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Costly

Sketched IX Day 14 Costly Surrender: Digging Deeper

July 8, 2021 by Lisa Marcelina Leave a Comment

Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Costly Surrender!

The Questions

1) What does it mean to bear our own cross? (verse 27)

2) Why is it necessary to renounce your possessions to become a disciple of Jesus? (verse 33)

3) Why did Jesus use salt as an analogy? (verses 34-35)

Luke 14:25-35

25 Now great crowds were traveling with him. So he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

28 “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31 “Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.

34 “Now, salt is good, but if salt should lose its taste, how will it be made salty? 35 It isn’t fit for the soil or for the manure pile; they throw it out. Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”

Original Intent

1) What does it mean to bear our own cross? (verse 27)
Crucifixion was an extremely horrific type of execution. It consisted of tying or nailing the victim to a cross until he died, usually hours or even days later. Before the actual crucifixion, the victim was flogged with a leather whip woven through with iron balls and sharp sheep bones. The scourging was meant to bring the victim to a state just short of death. (Robert Gidley) In this weakened state, the criminal carried the crossbar to the execution site upon his shoulders.  If he tripped or fell, he could not use his arms to break the fall and would most likely fall on his face to the ground, bringing further shame, humiliation, and pain upon himself. Jesus’ death by crucifixion shows the length and breadth of His rescue mission in order to save us from the punishment we each deserve for our sins, death. Christ’s death was the ultimate sacrifice because He, though completely innocent of all sin, chose to take on sin’s consequence out of deep love for us. To bear our cross, we must be willing to follow His example by dying (crucifying) to our sinful selves and living for Jesus in the new life He gives freely to all who surrender themselves to Him.

2) Why is it necessary to renounce our possessions to become a disciple of Jesus? (verse 33)
Before Jesus began His ministry, His cousin, John the Baptist, taught about money, possessions, and repentance. One day while baptizing by the Jordan, John told the crowd to share their clothes and food with those who didn’t have any. He instructed tax collectors to collect no more than required. He taught soldiers to not extort money and be content with their pay. (Luke 3:10-14) Jesus also told quite a few parables about the effects of accumulating wealth. For instance, the parable about the rich fool in Luke 12:13-21 teaches that focusing on storing up wealth for future use is senseless. The rich fool’s focus was not on God, but on himself and his accomplishments. So with all his plans, he died that very night, unable to enjoy the fruits of his labour, leaving everything he had for someone else. In Luke 18:18-25, a young ruler came to Jesus and asked Him what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments, to which the rich ruler replied he kept from his youth. But Jesus told him he lacked one thing, which was to sell his possessions, distribute to the poor, and come follow Him. This saddened the ruler because he couldn’t bring himself to part with all his wealth. These examples demonstrate that accumulating wealth can easily deter us from serving God whole-heartedly. Jesus wanted total commitment from His disciples; commitment that would be impossible if they insisted on holding tightly to material things.

3) Why did Jesus use salt as an analogy? (verses 34-35)
In the biblical days, salt was not as pure as it is today. It was mixed with different forms of impurities causing it to lose its saltiness. Therefore, nothing much could be done with it. According to Zondervan, “such salt does not complete its purpose, and it lacks the resource, the saltiness, to do the job it was intended for.” (Zondervan KJV Commentary) Jesus used what was common, tasteless salt, to teach His disciples that if they chose to muddy their lives with other “lesser loves”, they are no longer suited for effective Kingdom purposes, just like flavourless salt. Every Christ follower must be willing to live for and worship God alone, continuously surrendering to His purpose for their lives.

Everyday Application

1) What does it mean to bear our own cross? (verse 27)
The Roman execution method of crucifixion was a slow and painful process. When Jesus used this metaphor He knew exactly what He was talking about, and so did His audience. This wasn’t intended to be an emotionally encouraging pep talk. He was telling His disciples that following Him would guarantee intense persecution, even death. While many today, at least in the western hemisphere, may not experience this level of persecution, being a Christian still guarantees a cost. To truly follow Jesus means whole-life commitment and sacrifice, and living for Him does not mean automatic happiness and an easy life. I was the victim of a crime committed by a close family member. I wasted no time in reporting the matter. Other family members begged me not to take action, but I could not turn a blind eye to wrongdoing and did what I knew was right. As a result, I lost favour with family members, and my relationship with the perpetrator has been severed for almost two years. It has been really hard, but I do not regret the choice I made. We must not condone sin, no matter who commits it. Our calling as Christ-followers is to live solely for Jesus and not focus on money, possessions, or relationships that are out of alignment with God’s calling to live holy. We will experience difficulty for following God and His plan; we must be prepared and willing to endure hardship because Jesus gave everything for us. If we try to save ourselves from pain and heartache, we will not grow into maturity, thus missing out on our intended purpose in following Christ.

2) Why is it necessary to renounce our possessions to become a disciple of Jesus? (verse 33)
True repentance means a radical change of lifestyle especially as it relates to money and possessions. As mentioned above, I was a victim of a crime. My entire life savings was stolen from me. While I had no choice to report the crime, the Lord told me to not attempt to retrieve the money. With His guidance, I rebuilt my finances and became financially stable once more. It took time, but during that time, the Lord provided and worked out His goodness in my heart as He taught me to trust Him instead of my finances. One passage of Scripture I have seen fulfilled in my life is Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you”. The whole incident of theft changed my life. I drew closer to God and He has demonstrated to me that He will take care of me once I give my life wholeheartedly to Him. By surrendering to Jesus, He proved a faithful Provider. If I had chosen to trust money instead, I would have missed out on the better thing, which will always be Jesus. Placing Jesus first in your life ahead of family, career, and wealth means building a relationship based on faith, trust, and commitment to God. Is it difficult? Yes. But this sacrifice means living a life of purpose and meaning far more valuable than money or human relationships could ever provide.

