Building A Tower

Luke 14:26  If any man (in the original doesn’t say male or female, the implication is person) come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. Important points concerning the tower building parable:

1. While spiritual children should know about this teaching Jesus is referring to those who wish to be disciples.

2. Spiritual children are growing but not mature enough to be disciples.

3. Even though the word hate is used here, in balancing this statement with the rest of scripture, we know that we are to love one another – even our enemies.

4. Jesus is making a point here that if you become a disciple you need to be prepared to make him and the Kingdom of God top priority. That doesn’t mean that you neglect other responsibilities, such as doing a good job at work or serving your immediate family.   To illustrate what that means I will share the following story that is based on a true life occurrence.   Once there was a wife who became a Christian. Things started out well but she began to read the Bible obsessively. Not long after she stopped cooking, cleaning and taking care of the children.  My guess is that she became seduced by a religious spirit and a spirit of laziness.

Luke14:27  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:28  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

Luke 14:29  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

Luke 14:30  Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

1. If you are not saved you need to consider the cost to you if you are serious about making Jesus Lord and master of your life.

2. If you are saved that is just the first step in “considering the cost.” The Holy Spirit works with us to change us from the inside out to be more and more like Jesus.  The more we cooperate with this work in progress the faster we mature.  Sometimes we may need to make changes in our lives. At times we may need to start doing certain things or perhaps moderate or even stop doing certain things.  The religious person or institution will set up a “don’t do” list.  That leads to the white-washed tomb effect. Matthew 23:27: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.

If we are saved we need to have a relationship with the Lord not just attend some type of weekly meeting:

• We need to remember that Jesus is our King. Because of that we need to seriously seek him as to what we need to do to cooperate with Him as he changes us to be more like him and prepares us to work in His kingdom.

• Many of us are very independent and don’t really consider that we should be asking the Lord on a daily basis what we need to do.

• There may be changes that He wants to make in our activities and attitudes.

• He will most likely want to bring adjustments to our attitudes and character.

• Jesus may want us to give up certain things or start doing new things.

• He will desire to impart spiritual gifts to us.

• In the midst of this we have basic responsibilities to work with our hands to provide food, shelter and clothing and love one another.

Three ways we can lay the ground work for “Building a strong spiritual tower:”

• Pray that the Lord gives us a hunger for reading the Bible and then read and think about what we read. Spend time with the gospels and apostolic writings, rather than Revelation and the Old Testament at first.

• Pray that the Lord gives us sensitivity to His spirit and protection from the workings of evil spirits.

• Pray that the Lord brings mentors into your life that can model Christian love and maturity. Pray that we can mature, learn to be exemplary mentors and display good character.