Christianity Costs A Lot

One of the most devilish things Satan has been involved in in recent decades is happening right inside the church of Jesus Christ.  I was even party to it in my early Christian experience.  He has successfully shifted the church’s membership from a thinking of warriors to maintainers.  He has convinced us that we are just to create safe, comfortable environments where people learn about the facts of faith.  He’s elevated the dissemination of information above the practical application of truth in every aspect of our daily lives.  Where once people made huge sacrifices to be called a Christian they now join the club with ease.

The historical reality of the enormous price paid for our faith has been exchanged for a more cheap form of grace thinking.  Where once it was understood that to be a Christian meant that you would have challenges because you were actually a citizen of another country, a sort of foreigner if you will.  Today you can identify yourself as a Christian and get public votes in an election.  You can claim your Christian brand and get acceptance by a large people group.  You can claim Christianity all the while rejecting the very scriptures that teach it.  You can reshape the theological beliefs of the church based on cultural and societal shifts.  All you need to do is get affiliated with a church brand or say a series of words and you’re in.

What a messed up world where we treat this relationship with God with such contempt.  We easily forget the cost for so many in becoming a Christ follower.  It’s kind of like the messages I often do around days with a patriotic focus.  We take our national freedom for granted and put little value on the rights we possess.  But those were not always rights; someone put their life on the line to get them to be national rights.  

One real life example of this, recognition of cost paid, was revealed to me a few weeks ago.  I was having lunch with a local businessman who stated to me that the church I lead had done something amazing in the life of a friend of his who died recently.  He went on to describe how his friend was a Vietnam Vet who had lived much of his post war life ashamed of his military service to our country based on his nations response to serving in that war.  

This man I was speaking to told me that he also was a Vietnam Vet and that when they came home from the conflict they ditched their uniforms as quick as possible so as to disassociate with the war.   They had put their lives on the line for their nation at great cost to themselves and many of their friends who never made it home and they were dishonored.

My heart was moved as this man shared how he had seen a local cable presentation of our church acknowledging his friend as a valued soldier and an honored citizen.  He saw the great carved eagle, the flowers, the flag and the friends who came to honor this vet as a symbol of our honor for all vets whom the nation had dishonored back in the day.  As a church we had come to the realization that freedom costs a lot.  America spent a lot in Vietnam and we needed to regard it.

I informed this local businessman that our church is a church that proudly waves the flag and chooses to highly regard our valiant warriors.  This man heard something in our conversation that struck a note in his life and before the evening was concluded he handed me a piece of paper and said: “this is for your church, which chose to help an old soldier”.  If you haven’t quite figured it out yet that old soldier was Skip Angermann.  Skip’s end of life witness was so profound that this friend of his saw a supernatural transformation take place in his life.  

Rob spoke last week in praise and worship how the lives of several of our recent warriors who went home to be with Jesus have impacted so many.  Skip had paid the cost of my national freedom for me.  Our three warriors of prayer, along with the rest of our prayer team, have put their lives on the line for the membership of this church.  Christianity costs a lot, just ask Jesus.

Back to my story.  This businessman recognized a group of people who determined not to minimize the price paid for being an American.  We Christians should refuse to loose sight of the cost to be a Christian.  I want you to remember that Christianity is not some trivial choice we make in our lives to join a fraternity.  It’s not some club that gets you discounts at the local restaurants.  It doesn’t get you elected or get you some special free seat.  Many people have gone before us and paved the way with their blood, sweat and tears.  You are being asked to be those who pave the way for others to follow.

Oh, by the way.  I later found out that the piece of paper the businessman handed me was actually a check for $4,000.00.  Skip’s legacy of faith is still at work.  

Let’s turn to God’s word and hear what it says about this following stuff and the cost.  See if you get the sense, like is taught in today’s religions, that there is little price in connecting your wagon to Christ.

(Luke 9:57-62) As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.”

Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

The price to be a Christian is enormous according to Jesus.  Let me read from a powerful account of a Christ follower in North Vietnam so you can see that this is actually true across the globe even if you are unaware in your neighborhood.

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This man knew the price and was eager to pay it.  To often we are unwilling to even be inconvenienced for our beliefs about abortion, human perversion, bioethics issues and even prayer in school.  Let me bring it closer to home with scripture.

(Luke 10:30-35) In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

The Samaritan who found the broken man and then took him to get help telling them that whatever it cost he would pay it.  Christianity costs a lot.  Reject the easy, effortless form of faith and instead choose to enter the battle, ride through the storm and fight the good fight of faith.  Dangerous Christianity is filled with reward.

(2 Timothy 3:10-12 ) You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, …

The above notes are from Pastor Pasch’s October 26, 2009 message.  To get a free CD of the message, contact Christ’s Family Church @ 651.437.2340.