Jesus Unveiled: The Cost of Following

Jesus Unveiled: The Cost of Following

Matthew 16:24 (ESV)

Jesus didn’t say “follow Me when it’s easy.” He said take up your cross.

True worship begins with surrender. As we prepare our hearts for worship, let’s examine ourselves. Is there anything we need to lay down tonight to follow Him fully?

Jesus didn’t promise comfort. He promised a calling

One man said, “I’ll follow You wherever You go.” It sounded bold. But Jesus knew this man didn’t fully understand what he was saying. Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

In other words, following Jesus won’t always be stable or comfortable. There’s a cost. There’s sacrifice. And it’s not for the faint of heart. Jesus wasn’t building an empire. He was embracing a mission.

If you’re waiting for things to calm down before you obey, you’ll miss it. If you want perfect conditions, you’ll never move. Following Jesus is not about convenience. It’s about commitment.

Kingdom urgency won’t wait for perfect timing

Jesus looked another man in the eyes and said, “Follow Me.” And the man responded, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

Sounds like a reasonable request. But most scholars agree the father hadn’t just died. The man was saying, “Let me wait until life settles down. Let me handle things at home. Then I’ll follow.”

Jesus responded clearly: “Let the dead bury their own dead. But you go and proclaim the Kingdom.”

This wasn’t cold. It was urgent. The Kingdom doesn’t wait for the right moment. The Gospel doesn’t run on our schedule. Delayed obedience is still disobedience. Jesus is calling now.

You can’t move forward if you’re still looking back

The third man also wanted to follow. But he said, “Let me first say goodbye to those at home.”

And Jesus said, “No one who puts their hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom.”

The truth is, we can’t follow Jesus fully if we’re still clinging to our past. You can’t plow a straight line while looking over your shoulder. You can’t step into your purpose while holding onto old priorities.

Jesus wasn’t being harsh. He was being honest.

It’s all or nothing. If we want to follow Jesus, we must surrender completely. That means letting go of comfort, timing, and control. The Kingdom is urgent. The call is clear. It’s time to move forward.

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