Pastor to Pastor
This podcast is dedicated to iron sharpening iron, current events, and culture trends. You will hear pastors perspectives on a variety of topics including leadership development, evangelism, outreach and so much more.
Pastor to Pastor
Discipleship 101: Leaving Comfort and Pursuing God's Calling
Join us for an eye-opening journey of discipleship in our latest episode, where we explore the profound joy of seeking God's presence purely for the sake of being in His company. In "Building God's Family Legacy," Pastor Jay reflects on his impactful sermon based on Matthew 4:18-22, where Jesus calls His first disciples. Discover the immediate and unwavering commitment these disciples demonstrated, and how their devotion sets an example for true discipleship. Drawing parallels with biblical narratives, we discuss the significance of leaving comfort zones and embracing God's calling, inspiring you to actively share the message of salvation and prioritize God's mission over personal comfort. Be prepared to be transformed and encouraged as we delve into the blessings and peace that come from seeking God's face, not just His hands.
Get ready to break free from self-imposed limitations and embrace a true relationship with God in "Leaving Comfort, Pursuing God's Calling." In this chapter, we challenge ourselves to move beyond attending church and actively participate in the "family business" of spreading the faith. Reflecting on biblical stories, we discuss the importance of intentionality in discipleship and the need to fish for people and produce spiritual fruit. Prepare to be inspired to prioritize God's calling over personal pride or comfort, as we explore the powerful impact of leaving behind our comfort zones, just as the disciples did. Don't miss out on the powerful blessings and encouragement from Numbers 6:24-26 that will leave you with a renewed sense of divine peace. Tune in to this transformative episode and discover the joy of embracing community and carrying the message of salvation to those in need.
Oh yeah, we are back, baby. Another episode of Pastor to Pastor. Pastor Jay's right here smiling at me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I thought you were going to switch it up a little bit, do something a little different. You know, I wasn't really sure.
Speaker 1:Well, you know what? That's my best effort.
Speaker 2:Okay, everybody can't be like you, I'm giving it all I got, but anyway giving it all I got Welcome to another episode of Pastor to Pastor.
Speaker 1:We're super excited and grateful that you're here, taking a listen and supporting this. Hey, share it with somebody. Uh, you never know who it can help and, uh, benefit, like it, comment. And uh, we're super excited to be sharing, uh, what god's given us this week for the flock that we're shepherding. But we also believe believe that you know this word can go to different places and you never know where people are at that need it. And today we're going to listen to Pastor Jay and what he shared with his congregation today, and we're going to pray that you're going to be blessed. So, pastor Jay, let's hear it, give it to us.
Speaker 2:Man, look, sunday was just amazing. We've been talking. We was just amazing. We've been talking. We've been looking at what this whole year is focused on discipleship. It's focused on becoming better disciples. We talked about God's presence, seeking his face, not his hands, and so we've talked about all these different things, and this today was really the transition.
Speaker 1:Hold on, hold on Back up. Okay, you can't say that right there and just let it again Seeking his face and not his hands. Mike, I'm about to take a lap. Go ahead, son. Let the Lord use you. What does that mean? Break that down real quick.
Speaker 2:So basically, it's just seeking God, for God just to be in his presence, because we are children of God. And I think about, like, when I come home from work, right, if every time I come home from work, caleb's like, hey, dad, would from work? Right, if every time I come home from work, caleb's like, hey, dad, would you bring me? Like who are you? Why are you asking me this? Like shouldn't you just be happy that I'm home? That's right. And so we have spent a couple of weeks talking about chasing after God, seeking his face, not his benefits, not what he can do for us, but God, I just want to be in your presence. And so even today, man, our worship even has kind of shifted man the past two weeks. Like I didn't have to preach today, like I didn't preach last week because God just moved so powerfully in worship. But yeah, it's just, it's God. We've been seeking his face, man, and he's been showing up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, seeking the right thing, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the right results, yeah right man and he's been showing up, yeah, seeking the right thing. Yeah, yeah, the right results, yeah, right. And so we're actually going to kind of talk about some of that. Some of that kind of played into what I was preaching on, uh, this this week as well. So we went into discipleship 101 that was the the title of the sermon, if you will, discipleship 101 and I was covering matthew 4, 18 through 22, because I was like, if we got to and if we are trying to be better disciples, then we're better to start than the first disciples that Jesus called. And so Matthew 4, 18 through 22 is man. It was so funny. I'm sorry, let me back up a little bit. This gets me excited because I'm a holiness preacher.
