There are many scriptures in the four gospels that point to the cost of following Jesus. Jesus, Himself defines the cost of following Him in Matthew 16:24-26 (ESV).
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 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?
This truth was lived out by Philip James Elliot (October 8, 1927 – January 8, 1956). Jim was an American Christian missionary and one of five people killed during “Operation Auca”, an attempt to evangelize the Huaorani people of Ecuador. This event was made into a movie in 2005 called “The End of the Spear”. After Jim had been martyred, His wife, Elizabeth Elliot took her young family to live with the very tribe who had martyred her husband. Eventually the entire village put their faith in Christ. A famous quote associated with Jim Elliot;
“he is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose”.
The “Moravian” missionaries cry was…
“May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward for His suffering”.
Most of the missionaries of the 20th Century had this mentality of giving their rights and lives for the kingdom of God. My father’s sister and brother and his family served the Lord for many years in “French West Africa” and “Ethiopia” respectively in the 1940’s through the 1960’s. Back in the day, there was never a question of leaving family and home to serve the Lord. The cost? Everything! In fact, we would go months on end without hearing anything from my Aunt or Uncle and family. There have been more martyrs slain in the last 100 years for the cause of Christ than all the times previous to that. I received a text from a good friend of mine, Mel Tari who has ministered in the Philippines for many years. It is called “Pack Your Coffin”.
"A century ago, a band of brave souls became known as one-way missionaries. They purchased single tickets to the mission field without the return half. Instead of suitcases, they pack their few earthly belongings into coffins. As they sailed out of port, they waved goodbye to everyone they loved, everything they knew. They knew they'd never return home.
A. W. Milne was one of those missionaries. He set for sail for the New Hebrides in the South Pacific, knowing full well that the headhunters who lives there had martyred every missionary before him. Milne did not fear for his life, because he had already died to himself. His coffin was packed. For 35 years, he lived among the tribes and loved them. When he died, tribe members buried him in the middle of their village and inscribed this epitaph on his tombstone:
"When he came there was no light. When he left there was no darkness."
When did we start believing that God wants to send us to a safe place to do easy things? That faithfulness is holding the fort? That playing it safe is safe? That there is a greater privilege than sacrifice? The radical is anything but normal?
Jesus didn't die to keep us safe. He died to make us dangerous. Faithfulness is not holding the fort. It's storming the gates of hell.
The will of God is not an insurance plan. It's a daring plan. The complete surrender of your life to the cause of Christ is not radical. It's normal. it's time to quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. It's time to go All in and all out for the All in All.
FYI, One of those missionaries went to Kunming, China and his beloved grandson is none other then Rolland Baker.”
Yes, Jesus desires for us to lose our life for Him and to follow Him wherever He leads us. Following Him is not confined to a 40-hour work week. It is 24/7 proposition. We must possess Him so that He can possess us. There is a cost in following Jesus; everything! Are you willing to lay your life down for the Master? He is worth it all!