Today is the third message in our summer series called, "Did Jesus Really Say That?" Each week we're taking one quotation from the lips of Jesus, words that were shocking, and developing some lessons for life around those words. The statement we're looking at today may shock you more than anything else Jesus said.

Jesus had large crowds following Him. He was on His way to Jerusalem where He would die on the cross. The mood was getting a bit tense as evidenced by some of the stories He'd been telling and lessons He'd been teaching. He told a story about a banquet and how all the invitees were making excuses as to why they couldn't come. So the master told his servants to go out to the streets and back alleys and invite the downtrodden to come. He even got a little feisty with the Pharisees when they told Him that Herod wanted to kill him. He said, "Go tell that fox that I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing and that he can find me in Jerusalem because that's where I'm going."

So in Luke 14, we see these large crowds of people following Him. Overall, they were not true disciples, just folks who jumped on the Jesus bandwagon. In verse 25, Jesus turned around and spoke to them. He gave them some pretty tough words. Let's read verses 25-26. "Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters-yes, even his own life-he cannot be my disciple.'"

There it is, right before your own eyes. You read it for yourself. Jesus said, "If you don't hate your father and mother and all your family, you can't be my disciple." Hate my mom, my sister, my wife, and my three sons? Get real. Jesus, what are you smoking? Did Jesus really say that? Does He really want us to hate our family? Yes, He said it. But what did He mean?

Let me go ahead and clear the air. Certainly there is an underlying principle Jesus is trying to teach here. After all, it doesn't take a college education to read through the Gospels and see that Jesus taught the value of loving others. He was all about love. In fact, He taught that love is the badge of discipleship. "A new commandment I give you that you love one another." And He also taught us to love our enemies. Also, "Love your neighbor as yourself." So we're also even to love ourselves.

Why would He talk so much about loving others and then say, "By the way, if you want to be my disciple, hate the people closest to you"? Don't get in your car after church, look at your spouse and say, "Honey, I'm really ready to follow Christ completely. I hate you." And, kids, you know all those times you told your parents you hate them? Just tell them you're doing what Jesus taught you to do. No, don't do that. That would be ridiculous.

Let's dig deeper. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of half-hearted disciples were following Him. He soon would be hanging on a cross. These folks had no clue what true discipleship was. So He laid it on thick and told them they needed to count the cost before making their decision to follow Him. To be a disciple requires commitment. It requires a restructuring of our lives. So when He spoke these shocking words about hating our family, He spoke them in the context of what it costs to be His disciple.

There is a company that advertises a "huggable, washable, and talking Jesus plush doll." The Jesus doll sells for $15.95. He sports fuzzy dreadlocks and a satiny beard. And He recites Bible verses when you squeeze His red heart. Squeeze Him and He says, "I love you, and I have an exciting plan for your life." By the way, these sayings aren't exactly from the Bible. In fact, the only actual quotation is John 15:12, which says, "Love each other as I have loved you."

I'm not trying to downplay the value of owning a Jesus doll. But the doll does something that many grown-ups do and that is focus only on the sweet, warm-fuzzy sayings of Jesus. "For God so loved the world." "Love one another." "Come to me, you who are weary." "Blessed are the peacemakers." "I will be with you always." Great verses. But when they aren't matched up with everything Jesus said, we make Jesus look like a wimp.

What if your five-year old squeezed the red heart and the Jesus doll said, "If you want to follow me, hate your father and mother." Squeeze it again and it says, "Let the dead bury their own dead. You come follow Me." Squeeze it again and it says, "Take up your cross and follow Me."

Let's look a little closer at what Jesus is teaching. "Hate your father and mother, etc." Certainly He's not talking in absolute terms. He's talking in relative terms. There's no place in Jesus' teaching for a literal hatred of another human being. Hatred of sin, yes. Hatred of Satan, yes. But hating another person-no way. Here's the deal. Don't miss it. The disciple's love for Jesus must be so great that the best of all our earthly loves is hatred by comparison. Following Jesus Christ cannot be anything less than absolute, whole-hearted devotion. Jesus does not accept superficial following.

I believe Jesus has a word for us today in these verses. I'm afraid that most Christians are like the large crowd of people tagging along behind Jesus. We like doing the church thing, at least a couple of times a month anyway. We really like identifying ourselves as Christians and God-fearers. We try to live a decent life and hold down a decent job and take care of our decent family in our decent house. And we may even volunteer at the church or in the community. But are you absolutely, completely in love with Jesus? Have you counted the cost and made a commitment to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus?

