We are all Called
The Way of the King - Matthew • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Intro: I pray to God for my kids.
Would they just do what I say, when I say it?
Immediately. The urgency and accuracy of an act when asked, reflects value on the task and the task giver.
Matthew’s words are intentional in verses 18-22
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. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 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. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus calls each of these disciples and Matthew says, immediately they followed Him. Immediately. It’s demonstration of the value of the task and the task-giver beheld by Simon, Andrew, James and John. Urgency conveys Value. As Pastor Brad mentioned last week, this sin’t their first encounter with Jesus. John 1:35-42
The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
These men were looking for something. They followed John to find it, when he declared the value of Jesus, as the Lamb of God. They left John, and followed Jesus. Literally, followed Him where he was going and spent time with Him. When Jesus calls the, they answer it immediately. Note how Matthew writes this call and response:
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. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
Immediately they, what? Left their nets. What were they doing? Casting their nets.
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. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
They were in their boat with their father, immediately, they leave their father and the boat behind.
It’s purposeful, they didn’t tie up loose ends, didn’t write a pro’s and con’s list, they didn’t sleep on it- no hesitation; the LORD Jesus calls me and I will go. Now, we could treat this as a “yeah well, they’re the disciples, y’know, these lofty biblical characters- beyond my regular ol’, getting by-kind-of-life.”
Each of these sets of brothers, they had a boat and nets, the sons of Zebedee it is said in other accounts their father had hired men. These young men, left a rather secure future behind- boats aren’t cheap! Zebedee did well enough to employ others. Matthew also makes the point, to mention they are fishermen.
Let’s look at the context.
In Jesus’ day, all Hebrew boys would attend the local Rabbinic school and begin learning the scriptures. At about age 12 or 13, the best students would be invited to advance to the next level of school, we are talking the top 1%, while the rest would have heard a phrase such as: “go and ply your father’s trade”. The best students would then have to work hard to remain in the school. At age 18, the remaining students would then seek out a rabbi of their choosing. Rabbi’s sometimes specialized in certain study either of the scriptures, external literature or Jewish lifestyles. The rabbi would set tasks for the student whether they would good enough or not to follow him. Then that student would become a Talmidim, a disciple. It was said of a disciple, they ought to be covered in the dust of their rabbi, so closely should they follow his way.
The disciple was different from a student. A student would gleam knowledge, to pass a test, to know what their teacher knows. A disciple would study their teacher. They pay attention to everything they did. How they talked, how they prayed, how they studied or read. How they ate, their habits and rhythms. A disciple doesn’t simply want to know what their teacher knows, they want to be like them, to become them.
You will hear us say this next statement many times over the next few months, Jesus didn’t come to turn the world upside down, rather, he came to turn the world the right way up. He didn’t come to revolt against or reject the world, but rather to redeem it, to restore it. To bring the reign of the Kingdom of Heaven.
These fishermen that he called, had been deemed ‘not good enough’, sent home to ply the trade of their fathers- to be fishermen. Rejected by the world. He could have gone to the major population centers, and found philosophers, orators, political strategists, military geniuses- persons of power, influence and wealth. Rather, instead, it is by the sea of Galilee- in fishing boats, where He calls youth, to follow him. He doesn’t put them to any rigorous testing- had they hesitated I’m sure he would have kept walking alone- but He called and they answered.
They were prepared- not necessarily with gifting, or skills, or experience- no, they were prepared to leave behind their future. They were prepared to say no to the world and yes following Jesus. It wasn’t free, it cost them something- but they were willing to pay the price. They didn’t follow to simply know what Jesus knew, or for the experience of it, but they knew Jesus and they wanted to become like Him.
They aren’t lofty characters, rather they are just ordinary people. The only significant thing, is that Jesus said, “Follow me.” He chose them. As He chooses you, to follow Him. It turns out, in the Kingdom of Heaven there are no little people. No one of insignificance. All are called. No one is called to spectate, all are called to participate, to follow.
The same Jesus that called them, calls you. The same Spirit that filled them, fills you. The same power, the same wisdom, the same redeeming grace. There are no little people in the Kingdom of Heaven.
He called them to follow Him in the Way of His Kingdom, then he showed them what the Kingdom is.
And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
We have the first shift in Jesus’ ministry. So far, Matthew has told us, John then Jesus preached throughout the region of the imminence of the Kingdom.
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Now, supported by his disciples and the growing crowd of followers Jesus demonstrates the reality of the Kingdom.
And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.
