Let the Dead Bury Their Dead
Tim Keller | January 24, 1993
Overview
If Jesus was a pastor, I don’t think his church would’ve grown very fast. Any leader of a movement wants to make it easy for people to enter. But Jesus acts in a completely different way. People come and say, “I want to join up,” and Jesus says, “Get back. Think.”
In Luke 9, Jesus does this because the three men clearly don’t understand what they are asking for. Therefore, if we take a look at how Jesus answers them, we’re going to learn a great deal about what it means to follow Jesus.
What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? This text shows us 1) that to follow Christ is to enter the kingdom, 2) that we need to understand the hardness of the kingdom, and 3) that we need to understand the greatness of the kingdom.
Outline
Luke 9:57–62
In Luke 9:57-62, Jesus teaches us that being a true follower means more than just trying to be a better person. It means a complete change inside and out. To be part of Jesus’ kingdom, we need to be brave and ready to face tough times. Most importantly, we must put Jesus first in our lives. If we put anything else before him, our spiritual health suffers.
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