What It Means to Be a Disciple of Jesus - Zac Poonen

Summary

The sermon challenges the prevalent Christian emphasis on “believing in Jesus” for salvation, arguing that Jesus’ primary call was to “follow Me” as a disciple (Luke 14:25-33). The speaker, reflecting on 65 years as a Christian and experiences across denominations, attributes the “shallow, third-rate” state of many churches to prioritizing belief over active discipleship. He contrasts intellectual belief (e.g., believing “the earth goes around the sun”) with the costly commitment of following Jesus daily, likening the church to the bride of Christ, requiring unwavering devotion (Revelation).

Key Points:

1. Belief vs. Following: Jesus’ command to “follow Me” is more demanding than belief, requiring a life of obedience and commitment. The speaker critiques the church for diluting this to mere belief, leading to hollow Christianity. He urges self-examination: while all believe in Jesus daily, many fail to follow Him in speech, behavior, and conduct.
2. Biblical Mandate: Comparing Mark 16:15-16 (“believe and be baptized”) with Matthew 28:19-20 (“make disciples… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded”), the sermon stresses that true belief results in discipleship. Partial adherence to Scripture (e.g., belief without obedience) is like a bird with one wing, incomplete and ineffective.
3. Conditions of Discipleship (Luke 14:25-33):
   • Hate Family and Self (Luke 14:26): Love Christ supremely, like the sun’s light outshining the stars of familial love. This ensures Christ is first, enabling better love for others without divided loyalty.
   • Take Up Your Cross Daily (Luke 14:27): Die to self, living as “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20). This means surrendering pride and reactions, remaining unmoved by criticism or praise, as the speaker exemplifies.
   • Renounce Possessions (Luke 14:33): Hold material things loosely, trusting God’s provision (Matthew 6:33) and avoiding debt (Romans 13:8). The speaker shares his 60 years of debt-free living and simplicity.
4. Cost of Discipleship: Using John 6 as an example, the sermon illustrates how Jesus’ hard teachings (e.g., eating His flesh, drinking His blood) reduced a crowd of 10,000 to 11 disciples, showing that true discipleship demands sacrifice and sifts out the uncommitted. The speaker’s church, CFC Bangalore, was built on this principle, prioritizing a “pure church” over a large one, with only a few remaining after teaching Jesus’ full commands.
5. Practical Application: The speaker shares his life of radical obedience—never taking a salary, living simply, and trusting God for provision. He calls believers to reject gossip, backbiting, and debt, to prioritize Christ daily, and to teach their children discipleship. He warns that uncommitted believers risk corrupting the church and encourages them to leave if not serious about following Jesus.

Conclusion: The sermon urges believers to take discipleship seriously, fulfilling the conditions of Luke 14 to become a living testimony in a “godless, so-called Christian world.” By loving Christ above all, dying to self, and renouncing material attachment, disciples can claim God’s promises (e.g., Matthew 6:33, 1 Corinthians 6:13, 19) for provision, health, and spiritual fruitfulness. The speaker prays for a church of committed disciples who honor Christ fully.

Organized Notes

What It Means to Be a Disciple of Jesus 

-  Zac Poonen

Introduction: The Shift from “Follow Me” to “Believe in Me”

In the Christian world, the common message is, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you’ll be saved.” However, in the Gospels, Jesus rarely said, “Believe in Me.” His most frequent call was, “Follow Me, follow Me, follow Me, follow Me.” He promised rewards and outlined conditions for those who follow Him. Why, then, has Christianity over the centuries shifted from “Follow Me” to “Believe in Me”? You never hear a gospel message urging, “Follow Jesus”; it’s always, “Believe in Jesus.” This shift is a key reason for the shallow, third-rate, good-for-nothing Christianity seen in over 90% of churches, even those preaching the true gospel.

I speak from experience, having lived 65 years as a Christian, traveled to many countries, and observed churches of all denominations—from Roman Catholic to Salon Pentecostal and everything in between. I’ve seen the hollowness, the emptiness. This stems from emphasizing belief in Jesus while neglecting the call to follow Him. Belief is passive, like saying, “I believe the earth goes around the sun.” It doesn’t affect me. I believe in the stars, the planets, or that God created heaven and earth—so what? Following, however, is entirely different.

I challenge you: are you following Jesus every day? You don’t need to answer me; answer yourself. If I asked, “Do you believe in Jesus every day?” all would raise their hands. Has there been a day in the past year when you didn’t believe in Jesus? No, you believe, of course. But if I asked, “In the last five months, was there a day when you didn’t follow Jesus in your speech, behavior, or conduct at home or work?” you’d pause to think. That’s why we must redefine belief. For Christ, to believe means to follow, to commit fully.

The Church as Christ’s Bride: Total Devotion

Why is the church called the bride of Christ in the New Testament, especially in Revelation? It’s like a marriage. If you’re married, you expect your wife to be faithful every second, not just every day. You wouldn’t tolerate her thinking of another man for even one second. Similarly, following Jesus means being His bride, uninterested in anything else, even for a moment. Imagine your wife saying, “Once a day, for one minute, I think of another man—just one minute.” Would that be acceptable? What kind of marriage allows such divided loyalty? Now, consider: do you have this kind of relationship with Christ?

I’m thankful that early in my Christian life, I understood I’m to be Christ’s bride. This wasn’t a late discovery but a foundational truth that taught me simple devotion to Christ is vital. This principle, embraced from the start, has anchored my life. That’s what I want to share: following Jesus means being a disciple, wholly devoted to Him.

Biblical Mandate: Belief and Discipleship

Jesus gave two commands about preaching the gospel, showing the balance between belief and discipleship:

1. Belief and Baptism (Mark 16:15-16): “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and is baptized will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned.” Here, the emphasis is on believing.
2. Making Disciples (Matthew 28:19-20): “Go, make disciples of every nation, baptizing them… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Here, the focus is on discipleship and obedience.

We must compare Scripture with Scripture for the full truth, as Jesus did when tempted by Satan (Deuteronomy 8:3, Psalm 91:11-12, Deuteronomy 6:16). Taking one Scripture alone is like a bird with one wing, circling endlessly. Mark 16 emphasizes belief; Matthew 28 emphasizes discipleship. They’re not contradictory but complementary. Belief leads to discipleship; without it, belief is mere head knowledge, like the devil’s, who knows all Scriptures yet is condemned (James 2:19).

