Real Cost of Discipleship

I've been reading the book "Radical" by David Platt and it has really challenged my thinking. It has made me ask some deep questions and to wonder what God thinks when He looks at modern Christianity. Does today's religious scene make God want to vomit when he hears televangelists selling miracle water... when preachers are hyping the think and grow rich mentality... when terms like "fun" and "exciting" are used to describe the church for which Christ died... when people argue over worship styles... when preachers use gimmicks to draw crowds... when programs like TBN (The Big hair Network) cause unsaved people to poke fun and Christianity... and the list goes on.

I wonder if it breaks God's heart to hear people make comments like, "I'll participate in worship, if... it doesn't interfere with my tee time, my child's softball tournament, dance recital, work schedule, or any other personal conflict. Rather than putting Jesus first and following Him, we seem to want a Jesus Who doesn't expect too much... One who accepts us where we are, will understand when we choose things before Him, is okay with our pursuit of materialism, is okay with casual commitment... you get the picture.

Modern Christianity seems so different from what Jesus described. In Luke 9, Jesus said that if you want to be my disciple you must deny yourself (not indulge yourself), and take up your cross. He said that you may end up homeless, that He expects you to love Him more than family, and that He expects you to be willing to give up everything for Him. He wants full and exclusive commitment. When Jesus said "Follow Me," those chosen got up, left it all, and followed Him.

In all honesty, I guess the religious scene hasn't changed much since Jesus' day. The multitudes back then gathered when there was "excitement" or something in if for them, but then scattered when Jesus preached on commitment. He ended up with twelve that were sold out, committed followers (actually only 11). Jesus didn't sugar coat the gospel for fear of offending anyone, instead He explained the cost of discipleship and let people decide. The expectation hasn't changed and the question remains, ARE YOU WILLING TO FULLY COMMIT TO FOLLOWING CHRIST?