Speaker 1:So I've been preaching, holiness, you know what I'm saying Fire and brimstone, fire and brimstone.
Speaker 2:But so, even before, like when Jesus comes out, he gets baptized by John and then he comes out of the wilderness and it says that he began preaching to repent. The kingdom of God is near man anyway, I'm sorry, it is near.
Speaker 2:I mean as he goes around preaching that right. And so right after that verse I think that's 16 or 17, in verse 18, he starts walking in Galilee and he sees Andrew and Simon who was called Peter, if you're reading that scripture and he sees them over there and they're casting their nets in the sea because they were fishermen, right. And so the scripture in verse 19 says then he said to them follow me and I will make you fishermen, or fishers of men. Yeah. And then verse 20 says immediately they left their nets and followed him they didn't grab anything we're going to hold on to that.
Speaker 2:Right there, I want you to circle that in your notes. Right there, right, it said. But immediately they followed him and in verse 21 says, going on from there, he saw two others right, james and john, sons of thunder, right, uh, the sons of zebedee, right. So he calls them off the boat and then they left their father. They were mending nets, but they, even they, left their father, they left the net. They, like we out of here, pops right. So they, they move on. But it says in verse 22 they immediately left the boat and left their father and followed him. And so, really, man, what I was talking about today was, um, I think it's interesting how, how god was calling them two by two. We talked about this on the phone because, you know, I don't know, if you know, we're we good friends, right?
Speaker 2:and so we'll be talking midweek about what our sermons are like, and you were like man, you know. What's interesting is. It makes me think about the ark and how God was calling onto the boat the animals two by two, and so I did a little bit of digging, and the ark in itself represented salvation. So he was calling the animals two by two onto the boat, and then Jesus was calling them two by two off the boat, and so, anyway, that in itself is worth talking about.
Speaker 2:But, I kept getting it right there. I just I kept moving on and what I said was interesting when they were calling two by two is he called family? And I know you know this from experience. But I talked about the importance of family and how we. That's why we're called the family of God, Because when you are about, when you're working in a business, there's a difference between family, workers and employees.
Speaker 2:Right, there's a difference between family and strangers who work in a business. Right, Because family care more about the legacy and employees just care about a paycheck. And so that's what I talked. I kind of hit on that that it's important for us to understand that two by two in a family, that him calling them off the boat, it showed partnership, it showed unity and it showed loyalty, which is exactly what he's called his church to be. He's called us to be working in partnership with him and each other, in unity with him and each other and being loyal to the cause. And that's what I really dug into it. Employees care mostly about a paycheck, as to where a family cares about the legacy they're leaving behind, and you know that I.
Speaker 1:When is what you get out of it? The other one is what did you give to?
Speaker 2:Exactly right, and so I mean it was kind of interesting because a lot of the business people who were in the congregation I could see them and they're just like mm-hmm, mm-hmm, like trying to find good employees anymore.
Speaker 1:With a little hint of nepotism.
Speaker 2:A little, you could tell man. They definitely it clicked for them this morning. And so, yeah, family man, they treat each other differently. They're about the and here's the thing we Jesus even makes the comment when he's 12 years old leave it. Did you not know that I was about my father's business. Man, we are a part of a family business and it's the father's business and we've got to be about it. We got to be a part of that family, not just an employee. We got to be looking to build the legacy and expand the kingdom, not just collect a paycheck.
Speaker 2:I talked about clock watchers and how sometimes man, five o'clock, get here. I don't care what's happening, the place could be burning down, I'm leaving, but family's like no, we're going to stay and we're going to do it right and we're going to finish the job, and so that's how we've got to be in the family of God. About our father's business is building the business. To be in the family of God about our father's business is building the business right, working the legacy, doing what God's called us to do, doing it with excellence. In 1 Corinthians 10.31, it says do all that you do All, not some, not a few. Everything. Do all that you do for the glory of God and that's really kind of. I hung my hat on that for a little bit. I'm giving that old preaching time.
