Matthew 4:12-22 "Count the Cost and Follow Jesus"

Marc Transparenti
Calvary Chapel Lake City
Matthew • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago • Presented 4 years ago • 50:20
Matthew 4:12–22
Discipleship
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﻿Good morning CCLC! Please open your Bibles to Matt 4. 

In the last couple weeks observed Jesus' baptism (by water and the Holy Spirit)...all in preparation for Jesus, the King of the Jews and Messiah, to begin His ministry. Immediately following, these marvelous spiritual experiences, the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil for 40 days! And, Jesus demonstrated how we can defeat Satan and his temptations...by being a person who is submitted to God and immersed in His word.

Now that Jesus has been qualified....He begins His ministry, which we will look at today in Matt 4:12-22. Theme

Let's Pray!

Matt 4:12 "Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee."

In between Matt 4 verses 11 and 12, roughly 1 years worth of events occur that we see in the other gospels, but not in Matthew. Matthew's style of writing is more topical than chronological, which makes sense since he is writing to a Jewish audience and documenting all the various ways Jesus has come as their King and Messiah.
In that one year time... (and this is where a Harmony of the Gospels is helpful to see the chronological happenings of Jesus' 3 year ministry)...
John the Baptist pointed his disciples to Jesus, and Jesus spoke to them the first time telling them, "Follow Me."...John 1 
During that time, Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip, and Nathanael would all encounter Jesus. 
Jesus turned water to wine at the wedding feast at Cana...John 2
Jesus journeys to Jerusalem for Passover and cleansed the Temple for the first time...John 2
Jesus spoke to Nicodemus at night about being born again...John 3
Then, John 3:23-26 tells us...John the Baptist baptized at 'Aenon near Salim' which is near the Jordan river about mid-way between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. In this account, John famously tells his disciples, "He must increase, but I must decrease."
This is a different location from Jesus' baptism (Bethabara, also called Bethany beyond the Jordan which is just south of the Sea of Galilee). 
John 3:24, we are told, "John had not het been thrown into prison."
It would seem that right after John baptizes at Aenon in John 3, he is imprisoned, as we read in Matt 4:12... 
"John had been put in prison..." 
The last time we saw John the Baptist, in Matthew's gospel, he was Baptizing Jesus and he called the Pharisees and Sadducees a "Brood of Vipers!" But, they did not imprison John, even though they were "sad u see" (wah wah). 
John was imprisoned by Herod Antipas. 
Luke 3:19-20 tells us "...Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison."
Mark 6:17-18 "For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her. 18 Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
There were several sons of Herod the Great who went by "Herod," but this one was Herod Antipas.
Josephus, the Jewish Historian, in his writing Antiquities of the Jews (Book 18 Chapter 5 Verse 116) described John as "a good man [who] commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness towards one another, and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism..." Josephus omits John the Baptist being the forerunner to Messiah...but, that is not surprising. 
Another interesting detail...Josephus states Herod had a suspicious temper and feared the great influence John had over the people. Herod was afraid John might raise a rebellion (for the people seemed to do anything he advised), so Herod arrested him, had John sent to the Fortress of Macherus (just east of the Dead Sea) in Jordan, and thought it best to put him to death to prevent any mischief he might cause. 
The Bible, as we read, also tells us Herod imprisoned John for calling Herod out for marrying his brother Philip's wife...Herodias (which ultimately cost John the Baptist his head). 
And, Josephus confirms that Antipas fell in love with Herodias, his brother's wife which actually caused a war! Surprisingly, not with his brother, but with the Aretas, king of Arabia Petrea (who's capital city was the rock city of Petra). He was the king of the Nabataeans from roughly 9 B.C. to 40 A.D.
Aretas was the father of Phasaelis, who was married to Herod Antipas. But, to marry Herodias, Herod Antipas agreed to divorce Phasaelis. So, she fled to her father, and king Aretas (in retaliation for his daughter plus some border conflicts) invaded and defeated Herod Antipas' army. 
Josephus records, and I quote, "Now, some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army came from God, and that very justly, as a punishment of what he did against John, that was called the Baptist. ...the Jews had an opinion that the destruction of this army was sent as a punishment upon Herod, and a mark of God's displeasure against him."
I love that biblical history and secular history line up, as well as biblical places...you can visit Petra and the ruins of the Fortress of Macherus today. You can trust your Bible! 
In contrast, The Book of Mormon mentions a lot of geography that is no where to be found.
Where is Bountiful? Where is Zarahemia?
Dave Hunt in his book "In Defense of the Faith" wrote "Not one piece of evidence has ever been found to support the Book of Mormon--not a trace of the large cities it names, no ruins, no coins, no letters or documents or monuments, nothing in writing. Not even one of the rivers or mountains or any of the topography it mentions has ever been identified."
And, you can find similar quotes from the National Geographic Society, The Smithsonian, and so forth. 
Mormon Archeology is entirely lacking. 
Off the soapbox and Back to Matthew...
Jesus was with his disciples baptizing in Judea, according to John 3:22, and now here in Matt 4:12, He now is departing to Galilee...
Jesus hears about John's arrest. The forerunner's ministry now has come to an end, and perhaps this indicates to Jesus now is the time to begin His ministry, so He travels North from Judea and back to Galilee to begin His ministry...
Luke 4:14-15 tells us "Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. 15 And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all."

