The Cost of Discipleship
Mark 10:17-27
July 7, 2024
Christian Vaughn

And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” —Mark 10:17-27 ESV

Recognize Your Shortcomings

To obtain the first leg of the table requires that we recognize our shortcomings.

And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” —Mark 10:17-20 ESV

And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” —Mark 10:21 ESV

Acknowledge Your Shortcomings

To acquire the second leg you must acknowledge your shortcomings.

Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. —Mark 10:22 ESV

Release Your False Image

The third leg to your table of discipleship is set when you release your false image.

And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” —Mark 10:23-25 ESV

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” —Luke 14:26-33 ESV

Surrender to God’s Will

Placing the fourth and final leg on the table of discipleship is done by surrendering to God’s will.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” —Luke 14:26-27 ESV

Discipleship is Built Through Sacrifice

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” —Matthew 16:24-26 ESV

The cost of discipleship is sacrifice.

Big Idea:

Following Jesus requires sacrifice.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Memory Verse: Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

The goal of these questions is to foster meaningful discussion and to encourage participants to reflect on God’s Word to lead to heart transformation. Feel free to modify or expand upon these questions based on the dynamics and needs of your Small Group.

Read Mark 10:17-27
The man who approaches Jesus is asking a big question about eternal life. What big questions do you have about faith? Who do you discuss them with?

When Jesus quotes a portion of the Ten Commandments, the ones He shares are the commands related to our relationships with others. Why do you think Jesus chooses these? How are you doing with these core tenets? Is there one or two that are really challenging for you?

Why is there hope and freedom in recognizing that we are not “good”? What shortcomings do you need to acknowledge and own so that you can release them to God?

When Jesus interacts with this man, it says that He loved him. What are your feelings toward those who are seeking to know more about Jesus and Christianity? Are you making time to build relationships with those who do not know Jesus?

Jesus’ response to the rich man’s question challenges the man to sell his possessions and follow Jesus. How does this challenge resonate with you? Have you ever felt a call from God that required significant sacrifice?

In what way can material wealth be a blessing from God? In what way can material wealth be a distraction and deterrent from following Jesus? Do you ever struggle with the tension of wealth as your source of security instead of seeing it as a result of God’s blessing?

Looking at your own life, are there areas where you might be clinging to possessions or priorities that are hindering your relationship with God? How can we discern the difference between healthy possessions and those that become burdens? How can you begin to let go of the burdens and follow Jesus more closely?

What practical steps can we take to ensure that we place value on eternal things and not merely on material things? What is one distraction you can set aside from your routine this week to help you concentrate more on devotion to Christ?