Marked: What Does it Mean to be Called?

What does it mean to be called by God? This a term that we love to throw around in Christian circles. Somebody is called to this, called to that, we even use it in the negative....I’m not called to do that. But at it’s heart, have we ever stopped to ask ourselves what it really means to be called. So as we begin this series Marked: Called by the Savior I want us to examine what it truly means to be called of God.

So as we work through this series I want to examine some instances in scripture where Christ issued a call to someone. Turn with me if you will to Matthew chapter 4

Now prior to the event we are about to see, Jesus started His p[ublic Ministry at age 30. He left Galilee and came to the Jordan River looking for John the Baptizer, in order to be baptized (Matthew 3:13). Next, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty days, where he overcame the temptations of the devil (Matthew 4:1). Returning from the wilderness and full of the Holy Spirit, Jesus entered the synagogue in Nazareth and read from the scroll of Isaiah

Luke 4:16–21 ESV

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

From there, Jesus returned to Capernaum (Luke 4:31) to begin his teaching ministry. And then after this point, when we see the first instance of Jesus calling disciples in Matthew 4, so let’s read here nd see what happens

Matthew 4:18–22 ESV

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.

So, this shows us the first example or examples of Jesus issuing a call to someone with an offer or an expectation to become His disciple.

** Not a request **

The four Gospel accounts contain other stories of Jesus calling people to follow him and become his disciple that we will look at in the weeks to come. But what is a disciple

The Greek word for disciple is mathētēs, meaning “learner” or “pupil” , “a follower or a disciple of someone, in the sense of adhering to the teachings or instructions of a leader and in promoting the cause of such a leader”.

Dallas Willard defined following Jesus as being an apprentice of Jesus. “As Jesus’ disciple, I am his apprentice in kingdom living. I am learning from him how to lead my life in the Kingdom of the Heavens as he would lead my life if he were I”

Being a follower or apprentice of Jesus means to practice the way of Jesus and order our lives around three primary purposes: being with Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and doing what Jesus did.

Being With Jesus

Following Jesus is being with Jesus. Let’s go back to Matthew 4 for a moment

Right after the call to Simon and Andrew

Matthew 4:20 ESV

Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

Then James and John

Matthew 4:22 ESV

Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

When we see Jesus calling Simon, Andrew, James and John it required that they left where they were to be with Him. In fact scripture tells us that there was a reason for His calling of the disciples

Mark 3:14 ESV

And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach

Jesus chooses the twelve apostles “so that they might be with him”

See Jesus had a plan to reach the people of the world, both in Hisd time and in all times to come, but it required people to go out and share the Gospel. ANd He new that in order for that to occur, they were going to need some time with Him to learn the things they woiuld need to know.

Make no mistake, if we are going to be effective in our call to serve the King and to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you are going to need to spend some time in His presence. Now you are all here in Church, and that’s good, but I’m not talking about a show up on sunday thing. If we want to be effective for Christ, if we want to be effective as a disciple as one who is truly marked and called by the Savior, we will have to be with Him.

Now in our lives, “Unfortunately, we cannot be with Jesus exactly the way Matthew, Bartholomew, Philip, Thomas, and the other disciples were. We can’t run up to him physically and give him a high-five, we can’t sit down with him over coffee and ask him to explain more about the creation of the cosmos, nor can we sit next to him, eat some fish with him, and laugh together.”

However, we can be with Jesus anytime through prayer. Even though Jesus has ascended to the Father in Heaven, he is still with us through the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer”

Becoming Like Jesus

Following Jesus is becoming like Jesus.

Michael Heiser defines following Jesus “as imitating or imaging Jesus”

In Matthew 10:25 Jesus said,

Matthew 10:25 ESV

It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

Likewise, in Luke 6 Jesus said this :

Luke 6:40 ESV

A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.

The gospel is intended to be transformation. As followers of Jesus we are “a new creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

A disciple of Jesus is a student or apprentice of Jesus who embraces the life and teaching of Jesus, striving to be like Jesus in every area of their lives. If you are still living the life that you lived before you got saved, you are not acting like a disciple, and you are not living up to the calling that Christ has placed upon you.

We are called to a glorious calling as Children of God and disciples of Christ, but not only are we going to have spend time with Jesus, that time should result in some actual changes in our lives....we are to become like Jesus

Lastly,

Following Jesus Means Doing what Jesus Did

Following Jesus is doing what Jesus did. In John 14:12, Jesus made an astonishing statement when he told his followers,

John 14:12 ESV

“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.

Jesus invites us, as his followers, to partner with him and to continue his work of bringing the kingdom of God into the earth. We remember in the last two weeks we talked about the Great Comission, and that idea of being a witness for Christ, understand that we are to be His hands and feet.

In John 20 the resurrected Jesus spoke these words to his disciples,

John 20:21 ESV

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

Jesus sends us into a dark and hurting world to do his works.

Just as Jesus called people to follow him during his time of ministry on this earth, Jesus’s invitation to us today is the same: “Come, follow me.” Jesus invites us to be with God, to be like him, and to do the works that he did.

On a final note, we do not follow Jesus in effort to earn his love, acceptance, or forgiveness. Because we live in a performance-driven culture, we can easily fall into a religious obligation mindset. Salvation is the free gift of God (Ephesians 2:8–9); it does not cost us anything. When we trust in Jesus, we become a new creation with a new spiritual identity.

Living as a disciple of Jesus is our response to his love, forgiveness, and acceptance. Michael Heiser writes, “Salvation is a gift given to us by God when we believe the gospel. It is undeserved. Nevertheless, God offers it to us despite our sin and hostility toward him. Discipleship is something we do as a result of believing the gospel. We imitate Jesus to show our love for him and for God. Jesus was the ultimate imager of God, so we want to live the same way”