The Call to Follow Jesus.

When you hear someone refer to Jesus as their Master and Lord, what comes to your mind? Do these titles mean something to you? Do you say “not a chance, no one will rule me.” Do you stop to think about what this actually means to have someone else rule over you? Do you pause for a moment and praise God for an obedient man, woman or child who understands the implications of grace? Today, I hope to reveal what Scripture has to say about the Lordship of Christ.

Today’s text reveals for us the beginning of the call of Jesus’ disciples. Simon is the key character in how he responds to the call of Jesus. We got briefly introduced to Simon in the last passage where he went for lunch and healed his mother-in-law.

Today’s text reveals for us the beginning of the call of Jesus’ disciples. Simon is the key character in how he responds to the call of Jesus. We got briefly introduced to Simon in the last passage where he went for lunch and healed his mother-in-law.

Today’s text reveals for us the beginning of the call of Jesus’ disciples. Simon is the key character in how he responds to the call of Jesus. We got briefly introduced to Simon in the last passage where he went for lunch and healed his mother-in-law.

While we are not told how much time has passed since Jesus left Capernaum, he obviously is back in the region. For Simon’s livelihood as a fisherman was near by.

Simon Peter refers to Jesus as his Master (5) and Lord (8). So for Jesus as the Messiah, how did those in our passage respond? We are told four different ways. They desperately want to hear and be fed. We see obedience, humility and lastly the following of the Lord.

Question I would like you to think about from our text is how will you respond to “your Lord?”

Point #1 - Be fed by the Word.

Today’s text reveals for us the beginning of the call of Jesus’ disciples. Simon is the key character in how he responds to Jesus. We got briefly introduced to Simon in the last passage where he brought Jesus for lunch who healed his mother-in-law.

While we are not told how much time has passed since Jesus left Capernaum, he obviously is back in the region as Simon’s livelihood as a fisherman was near by.

The fame of Jesus had spread throughout the region. When Jesus was by the lake of Gennesaret or better known as the Sea of Galilee, the people were gathering in great numbers to hear him teach and preach.

In their eagerness to hear the word of God, they basically were pressing him into the water. So Jesus notices two empty boats while the fisherman were cleaning their nets after a fruitless night fishing. He gets into Simon’s boat, sits down and tells him to push him out a little ways.

Simon does this and then Jesus taught the people from the boat.

As I mentioned last week, the people who went to the synagogues to hear God’s word had never heard teaching like Jesus did with authority. These sheep had been starved by the opinions of the rabbis of the day. Their teaching was like giving them junk food as their main source of diet.

But with Jesus, they were getting steak and potatoes. Real nourishment for their hungry souls and they just wanted more and more. As Christians, is this our response to the word of God? Is spending time alone with God boring? Or is it what we crave for each day?

Jesus finishes his teaching and instructs Simon Peter to go out into the deep to catch fish. How will Simon respond after a long night fishing and catching nothing?

Point #2 - Obey the Master.

Notice how Jesus does not say let’s go fishing, but rather let’s go catching. You could almost imagine Jesus saying this with a Harry Klassen twinkle in his eye.

Simon replies “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! (Exclamation) But…but at your word I will let down the nets.” Simon has observed enough of Jesus to know how demons obey and sickness is healed at his word. He knows enough about Jesus to know that he should address him as “Master”.

This was quite a test for him. Here is the veteran fisherman, knowing full well that fish in the daylight will swim away from the nets.

However, Simon obeys and pushes out to the deep and throws the nets in. When he did this the nets caught so many fish that the nets were breaking. They called the other boat to help. So many fish were caught that the boats were sinking. This was something impossible to humanly comprehend. This just does not happen.

But…that key word, in spite of this he obeys his Master and pushes out to the deep and throws the nets in. When he did this the nets caught so many fish that the nets were breaking. They called the other boat to help. So many fish were caught that the boats were sinking. This was something impossible to humanly comprehend. This just does not happen.

For Simon, he did what was contrary to human wisdom. He obeyed Jesus in spite of everything he knew to be true from his experience. Is this not the same kind of obedience that causes people to leave the safety of home to go to the mission field like North Korea? To bring bibles into Cuba at the risk of being imprisoned? To stand up to the homosexual agenda and risk fines and hatred for being a so called intolerant bigot?

Obedience to God over man brings great blessing as you look to serve the One who died for you on the cross. As believers in Jesus, how will you respond to your Master when he gives clear instruction from his word? (PAUSE)

While everyone is trying to get the fish in the boat without capsizing, Simon’s attention is focused on whose presence he is in.

Point #3 - Be humbled by the Lord.

Here we have Jesus likely sitting in the stern of the boat, fish all around his feet and there is Simon. Awestruck by whose presence he is in. Before this time, he knew that Jesus was someone he needed to submit to, but now he knew who Jesus really was. His Lord! This was the Son of God in his boat. Simon cares little that the boat is sinking. Among the whooping of these men, dirty nets and squirming fish he falls to Jesus’ knees and pleads for Jesus to depart from him. “…for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

As a sinner, he knows he is unclean. He is not worthy to be in the near presence of the Lord! He is much like Isaiah who cried out “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips; and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

In the presence of such purity and holiness, it exposes who he was as a sinner. Isaiah was filled with fear at the sight of the Lord because he was a sinful being. Woe is me! I am undone! Likewise, Simon is terrified and asks Jesus to leave him for he knew that Jesus was holy and he was not. The miracle of fish helped Simon to see the spiritual reality of who Jesus really was. He was the King and Creator. He is thus humbled and afraid. He knows that he should not be near the Holy One. He is a dead man.

