What Has it Cost you to Follow Jesus?

Last week I stated my concerns about Joel Osteen’s most recent book “It’s Your Time.” Today, I do not feel finished with the subject. You see, the reason I am so troubled by Joel Osteen’s teaching is not quite the same reason as other so-called antagonists, most of whom do so because of his allegedly unbalanced stress on prosperity. It is not Joel’s prosperity teaching that troubles me. Rather, it is Joel’s failure to teach discipleship.

Every person who expressed a desire to follow Jesus was met with a demand for complete devotion. The essence of discipleship means putting oneself under the authority of another –as a soldier. Paul said: “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus [as] no soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him” (2 Tim. 2:3-4). Not only is there an expectation of devotion, but of adversity & suffering that would test their commitment.

Read Jesus’ words in Matthew 10 and you will see how clearly He explains the cost of commitment. Discipleship results in slander, persecution and rejection, hatred by one's own family, and possible martyrdom. Jesus never promised exemption from these things. But He did promise that you would find real meaning in losing your life for His sake (39), and that you would receive eternal reward (41-42).

I believe Joel Osteen’s teaching has a great appeal due to our consumer-driven, self-pleasing culture. But it does great harm to those who do not understand disicpleship. And the essence of discipliship to leave everything to follow Jesus (Matt 4:20,22; 19:29). Like the crowds that followed Jesus, many did so for what they might get, but stopped following Him when they found what it would cost.