Many quote, “Lo, I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20), but ignore its condition: make disciples and teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded. Are you seeking to be a disciple, obeying all His commands? That’s the question to ask yourself.

The Cost of Discipleship: A Whittled-Down Church

When you teach everything Jesus commanded, some will fall away. This happened with Jesus, as seen in John 6. The chapter begins with a miracle: feeding 5,000 (John 6:8-14). But when Jesus taught hard truths—“Unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53-60)—many called it “crazy” and left (John 6:66). The crowd of 10,000 dwindled to 11 disciples. This is how Jesus preached, sifting out the uncommitted.

Fifty years ago, at age 35, I was fed up with shallow Christianity. After being expelled from a church for preaching about the Holy Spirit, two families started CFC Bangalore in my home, committed to practicing and teaching all Jesus commanded. Many came and went; after five years, only seven or eight of 60 remained. This didn’t disturb me, as Jesus’ crowds also shrank. Over 50 years, our 100+ churches in 17 countries have seen the same: large numbers whittled down to a few disciples. I say, “Praise the Lord!” We aim for a pure church, not a large one, seeking the 11 who truly follow, not the 10,000 who enjoy sermons.

Conditions of Discipleship (Luke 14:25-33)

Jesus outlined three conditions for discipleship in Luke 14:25-33, addressing a great crowd with hard truths, unlike modern preachers who prioritize offerings. Our churches never pass an offering bag, and none of our 300 elders, including me, take salaries, reflecting our commitment to discipleship.

1. Hate Family and Self (Luke 14:26)

• Scripture: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.”
• Explanation: This doesn’t mean literal hatred but a love for Christ so supreme it overshadows all else, like the sun outshining stars. Scripture says, “Honor your father and mother” (Exodus 20:12) and “Love your wife as Christ loved the church” (Ephesians 5:25), yet Christ must be first (Deuteronomy 6:5). I told my wife, Annie, before our 57-year marriage, “You’ll always be number two; Jesus is number one.” This ensures no human—parent, spouse, child—takes Christ’s place, enabling better love for others without anger or conflict.
• Application: Prioritize Christ daily, speaking to Him first each morning. This prevents divided loyalty and fosters harmony in relationships.

2. Take Up Your Cross Daily (Luke 14:27)

• Scripture: “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”
• Explanation: Taking up the cross means dying to self, living as “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20). A dead person doesn’t react to criticism or praise. I’ve been called “the devil” and “a great prophet”; both are the same to me, as I’m dead to self. John 12:24 says a grain must die to bear fruit. At 35, I vowed in Bangalore to “fall into the ground and die,” never complaining or seeking personal gain, leading to spiritual fruitfulness.
• Application: Surrender pride and reactions daily, accepting God’s will without complaint. This transforms your life, eliminating hurt from others’ words.

3. Renounce All Possessions (Luke 14:33)

• Scripture: “Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple.”
• Explanation: Renounce possessive attachment to material things, holding them loosely. You can have things (e.g., a job, a house) but not cling to them. In 1964, I gave away all my Navy savings, serving God full-time for 60 years without a salary, debt, or borrowing, trusting His provision (Matthew 6:33). Romans 13:8 commands, “Owe no one anything.” I lived simply, riding a scooter for 42 years, and taught my children to accept limitations.
• Application: Avoid debt, live simply within your means, and trust God’s provision. Don’t exploit others financially; give generously, as I left gifts when hosted.

Practical Lessons from a Life of Discipleship

I followed three principles from a mentor 60 years ago:

1. Never share financial needs; trust God, never borrowing.
2. Live simply, avoiding unnecessary expenses.
3. Keep silent when falsely accused.

These shaped my life, alongside my wife’s simplicity. Debt is like murder; I’ve been debt-free for 60 years. In Bangalore, I confronted church members in debt, urging repayment, reinforcing Romans 13:8. If you’re in debt, confess it as disobedience and resolve to obey.

Seeking God’s kingdom first (Matthew 6:33) ensures all needs are met. If you struggle (e.g., joblessness), examine whether other priorities eclipse God. Annie and I, married 57 years, never needed hospitalization, claiming 1 Corinthians 6:13, 19: “The body is for the Lord… the temple of the Holy Spirit.” Purity (avoiding immorality, pornography) allows God to care for your body.

Call to Action: Build a Church of Disciples

Most Christians play games, attending church for sermons and gossip. I’m uninterested in such Christianity. If you’re not serious about discipleship, leave this church to avoid corrupting others. We seek a pure church, not a large one, where disciples reject gossip, backbiting, and dishonor, taking marriage and parenting seriously.

If you’ve failed, teach your children to be disciples. God’s commands reflect His love, offering the best life. Yield to Him, repent of past failures (gossip, evil speech), and commit to follow Jesus, claiming His promises. Let’s be a testimony in a godless, so-called Christian world, honoring Christ in this church.

Prayer: Lord, forgive our failures. Help us take discipleship seriously, follow You, and claim Your promises. Make us a testimony in this world, honoring You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Complete Message Transcript

The Call to Follow Jesus, Not Just Believe

In the Christian world, they preach, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you’ll be saved.” But if you read the Gospels, Jesus rarely spoke about believing in Him. The words He used most often were, “Follow Me, follow Me, follow Me, follow Me.” He said, “If anyone will follow Me, this is what he’ll receive,” and He laid out the conditions for following. So, why is it that, through the centuries, the Christian world has switched from “Follow Me” to “Believe in Me”? You never hear a gospel message saying, “Follow Jesus.” The gospel message is always, “Believe in Jesus.” That’s one reason for the shallow, third-rate, good-for-nothing Christianity we see in more than 90% of churches, even those that preach the true gospel.

I’m not saying this lightly. I have lived 65 years as a Christian, traveled to many countries, and seen churches of all denominations—from Roman Catholic to Salon Pentecostal and everything in between. I’ve seen it. I’ve seen the hollowness, the emptiness. It’s all because “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ” has been emphasized, while “Follow the Lord” has not. Believing is just saying, “What is it? I believe the earth goes around the sun.” How does that affect me? It doesn’t affect me one bit. I believe in the stars and the planets—so what? I believe God created the heaven and the earth, but following is quite another thing.

I want to ask all of you sitting here: please listen carefully. In your life, are you following Jesus every day? You don’t have to answer that to me, but answer it to yourself. If I were to ask you, “Do you believe in Jesus every day?” every one of you would raise your hand. Was there a day in your life in the last one year that you did not believe in Jesus Christ? No, you believe in Jesus Christ, of course. But if I were to ask you, “Just in the last five months of this year, was there a day when you did not follow Jesus in the way you spoke, the way you behaved, and the way you conducted yourself in your home, in your office?” then you begin to think.

