In this sermon, Teaching Pastor Adam Brock makes it clear that cheap grace and easy believism have no place in Christian discipleship. Following Christ requires us to die to self every single day, no matter the cost. Just as Christ sacrificed His life for us, we must be willing to suffer for His name’s sake. Gaining the whole world is meaningless if we lose our soul in the process. True abundant life is found in pursuing Christ above all else.
To take up your cross is to accept the call to a slow and painful death. Historians estimate that over 30,000 people were killed during Jesus's lifetime by crucifixion at the hands of the Romans. This means that every person who heard Jesus say, 'Hey, you need to take up the cross,' every one of them knew with graphic detail what that meant. The cross in this day was not a piece of jewelry. It was not a church decoration or anything beautiful; it was an instrument of shame and humiliation and torture and death. Every time a man took up his cross, he was beginning a death march. To take up your cross means that you must be willing to identify yourself with Jesus and what He has come to do, whether it costs you financially or relationally or publicly. You need to know this.
