Parable of the Tower Builder

Luke 14:28–30

Opening: Blueprints Before Bricks
Jesus paints a simple scene: a man plans a tower. He sits down, calculates the cost, and decides whether he can finish. If he lays a foundation and stops, neighbors point at the stump of a project and shake their heads. The Lord ties this picture to discipleship. Following Him calls for a thoughtful beginning and a faithful finish. He urges hearers to count every cost before they lift the first stone, because His way involves cross-bearing and a lifetime of steady building (Luke 14:25–27, 33).

The Setting: Large Crowds and a Serious Call
Luke places this parable on a day when “great multitudes” walked with Jesus (Luke 14:25). Large crowds often include many motives. Jesus turns and speaks plainly about loyalty that places Him before every relationship, every possession, and every plan (Luke 14:26–27, 33). He then gives two pictures—the tower builder and the king considering war—to press one lesson: weigh the demands of the Lord, then commit with eyes open.

What the Parable Teaches
The builder sits down. He adds up resources, measures the structure, and counts the steps from foundation to roofline (Luke 14:28). He refuses to confuse starting with finishing. He knows public shame follows half-built monuments (Luke 14:29–30). This story moves disciples to decide with clarity. The Lord welcomes willing hearts that understand His terms. He expects endurance that brings a house to completion (Luke 9:23; Matthew 10:38–39).

Why Counting Matters
Discipleship touches every ledger: time, affections, habits, ambitions, and possessions. Unplanned zeal often collapses under weather and weight, while examined commitments hold firm when winds rise. Scripture honors careful planning joined to faithful action (Proverbs 21:5; Proverbs 24:27). Vows carry weight; the wise keep their word (Ecclesiastes 5:4–5). The Lord links entrance into His kingdom with doing the Father’s will (Matthew 7:21) and calls Himself the author of eternal salvation to all who obey (Hebrews 5:9). Those passages describe the rock under a finished tower.

Marks of an Unfinished Tower
An unfinished tower often shows a pattern. There was a quick start without sober thought. There was a strong emotion without steady discipline. There was a public pledge without private practice. There was a desire to hold Christ in one hand and unyielded habits in the other. The foundation shows, but the frame never rises. Jesus warns against that path because ridicule follows failed commitments and souls suffer when promises drift.

How to Count Costs Today
Sit down with the Lord’s words open and take inventory. Identify every claim Jesus makes on your life. He calls for daily cross-bearing (Luke 9:23), priority above family and self (Luke 14:26–27), and surrender of possessions (Luke 14:33). Consider the appointed response to the gospel: believe, repent, confess, and be baptized for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3–4; 1 Peter 3:21). Review the pattern for ongoing life: truthful speech, reconciled relationships, purity of heart, integrity in commitments, generous service, sincere prayer, wise stewardship, and trust in God’s care (Matthew 5–7; Colossians 3:17). List likely pressures—work demands, friendships, screens, recreation, finances—and write down how you will honor the Lord in each place. Counting costs turns vague desire into tested plans.

A Finisher’s Mindset
The New Testament showcases builders who reach the last board. Paul could say, “I have finished the race” (2 Timothy 4:7). He arranged his days to match his aim (1 Corinthians 9:24–27). He considered his life of no value to himself so he could complete the ministry received (Acts 20:24). The finish line belongs to those who add diligence to faith, keep growing in character, and make calling and election sure, “for so an entrance will be supplied…into the everlasting kingdom” (2 Peter 1:5–11). These passages describe habits that carry a tower from plans to roof.

Congregational Blueprints
Churches build together. Teaching programs, benevolence efforts, evangelism, missionary support, buildings, and budgets demand counting. Leaders and members sit down, measure resources, confirm authority from Scripture for each work, and commit to complete what they begin (Colossians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 4:6). Quiet follow-through honors God and strengthens credibility in the community. Partial projects weaken confidence; completed work points people to the Lord.

