583. Gospel of Luke - Chapter 9 (#7) - The Cost of Discipleship - June 26, 2024

[00:00:06] Welcome to Wisdom Today. My name is Bill Kelley and I'll be your host. In this podcast we will be exploring the book of Proverbs. Let's open and prayer. Father God, I thank you for anyone listening to this podcast today.

[00:00:27] Lord, I pray that you give everyone ears to hear and a heart to receive everything you have in store for them today. I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. This is Proverbs 26, beginning in verse 1.

[00:00:43] As snow in summer and rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool. Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, so occurs without cause shall not align.

[00:00:58] A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey and a rod for the fool's back. Do not answer a fool according to his folly. Lest you also be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly. Lest he be wise in his own eyes.

[00:01:19] He who sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. Like the legs of the lame that hang limp is a proverb in the mouth of fools, like one who binds a stone in a sling is he who gives honor to a fool.

[00:01:43] Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools. The great God who formed everything gives the fool his hire and the transgressor, his wages.

[00:01:59] As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. The lazy man says there is a lion in the road. A fierce lion is in the streets. As a door turns on its hinges, so does a lazy man on his bed.

[00:02:29] Lazy man buries his hand in the bull. It wearys him to bring it back to his mouth. The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.

[00:02:44] He who passes by and metals in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a dog by the ears. Like a mad man who throws firebrands, arrows and death is the man who deceives his neighbor and says I was only joking.

[00:03:05] Where there is no wood the fire goes out and where there is no tailbearer strife ceases. As charcoal is to burning holes and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife.

[00:03:23] The words of a tailbearer are like tasty triples and they go down into the inmost body. Furvan lips with a wicked heart are like earth and where covered with silver drawse, he who hates disguises it with his lips and lays up to seat within himself.

[00:03:45] When he speaks kindly do not believe him for there are seven abominations in his heart, though his hatred is covered by the seat, his wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.

[00:04:01] Whoever digs a pit will fall into it and he who rolls a stone will have it rolled back on him. A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it and a flattering mouth works ruin.

[00:04:19] Friends today I'd like to take a closer look at verse 12 and proper 26 verse 12 says this. Do you see a man wise in his own eyes there is more hope for a fool then for him.

[00:04:39] Friends this is your host Bill Kelly and what I'd like to do today is give a little bit of commentary and talk a little bit about the length of his podcast. And this is podcast number 583 since I began this journey way back in April of 2022.

[00:05:03] At the time I was attending Keras Bible College and the Holy Spirit woke me up one night and told me that he wanted me to begin a podcast and he told me that the podcast is to be on the topic wisdom.

[00:05:21] And so I chose really the best book for wisdom in the Bible and that is the book of Proverbs. And so what I do is I read the proper of the day every day.

[00:05:34] Now we have been in a study on the gospel according to Luke and right now today we are in the seventh podcast for chapter nine and this passage of scripture we're going to be closing chapter nine with today is called the cost of discipleship.

[00:05:58] And friends I believe that this is going to be one of the most important and one of the best podcasts that I have ever done on this podcast.

[00:06:11] The reason why is the subject matter of today's lesson. Now we're going to go over three points today and I'm going to give commentary as to the importance of discipleship and that that is the reason why we are here on earth.

[00:06:31] So let's begin chapter nine of Luke beginning in verse 57. Now it happened as they journeyed on the road that someone said to him, Lord I will follow you wherever you go and Jesus said to him, foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests but the son of man has no way to lay his head.

[00:07:00] Now friends I really want to break this down. What is really happening here? Now verse 57 to me is a wonderful verse and we can easily overlook this verse, but Jesus is traveling on a road with his disciples and there happens to be someone walking along with them.

[00:07:27] So friends I think a lot of times we overlook this fact. Now a couple weeks ago I did a podcast and I said that there were many women that followed Jesus and his disciples.

[00:07:39] This particular one doesn't mention that it's a woman so I'm going to take the liberty to say that this was probably a guy. So as they are walking on the road, this isn't Jesus talking to his disciples but he is just talking to an ordinary person following them and this out of the blue this person says, Lord I will follow you wherever you go.

[00:08:07] I want you to think about that comment. That is the impact that Jesus would have on regular ordinary people. They would hear Jesus talk and obviously here Jesus really isn't preaching as they're walking but what I'm guessing is he's just talking about life in general.

[00:08:31] He might be talking about a parable but he says I will follow you wherever you go and Jesus tells him, wait a minute if you're going to follow me. You're going to be a bit uncomfortable.

[00:08:48] We don't have a regular place to go home at night like most normal people. I don't even have a home. I don't have any place that I go to on a regular basis and he's asking him, is he willing to do it.

[00:09:08] So this is what I'd like to do and I am reading out of the Nelson study Bible and this is the commentary for verses 57 and 58. I will follow you.

[00:09:21] This man volunteered to follow Jesus without reservation. His problem was that he had not realistically counted the cost of discipleship. His enthusiasm based on his feelings of the moment would not be strong enough to sustain him during the trials that lay ahead.

[00:09:49] Jesus warned the would be disciple that he, the son of man, did not have even the ordinary comforts of home. Now friends I want to break this down a little bit and really talk about the consequences of what Jesus is talking about.

[00:10:11] There are many of us who have made the decision to receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We've even taken the time to say the sinner's prayer.

[00:10:22] And I often ask this on my Tuesday testimonies. How did that change your life? Are you even aware of what you did when you say that sinner's prayer?

[00:10:35] And a lot of people say they weren't aware of it and that their lives did not immediately change. But friends saying that sinner's prayer has eternal implications. It means that we are going to be with Jesus for eternity.

[00:10:55] And I know some of you really struggle with that concept of eternity, but let me put it this way for thousands and thousands and thousands of years. We are going to be in heaven listening to Jesus and hopefully hanging out with him. Let's look at verse 59.

