Counting the Cost (Luke 14:27)

Introduction

Please turn to Luke chapter 14. We’ll begin in verse 25 when you get there. When you’re doing a lesson, a lot of times you want to get kind of a hook. Something that’s relevant, something that’s current that’s going to draw people in and make them pay attention. Something that’s current and being discussed. And so I thought I’d bring this up for everybody. And if you don’t know who this is, this is Colin Kaepernick, and he’s the face of the new Nike campaign. And we’re not here to talk about politics or kneeling or protest or police violence or anything like that. Not even football, but we do want to start with a quote, and to make it easier to see, I’ll just blanket everything but the quote.

It says, believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. And that’s kind of the campaign that Nike’s pushing right now. And I thought, well, that’s kind of a nice way to put it. I changed it up a little bit for this lesson, though. I said, well, let’s believe in God, even if it means sacrificing everything. Because we’re going to talk about counting the cost tonight. So Nike’s given us this timely topic to begin with. And we’ll deal with counting the cost. Now, other people who dealt with that same thing back in 1776 were founding fathers, and this is a picture of a selfie from when they when they did that. They this is supposed to be the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the 4th of July.

And I know our 4th of July celebration this year was kind of ruined by the weather. But think about this. After they signed this and declared their independence from England, August 27th, the British defeated George Washington’s army in the Battle of Long Island. September 15th, the British occupying New York City. September 19th, the Patriots attacked by Cherokees at Coico River, North Carolina. They lost that battle. October 11th, the Patriots lost the Battle of Valcor. October 28th, the Battle of White Plains, New York. We lost that too. November 16th, the Hessians captured Fort Washington, New York. The Patriots’ losses were six times the British losses in that battle. November 20th, Lord Cornwallis captured Fort Lee from Nathaniel Green and the other Patriots there. You think this was a pretty sad time for us.

Things were not going well. And you think, well, how could the Patriots lose so many battles? And I think it’s because they weren’t playing the Houston Texans during all that time. That’s a sad commentary. But on December 23rd, 1776, after all these losses, Thomas Paine, the famous propagandist for the Patriots, or pinned or published the American Crisis. And these are the first four sentences of this dated November December 23rd, 1776. And if you’re trying to read along the little things that look like F’s are really S’s, but it’s the first two sentences, these, and you’ll probably recognize this when I read it, these are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the Sunshine Patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country, but he that stands by it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.

So again, he’s talking about how hard things are. He’s talking about the sacrifice that’s being made. And he’s saying these are tough times, and what’s going to happen? Well, he’s saying be summer soldier, the sunshine patriot. Those that are going to be along with the cause when times are good, when things are tough like this, they’re gonna sacrifice they’re gonna they’re gonna run away. They’re not gonna stand or fight for what’s right, because they don’t have the conviction in freedom that the rest of us have. So then he continues, and this is where it gets very interesting. He says, Tyranny like hell is not easily conquered. Yet we have this consolation with us that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly.

And I think it’s a very poignant item right there, because we do. If it comes easy, we don’t really give it a lot of credence. When somebody has to work for something, when they really have to sacrifice for something that they believe in, it’s more dear to them. And that’s what he says. It is dearness only that gives everything its value. And then he says, Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods. And that’s again the topic for tonight. It would be strange indeed if celestial if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated. So, what’s pain pointing out? Just like the same principle in that Nike ad there’s gonna be cost to pay, there’s gonna be sacrifices if you believe in something.

Again, you know, we’re not talking about football or anything else, but there is a cost of freedom. So change this around. So counting the cost in that verse in Luke 14 that we’re getting to, Jesus is speaking, and it says, Now great multitudes went with him, and he turned and said to them, If anyone comes after comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brother and sisters, yes, in his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. Hate. We’re not supposed to hate, are we? Well, the hate in this sense is putting them in their proper perspective. It’s not that I really, oh man, sorry, mom, gotta hate you. You know, sorry, Carrie, gotta hate you too. No, it’s that when it comes to the value I place on family, as opposed to the value placed on following Christ, it has to seem like hate in comparison, because this has to be my number one priority.

And then Jesus says in verse 27, and whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Okay. So now there’s another aspect to it. One is my attitude towards my family. Now he’s talking about me doing some actual physical suffering. If you don’t bear your cross and follow after him, you cannot be his disciple. So again, we knew that in Jesus’ day, many people followed him. Why? Because the bread and the fish and lo, you know, the they were being fed, and they like to see the miracles and all that. But he’s trying to get them accustomed to the idea that there’s going to be some sacrifice as well. Then he goes on into verse 28 says, For which of you intending to build a tower does not sit down first and count the cost?

