes the salt lying out on the ground would get the rain and the elements would fall on it and the tang the zest the bite would leech out and poisonous chemicals would be left you couldn't put it on the food it was poisonous if you put it in the fields it would kill the crops if you put it down the well it would contaminate the water but they found one good thing that kind of salt salt there was no longer salty you know what they did with they put it on the roads why because it would pack down it would absorb moisture and the weeds would not grow in it and so they put it on the roads it was good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under the foot of men do you know why in modern sitcoms Christians now are being made fun of do you know why it's open season on Christians do you know why we're laughed at do you know why we're ridiculed do you know why we're overlooked do you know why we're Lampoon do you know why sometimes we are persecuted I'll tell you why we've lost our saltiness there's no wonder they walk on us we're good for nothing but to be cast out and rotten under the foot of men are you tired of that would you like to see it turned around would you like to see it different would you like to see the name of Jesus Christ lifted up would you like to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ a disciple who witnesses at any cost a disciple who works at any cost a disciple who Wars at any cost a disciple who witnesses at any cost I for one want to be that kind of disciple I don't have many more days we have to Jesus comes but I don't want to be just drawing my breath and drawing my salary fighting to live while I live to fight I want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ somebody said in order for a person to be happy they have to have something to believe in someone to love and a cause to serve something to believe in someone to love and a cause to serve that's Jesus I believe him I love him I want to be a fully commit to sign of Jesus Christ do you know that Jesus Adrian Rogers just spoke about you can know abundant eternal life through Jesus Christ right now just speak to him ask him to save you trust in Jesus today but realize that saying a prayer or walking an aisle does not bring salvation you have to sincerely and fully surrender your life to Him you might pray something like this Lord Jesus I know I'm a sinner and my sin deserves judgment but you died to pay the penalty for my sin so I repent of those sins now lord I ask you to forgive me come into my life make me a new person in you thank you for saving me Jesus and help me to live for you from now on amen well today if you give your heart and life to Christ you'll want to learn how to walk with Him each day we want to help you with materials that will encourage and strengthen you as a new believer just write us and we'll send you these materials right away and if you have more questions about what it means to begin the personal relationship with Jesus Christ visit our website and click on the discover Jesus link on our home page we pray that God has blessed you as you've watched this message if you'd like additional copies or information on other resources write us at love worth finding box 38 800 memphis tennessee 38134 901 800 2 7 4 5 6 8 3 monday through friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time thank you and may God richly bless you you

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Id: 0DimGAL9TS4

Length: 34min 12sec (2052 seconds)

Published: Sun Nov 20 2016