Text: Luke 14: 25-35 NKJV

•25 now great multitudes went with him. And he turned and said to them. 26 if anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children's, brothers and sisters, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciples. 27 and whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciples. 28 for which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it.

• 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him. 30 saying “this man began to build and was not able to finish. 31 or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousands. 32 or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and ask conditions of peace. 33 so likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciples. 34 salt is good, but if the salt has lost its flavor, how it shall be seasoned? 35 it is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has an ear let him hear.

Cebuano Version

•Ug dihay dagkung mga panon sa katawhan nga mikuyog kang Hesus; ug siya miliso ug miingon kanila, 26 “kon adunay tawo nga muanhi kanako ug dili siya mudumot sa iyang kaugalingong Amahan ug Inahan ug asawa ug mga Anak ug mga Igsuong lalaki ug mga Igsuong babayi, ug bisan sa iyang kaugalingong kinabuhi, dili siya mahimo nakong tinun-an. 27 bisan kinsa ang dili mupas-an sa iyang krus ug dili musunod kanako, dili siya mahimo nakong tinun-an.

• 28 kay kinsa ba kaninyo nga magatinguha siya pagtukod ug tore, dili una mulingkod pagkwenta sa galastuhan, kon aduna ba siyay igong ikapahuman niini? 29 tingali unya hinuon, sa diha nga ikabutangna niya ang patukuranan, ug unya dili na siya makahimo sa paghuman niini, ang tanang makakita niini musugod sa pagbiay biay niini. 30 nga manag- ingon, “kining tawhan igo rang misugod sa pagtukod apan wala makapahuman. 31 o kinsa bang haria nga sa iyang pakiggubat batok sa laing hari dili una mulingkod sa pagpakitambag kon takus ba siya uban sa napulo ka libo ka mga tawo sa pakig asdang batok kaniya nga may dalang kaluhaan ka libo ka tawo.

•32 ug kon dili man ugaling, samtang ang usa atua pa sa halayo, kini iyang pasuguan sa pagpangayo kaniya sa kasabutan sa pakigdait. 33 busa si bisan kinsa kaninyo nga dili mubiya sa tanan nga iyang ginahuptan, dili siya mahimo nga akong tinun-an. 34 ang asin maoy pinakamaayong butang; apan kon ang asin kawad-an sa iyang lami, unsaon pa man pagbalik sa iyang kaparat niini? 35 kini dili na gayud mapuslan bisan pa alang sa yuta o sa abuno, igasalibay na lamang kini sa mga tawo. Ang mga may dalunggan nga makadungog kinahanglan magapatalinghog!

THEME: VERIFY YOUR SITUATION

ACCORDING TO THE FREE DICTIONARY, THE WORD “VERIFY” MEANS!

To prove the truth of by presentation of evidence or

testimony.

To determine or test the truth or accuracy, by comparison investigation or reference!

•The carpenter- they used scale tape to determine the height and length of his work.

•The nurse- they used a thermometer to know the pressure of your blood.

•The husband- they used, pregnancy kit test (PT) to know if their wife is pregnant.

•As followers of Jesus Christ- let us used our bible to know the truths if we are really a disciples.

Used your Bible to verify your situation!

• Illustration• A: a Pastor and his best friends• One day, the minister of a big church meet his

best friend and invited him to come to his church for Sunday service. His best friend replied, “ if you will bring the church in our home town I, my family and friends will come”.

• This pastor convinced, he spend lots of money to plant a church on the home town of his best friend but his friends never come to the new planted church even ones!

•What do you think the reaction of that minister?

•What was wrong with that minister?

• B: a grand father and his grand son went to town with their donkey. The grand father put his son at the back of the donkey. The people saw and said, “this old man must ride on that donkey than his grand son”.

• Therefore, the grand father put down his grand son and he ride on the donkey. After a while, the people on the other village saw and said, “what attitude this old man has, by letting this boy to walk”.

• Then suddenly the grand father and his grand son carried the donkey across the village.

•What do you think the mistake of the grand father

and his grand son?

•Do you experience they same situation?

My Point is this!

•A: to avoid any pain, you must discover personally your situation through God’s word and the conviction of His Spirit.

