Echoes of Grace: Embracing the Mission of a Disciple

A People of Grace  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
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Reading of the Word

Matthew 4:18–22 NASB 2020
Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets; and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Prayer of Illumination

Holy Spirit, Open our hearts and minds as we hear your Word today. Guide us in your truth and help us to live it out in our daily lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Introduction

Have you ever noticed that despite the many different breeds of dogs in the world, we can identify a dog as a dog even when we don’t know its breed? Chihuahuas and English mastiffs are vastly different in size and appearance, but we can tell that both are dogs because they share the same basic identifiable traits. Christians come in all shapes and sizes too. Some are quiet and reserved; some, louder and more boisterous. Some dress formally, and others casually. Some like pianos and organs, and some prefer guitars and drums. Christians are very different, but we, like our four-legged friends, share some basic and identifiable traits too. Christians are followers of Jesus, and followers of Jesus embrace God’s grace, striving to become like him. This quest defines our existence. Followers of Jesus also sense an urgency to help others along in their journey of grace.
Barber, Sam. People of Grace: Becoming Disciples Together (p. 45). The Foundry Publishing. Kindle Edition.
Jesus came to earth to reveal the loving heart of God and invite people to live in personal relationship with him. He came to die on the cross for the sins of humanity. He rose from the dead to validate everything he said and did in his earthly ministry. But he did not undertake this grand divine mission by himself. He invited men and women to follow him, be discipled by him, and share him with the world when he returned to his Father.
Today’s text invites us to answer three important questions.

I. Who does Jesus invite into discipleship with him?

A. The short, simple answer is everyone! That includes you!
B. Were Jesus’s disciples trained religious leaders? Were they educated by experts in religious matters? No and No.
C. Jesus was a carpenter, the first disciples were fishermen, and Paul was a tentmaker. They all came from the everyday, workaday world of common labor.
D. Jesus’s first disciples learned about life from the experience of hard work and discipline. They learned from success and failure. They learned from interacting in family relationships. They learned from the hard knocks of life.
E. Jesus invited his first disciples to learn from him through on-the-job training. He still invites disciples to learn from him in this manner today.

II. What is the call?

A. John tells us that Jesus already had a relationship with the first disciples when he called them to follow him.
John 1:40–42 NASB 2020
One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
B. The call to Christian discipleship comes directly from Christ. He invites us to join him in God’s mission to the world—partners with Jesus.
What is discipleship? It simply is the process of growing in our relationship with God and inviting others along with us in the journey of grace.
C. This is not a generic call; the call is personal. Jesus called his disciples by name. He invites you personally as well.
This call is both vertical and horizontal.
It is vertical in the perspective of when we forsake and receive forgiveness for our sins, it allows us to unite in a relationship with the Father because of the sacrifice of his Son Jesus, with the help of the Holy Spirit.
It is horizontal in the perspective that Jesus handed over his ministry to us, his disciples to carry on the work of the mission. It means we take us his mission of and begin to invite others to join us in the journey of grace.
As you look vertically to God, he will connect with you, teach you and strengthen you to be a disciple so that you can go horizontally and make disciples.
D. The call has two levels of commitment:
Very simply, Jesus says, “Follow me” (Matt. 4:19). Follow Jesus in personal relationship and consecrated commitment. Tell men, women, youth, and children about the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Like the first disciples, we are sent out to “fish for people” (v. 19).
E. The call requires laser-focused attention on our assignment to share with God in his mission to our world. Forsake everything that demands your attention; live exclusively for the kingdom of God.
The call detaches us from the present sphere of interest and to attach to Jesus as their leader.
Going from fishers of fish to fishers of men.
F. The call asks us to go from inaction to action.
If you’re not fishing, you’re not following.
Not every believer is called to a full-time Christian vocation, but every believer is called to be a full-time Christian. - Tony Evans
The call of Jesus to these men requires a choice. Would they ignore him and keep fishing or drop it all to follow him?
The disciples embraced following Jesus. They embraced the words “follow me.” Everyone of them, except one, John, embraced this call to their death for Jesus
They knew who Jesus was; they saw Him with their own eyes. John stood beside the cross as He died. They witnessed the risen Christ. And then, they carried His message to the world. Would you die for a lie? Would you give your life for a message with no truth, no calling? We embrace the cross where he died so we can embrace our cross that we take up to follow Jesus.

