During the last several weeks, I have reminded you of what Jesus said in Luke 14. Three times the Lord Jesus said “cannot be my disciple,” and in so doing reveals barriers that keep us from following Him!
- People
- Priorities
- Possessions
We have already seen (in a previous post) that the people we love most make it difficult to follow Christ. We have also seen that we must deny self and put its sinful desires to death, so that we can follow Him.
Notice what Jesus said in Luke 14:27:
Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
Consider the phrase “does not bear his own cross.” This phrase means to identify with the Lord Jesus in His death and in His life!
To shoulder the cross means to first of all identify with Christ in His death. In turn, to follow Christ will require sacrifice, suffering, and self-denial. He shares the parables about the workman and the warrior (Luke 14: 28-32) to encourage believers to “count the cost”.
As A.W. Tozer says,
“So many [people] want to enjoy the thrill of feeling right without enduring the inconveniences of being right.” So many today want nothing to do with a gospel that will cost them!
We also identify with Jesus in His life. We become passionate about what he is passionate about. As we grow, His priorities become our priorities.
During His earthly ministry, Jesus was passionate about His relationship with the Father, the word of God, and the lost. Ultimately, He was focused on things that are eternal!
If you would truly follow Christ, you should live a life of priority investing in:
- God
- His Word
- The souls of Men
What about you? Do temporal things hinder you from following Jesus?
If so, what are they?
Next week, I will be discussing the topic of possessions. Don’t miss it!
