You are God's Method
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Introduction
Introduction
turn in your Bibles to
What comes to your mind what I say the word Christian
What comes to mind whaen I say
What comes to you mind when I say politition
What comes to you mind when I say politition
What about a cross fitter?
What about a milinial
What about vegetarian
What comes comes to mind whaen you say Christinan?
for some unfortinetly
Christians are Judgemental
homophobic
that thry think they are the only ones going to Heaven and relish the fact that everyone else is going to hell
but What does it relly mean to be a Christian?
the verry first followers of Jesues did not call themselves Christian the word was accully a deroginory word
26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
this was a diroginory term
they refered to themselves as diciples
The word Christian is only used three times in the entire Bible. The word disciple by contrast is used 281 times in the New Testament alone.
three times in the entire Bible. The word disciple by contrast is used 281 times in the New Testament alone.
You say, “Well, so what?” why does this matter
You say, “Well, so what?” why does this matter
Here’s why “I want to suggest to you that in changing the primary word that we use to describe ourselves, we lost the clarity that the word disciple conveyed about what a follower of Jesus actually is.”
Now, in case you’re wondering where all this is headed, and you’re starting to feel yourself tense up a little bit because you’re like, “Okay, he’s going to at the end of this message say after and tell us we’re no longer going to call ourselves Christians, and from now I want you to tell people you’re not a Christian, that you’re a disciple.”
You’re like, “I just feel like that’s weird, and I’m not going to do that.” That’s not where this is all headed, but what I want to show you is that our use of the term Christian today obscures the fact that a lot of people who call themselves Christians are not actually disciples. You see, disciple, the term is much clearer. Terrifyingly clear in fact about what you actually become when you choose to believe in Jesus. I want to go back and try to get into what a disciple actually was, and in Matthew chapter four we have the calling of the first disciples, and in that you’ll get a glimpse of what a disciple was and how Christians saw themselves.
You’re like, “I just feel like that’s weird, and I’m not going to do that.” That’s not where this is all headed, but what I want to show you is that our use of the term Christian today obscures the fact that a lot of people who call themselves Christians are not actually disciples. You see, disciple, the term is much clearer. Terrifyingly clear in fact about what you actually become when you choose to believe in Jesus. I want to go back and try to get into what a disciple actually was, and in Matthew chapter four we have the calling of the first disciples, and in that you’ll get a glimpse of what a disciple was and how Christians saw themselves. Okay.
18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. 21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. 22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
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.
Matt 4:18-
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.
Historical Background
22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. 23 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. 24 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. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
All Hebrew boys went to Torah school starting at age 5.
25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
All Hebrew boys went to Torah school starting at age 5.
Matt 4:
By age 10, all young boys knew the Torah and the best students went on to study the remainder of the Old Testament. The rest returned home to work in their families’ businesses.
• By age 10, all young boys knew the Torah and the best students went on to study the remainder of the Old Testament. The rest returned home to work in their families’ businesses.
At about age 17, if you wanted to go on and make a career out of religious studies, your next step was to find a rabbi you admired and apply to become one of his disciples (talmidim).
• At about age 17, if you wanted to go on and make a career out of religious studies, your next step was to find a rabbi you admired and apply to become one of his disciples (talmidim).
When you found one, you would go and sit at his feet. That was your request to learn. And the rabbi would examine you with questions and put you through a series of tests to see if you were worthy to be his disciple.
• When you found one, you would go and sit at his feet. That was your request to learn. And the rabbi would examine you with questions and put you through a series of tests to see if you were worthy to be his disciple.
The rabbis could choose the smartest, most talented boys to be their disciples.
• The rabbis could choose the smartest, most talented boys to be their disciples.
Another reason the rabbis were so picky is that when they chose a disciple, they were choosing someone whom they believed could become just like them—to not just know what they knew, but to do what they did.
• Another reason the rabbis were so picky is that when they chose a disciple, they were choosing someone whom they believed could become just like them—to not just know what they knew, but to do what they did.
For several years, these young disciples (talmidim) would follow their rabbis, imitating them in every way. The goal of a disciple was to be like the rabbi.
• For several years, these young disciples (talmidim) would follow their rabbis, imitating them in every way. The goal of a disciple was to be like the rabbi.
but Jesues did not go to the smartest most learned ones he went to the fishmen
but Jesues did not go to the smartest most learned ones he went to the fishmen
18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. 21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. 22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
Matt 4:18-22
I. Jesus did’t choose the best he chose the willing (V.18)
I. Jesus did’t choose the best he chose the willing (V.18)
18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
Why was it importent to point out that they were fisherman? This fact that seems incredibly minor and unimportent to us at this time would have been a big deal this showes they were low on the rung of class systems Christ didn’t go to the temple for diciples he went to the seashore.
