"The Cost of Discipleship"

Text: Matthew 16:24

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

      The cost of discipleship has been a personal subject that has been on
my heart for a long time. I have be asking myself have I been paying the
price
to be a disciple of Christ, have I and you really been paying the cost.
Christ paid the cost for my salvation by giving his life for me and for all
mankind
but have I or you been paying the cost. Jesus tells me that my cost is paid
by the denial of myself and your cost also is to deny yourself. I have
denied
myself of many of the old things I use to do and say; I have broken many of
my old relationships to separate myself from the world. I know that I am in
the world but I am not of the world.

      But denial of self, my friend means dedication to some one else and
that is why Jesus said pick up your cross and follow me. In paying the cost,
our
dedication is to Christ and to him alone. Our cost will be our lose of ties
to relatives because Jesus said, if you come to me and hate not your father,
your mother, your wife, your sisters and brothers and even your children and
your own life, you cannot be my disciple. Our cost to be a true disciple of
Christ is a heavy cost. And if you are not sure you can pay it, Jesus don't
come after me. Because if you grab hold of the gospel plow and look back,
your
not fit for the kingdom of God.

      The cross my friend is an emblem of suffering and pain, you must bear
the ridicule of the world for believing that Jesus is God and that his name
is all powerful and that every man must submit to it. Because at the name of
Jesus every knee must bow and every tongue must confess to the glory of God
the Father. Our cost is to carry the cross the emblem of suffering and pain.
The way of the cross is not an easy way, it is a narrow way full of
discouragements
and temptations that will bear down on your soul trying to get us to turn
back from the way to eternal life.

      Our cost is to walk the narrow way of holiness because without
holiness no man shall see the Lord. Our cost is to pray without ceasing for
the help
of God because when others give up we must kept on going and press towards
the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Our cost
is to stand and be unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord.

      Our cost of discipleship should be a matter of great of great concern
for every child of God. Have we paid a price worthy of salvation, have our
works
been made of silver and gold or wood, hay and stubble. In this age we have
not been required to lose our natural life for the sake of Christ but have
we
dedicated all to the cause of the Lord. Think about it my friend and if you
haven't its time for a change if you consider yourself a child of God.

Mat 16:1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired
him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
Mat 16:2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, [It
will be] fair weather: for the sky is red.
Mat 16:3 And in the morning, [It will be] foul weather to day: for the sky
is red and lowring. O [ye] hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky;
but
can ye not [discern] the signs of the times?
Mat 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there
shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he
left
them, and departed.
Mat 16:5 And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had
forgotten to take bread.
Mat 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of
the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Mat 16:7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, [It is] because we have
taken no bread.
Mat 16:8 [Which] when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little
faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?
Mat 16:9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the
five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
Mat 16:10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many
baskets ye took up?
Mat 16:11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake [it] not to you
concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and
of
the Sadducees?
Mat 16:12 Then understood they how that he bade [them] not beware of the
leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Mat 16:13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his
disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
Mat 16:14 And they said, Some [say that thou art] John the Baptist: some,
Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
Mat 16:15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of
the living God.
Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon
Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father
which
is in heaven.
Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock
I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and
whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever
thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Mat 16:20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he
was Jesus the Christ.
Mat 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how
that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and
chief
priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Mat 16:22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far
from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
Mat 16:23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan:
thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of
God,
but those that be of men.
Mat 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after
me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Mat 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will
lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Mat 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and
lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Mat 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his
angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Mat 16:28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall
not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

Mat 16:24
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

24 If
Mat 10:38,
Mar 8:34,
Mar 10:21,
Luk 9:23-
27
Luk 14:27,
Act 14:22,
Col 1:24,
1Th 3:3,
2Ti 3:12,
Hbr 11:24-
26 and take
Mat 27:32,
Mar 15:21,
Luk 23:26,
Jhn 19:17,
1Pe 4:1,
2


Mat 10:38
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of
me.

Mar 8:34
And when he had called the people [unto him] with his disciples also, he
said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take
up
his cross, and follow me.

Mar 10:21
Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou
lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and
thou shalt
have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

Luk 9:23
And he said to [them] all, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Luk 14:27
And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my
disciple.

Act 14:22
Confirming the souls of the disciples, [and] exhorting them to continue in
the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom
of
God.

Col 1:24
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind
of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the
church:

1Th 3:3
That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that
we are appointed thereunto.

2Ti 3:12
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Hbr 11:24
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of
Pharaoh's daughter;

Mat 27:32
And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they
compelled to bear his cross.

Mar 15:21
And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the
country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.

Luk 23:26
And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming
out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear [it]
after Jesus.

Jhn 19:17
And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called [the place] of a
skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:

1Pe 4:1
Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves
likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath
ceased
from sin;


To get out of a hard situation,
try a soft answer.
Proverbs 15:1
A soft answer turneth away wrath:
but grievous words stir up anger.
YBIC, Thomas And YSIC, Linda.
twilliamson2@...
pofm@...