For which one of
you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the
cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise,
when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it
begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man began to
build and was not able to finish.’ Or
what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit
down and consider whether he is
strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against
him with twenty thousand? Or
else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of
peace.
Insights: After asking His audience to put Him in the first position of
priority in their lives, Jesus then told them to be willing to sacrifice all
for Him. Now, He tells them to make
certain they want to live such a life.
He gives them two illustrations to prove His point of counting the cost
of discipleship. The first is a
construction illustration and we have all seen buildings that have been started
and not finished and stay in that condition for years and years. The second is a military illustration. I would hope our military analysis every
aspect and contingency before engaging an enemy. I also hope that before deciding to advance
with such a plan they determine the potential success rate of the
operation. The point Jesus is making is
that to serve Him there is potential danger.
He does not promise us a life of roses with no thorns. In fact, He promises us hostility from the
world. He promises us persecution and
ridicule. He promises us work. Gregory Frizzell’s words begin to ring true
at this point. He wrote, “We are all
saved to serve, not sit. . . . Let us now resolve to become givers and
servers far more than sitters and takers.
May we all commit to serve our Lord with diligence and gladness of heart
He deserves. To do anything less is
profound ingratitude and disobedience.”
To not count the cost of service is a profound ingratitude to Jesus,
especially in light of the cross of Calvary.
Jesus literally gave His life to save us from our sins and for us to
respond with, “I am just going to sit here and not serve,” is profound
ingratitude. Beloved, arise, count the
cost and serve well!
Questions:
- Do you often start projects and then fail to complete
them?
- What would it cost you to fully surrender to the Lord Jesus?
Prayer: Father, to live a life of complete surrender would be very
costly and very much worth the cost. There
is no way for me to know the future requirements You will have of me, but Lord,
I settle the issue today as to whether or not I will serve You. The answer is, Yes! Amen.
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