Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION:

There are many times when the month of September starts a new ministry year.

Students have promoted to the next grade.

Graduates have moved on to their next phase in life.

The “lull” of summer - which sometimes doesn’t feel like there was really a lull - gives way to a new season in the life of the church.

New programs beginning - like Sunday Youth Nights, new classes, new everything.

So, with things being new, I thought we’d take a brief break from the book of John to consider something different.

Over the next four weeks, we’re essentially going to be asking the question:

Who’s Your One?

In working through this material and these topics, we’re going to be leveraging some thoughts and ideas that several other churches have pulled together.

Today, some of the content and the main points come from some things that J.D. Greear used to challenge his congregation in NC.

Before we dive into our passage for today, let’s do a little word association:

What comes to your mind when you think about these things?

politician - maybe you think about your favorite or politician or your least favorite

fitness fanatic -

a millennial -

The Washington Commanders - maybe you think of the big gold W or a Redskins logo.

a veteran - maybe someone in uniform, or someone struggling with depression or PTSD, or maybe even someone in the congregation

Whether or not your mental images matched the images that Steve came up with, we all tend to associate words and pictures.

Now, what comes to mind when you hear the word Christian?

(no picture)

You might be picturing a certain person or you might think of Jesus.

You may also associate that word with certain characteristics as well.

You might think of someone who is:

kind

loving

narrow-minded

bigoted

gracious

angry

welcoming

The broader culture also forms impressions of what a Christian is and whether or not they are one.

But, did you know that the first followers of Jesus didn’t call themselves Christians.

It was a derogatory term used by people outside of the faith.

It essentially meant - “little Christ.”

In Acts 11:26, we see that the first Christians were known as disciples.

Acts 11:26 (ESV)

And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

The word Christian is used three times in the whole Bible (Acts 11:26, 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16); the word disciple is used 281 times.

Which kind of begs the question - what is the better term?

Andy Stanley says, “I want to suggest to you that in changing the primary word that we use to describe ourselves, we lost the clarity that the word disciple conveyed about what a follower of Jesus actually is.”

Greear and others have suggested that “disciple” is a far more accurate and compelling description of what it means to follow Jesus.

And, as we will see, the concept of a disciple exposes the fact that many who claim to be Christians are not actually disciples of Jesus.

So, let’s dive into our text today and consider what a disciple is by reflecting on the first disciples.

If you have your Bibles, open them to Matthew 4:18-22.

(Skip this reading)

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:

All Hebrew boys went to Torah school starting at age 5.

By age 10, all young boys knew the Torah and the best students went on to study the remainder of the Old Testament.

The rest returned home to work in their families’ businesses.

At about age 17, if you wanted to go on and make a career out of religious studies, your next step was to find a rabbi you admired and apply to become one of his disciples (talmidim).

When you found one, you would go and sit at his feet.

That was your request to learn.

And the rabbi would examine you with questions and put you through a series of tests to see if you were worthy to be his disciple.

The rabbis could choose the smartest, most talented boys to be their disciples.

Another reason the rabbis were so picky is that when they chose a disciple, they were choosing someone whom they believed could become just like them—to not just know what they knew, but to do what they did.

For several years, these young disciples (talmidim) would follow their rabbis, imitating them in every way.

The goal of a disciple was to be like the rabbi.

So, the brightest students would get to the end of their theological learning and then choose a rabbi whom they would follow for several years until they became like the rabbi - at which time they might become a rabbi themselves.

But, Jesus does things differently.

You see...

JESUS DOESN’T CHOOSE THE BEST, HE CHOOSES THE WILLING.

In Matthew chapter four, Jesus, this new rabbi, chooses Peter and Andrew, who are fishermen.

Based on what we can understand from the background, the fact that they are fishermen shows us what?

They are not the brightest.

They are not the “A” students.

They didn’t make the cut as kids, so they were relegated to life in a trade.

But, let that sink in: When Jesus chose His squad to build His movement, He chose the B-team!

So, of course, they went to follow Him.

This rabbi had chosen them—guys without much potential or personal power—to follow Him and to become like Him, to know God like He knew God, to know what He knew, to do what He did and be filled with His power!

John MacArthur: “God skipped all the wise of the day!

The great scholars were in Egypt; the great library was in Alexandria; the great philosophers were in Athens; the powerful were in Rome.

He passed over Herodotus the historian and Socrates the great thinker and Julius Caesar.

He chose men so ordinary it was comical.

No Rabbis, no teachers, no religious experts...”

Jesus chose the B-team because His work in the world wouldn’t come from their abilities for Him, but from what He would do through them.

People with a lot of talent and ability would only get in the way because they would never learn to lean on His power.

Jesus taught that His power in the weakest vessel was infinitely greater than the greatest talent without Him.

God wants to use you in your family, at your workplace, at your school.

Stop making excuses that you are not able.

He doesn’t need your ability; He requires only your availability.

Have you made yourself available?

I think these initial disciples jumped at the chance to follow Jesus because they had been overlooked as kids.

This new rabbi who was gaining a reputation (Mt.

4:17) was giving them a chance.

They were willing to follow.

As we see in this passage, not only does Jesus choose the willing, but...

HE CHOSE US, NOT WE HIM.

Matthew 4:19 shows us:

Matthew 4:19 (ESV)

And he said to them, “Follow me...”

As I mentioned earlier, the normal way this all went down is that if you were among the best of your class, you applied to a rabbi, and if he liked what he saw, he’d choose you back.

Now, his selection gave them a great deal of confidence.

If they were struggling, they could say, “Ah, but my rabbi believed in me!

He chose me.”

But Jesus started the process back even further.

They didn’t even come to sit at His feet.

He came seeking them when they weren’t even looking for Him.

He called out men who were available, who were willing to follow.

We could also think about it from a position of hopelessness.