3) Why did Jesus use salt as an analogy? (verses 34-35)
Being a Christian means more than just saying, “I believe in Jesus Christ”. We are called to be doers (active followers) of the Word of God, not simply hearers only. (James 1:22)  Being a disciple means fulfilling the calling God has for you, whatever that may be. If you begin your journey of walking with Jesus, and then become distracted by other things along the way, you have lost your saltiness. There was a season when I spent a lot of time in Bible Study and sharing what I learned through writing. Distraction set in and “life” got in the way. My excuses were plentiful. I had children to raise and a career to develop, and I allowed “following God” to take a backseat. Just before the theft incident, I would have said my life was great. It was when my whole world turned upside down, God lovingly used that hardship to correct my course and bring me back to Him. I have returned to daily Bible Study and have begun writing and sharing about Jesus once again. I am fulfilling my purpose and the calling the Lord has given me. In the words of Zondervan, “Believers must determine never to be “useless Christians”, like salt that has lost its flavour. (Zondervan KJV Commentary)

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
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Catch up with Costly Surrender!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

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This is Sketched IX Week Three!
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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Posted in: Digging Deeper, Discipleship, Jesus, Rescue, Sacrifice, Sketched, Worship Tagged: Bear, commitment, Costly, cross, Freely, Humiliation, new life, Salt, Shame, surrender

Sketched IX Day 13 Costly Surrender

July 7, 2021 by Sarah Afan Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 5:22-42
Luke 5:1-11
Matthew 14:22-33
Luke 14:25-35
John 21:15-19

Sketched IX, Day 13

Suppose the world authority orders you, on threat of death, not to talk about Jesus; what would you do? Most believers in Jesus would answer, “I would rather obey God than men” (Acts 5:29) . . . while we’re in our comfort zone. But would our answer be the same when the reality of suffering dawns on us?

The Lord told us clearly we would be hated for His name’s sake; following Him may cost our lives. (Matthew 10:22) His words are becoming reality for us now as the Jewish authority (the Sanhedrin) does not want us to preach Jesus. Despite doing everything possible to stop the spread of the news of Jesus’ resurrection, they found us preaching and people responding with believing in Him. Every day, large numbers of believers are added to the Church. (Acts 2:47)

We have been arrested and strictly warned never to preach in His name again. Our lives are on the line because of the gospel of Christ. Amidst the Sanhedrin’s threats, I told them, without hesitation, we will not obey their command and thereby defy God’s own.

Does it sound risky?
Yes!
But my relationship with Jesus has gone beyond following my will.
My will no longer counts; His will be done.
I must live for Jesus and preach His gospel of salvation while I am in this body. My journey with Him has reached a point of no return; come what may.

I decided this after undergoing a process of life transformation during my walk with Christ. After encountering Him at Lake Gennesaret, I discovered life at its best is only found in Christ. I would rather go through any kind of storm with Him than a storm-free life without Him.

Perhaps you think being with Jesus physically made following easy for me. Not at all; I stumbled and faltered as I faced painful and challenging situations. Yet, I pressed on with His help.

Let me share some of my story, so you can be encouraged and persevere!

Initially, when I started the journey, I was excited seeing Jesus performing different miracles. Not only that, we (His disciples) also healed and cast out demons in His name. Another exciting moment was at the Mount of Transfiguration, where I saw His glory when Moses and Elijah appeared to Him. In addition, He told me He would give me the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 16:19) Wow, I thought I had become a giant of faith.

But one night my faith was tested, and I discovered I was not the giant I imagined. We were in a boat at midnight, tossed by a great wind; we saw Jesus walking on water. We thought it was a ghost, but He assured us not to be afraid, that it was He. So, I asked Him to command me to come to Him. He did. At once, I stepped out onto the water and started walking, thinking of myself as the giant of the faith, Peter. Suddenly the wind became furious; fear gripped me, and I started sinking. I cried to Jesus for help and He saved me. The Lord rebuked me for doubting. I saw myself as a failure, but was comforted because Jesus did not abandon me.

When we celebrated the Passover together, He told us He would be arrested and killed, and we would all desert Him. I declared I would NEVER desert Him; I would go with Him to the point of death.  But reality dawned on me when Jesus was arrested: I found myself denying knowing my Lord for fear of my peers.

When I realized the devastating choice I’d made, I wept bitterly for mercy. Following His resurrection, Jesus graciously restored me. In my sober moment, I recalled what the Lord told us one day, regarding following Him. He said,

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters–yes and even his own life–he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26-27)

“If anyone wants to follow after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)

“Yes, I understand,” I told myself; I must let go of my life by surrendering it absolutely to Christ. And after His resurrection, at our final meeting with Him, I accepted wholeheartedly His mandate.

Hearing my story, do you understand my assertion?
It’s not enough to say we would obey God while in our comfort zones?
His will must be paramount to the cost of our lives, for true surrender is worth the cost.

Take courage, Believers!
The journey of following Jesus is not by our might nor by our power, but by the Spirit of the Lord (Zechariah 4:6)! Whatever you pass through, be assured He will be there with you (Isaiah 43:2). He promises to never leave you nor forsake you (Joshua 1:5).

Because He is worthy.
Our surrender, though costly, is worth it. 

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Sketched IX Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Sketched IX!

Posted in: Christ, church, Courage, Faith, God, Gospel, Jesus, Life, Obedience, Relationship, Restored, Salvation Tagged: Authority, Costly, encouraged, found, glory, Graciously, His Will, resurrection, Risky, story, surrender

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And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14