The Cost of Following Jesus
Matthew 8; 16; Luke 9; 14
Kids Church. July 12, 2020
Volume 8 Jesus the Servant. Unit 23 Jesus the Teacher. Session 2 of 5
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Volume 8 Jesus the Servant. Unit 23 Jesus the Teacher. Session 2 of 5
The Cost of Following Jesus
The benefits of following Jesus are wonderful: justification from sin, lifelong sanctification, and adoption into the family of God. But following Jesus also comes at a price. People had waited so long for the promised Messiah to come into the world, so many were eager to follow Him. Yet as Jesus taught, He urged people to consider the cost of being His disciple.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus explained to one disciple that following Him might involve giving up worldly comforts. He told another disciple that following Him should be higher priority than anything else—even one’s commitment to his parents. (See Matt. 8:18-22.) In Matthew 16 and Luke 9, Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”
Jesus shared two examples in Luke 14 of people who must count the cost of doing something. If a person is building a tower, he must first calculate the cost. If he begins the project and is unable to complete it, onlookers will ridicule him. In a similar way, a king counts the cost of going to war before sending out his army. If he is not able to oppose the enemy, he doesn’t foolishly send out a small group to fight a larger group. Instead, he seeks peace.
Many who wanted to follow Jesus changed their minds. Jesus even asked the twelve disciples if they wanted to turn away as well. Peter answered, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).
Paul acknowledged the difficulty of following Jesus in 2 Corinthians 4 but kept his eyes on eternity: “For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory” (v. 17). As you teach, emphasize that following Jesus is not easy, but He is worth it.
Christ Connection: Jesus taught that following Him is not easy. It requires commitment and sacrifice. When we trust in Jesus, we give Him complete control of our lives. True life is found in Jesus, who gave up His life to rescue us from sin and death. He is worth it.
Praise God for His attributes: holiness, greatness, grace, mercy, etc.
Thank God for His goodness, provision, etc.
Ask God for His Holy Spirit to prepare our hearts, minds, and spirits to worship God and learn the lesson He has for us today.
You may ask all the kids to take turn to pray as well.
The Bible says that we are weak, but the Holy Spirit will help us in our weakness. We live with hope, trusting that God works all things for the good of those who love Him. He is worth it! Let’s sing together “Just As I Am.”
Share praises from this past week of what you see God's been doing in your lives.
Confessing of our sins. Pray to God for His holiness and purity in our lives.
Share prayer requests with each other. Pray for each other.
Distribute Bibles. Guide your children to open their Bibles to Luke 9. Explain that today’s story is found in Matthew and Luke.
Choose a child to read aloud Luke 9:23-25.
LEADER SAY • Jesus spoke to His disciples when they were near the Sea of Galilee. [Point to the Sea of Galilee on the Israel in the Time of Jesus Map]. Jesus was clear that following Him is not easy. When we trust in Jesus, we give Him complete control of our lives. at’s what it means to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus. True life is found in Jesus, who gave up His life to rescue us from sin and death. He is worth it.
(Take your time to ask, ponder and answer the following questions)
Explain to kids that Jesus later told His disciples that because the world had persecuted Him, they would be persecuted. Believers should expect to suffer in a fallen world. We can endure suffering, fixing our eyes on Jesus and looking forward to eternity with Him.
(Option: Choose a volunteer to read John 15:18-20.)
Help kids recognize that following Jesus without understanding the cost may make it difficult to persevere in trials. Emphasize that though Jesus does not off er us an easy life, He offers us Himself. He is better than anything the world offers.
(Option: Choose a volunteer to read 1 Pet. 4:12-13.)
Prompt kids to consider the importance of praying for others. The Holy Spirit gives us strength to follow Jesus. Kids can also point others to Jesus, remembering that suffering is temporary and one day Jesus will make all things right.
(Option: Choose a volunteer to read Heb. 12:1-3.)
Praise and thanksgiving to God that His Son was born to save and redeem us.
Protection from the COVID-19.
Productive at home this week.
For others who are sick.
Wisdom for government officials and President Trump and VP Pence.
Wisdom for church leaders.