continue to verses 13-16
Matt 4:13-16 "And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 15 "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: 16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned."

Jesus leaves Nazareth, and dwelt in Capernaum for 2 reasons:
In fulfillment of scripture, as Matthew will explain in the next verse (extremely important to his Jewish readers), but the other reason is a...
Natural Reason. God uses very normal and natural events to fulfill His plans and purposes. 
From Judea, Jesus would go through Samaria, witness to the Samaritan woman and many in Samaria would believe in Him (John 4), and then go back to Nazareth. He initially goes to His hometown, and then to Capernaum. 
Luke 4:16-30 gives us the account of Jesus' visit to Nazareth...which was not the best visit, as the people from His hometown rejected Him. 
Jesus went to the synagogue in Nazareth on Sabbath and read from Isaiah 61:1-2b, which would describe His ministry... 
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."
And Jesus said to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." 
The people responded "Is this not Joseph's son?" 
And, Jesus prophesied to them how they and the Nation as a whole would reject Him, and as a result, they would miss out on being healed spiritually...He would instead go to the Gentiles. 
And, the people became very angry and thrust him out of the city and sought to throw him over a cliff, but He passed through the midst of them. 
In Jesus' message to the people of Nazareth, He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country."
And, so as we read in Matt 4:13, "And leaving Nazareth..." 
God used Jesus' rejection as very natural redirection for Jesus to leave Nazareth and head elsewhere, which fulfills scripture as we will see in the next verse. 
I find it very interesting that God used the natural to fulfill the supernatural. 
In your life and in mine, natural events in our life may have greater supernatural implications than our eye can see. Ripple effects in this world that stretch into eternity. 
God is sovereign, He is in control, and we can trust that He is weaving His purposes and will in and through our lives to accomplish His plan.
When you choose to walk in obedience, you have a greater part in God's plan...you get the privileged to experience God in greater ways and to have God's story as part of your testimony.
2 Ch 16:9 "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him."
God is watching for those loyal in their hearts to Him. And, when He see's that true or perfect heart...He will strongly support that person whose heart is completely His...whose heart is fully committed to Him. 
And, that person will experience God's blessing in very natural and supernatural ways.
In a few verses, we will read Jesus calls His disciples, and says "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." 
No doubt Jesus showed Himself strong to them, and used their lives for supernatural purposes.
And, so Jesus comes to Capernaum...notice He dwelt there...He is settling here, and indeed this would become His main landing spot...His headquarters for ministry. Matt 9:1 calls Capernaum Jesus' "own city." 
Capernaum- Heb. Kaphar (Village) naoum (Nahum)- Village of Nahum. Some have suggested this was the hometown of Nahum, the Prophet, (though we know very little about him) so we cannot say for sure who Nahum of Capernaum was. 
The location of Capernaum is quite beautiful...rolling hills, the Sea of Galilee...which is essentially a large lake. It was a lake town. 
The synagogue in Capernaum was credited to a Roman Centurion, who's servant was sick, in Luke 7. 
Throughout the gospels, Jesus would heal people here, and teach people in the synagogue, but eventually Jesus would pronounce a scathing denunciation upon Capernaum, and a couple nearby cities... "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!" ...And you Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day." These cities were blessed to have experienced the Messiah's teachings and miracles, but they were stubborn and did not repent...they did not turn from darkness and turn to the light. 
If you go to Israel today, you can travel to the North shore of the Sea of Galilee, and visit all of these cities...that is their ruins. That area of Capernaum and north of the sea of Galilee is largely undeveloped...either farm land or barren. I find this fascinating, because many Biblical cities are overdeveloped. You can travel 25 minutes around the Sea of Galilee to the west and reach Tiberius...a bustling city. But, the woes pronounced upon Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida stand to this day. 
Matthew also states Capernaum is "...in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali..." 
This specification is a support that Matthew is writing to the Jews. The regions of Zebulun and Naphtali is a very Jewish reference to the geography of Capernaum. Zebulun was the 10th son of Jacob and Naphtali was the 6th son of Jacob, and the land they inherited as leaders of 2 of the 12 Tribe of Israel later became the Galilee Region. 
Capernaum is not mentioned in the OT, and specifically was in the region of Naphtali if you look at a map of the division of the land to the 12 Tribes.