Jesus continues to preach (that is, proclaim) but now is He teaching and healing. He has shifted. Let’s look at each of these:
PROCLAIM
The Greek word for preach or proclaim is the word kerysso. It means to announce or herald the coming of something. Jesus is heralding, announcing the Kingdom. However, the phrasing has changed, now He is proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom. Gospel means good news! And so begins to teach what that is-
TEACHING
The word for teaching here is didasko. It means to instruct in the way of. The Kingdom is coming, now it has arrived! What does this mean for us? What does it look like to be a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven? We are going to do a deep dive into that over the weeks to come as we explore the Sermon on the Mount but so far, at the end of chapter 4, we know it is to repent. A citizen of Heaven is in the habit of repentance. Repentance means to turn away from, to change course. Jesus has come to redeem and restore our world, why? Because it is broken. He is turning thew world the right way up, why? Because it is currently upside down. Everything is a mess, things don’t work how they’re supposed to, we don’t act as we are supposed to- you don’t have to be a christian to know this is true. The world is broken, and dark and dangerous. Repentance is a gift, an invitation to freedom to leave behind the darkness of this world and step into His light-
the people dwelling in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
on them a light has dawned.”
Repentance is an invitation to turn away from our brokenness and be restored, be to renewed, to be healed- to be redeemed.
HEALING
Therapeuo means to heal, to attend to, to serve and, to cure. Probably the big question in the room about healing, is how we read a passage like this and reconcile it to our context today.
... healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them.
I’m conscious and aware of the many pastoral care issues in our church today and if this stirs something within you, please, our prayer corner is available after the service, and if you need to leave the room that’s okay too. I’d like to speak to this topic in the context of the passage but also what it means for us today. This topic requires lots of conversation and space, but I have three things to mention:
God can and still heals today.
There is no formula to it, I’ve prayed for people and.. nothing. I’ve prayed for others and seen healing! I was on a youth camp where a young man came to camp on crutches. He had a, I believe it was fractured vertebrae. His dorm one night wanted to pray for him, for healing. He left camp at the end of the week, without the need for crutches. Usually it’s the other way around! Kids usually come to camp without crutches and leave with them! There is no formula to it, but it happens.
Some people teach that, if you have enough faith, it’ll happen- if it doesn’t- you mustn't have enough faith! I have very strong, negative feelings about that. One, it presents faith as like some power-up ability that if you have enough in the tank you get some sort of super power! That’s certainly not the case. Second, it’s a gross misrepresentation of faith. Faith is closely tied to the word trust. Faith in God is trust in Him. We can and should contend through prayer in this space, but ultimately true faith is trusting in Him and His plan. If we pray, deeply, earnestly and it seems as if He says no, would you still trust Him?
2. God doesn’t heal everyone.
If God simply healed everyone, every time- everyone would believe! Except, they’d believe not for Jesus’ sake but for their own, for the rewards and benefits of faith. Where does faith and trust exist in that reality? Jesus does, however, heal us of a great affliction.
3. Physical healing by Jesus was a taste of what was to come.
Jesus’ healing’s; casting out sickness, disease and affliction. Demonstrating His power and authority over demons was a demonstration of His Kingdom Come. It was a demonstration of the power and reality of the Kingdom of Heaven- a showing of the renewing, restoring process that was to come. However, without His later death and sacrifice on the cross and what that means for those who trust in Him, it would have been meaningless- a delay of the inevitable.
Jesus’ ability to heal the physically sick is a sign of His power to heal the spiritually sick. Not only would he take our physical afflictions but also our spiritual ones. He would also not just cast out demons, but He would later fill us with His Holy Spirit.
Jesus is turning the world, the right way up and he does so in the full view of His disciples. After all, they followed Him, to become like Him, to do what he did.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
And greater things they did. The world is broken and sick with the ravages of sin. Sin being our rebellion and rejection of God, ultimately demonstrated in mankind’s Crucifixion and mockery of Jesus on the cross. But what was meant to be a humiliation of God became His glory. Jesus lived a perfect life of obedience to the Father and was therefore not condemned to die. His resurrection from the grave was his conquering of death. Jesus gave himself as a substitution for us, that any whom may believe in Him would have forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
Anyone and everyone came to find him. Great crowds from all nations came to him at the beginning of His ministry and at the end He sends them out to reach the world.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
and so they went. Proclaiming the Gospel, instructing in the Way of the Kingdom and healing all who drew near- not just sickness. A countless multitude would find faith in Jesus because of their commitment to following Jesus. To lead someone into faith and repentance in Jesus Christ, is to heal them of an affliction far greater than any sickness, or disease, or cancer.
The arrival of the Kingdom begins with an invitation to follow Jesus. Not to spectate from afar, but to be covered in the dust from his sandals. To learn from Him, to become like Him, to walk and talk like Him. To demonstrate kindness, mercy and hospitality like He did. To learn and memorise scripture like He did, to found our lives upon, to resist even the devil. To boldly declare Gospel and Kingdom truths like He did, to sit quietly with the grieving, to have compassion on the lost, like He did.
Following Jesus is not a spectator sport. He calls you into battle with him. Everyone has a part to play, each of us are different, and rightfully so! I may be one of the Pastor’s, but I don’t take the light of the Gospel into your homes are the service, or to your places of work or sports clubs. Only you, your friends, family, neighbors, it is your responsibility to serve Him in those spaces by loving others with the love with which he loved us.
There an no little people in the Kingdom of Heaven. *broken vessels story?*
Follow me: God chooses you.
Will you follow Jesus?
