Follow Me (Matthew 4:18-22)
Notes
Transcript
Last week...
Last week...
Jesus began his public ministry after leaving the wilderness and going to Galilee.
And as we discovered last week, we see Jesus’ message to those he would see...
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Now we will pick up from there...
Now we will pick up from there...
18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is 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 And 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.
Today we know theses were the first four...
Today we know theses were the first four...
First four of the 12 that would be called his disciples
The word disciple means a “pupil.” Someone who studies under a master.
When we hear the word disciple, we think of the 12, 11 of them would become apostles.
So why these men? Why would Jesus pick these and the others. Just normal people? Fisherman.
Here in Nsukka, you might compare these men to people who cultivated, and made their money from what they planted. There is nothing wrong with making money from cultivating, or even to make money as a fisherman, but why would Jesus choose these ordinary men and say, “Come, Follow Me?”
You see the preaching and the teachings that Jesus is going to share is for everyone. Man Woman, Child, rich, Poor, white or black. Jesus is for everyone who believes.
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
And now we can look back and see how these ordinary men, by the power of the Holy Spirit took what they had seen, heard, and learned about Jesus Christ, to began to spread it all around.
And Matthew here shows us the first four that Jesus called to follow him
This morning I want to look at what it truly means to follow from Matthew 4:18-22
This morning I want to look at what it truly means to follow from Matthew 4:18-22
FOLLOW ME
FOLLOW ME
As Jesus was walking along the Sea of Galilee he first comes upon two brothers: Simon, who we know better as Peter, and his brother Andrew. What were they doing? They were working, making a living. They were fisherman. Matthew’s account of this event is very simple. Jesus looks at Peter and Andrew and says, Follow me.”
The same is true for James and John and said, “follow me.”
Now before we talk about what it means to FOLLOW Jesus, lets look at what it doesn’t mean.
Following Jesus does not mean only going to church. Some people think because they are in church every Sunday, they follow Jesus, It’s not true. Did you know that someone who has an evil spirit within them can sit in church as well. Look at Mark 1.
21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.
22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.
23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,
24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”
25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!”
26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.
Just because you go to church, doesn’t mean that you follow Jesus.
2. Following Jesus does not mean that you just believe in Him. James tells us this:
19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
Also John writes in his gospel:
42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
Just because you believe there is God or even Jesus, doesn’t make you a follower of Him.
Meaning of the word FOLLOW.
Meaning of the word FOLLOW.
And the Greek word that Jesus used here for follow was AKA-LUH-THEY-OH (go after, obey)
So what does it mean to truly follow Jesus?
So what does it mean to truly follow Jesus?
You will leave some things behind. Jesus calls us to be different. We are different than the unbelievers. We talk different, we think different, we have different priorities, we are different than we were before when we didn’t follow him.
There is no one who truly began to follow Jesus that things did not change in them. The idea that have repented, like we talked about last week, means that you have changed your direction. You should be different than you were before.
2. Also when you follow Jesus you want to be WITH Him.
You know that your will change, and he will want you to share the gospel in which you believed in but first he calls you to BE WITH HIM. In Mark’s gospel he wrote this:
14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach
15 and have authority to cast out demons.
Before he wants you to do any god things, he wants you to be with him.
3. Following Jesus means to confess him. Jesus said later in Matthew:
32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,
33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Confessing Jesus is no
t what those men did because they were fearful of the Pharisees in John 12. Not only should we confess Him at the moment of salvation, but God gives us many times to confess him throughout the day as well. (School) .
4. Following Jesus means you love him. When you are, it more than just saying a prayer. Yes that is important. It is the starting point of your salvation…the starting point of following Jesus. Peter said it this way...
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
To love him, means to follow him.
Jesus says follow me and I will make you FISHERS OF MEN.
Jesus says follow me and I will make you FISHERS OF MEN.
These men fished for a living. They were good at it. But as a follower of Jesus Christ, he said they would be fishers of men.
When Jesus walked the earth, he was all about doing the will of the Father and touching, reaching out to those who needed a spiritual doctor. Jesus was all about people. His teachings, were so PEOPLE understood, his miracles, were SO people would see that he was God, his confronting the Pharisees was so that PEOPLE would not be mislead. The reason he came was for PEOPLE.
A follower of Jesus doesn’t just know the Bible and some facts, a follower of Jesus cares for people. No one is called to believe, then just do nothing. Over and over in the New Testament we are called to Go, Share, Tell. And as followers of Christ it is in us that we love PEOPLE and become fishers of Men. Just like a fisherman through out a line or a new and brings in the fish, a follower fo Christ throws out the gospel, telling others about Jesus.
Being a Fisher of men, means loving people and sharing Jesus with them.
INVITATION
INVITATION