Belief vs. Following: A Commitment to Discipleship

That’s why it is very important for you to change this idea of “believe, believe.” As far as Christ is concerned, to believe means to follow. It means a commitment. Why is the church called the bride of Jesus Christ throughout the New Testament, especially in Revelation? It’s exactly like those of you who are married. You’ve got a wife. You expect your wife to be faithful to you, not just every day, but every second of every day. You don’t want her to be interested in some other man, even for one second. There are many other interests, other than Christ, that are attracting us. To follow Jesus, to be His bride, means I’m not interested in any other thing, even for one second.

How would you feel if your wife said, “Well, once in a while, one minute a day, I sometimes think of another man, only one minute a day”? It wouldn’t disturb you, I suppose, would it? What type of marriage do you have if you allow your wife to think one minute a day about somebody else? Now, I wonder, do you have this type of relationship with Christ? I’m very thankful that, very early in my Christian life, I understood that I’m supposed to be the bride of Christ. That’s not something I discovered after many, many years. I’m very thankful because that taught me simple devotion to Christ is very, very important. I’m very thankful that that started with me almost from the beginning, and that’s established my life very strongly. So, that’s what I want to share with you. What does it mean to follow? It means to be a disciple.

The Biblical Mandate: Believe and Make Disciples

There are two places where Jesus spoke about going and preaching the gospel, and I want to show them to you. One is in Mark 16:15-16, where Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and is baptized will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned.” There, the emphasis is on believing.

Now, we must always compare Scripture with Scripture to get the full truth. Never forget that. Remember when the devil tempted Jesus, and Jesus quoted a Scripture, “Man shall not live by bread alone” (Deuteronomy 8:3)? The devil quoted a Scripture back to Jesus, “Jump off the roof because it is written, ‘His angels will guard you’” (Psalm 91:11-12). And you remember what Jesus said? “Satan, it is also written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God’” (Deuteronomy 6:16). That is Scripture. It is written, and it is also written. If you take only one part of Scripture, it’s like a bird with one wing—you’ll go round and round and round and round. That’s what’s happened to a lot of Christians.

So, this one Scripture, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, believe and be baptized” (Mark 16:15-16), is one side. It is written. I want to show you the other side of Scripture. If you want to get the full truth, it is also written. To me, it’s like the two sides of a body. What would you think of a man cut in half with just one half of a body? That is one half of the body, but it’s not complete. And so, Scripture is not complete with one Scripture. Jesus made that very clear in the temptation in the wilderness: it is written, it is also written. Please remember this all your life. There are many things that are written; it is Scripture. But if you don’t want to understand it fully, you must also see what is also written.

So, we read what is written in Mark 16:15-16: “Believe and be baptized.” It is also written in Matthew 28:19-20: “Go now, it says, not just make people believe, but make disciples of every nation.” There, it was, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” It is written. It is also written, “Go into all the world and make disciples.” Is this a contradiction? No, there’s no contradiction in the whole Bible. It is the other half of the truth, the other wing of the bird. If you want to get the full truth, take both of it and make disciples of all nations and baptize them. Baptism is there; baptism is here also. But there, it is “believe and be baptized”; here, it is “make disciples and be baptized.”

You know the difference between explanation and contradiction? Believe, make disciples—it’s not a contradiction; it’s an explanation. If you believe, you’ll become a disciple. If you believe without becoming a disciple, it’s only head knowledge. Every truth in the Bible, the devil has got in his head. Is there a single verse in the Bible that the devil doesn’t know, doesn’t believe? He knows everything. It still sends him to hell for eternity, and it can send a lot of other people to hell for eternity if they just believe what’s written. So, believe, make disciples, baptize them, and then listen to this. Matthew 28:20 says, “Teach them to do every single thing I commanded you, and then I will be with you always.”

I’ve seen that verse in many houses: “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). And I say, that’s half a verse. How can you believe that’ll be true in your home or in your life if you don’t fulfill the condition? There’s a condition for “I’ll be with you always till the end of the world”: make disciples and teach them to do every single thing I commanded you, and then I will be with you. So, that’s the question you need to ask yourself. Don’t just go and say, “Lord, You said You’ll always be with me.” Hang on, hang on. To whom did He say it? To those who become disciples and who are seeking to do every single thing. All—you know the meaning of the word “all”? All. Matthew 28:20: “Obey everything I commanded you, and I promise you, I’ll be with you always till the end of the age.”

I’m very thankful that I tried to follow that. I mean, every Scripture, we can only say we tried to follow it. And if you’re trying your best to follow it, that’s all that God expects of you. I want to ask you: are you seeking to be a follower of Jesus Christ, a disciple, and to obey everything He commanded you?

Building a Church on Discipleship

That’s why we built CFC churches. I founded them 50 years ago when I was 35 years old. I’d seen Christendom for about 16 years before that, and I was pretty fed up, defeated in my own life. I never saw a church that was preaching everything that I saw in Scripture. Finally, I was in one church that threw me out for preaching about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. So, you know, 50 years ago, two of us families in Bangalore decided to meet in my house. We said, “At least two of us will start trying to teach everything that Jesus did, first of all, practice everything ourselves and teach it to others and see who all will come.” We had a big turnover. Some would come, go, come, and go, and there were so many people who came and went. At the end of five or six years, there were about 60 people, and out of those 60 people, I think there were only seven or eight finally left. Today, all fell away.

That happens when you teach everything that Jesus commanded. Some, along the way, people will fall away, and that can happen even in this church. You preach everything that Jesus commanded, some will fall away. It never disturbed me 50 years ago when people started falling away, and throughout the years, I’ve seen in all the many, many churches in different countries that the Lord has raised up, I’ve seen people falling away. It doesn’t disturb me. I see that in Jesus’ case also: people fell away. Sometimes He preached to a whole crowd, and by the time the message was over, a lot of people had left. Very few people were left. That can happen if you preach “Follow Me.”

The Cost of Discipleship: John 6

One of the great examples is John 6. In John 6, we see the chapter begins with a miracle. Miracles are always exciting. He fed the 5,000. That’s the first thing we see in John 6:8-14. The multitude were fed with loaves and fishes, as we read in John 6:11. Then Jesus began to preach to the people, and He said some very strong things, like, “You have to eat of Me.” John 6:53: “Unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you don’t have any eternal life. If you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you’ll have eternal life because My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.”

