When Worlds Collide: Leaving Comfort to Follow Jesus
Devotional
Day 1: Jesus Calls Us Out of Comfortable, Familiar Patterns
Jesus sees us right where we are—even in the places we know are not pleasing to God, the habits or patterns that are comfortable, familiar, and maybe even “kind of working” for us. Yet, He calls us to leave those behind and follow Him into something greater, even when we have no idea what lies ahead. Like Levi, who left his tax collector’s booth, we are invited to step away from what is holding us back and trust that Jesus has a better future for us, one filled with His multiplying goodness and grace. [16:18]
Mark 2:13-14 (ESV) He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
Reflection: What is one “tax collector’s booth”—a habit, relationship, or comfort—you sense Jesus inviting you to leave behind today so you can follow Him more fully?
Day 2: Anything Between You and Jesus Is Terrible for You
No matter how comfortable, familiar, or beneficial something may seem, if it stands between you and Jesus, it ultimately cuts you off from the source of all joy, peace, and grace. Jesus made you for more than money, success, approval, or even your own sense of control. Anything you are unwilling to surrender to Him limits your experience of His love and mercy, and He lovingly calls you to lay it down so you can receive all He has for you. [18:16]
Luke 9:23-24 (ESV) And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
Reflection: What is one thing you are holding onto that you know is standing between you and Jesus? What would it look like to lay it at His feet today?
Day 3: Jesus Brings People Together Like No One Else
Jesus is the only one truly happy at the awkward, messy dinner at Levi’s house, because He delights in bringing together people who would never otherwise gather—across backgrounds, politics, and pasts. The church is meant to be a beautiful, diverse community where all are invited, and Jesus alone is the center. As we participate in this global, multi-ethnic family, we are called to celebrate the unity only He can create, even when it stretches us beyond our comfort zones. [29:20]
Ephesians 2:13-14 (ESV) But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.
Reflection: Who in your church community is very different from you? How can you take one step this week to build a bridge or show Christ’s love to them?
Day 4: Everyone Is Invited, But Everyone Is Called to Change
Jesus’ invitation is radically inclusive—everyone is welcome at His table, no matter their past or present. But His love is also transformative: He calls each of us to repent, to leave behind whatever is outside of God’s purposes, and to follow Him into new life. True discipleship means both welcoming all and courageously calling ourselves and others to step out of darkness and into God’s amazing grace. [32:23]
Mark 2:17 (ESV) And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Reflection: Is there an area of your life where you have welcomed Jesus’ invitation but resisted His call to change? What is one step you can take today to respond to His transforming love?
Day 5: Forgive and Love Across Differences in Community
Being part of Jesus’ community means sharing life with people who may be hard to love, who may have hurt us, or who simply see the world differently. Jesus calls us not only to invite others in, but also to forgive, bear with, and love one another as He has loved us. This is how the church becomes a living witness to His grace—a place where forgiveness and love overcome resentment, bitterness, and division. [37:00]
Colossians 3:12-14 (ESV) Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Reflection: Who is one person in your church or life you struggle to love or forgive? Will you ask God today for the grace to forgive or to love them as He does?
Sermon Summary
This morning, the invitation is to consider what happens when our world collides with Jesus’ world. Each of us has places in our lives that are comfortable, familiar, and “kind of working for us”—habits, relationships, patterns, or even beliefs that we return to again and again, even when we know they’re not what God wants for us. The story of Levi, the tax collector, is a powerful example: Levi was sitting in the very place of his compromise, profiting at the expense of his people, when Jesus called him to leave it all behind and follow. Levi’s response wasn’t just a moment of inspiration; it was a radical break from what was comfortable and a step into the unknown with Jesus.
This is the heart of discipleship: Jesus sees us exactly as we are, even in our rebellion or indifference, and calls us to something more. He doesn’t ignore our “tax collector booths”—the places where we’ve settled for less than God’s best—but invites us to leave them behind for a life of multiplying goodness, wisdom, and joy. Yet, this call is costly. Anything we’re unwilling to surrender—no matter how much it seems to be working for us—can become a barrier between us and the grace, mercy, and love of God.
