The Cost of Discipleship - Work

This teaching walks through the reality that biblical ministry is not casual or accidental; It requires intentionality, sacrifice, and a clear understanding of what we are being called to accomplish for the Lord. Each movement of the WORK of the ministry comes with a cost that must be counted faithfully as we follow Christ.

1. Equipping ourselves in the word of God for the work
 

Key Point 1: Biblical ministry will require us to count the cost of preparation as we look ahead to the work before us. 

Before any public ministry or visible fruit, there is the hidden work of being rooted in Scripture. Preparation is not optional, it is the foundation that sustains every act of service that follows.

2. Engaging in the work of the ministry

Key Point 2: The work will require us to count the cost of our participation as we look among ourselves for our unique role in the body of Christ. 

Ministry becomes real when we step into active participation. Each believer has a role within the body, and engaging that role requires humility, availability, and commitment to serve alongside others.

3. Edifying the body unto perfection

Key Point 3: The work will require us to count the cost of perfection as we look above to Christ Jesus. 

Spiritual growth and maturity in the church is directed upward—toward Christ. Edification is not self-improvement alone, but Christ-centered transformation that shapes the entire body toward maturity

4. Extending & exemplifying the word of God to others

Key Point 4: The work will require us to count the cost of our propagation as we look around & across cultural barriers to sow the word of God into the souls of men. 

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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Ago, we're continuing our series looking at the cost of discipleship. And so you can find that on the back of the bulletin. There's an outline for where we're headed this morning. And one of the questions that has been overlaying this series is: Am I a true disciple of the Lord Jesus? The way that the Bible articulates this idea is a disciple indeed. Am I a disciple of this world, a disciple of maybe some other teacher or guru or, you know, I don't know, talking head on the internet? Or am I a disciple of the Lord? Am I learning from the Lord Jesus according to the word? Am I a true disciple? Am I following him? Do I just ascent to the right ideas and say, you know, Jesus is my Lord, and then my life doesn't reflect that, that reality. I accept Christ as Savior. He's a wonderful Savior to me, but then his Lordship doesn't actually set over my life in a way that causes me to live different. This morning we should all be asking, am I a true disciple of Jesus? And that's a question to me. Am I a true disciple of the Lord Jesus? Am I living a life that God, am I living the life that God intended me to live? Am I obeying the mission as God intends? We began the series by just asking a few questions regarding discipleship. Like what is it and why is it important? And what are the requirements and what will it look like at this church as we, Lord willing, grow? What will it look like for us to set up a structure for fruit to grow on that trellis? These are important questions, but more than what is discipleship, we have to ask, what is it gonna cost me to actually enter into following the Lord? We began this topic looking at the cost of worshiping the Lord. Last week we talked about the cost of getting wisdom according to the Word of God. And this morning we're, as you can see on the sheet, looking at the work of the ministry. What is it gonna cost me to orient my life and following Jesus and obeying the mission and not getting distracted as a Christian? Now, I know a lot in the room are actually in different churches. There's probably five churches represented in here, which is pretty wild in such a small group. And what it means is that when we think about the churches we're a part of, we have to be asking ourselves the question: Am I distracted with ministry stuff or activities that I call ministry, or am I actually doing the ministry according to what God has told me in His Word? Sadly, so many churches get distracted by spiritual-looking things. Activities that appear to be doing ministry, but really what ends up happening is it's just a bunch of people who are like-minded coming together agreeing that they like community. But the church is way more than a community. You should have a family and a community in a church, but uh, God forbid it's just that, right? I mean, you can find that at a gym. You you can find that with your work friends, your work gals, your your work buddies, and go golfing, or whatever it might be. You know, there's there's little cliques and hobbies, hobbyist groups all through the world. Like you can find those, but the church is some unique, glorious, wonderful, peculiar thing that God has set in this world to be a light to this world. So that's what I want to talk to you about this morning. The four sections of our time this morning are seen as follows the cost of equipping ourselves in the Word of God for the work of the ministry, the cost of engaging in ministry service, the cost of edifying the body of Christ unto perfection, and then the cost of extending or exemplifying the word to others. And so that there's our framework for today as we get going. The first section I want to talk to you about is the cost of equipping ourselves in the Word of God for the work