Now, put yourself in that place. You’re listening, and you haven’t heard the explanations that we have heard about that verse in these years that you’ve been in the church. You’re listening to it for the first time: a man getting up, saying, “You’ve got to eat My flesh and drink My blood if you want to have eternal life.” These are Jews who were taught in the Old Testament, “Never touch blood, blood of an animal or no blood, but you must never drink blood” (Leviticus 17:10-14). That’s a crime. And here’s this man telling us to eat His flesh and drink His blood. What will you call Him? A heretic.

Then it says here, many people, when they heard this, John 6:60, He said, “This is a”—in today’s language—“this is a crazy statement. Who can listen to all this?” And then we read, “Many of them left.” John 6:66: “Many of His disciples—not visitors—many of His disciples withdrew, and they didn’t want to walk with Him anymore.” Who’s going to eat His flesh and drink His blood? “This is crazy. I don’t want to follow this man.”

I told you, this chapter started with 5,000 being fed, plus women and children, probably 10,000. At the end of the chapter, the 10,000 is whittled down to 11. This is how Jesus preached. That’s been my challenge: if I can take a crowd of 10,000 and whittle them down to 11 disciples, I followed Jesus. That’s what I decided when we started our church 50 years ago in Bangalore. These great multitudes of people who come to listen because they like a good message, we’re going to whittle them down to a small number who really want to follow, not just listen to a good sermon.

A lot of people would come to my church to listen to a good sermon. I think a lot of people may come here to listen to a good sermon. A lot of people go to YouTube to listen to a good sermon. I’m not interested in such people. I want to know those who want to follow. 10,000 people may be interested in listening to a good sermon; 11 will follow. Those are the 11 I’m looking for because those are the ones Jesus is looking for. In every church, in the last 50 years, I’ve seen we have planted a lot of churches in different countries. Always, it starts with a big number, and it whittles down to a small thing. I say, “Praise the Lord! Now we can make disciples.”

It never, never disturbs me when 10,000 becomes 11. I say, “We’re going in Jesus’ footsteps.” That’s happened in other churches; it’s happened here, and maybe there are still some more to leave. Okay, we’re not going to compromise the message. We’re not here to gather; we’re here to whittle down till we are left with people who are serious about their Christian life, serious about the way they speak, that they will never gossip, they’ll never backbite, they’ll take up the cross every day, they’ll take their married life seriously, they’ll seek to bring up their children properly in the fear of God, they’ll stop backbiting and speaking evil of others. And then the number will come down to 11 or a small number.

Conditions of Discipleship: Luke 14

It says we have to go into all the world and make disciples. I remember, in the early days, we spent nearly a whole year, in the first year of our gathering together, preaching two things: one is the conditions of discipleship, and the other is the Sermon on the Mount. We spent one year, many, many, many weeks on what it means to be a disciple, and then many, many months going through Matthew 5-7. That’s how we started CFC Bangalore 50 years ago. God has raised up godly elders throughout the years. I went back there recently, a few months ago, and I see those four elders, just as good as the original elders—godly people who fellowship with one another, no strife, no conflict, completely one with each other, and leading the church forward. It started with two families. We have 600 people there, but we don’t rejoice in numbers. There are many there who want to follow the Lord. The important thing is to make disciples, and that’s what I preached everywhere, and that’s what we preach in this church too.

So, first of all, we preach the condition of discipleship, and I want to point that out to you again in Luke 14:25-33. We must never get tired of this passage because it’s because this passage is not taught that Christianity is so shallow. People believe, okay? Now, I’ll explain to you discipleship.

Luke 14:25-33, again, it starts with great crowds following, and He turns and tells them—listen to this—today, if a preacher sees a great crowd, what is the first thing he’ll do? He’ll get his followers, say, “Pass the offering bag around quickly before they go away. Afterwards, we’ll tell them the hard things.” We did it the other way. We said, “We never pass an offering bag around.” Do you know, my brothers and sisters, that we have more than 100 churches today in 17 countries, and in all those churches, not once in 50 years have we passed an offering bag around—never. We have 300 elders; not one of them receives a salary, including me. I’ve never received a salary in 50 years, and we have 300 like that. Where do you find God raised up people? Because we preach discipleship.

We’re not boasting; we’re talking about what Jesus did. I don’t hesitate to tell people what Jesus did. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, what God has done in us, and glorify your Father” (Matthew 5:16). Great crowds came, and He told them some of the hardest words that He ever said. Listen to this. Is this the way any preacher preaches when he sees a great crowd? “If any of you come to Me,” Jesus says, “and you don’t hate your father—go slowly—hate, I’m not misreading, read your Bible—hate your father, hate your mother, hate your wife, hate your children, hate your brothers, hate your sisters, hate your own life, then you can be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). A lot of those people would have left immediately, saying, “This guy’s crazy.”

Why didn’t Jesus use simpler words? He knew that most of these people are not serious. Every church I’ve been to, even in our own churches, when we start, I know that all these people come to listen to a good sermon. They’re not serious about discipleship. So, you have to preach some strong words to drive them away, and those who are called by God will not be driven away. They’ll never get offended with anything that a man of God says if they recognize that man is a prophet of God whom God has called. They will never get offended. The ones who get offended are those who are looking for an easy way of life.

The First Condition: Hate Father, Mother, and Self

What does it mean to hate father, mother, brother, sister, wife, children? I struggled with this for years myself to understand. What does it mean, Lord? I don’t want to compromise it; I don’t want to lower it. And yet, I know I have to take Scripture with Scripture. It is written, it is also written: “Honor your father and mother” (Exodus 20:12). It’s also written, “Love your wife as Christ loved the church” (Ephesians 5:25). And here, I’m told to hate my wife. Scripture with Scripture, I will understand. It is written, it is also written.

So, I took it to what is written and what is also written, and this is how I understood it: my love for Christ must be like the light of the sun, the brightest thing that we can see on this earth. An example: should there be any love for my wife and children and father and mother? Yes, that’s also got to be a light, a very bright light, like the light of the stars. You know, the stars are so bright; some of the stars are extremely bright. But when we look at a star at night, there is a light there, definitely. Some stars are very bright. But the moment the sun comes up, what happens? It’s not that the stars have disappeared; they’re there, but you can’t see them. They’re all there.

