The Cost of Discipleship - Worship

In this sermon, we continue our series on discipleship by looking at the first aspect of counting the cost: worship.

Worship is more than music, it is recognizing and responding to the worth of God above all else. From Luke 14, David’s sacrifice, and Mary’s offering in Bethany, we see that true worship always involves cost, surrender, and priority. Jesus teaches that following Him means placing Him above possessions, relationships, and personal plans.

This message challenges us to consider what it truly means to follow Christ, and how discipleship is rooted in a life fully established in worship.

Thanks for listening to the Living Faith St. Louis podcast. This episode is part of our weekly sermon ministry from Pastor Blade Sbisa, with occasional guest speakers and special series.
 For more information, visit the LFSTL website.

Transcript

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Because you can't talk about the cost of discipleship until you answer the question, what it is. And so we began to just introduce this idea of maturing people in the Word of God and ultimately a relationship with the Lord through a systematic process or methodology that we're trusting the Lord for at this church to get that sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit done in a believer's life. Okay, so we've you can see it here on the sheet. I'm not going to read it to you. I know you got eyes, and we got to move forward in our message. But I want you to see the bullet points there on the front. We've talked about how discipleship is not a classroom, it's not a Bible study, a curriculum, and it's not a church program. But a church at a certain point has to actually create a framework or a structure to begin investing the Word of God into people that is reproducible generation to generation. And so while it's not those things, at some point a church has to deploy those things so that there's a trellis for the vines to grow and for the fruit to bear. And so that's the conversation I had with you last week. You can see here at the bottom the vision made plain. And I have a desire that over time we'll have many touch points in our ministry where people are seeing plainly that there's a process of growth or path of growth or methodology that we're trusting God for to reproduce disciples generation to generation. And so you can see that kind of plain path there at the bottom of the sheet. An initial kind of year commitment to those that aren't just congregants, but they're raising their hands saying, I want to grow in my relationship with God. An invitation to study with somebody one-on-one, ideally, in some of the doctrines outlined there in that paragraph. And then out of that, some additional topics that could help that individual begin investing those doctrines into other people and begin learning what it means for their life to not only be right with God, but also used to help others be right with God. And then lastly, there in part three, if I can say that as a manner of growth or path of growth, part of the structure we're trusting God for is eventually for the congregants of this church as the Lord would allow us to get established, to grow continually in the Word of God. There's no pressure here, there's no like nobody's gonna be checking a box seeing if you're doing these things. This is just an invitation to say, do you want to know God's Word? Do you want to go deeper? Do you want to live a life that's consistent and reflective of what God expects of you rather than going through the Christian experience, operating on what feels good or right? And there's a big difference, right? There's so many changing tides of philosophy, culture, and human reason and feelings. Every day that we wake up, we have things vying for our attention against the call to be a disciple or true disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so we think this structure is helpful, and it is just an invitation, an opportunity for you to continue to grow, and me too. I've uh I have graduated the Living Faith Bible Institute, but that's because I've raised my hand to be a pastor, right? So there's a small group of men and women who are going to say, I want to be a missionary, or I want to be a pastor. So there's a unique, unique track within the institute to take those people even deeper in the Word of God. But for the majority of the congregation, we're just trying to say, can we be continual learners of the Lord and not view discipleship as a program? Great, I got through it. Awesome, I did my booklet. That's not what we want. We want a group of people that are going to congregate here that say, So help me, God, for the rest of my life, every day, I want to grow and be a little bit more like Jesus. Amen? Isn't that what you want in your heart? I mean, I hope that's really like deep down the greatest desire of your life. Not to know something about God, but to know Him and to grow in knowledge and grace. You do that as you walk with other people who have walked a little longer and you partner and you sharpen one another. On the back of that sheet that you see, uh you see some values of discipleship. This is pulled from one of the first pages of that discipleship material found in kind of the part one, the foundational stage of discipleship. And it's an exposition of 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 2, which says, and the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. And you can see there just 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 2 broken down, and it's various phrases and then devotional points that can be pulled from that verse. And you can read those for yourself and consider them and ask yourself, Am I a true disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ? This is what we want to invite people into. An invitation to learn doctrine and prioritize it in their life, an invitation to be it, be in a teacher-student relationship, an emphasis on accountability. You know, sometimes we want to grow in the word of God, but in our desire, we still have