Theme: Be a Laborer (Matt 9:38)

Topic: Labor Through Discipleship (Luke 9:57-62)

The abundant Christian life is not something to just talk about, but it is something
to experience. All too often people come to Christ for salvation and they never
continue with Him in order to realize the blessing of an abundant life with Him.

Read: Luke 9:57-62

The fact is that this passage deals with service to God. Within this scripture we find
three individuals who came to Jesus with regard to service.

Each one of these meetings illustrates the need to put Jesus first in your life.

1) Put Jesus before the future

2) Put Jesus before the present

3) Put Jesus before the past.

I. Put Jesus Before the Future. v57-58

A. Talk is cheap.

1. There are a great many Christians who are like this first fellow.

a. It is easy to say, 'Lord, I'll follow you anywhere'

b. It is much more difficult to carry thru with that

commitment.

2. Perhaps it is due to some misconception.

a. This idea that all your problems suddenly vanish when you
totally commit your life to following Christ is simply not true.
 b. Jesus told His disciples:

(John 16:33) "These things I have spoken unto you, that

in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have
tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world."

c. If we are not having some sort of problems in our service to

God once in a while we are probably following 'afar off'.

B. Discipleship costs. (Luke 14:25-28-30)

1. It is not to be entered into frivolously.

a. Jesus said if a man plans to build a tower he first sits down

and counts the cost to make sure he has enough to finish it.

b. The reason is that he would be made a mockery for starting

something that he couldn't finish.

c. The same is true in discipleship: count the cost!

C. Jesus must come first before the future.

1. Far too many Christians say they're living by faith while they are
actually walking by sight.

a. The promises of God are still true!

b. God is not broke.

c. He will meet our needs!

2. Example of freshman class at BBC.

a. 1500 started and only 500 finished.

b. The majority of missionaries never get to field.

 c. Many missionaries never return to the field after their first
term.

3. Other examples

a. A good friend went back home to where he could make

more money.

b. Another man who dropped out for a while to get financially

secure.

c. One fellow finished, but returned to get his trade license, just
so he could have something to 'fall back on'.

4. We do not plan for the future and then follow Jesus, we

follow Jesus and let Him take care of the future!

II. Put Jesus Before the Present. v59-60

A. Notice the contradiction.

1. We cannot call Him Lord and still refuse to do what He tells us to

do.

(Luke 6:46) "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the
things which I say?"

a. He was simply trying to find a reason why he shouldn't

follow Christ right then.

b. He was saying, 'let me take care of my present obligations

and then I will follow'.

2. We are experts at finding excuses why we cannot follow the Lord.

a. We wouldn't think of questioning the Word.

b. We know what the Bible says about being a disciple.

 c. So instead of rejecting the Word of God, we find excuses for
ourselves.

3. Some examples.

a. God says, 'Forsake not the assembling of yourselves

together'. We find all kinds of reasons why we can't attend the
services.

b. God says, 'Study to shew thyself approved' We are just too

tired to go to Bible study.

c. God says, 'He loves a cheerful giver'; We say He will

understand, we have to pay for our toys…

B. We are living in the 21st Century!

1. Our entire lives seem to be lived in a rush.

2. So many things occupy our time, but how many of those things are
worthy of it?

3. We cannot call Him Lord and then disobey His commands: we

must put Jesus first before the present.

III. Put Jesus Before the Past. v61-62

A. This man said, "I will follow thee; but…"

1. There was something that he wasn't ready to give up yet.

2. He was willing to follow Jesus, but it would be done on his terms.

3. Jesus says that that kind of service is not acceptable!

B. It is a matter of the heart attitude.

1. We cannot be an effective servant for God if we are constantly

looking back at the past.
 (James 1:8) "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."

2. The good old days weren't that good!

(2 Cor 5:17) "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new

creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are
become new."

C. We must put Jesus before the past, no matter what our past might have
been.

CONCLUSION: (Luke 10:1-2)

Put Jesus Before the Future. Put Jesus Before the Present. Put Jesus Before the Past.