Here's what happens with many people. We're serious about our faith. It's an important part of our lives. But so are our career, our family, our leisure, our hobbies, our travel, and our yard. We have all these competing interests. And Jesus often becomes merely one of the many interests that we pursue. In fact, based on how we spend our time and energy, I think it's safe to say that for many of us, Jesus may actually come in third or fourth place behind our family, job, and leisure. We probably don't have the guts to come out and say, "Jesus is number three in my life." But in your heart you know He's not number one. In your heart you know that your devotion to Christ is not so great that other relationships and interests would be compared at hate.

I think the words of Thomas a Kempis, a 15th century Roman Catholic monk, in The Imitation of Christ ring true six centuries later. He said, "Jesus has many who love his kingdom in heaven, but few who bear his cross. He has many who desire comfort, but few who desire suffering. He finds many to share his feast, but few his fasting. All desire to rejoice with him, but few are willing to suffer for his sake. Many follow Jesus to the breaking of bread, but few to the drinking of the cup of his passion. Many admire his miracles, but few follow him in the humiliation of the cross."

When Texas pastor Jim Denison was in college, he served as a summer missionary in East Malaysia. While there he attended a small church. At one of the church's worship services, a teenage girl came forward to announce her decision to follow Christ and be baptized. During the service, Denison noticed some worn-out luggage leaning against the wall of the church building. He asked the pastor about it. The pastor pointed to the girl who had just been baptized and told Denison, "Her father said that if she was baptized as a Christian, she could never go home again. So she brought her luggage.

That story may seem a little out of the ordinary. And maybe it is. But that's exactly the kind of commitment Jesus calls from every one of us. That level of commitment should not be out of the ordinary.

Now let's get personal. Which group are you in? The group represented by the large crowds who loved being associated with Jesus? Or the smaller group who had genuinely committed themselves to following Jesus no matter what it cost them? Jesus made this tough statement and then talked about counting the cost. Then He left it up to the crowd as to what they were going to do. In the same way, the ball is in your court now. What are you going to do with it?

Today, I'm calling every single one of you who claims to be a Christian to be so sold out to Jesus that all other relationships appear as hate in comparison. My call to you is no different than what Jesus asks you to do. As you process this challenge, here are three things I encourage you to do.

First, assess where you are. Where are you in your walk with Christ? How devoted are you to following Him? Is it evident that Jesus is the most important person in your life? How engaged are you in His kingdom work? If you're falling short with your answers to these questions, and you earnestly desire to make some changes, then move to the second thing.

Second, reprioritize your life. Right now Jesus is just one among many loyalties that you have. I can't tell you how all this will shake out in your situation. That's between you and God. But in your heart some of you know that your career is more important than Jesus. Others of you know that your family is more important than Jesus. And others know that your leisurely interests are more important than Jesus. Are you willing to pray, "God, I know that my life needs reprioritizing. I don't know where all this will take me, but I'm willing to give you the reins of my life"?

Third, don't look back. Let me tell you the good news. Yes, discipleship is costly. But when you're willing to completely sell out to Jesus, guess what? Your life will be completely transformed. "But I like the way I am now." Believe me, you'll like your transformed life much better. Guess what else happens? In most cases, your family relationships deepen. How do I know that? Because right now you're trying to love and care for your family without Jesus being in charge. When you put Jesus on the throne, He is the one loving your family through you.

I remember vividly a spiritual turning point in my life. The week after Christmas I was with a few thousand college students in Atlanta attending the Solution Bowl, a conference sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ. In the previous year and a half I had progressed significantly in my spiritual journey. But honestly, I was not completely sold out to Jesus. I was still straddling the fence between total commitment and maintaining some worldly standards.

During the conference, one of the speakers, Leroy Eims from the Navigators, told the story of William Travis at the Alamo. When it became certain that all the troops were going to die, whether they surrendered or not, he drew a line in the sand. Then he challenged his men to step over the line if they were willing to die for the principles they believed in. Eims challenged Christians to step over the line.

I knew God was jerking my chain. Immediately after that message, I found a quiet spot in the hallway of the hotel, sat down on the floor in one of the corners, and poured my heart out to God. That day I told Him I was stepping over the line for Him. I had no clue what He wanted me to do. All I knew was that I was willing to do it. I got up from that time with God and I've never turned back. Sure, I've messed up and fallen short many times. But I've never turned back from the commitment I made to Him that day. And to this very day, I am excited about what God still has left for me to do. What a journey it is when you're willing to give Him your undivided loyalty.

What about you? Are you willing and ready to step over that line for Jesus? If you do, you will never be the same again.