Speaker 1:I let him hang my hat right here for a minute. Let me just rest.
Speaker 2:Let me just rest right here. But I said, yeah, we've got to care about how we represent the Father's business. And this is the part where I feel like we're called family of God, we're called the bride of Christ, we're called these terms that show our connectivity. It's blood sticking in water You've heard that and praise the Lord for his blood right.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, Come on somebody. Hey my God.
Speaker 2:But I talked about it. Man, we can't act like strangers, we can't act like employees. We've got to be family, we've got to be working the family business, yeah. And then I talked about the fisherman. How he called fishermen, I don't know about you, but if I were going to turn the world upside down, I'd probably start with probably I don't know probably the most strongest military men, like I would probably select them kind of people.
Speaker 1:That would definitely be me on there, okay.
Speaker 2:And so then, or you'd start with kings, people with big platforms and influence you would start with. You wouldn't think of man. I'm going to walk down the beach here and I'm just going to pick these people out of these boats.
Speaker 1:You're going to change the world with somebodies, not nobodies.
Speaker 2:Right? You would think that right, but that's how the kingdom is upside down from culture. There are two different things. God's like I'm going to pour into these fishermen. That's why he says I will make, I will make you fishers of men. He didn't say they were qualified. He didn't say they were able. He didn't say any of that. It's not about your strength. It's not by our power or by our might, but by the spirit of the living God he didn't even say they were saved.
Speaker 2:right, he just said I will make you fishers of men. And then, so that's kind of what I talked about. I'm like God took who you would like. He confounds the wise. There's scripture that says that.
Speaker 2:Right, he just took people who were known for their ethics and their work ethics and their nobility Not that they were noble, but that they were humble and they had a moderate reputation. Like he took the average everyday person and I challenged people. I said who told you you were unworthy? Who told you you were unqualified? Who told you that you couldn't do what God's called you to do? I said it wasn't God. I said if he's calling fishermen to turn the world upside down, imagine what he could do with you. And so I challenged them with that today. I'm like who told you you were unqualified and you could just man? You could see light bulbs going off in people's faces. They're like man even had people come up after and say, pastor, I want you to know what you preached today. Like, encourage me, it is time for me to start teaching again, it's time for me to be doing this and doing that.
Speaker 2:And so it was really encouraging, uh, from that aspect. And then I talked about in that scripture, in matthew, uh 4, 18 through 22. It says how they immediately left the boat. They didn't waste time.
Speaker 2:I'd say we missed so many miracles in our lives because we're wasting time trying to figure out how god's gonna do it, instead of just doing it and letting god answer yeah, right, god, you'd be walking through walmart and you're getting milk off the shelf because you know you've got to walk six miles to get milk in Walmart. So you're getting milk off the shelf and God says pray for this lady over here or pray for this man over here. And then you start trying to figure out well, what are they going to think about me? Man? Look, you will never see a miracle that you don't act on. You'll never see a miracle you don't pray on. You'll never see a miracle that you don't have faith to see. Look, follow God and let God deal with it. If God's placed something on your heart, the devil's not going to tell you to do something good for somebody. The devil's not going to tell you to do anything that's biblical Like. If you're feeling this umption, as you would say, I feel this umption in the spirit, if I'm feeling led to go and do something for somebody and connect them with God, let God be the one who answers. It's all his power, it's his leading anyway. So we process things so many times and we talk ourselves out of seeing miracles. I think there's even a song that talks about that. We do. We talk ourselves out of seeing miracles. I think there's even a song like talks about that. Right, we do. We talk ourselves out of seeing miracles. And so what would happen if we stopped trying to figure out how it was going to happen and we just didn't let God figure it out? Man, we'd see a lot more. We'd see a whole lot more.
Speaker 2:I talked about how we went to India, how God doesn't always cause us to leave family. He doesn't always call us to give up, and I'm going to sell my car and give to the poor. He doesn't call us always to do those kinds of things, though he does. But if you can't be faithful in a few things, how are you going to be faithful in more If you can't just simply go and pray for somebody that God's called you to?