of God. Now, last week we spent our whole sermon talking about the cost of what it would mean to learn the Word of God in a serious way and the cost of getting wisdom. That means far above rubies. The cost of wisdom is knowing the fear of the Lord. That's where it begins. The cost of wisdom and getting wisdom in the Word of God is a man separating himself and intermeddling himself with all wisdom. But this morning I want to not talk about the cost of getting the Word of God established in our life for the purpose of us, but us getting established in the Word of God to the extent that we're effective in reaching others and equipping ourselves so that we can be mothers and fathers to people, to our own children. I mean, there are there are a lot of children running around this morning. I bum that, you know, Sophie and the kids can't be here, but we've got a big task ahead of us, don't we? And for my my family members here with kiddos, like we've got a big task uh in front of us to make sure we're discipling the next generation. The whole purpose in being wise in the word of God is not to just be spiritually strong for the sake of being strong, for the sake of just knowing a thing. We get strong in the word, yes, so that we can intimately fellowship with the Lord and just love him and spend time with him and think on him and meditate on him and dwell there and bear fruit and just enjoy the fruit of being close to the Lord. Yeah. But we should do it for others. That's why we need to be strong. I mean I just I can't help but think of like the gym guy, and this is not uh this is not on you, Braden, I promise. The gym guy who's who's really strong, but then the strength of that individual never gets put to use. Now we're gonna put you on some work projects around here and make you go to work. Uh but that's what happens so often in the church is people, because they have a virtue and a love for God, then they end up loving God's word and they go deep in the word and they learn all these intricate things about the word, but it's all about them. And the things that they learn never end up transferring to other people. And that should just be the deepest longing of our heart, not just to know God, but to make him known. And to help other people, help, you know, them make it known to others that they know. And on and on and on. We must be equipped to the extent that we're able to mature other believers. Our first key point for study this morning is that biblical ministry will require us to count the cost of preparation as we look ahead to the work before us. Preparation. And the church that I came to Christ in and kind of got excited about the mission, and there's a big banner. And at the bottom of that banner it says, pray, prepare, give, and go. And uh there's a series of kind of spiritual development that we can enter into. And the reality is this is a quote from Jeff Bartell, uh a pastor and missionary to Albania, but now a missions pastor and director at First Baptist in New Philadelphia, Ohio. He taught a missions course and he said, a call to the mission is a call to preparation. A call to the mission is a call to preparation. And when I first came to Christ, I really, in thankfulness for what Christ had done for me, I just thought, I want to give my life to the mission. I want to be a missionary. And early on in the ministry, I just heard this. Pray. And let's just start by preparing yourself. You know, you can't go somewhere with a message to equip people if you don't know it yourself. And so, okay, so great. You want to do the mission of God and be effective in God's kingdom and expanding that shore. Wonderful. Take kingdom territory, wonderful. Um, how are you going to do that if you don't have the strength to do it? And so we have to prepare ourselves as we look ahead and think, okay, what if this room is filled with 250 people? Do I have the strength to be a key person, a key cornerstone to help build upon that foundation? Am I one of those key pillars in this church? That is an important question for us all to ask. And this point is coming from a key verse in Luke 14, which has kind of set the course for our cost of discipleship series. Luke 14 and verse 28. It says, for which of you intending to build a tower, that's what we're doing. We are trusting the Lord to plan a church with two families and uh a couple uh really sweet ladies and Sean. And we love you, Sean. I love you, Sean. Uh we are looking to build a tower. We are intending to see God do that. Lord, fill this room with new souls, like baby Christians, so that we can love them, care for them, serve them, give our lives, uh, expending ourselves for them. Which of you intending to build a tower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he hath sufficient to finish it? Now, the example here that the Lord's giving to his disciples is that we have a responsibility to consider all things that it's gonna take to follow him. And the example he's giving is right, a building project. And that's something we've actually spent the whole first half of the year talking about, a building project. And we have to ask, what is it gonna cost to get this thing done? An example I think about is, you know, I don't know about you, but the example that I think about is trying to like fix and flip things. Are there any, you know, anybody in the room like occasionally scrolling through Facebook Marketplace trying to find a deal? Is that anyone? Or is it just me? Does anybody else do that? My dad's covering his ears. I