True discipleship requires a radical reordering of one's life, prioritizing Christ above all else. The sermon draws from John 8:31 and Luke 14:25-33 to illustrate that genuine discipleship is not merely nominal belief but a committed continuation in Christ's word, involving a willingness to 'hate' (love less) earthly relationships and even one's own life in comparison to Christ. This involves counting the cost, understanding that Christ's example in priorities, purpose, and possessions demands a similar commitment from his followers. The core lesson is that true discipleship is costly, demanding a complete surrender of self-will and possessions to Christ's lordship, leading to a transformed life where Christ lives through the believer.
Restored with Diffio
Audio restored with Diffio. Diffio processed the original archive recording to reduce noise and produce a cleaner listening version; the original stays available.
I want to see the saints in joy, The triumph he has won. I want to spread along the road of his cross. I want to leave the world behind and count it all but draw.
How do you think tonight? Come away please. Thank you. See him glorified as empty of its blood. I want to see the saints in joy, the triumph he has won. I want to spread along the road, the victories of his cross.
I want to leave the world behind and found it all but wrong. Amen. Thank you, God. Thank you. Just one word of prayer. God and Father, as we have taken words upon our lips before thee, we feel we can be honest and say that this is the desire of our hearts.
We do want to see him glorified as heaven's beloved one. Oh, we do want to see the saints enjoy the triumphs he has won. We want to spread along the way. the victories of his craft we want to leave the world behind and count it all but drop help us do it help us tonight in our study of thy word so to present ourselves before thee that we will go from this place determined to be the men and women that would have us be for Jesus' sake amen we have been thinking together of the words of the Lord Jesus ye are the salt of the earth ye are the light of the world tonight we're taking a very big step ye ye
are my disciples. Ye are my disciples. With this in view, would you turn with me into the eighth chapter of the Gospel according to John, please. John chapter 8. And I would like us to commence reading in verse 30. In the eighth chapter of the Gospel of John, and he the Lord Jesus spake these words many believed on him then said Jesus to those Jews which believe on him if ye continue in my words then are ye my disciples indeed and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free the gospel according to Luke and the 14th chapter please the gospel according to Luke and the 14th chapter please verse 25 I would
appreciate it if you would follow the words along with me in thought I'm reading of course from the authorized version the 25th verse of the 40th chapter of Luke 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 his wife and children and brethren and sisters yea 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 for which of you intending to build a tower sit us not down first and count us the cost whether they have sufficient to finish it let happily after he hath laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all but behold it begin to mock him, saying, This man
began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand, to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsakeeth, not all that he has, he cannot be my disciple.
I say there's tremendously solemn words, aren't they? There is no way, please, there is no way under heaven that I can soften the impact of these words there is no way under heaven that I want to soften the impact for I want that impact to be felt by myself as I even speak this evening there is one thing that is absolutely certain that when the Lord Jesus spoke of discipleship and spoke of those who were or could be his disciple, he won't speak in to those who were Christian.
Now all Christians are not disciples. But all disciples are Christians. So before I speak even of discipleship, may I ask very pointingly, may I ask, are you a Christian? Of course, when I speak of discipleship, I'm not asking, are you a Christian? I'm asking, what sort of Christian are you? And I think between these two statements, there lies tremendous truth. The Lord dared, it seems to me, as a teacher, expect us to be his scholar.
expected us to be his follower and the Lord as an example was an example who was worth following now I make that statement because I believe it to be absolutely essential to an understanding of discipleship the Lord himself cast a great shadow across his own teaching never once could a man point their finger at Jesus Christ and say, Lord, you told men to do what you didn't do yourself. There are three avenues of truth that we're going to look at this evening.
First of all, we're going to look at them in the life of the Lord Jesus and then we will trace them in our lives. I want to ask this all-important question, what was the attitude of Jesus Christ to life priority now repeat what was the attitude of Jesus Christ to life priority the second thing I want to ask is this what was the attitude of Jesus Christ to life's purpose and the third most of you have gathered already for they seem to pitch as a glove upon a hand.