Speaker 2:I talked about the importance of immediate, the importance of doing it right now, doing it as God is leading you to do it. Not trying to understand it, not trying to figure out, just, but know that if he's already created a way, look, and it may be a word you share with somebody. Right now, that's planting a seed that later on somebody will come by and water. But praise the Lord, he's the one who gets the increase. He gives the increase. So we don't know what we're doing or what part we play in the puzzle, but it's just being the immediate response when they come off that boat. They didn't start laying hands right then and healing people, but they eventually got sent out.
Speaker 1:But they followed what god called them to do and they did it immediately you know it and I used to say this all the time is that when you're really following the lord, you know there's a reason why you see that person limping and you're drawn to it. There's a reason why you see that person who just looks like the weight of the world is on them Right. God wants you to do something about it Right.
Speaker 1:There's a beautiful opportunities for you to share the gospel, to witness to someone, but if you're so preoccupied trying to say, well, I don't really know that person or you lose your faith.
Speaker 2:You talk yourself out of seeing it.
Speaker 1:You talk yourself right out of it and God's like no, you want opportunities, it's right here in front of you.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:And, matter of fact, I didn't bring you to it, I brought it to you.
Speaker 2:Right, you saw it for a reason.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I put it in your path, don't overlook it.
Speaker 2:Man, if we would approach every opportunity and I, and let me see things the way you see them, let me see opportunity.
Speaker 1:And let us see people the way that he sees them.
Speaker 2:Yes, give us that, and I pray over those things. Man Lord, let me see things the way you see them Give us compassion.
Speaker 2:Let me hear things, not what's being said, but let me hear what's behind it. Let me feel and have the same heart for people that you have in the mind of Christ, and the feet to carry the gospel and the hands to work the ministry. Man, we've got to be praying these things over ourselves, but it takes intentionality, it takes listening to God to want to be better, to be more of a disciple, to be a better disciple, and that's why we did Discipleship 101 today, and that's what our focus is for 25, is making sure that we are intentional in what we're doing, because I don't know about you, man, but Making sure that we are intentional in what we're doing because I want I don't know about you, man, but I'm not satisfied just simply filling a pew or filling a chair on Sunday, like that's not enough and that's not what we're called to do. Like, are we clock watchers, are we employees or are we family? Are we working the family business? Yeah, like there's a difference between the two.
Speaker 2:So I challenged the man and I challenged him with that, and then the last thing here I talked about was them leaving the ships.
Speaker 2:They left everything behind and, like I said though God doesn't always. Sometimes he calls you to do those things, but God says no one's left their family, no one's left their father, their mother, their spouse. They've not left anything that they won't receive a hundredfold in this life. He didn't say just in the kingdom. He said that you won't receive, you've lost nothing for the kingdom that you won't receive a hundredfold here in this life and in the next. And so we will talk ourselves out of well, I can't go do this because of that, or I can't do this because of that. What we're really doing is placing more value. So let's say it this way If I won't go and pray for somebody, because my concern is, they'll think I'm weird we're placing our pride above what God has called us to do. We're then talking ourselves out of the miracle and we're putting our pride on a pedestal instead of putting God on a pedestal, putting God on the throne of our hearts.
Speaker 1:God didn't make you an introvert.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you diagnosed yourself you diagnosed yourself, all right.
Speaker 1:There might be times where you don't feel like people in at the moment, but but overall we were built for community yeah, and we were built to share the gospel, yeah for sure.
Speaker 2:I mean, we, you even look at the very beginning. We're talking about community. You look at the very beginning. This is why I talk about the family business two by two being a part of the church, because man, even from the very beginning he saw it says it's not good for man to be alone, like it is important for him to have someone and have people to be connected to.
Speaker 1:And so anyway, well, let me ask you this. Okay, bible says there's a story you're reading. It says follow me and I'll make you fishers of men, right? So if you're not fishing, are you really following?
Speaker 2:Hey, yeah, you got to ask yourself that question, right? Yeah, are you? I will make you fishers of men, realizing that maybe you were never qualified to begin with, right, and you have to ask yourself we talked about in your sermon review. We were talking about the fruit. You have to ask yourself the same question Yep, am I fishing? Am I? What fruit am I producing?
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:Right, am I following?
Speaker 1:God. Don't waste your salvation. Do something with it. Share the good news.
Speaker 2:Don't stay in the doorway and block other people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Get on in there and let them in. Come on somebody.