weaknesses. We don't know how to actually agree with God in His Word and live it. And so discipleship is that invitation to say, I want people in my life, I want other witnesses around me so that when I'm taught, they can also hold me accountable to the things I'm saying I want to grow in. You see there in point four, we we want discipleship to be taught in a way that's reproducible so that as people grow in the Lord here, it's not just me instructing them, but over time, you would actually have a place in the work of discipleship, learning how to transfer the spiritual life God's given you into another believer. Maybe you've had the privilege of somebody investing in you. You should begin asking, how can I reproduce the spiritual life God's given me into someone else? Maybe that's your kids. Maybe that's someone who's gonna be new to this church next week. And you've got to think, how can I begin to invest what God's given me in them? We want to invest in faithful believers, and here finally we want discipleship to be focused on this work of disciples making more disciples. Not only investing in other people, but making sure the people we're investing in are also reproducing. And that's how a church, right, is strong and healthy, protected, insulated. We talked about a number of reasons in our last three sermons for why discipleship is so important to the church. We're commanded to do so, we're instructed to. It's also what allows us to have an impact in this world. It insulates the church, right? It protects the church and allows us to imprint the image of Christ on the people. And so there were our four points of discipleship for why it's so important. There's a lot of reasons we we disciple, but one of the main reasons is because it's the protective measures of the church. It's what allows us as a congregation over time to build that wall around the city so that when threats come, we're protected and insulated, especially our little ones. We want people to be protected not only physically, but spiritually as well. Those longings we have for our children to remain protected from the physical dangers of this world also should reflect to our burden for seeing those that come to Christ walking with the Lord and remaining strong. Alright. Our time this morning is continuing this study now, uh looking at this topic of discipleship. And on your handout, you can see where we're at. Okay? Not discipleship and what it is and why it's so important or the requirements, but the cost. And the first part of the cost that I want us to consider is that of worship. Worship. And this topic that we're discussing this morning is actually a synthesis of a bunch of word studies associated with the word cost all throughout the scriptures. Okay, so if you were to just go to the Bible and you were to begin to search out words like count, purchase, price, cost, costly, reckon, reconcile, propitiation, and on and on, you would find that all these words associated with counting or money or purchasing would actually end up in about four different categories. So in all of those mentions, all throughout the Word of God, you find through a synthesis that there's about four main areas that we have to count or consider regarding our life as it grows more into following the Lord. As we begin to become conformed to the image of Christ, we have to consider four areas. The first area to consider is that of worship. And so you see that in your key thought. I don't know if I have a blank for you, but discipleship will require that I am established in worship. That's the first area of synthesis that I want you to see of the four. And I just want to express here as we begin that we really, uh in the West, especially, I would say in the world, because the world is so influenced by the West, we do ourselves a disservice when we call playing praise music worship, ministry, or like as a as a praise director at my old church. If I slipped up, sometimes I'd say, you know, I'm the worship leader here. We do ourselves a really big disservice when we use that type of language because this thing in leading praise is such a tiny piece of what it means to worship the Lord, isn't it? Worship music as a whole genre. It's like, I mean, kinda, it's not, it's not really worship music, it's praise music. And it represents a small, small, small area of your life that should represent worship. And so that's what we're discussing this morning. Worship is simply the act of ascribing something worth or value. And the reason I say it this way, and not worship is the act of ascribing God value, is because while you're made to worship, the reality is you don't have to worship God. Like as creatures, we know if we don't worship God, you see it maybe in the lives of your friends, your family members, if you don't worship God, you end up worshiping something. Your mind, your time, your money, your energy, things you meditate on, they're given to something. It's why in the Ten Commandments we find that one of the first is that there would be no other gods before him. Why? Because Israel's temptation in the Old Testament would be to almost immediately turn away from the living God and begin giving their attention to idols. And yes, ours don't look like golden, you know, building a golden calf and setting it out in our front lawn and worshiping it and bowing it down and gathering our family around some shrine. Now, in other cultures, that's actually very common. In the West, it looks like hanging a TV up in the living room and just being addicted to it. It looks like us gathering as a family, but instead of communing with one another, we're distracted and just utterly consumed with whatever other distraction we have. It's us not appreciating the things that God's given and then thanking him for everything in the process. And so we have to consider what would it mean for me to grow in my relationship with Christ, and consider that God is to be ascribed worth or value from my life. Paul told his son in the faith in 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 17. You should see that cross-reference