The significance of Jesus coming to Capernaum and dwelling there is the fulfillment of prophecy. 
This is the 6th time already in Matthew's gospel, where Matthew highlights various prophecies Jesus has fulfilled...all pointing to Him being the King and Messiah. 
In verse 14, we see Isaiah spoke this prophecy...specifically in Isa 9:1-2. 
With prophecy, there is always a near fulfillment and a far fulfillment...the near fulfillment to Isa 9:1-2 was in 732 B.C. when the Northern Kingdom of Israel became an Assyrian province under Tiglath-Pileser III. Isaiah prophesied about this Gentile nation coming to humble Israel and put them in darkness. 
But, the far fulfillment was Messianic. Isaiah spoke of a light that would come to the land in darkness as fulfilled by Jesus. 
As you break down this prophecy of Isaiah, we observe... (verse 15 in Matthew)
"The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali....
We have the specific geography where Messiah would reside...
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan...
The way of the sea, the Via Mares...is a phrase only mentioned here and in Isaiah 9:1, but it was a common phrase used in Assyrian and Egyptian records. The Assyrians used this route to invade in 732 B.C., and in Jesus' day...Capernaum was also along this highway.
"Beyond the Jordan" is a puzzling statement, because typically this phrase (16x total in OT and NT) would indicate the land east of the Jordan river, but in some cases it seems indicate west of the Jordan river and Capernaum is indeed west of the Jordan.
Galilee of the Gentiles...
One scholar stated, "The mixed population in Galilee caused the Jews in Jerusalem to look down on the Galileans, but for Matthew it was important that the Messiah came to despised Galilee. This fits in with his general approach: God does not act in accordance with the expectations of people, even religious people; he does his great work among the lowly and the despised."
Isn't that marvelous? Jesus did not come to sit in a ivory tower and snub the common person. He came and dwelt among us...
John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." He tabernacled or tented ...the meaning of dwelt...among us...
God is not ashamed of you. He is too Good for us (because He is perfect and Holy), but He still made a way for us to be with Him through Jesus.
Phil 2:8 "And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."
Verse 16 continues... The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned."
In Jesus' day, and today, there is a grave spiritual situation. Many people "sit in darkness"... "in the region and shadow of death"... an accurate and appropriate spiritual description and assessment of anyone who had not come to Jesus- the great light.
John 3:19-21 "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."
And, indeed the Light of the World, Jesus, came to dwell in the Galilee region- many people in darkness would see the great light of the Messiah. 
In John 8:12 Jesus said, " I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
Next week, we will be in Matt 5 (the Sermon on the Mount) where Jesus addresses a multitude of Galileans and tells them, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."
I pray this almost everyday with my family that God would fill us afresh with His Spirit so we will be a light in the world. 
God's Spirit in-dwells you, and as you live your life for God's glory...people will see Jesus in you...you will be a light in the world. 
This week, I bought some weights off FB Marketplace and met up with this family who lost their 17 year old son this year, and this man also lost his arm in a farming accident. You thought your 2020 was tough! The Lord opened a door where this man shared these things with me, and I was able to encourage him and pray with him. It was an amazing God moment, and, my son was with me to observe the power of being a light in the world. 
Jesus came to bring that light, and He didn't hide it under a bushel when He ascended to Heaven, NO...the Holy Spirit came and dwelt in you...and now you are entrusted to let that light shine!
Remember we just read John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." Dwelt in Greek is skēnŏō,"to tent or encamp." Jesus' dwelling with us was temporary. 30 some years on Earth only. 
Well check this out...
John 14:16-17 Jesus told His disciples "...I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." 
"Abide" and "Dwell" are the same greek word- mĕnō, "to stay, abide or remain." The Holy Spirit did not come to set up a temporary dwelling, a tent, He came for good to live in a temple... 
Paul said in 2 Cor 6:16 "...you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people."
"Dwell" in this verse is the Greek ĕnŏikĕō (en-oy-keh´-o) which comes from ŏikĕō meaning "to occupy a house." 
Jesus came to tent or tabernacle...it was a temporary dwelling. The Holy Spirit came to dwell in a house, a temple...YOU!!
And, there are a lot of people in darkness all around you who also need to see the great light of Jesus, because if they do not...
John 3:36 tells us, "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
Abides- mĕnō, to stay, abide or remain. This time in a negative...God's wrath...permanent to the unbeliever. 
So, "Let your light so shine before men..." 

