The Cost Of Discipleship




Mark 8:34-38

True Disciples (34)

True disciple must meet 4 requirements:

Come After Jesus

He must have a new birth.

He must have a personal commitment to leave the old life behind to follow the Lord Jesus Christ into a new and very different life.

Deny Himself

He must stop listening to his own voice or leaning on his own power.

He must stop fulfilling his own will and wishes.

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Instead, he must seek to do God’s will and carry out His plans.

He must give up all his rights and relinquish all control of his life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Take Up His Cross

He must die to himself.

He must commit himself to a lifestyle of a living death.

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He must willingly bear the shame, the reproach, the humiliation, the suffering, the hatred, the alienation and even the death that may come his way because of his association with the Lord Jesus Christ.

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He must take up his cross and never to lay it down until he reaches the place of his death.

Follow Him

He must turn his back on his old life.

He must take up his cross.

He must be willing to lay down everything for the glory of God.

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He must take his place behind the Lord and follow Him wherever He leads.

He must walk in total obedience and submission to the Lord Jesus Christ.

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It is an ongoing action.

He must be a constant follower.

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The Way To Save Our Lives Is To Lose It (35-37)

If we believe that having our own way, living life on our own terms, and being our own lord are more important than surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we will lose our lives.

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If we will yield our lives to Him, giving up total control over all we have and are to Him, we will actually save it.

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We can choose to do as we please, living our lives on our own terms, but in the end, we will lose our lives, and an eternity in Hell will be waiting for us.

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Or, we can choose to commit our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ.

We can deny our own will, give up all our rights, surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and follow Him faithfully.

At the end of the way, His way, we will find that the door of Heaven will be opened to us.

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We may gain the whole world and all its riches.

We may do anything we want, be anything we want, or go anywhere we want.

But after death, we will find ourselves in Hell forever.

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Would those years of pleasure be worth an eternity in Hell?

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What is the worth of our soul?

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Remember, our soul is the only part of us that will live forever.

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Are we willing to trade our soul for the right to do as we please and live life on our own terms?

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A Penalty (38)

The Lord Jesus had a word for those who were ashamed of Him and His words.

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They had refused to come to Him for salvation.

They had refused to accept Him and His message.

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They would face a terrible judgment when He comes.

The Lord Jesus Christ will refuse to acknowledge them.

They will face Him in judgment and they will be cast into Hell.

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There are no cheap seats in the body of Christ.

It costs something to be a genuine disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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True discipleship demands our all!

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We must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow the Lord Jesus Christ all the way, even to death if necessary.

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For those who are willing to pay the price, there is a home in Heaven and eternal glory.

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For those who shrink back from the shame of the cross, there is nothing but judgment.


Don’t Miss The Sign!




Mark 8:10-13

A Stern Demand (11)

The Lord Jesus Christ had just finished feeding 4000 people.

He and His disciples then left by boat and went to another part of Israel.

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As soon as they arrived there, they were met by the Pharisees.

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The Pharisees began to question Him.

They wanted to test Him.

They wanted Him to show them a sign from Heaven.

Their intention was to wait for Him to fail.

Then, they could and would denounce Him as a false prophet.

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They had heard enough gospel from Him.

They had seen enough proof.

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Their problem was simply that they didn’t want to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ!

They did not want Him to be their Messiah.

They refused to bow down to Him as their Savior!

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A Solemn Declaration (12)

When the Lord Jesus Christ heard their demand, He was grieved in His soul.

His was frustrated and perhaps angry.

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His questioned them, “Why does this generation ask for a sign?”

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They had the Messiah.

God in the flesh was walking among them.

But they could not even recognize Him.

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They were looking for a heavenly sign.

Heaven had taken up residence among them.

But they missed it!

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A Sorrowful Departure (13)

The Lord Jesus Christ left them.

There was nothing more to say and do.

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They refused to believe.

So He abandoned them to their choice.

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He turned them over to their own ways.

He left them in their darkness!

What a horrible thought.

But that was just what the Lord Jesus Christ did.

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The Lord Jesus Christ will not deal with us forever.

There will come a point when He will walk away from us, never to return.

He will abandon us to the eternity we have chosen.

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If God has been speaking to us about being saved, we need to heed His voice now!

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There will come a day when He will stop speaking to our hearts.

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Don’t bet our soul on the thought that we always have tomorrow to get right with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today is the day of salvation!

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If we don’t come to the Lord Jesus Christ and believe on Him for salvation in this life, we will spend eternity in Hell, apart from God, for all eternity!

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Let us rather come to the Lord Jesus Christ while there is time.

Let us come to Him and be saved.

Come to the Lord Jesus Christ today.

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Are we still looking for a sign? Don’t!

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Let us come rather to the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved today.

Come now!

The Wind Ceased




Mark 6:45-54

He Sent Them (45-47)

The storm came because it was the will of God.

The Lord Jesus deliberately sent His disciples into the storm.

His purpose was to grow their faith.

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Storms are good for correction and perfection of our faith.

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He Saw Them (48a)

The Lord Jesus was watching them from the mountain.

He saw their labor.

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The Lord Jesus knows the load we bear.

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He saw their opposition.

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The Lord Jesus knows what we are fighting against right now!

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God knows what He is doing!

Our job is to submit to Him and allow Him His way in our lives.