see some hands going up. Yeah, me too. Uh, you know, you you try to find that deal, and uh I'm gonna be honest, part of me just enjoys the game of it. Like, I enjoy the idea of trying to fix and flip something. Another side of me doesn't actually like doing any of that. I don't like spending money, I don't like buying things, I don't like traveling to get it, I don't like figuring out how to transport it, I don't like fixing it, I don't like the money it costs, I don't like any of that, but I like the game of it. And I like the idea of thinking through okay, how can I count the cost in advance to purchase this thing, to then also consider the other expenditures along the way to see at the end that it's actually profitable. I'm just curious who in here has ever bought something with the intention of restoring it and fixing and flipping it, but you didn't fully count the cost of what it would take to finish it. Any same hands? Yeah, me too. When I was 15, I bought a Mustang that ended up becoming an 11-year project for me. And um, if you were to read on in Luke 14, it says that because this man doesn't count the cost of this tower, it be people end up looking at the unfinished project and begin to mock him. And I don't know if people were mocking me about my project, but I'll sure tell you that for some five, six, seven years, when it just sat in my dad's barn, sorry, dad, uh, it mocked me. And it was because when we initially made that purchase, or I did, I didn't realize the scope of work that it would take. And in zealousness, that's probably what has happened here, not in the building, but the effort of stepping into a new city and saying, okay, Lord, I've counted everything that I possibly could, and I realize it's gonna cost me everything. And Lord help. I mean, I don't know what project you have in mind, but surely uh others. You know, half-finished projects may be sitting in your basement right now. My dad bought a Mustang here recently, I don't know why, but he's he's realizing it's more than than he expected. I I know. Um had their optimism stolen after going to the store, like you buy the thing that you you've you've set out to fix and flip, and then you go to the store, you bring it home, you're so excited, you run to Home Depot, you're like, all right, I just need to buy this little part, and it'll all be worth it. And then you realize that part's like $380. You're like, dang it. You didn't count the cost in advance, you just made assumptions about what it would cost. You know, a lot of people do that in their spiritual walk when they raise their hand and they say, I want Jesus to be my Lord. You're the person who bought the thing off Facebook Marketplace and you didn't count the cost. Like, praise the Lord, you made a great decision. You actually bought something uh so wonderful. You were able to purchase a field and you were able to raise your hand and say, I'm gonna follow the Lord with my life. Great. Just know that it's gonna cost you everything. It's gonna cost you everything, your life even. We call this getting in over our head. Or sometimes more formally, what did I just get myself into? type of moments. You know, cans of worms in the philosophical category. Cans of worms. I think about a similar illustration when we tell our you know, friends, spouse, family member that we're gonna learn a new skill. I'm gonna do this thing. And we get really excited about something and we don't sit down first to prepare ourselves for the work ahead. One of the aspects of counting the cost of the work of the ministry is looking ahead and seeing that it's a non-compromising option or opportunity for you. Now you can walk at any time, right? The door is unlocked. If you're ever in our church or in a ministry and you think, man, this is just too much for me. Hey, the Lord has so much grace for you. Just like be at ease. But just know God will ever call you farther and farther into his mission, maybe to the point in which you're giving up your whole life and you're moving to a new place and you're thinking, okay, Lord, what would you have me to do? I just wonder how much how many Christians are zealous for the things of God. They say they're willing to count the cost of purchasing the Lordship of Christ, the authority of Christ over their life, but they're actually not willing to swipe the card. Nonetheless, while these examples can be very frustrating when we make a decision to purchase something and the finances, the value doesn't work out, they are great teachers in teaching us what it means to not sit down first. Because the normal Christian life, once again, will cost you everything. When we first come to Jesus and we are babes in Christ, God wants us to be patient, He wants us to plan, and He wants us to prepare for the future. I think of Proverbs 30 and verses 24 through 25 it says, There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise. And here in verse 25 it says, The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer. And there are a lot of actually things, there are a lot of things that we can learn about ants all through the scripture, but one of the things that we can learn about ants is their preparation. And we too, being little and a people not strong, ought to prepare ourselves for meat in the summer. Maybe there will be a season in the future where God brings us a lot of fruit. Well, prepare now. Maybe there will be a time, a few years down the road, some five, ten years down the road, God's gonna say, give up everything, and I