continue to verse 17
Matt 4:17 "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

The message of the King was a message of Repentance...
Not the most popular message today. Many Pastors even intentionally avoid the message of repentance so that they are not offensive. People have this perception that repentance is a harsh word. They envision a Bible Thumping preacher yelling at them about sin, and Pastors are concerned people won't come to church if this is the message. 
I agree that no one likes to be yelled at, but where I disagree is Jesus delivered a message of repentance, and we should model Him. 
Jesus knew when to preach repentance and also knew when a person was already broken and needed a softer message. 
Remember the woman caught in adultery? John 8. The Religious Leaders wanted to stone her. Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, and said "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." After they all departed, Jesus said, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, 'REPENT YOU SINNER!! Oh, no, He didn't say that, He said, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." 
Gentle. There is a time an a place for all the messages in the word of God to be shared. 
I do not believe we should only preach love...sometimes we need to preach truth, but always truth in love, just as Jesus did when He preached, "Repent." 
I am of the same conviction of Paul when he said...
"...I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God." Acts 20:26-27 
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes...." Rom 1:16
Because... "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Tim 3:16-17 
Therefore, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Ti 2:14-15.
And James warns, "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment." Jas 3:1
And Jesus warns, "If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." Rev 22:18-19. (c.f. Deut 4:2; Deut 12:32) 
It is extremely important to teach and preach ALL of the Bible...not to add to -or- take away what we deem relevant.
And, that is why we teach line upon line, precept upon precept (as Isaiah was mocked for so doing)...or as we say, "chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse." 
So, if the Bible teaches Repentance, so shall we...
Jeremiah tells us the prophets preached, "Repent..." Jer 25:5
Ezekiel preached, "Repent..." Ezek 14:6, 18:30 
John the Baptist preached, "Repent..." Matt 3:2
Jesus preached, "Repent..." Matt 4:17
Peter preached, "Repent..." Acts 3:19
And, Paul preached, "Repent..." Acts 26:20 
You go ahead and be culturally relevant and ignore the message of repentance. I'll preach repentance and will be in good company with the Prophets, Ezekiel, John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter and Paul...and many other faithful saints who have preached truth in love. 
So Jesus preaches (proclaims), "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
Repent (Greek) metanoeō- to change one's mind or purpose. Repentance is a call to action. To stop one action and start another. 'A change of mind that results in a change of action.'
It's: 
Turning from sin... 
turning from unbelief...
and turning to faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior. It's a 180...a U-Turn in life.
It's a call to salvation...changing your mind from rejection of Christ to faith in Christ.
It's an action step of putting to death the old ways of sin and unbelief and to start believing in God...
And why, because "...the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
Throughout the Bible, you will see phrases like "Kingdom of the LORD (YHWH) (2x 1 Ch 28:5; 2 Ch 13:8); Kingdom of Heaven (33x...all in Matthew); Kingdom of God (70x...all NT only)...though the OT numerous times references God as the 'King of Israel' and 'over all the earth.'
All of these phrases point to the future reign of God on Earth. The phrases are synonomous, though some scholars like to differentiate them, which I think creates confusion. 
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible defines the phrase as "The sovereign rule of God, initiated by Christ's earthly ministry and to be consummated when "the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ" (Rv 11:15)... which looks to the Millennial reign.
The phrase "Kingdom of Heaven" is a more Jewish phrase for the "Kingdom of God" as Jews do not write the name of God...they remove the consonants. 
We see this in the Tetragrammaton- YHWH or YHVH...(LORD in our Bibles) ...(we assume Yahweh or Yehovah). 
Even on Jewish websites today you will often see "God" spelled GD. 
So, it appears Matthew is being more sensitive to his Jewish audience...being 'all things to all people' as Paul would say. 
While Matthew uses "Kingdom of Heaven" 33x. He also uses "Kingdom of God" 5x, but all five are direct quotes of Jesus. 
And, Jesus didn't have an issue with either phrase. He used them interchangeably, as observed in the case of the Rich Young Ruler. 
Jesus "...said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Mt 19:23-24.
Again, either phrase refers to the "rule and reign of"...
The Jews had an expectation that Messiah would come, free them from the oppression of their enemies, and usher in His reign on Earth. They longed for liberty from Roman rule. Many Jews misinterpreted Jesus' first coming (where He defeated sin, hell, and death) for His second coming where He will usher in His reign on earth for 1000 years (the Millennial Kingdom) and then into eternity. 
When Jesus says, "...the kingdom of heaven is at hand..." this speaks about the necessity to repent because the King was present among them.
Like the Jews, we still wait in expectation for that future time when Jesus will come to rule on earth...His second coming. 