Again, there’s the key point of our lesson. Whether he has enough to finish it, lest after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish, all who sees it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish. So what’s he pointing out? Well, people that did not count the cost. So he’s pointing out that you know, if you don’t count the cost, you’re not gonna be able to do that. So make sure I’ve got the right verses up here. then on into verse 31. Well, what king going to make war against another king does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him becomes against him with 20,000. Or else, while the other is still a great ways off, he sends a delegation and asks for conditions of peace.

So you see how one is not counting the cost, he’s gonna build a tower. Oh, I didn’t have enough to finish. Why? Because I didn’t plan this out. I didn’t realize it didn’t have enough money to finish the job. The other one, he sees, he counts the cost before something happens. He sees that I’m not going to be able to win this with just 10,000 people. We better make peace now before a battle starts. So that’s why he gets down here into 33. So likewise, whoever you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple. So again, the idea is that you’ve got to count the cost of discipleship. We have to be aware that there is a cost, and we have to say that I’m willing to take that cost.

1. The Physical Cost of Following Christ

I’m willing to pay that to be a follower of Christ. That’s the questions we have to ask ourselves tonight. Are we willing to make the sacrifices necessary for Christianity? Are we willing to pay the costs? Well, to do that, we have to know what the costs are. So counting the costs, and we have a little outline for what we’ll be talking about. So we’re going to look at the cost. And one of the things or one of the areas of this cost is physically. Are we going to be able to take on the physical cost of following Christ? And first of all, I want to talk about self-control. So to be self-controlled is a cost, is a physical cost of following Christ. You have to be disciplined as a Christian.

You can’t just go after everything that meets your eye. So it says the world’s attitudes, such desires are summed up in Luke 1, verse 10. I’m sorry, Jude 1, verse 10. It says, but these speak evil of whatever they do not know, and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, and these things they corrupt themselves. So, what is he really boiling it down to is that people of the world who don’t have the self-discipline of Christ are basically just acting like barnyard animals. They see something, they do it. I want to eat, I’ll eat. I want to sleep, I’ll sleep. I want to do this, I’ll do this. Anything that really just draws their attention at the moment, oh, there we go. Now I know a lot of you have animals where you live.

Some have cows and horses and things. We have turtles, you don’t really get a lot of life lessons from watching turtles, but still you know that they act just like dumb animals. They don’t really put a lot of thought into their day, they don’t schedule things out, plan for tomorrow. It’s just, hey, food, and they go eat. Hey, I’ve got to sleep, they go sleep. And that’s really all there is to it. And so he’s saying that people of the world who do not discipline themselves are acting just like dumb animals because they see something they want and they just go do it. some of you who are only if you remember in the 60s, there was that old saying, if it feels good, what do it, right?

If it feels good, do it. And that was the thing that was going around. and that’s kind of that same attitude. And you see, it’s been around forever and ever. Burt Reynolds just passed away, and he was kind of the epitome of that from those days of just living life for himself, indulging himself in every passion that crosses his way. And you know, everybody who was worldly wanted to be Burt Reynolds, basically. but they’re being nothing more than animals, and really it’s the product of what we’re teaching people these days, too. We tell them in school, well, you’re the product of evolution, there’s no God, you’re just an animal, and then we get surprised when people behave like animals. It’s the product of what we teach them in schools.

Regarding false teachers, in 2 Peter 2, verse 18, it says, For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lust of the flesh. And you think about it, false teachers. One of the ways they try to sell their false doctrine is they try to appeal to your lust of the flesh. You know, the whole health and wellness kind of gospel that’s real popular these days. God wants you to be happy and rich and successful and have friends and be content in your stuff. And it sells, and so many of these megachurches and neighbor churches and things like that are built on that very principle. And so we’ve he’s he’s arguing against this. He says they allure through the lust of the flesh through lewdness.

The ones who have actually escaped from them who live in error, while they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption. For by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. Yeah, they’re selling you the idea that you’re free, you’re liberated. You can do whatever you want when you’re living like the world, but actually what? You’re a slave to sin. You’re you’re you’re beholden to those things. And that can’t be so for the Christian. Romans 12, verse 1 says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. So what are we supposed to be as Christians? A living sacrifice to God. Somebody who daily says, I’m not going to do what I want, I’m going to do what God wants.

