2819 Church - THE KING IS HERE | Follow & Be Made | Matthew 4:17-25 | Philip Anthony Mitchell

Episode Date: January 2, 2025

In "FOLLOW & BE MADE" Pastor Philip A. Mitchell brings the FINALE to the life-changing series, "THE KING IS HERE." Welcome to the official Youtube channel for 2819 Church. This channel features powerful and life-impacting messages from Philip Anthony Mitchell and guest communicators. As you listen to these sound biblical messages you can expect to be challenged, stirred, matured and inspired in your faith and walk with God. For more information about us visit 2819Church.org.

To my 2819 family, I love you. Local and abroad. To all of our guests in the room. Those of you watching us live right now in cities across the country. And pockets around the world. Who have deemed 2819 your home church from afar. We love you and we welcome you. We read your testimonies and DMs.

We thank God for you. Those of you who have no home church yet in your local context, we thank you that you're finding life across this camera until God plants you where you need to be. You are our family and you are covered in our prayers.

To the unbelievers in the room, those who are not yet a part of our family of God, we welcome you here. We pray that will change in about 40 minutes. We are in the final week of a series called The King is Here. He is here. And if you miss any of those messages, they are available for you online on YouTube.

I want to ask everyone in our church who is new, who have come in post-pandemic, to download onto your phone to give us a little bit of space for the 2819 app. It's available in the App Store and the Google Play Store. Just give us a little bit of space on your phone. We ask everybody in the room, everybody watching in cities across the country, just give us a little bit of space and download the 2819 church app on your phone. We use that app to minister to you, to encourage you,

to guide you, to let you know what's going on and you have access to an archive of messages and inspirational videos with you wherever you go. Please take some time to download that. I know the wifi is shot in this brick room, but if you get a chance to do that when you leave, download that app.

In Jesus name. I want to give a shout out to one of our 2819 communicators our sister miss Courtney McClendon I do not carry the preaching weight of this church alone. I carry that weight with a team of great elders and Elder Milton and Elder Eric and a team of great communicators and Courtney and Rhonda and Tiana and Pastor Kenny, my wife and all these other communicators who help me carry the weight of the preaching ministry here.

The word of God is not chained to my mouth. It's in your Bible and it comes through vessels who are submitted. Courtney delivered for us week five or week four of this series. We honor her for her faithful teaching. She unpacked for us the first half of chapter four. I'm going to be unpacking for us the back half of chapter four. If you're new, this is a teaching house, so we don't entertain here. We expound upon God's word.

We're in Matthew, a whole series through the year. Matthew, a former outcast, a Jew, wrote the most read document in the Bible to Jews of his generation. We walked you through chapters 1 through 4. Technically, we preach all the Christmas messages in January.

The word of God is not chained to a calendar. It is alive and active and sharpening any two-edged sword. For all my note-takers, we'll unpack chapter 4, verse 17 through 25, the back half of what Courtney left for us

we're going to tag a title to this text follow and be made follow and be made spirit of the living God you who are the author of the living God. You who are the author of the scripture through men who were surrendered and healed.

We ask that you would breathe on the proclamation of God's word now. That you would move up and down these aisles and through these rows. Arresting the attention of the sons and daughters of God and those outside of the kingdom. I pray you give revelation and insight to every person under the sound of my voice and those watching me live right now in cities across the country and pockets around the world. I pray you would help this weak vessel for I am just a mere mortal but by the power of your anointing when the word be properly proclaimed I pray that you would bring conviction, comfort, clarity, challenge, provoke us. Let the weight of the word come to bear on our souls. And may we lead here changed in the mighty and majestic, in the matchless name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

if you agree with me would you just say Amen thank you brother so much Matthew 4 17 through 25 follow and be made. Family, as I was preparing for this message, the Holy Spirit reminded me of an account that happened to me a few years ago.

I think I was in the state of Texas somewhere. Texas, shout out to everybody in Texas. Shout out to my brother, Pastor Brandon Freeman and Lauren Freeman. One of my covenant brothers in the faith. He's had a great impact on this church. I think I might have been in the state of Texas, and I was headed to a conference. If you know anything about Texas, it's extremely large. It's like its own country of sorts.

And obviously, I had no idea where I was going, and so I did what everybody does when you don't know where you're going. You open up your Maps app, and you turn on your GPS. And I plugged in the coordinates to where I needed to be and I began to follow that GPS to where the conference was supposed to begin. Now, it was a very long journey. I might have been driving for maybe about 45 minutes, an hour, maybe longer than that. I don't know. I usually listen to books and podcasts while I drive. I don't really listen to music while I drive. And so I might have been three or four chapters into a book or whatever the case may be in and then without paying attention the GPS brought me to a location that was not where I was supposed to be and it said you've arrived at your destination

and I'm looking around at the barren place that I was in down some alley somewhere with some some trees and some some parking lot that was not developed. And I, in that moment, was really frustrated because I'm thinking about I'm going to be late to where I got to go. I have no idea where I am. And I spent all this time and gas traveling in one direction only to arrive in the very wrong place. And as I sat there in my car, I remember being so frustrated, so angry, so mad, mad at this app, mad at myself for not turning on two apps, the Google and the Apple one, and just frustrated that I spent all this gas, all this money, all this time,

and I ended up in the wrong place. I was lost. I was confused. And I thought to myself, I have no idea where I'm going. Now, my brothers and sisters, that is very frustrating in real life. And in a circumstance like that, you could just put back in some coordinators and recalculate it. That's one thing if it happens to you on your drive. It's a more tragic thing when it happens to human beings in real life.

