2026-07-19 THREE REQUIREMENTS FOR FOLLOWING JESUS

Three Requirements for Following Jesus: Are You Ready for True Discipleship?

Sermon Series: Experiencing God
Scripture: Luke 9:57-62
Speaker: Dr. David Hopkins

The Cost—and Joy—of Following Jesus

Have you ever tried to cram your overstuffed carry-on into the airport’s size checker, hoping it will somehow fit? Many of us treat our lives—and our relationship with Jesus—the same way. We want to add Jesus to our already full lives, expecting Him to fit into our carefully constructed priorities, ambitions, and plans. But Jesus never agreed to be our “carry-on” or our “plus one.” Instead, He calls us to adjust our entire lives around Him.

In Luke 9:57-62, Jesus meets three would-be followers. Each one expresses a desire to follow Him, but each faces a challenge that reveals what true discipleship requires: new priorities, immediate obedience, and undivided commitment.

Main Point: Following Jesus Is Not About Adding Him to Our Lives—It’s About Giving Him Our Whole Lives.

Jesus’s call isn’t for partial allegiance or convenient faith. He invites us to set aside our comfort, our delays, and our divided loyalties. He calls us to surrender everything, allowing Him to reshape our hearts, our plans, and our purpose.

1. New Priorities

“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” (Luke 9:58)

Following Jesus may mean sacrificing comfort, security, or personal ambitions. Discipleship is about embracing God’s Kingdom as our highest priority, letting His mission reorder our schedules, relationships, and resources.

2. Immediate Obedience

“‘Lord,’ he said, ‘first let me go bury my father.’ But He told him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.’” (Luke 9:59-60)

Jesus exposes the danger of delayed obedience. There will always be reasons to wait, but every delay can become disobedience. When God calls, He asks us to respond now—not when life feels more convenient.

3. Undivided Commitment

“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)

Jesus isn’t interested in being confined to a “closet” or corner of our lives. He wants the keys to the whole house! True discipleship means wholehearted devotion, leaving behind distractions and regrets, and moving forward with unwavering focus on Jesus.

Action Steps

• Assess Your Allegiance: Is Jesus your “plus one” or is He truly “the One” around whom your life revolves?

• Identify What Needs Surrender: What area of your life are you holding back from God? Is it your career, finances, relationships, or ambitions?

• Respond Immediately: Is there something God has already asked you to do—share your faith, forgive someone, serve, or give generously—that you’ve been putting off? Take one step of obedience today.

• Pray for Undivided Commitment: Ask God to help you let go of anything that pulls your heart away from Him.

Conclusion & Prayer

Following Jesus is not about fitting Him into our plans, but allowing Him to transform us from the inside out. The greatest joy in discipleship comes when we stop asking Jesus to fit in our lives, and instead surrender everything so He can reshape our lives for His glory.

Let’s pray:

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for sending Jesus, not to be an addition to our lives, but to be our life. Help us to surrender every area of our hearts, our plans, and our ambitions to You. Give us courage to obey immediately and to follow with undivided commitment. May our lives reflect Your glory and invite others to know the joy and purpose that is found in following Jesus wholeheartedly. In His name we pray, Amen.

Looking for more resources on discipleship? Check out our Experiencing God sermon series or join us this Sunday at Highland Baptist Church.

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2026-07-12 OBEDIENCE - THE TURNING POINT

Follow Jesus Wholeheartedly: The Simple Power of Saying "Yes" to God

What if the greatest miracle in your life didn't require a dramatic moment, but simply started with an ordinary Tuesday—and one small act of obedience?

We often think life-changing moments happen on the big stage: weddings, graduations, promotions. But what if God's most powerful work begins in the mundane? That's exactly where we find Peter in Luke 5, finishing an exhausting, unsuccessful night of fishing. He wasn't looking for a miracle. He was just tired. Then Jesus stepped into his boat.

When God's Instructions Don't Make Sense

Jesus told Peter, an experienced fisherman, to do something that defied logic: cast nets into deep water at midday, after fishing all night with nothing to show for it. Peter had every reason to dismiss the idea. He knew the lake. He understood the rhythms of fishing. This didn't make sense.

Yet Peter said five powerful words: "But if you say so."

That phrase—if you say so—is one of the most transformative declarations in Scripture. It's not "maybe so" or "let me think about it." It's faith in action, even when understanding lags behind. Peter didn't pretend to grasp Jesus' plan. He simply obeyed despite his confusion and exhaustion.

How often do we hesitate, asking God for more clarity, more time, more confirmation? The truth is, obedience begins before understanding. You can't stay where you are and go with God. Peter couldn't stay at the dock and witness the miracle. He had to launch his boat.

The Miracle That Changes Everything

When Peter obeyed, the nets filled with so many fish they began to tear. But here's what's remarkable: Peter's response wasn't about the fish. He didn't celebrate a record catch or plan a vacation. Instead, he fell to his knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord, because I am a sinful man."

The miracle wasn't just in the nets—it was in Peter's heart. Encountering Jesus in obedience transformed him more than any financial blessing ever could. Real worship isn't celebrating what God gives us; it's marveling at how God changes us.

Jesus never intended to make Peter a better fisherman. He intended to make him a fisher of men. The fish were simply the invitation to a greater mission.

Your Next Step of Obedience

So what is Jesus asking you to do today? Maybe it's forgiving someone who hurt you. Maybe it's starting to give or serve. Perhaps it's sharing your story or taking a bold step in a new direction. Whatever it is, your level of obedience reveals your level of trust.

Delayed obedience is often just disguised disobedience. We can't chase both comfort and kingdom purpose. God's invitation always moves us from comfort toward purpose.

Here's the good news: You don't need to understand everything. You don't need to have it all figured out. You just need to say, "But if you say so, Lord."

Your action step this week: Identify one area where God is calling you to obey. Write it down. Pray over it. Then take one small, tangible step forward in faith.

If you've never surrendered your life to Jesus, that's the first act of obedience. Turn from sin, trust that Jesus died for you and rose again, and begin a new life in Him. Don't wait—say yes today.

Prayer:

Father, give us the courage to say "yes" to You, even when it doesn't make sense. Help us trust Your wisdom over our own understanding. Transform our hearts through simple obedience, and lead us into the greater purpose You have for our lives. We want to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, not just attend faithfully. In Jesus' name, amen.