I’m not going to represent myself and satisfy my own needs. I’m going to put the will of God first and my duty as a Christian first. We see things in a much different way. So to be a Christian, you’ve got to be aware of that. Be conscious of that bigger picture and the purpose of life. And know that there is a pending day of judgment. And prepare yourself for that. The next one point I want to talk about is persecution. You can be physically persecuted as a Christian. There’s many forms of physical persecution offered or often seen in history. 2 Timothy 2, verse 3 says, You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus. So just knowing that there’s going to be hardship in the Christian life, that there’ll be some physical persecution involved there.

He says later in 2 Timothy 3, verse 12, yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. So what is he trying to do with these verses? Go out and look for persecution? No, he’s trying to tell people to at least be ready for it. Know that it’s going to happen. Know that it’s going to come. I remember one lady that we knew in a previous congregation. She decided she was going to quit being a Christian and live as worldly and selfish as she wanted to. And there was another lady who was a member of that same congregation that she worked with. And instead of just going off and doing her own thing, she decided she was going to persecute the lady who was still a faithful Christian.

And every day she had to give her the business about being a saint and being a Christian and all these kind of things. And just trying to annoy her and aggravate her. And this was a daily thing that happened. And the other lady just said, You’re not really insulting me, you’re complimenting me. But that was a true, a true story. But have you known or heard of anybody who’s been jailed or attacked or beaten? We know people who’ve actually been assaulted by their own families for becoming Christians. So it does happen. And along with that, and we’re talking about counting the cost physically, you can be killed for being a Christian. It’s happened before. Jesus said in Luke 21, starting in verse 16, you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.

And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. Just imagine being turned into the authorities for being Christians. And you think, well, you know, they don’t do that nowadays. Well, they don’t at the moment here, but in other places they do. And who’s to say things won’t change here in the United States? Those of us who are old enough again, we’ve seen the deterioration of society. We’ve seen the way things have been spun in the media and in pop culture against Christianity. I’ve seen articles even in our own newspaper here that have that have been reports on things like science shows that Christians are not as smart as non Christians. There’s an article in our own newspaper in insulting Christians. And so when you can comment about these things on their on their website, I say, well, this reminds me of Germany in the 1930s, and they quickly took the whole article down.

But it’s that kind of thing that’s prevalent in our society. You know, when people hate you, they’re gonna do whatever they can, especially when they’re guided by a Satan to do it. Revelation 6, verse 9. When he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwelt on the earth. So we just have to keep in mind that it’s always going to be a possibility that the persecution that we receive physically from the world can lead even to physical death. So we have to count that as one of the costs of being a Christian.

2. Financial Costs

We can also have some financial costs. So one of those is no cheating. We can’t cheat on things as Christians. So many people are so accustomed to lying on their tax forms, lying to government agencies when it comes to regulations that they’re supposed to uphold. You can’t cut corners to get ahead. You can’t substitute a lesser product for a better product and charge the higher price.

But somebody else is willing to kick a little money under the table and guess who gets that contract? It happens. But if you’re not willing to do that, you’re taking the high road, but there’s a financial cost involved. So keep that in mind. We don’t do that. And that’s something that we may have to endure. Of course, remember the parable of the servant, the unjust servant who monkeyed with the books. You know, again, that was not a recommendation. That was just talking about how he did stuff. So as long as men have been around, people have been doing these kind of things. Proverbs 11 7, I’m sorry, 11 verse 1 says a false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.

So we are expected as his servants to do things the right way. Just do it the right way. Don’t even think about doing something that’s unscrupulous in business. I just know this is how it’s going to be. And things will take care of themselves. Romans 12, verse 11 tells us not to be slothful in business. So that’s another way. You know, you get people who go to work, but what are they doing on the job? Well, they’re surfing the internet or they’re checking their phone or things like that. Don’t be slothful in business. Also, no evil dealings. What do I mean by that? Well, don’t be involved in businesses she shouldn’t be involved in as a Christian. There are certain things we just don’t do, certain places we just don’t go.

Just know that you’re not going to be a part of that. I wouldn’t open a water park. I wouldn’t open a bar or a restaurant that served alcohol. There’s things I can’t do. There’s been plenty of things that I thought would make a good business, but still they get too close to that line or they go over the line of being a just and fair and Christian way to do your work. So we don’t do that. We visited one congregation where an elder actually owned a shop by a campsite. And so while we were in the area, we went to that shop and saw that he was selling beer and cigarettes. And we, you know, asked him, Well, if you own this, can’t you control what you sell?