What was Christ's attitude to life's priorities? What was Christ's attitude to life's purpose? But what was Christ's attitude to life's possession? In a moment we will think of a disciple's attitude to these three things. But let's look at that one who cast a shadow across his own teaching. What was his attitude to life's priorities? First of all, what were life's priorities for him? I think they're summed up so perfectly in holy writ, don't you? He said, I came not to do my will, but the will of him who sent me.
When it comes to the tender, personal relationship in the family, What was his attitude then? Come with me for a moment in thought. Let's wind our way to that camp of men and women, as they make their way to the place where God is to be worshipped. Oh, there will be other things surely that have to do with the Roman rule, but the worship of God is there before us. And suddenly from the months from the boy of twelve is missing. And after looking and looking and looking, eventually his earthly parents find him.
Could there be anything more tender? Could there be a tie more personal than the tie of a son with an earthly father? As they come and find this boy of twelve, they find him not like many boys playing in the fields, running the streets, but they find him surrounded with the very leading theologians of his day, speaking indeed of the things of God, astounding them with his immense knowledge. They come to rebuke him. And he but said, wish ye not that I shall be about my father's death.
Here is life's priority. that in the tender ties of human relationship Jesus Christ for those who will be disciples must ever have birthplace as Jesus Christ gave to his father God the first place what was his attitude to life's purpose in other words what was his attitude and his relationship to the cross, the Father sent for fun to be the Savior of the world. From heights of glory down into this scene, the blessed Son of God came.
What was his attitude to life's purpose? Hearken to the words of Holy Writ, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross. Oh, what an attitude. But what was his attitude? attitude to life's possession? The getting of which occupies the time of men and women so frequently, so much time. What was his attitude to life's possession? And the word of God says, though he will rich. Yet for our faith he became cool, that we through his poverty might be rich.
Oh, brethren, sisters, my younger as well as my older friend, as we look at Jesus Christ, cannot we say this, that ever there was one who set an example that we should follow, both in light, priorities, and purposes, as well as in light's possession, then Jesus Christ was at us. In the verses that we have read together this very evening, it seems to me that the words like the blast of a trumpet I know not whether you can hear it down here but where we're staying just a little way up the road every morning we hear the sound of the bugle I don't know who blows it every evening we hear the sound of the bugle I know not who blows it there's a camp somewhere that's awakened out of their sleep by the blast of the bugle and it seems to me that this is just what Jesus Christ does in the verses we have read It rings around this audience tonight like the blast of every campaign.
Harken to those tremendous words, hate not, cannot. Of all friends, hate not, cannot, bear not, cannot, forsake not, cannot. be my disciple if you hate them. disciple if you dare not cannot be my disciple if you forsake not well that's what Jesus said that's what Jesus said are we a Christian what sort of Christian are we take not cannot it seems to me that the Lord is here dealing with life priorities and he deals with our affection he speaks of mother and father he speaks of wife and children he goes on and dares to tell us of brethren and sisters and then brings it to its close and dares say yea and your own life oh friend here
he's dealing with our affection the very seat of all joy and happiness he dares to tell us that if we not mother or father, wife or children, brethren or sisters, or our own life. We cannot be hypocritical. Now, just a little word about that old English word, hate. I know what some of you are thinking. In its usual setting in our English language, it means almost to detest, to hate. But it can't mean that in the Bible, can it? It can't mean that because when it comes to mother and father, almost the first lesson you children learned were the Ten Commandments.
