When God Gives More Than Enough

September 4, 2016 Pastor Hines Luke 14.25-33 “When God Gives More than Enough”

Jesus said to a large crowd, ²⁶‘Whoever comes to me and does not HATE father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Can you imagine the crowd’s reaction to Jesus that day? Sure we can! [slide # 1 Jesus’ crowd]

Hate is a word that gets all of our attention because hate creates a tension that keeps our attention. When a distraught teenager lashes out at parental authority, we may hear, “I hate you, I hate you” as the door slams hard. It is common for a scorned lover to throw a book at a former sweetheart in order to express hate-filled rejection. Hate comes easy with practice, and hate stands out in the corners of our minds. [slide # 2 hate]

When our hearts are feeble and less than grateful, we experience true love as boring like a sun rising, ever so slowly and predictable. Through ungrateful, unilluminated hearts, we see the sun as the same every morning, the same color, the same range of temperatures, the same seasons one after another.

Jesus was very wise. He knew his audience. He knew how to get a crowd going to shake them from their boredom. I imagine he communicated to them, “You have followed me this far, if you are going to be MY disciples you have to get your hate on.”

No doubt some looked at Jesus like he was recruiting for Isis or skinheads or the kkk or the Panthers, but that was not his intention at all. He knew that everyone in the crowd was familiar with hate. He knew that some hated the idea of hate, and some were in love with the idea of hate. Those who loved love would be puzzled about Jesus talking about hate. Those who loved hate would stick around and not get bored.

Those who were accustomed to loving and being loved may have been overwhelmed with the prospects of taking their love to the next level. They could hear Jesus calling them to nurture love and foster family in a new way. They understood that they were doing good, but there was room for even MORE, and greater love. Would they, could they go to that next level? [slide # 3 Jesus and children ]

Others became overly excited about an invitation to hate. Jesus spoke figuratively, inviting the crowd to “hate,” a word every family could relate to, surely those who were excited by hate and who knew too little about love could be quickly recognized, identified, exploited, or transformed.

Now that he had the attention of the haters as well as the lovers, he   raised two of the most important questions any of us will ever have to answer. The first question is in verse 28. “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it?” [slide # 4…verse 28 complete it]

In the Old Testament towers were constructed for many purposes. There were towering silos that stored grain. There were watch towers surrounded by stone walls and armed guards on the lookout for intruders. Towers were built to make people safe and secure.

In modern times there is no lack of towers in the form of residential and office skyscrapers, [ slide # 5 skyscrapers ] vertical farming, [ slide #6 vertical farm ] and prisons [ slide # 7 prison tower ]. I asked Sally Kolb from Kolb’s Dairy if farmers were still using towering silos like they did in the ancient world or are they doing something more modern. She noted that farmers still make towering silos, but some save expense by simply digging trenches in the ground and covering them with plastic.

She told me about silos that were concrete used for fermenting grain, and there are silo towers that are vacuum sealed so that all the air is sucked out. Such towers might cost about $100,000. [slide # 8  Kolb’s farm ]

Jesus knew that everyone in the crowd had high hopes about something in their life. We all have something great for which we long, something towering in our minds and hearts, something that  keeps our head up in the clouds. We can look high and feel secure and settled and safe and happy and hopeful. Jesus asks, again “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it?”

We have dreams, but we know that our sense of security does not just drop from the sky. We know that our sense of safety and security comes from God when we come to God. [ slide # 9 dollar…trust ]

Do you think it is possible for a church to be filled with people who do not look up to God? Who do not seek to serve God? Who are not willing to follow and be disciples of Jesus? Who are not moved by the Holy Spirit? Anything is possible.

This is not the case for Bethel. Bethel is a church following in the footsteps of Jesus. Every 40 years the next generation has captured God’s vision to sit down and build something high and lofty, whether it be physical or spiritual that preserves the body of Christ.

Forty years ago it was the completion of the educational wing. This generation has completed Phase 1 of an incredibly lofty plan. Phase 2 is on the horizon and we hear Jesus calling us to count the cost and come up with a plan in Phase 2. It is to be a plan that we can finish by faith with a secure marriage between the Building Committee and the Finance Committee!

The second question Jesus asks the crowd of hopefuls is in verse 31. Jesus says, [slide # 10…”Or what king] ”Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand?”

Jesus knows we have lofty dreams and he knows there may be seasons when we will have to resist the devil and all his army of demons. There are battles to be won in Jesus’ name. [slide # 11 fight on your knees]

When our enemies are strong, we must be the delegation of peacemakers that [slide # 12 peacemakers]Jesus refers to in verse 32 so we can avoid war. [slide # 13 verse 32 he sends a delegation]

Jesus raises questions to keep us mindful of our need to count the cost and to fight the good fight of faith and prepare with peace. He raises the questions, and he gives us the answer in verse 33 where he said, “So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.” [slide # 14 give God your all]

That’s my Jesus. He promises us the sky and blesses us abundantly. While our cups overflow with more than enough, he demands that we give it all up again. He demands that we let go and let God do what only God can do. [slide # 15 let go and let God]

Jesus is clear. If we cannot let our blessings go, then we cannot follow. Then we cannot be disciples. Disciples are ready at a moment’s notice to count the cost, expect the best, prepare for the worst, fight like the devil in a good fight of faith, develop peacemakers in the midst of war and all that while letting God have God’s way. [slide # 16 meditating woman – …let God]

A church’s  financial secretary announced sadly that there was only $2.43 cents left in the treasury at the end of the year 2015. The pastor began to cheer! Then he explained. Even though there was only $2.43 cents left, there was no a shortage. In fact, it was more than enough for what they needed in 2015!

When we do not have enough, [slide # 17 glass in desert] we need to give thanks for what we do have and continue in prayer and service until we become true disciples, giving our all.

When we have just enough, [slide # 18 glass mostly full] just our daily bread and nothing in sight for tomorrow and the generation ahead, we can look in our homes and our communities and work prayerfully to make disciples who can help be the good news and do the good work God has for us. [slide # 19 Go make disciples]

When we have more than enough [slide # 20 glass overflowing] we must give thanks, rejoice, and celebrate as we plan to do on October 8^th’s pig roast – [slide # 21 pig roast] We celebrate the goodness of the Lord, inspiring the next generation of disciples to trust God and know as the songwriter says: It is no secret what God can do. What God has done for others, God can do for you. With arms wide open, God will welcome you. It is no secret what God can do! Amen. [slide # 22 celebrate]