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He Sustained Them (48b-51)

The Lord Jesus prayed for them.

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The Lord Jesus is in Heaven and He is praying for us!

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The Lord Jesus came to them.

He was there in the darkest hour.

He was there when they faced the thing they feared.

He was there when all possibility of human help was removed.

And He came in His own time.

He is seldom early.

But He is never late!

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The Lord Jesus calmed the storm.

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His disciples didn't recognize Him, because they were not looking for Him!

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He came declaring His authority.

He addressed their fear.

Then He calmed their storm.

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We are just like the disciples.

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Our storms rage.

We finally call upon the Lord Jesus.

He stills the storm.

And we stand there with our mouths open and say "WOW!"

Yet, all the while, He is waiting on us to call on Him.

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What is our storm today?

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Whatever it is, the Lord Jesus can handle it!

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Come on, call on Him and in His time, the wind will cease in our storm too.

The 12 Disciples




Mark 6:7-13

The Mission Of The 12 (7)

The Lord Jesus called His men to Him.

He sent them out on a preaching mission.

He sent them out 2 by 2.

It provided companionship, encouragement and prayer.

It fulfilled the requirement of the Law for every testimony to be established by the words of at least 2 witnesses.

He gives them the power to carry His message to the world.

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The Mandate Of The 12 (8-11)

The Lord Jesus gave them specific command.

They were to go as they were, without making any special preparation for their travel.

They were to undertake the assignment with their full faith in the Lord Jesus and in His ability to take care of them.

They were to go with a sense of urgency.

They were to take only one coat.

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They were to accept the hospitality of the local people.

They were to abide in whatever house they were invited into.

They were not to seek out better accommodations.

They were not to look for more comfortable lodging.

They were to take what they were given and they were to be happy with it.

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When they entered a village, and they and their message were rejected, they were to leave that village.

They were to shake the dust off their sandals.

This served as a sign that the recipients would face a harsh judgment for rejecting God’s offer of salvation.

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The message of the disciples was a message of hope and salvation.

Those who rejected the offer of salvation were given a message of judgment and damnation.

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The Message Of The 12 (12)

They preached that men should repent.

It refers to a change of mind that leads to a change of action.

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Repentance has both a negative aspect and a positive aspect.

Repentance looks backward, but it also looks forward.

Repentance says, “I will stop doing the things I should not do and I will begin to do the things I should do. I will stop living a life of sin and I will start to live a life of holiness.”

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The Ministry Of The 12 (13)

The disciples went out in the power of the Savior.

They saw Him move and work in power and glory.

God confirmed His work in them through powerful ways.

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Our Savior is in the life-changing, soul-saving business!

And He desires us to have a part in His ministry.

When we hear His call, accept His commission, walk in faith and share His message with a lost and dying world, we can expect Him to honor His Word, and save the lost.

Be Not Afraid, Only Believe




Mark 5:21-43

The Conception Of His Faith (21-24)

The Direction Of His Faith

Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue.

He possessed power, privilege, prestige, position, and prominence.

But none of the things mattered anymore!

Sickness and death had visited his home.

His little daughter was dying.

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Jairus needed help!

He heard about the Lord Jesus Christ.

He ran to Him and humbled himself at His feet.

The Depth Of His Faith

Jairus believed His touch would bring healing to his child.

So he humbled himself at His feet and cried out for help.

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The Confusion Of His Faith (24-35)

Confused By Hindering Situations

The Lord Jesus Christ went with Jairus to heal his daughter.

As He was, He was thronged by the crowd.

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A very sick woman touched His garments and was healed.

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The Lord Jesus Christ stopped to confront and comfort this woman.

As He did, precious minutes passed by.

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Jairus might have been confused and upset by this delay.

His daughter was dying!

She didn’t have much time.

Confused By Hopeless Situations

Some people came from the home of Jairus with devastating news.

His daughter was dead!

This news must have attacked his faith and brought him to the very edge of despair!

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The Confirmation Of His Faith (36-43)

Confirmed By The Savior’s Words

The Lord Jesus Christ overheard the news of the girl’s death.

He knew the fear that rested within the heart of Jairus.

The Lord Jesus Christ said, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”

The Lord Jesus Christ was asking Jairus to keep believing in Him!

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The Lord Jesus Christ and Jairus continued on to Jairus’ house.

When they arrived, they found that the mourners were already there.

The mourners were wailing and crying and sad tunes were being played on the flutes.

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The Lord Jesus Christ told the mourners to stop their wailing.

The little girl was not dead, but only sleeping.

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They laughed at Him.

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The Lord Jesus was letting Jairus and everyone there know that He was in control of the situation.

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Confirmed By The Savior’s Works

The Lord Jesus Christ sent the mourners and the spectators away.

He took Jairus, the girl’s mother and Peter, James and John and entered the room where the girl’s body was laid.

He took her by the hand and said “Talitha Cumi”, which was translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”

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What a tender expression!

The Lord Jesus Christ was moved with compassion by the grief in this home and He called the little girl’s spirit back into her body.

She obeyed His command and instantly received life.

She got up and everyone was amazed.

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Jairus had his faith enlarged by this encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ.

He discovered the power of God and his life would never be the same again.

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When we place our problems beside the Lord, it will grow very small.

He can cut them down to size!


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