Bigger is not always better. Just ask Jesus.

In Luke 14:25-35, He had a large crowd following. Exciting, right? Who wouldn’t love that? High energy. Momentum. Things are starting to take off.

That’s when Jesus turns to the crowd and tells them they can’t be one of His disciples if they don’t hate their family and their own life and unless they die to themselves.

I wonder if the disciples looked at each other and thought, “What did He just say?! He’s going to kill this thing if He doesn’t stop talking like that!”

Clearly, Jesus wasn’t just interested in a big crowd. He was looking for fully-devoted followers who were willing to lay aside everything for Him. He wasn’t interested in being a priority on a to-do list, He was interested in being THE priority who came before everyone and everything else.

And before they were too quick to follow Him, He told them to first estimate the cost. Were they willing to pay the price of following Him? He didn’t want an impulsive decision that would soon be forgotten when the going got rough.

Have you estimated the cost of following Jesus? Once you have, also estimate the cost of not following Him.

Which one is more costly?

If you decide to follow Jesus, I mean truly follow Him–putting Him before everyone and everything else, then you may find it helpful to formalize that decision. Below, is a title deed. A title deed to your life. Read it through. If you agree with it, copy it and sign it. Feel free to add to it or modify it. The point is to make a firm decision.

Title Deed to My Life

Because I believe that:

1. all things, including me, were created by and for Jesus (Colossians 1:16),
2. I exist for His pleasure (Ephesians 1:5) and can do nothing apart from Him (John 15:5),
3. God loves me unconditionally and will never stop loving me (John 3:16, Romans 8:35),
4. God’s desire is for me to live forever in friendship with Him (Revelation 21:3),
5. I deserved death, but instead received eternal life as a free gift (Romans 6:23),
6. Jesus died in my place (Romans 5:8), thereby rescuing me from the dominion of darkness and transferring me to His kingdom (Colossians 1:13),
7. He promised He would never fail me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5),
8. the Holy Spirit lives in me and gives me power to live (Acts 1:8),
9. God has promised eternal rewards for my faithful service in this life (Matthew 25:21),
10. God is going to make heaven and earth new and my real home will forever be with Him in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21),
11. money and possessions are on loan to me to be used to advance God’s kingdom, not to simply further my comfort and lifestyle (Matthew 25:14),

I, __________________________________­_______, hereby surrender total control of my life to God (Romans 12:1-2). My surrender is unconditional. I relinquish all rights to:

1. my heart, hopes, emotions, desires, dreams, goals and plans,
2. my money, possessions, bank accounts, investments, cars, houses and all other property,
3. my time, schedule, appointments, priorities, hobbies and recreation,
4. my physical body, strength, energy, health and diet,
5. my relationships, including, but not limited to my parents, spouse, children, extended family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, teachers and strangers,
6. my career, job, business, ministry, education and ability to produce wealth,
7. my gifts, abilities, talents, strengths, weaknesses and experiences,
8. my mind, ideas, thoughts and words,
9. what I look at and listen to, including all media (internet, movies, music, books, magazines, etc.),
10. my past, present and future,
11. anything and everything else.

Finally, I acknowledge that:

1. God has forgiven me totally by grace, not by any works I’ve done, and that I now live by and under God’s grace. My best works or worst sins will never cause God to love me any more or any less.
2. I must depend on the Holy Spirit for the power to be a disciple of Christ. I am unable to do it alone.
3. I actually never had any rights to relinquish since all I am and all I have is from God anyway.

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14)

_____________________________                              ____________________

Signed                                                                             Date

_____________________________                             _____________________

Witnessed by                                                                  Date