in your notes. He says, Now unto the King, eternal, mortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. If that's not in your handout, I'll try to pay attention to what I have here. You can get it down. It is not in your handout. I apologize there. That reference again was 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 17. Now, Jude chapter 1 and verse 25, it says to the only one wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. And this is what our heart should be. This is the cry that ought to come out of our mouth every time we wake up. We ought to think, God is worthy of my life and everything that I am. I want you to hear briefly the prayer of David in 1 Chronicles 29 and verses 11 through 17. It says, Thine, O Lord, is the greatness. This is a longer passage. Maybe you can turn there. If you're feel comfortable panning through a Bible, feel free to grab your Bible and find your way to 1 Chronicles 29. This is a prayer that David makes to the Lord before the temple's built at the dedication. And he's I'm sorry, not at the dedication. Here this is David's prayer, not Solomon's, but what we find is arguably a full mention of prayer. So if you were to just study out the word prayer, you'd find that in this prayer that David makes, the most mentions of the word all in the whole Bible. And this is what he says to the Lord. 1 Chronicles 29, once again, starting in verse 11, it says, Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty for all that is in heaven and in the earth is thine. Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted above as head above all. Both riches and honor come from thee, and thou reignest over all, and in thine hand is power and might, and in thine hand is to make great and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of thee and thine and of thine own have we given thee. For we are strangers before thee and sojourners, as were all our fathers. Our days on the earth are a shadow, as a shadow, and there is none abiding. O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee and house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine. I'm sorry, is all thine own. I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hath pleasure and uprightness, as for me and uprightness of mine heart, I will willingly offer all these things. And now I have seen with joy thy people, which are present here to offer willingly unto thee. Now I know that's a long passage, just wanted you to see David's heart and his desire to express how great God is and how worthy he was, and how willing he was, and the people were to give God an offering. David understood something about worship, and that was something he was trying to teach his son Solomon. First, that God was greatly to be praised and honored and magnified. And secondly, that the offering was an uprightness of heart. Was an uprightness of heart. And that's what I ultimately want to press on you this morning regarding being established in worship, and that is that worship is an offering of the heart. It is an offering of the heart. Even if you're giving something, some possession, some relationship, something, just realize that at the end of the day it's going to be an issue of you considering in your heart how worthy God is. Worship is so important to be established in the disciples' life because you are going to need to be captivated by the Lord's beauty and his majesty to stay on course. Can I just hold that in front of your eyelid this morning? Can I help you remember that? Being established in worship is so important because if you're not, there will be many things in this life to distract you and try to convince you are more important than this. You and I have to be captivated by the Lord's glory, his worthiness, his beauty, his holiness, his majesty to stay on course. The disciple of God literally translates to a follower or a learner of God. And the first thing that you have to learn and have settled in your heart is that He is worthy. Worthy. When you get saved, that ought to be the thing that emanates from your meditation. God is worthy. He is worth everything. And I'll give it to him. So now, what would it mean for us to count the cost of worshiping God? I think to answer this, we have to ask a broader question, and that would be what is the cost of discipleship? And we should just go to the Bible and look at where Jesus talks about this very phrase of a disciple counting the cost of discipleship. Okay, so look at with me, Luke 14. This will be our main cornerstone text this morning. Luke 14 and verses 25 through 33. Probably very familiar to most of you, but this is a passage where Jesus actually relates discipleship to this idea of count needing to count the cost. Starting in verse 25. Luke chapter 14 and verse 25, it says, 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, wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it, lest happily after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish it. Now let me just remind you that the spiritual project that God's called us to is the building of a spiritual house. That's how the church is actually described in a number of the Pauline epistles. You and I are the spiritual household of God. And we are lively stones. And so as we go out and do the ministry and we see people reconciled to God, we are actually building some spiritual house in the heavens. And that work, like any other construction project that's physical, has a budget. And we have to upfront say, what's the cost? What's it going to cost my life to actually be a part of this project as a subcontractor? Verse 29, we just read and then picking up again. Uh now in 31. It says, Or what king going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with 10,000 to meet him that cometh against him with 20,000. In other words, the position that we're left in as disciples and disciples makers is at a deficit. We've got to count the cost because we are that we are that individual coming into a battle that's bigger than we're able to handle ourselves. Thirty-two, or else, while the other is yet a great while