John MacArthur: “God skipped all the wise of the day! The great scholars were in Egypt; the great library was in Alexandria; the great philosophers were in Athens; the powerful were in Rome. He passed over Herodotus the historian and Socrates the great thinker and Julius Caesar. He chose men so ordinary it was comical. No Rabbis, no teachers, no religious experts...”
Why did he chose fishermen? because His work in the world wouldn’t come from their abilities for Him, but from what He would do through them.
because His work in the world wouldn’t come from their abilities for Him, but from what He would do through them.
People with a lot of talent and ability would only get in the way because they would never learn to lean on His power. Jesus taught that His power in the weakest vessel was infinitely greater than the greatest talent without Him.
God wants to use you in your family, at your workplace. It is time that Christians stop making excuses that you are not able. He doesn’t need your ability; He requires only your availability. As we often say, He doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called. Have you made yourself available?
II. He chose us not we Him (V19)
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
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.
As we saw the normal way this all went down is that if you were among the best of your class, you applied to a rabbi, and if he liked what he saw, he’d choose you back. Now, his selection gave them a great deal of confidence. If they were struggling, they could say, “Ah, but my rabbi believed in me! He chose me.” But Jesus started the process back even further. They didn’t even come to sit at His feet. He came seeking them when they weren’t even looking for Him.
If you are a believer this morning He chose you!
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
He chose you!
III. Our primary calling is to be with Him V. 19
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
He didn’t tell them where they were going or what assignment He had for them. His primary call is not to do something; it is to become like Him. And to become like Him, you have to know Him.
Just as with the first diciples our job is to simply trust Him!
You have so many outlets here for this—weekly messages, small groups, special studies. If you are really serious about being His disciple, you’ll take advantage of a lot of these. Get His Word inside of you until it dominates all your thinking and all your behavior. Until you think it and talk it and quote it.
IV. To follow Him we have to leave all (Imediately)
20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
Lu
imediatly they followed
lets look at verse 21
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.
21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. 22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
18 As he was walking along the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter), and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen.
M
He pointed out they were..
In the boat
Farther
who their father was
they left
their livlyhood
their father
our careers and our most significnt relationships are not more importent that Christ
To follow Jesus, He has to take precedence over both. Most of you won’t literally lose your father and mother over Jesus ... For some, God may tell them to change careers. Maybe God will tell them transfer your job to be part of a church plant. Or leave there job and carry the gospel overseas. For many of you, it probably won’t be that dramatic. But you’ll have moments where you decide which holds greater sway over your life.
This being said many of you here have made large sacrifices to serve our savior
V. He comands us to spiritually reproduce (fishers of men)
Lets look at verse 19 again
22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Matt 4:22
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Following Jesus means you subject everything in your life to His lordship. You forsake all that He has forbidden and pursue all that He has prescribed. Just like He was a fisher of men, His followers would become fishers of men.
This is an essential part of being a disciple. It’s not something that only a few of us do; it’s something that each of us does. There should be no such thing as a non-reproducing Christian.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Jesus tells also His disciples how to bear fruit in His the Great Commission:
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
19 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, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
we have looked at this before but this is a good place to remind the KJV uses the wrong word here instead of make diciples they say “teach all nations”
19 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, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
In Greek, the words go, baptize and teach are all participles that derive their force from the one controlling verb, make disciples.
Which means that everything we do grows out of the call to make disciples. Jesus summarized His ministry, , by saying, “The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” If we are His disciples, that’s how we’ll summarize our lives, too.
Church mission statment here
In his book, The Master Plan of Evangelism, Robert Coleman said:
“When will the church learn this lesson? Preaching to the masses, although necessary, will never suffice in the work of preparing leaders for evangelism. Nor can occasional prayer meetings and training classes for Christian workers do this job... Individual women and men are God’s method. God’s plan for discipleship is not something, but someone.”
Conclusion
You are God’s method. We want to see you become this, this year. We want you to commit to it. And don’t let it intimidate you. Disciple making is simply teaching someone to follow Jesus as you follow Jesus with the help of the Holy Spirit. And Jesus has promised to help you. So, identify your one. Ask God to help you identify one person you can, with the help of the Holy Spirit, bring to faith in Christ this year.
Can you imagine what would it look like if every one of the people here this weekend did this, and asked God, “God, give me one person I could bring to Jesus”? If every one of our small groups made it their goal to reach one person for Jesus? If each one committed to reach one?
What now
Identify your one
short meeting