And what can happen is we can think that we’ve accomplished something. Momentum is either forward or backward. You’re either growing in faith and Christ, or regressing away from faith and Christ. … And what could kill it is this: If you have disciples and if you have non-Christians, everything will be fine, but what kills it are all the Christian consumers, all the people who don’t go to community group, don’t serve, don’t give, don’t become members because the bar is set too high. We intentionally set the bar high. And now we’re at the point that you have to make a decision: producer or consumer, disciple or disappointment, contributor or consumer. Are you in or are you out? And it’s not just getting an emotional hoo-rah right now. You’ll answer that question in 60 years with the fruit of your life. And Jesus says,

You’ve got to pick your team. You’ve got to serve your God. You’ve got to determine your life. You’ve got to select your fate. You’ve got to pick up your cross.

And it’s all about dying. It’s all about dying.

Jesus’ hardest days were lonely. Family, friends turned their back on him. And you can’t say, "I’ll follow Jesus unless I get treated like him." To be a disciple is to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. And this includes all the way to your own death. Jesus says, "If need be, you have to pick up your cross and follow me." And it’s very disrespectful when people use this as a cultural euphemism for minor inconvenience. Your car breaks down, you got to take the bus to work. "Oh, I guess it’s my cross to bear." That’s not what he’s talking about. Carrying a cross was literally a dead man walking, somebody who was convicted, condemned, on their way to death. You would carry your cross through town to be humiliated, shamed, scorned. You would carry it to your place of crucifixion, they would strip you naked or nearly naked, they would nail you to the cross. They would hang you up. Everyone would gather around, make fun, sport, and light of you. Your mother would bawl her eyes out. They considered you cursed of God ‘cause that’s what the Bible said. And you could hang there for days, sweating, bleeding, urinating, incontinent, weeping, with your own tears and blood and feces and urine dripping off your body into a pool beneath you. And Jesus says, "If that’s what it takes, that’s what I’m asking you to be willing to commit to." And so many give so little for the one who gave so much. We live in this day of easy believism. If you want to go to heaven, raise your hand for Jesus, do whatever you want, and he’ll say, "Well done," at the end. Between your conversion and your resurrection is your discipleship. It’s growing, maturing in love, devotion, and commitment to Christ. Jesus isn’t trying to sell you. Jesus isn’t like a salesman who gets you to commit to all the benefits and conveniently overlooks all the fine print of obligations. He shows up, he says, "I’m God. If you want to follow me, people are gonna hate you and you might die." That’s the cost of discipleship.

And Jesus is no hypocrite. Jesus did not quit. Jesus accepted that his family did not understand him. Now, they came around and I pray your family would too if that’s your story. Jesus accepted the opposition, ostracism, criticism. Jesus shed his blood and died to accomplish something. His death mattered. It was for our salvation. Jesus knew the price he would have to pay. He counted the cost and he paid it. He’s in Gethsemane, sweating drops of blood, knowing the price that he will pay. And he goes to the cross nonetheless. And he keeps his saltiness all the way to the end. He doesn’t give up. He doesn’t give in. He dies, he rises, he loves, he saves, he heals, he forgives. And he says, "If you want to be my disciple, you need to follow me and be willing to endure a measure of what I’ve endured." And some of you have never heard this, and many of you have never seen this. All you were told was, "God loves you, do you want a better life? Say yes to Jesus." You weren’t really told the truth. So don’t get disappointed and frustrated with Jesus. Get disappointed and frustrated with the person who didn’t tell you the whole truth about Jesus. And don’t quit, but continue. There’s dignity, honor, legacy for the disciples of Jesus. You’re gonna die. I’m gonna die. We’re gonna die. I’m not looking to die, but if it comes, I want it to count. I want your life to count. I want your death to count. I want your legacy to matter. And what I love about Jesus’ words is that they are brutally honest. It seems unconscionable or perhaps just miraculous that this man, with this message, would gather billions of people. And that’s what he’s done.