TEXT: LUKE 14:25-35 #2725 PENTECOST 16THEME: "ARE YOU AVAILABLE?" I. TO WALK IN THE STEPS OF THE MASTER?II. TO SUFFER THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS DISCIPLESHIP? ur. TOSHARE THE GOOD NEWS OF HIS SALVAnON? Phoenix - 9/8/13My dear fellow redeemed,

Not too long ago the Wall Street Journal carried an article about a man named Jeff Hillwho works for IBM and who, like many other people these days, works out of an office inhis home. Because he works at home, he says, he needs a professional-sounding voice mailgreeting so everyone will know he's hard at work. Well, one morning while he was recordinga new message, his wife was across the hall from his office folding clothes, when all of asudden their 5-year old son emerged from the shower and appeared in the hallway barenaked and dripping wet. Jeff's "professional" message ended up sounding like this: "Hi! Thisis Jeff Hill with IBM," a male voice says. "Hey! Look at you! You have no clothes on!" afemale voice is then heard in the background. "Ummmm .... ," the male voice continues,"Ummmm .... Sorry, but I'm not available right now.... "

OK, maybe Jeff Hill's voice mail response didn't come across exactly as he had intendedit, but it does bring us to our question for the day, and that is, "Are you available?" This iswhere "the rubber meets the road," so to speak, when it comes to Christian discipleship. "Areyou available? Available - this means, "I'm here when you call. I'm ready, willing, andable." And this morning I think we who call ourselves the Lord's disciples would do well toexplore this question a bit further, namely, "ARE YOU AVAILABLE?" First, are youavailable I. TO WALK IN THE STEPS OF THE MASTER? II. TO SUFFER THEPOSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS DISCIPLESHIP? And finally m. TO SHARE THEGOOD NEWS OF HIS SALVAnON? I.

"Large crowds were traveling with Jesus," St. Luke tells us, "and turning to them Hesaid, 'ff anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife andchildren, his brothers and sisters - yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple,'"v.25,26. "Are you available?" In essence, that's what Jesus was asking of all of those peoplein His own day who were following Him. "Can I count on you? Are you ready for mydiscipleship?" Today, just like then, there are plenty of people who are curious about Xiandiscipleship, some who are genuinely interested, but relatively few who will actually makethemselves available. What about us, my friends? Can Jesus count on us? Are we available?- AVAILABLE TO WALK IN THE STEPS OF THE MASTER? Are we really willing towalk where He walked? To live like He lived? When Jesus tells us here that we must "hate"our own immediate family, He's not encouraging us to sin, which is what hatred really is.No, that's merely the strongest way of saying that we must love Him more than anyone else- that He is to occupy the Number One slot in our heart and life, and that doing what He asksof us is to take precedence over anything else.

Perhaps an incident from the life of Jesus Himself might help us to better understand whatHe means here. Remember that time when His mother and brothers came to Him becausethey were really concerned about Him? They had come to take Him home because theythought He was out of His mind and bent on self-destruction with all of His talk about Himbeing God's promised Messiah. When Jesus was told of this, He asked, "Who is my motherand who are my brothers?" And then He answered His own question when He pointed toHis disciples and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will ofmy Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." It wasn't that Jesus didn't trulylove His mother and brothers or care about them. No, He did. He really did. But He couldn'tlet His love for them keep Him from carrying out His divine mission of mercy here on earth.He couldn't let them keep Him from doing His heavenly Father's will. Even though, as theshadows of the cross grew darker around Him, it might have been very tempting for Him toforsake what He was doing and return to the safety of hearth and home in Nazareth, He

Icouldn't ... and He didn't. He had a higher calling to fulfill. He had been sent by Hisheavenly Father to sacrifice Himself for the sins of the world, and He wouldn't let even Hisimmediate family stand in the way of that. He kept Himself "available" - available for youand me to be our Savior and Redeemer.

What about you, my friends? Are you available? Available today to walk in the steps ofthe Master, and follow His example, and prioritize in your own life like He did? For anyonewho calls themselves "Christian," the Bible says, "Your attitude should be the same as thatof Christ Jesus," which translates into a life of love, service, and sacrifice. A certaintheologian once said that most people live by one of four ''rules.'' The first is what he calledthe Iron Rule - "Do to others before they can do it to you." Maybe you know someone likethis. The second he called the Silver Rule - "Do to others as they do to you." In other words,whatever people do to you - whether good or bad - do to them in return. The third rule, ofcourse, he said, is the Golden Rule - "Do to others as you would have them do to you. " Thisis a major step up from the Iron Rule and the Silver Rule - treat other people as you wouldlike to be treated by them. And to these this theologian added what he called the PlatinumRule - "Do to others as Jesus has done to you. " Are you available to do this, my friends? Tolove as Jesus loves you? To serve as Jesus served you? To forgive as Jesus forgives you? Tosacrifice for the welfare of others as Jesus did for you? Are you available to walk in thesesteps of the Master? II.

