Doctrine no 21
Counting the cost
Brian Kocourek,
This
morning we are going to teach something about our Christian heritage that is
hardly taught in most churches today. Most Christians think and teach that
their relationship with God is a sort of free Gift from God. It's free of
charge. Just hop on the welfare wagon and ask, ask, ask, and you'll receive.
Time tested memorials of God 57-0818 P:35 God's able of the stones to rise children
to Abraham. Truly, He will do it. And when I think of that, and think of the
great price that He had to pay. Now, good... Everybody wants everything
free, wants every... That's
the American way of life today: get everything you can for nothing. Brother,
you get nothing that's worth anything for nothing; you pay for what you get.
That's right. You have to pay for it, and it comes dear. And your
salvation comes dear to God. It cost His only begotten Son to give Eternal
Life to every man and make him happy tonight and live for things that's
worthwhile living for. Not for to leave something to our children, no
inheritance can be left greater than the salvation of our Lord Jesus.
Certainly, it's not.
The
Pentecostals think I spoke in tongues so I got the Holy Ghost and now we can
perform miracles, and call on the name of the Lord and God must answer our
requests because he promised "whatsoever you
ask in my name I will do it.".
But
Eternal Life is not a one sided affair. It is not a God giving and you
receiving sort of proposition. In fact no true relationship is built on a one
sided effort, and no efforts on the other party.
Eternal
Life is Living for others, and God gives eternal Life to those who are willing
to pay the price of receiving it.
For
our text this morning let's open our Bibles to Luke
14 and we will begin reading at verse 26.
Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and
hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and
sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Now, many who read this think, "Whoah, whoah,
whoah!!! What's going on here Jesus? I thought that your Grace if Free, and
salvation is free for the asking. What's this about hating anyone in order to
be your disciple. I thought God is a God of Love, not a God of hate. I don't
understand these words, these are very hard words to understand?"
Let's continue with our text... 27 And whosoever
doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 For
which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and
counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not
able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
This
morning I would like to examine an aspect of the Doctrine and our Life in
Christ that we do not always think about, and that is counting the cost.
Now,
this first parable Jesus tells concerns the thought of our counting the cost to
follow Jesus. We know by many, many Scriptures the reward, but how often do we
know going in what the cost will be, and when we find out are we willing to pay
the price.
We know that Jesus paid the price of His life, but do
we understand that we must also pay the price of our own Life? After all, Jesus
died that we might live, and now God in return asks us to die to self that the
Life of His fist born son might live again in us.
So this morning we will look at the cost of being a
Christian,
Jesus said, "if you
wish to follow Me, then you must deny
yourself, take up his cross and follow Me."
That means you've got to be willing to die to self, for the cross
represents the harshest form of death).
Jesus tells us there is a price to pay to follow Him.
And He lays out the terms and conditions of this discipleship. We all know
there were great crowds following Him as long as he passed out the freebies
like the fishes and loaves. But then one day he says, the freebies are over, if
you want to continue to follow me and be my disciple you must take up your
cross and die to self.
As br. Branham told us, "Everyone loved the miracles, and healing",
and let's just say the free food as well. But when he began to teach the
doctrine they all turned their backs on him.
In modern language we might say Jesus was the talk of
the town, the latest fad to follow. But He knew their hearts. He knew they
desired the benefits of what He did, the freebies he handed out, rather
than a willingness to die to self and become what He was. So they loved His
free gifts, but they did not love the life He was calling them to.
And so Jesus explained to them what it will to become
one of His disciples: He said in Luke 14:26-33 “If anyone comes
to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and
brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count
the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a
foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying,
‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out
to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate
whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with
twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a
delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does
not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple"
Jesus said a whole lot in those few
verse, and He quickly put an end to the idea that He offered some kind of
welfare program. Although the gift of eternal
life is free to anyone who asks John
If you want what He has, Eternal
Life, then you've got to be willing to give up what you have, and
that's your own life in order to get it. You're talking about a transfer of
ownership, his life for your own. You can't have your cake and eat it too.
