Jesus Isn’t Just Your Savior

Devotional

Day 1: The Risen King Holds All Authority

Jesus’ declaration of universal authority changes everything about discipleship. When a resurrected Messiah claims ownership of heaven and earth, every competing voice becomes background noise. This isn’t about adding Jesus to existing priorities but recognizing His right to rewrite the script of our lives. His command to make disciples flows from this authority—not a suggestion, but a royal decree. To call Him “Lord” means surrendering the illusion of control, letting His resurrection power dictate our direction. Salt gains flavor only when submitted to the Chef. [00:39]

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been treating Jesus like a backseat consultant rather than the driver of your life? What specific decision today would affirm His authority over you?

Day 2: Handing Over the Keys: Jesus in the Driver’s Seat

Discipleship fails when we try to keep Jesus in the trunk, on standby for emergencies. True surrender means stepping out of the car, handing Him the keys, and letting Him chart the course—even if it leads through deserts or detours. This isn’t a metaphor about comfort but about crucifying the addiction to self-navigation. The risen Lord doesn’t negotiate shotgun privileges; He demands full ownership of the vehicle. Every mile driven without His hands on the wheel is wasted fuel. [02:56]

“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9, ESV)

Reflection: What “keys” (relationships, dreams, fears) are you still clutching instead of handing to Jesus? How would your week look different if He fully controlled your calendar?

Day 3: Counting the Cost Before Picking Up the Cross

Jesus’ shocking demand to “hate” family and life itself exposes discipleship as all-or-nothing. This isn’t emotional hostility but a ruthless prioritization—loyalty to Christ must dwarf every other allegiance. The cross wasn’t jewelry but a torture device, and following Him means signing up for execution of our self-rule. Half-hearted disciples are like contractors who pour foundations without budgets, destined to abandon projects when storms hit. True followers calculate the price and pay it daily. [06:38]

“Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.’” (Luke 14:25–27, ESV)

Reflection: What relationship or comfort feels hardest to release for Christ’s sake? What would it look like to “bear your cross” in a current struggle?

Day 4: Half-Built Towers and the Folly of Unfinished Faith

Abandoned construction sites litter the kingdom—believers who started strong but quit when discipleship demanded more than they budgeted. Jesus warns against the shame of unfinished towers: public monuments to private cowardice. Discipleship isn’t a sprint but a siege, requiring total resource allocation. Like kings outnumbered 2-to-1, we fight not because victory seems likely but because the Commander’s resurrection proves His worth. Partial obedience is disobedience; half-built lives mock the Builder. [14:09]

“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’” (Luke 14:28–30, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you stopped short in obeying Christ due to hidden costs? What “bricks” do you need to lay today to keep building what He started?

Day 5: Flavorless Salt and the Danger of Half-Hearted Discipleship

Salt without bite is worse than useless—it’s a contaminant. Jesus rejects lukewarm followers who want His benefits without His bite. Compromise dilutes our witness; comfort-seeking sterilizes our impact. True disciples preserve and flavor the world by carrying the sharp tang of crucifixion—the willingness to lose everything for the One who lost His life to gain ours. Bland faith belongs in the trash, not the kingdom pantry. [20:36]

“Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Luke 14:34–35, ESV)

Reflection: Where has your faith become flavorless—present but passive? What bold step would restore the “bite” of your witness this week?

Sermon Summary

Jesus begins the Great Commission by claiming all authority in heaven and on earth, and that claim changes everything. The risen Christ is not one voice among many. He is Lord, master, boss, the one whose word outweighs parents, teachers, friends, feelings, and every other little authority. The command is not merely to get people to believe a fact about the resurrection, but to go and make disciples who obey everything Christ commanded.

Jesus refuses to sit in the trunk, the back seat, or even the passenger seat of somebody’s life. The car image presses the real issue: discipleship begins when a person gets out, hands Jesus the keys, and says, “You now run my life.” Christ does not exist to help fulfill somebody else’s dreams. Christ calls people into his mission because he is Lord.

Luke 14 shows Jesus speaking this way to huge crowds, not trying to make the crowd bigger with jokes or easy promises. Jesus says that love for father, mother, spouse, children, and even one’s own life must fall beneath loyalty to him. The language of hate does not cancel the command to honor parents. The language makes the point that no human relationship gets to overrule the Master.

