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A few years ago, I was playing college football at Kentucky Christian University. A lot of my coaches were former professional football players, so I was getting advice on how to be the best, from the best. For example, my receiver coach played on the same team as Jerry Rice, a Hall of Fame wide receiver and three-time Super Bowl champion. Our defensive back coach played for the Minnesota Vikings and was famous for intercepting Brett Favre, one of the greatest quarterbacks in the league.
One day after practice, my coaches pulled me aside and said that I have what it takes to play with the professionals. Seeing my talent and skill, they said I could have a legitimate shot of making it to the league. However, it was going to cost a lot more than what I was giving at that moment. In order to make it into the NFL, I would need to put on more weight, increase my strength, and catch one hundred footballs per day.
I took their advice to heart because they had already been where I was trying to go. It would be silly not to listen to them since they played with and against the best people to ever play football.
The interesting thing about Christianity is that Jesus says to consider the cost before we accept Him.
"Whoever does not persevere and carry his own cross and come after (follow) Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, wishing to build a farm building, does not first sit down and calculate the cost [to see] whether he has sufficient means to finish it?" - Luke 14:27-28 AMPC
However, this is not the message that more than 90% of pastors preach. Could Jesus be saying, “count the cost” because He’s referring to gas prices in Bethlehem? The only problem is, there were no cars during that time, so it must be something else…
Perhaps Jesus is saying, “count the cost” because a true relationship with Him could cost us the relationships we have with everyone else in our lives.
"I have come to cast fire upon the earth, and how I wish that it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and how greatly and sorely I am urged on (impelled, constrained) until it is accomplished! Do you suppose that I have come to give peace upon earth? No, I say to you, but rather division; For from now on in one house there will be five divided [among themselves], three against two and two against three." - Luke 14:49-51 AMPC
Isn’t it interesting that we live our entire lives never receiving instruction from God that makes us or even the people around us uncomfortable? Jesus says, “count the cost” because a pursuit after Him might cost you the dreams and goals that you’ve had since you were a kid.
"For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting]." - Matthew 16:25 AMPC
Jesus says that it is extremely hard to get to heaven and that only a few will make it. We know that He is giving us valid information because He has already been to the place where we are trying to go. Most Christians, however, will tell you that the life of a Christian isn’t that hard.
"Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it. But the gate is narrow (contracted by pressure) and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it." - Matthew 7:13-15 AMPC
"And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." - John 3:13 KJV
The only reason that I listened to my coaches' advice about playing professional sports is because they had already played them. If it was someone who had just watched a lot of football, I definitely wouldn't have taken them seriously.
Isn’t it interesting, though, how we’re so quick to take spiritual advice from someone who is talking about a life that they've only read about instead of one that they’re currently living? When we read Paul’s letters in the New Testament, is he referring to someone else’s faith and trials or his own? Paul not only faced his own trials, he also says that his scars are what prove his dedication to Christ!
"From now on let no person trouble me [by making it necessary for me to vindicate my apostolic authority and the divine truth of my Gospel], for I bear on my body the [brand] marks of the Lord Jesus [the wounds, scars, and other outward evidence of persecutions—these testify to His ownership of me]!" - Galatians 6:17 AMPC
Isn't it interesting that we attend church every Sunday not expecting to hear of the faith that our pastor had during the week, but we rely on faith stories that come from the Bible? What if God expects us to have our own? Christ isn't meant to be preached based off hours of reading, but rather off of years of experience carrying His cross. At what point are we going to require Christians to practice what they preach?
Peter established the first church after preaching what he had actually been living and experiencing the last 3 years as a follower of Jesus.
"Peter answered him, 'We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?'” - Matthew 19:27 NIV
Why are we so quick to listen to someone that doesn’t have tangible evidence of their commitment to Christ? How many pastors do we know that have had to give up things because of their commitment to Christ? Or do we mostly know people that have been "lucky" enough to keep everything and get more?
In the Bible, only the people that had been faithfully walking with Jesus and obeying Him were called to be shepherds of His flock. Today, however, a lot of preachers receive their calling from friends and Facebook.
A question comes to mind — is your pastor known for his walk with Jesus or his talk about Jesus?
I've always believed talk is cheap and I don't think it's enough to earn you a spot in God's Kingdom.
"Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won’t know the first thing about entering the kingdom." - Matthew 5:20 MSG
The only reason Jesus says it’s hard to get to heaven is because He is familiar with the road that we have to take to get there. If this isn’t the first message we hear before coming to Christ, how would we know that the person we're listening to is on the same road that Jesus referred to?
A five-minute salvation prayer with no thought behind it is great for building a church, but has been ineffective in building the Kingdom of God. Jesus showed us the way that leads to eternal life, and it cost Him everything. Why have we been charged so little if we’re on the same path?
"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." - 2 Timothy 3:12 KJV
Question of the day: Do you think it’s strange that some people have been asked to give up their lives for Christ, BUT you are only asked to fit Him into your schedule on Sunday mornings?