want you to move to Papua New Guinea. I want you to move to Russia. I want you to move to Florida, Naples, Florida. Oh, dang it, Lord. I didn't want to go there. Move to, I mean, who knows? Who knows? If you just continued to say yes to God, who knows where he would move you to use you in the life of somebody else. It just makes me wonder how much we leave. Like, leave on the table because we aren't willing to trust God and step out in faith and live a life full of risk. Like, I really want to live a life of risk. That's one of the scariest things, I think, in my whole life is to get to the end of it and think I never stepped out in faith. I never, I leaned on my own understanding my whole life, and I never put myself in a position of dependency before the Lord. Hebrews chapter 5. Hebrews chapter 5 and verses 12 through 14 teaches us that while we can be wise in the word, we can still come to places in our life where we actually end up forfeiting the preparation that we've made in years prior. Hebrews chapter 5 it says, For when? For the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again, which be the first principles of the oracles of God, and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. See the importance of those that are of full age here. In the last part of Hebrews chapter 5 and verse 14, it says, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised. That's what we have to do. In learning the Word of God, we have to get to the place where we begin to exercise the wisdom we have in the Word. Otherwise, you're going to be someone who got prepared. You counted the cost of getting prepared, you got prepared, and then years go by, and you never used that preparation for anything, and so then you lose it. Use it or lose it. Now I'm careful to share this next cross-reference, Luke 12, without giving a larger context, but I do want to just give you a principle so that you can see the gravity of our responsibility for preparation. In the Old Testament, uh Rehoboam is actually told that he did evil because he prepared not his heart before the Lord. He did evil. Not preparing ourselves, the Bible says that that is an evil work. Luke for uh Luke 12, in verses 47 through 48, it says, And that servant which knew his Lord's will and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. Now this is a parable, but nonetheless the principle stands. If you know the Lord's will and you prepare not yourself, you don't do his will, the Bible says, Shall be this man shall be beaten with many stripes, but he that knew not and did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required. And to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. Now again, I know I can't get into the context there in the parable that Jesus is giving, but nonetheless the principle stands. God wants us to be a prepared people, especially when we know his will, that we would do his will. And so how much has God given us as Christians? Well, he's given us a lot. A lot, so much. If we were to just consider the gift of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, the gift of the Word of God, the gift of prayer, that would be enough. But I want to continue our time this morning talking to you about our responsibility to steward the gift of the body of Christ, the gift of having one another, the gift of the church. And this is our second section and second key point, and that is the engaging, the cost of engaging in the work of the ministry. Our second key point is that the work will require us to count the cost of our participation, not our preparation, but our participation. As we look among ourselves, those are your two blanks, participation and among. As we look among ourselves for our unique role in the body of Christ, there's a cost to beginning to serve the Lord in the context of the local church. A lot of times people want to serve God on their terms. And the way they do that is they say, well, I'm just going to worship God and go walk in nature. And y'all, that's cool. Go walk in nature. God created it and he wants you to enjoy all things, for sure. Go see the glory of the Lord. Go look up at the stars. Like get some air. Go do that, sure. But the mission gets accomplished in the context that God's given it, which is the local church. 2 Corinthians chapter 12, and verses 14 through 22, and then 27 says, For the body is not one member, but many. In other words, the body of Christ is not you, it is not just you as a member, it is you with all the other members, but many. Verse 15. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not an eye, am I not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? And I would just say, Yeah, where were the hearing? You see, you can't do the mission of God without the other body parts, because you are trying to show this world Christ, and Christ is trying to show himself through the church. Verse 18. But now hath God set the members, every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. Verse 19, and if they were all one member, where were the body? The body of Christ, if it's just you trying to do the mission of loan, where is the body of Christ? In other words, where is your ability to actually show this world Christ? You can't do it by yourself. Because the body of Christ to be shown to this world has to come together and be fitly joined together and unity with one another by the Spirit of God. And that peculiar thing, where God joins a bunch of people from a bunch of different backgrounds, you know, tied together