By John W. Crowder
Next Step, Week 4: The Daily Walk · Luke 9:23
Discipleship is not “I made a decision, and now I’m here.” It doesn’t work that way. It is direction, steps, journey, and doors opening. It is a process.
One Verse, Phrase by Phrase
For the last few weeks we’ve been breaking down one verse phrase by phrase, and this week we finish it.
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23, ESV)
The first Sunday, we saw that following Christ is an open invitation: “If anyone would come after me.” The good news is that you are an anyone. Jesus’ invitation is to anyone who would come.
Then we looked at “let him deny himself.” That means I’m not going to be the most important one in my life anymore. In order to glorify Christ, I’m setting my wants aside so that He becomes the most important one in my life.
Then came “take up his cross.” Discipleship is not just following a philosophy, and it isn’t just believing in Jesus. It is dying to self. Taking up the cross means I’m going to crucify who I was without Jesus, and that person will no longer exist. Instead, I am someone new in Christ.
This week I want us to think about following Him in a very special way. In this verse, Luke uses a word we don’t find in the other two Gospels that record this moment. Dr. Luke paid very close attention to detail, so it’s not surprising that he included this important detail when the others didn’t. Matthew and Mark both record, “let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34). Luke writes, “take up his cross daily.”
If you highlight or underline in your Bible, circle that word daily, so the next time you come to this passage it will catch your attention. That word is so very important, because yesterday’s commitment does not ensure today’s obedience.
Did you catch that? Yesterday’s commitment does not ensure today’s obedience. Just because you took up your cross once in the past, and just because you denied yourself once in the past, doesn’t mean you are really following Him today. It requires a daily expression, a daily experience. So let’s talk about the daily walk. Every day is an expression of faith.
Start Each Day Surrendered
The daily walk begins when we start each day surrendered. You take up your cross daily. You come after Him daily. You deny yourself daily. You follow Him daily. And it begins every day when we start that day surrendered.
Here’s what I mean. You’re going to wake up first thing in the morning, and before you have that cup of coffee or that Dr Pepper, before you turn on your favorite news channel (whichever one that might be), even before the light from the phone hits your eyes, the first thing you’re going to do every day is say, “Lord, today is Your day. Use it for Your glory.”
Start each day surrendered, so we don’t make the mistake of thinking, “I was in church last Sunday, so I’m covered for about a week.” We don’t want to make that mistake. We want to follow daily, deny daily, and take up the cross daily. So we’re going to start every day intentionally, on purpose, surrendered.
The book of Lamentations is the saddest book of the Bible. Jeremiah looked around his town, and it was in shambles. It had just been attacked. People were hurt, people had died, people were missing, and the city was destroyed. So he sat down and wrote Lamentations. To lament is to mourn, so Lamentations is mourning written down.
And yet, much like the Whisingers reminded us that God is at work even in hard experiences, right smack dab in the middle of the saddest book of the Bible you find this:
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22–23, ESV)
As the old hymn says, “Morning by morning new mercies I see.” It’s a daily experience.
At the worst time in his life, Jeremiah found that light in the middle of the darkness. Our circumstances change every day. Things around us change every day. But you know what never changes? God’s character. And since His love is based on His character, His love is steadfast. It never changes. He doesn’t love you only when things are going well, or only when you’re a good little boy or a good little girl. He loves you based on His character, which is steadfast. And because of that love, every day there are new mercies.
We don’t want to miss them. So the first thing that happens every day, we say, “Lord, this is Your day. Use it for Your glory.”
Feed on His Word Every Day
The second thing we do every day is feed on His Word. That’s how we make it a daily walk.
Perhaps you’ve heard of the Bereans. They lived early in church history, and they are described in Acts 17:
Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (Acts 17:11, ESV)
What’s that word? Daily.
You say, “Well, I heard the preacher on Sunday. That’ll cover it.” No. “I went to Sunday school, and the teacher…” No. “I’ve got a podcast I listen to.” That’s awesome. All of those things are great. But it’s your walk. It’s not your preacher’s walk for you, and it’s not your teacher’s walk for you. It’s your walk. You want to spend some time taking in God’s Word every single day.
