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Luke 14 25-33 The cost of discipleship 01 Put away the foreign gods
📖 Luke 14:25-33
23Dec19 - *Put away the foreign gods* - _Luke 14:25-33_ - Bible reading: _Joshua 24:19-25_
We have completed the section on the ‘Marriage feast of the Lamb’. We are now beginning a new study on *the cost of discipleship*.
As we look at this topic, we will be confronted with the high expectations of following Jesus. It may seem and sound as though the Christian life is drudgery but before we even plunge into this topic of the cost of discipleship, let us be encouraged that this is a walk of the Holy Spirit. He is our enabler. He empowers us to be disciples of Jesus. All that is required of us is our choice, our willingness. The enablement to be Christ’ disciples is the work of the Holy Spirit, working in and through us.
Before we look at the specific criteria for discipleship, we will look at the general platform and understanding that we need to have to be His disciples.
Jesus gave two analogies as He spelt out the specifics of the cost to be His disciples. The first one is in _Luke 14:28-30 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.'_
To understand this analogy, let us look at the way Joshua impressed upon the people to take their walk with God, seriously. So, he addresses the issue of discipleship with the Israelites. _Joshua 24:19-25 But Joshua said to the people, "You cannot serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins._ Joshua is so concerned that the people should not take God lightly but consider that He is a God of anger and vengeance. _(20) If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good."_ He is stating the fact of the nature of God, though God is loving, caring and forgiving too.
_(21) And the people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the LORD!" (22) So Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD for yourselves, to serve Him." And they said, "We are witnesses!"_ Joshua is doing his very best to get the people to count the cost of being followers of Yahweh. He does not want them to be halfhearted in their commitment to God.
_(23) "Now therefore," he said, "put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD God of Israel." (24) And the people said to Joshua, "The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!" (25) So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem._ Joshua was challenging, warning and making people to count the cost to follow God and one of those things that the people will have to do, would be to *put away the foreign gods* from amongst them.
*Thought to ponder*
```There is no place for luke warmness in our relationship with Jesus```