with a true and real unity and fellowship, that thing is so odd and peculiar to the world. The world doesn't understand it, and God says, Yep, I'm able to bind broken things together and give them life. Verse 20. It says, but now are there many members, but yet one body. Verse 21, and the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. In other words, you can't live the Christian life or experience on your own and say, I don't have, I don't really need the church. That's great that you feel like you need that community. I don't really need it. I'm gonna serve the Lord as a Rambo Christian on my own. It doesn't work that way. You you the Bible says you do not have the right to say to the other members of the body of Christ, I have no need of you. You have need of the other members. And so, how does the how do you become effective as a minister of the gospel? Well, one of the most effective ways for you to display Christ is to come in and get fitly joined to a body. It does not have to be this one, but you've got to find a church where you can actually be a functioning member and a body part that is serving. And when you're empowered by the Spirit, you are actually the hands and feet of Christ in this world. That's an amazing reality. And one that's hard to even process. Nay, much more those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary. Verse 27. This is important. And in the King James Bible, for those that read it, you may see these ye, the, thou. And what's being separated for us with some of the language in the King James is actually the difference between like a singular focus versus a pluralistic focus. So in verse 27, it says, now, yeah all of you, are the body of Christ and members in particular. And that's important. It's important that it doesn't say you. And now you are the body of Christ and members in particular. No? Ye are the body of Christ and members in particular. It's the whole of who Paul's writing to. Christians in Corinth. What we have to find is that, find out is that while Jesus has left us and ascended to the right hand of the Father and is seated there forevermore, what we have to discover is that he's not done working in this earth. Yes, his physical resurrected body has risen and ascended to the right hand of the Lord. Yeah, that's true. But he is, by promise of John 14, given us, the church, his spirit. And now his body is us. And we are the extension of him on earth. So how will the lost world know Christ? Us. Us individually, no. The body dies if the parts don't come together. The hand is unable to function without the arm. The arm is unable to function without the torso. And oh, by the way, the heart. The church needs some hearts. I mean, I don't feel like I'm the heart. God, like help me be the one filled with with you know charity all the time. You know those people in the church. People that are just so loving. I mean, we need some abdomens. We need some people to, you know, some thighs. We need some people to some workhorses. We need some of those. Yeah, we need we need that. We need everyone doing their part in the body of Christ so that this world can see our loved one for another and know that we are his disciples. John 13, 35 says, By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another. Well, how do you have love one to another if you're you're never with one another? I mean, I know it's straightforward, but it's important. I'm sure in this room you've heard the whole argument, I don't need a church, I can worship God alone in a forest. I mean, I have a hundred times, if not 200. I mean, people love that excuse. But I'm just telling you, you're missing out on your effectiveness in this world without the church. The ministry we've been given is outlined for us in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, and in verse 20 it says, now then we are ambassadors for Christ. As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you, and Christ said, be reconciled to God. As you already know, the church, the body of Christ is not a denominational group or congregation. The churches mentioned in the New Testament are all individual groups of believers, independent churches serving the Lord together and in partnership. Colossians chapter 1 and verses 1 through 2, it says, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God and Timothy our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ, which are at Colosse, grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul's not there, but he's writing to them saying, You are saints and you are faithful brethren. And I want you to be blessed. I want you to have the grace and peace of God. Church, it's an interesting concept, but the uh the word church could be defined as the body of Christ, made up of born-again believers or all those who are in Christ. Ephesians chapter one and verse ten it says, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together all one, I'm sorry, gather together in one all things in Christ, both are which in heaven and which are on earth, even in him. Even in him. What does it mean to be the church? Well, it means to be in Christ. And so that includes everyone that's died and gone on to be with the Lord, and that includes all of those that are alive and are in him. Ephesians 1 and verses 22 through 23, it says, and hath put all things under his feet, speaking of Christ, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. Okay, so the church is his body, and his body it includes all those saints and faithful ones that