You learned, honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise that it may be well with thee and thou mayest live long upon the earth. So it can't be that hatred of mother and father when God tells us that we must honor our mother and father wife and children but doesn't the Bible say men love your wives have we not commanded to care for and provide and love our children know the word that's translated in our authorized version hate it's a word which means love less than love less than I love my wife I loved her 38 years ago when I married her and I love her more now than I did then but I want to tell you something that I believe that she would have me say that I must love the Lord more do you know the marvel for me are you listening now do you know the marvel for me that the more I love the Lord the more I love my wife who no the marble is just there the greater place I
give to the Lord the more I love my family the more I love my wife the more I love my children and grandchildren it seems to be almost paradoxical but that's how it works that's how it works the Lord dares to say on life's priority are you going to be my disciple my disciple he dares to command this supreme love he takes when you give me my rightful place love that never falters a love that stands with care a love that lays upon the altar the fairest and the best a love that asks no questions a love that pays the price a love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
Loveless and father-of-mother. I remember as though it was yesterday, although maybe six or seven years passed in Malaysia, spending such a long time with a dear, dear young man of some 23 or 4 years who have been brought up, have lived all his day as a follower of Islam. And if you think it's difficult to win a Jew for Christ, you've never tried to win a Muslim for Christ. You can win a Jew for Christ easier than you can win a Muslim for Christ. I remember it so well as we sat together and began to speak of the things of God and then the great differences of the Christian faith.
I remember looking at him and with a smile saying, tell me, how many followers did Muhammad have before he was born? I remember the look he gave me, and so I was dark. And I supposed to him I was. And he said, how could anyone have a follower before he was born? Well, I have a savior that had followers before he was born. For if Moses it was said, he rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season is teeming the approach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt and that was a few years before he was born to have powers before even birth because he is none other than God Emmanuel God with us God with us I remember after a long long struggle seeing this young man on his knees and hear him sob out and ask the Lord for salvation oh I wish I could say amen then but I can't you
say all I know is then that I've never heard of him from that day to then I tried but he went back immediately and told his people that he has become a Christian, that he was laying aside the Islamic faith and from that day to now I've never heard of him. I don't know what happened to him. We've tried to follow him. Our dear brethren of Red Dunder in Malaysia have tried to find him. Now I don't even know this. There are some folks that to trust Jesus Christ does mean father and mother. It does mean brother and sister. It does mean everything.
And you and I have it so easy. You and I, and I speak to myself, I use the words again of Giorno Paniton, with whom I was when first I came to your country those years ago. Giorno Billy remember used to say, every time you point your finger at anyone, you point three fingers at yourself. And I'm pointing three fingers at myself tonight. What does it cost me to be a person? Christian what does it cost me to be a disciple I prepared to say Lord Jesus in all things thou shalt have a preeminent is it wonderful to know that is a possibility a glorious possibility is it wonderful to know that God the Holy Spirit is in the hearts and lives of all who trust the Lord Jesus and that they might be able to enter into the very victory of real destruction.
Take not, cannot, bear not, cannot, it is not now on life's priorities and our affections, the Lord centers his remarks. It is now upon life's purposes, and he touches our ambitions. Oh, how he touches our ambitions. There are young people in this service tonight. May I ask you something? What are your ambitions for life? What are they? To get a good degree in university? To come out with honors? To leave your march academically in this scene?
God bless you if that's your aim. What are your ambitions? Maybe to marry, maybe to raise a family for God. what are your ambitions maybe there's someone here tonight I know now maybe someone here tonight and you hear the words of the Lord Jesus go go ye into all the world and preach the gospel maybe there's some young men and women in this place tonight who are prepared to lay all on the altar for him and say Lord Lord it is not just that I am prepared to go to any country to serve I'm prepared to go wherever you walk in now.
Oh, please, the missionary call does not start with a cause or a country. It starts with a cause or a conscience. Some years ago, I'm going back maybe 10 now. A young fellow came to see me. And as we climbed the stairs and went into my study and I sat down and he was still, oh, he was still up there. friend he said I'd known him as a boy and children's me uncle Sam I gave my life to God and he threw it back oh come now come now that's not true that's not true you better tell me what you mean he said I went to a missionary report meeting and I heard mr.
Marsh on the Chad and I said God I'll go to the Chad he said I started to learn French for I knew I'd have to grasp French. I've got a good pass in my examinations. I went and spent a year in France, and now I can speak it very fluently. And yet the door has been completely shut, and I've never once had the opportunity of going to Chad. It's no, no, no. Every time I ask for a visa, no, no, no. She said, I offered him my life, and I prepared, and he threw it back at me. I didn't know what to say. Listen to you, young folk, please. Don't you think that those of us that are older have all the answers to your problems?
