The Danger of Almost
Luke 9:23-25 | July 5, 2026
Juan Carlos Heredia, Pastor – Spanish Ministry – SCBC
“Almost” following Jesus reassures us with the illusion of obedience.
Jesus never called us to be His admirers; He called us to be His followers.
Knowledge without obedience becomes self-deception.
- James 1:22 “But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
- Luke 9:23 (NET) “Then he said to them all, ‘If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
Jesus’ followers cannot get by with our “almost” when He demands our all.
Living on our own terms guarantees we will lose our lives.
- Luke 9:24a (NET) For whoever wants to save his life will lose it…
Saving our lives requires surrendering them to Jesus.
- Luke 9:24b (NET) …but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it.
Stop trading the eternal for the temporary.
- Luke 9:25 (NET) For what does it benefit someone if he gains the whole world, and yet loses or forfeits himself?
Nothing you surrender to Jesus is greater than what you gain in Jesus.
Most of us will probably never be asked to die for Jesus, but every one of us is asked to live for Him.
The world doesn’t need more “almost” followers of Jesus. It desperately needs more “all-in” followers of Jesus.