are in Christ. But I just want to call your attention to the fact that in the scriptures, while it is true that there is some universal church all throughout the world of every tribe and nation, Lord willing in time, who is unified because of the Spirit of Christ, 77% of the time, when the Bible talks about the church, it's referring to a local assembly. And so, yes, the body of Christ, the big spiritual group of people who are this organism we can't really track down. I don't need to assemble with anyone. No, you do. Because the majority of times in the Bible, God is referring to the body of Christ, just as Paul did when he wrote to Corinth, as he writes to assemblies of people that are gathering together. So the majority of times in Scripture, we're not talking about some spiritual church, we're actually talking about a group of people who are physically meeting together and assembling and worshiping the Lord. And that's important. Philippians 1 and verse 1, it says Paul and Timothy, the servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons. I mean, when you walk through your New Testament, the book of Romans, in other words, the Christians that are meeting in Rome, or 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians, those assemblies in Corinth that Paul's writing to, the Corinthian churches, or the house church network of Galatia and the Galatian regions. Okay, those are unique physical assemblies, yes, as spiritual people, but physically gathering themselves together at Philippi with the bishops and deacons. These were groups that actually had structures and coverings. The key thought here this morning is that the local church is the only, only institution ordained by God to fulfill the Great Commission. While marriage is the first institution that we see in the scriptures, it is not the institution that God's designed to accomplish his mission in this time. And so while marriage is precious and having kids is wonderful, and raising them is wonderful, the mission is not family. And that is a big error in the church today, right? People who say, Well, I don't need to be a part of a church. My family is the church. See, when two or more are gathered together in his name, there I am in the midst. That's true. Even though you took that out of context entirely. Nonetheless, it is true. God wants you to have a strong family, and you should, as a father, raise your children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Yes, but that's not the institution that God has called his body. And so if he's going to be displayed in this world, it's not going to be through the marriage. Yes, through the marriage, I understand it. The wife is a type of the church, and husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Ephesians chapter 5. Yes, I get it. But when we look through the scriptures in the New Testament, it is the local assembly of families coming together that God is talking to about getting into this world and preaching the gospel and making disciples. And so, yeah, the family's great. Family is great. Just make sure that isn't an excuse to get out of mission in the context that God desires it. Romans chapter 12 and verses 1 and 2, I'm going to read to you a very familiar passage of scripture that we often apply very personally, but is to a group. Listen closely to those that know this text. It says, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye, that all of you, present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly, acceptable unto God, which is a reasonable service. Talk about counting the cost of the work of the ministry. You want to count the cost of the work of the ministry? The Bible says, give yourself as if you're climbing on an altar and count it reasonable. Okay? That's a hard saying. And verse 2, and be not conformed to this world. You're going to have to give up this world. It's going to cost you the things you love in this world. But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you, no, not you, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. That all of you. Yes, I understand the application here could be individualistically, but if you were to read the context of Romans 12, what you would find is that we're about to enter into a conversation about every member of the body of Christ being uniquely gifted. It's the perfect cross-reference to what we read earlier in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Paul is setting up the context to teach us about the attitude that we need to have to function in the local church. And so, yes, you need to present yourself, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable, but ye, all of us, the way we prove out the will of God is we come together and we collectively do that. And as we do that, there's something that is very peculiar that's happening in that place. It's God binding, it is God knitting together a bunch of broken people to somehow be effective in this world. It is an extension of the gospel. Just as Christ was broken on Calvary, was buried, and rose again to new life, so too. God takes a broken body and he takes all of its parts and he somehow resurrects this thing and allows us to walk in newness of spirit and go out and minister his grace in this world. It's a mystery that's now been revealed that we get to discover. What a gift. How are we stewarding it? Many people choose a church based on external matters, such as location, quality of the building, style of the music, available programs. On and on. You can think of a