Matthew 4:18-22 (p. 677) October 20, 2013
Introduction:
In the book “Life Without Limits” Lloyd Ogilvie says, “Like the first disciples, our greatest need is not just to see or hear about the resurrection, but to have the resurrection happen to us!
The most powerful historical proof of the resurrection is the “resurrected” disciples. Dull, defeated people became fearless, adventuresome leaders. Coward’s became courageous; the timid became triumphant; the inept did the impossible. ‘He is Risen!’ became the joyous chant of a new life without limits. (pg 283)
Only Jesus is able to see the potential of a person after the resurrection...Only the Son of God can peer into the human heart and see what can be...even as He clearly knows...what is.
Jesus’ ministry begins on the heels of John the Baptist’s minority of preparation...John is the forerunner...The Herald who proclaims “Here Comes the King”...He’s the best man...Jesus is the groom...and John knows it...He announces...”Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world...I’m not worthy to unlatch His sandal...He must increase...I must decrease...The reason I came baptizing with water was so He could be revealed in Israel.” (John 1:26-31)
Here is John’s testimony...”I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him. And I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” (John 1:32-34)
Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil for 40 days...After passing this test He learns John the Baptist has been put into prison...His ministry is ending...”And Jesus said John was the greatest man ever born.”
From that time on Jesus began to preach...What did He preach? “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near!” (Matt. 4:17)
And then He starts picking His team...
MATTHEW 4:18-22 (p. 677)
4 fisherman...two sets of brothers...Peter and His brother Andrew...and John and His brother James...Zebedee’s boys.
This isn’t Peter and Andrew’s first meeting with Jesus...(probably not James & John’s) But we know Andrew...had been one of John the Baptist’s followers...And when John the Baptist introduced to Jesus as “the Lamb of God.” They turn and follow Jesus...He asks...What do you want...”
I’ll tell you what they want...
I. THEY WANT A MESSIAH
JOHN 1:37-51 (p. 740)
Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip, Nathaniel. We don’t know a lot about these early disciples...We know of few of their occupations...Some family connections...Philip, Andrew and Peter came from the same hometown...Bethsaida.
What we do know without a doubt is...these are people who anticipate a Messiah...Those are people who long for God’s promise to be kept...Nathaniel speaks the words of anticipation...”Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel.”
Nathaniel believes after Jesus telling him he was napping under a tree.
These are men who long for a Messiah.
They are willing to lay down their nets and walk away from their boats...and their fathers...like Abraham of old...they might not have known where they were being called to God...but they believed the one that called was worth following. “Come follow Me and I will send you out to fish for people.”
How anxious were these fishermen to follow the Messiah...”At once they left their nets and followed Him”...”Immediately they left their boats and their father and followed him.”
There is something God put within every human heart...it’s the desire for something bigger...something that will last....whether you are a Galilean fisherman or wealthy tax collector.
Jesus didn’t call these men because they were the best and brightest...He called them because of their hearts...and only He could see what His Spirit could do in these uneducated blue collar disciples.
They would see greater things than His vision of Nathaniel under the tree, but they would also be tested as to whether or not they were “ALL IN.”
Like this guy...who decide
II. I’VE GOT TOO MUCH STUFF TO FOLLOW JESUS
Jesus has just finished loving and blessing children...and as he leaves this place He encounters a man with a question: The question “what must I do to get eternal life?”...Goodness seems to be part of the discussion...Listen
MATTHEW 19:17-26 (p. 689)
I’ve kept these commandments...I’ve been a good guy...And then we asks Jesus the most dangerous question to ask God: What do I still lack?” Don’t ask Jesus that question if you don’t want to know the answer he tells the Rich Young Ruler – Jesus’ answer is...You lack one...Go get rid of all your stuff and follow me...
The word he uses for perfect (Teleios) doesn’t mean “without flaws”...It means complete...It’s fulfilling its purpose...A hammer is perfect if it drives nails...A frying pan is perfect if it cooks chicken...(Telescope can’t be perfect until it’s extended).
Why was the rich young ruler made?...Why were we made?...to have a relationship with God. The Rich Young Ruler got an opportunity, like the Apostles, to have that relationship with God while He was in the flesh...and he turned it down.
He got a chance to dance at the wedding...He might have even lead the music...but he refused to follow the piper...
Shel Silverstein is one of my favorite authors...I got to read “The Giving Tree” to Peyton’s class at L.C.A. a few weeks ago...Shel has a poem called The One Who Stayed, listen to the words:
The One Who Stayed
You should have heard the old men cry,
You should have heard the biddies
When that sad stranger raised his flute
And piped away the kiddies.
Katy, Tommy, Meg and Bob
Followed, skipping gaily,
Red-haired Ruth, my brother Rob,
And little crippled Bailey,
John and Nils and Cousin Claire,
Dancin’, spinnin’, turnin’
‘Cross the hills to God knows where—
They never came returnin’.
‘Cross the hills to God knows where
The piper pranced, a leadin’
Each child in Hamlin Town but me,
And I stayed home unheedin’.