off, he sendeth an ambassage and desireth conditions of peace. Verse 33, so likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Strong language, isn't it? Strong language. Your first key point, as we consider this text, is that it is not worship if it cost you nothing. Or it is not worship if it costs me nothing. Worship or being established in worship is going to cost you something. Your blank there at the first is nothing. And we find that really looking at verse 25. Consider it for a moment. And there went great multitudes with him. I want to call your attention to this phrase, great multitudes. And he turned and said unto them this is a message that the Lord Jesus gives to a multitude of people that are following him. I'm going to argue to you, or by illustration, give you that idea of a fan rather than a follower. These are great multitudes that we read about in the gospel accounts. You know, as we look at Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we we find those twelve disciples in many of the stories. We even get really intimate conversations with specific men and women. However, here in Luke 14, we're introduced to the great multitudes. We find it obviously before this, but. Jesus turns and speaks to them. And here is that moment where Jesus turns to the large crowd and teaches them of the narrow way. That is the reality. That to follow Jesus is an invitation to be near him, not to follow him from a distance. The multitude, they like the idea of being associated with Jesus' influence, his power, his miracles, but not the reality of being associated with his suffering and a life of true followship, if I can call it that. They enjoy the drama and the mystery and the excitement of his ministry. I mean just put yourself in their position. You're thinking about a man who you've been expecting as a Jew who shows up in your city. And while you're just doing normal life, all of a sudden miracles begin to break out. And you begin to hear a rumor of what's going on. And crowds are gathering around to see this man and you begin to follow. And you like it. And you like the drama of it and you like the religious leaders that you are really critical of, getting really frustrated, and you're just there for the entertainment. A lot of people attend church that way. They're just there for the excitement of maybe a large praise ministry or a rock concert or the light show. Or maybe there's a really dynamic speaker that they're really captivated by. Or it's a great friend group and they're at church and they abide with the saints because it's just fun. This is the great multitude. They love to watch and be entertained. Maybe they think their proximity will earn them favoring another message will actually bring change in their life even though they're not willing to repent as they hear the message. It is this multitude that needed this word from Jesus a sober reality check on what it would mean to live the normal Christian life. To be like Christ. I think it's the message that the Western church needs today and the United States of America. It's not going to be about you or entertainment or fun. Yes life on mission is one filled with a lot of things to be entertained by. And if you've been in the ministry for any amount of time you know that you have you got war stories. Like being a mom you've got you got war stories. We were talking about that yesterday. If you've been in ministry you know that ministry comes with all of those things. Being close to the work of the Holy Spirit is fun and exciting but to only follow Jesus for the reason those reasons would would cause you to receive a message like this. Hey wake up there's a reality check for what it's going to mean for you to abandon all and follow me. The multitudes were like fans in a sports stadium. They are there for the community and the glory of the game. They are there to shout and raise their voice. They will even be critical of the players on the field. Run faster jump higher why didn't you catch that ball? You get paid big bucks for that as they spill their beer and get cheese on their pot belly can I say that in the pulpit just did um this is right the churchgoer who comes in they have no interest in the ministry of God or doing the work of God and uh and doing some welcome in and they're here just to you know listen and and they're here to ultimately receive whatever the Lord has for them but it's about it's about them right and so they would be utterly embarrassed to actually show up on the field and play themselves. So while they're critical of the players or the you know I I went to a Chiefs game years ago as a kid and I just remember we were like way up in the the nosebleeds and um there's this guy next to us he was just you know drunk as can be and he's he's screaming excited for the game I'm all about that go Chiefs you know I'm there I'm I'm I'm in it as a Chiefs fan and uh in doing so right he's he's yelling at them and he's like you should have caught that ball you're you're a horrible player and he's just criticizing criticizing it's like if that guy stood on the field I mean I don't even know if he could have served water with how sloshed he was anyway it's just you know people people act that way in the church though they come in and they expect church to look or be a certain way for them. And in doing so you know what you end up finding is uh that they actually aren't interested in truly following the Lord Jesus Christ and being a disciple of his Tyler you're welcome to go downstairs and check on on them make sure the girls are okay because they're gonna Okay sounds good. So you guys hear the point I I want to continue though by talking to you just here about this idea of them needing to learn that that worship was going to have to cost them more than than nothing. You can't follow the Lord come in and then expect your life to be right with God and it cost you nothing and really you're just in the ministry and you're wanting to follow Jesus because it's all about you and what you can get from God. God wants to give you things beyond your understanding like God's a good God he's a heavenly father loving to give good gifts but just realize it's an invitation to suffer with Christ and to be in fellowship with him there. You get the benefits of the gospel by being close to a cross. If you've been around the Bible at all you may remember that this language actually comes from the life of David this idea of worship needing to cost more than nothing. It comes from the life of David in 2 Samuel 24 and verses 18 through 25. And so this is a longer passage but for sake of time this morning I just want to call your attention to verse 24. 