THY KINGDOM COME: WILL I FOLLOW WHERE HE LEADS?

The congregation is invited to make room for the Spirit with urgency and expectancy, using the image of Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones to show that life arrives only when God breathes. Worship pauses become an altar call for fresh presence, healing, and anointing — a collective posture to be filled and sent. Practical care follows the invitation: people are encouraged to receive prayer at the front, to join a Bible-reading plan, to consider church membership, and to engage in community rhythms that sustain growth.

A vivid illustration—standing on a cliff, reluctant to jump—exposes a common spiritual posture: proximity without risk. That hesitation frames the central challenge: will people follow Jesus wherever he leads, or cling to nets of income, routine, and comfort? Scripture anchors the call in Matthew 4 and Luke 5, where fishermen respond to Jesus’ invitation. The story of the miraculous catch shows that Jesus calls after showing his power; the disciples’ “at once” response models decisive commitment that begins with small steps of trust.

The teaching reframes obedience as a process. First “yes” moments—letting Jesus into the boat, listening, taking one step—prepare hearts for larger costs. The nets are not framed as inherently sinful but as symbols of security, identity, and routine that can keep believers from wholehearted following. Delayed obedience is treated as disobedience; comfort becomes the enemy of calling. The call to follow is both internal (repentance, surrender) and outward (becoming fishers of men), moving discipleship into mission where Monday morning decisions embody Sunday convictions.

An altar moment invites renewed commitment: hands raised, prayers for boldness, and corporate commissioning to live out the kingdom beyond the building. The sermon presses a pastoral hope that a church marked by willingness to follow Jesus would translate worship into everyday witness—families as missionaries in their neighborhoods, workplaces becoming mission fields, and a people whose spiritual habits lead to consistent, courageous engagement in the world. The closing appeal is practical and relational: take the first step, keep taking steps, and allow God’s wind to fill what’s been emptied, so the church can be anointed and sent for the work God appoints.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Make intentional room for God Creating literal and spiritual space invites the Spirit to reorient life from self-sufficiency to dependence. This is not merely about feeling; it’s a posture that opens the lungs of the soul so God can breathe new life into worn routines and dead hopes. Intentionality here is a discipline that unseats assumptions and makes room for surprise. [16:16]
• 2. Drop the nets of comfort Nets often represent income, routine, identity, or relationships that feel safe but limit obedience. Letting go is not impulsive rejection but a deliberate reordering of loyalties when the call to follow risks what sustains one’s present life. The cost of following exposes what is ultimately trusted more than God and reveals whether comfort has become a false god. [59:06]
• 3. Obedience grows through small steps The disciples’ first “yes” was a small permission—letting Jesus use the boat—before a radical life change unfolded. Spiritual courage is cultivated by incremental acts of faith that prove God’s faithfulness, not by a single heroic leap. Those early, humble steps recalibrate vision so later, larger obediences become possible. [63:57]
• 4. Discipleship must move into mission Following Jesus redirects inward formation outward toward people who don’t yet know him; discipleship that stops in private transformation is incomplete. The call to be “fishers of men” reframes worship and learning as preparation for sending, not merely personal comfort. True devotion shows itself in daily choices to embody the kingdom in ordinary contexts. [60:48]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [15:18] - Cry for the Spirit
• [15:38] - Ezekiel: Breath Brings Life
• [16:16] - Altar Invitation: Make Room
• [21:34] - Healing Prayer & James 5
• [32:12] - Fellowship and Vision of Heaven
• [33:24] - Bible Reading Plan Explained
• [36:36] - Membership Class Announced
• [43:21] - Cliff-jump Illustration: Hesitation
• [47:31] - Comfort Is Enemy Of Calling
• [50:14] - Jesus Calls the Fishermen
• [53:43] - Miraculous Catch and Response
• [59:06] - Drop the Nets and Go
• [65:30] - Take the First Yes (Altar Call)
• [80:38] - Surrender, Prayer, and Filling
• [83:03] - Commission to Live It Out

Here is a Bible study guide based on the sermon summary:

Bible Reading

Matthew 4:18-22 (ESV)
> 18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Luke 5:4-11 (ESV)
> 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we worked all night and caught nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a greatסק of fish, so that their nets were tearing. 7 And they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken. 10 And so were James and John, sons of Zebedee, partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Ezekiel 37:1-10 (ESV)
> 1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he took me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 And he led me around among them, and behold, on the surface of the valley were very many bones. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will bring breath into you, and you shall live. 6 I will put sinews on you, and I will bring flesh upon you, and I will cover you with skin, and I will put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, each to its own bone. 8 And as I looked, behold, sinews were on them, and flesh came upon them, and skin covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, a very great army.

Observation questions

1. The prophet Ezekiel is shown a valley full of dry bones. What is God's initial question to him about these bones, and what is Ezekiel's response? [15:38]
2. After prophesying to the bones, what happens, and what is still missing? [15:38]
3. When Jesus calls Simon Peter and Andrew, what are they doing, and what is their immediate response? [50:14]
4. When Jesus calls James and John, what are they doing, and what is their immediate response? [50:14]
5. In Luke's account, what does Simon Peter say after the miraculous catch of fish, and what is Jesus' response to him? [53:43]
6. The sermon mentions that "comfort becomes the enemy of calling." [47:31] What illustration is used to describe this hesitation to step out of comfort?

Interpretation questions

1. The story of Ezekiel's dry bones illustrates that life comes from God's breath. How does this connect to the idea of needing to "make room for the Spirit" in our lives? [16:16]
2. The fishermen in Matthew and Luke immediately left their nets and boats to follow Jesus. What do these "nets" and "boats" symbolize in our lives today, and why might they represent a hesitation to follow Jesus wholeheartedly? [59:06]
3. Jesus' call to the fishermen was not a call to blind faith, as they had already witnessed his power (Luke 5). [54:40] What does this suggest about how God often calls us – is it always a leap into the unknown, or does it build on previous experiences?
4. The sermon states, "Delayed obedience is disobedience." [47:19] How does the immediate response of the disciples contrast with this idea of delayed obedience?

Application questions

1. The sermon encourages us to "make intentional room for God" [16:16] by creating literal and spiritual space. What are some practical ways you can intentionally create more space in your life this week to connect with God?
2. The "nets" we hold onto can represent things like income, routine, identity, or relationships that feel safe but limit our obedience. [59:06] What is one "net" in your life that might be hindering you from fully following Jesus, and what is one small step you can take this week to loosen your grip on it?
3. The disciples' first "yes" was a small permission, like letting Jesus into the boat, before a radical life change. [01:03:57] What is a small "yes" to Jesus that you can offer this week, even if you don't feel ready for a big commitment?
4. Discipleship is meant to move outward into mission. [01:00:48] How can you be a "fisher of people" in your everyday context – your workplace, neighborhood, or family – this week?
5. The sermon challenges us to consider if comfort has become an idol. [47:31] What is one area in your life where you tend to prioritize comfort over calling, and how can you begin to reorder your loyalties?
6. The call to follow Jesus is both internal (repentance, surrender) and outward (becoming fishers of men). [01:00:48] What is one internal step of surrender you need to take this week, and what is one outward action you can take to share God's love with someone else?
7. The sermon presses a hope for a church marked by willingness to follow Jesus, translating worship into everyday witness. [01:10:49] What is one way you can intentionally live out your faith beyond the walls of the church this week, perhaps by seeing your family as missionaries or your workplace as a mission field?