Cross Before Comfort

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What if the life you want can only be found on the other side of surrender? We open Luke 9:23 and sit with Jesus’ words to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him—then we trace what that actually looks like when comfort collides with calling.

Jonathan walks through the stark paradox at the heart of discipleship: losing life to find it, dying to truly live. We contrast the rich young ruler’s sorrowful refusal with the fishermen who left everything to pursue a greater joy. Their flaws didn’t disqualify them; their direction did the shaping. From there, we bring the call into the present: obedience when it hurts, forgiveness when wounded, faithfulness when unseen, and integrity when compromise feels easier. Along the way, we keep our eyes on Christ’s pattern—He carried His cross for our redemption and leads us on a path where the cross is never the end. Resurrection is.

This conversation doesn’t romanticize sacrifice; it locates it within hope. We count the cost with honesty, remember brothers and sisters who suffer for their faith, and anchor our courage in Romans 8:18. Then we get practical with probing questions to help you surrender your schedule, your desires, and your hidden motives. You’ll leave with a clearer sense of what it means to release control, why you can’t carry the cross in one hand and the world in the other, and how the “great exchange” trades temporary comfort for durable joy, peace, and purpose that nothing can take away.

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Episode Transcript

Jon (00:08):
Hi and welcome back to the Pleasing God Podcast, a show
focused on helping Christians tothink biblically, engage
practically, and live faithfullyfor the glory of God.
I'm your host, Jonathan Sowell,and on this episode, I'd like
to talk on the subject of thecost of discipleship, taking up
your cross.
When you think about followingJesus, what's the first thought

(00:30):
that comes to mind?
Is it comfort or cross?
We live in a world that valuesconvenience.
We like quick results, smoothpaths, and comfort without cost.
But Jesus has never called hisfollowers to an easy road.

(00:52):
A passage that comes to mindthat I think is one the kind of
the proof text for this is inLuke chapter nine, beginning in
verse twenty-three.
Jesus says these words Ifanyone would come after me, let
him deny himself and take up hiscross daily and follow me.

(01:13):
For whoever would save his lifewill lose it, but whoever loses
his life for my sake will saveit.
For what does it profit a manif he gains the whole world and
loses or forfeits himself?
For whoever is ashamed of meand my words, of him will the
Son of Man be ashamed, when hecomes in his glory, and the
glory of the Father and of theholy angels.

(01:34):
But I tell you truly, there aresome standing here that will
not taste death until they seethe kingdom of God.
I want to note here, veryimportantly, what Jesus says.
He says, If anyone would comeafter me, let him deny himself,
take up his cross daily andfollow me.
We have to understand that thisis not some casual invitation.

(02:00):
No, Christ is calling those whowould follow him to die to self
and live for him.
So in this episode, we're goingto talk about what that means,
why Jesus calls us to take up across, what it costs, and why.
And hopefully that you see thatin the end it is absolutely

(02:22):
worth it.
So, again, let's observe herethe call of Jesus.
In verses 23 through 25, hesays, If anyone would come after
me, let him deny himself, takeup his cross daily and follow
me.
For whoever would save his lifewill lose it, but whoever loses
his life for my sake will saveit.
So when Jesus is saying, takeup your cross, what he's saying

(03:00):
here in this passage is, comeand die with me.
Die to your own way, die toyour own pride, die to your own
self-rule, so that you can liveunder his rule.
We can't serve two masters.
So, what does it mean to denyyourself?

(03:24):
It doesn't mean to hateyourself, but it means, in a
sense, to surrender yourself.
That you step off the throne ofyour own life and you let
Christ have his rightful seat asthe Lord of your life.
A life of denying self issaying no to our own passions,

(03:51):
our own desires, our own rule,and saying yes to Jesus'
passions, Jesus' desire, andJesus' rule.
Discipleship begins where selfends.
And that's where followingJesus truly starts.
This is the call of Jesus.
And the call leads to the costof discipleship.

(04:15):
Jesus didn't soften the messagehere.
In fact, he made it very clear.
He says, Whoever loses his lifefor my sake will find it.
This certainly sounds like aparadox, and it is.
It's the paradox ofdiscipleship.
Losing to gain, dying to live.

(04:39):
It seems so opposite.
But it's true.
Now we see examples of thisthroughout the scriptures.
I think of the rich young rulerin Mark chapter 10.
He wanted eternal life.
But when Jesus told him to gosell what he had and follow, he

(05:02):
walked away sorrowful.
He couldn't let go of control.
He wanted Jesus and his wealth.
He wanted to live and havelife.
He wasn't willing to die togain life.
Simply put, we can't carry thecross in one hand and the world
in the other.

(05:22):
Another example would be Peter,James, and John.
Certainly they had their upsand downs as disciples.
Peter's denial, James and Johnwanting position and authority.
They wanted status in thekingdom.
They even asked Jesus, youknow, permit us to sit at your

(05:43):
right hand and at your left.
And they so they certainlyweren't not perfect disciples.
But what we do see in Peter,James, and John is that they
left everything.
They left their nets, they lefttheir jobs, they left their
family to follow Jesus.
In fact, James and John, thesons of thunder, they're with

(06:04):
their father, Zebedee, in theboat when Jesus calls them.
And they left Zebedee in theboat and followed Jesus.
And in leaving everythingbehind, they found something
infinitely greater.
The joy of walking with theirSavior.
And it certainly cost them.