Jesus also says that anyone unwilling to bear a cross cannot be his disciple. The cross was not vague religious imagery to those crowds. The cross meant torture, death, and a willingness to follow Christ even where obedience costs dearly. Christ never promises an easy life, a great marriage, good health, or a great job. Christ promises himself: his presence, forgiveness, power over death, and life with him forever.

Jesus tells potential disciples to count the cost like a builder counting the money for a tower or a king considering an army twice his size. The warning is loving because Christ does not want halfway towers or people who quit when obedience gets hard. The call is to renounce everything, settle the issue of lordship, and follow him for the long run.

Salt pictures the same reality. Salt that loses its taste is useless, even worse than manure because it ruins what it touches. Jesus is not impressed by a giant pile of people who show up but will not carry the cross. Repentance means turning from the old direction because Christ is worth following. Baptism declares death to the old life and rising into a life of obedience to the King who died, rose, forgives, judges, and keeps his people breathing.

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Key Takeaways

1. Jesus Is Lord, Not a Helper Jesus’ resurrection makes his authority absolute, not optional. The car cannot remain under personal control while Christ is treated as an emergency resource in the trunk. Lordship means handing over the keys, including dreams, fears, relationships, and future plans. [03:26]
2. The Cross Defines Real Discipleship Jesus does not hide the fact that following him may hurt. The cross means obedience that remains steady when comfort, approval, safety, or earthly blessings are not guaranteed. Christ himself is the reward, and his presence is greater than every promise of an easier life. [09:53]
3. Count The Cost Before Starting Jesus uses the tower and the army to confront shallow beginnings. A disciple must face the possibility of loss before pressure comes, rather than quitting when the battle feels too big. Long-term faithfulness grows from settling early that Jesus is worth everything. [16:36]
4. Flavorless Salt Has No Purpose Jesus is not looking for a bigger crowd that adds nothing to his mission. Saltiness means a life ready to stand with Christ, bear a cross, and do whatever he asks. A disciple who refuses that costly allegiance loses the very purpose discipleship is meant to give. [23:44]
5. Repentance Turns Toward the King Repentance is not vague regret or religious cleanup. Repentance leaves the old direction because Christ has become more precious than what was left behind. Baptism then declares that the old self is done and a new life of following the King has begun.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:24] - All Authority Belongs to Jesus
[01:36] - Jesus Is Lord
[02:42] - Handing Jesus the Keys
[05:23] - Jesus and the Great Crowds
[06:38] - Loving Christ Above Everyone
[08:47] - Taking Up the Cross
[11:02] - The Promise of Jesus Himself
[13:52] - Count the Cost
[20:07] - Salt That Loses Its Flavor
[25:05] - Repent and Be Baptized
[27:18] - Following Jesus No Matter the Cost

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 28:18-20
“And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” [00:42]

Luke 14:25-27
“Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 'If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” [05:57]

Luke 14:28-33
“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” [14:02]

Observation questions

In Matthew 28:18–20, what does Jesus claim before commanding his followers to go and make disciples, and what are disciples taught to do?
In Luke 14:25–27, who does Jesus name as relationships that must not come before loyalty to him, and what else must a person be willing to carry? [08:07]
What two examples does Jesus use in Luke 14:28–33 to show the importance of thinking seriously before beginning something costly? [14:02]
What picture is used to describe a disciple who is unwilling to follow Jesus through costly obedience, and why is that picture so serious? [22:30]

Interpretation questions

Why does Jesus begin the Great Commission by speaking about his authority? How does his resurrection change the way his commands should be received? [00:42]
Jesus commands believers to honor their parents, yet in Luke 14 he uses strong language about “hating” even close family members. How should this be understood when a family member pressures someone to disobey Jesus? [08:20]
What does it mean to “bear a cross” in ordinary life, beyond simply going through a hard season? What kinds of obedience might genuinely cost a believer comfort, approval, or safety? [09:09]
Why is counting the cost a loving warning rather than an attempt to discourage people from following Jesus? [16:30]

