Discipleship

A sermon on Discipleship preached in the First Sunday after Trinity 2026

First Sunday in Trinity Season 7th July 2026 Take up your cross and follow me

2 | P a g e

3 | P a g e Matthew 16:21-26 21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ 23 But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’ 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

4 | P a g e Over the next four Sunday we – and that’s not just here at St Stephen’s, but all our congregations right across the Ministry Area, are going to be looking in detail at our priorities here in our City. Today we are all looking and thinking about Discpleship – at 6pm this evening we shall all be gathering in All Saints Brynglas with a guest speaker - Baptist Minister - Rev Rob - and is another look at discipleship. Please come and join us should be a good evening - if you need a lift please let us know

5 | P a g e Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me Taking Up the Cross in Today’s World Matthew 16:24; Romans 12:1–2; John 15:4–5 "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24) Prayer: Father, speak to us by your Word and Spirit. Show us the truth about our lives, and draw us deeper into discipleship with Jesus. Amen.

6 | P a g e 1. The Call That Does Not Change Jesus’ words in Matthew 16 are among the most challenging he ever spoke: "Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me." In the time of Jesus a disciple was someone who attached themselves to a teacher (a rabbi) in order to learn not only what the teacher taught, but how the teacher lived. Disciples lived closely with their teacher, travelled with them, observed them, and copied them. The goal was not simply: • to know what Jesus knew, • but to become like Jesus. This was not a hobby added to an existing life. It became the centre of life. A disciple's identity became: "I belong to this teacher and am learning his way." Ancient rabbis expected disciples to imitate them. Jesus' disciples watched: • how he prayed, • how he treated outsiders, • how he responded to criticism, • how he handled power, • how he trusted the Father. The goal was transformation. It was like becoming an apprentice to a master craftsman. The disciple's aim is not merely to know what Jesus taught, but to become the kind of person Jesus was.

7 | P a g e Not: improve yourself. Not: add a bit of religion. Not: manage your spiritual life alongside everything else. But surrender. Cost. Directional change. And yet we hear these words today in a very different world—an age of distraction, anxiety, ambition, and constant noise. Paul warns us: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12:2) The pressure today is often not persecution but distraction. Not chains, but noise. And so Jesus’ call cuts through it all: Follow me. 2. The Four Disciples Among Us To help us see ourselves clearly, let’s consider four ordinary disciples. These are not categories to label others, but mirrors to examine ourselves. You may recognise yourself in more than one.

8 | P a g e Peter the Path Disciple Peter has been around church a long time. He knows the rhythms. He knows the language. He knows how to look like he is listening. But somewhere along the way, familiarity has dulled attentiveness. Jesus says, “Take up your cross,” and Peter hears it—but it doesn’t land deeply anymore. Life is full. Thoughts are elsewhere. Faith becomes background noise. He is not resisting Jesus. He is simply not being transformed by him. The danger for Peter is spiritual drift. Jesus’ words pass by, but they do not penetrate. Yet Jesus says: "If you remain in my word, you are truly my disciples." (John 8:31) The invitation is to wake again—to let the word of Christ become weighty, personal, and life-shaping.

9 | P a g e Ryan the Rocky Disciple Ryan loves Jesus. When he first encountered the gospel, something ignited in him. Worship felt alive. Prayer felt powerful. Church felt like family. He is enthusiastic, expressive, often encouraging others. But Jesus also speaks of the cross. And over time, Ryan discovers something difficult: enthusiasm alone does not sustain discipleship. Trials come. Prayer feels unanswered. Faith is tested. Following Jesus costs more than expected. Jesus warned: "Whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:27) Ryan’s challenge is not lack of passion—but lack of depth. He needs roots. He needs the Spirit to turn moments of inspiration into lifelong perseverance. Because Jesus does not only call us to beginnings of faith, but to endurance in faith.

10 | P a g e Thomas the Thorny Disciple Thomas genuinely loves Jesus. His faith is real. But his life is crowded. Work pressure. Financial responsibility. Career ambition. Family expectations. Constant mental load. Nothing obviously sinful—but everything competing. Jesus says: “Follow me.” And Thomas says: “Yes—but…” Jesus says: “Seek first the kingdom.” (Matthew 6:33) And life says: “Seek first security.” The thorns are not always evil things. Often they are good things that become ultimate things. Jesus warns: "The worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful." (Matthew 13:22) Thomas does not reject Jesus. He simply cannot hear him clearly above everything else. The invitation is reordering—not abandonment. Christ at the centre, not the margins.

11 | P a g e Margaret the Fruitful Disciple Margaret is steady. Not flashy. Not loud. Not necessarily visible. But faithful. Over years, she has learned to say yes to Jesus again and again. When Jesus says, “Deny yourself,” she trusts him. When Jesus says, “Take up your cross,” she continues. When Jesus says, “Follow me,” she follows. H er life is marked by fruit: • patience in difficulty • forgiveness when it is costly • generosity without recognition • prayer in seasons of dryness • faithfulness over decades Jesus says: "This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (John 15:8) Margaret’s life quietly reflects that promise. Not because she is perfect, but because she has remained in Christ.

12 | P a g e 3. A World That Competes for Our Hearts All four disciples live in the same world we do: • a world of constant distraction • a world of anxiety and comparison • a world of ambition and pressure • a world of identity and performance Jesus says: "You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24) And again: "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" (Matthew 16:26) The question is not whether we will follow something—but what we will follow most deeply. 4. The Cross in Daily Life Today Taking up the cross in the 21st century is not usually dramatic. It is often quiet and ordinary: • choosing integrity when compromise is easier • choosing prayer when distraction is easier • choosing forgiveness when resentment is easier • choosing generosity when self-protection is easier • choosing truth when silence or distortion is easier Paul writes: "Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God." (Romans 12:1) A living sacrifice is daily. ongoing. intentional.

13 | P a g e 5. The Holy Spirit and the Life of Discipleship None of this is possible in our own strength. Jesus says: "Apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) But he also promises: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you." (Acts 1:8) This is not self-improvement. It is Spirit-empowered transformation. The Spirit: • wakes the sleepy heart (Peter) • strengthens the shallow roots (Ryan) • clears the choking thorns (Thomas) • deepens the fruitful life (Margaret) Discipleship is not simply trying harder. It is learning to abide more deeply in Christ. At work, at home, in family, in relationships – in all we do!

14 | P a g e 6. Where Are We Today? Most of us recognise all four disciples in ourselves: • times of spiritual drift like Peter • bursts of enthusiasm like Ryan • seasons of distraction like Thomas • glimpses of fruitfulness like Margaret So the question is not simply: Which one am I? But: Where is Jesus calling me to respond today? What needs to be reawakened? What needs to go deeper? What needs to be re-ordered? What needs to be surrendered?

15 | P a g e 7. The Invitation of Jesus Jesus does not call us to admire discipleship. He calls us to follow him. Not partially. Not occasionally. Not conditionally. But fully. "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24) And where we do, we discover what Jesus promised: • life in its fullness, • fruit that lasts, • and the presence of God with us always. Closing Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, in a distracted and demanding world, make us faithful disciples. Forgive where we have grown dull, shallow, or crowded. By your Holy Spirit, deepen our roots, clear our hearts, and renew our love. Teach us to take up our cross daily and follow you. And bring forth fruit in our lives that glorifies your name. Amen.