This document discusses the cost of discipleship according to principles outlined in the Bible. It states that discipleship requires denying oneself by surrendering one's will to obey Christ. Disciples must also be willing to bear their cross by enduring hardships and persecution for doing God's will. Further, the document emphasizes counting the cost of fully committing to follow Jesus, which may mean forsaking all one has. True disciples deny themselves daily by taking up their cross and following Christ.

1. ECCLESIOLOGY
Principles of Discipleship-Part 2)
The Cost of discipleship
By : Servant of the Cross
The Living Spring

2. Principle of Discipleships
Principle of Discipleships
3. The Cost of Discipleship
Jesus never promised that the way of the disciple would be
easy. It is true that He wants to bless every believer, but
His purpose is to built His Church. To be a disciple is to be
part of that divine purpose.
1.The Disciple Must Deny Himself
2.The Disciple Must Bear His Cross
3.Counting the Cost
4.The Disciple Must Follow Jesus
The Living Spring

3. Principle of Discipleships
Principle of Discipleships
3. The Cost of Discipleship
1. The Disciple Must Deny Himself
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after
me, let him first deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
(Matt. 16:24)
The Greek for ‘deny’ means to ‘totally reject.’ This does not
mean that we are to reject ourselves in the obvious sense. It
means to totally reject the self-will, the desire to do our own
thing, to follow our own goals and ambitions in order to follow
Christ.
The Living Spring

4. Principle of Discipleships
Principle of Discipleships
3. The Cost of Discipleship
a. Surrender to Christ
Just as simply as man’s great problem is that he has turned to his own
way, the solution is to totally turn from his way! We must turn from the
Kingdom of self into the Kingdom of God. When we do that Jesus
becomes our King, and we must therefore obey Him.
To deny oneself means that we surrender our will, our affections, our
body, our soul. We no longer seek our own happiness, but seek the
Kingdom of God.
b. Obey Christ
Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom
of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in
Heaven. (Matt.7:21)
Jesus here shows the important of simple obedience.”
The Living Spring

5. Principle of Discipleships
Principle of Discipleships
• The Cost of Discipleship.
It is obedience more than profession that makes us
disciples.
Throughout the Old Testament we see the whole-hearted
obedience that was required of man.
To the Israelites it was to obey; “With all your heart and all y our
soul.” (Deut. 26:16)
To Joshua it was the price of success. (Jos 1:8)
To Abraham it demanded he give up the thing most dear to him,
his only son. (Gen 22:2ff)
For Saul it was better than sacrifice. In vv22-23. God points out
ti him the absolute need for obedience. (1 Sam.1:15)
The Living Spring

6. Principle of Discipleships
Principle of Discipleships
• The Cost of Discipleship
Love Christ
If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother
and wife and children and brothers and sisters and yes even his own
life, he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26)
This word ‘hate’ is used elsewhere in Scripture to denote this same
thought. Gen.29:30, 31. Jacob loved Rachel and ‘hated’ Leah,
meaning that he loved Leah far less but did not abhor her.
The love we have for even our selves must be so far less than that we
have for Jesus that by comparison it might be termed hated.
Luke 10:27 Commands to love the Lord “with all your heart, and with
all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your might.”
Jesus must be our ‘first love’!
The Living Spring

7. Principle of Discipleships
Principle of Discipleships
• The Cost of Discipleship
2. The Disciple Must Bear His Cross
The expression to ‘carry our own cross’ would therefore mean to
‘endure whatever comes our way because we have made a decision
to follow Christ.’
It does not mean we make trouble for ourselves, it means that we fulfill
our responsibilities to Christ and joyfully suffer the consequences! The
joy comes from knowing that our suffering by doing God’s will is
bringing salvation to lost people. It is said of Jesus:
Who for the joy that was set before Him suffered the cross, and
endured the shame. (Heb.12:2)
The Living Spring

8. Principle of Discipleships
Principle of Discipleships
• The Cost of Discipleship
In seeking to do the will of God we will have to endure hardships and
even persecution. This is the cross that we have to bear.
A servant is not greater than his master, if they persecuted me they
will persecute you also! (John 15:20)
All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
(2 Tim. 3:12)
We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the sinful body
might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. (Rom.
6:6)
For I am crucified with Christ. (Gal. 2:20)
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh
with its passions and desires. (Gal. 5:24)
The Living Spring

9. Principle of Discipleships
Principle of Discipleships
• The Cost of Discipleship
3. Counting the Cost
Jesus clearly taught His disciples about counting the cost of becoming a
disciple.
In Mathew 21:28-32 Jesus tells a parable of a man who had two sons.
He tells the first to go and work in the vineyard and he refuses to go, but
afterwards repents and goes. The second says he will go but does not
obey.
When Jesus calls us as His disciples He tells us to go and work in His
vineyard. To quickly say we will go and then turn back is hypocrisy and
brings shame. We need therefore to count the cost first. We need to ask
ourselves if we really believe the Gospel, if we really know the Lord. If
we are convinced we should follow with all our hearts.
There are many in the church today who say “yes Lord” but do
not obey in practice.
The Living Spring

10. Principle of Discipleships
Principle of Discipleships
• The Cost of Discipleship
3. Counting the Cost
Jesus in Luke 14:28-33 reiterates that discipleship is an all-out
commitment. There is no such thing as an uncommitted disciple.
So likewise whoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath,
he can not be my disciple. (v.33)
Paul in Phil.3:7-8 sums up his own attitude. It is all worth it! In losing all
we find all! In dying we live!
But whatever gain I had. I counted as lost for the sake of hrist. Indeed
I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing
Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all
things, and count them as refuse, in order that I might gain Christ. (Phi.
3:7-8)
The Living Spring

11. Principle of Discipleships
Principle of Discipleships
• The Cost of Discipleship
4. The Disciple Must Follow Jesus
The main Greek word used for ‘following’ is ‘akoloutheo.’
(Denying self, taking up the cross, and counting the cost, are simply
preparations of the heart, attitude and mind to follow Jesus.)
Following is taking His yoke upon us so that we might learn of Him.
In this sense the ‘following’ is the beginning of discipleship. It is as we
follow that we become a disciple.
Note the reaction of James and John to the call of Jesus in Mathew
4:22. They immediately left the boat and their father, and followed
Him.
Jesus waits patiently through our deliberations and
considerations for our commitment to follow Him.
The Living Spring