For I know what it is to be by the bedside of someone in hospice. Someone who has come down to the end of their life. And they realize, man, I spent decades going in one direction only to come down to the end of my life and realize for the last 40 50 years i've been traveling in the wrong direction i know what it is to kneel down at the bedside of people i love who have been traveling for some 80 years only to realize, man, they have wasted all the time that God had given them traveling in the wrong direction. They had built businesses and they had had jobs and they had been married multiple times and they had traveled and been to the Caribbean and did all of that. But now they were in

a jam at the very end of their life and think of themselves, man, I've come this far and realized I've been following the wrong thing. I know what it is to lead a man to Christ a week before he died in his 60s, jammed up in a hospital on his bedside who confessed to spending his whole life going in one direction.

Who just slid into the kingdom. A week after I led him to Jesus. He just barely made it in to glory. He was one week out from being eternally lost. Now my brothers and my sisters. I'm going to tell you something I know about you. And you watch me right now. Everybody in here is following something.

Everybody in here, we're following people. We're following voices. We're following books and podcasts. We're following preachers. Some of us following the wrong voices. The wrong books and podcasts. We got more faith in prophets than Jesus himself. Some of us are following our own thoughts, our own conceived premonitions.

We following our own made up dreams and visions, our own 4 a.m. revelations. Some of us are following wrong perceptions. Everybody is following something or someone. Everybody's following the wind. We're all following something. Some of us are just following our own ideas, our own lusts with a nest, our own desires.

And my question for you, my brothers and sisters, is what are you really following? And here's a better question for you what are you becoming as you're following what you're following because here my heart my brothers and my sisters this life it is a journey it does have a beginning and an end we're all gonna make it out the same way in a casket or a box. And on this journey, on this road that you're on, my question for you is as you're traveling through your life, your little three score and 10, if you get 70 years, praise God, more

than that, God is good. But on your journey, I'm talking to you seriously this morning, what or who are you following? And this question means more or who are you following? And this question means more. What are you becoming as you're following? You five years down the road in what religion now? Are you a better husband now? You five

years with Jesus in your bio or Instagram. Are you a better wife now? You 20 years into the faith you keep or Instagram. Are you a better wife now? You're 20 years into the faith you keep professing. Are you a better believer now? Who are you really following? The Jesus of

culture or the Jesus of the word? Who are you following? What are you following? Look over your shoulder 5, 10, 20 years. What are you becoming as you are following Michelle Obama can't have a monopoly on becoming I'm just going to take that back from her for today

listen to me I'm asking you a serious question what are you becoming for today. Listen to me. I'm asking you a serious question. What are you becoming as you're traveling? Are you the same person now you was a year ago, five years ago, 10 years ago?

You've been saved for 20 years. Really? We're all following something. Every person in this room is following something. And I in this room is following something. And I'm asking you, what are you becoming as you are traveling? I want everyone in this room to think very carefully about these questions as we unpack the back half of Matthew chapter 4.

Matthew's going to record for us, has recorded, he's gone now, the calling of the very first followers of Jesus. And as we walk through these last few verses, I just want you to watch and I want you to think what are you following and what are you becoming as you follow. Matthew recorded these words in Matthew chapter 4 verse 17 he says from that time on Jesus began to preach saying repent for the kingdom of heaven is hand from that time on from what time on from the time he came out of his temptation Courtney rightly unpacked for us about the temptation of Jesus. Do you remember? That he was not led there by the devil into the wilderness. He was led into the wilderness by the spirit of God to be tempted. That we cannot keep tagging the devil's name to every time we are tempted. Sometimes it is the spirit of God that leads you into temptation.

Giving you an opportunity to prove yourself to the Father. It was not Satan that led him there. It was only Satan that met him there. And I just want to call you back in remembrance to what happened when Jesus was tempted. The Lord Jesus was tempted by three things, the the lust of this world the lust of this life all these other things and he fought the devil with the word of god it is written it is written it is written i found it so interesting that the devil quoted psalm 91 to him he said no jesus throw yourself off the temple for it is written that the devil knows the word of god

he might be a better theologian the word of God. He might be a better theologian than some of us. And because he knows the word, he knows what lies to tell you. The devil was quoting the Psalms while Jesus was being tempted, trying to twist the word of God to lead the Lord in the wrong direction. He does the same thing now through people that we love,

twisting the word of God to lead people in the wrong direction. He knows the scriptures. He knows his end. That's why he's so aggressive and trying to dominate as many minds as possible because he knows where he's going to end up. He's trying to bring as much company with him as possible.

And I want you to notice that while Jesus was there, he was tested, watch, in private before he had a ministry in public. I'm some of my American believers. It wasn't get a word and start a ministry three days later. It was tested in private before ministry in public. That there was a testing before public ministry. So Jesus himself was tested in private. Pro proven before he went public with his ministry and then

it said give me back my text and then it said in the word it says watch he came saying repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand jesus had the same first message that john the Baptist had John the Baptist the cousin of Jesus this rugged austere man that came before him he was the forerunner of Christ in life in ministry in message and in death John came preaching repent for the kingdom of heaven is here turn from your sinful ways for the kingdom is coming and now Jesus follows behind john with the same message his first words after being tested time has changed now time out for all the foolishness everybody repent for the kingdom of heaven is here that is be considerate of your ways and the path that you're on it's time to turn before it's too late for now the kingdom of heaven is at hand not the stuff that we throw on t-shirts the full force

of the throne and the rule of god coming to the earth in the person of jesus christ not a physical kingdom but a spiritual kingdom for the kingdom of God is here and not yet at the same time the kingdom that we are part of now it is a spiritual kingdom it is unseen intangibly until it hits the heart of a person and then when the kingdom gets into the heart of a man then we see the expression of the kingdom in the hearts of people and the kingdom is moving all around the world and it's thrown or it's areas trying to conquer us not nations that will happen in the end the what is trying to conquer now with the hearts of men for the greatest territory being conquered right now is the hearts of men and then when the lord returns and the second coming then the kingdom

will come in full force, and the kingdoms of this world, the United States of America, Russia, all these lowercase kings, lowercase k's, they're going to be dominated by the kingdom of Jesus. What is the kingdom? It's the rule of God, the ways of God, the wisdom of God.

