Bailey Methodist Church
7/6/2025
  • God Bless America
  • America the Beautiful
  • Goodness Of God
  • Great Is Thy Faithfulness (Beginning To End)
  • Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow!
  • Galatians 5:1 ESV
    1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
    Galatians 5:13–25 ESV
    13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
    Luke 9:51–62 ESV
    51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. 53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them. 56 And they went on to another village. 57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
    Theme: Discipleship demands a resolute heart, sacrificial priorities, and undivided allegiance.
    Introduction
    There comes a time in every believer’s life when we must ask: “Am I really following Jesus, or am I just admiring Him from a distance?” The passage before us in Luke 9:51–62 confronts us with the high cost of discipleship. Here, Jesus is not only traveling toward Jerusalem—He is moving decisively toward the cross. And along the way, He invites others to follow Him. But the journey isn’t easy, and Jesus doesn’t sugarcoat the cost.
    In a world where commitment is often shallow and convenience drives our decisions, Jesus calls His followers to something deeper: total devotion.
    Let’s consider three truths from this passage.

    1. A Resolute Savior Calls for a Resolute People (vv. 51–56)

    Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV
    1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
    “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” (v. 51)
    Jesus knew exactly what awaited Him in Jerusalem—betrayal, suffering, death. And yet, Luke tells us He “set His face” to go there. This is the language of determination. Jesus is not wandering or hesitating. He is resolved. His mission is clear, and He will not be deterred.
    But as He moves toward Jerusalem, He passes through a Samaritan village. And the people there reject Him—not because of who He is, but because of where He’s going. The old hostilities between Jews and Samaritans surface again. James and John want to call down fire in response—echoes of Elijah—but Jesus rebukes them. His mission is not to destroy but to save.
    What’s the lesson for us?
    If we follow Jesus, we must be ready to face rejection. Not everyone will welcome us, and not everyone will understand our obedience. The world rejected Jesus; it will often reject those who follow Him with the same conviction.
    Application: Have you “set your face” toward God’s call, or are you waiting for the path to become easier? Are you willing to follow Jesus even when it leads into places of conflict or discomfort?

    2. Discipleship Demands More than Good Intentions (vv. 57–60)

    1 John 5:2 ESV
    2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.
    “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (v. 58)
    As Jesus journeys on, three potential disciples emerge. The first man enthusiastically declares, “I will follow you wherever you go!” But Jesus answers with a sobering reminder: following Him means embracing a life of instability and sacrifice.
    Jesus had no home base. No guaranteed comforts. No backup plan.
    The second man receives a direct call from Jesus: “Follow Me.” But he responds, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” That sounds like a reasonable request. But scholars suggest the man’s father may not have died yet—he may be asking for an indefinite delay.
    Jesus replies, “Let the dead bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Harsh? Maybe. But Jesus isn’t being callous—He’s being clear. The call to follow Christ takes priority over all other allegiances, even those we might consider sacred or non-negotiable.
    What’s the lesson for us?
    Discipleship isn’t built on good intentions or delayed obedience. It demands immediate and wholehearted response.
    Application: Are you trying to fit Jesus into the margins of your life? What are the conditions or excuses you’ve placed before obedience?

    3. Total Commitment is Required (vv. 61–62)

    Psalm 37:5 ESV
    5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
    “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (v. 62)
    A third man offers to follow Jesus, but with a caveat: “Let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Again, this seems like a minor request. After all, even Elisha was allowed to kiss his family goodbye before following Elijah (1 Kings 19:19–21).
    But Jesus knows what’s at stake. He sees the man’s heart. To “look back” while plowing is to lose focus, to veer off course. In kingdom work, distraction is disobedience. Jesus demands an undivided heart.
    The plowman cannot afford to split attention between the furrows ahead and the life left behind. Neither can the disciple.
    What’s the lesson for us?
    Discipleship is not part-time. It is not seasonal. It is not “when convenient.” It is a full surrender of the past, present, and future to the lordship of Christ.
    Application: Are you looking back to what you left behind? Or have you set your hand to the plow with unwavering focus on the kingdom?
    Conclusion
    Luke 9:51–62 pulls no punches. It challenges our comfort, our priorities, and our loyalties. Jesus doesn’t want fans; He calls for followers. And following Him means:
    Walking a hard road of rejection and resolve,
    Sacrificing personal comfort and social expectations,
    And never looking back once we say “yes” to the call.
    Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem. Toward the cross. For you. For me. Now He says, “Follow Me.”
    Will you?
  • Joy Comes In The Morning
Bailey Methodist Church
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