Shall we turn this morning to Luke chapter
14 and verse 33?
We're continuing our subject of discipleship.
This morning we're coming to that most unpopular
verse in Luke 14, verse 33.
It says, So likewise, whosoever he be of
you that forsaketh not all that he hath,
he cannot be my disciple.
Yesterday we listed seven terms of discipleship given
by our blessed Lord Jesus Christ.
This was the seventh.
Supposing you were going to teach this portion
of scripture next Sunday in a Sunday school
class, how would you explain this verse anyway?
Perhaps that doesn't bother me as much as
the fact that someday I'm going to stand
before the Lord and He's going to ask
me, what did you do about the verse
anyway?
I think that's really the point we should
face this morning, is that this is the
Word of God.
The Lord Jesus must have some meaning in
it, and each one of us will have
to decide what it means.
And I cannot tell you what it means
to forsake all in your life.
I think I know pretty well what it
means in my life, and I've got to
battle that out with the Lord.
But it's not for me to tell you
what it means in your life to forsake
the Lord, to forsake all to follow Him.
Now, I think there are certain things, however,
we should notice in the verse.
There's no suggestion in the New Testament that
this verse of scripture is just intended for
a certain select few.
There's no idea of an inner circle, an
elite to whom this verse applies.
It says, so likewise, whosoever he be of
you.
Whosoever.
And if in your Sunday school class you
were to suggest to your pupils that this
verse only applies to those in full-time
work, probably some clever little brat in the
class would ask you if that's what whosoever
means in John 3.16. Then you would
be up against it, wouldn't you?
What does whosoever mean in John 3.16?
Oh, it does?
Well, then why doesn't it mean it here?
And then secondly, I think we should notice
that the verse doesn't say simply that we
must be willing to forsake all.
If you put that in it, you're putting
something in that isn't there.
And your clever little prodigy in your Sunday
school class would soon trip you up on
that as well.
It doesn't say whosoever he be of you
that is willing to forsake all, or is
not willing to forsake all.
It says, whosoever he be of you that
forsaketh not all that he hath.
And then I think that we should notice
that it doesn't say in this verse that
if you don't do it, some deluded form
of discipleship is possible.
I think that the words of the Lord
Jesus are most remarkable here.
He cannot be my disciple.
Now, actually, we really shouldn't be too surprised
at this verse of Scripture because it's not
the only portion in the Word of God
where this same thing is taught.
The Lord Jesus taught, lay not up for
yourselves treasures on earth, but lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven.
And it's just as contrary to the teaching
of Christ, as Wesley said, to lay up
treasures on earth as it is to commit
murder or adultery.
Just as contrary with the same Lord who
forbade all three.
Then the Lord said, sell all that ye
have and give alms.
And as we read last night in the
story of the rich young ruler, the Lord
said, sell all that thou hast and distribute
to the poor.
Come, follow me, thou shalt have reward in
heaven.
And actually, as you read the book of
Acts, you'll find that this is what the
early church did.
The great passion and aim of the early
church was to make Christ known and everything
else in life was subordinated to that cause.
They held a very light touch on material
things.
There was an even flow.
If there was a need here, funds flowed.
If there was a need here, funds flowed
so that there might be an equality.
You know, it's interesting to me to know
that one of the earliest men in the
so-called brethren movement, Anthony Norris Grove, faced
this verse of Scripture and similar verses of
Scripture, and he felt he had no alternative.
The light of the Word of God, then,
to literally forsake all and follow Christ.
And he gave up wealth and fortune and
went out to Baghdad to serve the Lord
there.
And I think it might be interesting for
some of you to know that the first
publication of the so-called brethren movement was
a little booklet by Anthony Norris Grove called
Christian Devotedness, a most devastating treatment of the
subject.
I don't like it at all, but I
can't disprove it from the Scripture.
C.T. Studd faced this same thing.
C.T. Studd inherited a fortune, and he
read these verses of Scripture and said, well,
what about it?
And so he said, well, he said, I
have the priceless opportunity of doing what the
rich young ruler failed to do.