Finishing Requires the Lord’s Pattern
The Lord’s words are load-bearing. He calls disciples to listen, understand, and do exactly what He says, adding nothing and removing nothing (Deuteronomy 4:2; 1 Corinthians 4:6; Matthew 28:20). Human traditions and personal shortcuts always bend the frame. A wise builder keeps his eye on the blueprint and refuses to substitute different materials or measurements. The result is stability when storms beat upon the house (Luke 6:47–49).

Invitation
The Lord invites thoughtful commitment. He asks for hearts that hear His words and practice them. He joins salvation to obedience (Matthew 7:21; Hebrews 5:9). Come believing, turn from sin, confess Christ, and be baptized to wash away sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3–4; 1 Peter 3:21). Then keep building until the last course is set.

Exhaustive Sermon Outline

• Text and Context

  • Read Luke 14:28–30; note the larger call in 14:25–27, 31–33

  • Purpose: urge hearers to count costs and commit to finishing

• Key Movements in the Parable

  • “Sits down” — deliberate reflection

  • “Counts the cost” — resources, time, endurance

  • “Lays a foundation” — public beginning

  • “Able to finish?” — goal fixed from day one

  • Shame of half-built towers — public consequence

• Scriptural Foundations for Counting

  • Proverbs 21:5; 24:27 — planning with action

  • Ecclesiastes 5:4–5 — weight of vows

  • Luke 9:23 — daily cross-bearing

  • Matthew 10:37–39; Luke 14:26–27, 33 — supreme loyalty

  • Matthew 7:21; Hebrews 5:9 — obedience tied to salvation

• Marks of Unfinished Towers

  • Unexamined motives; impulsive starts

  • Conflicted loyalties; crowded calendars

  • Silence where practice should be; promises without steps

• Counting Costs in Conversion

  • Believe, repent, confess, be baptized (Mark 16:16; Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3–4; 1 Peter 3:21)

  • Understand the lifelong nature of the commitment (Luke 9:23)

• Counting Costs in Daily Practice

  • Sermon on the Mount as the building code (Matthew 5–7)

  • Do all by Christ’s authority (Colossians 3:17)

  • Guard the pattern, neither adding nor taking away (Deuteronomy 4:2; 1 Corinthians 4:6)

• A Finisher’s Habits

  • Fixed aim and self-control (1 Corinthians 9:24–27)

  • Valuing the task above comfort (Acts 20:24)

  • Steady growth that results in a full entrance (2 Peter 1:5–11)

  • End-of-life testimony: “finished the race” (2 Timothy 4:7)

• Congregational Applications

  • Plan works the church is authorized to do (Colossians 3:17)

  • Count resources; commit timelines; finish what is started

  • Encourage members toward durable service

• Appeal

  • Begin with eyes open; continue with firm purpose; finish with joy

Call to Action
Sit down this week with Luke 14 open.

1. Write three costs you must accept to follow Jesus more fully.

2. Write three steps you will take to complete a neglected spiritual task.

3. Share your plan with a mature Christian and set check-ins for 30, 60, and 90 days. Start today.

Scripture Reference List (with notes)

• Luke 14:25–33 — Context of discipleship, tower builder, king at war, and renouncing all

• Luke 14:28–30 — The parable’s core: sit, count, finish

• Luke 9:23 — Daily cross-bearing defines the path

• Matthew 10:37–39 — Loyalty to Christ above all

• Matthew 7:21 — Doing the Father’s will and entrance into the kingdom

• Hebrews 5:9 — Salvation connected to obedience

• Proverbs 21:5; 24:27 — Planning joined to diligent work

• Ecclesiastes 5:4–5 — Keep vows; do not delay to pay what you have vowed

• 1 Corinthians 9:24–27 — Discipline and aim in the race

• Acts 20:24 — Finishing the ministry received

• 2 Peter 1:5–11 — Growth that leads to an abundant entrance

• 2 Timothy 4:7 — Testimony of a completed race

• Colossians 3:17 — Do all in the name of the Lord

• Deuteronomy 4:2; 1 Corinthians 4:6 — Guard the pattern without additions or omissions

• Mark 16:16; Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3–4; 1 Peter 3:21 — Appointed response to the gospel

Prepared by David Hersey of the church of Christ at Granby, MO