Cost of Discipleship

This is not an exhaustive list on this topic. 

John 10:1-18, esp. 10b & John 10:16-18

• my sheep know my voice,
• I have come that they may have life abundantly,
• I lay down my life for my sheep,
• I have other sheep that are not of this fold.
• I must bring them also.

Matthew 6:19-21 

• Store up your treasure in heaven, not earth.
• Your heart will be where your treasure is.

Matthew 6:24- 34

• No one can serve two masters.
• You cannot serve God and money.
• Don’t be anxious about your life.
• Trust God.
• God knows your needs. 

Matthew 13:44-46 – Kingdom of heaven: treasure and pearls

• A man finds a treasure in a field and sells everything to buy the field.
• A man finds a precious pearl and sells everything to buy it. 

James 2:5 – poor in the world, rich in faith

• People who have less learn to richly believe God and trust His promises.

Matthew 7:13-14 – the broad road to destruction, narrow life gate

• Many enter the easy wide gate that leads to destruction.
• Enter the narrow gate.
• Few find the narrow, hard way that leads to life.

John 12:24-26 – grain of wheat dies – much fruit, lose to gain

• Wheat grain produces nothing until it falls into the ground and dies.
• A grain that dies bears much fruit. It multiplies.
• A person who loves his life loses it.
• Whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
• If anyone serves Jesus, he must follow Jesus.
• If anyone serves Jesus, the Father will honor him.

John 15:5

• A disciple cannot bear fruit without abiding in Christ.

John 15:8 – bear much fruit … prove to be my disciples.

• The Father is glorified in disciples who bear much fruit.

Mark 10:29-30 – hundredfold now and eternal life

• What you leave behind for the sake of Jesus and the Gospel will be replaced a hundredfold, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.

2 Peter 1:1-11 – much fruit vs nearsighted, blind

• While we have everything in Christ for life and godliness, being fruitful requires adding to our faith virture, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection and love. 
• Unfruitful, ineffective believers are nearsighted, blind, and forgetful.
• Being fruitful requires diligent effort.

Luke 9:23-26 – gain the world, lose your soul

• To come after Christ, deny self, take up your cross daily, and follow Him.
• Lose your life for Christ to save it.
• Gain the world to lose yourself.
• Be ashamed of Christ to have Him ashamed of you. 

Luke 9:57-62 – follow me, fit for the kingdom

•  Let go of worldly security to follow Christ and proclaim His kingdom.
• Look ahead, not behind, to plow by faith.

Luke 14:25-30 – Count The Cost of Discipleship

• To be a disciple, value Jesus more than earthly relationships or self.
• To be a disciple, bear your own cross and follow Jesus. (Die to self.) 

Luke 17:32 – Remember Lot’s wife.

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 – God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise;

• Consider your calling.
• Not many wise, powerful, or noble were called. 
• God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.
• God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.
• God chose what is low and despised in the world to bring to nothing the things that are.
• God’s purpose is so that no human being might boast in His presence.

Acts 20:24 – Paul’s attitude: not count my life as precious

• Finishing my course and ministry from the Lord is of more value than my life or self.
• To testify to the gospel of the grace of Christ is more precious.

2 Corinthians 4:18 – temporal seen things vs unseen eternal

• We look to the unseen eternal things, not the transient things that are seen.

Romans 6:13 – Present yourselves to God

• Do not present yourselves to sin as instruments of unrighteousness. 
• You have been brought from death to life. 
• Present yourselves to God as instruments of righteousness. 

Romans 12:1 – present yourselves to God

• Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.
• This is your spiritual worship. (or your rational service.)

1 Corinthians 6:20 – bought with a price, glorify God

• You were bought with a price.
• So glorify God in your body.

2 Corinthians 5:15 – live for him who died and was raised

• Jesus died for all.
• That they might not live for themselves.
• But live for Him who died for them and was raised.

Philippians 1:20 – Paul’s earnest expectation and hope was…

• That I will not be ashamed.
• With full courage, Christ will be honored in my body.
• Whether by life or by death.

Colossians 1:24 – filling up affliction for His Body the Church

• Paul rejoiced in his sufferings for the Collosians. (Matthew 5:11-12)
• That he would fill in what was lacking to build them in Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:11)
• For the sake of Christ’s body, the church. (Colossians 1:28-29)

1 John 3:16 – we ought to lay down our lives for brothers

• By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us.
• We ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

John 17:4 

• Jesus glorified the Father on earth. 
• He accomplished the work the Father gave Him to do.

John 20:21

• As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.

Ephesians 2:10

• We are His workmanship.
• Created in Christ Jesus to do good works. 
• Good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 – one receives the prize

• Run like only one gets the prize. 
• Exercise self-control to win.
• Run for the imperishable.
• Discipline yourself to not be disqualified.

Philippians 3:13-15 – press toward the prize

• Let go of what is behind.
• Strain for what lies ahead.
• Press toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ.
• Those of us who are mature should think this way. 
• If you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.

2 Timothy 4:6-8 

• Fought the good fight.
• Finished the race. 
• Kept the faith.
• There is a crown of righteousness laid up.
• The Lord, the righteous judge, will award that crown to all who have loved His appearing.

For more, see… https://www.openbible.info/topics/the_cost_of_discipleship