It has come to bear on the hearts of men. The kingdom teaches husbands how to be real men. It teaches wives how to be wise. The kingdom teaches us how to manage our money, how to manage business, how to manage relationships, how to manage our time. The kingdom is different than the kingdom that you came out of. In the kingdom of the world, it has trampled people to advance. In the kingdom of heaven, humility is the way up. In the kingdom that you came out of, men rule women with an iron fist.

In the kingdom that we've been brought up to, we are the bottom of the house, man. We love our wives as Christ loves the church. So the kingdom now that has come, it's in the hearts of those who claim to be Christ. It's supposed to inform how I think and inform how I live and inform how I spend my money and inform how I do business and inform how I do relationships. It should inform how I govern my home. It should inform how I govern my home. It should inform how I post. So he said, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. So after his first words come out of his mouth,

watch the next step of Jesus. Matthew chapter 4 verse 18. While he was walking by the Sea of Galilee. This is in the vicinity of Capernaum where Jesus set up his home base of operation. There are 30 fishing towns at the time around the Sea of Galilee. My wife and I have sailed on those majestic waters on the Sea of Galilee. This large lake in Israel. In Palestine.

Jesus came walking by the sea of Galilee. And he Jesus saw. Two brothers Simon. Then he gives us an insert. For those reading in modern times. Who was called Peter. Because this was written in the AD 60's. And Andrew his brother. Cast casting a net into the sea.

Everybody watch. For they were fishermen. Verse 19. And then Jesus said to them, watch. Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. Let's unpack this just a moment. The scripture says he was walking by the sea. He saw two brothers casting their net, and he shouted to them, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men, he said to them.

Notice where he called them. He didn't call them his first ambassadors from the city of Jerusalem. He didn't call them from Herod's courts. He didn't go into the wealth and the riches, man. He went down to the sea. He went down to Galilee. He went down to a place that was stigmatized and would give people away by their accents.

He went to the bottom of the socioeconomic stratosphere to call his first ambassadors. And then he calls them and says, follow me for i will make you fishers of men i want you to see the words in the text when he says and jesus said to them follow me and before that he says he saw them i like this little detail that matthew put in the text that he saw them now physically we know he was walking by the sea and his eyes locked contact with these two brothers and he's he's staring at these two brothers as they're sitting in their boat and he shouts out to them but I think more than physically

when Jesus saw them he didn't just see two brothers in a boat. He saw what they would become. He saw their potential from the time he called them. God, Jesus help us Lord today. That when Jesus locks eyes with the person he calls, he doesn't just see them where they are. He sees them for the potential of what they're supposed to be. He sees the drug addict as a future

pastor. He sees the stripper as a future world changer. He sees the lost businessman as a kingdom financier. When he sees people in their current state, he does not see them only where they are. He sees them for what he intends for them to be.

So from the time he calls you, he already got a plan for where he wants you to end up. He sees the gate of your metron the outer limits of everything you're supposed to do and become he didn't just see a knucklehead from queens he saw a man who would be preaching the gospel one day when he said follow me and some of you the Lord sees more in you than you see in yourself. Your mirror lies to you, but the word of God does not. All the mirrors in your house lie to you, but there is one mirror that will never lie to you, the word of God. This is the dopest mirror I've ever earned. The dopest mirror I've ever earned.

The dopest mirror I've ever owned. I look into this mirror and I don't wipe my eyes. I say I wipe my heart. I look into this mirror and I see what Jesus is trying to make me and I'm dealing with myself. And so when Jesus saw them, he didn't just see two uneducated fishermen. Who am I talking to?

He saw what he intended that they would become. He saw a man from Philly and knew he would be an elder in a church. He saw another thugged out man from Philly and knew he would be an elder in a church. He saw another thugged out girl from Philly and knew that she would be a prayer leader in a church. I just wish I had like 10 people that would be so thankful that Jesus saw you. I'm so thankful that he saw me.

I wish I had 20 people that was just thankful that Jesus saw you. That when he was walking by the club one day. Or he was walking by our campus one day. he was walking by your time he saw you he saw what you would become he saw you in the kingdom tailor he saw you a man or woman of god now i feel like he don't feel appreciation do I got any thankful people that's so thankful that Jesus saw you I'm so thankful that he saw me no when I was in my apartment with a bottle of Hennessy and a shotgun trying to get drunk enough to pull a trigger

Jesus saw me when I was suicidal and without hope and trying to take my life because I couldn't see past my nose or the day that I was in Jesus saw me when I could not see all the details of my future or what I was going to do

when I couldn't get accepted to law school Jesus saw me when I was sitting behind prison bars locked up caged up like an animal Jesus saw me when I was locked up upstate and sitting on Rikers Island. Jesus saw me. When I was in car accidents and should have died. Jesus saw me. And when I was speeding towards damnation.

God, who am I talking to? I wish I had some saved people that was thankful. That when you were speeding towards damnation. Man, I feel this in my spirit. God, awaken your people even right now. When you were speeding towards damnation. Jesus saw you. When you was a drug addict, he saw you when you was a drug addict he saw you when you was a stripper he saw you when you was a blasphemer he saw you

when you was a shiesty businessman he saw you when you was rapping for the devil he saw you he got your mouth and changed it for the glory of God who am I talking to? Man, I'm thankful that Jesus saw me. When you was on the backside of a country town and suicidal, he saw you. Pastor Kenneth McFarlane. Where's Erica McFarlane?

When you was homeless and roaming the streets with your sister. Where's Erica McFarlane? When you was homeless and roaming the streets with your sister. And having to be a woman as a teenager. With no hope in life. And giving yourself away to men and screaming for love. Jesus saw you. When you were hopping out of beds sing for love. Jesus saw you. When you were hopping out of beds looking for love, Jesus saw you. When you were jammed up

in a hospital, Jesus saw you. When you were near death, Jesus saw you. When you didn't know he existed, Jesus saw you. When you were in another religion, because there is no other God except Yahweh, Jesus saw you. I said there is no other God except Yahweh, Jesus. I said there is no other God except Yahweh.