big list of reasons why people choose churches. But we should see an example in the early church in Jerusalem and consider all of the things that they were given to. In Acts chapter 2, they observed ordinances and taught the Bible, they prayed together, they fellowshipped together, they ministered with one another, they glorified the Lord, they met daily, they brought the lost to salvation in Jesus. In fact, in Acts chapter 2, we see 3,000 come to Christ. In verses 46 and 47 it says, And they, continuing daily, with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread, from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Lord, like, Lord, make that a reality in this church. That would be so like what an amazing thing to just wake up every day and think God has added somebody to the church. That would be that would be amazing. And I think we should just pray that way and just see what God would do. The third section I want to lead you into this morning is the edification of that body unto perfection. And so it's not just that we count our cost, the cost of participating among the body of Christ with one another, understanding our unique role in that body. But our third key point for study is that the work will require us to count the cost of perfection as we look above to Christ Jesus. Now understand, God never calls us to sinless perfection in sanctification. And we've talked about that. The flesh never gets better, and it won't until you get glorified, and God makes you like him, fashions your body like his. But the Bible does use this word, perfect, or perfection, to describe that maturing process, and it also is used by the Apostle Paul to describe some that have obtained perfection. We actually read that in Philippians chapter 3 when we read our scripture reading. But I want to now bring your attention to a few passages that use this word, perfect or perfecting or perfected, and just let you see what the scripture has to say about it. Ephesians chapter 4 and verses 11 through 13, it says, For he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. So there's a unique role that I have to see this accomplished in the church, for the perfecting of the saints. In other words, there's an opportunity for you and I to be perfected. Yes, we are made perfectly righteous in the Lord Jesus upon believing the gospel. For he who knew no sin became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. And by faith in the gospel, you can have righteousness imputed to your account. What a great pleasure and blessing that is. Okay, but there's an ongoing work of perfection as we learn how to agree with that reality. Okay, so before God, that's how he sees you, but now you've got to learn how to agree with it. And that's what sanctification is the ongoing, lifelong process of you agreeing with what God says about you. So you've got to learn what the Word of God says about you, and then you've got to go through the hard process of exercising that knowledge in your daily life and seeing those realities be true. And verse 13 it says, till we do this, we do this till we all come into the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man. Who is that perfect man? This process of perfecting the saints, or to do that until we all come into the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man. Who is that? Well, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried out about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love may grow up in all in into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ, from whom all the body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. We should just preach on this all year. This is the mission, this is the purpose of why a church is to gather. They're together to be brought into that measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. It is there when people are brought together and knit together in that way, growing up into him in all things, even the head, Christ. You know, the body fitly joined and compacted, the body in every part supplying the other parts, the life it needs. It is there that we become effective in this world. And so I just want to express to you again the word perfect, at least in the King James Bible, never means sinless perfection. It means being matured into the image of Christ, being able to take on his divine nature in the inner man. And it means that in the context of a body. As we do that together, we get perfected. We know verses like 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16 and 17, which tell us all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction and righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thruly furnished unto all good works. The man of God may be mature, perfect. You're already complete in him, Colossians chapter 2 says. You're already complete, now you need to be perfected. In other words, there's a qualitative nature about you that has to be purified or sanctified. So at salvation, you are complete. You have everything you need for that work. You've got it all. You're like that little fixer-up project. And now God is gonna, by his handiness and his craftiness, clean you up and allow you to be that beautiful piece of artwork. That beautiful piece of furniture, that house that's gonna be furnished, as the text says. Perfect, truly furnished unto all good works. The work of the Word of God has to begin in us and then from within furnish us without, unto all good works. Colossians chapter 1 and verse 28, another passage that uses this word. It says, Whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Jesus Christ. That's interesting. Paul's saying he preaches, and he warns, and he teaches every man in all wisdom, that he may present them perfect in Jesus Christ. Perfection, according to the scriptures, is something that can be obtained. And it means to be mature to the point in which you can stand blameless and unashamed before the judgment seat of Christ and receive a reward. 