How Much Does it Cost?

Short Talk (SHT167) How much does it cost? © Jane Hulme 2019 Aim of Short talk: Use of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Lectionary: Props: To challenge people with Jesus’ statement that it costs us everything to follow Him, to be His disciple. This is a short All Age talk picking out one issue from the Lectionary Gospel reading of the Sunday main service. The talk stands alone and assumes that the Gospel Bible reading may not yet have been read to the congregation. It could be used for example, for the whole congregation before the children go out to their age specific groups, leaving the adults with a full sermon later. Cost, Discipleship Luke 14:25-33 Year C – 12th Sunday after Trinity You need a table on which you place: • A couple of £10 notes • A clock • An energy drink SHORT TALK: “How much does it cost” .................................................................................................................. Everything we do in this life costs us or someone else something. • Imagine for a moment that at school or college you were given a letter about a trip to Africa next year, which promised to give you a life-changing experience. Would that trip cost nothing? • No, it would most likely cost a lot of money to your parents. (Hold up £10 notes) • But that probably wouldn’t be all that it cost. If your parents wanted to send you on that trip and they couldn’t afford to immediately pay for it, they might give up a couple of evenings a week to get an extra job. • There would be a cost of time to your parents. (Hold up clock) Your parents might also say that while they were working hard to earn extra money, you had to mow the lawn and clean the house. • There would be a cost of energy to you. (Hold up an energy drink) So, going to Africa d would cost money, time and energy to both you and to your parents, but the cost would be worth it because you hope that it will be a life-changing experience. How about if you wanted to learn to drive a car? • What would that cost you? (Receive responses) © Jane Hulme 2019 2 Yes, learning to drive a car costs a lot of money. (Hold up £10 notes) • It also costs time (Hold up clock) and energy (Hold up energy drink), • but the cost would be worth it because once you have a driving licence, you can own a car which can help you to get a job. How about if you wanted to spend a gap-year with Tearfund, helping on a water project in Uganda? • What would that cost you? (Receive responses) Yes, it would cost you a lot of money to pay for the flight to Uganda and have enough to live on for the year. (Hold up £10 notes) • It would also cost you a year in time. (Hold up clock) • In the heat of Uganda, it would also cost you much energy. (Hold up energy drink) • But the cost would be worth it because you would be part of a worthwhile project of providing clean water to some of the world’s poorest people. Jesus told His followers and He tells us that there is a cost to following Him. • This is what He said to people who wanted to follow Him: “....those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.” (Luke 14:33) • In other words, Jesus is saying, the cost to us of following Him is everything that we have. Jesus isn’t an “add-on” to our lives. • He didn’t say: “Follow me on a Sunday and the rest of the week, do what you like!” • Following Jesus, the Lord of all, will cost us everything. It will cost us our money (Hold up £10 notes) • because Jesus wants us to spend our money on Kingdom work, and not simply on ourselves. It will cost us our time (Hold up clock) • because Jesus wants us to spend time with Him and serving other people, rather than using all of our time on our own pleasures. It will cost us our energy (Hold up energy drink) • because Jesus wants us to give Him our very best efforts when we serve Him. Following Jesus will cost us everything: our money, our time and our energy. • But the cost is worth it because we are invited into God’s Kingdom where we become loved and forgiven children of God. • We have peace with God and a hope of living with Jesus for all eternity. As we think afresh about following Jesus with all the benefits that He offers to us, • are you willing to pay the cost? © Jane Hulme 2019 3