Follow Me! Series

The Church

Matthew 4:18-25

September 18, 2022

Has anyone ever been talking to you and you silently wondered, and maybe if you were brave enough, you asked “so . . . what’s the point?”

I once had a person telling me a story about something that happened in their life and they actually said, “to make a long story longer . . .” I was like, are you serious! That’s what I was saying inside my head.

Sometimes we may wonder . . . so what’s the purpose of that? You ever wonder about that when it comes to your faith? I know that’s a pretty loaded question. Maybe you’ve asked God . . .

“Hey Lord, what’s the point in all of this?

Lord, why’s this happening now?

Geesh, God, don’t you have anything better to do?

Lord, why am I even here?

Those questions can go on and on. We ask them in many ways. I believe at one time or another we all wonder about our purpose. God’s what’s your divine plan? Please come and send me a message. A text, a call, snap me, message me . . . whatever you do, make it so obvious that I can’t miss it. Make that message have flashing lights so I know it’s you.

And sometimes we try to live our lives vicariously through others. Maybe you lived through their story. Maybe it was a movie that hit you and you started day dreaming about what you would have done and how you would have lived a far more adventurous life than you have. We often do it through our kids.

That’s what Miles Harvey was writing about in his book, The Island of Lost Maps. He wrote about the time he was in a coffee shop in Chicago and the walls were covered with trinkets from exotic places and he imagined traveling there.

Tales of adventure filled his imagination, and yet his own life was anything but adventurous. He dreamt about places like Timbuctu and Juno and French Polynesia, Madagascar and more. He longed to have his own adventures. He would find an exciting place on the map, put his finger on the spot and then say to himself, “Someday I am going there.”

Can you identify with any of those sentiments? Are you ever impatient with your life? Do you ever grow weary of the routine, of the way things are?

Are you absolutely content with where your life is heading? Is there any part of you that might like to get up from your seat and go off on an adventure? For many of us that answer is YES!!

Well, with all of this in mind, we’re starting a new series which is going to focus on the church, but not so much the universal church, but more on First Baptist Church located in Alexandria, IN, also known as small town America. And if you’re a native, please don’t take this next statement wrong. I’m not sure that’s the best slogan.

Listen to these city slogans - - -

Las Vegas: “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas”

New York: “The City That Never Sleeps”

Hershey, Pa.: “The Sweetest Place on Earth”

Cleveland, OH: “Cleveland Rocks!”

Coachella, CA: “City of eternal sunshine”

Now think about these slogans - - -

Forestville, CA: “Poison Oak Capital of the World”

Washta, IA: “The coldest spot in Iowa”

Beaver, OK: “Cow Chip Capital of the World”

OK, I’m done with all of that. What’s the point? Talking about the church can get kind of boring for many people. Yet, without the church, or our call, we would be wandering the streets stuck in our sinfulness, with no hope for he future. The church is vital for the future. But the church isn’t the same church it was in 1960, nor in 2000 for that matter.

The church has changed, worship has changed, shoot, we’ve changed.

I want to look at a remarkable passage, we often skim over, but when you think about it, what happened is shocking.

In the gospel of Matthew, in the 4th chapter, beginning in verse 18, we read this story about Jesus - - -

18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

19 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

20 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

21 And going on from there Jesus saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother,

in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and Jesus called them.

22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.