Sermon Date: 03/08/2026
Bible Verses:
- Luke 9:23-27
Speaker: Rev. Timothy "Tim" Shapley
Theme: https://uppbeat.io/t/northwestern/a-new
Core Idea: Before there is resurrection power, there is surrender.
Introduction
We love the idea of resurrection.
We love the victory.
We love the empty tomb.
We love the power of God that raises the dead.
But Jesus makes something very clear: resurrection only comes after the cross.
You cannot have Easter without Calvary.
And long before Jesus carried His cross to Golgotha, He told His followers something shocking.
Luke 9:23:
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
This is not a marketing slogan for church growth.
This is not the kind of message that fills stadiums.
But it is the truth about what it means to follow Jesus.
Before there is resurrection power…
there must be surrender.
- The Invitation of Jesus
Jesus begins with these words:
“If anyone would come after me…”
Notice what Jesus does not say.
He does not say:
“You must.”
“You are forced.”
“You have no choice.”
Instead He says:
“If anyone would…”
This is an invitation.
Christianity does not begin with a rulebook.
It begins with a call.
Jesus calls people.
“Follow me.”
“Come after me.”
“Walk with me.”
Faith is not primarily about religion.
It is about relationship.
The disciples were not first given theology textbooks.
They were given an invitation.
Matthew the tax collector heard Jesus say:
“Follow me.”
And Matthew got up from his table of money and walked away.
Fishermen left their nets.
Peter left his boat.
James and John left their father.
Why?
Because Jesus called them.
And here is the beautiful thing:
That invitation still stands today.
Jesus is still calling people.
Not perfect people.
Not religious experts.
Just people.
“If anyone…”
That means the invitation includes:
The broken
The doubting
The struggling
The sinner
The weary
Anyone.
Jesus is saying:
“If you want to walk with me, the door is open.”
But here is where things get serious.
Because Jesus immediately explains what following Him actually means.
- The Cost of Discipleship
Jesus continues:
“Let him deny himself and take up his cross daily.”
When Jesus said this, the disciples did not think of jewelry.
They did not think of a symbol on a church wall.
The cross meant one thing.
Death.
The cross was the Roman Empire’s most brutal execution device.
It was public.
It was humiliating.
It was final.
And Jesus looks at His followers and says:
“Take up your cross.”
In other words:
Following Jesus requires sacrifice.
First, Jesus says:
“Deny yourself.”
Notice He does not say:
“Improve yourself.”
He does not say:
“Pamper yourself.”
He does not say:
“Promote yourself.”
He says:
Deny yourself.
Our world tells us the opposite message.
“Follow your heart.”
“Do what feels right.”
“Live your truth.”
But Jesus says something radically different.
To follow Him, you must surrender the throne of your life.
Because there can only be one King.
And then Jesus adds something important.
“Take up your cross daily.”
This is not a one-time moment.
This is a lifestyle.
Every day we face decisions:
Will I follow Jesus today?
Will I forgive today?
Will I serve today?
Will I obey today?
Will I trust God today?
Every day the cross is waiting.
Every day we choose whether we carry it.
Discipleship is not about convenience.
It is about commitment.
- The Paradox of Life
Then Jesus says something that sounds completely backwards.
Luke 9:24:
“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
This is the great paradox of the Kingdom of God.
The world says:
Hold on tightly to your life.
Protect it.
Build it.
Control it.
Make it all about you.
But Jesus says:
If you spend your life trying to save it…
you will lose it.
But if you surrender your life to Him…
you will find it.
God’s kingdom works upside-down compared to the world.
The world says:
Gain power.
Jesus says:
Serve.
The world says:
Promote yourself.
Jesus says:
Humble yourself.
The world says:
Hold on to everything.
Jesus says:
Let go and trust me.
And then Jesus asks a powerful question.
Luke 9:25:
“For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”
Imagine someone who gets everything.
Money.
Fame.
Success.
Influence.
Everything the world says is valuable.
But at the end of life…
their soul is empty.
Jesus says:
What good was it?
The world measures success by what you accumulate.
God measures success by who you become.
Application
So let’s make this personal.
Jesus says:
“Take up your cross.”
That leads to a very real question.
What cross am I avoiding?
Maybe the cross is:
Forgiving someone who hurt you.
Letting go of control.
Trusting God with your future.
Giving when it is uncomfortable.
Serving when it is inconvenient.
Walking away from sin.
Being faithful when it costs you something.
Sometimes the cross is simply this:
Letting Jesus be Lord.
Because many people want Jesus as Savior,
but not as King.
We want forgiveness…
but we struggle with surrender.
But the truth is:
You cannot follow Jesus halfway.
Discipleship always leads to the cross.
And the amazing thing is this:
The cross is not the end.
Because on the other side of the cross…
there is resurrection.
Freedom.
Life.
Joy.
Purpose.
But first…
there must be surrender.
Conclusion
Jesus is still extending the invitation.
“If anyone would come after me…”
Anyone.
But following Him requires a choice.
Deny yourself.
Take up your cross.
Follow Him.
Because the truth is simple and unavoidable:
You cannot follow Jesus without eventually meeting the cross.
But the beautiful promise of the gospel is this:
When we surrender our lives to Christ…
we do not lose life.
We finally find it.
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