That’s how I understood this verse: yes, love your father, love your wife, love your brother, love your sister. But when the light of the love for Christ comes, it just sort of fades away; it’s almost like nothing because love for Jesus takes over. What did Jesus say? What is the first commandment? “You shall love the Lord your God with 50% of your heart and leave the other 50% for your wife and your brother, family, children”? Is that what He said? No, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:5). Okay, all your heart. Then, what place is there in your heart for other people? Take God’s Word seriously. Didn’t Jesus make a mistake? Then, how in the world am I supposed to love my wife and my children and honor my father and mother? It must be from a heart that is filled with love for Christ, filled with love for God. From that love, I love other people. That is how Scripture works.

I don’t know, some of you Christians, you’ve heard all these things. I don’t know whether you’ve taken it seriously. I took it seriously. That’s why my Christian life changed radically from the beginning. I didn’t just set it aside and say, “Oh, what does it mean, hate?” I wanted to understand what does it mean to hate. I compared it to the light of the stars and the sun. The light of the sun is like the love for Christ, which makes the others almost disappear. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind” (Deuteronomy 6:5). So, from that love, I must love Christ.

That’s why, when I was considering marrying Annie and the proposal came, I told her right at the beginning, “You will always be number two in my life. You’ll never be number one, and number one will never be another girl. No, it’ll be Jesus.” And I always want to be number two in my life. We are married 57 years now, and I say the same thing: “You will always be number two in my life, and I want to be number two in my life.” That’s the secret of a happy marriage: you determine that Christ is always first.

I say that to every brother in the church: “You’re not going to be so close to me that I will please you and dishonor Christ.” I say that to my children: “If you dishonor the Lord, I will be against you. Christ will be between me and you. You will be second; you will never be first in my life. No son of mine will ever be first in my life. Christ will be first. And if he dishonors Christ, I will tell him that. If he honors Christ, I’ll appreciate that. Christ will be first—father, mother.”

My dear brothers and sisters, if you want to be a disciple, please listen to what I’m saying. I’ll tell you honestly: you will never in your life be a disciple if you don’t take this seriously, whoever it is. And I’ll tell you this: you’ll love your wife much better if you love Jesus with all your heart, much better. You’ll never get offended with her; you’ll never get angry with her; you’ll never get upset with her. You know why you get upset with your wife and get angry? It’s because you don’t love Jesus with all your heart. Put Christ first, and you will never in your life get angry and shout at your wife, not even once. It’s the message of the gospel. Then, you’ll be able to love her as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25). That’s the first condition.

And even love for brothers—why is it so many brothers sometimes have conflicts? I’ll tell you why: because they don’t love Christ with all their heart. They love somebody because, “Oh, that guy’s like me; they’re sort of similar in many ways,” and so they become friendly. I’m not bothered with somebody similar. I want to be in fellowship with people who are completely opposite of me, dissimilar to me. Most of our work in India is in the poorest villages. Annie and I have gone to the poorest villages in India, where people don’t know one word of English. There’s no pharmacy, no doctor, nothing. And there, we’ve seen people who can’t even speak properly, not educated, extremely poor, who live from hand to mouth, and I’ve had wonderful fellowship with them because Christ is between us.

We’ve never given importance to education or intellect in our church. People have come to our church in Bangalore, wealthy people, thinking that they would get a place of importance. Always, I’ve told them to go and sit at the back. I remember one guy came from Dubai—you know, that’s a place where Christians, Indians, make a lot of money. He retired and came to our church. I made him sit in the back row every Sunday. I said, “You sit there,” till he got offended and left the church. And I said, “Praise the Lord! Such people are not fit to be here, who want honor in the church. There’s no place for honor here. Be a servant. You just came yesterday to the church, and you think we care for your money? I don’t care two hoots for your money. Go and throw your money somewhere else.” Jesus said, “Come to Me without your money.” That’s what we have preached in our church. That’s why we have preserved the standard through the years, and that’s why so many churches don’t preserve the standard: they give honor to people; they don’t love Jesus with all their heart.

In this church, we want to love Jesus with all our heart first. I want to encourage every one of you. I’ll tell you this: you’ll enter into a real Christian life when you love Jesus with all your heart—every one of you, young people, everyone. I say the same thing to you: that’s number one. Don’t let any human being take the place of Christ in your life. Every single day, wake up in the morning, and the first person you talk to must not be your wife or your husband; it must be Jesus Christ. I’m not preaching what I’ve not practiced. I wake up in the morning, and the first person I speak to is my Savior, who’s more important to me than my wife. Then I talk to my wife, and it’ll be like that. It has been like that for years, and it’ll be like that till Jesus comes. That is why I know I’m ready to meet Him because I can say to Him, “Lord, to the best of my ability, I tried to love You with all my heart, and I never allowed any person to come between me and You.”

The Second Condition: Take Up Your Cross

The second condition of discipleship, Luke 14:27: “Take up your cross every day and follow Me.” That is a subject which many Christians have not understood. You know what it means? It means to die. Take up the cross is to be crucified with Him. “Take up your cross and follow Me” is what Jesus said when He was on earth because He was not yet crucified. So, until He was crucified, He could only say, “Take up your cross and follow Me.” Today, He would say, “Be crucified with Me.” Galatians 2:20: “I am crucified with Christ.” Paul did not say, “I’m for taking up the cross and following Christ.” No, that’s when Christ was on earth. Paul said, “I’m—the day is over. I’m already crucified. Now I walk the crucified path every single day. Every day, I live as one who is dead to self and alive to Christ.” That is the condition of discipleship.

In other words, not my interests, not what I think, not how I should respond. I’ve often told people, if there’s a dead man here, how will he respond to criticism, abuse? You say, “You’re a good-for-nothing fellow, useless fellow.” What’s his response? It doesn’t make any difference to him. On the other hand, you say, “Oh, you’re a great guy, you’re so smart, you’re so clever.” No response. When you can come to the place where somebody calls you an idiot or a good-for-nothing person, and your reaction to him is exactly the same—not the word exactly, exactly the same—as to somebody who comes and says to you, “Oh, brother, you’re a great man, you’re such a wonderful man, you’re such a kind man,” and your reaction is exactly the same as to the other fellow who called you an idiot and a good-for-nothing fellow, then you have been crucified with Christ. Until you come there, say to yourself, “I have not been crucified with Christ yet.”