[00:11:19] Then he said to another, follow me. Two simple words and friends Jesus is telling everyone listening to this podcast today those same two words just follow me. Follow me.

[00:11:38] Do what I did while I was on earth act the way I did when I was on earth. We are to emulate him. But he said, Lord let me first go and bury my father.

[00:11:54] Now let me read the commentary for verse 59. Listen to this. Let me first go and bury my father. This aspiring disciple placed family responsibilities ahead of following Jesus.

[00:12:14] The concerns of home were this man's stumbling block. Unlike the previous volunteer in verse 57 which we just read, this man was slow, meditative and contemplative. He was counting the cost of discipleship.

[00:12:36] Cultic purity was viewed as very important in Jewish circles. So a quick burial of the dead was required. And friends may I venture out and say there are a number of people listening to this podcast today that Jesus has spoken to you.

[00:12:59] Maybe not out loud, maybe not in an audible voice but as your reading scripture or maybe through your spouse or maybe your boss or maybe your best friend and you have an idea in your heart that you know what you have been asked to do. You have been called to do something for the kingdom of God and yet you have delayed.

[00:13:29] Answering that call you have let everyday life and the circumstances your job, the pay that you would lose if you did this are you willing to give up your job to do this and the majority of people are not.

[00:13:48] Friends it's as simple as that if we're truly to be disciples of Jesus and followers of him. If he asks you to do something you need to simply say yes Lord, let's go to verse 60.

[00:14:06] Jesus said to him let the dead bury their own dead but you go and preach the kingdom of God. So friends point number two is we are to go and preach the kingdom of God.

[00:14:26] Now I talk about this often on this podcast what exactly does that look like.

[00:14:34] And friends we do not have to go around with a Bible under our arm we don't have to do that and I suggest that you don't do that but what we need to do is demonstrate the love of God wherever we go.

[00:14:50] We are to be kind to people we are to be gracious to people we are to be forgiving of people we are to be patient with people that don't think the same way that we do.

[00:15:06] We are to be like Jesus would have been when he was on earth let me read the commentary for verse 60. Jesus emphasized that a disciple must have clear priorities the call of God should receive priority over everything else.

[00:15:30] And friends that is what my wife and I did several years ago we didn't know what we were going to do I had resigned my teaching position and all of a sudden it came to us we should go to Bible college.

[00:15:48] And we did and we had to think about it and we moved to Florida we actually purchased a house here in Florida knowing that we were immediately going to be moving to Colorado to attend Bible college.

[00:16:05] And so for a year and a half we bounced back and forth we went to school but we came back for breaks we came back for the summer for three months we came back for Christmas and we just managed to do it.

[00:16:22] But friends I believe that is probably the third most important decision that we have ever made in our lives number one was receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior number two was marrying my wife.

[00:16:38] But number three is probably attending here as Bible college and it changed the course of my life for the rest of my life here on earth and also into eternity. I have changed a lot of things about my life my attitudes have changed my thought processes have changed.

[00:17:02] I am more patient than I've ever been in my life and it's been an absolute blessing. Let's go to verse 61 and another also said Lord I will follow you but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.

[00:17:21] But Jesus said to him no one having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God. Friends my third point is we are not to look at the past but to the future. Let's look at the commentary for verse 62.

[00:17:46] Jesus' remark about being fit for the kingdom of God demonstrates the seriousness of commitment to him. Putting a hand to the plow means engaging in a task here the task is serving the kingdom. Looking back makes it difficult to plow straight for us.

[00:18:12] Friends this is what I have to say if God has called you to do something may I suggest that you pray about it.

[00:18:25] Do not make excuses don't sit there and say well I can't do it now I've got to wait five years I've got to wait eight years.

[00:18:35] Friends your life will not really begin to have meaningful impact unless or until you do what the Lord has asked you to do.

[00:18:47] Sometimes in life we need to make sacrifices remember with the Bible says we have been bought at a price we are no longer our own but we belong to God. We are to do what he has asked us to do that is the price of discipleship.

[00:19:13] We need to put our self-interest aside and we need to be totally in to what Jesus has asked us to do.

[00:19:24] Friends before we close I'd like to go back to our verse of the day in proper 26 verse 12 and it says do you see a man wise in his own eyes there is more hope for a fool than to him.

[00:19:40] Listen to this commentary being hotty is even worse than being a fool. Egotism is the epitome of folly and friends when I hear that voice we're talking about people who have chosen not to make Jesus their Lord and Savior.

[00:19:59] They think they know all there is to know they don't feel they have any need of God. They don't want to hear what the Bible says they think they know everything and they're better than the Bible.

[00:20:13] But if you have any wisdom at all you know that that's not true.

[00:20:20] So my call to action today is ask yourself a very simple question are you a disciple of Jesus are you a true follower of Jesus are you doing everything that the Lord has called you to do and are you being obedient to the word of the Lord.

[00:20:48] Friends I will never end a podcast without giving anyone an opportunity to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

[00:20:57] If there is anyone listening today you've never taken that step repeat a simple prayer after me today Jesus I confess that I am a sinner and indeed of a Savior.

[00:21:09] I believe that you are the Son of God you came to earth and died on a cross and were buried on the third day you rose from the dead and ascended into heaven and now sit at the right hand of God the Father.

[00:21:24] However, I still need your help. I ask you come into my heart I ask that you lead me and guide me from this point forward in my life.

[00:21:35] I want you to help me make the right decisions to follow you. I want you to help me in my everyday life. I make you my Lord and Savior.

[00:21:49] Now, make the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make it stay shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord liftoff is countenance upon you and give you peace. Friends please join me in tomorrow as we further explore wisdom today.