The Gospel Requires Sacrifice

What does it truly mean to follow Jesus? This week's message from Acts 21 challenged us to look at the Apostle Paul's willingness to walk into certain imprisonment for the sake of the gospel. Paul was not the same man who once persecuted believers. He had been completely transformed by Christ.

Jesus made it clear in Matthew 16:24 that following Him requires denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and walking in His footsteps. That means sacrifice. It means giving up our rights, our retaliation, and our worry so that Christ can truly live in us. And when we do, we gain everything that matters most.

The gospel does not advance through anger or violence. It advances through lives surrendered to Jesus. Two former Muslims came to faith not through hostility but through believers who sacrificed their comfort to share truth with love. That is the power of a transformed life.

Are you a believer, or are you a follower? The altar is always open.