That was nice, wasn't it?
I have the priceless opportunity of doing what
the rich young ruler failed to do.
And so he put his money to work
in the service of the Lord, all except
the equivalent of about $9,000.
He was just getting married, and he thought,
well, I can do this for myself, but
I think I really should set aside $9
,000 for my wife.
And so he did.
He gave all to the work of the
Lord, except $9,000, which he gave to
his new bride.
And she was not to be outdone by
him.
She said to him, Charlie, what did the
Lord say to the rich young ruler?
The answer was, sell all.
And she said, well, let's begin our married
life with a clean slate.
And so she did the same as her
devoted husband had done.
And I was interested to notice in reading
the book about Jim Elliot, the diary of
Jim Elliot, that he was animated by the
same spirit.
I think this is most beautiful.
He writes as follows in his diary, Father,
let me be weak that I might loose
my clutch on everything temporal.
My life, my reputation, my possessions.
Lord, let me loose the tension of the
grasping hand.
Even, Father, would I loose the love of
fondling.
How often I have released a grasp only
to retain what I prized by harmless longing,
the fondling touch.
Rather, open my hand to receive the nail
of Calvary as Christ was open.
That I, releasing all, might be released, unleashed
from all that binds me now.
He thought, heaven, yea, equality with God not
a thing to be clutched at.
So, let me release my grasp.
If you haven't read the book Shadow of
the Almighty, you really should.
It's really one of the most amazing books
that has come out in our generation.
With regard to the love of temporal things,
Betty Elliot wrote this about her husband.
When he died, Jim left little of value
as the world regards values.
He and I had agreed long before that
we wanted no insurance.
We would store our goods in heaven, share
what the Lord gave us as long as
we had it, and trust him literally for
the future.
In accordance with the principles Paul sets forth
to the Corinthians.
When the children of Israel were given manna
in the wilderness, they received enough for one
day.
They were not told to lay up for
tomorrow.
So, of material things there were few.
A home in the jungle, a few well
-worn clothes, books and tools.
The men who went to try to rescue
the five brought back to me from Jim's
body his wristwatch and from the Keurorai beach
the blurred pages of his college prayer book,
prayer notebook.
There was no funeral, no tombstone for a
memorial.
No legacy then?
Was it just as if he had never
been?
The world passeth away in the lust thereof,
but he that doeth the will of God
abideth forever.
Jim left for me in memory and for
us all in these letters and diaries the
testimony of a man who sought nothing but
the will of God.
Who prayed that his life would be an
exhibit to the value of knowing God.
Now, when I read a verse like Luke
14, 33, my infidel heart tells me that
it's impossible.
And all kinds of reasonings arise in my
mind.
I say, why if we followed that verse
we'd starve.
And supposing all Christians did this, who'd support
the work of the Lord?
And after all, isn't it true that there
must be Christians in every strata of society
so that men and women might be reached
with the gospel?
We do have to provide for the future,
don't we?
Well, I think the answer is found in
the word of the Lord Jesus, The kingdom
of God and his righteousness and all these
things shall be added unto you.
There's only one real impossibility in the Christian
life, and that's for God to lie.
It's really the only impossibility, for God to
lie.
And God says if we are industrious and
frugal and conscientious in doing his will, we'll
never starve.
We say it's impossible, but that's not an
objection.
If I'm living my life on the plane
of the possible, it's not the Christian life.
The Christian life is impossible.
The Christian life can only be lived in
the power of the Spirit of God.
The Christian life is as impossible as it's
impossible to walk on water.
The only way Peter could ever have walked
on the water was by keeping his eyes
on the Lord and being sustained by the
Lord.
That's the only way we can live the
Christian life.
If my life is lived on the plane
of the possible, it's no different from the
lives of the ungodly men about me.
Unless my life crackles with the supernatural, I'm
really not living the life God wants me
to live.
Unless the life of the Lord Jesus is
being lived out through me, it's not the
Christian life.
Then as far as the argument that if
we all did this, who would support the
work of the Lord, well, I think that
one answers itself.
