Who Should Count the Cost?

I had noticed the church sign a few times before when I visited my mother-in-law. It said Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone.

This is usually a good sign (pun intended) that the gospel is being preached. So, one Sunday, I decided to check it out.

I walked in with my Jack Bauer bag containing my Bible and Kindle (I never leave home without them). Of course, I was psycho early! So I found a seat in the middle of the sanctuary at the end of one of the rows because, well, I have a weak bladder. And a seat at the end allows me to walk without trampling everyone.

After we sang a few songs, the pastor came to the pulpit. His text was Luke 14:25-33 NKJV, one of my favorites:

Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and COUNT THE COST, whether he has enough to finish it— lest, after he has laid the 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 to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. — Emphasis mine.

In the middle of the passage Jesus says, “Count the cost” (Luke 14:28). Hence part of my title! Simple enough, right? The question is who. Who should count the cost?

But when the pastor started his introduction, something was wrong. At first, I could not put my finger on it. I was very familiar with these words of Jesus. Then it hit me. He was not approaching His words evangelistically, which had been my firm position for twenty years. I could not believe it! I then quietly put my Bible back in my bag and walked out of the church with almost every eye following my every move.

How could I have ever imagined that years later I would go back to that church and apologize to him?

Stay tuned to find out why!