Loyal to Jesus

Dr. Michael Youssef, Ph.D. Leading the Way

Read Luke 14:25-35.

In Luke 14, Jesus has large crowds following Him—He often had large crowds following Him. Conventional wisdom would say, “Jesus, get them on Your good side first. Tell them what they want to hear. Jesus, tell them how wonderful they are. Tell them to name whatever they want and then claim it, and then whatever it is will be theirs.” Or maybe we would advise Jesus, “Don’t tell them the true cost of discipleship yet. Maybe start with a short Bible study first. Then, You can work Your way up to the difficult stuff.” But Jesus does nothing of the sort.

With Jesus, there are no misleading subtleties. There is no fine print or sugar coating. He spells out exactly what it will cost to be His disciple: unfettered loyalty. He says that unless a person hates their own family—and even their own life—they cannot be His disciple (see Luke 14:26). Then He adds, “And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (v. 27). Jesus made it absolutely clear there will be sacrifices to following Him—at the heart of which is an undeterred commitment to Him.

You may be thinking, “But this sounds so harsh! Does Jesus really want me to hate my family?” Well, no, Jesus wants you to truly love your family with a selfless, divine love that can only come from a total commitment to the God who is love. To every would-be disciple, Jesus declares that any love that does not flow from loyalty to our Redeemer will be a possessive love, and if it is possessive, it will compete with Jesus for our affections. Not only this, but possessive love is selfish at best and cannot be eternal, while the love that comes from a life set free from sin and death by the blood of Christ is higher, deeper, and richer than we could possibly imagine.

The loyalty and commitment that true disciples have for their Savior compels them to exercise love like Christ, witness for Christ, claim Him boldly, and worship Him with every part of their lives—whether their money, time, energy, or lips. True disciples value intimacy with Jesus more than entertainment, prayer more than power, Truth more than earthly treasure, and surrender more than worldly success. Jesus is honest and clear when He calls His disciples to consider the cost of following Him, for a half-hearted commitment simply won’t do.

Prayer: Lord, I have counted the cost and see that a life lived for You, in Truth and bearing the fruit of Your Spirit, is worth every hardship for Your name. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).

Learn more in Dr. Michael Youssef’s sermon Enduring Wisdom, Part 8: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOW

Check out more from Dr. Michael Youssef, here!

About The Author

Dr. Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

Even before he was born, it is clear that God had a vision for Michael Youssef. His mother was in poor health when she became pregnant with Michael, and because his life was in danger at the time of birth, the doctor recommended terminating the pregnancy. An abortion was scheduled. But God intervened and sent the family pastor to reassure them that God was involved in this pregnancy. He told them not to be afraid and that the child would be "born to serve the Lord." Michael's parents accepted the pastor's message as a message from God and obeyed. His mother gave birth, and lived to see him give his life to the Lord at the age of sixteen.


Believing that God had called him out of Egypt, Michael sought an exit visa in a time in which no university student was allowed to have a passport or leave the country. God intervened again, and miraculously he managed to acquire a visa. He immigrated to Australia, where he studied at Moore Theological College in Sydney, was ordained as a pastor, and met Elizabeth who became his wife.


The Youssefs came to America in 1977, and in 1978 Michael received a master's degree in theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in California. Then he earned a doctorate in social anthropology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Michael served nearly ten years in the Haggai Institute, traveling around the world more than 32 times, teaching courses in evangelism and leadership. He rose to the position of Managing Director at the age of 31 years. The family settled in Atlanta, and in 1984, Michael became a citizen of the United States, making his dream of many years come true.


He founded The Church of The Apostles in 1987 with fewer than 40 adults with the mission of "Equipping the Saints and Searching for the Lost". The church has since grown to be a congregation of over 3,000 people today. This church has driven the international ministry of Leading the Way. While it is heard by millions at home and abroad, behind every message preached through radio waves, is the heart of a pastor, willing to nurture and care for these people. Clearly God has uniquely equipped Dr. Youssef to speak to a global audience. The path he has taken has given him an understanding and firm grasp of the Scriptures that transcend cultures. He preaches, teaches and calls with a sincere, based on the authority of the inerrant, inspired Word of God. With his personal knowledge of the Holy Land, its history and culture, Dr. Michael Youssef transmits life to listeners all over the world.

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