The Cost Of Non-Discipleship

I was asked to preach last weekend at St George’s, Stamford, on ‘The Cost of Discipleship’ from Matthew 8:18-22. You can watch here:

And listen to the audio version here:

I often talk about the cost of discipleship, but it is interesting to consider the cost of non-discipleship.

Dallas Willard once noted, “a life penetrated throughout by love, faith that sees everything in the light of God’s overriding governance for good, hopefulness that stands firm in the most discouraging of circumstances, power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil. In short, nondiscipleship costs you exactly that abundance of life Jesus said he came to bring (John 10:10).” Life to the full—that is what He wants for you.

During his 19th-century reign, King Frederick William III of Prussia found himself in a difficult situation. The war effort had left the nation essentially out of money. Building a nation and running wars is costly, and the king was short of cash. He did not want to disappoint his people, and surrender was unthinkable. After careful reflection, he had a brainwave: he decided to ask the women of Prussia to give him their gold and silver jewellery to be melted down and used for national finance and resources.

In exchange for each ornament given, the king determined to trade a decoration of bronze or iron as a symbol of gratitude. Each decoration was inscribed: “I gave gold for iron, 1813.”

The response was overwhelming. These women prized the gifts from the king much more than their former jewellery. The reason is clear: the decoration was proof that they had sacrificed for their king and their cause. Indeed, it became unfashionable to wear standard jewellery, and thus was established the Order of the Iron Cross. Members wore no ornaments except a cross of iron for all to see.

What might that look like for us? Discipleship, if we are going to be all in, will cost us everything. It doesn’t mean God is going to take everything, but He wants to know that He has you. It means being willing to say, “I’ll do anything. I’ll go anywhere.” He wants your finances, your time, your relationships, and your priorities. He simply wants you to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, knowing that “all these things will be added to you.”