"Loving Jesus More Than Self: The Cost of Discipleship" - Elder Steve Thompson

Matthew 8:18-22

Loving Jesus More Than Self:  The Cost of Discipleship

If someone were to ask you or I "Do you love Jesus more than yourself?" what would we say? As I asked myself this question during the preparation of this message, I wrestled with the fact that I'd say "No".

And the reason I'd say "No" is because following Jesus isn't easy. In fact, throughout the gospel the truth about following Jesus is that it will be a narrow and difficult road. It's a path that will have persecution and trials along the way.

I'm more suited to having everything my way, which means safety and being comfortable. In addition, I'm really good at loving myself more than anyone else

During this sermon, our hearts may burn as the Holy Spirit convicts us of areas in our life that need radical change with regard to loving Jesus more than self.

Also, we probably won't like to hear that if we're really serious about loving Jesus more than ourselves, there's a cost. In fact, loving Jesus more than ourselves can be dangerous. Are you and I ready to live radically different lives for the sake of Jesus' name? 

Matthew 8:18-22 

 ¹⁸ Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. ¹⁹  And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” ²⁰ 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.” ²¹ Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” ²² And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
Matt 8:18-22 (ESV)

Discipleship is costly. There will be an expense to us in having an allegiance to Jesus. Are we ready to pay the cost for loving Jesus more than self?

Based on the text from Matthew 8:18-22 and other supporting Scripture herein, there are four (4) truths that we'll have to be willing to let God work deep into our hearts. We have to be cautious not to take these as "something I have to do". Rather, these are four truths about who Jesus is in the life of one who pursues God.

We have to be keenly aware that these truths are nourished and grow by the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer during his/her sanctification, which is a process over time where we become more like Jesus. And if we're becoming more like Jesus, we'll see loving Jesus more than self means we’re not in this to see our circumstances change, but that God would change us to the praise of His glory and for our good. The four truths are:

• Contentment in Him
• Obedience to Him
• Supremacy of Him
• Trust in Him

First of all, what is discipleship in the context of our Scripture from Matthew 8:18-22? Discipleship is the willingness to follow Jesus, whatever the cost, even at the expense of one's self. Discipleship requires faithful work and service in proclaiming the good news, the gospel. Discipleship will be characterized by renouncing (giving up) one's own life. It will involve humility, poverty, suffering and most importantly, faith in Jesus. The apostle Paul writes:

 Acts 20:24. 

²⁴ But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Acts 20:24 (ESV)

Loving Jesus more than self means abandoning selfishness and embracing selflessness. He is our contentment, He is worthy of our obedience, His supremacy needs to be exalted and proclaimed and our only hope is to trust in Him. That's the gospel!

1. Contentment in Him
The apostle Paul had contentment in Jesus. If there ever were someone who could have been discontent, it would have been Paul. But here's what he says in 2 Corinthians 12:10.

 ¹⁰  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Cor 12:10 (ESV)

Are you and I content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities? Would you have signed up to go along with Paul on his missionary journeys? The answer lies in whether or not we are content in God's grace. Here's Paul again 2 Corinthians 12:9. 

 ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Cor 12:9 (ESV)

Note that this is after Paul pleaded with the Lord three times to remove a thorn in the flesh.

This brings up the fact that if we're content in Christ, then we'll find in Him our satisfaction, joy, desire and value as in nothing else or no one else. Where do you and I find our greatest contentment? Is it in our hobbies, jobs, friends or family? And if we don't find Jesus as our greatest contentment, why is that? Scripture says this about contentment in 1 Timothy 6:6-8.

⁶ Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, ⁷ for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
1 Tim 6:6-8 (ESV)

Contentment in Jesus means being thankful with a little and not wanting a lot. Example: Paul and Silas in jail praying and singing hymns to God. Acts 16:25.  

When we find our contentment in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are able to be content in all things at all times.

Whether the day has plenty or famine, good or bad, sickness or health; our contentment can be found in Jesus because He is the greatest value in our lives. Our contentment isn't in a feeling, a slogan or knowledge, but in a Person; that Person is the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Obedience to Him
Obedience means giving way to God's way. Are you and I willing to do that? In fact, what does obedience look like in the life of a person who trusts God?

Micah 6:8

⁸ He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8 (ESV)

The Lord requires us to:

• Do justice i.e. do what's right
• Love kindness i.e. love mercy
• Walk humbly with your God

What do these indicate about God's character? He is just, merciful and faithful. It is a call for the truly forgiven men and women to demonstrate the reality of their faith by living it out. Such living would be accompanied with acts and deeds of mercy, justice and giving of oneself for the orphan, the widow and the poor. In fact, obedience to Christ is a way of life when our joy is wrapped up in Him. Joy in Jesus comes first, then obedience follows.