When I was a Muslim, praying five times a day and not eating pork, Jesus saw me. That's real right there. I'm talking to you. Wherever you was, Jesus saw you. For my Bible says no one comes to the Father except the Lord draws. Man, we just got to stop for a second. I'm going to get back to the text, but we're too prideful and arrogant and we're ungrateful. Every now and then you got to stop

and remember where you was when Jesus saw you. You got to get a flashback of where you was when he saw you. We got to stop being arrogant and prideful and self-entitled. You wasn't born on the altar. You were born a sinner. I'm talking to some of you who've been in church your whole life. You wasn't born on the altar. You were born a sinner.

And Jesus saw you. I need 20 seconds to myself. I thank God that he saw me. Y'all don't even know what kind of man I was or where I was. And Jesus saw me. Y'all don't even know what kind of man I was or where I was. And Jesus saw me. I thank God for the prayers of my mother and my father and my grandmother.

Father, I pray a spirit of gratitude fall on your children in the name of Jesus. God, help us, Lord. We're too self-entitled. The Lord owes you nothing except wrath. It's only by mercy you're in your right mind and saved. You don't deserve to be in the kingdom.

That's that American gospel. Though God owe you nothing except hell and wrath you listen to bad teaching that's why Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus that you were once an object of God's wrath don't nobody want to tell you that right? That you were once an object of

God's wrath but Jesus saw you and for that if he didn't do another thing now I'm serious. If he didn't do another thing, I, you could put me in a basement in front of the doorway of hell. I got something I will always be thankful for, that Jesus saw me, and he... And he called me into the kingdom. He said, Philip, follow me. Carlina, follow me. Thank you. Can I go deeper? Watch who he called.

Fisherman. I don't get it, preacher. Men who are already hard workers. Men who knew how to grind. Men who knew what it was to stay up late looking for fish. And when he called you, he already knew the virtues that were inside of you. That were going to be necessary for the kingdom. You think you ain't got nothing to offer.

When he called you here. He already saw the virtues that were inside of you. That were going to be necessary for your call inside the kingdom. He make no mistakes when he called you. He called rugged fishermen. Men who know how to work. Men who are diligent. See, I'm just studying the scriptures for you on the platform. That he knew all the virtues that were inside of you.

All your administrative gifting when he called you that's why you should stop being jealous of other people there's something in you necessary for the kingdom compromise is a robber of joy. I ain't never going to be T.D. Jakes. I'm going to be the first Philip Anthony Mitchell in Jesus' name. Can I keep, can I, I need some time. I got to unpack this. Y'all rushing me.

Sit down. Can I, can I teach this, please? I got, I've been waiting too long. Y'all, I got to teach this. Like, but notice, notice the call. I like this. just follow me no context like where are we going when are we gonna get there watch what's gonna happen next after i give my life to christ what's gonna happen he no context just follow me it's so nebulous it's so nuanced right just follow me into the unknown of whatever your future is gonna be

and i want you to notice what he said to follow not just follow church or follow platforms look what he put behind follow i'm just i'm just expounding this text for you follow me before church before books before podcasts before your favorite preacher before all the things you love more, follow me and I will make you. Get close to me. Learn of me. Understand me. Love me.

Follow me. Because the closer you get to him, the more he transforms your heart. You have some believers. We've been following everything except him. So you follow this preacher and that preacher and this page and that conference

and all of these things we follow. Are you following him? Let me talk to all my people who are hyper. What's the word? Help me Holy Spirit. Hyper, hyper ambitious around your ministry. Watch, I feel you.

You gifted, you anointed, I feel you. But before you are a fill in the blank, he called you to I feel you but before you are a fill in the blank he called you to himself first so why we doing ministry with no prayer life and why we always on social media trying to preach to

people with no prayer life why we always trying to give out a word and we don't have no intimacy with Jesus he said follow me before you do anything else. Before he did anything with Peter and his brother, he said, follow me. Me. Me. You should be nervous to be preaching people down with no intimacy with Jesus.

We can't even trust what you're saying has come from the throne room of heaven. Before you follow your dreams, before you follow your business, before you follow your ministry, before you follow any fill in the blank, before you follow your career, before you follow your path, before you follow your degree,

follow. Follow. He called them to himself first. So you adult minister with no prayer life I don't care that you gifted on a down now not the rest follow your dream no follow your endeavors no follow your vision no not get saved and follow your vision that come later follow me learn of me spend time with me take walks in the park with me slid off your bed in the morning and talk to me when you're in the shower sing songs to me when you're driving your car think of me when you're in the mount, sing songs to me. When you're driving in your car, think of me. When you're in the mountaintop, think of me.

When you're in the basement, think of me. Before you make major decisions, consult with me. Before you jump into the next relationship, talk to me. I know him better than you. I know his heart better than you. I know he tall, dark, and handsome, and his pipe game is dope, but follow me first. You so delirious over his pipe game, but follow me first. I know his heart better than you.

Me. Follow me. Me first. I know you got your dreams and your visions and your business and your entrepreneurial ventures. I know you got your all to fill in the blank, but before you do all of that, I called you to me first. Before you fill in your favorite preacher,

I know y'all, your favorite preacher, he or she, you trust them more than me. You know more about their sermons than the word, but I need you to follow me first. Yeah. That word. That word. Jesus Christ. Can I teach for a little while

I'm sorry these two words they trouble me in my study follow me Elder Eric ain't no details there where we going how long it's going to take to get there how am I going to know when I arrived

oh you want me to do this by faith how long is it going to take to get there? How am I going to know when I arrived? Oh, you want me to do this by faith? Oh, you want me to follow you by faith? You want me to move to another state to be a part of 2819? Follow me. Follow me. Ain't no details because he expects us to follow by faith. You get no details except follow me. That means you hear the call and the only thing that's supposed to respond is faith. I follow Jesus through three states

multiple churches all type of relationships I'm just following him no better GPS than that and then I like what he says I'm almost done here's the promise as you follow i will make you oh my god it's a promise attached to the follow so you don't got to do that just

a scared afraid nervous he says as you follow i will make you you know what that implies look at me brothers and sisters. That implies a process. You don't get saved on Monday and start a ministry on Wednesday. Follow me, not you, and I will make you. You don't make you. You don't got to manipulate any doors. You don't got to manipulate it. just follow me and I will make you

that implies a process watch that if I'm following I am becoming the evidence of my transformation is not chronological not I've been saved for 20 years is am I a different person follow me and I will make you.