2 Samuel 24 and verse 24 I encourage you to read this full section of scripture just so that you can have some context. It says and the king said unto this is David speaking unto Arnah he says nay but I will surely buy it of thee at a price speaking of the threshing floor and this oxen for an offering to be made to the Lord he says neither in verse 24 in the second part neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing this individual is trying to offer David the land for free. He's saying David if you want to make an offering to the Lord your king here at this place because you're the king hey just take my land just take my land and bring an offering before the Lord and David's response to this man is I will not offer anything to the Lord that cost me nothing. But how many times do we do that? We bring our offerings to God and it actually didn't cost us anything we came in and we sang a praise song and while we sang maybe we were critical because I I play horribly or whatever it might be. You know like I wish he didn't play cake drum that thing that I hate cake drum. Why don't we have a violin that hey that's a good question why don't we have a violin Sophie just hate. I'm kidding I'm kidding we right we come in and it's about us and we call it worship we call it praise but all the while it was actually about us even in considering the truths of God it was about us it was about us fellowshipping it was about us feeling comfortable or being right with with God again. And it wasn't actually about finally abandoning what was wrapped up in our heart and saying God you are worthy of my life hey welcome come on in and make yourself at home we're glad you're here and um and so you find that in 2 Samuel 24 you you see that he ends up purchasing this land he buys the threshing floor and the oxen for 50 shekels of silver. 50 shekels of silver now today that would be about 400 to 500 David ends up paying the initial price for this plot or this threshing floor for the sacrifice but if you were to study this passage out you would actually be brought to 1 Chronicles 21 and 24 and you would learn a broader context of what David actually paid for and you would realize that the property he purchased would actually be the future building site of the temple. And it says in 1 Chronicles 21 and verse 24 and and King David said unto Ornan, Nay, but I will verily buy it not for a price, but for the full price for I will not take that which is thine for the Lord nor offer burnt offerings without cost. Okay? And here is that contrast between what we found in in 1 Samuel 24 and 1 Corinthians 21 and that is this cross reference actually teaches us that this property was bought for 600 shekels of gold. The difference between four to five hundred dollars and four hundred thousand dollars to five hundred thousand dollars five hundred and twenty thousand dollars modern cash in other words when you're reading this story what you're seeing is a man saying I'm willing to give you a four to five hundred thousand dollar piece of property and David says no my king is worthy of me purchasing that I will not give to the Lord what costs me nothing. He says I'll buy that because the Lord is worth that do you see do you see the beauty of this passage? And it ought to be a a thing that provokes our hearts and says okay Lord what would you have me to give of my life help me not enter into a walk with you that costs me nothing. Help me not call it worship if there's not something in me that's lost. What have I expended for you? What time did I spend on you? You know Paul says to the church in Corinth he says I desire to spend and be spent for you and that's what our lives ought to be it ought to it ought to actually cause us to realize something's lost as we go to worship. Some people will say a sacrifice isn't sacrifice until it's a sacrifice. We call a lot of offerings that we make to the Lord something that isn't actually an offering. It's like those religious leaders with the two widows with the might who give a lot but it says they give of their abundance and yet the widow gave everything she had. The second key point for study this morning is that worship can include anything precious or costly. So because worship can't cost us nothing it means that it has to or it can include anything is your blank. Worship can include anything precious or costly to us and this language is actually drawn from three different stories in the Gospels which represent I believe two main events some people say this is all the same event but your cross references there John chapter 12 Matthew 26 Mark chapter 14 these are familiar passages but I I think there is a difference between John chapter 12 and the other two and so you can do that study on your own. But one is six days before the Passover and the other is two days before the Passover both yes are in Bethany both both yes are an anointing of the Lord Jesus but one the feet of Jesus and the other his head. And so again a great a great study realize that these different passages represent a period of time leading up to the death of Christ. All are done for his burial but one comes before that that moment when he comes in riding on the the the colt, the fold of the ass and he is hearing Hosanna the Son on the highest and um and so just consider this that there is a split or there is a difference and maybe the question is why feet versus head or something like this. It will be a good study for you. Look at with me John chapter 12. This is what we'll