Shownotes
In this powerful episode, we’ll collide with a question that hits at the core of Christian faith: Is discipleship meant to be easy? Through Scripture and timeless insights, we’ll explore the true cost of following Jesus and why it’s a journey worth taking.
Summary
- Defining Discipleship: We unpack what it means to be a disciple, a lifelong commitment to follow Jesus, not just a label.
- Counting the Cost: Jesus’ parables in Luke 14:28-33 warn us to weigh the commitment, urging us to renounce all for Him.
- The Demands of Discipleship: Mark 8:34 lays it out: deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus daily.
- The Hard Road: Discipleship is a tough, transformative process, sculpting us through trials in a resistant world.
- Grace and Reward: Though costly, grace makes it bearable, and the eternal rewards make it reasonable.
Key Takeaways
- Discipleship demands total surrender: your will, comfort, and life to Jesus.
- It’s a daily choice to deny yourself and embrace the cross, not a one-time act.
- The journey is hard, but it transforms us into who God created us to be.
- Grace sustains us, balancing the cost with the promise of eternal treasure.
- Following Jesus deepens our faith, even through suffering and sacrifice.
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Transcripts
Welcome to Equipped for Purpose. I'm your host, Vincent Ream, and this is the podcast
Speaker:where discipleship meets impactful leadership. Whether you're new to faith or a seasoned
Speaker:follower of Christ, this podcast is designed to help you deepen your relationship with
Speaker:Jesus, grow as a leader, and make a difference in every area of your life. Together we'll
Speaker:explore practical tools, biblical insights, and real-life strategies to equip you for
Speaker:the purpose God has called you to. Let's dive in.
Speaker:Welcome back to the podcast. Today we're confronting a question that strikes at the core of
Speaker:what it means to follow Jesus. Will discipleship be easy? Many of us might wish for a simple,
Speaker:comfortable path when we first consider following Christ. But is that what scripture promises?
Speaker:In this episode, we'll explore what the Bible and some other sources reveal about the reality
Speaker:of Christian discipleship, specifically the serious cost it demands. The question isn't
Speaker:just academic, it's personal. Have you ever considered what it truly means to follow Jesus?
Speaker:Before we can assess the cost, we need to define what discipleship is. The word disciple and its
Speaker:variations appear over 250 times in the New Testament, underscoring its centrality to the
Speaker:Christian faith. The term Christian was originally used to describe disciples,
Speaker:those who follow Jesus. So, what is a disciple? Well, at its core, it's a follower of Jesus
Speaker:in a teacher-disciple relationship. It involves being on the way with him, as scripture often
Speaker:describes it. But it's more than a title, it's a way of life. Early Christians understood discipleship
Speaker:as their very existence, confessing Jesus as Lord, believing in his resurrection, and submitting to
Speaker:his sovereignty. Some would call this a gracious summons to enter his kingdom and glory, requiring
Speaker:not just words or debate, but a single act of surrender and ongoing obedience. There's no menu
Speaker:of Christian lifestyles to pick from. There's only one Jesus Christ, and we're called to
Speaker:imitate him in every circumstance. Now, the specific definition I use for a disciple,
Speaker:beyond the literal definition of one who follows, is one who has faith to intentionally place
Speaker:believing trust and loyalty in Jesus Christ as the Messiah. One who is taking intentional
Speaker:and focused daily action to see the fruit of transformation to be more like Christ, and one
Speaker:who is taking intentional and purposeful action to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that's
Speaker:a lot, but that helps get to some specificity of what we can define a disciple to be. But then
Speaker:there's also the specific definition I use for discipleship. And this is one who is first a
Speaker:disciple of Jesus Christ, and second is seeking replication of disciples. This is done through
Speaker:one daily prayer of relationship building and petition, two deep study of scripture,
Speaker:three engaging in community by encouraging one another in the faith, challenging one another
Speaker:to grow in spiritual maturity, and holding one another accountable to the collective calling of
Speaker:the Great Commission and the individual assignments we each carry, and four, sharing the gospel of
Speaker:Jesus Christ in such a way that it's inviting and conveying good news. These are the current
Speaker:definitions I'm working with. And again, I say current because we can't hold too tightly to the
Speaker:way we define things. The Holy Spirit may bring about a revelation that forces us to change.
