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[1404.34 --> 1412.66] comes from a book called the great omission and this is what he writes the greatest issue facing the
[1412.66 --> 1418.50] world today with all its heartbreaking needs that's a big claim he's making here is whether those who by
[1418.50 --> 1428.58] profession or culture are identified as christians will become disciples students apprentices practitioners
[1428.58 --> 1435.14] of jesus christ steadily learning from him how to live the life of the kingdom of heaven into every
[1435.78 --> 1442.82] corner of human existence do you get what he's saying there and he's speaking to an american audience
[1442.82 --> 1445.78] and i think this is also true of canada where it's like if you grew up in the church in some way but
[1445.78 --> 1449.86] left it you still you see yourself as christian you went to mass with your grandma as a kid you
[1449.86 --> 1455.06] see yourself as christian and he's saying what matters is whether you are a disciple of jesus or
[1455.06 --> 1460.10] not and he highlights how in the new testament specifically the gospels there's two categories
[1460.10 --> 1465.54] of people in relationship to jesus you know what they are there's the crowd and there are disciples
[1467.22 --> 1471.54] and everyone has to decide what's my relationship to jesus and am i with the crowd that can easily walk
[1471.54 --> 1476.26] away when he says something that we disagree with or my disciple who's committed to his way because
[1476.26 --> 1478.18] he is lord and he is savior
[1482.34 --> 1486.74] now i remind us again that this is a heavy passage i feel it i think you feel it too
[1487.78 --> 1491.38] and maybe if you're new to church i know we have a number of people in our church who are just
[1491.38 --> 1496.98] stepping into the christian faith trying to explore it maybe you're thinking wow why would anyone become
[1496.98 --> 1504.10] a christian like this is very demanding why would people preach on these words in luke's gospel
[1505.22 --> 1510.02] and let me just put it simply and then i'll tease it out a little bit the reason jesus asks us to count
[1510.02 --> 1521.06] the cost is because he knows it's worth it discipleship is worth the price that we have to give up it's worth
[1521.06 --> 1527.78] the cost of giving up all things or to reverse you know think of jesus language what good is it to gain
[1527.78 --> 1532.90] the whole world and forfeit your soul and jesus saying if you forsake all those other loyalties
[1532.90 --> 1540.10] and allow jesus to be the center you gain life and what jesus is going to do when he gets to jerusalem
[1540.10 --> 1546.10] when he gets crucified he is going to once and for all for all who would believe for the sake of his
[1546.10 --> 1554.26] world defeat the power of sin he's going to defeat the tempter who runs wreck in our life and he's going to
[1554.26 --> 1561.22] defeat death itself and bring resurrection you'll notice that even in our passage the language we see
[1561.22 --> 1566.18] is the kingdom of god jesus is coming to bring the rule of god the life of god and the power of god
[1566.18 --> 1571.86] into our reality such that we when we come to jesus in faith we come to the source of life
[1571.86 --> 1579.30] life so for jesus counting the cost is an obvious answer it's worth the cost
[1581.38 --> 1586.66] and i'll add to that something that dallas willard has given me language for that it's meaning more and
[1586.66 --> 1590.18] more as i get older and dallas willard says not only do we have to count the cost of discipleship
[1591.22 --> 1597.14] but we have to count the cost of non-discipleship that is to say if jesus is not the center something
[1597.14 --> 1601.38] else will be the center and i would say this generally speaking if you're a western person you grew up
[1601.38 --> 1606.98] in canada the center is you and you know what happens when you're the center you have to live
[1606.98 --> 1615.46] with you or to put it more strongly with biblical language you then are trapped under the power of
[1615.46 --> 1620.90] the flesh and that's not a great place to be is it i don't think i need to explain what that feels
[1620.90 --> 1625.14] like we all know what it's like to be trapped in our sin to make these decisions and possibly that
[1625.14 --> 1630.18] we're not proud of to go all to these vices in our life all these idols that we just find ourselves
[1630.18 --> 1635.06] worshiping and we try to squeeze out of those idols meaning and satisfaction and happiness and
[1635.06 --> 1640.42] they never give us what we want right if you're here last week pastor mike was sharing how we just
[1640.42 --> 1646.18] try to find so desperately satisfaction in the wealth in the comfort in the popularity in the
[1646.18 --> 1653.54] grades whatever it is and it never delivers because it can't and jesus says count that cost
[1653.54 --> 1660.18] the cost of being trapped under the power of sin and then recognize that the one who's calling us to
[1660.18 --> 1668.74] a costly obedience a costly discipleship is the one who transforms our lives into the likeness of jesus