For example...Jesus chose the first of the twelve disciples, which were James, John, Simon (Peter) and Andrew.

Mark 1:16-20

¹⁶  Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” ¹⁸ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. ¹⁹ And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. ²⁰ And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
Mark 1:16-20 (ESV)

Why would James, John, Peter and Andrew drop everything and immediately follow Jesus? Jesus certainly wasn't promising fame and fortune. Seems radical doesn't it to give up their job and follow Jesus.

Could it be that Jesus' love for them was so evident that they loved and trusted Him and their obedience flowed out of the joy they had in Him?

John 15:9-11

⁹  As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. ¹⁰  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
John 15:9-11 (ESV)

Obedience doesn't originate out of an attitude that says "This is what I'm supposed to do".  Obedience flows from a heart that has joy in the one whom we love.

Example: Some of the best examples of obedience found in Scripture are Jesus Himself being obedient to His Heavenly Father. He did the will of the Father according to everything the Father appointed, even at the expense of Himself.

Philippians 2:8 
⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Phil 2:8 (ESV)

Romans 5:19 
¹⁹ For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
Romans 5:19 (ESV)

Obedience isn't done for reasons such as feeling good about one's self or a performance-driven-finding-favor-with God mentality. It's about honoring God first and foremost. It's about finding our joy in Jesus. Why is that so important? Because God is growing us in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, which brings Him glory and is for our good.

3. Supremacy of Him
Supremacy of Jesus means that He is:

• Above all things
• Before all things
• Created all things
• Head of the church

 Colossians 1:15-18 

¹⁵  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶ For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 
Col 1:15-18 (ESV)

Note it says that all things were created by Him, through Him and for Him. In addition, it says that Jesus has Lordship over all of creation and the church. He is the firstborn from the dead, which alludes to His priority to creation and sovereignty over all of creation.

Jesus being firstborn of the dead also refers to Him being the origin and life of the church. He broke death's hold in a glorified body by virtue of His resurrection. The Greek word for firstborn is prototokos, which means first, special status, supremacy and honor.
  
With all of that said, what does the supremacy of Christ look like in your life and my life? It should be manifested in our words, actions and thoughts. We should ask ourselves everyday, "Is there anything that I count as superior to Jesus?" Listen to what Paul said about the supremacy of Jesus in his life.

Philippians 3:5-8 

⁵  circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶  as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. ⁷ But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
Phil 3:5-8 (ESV)

Paul is saying that Jesus is supreme over everything. In fact, His worth surpasses all things. What Paul was as a person before Christ was rubbish compared to what he is with Christ. By the way, the people of Paul's day would have understood the word rubbish to mean dung, dregs, refuse, and garbage. The word rubbish occurs nowhere else in the New Testament.

4. Trust in Him
Trusting in Jesus means trusting by God's grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Example: Small child crossing a street with an adult holding his or her hand. The child trusts that you won't let go, no matter what, and their safety is completely dependent upon you. That's a picture of the kind of trust we should have in Jesus.

Trusting in Christ alone through faith alone is not only for salvation, but for growth in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. In other words, the gospel is for unbelievers and believers. When a person has yet to cross "the line of faith", as Pastor Dan says, and their sins are unforgiven, they need Jesus. When a person has crossed "the line of faith" and their sins are forgiven, they still need Jesus.

Jeremiah 17:7 
⁷  “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.
Jer 17:7 (ESV)

The essence of trust is a recognition of who God is and who we are. How do we qualify that? To express confidence in His character and to acknowledge that He is more reliable than anyone or anything. In fact, we would lean upon Him even when it invites our own destruction.

Example from Esther 4

Esther, a Jew, queen of the Persian empire under king Ahasuerus, learned of a plot by a wicked fellow named Haman to annihilate the Jews throughout the empire. Mordecai, a Jew, who had raised Esther after the death of her parents requested Esther approach the king and plead with him on behalf of the Jewish people.

Anyone who approached the king in his inner court without being called would be put to death, unless the king held out the golden scepter in his hand. Trusting in God and through Mordecai's exhortation, Esther decided to approach the king, whether she died or not. Here's her reply to Mordecai: 

Esther 4:16 

¹⁶ “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”
Esth 4:16 (ESV)

God is not once mentioned in the Old Testament book of Esther. Yet, it is evident that God's plans and purposes unfolded according to His sovereignty. Esther trusted God to take care of His people, including her. So much so, she was prepared to die. Would you or I do that? 

5. Application 
As we begin wrapping this message up, let me reiterate the four truths that the Holy Spirit is teaching us about who Jesus is and loving Him more than self. Then, how do we, the church, apply these truths to our lives?