Well, yeah, well, why do you sell beer and cigarettes? He goes, Well, that’s just what people want. Like that justified selling these products. You know, there’s no justification for that. He’s gonna have to answer for that, but we questioned him. I knew a man in advertising one time. He was here in town, and he made it a policy that and they knew within his company he was good, and but he would not work on things for men’s clubs or alcohol or things like that. He just he wouldn’t even do the advertising part for it, the artwork on the advertising. He said, I’m not doing that. And they understood that. He even had a job to do or a possibility to do a job for a local mega church, and while he wasn’t doing any artwork for them, he did he got them really close.

This was Joel Olsteen that they were working for. But he got them to almost use the catchphrase, we are what the Bible says we are. You think about it, you know. He was he got him, he got them so close to using that as a tagline. He was really trying, but it didn’t work. You know, they went some, they went and went another way. But these are the things, you know, just know there are stuff I can’t do in business. Also, we’re just not driven by money. I know we’re talking about financial counting the cost, not driven by money, just meaning that’s not my sole focus in life. I’ve got higher priorities, I got better things to work on. 1 Timothy 6, verse 10 says, for the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith.

So you can let the love of money actually make you err from the faith. leave Christ because you love money. It’s all going away. It’s all going to be burned up someday. So don’t worry so much about those kind of things. Timothy 3, verse 2, for men shall be loves of their own selves, covetous, boosters, proud, that whole idea of covetousness. And you know if this is a problem you have or not. You know, if you think, man, you know, I really want that, I’m gonna sacrifice what I can to get that. Don’t make things of the world your highest priorities. Be content with what you have. And also we can be subjected to financial attacks as Christians. And this is something that’s also been in the news for several years now.

People who will not do certain businesses or will not serve certain customers because of their faith. bakers, photographers, things having to do with weddings. people will just say, I’m sorry, I’m not gonna do this, you know, and of course they get sued. And a common practice of these kind of lawsuits is to make the attacker look like the victim. You know, well, somebody will seek you out from three or four states away, knowing that you won’t do this, but they’ll try to make you do it, so then they can sue you for not doing it when they pass probably a hundred other photographers or bakers on along the way. So they’re they’re not just oh accidentally showing up in your shop and becoming the victim.

3. Social Cost

But it’s that whole idea, the we will not tolerate intolerance irony that goes on with these kind of things. So, other kind of cost accounts, social cost. Are there social costs with being a Christian? So counting the cost is devolved or involves how we see and the world sees us and how it respects us. So one of the things we can lose as Christians is our social standing. If you ran with a certain crowd before and you’re not with them anymore, that’s something that’s very possible. It says your standing with worldly people can be a factor. So even if it comes to a work situation or after hour situation, maybe you go bowling with a group of people, but they’ve involved alcohol in that type of practice, or they go to mixers or happy hours or things like that.

I’m not gonna do that anymore. Well, you’re gonna get looked down on for those who have been in the church most of their lives, you know, that’s usually not such an issue, but for people who are coming out of a worldly situation, it becomes very difficult. We have to understand that and help them along. A lot of times when people become Christians, they’re basically disassociate, disassociated with everybody they knew in their past and have to come here and hopefully we can be a strong enough family for them that we can we can bring them in. Of course, loss of friends is in there as well. So you’ll be different. and most of their friends are not going to appreciate what you’ve done. First John 3, verse 13 says, Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hates you.

You know, as a Christian, is the world going to hate you? Well, yeah, it is. They may not actively persecute you every moment of every day, but they’re still not going to like you. They’re not going to have a great feeling towards you. John 15, starting in verse 18, if the world hates you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you? A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my words, they will keep yours also.

But all these things they will do to you for my name’s sake, because they do not know him who sent me. So, yeah, he’s talking about how the world’s going to hate you. If you understand that the world hated Christ because they didn’t understand him, they didn’t know what he was about. If you follow Christ, they’re going to hate you just as much. So be ready for that as a Christian. Now, again, For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in the church, you probably dealt with these kind of things yourselves.

When you walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these things, they think it’s strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. So again, there’s a pain there when people don’t like you. And we all want to be liked. We all want to be admired. But you have to understand that if you’re going to live the life that Christ wants you to live, there’s most of the world is not going to admire that. They’re not going to hold you in high esteem. And that leads us to our next point. It’s going to hurt your pride. It is. And we all have got pride. But we have to keep that in check.

And we have to understand that an overabundance of pride or an improper pride can be a sin. So James 4, verse 4. It says, Adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Again, playing on this the topic we were just discussing. Or do you think that the scripture says in vain, the spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously? Verse 6, but he gives more grace. Therefore he says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. And we think about that for a while. What does it mean to be prideful? You know, I think we all know it when we see it.

