How Much Does It Cost? On every flight, just before take off, there is always a few flight attendants showing us how to buckle our seat belts, where to locate the oxygen mask and how to use the oxygen mask, where the exit doors are located and the path of lights that will guide us as we move in possible darkness. Notice how many people pay attention. Some are busy flipping the pages of the menu to check what's for lunch or dinner, others are checking out the movie and entertainment pages. How many will be paying attention and listening to these instructions? The objective of every airline company is to ensure their flights are safe and that passengers' well-being are being cared for. That is why they take those extra minutes to advice every single person to pay close attention to the few things that could just help preserve their lives when they encounter danger. Just how much does it cost the passengers to sit up and pay attention? What do you think will happen should the plane encounter difficulties? Everyone will be scrambling around for safety, screaming in fear. They would possibly wishing they had paid attention to what the flight attendants had to show them. How much will it cost them now? When Jesus lived and walked on earth, He also brought messages and news. He brought the news of the kingdom of God. Yet people responded differently to what He had to say. Some were suspicious of him, others looked down on him. Some were drawn to him and they paid attention to Him. They listened to what He had to say. There were twelve men who not only paid attention to what He had to say; they gave up everything they had to follow Him. They left their jobs, they left their fathers, mothers and probably wives too, in order to be with Him. These were the twelve men who were handpicked by Jesus to follow Him. Did they know what they were in for when they followed Him? Probably only to a little extent. Did they know how much it would cost them to follow Jesus? Matthew, the tax collector himself, likely wrote the Book of Matthew. Jesus walked over to his tax booth one day. What was Matthew doing at that time? Probably collecting too much money from the people and adding onto his wealth. Then Jesus said, "Follow me". Matthew heard these two simple and straightforward words - no fuss and no sugar-coating - Just "Follow me". He simply got up and left everything he had at the booth to follow Jesus. How much do you think it cost Matthew at that point in time, to follow Jesus? To start with, I know it cost him ALL his accumulated wealth, gold and silver in the bank. Passage: Matthew 10:34-42. Over the last two weeks, we have been reminded that the harvest field is ripe and filled with harvest, but it is starving for workers. We have been challenged to take our positions fearlessly as Christ's witnesses. In Chapter 10 of Matthew, Jesus appointed the disciples to his mission. That was to preach the kingdom of God. They were instructed to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy and drive out demons. Vs 1-15 How to behave as they went to the lost sheep of Israel Vs 16-23 Warnings on the hostility to be encountered Vs 24-33 Encouragement to be fearless witnesses Vs 34-39 What it is to participate in the mission of Jesus Jesus said, " Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn A man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law - a man's enemies will be the members of his own household. Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth; he will certainly not lose his reward. The peace that Jesus brings is much more than the absence of fighting, the way we understand peace. We describe peace in the family as "having no quarrels or fights". We pray for peace in the country where there will be no wars. We want peace in the classroom by not getting scolded by the Chinese teacher. At work, we desire peace without our bosses dumping more work on us. But Jesus' definition of peace was different. Jesus' version of peace is a restored relationship with God. In the bringing of such peace, conflict may result, because not all will accept Jesus' way of bringing peace. The sword that Jesus brings is not military conflict. He is someone who rejects the use of force or takes up arms. But the sword Jesus brings is a sharp social division that even severs the closest family ties. When Jesus was only 8 days old, He was presented at the temple to be circumcised. There it was prophesied that He is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. A sword will pierce Joseph and Mary's souls too. Jesus did not come maliciously to poison family relationships, but rather, He brings a division between those who say "yes" to His mission and those who reject it. Not all of us among here have parents or families who are Christians. Some may even be the only Christian in the family. Your husband or wife may not share the same convictions and faith as you do. Has it been smooth sailing or easy? Certainly not. - When the festival of Ching Ming arrives, suddenly all eyes are on you, for not offering joss sticks on the altar. - In funerals, the pressure of joining the family in the rites weighs heavily on you- so much that it may seem more logical to maintain peace in the situation by going along what the majority does. - Come Sundays when you want to honour the Sabbath and worship God in church, there may be family functions that require your attendance or your parents simply want you to spend the Sunday with them. The disciples would have faced angry responses from their fathers, mothers or wives. "Why would you want to follow this carpenter? He has no money, no religious titles or theological degrees, he doesn't even a home!" But hey made the same choice - to place commitment and loyalty to Jesus above other relationships. When we declare our faith in Jesus, sometimes we may offend. Some risk being disowned and thrown out of the family. Others suffer constant scoldings and restrictions. But these do not give us any reason to be rude, to leave home or to abandon the care and support of our aging parents. We still obey the fifth commandment of honouring our fathers and mothers. What did it cost you in your decision to follow Jesus? As we progress along in this journey of following Jesus, deeper issues of our hearts are challenged. The test becomes harder. Let's take a look at the disciple Simon Peter. When he was first called, he was a hardworking fisherman. He dropped his fishing nets, which were his only way of earning money, left his family (probably his wife too) to follow Jesus. As he moved along with Jesus, the test became more complex. His faith was challenged when he tried to walk on water like Jesus did. When the waves came, he panicked and sank. His loyalty was put to the test. And he failed. This was in spite of everything he professed in front of Jesus, "Even if all fall away on account on you, I never will! Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." But he failed thoroughly. Not only once, but three times. This was even after he recognised that Jesus as the Son of the Living God. Even after he saw the splendour of Jesus, with Elijah and Moses and heard the voice of God. He still failed. He couldn't even pray without falling asleep when Jesus told him to do so. We would think that someone who has risen to that category and rank, being personal eye-witness of the glory of Jesus, would be able to stand firm and pass every test that came along. But he failed. Probably no one was more disappointed than Peter himself for failing the test, that he wept bitterly. For Peter, the reality of being a disciple of Jesus were cutting into the core of his heart. He began to see at each point how much it really cost to be a follower of Jesus. More than just dropping the nets and going with him. That would have seemed easy compared to the rest. A change came about after Jesus was resurrected. After all the tests that Peter went through, there came a complete transformation of heart in Peter. He still had lessons to learn, but in the process he became a man very sensitive and obedient to the voice of the Holy Spirit. He went on to do great things for God, even to the point of carrying the cross and suffering martyrdom for God. In verse 38, Jesus mentioned the carrying of the cross, that "whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me". At the time of Jesus, the cross was for rebels and robbers to carry to their place of execution. Carrying the cross was the humiliation and suffering to bear before the execution. We don't deal with criminals in this way anymore. So how would that apply to us in our homes, our schools and our work place? Does it mean wearing a cross over our necks? Will that qualify us and make us worthy of Jesus? Does it humiliate or hurt us to wear that cross? Probably only when you sleep on it and it pokes your neck! Some of us may be sitting and wondering, "I live on my own, I have a good relationship with my family and friends, I don't face opposition or persecutions of any kind. Really there's no big cross to bear at this very point in my life, and it still doesn't cost me very much to be a Christian." On the night Jesus was taken away by the soldiers, He spent time in the garden talking to His Father. He said, "Father not my will but Yours be done". He was willing to obey the will of God, even when He knew that it meant being nailed and dying on the cross. Jesus decided that it was not His personal will that would prevail, but the Will of His Father. When the will of God crosses our own will, that is where our cross bearing starts. The call and cost of following Jesus is indeed doing what Jesus did. He denied what was his natural will and allowed God to have His will done. He took up the cross, which was indeed the Father's will for the Son's life. Denying what is in the self and taking up God's will for your life. Peter learnt this over the three short years with Jesus. Not following his natural bashful and impulsive will, but placing the Will of God before his own. Placing the Jesus before every relationship and personal agenda. That's how much it costs to follow Jesus. Regardless how comfortable we may live, there are always daily choices that demonstrate our submission to the Lord Jesus. Power and recognition, telling lies to get around situations, lustful thoughts, hatred towards another, grudges and unforgiveness. These are in fact our crosses to bear - doing what we ought to versus what we like. Story of young man and is driving license. Sometimes we seem to want only the sweet bits of Christianity and not the bitter ones. Being a Christian does not only mean we will have power, will be one up above the rest, have a ticket to heaven or just attend church every Sunday and everything will be ok. Every Christian is revealed by the way he deals with His cross. When the Will of God confronts his personal will. 1. He may reject it. The rich young men, not being able to give up his possessions to the poor to follow Jesus, went away sad. His personal wealth was more important than following Jesus. 2. He may run away from it - for fear of the rejection that he may face from people around him. Peter ran away from it, when he was confronted about his relationship with Jesus. To save his own skin, he chose to blend in with the rest of the crowd. 3. He may lift it. The true disciple of Christ lifts and carries the cross, at what cost? Everything about himself. He simply aligns himself with the Will of God. He takes up his cross to live the mission of Jesus. Questions: 1. Are you living the mission of Jesus today? Are you bringing the good news of the kingdom of God into our families, our schools and into our workplaces? Is that your desire today, to come out of that secure and familiar cradle to participate in Jesus' mission of bringing the message of God to those around you? Are you afraid of the rejection that you may face? Jesus Himself said, "He who receives you receives me, and the one who sent me". When the family spurns you even after you bring the good news of God's reign to them, don't be disheartened, for it is really not you they reject - but God. 2. Has the will of God crossed the path of your will? Is the cost too much for you to bear? Do you find that much as you want to overcome your personality - jealousy, envy, thirst for authority or discontentment, the old self creeps back time and again to disappoint you? 3. Today, is Jesus calling you in the same way - to follow Him? You may wonder what Jesus sees in you when He calls you to follow Him. Jesus knew what character Peter had, and yet He accepted him, in spite of his failure. When Jesus chose his followers, he wasn't looking for perfect people. He was looking for real people. Real people who could be changed by his love. He chose you because you are real, and you can be changed by His love, if you allow Him to. Then you can in turn bring His good news to others around. 4. Is there anyone feeling bruised and beaten because of things that happened in the past, that you have fear in committing yourself to the things and people of God? Will you allow the love of Jesus to fill your heart once again? Are you willing to renew your commitment to the call of Jesus once again? This is what Jesus said, as written in John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." If Jesus is for us, nothing in this world can be against us.

Close This Window