Title: Follow Me
Text: Matthew 4:18-21
Date: 9/30/2007
Location: Sulphur Spring Baptist Church
Introduction: A few minutes ago we had the privilege of witnessing Meagan Lawrence follow the Lord in Believer’s Baptism. As Baptists we believe that Baptism provides the individual being baptized a tremendous opportunity to testify to their family, friends, and the rest of the world that they have put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and have become one of His Disciples.
This morning I want us to spend a few minutes talking about being a Disciple of Jesus Christ. So, if you have your Bibles turn with me to the Gospel of Matthew 4:18-22
If you want to follow Jesus and be one of His Disciples then there are a few things you need to know.
1. JESUS WANTS TO GIVE YOU A NEW FOCUS IN LIFE.
verse 18 says, “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.”
Peter, Andrew, James & John were all fishermen. They were doing their best to provide for their families.
In this passage of Scripture Peter and Andrew were fishing. James and John on the other hand were mending their nets.
Jesus called out to them and said “Come Follow Me and I will make you fisher’s of men.”
In other words, Jesus said, come and follow me and I will give you a new purpose in life. Instead of spending all of your time mending your nets and trying to catch fish, I want you to come and follow me.
I want you to join me as I seek to change the lives of men, women, and children all over the world.
I want you to become one of my Disciples.
I want you to learn a new way of life.
I want you to learn what is really important.
I want to give you a new set of priorities.
I want to give you a new focus in life.
According to our text these men didn’t hesitate. It says Andrew and Peter left their nets lying on the seashore and followed him. In the same way, James and John left their father Zebedee sitting in their boat holding the nets and immediately began following Jesus.
Jesus’ invitation to become one of His Disciples is the same today as it was 2000 years ago. (PAUSE)
It amazes me how self-centered and materialistic people are today. Did you here about all of the people who camped out for hours just so they could be one of the first people to buy a copy of Microsoft’s new video game called “Halo 3?”
Many people today spend all of their time and energy trying to make more money so they can buy more stuff.
They want to wear the best clothes.
They want to drive the fanciest cars.
They want to live in the biggest house in the most exclusive neighborhood.
They want the latest Mp3 player or Ipod.
They want the coolest most expensive cell phone.
Jesus taught His disciples to focus on God rather than themselves. That’s why in Mark 8:34-36 Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
And in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
Things are not as important as we sometimes think they are, and they certainly shouldn’t become more important to us than our relationship to God. When we give our lives to Christ He wants us to focus more on him and less on ourselves.
The Apostle Paul understood this, and in 2nd Corinthians 5:17, he said, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Secondly, Not only does Jesus want to give you a new focus in Life,
II. BUT HE ALSO WANTS TO GIVE YOU A NEW MINISTRY OR MISSION IN LIFE.
Now please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that God is calling all of you into the ministry.
But I am saying that God wants you to do your part in spreading the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Instead of concentrating all of your efforts on making money or having a successful career, the Lord wants you to join His Team and concentrate on ‘catching men’ or ‘making disciples.’
Which reminds me of the last thing Jesus told His disciples before ascending back into heaven.
We usually refer to it as the Great Commission and it’s found In Matthew 28:19-20 it says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Unfortunately, there were people that said they wanted to follow Christ who weren’t willing to make the necessary changes in their lives to become one of His Disciples.
III. INDIVIDUALS WHO REFUSED TO FOLLOW CHRIST.
1. Do you remember the story of The Rich Young Ruler? Jesus told Him to go and sell all of his possessions and give the money to the poor and then come and follow Him. But of course He wasn’t willing to do that. He loved His money more than He Loved the Lord.
Then in the 8th chapter of Matthew 3 different individuals are mentioned. All say they want to follow Jesus, but when their commitment was challenged, they all failed the test.
Let’s look at this passage of Scripture. Matthew 8:18-22
When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.
Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
Luke’s account mentions one other individual. In Luke 9:61 it says,
LK 9:61 Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."
LK 9:62 Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
I want to take a moment or two to examine each of these individuals and the reasons that they gave for refusing to follow Christ.
1. First there is the Teacher of the Law.
He comes to Jesus and says that He wants to Follow Jesus. But Jesus knew the man’s heart. Undoubtedly this Teacher of the Law enjoyed the comforts of home, and was unwilling to give them up in order to be one of His Disciples.
2. Next there was the man who wanted to bury His Father.
This man told Jesus that He wanted to be one of his Disciples, but on his terms not on Christ’s. In other words this man felt obligated to fulfill his obligation to his father. He considered that obligation more important than following Jesus.
3. Finally, there was the man who wanted to go say good-bye to His family.
This man, like the previous individual felt His family was more important than Jesus. In responding to the man’s excuse, Jesus essentially told him not bother. Jesus knew the man would never be able to serve the Lord with all of his heart because of the love and commitment that he had for his family.
Jesus warned his disciples about this in LK 14:26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple.
Even though they had willingly given up everything to Follow Christ, the Disciples must have wondered what they might receive for being willing to do so. One day Peter looked at Jesus and said,
MT 19:27 "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?"
MT 19:28 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
MT 19:29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
In other words no sacrifice will go unnoticed. The things we give up to serve the Lord will not even begin to compare with what He will give us when we get to Heaven.
Invitation: What about you! What’s your excuse this morning? What’s keeping you from giving your life to Christ and following Him?
Many people in America today are like the rich young ruler. They are simply unwilling to deny themselves in any way. They refuse to give up the things of the world. But let me remind you of what Jesus said. He said, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”
Some people are like the two individuals we mentioned a few minutes ago. They are essentially saying that they’ve got some more important things that they need to take care of first.
Delay is one of the Devil’s favorite weapons. Don’t let him talk you into putting off making the most important decision of your life any longer. I encourage you to put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ today. I promise you that you’ll never regret it!
Prayer.
