We keep building. It’s a lesson from our Master.
Luke 14: 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Notice the repeated words: whosoever and cannot be my disciple. Remember Jesus used the illustration of one building a tower.
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? 29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
The Lord had a serious tone about the cost of being a Christian. It’s not about the price for sins. That is too high. It was so great that being unable to pay it ourselves, the Son of God bore it. In doing so he built a tower of salvation which the devil tries and tries to tear down. As we trust Jesus our salvation is paid.
This is about the responsibility of discipleship. We are given a task to be ambassadors in the world for the good of others. We show Jesus to the unsaved and offer encouragement to those who are saved. It won’t be easy. It’s called bearing our cross. Being under Roman rule, they understood what that meant. Prisoners condemned to death had to bear their own cross to Golgotha, the place of execution in Palestine. To bear our cross means there is movement through the world while we are separate from it. It’s about building one’s self in the faith. In that day a tower was for security. One reason we must build our Christian life is so that the thieves and robbers won’t get in and ruin us spiritually.
No matter how discouraging it may get, our goal is to finish. If we miscalculate the materials and leave the task undone, it won’t be finished. Acts 20:24 says but none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. The Lord has given us all we need to finish. Because we’re saved, we have the means to finish. Count the cost and be ever mindful of finishing.
So what is the course? He said he wanted to finish the course. It could mean a race course; however, since he’s talking about building it also puts me in mind of a masonry term. When you lay cinder blocks, layer upon layer, each layer is a course. When you finish a layer, you have finished a course. The foundation is Jesus, but there is a course to work on, a life in Christ to be built. We help each other. Those who were before us laid a course that has helped us. We owe it to those who come after us to finish our course.
In II Timothy 4:7, Paul told Timothy I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. He was at the end of his life. His honest estimate of how he had lived was that he had fought a good fight; he had kept the faith. What else? He said I have finished my course. You know what that tells me. Bob, you can’t say it until you do it. I can’t say I’ve finished my course now. We don’t finish early. The only way to finish is to finish. I don’t know how far that man got on his tower. He couldn’t say I have finished my course. He didn’t count the cost. He stopped short.
Philippians 1:6 says being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. HIS continuance ensures our continuance. Is this true? Every Christian can be confident of finishing the course because of HIS continuance. Remember that old song. He’s still working on me to make me what I ought to be. Regardless of what America says about God, he continues to be God. Jesus made it to the finish line. When the foolishness of this world clears, the Lord will still be on his throne. Being confident of this very thing means having faith in who He is. We don’t have sufficiency in ourselves. It is our confidence in Jesus that gives us what is sufficient to carry on. We can finish because of what Jesus said we must do: take up your cross and follow me.
I don’t have confidence in what I can do, but I have the author and finisher of faith with me. When the world and its devils tries to get us to stop and give up remember this. We are doing a good work for the Lord. God re-built the walls of Jerusalem because there were willing people to do the work. They stuck to the task no matter what.
This is the finish line. Colossians 1:21-22 says and you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight. We can be presented to the Lord in the right way. The catch is in verse 23: if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel.
We’ve been made builders, and we can finish. If we’re willing to go on for the Lord, we can. We will serve one of two masters. When it’s over, we will have done something with our life. I don’t want to come to the end and not be able to say I have finished my course. The man Jesus talked about couldn’t say it. The saddest experience I can imagine would be to come to the end and when it’s summed up it turns out to be an unfinished life. Jesus will only say well done to those who are faithful. If I don’t do well, he won’t tell me I have.
We have the means in Jesus. All we have to do is supply the willingness. David was laying plans to build a house for God. He said who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord? It takes our consecration unto the Lord. It takes our confidence in him. I’ve started the course. If you’re saved, you’ve started the course. I want to be like Paul. When the time comes, I want to say I have finished my course.
What about you?
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 