2 Corinthians chapter 13, in verses 9 through 11, it says, For we are glad when we are weak and ye are strong. And this also we wish, even your perfection. You see that? There are some in the congregation of Corinth that Paul is writing to, and he's saying, We wish your perfection. We're weak, you're strong. He's here saying that there are some things being accomplished in his life because of his willingness to embrace weakness. And verse 10 says, Therefore I write these things, being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification and not to destruction. Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you. There's no way to be brought into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ without the church. You can't do that work isolated, alone, in your bedroom, in a field, on a camping trip. All those things are great. Go have a wonderful time. Go get some rest. Go whitewater rafting. I don't care what you do. Worship the Lord and all those things. But here's my point: you need the church. Don't forfeit the one thing that God's trying to use in this world. Lastly, here, for sake of time, we gotta press. I know I've gone long. The last section we have is the need to count the cost of expending and exemplifying the Word of God to others. You know, more than knowing it, more than teaching it, our life has to actually become that living epistle, that living ensample to the body. And there's a cost to living out the word. Our fourth key point is that the work will require us to count the cost of propagation as we look across cultural barriers to sow the word of God into the souls of men. Extending the word, enlarging the coast of the kingdom and its territory, and expanding, I'm sorry, expending everything that we have for the cause of Christ. Paul, in the chapter right before the one we just read, he says in chapter 12 and verse 15 of 2 Corinthians, and I will very gladly spend and be spent for you, though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. The perfect man understands this mentality. The cost of discipleship, the cost of the work of the ministry is the heart of Paul in 2 Corinthians 12. I will very gladly spend and be spent for you. What about you? How do you think about the body of Christ? Are you willing to spend and be spent? You have no more. Everything that you had to give is now over. Your hands are empty, it's all been given. And I just want to tell you from the bottom of my heart, as the Lord would give me grace, I want nothing more than to spend my life on this ministry. And on you, on the body here, on anyone who comes through the doors. I want to be able to say freely, I am gladly, very gladly, spending myself, and I am spent for you. I'm exhausted for you. I love you. My financial situation's tight because I want to serve you and give to you my time. I've expended myself for you. Everything has been poured out for your edification and your growth. I want that so badly. Acts chapter 20 and verses 24 through 28, we see more about Paul's heart at the end of his life. He says, But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify of the grace of God, and now behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. Wherefore I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men, for I am I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to the flock of God, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. And my question to you here as we close is just if God has expended himself for you, will you expend yourself for him? And do you count that a reasonable service? The Bible says he has purchased us. 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and verses 19 through 20, it says, What, know ye not that ye, I'm sorry, that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are God's. If God has bought you and he has purchased you with his own blood, what will you spend on him? Will you spend it all? Will you be sten stingy? Will you give God your leftovers? Will you give God what you what you what you want but not what you know he deserves? I mean, you really think about that. What about now? If you're to look at your life and evaluate how you've been spending your time, your money, your resources, your energy, your attention, your entertainment, your voice, your gifts, your personality, some skill you have, how are you expending that for the glory of God and for his church? And that is to say the mission. Lord willing, you have found a church that is on mission. That is important. Don't exhaust yourself and spend all your time and energy and money giving to some ministry that's just holding services and playing at it, right? But if a church is on mission and you can get involved in that work and you can be an extension of the Lord's body into this earth, and you can bind your life and be unified with that body. The Bible says, by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if you have loved one to another. John 13, okay? So you've got to just get connected into that body so that you can be a part of what God's doing in this time.