Luke 14 (7)

Pray Psalm 78.6, 7.
That the generation to come might know them,
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments…

Sing Psalm 78.6, 7.
(Foundation: How Firm a Foundation)
Lord, let all our children arise and declare
the truth of the Lord every day, everywhere,
and set all their hopes in God’s wonderful Word,
and never forget all the works of the Lord.

Read Luke 14.1-35; meditate on verses 11, 18, 27, 34.

Preparation
1. Who are not true followers of Jesus?

2. What qualifies one as a follower of Jesus?

Meditation
It’s fascinating how people could hear Jesus but not really hear Him at all. They kept thronging after Him, wanting to be a part of the “movement”, looking for the next miracle, hoping for a free meal, or just wanting to be seen as in Jesus’ “inner circle”.

Jesus was not misleading them. He made clear what kinds of things would disqualify someone as one of His true followers. Self-seeking? Good-bye. Lots of excuses for not doing what He taught? Outta here. Not really into sacrifice and hardship for the Kingdom? Best just stay at home. Unwilling to exert yourself to flavor this sad world with the grace of the Lord? In the dustbin with you.

They heard Him, but they didn’t hear Him at all.

We can’t call ourselves Christians and reserve the right to be such on our own terms. “Good enough” for you might not be good enough for Jesus. We must be sure to hear everything Jesus says about following Him, and not just what sounds acceptable to us or fits in with our busy lifestyle. Jesus will not adjust the terms of discipleship to suit whatever we find convenient or agreeable.

If we really hear Jesus as He calls us to His Kingdom and glory (1 Thess. 2.12) and sends us into the world just as He was sent (Jn. 20.21), we’ll prepare ourselves day by day for whatever good works He sets before us (Eph. 2.8-10). As we meet Jesus in His Word and prayer, He will qualify us for daily service, so that, at the end of each day, we can wait on Him in prayer to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

We’re not saved by good works, but unto them. Good works qualify us as followers of Jesus. They are the proof of His grace at work within us (Eph. 2.8-10).

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
No one wants to be disqualified from something they have worked hard to achieve.

You study hard for a standardized test, you have learned everything you need to know, and you show up for the exam proudly bearing a #3 pencil. Disqualified.

Or you apply online for a job you really want to have. You make no bones about the fact that you would be very pleased if they hired you. However, you neglected to attach your required curriculum vitae. Disqualified.

These are both situations where the rules and requirements were not secreted from you. No. You clearly read, Please bring a #2 pencil; and attach your educational and work background to this application.

Nothing about our Christian life is kept from us, as every aspect is carefully spelled out. “And God spoke all these words, saying:” The Ten Commandments (Ex. 20.1-17). They are very clear and concise. Nothing is left to chance or question.

Moses affirmed the seriousness of God’s commandments by saying: “They are not just idle words for you—they are your life” (Deut. 32.47 NIV).

Jesus said: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 22.37-40).

All Christians past and present have been told how to be qualified to follow Jesus successfully. In Luke 14 we learn of simple ways we can be disqualified if we so choose. Our very own Christian version of bringing the wrong pencil.

1. Exalt yourself. Make sure that you run your own life the way you want and don’t seek out God’s wisdom for living. You are always right, and hubris is your middle name.
2. Make excuses constantly for why you cannot read the Bible, pray, follow God’s commandments and love others. Nothing is your fault, so your excuses won’t be hard to proffer.
3. Do not think that the Christian life should be anything other than a good time for all. God should meet all your needs materially, physically, mentally, spiritually and you must not lift a finger to work out your own salvation.
4. Be bland. Beware that saltiness can make people thirsty for Jesus, and then you might have to do or say something about Him, and that might be kinda hard. So just don’t.

Bingo! Disqualified. That wasn’t too hard, was it?

But our Beloved Savior Jesus died so that we could be qualified. He rose from the dead so that we would humble ourselves, be obedient to His commands, gladly bear our cross daily to follow Him, and be so salty that others would long to have their thirst quenched by Him. Most importantly, Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” And “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” And “These things I command you, that you love one another” (Jn. 14.15; 15.14, 17).

We want to show Him that we love Him. We want to be His friend. We want to love others. We want to be qualified. So, study His Word, work hard, and trust the Holy Spirit’s power to make this happen. Then:

Check the right boxes, using the correct pencil, and hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25.21, 23).

For reflection
1. Why does Jesus insist on certain works as proof of salvation?

2. Where should we look to learn more about the kind of works that prove our salvation?

3. Whom will you encourage today to live out their salvation in their Personal Mission Field?

People of God are truly the salt of the earth. They preserve the order of the world. Society is held together as long as the salt is uncorrupted. If the salt lost its savor, it is neither suitable for the land or the manure pile. It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “He that has ears, let him hear” the meaning of these words. Origen (185-254), Against Celsus 8.70

Pray Psalm 78.8-31.
Give thanks for all the many wonderful things God has done for you. Commit yourself to serve Him today, to take up your cross, have compassion on those around you, and live as the salt of the earth.

Sing Psalm 78.8-31.
(Foundation: How Firm a Foundation)
Our fathers were stubborn; they would not obey.
When faced with their foes they in fear turned away.
God’s work of redemption they wholly despised,
forgetting the pow’r He had shown to their eyes.

Cast back to the desert they sinned ever more,
and tested the Lord by their greed o’er and o’er.
And though He provided them manna and meat,
His anger flared up, and His wrath was complete.

T. M. and Susie Moore 

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available by clicking here.