But the story doesn’t end with personal transformation. Levi’s first impulse after following Jesus is to invite others—especially those who are also on the margins or stuck in their own “booths”—to meet Jesus. The resulting dinner is a collision of worlds: disciples, tax collectors, sinners, and Pharisees, all in one room. It’s awkward, messy, and uncomfortable, but it’s also a picture of what the church is meant to be—a community where Jesus brings together people who would never otherwise share a table.
Jesus alone is happy at this party, because he delights in bringing people together, breaking down barriers, and calling everyone—no matter their background or baggage—to repentance and new life. The challenge for us is twofold: to leave behind what’s holding us back, and to embrace the messy, beautiful community that Jesus is building. This means inviting others in, forgiving those who are hard to love, and refusing to let our preferences or religious practices become more important than Jesus himself. The invitation is open: will you leave what’s comfortable and follow Jesus into the life he created you for?
Key Takeaways
1. Jesus calls us out of what is comfortable, familiar, and “kind of working” for us, even when those things are deeply ingrained or profitable. The call to follow him often requires leaving behind not just obvious sins, but also the subtle patterns and attachments that keep us from experiencing his grace in full. Anything we refuse to surrender can become a barrier to the life God intends for us. [18:03]
2. The story of Levi reminds us that Jesus sees us completely—our compromises, our rebellion, even our indifference—and still calls us by name. He does not wait for us to clean up our act before inviting us to follow; he meets us in the midst of our mess and offers a new identity and purpose. This is a grace that both confronts and transforms. [14:09]
3. True discipleship is not just about personal change, but about joining Jesus in his mission to bring others in. Levi’s immediate response is to invite his friends—those who are also far from God—to meet Jesus. The church is meant to be a place where unlikely people gather, where the boundaries of “us” and “them” are broken down by the love of Christ. [23:02]
4. Religious practices and traditions, while valuable, can become “comfortable and familiar” traps if they replace a living relationship with Jesus. It is possible to become more attached to the forms of faith than to the One they point to. We must continually examine whether our practices are drawing us closer to Jesus or simply reinforcing our own preferences and in-groups. [27:54]
5. The community Jesus creates is intentionally messy and diverse, filled with people who disagree, who have different backgrounds, and who sometimes rub each other the wrong way. The call is to forgive, to love, and to invite others in, even when it’s uncomfortable. This is the beauty and challenge of the church: a foretaste of the global, boundary-breaking family of God. [35:09]
Mark 2:13-17 (ESV) — 13 He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. 15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Observation Questions
Where was Levi when Jesus called him, and what was he doing? What does this tell us about the kind of people Jesus calls? ([08:28])
After Levi decided to follow Jesus, what was the first thing he did? Who did he invite to his house? ([22:44])
How did the Pharisees react to Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners? What question did they ask the disciples? ([23:13])
According to Jesus, who needs a doctor, and who did he say he came to call? ([30:13])
Interpretation Questions
What does Levi’s willingness to leave his tax booth say about the cost and nature of following Jesus? Why do you think he was willing to walk away from something that was “comfortable, familiar, and kind of working for him”? ([16:18])
The sermon described the dinner at Levi’s house as “awkward, messy, and uncomfortable.” Why do you think Jesus wanted his followers to experience this kind of community? ([27:06])
The Pharisees were upset about Jesus eating with “sinners.” What does this reveal about their understanding of God’s grace and who is welcome in God’s family? ([28:49])
The sermon warned that even good things—like religious practices—can become “comfortable and familiar” traps if they replace a living relationship with Jesus. How can someone tell if their faith practices are drawing them closer to Jesus or just reinforcing their own preferences? ([27:54])
Application Questions
The sermon talked about “tax collector booths”—places in our lives that are comfortable, familiar, and “kind of working for us,” but not what God wants. What is one “booth” in your life that you keep returning to, even though you sense Jesus is calling you out of it? What would it look like to leave it behind? ([18:03])