My papa says that I was blest
For if that music found me,
I’d be witch-cast like all the rest.
This town grows old around me.
I cannot say I did not hear
That sound so haunting hollow—
I heard, I heard, I heard it clear...
I was afraid to follow.
The R.Y.R. was given the opportunity to follow the King of the Kingdom!...but he went away sad...because he had great wealth...”You cannot serve God...and money at the same time...You will devote your life to one or the other...The R.Y.R. chose to devote the rest of his life to stuff..
I wonder how often he must have regretted that he chose not to dance? Because if he’d chosen to follow Jesus I can testify he would never have regretted it...and He’d of had eternal riches.
In verse 27 Peter is...well Peter...”We’ve left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us...Peter used the wrong pronoun...He should have said, “who then will be for us”...not what...
Jesus is patient with these disciples...and with us before the resurrection is...amazing...Paul said, “Unlimited Patience to Timothy.
Why, because He understands our selfish sinfulness...He knows there is only unrighteousness in our hearts until it is “resurrected from the dead.”
Don’t believe me...watch this...
The mother of Zebedee’s sons (James & John) came to Jesus...with her sons and knelling down, asked a favor of Him...
What do you want...Jesus asked.
“I’d like for my two boys to sit on your right hand and left hand in your kingdom.”
Jesus says, “You have no idea what you’re asking for...”
He looks at James and John and says “Can you drink from the cup I’m drinking from?”
“We can” they answered.
Jesus says, “Yes you will...but those positions at my right and left are my Father’s to give...
Now listen...
MATTHEW 20:24-28 (p. 690)
Mrs. Zebedee & James & John had no idea that the cup would be filled with suffering, sacrifice and death.
They just wanted the best seats...The 10 other disciples are indignant – why? They wanted those seats for themselves.
III. YOU CANNOT LIVE AND LOVE LIKE THE WORLD IN GOD’S KINGDOM
Jesus said in our text: “Follow me and I will send you out to fish for men.”
The early church had no building...they met in their homes and in Solomon’s porch, a part of the temple...They did not go to church...They assembled as the church...The body of Christ wasn’t a place...it was a people...
What united all these people? Why did they come together? What were these 1st century brand new Christians devoted to? “They committed themselves to the Apostle’s teaching, and to fellowship and to the breaking of bread (the Lord’s supper) and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42)
If you think of the early church like a football game...We know who owns the team...we know there are coaches and leaders of different positions...We know there’s a quarterback and other players...
When we all get together with the same goal in mind on Sundays...it’s the huddle...It’s a time of preparation before we break and run the play...plays we’ve studied, plays designed by the coach...plays that depend on everyone doing their job...if we do it well..we score...we reach the goal line...
What would happen if all a team ever did was huddle...huddle in Sunday School or huddle in worship...and then go home.
Many churches do just that...many Christians are satisfied with just huddling...what’s changed in 2,000 years?...How we view the resurrection!!!
Here’s what many confessing Christians believe about the resurrection...It was an actual event that happened.” I view the resurrection as an event in history.
Here’s what we need to realize...It’s essential.
Sin doesn’t make us sick..sin makes us DEAD!!! Paul didn’t say, “you are sick in your sin...He said,
COLOSSIANS 2:13-15 (p.822)
Dead people deny that they even know Christ to servant girls...Dead people ask for the best seats for themselves...Dead people run for their lives and leave their friends to fend for themselves. Dead people hid from God in the garden...Dead people cheat, steal, criticize, gossip, lie...lust and accumulate a lot of stuff...
Dead people never ever break the huddle...They never ever rise from the tomb. The Walking Dead on the spiritual sense of the word.
The Resurrection cannot just be a historical event I believe in...The resurrection of Jesus must be something I experience.
Remember how I began...Lloyd Ogilvie’s quote...”Our greatest need is not just to see or hear about the resurrection, but to have the resurrection happen to us...
I think it’s powerful to realize....”as the angel told Joseph in Matt. 1:20 “What is conceived in Mary is from the Holy Spirit...” A virgin...pregnant because God chose her to bare His Son...Immanuel, God with us...life in the flesh began through the Holy Spirit...
How can dead people live? Sin makes us dead...How can life come to dead people...
Listen...
ROMANS 8:10-11 (p. 786)
The same spirit that resurrects Jesus...resurrects our dead body...It’s this Spirit that transformed Peter the denier into the Pentecost proclaimer...The Holy Spirit not only enabled their tongues to speak...but had resurrected Peter, Andrew, James, and John to now be sent out to fish for people...We are not patched up and repaired...We are born again...We die to be buried in Christ...So we can rise and walk in newness...Listen...
ACTS 2:36-41
Faith comes by hearing...If we believe the message about Christ...that he is “Lord and Messiah” Ruler and Savior then we repent, turn from a self directed life to a God directed life...And we are baptized...A death a burial a resurrection...For the forgiveness of sin...And we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit...
Peter proclaim...This promise is for you...your children, for all who are far away from God, For all whom God calls...
3,000 answered the Holy Spirit’s call that day...Will you say yes today?
Let’s pray
