Fan or Follower: The Cost of Following Jesus

Sep 20, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Following Close Enough to Wear the Rabbi’s Dust

True discipleship means walking so closely behind Jesus that His dust settles on you. This vivid image from ancient rabbinic culture challenges believers to pursue intimacy over comfort. Just as disciples once trailed their teachers to absorb every word, followers today must prioritize nearness to Christ over self-directed paths. The goal isn’t merely learning doctrines but embodying His presence in daily rhythms. When we lag behind, we miss the immediacy of His guidance. Closeness requires surrendering control, trusting His pace over our shortcuts. [51:08]

“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” (Matthew 16:24, ESV)

Reflection: What practical step could you take this week to “close the gap” in following Jesus? Where have you settled for trailing at a safe distance?

Day 2: Trading Comfortable Stickers for Crucified Surrender

Fans decorate their lives with Christian symbols; followers crucify their independence. The sermon contrasts bumper stickers and T-shirts with the radical call to die daily. Surrender isn’t selective—it’s abandoning the illusion of self-rule. Like Peter rebuking Jesus’ cross, we often bargain with God over which parts of our lives to relinquish. True discipleship rejects the cultural obsession with autonomy, embracing dependence as the path to freedom. Comfortable faith never transforms a heart. [49:19]

“And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’” (Luke 9:23, ESV)

Reflection: What area of your life still feels “off limits” to Christ’s leadership? How might dependence look different than your current approach?

Day 3: Hungering for Righteousness More Than Instant Gratification

Disciples choose eternal inheritance over temporary toys. The analogy of children opting for stuffed animals over lavish trips mirrors our addiction to immediate comforts. Jesus’ Beatitudes reframe desire—what if we craved righteousness like food? Our culture’s microwave spirituality clashes with the slow, costly work of sanctification. Every choice to prioritize Christ’s kingdom over earthly cravings reshapes our appetites. Fans settle for snacks; followers feast on the Bread of Life. [58:08]

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6, ESV)

Reflection: What “toy” have you recently chosen over Christ’s deeper invitation? How could you cultivate holy hunger this week?

Day 4: Bearing Crosses That Cost More Than Inconvenience

The cross isn’t a minor annoyance—it’s execution of self-rule. Modern believers often reduce discipleship to manageable sacrifices, avoiding the death Jesus demanded. Peter’s refusal to accept Christ’s crucifixion mirrors our resistance to full surrender. True crosses disrupt reputations, plans, and control. They aren’t chosen but embraced when obedience collides with comfort. Fans want resurrection without Golgotha; followers let nails pierce their pride. [54:15]

“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.’” (Matthew 16:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: What cross have you avoided because it felt too costly? How might losing your life here gain it elsewhere?

Day 5: Becoming the Answer to the Beatitudes’ Brokenness

The Beatitudes aren’t spiritual personality types—they’re a collective portrait of Christ. Disciples don’t pick which traits to adopt; they let grace sculpt them into whole-image bearers. Mourning over sin, meekness in strength, and mercy amid offense all flow from abiding surrender. Fans admire these qualities; followers incarnate them through crucified living. Every beatitude fulfilled in us heals fractures in the world. [01:01:36]

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3-10, ESV)

Reflection: Which beatitude most exposes your discipleship gaps? What one action could embody it today?

Sermon Summary

Matthew 16:24 puts the question plain: is a person a fan of Jesus, or a follower and disciple of Jesus? A fan can know the facts, wear the shirt, talk about what Jesus has done, and still keep Him at a comfortable distance. A follower surrenders, gets close, and lets Jesus become the center instead of fitting Him into an already settled life.

“Whoever” leaves no room for different levels of Christianity. Jesus does not reserve discipleship for the super Christian who has more time, more knowledge, or a better schedule. The call goes to whoever wants to follow, and that call means learning from the Rabbi closely enough for His life to shape everything else.

Denying self means more than giving up a few bad habits. Self has to come off the throne, because independence and control can look strong while quietly resisting God’s will. The tension is not always between bad things and good things, but between good things and God things. Daily surrender asks, “Today is Your day. What would You have me do?”