[1669.94 --> 1677.70] the one who takes our brokenness and our sin brings grace and mercy and makes us like jesus that to come
[1677.70 --> 1685.06] into contact with jesus is to come into contact with the source of life and church it's worth the cost
[1688.58 --> 1693.62] one of the passages that has been ringing in my head all week and i'm trying to pay more attention to
[1693.62 --> 1699.06] the passages that pop into my head as i prepare sermons but it comes from matthew 11 where jesus makes
[1699.06 --> 1706.02] an invitation to discipleship and he talks about it as a yoke and the image if you grew up in a modern city
[1706.02 --> 1710.34] you won't know what yoke is but it's what animals wore like as they did the farming work they would
[1710.34 --> 1716.10] pull the plow and there's this wooden yoke on them and it's got weight to it it's heavy and jesus describes
[1716.10 --> 1721.06] following him as a yoke but now i want to read for you how he describes it in matthew 11. this is going
[1721.06 --> 1730.82] to bring us to the end of the sermon it says come to me all you who are weary and burdened and i'll give
[1730.82 --> 1736.50] you rest and as a pastor living in north america i want to say come to me all you who are weary from
[1736.50 --> 1743.54] trying to rule your own life burdened by trying to squeeze out of life satisfaction that only jesus
[1743.54 --> 1753.22] christ can give and he will give us rest he will give us shalom take my yoke upon you and learn from me
[1753.22 --> 1764.42] for i'm gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden
[1765.30 --> 1765.94] is light
[1768.82 --> 1770.02] let me lead us in prayer
[1770.02 --> 1782.18] father i pray that you give us ears to hear the words of your son jesus
[1783.86 --> 1789.62] i pray that we would be able to respond in faith and obedience by the power of your spirit
[1792.42 --> 1796.50] and i join the confessions that have already been prayed this morning by asking that you forgive
[1796.50 --> 1804.10] our half-hearted loyalty our lukewarm faith the unspoken agreement we have with you that says it
[1804.10 --> 1810.74] has to be easy or we're walking away we ask that you forgive us for worshiping all the wrong idols of
[1810.74 --> 1820.26] safety of social approval of greed and of comfort and i ask lord on behalf of all of us that your son jesus
[1820.26 --> 1829.46] christ would reign in us that his rule and his life would be our priority and that you by your gracious
[1829.46 --> 1837.94] time and by your power and your spirit would enable us week by week day by day to give our allegiance to
[1837.94 --> 1843.14] jesus the source of life we pray this in his name amen
[1843.14 --> 1858.82] at this time i invite you to stand and sing with me a song of response and that is a song called rain in us
[1858.82 --> 1860.82] you
• Introduction to a new series called "Hard Sayings of Jesus"
• Reactions to Jesus' teachings: amazement, astonishment, and difficulty in understanding
• The crowd and disciples reacted negatively when Jesus said he was the bread of life and had to eat his body and drink his blood (John 6)
• Many disciples left Jesus due to the difficulty of accepting this teaching
• Peter responded by saying they have come to believe in Jesus as the Holy One of God
• Jesus said hard things, such as it being difficult for a rich man to enter God's kingdom
• Jesus' words can be hard to live out and understand, but following him requires trust and faith in God
• The series will explore some of these "hard sayings" of Jesus, starting with Mark 11:12-26
• Jesus' power to move mountains through faith
• The concept of trusting in God's power rather than one's own
• The story of King Herod the Great and his fortress on a mountain
• The idea that faith can overcome even great obstacles and powers
• The importance of prayer and believing in God's ability to act
• Distinguishing between praying with faith and simply naming or claiming something without action
• Jesus has ultimate power over world events
• The importance of praying God's will be done in one's life
• Jesus' promise to answer prayers when asked according to His will
• The power of agreeing in prayer with others (Matthew 18)
• The difference between asking for God's will and trusting it
• Examples of Hope Community's experiences with prayer walks and seeking God's leading
• Assurance that God hears, cares, and answers prayers perfectly
• The speaker reflects on Matthew 17:20, specifically verse 21, about moving mountains through faith
• Discussion of 2 Corinthians 12 and Paul's thorn in the flesh as an example of trusting God's grace
• The importance of humility and recognizing one's limitations in prayer and life
• Recognizing "mountains" or difficulties in one's life and focusing on Jesus rather than the problem itself
• Sharing personal anecdotes and biblical examples, such as Daniel in the lion's den, to illustrate this point
• The importance of keeping one's focus on God, rather than on problems or challenges
• Trusting in God's ability to overcome any obstacle or "mountain"
• The role of prayer in trusting and focusing on God
• Recognizing that God is bigger and more powerful than any challenge or problem
• The need to trust God even when things don't make sense or go as planned