Resolutions
Luke 14:25-33
Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it — lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
Luke 14:25-33
Have you ever counted the cost?
Like truly and sat down and consider what it would require to follow Jesus.
How expensive is it to follow Jesus?
What are you willing to give up to follow Him?
I mean like, really follow Him!
Many people are already looking past Christmas into the New Year.
They are already making plans, New Year’s Resolutions?
Quickly the Celebration of the Birth of Jesus will fade. And the half hearted decision to do something life changing will be considered, a New Year’s Resolutions of sorts.
How many are going to actually keep them?
We always start out good. We start out strong. But then something happens.
Resolutions are very hard to keep, especially if we are not seeing the results that we have in our minds.
In our thoughts we have determined how we should be progressing.
But things happen in our lives. We get preoccupied with life. Things come up. We get distracted. We get discouraged, we get frustrated. Then we give up because we don’t see the results that we had planned on achieving.
Only 10% of people who make New Year’s resolutions will keep them and finish to their end goal.
We treat our walk with Jesus in a very similar way.
Have you ever felt in your life that things just aren’t going right.
You pray to Him, you cry out to Him.
You ask the greatest question in all of humanity, why me Lord!
We can’t fully come to Him with all of our trust if we aren’t believing that what He says to us is true.
Our daily Resolution should come down to one thing, trust!
Shouldn’t this change how we walk with Him knowing His promises?
Knowing how trustworthy He is. Knowing whatever He has said and promised will at some point will come to pass.
Bear your Cross.
What does the Cross mean to you? As followers of Christ that Old Rugged Cross is a sign of Hope, Salvation, Redemption, life everlasting for those that believe and follow.
At that Cross, Jesus paid the price for our sins so that one day we will be with Him in Heaven for Eternity!
But that’s not how the Disciples saw it. That’s not how the Jews saw it. And that’s not what the Romans intended it to be.
The Cross means one thing and one thing only. Death. A slow tortured death, a death of a criminal.
We must be willing to lay everything and everyone aside to follow Him. We need to stop allowing our situations to get in the way. We need to stop allowing others and their opinions, even the ones closest to us to hinder us from following Him.
Remember that on Judgment day, we will give an account for our lives, alone. The only thing that is going to shield us from the wrath that we deserve is going to be the One that was sent and told us to follow Him. Willing to have an absolute surrendered life to the only One that can both take it and give it.
“And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”
Luke 14:27 NKJV
This isn’t the formula we use today to make disciples is it?
Our Churches would be emptier than they are now if this is how we approached people today.
Jesus had many followers when He was performing miracles.
Most everyone loves to see Jesus when He is the Manger, but many despised Him as He hung on His Cross!
Jesus says to Bear this same Cross.
When Jesus says to bear your Cross, He isn’t telling us to carry that heavy weight of burden around our necks, He came to set the captives free!
He isn’t suggesting that we stay in a place of worldly submission.
He is talking about total submission to Him.
Bear your Cross.
Nail not only your sin to the Cross, but, your plans, your desires and your future. Nail it to the Cross.
Nail your thoughts, your ideas. Make that exchange. Exchange them for His thought, His desires, His ideas, His plans. As Scripture says, put on the mind of Christ!
Oh, If we could step away from what we desire and seek His desire for us!
In order for us to do that we must be willing to actually step on to the Cross.
It’s easy to step to the Cross, millions of people over time have. But not many will step on to it to sacrifice what’s in you that’s not of our Lord!
We have to Step up and then step on!
Sometimes I think we forget why we celebrate the birth of our Savior. He was born into this world so through Him we could die to it!
The time of Christmas Celebration is a few short days away. The day will come and go. The gifts will be opened. Some may even go to Church.
Then the decorations will be taken down.
The New Year will be here quickly.
Resolutions will be made.
Would you consider bearing your Cross?
Can you make the Resolution to trust in the trustworthiness of Jesus Christ our Lord?
We really need to see how close we are walking with Him. This is essential to a healthy Spiritual life.
There is no one that is so Spiritually fit that there is no need for Improvement.
Think about this today.
All of His promises come with a price. And we can’t enjoy those promises if we don’t do what He asks of us.
Truly start to consider your New Year’s Resolution to be one that maybe you have never considered before!
Yes, we may need to change our lifestyles for a healthier life. We might join gyms, change our diets or whatever else.
But will you be willing to pay the price to Bear Your Cross!
What greater benefit this would have to not just your life, but Eternity!
The Lord knows what’s best for you in your life. He cares about what we ‘re going through. And with His guidance and through Him we’ll receive that peace He promised us. We will have hope in our future when we focus on Him, the King of Glory!
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9 NKJV
Have the courage to do something you may have never done before, Bear Your Cross!
Remember this, our whole Resolution has to be total and true trust in Him, because we have counted the cost to follow, and because we have nailed everything to the Cross and we line up our whole lives with His!
Pastor Ed