If we all did this, the work of
the Lord would be better supported than it
ever was before, wouldn't it?
There wouldn't be any lack in the work
of the Lord.
And as far as the answer that, after
all, there must be people in every strata
of society to reach others with the gospel,
it really isn't true.
It really isn't true.
Paul reached Caesar's household while he was in
prison.
I tell you, our responsibility is to obey
God and to leave the consequences with Him.
And if we obey God, He'll see that
men and women are reached with the gospel,
and He'll do it in most marvelous ways.
In fact, I think the more we think
of this verse of Scripture, the more we
ponder it, the more we meditate on it,
the more we realize that the Lord Jesus
was right, and this is the only way
that the job will ever get done.
The only way that the job will ever
get done.
Now, I think there are several considerations which
we should keep in mind before we completely
discard this verse from our theology.
And one is this, if I spend my
life accumulating earthly treasure, while a world is
perishing about me for want of the knowledge
of Jesus Christ, the question might very well
be asked of me, how dwelleth the love
of God in such a man?
If I dare to keep above my personal
necessities that which could be used for the
eternal blessing of souls, I stand in an
awkward position before God.
You know, to me, one of the most
thrilling things about the Christian life here on
earth is that you and I can touch
other lives in such a way that they're
affected for good for eternity.
I think that's a marvelous thing.
I never get over the thrill of it,
to think that God could use me, and
God could use you.
We could pass a piece of Christian literature,
maybe a correspondence course, a tract, or speak
a word, and a person could read that,
and the Spirit of God could get a
hold of him and save his soul, and
that person would be a worshipper for Christ
throughout all eternity.
I don't think there's anything greater than that.
And I ask you then, is it reasonable,
is it reasonable that I should withhold that
which can result in eternal blessing to man
when I have it in my power to
do it?
Way back in the book of the law,
the Lord Jesus said, Thou shalt love thy
neighbor as thyself.
God said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself.
How can I be said to love my
neighbor as myself when I have within my
power the means of his eternal blessing, and
I withhold it from him?
A second consideration is this.
If the Lord Jesus Christ should come today,
and I believe he could, our material possessions
would take a sudden drop in value, wouldn't
they?
How much would things be worth to me
tomorrow if Christ came today?
Well, you know the answer.
In fact, there's only one material thing that
I have in the world today that would
be worth that much tomorrow if Christ came
today.
That's this book I have in my hand,
because this book is going to abide forever.
The only thing.
Now, if I really believe that, if I
really believe that Christ could come today, and
if I'm a clever investment man, I'll be
careful where I invest.
You know, back in the Old Testament, God
instituted what was known as the year of
jubilee, and in the year of jubilee, all
property reverted to its owner.
Now, I might have a farm, I might
buy a farm, and the years go by,
and I know very well that in 50
years, that farm will no longer be mine.
It's going to revert to its owner.
And every year I get closer to the
year of jubilee, that farm is worth less
and less.
Isn't it?
If I went out to sell it in
the market, I wouldn't get very much for
it the 49th year.
In fact, nobody would want to buy it
at all.
Dear friends, I believe our year of jubilee
is very close, don't you?
And listen, if I really believe that, I'm
going to invest for eternity.
I might just say that all my training
in secular life was in the realm of
investment.
In the realm of investment, I was an
investment analyst at the First National Bank of
Boston.
When I say these things, I know they're
contrary to everything I learned in the business
world, but I believe them with all my
heart.
I believe if Christ came tomorrow, a lot
of Christian property would fall into the devil's
hands.
Would fall into the devil's hands.
Now, another problem in this connection is this.
How can I conscientiously pray to the Lord
for the supply of the needs of the
work of the Lord if I have it
within my power to provide those needs?
What I'm trying to say here is that
obedience to the word of the Lord in
Luke 14, 33 delivers a person from hypocrisy
in prayer.
It really does.
It delivers a person from hypocrisy in prayer.
Recently I sat in a meeting and heard
a man get up and make an eloquent
plea for a certain particular need on a
mission field.
