Matthew 4 verse 19-20
What is often overlooked about this text is the fact that Peter and Andrew were already disciples of Jesus (Matthew refers to Simon’s new name, Peter) when they were called to be fishers of men. After they have already followed Jesus for their own sakes, now they were being called to follow Jesus for the sake of others. In much the same way, God first calls us to follow him for our own sakes, so that we too may receive joyfully the salvation that comes in Christ Jesus. But eventually that call takes on the focus of becoming fishers of men.
Peter and Andrew at once obeyed the call. They dropped their ordinary profession and followed Jesus
Title: STAGE TWO! NOW, FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS!
Let me invite you into a land where nothing is done for you…ever. In this land there is no opportunity for trade or sale. If you want to eat, you must grow the food yourself. If you want to live in a house, you must build it. And forget about anyone ever teaching you how to build a house or tend a garden. You must figure that out on your own as well.
You might wonder how anyone could ever survive in such a land. If everyone looked out for only number one, you can bet in the land where nothing is done for you…ever, many people would perish. Eventually, the only people to survive would be those that somehow learned for themselves how to do what it takes to live in such a land.
One day, Jesus, the Savior of the World came to the land where nothing is done for you…ever. Only Jesus sought to change the rules. He taught anyone who has an ear to hear, that He is the way, the truth and the life, and that no one can come to the Father but through Him. He told them He had come to take away their sins. He called them to be his disciples and many who heard His Word became saved. But in this land where nothing was done for you…ever, no new disciples were made once Jesus resurrected from the dead. The world remained as it always was. The people still thought about only themselves. Even the great news of Jesus, could not move the people to serve others in the land where nothing was done for them…ever. No one bothered to witness for the benefit of others. No one else heard the good news that Jesus is Lord.
This is a sad story! Imagine Jesus dying on the cross, shedding His Holy and Innocent blood for the whole world, only to find that the whole world had not heard of His sacrifice. Imagine if the world did not hear because no one was willing to take the time needed to proclaim all that Jesus did and promised. Imagine knowing the good news and not wanting to share it with others. Imagine what the world would be like if the first Christians in our own world, believed that they were not responsible for sharing the good news of Jesus with others? Imagine that indeed.
In Matthew chapter 4 verse 18 and following we have before us what is best known as the “Calling of the first Disciples”. Most of us remember the story from our childhood. Jesus calls Andrew and Peter to be his disciples and it is at this time that Andrew and Peter become Christians. Or is it? You see, in truth, this is actually the second time that Andrew and Peter have heard Jesus speak to them. Their first meeting can be found in the Gospel of St. John. (John 1:41-42) “The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” and Andrew then brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at Simon and said, ‘You will be called Cephas which means Peter’). We know then that Matthew’s account of Jesus calling Andrew and Peter is the second meeting between them because Matthew recorded Simons new Christian name of Peter. So what is going on in Matthew 4:18+ is, that Andrew and Peter, have heard the good news of Jesus Christ and now are being approached by Jesus for the second time.
I asked you to imagine what the world would have been like if the first disciples of Jesus did nothing but take care of their own needs. In a way, it appears that is what originally happened with Peter and Andrew. You see, we know they celebrated that fact that they found the Messiah, but no sooner did they receive the good news, then they went back to their everyday way of life. Why wouldn’t they go back to their place of work? In fact there is nothing wrong with doing such a thing. You and I can relate to their actions. We too have heard the good news that Jesus Christ is our Lord, and we too go about our business. We take care of the things we need to take care of, and most often we are content with this process. There is really nothing wrong with taking care of a little business. And Jesus certainly did not scold Andrew and Peter for wanting to get some work done. But if that was all there was to Christianity, could you and I be here today, worshipping Christ as our Lord? If just hearing the good news from the source were all that God wanted for us, would we not be living in a land similar to the land where nothing is done for you…ever?
But notice that Jesus did not allow his primary meeting with Andrew and Peter to be his last meeting. Notice that he did not just change Simon’s name to Peter, (which also shows us that he changed Peter inwardly as well), only to never be involved in his life ever again? Instead Jesus shows us that after the initial call to become children of God, comes the second stage of being a believer in Christ. There is more to it all than just the first call.
The second stage in Jesus’ plan to make disciples is the call upon us to serve others. This second stage is what keeps us from creating a land where at least nothing under godly service is done for you…ever! As Peter and Andrew were casting a net into the lake, they heard Jesus begin the second stage. He said, “This way, after me! And I will make you fishers of men!” Here we find Jesus calling two average Joes to be “Fishers of men!” They are after all only fishermen. There is nothing seemingly unique or special about Peter and Andrew. They are not Pastor’s but as we have heard already, they have become Christians. So now, as Jesus calls them, what he is saying to them is something like, ‘now is the time for me to train you on how you can become witnesses for me.”
It helps us to see how similar Peter and Andrew’s call, is to our own. As I already said, there was nothing special about Peter and Andrew, and quite often we say the same things about ourselves. We too, for the most part, are just average Joe’s taking care of business. We too have already heard the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. But we also, like Andrew and Peter, have been called into the second stage of being a Christian, not just for our own sakes but also for the sake of others.
As Jesus said the words, “I will make”, he shows us that he would train; he would teach and prepare his disciples for the great work of winning others for the gospel and salvation. Then as we read on in the Gospels, we find that Jesus modeled involvement in the lives of others. He taught them about the love of Jesus Christ, and he lived forth that love in service to others. Thus began his teaching and the disciples training. In no time at all the Disciples, were given authority and went forth to preach the message that, “the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matt. 10:7).
In the land where nothing was done for you…ever, the Word of God did not reach new ears because no one knew that there was more to life beyond just serving their own interests. Thankfully, we do not live in such a land. Thankfully, God’s call upon our life has so changed us that our spiritual focus no longer remains an inward one. Although we still go to work, and still take care of our own needs, we also seek to take care of the needs of others because we recognize the second stage of our call. We too walk with Jesus, and as we do so, we see that He models involvement in the lives of others. We see and hear his proclamation of the Gospel, and we receive well his call to serve. But when do we serve? When do we put His teaching into practice?
That answer is also found in our Matthew 4:18+, Notice that Matthew says, “And they immediately, having left the nets, followed him.” They followed him to be trained and they followed him for the sake of others, and they did this immediately. They accepted His call upon them and went on from there. The love of Jesus Christ moves us immediately as well. It moves us to want to be led by Jesus, and while we are led, everything else finds its place. While we hear the Word of God in Bible Study or on Sunday Morning, we immediately receive the joy that Christ is our Lord. When we confess our sins, we immediately receive the reminder that our sins have already been forgiven through his shed blood on the cross. And these immediate responses given to us by way of the Holy Spirit, teach us and guide us to see the opportunities of service and proclamation that God gives us.
And thanks be to God that He has not allowed such a land like the one where nothing is done for you…ever, to even exist. Because His love, His Spirit, His Mercy, His Word is way too powerful and to exciting for any of us to ignore. It is these gifts, and more like them, given to us, that all the more move us to immediately get up for the sake of others. In the precious name of our Lord and Savior, we give thanks and praise. Amen.