consider this morning for sake of our time John chapter 12 verses 1 through 6 it says then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany where Lazarus was which had been dead whom he raised from the dead there they made him supper and Martha served but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him then took Mary a pound of ointment and spikenard very costly and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment then saith one of his disciples Judas Iscariot Simon's son which should betray him why was not this ornament sold for three hundred pence and given to the poor? Then he said not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief and he had the bag and bare what was put therein okay a lot of details in this story but what I want to call to your attention in contrast to the other two passages is this phrase very costly. That's what's leading us to this text and this idea of Mary pouring a pound of ointment of Spike nard. Okay that's a strange uh oil that we were unfamiliar with in our culture but this was a very earthy sweet floral wooded scent for uh you essential oil people out there I tried to draw a comparison and I I honestly could not find one. It made me want to order the $15 bottle off Amazon just so that I could smell it. But maybe something like you know floral or like lavender with cedar wood. I don't know. I don't know what it smelled like but it was supposed to be really savory and sweet. It fills the whole house the text says but it was very costly in fact this amount of oil would have been a year's wage a year's wage you think oh wow that's very costly I bet I bet she poured like a thousand dollars worth of oil upon his feet no this would have been like I mean conservatively here $50,000 in a moment. Now listen a story like this provokes me to consider how much I actually value the Lord. Now the disciples do have an issue here because as they hear the story they begin to mock and maybe that's because Judas Iscariot gave them some ideas about how the money could be used otherwise because he was a thief. And they began to listen to those ideas. But listen this was a story that would be proclaimed with the gospel for generations. That's what the other two cross references tell us. It says that she anointed the feet of Jesus at the least a point can be drawn here to say that this was a great sign of humility as she would bow herself before the Lord. That very act of getting down on her hands and knees and using her hair to anoint his feet it would have been a great act of humility and honor to him. But it says it goes on in the passage it says she wiped his feet with her with her hair. Culturally this would have also been a great honor because women typically had head coverings at this time. Now it's a different culture but this was also true in Paul's day and age in 1 Corinthians chapter 11 and verse 15 it says but if a woman have long hair it is a glory to her for her hair is given for her a covering in other words this act of Mary in John chapter 12 was a great sacrifice yes but it was an act of Mary giving glory to Jesus this was the one thing she had to represent her beauty and her glory and she's saying I'm going to give what God's given me in my covering in my glory and my hair and my beauty I'm gonna give that back to God and I'm gonna lay it at his feet. So it's not just the oil that's one thing and that is a significant thing. Some $50,000 in a moment Lord you're worthy of this and I I mean just think how could you manage the affairs of your life this year could you even so that your salary this year would entirely go to a gift to the Lord that you would never see again and you would view that as something reasonable before him. That's a lot I know that's a lot I'm not asking you to give that money here I promise I'm not asking for your money this morning that's not this message. This message is about your heart I'm just saying is your heart positioned such that you are utterly consumed and captivated by God to say yep that seems reasonable what God's worth that doesn't shock me. I mean it wasn't that big of a deal when David the king purchased a $5000 piece of property. Why? Well because he's king he's got the money he can do what he wants with all that money but what about a woman giving her whole salary for the year as an act of honor to the Lord. It's an amazing event it truly is and I think one that should provoke us. Warren W. Weirsby in his commentary on this text he says of course she was misunderstood and criticized but that is usually what happens when someone acts in such extravagant devotion and that's my challenge to you this morning and that is that if you become a disciple of the Lord Jesus and your life begins to become established in worship whereby everything that you are is an act of worship to the Lord. People are going to look at you your maybe your spouse, your kids, your family members, they're gonna look at you and think that's just a little too much. The whole church thing that you think is so important, that's just, I don't know. I don't know it seems like a waste. And in your handout you can do the cross references in Matthew 26 and Mark 14 in these similar passages that's exactly what the disciples say they say in Matthew 26 and verse 8 to what purpose is this waste? And in Mark chapter 14 and verse 4 they say and there were some that had indignation within themselves and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made so in their minds it was wasteful. It was bad stewardship we talk about financial stewardship a lot you should manage your money well that is very true. But what about when you just abandon it for the Lord? I mean we we got some real challenges in the Word of God sometimes. We like doing things that seem reasonable to us but what happens when God says I want this to be unreasonable unless you qualify me as a great aspect of what you're giving to and there it is God worthy of everything and God saying if you want to lay it at my feet I'll take it and he's willing to receive it. We're ever at a deficit to give God praise and so it