That implies a process of becoming. That if we're really, listen, we know who's following not by their posts. We know who's following about how they love. Come on, come on, come on. That's good, come on. Jesus. It implies a process of becoming watch for me i'll make you identifies the maker not you kim this is hard in america i already know because we are a vision driven culture we we create vision and then ask ask Jesus to get on the caboose.

I already know how this go for us. That's why you don't like this message. We chart our own course and then ask Jesus to bless it. I already know I'm in deep waters now. No help coming after this. He says, I will make you. That means he is the shaper of your story, your path, and your journey. I like this.

Follow me and I will make you. It is ambiguous. And watch. The ambiguity of the call of god leaves space for jesus to determine without your permission the duration of your process because it's so ambiguous he determines how long your process is lord i think i'm ready no you're not we still got some cleaning to do in this area of your heart lord why won't my joint explode yet you're not ready yet we still got some cleaning to do in this area of your heart. Lord, why won't my joint explode yet? You're not ready yet.

We still got some, there's still some unforgiveness there I got to wash out. There's still some pride there I got to wash out. See, it's so ambiguous. He determines, without your permission, he determines the duration of the following, of the making. He determines the duration. He determines the difficulty of your making. Everybody's trials are not the following. Of the making. He determines the duration. He determines the difficulty of your making. Everybody's trials are not the same.

You despise your trials. Those are classrooms, not coffins. Who am I talking to? Those trials you keep crying over, those are classrooms, not coffins. Like, Lord, why am i going through this and not her because i'm doing something different in you why'd i had to go through that and not them because i'm doing something different in you the ambiguity of the call jesus without your permission determines the duration of your

process the difficulties of your process he even determines the duties of your process. The difficulties of your process. He even determines the duties of your process. What you would do. Different from what somebody else would do. This next one is what we got. He determines the direction of your process. The direction of your process. He determines that. The duration,

the difficulties, the duties, the direction. He determines all of that. Some of you, you are fighting against something. You're going to lose that battle. Simon and Andrew was being invited into

the greatest thing they've ever known by god in the flesh watch this is so powerful they're being invited to god's plan his purposes his preferred future for them and now they have nothing else left to do except make a decision right did you read the text? Where were they? Fishing. I'm almost done. So they really had only two options, Taylor. Either stay fisherman, which is a very logical choice.

Watch. Watch. I'm comfortable here. I know this well. I know this place well. You got two options either hop off that boat that you can stay fishermen because you know that trade well or hop out that boat of comfort into the unknown and see what Jesus would do with the rest of your life

Jesus rest of your life. Let me finish. Verse 20. How did they respond to the call? Immediately. Everybody watch this. Can I teach? I need a little bit more time. Look, just watch. Immediately, they left their nets. Watch the details of the text. And they followed him. These men were fishermen by trade. This is all they knew. I like that Matthew put two details here. Immediately. Which means they did not second guess the call. They knew about Jesus. John tells us that in John chapter 1. They had met him before.

They knew he was a dope rabbi. Jesus is breaking all the rules of culture. In those days, rabbis didn't choose people. People chose their rabbis. Jesus is breaking culture. He breaks tradition. The scripture says immediately they left and followed Jesus. But watch the details of the text.

They left their nets. He didn't just say immediately they followed him. Matthew tells us another detail. They left their nets. You read by that and don't see the power of that. This is all they know as fishermen. They don't know nothing else except being fishermen. Watch, Matthew wanted to teach us that they left something valuable behind. That is, discipleship will cost you something there is no discipleship for free

it will cost you something they left behind something that was highly valuable to them i'm sorry when that call comes and it's coming for some of you again. You've got to learn to leave some stuff behind. You may have to leave some people behind. You may have to leave some places behind. You may have to leave some pride behind, some plans behind, some dreams behind, but you're going to have to leave something behind. You cannot follow for free. Discipleship costs you something.

You say, no, that's not for me. That's for the person next to me. All right, let me tell you what it costs everybody. Your will. It's going to cost you your personal will. You got to leave something behind. Some old relationship, some old boo, some old, you got to leave something behind. Some old relationship, some old boo, you gotta leave something behind.

Some of you need to leave your past behind. You keep reminding him of stuff he already forgave you for. You might need to just leave your past behind. Jesus. Let's finish. And then watch where Jesus goes after that. Verse 21. Only got like four verses left. And going on from there, he saw two other brothers.

James, the son of Zebedee. And this is so dope. And John, his brother. This is so dope. John his brother this this is so dope everybody watch this watch and going on from there he saw he sees two people again two other brothers James the son of Zebedee there's three James mention as followers let me clear that up for you and John his brother but they were not alone in the boat with Zebedee, their father, mending their nets. One group was casting nets, the other was mending nets.

So these are diligent men, and he called to them. Immediately they left their boat and their father, and they followed him. Now pause. Pause. their father and they followed him now pause uh pause so we don't got to walk through everything else he saw them he saw what they would be and we know who this john is because there's only one john that was in the group of followers but this james let's just let me just clear this up for y'all because y'all be confused when you when you post there are three james that were following jesus i just want to teach this up for y'all, because y'all be confused when you post. There are three James that were following Jesus. I just want to teach my church, because y'all be confused when you post, all right?

