“REAL LIFE”
“For the Sake of the Call”
Adoniram Judson was a great missionary. He once said about serving God, and success:
"There is no success without sacrifice. If you succeed without sacrifice it is because someone has suffered before you. If you sacrifice without success it is because someone will succeed after."
Sometimes it appears that the church is out of touch with reality.
People today are looking for real Christianity. They want to be challenged. Churches that can effectively demonstrate that they are aware of what is going on in the world around them and minister to those needs are experiencing dramatic radical growth.
Most dynamic churches grow between 27 and 33% a year. Why is there a decline on interest in the church today? Quite simply because the church is not perceived as relevant to the community. When the church can show relevance and meaning in the community the church has broken the mold and begins to turn around.
Now before you get confused Relevance means that we still preach and teach the truth of Jesus. But it also means we may have to use modern tools.
But that really is a huge issue that I would like to leave with you for the moment and look at another aspect of real Christianity. The church needs to demonstrate it’s worth by calling people to become real followers of Jesus.
So have you found the real Jesus? There are people in today’s society that are looking for a REAL Jesus…they don’t want something that is fake, nor something that will only be temporary, they want the ETERNAL GOSPEL OF JESUS…
You don’t have to look very hard to find people wanting to know more about what it means to be a real follower.
This morning’s text is Matthew 4:18-22
These guys were real followers committed to go wherever Jesus would take them. My stepfather was one of those guys who had a picture of what a real man was. Well I wonder do we have a good idea of what a real follower is. The guys we are going to read about today are REAL, TRUE followers.
18One day as Jesus was walking along the shore beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers--Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew--fishing with a net, for they were commercial fishermen. 19Jesus called out to them, "Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!" 20And they left their nets at once and went with him.
21A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, mending their nets. And he called them to come, too. 22They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.
Pray
This morning, we’re going to look at 3 things that real, true followers do….
1.
True, Real Followers give up whatever Jesus asks
What has Jesus asked you to give up?
God is not just calling this church to give something up, or for deacons, or worship members, or families…He’s calling us as individuals to give things up…
Generally Jesus asks us to give up whatever we are holding onto with both hands.
He will ask you for the one thing that you said you would never give up? Because he knows that it controls you.
Do you know what I find interesting about this text. These future disciples could have said “we’d rather be fishing.”
Now some of you wouldn’t rather be fishing. You’d rather be hunting, or competing, or golfing. What is it that Jesus has asked you to give up? Now, have you done it? And more importantly are you WILLING to give it up?
Listen because I don’t want you to think that you are immune to this point. This question determines what kind of relationship you and I are going to have with Jesus. If you’re sitting here today thinking well I am fine because I’ve been a Follower of Jesus for 50 years, please reflect. Nothing is more frustrating to me than when someone comes up to me and says “what a great sermon my sister needed to hear that.” Do you remember when the man did that to Jesus?
A man came up to Jesus and said I listen to your lessons please tell my brother to give me my share of the inheritance. Luke 12:13 Jesus said My message is for you, Don’t be greedy or envious.
Church this message is for EVERY one of you…even for me…
There are many things that could be getting in the way…Many different things, such as ministry roles…or routines…
It could be that some of us need to leave a way of thinking. There are some who might need to give up an attitude of prejudice, some are going to have to stop telling bigoted racist jokes on the job… Some are going to have to leave sinful habits. Some are going to have to let go of meanness and cynicism, and holding grudges…
“Ministry that costs nothing, accomplishes nothing.”
But this is not the only way real followers here are making a difference. Real followers make a difference here by bringing friends and family to church. By personally studying the Bible by Praying for the Church and the community daily. By serving when there is a task that needs done. We need to be servants…we have to give up our agendas and our plans for His plans…(Matthew 20:28)
Being a real follower is going to cost you something. It might be money, it might be time, and it might be any other number of things. You say what am I supposed to sacrifice. Well you have to look to Jesus to find that one . So do you want to be a real follower? Have you given up what Jesus asked you to?
These Followers saw something real in Jesus and the gave it all up to become real followers. They would never have become real followers if the had not given up what Jesus asked them to. The world is looking for something that is going to last, and something that is totally real…are you going to give it to them, or are you going to give them a watered down version of it, just because you yourself aren’t ready?? It’s your choice…In Matthew Jesus finds a man who’s father has died…Jesus tells the man to come and follow Him, however the man responds with my father has died, and Jesus makes a bold statement…let the dead bury their own dead…Jesus wants us to drop EVERYTHING and follow after Him!
