Matthew 4:18-22
Topic: What does it means to F.O.L.L.O.W. Christ?
In these passage of scriptures, we read about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ issuing the call to Peter, to his brother Andrew, and to John and his to brother James to become his disciples and to follow Him. It says in Matthew 4:18-22 that , “And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casing a net into the sea; for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going from thence, he saw other two brethren, James, the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left their ship and their father and followed him.”
Now notice that as Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John to follow Him to become his disciples so they can learn to win souls and make other disciples for Christ, they left everything and made a decision to follow Jesus. They left their jobs, their careers, their livelihood, , and even their families to follow Jesus Christ. Now the question is being asked, why did they leave everything just to follow Jesus Christ? What made them give up their jobs, their career, their livelihood, and their families just to follow this man named Jesus?
Well, there are at least three reasons why Peter, Andrew, James, and John decided to leave everything they had to follow Jesus. Let’s look at these reasons.
Reason number one: The reason why Peter, Andrew, James, and John had decided to leave everything and to follow Jesus because they had heard what John the Baptist had spoken concerning Jesus Christ. In John 1:29-42, we will read that when John the Baptist had seen Jesus himself, he told Andrew and John, who one time were disciples of John the Baptist, that Jesus is the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world. And when they heard this, they left John the Baptist began to follow Jesus, and afterwards, Andrew went and told his brother Peter that He has found the Messiah, and John did the same to his brother James. So in a nutshell, the Andrew, Peter, James, and John decided to leave everything to follow Jesus because first somebody John the Baptist told them about Jesus, and learned about Jesus Christ for themselves. And likewise, the reason why we who are in a relationship with Jesus Christ today because somebody shares with us about Jesus Christ, and we learned who Jesus Christ was for ourselves.
Reason number two: The reason why Peter, Andrew, and James and John had decided to leave everything and to follow Jesus is because they had seen Jesus performed great miracles such as turning water into wine, healing the Nobleman’s son, casting out demons, out of people, and many other great. miracles.
Reason number three: The reason why Peter, Andrew, James and John left everything to follow Jesus Christ because they had heard him preach and teach many great thing concerning the Kingdom of God. They had believed in the message that Jesus Christ had preached and taught. They believed that Jesus was more than just a good teacher, or a powerful prophet. They believed that He as the Messiah sent from God of heaven.
And because Peter, Andrew, James ,and John had heard what John the Baptist had said about Jesus Christ, because they had seen Him perform many great miracles, because they had heard Him preach and teach many great things pertaining to the Kingdom of God; in other words, because Jesus Christ had made a great impact in their lives; when Jesus issued the call to them to follow Him and that he would make them fishers of men, they did not hesitate, but rather they immediately dropped and left everything and decided to follow Jesus Christ for the rest of their lives.
Yes, in the light of what we have just read, there are times that Jesus will call us to drop and leave everything behind to follow Him. But yet there are sometimes when Jesus may not call you to leave your job, your career, your livelihood, your family, or call you to drop out of school or college to follow him. But yet know this one important thing: He is still calling men and women, boys and girls to follow him. You see, you can sill work on your job, still have your career, still have your livelihood, still be with your family, still be in school and college and follow Christ. In other words, you don’t necessarily have to leave everything to follow Christ. You can still follow Christ right where you are right now. You see, you can be a garbage man, and still follow Christ. You can be a school teacher, and still follow Christ. You can be a secretary and still follow Christ. You can be a street sweeper and still follow Christ. You can be a lawyer, doctor, working at McDonald’s, playing ball for a sports team, a student at school or college, and still follow Christ. Sometimes, God will keep you right where you are in your job to follow Him so you can a be a witness for Christ to those you work with
But yet when it comes to following Christ, there are some things that we have to leave behind if we are going to follow Christ. For example;
To follow Christ, we must drop and leave behind our :
PRIDE
HATE
BITTERNESS
DISHONESTY
GREED
IMMORALITY
DOUBT
UNFORGIVENESS
DRUNKEDNESS
EXCESSIVE ANGER
DISOBEDINCE
WITCHCRAFT
STUBORNESS
BAD ATTITUDES
UNEQUALLY YOKED RELATIONSHIPS
Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Philippians 3:13-14 says, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Yes, to follow Christ, there are going to be some things that you are going to have to learn to drop and leave behind if you are going to follow Christ. But a question is being asked: How do I F.O.L.L.O.W. Christ?
To follow Christ, you must put Jesus Christ First Place before anything in your life. That means Jesus Christ must come first before your job, your career, your livelihood, your family, your friends, your husband, your wife, your girlfriend, your boyfriend, or whatever. Jesus Christ even comes before your church, or your ministry. St. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
To follow Christ, you must diligently Obey the Lord according to his Word. I Samuel 15:22 says that “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” Also it says in Acts 5:29 that “we ought to obey God than man.” But to be able to obey God according to His Word, we must read His word, study his word, meditate on His Word, learn and be taught His Word, and memorize His Word. 2ND Timothy 2:15 says to “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman needed not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth.”
To follow Christ, you must Live daily for the Lord. 2ND Corinthians 5:15 says, “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again.
To follow Christ, you must Love the Lord with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. St. Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus says, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as yourself.”
To follow Christ, you must Offer up your bodies as a living sacrifice to God. Romanss 12:1-2 says, “I beseech you therefore brthern, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and perfect, will of God.”
To follow Christ, you must Walk with Christ. Colossians 2:6-7, says “As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. Rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”
To follow Christ, we must:
Put Him First place in our lives
Obey Him according to His Word
Live for Him daily
Love Him with everything we have
Offer up our bodies to Him to be used in His service
Walk daily with Christ.
Jesus said to “Follow Him and I will make you fishers of men.” That is, Follow me and I will train you, shape you, mold you, fashion you, transform you into fishers of men. That is, I will make you souls winners for Christ. I will make you disciple makers for Christ. But to become soul winners for Christ, to become disciple makers for Christ, you first have to make a decision to follow Christ no matter what. And most important thing to do before you can began to follow Christ, you must believe and receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. The bible says in Romans 10:9, “If thou shalt confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus , and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Jesus Christ loved you so much that He died on the cross for your sins, and He rose from the dead with all power in His hands. And the bible says, if you believe and receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you shall be saved, and have eternal life.