•B: be sensitive on God rather than to any persons!!

The two different groups of people today!

•Believer▫They believe that there is God but they cant

work. Their action is totally different on what they believe.

▫Beware on this stage, Satan believe that there is God and he tremble. He cant work his faith!

•Disciples▫This people are committed, immovable and

immitate the life style of Christ and encourage others to do they same!

Let us consider the teaching of Jesus about Discipleship!

•Five tools to used to verify your condition today by looking and considering its meaning!

•1: The Family•2: The Cross•3: The Tower•4: The King•5: The Salt

The first Tools- The Family• V 26 if anyone comes to me and does not hate

his father and mother, wife and children's, brothers and sisters, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciples.

• 26 “kon adunay tawo nga muanhi kanako ug dili siya mudumot sa iyang kaugalingong Amahan ug Inahan ug asawa ug mga Anak ug mga Igsuong lalaki ug mga Igsuong babayi, ug bisan sa iyang kaugalingong kinabuhi, dili siya mahimo nakong tinun-an.

• “Hate your family”- was a figure of speech which is hyperbole.

• Hyperbole= is an intentional exaggeration to emphasize a point.

• The word “hatred, hate” was totally different its meaning from the Greek words. Hatred or Hates

means- to prefer above”

• You must love Jesus more than anyone else.

• More than your father, son, daughters, wife and your house hold!

Illustration

•Their was a Muslim who converted to the Christian faith.

•His family made a funeral service for him even though he was alive.

•After 10 years, his parents saw the transformation of their son. One day they decided to follow and receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior!

Application

• When you follow the Lord, sometimes you have to make some difficult decisions in life.

• Some times you have to make sacrifices! (Emotion, Financial)

• What sacrifices you have made for God?

• True Love will be tested trough sacrifices! In they same manner true disciple will be tested

through sacrifices!

The second tools- The Cross

•27 and whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciples.

•27 bisan kinsa ang dili mupas-an sa iyang krus ug dili musunod kanako, dili siya mahimo nakong tinun-an.

Meaning of the cross• Cross- was a horrible death made by execution at

the time of Christ.

• At the time of Christ majority of the people made a sign on the air that they agreed that Christ will be executed.

• The people who has a sign and wear a cross on their neck. That was a sign that they were criminals at the time of Christ. That was according to the law of the romans!

• The meaning of the cross today are totally different!

• List that the people think• A: sickness• B: problems• C: financial problems

• Galatians 2:20 • I am Crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live;

yet not I; but Christ lives in me. In the life which I now in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God, who love me and give himself

for me.

Application

•The cross reminds us, that we are dead on our earthly pleasures as Disciples of Christ.

•The things that we are going to do is not to please ourselves nor others but to please God our heavenly father!

The third tools- The tower

• 28 for which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it. 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him. 30 saying “this man began to build and was not able to finish.

• 28 kay kinsa ba kaninyo nga magatinguha siya pagtukod ug tore, dili una mulingkod pagkwenta sa galastuhan, kon aduna ba siyay igong ikapahuman niini?

Meaning •It reminds us that being a disciple we must aim to reach the finishing line.

•We have possess attitude!•A: perseverance•B: right perspective•C: Prepare/ alert

Illustration •A good start is not enough, the most

important thing as Christ disciples is how we finish of what we have started!

•A: Noah- save from the flood- ended as a drunkard man who got naked and cursed his son.

•B: King Solomon the wisest man in human history, yet he didn’t finish well. His many wives turned his heart from God.

A church who has no roof!

•I was driving my motor one time and I saw a church who has no roof.

• - trees and shrub grown inside!

•I do not know the story of that building but I learn a lessons. There is a great value in finishing our work.

Application• Thank God our church is unique from others! other

churches said that IBCP GREDU is a fast growing Church!• A: 2008- purchase land and we build our Church building!• B: 2009- front fence and we build the IBLC• C: 2010- Parsonages and Ceiling• D: 2011- • E: 2012- LCD • F: 2013- Church fence, bought 2 Ld Speakers, books

shelves and ceiling of the IBLC, Pulpit• G: 2014- Extension of our building, church tiles

• Lets keep our uniqueness and maintain it as we steps toward the finishing line!

