FOLLOWING THE RIGHT WAY

They way christianity becomes something more than a hobby or a habit is through discipleship. Discipleship happens all around us in everyday life. Your Job anD Raising a family and kids are pictures of discipleship.

4 components of discipleship

They Respond Correctly

verse 20 and 22 says “immediately”

Timely response

Hebrews 3:15 “As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.””

In other words, we are hearing God’s voice in the present, so our obligation to heed his voice is valid now. ESV expository commentary

Delayed responses

Luke 9:61 “Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.””

Ex: proposal a hesitant response is not good

Responding to God not man

some plant some water...

Spirit of God draws ppl

They Leave some things behind

verse 20 says “left their nets” verse 22 says “left their boat and their father”

The writer of hebrews write “lay aside every weight”

Left behind nets and boats

Material things

First Timothy 6:17 “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.”

where are you RESTING your trust on?

ex: Mike Miller falling in a already faulty/broken chair

Ex: Compare these disciples in our text to the rich young ruler (Which are you?)

you don’t have to be rich for money to have a hold on you

Former identity

Philippians 3:8 “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”

Previously Paul was discussing His Hebrew Pedigree

ex: Getting out the military as Sergeant and on pace to become Staff Sergent

Left behind family

The strong connection

Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

Ex: God asking Abraham sacrificing his son. It’s interesting that God Choose to use a family member to test Abraham’s faith

Statistics suggest that 3.5% of families come to faith in Christ when a child is saved first, 17% if the wife is saved first, and 93% when the husband/father is saved first.

Fear of them not accepting

Ex: My Dad asking if I was in some kind of cult!

God tells Gideon in Judges 6 to “pull down your fathers altar!”

Counting the cost

They Follow Him

verse 20 and 22 says “Followed Him”

meaning they followed his way

As opposed to following their own way

Proverbs 12:15 “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”

Jesus take the wheel chorus lyrics

Jesus take the wheel, Take it from my hands

cause I can’t do this on my own

I’m letting go, so give me one more chance

save me from this road I’m on

Jesus Take the wheel

“I’ve done it my way for Thirty- Six years” Mac

As opposed to following some other way

We live in a world where its popular to say all religions are basically the same

The fallacy that all roads lead to God

Jeroboam prescribes different ways to worship God. 1 Kings 12:28-31 “So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. Then this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one. He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites.”

The need for discernment

They become Fishers of Men

verse 19 Jesus says, “follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

NIV says send you out to fish for people

My Favorite Illustrations No Shrinking Violets

God’s people are not to sit with folded hands waiting for their transfer to heaven. So long as they remain on earth there is work to do, battles to fight, and suffering to endure. Believers are not pictured in the New Testament as shrinking violets waiting to be plucked and carried into heaven. They are slaves of Christ who must be busy at his work. They are soldiers of Christ who stand in the fray as He battles against the forces of evil.

acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

Are you a witness for Christ? Not just on Sunday

Im just a nobody, tryna tell everybody, about somebody, who save anybody

Matthew 9:37 “Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;”