Counting the Cost

Short Talk (SHT157) “Yes, BUT.....” © Jane Hulme 2019 Aim of Short talk: Use of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Lectionary: Props: SHORT TALK: “Yes, BUT.....” To encourage people to follow Jesus, having counted the cost, and without giving Jesus conditions! 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. Jesus, Following, Discipleship, Cost Luke 9:51-62 Year C – 2nd Sunday after Trinity You will need: • A cross (approximately 18” high) • A calendar (as large as possible) • A child’s bicycle .................................................................................................................. Today we are going to think about Jesus’ invitation to “follow Him” and look at 3 people Jesus met one day when He was walking to Jerusalem, on His way to the cross. • As we look at these 3 people, see if any of their attitudes remind you of yourself! • I need 3 volunteers to come and help me. (Receive 3 volunteers) The first person who talked with Jesus was a man who said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” (Luke 9:57) • That sounds great doesn’t it? This man was willing to go anywhere with Jesus. • You’d think that Jesus would say to this man: “Fantastic!” • But Jesus knew what was in this man’s heart. He knew that this man didn’t understand that following Jesus was going to be costly to him. • Following Jesus would mean following Jesus to the cross, not following Jesus to a palace where Jesus would be crowned King. • So, Jesus told the man that if he was going to follow Him, then it would be costly. (Give the cross to your 1st volunteer) Here’s a cross to remind us of that. It can be easy for us to say: “Yes Jesus, I will follow you wherever you go,” can’t it? • But we need to remember that it will be costly for us too. • The cost will be about choosing to say “no” to what we want and “yes” to what Jesus wants and that can be very hard at times. • So, before we say a quick and unthinking: “Yes Jesus, I will follow you wherever you go,” we need to think carefully about what it will cost us and recognise that our lives will be different from other people’s. © Jane Hulme 2019 2 The 2nd man said “yes” to following Jesus but added conditions to when He would follow Him. • He said “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” (Luke 9:59) • That sounds reasonable doesn’t it, except that if the man’s father had died, he would have been busy with the burial then. • What this man was saying was that he would follow Jesus after his dad had died at some point in the future. • He said that other things came first. • Jesus told this man that God’s Kingdom comes first! I wonder what comes 1st in your life? • What are the first things that you put into your diary or calendar each week? • Do you put your Bible study, prayer times, worship times, serving of Jesus first or do they get squeezed out by everything else that you would rather do? (Give calendar to your 2nd volunteer) Here’s a calendar to remind us to put Jesus first. And finally the 3rd man said “I will follow you Lord; but I’ve got other things to do.....” • This man also added conditions on when he would follow Jesus. • He wanted to follow Jesus but was distracted by his family. • Jesus told this man that when you plough a field you are of no use if you keep looking backwards. (Give the bicycle to your 3rd volunteer to hold) • That might seem like a strange thing to say, so let’s see how that works. Imagine that this bicycle is a plough and its job is to go up and down a field, creating straight lines so that the seed can be sown. • If I told you now to ride in a straight line up and down this aisle and you chose to look backwards all of the time, what would happen? (Receive answers) • It would be better for you to not even get on the bike at all than ride it whilst looking backwards, wouldn’t it? • So Jesus is saying that if we are going to follow Him, then we need to give Him our full attention. • He wants us to have our eyes fixed on Him and not be distracted by all sorts of other things going on around us. I wonder what distracts you from following Jesus. • Are there people you know who try and distract you from walking with Jesus? • Does your phone, or television or computer distract you from walking with Jesus? So having looked at these 3 people, I wonder if any of their attitudes remind you of yourself. • As Jesus says to you afresh, “Follow me,” • Are you willing to count the cost? (point at 1st volunteer) • Are you willing to put Jesus first? (point at 2nd volunteer) and • Are you willing to give Him your full attention and not be distracted by other things? (point at 3rd volunteer) • If you are, then your life will have meaning and purpose and will bring glory to God. © Jane Hulme 2019 3