More Than Convenient: Devoted Disciples in a Consumer Age

Luke 9:23 “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Big Idea

True discipleship looks inconvenient on the calendar, but it’s the only path to life—for our families, our church, and our city.

Introduction: The God of Convenience

If we’re being honest this morning, most of us worship at the altar of convenience. That’s the god of our age. We live in a world where we can order groceries with one click, watch an entire season of a show in a weekend, and have dinner dropped at our door in 20 minutes. Our world is built to keep us comfortable, entertained, and efficient. And the danger is that we start to approach Jesus in the same way. We start to think, “How can I add Him into my schedule, into my rhythm, into my already busy life, without too much disruption?”

But listen to what Jesus actually says in Luke 9:23: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” That doesn’t sound convenient. That doesn’t sound like a part-time commitment or a hobby you fit in when you have free time. That sounds like a whole new way of life.

And church, I want us to hear this: the call to discipleship is inconvenient, but it is the only path to real life—for your family, for our church, and for this city. Canada doesn’t need more casual Christians. Brampton doesn’t need more consumer churches. What this city needs is a people devoted to Jesus, who are willing to deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Him.

Point 1 — Deny Yourself: Countering Consumer Christianity

Jesus begins with the words, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself.” That’s the first step of discipleship: to recognize that following Jesus is not about Him bending to our convenience but us surrendering to His Lordship.

Think about how much of our lives revolve around self. We’re discipled every day by algorithms. Did you know the average Canadian spends over six hours a day on screens? That’s more than a quarter of our day being shaped by TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Netflix. If we are not being discipled by Jesus in His Word, we are being discipled by the world into self-absorption.

Let’s bring that down into family life. Parents, can I be straight with you? If you don’t disciple your kids in the Word, TikTok will. Netflix will. Their friends at school will. You have to ask: Who’s forming their worldview—Christ or culture?

Now, I’m not saying throw out your phone or cancel every show. I’m saying let’s start small. This week, cut one hour of screen time and replace it with Scripture meditation and prayer. Instead of scrolling for another hour, open the Gospel of Mark, read one chapter with your family, and ask, “What does this show us about Jesus?”

And for us as a church, this is why we can’t operate with a consumer mindset. Worship is not a concert. Preaching is not a TED Talk. The church doesn’t exist for our preferences; it exists for God’s glory. Denying ourselves means we come not asking, “What did I get out of it?” but rather, “How did I give myself to God and to His people today?”

Point 2 — Take Up Your Cross Daily: Embracing the Inconvenience

Jesus doesn’t stop at self-denial. He adds, “Take up your cross daily.” Now hear me: the cross was not a necklace or a wall decoration. It was a tool of execution. To take up your cross meant you were walking toward death. Jesus is saying discipleship is costly.

And that word “daily” matters. This isn’t just at a youth retreat or a worship night. It’s Monday morning on the commute. It’s Tuesday night when you’re exhausted from work and the kids are wild. It’s Wednesday when temptation comes. It’s daily, persistent surrender.

Now, here’s where this confronts us. We live in one of the safest, most comfortable nations in the world. We’re not facing violent persecution like many of our brothers and sisters globally. Did you know that in Nigeria, believers risk their lives simply gathering for worship? In India, house churches face harassment and violence. Those brothers and sisters don’t treat discipleship as optional. Yet here in Canada, a little rain, a long work week, or a busy kids’ sports schedule can keep us from gathering with God’s people.

Church, do you see the contrast? They risk their lives for discipleship. We risk our discipleship for convenience.

So here’s the application. Commit to a discipleship group. Not just attending Sunday once in a while, but sitting weekly with a few brothers and sisters in Christ, confessing sin, reading Scripture, and praying together. Parents, show your kids that Jesus is worth more than the hockey tournament or the overtime shift. Church family, let’s build rhythms that expect inconvenience—because following Jesus was never meant to be easy. It was meant to be worth it.

Point 3 — Follow Me: Advancing the Gospel in Brampton

Finally, Jesus says, “Follow me.” This isn’t just about denying self and bearing burdens. It’s about walking with Jesus into mission. Discipleship is active, not passive.

And if there’s ever a city that needs disciples who will actually follow Jesus, it’s Brampton. Do you know that in our city of over 700,000 people, more than half were born outside of Canada? The religious makeup is one of the most diverse in the country: about 36% Christian, 25% Sikh, 18% Hindu, 9% Muslim, and over 10% with no religion at all. That means on your street, in your office, at your kid’s school, you are surrounded by people who desperately need to see and hear Jesus.

Now listen: the city can build community centers. The government can fund programs. But only the church can show people Jesus Christ. That’s our calling.

So what does it look like to follow Jesus here? It looks like writing down three neighbors or coworkers you will pray for daily. It looks like inviting a newcomer family over for a meal. It looks like practicing hospitality across cultural lines, so the watching world sees that Christ is enough to unite every tribe, tongue, and nation—even here in Brampton.

For us as a church, it means we reject the consumer mindset that says, “Feed me, entertain me, serve me.” Instead we say, “Send me. Use me. Shape me into a disciple who makes disciples.” It means launching intercultural groups where believers from different backgrounds pray and serve together. It means hosting spaces where seekers can hear the gospel in an environment that’s honest, hospitable, and Spirit-filled.

Conclusion: Cross Before Convenience

So here’s the invitation from Jesus: Deny yourself. Take up your cross daily. Follow me.

That doesn’t sound convenient. But church, convenience never saved anyone. Comfort never transformed a city. Jesus did. And He promises in the very next verse, Luke 9:24: “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

Brampton doesn’t need another church built on convenience. It needs a cross-shaped community—families who deny themselves, disciples who carry their crosses daily, and a church that follows Jesus wherever He leads.

Yes, it will disrupt our schedules. Yes, it will be costly. But the reward is eternal life, gospel transformation, and a community where Jesus gets the glory and the city gets His love.

So let’s put the cross before convenience. Let’s pursue discipleship together, not because it’s easy, but because it’s worth it.

Closing Prayer

“Father, forgive us for making discipleship about our convenience. We confess that we often choose comfort over the cross. Would You, by Your Spirit, make us a church that denies ourselves, takes up our cross daily, and follows Jesus with joy? Let our families be marked by devotion, our community shaped by the gospel, and our city of Brampton see Christ through us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”