Application questions

The issue of lordship is like handing Jesus the keys instead of keeping him in the trunk, back seat, or passenger seat. What part of life is hardest to hand over to Jesus right now—plans, relationships, money, future, reputation, habits, or something else? [03:36]
Whose voice is most likely to compete with Jesus’ authority in a person’s life—family, friends, social media, feelings, ambition, or fear? What would it look like to honor people without allowing them to overrule Christ?
Where might following Jesus cost something real in the next few weeks? Consider a difficult conversation, a choice of integrity, refusing a sinful pattern, serving someone inconveniently, or speaking about faith when it feels uncomfortable. [27:00]
When life becomes disappointing or painful, what false expectations about following Jesus can tempt a person to quit? How does the promise of Jesus’ presence reshape those expectations? [10:54]
What would it look like to count the cost now rather than waiting until pressure comes? Is there a decision of obedience that needs to be settled before circumstances become harder? [17:27]
Repentance means turning from an old direction because Jesus is worth following. What is one old direction, pattern, or attachment that needs a clear turn toward Christ this week? What practical step could make that turn visible? [25:23]

Sermon Clips

You don't just pop your trunk and say, 'Jesus, will you get in the trunk of my car and then I'll pull you out whenever I need you.' You don't just invite Jesus into your car. Hey, in fact, you could open the back seat and go, "Look, just come into my life." Jesus isn't getting in the back seat. You can even open the passenger side and say, "Look, you can be my buddy." He's not coming in until you get out of the car, you hand him the keys, and say, "You now run my life." [00:03:01]

If you follow him, you're not promised a great marriage, you're not promised great health. You're not promised a great job. But you are promised Jesus. You promised to actually have the God of the universe with you and in you. You can actually speak to him and you no longer need to fear death cuz you know one day you're going to be with him forever. [00:11:24]

Look, Jesus made it very clear this is not easy. Because I'm worth it. And you have to decide is he worth it? Because some of you may have been taught a gospel that says, "Oh, if you follow Jesus, then you'll find a great, you know, spouse, then you'll have kids, and then you'll have, you know, great you you'll get all of this." No, Jesus says if you follow me, you might get a cross. And you have to be okay with that. [00:10:21]

But when you realize this is the king who died for you and rose from the grave, and you realize, "Wow, if I stand with Jesus, if that God is for me, who can be against me?" He conquered death and he ascended into heaven far above all rule, authority, power, and dominion. [00:24:34]

I have risen from the grave and I am Lord. All authority in heaven and earth is right here, so I'm the only one you need to listen to. I am the Lord of your life. [00:02:34]

Okay, so your judge, your master, your creator died for you on a cross and says, "I actually made you to know me." And if you believe in me and you follow me, you can be with me. [00:13:21]

Is God gracious? Is he merciful? Is he loving? Absolutely. Praise God. That's the good news. He forgives us. He loves us. He's gracious towards us. But don't mistake the fact that he is Lord still. He's still your master. [00:07:45]

"Look, if you want to follow him, he's Lord, he's master. He's not just your little buddy, your homeboy. No, he's your Lord, he's your king and you've got to decide do you want this?" That's what Jesus is telling these people. Look, you don't build a tower halfway, don't get started in this. [00:19:27]

They understood the cross. THEY SAW I MEAN, PEOPLE WOULD WALK AROUND YOU'D WALK AROUND YOU'D SEE PEOPLE HANGING on crosses who were killed. So, this isn't like some vague thing. This is the way they punished people. This is the way they tortured people, killed people. And and Jesus says, "Unless you're willing to pick up your cross and follow me, you can't be my disciple." [00:09:06]

Jesus says, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Okay, so someone rose from the grave and said, "Look, it doesn't matter what your parents say. It doesn't matter what your teachers say. It doesn't matter what anyone says because all authority is right here, in heaven and on earth." [00:00:42]

He says, "Go and make disciples of all the nations." Very important, he says, "Go and make disciples." He doesn't say just get people to believe that I rose from the dead. He says, "Go." This is his command to us. [00:01:28]

Okay, when Jesus says all authority is right here, this is why we call him Lord. You guys know what the word Lord means? Master. Boss. Jesus is referred to as Lord over 700 times in the New Testament. [00:02:00]

For which of you desiring to build a tower does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' [00:14:02]

These last 45 years of walking with him, ever since I turned my teenage years, I've been walking with him and growing more in love with him every year. I'm so glad I made that decision to be baptized, to repent of my sins, and to follow him, no matter what the cost. [00:27:39]

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Jesus Isn’t Just Your Savior | Francis Chan