06AM August 20 Matthew 4 18_22
August 20, 2006—Morning Worship
The “Life of Jesus” Series – Part 3
Come on Down!
Questions Concerning Discipleship
Matthew 4:18-22
Intro: The room is filled w/excited people hoping they will hear their name. Over & over again the cycle is repeated. A person’s name is called & you hear the words, “Come on down! You’re our next contestant on the Price is Right!” & cheers arise from the audience as the person makes an absolute fool of themselves as they come down to the stage. Some smile, some laugh, some jump up & down, & some just go into hysterics! Their dream has come true!
Well, the situation was not quiet so dramatic when Jesus called His 1st disciples, but they too were called to join an elite group of people. The Bible doesn’t tell us about their display of emotions. It’s silent about their responses except to say that they followed Jesus.
You can hear a lot of different ideas today about being Jesus’ disciple. But we want to get our information straight from the Source. We’re going to look into God’s word today & from there answer today’s questions concerning discipleship.
1. We can see that the public ministry of Jesus involved "preaching"...
a. Proclaiming the need for repentance - Matthew 4:17
b. Taking His message to synagogues throughout the land - Matthew 4:23a
2. Jesus’ ministry was not limited to preaching; it also involved "discipling"...
a. He called select individuals to follow Him & in doing so…
b. Creating His own group of "disciples"
1) Just as John had his disciples
2) Even the Pharisees had their disciples - Mt 22:15-16
3. We will read of Jesus calling His 1st disciples in our text...
a. Peter & Andrew – vv. 18-20
b. James & John – vv. 21-22
4. Throughout His public ministry...
a. Jesus would call others to become His disciples - cf. Matthew 9:9 (Matthew)
b. Jesus would spend much time w/His disciples (approx. 3½ yrs. continuously)
c. Jesus would end His time on earth w/a command for them to make more disciples - Mt 28:19-20 “Go ye therefore & make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them…
[Such an important subject to Jesus should be important to us as well. Let’s read about this subject of disciples from Matthew 4:18-22.]
Matthew 4 18 & Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw 2 brothers, Simon called Peter, & Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, & I will make you fishers of men." 20 They immediately left their nets & followed Him. 21 Going on from there, He saw 2 other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, & John his brother, in the boat w/Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22 & immediately they left the boat & their father, & followed Him.
[Such an important subject to our Lord naturally raises some questions. For example...]
I. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BECOME JESUS' DISCIPLE?
A. THE MEANING...
1. The word "disciple" literally means a learner
2. According to Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, it denotes "one who follows another's teaching"
3. But a disciple was not only a learner, he was also an adherent
4. For this reason disciples were spoken of as imitators of their teachers
-- When Jesus told Peter, Andrew, James, & John to "Follow Me" (V. 19), it meant more than to just physically follow Him!
5. This was the original “catch phrase” later known as “WWJD?”
B. THE GOAL...
1. Stated by Jesus on this occasion: "Follow Me, & I will make you fishers of men"
a. Just as they had worked n going after fish, now they would be going after men!
b. As indicated in the Great Commission, they would be making more disciples - Mt 28:19 – there’s always room for more! God wants a full house/banquet hall/church!
2. Stated by Jesus on another occasion: to be like their teacher
a. Those perfectly trained will be like their teacher - Luke 6:40
b. Just as Christ sought to save men & make them disciples, so His disciples were to seek & save the lost
c. Our task is to point the way to the Savior! In words, deeds & actions!
[A disciple of Jesus, then, is one who desires to imitate Jesus. Since He was concerned for the lost, His disciples would be also! Another question...]
II. HOW DOES ONE BECOME JESUS' DISCIPLE?
A. JESUS SAID "FOLLOW ME"...
1. This command He gave to His future disciples - Mt 4:19; 9:9
a. They would spend 3+ years following Jesus everywhere
b. During that time they would listen to what He said, observe what He did
c. Eventually they would be told to carry on His work - Mt 28:19-20
d. Their success was related to this time spent w/Jesus - Acts 4:13
2. To be a disciple of Jesus, then, requires that you to:
a. Follow Him
b. Spend time w/Him
c. Carry on His work
-- But how can we do this when He is no longer w/us on earth?
B. JESUS SAID "ABIDE IN MY WORD"...
1. This He said to those who believed in Him - John 8:31
a. By learning & observing what He taught, they would truly be His disciples
b. As Jesus would say later, future disciples would be made as they were taught "to observe all things that I have commanded you" - Mt 28:20
c. It would begin w/baptism, b/c He had just commanded His disciples to make disciples by baptizing them - Mt 28:19; cf. Mk 16:16; Ac 2:38
2. To be a disciple of Jesus, then, requires that you to:
a. Be baptized (having repented & confessed your faith in Jesus)
b. Follow Jesus by doing what He taught His 1st disciples (the apostles)
-- By continuing steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine (i.e., their gospels & epistles), we can be Jesus' disciples today! - Acts 2:41-42
[To follow Jesus by abiding in His word implies some degree of effort & cost. This leads to our next question...]
III. WHAT DOES IT COST TO BECOME JESUS' DISCIPLE?
A. HIS 1ST DISCIPLES LEFT "ALL" TO FOLLOW JESUS...
1. They left their business & family – vv. 20-22
2. As Peter would say later: "we have left all & followed You" - Mt 19:27
B. JESUS EXPECTED THE SAME OF OTHER DISCIPLES...
1. That means Jesus must come before family - Luke 14:25-26
2. That means you must be willing to suffer hardship - Luke 9:23
3. Simply put, that means to forsake all to follow Him - Luke 14:33
C. JESUS EXPECTS THE SAME OF HIS DISCIPLES TODAY...
1. We must seek first the kingdom of God - Mt 6:33
2. As illustrated in The Parable of The Great Supper, family & business cannot come before accepting the call of the gospel! - Luke 14:16-24
Conclusion:
1. In calling people to repent, Jesus was also calling people to become His disciples...
a. But like John the Baptist before Him, Jesus expected that people "bear fruits worthy of repentance" - cf. Mt 3:8
b. As He would say later, "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples." - Jn 15:8
2. For those willing to accept His call, along w/the cost, there is promise of great blessings...
a. As Jesus told Peter when “Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all & followed You.” So Jesus answered & said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake & the gospel’s, who shall not receive 100fold now in this time—houses & brothers & sisters & mothers & children & lands, w/persecutions—& in the age to come, eternal life.”- Mk 10:28-30
b. As Paul would encourage the Christians at Corinth “Therefore, by beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.“- 1 Co 15:58
3. Have we accepted the call & responsibility of discipleship, or do we just "go to church"?
a. Which comes first, our families, our businesses, or Jesus Christ & His kingdom?
b. Are we busy building our lives or busy enjoying our retirement, while the Lord's church suffers?
c. Do we spend more time on fishing & other forms of recreation, than we do on fishing for men?
-- How you answer such questions speaks volumes as to whether you are truly the disciple of Jesus!
May we all be open to the call of Jesus: "Follow Me, & I will make you fishers of men." It’s a simple command but a significant calling!
Invitation: Are you fishing for men or are you just fishing? Have you been caught or are you still in the cesspool of sin?
If you sense God calling you to be saved today, would you respond by repenting of your sin & placing your faith in Jesus Christ alone as your Lord & Savior? You can do that through prayer as you seek God & His grace.
If you sense God speaking to you about your lack of service, your lack of will, your lack of commitment to fish for men, would you respond 1st by repenting & 2nd by asking God to burden your heart for the souls of others? You can do that through prayer as you seek God’s forgiveness & grace right now.
Hymn 294 Have Thine Own Way, Lord