The Cost of Reformation

The warning is from my own past experiences and from the

Bible. Not everyone is going to be willing to walk this road. Now, it's my great hope that I don't lose a single friend, that we don't lose a single visitor, that we don't lose a single member, that the community doesn't begin calling us a cult.

I genuinely hope that none of these things happen, but there have been many people outwardly associated with the things of God who have said the same things as the

Jews here in verse 16. But they said, we will not walk in it.

We've got to figure it out. We know what's going on. We don't have to walk that way. This is nothing new.

This has been going on for thousands of years. The cost is too great for some, giving up friends and killing idols and looking and living differently.

It is too much. The community will think that I'm weird. I'll be different. If I'm consumed with Christ and His mission,

I'm going to be an outcast and I won't be able to be friends with certain people. It's just too much. The cost is too great.

Maybe even some of you in this room, the ancient path, beloved, is not the crowded path.

No traffic jam on the ancient path. Again, I want to reiterate.

I want everyone to go with us. I want us to link arms and I want us to walk this ancient path together.

But I know that for some it's going to be too hard and this breaks my heart. But here's what you need to know from your pastor today.

I am resolved. I am going to go this way. I'm resolved to listen to the head of the church.

I'm resolved to walk the ancient path. I've been scared in my past. I've been timid.

I've been cowardly. I've been too slow. And I know, yes, in some ways I understand patience and pastoral care and all that's important.

But I'm confessing to you this morning that I've been too timid. But not anymore. I'm resolved to walk this path, no matter the cost.

If there's departure, I don't desire it. But we cannot alter our course. If they call me names, so be it.

I've been called names before and God has proven faithful, even in the hard times. We are at a crossroads.