We hear Jesus in Luke
chapter 9 tell us of His rejection and suffering, and then how we
musty also walk in his footsteps as well. Luke 9:23
22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the
elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third
day. 23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life
shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall
save it. 25 For what
is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be
cast away? 26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him
shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy
angels.
Those are the same words the Holy Spirit spoke to me while
I was in the Minnesota Vikings training camp., "What will you profit if you gain the world and loose your soul."
There is a price to pay, brothers and sisters, for
this transfer of ownership, your life for His.
Galatians
“Counting the cost” means recognizing and agreeing to
the terms and conditions of the contract which is called a covenant in the
Bible.
In following Christ, we must die to self, which means we must un-follow
yourself and un-follow others.
And
you cannot simply follow your own ideas either, because Proverbs
In fact Jesus said in Matthew
7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is
the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because
strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be
that find it. And so we can not follow the world
and the word at the same time.
Luke 16:13 No
servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the
other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve
God and mammon.
Many of the people followed Jesus for the loaves and
fishes, but when the going got rough they just got going. In other words, they
up and left.
John
60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had
heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can
hear it? 61 When Jesus knew in himself that his
disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this
offend you? 62 What and if ye shall see the Son
of man ascend up where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth
nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 64 But
there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the
beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. 65 And he said, Therefore said I
unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my
Father. 66 From that time
many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67 Then
said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom
shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69 And
we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
70 Jesus answered them, Have
not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? 71 He
spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he
it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.
In fact Jesus tells us in Luke
When God's way conflicts with your way, do you let go
and let God, or do you stop walking in the light with Him. If you do not count the cost of being His son or
daughter, you will run away at the first threat, or trial of your faith, or the first time he pulls at your heart to
turn and go His way instead of the way of sin.
Mark 4:16-17 16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground;
who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 And have no root in themselves, and so
endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth
for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
In Jesus’ earthly ministry, there came a time when the
free food stopped and public opinion turned ugly. The cheering became jeering
and the crowds became the few. And as Jesus knew the what would happen ahead of
time, so do we.
Finally we hear Jesus tell us in Luke
14:33 that this covenant of divine fellowship is an all or nothing proposition
that he is offering to us.
Luke
Counting the cost not only mean that we are called
upon sometimes to give up something physically, but more often it is more
likely that we are to let go emotionally of some things so that what we do
possess, no longer possesses us.
When we are His we are not our own. and we no longer
belong to this world.
1 Corinthians
The
message Version says it this way, "Don’t
you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such
a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property
belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So
let people see God in and through your body.
And we are told in 1 John
2:15-17 15 Love
not the world, neither the things that are in the
world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in
the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of
life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And
the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of
God abideth for ever.
Therefore, knowing the cost we must be willing to make
our choice, for we cannot serve both God and Mammon.
Matthew
Remember, the story of the rich young ruler, and how
Jesus loved him when he said he had obeyed from his heart since his youth, all
of the ten commandments?
I wonder how many Jesus will find any in this message
today, who have obeyed all of the ten commandments from their heart since their
youth?
But when Jesus asked him to deny Himself and take up
His cross which means he had to die to self, in order to follow Jesus he could
not do it.
Luke 18:18-25 18 And
a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit
eternal life? 19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. 20 Thou
knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do
not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. 21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto
him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast,
and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come,
follow me. 23 And when he heard this, he
was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. 24 And
when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How
hardly shall they that have riches enter into the
30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in
the world to come life everlasting.
Many who call themselves Christians love
the idea of eternal life after they die physically, because they like the idea
of living forever. But eternal life is to be lived now. And if you are not
willing to leave your life now, and begin letting him live your life for you,
then you do not have eternal life.
Eternal Life is not a lifestyle change, it is not a
change of habits, exchanging a bad habit for a good one, or exchanging bad
works for good works, but it is an ownership change. You no longer own your
vessel, he has paid for it in full and you gladly hand it over to him to live
for you.
Waters of separation 55-0606 P:44 I wonder tonight if you tonight will only
took yonder and see what a price that Christ had to pay for your soul.