I’m not preaching what I’ve not practiced. I’ve heard numerous people call me the devil, and numerous people call me a great prophet. It is exactly the same to me because I’ve been crucified with Christ. I’m not joking. I can love the person who calls me a devil. I’ve had numerous, particularly in the days when I used to stand in the streets of India and preach the gospel, people would call me the devil, and I’d say, “Fine, I love you, brother.” And after that, when we preached about Jesus was tempted like us and overcame sin, they called me the devil again. Christians began to call me the devil. I said, “God, I love you.” And some of them got converted.

So, when you’re really dead with Christ, your reaction to criticism and praise is exactly the same, like a dead man. You don’t get hurt by what somebody said. Do you get hurt by what somebody said? I’ll tell you, brother, sister, die, die, fall into the ground and die. You know why there’s so little fruit in the lives of many Christians? I remember when I was a young man, and I was in Bangalore, 35 years old, when we started the church, the word that came to me was, “Fall into the ground and die, and there’ll be much fruit from your work” (John 12:24). I raised my hand to the Lord and said, “Lord, I’ll do that. I give You my word, to the best of my knowledge and best of my ability. I will fall into the ground here in Bangalore and die. I will never ask for anything for myself. I’ll never get offended with what You do or You don’t do, whether You—I’ll never have a complaint about how You treat me.” Dead men don’t complain. Do you have a complaint against God, brother? Die. Do you have a complaint against God, sister? Die. Dead men don’t have complaints.

I meditate a lot on what it means to die, to be dead, and it’s changed my life. It’ll change yours also if you take it seriously. Most Christians are just playing games in Christianity. They come to church to listen to a nice message, to get a little stirred up, to meet a few friends and gossip a little, and go home. I’m not interested in that type of Christianity. That’s good-for-nothing, third-rate, useless Christianity, and I hope none of us will be like that. I hope people who are like that, the sooner you leave this church, the better. Have you ever heard a pastor saying, “Leave this church, please”? Well, you hear it here. If you’re not interested in being a disciple of Jesus, my brother, sister, don’t confuse everybody else and don’t spoil everybody else. Don’t bring corruption into the system. You will not corrupt the system; you’ll only corrupt people who can be corrupted. Those who are serious here will not be corrupted, no matter how much you try to corrupt them. But it’ll be easier for you to find another church where you feel comfortable and happy because this is not the place for those who don’t want to be disciples.

I’ll tell you honestly, from the beginning, I said, “Lord, I’m not interested in building a large church, L-A-R-G. No, I’m interested in building a P-U-R-E church, a pure church.” Great multitude, whittle down to 11. That’s what I want. Great multitude come to hear the gospel. Tell them, “You’ve got to hate father, mother, brother, sister, wife, children.” That is what it means to follow Jesus: take up your cross every day and follow Me, die to yourself and follow Jesus. We are to be crucified with Christ.

The Third Condition: Give Up Possessions

And then there is a third condition, only three: one is your attitude to your relatives and loved ones, the second is your attitude to yourself, your proud self-life, which must be crucified, and the third is your attitude to money. Luke 14:33: “No one can be My disciple, no one can be My disciple, if he does not give up all his own possessions.” I cannot be His disciple if I don’t give up all my own possessions. Read that carefully. Possession is what I hold tight: “This is mine.” He didn’t say you can’t have anything. If He says I can’t have anything, then I can’t even have a shirt or a pant or anything. He said you can have many things, but don’t possess. In other words, all the things you’re holding on tight—what are you holding on to tight? Your job? You see, that’s very important for you, therefore you’re so insecure.

Open your palm. Say, “Lord, You give me a job. I have it, but I’m not going to hold on tight to it. I’ll lose it any day. You hold it for me, and You’ll always provide my need.” I say this: you know, when the Lord called me in May 1964, which is 62 years ago, to leave my job in the Navy and to come out and serve Him, the Navy let me go after two years. So, it’s nearly 60 years now since I’ve been serving the Lord full-time. I took my entire—I’d served in the Navy for eight years by then, and you know, as a naval officer, you get a very high salary. All that money which I saved, when I—the day I left, I took it and gave it all away for God’s work. I left my job with zero in my bank account, and I said, “Lord, I’m going to trust You. I’ll never join a society, I’ll never join a church, I’ll never get a salary, I’ll never do anything. I want to live like Jesus and Paul lived.” Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

And that is primarily a call for those who are in full-time Christian work. Now, I was called to full-time Christian work, and I don’t say that to other people, but for myself, it would be like that. You know, out of all the people Jesus met, only one person He said, “Sell all that you have” (Luke 18:22). He never told Martha and Mary, “Sell all that you have.” He never told even Zacchaeus. He only gave half of what he had, and Jesus said, “That’s fine” (Luke 19:8-9). But to one person, Jesus said, “Sell all that you have,” and I was one of those. Jesus said, “All that you have.” The difference was that guy didn’t agree. I said, “Yes, I’ll give it all up.” And the Lord said, “You’ve got to trust Me.”

I remember a man of God said to me when I was a young Christian, more than 60 years ago, and I followed his advice all these years. He said, “One, never in your life make your earthly financial needs known to anybody. Live with what little you have. Never borrow, never ask for anything from anyone because you’ve got a Father in heaven who cares for you.” I said, “Yes.” Secondly, “Don’t buy anything unnecessary and expensive. Live very simply with whatever is necessary for your life, essentials.” I’ve tried to follow that throughout my life. If I have some good clothes, they were usually given to me by somebody else. I would never waste my life even on good clothes; ordinary clothes were enough for me. And thirdly, he said, “When people accuse you, keep your mouth shut.”

I’m very thankful those three bits of advice I got 60 years ago, and I followed it all these 60 years. When I’m accused falsely, I keep my mouth shut. I never asked anybody for a single cent in my life and never tried. I tried my best to live extremely simply, and God gave me a wife who wants to live more simply than me, so I’m very thankful for that.

Don’t say, “Brother, my wife is extravagant and wastes a lot of money.” I’ll tell you, perhaps God saw that you were not wholehearted yourself, and that’s why He gave you a wife like that. So, you’d better, at least now, you can change and say, “Lord, change me and my wife and make us more simple in our habits so that we don’t get into debt.” Debt, to me, is like committing murder. I’ve never been in debt for 60 years, not even for one rupee, one cent, to anybody in the world. When my wife and I had little, we lived with little. I could not afford to ride a car, so I rode a scooter for 42 years in India. I don’t regret it, but I decided I will not get into debt.