I believe the primary way God speaks to us is through His Word. That’s why it’s called His Word. That’s how He talks to us. We’re missing out on a big chunk of the communication, a big part of the plan, if we’re not listening by taking in His Word every day.
On Sunday I brought a box with me. It’s a recipe box. (How many of you know my wife is a good cook?) Lisa and Ashley have this box, and it says “Mom and Ashley’s Recipes.” Early on they began sharing recipes and storing them in here. There are recipes from church members from years ago. There are grandparents’ recipes. There’s Lisa’s handwriting. Eventually Lisa will add more family recipes, and then this will become Ashley’s recipe box. Ain’t that beautiful?
But you know what? If Ashley takes that box and sets it on the coffee table, and it stays closed, she can walk by and say, “I’ve got Mama’s recipes. I’ve got Mama’s recipes.” And nobody is going to enjoy any of that food until she opens the box, takes out a recipe, and makes it her own.
So often you and I feel good about the fact that we’ve got our Bible. It sits right there on the coffee table. It’s on the shelf. It’s on my nightstand. (You’re really spiritual if it’s on the nightstand instead of the coffee table.) “I’ve got my Bible.” But having it doesn’t do anything until you actually open it, take out a part, and make it a part of who you are, daily.
Take One Next Step Every Day, and Give Thanks
Every day is surrendered to Him. Every day we take a part from His Word. And then every day we take one next step and give thanks.
What I mean is that every single day you’re going to consciously, purposefully decide, “Here’s at least one thing I’m going to do today to move forward.” “The Lord has told me for a long time that I need to make that phone call, and I’ve been putting it off for ten years. I’m going to make that phone call.” “I’m finally going to forgive so-and-so, even though they don’t deserve it.”
You know, if you forgive somebody who doesn’t deserve it, that’s called grace. And without grace, you wouldn’t be here. Since we’ve received grace, maybe we could learn to show it to others.
We pick one step every day. Then at the end of the day we say, “Thank You, God, for bringing me closer to You with that one step.” No great big gestures. No huge promises. Just a step every day with the Lord.
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15–16, ESV)
We’re going to run out of time. So instead of waking up one day and saying, “Man, I’m still back here. I wish I had…,” we’re going to make the most of every day.
Three Habits for Every Day
On Sunday everyone got a take-home card, “My Daily Walk.” Put it somewhere you’ll see it this week, because I’m challenging you to do three things every day.
Morning: pray. Not a hard, complicated prayer. You can do that later in the day. Before your brain is even completely awake, before you pick up your phone, give the day to the Lord.
Midday: read. “I don’t know where to start.” Here’s a fun plan. Read one chapter of Luke a day, since that’s where our verse comes from. Luke has twenty-four chapters, so you’ll see the whole story of Jesus, the One we’re learning to follow, and finish just before Thanksgiving.
Evening: thank. As you lie down and just before you fall asleep, say, “Thank You, Lord. I gave You the day. It was Your day. You did something. You helped me take that step. Thank You for being God.”
Lord, help us develop habits that make us more like Christ, habits that help us walk a worthy walk. Develop within us a hunger for Your Word, a desire for true discipleship, and an eagerness to take one more step with You and then give You the thanks. These things don’t come naturally to us, so we ask for Your help and Your strength, and then we have to be intentional. Help us make those everyday decisions, so that we might be more and more like Christ. In His name, Amen.
Watch the full message, “The Daily Walk,” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p5_bUcxzG8. Listen to the audio at https://fbcwest.com/sermons/the-daily-walk/. For the “My Daily Walk” checklist, the Luke reading tracker, and a closing prayer, open this week’s Sermon Companion at fbcwest.com/companion.
This was the final week of Next Step. Next Sunday we begin a new series, Thanks Out Loud, with “What God Really Wants” (Psalm 50). Join us at 8:00 or 10:30 AM, or watch online at 10:30 at fbcwest.com/livestream.
John W. Crowder is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in West, Texas.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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