No Discount

 As we quickly approach what they called black Friday one of the biggest shopping times of the year with unheard discounts. Many will race all over town and beyond to save those few dollars on the discount prices. They will stand at the door waiting for them to open, then push, shove, and fight if needs be just to have that one idem.  There is nothing wrong for wanting and getting a discount but as I thought about that there are some things that we really don’t want a discount on. What about a discount on open heart surgery for being the first for the newest heart doctor? You can save a lot of money. I don’t think I am interested; there are just some things that I really don’t want a discount on. As I get closer to Thanksgiving Day I am reminded that our Christianity was not cheap or discounted. There is a place in Rome that is called the Catacombs, caverns beneath the streets where some of the first Christians hid from the Roman soldiers who wanted to take them to their execution for believing in Christ. In those caverns walls one can see the ancient symbols of their faith. There you can see the cross and the sign of the fish carved in the walls still there as a silent testimony to their faithfulness. Here they buried countless loved ones who'd been torn to pieces by the lions in the Coliseum all because they would not renounce Christ for Caesar.  These men and women took their faith very seriously.  Jesus made it clear no discount disciples!

Luke 14:27  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Luke 9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Somewhere we've gotten the idea that following Jesus just means going to some of His meetings, believing His beliefs, throwing a little money His way, maybe taking on a couple of jobs for Him, and maybe even being called a couple of names because of Him. If the price tag gets much higher, we start to complain, to feel sorry for ourselves, and think about quitting. We are here today because of some real disciples refused to quit, no matter what the cost. Because of a Savior who refused to quit, even when it meant the agony and humiliation of a cross. Taking up a cross means expensive choices Jesus didn’t take the cheap way out.

Matthew 26:53  Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?  Bypass the cross, the pain, the humility, the shame, all the name calling O how easy. But NO Jesus took up His cross and followed His Fathers will and suffered dearly so that you and I can have a home in heaven. Quit looking down, start looking up for ladies and gentleman this isn’t it there is so much more.

1Corinthians 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

 Our Salvation wasn’t cheap or discounted so let us not insult the Man Christ Jesus who bore our sins

1Corinthians 15:3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

Galatains 1:4  Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

Hebrews 1:3  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

1Peter 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Revelation 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, Take notice our faith is very, very expensive; no discount here!