PCC Sermons Podcast · Pompey Community Church

The Call of Discipleship

·54 min·3 clips

Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

The sermon begins by turning to Luke chapter 9 and the question that drives the gospel's story. It returns to the feeding of the five thousand and to the claim that Jesus came not only to give bread but to be bread, the one who satisfies fully and finally. The question is plain: who is Jesus, and why does that answer matter more than any other answer in life? Peter and the disciples confess him as the Christ. The preacher says that this recognition is a gift from God, revealed by the Holy Spirit rather than found by human cleverness. Jesus then answers in a surprising way. Instead of sending the news everywhere, he strictly charges them to tell no one. The reason follows at once. The Son of Man must suffer, be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised on the third day. The sermon stays there for a while. It notes that the disciples did not understand then, and that even after the crucifixion and resurrection they would still need their eyes opened. Luke 24 is brought in as the proof. On the road to Emmaus, two disciples speak with the risen Jesus without realizing who is standing in front of them. Their disappointment is open and raw. They had hoped he was the one to redeem Israel, yet his death seemed to shatter those hopes. That scene becomes both a warning and a comfort. It warns against seeing Jesus only through immediate expectations, and it comforts listeners who know that understanding comes when God reveals it. The sermon keeps coming back to the idea that divine disclosure is what makes confession possible. It ties the disciples' recognition to the Spirit's work in every believer. From there it moves toward discipleship. Jesus is not only the Christ to be identified. He is the one to be followed. The closing prayer asks for help in answering the question of what it means to follow him. It names the places where people hold tightly to their own will and their own way. It asks God to loosen that grip by the Holy Spirit. It asks for the grace to see God's way as better, not just in the long run but for present good. The message ends with worship, blessing, and a pastoral sendoff.

As heard by us

A steady sermon on Jesus' identity, his suffering, and the cost of following him.

Luke 9:18-27 stays centered on one question: who is Jesus, and what does it cost to answer well? The passage moves from the feeding of the 5,000 to Peter's confession, then to Jesus' command to keep quiet and his clear claim that the Son of Man must suffer, be rejected, be…

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Why you'd press play

You want a clear, Scripture-led answer to what following Jesus really costs.

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