ought to be our desire every morning to wake up and say God whatever you would have for me today here it is I have open hands before you our third key point this this morning for this topic of being established in worship is to extend our worship will extend to something most valuable to us. So not only really valuable but most valuable and um while financial things are important the reality is worship goes far beyond singing and playing music it also goes far beyond our pocketbook worship should extend to what is most valuable and oftentimes what is most valuable is family. It's time with family it's it's our friends it's our relationships it's our kids and so don't be a fan be a follower of the Lord also remember that as you follow the Lord and grow in your worship that that'll likely require your finances but it's also going to require your relationships and your family. And didn't we learn that in Luke chapter 14 and verse 26 it says if any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea in his own life also he cannot be my disciple so I just want to tell you go ahead and throw tomatoes at me now. I know that this is not the Mother's Day message you were maybe expecting to hear. Luke 14 hate thy father and thy mother I'm sorry I mean it's just where we're at in the word and we gotta say it. This is not literally hatred it is a preferential love. It's saying we have to make sure that the Lord We have to make sure that the Lord is the first love of our life and that nobody comes before him. And I have to say that even to my own mother and my wife and my children, which is feels even harder. It is the thing most precious to us. Yes, maybe an alabaster box, a car, a career, a house, a boat. But God is also worthy of our relationships. For many people that enter into discipleship, especially young adults, that they raise their hand, they say, I want to follow the Lord. A lot of times a relationship, a dating relationship is what actually stands in the way of them beginning to walk forward in their relationship with God. A disciple says that my deepest desire is that I prefer him above all else. And I think a great representation of this is actually in Genesis 22 and verses 2 and then 5. In Genesis 22, what we find is actually the first mention in all of the Bible of the word worship. So you think, okay, what does it mean to worship God? Well, let me see what the Bible says about worship. What you're going to find is a story about a father taking his beloved son up on a mountain in the land of Moriah, and that son is going to carry some wood upon his back, and it's not an acoustic guitar. And he's going to be bound and he's going to be silent. And God's going to ask Abraham to kill his son. And there in this story, they they go up this mountain. And God says, if you do this, you're going to go and worship yonder. That's Genesis 22. In verse 5, it says, And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder and worship and come again to you. Abraham had faith. You can read about that in Hebrews chapter 11. And it was there in this story that we find a beautiful picture of God the Father taking his only son that he loved up to Mount Calvary with wood upon his back and him dying there. This was a three-day journey, just as in the eyes of God the Father, Jesus Christ was dead for three days. Abraham knew when he started this three-day journey that his son was good as dead. And he had to deal with that, that death for three days, until God, by miraculous provision, allows a ram to be caught in the thicket. So here it is, a sacrificial ram with a crown of thorns upon his head by provision of God and substitution for Isaac. Worship. What is it? It's something that's going to cost us everything. And the beautiful picture we have here in Genesis 22 is that costly sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. What cost God everything? What cost Abraham everything? An act of worship is not just giving God more than nothing or giving God anything that's precious. It's giving God something, something specific that is most valuable to us. And I just want to ask you this morning, what is that something? What is that specific thing that just seems so valuable to you that you could never let it go? Are you willing? Are you willing to say, God, here are my open hands regarding that? Or this. This specific thing. Genesis 22 and verse 2, and he said, Take now thine son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest. A lot of times we can evaluate our worship based on what we love. And so maybe that's the question for you this morning. What do you love? List of things maybe filled your mind. One way I evaluate my worship is I ask myself, what do I love? And if God wasn't the first thing that set on that list, then maybe your worship is misplaced, and God is wanting you to just continue day by day to grow and your understanding of what it would mean to live a life completely captivated by Him. Okay, so we have to give, yes, our possessions and then the people that we love, but you know, it's going to also take us giving our plans and pursuits and our passions. Look at with me, Luke chapter 14, and the latter part of that verse that I quoted in verse 26. It says, and his own life also. It's not just your father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also. If this isn't a condition of your worship, then Jesus says, Ye cannot be my disciples. Paul said to the church of Philippi in Philippians chapter 3 in verses 7 through 8, but what things were gained to me those I counted loss for Christ. I counted loss for Christ. What does it mean for me to count the cost of discipleship? Well, the things I thought were gained to me I count as loss. Yea, doubtless I count all things. Not just the things that were gained to me. Paul says, yea, doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I might win Christ, for that I may win Christ. So it's not just some things, it's all things that we count for loss, but not just loss. We consider the things in relationship to the offer of being in ministry with Christ as dung. The