• Contentment in Him
• Obedience to Him
• Supremacy of Him
• Trust in Him

Note the first letters in the four truths spell COST. This an acrostic, which is a poem or series of lines in which certain letters, usually the first letters, form a name, motto or message when read in sequence.

Contentment in Jesus is going to cost us. What might this look like? It may result in a deep and rich quiet time of prayer and reading Scripture. How is your quiet time with the Lord? Do you have a quiet time? If not, why is that? Is something else more important than spending time undistracted and alone with the Lord?

Obedience to Jesus is going to cost us. This should mean a radical change in the desire we have to share the good news of the gospel. Do you share the gospel? If not, why is that? And if you do share the gospel, is it done as a way of life instead of "that's what I'm supposed to do"?

Supremacy of Jesus in our lives is going to cost us. It will mean He is more important than anyone or anything. This will cause a radical change in the way you and I relate to our spouse, children, coworkers and friends.

Perhaps you and I need to spend time praying with our spouse. As Pastor Kyle says, "Guys, it's really hard to be angry at your wife when you're holding her hands and praying for her." Do you and I want Jesus to be exalted as supreme in our lives, so that it makes a difference in our marriages, our parenting and our jobs?

Trusting in Jesus is going to cost us. Whether a person is a new believer in Christ or a seasoned saint, it means putting our trust in Him today, tomorrow and for eternity.

God may be calling you to participate in short term missions. In fact, there are opportunities available through partnerships that God's church in La Crescent has with individuals and organizations.

For example, going to Ghana, Africa to serve with Prince Paul in ministering to the church there, as well as providing medical assistance. If God called you to go, would you go and would you trust Him? 

There is one more important point to be made about the cost of discipleship. Discipleship requires accountability!

For example, in the four truths we're learning about today, who will hold us accountable, besides God, for what our contentment in Him is like with regard to our quiet time in prayer and reading/meditating on God's Word?

How about sharing the gospel with neighbors, family, friends and coworkers? Who are we going to have hold us accountable in this area because it reflects the worthiness of Jesus and our obedience to Him?

If Christ really has supremacy in our lives, who is going to hold us accountable on whether or not we're taking time to pray with our spouse?

And if trusting in Jesus is our only hope, who will keep us accountable in order to ensure and encourage us about trusting in God with all of our heart and not depending upon our own understanding?

Ask yourself "What would your life be like, and how would it be different, if you intentionally and regularly obeyed the “one anothers” of the Bible?"

For example:

James 5:16 

¹⁶ Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
James 5:16 (ESV)

Pray together, such as Tuesday night prayer meetings, as well as men’s and women’s ministries and in Sunday school. There is nothing quite like praying with and for others in a group meeting.

Hebrews 10:23-25 

²³  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Heb 10:23-25 (ESV)

Meet together to encourage one another and stir up (urge, motivate) to love and good works.

Hebrews 3:12-13  

¹² Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. ¹³ But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Heb 3:12-13 (ESV)

Take sin seriously. If we're really serious about loving Jesus more than ourselves, wouldn't it honor God if our sin is exposed at a heart level with another brother or sister in Christ than to keep hiding it?

If you and I love Jesus more than ourselves there will be a cost in sacrificing our time, using our talents, sharing our finances and being held accountable in our walk with Christ. In other words, loving Jesus means denying ourselves and taking up our cross and following Him.

Example of my own personal discipleship and accountability with men at LEFC.

Matthew 16:24   

²⁴ Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Matt 16:24 (ESV)

What does it mean to take up our cross? Edwin Louis Cole, pastor, evangelist, missionary and founder of Christian Men's Network said it this way: "Our cross is the willingness to do the will of God even at the expense of ourselves."

Jim Elliot, missionary and martyr to the Waodani (Wah-o-dah-nee) tribe in Ecuador in 1956, had this quote.

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

6. Conclusion

I'd like to share a story about a man named Jay Leasum. Jay's wife, Helen, is a member of the church here at La Crescent. Jay passed away in August 2008 of mesothelioma, an aggressive type of cancer which typically targets the lungs. It was only two months before his death that the cancer was diagnosed.

Helen and Jay decided not to have chemotherapy done, which Helen says was an easy decision. That's because in spite of the pain associated with cancer, Jay and Helen found their contentment in Jesus. They saw the power of being obedient to His Word, they wanted the supremacy of Jesus proclaimed to family members who needed salvation, even at Jay's funeral. They found their only hope is trusting in Jesus for life and godliness.

In conclusion, Romans 8:35-39  embodies the four truths we've talked about today. These truths really are a manifestation of God’s love, which cannot be separated from His people. Jesus is our contentment, He is the One who is worthy of our obedience, His supremacy needs to be exalted and proclaimed and we have no hope apart from trusting in Him. 

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:35-39 (ESV)