The Cost of Following Jesus - Luke Chapter 14

Have you ever had to save up for something? Maybe it was a new house, or a car, or just some big purchase that was important to you. The discipline to save money is difficult. Every purchase becomes a decision about what is most important. When we are saving up to buy something we are aware of these constant priority decisions, but the truth is that we are making these decisions all the time without even realizing it. How we spend our time, our money, or even our emotional or mental energy speaks volumes about what we consider to be most important. This sermon looks at Luke chapter 14 where Jesus challenges the people of his day about the way they determine what is most important. He also emphasizes the invitation that God gives to us to be his children and citizens of his kingdom. Like the people of Jesus' day, we often let other things get in the way or take a higher priority than trusting and following Jesus. Jesus challenges them, and us, to truly count the cost of following Jesus and to always consider that being a follower of Jesus is of greater importance than anything else in this world.