Sermon – “Don’t Look to the Left or Right Once You’ve Decided to Follow Jesus”

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 59 Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” 61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

The message this morning is going to be you know since we had a baptisms baptisms this morning and this is kind it’s not really geared towards baptism it’s geared toward what follows baptism. No we sang that song that I will follow you will you follow Will you follow him or you will in the follow anywhere he lead you because he says I will be with you or you will in the fall. Anywhere that the Lord leads you. That’s the question today that’s the key to day. That’s the focus. Are we willing to follow a message titled I added to it just a little bit. Don’t look to the left or to the right or look back what you have decided to follow Jesus. We’re not to look back. We’re to keep our eyes focused on him and where he leads us we are to follow. These two young ladies mourn decided to be baptized because they decided they loved Jesus and they know Jesus loved them. Amen. And baptism of course we all know they sign of repentant heart it’s a sign of that new creation that we are in Christ. It’s an outward and visible sign that we have decided to follow Jesus. So I think it’s that in that our scriptures follow that in a second Christine’s five or seventeen before I get them other scripture says Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation old things have passed away behold all things have become new. That’s what baptism is a symbol of the old person is buried with him and in his burial in raised up a new in Jesus Christ you are a new creation this morning because of Jesus Christ because He died for you. Amen amen. Luke Chapter nine versus fifty seven hundred sixty two. You’re thinking this is pretty is a pretty short passage. As for me because usually it’s pretty long here the word of the Lord. Now what 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 nest. But the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. Then he said to another follow me but he said Lord let me first go and bury my father Jesus said to him Let the dead bury their own dead but you go and preach the kingdom of God and another also said Lord I will follow you but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house. But Jesus said to him no one having put his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of God strong powerful words are today. He got out his blessings to be hearing and reading of His Holy Word. This is an interesting passage. We have two men that claim that they will follow Jesus where ever he would ask them to go and then the other Jesus ask him come follow me. You know by this time Jesus is well known. You know all of the miracles and the great signs that he’s performed in the teaching. He is well known to those crowds following him. And you’re saying or I will follow you. You know what I want to be one of your disciples. Does anybody here think it kind of strange the way that Jesus responded to these people anybody you know think it’s normal right it’s kind of a strange response it really is you know it’s true that most people that are trying to lead some kind of a cause would readily accept anybody that would want to follow them. Truthfully most preach. Here’s what except. Anybody that would want to follow them there are glad to have anybody come into the church right. Be honest I’d like to have as many would want you to come into the church. But we as a church know that it’s our responsibility to disciple and teach him about Jesus but most would readily accept anybody. But this passage kinds this kind of seems like Jesus is trying to deter them in a way from following him but he’s really not what he’s trying to do is show them the cost of following him. He’s not trying to deter them. He’s making sure they know the cost. There was an elderly pastor who shared this advice with a young aspiring pastor one day. He said son always endeavor to keep your church as small as you can and this with this advice was coming from this pastor who pastored a very large church. But what he meant by his advice was this to preach the truth of God salvation and the demands of following Jesus Christ so clearly that only those who truly have counted the cost would readily give themselves to follow him to join. That makes sense only those who have weighed the cost would say yes I will follow I will follow you preach the truth. Don’t hide it don’t tickle the rears but preach the truth. It costs all to follow him. Let’s look at the costs that he shared with these men. The first man said I will follow you wherever you go. Jesus said Foxes have holes in the birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. Jesus is cautioning this man that if you follow me you cannot count on all the creature comforts of the world. You may be called to live in poverty. You may not but you may be called to live in poverty. You may be called to live somewhere but you don’t have that comfortable air conditioning a comfortable bed to lay in at night. Here’s the one that created all things. Yet he has no place to lay Zen So count the cost. He may call you to go somewhere where you have to give up your comforts your comfort of home. Are you willing to give those things up. If Jesus says follow me here. A great cost. The second man Jesus said unto him follow me and the man responded Let me first go and bury my father. To which Jesus said that the dead bury their own dead. Jesus knows the heart. He knew the man’s heart he knew his true motives for responding that’s why I responded this way. Most commentators the Scriptures doesn’t say it but most commentators seem to think that this man’s father was not yet dead. They think that his father was most likely an elderly man. So he’s saying let me first go and bury my father what he’s saying is I’m really not ready to follow you yet maybe I will come and follow you when it is a more convenient time for me is basically what he is saying. Let me put it off until it’s more convenient. Now Jesus response of the man doesn’t mean we’re supposed to be uncompassionate all at the dead take care of themselves. Let my father take care of themselves we’re not supposed to be uncompassionate. We’re not supposed to renege on our responsibilities were to honor our father or mother were to do our what is our duty. But we’re not supposed to use our responsibilities and our duties to make to make excuses for following Jesus Christ. Let’s don’t make excuses that’s what they are. This is about. Don’t make excuses. Second Timothy two four says no one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life that he may please him who had listed him as a soldier. Do not be entangled with the things of this life but be willing to follow