We don't. We sometimes don't have the answers to our own problems. But I looked at him and I wondered whatever could I say, and then I thought, I know. I opened the Bible. I said, shall we read a few verses together? I'd like to read you a story, and I read the story of two men who went in company with ten others, who came back and said we're not prepared to be grandfathered you can be a grandfather if you like but not us Caleb and the Justin who said God will go in and we'll fight the giants and we'll come to the land if you're with us God will do anything 38 years God didn't take a bit of notice of them 38 years they went round and round and round and round and round and round and round and round in the wilderness one day Moses climbed Mount Nebo and spoke to his God and languished in death and God said Joshua 38 years ago you said you'd go
in and conquer the land 38 years ago you said the giants weren't too big and you were not prepared to be a great offer Are you still prepared to go? Oh, God, don't let me wait 38 years before you let me go in. But God, make it that every year of 38 years it's necessary that every year I'll be able to say, Lord, I'm still ready. I'm still ready. If there be, are you listening? If there be first a willing heart, that's what God's looking for, willing hearts and willing minds. to say, Lord, oh, Lord, my affection of a tuber.
My ambitions, I'll put you first. I'm prepared to bear the cross. Bear not, he said. You cannot. You cannot. What does it mean, bear the cross? I suppose every one of us would say to a worldly man, The cross is but the sign of death and desperate disappointment. Death and desperate disappointment. That's what the cross means to a worldly man. What does it mean to a Christian man? The man who's willing to be a disciple is the man who's read and pondered Galatians 2 and 20.
I am crucified. I'll take the cross, Lord. I am crucified with thee. alone. I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the light that I now live, I live by the fate of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Oh, the wonder of it all, I live. I say that's regeneration, isn't it? That's regeneration. I am crucified, but I live. Did I not, when I was with you the last occasion, speaking on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, remind you that I took him from that cross, placed him in a tomb, and rolled a stone in front of it, and set a seal on it, and stood a soldier by it.
No stone or seal or soldier could meet him in the tomb. Brothers and sisters, if you all come to know Jesus Christ, if you all be born again, if you all trust him, you'll be able to say, I live! I live! There's regeneration. But there's not only regeneration, there's cancellation. I like that, don't you? I'm... I live! Yet not I! Not I! Then old life has been cancelled! God's got a new life for us!
Why is it that you and I spend so much time in trying to patch up an old life? Why is it we spend so much time and train to veneer it with silver paper and lovely chisel? God says, I'll give you a new life, and not only will I give you a new life, but that old life I'll cancel. Cancel forever I live, yet not I. Oh, but listen, there is not only regeneration and cancellation, but there's transformation. I wish some of you'd shout hallelujah. you really I do really I do so you see he cries I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Christ liveth in me I don't know where first I learned it it was in a Bible class somewhere some place I was in and Sunday afternoon I went along to the Sunday school in Bible class and spoke to the children and remained the speak to the Bible class and then the Bible class leader taught us these words.
He didn't teach them to me very well because I had to sort of bang them out on the typewriter to try and remember them. But this is what he got the class to say. Lord, will my will, to will thy will then to will is will. The willing will that will thy will within God's will will dwell. You got that? No? Oh, you're as jealous I was. Listen. Lord, will my will To will, thy will.
Then to will is well. The will in will, that wills thy will, in God's will, will dwell. That's where it's at. When we cry, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, but not I. Christ, never, in me, will my will to do. Thy will, all that the trumpet blasts, take not, cannot, bear not, cannot, but on its third blast it cries for Satan off, cannot.
If first we paste together life's priorities and our affection, if then we paste life's purpose and our ambition, now we face life's possessions and our activity. Life's possessions. The Lord tells the story of two men who are sent out to work. One of them says that, trouble. And the other one says, I'll take a sword. Yes. One of them says, I couldn't allow you. I'll go and build. And the other one says, I'll go and battle.
One of them looks and says, I'll go. And my work will be a work of destruction. I'll go to fight. The other one says, and my work will be a work of construction. I'll go and build. And the Lord takes these two men, as it were, he tells us their story. He uses it to illustrate the fact that when it comes to our activities, when it comes to life's possessions, that Jesus Christ has the right to be in charge of all our activities, whether it be our building or our battling. First of all, there was a man who went forth to build. Do you remember what he did?
