Living Hope Fellowship Church

THE COST

Training Material

by Pastor Kevin Badgley

THE COST

Preface

(cost of the gospel)

          Luke 14:28-30 says, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.”  Jesus gave us a parable to try to get something across to us. 

           Wouldn’t you like to put your effort, time, money, prayers, and your consecration into something that is Godly and Bible based?  Give to God’s work when He speaks to you.  It is just part of your obedience to God.

THE COST

by Pastor Kevin Badgley

          Luke 14:28-30 says, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.”  Jesus gave us a parable to try to get something across to us. 

          Our world today is in great chaos.  It is in our land, in all levels of government, in our church world, and it seems that everyone has things turned upside down, as far as what is important and what is not.

          Jesus said that if you intend to build or do something, and you want to see it done right, you will have to sit down, and plan it out, and count the cost.  You still have to figure out according to the rule book how to do the job, or it will soon fail and fall apart.  You must continue to go by the guidelines of the rule book, or you can’t expect to see any profit from it.  It is this way in business and in our personal lives. 

          Jesus wants us to understand that it is also this way in our walk with God.  There is a price to pay for walking with God; it’s not free.  Salvation is free to us, because it was bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus on the cross of Calvary 2000 years ago.  However, the maintenance of that walk still must be worked out by fear and trembling.  The Bible says this in Philippians 2:12 - “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

          Jesus said in John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

          There is a cost to serving God!  Let’s use money as an example.  A lot of people complain about giving money for a work of God.  I realize that off and on through the centuries money given in the name of religion has been wasted.  We have seen hypocrites, false prophets, and false Christs all through the years.  Even up to this very hour we read in the news headlines of false prophets, and people who are claiming to be of God, who are found to be liars.  Many people have not only invested their money, but their time, their life, and their whole family to what they thought was a godly effort, and it has failed and destroyed them. 

          Even though there are failures and wrong doings in the name of religion we cannot turn away from the truth.  Do not be discouraged from continuing to press on toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:14 says, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

          There is a cost, and we cannot cease to give it just because somebody else has failed.  You may have been badly hurt through giving to a television evangelist or some other preacher who went haywire.  Some will say, Well, forget it, I’m not going to give to the work of the Lord anymore.  I’m not going to do anything anymore in that regard. I’ll just let somebody else handle it.  That is exactly what the devil wants you to do. 

          A lot of people say that it is too costly to give to the work of the Lord.  They say it is too costly to increase the size of a facility, or to increase the output of the Word of God.  An example of this is the printing of Bibles for distribution to other nations.  They don’t think they should have to be fooling with such things.  In other words, they can’t increase their output so that the gospel might be spread to this world in these last days. 

          Many people say that it is excessive and wasteful to give to God.  They say they ought to give to something more important, something that is more real, something that they can get their hands on.  Some even think that it is a gamble to give to God, because they don’t really know if it is going to be the truth or not. 

          I’m not talking about giving to everyone who says that he knows the Lord.  I’m talking about giving not only of money, but of time, prayer support, and of the love of God to those who are really doing a work for God.  You may ask, Well, how do we know the difference?  We have heard so much and have seen so much.  Listen to what they are saying, get in the Bible, and see if it is the truth.  Is what they are saying being backed up with signs following?  Are people being healed?  Are devils being cast out?  Are people being saved?  Are people being filled with the Holy Ghost according to the Bible? 

          Jesus said in Mark 16:17-18, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

          Use your Bible as your guide!  Now, if these signs are not following them that claim to believe the whole Bible, then they must not believe.  In other words, what they are doing is a half-baked work; it is a lukewarm work, and you cannot enter heaven lukewarm. 

          Jesus said in Revelation 3:16, “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”  This is one way of trying the spirits and checking out a ministry you want to give to, or are already giving to.

          You can find out the difference between the good and the bad.  Jesus said in Matthew 7:20, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”  It is very simple; if the fruit is bad, the tree is bad.  People say that it is a gamble to give to God, because the ministries may not be trustworthy. 