You know, somebody who’s got to have a spotlight, somebody who’s waving a flag of attention. Look at me, look at me in all that I do, and all that I say, and all that I post. You know, if you’re craving attention that much, you need to kind of put that into check because Satan’s going to try to use that against you to get you to be more and more proud and not really being humble like you should be. Continuing in verse 7 says, Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Again, just after he mentioned being prideful and having a big head, resist the devil. So you know where that’s coming from. Verse 8, draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

4. Love Not the World

Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, let your joy to gloom. All about repenting from this. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up. You don’t need to toot your own horn. You don’t need to make your own spotlight and shine it on yourself brightly. God’s going to lift you up. You humble yourself and let God take care of the rest. So care about what God thinks about you, not the world. So counting the cost. We must believe in God. What is that cost? Well, we’ve talked about some various aspects of it. but how should we be as Christians? Well, notice in 1 John 2, verse 15, it says, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Then in verse 16, he says, For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world. So he mentions these same three topics we just went through. Excuse me. The lust of the flesh is that physical temptation we have, that physical cost that we have to deal with when we’re a Christian. The lust of the eye is, of course, the materialism, the riches, the things that we want. It’s that financial cost of being a Christian. And of course, the pride of life. Pride of life being what? Caring about what people think about you, caring about your status, caring about your influence, and wanting to be seen as a big shot.

That social aspect of Christ of Christianity means that you’re gonna not emphasize that in your life. You’ll have to take that cost as well. Jesus taught about these same things in Matthew 16, starting in verse 24. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. So there’s your pride part. Deny yourself. Denying yourself is a lot to do with pride, that social aspect. Then in verse 25, for whosoever shall save his life shall lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it. So again, there’s that physical side, that physical cost of Christianity. Willing to lose your life for Christ. And then 26, for what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul.

What shall a man give in exchange for his soul? So again, there’s the financial aspect of the cost of Christianity reaching in there. So there is all these parts that we have to overcome as Christians.

5. Jesus Had to Endure It

Matthew 4 in verse 1. And Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and 40 nights afterward, he was hungry. Now when the tempter came to him, he said, If you are the Son of God, command these stones become bread. Which one of those three do you think we’re addressing here? Yeah, it’s the physical aspect. It’s the physical cost. And Jesus said, Well, says, but he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. So he challenged him on a physical level. Oh, you’re hungry, Christ. You can fix that. You’re Jesus. Well, he wouldn’t do it.

Verse 5. Then the devil took him up into the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge over you, and in their hands they shall bear you up. Lest you dash your foot against the stone. What was he playing on there? He was playing on that whole pride and the social idea that, oh, I want to be something important. I am important. I’ll do this and it’ll show how important I am. They’re not going to let me fall. They’ll catch me. Verse 7. Jesus said to him, It is written again, you should not tempt the Lord your God. Again, the devil took him up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said, All these things will I give you if you will fall down and worship me.

Conclusion

All these things I will give you. Again, he’s playing on the whole financial aspect. You’re going to be wealthy. I’ll give you all these things in the world. All you have to do is just one thing. Just give up on what you know is right and worship me. Jesus said to him, Away with you, Satan, for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve. So not only did Jesus teach it, he had to endure it. He had to face those temptations himself when he was weakened and he overcame them. So counting the cost, is it worth it? Well, yes, it is. Why is it worth it? Well, not because of anything physical or social or financial, but it’s worth it because we have the bigger picture in mind.

We know that in the end, we are going to be judged on if we follow Christ or not. We know we’re going to be judged on our Christianity and not on our finances or our social status or on anything else that we can think of physically. So when you count the cost of these things, when you say, Is it worth it to be a Christian? Yes, it is, because hopefully in the end you’ll have the right perspective on everything as far as the physical world that we live in. Well, hopefully you counted the cost. If you’ve been a Christian your whole life, you or your adult life, you know these costs, you’ve endured them yourselves. You’ve said, I’m gonna make the right choices. I’m gonna follow Christ and I’m not gonna do these things that Satan wants me to do.

If you’re not a Christian, before you do, you do need to count the cost. That’s the whole point of Jesus’ lesson there. He was saying, oops, sorry. He was saying that you need to think of these things, you need to really decide whether you’re gonna be able to put these worldly cares aside before you decide to put on Christ in baptism. But if you’ve done that, if you’re ready to make that commitment, if you’ve counted the cost, the baptismal waters are ready. If you have any other any other need and you want to come forward, please do now as we stand and sing.