Teaching Summary: Following Jesus to the Finish

Baptism is a step of faith at the beginning of life with Jesus. It’s full of meaning—going under the water and being raised is a picture of Jesus’ burial and resurrection. But it’s more than symbolic—it’s a profound spiritual reality. Romans 6:4 says: We were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised… we also should walk in newness of life. Through baptism, believers share in Christ’s victory over sin and death.

But baptism is just the beginning. Jesus says in Luke 9:23: If anyone would come after me, let them deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow me. That’s the middle—learning the way of Jesus every day.

Then there’s the end. Matthew 24:12–13 says: Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. Our aim is to follow Jesus all the way to the finish. Not everybody does. John 6:66 says: From this time many… no longer followed him.

So how can we follow Jesus daily all the way to the finish? Because following Jesus isn’t easy. As we follow Him, we discover that there are often gaps between what we believe about God and what we experience from God. These gaps tests our faith.

Hagar’s story in Genesis reveals one of these gaps. Mistreated by Sarah. Twice, discarded and abandoned in the wilderness—once pregnant with Ishmael, and later sent away with him to die. If you were in her shoes, you might think: I know God loves me, but I can’t feel it.

We believe God loves us, but sometimes hardship leaves us wondering if His love has grown thin. The gap isn’t always the hardship—it’s the story we tell ourselves when we’re struggling: I’m not enough… God must be tired of me. Often that story is fueled by the “inner critic”—the condemning voice we often mistake for God’s.

But 1 John 3:19–20 says: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts. When your heart condemns you, God speaks the truth: you are deeply loved, and nothing can separate you from that love.

Job’s story shows a different gap. He was blameless and upright—and yet lost his children, wealth, and health. In Job 23, he cries: If only I knew where to find him… I would state my case before him. We’ve been there—especially when suffering or waiting for God’s provision: I know God is with me, but I can’t see him.

Why does He sometimes feel hidden? One reason is false needs that cloud our vision: control, perfection, knowing the answer, being there for everyone, and approval. These are God-sized tasks, and taking them on ourselves is like running a marathon with a backpack full of bricks. Psalm 46 says: Be still, and know that I am God. It’s a reminder that I’m not God—and that’s good news.

Job never got all the answers, but he got God’s presence. And in the end, that was enough.

Then there’s the gap of progress. Moses spent 40 years in Pharaoh’s palace, 40 years in the wilderness, and by the time God called him, he thought his moment had passed. We can feel the same. Old habits return. Character flaws we thought were gone reappear. We think: I should be further along than I am now.

Sometimes the heaviest cross we carry is made of unrealistic expectations. We often live on the “preventative” side of the gospel—Jesus died so I won’t mess up again. But the more foundational side is the redemptive gospel—Jesus died because I will mess up again.

The gospel doesn’t prevent all failure—it redeems us in it. That’s why Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12: God’s power is made perfect in weakness. God used Moses’ delays to shape him into the leader Israel needed. What feels like a setback may be God’s slow, steady work in you. He’s not behind schedule—and He’s not done.

Maybe you’ve set your cross down—not all at once, but little by little. You’ve been going through the motions without the practices that keep your heart anchored in God’s love, your mind resting in His presence, and your life aligned with His pace.

The good news? Jesus isn’t here to shame you—He sees you and he’s here to invite you to pick up your cross again and keep going. Confront your inner critic with God’s truth. Let God be God and you be you. Replace unrealistic expectations with God’s timing.