You won the lottery! But, do you want to collect? Luke 9:23-27 ESV

1. Introduction
   1. Imagine you won the lottery!
   2. Context. The disciples have finally figured out that Jesus is the Messiah. (vs. 18-20)
   3. But then He upturns everything they imagined (vs. 21-22)
   4. To follow Jesus requires a willingness to suffer shame and self-sacrifice to the point of death.
2. We are called to follow Jesus by giving our lives away to him, to face rejection and possibly even death (v. 23)
   1. Deny himself – You are not the owner of your life, Jesus is. First and foremost, you live for Him and His Kingdom.
   2. Take up his cross daily – Rejection, persecution, even martyrdom, a daily choice. 
   3. Follow me – 
      1. You choose to become learners and listeners of Jesus and His Spirit.
      2. We must be ready to experience what Jesus experienced.
3. It has to be this way (vs. 24-26)
   1. There is only one way to hold on to your life – by giving it away to Jesus (v. 24).
   2. There is only one way to gain what is worth having – if it is given to you by Jesus (v. 25).
   3. There is only one side to be on – that of Jesus (v. 26).
4. Application
   1. Are you afraid of this call?
   2. What this does not mean
   3. It sounds like a bad deal, but Jesus knows the true path to life, and offers us what we can’t get on our own. 
      1. Rest – Matt 11:28-29.
      2. Much more – Luke 18:18-30.
   4. This is the way back to how life was originally meant to be lived – under God’s leadership (v. 27)