continue in verses 18-20
Matt 4:18-22 "And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. They immediately left their nets and followed Him."

In these last 5 verses, we will see Jesus call His first disciples...all are fishermen, and all walk away from their careers to follow Jesus. 
This was not the first encounter Peter and Andrew had with Jesus. They met about a year prior (John 1). Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist (the forerunner to the Messiah), who pointed Andrew to Jesus. Andrew, and another unnamed disciple (possibly John), followed Jesus and spent the day with him, and knew Jesus was the Messiah. Andrew, in turn, introduces his brother Peter to Jesus.
John 1:35-42 records, "Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" 37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek? They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?" 39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone)."
Now, 1 year later, in Matt 4, Jesus formerly calls Peter and Andrew to follow Him, and they immediately choose to follow Him. 
And, it was a choice. When Jesus said, "Follow Me", neither of those words are imperatives...they are not commands. God gives us free-will to follow Him, and Peter and Andrew chose wisely.
Jesus says, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." 
To paraphrase, 'Right now, you are catching fish. In the future, I will disciple you, I will teach you, I will train you how to impact your world...the people around you...to love and help people who are hurting, people who are lost, people who are hopeless to know that God loves them and there is hope...there is salvation...and it's found in faith in me...in faith in Jesus. And, you will be my torch bearers of this message.' 
Notice Jesus says, "I will make you fishers of men." We should never approach supernatural works by our own ambition, intelligence, and capabilities. It's better to surrender and allow Jesus to make you a fisher of men. 
After, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, in Acts 3, Peter healed the lame man "at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful..." Many people were amazed and Peter explains to them the power to do so came from the Prince of life, Jesus, whom they killed in ignorance. Peter shared the Gospel, and highlighted various prophecies Jesus fulfilled. Acts 4:4 tells us "...many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand."
Peter would indeed become a "fisher of men." 
Peter and John were then arrested by the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadduceees "...disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead." 
Now remember, Jesus told Peter "I will make you a fisher of men" and... 
Acts 4:13 records this observation from the Religious Leaders, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus."
You don't need to have an Masters of Divinity, Jesus will make you a fisher of men. 
True it is, when Paul wrote, "...God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise..." 1 Cor 1:27
Are you willing? Are you willing to allow Him to make you a fisher of men? Are you willing to count the cost of leaving your nets...to walk away from career, and business, and all worldly aspirations of gain to follow Him?
I did it. He called me and I walked away from career, we sold or gave away all our belongings 3x in 3 moves. We started all over 3x, and the Lord has blessed us abundantly. 
I'm investing in the best retirement plan out there "...storing up treasure in heaven."
The calling is not easy, it's a sacrifice, but it's good. 
Peter and the disciples counted the cost and sacrificed their careers, left their homes, and ultimately all had martyr's deaths, except for John who had the martyrdom of long life. 
And, not a single one of them renounced Jesus.

