It's All About Relationships: Know, Deny, Follow Christ

Jesus brings every disciple to the question that cannot stay general: “Who do you say that I am?” Luke 9 shows that the crowds had plenty of opinions. Some called Him John the Baptist, Elijah, or an old prophet raised up. Peter names Him rightly, “the Christ of God,” and that confession presses beyond church attendance, routine, and ceremony into a real relationship with the living Lord.

The relationship with Jesus Christ affects every other relationship. The Lord becomes Jehovah Jireh when He provides, Jehovah Rapha when He heals, Jehovah Shalom when He gives peace, Jehovah Nissi when He is the banner in battle, and Jehovah Rohi when He shepherds His people. David’s green pastures do not always look like pretty fields. The Good Shepherd can lead sheep across a rocky, barren hillside, where little clumps of grass are enough because His sheep trust His voice and follow His trail.

Jesus prays before He asks the hard question, and His prayer life exposes how easily believers neglect the very tool Christ used continually. Prayer cannot be a structured few words at the dinner table or an emergency call when life gets hard. Prayer comes first, comes often, and brings others before the Lord right in the moment of need.

Jesus also reveals the difference between what the world says and what the disciple knows. The world can call Christ a good man, a teacher, a made-up idea, or even an enemy. The Holy Spirit produces a different testimony: Jesus is King, Savior, Lord, and the One who changes lives. That relationship ought to show up. Fruit ought to be evident in patience, love, righteousness, sacrifice, service, and obedience. A person can claim Christ for thirty years, but a relationship with Him cannot leave a life untouched.

Jesus then tells His disciples that the Christ must suffer, be rejected, die, and rise again. His gospel is not earned through good deeds, money, tradition, or being present in a building. Faith rests in Christ, who stands for broken sinners and says, “He’s mine.” That faith denies self, picks up the cross daily, and follows rather than trying to lead God.

The cross confronts the desire to save life, protect reputation, keep sin hidden, and hold onto control. The church is called to be more than a Sunday event. Believers are equipped to proclaim Christ in homes, workplaces, friendships, and hard places. If the service, routine, building, and traditions were removed, Christ Himself would still be enough.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Prayer must come before every battle [40:09] Jesus prayed even though He walked in perfect fellowship with the Father. Prayer is not a last resort for believers who have run out of options. Prayer brings burdens, adversity, and the needs of others before the One who is actually able to provide, heal, and intervene. [40:09]
• 2. Christ demands a personal confession [43:27] Jesus does not leave His disciples at the level of public opinion. Peter’s confession, “the Christ of God,” calls every believer to examine whether Christ is truly Lord or merely a familiar name. A real confession produces a life that keeps being changed by the Holy Spirit. [43:27]
• 3. The Good Shepherd provides on rocky ground [35:52] David’s green pastures can exist in a place that looks barren, hard, and full of rocks. Christ’s sheep are sustained not because life always looks easy, but because the Shepherd knows where provision is found. Trust follows His voice even when the path does not look like abundance. [35:52]
• 4. Discipleship means deny, carry, and follow [50:58] Jesus does not offer a relationship built around self-direction. Denial releases the strongholds that believers keep trying to protect, and the cross accepts the cost of obedience. Following means Christ leads, even when human pride wants to grab the instructions and take control. [50:58]
• 5. Faith should become visible testimony [58:08] A relationship with Christ produces something that others can see. Believers may not all stand behind a pulpit, but every believer is called to proclaim what God has done. Testimony about His provision, healing, protection, restoration, and salvation can reach people in ways that arguments never will.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [24:12] - Relationships and the Names of God
• [31:05] - Abraham: The Lord Will Provide
• [32:05] - Moses: The Lord Is My Banner
• [33:06] - Gideon and David’s Shepherd
• [37:12] - Luke 9:18-25
• [40:09] - Jesus Prayed First
• [42:13] - Who Does the World Say Jesus Is?
• [43:27] - Who Do You Say Jesus Is?
• [45:35] - Boldly Proclaim Christ
• [47:13] - Adversity, Division, and the Church
• [49:06] - Salvation Is a Real Relationship
• [50:58] - Deny Self, Take Up the Cross
• [54:03] - Life Points for Daily Discipleship
• [61:11] - Is Christ Enough?

Bible Reading

Luke 9:18-25

Verse 18: “Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say that I am?’” [37:32]

Verse 19: “And they answered, ‘John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.’” [37:46]

Verse 20: “Then he said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ And Peter answered, ‘The Christ of God.’” [37:56]

Verses 21-22: “And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’” [37:56]

Verses 23-25: “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?’” [38:10]

Psalm 23:1-3

Verse 1: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” [34:19]

Verse 2: “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.” [35:52]

Verse 3: “He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” [35:52]

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.’” [50:58]

Observation questions

1. In Luke 9:18-20, what answers did the crowds give about Jesus, and how was Peter’s answer different from theirs? [42:13]
2. What happened in the passage immediately after Peter called Jesus “the Christ of God”? What did Jesus say the Son of Man must face? [37:56]
3. According to Luke 9:23, what are the three actions Jesus gives to anyone who wants to come after Him? [50:58]
4. In the picture of Psalm 23, what made the rocky hillside a “green pasture” for the sheep? [35:41]

Interpretation questions

1. Why does Jesus move the disciples from the question, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” to the personal question, “Who do you say that I am?” What difference does that question make for a person who has grown up around church? [43:33]
2. Jesus prayed before asking His disciples this hard question. What does His example show about the place of prayer before difficult conversations, decisions, and spiritual battles? [40:12]
3. Jesus says that following Him involves denying self, taking up the cross daily, and following Him. What are some ways a person may try to do one or two of those things while still holding back from the other one? [51:09]
4. Psalm 23 says the Shepherd leads His sheep in paths of righteousness. How can a believer trust Christ’s leading when life looks more like rocky ground than a peaceful field? [36:15]

Application questions

1. If Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?” what would the honest answer be—not only in words, but in the way life is being lived this week? [54:34]
2. Is prayer mostly limited to meals, emergencies, or a planned time on the schedule? What is one burden, decision, or person that could be brought before the Lord in prayer right away? [41:33]
3. Where is there a “rocky hillside” in life right now—a family struggle, health concern, work pressure, financial need, or uncertainty? How might trusting the Good Shepherd look in that specific place? [36:29]
4. Is there a stronghold that is being protected from God’s leadership—such as hidden sin, pride, career control, fear, or an unresolved family matter? What would denying self look like in that area? [51:09]
5. Is there a cross of obedience that feels too costly or too difficult to carry right now? What makes it hard, and what help from the church family may be needed? [51:34]
6. What fruit of a real relationship with Christ is most visible in daily life right now—love, patience, righteousness, sacrifice, service, prayer, or something else? What fruit needs to grow? [57:15]
7. Who is one person at home, work, school, or in the community who could hear a simple testimony this week about what Christ has done? What part of God’s faithfulness could be shared with that person? [58:33]