“You Will Lose Your Life”
Luke 9:23-27
February 22, 2026
Perhaps no advertising campaign has ever been as successful as the one undertaken by the US government in 1917. Initially designed to promote patriotism and enlist men into the military for World War I the campaign has persisted and remained an iconic slogan in American culture: “[Uncle Sam] wants you for U.S. Army…”
It has been noted that “The impact of the poster was immediate and profound. It wasn’t just a call to arms; it became a symbol of American patriotism, urging citizens to contribute to the war effort in any way they could. The poster’s design, with Uncle Sam dressed in stars and stripes, pointing directly at the viewer, was a masterstroke of persuasive art. It personalized the recruitment message, making each viewer feel individually addressed and responsible for the country’s fate.” This poster and other similar efforts did the job: over three million men were conscripted into service and $24 billion in war bonds were raised.
One of the attributes of that recruiting campaign is that it did not minimize the largeness or hardness of the task to which the American public was being called. The need was made clear. And still the government solicited people to invest their money and their lives in the venture. And they did.
It seems counter-intuitive to say, “Let’s tell people the task is hard and then they will invest themselves.” The American government was (unwittingly) following the pattern of Christ, who articulated the hardness of following Him — and then said, “Now follow me.” The call that Jesus gave the Twelve and the crowds in His first century ministry remains the same today. Listen to what Jesus says in Luke 9:23-27 —
Follow Christ (believe in Him) because it will cost you everything.
And you will gain far more.
Jesus is calling you to faith in Him. You will lose your life. It will cost you everything. And it will give you infinitely more. In this passage we see four declarations of what it means to believe in Jesus as Savior…
- Believing in Jesus Means Denying Yourself (v. 23)
- Believing in Jesus Means Losing Your Life (vv. 24-25)
- Believing in Jesus Means Not Being Ashamed (v. 26)
- Believing in Jesus Means Having the Kingdom of God (v. 27)
Download the rest of this sermon on Luke 9:23-27.
The audio will be posted on the GBC website by Tuesday.
Words of Grace 