III. How should we respond?

A. The first disciples responded “at once” (Matt. 4:20) and “immediately” (v. 22), without lingering contemplation, procrastination, second-guessing, or turning back.
Hymns carry a timeless message that has been passed down for nearly 2,000 years. Set the melodies aside for a moment and focus on the words and the message they convey.
These words from a hymn came to mind as I had this thought:
I have decided to follow Jesus; No turning back, no turning back.
Tho' none go with me, I still will follow, No turning back, no turning back.
My cross I'll carry, till I see Jesus; No turning back, No turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me, No turning back, no turning back.
B. The first disciples left everything: employment, livelihood, family, familiarity, and obligations.
C. The first disciples followed Jesus unconditionally; there were no loopholes in their level of commitment.
A dad told his son that he could stay up late to watch a movie, but only if he did all his chores first. The son worked hard and completed his list. Later, he tried to persuade his dad by saying, "What if I just clean my room but not the rest?" The dad laughed and said, "No loopholes, bud! Commitment means doing the whole job." Just like in our walk with Christ, it’s about fully engaging, not negotiating our way out of our responsibilities!
D. The first disciples accepted the call as more than mental assent; they accepted the call to action—every day for as long as Jesus needed their service.
Discipleship requires all of one’s being, not just the mind or intellect.
It requires us to love God.
Mark 12:30 NASB 2020
and you shall love the lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’
You must be a disciple to make a disciple.
This requires discipline. The original Hebrew word for disciple spoke of discipline.
To being a student of God’s Word
Soak your life in the Word of God.
Let the Holy Spirit teach you as you study God’s Word.
To being a person of prayer.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 NASB 2020
pray without ceasing,
To forming habits that you lead you closer to God.
Be more patient: Practice patience, trusting God's timing in every situation, whether you're waiting for answers or navigating daily challenges.
Spend more time with God: Set aside intentional moments to read His Word and pray. This strengthens your relationship with God and brings His peace into your day.
Attend church regularly: Make church attendance a consistent priority. Worshipping with others helps you grow spiritually and stay connected to a community of believers.
Practice gratitude: Take time daily to thank God for His blessings. Gratitude shifts your focus toward God’s goodness and helps cultivate a heart of thankfulness.
Remind yourself of God’s presence: Stay mindful of God throughout your day, whether in small decisions or big moments. Acknowledging His presence keeps Him at the forefront of your life.
Seek God's guidance in decisions: Before making decisions, pause to pray and ask for God's wisdom. This helps ensure that your choices align with His will.
This requires dedication.
Dedication to Godly things over worldly things.
Allowing God to Consume Every Area of Your Life
Let every part of your life be completely surrendered to God, so that His presence fills your thoughts and guides every action. From the moment you wake up until the day’s end, let your heart and mind be fixed on Him. In every decision, every challenge, and every blessing, let God be the center, shaping your life until all you think about is His goodness, His will, and His glory.
In the book of Matthew, Jesus tells us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Picture a scale; on one side, we place our daily priorities like work, school, and relationships. On the other, we place Christ. When we make Christ the heaviest weight, everything else falls into place. Deprioritizing Him results in an imbalance in our lives. If we want true peace and fulfillment, we must consciously choose to prioritize Him above all.
Dedication to holiness of heart so you may reflect Jesus.
Yielding your will to God’s will.
Denying ourselves, taking up our cross and following him.
E. Jesus’s call for a response from his disciples has not changed today; what he required of his first disciples, he requires of us as well.
He required them to heed the call, drop everything, and follow him.

Conclusion

In his book A People of Grace, author Sam Barber offers important definitions for “disciple” and “discipleship.” He says,
A disciple responds to God’s prevenient grace by accepting the offer of saving grace. A disciple becomes aware of and then accepts God’s offer of sanctifying grace and grows in Christlikeness because of God’s sustaining grace. Then a disciple takes up the mission of God to join with God in helping someone else along his or her journey of grace. A disciple is a person of grace. We call the process of growing in our relationship with God and inviting others along with us in the journey of grace discipleship.
Jesus may not ask you to quit your job or forsake family responsibilities. However, he will ask you to realign your priorities in life to seek God’s kingdom first and maintain a primary citizenship in heaven as you live and work for him on earth. “Sold out,” “all in”—those phrases describe a true disciple of Jesus.
Are we sold out for Jesus? Take a look at this picture. What would it look like if the disciples valued worship and community like many believers do their church gatherings?
Peter - "My mother-in-law came in for the weekend."
Andrew - "I was up kinda late last night."
James (the son of Zebedee) - "Really needed some 'me' time."
John - "I was there last week. Besides, I'm not really being fed."
Philip - "Finally had a sunny day to hit the lake."
Bartholomew - "Had brunch scheduled with my Uncle Zed."
Thomas - "I doubt it would have been any good today."
Matthew - "I had to get my taxes done."
James (the son of Alphaeus) - "My dad (Alphaeus) wanted to fish today."
Thaddaeus - "The kids needed a rest day."
Simon - "I didn't hear my alarm. Because I didn't set it. Because I don't have one."
Judas - "Getting tired of hearing the same old message."
Going to church is not about checking a religious box off your "make God happy" list. It's about being invested in the lives of others. Participating in the mission of the gospel. Loving and being loved. Embracing the calling and mission that Jesus has left us to actively participate in. If we don’t embrace the mission, look at the table in this picture—who will be left to carry this message to the world? God calls on us to bear our cross, carry the torch, and shine His light into the darkness!
Following Jesus was never meant to be a solo experience. Pull up a seat at the table. It is a level table and there is room for all of us.

Prayer Following Message

Lord Jesus, We thank you for calling us to this special mission of being fishers of men and making disciples. What a privilege it is to serve you, even though we are flawed and imperfect. Thank you for using us despite our weaknesses and for allowing us to share in your great work of bringing others into your kingdom. Give us courage, wisdom, and grace as we follow you and lead others to do the same. Empower us, by your Spirit, to make disciples who will make more disciples, all for your glory. In your name, we pray. Amen.

Benediction

Go now in the grace and strength of our Lord Jesus Christ. As you have been called to follow Him, may you go into the world as His disciples, sharing His love and truth with others. May the Holy Spirit guide you, empower you, and give you courage to make disciples of all nations. And may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, now and forever. Amen.
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