$2,000 were needed for a certain particular
project on this mission field.
That man had just concluded a deal whereby
he sold a piece of property for $90
,000.
$90,000.
Now, I wonder if we're being honest with
the Lord.
I wonder if God hears that kind of
a prayer.
But we pray for the supply of the
needs of the work of the Lord, and
we have it in our power to do
it, and we withhold our hands.
But you know, there's something else that comes
home very seriously to me in a verse
of Scripture like this.
Our obedience to a verse of Scripture like
this affects our ability to teach and preach
the Christian faith.
It really does, and this speaks to my
heart.
No wonder James said, Be not many teachers.
Don't hurry to be a teacher, because they
stand in greater condemnation.
What do I mean?
Well, here you are in the Sunday school
class, and your little scholar asks you, Well,
what does verse 33 mean, teacher, anyway?
Well, really, what you've done with verse 33
determines what you tell him it means, doesn't
it?
And this is true in all areas of
the Word of God.
It is.
We teach not always according to what we
might know the Word of God means, but
according to what we make it to mean
in our own lives.
And that's a very serious thing.
A very serious thing indeed.
And finally, I would just mention this, that
clever men of this world spend their time
providing reserves for future security.
Mr. Woods was speaking about security last night,
the god of this age.
Clever men of the world.
A good banker is a man who knows
how to provide adequate reserves.
Now, if I pattern my life on that
basis, how am I any different from the
men of the world?
The Scripture says we walk by faith and
not by sight.
And if I go according to the same
principles that the ungodly men of this world
go according to, I'm walking by sight and
not by faith.
Dear friends, when you see, you can't trust.
When you see, you can't trust.
Now, I'm not unaware of the fact that
there are objections in the minds of some
here this morning to these things, and I'd
like to just bring the objections to the
surface, objections from the Word of God.
The first is in 2 Corinthians chapter 12
and verse 14, where the Apostle Paul says,
"...Behold, the third time I am ready to
come to you, and I will not be
burdensome to you, for I seek not yours,
but you.
For the children ought not to lay up
for the parents, but the parents for the
children."
Now, this verse is often adduced to show
that Christian parents should spend their lives providing
for the future security of their children.
But, you know, the verse doesn't teach that.
Paul, in this verse, is not speaking about
the future.
He's speaking about current necessities.
The question in this passage of Scripture is
the provision of Paul's immediate needs.
Now, the Corinthians were not careful in this
matter, and Paul says that's perfectly all right.
Parents ought to provide for the children, not
the children for the parents.
I'm ministering to you gratuitously.
I look for nothing from you.
There's no thought of the Corinthians putting aside
a retirement fund for Paul.
That's not the point.
The whole passage of Scripture is an ironical
statement by the Apostle Paul having to do
with the provision of current needs, not future
necessities.
The other verse is 1 Timothy 5.8.
1 Timothy 5.8, and it says there,
"...but if any provide not for his own,
and especially for those of his own household,
he hath denied the faith, and is worse
than an infidel."
Once again, this passage of Scripture has to
do with the care of widows in the
local church.
It doesn't have to do with providing a
fund for widows, but with providing their needs
day by day.
That's the whole argument.
And the burden of the New Testament is
that a Christian should be zealous and industrious
and frugal and hardworking to provide for his
current needs and trust God for the future.
Actually, a Christian who starts out to provide
for his future will never have enough.
He'll never have enough.
It's impossible to provide enough for your future.
And you come to the end of the
journey and find that you don't have enough
and that if you had only put God
first in your life, he would have provided
all your needs anyway.
But then I think perhaps the most telling
point in this whole thing is the example
of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ.
You know, the Lord Jesus Christ was fabulously
wealthy.
Fabulously wealthy.
What did he do?
He voluntarily became poor that others might be
rich.
This is an argument I can't answer.
I just can't answer it.
George Mueller says that ill behooves the servant
to seek to be rich and great and
honored in this world when his Lord was
poor and mean and despised.
Long as I live, I'll never get over
that fact that you dwelt in courts of
bliss and glory above.