          Many of the states in this nation have gone into the lottery to try to build the treasuries of our failing government.  The lottery is a gamble, because when you give to something that is a gamble, you are taking a chance, and there is absolutely no faith involved.  Therefore, you are not relying on faith in God to change things, but rather putting to chance that this incoming revenue will change the economy by giving more jobs, and so on and so forth.  What you are actually doing is relying on the world, and flesh, and the devil to change your situation. 

          There is a price to pay for walking with God, AND there is a price to pay for sin.  Yet, if you will turn about and repent, and quit sinning, believe God and call upon the name of the Lord, you can be forgiven.  The Bible says in Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  If you sincerely mean it, then get into your Bible and read it, and pray, and ask God to help you to walk right.  If you stumble, get back up and go on for God. 

          Jesus said in John 15:7, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”  You have to abide in Him and live in Him.  You have to walk, breathe, talk, eat, and sleep the Lord, and you can do that just by reading His Word, and praying, and seeking God for the truth in your life.  If you have a problem, then go to the Lord in prayer.  Ask Him to deliver you.  He said that He would do it. 

          Some people have a problem understanding why there would be a cost for the gospel!!  Does it surprise you that a radio ministry costs money?  Many millions of dollars are spent for advertisements on radio and T.V. about things that will destroy you.  You pay price increases on items that help pay for advertisements of things such as cigarettes or alcoholic beverages that bring destruction. 

          However, when it comes to giving to the gospel for the furtherance of the truth that might save your son or daughter, you get mad.  I realize a preacher may have lied to you, or maybe even took your money and ran.  Yet, there are some doctors with malpractice suits against them, and some rightfully so, but do you quit going to a doctor?  Have you quit paying them to try to help you in your afflictions?  Begin to believe God, and start giving to a work that will tell you the truth and set you free by the power of God. 

          Jesus said that you have to count the cost.  If you are going to go somewhere, or if you are going to build something, you have to count the cost ahead of time.  If you are going to make heaven, you have to decide if you are willing to pay the price.  It doesn’t matter if it is your time, your money, or whatever it is. 

          Many say that they don’t want to give to any church work.  If a church falls on its face because it can’t operate, or because it can’t spread the gospel, then that means people aren’t going to hear the truth.  That means that people aren’t going to serve God.  Most of our nation has gone that way, anyway, and what do we have in recompense for it?  Well, since people didn’t want to give to the truth, now they are going to build new jails that will cost millions of dollars in taxes, and there isn’t going to be any choice.  You will have to pay taxes, or they will put you in that bright, shiny jail or maybe the old one until the new one gets built. 

          Some would rather pay $80.00 an hour to a head shrinker, instead of giving to a deliverance preacher!  Sometimes things just don’t make sense.

          There is a price to pay, and you are going to pay it either to the devil to destroy you and your children, or you are going to give it to God.  If you believe and obey God, then His gospel will go out as His servants go out and preach the truth, and walk in righteousness.

          I’m not talking about giving to some dead preacher!  I’m talking about giving to somebody who will tell you the truth and won’t blink his eyes while he is telling you.  He won’t look away while he is talking to you, but his eyes will look right into yours and tell you the truth.  Hypocrite preachers have turned many away from supporting things that are of the gospel truth. 

          Some don’t want to send missionaries to foreign fields.  Alright, if they don’t get saved in that foreign country, eventually your sons and daughters may have to go over and fight with the wicked who have turned into political monsters for us to fight even in the physical realm.  Instead of spending billions of our hard earned money for war machines, we should spend money for missionaries to evangelize those countries.  It could prevent war and trouble.

           Wouldn’t you rather put your effort, and your time, and your money, and your prayers, and your consecration into something that is real?  Into something that is Godly, and that is Bible based?  Think about it.  There is a price to pay.  Jesus said that if you are going to build a tower, you have to count the cost.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

PASTOR KEVIN BADGLEY

LIVING HOPE FELLOWSHIP, P. O. BOX 111, GRAND CHAIN, IL  62941

CHURCH / FAX (618) 634-2541

E-mail  livinghopefellowship@lazernetwireless.net

These condensed Bible studies have been published to help new Christians in their new walk with the Lord.  Kevin Badgley, the author, is the pastor of Living Hope Fellowship Church.

This is a Living Hope Fellowship publication.

© Living Hope Fellowship, Inc.