Speaker:And you can't be afraid of change because it will happen as you grow in spiritual maturity.
Speaker:Now let's turn to Jesus' own words. Does Jesus promise an easy path? In Luke 14, 28 to 33,
Speaker:he challenges us with two parables. Imagine a builder starting a tower without calculating
Speaker:the cost only to run out of funds and face ridicule, or a king marching to war against a
Speaker:stronger foe realizing too late he can't win. That passage of scripture specifically says,
Speaker:For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost,
Speaker:whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to
Speaker:finish, all who sees it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish.
Speaker:Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and
Speaker:deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty
Speaker:thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks
Speaker:for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be
Speaker:my disciple. Jesus ties these images directly to discipleship, saying, So therefore, any one of you
Speaker:who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. That's a high bar forsaking everything.
Speaker:Jesus doubles down in Matthew 16, 25-26 when he says, For whoever would save his life will
Speaker:lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if
Speaker:he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
Speaker:What does this mean? It's not primarily about eternal salvation. Jesus was speaking to
Speaker:believers like Peter, already saved. Here, save means preserving your physical life from
Speaker:harm or risk. If you cling to safety and comfort, avoiding sacrifice for Christ,
Speaker:you'll lose the true life of reward and purpose he offers. But if you surrender your life for him,
Speaker:you'll find it in the deepest sense. But then comes the piercing question,
Speaker:for what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?
Speaker:Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? Nothing in this world, no wealth, approval,
Speaker:or possession can match the value of your life fully given to Christ. The answer is sobering.
Speaker:There's nothing you can trade for it. Jesus doesn't leave us guessing about what this
Speaker:cost looks like. In Mark 8.34, he lays it out. If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself
Speaker:and take up his cross and follow me. Let's unpack this. Deny himself,
Speaker:essentially surrendering your will. First, Jesus says we must deny ourselves. This isn't about
Speaker:giving up little comforts like skipping a latte or a night out. It's about something far more
Speaker:profound, setting aside your agenda, your plans, and your desires to embrace God's will instead.
Speaker:It's a shift from living for yourself to living for him. In using Jesus as our example in the
Speaker:Garden of Gethsemane, the night before his crucifixion, he prayed,
Speaker:My Father, if it is possible, let this cut pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as
Speaker:you will. Even in his human anguish, Jesus surrendered his will to the Father's plan.
Speaker:That's the heart of denying oneself, saying yes to God even when it's hard.
Speaker:What might this look like today? Maybe it's choosing a job that serves others over one that
Speaker:promises wealth or status because you sense God's leading there. It's a daily wrestle,
Speaker:often fought in prayer, asking, What does God want from me in this moment?
Speaker:Denying yourself, you can reflect on this question. What personal desires or plans
Speaker:might you need to lay down to align more fully with God's will?
Speaker:The second demand from this passage in Mark is take up your cross, embracing suffering and sacrifice.
Speaker:This is a heavy phrase, take up your cross, and we need to grasp its weight. In Jesus' day,
Speaker:the cross wasn't a symbol of faith. It was a tool of execution, a public, agonizing death sentence.
Speaker:When someone picked up a cross, they weren't coming back.
Speaker:For us, this means being willing to face suffering, rejection, or even death for Christ's sake.
Speaker:This isn't about chasing hardship, but about accepting it when it comes because of our faith.
Speaker:In some places, this is literal. Believers are imprisoned or killed for following Jesus.
Speaker:Here, it might mean standing up for biblical truth when it's unpopular, losing friends, or
Speaker:sacrificing opportunities because you won't compromise your convictions.
Speaker:You can think of Jim Elliot, a missionary who died sharing the gospel in Ecuador. He wrote,
Speaker:He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
Speaker:That's the mindset of taking up the cross, seeing beyond the temporary cost to eternal gain.
Speaker:Again, Luke 9.23 reminds us this is a daily choice, not a one-off act of bravery.
Speaker:So, ask yourself, where might God be asking me to take up my cross today? Maybe in a tough decision
Speaker:or a bold stand? And the third demand from this verse is follow me. Jesus says follow me. And this
Speaker:is where discipleship comes alive. Following Jesus isn't just agreeing with him. It's walking where
Speaker:he walks, leaving as he lived, obeying his words every day. It's active, it's not passive.