Let's conclude in verses 21-22 
Matt 4:21-22 "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. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him."

Here we are introduced to the sons of Zebedee. Their mother was Salome, who we will see in various Gospel accounts. 
Zebedee seems to have had a prosperous fishing business as Mk 1:20 tells us he had "hired servants" to aid in the business, and Lk 8:3 tells us Salome was one of the women who "provided for Jesus out of their means." Salome is usually regarded as the sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus (c.f. Jn 19:25)...making James and John the 1st cousins of Jesus. 
James the son of Zebedee, is known as James the Greater by church tradition (and is not to be confused with James, the brother of Jesus who wrote the Book of James, -or- the other Apostle James son of Alphaeus (AKA, James the less or James the younger according to Mark 15:40). 
We are also introduced to John another son of Zebedee. Some think he was the unnamed disciple with Andrew in John 1, a disciple of John the Baptist. 
He would write the Gospel of John, 1, 2 & 3 John, and Revelation.
John is not mentioned in the 4th Gospel (Gospel of John), but almost certainly he was the one referred to as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." He leaned on Jesus' chest at the last supper (Jn 13:23). He was entrusted to care for Mary at the time of Jesus' death (Jn 19:26-27), and so forth. 
Jesus would later nickname James and John the "Sons of Thunder" because they boldly asked Jesus to let them call down fire from heaven on the Samaritans who would not receive Jesus (c.f. Lk 9:54, Mk 3:17). 
And, these brothers, like all the disciples, paid a price to follow Jesus. Not only did they leave a prominent business, but also a family business. They were in the boat with their father mending nets when they were called, and immediately they "...left the boat and their father, and followed Him."
They counted the cost, and their love for Jesus outweighed family ties...they forsook all and followed Him.
Peter, James, and John would become part of Jesus' inner circle...present with Him during special events (such as the Transfiguration (Mk 9:2-3), raising Jairus' daughter from the dead (Lk 8:49-56), and accompanying Jesus when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mt 26:36-38)). 
Peter, James, and John would become significant leaders in the early church.
Reading through Acts, it's easy to identify Peter and John's role in the early church. 
James was the first disciple to by martyred for Christ (Acts 12:1-2). 
And, John was the last of the Apostles to die, after being exiled to Patmos for his faith (Rev 1:9). 
Jesus invested in these men focusing on deep discipleship that would have a long-term impact. He transformed all of these blue-collar fishermen, into fishers of men. 
As we continue, next week, we will see the importance and emphasis Jesus places on teaching. And, this is why we place such a great emphasis on teaching, so you can know the word of God and go out boldly as fishers of men, and people will realize you have been with Jesus. 

The calling to follow Jesus starts with a person who is living in darkness, and they Repent...they turn to the light. It continues as Jesus calls that person, empowers them by His Holy Spirit, and they count the cost and choose to Follow Him. 

Jesus becomes the greatest love in their life, they bear their cross to be His disciple. Priorities in life. 

If you are here today, and you desire to follow Christ, but you feel pulled in so many other directions...I'd like to pray with you. I believe Jesus wants to make you a fisher of men. 

We have a blessed privileged to be torch bearers for the King in such a time as this. Go this week with boldness and let people see that you have been with Jesus. 

Amen?

Let's pray! 
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