Therefore, in considering the cost of eternal Life, it
means that you are willing to do what Jesus did for you. He paid the ultimate
price of His life, and you are willing to do the same.
Conference 60-1125 P:44 Let's just think. I can see Gabriel come down, His great sword
standing by His side. I can see Woodworm. I can see the other great Angels
lighting on the rocks around. What was it? A conference table being set. Then
that Holy Spirit of God, as we see on the picture of
Ephesians 2:8-9 8 For
by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man
should boast.
And yet in understanding how it is by Grace and not of
works, we must never forget what brother Branham told us in the Church Age
book.
Church Age Book Chapter 4 -
The Smyrnaean Church Age P:18 Why does He stand by? The reason is in Romans 8:17-18, "And if children, then heirs, heirs of God,
and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be
also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time
are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Unless we suffer with Him we cannot reign with Him. You have to suffer to reign.
The reason for this is that character simply is never made without suffering. Character is a VICTORY, not a
gift. A man without character can't reign because power apart
from character is Satanic. But power with character is fit to rule. And
since He wants us to share even His throne on the same basis that He
overcame and is set down in His Father's throne, then we have to overcome to
sit with Him. And the little temporary suffering we go through now is
not worthy to be compared to the tremendous glory that will be revealed in us
when He comes. Oh, what treasures are laid up for those who are willing to
enter into His kingdom through much tribulation.
When we choose to follow Christ, we are giving over
control of our lives to Him. When The Holy Spirit is in the control tower of
your life, you will do as He would do, because it is not you doing it, but He
is doing it in you just using your body to do whatever he does through you.
1 John 3:9-10 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit
sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of
God. 10 In
this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever
doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
2 Corinthians
So what is the costs we must consider?
1. We must consider the cost to our old man.
2. We must consider the cost of becoming His.
3. We must consider the cost of Grace, and what it
means, and what disgrace means.
4. We must consider the cost of Dying to self. What does
it mean to deny ourself and take up our cross?
Just one more time Lord 63-0120E P:72 Are you willing to die? That's what's the trouble of it, you want
to stay alive to
5. We must consider the cost of standing for
righteousness in such a dark perverted world.
6. We must consider the cost to self, what dying to self
really entails.
Just one more time Lord 63-0120E P:59 That don't mean a thing. Showmanship, we
got too much
7. We must consider the cost to your present life, what
does it mean to die to self, die to your life, die to your thoughts.
8. We must consider the cost of bearing his name, living
His life.
9. We must consider the cost of what it means to be
hated by the world for His name's sake.
10.
We must consider the cost of
bearing His Life in our bodies.
Once more 63-1117 P:66 Notice, Samson prayed, "Lord, let me die with the enemy," when he realized what was happening
around him. His eyes were gone. His strength was gone. His fellowship was gone.
But there's a possibility that a prayer meeting might spark it again. See? Then
he prayed right, "Let me die with the enemy." You must die with your enemy. That's right. You must die
to the enemy that's got you in this condition. That's right. Samson was willing to pay the
price to get the power of God back on him again. He seen what he was
raised up to do: not be a showman, but to be a servant, to have himself so that
the power of God could flow through him.
11. We must consider the cost of the affliction and
suffering we come to because we bear His name.
12. We must consider the cost of living for others,
because eternal life lives for others.
That day on
13. We must consider the cost of the pearl of great
price, where we are willing to give up all we have to obtain this great pearl.
Leadership 65-1207 P:91 It might cost you everything you got. It might cost you your
home; it might cost you your friendship; it might cost you your stitch-and-sew
party; it might cost you your place at the Kiwanis. It might... I don't
know what it'll cost you, but it'll cost everything that's worldly or pertains
to the world. You'll have to separate yourself from everything that's
worldly. You'll have to do it. Moses laid everything aside and went into the
desert with a stick in his hand. Amen. Days after days passed. And wonder if
he thought he made a mistake? No. Many times people start out, and they say,
"Oh, I'll do it. Glory to God, I see It." And let somebody laugh
at you and make fun of you, "Probably I was wrong." He said,
"They that cannot
stand chastisement are bastard children and not the children of God." See, they're worked up on the
emotion.