Speaker:This means aligning our lives with his example, loving the unlovable, forgiving the unforgivable,
Speaker:and serving the overlooked. It's also a journey we take together. The first disciples didn't
Speaker:follow alone. They left their nets and tax booths as a group, learning from Jesus side by side.
Speaker:We need that, too. Friends who spur us on, a church that holds us accountable. Practically
Speaker:following Jesus might mean carving out time for prayer when your schedule's packed or
Speaker:sharing your faith with a neighbor even if it feels awkward. It's a marathon, it's not a sprint,
Speaker:and it changes us over time into the people who look more like Jesus. A question to reflect on
Speaker:here is what's one step you can take today to actively follow Jesus? These demands, denying
Speaker:yourself, taking up your cross, following Jesus, they aren't light. They ask for everything. Your
Speaker:will, your comfort, your life. But Jesus walked this road first. He denied himself. He took up
Speaker:his cross and followed the Father's will to save us. And in that surrender, we find life, real,
Speaker:abundant, eternal life. That's the cost, and that's the promise. With demands like these,
Speaker:it's no surprise discipleship is difficult. It's a transformation from our old carnal
Speaker:into who God created us to be. This is like a sculptor chiseling a masterpiece.
Speaker:God chips away at our anger, pride, lies, laziness, and hidden sins, those habits we claim to when
Speaker:we're hurting or tired. It's painful, it's not pleasant. We might crave a break, but there's no
Speaker:pause button. We're either moving toward God or drifting away. This journey unfolds in a hostile
Speaker:world, one that has rejected its creator. Living by God's values puts us at odds with a culture
Speaker:that prizes self-interest and comfort. Suffering becomes a badge of discipleship, a mark of
Speaker:belonging to the fellowship of the crucified. Jesus' path of suffering sets the pattern,
Speaker:rejection, ridicule, even division from family. His biological family misunderstood him,
Speaker:yet he redefined family as those who do God's will.
Speaker:Something to consider. Following Jesus might mean losing relationships or facing shame for your
Speaker:faith. Again, Mark 8.38 warns that if we're ashamed of him now, he'll be ashamed of us later.
Speaker:It's a marathon, not a sprint, a lifetime of surrendering to God's chisel.
Speaker:By now, you might be wondering, is this burden too heavy? Well, here's where grace changes
Speaker:everything. Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his book The Cost of Discipleship didn't aim to pile on rules
Speaker:but to recover true grace. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, not earned by our
Speaker:efforts. Yet discipleship flows from that grace and its cost, though high, is reasonable. Why?
Speaker:Because of the gift we've received. Jesus paid the ultimate price, giving His life as a ransom.
Speaker:In light of that, forsaking all our possessions, our safety, our will, it makes sense.
Speaker:And there's a promise, losing our lives now gains us treasure. And that treasure starts here,
Speaker:a new family in Christ, a hundred-fold return, and stretches into eternity with rewards at
Speaker:Christ's judgment seat. Suffering now pales beside the honor awaiting us, just as Jesus's
Speaker:humility led to exaltation. So will discipleship be easy? No. Scripture agrees it's a path of denial,
Speaker:cross-bearing, suffering, and surrender. God's chisel works relentlessly, shaping us through
Speaker:trials in a world that resists Him. It's tough, far from the lie that faith makes everything simple.
Speaker:Yet this is the path Jesus walked and calls us to follow. It's transformative, molding us into new
Speaker:creations. The cost is steep, potentially everything, but it's reasonable when we see the grace behind it
Speaker:and the eternal reward ahead. So I challenge you, count the cost, embrace the cross daily.
Speaker:Trust that what you gain in Christ far outweighs what you lose.
Speaker:Thanks for joining me and sticking it out through this heavy topic. I hope this episode has deepened
Speaker:your understanding of discipleship's cost and call, and that as you go forward, counting the
Speaker:cost of discipleship, you will always keep in the front of your mind the promise of life.
Speaker:Thank you for tuning in to Equipped for Purpose. I hope today's episode gave you
Speaker:tools and inspiration to deepen your discipleship and strengthen your leadership. Don't forget to
Speaker:subscribe so you never miss an episode, and if you found value in today's content,
Speaker:share it with someone who could benefit. Let's connect on social media and through my website,
Speaker:and remember, you are being equipped for a purpose. Go make an impact.