There are three James that follow Jesus. James the greater one, James the big boy, big boy James, James the great, who was this James. Then there was another James called James the Less, the son of Alphaeus. And then there was another James who was the biological brother of Jesus who was an unbeliever until Jesus was resurrected. It was the unbeliever,

the brother of Jesus who only got saved after he saw his brother raised from the dead. His brother was God in the flesh and did not believe in him until he was raised from the dead. I knew you when you was little. He ain't going to tell me you're the son of God. I tripped you when we was outside playing in the dirt.

You fell down and got cut. I ain't going to believe you're the son of God. But he was raised in the dirt. You fell down and got cut. I ain't gonna believe you, the son of God, but he was raised from the dead. That James became a leader in the church and wrote the letter we call James. That's not the James

in Jesus' inner circle. This James was the James in Jesus' inner circle. Three of his closest friends, Peter, James, and John. I just got to educate my church. The James you read in the New Testament is not this James.

It was the unbelieving brother. Now let's go back to the text. He saw them. Immediately they leave their nets and their father. Everybody watch me. So their call didn't come in private.

The other brothers, their call came in private. Ain't nobody there but them. This call comes in public in front of family. In a patriarchal society, watch this, where it's not normal for sons to leave fathers. It's almost unheard of like prodigals.

Notice they did not consult with Zebedee whether or not they should go. Because sometimes you got to choose if you're going to follow God or follow men. Follow God or need the approval of men. They did not consult with Zebedee. They broke, watch this word, tradition to follow Jesus. Now sometimes that call will cost you family who don't understand your decision. They don't understand that you're not a part of their religion. They don't understand this Jesus that you're following.

You need to keep following until your testimony and your witness anchors them into the kingdom. My family, you don't need your family's approval to follow Jesus. You just need courage. They'll understand. I'm talking to somebody.

They're going to understand later. They're going to understand later. They're going to understand later. They're going to mock you now and blaspheme you now and betray you now and talk bad behind your back now. They're going to come back and they're going to bless you later. They're going to come back and they're going to bless you later. Ain't got to prove nothing to you now. Just watch what happens to me as I follow.

My haters will become my celebrators. I'm talking to somebody. Your haters will become your celebrators. Just follow. Just follow. I did not see them should we hop out this boat.

The call of the master was greater than the traditional family. I might get in trouble with that one, Elder. I need to say that one more time. Your church do this and your church do that. The call of the master was greater than the tradition

of the family. But let me go deeper for some of y'all who are reckless in your relationships. They did not dishonor Zebedee. They did not dishonor Zebedee. They just was bound by the call. Y'all paying attention? Tell me what verse I'm on. How many verses are we supposed to teach today?

How many verses do I have left? These brothers had a greater price to pay in leaving Zebedee. How many verses we got left? Three. How many verses we got left? Do you notice real quick before we finish this last revert there was nothing special about these men? They were just ordinary men. Ordinary people. Like you and I. Just ordinary men.

That's why you should stop worshiping them like they're gods. Just ordinary men. Calling down fire from heaven. Lay laying hands on the sick and people be just ordinary men that follow the person who had all power. Just ordinary men. Jesus will call men like them. He'll call rich men, powerful men, outcast men. He called a man named Matthew. Plane took off.

Nobody wasn't on it. Call a man named Matthew. Plane took off. Nobody was on it. Call a tax collector and an outcast named Matthew. He wrote something that we're still reading 2,000 years later. It's going to make sense to you in about five minutes. Plane took off, Cam.

Nobody wasn't on it. You on the plane? Call the man named Matthew in the first century. Gave us something we're still reading today. Jesus saw something in him he didn't see in himself Jesus saw something in him he didn't see in himself never know what's in you until you start following have no idea what's in you until you start following matthew had no idea what was in him until he started following i'm talking to you today 2022 years from a man that wrote something that jesus called an outcast you have no idea what's in you

until you really start following you think you know what's in you some of you are pregnant with stuff you would never imagine God would bring out of you all kind of ministries, books, songs. I feel like there's a school on the inside of me. You don't have no idea

what's on the inside of you until you really start following. Watch this. That word is until you surrender. How many verses have I got left? Three.

The calling of these, let me just be a theologian for a second. The calling of these four men is Matthew's focus on where we go next for the rest of the book of Matthew. Discipleship. The Christology we go next. The theology we see next. Everything that happens after this, all discipleship. Until like Matthew 16. Let me finish these last verses.

I know you want to eat. Verse 23. Verse 23. Man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Thank you, Lord, for my food, for my mashed potatoes and my chicken. I feel steak. I got greens and cornbread. Oh, thank you, Lord. Ezekiel said, I ate the word and it was like honey to me. Yes.

Jesus. Jesus. Come on. We're going to break this bread with the oil on it. This bread with the oil on it. Thank you, Holy Spirit. I heard the Lord say, some of y'all feel like i'm far away from jesus because i i go into my prayer room and i can't you know every time you open the word you're next to jesus in the beginning was the word and the word was with god and the word was God verse 14 of John 1 and the word became flesh and he walked and dwelt

among us so every time I open any page I land on I'm near Jesus the Old Testament speaks of him the New Testament reveals him if you want to get close to him just open up anywhere and Jesus is right there what verse are we on alright let's land a plane with these last verse and he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues. That's where Jews gathered for worship. Any city that had 10 or more families, they would have a synagogue in their town

and they would meet there on Saturdays, which was the Sabbath for the Jews, for teaching and for worship and for food, for fellowship, for fellowship. He went teaching, and they would invite guest rabbis to teach. So he went throughout all Galilee teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among them. I don't got time to bother this, but I want y'all to look

closely at the text. It says, and he went throughout all Galilee. Watch this. What was he doing? Teaching, preaching, or proclaiming, and healing. What was he preaching? The gospel. What was he teaching? The truths about the kingdom. What was he healing? Every disease. Now, I know what you know. If Jesus was in this room, we would be, listen, we would corral him. Because we all need some type of, you need to touch my mind, heart, body. We need healing.