14. We must consider the cost of suffering for His name's
sake to receive His character.
Token the 64-0308 P:25 God requires that Token, and That only. It's a sign that your
way is paid. He ain't going to take your credentials or something else.
He's got to have that Token. The bus driver say, "Here, wait a minute;
that ain't my token." The airplane man say, "Well, you go out there
now." A ticket is a token. You go out there and tell the pilot,
"Here, I want to get on your plane. How much is it?" "Go in and
get your token." "Oh, I'll pay you." "I can't take it, You
won't get on my plane until you go pay the price and get the token. I'm
looking for the token." You say, "Well, I went to school. I done
this." I don't care what you done. You've got to have the Token or you
don't get on. Amen and amen. Can't you see it? God requires that Token.
"When I see the blood, and only will I pass over you when I see the
token."
15. We must consider the cost of being rejected and
despised for His names sake.
You
know we sing the song, I'm going through, and brother Branham mentions it in
his sermon, God keeps His Word 57-0120E P:80 I'll pay the price
what other Christians do, I'll take the way (like the Micaiah) with the Lord's
despised few, I've started in with Jesus, and I'm going through. Oh,
I'm going through, yes, I'm going through, I'll pay the price what other
Christians do, I'll take the way with the Lord's despised few, I started in
with, Jesus, and I'm going through.
16. We must consider the cost of what it means to be a
faithful Stewards.
After
all, our cost is our Stewardship as Paul says in 1
Corinthians 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ,
and Stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man
be found faithful.
17. We must consider the cost for the power of God to
work through us
Just one more time Lord 63-0120E P:61 Are you willing to pay
the price? That's in a Pentecostal
church, are you willing to pay the price? That's it. You see what kind of a
shame we're standing in. All right. Samson, willing to pay the price to
get the power of God again.
That
is why we do not see much of John
18. We must consider the cost of living in Holiness
before God and man?
19.
We must consider the cost for
complete obedience to God's Word?
Token the 63-0901M P:142 The token is a sign that the purchase
has been made and
been accepted. Now, you can't get the token from the railroad fare, until
you pay the price. And the only way you're going to pay the price... Just
pay it. That's right. What? Believe it; accept it. Full
obedience to the whole Word of God will entitle you to the Token. Full
obedience, not to part of It, as far as your denomination goes, but all of
It. Full obedience to the Word, which is Christ, brings you into Christ.
20. We
must consider the cost of walking with Him in the Revelation of His light.
Hebrews 11:4
By Revelation Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than
Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his
gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
5 By Revelation Enoch was translated
that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated
him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without Revelation it
is impossible to please him: for he that
cometh to God must believe that he is, and that
he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 7 By
Revelation Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved
with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he
condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by Revelation.
8 By Revelation Abraham, when he was called to go
out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and
he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By Revelation
he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a
strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with
him of the same promise: 10 For he looked for a
city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is
God. 11 Through Revelation also Sara
herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when
she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as
the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. 13 These
all died in Revelation, not having received the promises, but having
seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them,
and embraced them, and confessed that they were
strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For they that say such things declare plainly that
they seek a country. 15 And truly, if they had
been mindful of that country from whence they
came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16 But
now they desire a better country, that is, an
heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath
prepared for them a city. 17 By Revelation
Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the
promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy
seed be called:
19 Accounting that God was
able to raise him up, even from the dead; from
whence also he received him in a figure. 20 By Revelation
Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. 21 By
Revelation Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph;
and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his
staff. 22 By Revelation Joseph, when he
died, made mention of the departing of the children of
He
had all those great attributes in Him, because the fullness of the Godhead was bodily
in Him, yet he paid the price for everything you can think of: Our healing, our
redemption, our Justification, our Sanctification, our Holiness, our joy, our
peace, our Mercy, our Grace. He paid the price of our inheritance and our
future Home. He paid the price for it all.
Isaiah 53:5 But
he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Let
us pray...