Romans 13:8 says, “Owe no one anything.” It’s an absolute statement. It’s not a suggestion, by the way. There are no suggestions in this book, I hope you know that. No, there are only commands, no suggestions. “Owe nothing” (Romans 13:8). Owe nothing. Do you know the meaning of nothing? Nothing is not $5 or $100 or $1,000, in case you did not know. Nothing means zero cents. Owe nothing to anyone in the world. I can stand before the Lord and raise my hand and say, “Lord, by Your grace, I have followed that for 85 years of my life. I’ve never owed anything to anyone.” When my wife and I had very little in the house, we lived with little. We cut down. We told our children, “We can’t buy you new clothes. Sorry, you use your older brother’s clothes. Sorry, we can’t get you that thing you want.” You go to a store, and they want to buy something, and we say, “Sorry, we can’t afford it.” They’ll cry a little. Okay, they’re little children; they’ll cry. Okay, they’ll get over it. But I will not, to please my children, I would not disobey God, never. And all my four children know that.

Owe nothing to anyone. We lived simply because we could not afford anything more. Now, I’m not saying you have to live at my standard. God has allowed you to earn much more; you can live at a higher standard. By all means, use your money in a good way. But all I say is, don’t owe anybody. I’m not saying to cut down your expenditure—no, no, no, no. I’m saying don’t owe anybody anything, that’s all. Please don’t misunderstand me. I’ve never in my life asked, even in Bangalore, I never asked anybody to live at my level. I said, “If you’re earning more, you can live at a higher level. I don’t earn that much; I can’t live at that level.” Just like among all of you, all of you don’t earn the same amount, so all of you cannot afford the things that somebody else in this church can afford. Somebody else can afford a better house, but you can’t afford that type of house because you don’t earn so much.

So, there’s no—this is not a communist society where we try to equalize everybody. No, God’s made these five fingers all different sizes. Communism says cut it all and make it all the same size. No, that’s not what we teach. They’re all different sizes, and God has given us different levels of income. But we must not love money, we must not possess it, we must not owe anybody anything, not even one cent, for not even one day. And I would not be able to preach that if I hadn’t practiced it for 85 years.

If God has blessed me, it’s because I tried to obey Scripture. If God’s given me a gift to speak God’s Word, it’s because I’ve tried to obey Scripture. And if God’s planted churches, He can do that through you. I wish God would use many of you to plant churches and make disciples, but you’ve got to be a disciple first. How many of you will take it seriously? Some of you have become so old, it’s probably too late. At least the younger generation here, teach your children at least to be disciples. Dear brothers and sisters, if you failed as a father and mother, at least teach your children to be disciples so that you can produce somebody else who will follow in Jesus’ footsteps, even if you failed miserably in your younger days.

Take this seriously. We want a church of disciples, and then this church will be strong. Owe nothing to anyone. Don’t take advantage of anybody financially. I’ve sometimes been invited to stay in rich people’s homes when I’ve traveled to foreign countries, and I have left a gift behind. Some of them are surprised: “This poor, poor man from India leaving a gift for us here?” Well, they were kind to us; they allowed us to stay two, three days in their house, and I left a little gift for them. I wanted to be a testimony. I didn’t want to be one who sponges off other people. You know what a sponge is? You put it in, and it absorbs everything, all that liquid. There are people like that who are sponges. Whenever they get, they want to get something out of other people, like a sponge. I said, “I never want Jesus was not a sponge. He never took advantage of anybody.” You’d always give rather than receive. “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). I really believe that, and I’ve experienced it in my life.

Dear brothers, don’t be in debt. I remember once in Bangalore when I felt that some people there, sitting there, you know, when the church becomes bigger, some people sort of take it lightly. I found that some people were getting into debt. So, one day, I got up on Sunday morning—I was a very strict father towards the church, I meant—and I said, there were maybe 500 people there, I said, “If anybody in this church has borrowed more than 1,000 rupees from anyone and not made any effort to pay even a little bit of that after one month, please come and see me after this meeting.” Some people cleared that debt that day itself. Some people, they went out and used their phone and clicked and transferred the money online to somebody. They could have done it earlier. Why didn’t they do it? I said, “Oh, I can get a little more interest in the bank if I keep it in my name.” Can you imagine that, taking God’s Word lightly? “Owe nothing to anyone” (Romans 13:8).

I want to ask all of you straight: can you honestly say that you owe nothing to anyone? If not, go home and lift up your hand to the Lord and say, “Lord, I am a disobedient child of Yours. I have disobeyed Romans 13:8 for years. Have mercy on me, and please help me to start obeying You at least from today.” It’s serious, my brother. And I’ll tell you another thing which I have proved in my life: “Seek the kingdom of God first and His righteousness, and everything that you need on earth will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Are some of you finding it difficult to get a job? I’ll tell you why: you’re not seeking God’s kingdom first. I’ll tell you that straight to your face. Don’t get hurt with me; I’m telling you the truth. How is it possible that a man can seek God’s kingdom first and His righteousness, to be absolutely righteous, and Matthew 6:33 is not fulfilled in his life, and God does not add everything else to him? That is impossible. You have to call God a liar, and God is not a liar.

You go before God and say, “Lord, all things are not being added to me because somewhere in my life I’m not seeking Your kingdom first. Other things are more important to me.” Well, then, God have mercy on you. The promise is: if you seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness, Matthew 6:33, first, everything that you need on earth will be added to you, even health. What is it that has preserved Annie and me for 57 years of marriage, that we have never once had to go to a hospital with sickness? I’m not boasting; I’m just saying God is so good. He gives us health. I’ll tell you why. I’ll say this in closing. I read in 1 Corinthians 6—this is for you also; it’s in your Bible. I’ll never tell you anything which is not in your Bible.

1 Corinthians 6:13, the last part: “The body is not for immorality.” That’s the first thing: be perfectly pure sexually in your thoughts. You should go and hang your head in shame if you watch pornography, even if you’re a young man, destroying yourself, polluting your mind, swallowing poison, poison, poison, watching this filth called pornography. The body is not for immorality; the body is not for watching pornography. It is for the Lord—every part of my body, my eyes, my tongue. And if my body is for the Lord, the Lord will be for my body. That’s what it says here. That’s the word I claimed many years ago. I said, “Lord, I will not use this body for immorality. It is for You, and You’ve got to fulfill Your part of the promise that You are for my body, not just for my soul, You’re for my body.”

