Luke 18:18–30
Watch the full message here:
What does it really mean to follow Jesus?
Sometimes we approach our relationship with Christ as though Jesus is simply something we add to the life we already have. We have our plans, priorities, relationships, careers, possessions, and goals—and then we find a place for Jesus somewhere among them.
But that isn’t how a committed relationship works. When two people marry, they don’t continue living as though they’re single. Their decisions now affect one another. What was once “mine” becomes “ours.” Life fundamentally changes.
Yet we can approach Jesus differently. We say we belong to Him while continuing to make our decisions, spend our money, set our priorities, and plan our futures without considering Him at all.
In Luke 18:18–30, Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler shows us the difference between adding religion to our lives and actually following Christ.
1. What We Think Following Jesus Looks Like
The rich young ruler appeared to have everything going for him. He was wealthy, respected, successful, and religious.
He approached Jesus and asked:
“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” — Luke 18:18
Notice the question: What must I do?
Jesus pointed him toward the commandments, and the man confidently responded that he had kept them since his youth.
His understanding of faith was built around accomplishment. He had done the right things. He knew the law. He had lived a respectable life. Now he wanted to know what else he needed to add to the list.
We can easily fall into the same mindset.
We attend church. We go to Sunday School. We serve. We give. We try to be good people. And somewhere along the way, Christianity can become another checklist of things we do.
We begin asking a different version of the rich young ruler’s question: What’s the least I need to do and still get what I want?
That’s consumer Christianity. We show up, receive something, and go home. We want enough Jesus to make us feel secure without allowing Him to disrupt the life we’ve built for ourselves.
But following Jesus was never meant to be another accomplishment we add to our résumé.
2. What Following Jesus Actually Looks Like
Jesus saw what the rich young ruler couldn’t see about himself.
There was something standing between this man and complete allegiance to God.
“Sell all you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” — Luke 18:22
Jesus wasn’t simply giving him another box to check. He was exposing his heart.
The man’s wealth was more than something he possessed—it was something he trusted. His identity, security, and allegiance were tied to what he had accumulated.
Jesus essentially asked him: Which do you want more—what you have, or Me?
The man made his choice. He became extremely sad and walked away.
That’s where we begin to see what following Jesus actually means.
Following Jesus is not merely attending church or identifying ourselves as Christians. It’s surrender. It’s deciding there will be nothing in our lives that we love, trust, or value more than Christ. Our identity isn’t ultimately anchored in our wealth, careers, families, accomplishments, homes, or status.
It’s anchored in Jesus.
And our actions reveal whether that is actually true.
We can say Jesus is Lord while living as though He has little relevance to everyday life. We can call on Him when something goes wrong and then return to living on our own terms once the crisis passes.
But Jesus isn’t simply an emergency contact.
If He is Lord, then following Him affects our relationships, finances, careers, schedules, conversations, priorities, parenting, and plans.
This becomes especially important when we consider the next generation. Children and students don’t only hear what adults say about Jesus; they watch how adults live. We can tell them that following Jesus is the most important thing in life, but our priorities can communicate an entirely different message.
If we want the next generation to become lifelong disciples of Jesus, they need to see what wholehearted discipleship looks like.
Our actions must support what our words say we believe.
3. What We Gain When We Give It All to Jesus
The rich young ruler walked away because the cost seemed too great.
The disciples were stunned.
If a respected, religious, successful man like this couldn’t save himself, then who could?
Jesus answered:
“What is impossible with man is possible with God.” — Luke 18:27
That’s the good news at the center of this passage.
We cannot earn eternal life. We can’t become good enough, religious enough, disciplined enough, or accomplished enough to save ourselves.
Salvation is possible because of God.
Peter then pointed out that the disciples had done what the rich young ruler would not: they had left what they had and followed Jesus.
Jesus responded with a promise. No one who sacrifices for the Kingdom of God will ultimately lose. What is surrendered to Christ cannot compare with what is gained in Him—both now and in eternity.
The Apostle Paul understood this. In Philippians 3, he looked back at everything he had once considered valuable—his accomplishments, status, and religious credentials—and said that compared with knowing Christ, those things no longer held the value they once did.
That’s what happens when we begin to understand who Jesus really is.
The question changes from “How much do I have to give up?” to “Why would I hold onto anything that keeps me from fully following Him?”
Jesus doesn’t promise that discipleship will cost us nothing.
He promises that He is worth the cost.
What Does It Really Mean?
The rich young ruler wanted eternal life, but he wasn’t willing to surrender the life he already had.
Jesus offered him something far greater than another religious achievement:
“Come, follow me.”
That same invitation is extended to us.
So what does it really mean to follow Jesus?
It means moving beyond a faith built around attendance, appearances, and checklists. It means surrendering the things we have trusted more than Christ. It means allowing Jesus to shape not just our Sundays, but every part of our lives.
And it means trusting that whatever we surrender to follow Him cannot compare with what we gain in knowing Him.
Following Jesus costs something.
But He is worth everything.