(06:25):
So what we need to understandis that following Jesus always
costs something.
For some, it's the loss ofcomfort.
For others, reputation.
And for many around the world,it's even their safety or their

(06:48):
lives.
There are many this day thatare giving up their lives, that
are losing their livesphysically for the sake of
Christ.
Especially with what's going onin Africa today.
True discipleship, laying downtheir lives.
But we have to understandhere's the truth Salvation is

(07:13):
free, but following Jesus willcost you everything.
Jesus wants us to weigh thecost.
Jesus wants us to know what weare signing up for before we
sign up.
And in losing everything, weunderstand that the cost is
never greater than the reward.

(07:34):
What cross are you carryingtoday in following Jesus?
Maybe your cross today isobedience even when it's hard.
Or forgiveness, even whenyou're hurt.
Maybe it's faithfulness when noone sees.
Whatever your cross is that youare bearing today, Jesus says,

(07:58):
take it up and follow me.
Jesus does not promise hisfollowers an easy life, but a
fulfilled life.
And it is a life that isrewarding.
And understand this, Jesus willnever ask you to go where he
has not gone.
He is simply asking all of hisfollowers to walk where he

(08:21):
walked.
Because when we think about thelife, the person, the work of
Jesus Christ, did he not carry across?
Did he not go up that hill atCalvary, not for his sins, but
for ours?
He carried a cross for ourredemption, for our salvation.

(08:44):
And so we are to walk in themanner that he walked.
And this leads to the reward ofdiscipleship.
It's the beautiful irony thatwe see.
The cross is never the end ofthe story.
Resurrection is.
So here again is the beautifulirony.

(09:43):
When we die to self, we findtrue freedom.
When we surrender, we discoverjoy.
And when we lose our lives forChrist, we find the life that
the world cannot take away fromus.
The world says, protectyourself, serve yourself.
Jesus says, deny yourself,follow me.

(10:07):
So what will it be for you?
A life of carrying a cross,denying yourself and following
Jesus?
Or a life of protectingyourself, serving yourself,
seeking comfort?
I would rather bear a cross inthis life than bear my sins in

(10:29):
the life to come.
And one day as we stand beforeHim and we think about bearing
our crosses in this life, everysacrifice will seem small
compared to the glory of beingwith Jesus forever.
I'm reminded of Romans chapter8, verse 18.
The sufferings of this presenttime are not worth comparing

(10:53):
with the glory that is to berevealed to us.
And that's the reward.
That's the promise.
That's the outcome of a life offollowing Jesus.
So let's make this practical.
As you think about your owndiscipleship this week, I want
you to ask yourself thesequestions.

(11:14):
What area of your life ishardest to surrender to Jesus
right now?
What's that thing that you'reholding on to that you need to
let go of so that you wouldfollow Jesus more faithfully?
Here's another question.
What does it look like to takeup your cross daily?

(11:37):
It's not a one-time thing, butit's an everyday thing.
What does it look like to takeup your cross in your schedule?
In your family?
In your heart.
And where might God be callingyou to follow him more
faithfully, even when it'suncomfortable?

(11:58):
I want you to remember,discipleship is not about
perfection.
No, it's about direction.
It's where we are heading, whowe are looking to, and who we
are following.
And we are invited by the Lordto take this posture, to take
this gaze and this focus and tolook to Him.

(12:21):
So that we can even in ourdiscipleship do as Jesus did.
Remember his prayer, not mywill, but yours be done.
As he prayed in the Garden ofGethsemane.
So as we think about the costof discipleship, remember that

(12:45):
the cross isn't just somethingthat Jesus carried for you.
It's something that you nowcarry with him.
And in doing so, we understandthe purpose of life.
Because that's truly where lifeis found, is when we are so
focused upon Jesus serving him,loving him, following him.

(13:09):
We were created for this.
We were created for thiscommunion and this fellowship to
be like our creator.
So when we think aboutdiscipleship, the cost is great.
But I would argue that the costof not being as a disciple is

(13:31):
even greater.
What does it profit a man togain the whole world but to
forfeit his soul?
When we cling to our lives, welose them.
When we give them to Christ, wefind joy, we find peace,
purpose, and that lasts forever.
That's something that no man,no circumstance, no trial,

(13:57):
nothing can take from us.
So my encouragement to youtoday is do not run from the
cross.
Run to Jesus.
Remember that he carried hiscross for you, and he desires

(14:17):
that we would carry ours forhim.
It is a radical thought.
Discipleship is radical.
Following Jesus is radical, butit is so worth it.
Jim Elliott said, the latemissionary, that he is no fool
who gives up what he cannot keepin order to gain what he cannot

(14:38):
lose.
And that's the life ofdiscipleship.
Give our lives today to gaineternity with Jesus forever.
What a great exchange.
What a great purpose to livefor.
I want to thank you forlistening to the Pleasing God

(15:00):
Podcast.
If you have any questions, Iwould love to hear from you.
You can reach out at questionsat pleasing godpodcast.org.
And remember, 1 Thessalonians 43.
This is the will of God, yoursanctification.