Now, I’m not saying we can never get sick. Even Jesus was sick; we read in Isaiah 53:4. Sometimes God allows us to be sick to teach us to be compassionate towards others. I’m not saying we’ll never go to a hospital; there’s no crime in being admitted to a hospital. All I’m saying is, make sure your body is for the Lord, and then you can claim that promise: the Lord is for my body. And further down, it says there, “The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19). You’ve seen that? The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. That means, if you can take care of this building, which we say is for gathering for a church, you think God won’t take care of His temple? He will.

There are wonderful promises in Scripture which we are missing by not fulfilling the conditions. Let’s pray. Dear brothers and sisters, you don’t realize how much God loves you. I wish you’d know that. I wish you’d know that every command of God’s is because He loves you so much that He wants you to have the very best in life. So, yield your all to Him and say, “Lord, I’m sorry for the ways I’ve failed in the past. I’m sorry for the way I’ve gossiped and spoken evil and done all types of wrong things in my past life. Please forgive me. Let me take my Christian life seriously from today. I want to really be Your disciple. I want to follow You. I want to claim Your promises that if I obey You and follow You, You will honor me. Help us, Lord, each one. Help us, each one, that we can be a living testimony for You in this godless world, even in a Christian, so-called Christian world, which does not honor Christ. Help us to honor You in this church. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Self-Check

For Adults

These questions are designed for mature believers or those seeking a deeper faith, encouraging introspection about daily commitment, sacrifice, and alignment with Christ’s call to discipleship.

1. Is Jesus truly first in your life, or do other relationships (spouse, children, parents) sometimes take priority? How can you ensure Christ remains “number one” daily?
   • Relevance: The sermon emphasizes “hating” family and self (Luke 14:26), meaning loving Christ supremely, like the sun outshining stars. This challenges adults to assess divided loyalties, especially in close relationships, and to prioritize Christ as the speaker did with his wife, Annie.
2. When was the last time you reacted to criticism or praise? What does this reveal about whether you are “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20)?
   • Relevance: The sermon describes taking up the cross (Luke 14:27) as dying to self, where a disciple’s reaction to criticism or praise is neutral, like a “dead man.” This prompts adults to examine pride or sensitivity, reflecting on spiritual maturity.
3. Do you hold tightly to any possessions (e.g., job, savings, home)? How would you respond if God asked you to let them go, as the speaker did with his Navy savings?
   • Relevance: Renouncing possessions (Luke 14:33) means holding material things loosely. The speaker’s example of giving away all savings challenges adults to evaluate their trust in God’s provision (Matthew 6:33) and freedom from materialism.
4. Are there areas in your life (e.g., speech, behavior, finances) where you believe in Jesus but fail to follow Him? What steps can you take to align your actions with your faith?
   • Relevance: The sermon contrasts belief with following, noting that many believe daily but fail to follow in conduct. This question targets adults’ consistency, urging practical changes to reflect discipleship.
5. How does the idea of the church as Christ’s bride (Revelation) shape your daily devotion? Are there “other interests” pulling you away from Jesus, even for a moment?
   • Relevance: The bride analogy underscores total fidelity to Christ. This challenges adults to identify distractions (e.g., hobbies, ambitions) that compete with their devotion, encouraging single-minded focus on Jesus.

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For Children

These questions are simplified for children (ages ~8-12), using age-appropriate language and examples from the sermon. They aim to introduce discipleship concepts in a relatable way, focusing on following Jesus in everyday life.

1. What does it mean to you to “follow Jesus” every day, like following a best friend? Do you talk to Him first thing in the morning?
   • Relevance: The sermon stresses following Jesus over believing, with the speaker talking to Jesus first daily. This helps children see Jesus as a friend they prioritize, encouraging prayer as a habit.
2. If someone was mean to you at school, would you get upset, or could you stay calm because you’re following Jesus? Why?
   • Relevance: Taking up the cross (Luke 14:27) is likened to being “dead” to criticism. This question teaches children to respond with Christ-like calmness, using a school scenario to explore self-control.
3. Do you love your toys or games so much that you’d be sad if you had to share them? How can you show Jesus you love Him more?
   • Relevance: Renouncing possessions (Luke 14:33) is illustrated by the speaker’s simple living. This helps children understand holding things loosely, encouraging generosity as a way to love Jesus.
4. When you do something wrong, like telling a lie, do you say sorry to Jesus and try to do better? How can you follow Him instead of doing wrong?
   • Relevance: The sermon calls for aligning behavior with faith. This question helps children connect repentance and obedience to following Jesus, using a common mistake like lying.
5. If your family wants to do something that doesn’t please Jesus, would you choose to obey Him first? What could you say or do?
   • Relevance: “Hating” family (Luke 14:26) means putting Jesus first. This introduces children to prioritizing Jesus over peer or family pressure, encouraging courage in small, age-appropriate ways.

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For Nominal Christians

These questions target those who identify as Christian but may attend church casually, believe intellectually, or lack a committed lifestyle of following Jesus. They aim to confront complacency and invite deeper engagement with Christ’s call.

1. Do you come to church to hear a good sermon, or are you here to become a disciple of Jesus? What’s the difference in your daily life?
   • Relevance: The sermon critiques those who seek sermons but not discipleship, likening them to the 10,000 who left Jesus (John 6:66). This challenges nominal Christians to move beyond passive attendance to active following.
2. If believing in Jesus doesn’t change how you speak, act, or handle money, is your faith genuine? Why or why not?
   • Relevance: The sermon distinguishes head knowledge (like the devil’s) from transformative faith. This confronts nominal Christians with the gap between belief and behavior, urging self-examination.
3. Are you comfortable with a Christianity that doesn’t cost you anything? What might Jesus ask you to give up to follow Him fully (Luke 14:25-33)?
   • Relevance: The conditions of discipleship demand sacrifice (family, self, possessions). This question challenges nominal Christians to consider the cost of true faith, contrasting it with easy belief.
4. Do you owe money to anyone and haven’t tried to repay it? How does this align with God’s command to “owe no one anything” (Romans 13:8)?
   • Relevance: The speaker’s debt-free life and confrontation of debtors highlight obedience. This targets nominal Christians’ financial habits, prompting reflection on biblical stewardship.
5. If Jesus asked you to leave your current lifestyle to follow Him, like the speaker left his Navy job, would you say yes? What’s holding you back?
   • Relevance: The speaker’s radical obedience (leaving his career, giving away savings) exemplifies discipleship. This challenges nominal Christians to identify barriers (comfort, security) to full commitment.