So we knew the crowds gathered around him for healing. But I want you to notice the order in which Matthew put the things that Jesus unleashed on humanity. He put healing at the bottom. What did he, Matthew, inspired by the Spirit. Matthew was a skilled writer. Notice the things that Jesus unleashed to help. Jesus unleashed three things to help humanity. Teaching, preaching, healing.

What's at the bottom of the list? So even if I don't touch your body, if you know truth, he'll keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on him. So the most important thing to Jesus, let me rework this. We see by his healing that he cares about the wholeness of human beings. We see by his preaching

he cares about the salvation of human beings. But we see by what's at the top of the list what he cares about most, your understanding and your edification. Not we running for prophecy not i must be healed not uh he's my apostle not the thing that jesus put at the top of the list you should you should hunger and crave teaching why because jesus knew what's going to happen for the rest of matthew this is what will have the greatest impact on humanity. Not healing, not prophecy, not all this other...

Teaching. Why are you not pounding on the doors around the country for that? I'm a teacher. I wonder if I popped up in Alabama somewhere where people pound down a stadium to hear me teach I bet you if I was prophesying they'll come if I was saying everybody gonna be blessed they'll come but we see we running after all the things that he did not put at the top of the list the thing that he knew would have the greatest impact on your life is teaching. Just unpack it for me that if you understand, you will be transformed.

You'll be quoting stuff wrong. Those he said free is free indeed. No. If you abide in my word you will know the truth. And then the truth that you you'll be my disciples. Then the truth that you know will set you free.

I'll be praying over you that you will have a great hunger for teaching. Watch. That you will actually know how to watch. Sit still and not get bored and lean forward to be watched, educated in the word. The number one weapon Jesus

unleashed on humanity. The thing he knew would help human beings the most teaching I think and he closes the section of this letter he says so his fame in verse 24 spread throughout all Syria and he brought him all the sick those afflicted with various diseases and pains

can I tell you something I love y'all and he brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains. Can I tell you something? I love y'all. I love you with my whole heart. I know I'm rough around the edges. I know I hurt you from time that I'm up here. I know I mess up from times, and I'm just, man,

I'm praying for y'all that you will have a hunger for the things that really transform your life. I can't say this enough that the thing that jesus used most to help human beings was teaching the more you learn the more you will be transformed you should have a hunger for knowledge that's why in the first century church, it says, and they devoted themselves to the apostles' doctrines. They loved teaching. Especially my black brothers and sisters. We love entertainment.

We love titles. We love titles and we love gimmicks and we love noise and we love lights and we love prophecy and we love all this stuff. I want you, praise God for all that. I want you to love teaching. It's the number one thing Jesus used to

transform humanity. It's the thing that has been transforming the world for over 2,000 years. I wonder how you would feel being in a sermon or room and you never shout once. It's just teaching for 40 minutes, an hour, whatever, and it's just learning and teaching. I wonder how quick y'all get bored of that because I didn't tell you what's going to happen next week or tell you you're going to get a house. I wonder how quick y'all get bored of that because I didn't I didn't tell you what's gonna happen next week or tell you gonna you're gonna get a

house so I wonder how can you sustain teaching He healed all the diseases pains those oppressed with demons those having seizures the paralytics and he healed them because this was a confirmation of his ministry verse 25 I'm done man of God I just I just feel for y'all verse and great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis the Decapolis was a union of 10 cities Deca which means 10 like Decalogue the the Ten Commandments. Paul is the city, the Decapolis, ten cities.

From Jerusalem and Judea, beyond the Jordan. And we see here in this text, the first four people that Jesus ever called to follow him. His first disciples, his first kingdom ambassadors. They had no idea what was going to happen after this. They were the first four of billions of people around the world who claimed Jesus as Lord and as King. These men had no idea what was going to happen after.

They had no idea when they hopped off those boats what would happen to them. What was on the other side of that step of faith? To follow for real, not go to church, follow for real. What was on the other side of that for them? Do y'all know what happened to these men? Andrew became one of the 12 apostles that Jesus chose. James became one of Jesus' best friends,

Peter, James, and John. Y'all know what happened to Peter? He became the pastor of the very first church in history. He was one of Jesus's best friends in his inner circle, Peter, James, and John. You know what else? He preached the first Christian sermon in history. Watch. And on the day he preached, 3,000 souls were saved. He was still fishing, but now he became a fisher of men. You know what happened to John who hopped off that boat? He became one of Jesus's inner circles, Peter, James, and John, the one who laid his on his breast, the one in his prideful self. This is the disciple who Jesus

loved, the one who took in Jesus' mother after he was resurrected. The one who wrote five letters of the New Testament. The one who was on an island and saw the resurrected glorified Jesus and got the book of Revelation. These men had no idea what was on the other side of just following. They would have never known. Just like you, I'm talking to you, my brothers and sisters. I know you do church well. I know you do podcasts well. I know you do books and conference and all these things well, but are you following well? Do you have any idea what's on the other

side of a life that's completely surrendered to Jesus to just follow him. It don't matter how old you are or how young you are, the Lord is not done with you yet. Do you have any idea what's on the other side of a committed yes? I'm talking to people in this room with gray hairs like me.

Your time ain't done. You still got chapters ahead of you. You have no idea what the Lord wants to do to your life. And I'm talking to all the millennials and Gen Z's in this church. You're running after all these things. But if you're following the master, you have no idea what he would do with your life. He knows what's in you. He knows about stuff that's in you that you don't know

that's in you. And the only way it's going to come out is not because you can go to conferences or read books or podcasts. It's how well are you following? There are believers in this room.