The cross is not merely an annoying boss, an injury, or a hard circumstance. The cross meant death, persecution, and a cost that could not be picked and chosen. Christ’s cross made salvation possible, and the disciple’s cross means putting pride, control, comfort, and self-will to death. Comfort can become its own kind of danger when it persuades a believer that costly obedience must not really be what Jesus wants.

Following Jesus means refusing the temporary toy when Christ is leading toward something far greater. The heart can easily grab instant gratification, guess the next turn, ignore the rerouting, and then sit in the wreck that comes from refusing to listen. Jesus calls His disciples to stay close, even when His path feels radical, rowdy, or inconvenient.

The Beatitudes show what that closeness begins to look like: poverty of spirit, brokenness over sin and the lost, meek strength, hunger for righteousness, mercy, purity of heart, peacemaking, and willingness to suffer for righteousness. Discipleship is not about checking enough boxes to become a good Christian. Discipleship is about becoming like the Teacher, so that His life keeps making more disciples. Conviction invites that work with Christ; condemnation only says failure is final.

Key Takeaways

1. Fans admire; disciples surrender their lives. A fan may enjoy Jesus without yielding control to Jesus. A disciple lets Christ interrupt plans, expose pride, and change direction. The real question is not how much a person knows about Jesus, but whether life is being handed over to Him. [44:16]
2. Denying self means surrendering control. Self-denial is not simply refusing a certain pleasure or habit. Self-denial puts the desire to run life independently on the cross. God’s will can lead beyond what seems sensible, safe, or even immediately useful. [48:13]
3. The cross carries a real cost. The cross was never meant to describe ordinary inconvenience. The cross confronts the desire to keep obedience comfortable and manageable. Costly faithfulness may be exactly where Christ is calling, even when comfortable voices say otherwise. [53:50]
4. Following refuses the temporary toy. Immediate wants can feel more real than Christ’s promises. The heart often chooses what is available now rather than trusting where Jesus is leading. Following requires patience when the better gift cannot yet be seen. [57:45]
5. Disciples become like the Teacher. Christianity is not mainly about becoming a good Christian through box-checking. Discipleship means learning Christ’s life until His character starts showing up in everyday decisions. That kind of life becomes able to lead others toward Him.

## [66:16]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[36:27] - Gratitude and the Weight of Sharing
[40:36] - James and Faith That Changes Life
[41:27] - Are You a Fan or a Follower?
[43:33] - Jesus’ Call to Discipleship
[45:49] - Whoever Means Every Disciple
[48:13] - Deny Yourself and Release Control
[51:43] - Take Up Your Cross
[56:24] - Following Jesus Over Temporary Wants
[59:57] - The Beatitudes Describe Christlikeness
[63:21] - The Cost of Following Christ
[65:24] - Conviction, Not Condemnation
[66:48] - Surrender Your Will, Life, and Way

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 16:24 — “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” [00:43:33]
Matthew 5:3-10 — “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” [01:00:29]
James 2:17 — “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” [00:41:02]

Observation questions

What are the three actions Jesus gives to anyone who wants to come after Him in Matthew 16:24? [00:43:41]
In Matthew 5:3-10, which qualities describe a disciple’s inner life, and which qualities describe how a disciple treats other people?
What contrasts are made between a fan and a follower, especially regarding surrender, closeness to Jesus, obedience, and comfort? [00:44:29]
What examples show the difference between ordinary hardship and the costly meaning of taking up one’s cross? [00:51:50]

Interpretation questions

Jesus says “if anyone,” not merely a select group of especially committed believers. What does this show about who is called to discipleship? [00:45:49]
Why is denying self deeper than giving up one bad habit or one occasional pleasure? What does it mean for self, rather than Christ, to be in control? [00:48:34]
How do the Beatitudes help explain what a life close to Jesus begins to look like—especially poverty of spirit, mercy, purity of heart, and peacemaking? [01:01:42]
James says living faith produces works. How can obedience be a result of faith without becoming an attempt to earn God’s love or merely check religious boxes? [01:06:32]