things of this world are not things we are reaching towards. We're longing for, we're pressing on for. And this leads us to our fourth and final point this morning, and that is that disciples realize that Jesus is worthy of everything. Fullness. The fullness of your life. To not just be a fan, but a follower, to realize that precious things, even our finances, ought to be given to God, but more than that, our friends and our family, our relationships, but more than that, our fullness, everything that we are, the wholeness of our being ought to be given to God as an act of worship. Luke 14 and verse 33 says, So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. All that he hath. Once again, just remember the context. The Lord Jesus is speaking to a great multitude here, and he's giving them a reality check. I don't think these are expectations as much as they are a reality check. Now, obviously, I believe the Lord's words as he says them, but he's trying to get them to see that it's going to cost them everything. This is something not that they have to agree with right up front, but that as they begin to move forward in discipleship, they see that my life is headed that direction, where everything that I am is perpetually more abandoned for the sake of Christ. Abandonment doesn't happen overnight, it happens decision by decision. Possession by possession, relationship by relationship, precious thing by precious thing. Let me end on a good note though. You can never outgive God, and once again, I don't mean financially necessarily. You may give what you think is most important, but in the interim, God makes everything better, not easier or without trials or suffering, but better. In the midst of all of that, a life more abundant in the midst of abandonment. So, in the invitation to become a true disciple, whatever you think you're giving up, there is more to gain. And I can tell you just from my own life and the direction I was headed, and then in being willing at some level, I know I'm growing in this, but at some level to abandon my plans for God and my purposes and my passions. For God, he has radically multiplied any benefit that I thought I ever would have on that other path. God has made my life so much richer because of his grace and his mercy and his presence. Matthew chapter 10 and verse 38, it says, And he that taketh not his cross, taketh not his cross, and followeth after me is not worthy of me. He that findeth his, I'm sorry, yeah, he that findeth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. And so while you're losing your life, you're finding his. There you go. I thought I lost some things. I thought, and all the things that were gained to me, and counting them for loss, I was at a loss. No, it's kind of awkward, but the reality is when you give up things for God, he somehow replaces it and fills it and overflows it with himself, his life, his presence, his blessing. Matthew chapter 4 and verses 18 through 22, when Jesus enters into the lives of the disciples who were fishermen and makes an invitation to them to follow. You know, I in my life I was called from being a builder to now of physical homes to now being a builder of the spiritual household of God in the heavens. That's a greater thing. Matthew chapter 4, it says, And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. For he said unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets and followed him, and going on from thence he saw other two brethren, James, the son of Zebedee and John, his brother, and a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them, and they immediately left the ship, and their father followed and their father and followed him. Okay, so they left everything. They left their career, they left what they knew and thought was best, and they followed the invitation to become a fisher of men. They even left their father. Luke chapter 5, in verses 8 through 11, we actually find a little bit more details of this event, and it says, And Simon Peter saw it and fell down at Jesus' knees. He says, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man. This is, having brought in that great draught of fish after a long night of toil. In verse 9, it says, For he was astonished at all that were with him at the draught of the fishes that were taken. And so was also James and John and the son of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to the land, they forsook all and followed him. Now my point to you here is that in their act of abandoning fishing, God in that very moment actually blessed them with so much fish that they could have stopped working that day. It was a great blessing to them, but not only to have a bunch of fish, God was making an invitation to a spiritual work that was much greater. And obviously Peter becomes that chief cornerstone apostle to the church as it's founded in Acts chapter 2. The last verse I have for you here is 1 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 31. It says, Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. So my point to you is that to be established in worship, you're going to have to consider whether or not the offerings you've been bringing to God have cost you anything. They have to cost you more than nothing. They also, because they have to cost you more than nothing, can cost you anything that's precious to you. That's your second blank. But sometimes, as we continue to grow, God's going to call us not to just offer anything precious, he's going to ask us to give up something. Very specific, that's most precious to us. But it's not going to just be something, it's going to be everything. At the end of the day, the invitation to discipleship is an invitation to say, are you willing to be abandoned of your life so that you can find his which is more abundant? And so that there's the question what is your life to you? Is it Christ? Is to live Christ and to die gain? What are the things that you have counted gain in your life, and are you willing, like Paul, to count them all lost for the excellency of the knowledge of the Son? Alright, let's pray and close.