“Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”
Luke 14:25–33
Large crowds were following Jesus.
That sounds like success. The roads were full. People were listening. Momentum was building. If this were happening today, we might measure it in attendance, engagement, giving, or growth.
But Jesus did not turn to the crowd and congratulate them for showing up. He turned and told them to count the cost.
That is not the message most people expect to hear when they are standing in a crowd. We like invitations that feel easy. We like open doors, clear benefits, and promises of a better life.
Jesus offered something better than ease and comfort.
And He was honest about what really following Him would require.
Jesus Was Not, and Is Not, Looking for Spectators
In Luke 14, Jesus makes it clear that following Him involves more than simply knowing about Him. He calls us to love Him above everything else, take up our cross, and surrender our lives to Him.
That begins at the moment of salvation, when we place our faith and trust in His completed work, but it doesn’t end there. Being a follower of Jesus requires commitment to seek God in His Word daily and strive to conform and be conformed to Jesus’ image through prayer and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s all of those things and more that motivate perseverance and prepare us to truly “renounce all” that we have as disciples of Christ.
Jesus was not trying to push people away. He was helping them understand the difference between being interested in Him and truly belonging to Him.
For the maturing disciple, there must come a point when admiration becomes adoration that produces obedience to the Master.
That is true in salvation, and it is also true in ministry. The church was never meant to be a place where a few people do all the work while everyone else watches. Pastors are called to equip believers for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:12).
Every believer has a part to play. That may look like teaching, serving in the nursery, welcoming visitors, giving, praying, helping someone in need, or simply being dependable.
The Unfinished Tower
Jesus spoke about a man who wanted to build a tower. Before he began, he needed to consider whether he was willing and able to finish. Ministry often starts with excitement. A person volunteers, joins a team, begins teaching, or agrees to help.
Then life gets busy. The work becomes repetitive. People can be difficult. Results may be slow.
This is where commitment matters.
Faithfulness is not only saying yes when the opportunity is new. It is continuing to serve when the work feels ordinary and no one is noticing.
The King Preparing for Battle
Jesus also spoke about a king preparing for war. He had to understand what the battle would require. Ministry is part of a spiritual battle, but most of that battle is fought in very ordinary ways.
It looks like preparing a lesson when you are tired. It looks like checking on someone who is hurting. It looks like praying for your church, helping set up, welcoming a new family, or giving your time when it would be easier to stay home.
These things may not feel important, but they are.
The church becomes stronger when each person does his or her part.
Carrying the Cross
Jesus said that a disciple must carry his cross.
To follow Jesus means recognizing that our lives belong to Him. Our time, abilities, resources, and plans are His. That does not mean saying yes to every request. Wisdom, family responsibilities, health, and seasons of life all matter.
But it does mean asking a better question.
Instead of asking, “Do I have to serve?” we begin asking, “Lord, how can I serve faithfully and consistently in this season?”
The Cost of Commitment
Convenience asks, “Does this fit my schedule?”
Commitment asks, “What would faithfulness look like here?”
Many important things in ministry happen slowly. Children learn over time. Trust grows over time. People change over time. Churches become healthy over time.
The work often moves forward because ordinary believers keep showing up.
They pray again. They teach again. They encourage again. They help again.
That kind of steady faithfulness may not receive much attention, but God uses it.
Sit Down and Count the Cost
Jesus told the crowd to sit down and count the cost. Perhaps we each need to do the same. Not so we can find reasons to avoid ministry, but so we can enter it with clear eyes and willing hearts.
The world is full of unfinished towers, unfought battles, and good intentions.
May our churches be filled with something different. May they be filled with believers who have counted the cost, taken up the cross, and chosen to keep building.
Not because the work is easy. But because Jesus is worthy.
Need a Church Leadership Partner?
Baptist Church Planters exists to help churches build healthy disciple-making congregations. If you or your church are ready to grow in godliness and leadership, reach out to us today. Let’s partner together to make disciples who make disciples.