He said, I'm going forth to build. was this. He wasn't pleased with what was built. Because when he started he didn't count the cost. He never took into account that inflation was a very real thing. He never took into an account that sometimes there was work to be done that you never estimated for. And he starts his job and the tragedy was when he came towards its close he didn't have enough material. Of course he didn't. That's what happens when we go forth with our an effort to build something for God there is no human material that can build a house that will stand eternity we've got to go forth building at his charge we've got to say Lord Lord I want to learn a simple lesson the lesson I want to learn is just is just this that I don't want you to do your work through me thank God I don't want you to do your work through me I want to do my work through
you if you step forth to do your work through me then you'll provide the materials you'll provide all that's necessary but if you'll go forth to do God's work through God. He provides the material. He's there available with everything that's necessary. And if you and I are prepared to say as to our activities, we are prepared to say our own effort, our own work, and it's the hardest thing in the world. There's not a brother or sister in this place tonight that doesn't like to fill. I should do something for God. Friend, you can't do anything for God.
who gilded your awe to God and received both your instructions and material from him. Then there was a man who went forth to battle. The difficulty was he went forth to battle with 10,000. Oh, what a congregation. I say, wouldn't we be thrilled that next Sunday we had 10,000 in the gospel? We're going to build a tribe of God. Look at our numbers. The difficulty was he forgot that he went to fight against 20,000. he's going forth in his own strength he's going forth with his own power he's going forth into battle 10,000 against 20,000 he went forth underestimating the enemy and if you and I are going to be disciples of the Lord Jesus brethren sisters don't let's underestimate the enemy don't let's do it but the Lord dares to say this if you forsake all, then you can be my disciples.
If you do not forsake all, you can't be. But if you want to be my disciple, then please remember this. But it isn't your labor. It isn't your effort. It's your simple coming to me and allowing me to work out my life through this. Channels only. Blessed Mother. that with all by love and power flowing through me thou can choose me every day and every hour these sort of appeals but I feel like making an appeal tonight oh I'm not going to appeal for anyone to leave their seat and come to the front I'm not going to appeal for anyone to put their hand down.
But I want to make an appeal, and this is the appeal I want to make. Are you a Christian? What sort of Christian are you? Are you tonight prepared to say to the Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus? As far as my affection As far as my ambitions are concerned, as far as my activities are concerned, I'm prepared to bow my knees to these and prepared to say, Lord, you're going to be first.
That's going to cost. But oh, hallelujah, what fruit it will bring. For I said a moment or two ago, putting Christ first in our marriage makes a marriage of joy. Putting Christ first in our family life makes a family of thrillers. Putting Christ first in the purposes of our life. Oh, cannot we borrow the words of Lindley Clegg and cry, Life with a capital hell, putting Jesus Christ first as to our possessions. Does it make a man poorer?
No, no, no, no, no. It makes him richer. To be with Christ, to have the blessings of his presence, one glorious day to stand before him and be able to say, Lord, if on life's journey I've won a crown, I've won it because you were with me. So it's not mine as yours to cast it at his feet and hear him say, well done. It'll be worth it all.
Worth it all then. Could I appeal that tonight someone here may be willing before God to say, I will be thy disciple. I'm going to ask those three brethren if they would come up again, please, and sing to us as we close the words of that little chorus. I scribbled those words when we were in Durham just two weeks ago. express what I felt. I wonder if there is someone here tonight who wants to say Amen. Amen.
I want to see him glorified. Do you want that? No, no, no, no. Not just Jesus. I want to see him glorified as God's beloved Son. I want to see the saints in joy. The triumphs he has won. I'm going to ask my brethren just to sing it to us, and then I'm going to close the prayer. I'm going to close the prayer. I want to see His glory tonight, and rest me on this throne.
I want to see the places good. I want it all to know, I want it all, I want it all, I want to read all the time, and count it all, I want to read all the time, and count it all, the cross. In the quietness of these moments, dear Lord, together we want to face the fact that life can be so full