Dear Christian friends:

We should let God's Word judge us and test us daily. To see whether we are still in faith and truly our His disciples: So we can confess and change and by His Holy Spirit improve:

I. Endure Hardships

A. Many are like the scribe in our text eager to follow Jesus, but then when they are asked to suffer and sacrifice they quit.

1. Some like to join the church and receive all the benefits, but if you ask them to sacrifice and pledge for the church to go ahead - new building, missions, Sunday School then they quickly lose interest.

2. Or if you ask them to be a lay visitor and talk to others and witness to others they don't want to work that hard or suffer criticism or mockery. If you don't want to work hard and sacrifice and suffer criticism and even persecution and mockery you can't be a follower of Jesus. You may think that you follow Jesus, but you are not really.

B. Our text does not say if the man changed his mind or not. Did he decide to suffer hardships for Jesus or not? God does not tell us here. Why? He wants you to think and decide yourself. Will you suffer hardships for Jesus sake? He suffered much hardship for you. He even died for you.

You who think church membership is easy, who want to join the church but don't want to work hard and sacrifice, you better listen to Jesus' words. You are not and cannot be His disciple. His disciples must suffer hardship. Better repent!

You who have been sacrificing and suffering hardships for Jesus, let these words of Jesus give comfort and support, and encouragement to you. You are a true follower of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus gives us a second test to see if we are true disciples of His.

II. We must not let anything hinder the telling and preaching of the Gospel. We read in verse 59, "And He said to another etc..."

Heathen funeral. Importance of preaching and telling the Gospel. Are you letting these worldly things hinder the preaching of the Gospel? Go hunting or fishing on Sunday? Go bowling on Friday night when you ought to attend to Gospel, business at voters meeting? Spend more money for pleasure, sports and luxuries than you spend for support of church and missions? Love your worldly friends so much you let them interrupt your coming to church or Bible Class?

You, who always let many worldly things interrupt your following Jesus and His work, listen to His words: "Let the dead bury the dead, but you go and preach the Gospel." Now is the time to wake up and change your ways before it is too late and you lose all interest in Jesus your Savior.

III. The third test that Jesus presents to us is: Are you following Him with all your heart? (v. 61) "Another said to him, Lord I will follow; thee but etc." The man wanted to serve both God and mammon, the world He thought half my heart for God and half my heart for Jesus. Jesus doesn't want half your heart - He wants all - Full love, full trust, full devotion, full loyalty. One other time Jesus said, "Whoever He be of you that forsakes not all that he has, he cannot be My disciple."

You can't have two Gods - there is only One. If you try to have two, you have a false one - mammon. Jesus called it mammon: You cannot serve God and mammon - money or friends or things of this world. Many church members try to do that. They say they trust in God, but really they trust in their money. They don't worry much if the church closes, but they worry very much if the factory closes and they lose their jobs. They say they fear God, but really they fear people more. They are more eager to get praise of men than the praise of God. Are you trying to serve two masters? If you are, Jesus says you are like a man trying to plough and looking backwards. You know a man can't look behind and still plough. So you cannot follow Jesus and look back to the false gods of this world. Remember Lot's wife!

When we hear and see how Jesus judges His followers we ought to wake up and see our danger and temptations. Ask God to have mercy on us and forgive us and help us to follow Him. We must never be satisfied and refuse to let Jesus judge us. We should let His Word judge and test us everyday and every day confess our sins and failures and then seek His forgiveness in Jesus Christ, and His Holy Spirit to lead us as true disciples.

When you go to the Lord's Supper today ask God to give you new heart and new spirit and new joy and strength in Jesus to be and remain His follower.

Amen.