Professional Documents
Culture Documents
27/8/06
<Luke 14:25-35>
• We should follow the Lord using everything we have. We will suffer even if we
use 1% of our own efforts in doing things.
• As we read <Luke 14>, we know that the Lord had completed a lot of work
and was about to enter Jerusalem. Although there were a lot of people
following Him, how many of them actually knew the reason for Him to enter
Jerusalem?
• Everyone has his or her own reasons for following Jesus Christ. However, how
many of them really understand that the Lord will have to suffer and die in
Jerusalem? And how many of them will still follow Him when they found out
the reason?
• The verses we read today tells us the price for following the Lord
• What do these verses mean to us? Are these verses meant only for those who
want to serve the Lord full time, or are they meant for everyone who accepts
Christ as their personal saviour?
• There was a movie called “Quo Vadis”, which means “Oh Lord, where are
you?”
• That movie took place in the old Rome in the year AD64. During then,
Christianity was an underground religion. Rome was then ruled by a wicked
king, who did lots of evil things but pushed all the blames to Christians.
Therefore, Christians were captured and killed by being thrown into the Lions’
den or being sawed into pieces. The Apostle, Peter (Paul?) also fled from Rome
then. However, he returned to Rome after hearing God’s voice and finally
entered jail
• His purpose to enter jail was to encourage the other believers who were
captured. He told them that their sufferings would be over in a short while.
The encouraged believers were singing hymns together till they were killed.
• The wicked king could not understand why the Christians were joyful even
when they were facing . He had never experience real joy in his entire life.
• In the end, Peter, whom had denied Jesus Christ three times, was nailed to the
Cross up-side down.
• A person who really know the Holy Spirit and the love of God will not fear
death
• In other words, if we have really experienced the love of our Lord, we will not
even fear death
• Paul had asked us in the <Romans 8>, “who shall separate us from the
love of Christ”
2) Stop
• We should not be running about since we have already known the Lord.
We must know when and how to stop when we face problems
• Our worries and uncertainty must stop
• We stop so that we can discover the perfect will of God and submit to
it. Discover the love and answers of God
• Those who serve in the church should know that they are serving God
and not man. Thus, do not receive hurt from man
• For those who served what they need to follow is the message of the
altar. When we serve, we should do so by following the Word of God
closely and not serve with only a fervent heart that does not know the
Lord
• The church will not select/appoint elders or deacons by looking at how
daring a person is when doing God’s work. Instead, we must see if the
person really loves God and leads the church and his family by relying
on God
1.Assess first before following the Lord: the Lord says “You cannot be
my disciple if you do not let go of everything. Before you follow me,
you should first sit down and consider, are you able to follow me till
the end?” Have I assessed/ considered my “meeting with God” or “following
God” before? What is the consideration that you’d made before you can
proclaim “I will follow the Lord in any situation forever”? Am I really able to let
go of everything for the Lord?
2. The critical factors for following the Lord till then end: Before you
follow the Lord, you must know where the Lord is leading you and
how you can continue to see His leading? Have I already discovered
God’s plan in my entire life? Have I already seen the Lord’s plan and leading in
my current “conditions, relationships and time”? Have I acquired a system of
prayers that allows me to “examine the Lord’s leading anytime”?
3. The most important thing is able to follow today in all things. How is
the onset of my walk with the Lord today? What is it that the Lord wants me to
throw away? What is it that the Lord wants me to receive? Am I able to see
that the Lord is helping and fulfilling in all times? Do I have a limitless
expectation and hope for tomorrow?