This message topic "Will you follow Jesus"? is an easy question to answer, but a challenge to abide. It is easy saying yes to Jesus, but the challenge comes when we must let those things go that hinder our Christian growth. In our text, we see four men who answered the call of Christ and followed his lead. Many of us today have heard Christ calling, and we decided to follow him. The Bible says that "we have been called out of darkness into his marvelous light".
Let’s look at three things that we should do if we choose to follow Jesus.
1. Sometimes when we follow Jesus we must leave those things that are familiar.
The Bible says that Simon and Andrew were fisherman. Jesus says that I will make you to become fishers of men. Therefore Simon and Andrew left their occupation of fishing to become a Disciple of Christ. When Christ makes his call to us there are some things that we must leave.
2. Secondly, we must leave by faith. Next there was James and John also known as the Sons of Thunder who were mending their nets. Jesus made the call to them and they also left their father and the hired servants.
We know they had a successful business because they had men working for them. In our eyes it doesn’t make much sense to leave a successful business and go to another one that seemingly we have to upstart. It doesn’t make sense to leave a church membership of 2,000, and go to a church with only 20 members. It doesn’t make much sense to leave a 300 voice choir, and become the minister of music of just 10. We shouldn’t look at numbers because if you ask Gideon he will tell us just because we are outnumbered does not mean that we are outmatched. God will take the 300 or the few(faithful,enduring,workers) and make that be enough to accomplish his will. The main point is that as Christians when God calls us we go by faith. The bible says we walk by faith and not by sight, and if we want more faith, we must hear the word of God.
3. Lastly we must lay a foundation
Jesus headquarters was in Capernaum. It was in Capernaum that many people were witnesses to his ministry. Isn’t it strange that a man from Nazareth had to go to Capernaum for his public ministry. Sometimes it is Nazareth the place where we grow up is the place where we are hurt the most. Sometimes in our Nazareth’s, people will cut our throats, tear us down, and set us up to fail. I declare today that when doors close in Nazareth, God will open a door in Capernaum.
It is in Capernaum that we exercise God’s word, we effectively do God’s work, and we become exciting witnesses.
I have decided to follow Jesus and there is no turning back. The world is behind me and the cross is before me. If no one joins me still I will follow. I tell you today these men heard a call from Jesus and they moved on his voice. The songwriter says there is a name I love to hear, I love to sing his worth, it sounds like music in mine ear, the sweetest name on earth. O how I love Jesus, I tell you I heard the voice of Jesus saying come on, Will you follow Jesus?
