Follow Me

Sermon Outline “Follow Me”

I. Hi, my name is Simon, Jesus called me Cephas, you can call me Peter.

II. I had heard about the Messiah the Christ. I knew the law and what the prophets had taught. But you know it was not first and foremost on my mind. I had a fishing business to run. Fish to catch and clean, boats and nets to repair and maintain. Hired men to pay.

I had heard about John the Baptizer, my brother Andrew was one of his disciples. One day I was with Andrew at the river and heard John preach about baptism and repentance. He said, “Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the kingdom is near.” I saw the crowds who went under the water. I was convicted and I waded into the water to be baptized too and to show I was repentant of my sins.

Many thought John was the Messiah, but he said he was not; he said, “he was not worthy to untie his sandals and wash His feet.” John told us his job was to preach- to be a voice shouting in the wilderness that Jesus would soon start His ministry.” He spoke often about the Messiah, the Lamb of God, and the Christ who would take away the sins of the world.

III. Andrew was there the day Jesus walked up and John said, “Look there is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Andrew came and got me and introduced me to Jesus.

IV. One day when we had our boats up on the shore of Galilee not far from our partners James and John, Jesus walked by and said, “come follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”

V. We left Zebedee and the hired men and we did as He said and we followed Him.

VI. We went to a wedding with Him and we laughed when His mother gave Him the look and He turned ordinary well water into fine wine.

VII. I listened to him preach in the synagogues with authority, cast out demons, heal sick people, make the blind to see, the deaf to hear and the lame to walk. Why, He even healed my mother in law of a fever that could have been fatal. She got right up and served Him by cooking a meal.

VIII. Jesus was the healer- and at first I thought that if that was the only purpose of His life that it was certainly spectacular.

IX. But I know now that He healed those people to show all of us that it was just as easy for Him to say ‘your sins are forgiven’ as it was to say “stand up and walk.” It was just as easy for Him to raise people from the dead, as it was for Him to cure 10 men with leprosy.

X. The crowds began to follow Him everywhere and one day we shoved the boat a little off the shoreline and He stood in it and preached.

XI. We had fished all night and when He finished preaching Jesus said, “let’s go fishing,” we were tired and had not caught a thing. We did not really want to go, but He insisted we cast the nets in deeper water.

XII. Our nets were so full they were about to tear; we had to yell for our partner James and john to come.

XIII. Both of our boats were full of fish and about to sink.

XIV. It was at this moment I knew this man Jesus had some kind of unique connection to God the Father and I fell to my knees and asked Him to leave. I knew I was too much of a sinner to be around Him.

XV. He told me “do not be afraid from now on Simon you will be a fisher of men.”

XVI. Well, we left the fish again with Zebedee and the hired men and we followed Jesus. I think they were pretty tired of us leaving them with all the work, but the pay was good and we were all being blessed.

XVII. It was from that day on He taught us. How to fish for men, how to pray, how to love one another. He taught us so much, there are not enough books to contain all that we could tell you about Him.

XVIII. He went to the mountain to pray, He was up there all night and at daybreak He called twelve of us from His disciples to be His apostles.

XIX. Soon after He taught us the Beatitudes, these were to be our character and our lifestyle from now on.

XX. They were: Mat 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.