Fourth Tools- The king• . 31 or what king, going to make war against another

king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousands. 32 or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and ask conditions of peace.

• 31 o kinsa bang haria nga sa iyang pakiggubat batok sa laing hari dili una mulingkod sa pagpakitambag kon takus ba siya uban sa napulo ka libo ka mga tawo sa pakig asdang batok kaniya nga may dalang kaluhaan ka libo ka tawo. 32 ug kon dili man ugaling, samtang ang usa atua pa sa halayo, kini iyang pasuguan sa pagpangayo kaniya sa kasabutan sa pakigdait.

Two kings was mention

•A: the first was referred to the listeners!▫King of their house▫King of their time▫King of their life

•B: the second king was GodHigher than the first king!Powerful than the first king!

We can’t win against God

•No matter how talented we are, at the end we will fall on the hands of God!

•What shall we do?•let us make an agreement in peace with God while he was still a great way off!

Illustration • A life guard

• He saw a man drowning on the water. The people in the seashore shouted and yelled on him to help the drowning man. He heard and saw the man drowning yet he didn’t swim to help him. Instead he walk slowly. Finally, when he saw that the man was sinking, he immediately swim and picked him up.

• When they reached at the seashore the people never treated him as a hero. Instead they were very angry and got mad, they keep telling to the life guard they said, “when you save this man in a hurry, he will not suffer like this”.

• The life guard answered, “ you saw, that this man is stronger and bigger than me, when I helped him immediately both of us will sink. I wait that he will be exhausted and give up in order for him not to oppose me.

Lessons• Some times God will allow us to sink!

• This is his response to those who made Him (God) as “last option”!

• Today, he reminds us to apply the reverse psychology.

• If other will make God as their last option, we will reverse it by making him as our first option!

Quotation

•Do not wait the flood to smash you, run and escape from it.

•Do not wait that the wrath of God will fall to us, instead make an

agreement to God in peace!

Fifth tools- The salt

•34 salt is good, but if the salt has lost its flavor, how it shall be seasoned? 35 it is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has an ear let him hear.

•34 ang asin maoy pinakamaayong butang; apan kon ang asin kawad-an sa iyang lami, unsaon pa man pagbalik sa iyang kaparat niini?

•Salt was valuable in the time of Christ. Roman soldier was

paid by salt rations (supplies).

•Latin words- “Solarium argentums” were we get our

word “salary”.

•At the time of Christ they used salt as preservative.

•We live in a nation with a moral and spiritual decay.

•A: Moral decay are rampant today▫Steve to Steve marriage▫Father versus his daughter▫Third party▫Eve to eve.▫Sexual intercourse before marriage▫abortion

•B: Spiritual decay▫Majority of Christian are believers not a disciples.

•Survey says “in the Philippines alone, 98% believe on the existence of God”. But 10% were a man and woman who practice in allegiance with God.

Larry Bridges- a chemist work in Mokton Salt in Grand Saline

•He said “the pure salt never losses its saltiness”.

•Spiritually our life was mixed with…!▫Impure thoughts▫Impure behavior▫Impure faith▫Impure action

illustration• The Old Dog• There was a friend of mine who told me one day,

that he saw a sign on the gate, “beware of Dogs”.• When he came inside he was very careful and

watchful. Until finally he meet the owner of the house and they have nice conversation. At the middle of their topics, he saw the dog lying on the floor. The dog was old and dying. “that Dog was not dangerous to me” he said. “well you are right, but keep walking close to him and he will bites you. That’s why I put a sign beware of Dogs.

•Christian today is silent and dying! If you are a true Disciples do not keep your hearts burning to what is right.

•This church, needs a man and woman who will hold its pillar so that this will continue standing.

Conclusion• Do you love Jesus more than anyone else?

• Are you committed to finish the race ?

• Are you constantly surrendering everything to him?

• Jesus was looking for a few good men and women, the humble, the pure, the dead, the committed. Will you decide today to move from being a simple believer into a committed disciples?

• This presentation was made by;Rev. Juanito D. Samillano Jr.

• Resident pastor of;•Christian Community Church Inc..• Gredu, Panabo, City Philippines.

• Email add; juanito_samillano@yahoo.com