Pay the Price

Pay the Price    9 Dec 2012

Hebrews 11:35-40

The life of the revolutionary is a life of sacrifice. 
To think like Jesus, serve like Jesus, and be like Jesus 
requires great sacrifice, commitment, and devotion. 
Jesus exemplified it on the cross. And to join His army, 
you must be willing to pay the price of self denial, 
obedience, and service.

1. CONSIDER THE COST. (Luke 14:25-35; 9:23; John 21:15-20)

Large crowds followed Jesus. Some people in those 
crowds were willing to pay the price to follow Him, 
and others weren’t. What about you? Realize that as a Christian, 
you are not your own. You were bought with a price, 
and your time, talents, and treasure (money) belong to the Lord. 
You are a manager or steward of God’s property. 
How are you doing with God’s stuff? Have you given up 
your personal “rights” for the right to serve, to give, 
to turn the other cheek, to go the extra mile, 
to forgive before you are even asked, and to be persecuted for His name? 
It is about complete and uncompromised surrender. 
A revolutionary surrenders all for the call! And to those who pay the price, 
there is a great reward.

2. MAKE THE COMMITMENT. (Luke 5:1-11)

While Jesus was calling the crowds to faith, 
He was also calling individuals such as Peter, James, 
and John to follow Him. Jesus performed a miracle before their very eyes, 
and the men who would become his closest 
companions left “everything” and “followed Him.” There is no 
such thing as being partly Christian: You are either a Christ-follower, 
or you are not. Have you made the commitment to Christ? 
Commit to holy living, to obeying God’s Word, to serving, 
and to forsaking sin. Leave your former life, just like the disciples did. 
Make a fresh start with God. Stand out from the crowd of compromisers. 
Swim upstream against the current. Sign up for a new way of thinking, 
a new way of serving, and a new way of living.

3. PASS THE TEST. (Matt. 16:13-20; John 3:30)

Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” 
Peter passed the test when he answered, “You are the Christ, 
the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered, “Blessed are you, 
Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, 
but by my Father in heaven.” You and I face the same test: 
We must all answer the question, “Who is Jesus?” Is He the Christ, 
the creator of the Cosmos, the Savior of the World, and your King? 
We owe Him our life and our service. The natural pull of the current 
is towards self-centeredness, but we must pray like 
John the Baptist did: “He must increase and I must decrease.
” Sacrifice your selfish desires, and use your time and energy 
to build relationships, serve others, and live a life that 
demonstrates God’s character.