While Simon thinks that he is not worthy to be of any good for the kingdom, the ways of Jesus are counter to human selfish thought. The self righteous, pious Pharisee might think he is worthy because of his memorization of the law, or because he gives a tenth of everything, or because he prays long public prayers. “Look at me and see how worthy I am to serve the King (PAUSE).“

This is not God’s way. Darrell Bock states rightly “Humility is the elevator to spiritual greatness.” When one realizes his unworthiness and emptiness of anything good in themselves, now God can use the broken man to be a vessel for honourable use ().

Darrell Bock states rightly “Humility is the elevator to spiritual greatness.”

Humility is being broken and knowing our place as the created. Are we humble servants of our Lord? Have we recognized how wicked our tongues can be? Our thoughts about others? Brother, sister…have we trembled at the feet of a holy Jesus in seeing our sin for what it really is? (PAUSE)

Simon, broken and humbled, filled with a godly grief over his sin is feeling as low as one possibly can. Jesus however, encourages Simon.

Point #4 - Follow Jesus.

Instead of Jesus agreeing and hammering Simon for being such a wretched sinner, he strengthens the poor man. “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”

Simon, probably with tears running down his face with guilt and shame hears the sweet words of the Good Shepherd. Simon did not need to fear Jesus. He didn’t have to worry about making Jesus unclean. Rather, as the coal that touched Isaiah’s lips removed his guilt and forgave his sins, so also Jesus removed the guilt and shame of Peter’s sin. Jesus, makes Peter holy. Peter does not make Jesus unholy.

In the same statement, he now gives Simon, as well as James and John a call to follow him into full time ministry. He would now be catching men in the net of the good news of Jesus.

For these first disciples, they saw the preciousness of Jesus, worth more than all the silver and gold in the world. Now in light of this revelation, they transitioned from a half hearted following of Jesus to now being fully committed. They left their fishing business to follow Jesus and proclaim the gospel to save a great harvest of souls for the kingdom.

What happened to Peter who was possibly only following Jesus with a half hearted attitude? For those whom Jesus inwardly calls to himself, the Spirit cuts or pierces the heart that was dead. Like a careful surgeon, God removes the stony and proud heart and replaces it with a new heart. This new heart beating with the Spirit of God now hears and sees Jesus for who he really is…the Saviour.

This awakened new heart now also sees their sin for what it really is. They now see that they are damned to hell for their rebellion and disobedience to God. Now they see their desperate need for a Saviour to save them from what they deserve. This is the good news of why Jesus came to earth, not to condemn but to save ().

Do you see your sin for what it really is before a holy God? Do you see your need for a Saviour? Repent and trust in him today for the salvation of your soul.

For these first disciples, they saw the preciousness of Jesus, worth more than all the silver and gold in the world. Now in light of this revelation, they transitioned from a half hearted following of Jesus to now being fully committed. They left their fishing business to follow Jesus and proclaim the gospel to save a great harvest of souls for the kingdom.

Church, when you hear those tender and loving words of grace and mercy for Simon to not be afraid, do you hear them for yourself? Maybe this morning you feel absolutely miserable, feeling guilty and ashamed. Feeling as though you are never going to measure up to the standard that Scripture gives. Will you hear and take to heart the gracious words of Jesus?

Only in the awesome glory of a holy God does it reveal our sinfulness, but Jesus says “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” Can you imagine the the body language of Simon in that boat? Me? A sinner can be of use in your kingdom? What grace, what mercy, what love that this King has for his people!

In that glorious light that reveals our sinfulness, Jesus says “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” Can you imagine the the body language of Simon in that boat? Me? A sinner can be of use in your kingdom? What grace, what mercy, what love that this King has for his people!

Church, no matter where you are in your spiritual maturity, be encouraged by the gospel! Come to Jesus as his friend and go into the world telling others about the King as Saviour of sinners! He is with you and I till the end of the age.

Someone may wonder if Jesus expects everyone to leave their current life and enter full time ministry? While a few are called this way, the answer is no. However, what Jesus does call each one who is saved by his mercy and grace is to pick up their cross and follow him full time wherever we are at. In school, at home, at work or on the field. As former captives of Satan, now redeemed by the blood of Jesus, we now have a new mission which is to be ambassadors of Christ Jesus.

As children of God we imitate our Heavenly Father by living sacrificially for others by the power of the Spirit who lives in us.

Thus we join our King in fulfilling the Great Commission. We live our lives as full time Christians as we follow Jesus in the power of the Spirit for the glory of our great God.

May this word bring encouragement and healing to your soul that Jesus loves you deeply. Let us be strengthened by the gospel of grace, to help the weaker believer with patience and kindness in their walk with Jesus to the glory of God our Father. Let us respond to our Master, Lord and Friend with a hearty “Yes, I will follow you my King!” Amen!

So how will you respond to Jesus today? Knowing that Jesus is the Lord of our lives, what does this mean for us today? Is it asking Jesus to give us a hunger for his word in our daily lives? Is it asking the Spirit to give us obedient desires? Does it call us to repent of our pride and self righteousness and be humbled before the Lord? Is it a good reminder for us to die to our selfish ambitions and follow Jesus whole heartedly like Peter?

Remember brothers and sisters, wherever you are at in your walk with the Lord, he is gracious, merciful and kind like no other King. Jesus encouraged Peter in his sorrow and repentant state. Don’t be afraid, from now on you will be catching men. Likewise for you and I, he says to you when you feel discouraged “Don’t be afraid of me, I love you and I have a mission for you. Go on in the power of my Spirit for I am with you till the end of the age.

We all need to hear this blessed reminder each day.

Benediction:

[16] Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, [17] comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

[16] Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, [17] comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (ESV)