Levi’s first response after following Jesus was to invite his friends—especially those on the margins—to meet Jesus. Who in your life might be “sitting in their own booth” and needs an invitation to experience Jesus? What’s one practical way you could reach out to them this week? ([22:44])
The dinner at Levi’s house was messy and uncomfortable, but it was also a picture of the church. Is there someone in your church or small group who is hard for you to love or forgive? What step could you take to move toward them in love or forgiveness? ([36:52])
The sermon challenged us to examine whether our religious practices are helping us follow Jesus or just making us comfortable. Is there a church tradition, habit, or preference that you’ve become attached to? How can you make sure it’s pointing you to Jesus and not becoming a barrier? ([27:54])
Jesus is the only one happy at Levi’s party because he delights in bringing people together. Are there people or groups you tend to avoid or look down on? What would it look like to break down those barriers and invite them to the table? ([29:20])
The call to follow Jesus is costly—anything we refuse to surrender can become a barrier to God’s grace. What is one thing you sense God asking you to surrender or change, even if it feels costly or uncomfortable? How can your group support you in taking that step? ([18:16])
The sermon said, “The invitation is open: will you leave what’s comfortable and follow Jesus into the life he created you for?” What is one area where you want to say “yes” to Jesus’ invitation this week? ([34:51])
Sermon Clips
When Jesus’ world collides with the world of the first century and with your world, one of two things happens. Either division happens and people push back against Jesus, push back against his agenda and his kingdom and his people, ultimately to the point where they’re ready to kill him by the end of Mark 2, beginning of Mark chapter 3. So division happens. Or, for people who are open to what Jesus has to teach them, multiplication happens. When people are open to what Jesus has to teach them, multiplication of understanding, multiplication of wisdom, multiplication of joy and peace, multiplication of their understanding of God and who God is and what God’s about in the world, multiplication in their own understanding of who they are as people.
[00:04:42]
(36 seconds)
#DivisionOrMultiplication
In this story, Levi is sitting at a tax collector’s booth. He’s doing something he knows God doesn’t really want him to be doing. He’s right in the middle of it. And what Jesus does is he walks right by him. He says, he sees him doing something that he knows and Levi knows and Jesus knows that God doesn’t want him to be doing. And he calls him out of his wickedness, his foolishness, his stupidity to come follow Jesus. Just like Jesus has done with me out of my own foolishness, wickedness and stupidity from time to time. Just like he’s done for so many of us as Jesus comes and calls us out of our own foolishness, stupidity and even wickedness.
[00:09:16]
(41 seconds)
#CalledOutOfWickedness
Jesus sees the middle finger. He sees it. He knows exactly what he’s doing there. He’s not pretending. Listen, Jesus does not sort of not see Levi and Jesus sees you. All of you. And Jesus sees that Levi has built his whole life around chasing after more and more wealth, more and more acquisition. And Jesus says, hey, you, I made you for more than that. I see your middle finger. I don’t care. I mean, I do care. We’ll deal with that. I see what you’re doing. I see how you’re living your life. But there’s something bigger. I made you for more than money and Jesus made you for more than money, more than, made you for more than success or applause or approval. Jesus made you for more than control. Jesus made you for more than this. So he looks at Levi and he looks at you. He looks at me. He says, come follow me. And Levi gets right up, follows Jesus.
[00:14:00]
(50 seconds)
#MadeForMoreThanMoney
All kinds of people, maybe even here in this room, like sing the songs and say yes and amen to all the things and then go right back to things that you know in your life aren’t what God wants for you. Happens all the time. It’s so easy to get stuck in these ruts where you kind of go back over and over and over again. So it’s not until Jesus kind of comes to him, looks him right in the eye, and maybe even Jesus saw him before. Maybe Jesus saw him last month when he passed through before. He says, I’m gonna come back and get this guy. He says, you, I want you to come and follow me. And at this point, Levi finally leaves what’s comfortable and familiar and kind of working for him to follow Jesus into the life that Jesus has for him and he has no idea what’s ahead of him.
