The Gospel of Luke: Following Jesus |Surrender | Reward | Autonomy - Video

Sermon Notes: 6/22/25 Luke 9:23-27 . Check us out at: https://citylightvicksburg.org/ Or check us out here: https://www.facebook.com/citylightvicksburg . To follow Jesus means you don’t get to lead anymore. It’s not a negotiation, but a summons - a calling to live under his Lordship. It requires 3 things Death of autonomy Embracing the cross daily Eternal gain . Discipleship is a complete surrender to self rule. It sounds wrong to our own modern ears. The Greek phrase means to “utterly reject” - the same word used when Peter denied Christ. It’s not just a turning from, but a turning TO. You cannot say “Jesus take the wheel” and you continue to steer. Autonomy needs to die at the foot of the cross. Christ must be on the throne of your life. Or are you stuck in self rule? . The cross was Rome’s most painful death. To carry your cross meant one thing in Jesus’s day - it meant you were on your way to die horrifically. But, your cross is not the cross of Christ. Only Christ could fulfill the cross God gave to Him. Your cross is not that one. Your cross does not give you the power to redeem yourself before God. But, yet, our cross must be carried still. We are to deny ourselves. So what does it mean, to take up your cross daily? It could mean to die, sure… but suffering could look like many things. Mental, physical, and denial of our wants or desires. To take up your cross means commitment and identification. To be a physical and verbal follower of Jesus Christ. There should be NO QUESTION that you are a follower. Whoever does the will of God abides forever with Him. The reality for many of us is that we don’t mind carrying the cross, as long as we can decorate it. Many of us have yet to take seriously the threat and seriousness of what carrying our cross means. . Jesus doesn’t just ask us to blindly following him. He gives us several reasons: whoever would save his life, would lose it. But whoever would lose his life would save it. Jesus is saying plainly, if you continue to stay in control, you will forfeit the very thing you are attempting to achieve. This life is going to end. You cannot keep it. You cannot extend it. Why fight to hold onto something you cannot keep? That’s not a problem we can solve. Instead, by following Jesus, we gain our reward in the next life. What would all that wealth and control be worth. . Eternal identity: This isn’t about you choosing Jesus, but rather about Jesus choosing you before the father. Did you identify with Jesus with bold allegiance, or did you identify with what you wanted. Jesus demands a lot, but Jesus gives infinitely more. He calls you not to a painless life, but a purposeful one.