Application questions

Where is it easiest to admire Jesus, talk about Him, or enjoy His benefits while still keeping Him at a comfortable distance? What would moving closer in actual obedience look like this week? [00:44:46]
What area of life most tempts you to stay in control—your schedule, finances, relationships, future plans, reputation, or something else? How could you begin each day by honestly saying, “Today is Your day”? [00:50:24]
Is there a good thing in your life that may be competing with a God-directed thing? How can you prayerfully tell the difference rather than assuming every good opportunity is automatically God’s direction? [00:55:30]
What “temporary toy” are you most tempted to choose for immediate comfort or gratification? What might it look like to wait for Jesus rather than grabbing what is available right now? [00:58:02]
When have you sensed God redirecting you, but chosen your own route instead? What warning signs could help you slow down and listen before you create unnecessary damage? [00:59:24]
Which Beatitude reveals the clearest area for growth right now: dependence on God, grieving over sin and the lost, meekness, hunger for righteousness, mercy, purity, peacemaking, or faithfulness under pressure? What is one specific response you could make this week? [01:02:03]
Conviction invites a believer to bring weakness to God so that He can work on it with them; condemnation says failure is final. When you recognize an area of disobedience, how can you respond with honest repentance and hopeful trust instead of shame? [01:06:06]

Sermon Clips

40s

#LeadSomeoneToChrist

“I could tell you about the last time a playoff game was lost. I can probably tell you the plays that the refs got wrong, and that's why we lost. I can tell you when they won the last national championship. I can tell you all these things, but can I tell you the last time I led someone to Christ? And I think we get so caught up in our everyday life that God has blessed us with that sometimes we miss the mark on what he's trying to do with us that day and in that moment.”

31s

#FollowLikeJesus

“What more can I do? Because I think I messed up somewhere along the way and thought this was about becoming a good Christian. I don't think that's the point of following Jesus at all. They never wanted to be the best students. They wanted to be most like the teacher. They wanted to be as much like him as possible because when he was gone, that was their position. Their position was to teach, was to create more disciples.”

51s

#SurrenderToGod

“I wanna be in control, and I constantly wanna be in control of where we're going. Jesus is saying, hey. You you can't be. You can't be in control. You're gonna mess this up. You have to allow me to be in control. And I think sometimes we even get caught up in good things. It's like, well, this this aligns with God's word. But does it align with God's will? that's where we really have to daily get up and say, you know what, God? Today's not my day. Today is your day. What would you have me do? What would you have me share? Where would you have me go?”

42s

#DenyYourself

“I think sometimes as fans, we wanna say, well, he wanted me to deny certain things. No. That's that's not what he said. And so we're like, well, I wanna deny myself of having a drink or myself of smoking, or I'll deny myself of doing this or doing that. And, truthfully, what he is saying is you have to deny yourself completely. And that and he goes on in the next verse and kind of explains that, but it is really to die out completely to who we are.”

40s

#FaithOverComfort

“Sometimes I think we've traded our persecution for comfort, and I'm not sure it's any better. We get so comfortable, and we even tell each other, I don't really think Jesus would have you do that. I mean, that seems like a lot, brother. Like, are you sure? And the truth is it might be exactly what Jesus wants us to do. And we've just gotten so comfortable, and and it's easy to do. And we do a lot of good things, but are they all god things?”

33s

#TrueFollower

“if someone didn't know me, I could do all of that and probably make them think, well, he's an Alabama fan. And I think sometimes we're probably guilty of that with Jesus. We can say a lot of good things about him. We can tell you of things he's done or or or what he did. We could have the sticker on our car. We could have the T shirt, but we're really no more than just a fan. We're really not a true follower.”

38s

#CountTheCost

“are we pure in heart? That's literally our undivided desire for god in our life and not having a double life. And peacekeepers having the father's heart and being able to forgive and show love. And then you get to the persecuted, and, really, that's where the beatitudes comes back in to Matthew sixteen twenty four is if you're gonna follow me and be my disciple, it's gonna cost you. Are you willing to pay?”

42s

#TakeUpYourCross

“we wanna make it easy because it's comfortable. And, well, I will I'll bear this cross, but not that one. And there was no picketing and choosing. It was like, hey. If you're gonna follow me, then you have to deny yourself. Take up your cross. Because we live in a western society that's overall pretty easy, and we have it kinda comfortable, and there's not a lot of persecution. There are still countries where you get persecuted. And in some ways, I think that may be easier for us to realize what cost was associated with the cross.”

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