[00:15:29]
(42 seconds)
#LeavingComfortForJesus
And then on the other end of the spectrum, we’ve had to have people leave the comfortable, familiar, kind of working for them lie that they’re awesome and don’t need God and don’t need grace, don’t need forgiveness. I got everything under control. I’m doing great. Listen, bad news, good news, Merry Christmas. You’re not under control. Jesus is Lord. There’s one under control. And if you’re willing, if you’re willing to lay down how awesome you think you are before the Lord, His nail-scarred feet, nail-scarred hands, He went to the cross to die, suffer, bleed for you, if you’re willing to open yourself up to amazing grace, that, my friends, you can discover what greatness really looks like, what it really sounds like.
[00:21:34]
(38 seconds)
#BoldInvitationsChangeLives
How does a group of completely irreligious tax collectors end up in the same room with the greatest religious teacher of all time? How does that happen? Levi invites them. That’s what happens. And when you are bold and courageous enough to invite people to come meet Jesus, just don’t tell him what he might do. Don’t tell him how he might move. And don’t tell him who might show up.
[00:25:09]
(28 seconds)
#PracticesPointToJesus
Jesus brings people together like nobody else has in human history or ever will. Jesus brings people together. He brings people together. He brings people together. More people. Listen, right now, right now, what you’re doing, what you’re doing right here, right now, you’re participating in the single most global event in all of humankind. Right here, right now. That’s what you’re doing. Almost every language, almost every tribe, almost every country, all over the globe, every 30 minutes, a new group of people, a new language comes online and sings the songs and reads the scriptures every single Sunday. There’s like this relay race of worship and praise. Opening the scriptures that you’re participating in right here, right now. It is literally the most global thing in human history for 2,000 years. And we step into our little part of it right here in Chatham County and say, yes and amen, how great is our God. In every possible language, how great is our God. Yes and amen. Yes and amen. Yes and amen. Jesus, who brings people together like nobody else can.
[00:29:15]
(49 seconds)
#BreakInGroupBias
Here’s what I want to propose is like when worlds collide, you have this thing called in-group bias, which is find your people, ignore or look down on everyone else, right? So that’s what the Pharisees are. They’re doing like, they don’t like the sinners. They don’t like the people who are tax collectors, right? So find your people. This is like, this is a classic sort of typical thing. Whatever your people is, right? In middle school, high school is like the band people and the party people and all that kind of thing, right? But here’s the thing. Some of us never move on from middle school. We stay with the same in-group. Find your people who look like you, act like you, vote like you, believe the things you do. Like find those people, lock in, make sure you’re safe and comfortable and taken care of, and then ignore, look down on everyone else. And it’s so funny how he plays that reason. Like when I lived in like, when I lived in Virginia, it was like West Virginia people. know, if you live in like, you know, if you live in Chatham County, Gary people. You know, like there’s always people we kind of look down on, roll our eyes at, right? So easy to do that. There’s playful ways to do that. But listen, when it comes down to it, fine. Hey, make sure your family’s taken care of. Make sure your people are taken care of. And you can ignore, look down on everyone else. That’s like, that’s nature. That’s what the world says, right? Here’s what Jesus says. Jesus calls every single person to repent and follow him. That’s what Jesus does.
[00:30:36]
(64 seconds)
#InclusiveButCalled
This is what church looks like when we’re following Jesus. When world’s collide in Levi’s house, the world says, find your people, ignore, look down on everyone else. Jesus calls everyone to repent and to follow him. All people, all people are invited and everyone’s called to move away from darkness and to light out of practices that are kind of get you tangled up in darkness or distraction and into God’s amazing, grace.
[00:35:29]
(22 seconds)
#ChurchCallsAllToLight
