Discipleship - The Normal Christian Life! Series

SERMON OUTLINE:

• Disciples love to hear the Word of God taught (vs 1-3)

• Disciples obey Jesus even when it doesn’t make sense (vs 4-7)

• Disciples are aware of their own sinfulness (vs 8-10a)

• Disciples are fishers of people (vs 10b)

• Disciples are willing to forsake all and follow Christ (vs 11)

SERMON BODY

Ill:

• The French naturalist, Jean Henri Fabre`,

• Lived in the late 18th early nineteenth century.

• He was a naturalist, entomologist,

• And author known for the lively style of his popular books on the lives of insects.

• One of his most well-known experiments involved the Processional Caterpillar,

• What makes this caterpillar special is its instinct to follow each other head to tail,

• They almost look like they are joined or locked together to the caterpillar in front of it.

• This unusual behaviour gives the caterpillar its name,

• They wall in procession often in long lines,

• Jean Henri Fabre` once saw some of these caterpillars;

• They were marching around the base of a stone vase in his garden.

• He found some more of them and then added them to the line, filling in any gaps,

• To see what they would do.

• For almost a week these caterpillars went around and around in circles,

• All foolishly following the one in front of them.

• TRANSITION: As Christians we are called to ‘follow Jesus’;

• But so often we foolishly follow other people.

• Following Jesus take us somewhere in life,

• Following others keeps us occupied but ultimately leads us nowhere!

• In todays passage we see Jesus calling his first disciples;

• He chooses Simon (Peter) & James and John, the sons of Zebedee (vs 10-11)

• To follow him.

• The term Christian is only used three times in the whole of the New Testament,

• It is never used in the gospels and was given as a sort of nickname,

• By the people of Antioch to the early flowers of Jesus.

• (Acts chapter 11 verse 26).

The term "Disciple" was the most popular name for the early followers of Jesus.

• Being a disciple meant more than knowing the right information about Jesus.

• It meant more than just a head knowledge of Jesus.

Ill:

• An apprentice might be an equivalent term.

• In Bible times, a disciple attached himself to a teacher,

• Identified with him, learnt from him, and lived with him.

• A disciple is a “follower,”

• Someone who keeps to completely to the teachings of another,

• In fact they make them their rule of life and conduct.

Ill;

• The Pharisees (religious leaders) prided themselves in being;

• The disciples of Moses (John chapter 9 verse 28).

• The Law of Moses (The Torah),

• Was their guide for life and they studied it, lived by it and esteemed it.

• The followers of Jesus were called “disciples”

• Long before they were ever called “Christians.”

• They were called to make Jesus their guide for life;

• To watch and study him, to copy hm and to know and love him.

• The term “disciple” originally means a pupil (of a teacher);

• Or an apprentice (to a master craftsman).

Ill:

• A teacher bumped into the parent of a former pupil of his school.

• The parent stopped to say hello and said,

• “Do you remember my so he was once one of your students?”

• The teacher reply was insightful, he said:

• “I remember him, he may have attended my classes but he was not one of my students!”

• TRANSITION: A disciple is someone who wants to learn, has a desire to learn,

• In fact is committed to learn and to please their teacher/master etc.

• Now in these verses (Luke chapter 5 verses 1-11);

• We have five characteristics of a disciple

(1). Disciples love to hear the Word of God taught (vs 1-3)

“One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding round him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.”

Ill:

• After the church service a little boy went up to the preacher and tugged on his jacket;

• The preacher saw he wanted to say something and so he smiled & bent down to listen.

• The little boy said: “When I grow up, I'm going to give you some money."