Christ wherever he calls you the third man also said Lord I will follow you. But first let me go and bid them farewell. They were at my house he say let me go say my goodbyes to my family to my friends. It seems like a very reasonable request doesn’t let me go say my goodbyes. The Jesus said no one having put his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of God His hands were already on the plow he already made a commitment to follow Jesus. He already made that first step but not as one the laid up twelve down and go back and say his goodbyes. What do you think would happen when this column A young man goes back to hug his mom and dad or his friend to say goodbyes are you sure you want to follow this man. Son Come on now we need you here. Don’t go please don’t go. How many missionaries you think of when told your church or the families. God has called me to go to Africa. Oh you don’t want to go there. It’s dangerous you could get hurt. How many have they dissuaded from going. Because they wanted them to stay with them and started to follow Jesus right Mike. How many families have tried to dissuade one of the Lord’s called from following that call. Probably many times wait for a while don’t care now but jees response reveals the urgency of the Gospel message. There is no time to go home. You’ve already said your goodbyes are. Work to be done. Go and serve the Lord when He calls. Don’t put it off. Don’t make excuses or you want to follow where he calls you. John Stott wrote this. He says the Christian landscape is strewn with the wreckage of derelict half built towers in the ruins of those who began to build and were unable to finish. For thousands of people still ignore Christ warning and undertake to follow him without first pausing to reflect on the cost the cost of doing so. The result is the great scandal of Christendom today so called nominal Christians in countries to which Christian civilization has spread a large number of people have covered themselves cells with a decent but then the NIR of Christianity they have allowed themselves to become somewhat involved enough to be respectable but not enough to become uncomfortable. The religion is a great soft cushion it protects them from the hard unpleasantries of life while changing its place and shape to suit their convenience it’s no wonder the cynics speak of hypocrites in the church and dismiss religion as escapism. He calls them the New Year Christians the New Year Christianity does everybody here know what the new year is the new year is a real thin layer of wood they can take veneer and they can take chips of wood and they can take sawdust and apply glue to it and spit out this board. It looks like a bore but actually all it is. I saw dust or chips of wood whichever process they have used and then they can take this been near and they can glue it on to this so-called board and make it look like a genuine nice thick piece of work. But in reality it is nothing but a veneer board now a good solid piece of rope you cut it it’s solid oak all the way through through and through. It is but that veneer you cut it you’re going to see sawdust or chips of wood glue together in between. What kind of Christian are you. Are you that solid oak that’s playing it down by the water stream. You know our theme for this year’s conference is that steadfast and it has that tree planted by the water is soaking it up its roots go deep in the tree that’s solid wood its roots goes deep in it absorbs in it’s mature and it grows and spreads out its water overflowing but that veneer if you take that. Let’s just call it a veneer border veneer tree and you plant it down by the water what you think is going to happen. I’ll tell you what pressboard does whenever it gets a little bit of moisture it disintegrates it just if you took the veneer off it would be solid that’s floating down the stream. Are you getting this. What kind of Christian are we are we have a near nothing but sawdust underneath it. When the trials come will be displayed all down the stream. Are we grounded in reality. Are we that tree are we that solid oak that soaks up the word of God and spreads it. Are we mature or we were in the fall or where ever he says to go. Or are we just covered with manure on the outside. We are grounded and rooted in the Lord Jesus Christ the true follower of Jesus has no earthly distractions. We don’t look back to anyone or anything. We follow where he leads us. When we say to Jesus I will follow we follow his words are strong aren’t they. But here’s what it will cost you. In short it will cost you everything but you will gain everything and then you will gain eternity. He calls for us to commit our lives completely to him and hold nothing back. And that’s what the authentic Christian is Jesus said the first man to count the cost he said to the second man leave it behind. He said to the third man don’t look back. And that’s what he says to us today. Don’t look back. In Deuteronomy Chapter five and read just a little bit of this passage. It says though that they had such a heart in them that they could fear me and always keep my commandments that it might be well with them and with their children forever. Go and say to them return to your tents. But as for you stand here by me and I will speak to you all the commandments and statutes and the judgments which you shall teach them that they may observe them in the lamb which I am giving them to possess. Therefore shall you be careful to do as an order of God has commanded you you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left hand you shall always walk in the ways in which the LORD your God has commanded you that you may live and that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess. They also want to look at the passage of Matthew Matthew Chapter ten. He says Behold I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as does. But be aware of man for they will deliver you up to councils and scurried you into synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up do not worry about how or what you should speak for it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak for it is not you who speak but the spirit of the Father who speaks in you. Now brother will be will deliver up brother to death and father his child and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake but he me in-doors to the end will be saved. He who endures to the end will be saved. Brothers and Sisters How do you count the cost. It’s not an easy road to travel. You must count the cost of the crisis Colleen. All of us to follow him. I don’t know where he’s calling you refuse call a Jew but if he calls will you say yes you will make excuses. Jesus is calling a hearing today. Most of all he’s calling Come to me. Receive that wonderful gift that after you and follow him wherever he leads you.