Called To Follow Series

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Introduction – The Power of an Invitation

A man once received an invitation to what he thought was a fancy dress party.

Excited, he spent hours preparing the perfect costume — he went as a giant banana.

When he arrived, however, he quickly realised it wasn’t that kind of party.

Everyone else was in tuxedos and cocktail dresses.

He had misread the invitation — it said “black tie”, not “fancy dress.”

To make matters worse, the host greeted him at the door with a grin and said, “Well, you certainly stand out!”

The good news? He became the life of the party.

Everyone wanted a photo with the banana.

Sometimes, even when we misunderstand an invitation, it can open unexpected doors.

Invitations have power.

They can change the direction of our day — or even the direction of our lives.

Martin Luther King was invited to be one of several speakers at the March on Washington in 1963.

That invitation gave him the platform to deliver his now world-famous “I Have a Dream” speech, which became a defining moment in the Civil Rights Movement and still inspires millions today.

And in today’s passage from Mark’s Gospel, we see the most life-changing invitation of all.

Four ordinary fishermen are at work, doing what they do every day, when Jesus walks by and simply says, “Follow me.”

That’s it!

• No long explanation.

• No list of rules.

• No guarantee of what the journey will look like.

Just two words: “Follow me.” And everything changes.

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1. Jesus Meets Us Where We Are

“As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.” (v.16)

• Jesus comes to them in the ordinary:

Simon, Andrew, James, and John weren’t in the synagogue, seeking a rabbi.

They were at work, in their boats, doing what they did every day.

Jesus doesn’t wait for them to be in a holy place or have life sorted out.

He meets them in the middle of ordinary life.

No qualifications required:

They weren’t religious leaders, scholars, or the “obvious” candidates.

They were working-class fishermen.

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Jesus doesn’t call the best and brightest by the world’s standards —

He calls those willing to follow.

That means no one is out of reach of His invitation.

Application for us:

Jesus meets us

o in our workplace,

o our kitchen,

o our school run,

o our hospital ward,

o our café table.

We don’t have to climb up to Him — He steps down into our world.

He calls us as we are, where we are.

Challenge:

Are we listening for His voice in the everyday places?

Or do we only expect Him to speak on Sundays?

The disciples were simply fishing, but their ordinary moment became the beginning of an extraordinary journey.

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We don’t have to be

ready, sorted, or perfect to follow Jesus.

He meets you as we are, where we are.

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2. Following Means Leaving Something Behind

Notice what happens next.

Twice in this short passage, Mark uses the word “immediately.” He does that a lot!

“Immediately they left their nets…”

“Immediately He called them; and they left their father…”

Following Jesus always involves leaving something behind.

For Simon and Andrew, it was their nets — their source of income, security, and identity.

For James and John, it was even more personal — they left their father in the boat.

That doesn’t mean everyone has to leave their job or family to follow Jesus.

But it does mean that following Him always involves a reordering of priorities.

Something has to shift.

Something has to be left behind.

So here’s the question:

What are the “nets” we’re still holding on to?

• Is it comfort?

• Is it the approval of others?

• Is it habits we know aren’t helping us grow?

To step into the new life Jesus offers, we sometimes have to let go of the old.

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3. Following Leads to a New Purpose

Jesus doesn’t just say, “Follow me.”

He adds, “…and I will send you out to fish for people.”

He gives them a new mission.

He doesn’t discard their skills as fishermen — He redirects them.

Instead of catching fish, they will now bring people into God’s kingdom.

Their work, their experience, their abilities all get repurposed for something bigger.

That’s what Jesus does.

He takes who we are — our personality, our gifts, our story — and He uses them for His mission.

Following Jesus isn’t about abandoning who we are.

It’s about discovering who we were created to be.

What might that look like for you?

• A teacher who not only teaches but also shows Christ’s love in the classroom.