The Cost of Following Jesus

by Mike Ratliff

37 For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; 38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” 39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. (Hebrews 10:37-39 ESV)

Nearly every day I receive contact from a dear soul or a couple or a family who have ‘lost their church.’ They were part of a vibrant, obedient, Bible preaching church then something changed. The leadership changed for some reason and there was some sort of hostile takeover by those who are consumed by Rick Warren’s ungodly Purpose Driven deception. Gone are in-depth Bible studies. Gone are expository sermons. Gone is ministry to the Body of Christ. Instead, the whole “enterprise” is all wrapped up in ministering to the “unchurched.” It becomes church for the world. Some of the contact I have received is couched in deep, hot anger or raw hurt. These people feel betrayed. What happens in most cases is that in certain areas, these take-overs wipe out all good churches  there and leave nowhere for these people to go to be fed or to minister.

We should view this as tragic. We should view this is as part of the cause of judgment being heaped up on these evil men who are culpable in this. However, as we saw in this post earlier today, we should also understand that God does allow the spirit of the Antichrist to attack His Church for His own purposes. The cost of following Jesus is high no matter what false teachers like Joel Osteen say. As true disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, our role in the Kingdom is to obey Him, to be where He wants us to be, to be doing what He wants us to do.

57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, ”Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, ”Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, ”Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, ”No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:57-62 ESV)

Here is one that is forward to follow Christ, but seems to have been hasty and rash, and not to have counted the cost. If we mean to follow Christ, we must lay aside the thoughts of great things in the world. Let us not try to join the profession of Christianity, with seeking after worldly advantages. Here is another that seems resolved to follow Christ, but he begs a short delay. To this man Christ first gave the call; he said to him, Follow me. Religion teaches us to be kind and good, to show piety at home, and to requite our parents; but we must not make these an excuse for neglecting our duty to God. Here is another that is willing to follow Christ, but he must have a little time to talk with his friends about it, and to set in order his household affairs, and give directions concerning them. He seemed to have worldly concerns more upon his heart than he ought to have, and he was willing to enter into a temptation leading him from his purpose of following Christ. No one can do any business in a proper manner, if he is attending to other things. Those who begin with the work of God, must resolve to go on, or they will make nothing of it. Looking back, leads to drawing back, and drawing back is to perdition. He only that endures to the end shall be saved. – Matthew Henry

So many seek to be a Christian on their own terms. We are witnessing the devastation of that with the carnage wrought by the Purpose Driven paradigm and Emergence Christianity. Both drive people away from God’s truth as the central core of our faith. Both are man-centered. Both are all about shaping God to please men. Both are false forms of Christianity that are in rebellion to the true cost of serving Christ.

As I said at the top of this post, I receive communication continually from people who are being ministered to through this blog and others because their churches, from where they should be fed spiritually, have been decimated by wolves. I would like to affirm to all reading this right now that I will continue to serve my Lord as He directs. I pray that He will draw those who are in spiritual need here to be fed and ministered to as He wills. Let us draw together in His truth and commit to one another by His grace to love and serve one another in love as long as He wills.

Soli Deo Gloria!