Speaker 2:Go outside, drag some people in with you.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:I mean and I talked about the disciples leaving their ships, leaving everything they knew, leaving their fathers, leaving their family business I mean, you look at the Sons of Thunder, right, they left their dad Zebedee, they left him on the boat by himself. He was fixing nets and they're like see you later, pops, be home by nine. Yeah, we've got to go follow Jesus. I believe they looked where they were in a moment and they looked where they were and the plans that man had for them and they looked at Jesus and saw where Jesus was going and the plans that God had for him, and they said I can't stay here and we can't stay here.
Speaker 2:We cannot stay where we are. That's right. We have to be going, we have to be growing Right and and growing spiritually and growing in the Lord. And so I talked about the last thing man is is. I talked about the last thing man is. I talked about leaving the ships, leaving the boats, because in the old days, man, when they would come and they would settle in a new area, they would take everything off the boat and they would burn the boats. They would burn the ships because they didn't want anyone to be tempted to overthrow, to get back on the boat and go back to where they were.
Speaker 2:And so we were actually worshiping. I mean, god was moving so powerfully during worship and I talked about surrender. And so I said everybody get a tissue, because there's plenty of tissues, right, everybody got a tissue, they raised it and I said you know, the white flag is talking about surrender. And so at the very end, I said look, I want you to take that tissue. I told you to hold on to from worship. I want you to take that tissue. I told you to hold on to from worship.
Speaker 2:I want you to pray and ask God, what is it holding me back from you? Is it my pride? Is it a toxic relationship that I know I shouldn't be in? What is it? What's holding me back from you? Is it my love for sports? Is it my love for education or for money? What is it? What's holding me back from you? And then I want you to do this, I, and then I want you to do this. I want you to ask the Lord to show you, and then I want you to take it to the altar and drop it. And so, man, when we started doing that, it was one after the other.
Speaker 1:It was little.
Speaker 2:I call them napkins, dang napkins. There were little tissues all over the altar Of people coming up and dropping it and I said don't you dare pick it up, leave it at the altar. So I went by after service and picked them all up.
Speaker 1:This is a mess I'll clean up for you. I need you to leave it Right, right, right, symbolically.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but we were talking about the boats. Man, burn the boats, don't try to go back to Egypt. No backup plan, man Right, no, I'm tired of you stealing my service. No backup plan, get rid of it. That's it. There's no plan B. Man God is the only plan he's the only way, the truth and the life right, but anyway.
Speaker 1:That's so good man.
Speaker 2:Yeah, bro, that's what I hit on today, man, it was powerful. That's what I hit on Sunday. It was powerful man. The Lord's really moving at Crosspoint man. Now he's moving at Reliant, he's moving to other churches in the area and I am just so excited to see God moving, man, and people drawing closer Because, though we might be maybe your sermon wasn't called Discipleship 101, it is very close. We're all preaching in the same vein, we're drinking the same juice, man.
Speaker 1:Time is near, we're tapped to the vine.
Speaker 2:And so we've got to be ready. We've got to be getting ready and we've been shifting some things here at Crosspoint in the way we disciple and so just because we want to be about our Father's business.
Speaker 1:But anyway, man, hey, it was a blessing brother, I enjoyed it and looking forward to see whatever God's going to have us preaching here in the near future and man this is a quick question Did you of us preaching here in the near future? And man did you?
Speaker 2:this is a quick question. Did you take those tissues and stuff them back into the little boxes? I did not. I did not. I believe some of them were used and I wasn't going to do that. Sir, we're trying to save money here. There's a lot of paper wasted today. All right, a lot of trees did. Oh man, paper wasted but wait, take it off. Hey, come on, worth it man, I love it anyway.
Speaker 1:Well, if you're good man, I'm gonna bless them. Go ahead and bless them, brothers, I'm gonna bless them real good real good number chapter six.
Speaker 1:We do this every time at the end of our podcast, which is gonna leave you with a blessing and, uh, we preach. Appreciate you so much for listening. It's number chapter six, verse 24. It says may the lord bless you and protect you. May the lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the lord show you his favor and give you his peace. Yeah, we hope this has blessed you and encourage. Gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we hope this has blessed you and encouraged you. Share it with someone who really needs this word of encouragement. We'll see you here next time, pastor, pastor.
Speaker 2:God bless you.