We go to church, but you're not following well. And there are unbelievers in this room. You're close to the kingdom of church, but you're not following well. And there are unbelievers in this room, you're close to the kingdom of God, but you're not following. And you have no idea, listen, you have no idea what's on the other side of a committed followers. And listen, I'm telling

you, following Jesus is the pathway to the greatest life you will ever live. And following Jesus is the, give me that camera right here, right here, this one. I don't know what number this is. One, give me this. Following Jesus is the pathway

to the greatest life you will ever live. And following Jesus, look right at me, is the only pathway into eternal life. There is no safe departure from this life outside of Jesus Christ. Let me say that again. Look at me. There is no safe departure

from this life outside the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only parachute when you jump from the plane of death. I don't care what you serve or what you believe in you have no idea what's on the other side of a committed fire and look look right at me please look look look right here look right at me and we need to stop following Jesus like we follow people

on social media you know you can follow someone on social media and not be committed to them. You can follow somebody on social media and not know them personally. You can follow somebody on social media and not care about what they care about. Watch. And if you don't like somebody on social media, you can

just hit unfollow. Don't follow Jesus like that. Follow him. Know him. Love him. Pursue him. Talk to him.

Sing about him. Get near him. Follow him for real. Give him your uncommitted, your unavowed yes. And don't be afraid of what he will do with your life if you just fully surrender. I'm talking to believers and non-believers in this room. Just surrender. Follow.

Follow him for real. So I want to pray for two groups of people in this room. Did I get through every verse? I want to pray for believers in this room who just say, you know what? I want to follow at a deeper level. No cap, no shame. I want to follow at a deeper level. And I want to pray for people in this room

who are in church but you're not really following. Every head bowed and every eye closed. Father, I pray for people in this room who are in church but you're not really following every head bowed and every eye closed father I pray for every brother and sister in this room everyone who already belongs to you you see all the things they are running after with all of their heart with you third second fifth 24. I pray for them even now. Right now in this very moment. For a deeper devotion to come upon my brothers and my sisters. I pray you would give them, Father, a ferocious, unyielding hunger for the presence of Jesus. I pray you fill them with your perfect love

that they will love the Lord more than anything else in this life. Eyes on me. I pray Jesus will be our hero, our strong tower, our desire, our song, our deepest affection, our longing. I pray you would help us not to be afraid of Jesus. I pray he would be exalted in our lives,

our posts, our relationships. I pray you would help us to follow him for real. And that as we follow the Lord Jesus Christ, Lord, I pray you make them into what you want them to be. Lord, we, even me with the microphone, surrender at a deeper level without fear or manipulation. We surrender.

We want you before we want anything else. And now, Father, I can't pray for them yet. I'm talking to every person in this room. Somebody invited you here. You're watching me right now on YouTube. Don't move. You do church, but you have not done relationships. You don't belong to the Father, but you're not here by accident. God brought you here to hear the truth of the gospel, that your life can change in this moment forever this is what happened for me in november 2003 over a toilet seat while i was suicidal here is the gospel my brother my sister you already

know who you are because you've been listening to me confused but you feel something in your belly you already know who you are i'm talking to you you and I we are sinners and you were born in sin scripture says if you die in your sin you're going to be separated from God for all eternity I'm talking to you but the father in his love

not wanting you to perish sent his son the Lord Jesus Christ to die a sacrificial death for you. And then he gives you a call. Repent. Turn to the son. Put your faith in him.

And I will forgive you of all your sins. I will wipe away your debt. I will make you a son and daughter. He's talking to you. I want to pray for you but I want to see who I'm praying for nobody can't see you this is private between you and God and the person with the microphone if I'm talking to you say preacher that's me I want to follow Jesus into the purpose and plans he has for me I want

to be a brand new man a brand new woman I want to sense the presence of God I want to know if I died in a car accident on the way home I see a hand going up already if I died in a car I see another hand if I died look I see another hand if I see another hand if I see another hand if I die I see another hand oh my god if I died in a car accident on the way home I know that I see another hand I will be in heaven and not hell if I'm talking to you on the count of three, throw your hands up. One, Jesus is calling you. Two, he's about to radically transform your life. Three, throw your hands up in the air and leave it there. One, I see that hand. Two, three, four, I see that hand. Five, six, seven, eight, nine, I see that hand. Ten, eleven. I see that hand. Twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen,

seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three. I see you in the back. Twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six. I see you. Twenty-seven, twenty-eight. I see you. 27, 28, I see you. 29, 30, I see you, my sister. I see you. 30. All 30 of you, just start telling God, ask him to forgive you for your sins. 31, I see you. 32, I see you. Ask him to forgive you for your sins. Yes, he's calling you now. Just tell him you're sorry for all your sins. 31. I see you. 32. I see you. Ask him to forgive you for your sins. Yes, he's calling you now. Just tell him you're sorry for all your sins. He's catching those tears. 33. He's catching those tears. Tell him you're

sorry for all your sin. Tell him you surrender right now. Tell him you surrender. And now, Father, I pray for all of these 33 brothers and sisters who responded to your sovereign call you knew they would be in this room before the

foundation of the world I pray according to Ephesians you would fill them with your Holy Spirit that you would draw them to yourself I pray you would help them and guide them and lead them into a deep and intimate, real relationship with yourself.

I pray you would free them from all manner of bondages, addictions. I pray they would know the joy of being sons and daughters. I thank you, God, for these, that their sins have been separated as far as the east is from the west. And I thank you, you said in your word, when have been separated as far as the east is from the west. And I thank you, you said in your word, when one sinner repents, all of heaven rejoices. So, Father, right now, we rejoice for

these 33 men and women who have put their faith in you, Lord. We thank you for them, God. We celebrate, God. We celebrate that the devil has just lost 33 people. We celebrate that the devil has just lost 33 people. We celebrate that the kingdom

has been expanded with new brothers and sisters. We celebrate, God, the calling of new brothers and sisters. We celebrate them, Lord. We celebrate them. Hallelujah, Jesus. Hallelujah.