Text: The Cost Of Discipleship
Bible Reading: Luke 9:57-62.
Memory Verse: “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his mind to the plough, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God”
It is pertinent to keep at the back of our minds the fact that Jesus Christ is The Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).in that wise, we shall appreciate the fact that he has gone his way before us and that through the help of the Holy spirit, we are also able to stand whatever challenge comes our way.

Lesson Outline:
1. The cost of discipleship (Luke 9:23-26)
2. Hindrance to true discipleship (Mark 10:17-23)

1. The Cost of Discipleship (Luke 9:23-26)
The bible says no love is greater than for a man to lay down his life for others (john 15:13).Salvation, which is free, cost Jesus Christ is own life, Discipleship is highly demanding and whoever wants to follow Jesus Christ must be prepared to pay the price.
a) A Disciple, though he has the privilege to possess several items like houses, cars, and the like will have to deny himself by not making this is priorities in life. Jesus said, foxes have holes, and birds of the hair has nests but the son of man has no where to lay his head (Luke 9:58).This simply shows that even if a disciple build houses and ride in cars, it must be as if he has none. He needs to seek first of all the kingdom and his righteousness (Matthew 6:33).
b) A disciple must be able to discipline his body in the area of food,drink, sleep,sex etc. He must put his body under subjection of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 9:27).
c) A disciple must not be scared of persecution having been forewarned by our Lord Jesus Christ (john 16:33).His approach to persecution must be joy (James 1:2) for this will enhance his faith if he endures.
d) A disciple must be tough and strong. He must be prepared for arrest and imprisonment if need be; none of the occurrence scared Jesus Christ Apostle Paul also suffered, He was arrested,imprisoned,beaten and tortured ,but God approved faithful to him. We should follow his example and prepare to die in our post,
e) A disciple may not have the opportunity of constant fellowship with his loved ones. Because of his faith and his determination to serve Christ, He may eventually be forsaken by people of his own blood. This should not move us (Matthew 10:16-25)
f) Readiness to forsake all for the sake of the Master is another cost of discipleship; a true disciple considers discipleship paramount. (Mark 10:28-30)

2. Obstacles to Discipleship (Mark 10; 17-22)
a) The enemy who does not want us to be true disciples of Jesus Christ may want to make us weak and lazy to the extent that we begin to postpone taking a decision. Procrastination is not a mark of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. We need to overcome this and claim our victory today for tomorrow may be late.
b) The love of world and the things in the world .The rich young ruler chose his wealth and worldly possessions (Mark 10:17-22) and find it difficult to follow Christ. We must not allow wealth and the world to put us in enmity with God. (James 4:4)
c) Family attachment-it is tough to leave husband or wife or other family members in other to follow Jesus Christ.
d) Vocation and employment has been the barrier to others (Matthew 22:5).We should not allow our vocational demands to conflict with our spiritual requirements.
e) Influence of society and friends to influence our decision for Christ. Be ye separate (2 Corinthians 6:7)
f) There are different doctrines in the world today. People have been twisting the scripture to meet their expectation. Jesus warned against false teachers. Therefore, we should not listen to false teachings. We must study the word of God to know the truth (1Timothy 4:1-3)
Conclusion
To be a true disciple of the lord Jesus Christ is a very costly venture, but the cost should not scare us because whatever is costly is always held in high esteem. We must compare the cost with the benefit of discipleship. Certainly, the benefits are very overwhelmingly. Moreover; God has made provision for us to be able to bear the cost despite the numerous obstacles. May Christ find true discipleship when he returns to claim his own people.