And another thing too. Are you also AVAILABLE TO SUFFER THE POSSIBLECONSEQUENCES OF IDS DISCIPLESHIP? "Anyone who does not carry his cross andfollow me," Jesus says, "cannot be my disciple ••••In the same way, any of you who doesnot give up everything he has cannot be my disciple," v.27&33. "Count the cost!" ourSavior is saying. "Be sure that you count the cost of what it means to be my disciples, and besure that you're willing to pay it." This is what Jesus also impresses upon us with Hisexamples of the man considering building a tower and the king who was contemplatingwaging war against a rival. "Count the cost!" He is saying. "Understand clearly what thiscalls for and what it may involve." In our case as Christians, it may involve "a cross," Jesussays - scorn and ridicule from the unbelieving world... persecution and even death becauseof our Christian faith and our commitment to Jesus. Those are all possible consequences ofHis discipleship. Are you honestly willing to pay that price, my friends? Are you willing tomake the sacrifices that might be demanded of you as a disciple of Jesus, and suffer whateveryou have to for His sake and in living your life as a Christian? Are you available for that?

Perhaps going hand in hand with those questions is another one some people may ask, andthat is, "Wow? Is it really worth all of that?!" In connection with this, authors Bruce Bickeland Stan Janz in one of their books tell about going to Harvard University to ask some of thegreat minds of that prestigious institution about their views on the meaning of life. "What isthe meaning of life?" they simply asked. One of the professors responded, "For me at thispoint, I'm not sure there is a clear meaning." And the students' responses followed a similarline. One said, "I haven't a clue about the meaning of life, but I sure wish I did." Anothersaid, "The meaning of life helps you decide what that means to you personally. But I don'tknow what it is." Even a young couple who were walking by responded to this question ofBickel and Janz. The man said, "The meaning of life is 2.5 kids, a nice big house with awhite picket fence, a secure, well-paying job, and a luxury car." And his wife replied, "Themeaning oflife is the exact opposite of whatever he said."

We as Christians, on the other hand, don't have to struggle with that question about themeaning of life, do we? No, it's Jesus! He's the meaning of life - following in His steps,taking up whatever cross that involves, making whatever sacrifices that may entail. He says,"1 have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." And that's us believers He'stalking about! In Him alone we "have life, and have it to the full. " With His holy life and Hisinnocent sufferings and death as our Substitute, He paid in full our debt of sin. Because of

Ithis grace He showed to us, we have been forgiven all our sins, liberated from the power ofthe devil, rescued from the eternal damnation of hell, and given the free gift of eternal lifewith God. By His power and according to His promise, we will even be resurrected from thedead with glorified bodies to live with Him forever in heaven. This is what makes Jesus ourfirst priority in life. This is what moves us to follow Him eagerly and willingly, regardless ofthe sacrifices we may have to make, or the crosses we may have to carry, or the losses wemay experience along the way in our discipleship. In the end, it will be well-worth it! So beavailable, my friends - available to suffer the possible consequences of following Jesus asyour Savior. You won't be disappointed. ill.

And this brings us to one fmal soul-searching question in regard to our relationship withJesus, and that is, ARE YOU AVAILABLE TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS OF HISSALVATION? You know, the other day Iread about a man named Bob, who was single andlived with his father, a widower. Bob worked in the family business, and it was an extremelylucrative and successful business. When it became apparent that his father wasn't going tolive that much longer and that he would soon inherit a sizeable fortune, Bob decided that itwas time for him to fmd a wife with whom he could share his soon-to-be abundant wealth.Well, one evening at an investment seminar, Bob spotted the most beautiful woman he hadever seen - absolutely gorgeous ... a real knockout. Her natural beauty almost took his breathaway. So he introduced himself to her. "I may look like just an ordinary guy," he told her,"but in the not-too-distant future when my father dies, I will inherit $200 million." Thewoman was impressed, and she asked for his business card. To make a long story short, threeweeks later this beautiful woman became Bob's ..... stepmother.

Now there was a woman who had a plan for success! Right? And you know what? OurLord Jesus did too! But unlike that woman, He had a plan not for enriching Himself, but forenriching every human being who will ever live on Planet Earth, including you and me.When He had finished His work of redemption with His life, death, and resurrection, Hemade a plan to share the eternal treasures He had gained for the human race thru theproclamation of the Gospel - the good news of God's love and His gift of salvation in HisSon Jesus. When He ascended into heaven, Jesus didn't enlist His holy angels to carry outthis plan, but rather it was His disciples - His believers. To all of His believers until the endof time, Jesus gave the command, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them inthe name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obeyeverything I have commanded you. " In these words which are now before us, He was alsotalking about His believers and the blessing they are to the sinful world when He said, "Saltis good," v.34a.

Are you available, my friends? Available to be the all-important "good salt" our Savior istalking about here? People who have the proper moral values that are so much needed in ourimmoral and corrupt society today? Are you available to share the good news of His free andeternal salvation thru which our Lord Himself can change the hearts of people and bringthem into His kingdom and under His power and influence? Are you available to bring Hissaving Gospel to those still held captive by Satan and still presently doomed to eternal deathin the outer darkness of hell, and to do this with your own personal witnessing and yourfinancial gifts of love to support the ministries of His Church? That's our calling asChristians - as the salt of the earth. " "Salt is good," Jesus says, "but if it loses its saltiness,how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it isthrown out," v.34. In other words, if we Christians don't share the good news of ourSavior's love and forgiveness and salvation, there's no one else to do this. He doesn't have aPlan B. So, out of gratitude for His grace and mercy to us, let this be our prayer each andevery day: "Lord, whenever you call me to do whatever needs to be done in your namewherever I might be, move me to always say with great joy and eagerness, 'I'm available!"

AMEN