When the KU Basketball team prepares for a new season, they must be willing to give up whatever the coaches ask them to give up…Their coaches make them give up eating habits, or for some it’s doing things differently than they’ve ever done them…The KU Basketball team must believe in their coaches that what they’re asking them to give up is for their benefit in the long run…we must be the same way…if the Jayhawks want to be successful, it’s going to cost them something…hours of practice, flights and bus rides to and from games, be united in one another…we must be the same way…
Christ is our coach…He wants us to hold onto Him with both hands, to not be able to look to the right or to the left…He wants us to focus on Him…He’s not asking us to give things up because He hates us, He’s asking us to give things up because they get in the way of our relationship with Him…This is going to cost us everything…if we want to see this church grow, it’s going to cost us everything, as individuals, and as families and as a church and as a worship team, it’s going to cost US…we must have faith in our coach!!!
2.
Real, True Followers are completely dependent on Jesus
Have you learned to depend upon Him for everything in your life?
Sign seen in a textile mill, "When your thread becomes tangled, call the foreman.”
A young woman was new on the job. Her thread became tangled and she thought, "I’ll just straighten this out myself." She tried, but the situation only worsened. Finally she called the foreman. "I did the best I could," she said. "No you didn’t. To do the best, you should have called me
If we want to have a real life, the best life we possibly can we need to learn total dependence on God.
Ruth Graham "Since God has put His work into your weak hands, look not for long ease here: You must feel the full weight of your calling: a weak man with a strong God."
I’m 6’7 and weigh 270 pounds…I don’t consider myself to be strong…I’m weak, I want to be known as a weakling, because where I am weak, He is strong…if people see me dead in Christ (Galations 2:20) and they see Him alive…they’ll see me more strong than that of my physical stature
In fact God is not interested in what you or I can do on our own, He delights in the tasks that we trust him for.
Imagine that these followers, these fishermen didn’t even take any fish when they followed Jesus. Notice they didn’t take money, or anything…they didn’t take any part of their old lifes…they COMPLETELY TRUSTED in Jesus Christ…
Complete trust gave them a complete life. Real trust gave them real hope. They did not decide to attend once or twice in a year or to catch Jesus at the feeding of the 5000. They were not just sold on Jesus they were sold out.
You can fall into one of three categories of disciples of Christ
A. Curious – In other words, you still don’t know that what Christ says is true, and that you are reluctant to follow Him because He’s physically right here holding your hand… These people show up and leave when Jesus asks for sacrifice and commitment.
B. Convinced – You are just convinced…You haven’t decided whether or not this Jesus stuff is something that you want to go with for the long haul…you haven’t decided yet, whether or not this is something that you want to be involved in for a lifetime… The Convinced are there faithfully like a bunch of rhoadies at a rock concert. When Jesus asks them to make meaningful sacrifices and lasting commitment they don’t leave they just don’t respond.
C. Committed - These disciples were beyond the curious, they were convinced that this guy was for real and they wanted to become real followers. They fell into the realm of the committed. But the real follower is found in the life of the one who is Committed. Jesus asks for commitment and sacrifice and they do it.
There are some of you who think dependence on God is simply speaking His name once a week or what have you…True dependence, is depending on Him for your next breath, for your next step…you need Him to lead you everywhere you go…The mark of a real disciple is dependence on Jesus and allowing him to lead you where you are going.
Just like with KU Basketball, the players must have 100% dependence on their coaches, that their weight training techniques, and their criticism of the way that things are done, defenses, offenses will work come game time…we must have faith in our coach, Jesus Christ…and be 100% SOLD OUT for Him…to know that what He tells us to do will not lead us astray…we need to be 100% dependent on Him
3. True, Real Followers go wherever Jesus leads
Do you realize how counter cultural this idea is. If people would obey the call to Follow wherever God wanted them to go do you know what the impact would be in our world. Mission fields would be full. Churches would be packed, Bible colleges would be full. Hospitals would remain in the hands of the church. Ideally it is a plan for a perfect world. A world that we won’t experience until we are in Heaven.
Jesus said it’s not everyone who calls me Lord that’s going to make the cut. But those who acknowledge me with their life and are obedient..
So the hard questions may be tough but they are essential.
Does my life demonstrate the life of one who is sold out to Jesus?
Am I willing to Go wherever Jesus would want me to go?
What are the implications of that. It might mean Changing Jobs. It could mean a complete lifestyle change. It might mean more involvement in the community, or the church. It might mean giving up that which is most precious to me.
If I could, then I would
I’ll go wherever you will go
Way up high, or down low
I’ll go wherever you will go
(The calling)
S. I. McMillen, in his book None of These Diseases, tells a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application blank that asked, "Are you a leader?" Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, "No," and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: "Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower."
Jesus needed and still does need people who are willing to follow him to the ends of the earth.
I’d love to tell you that you can make this kind of commitment casually and it won’t affect your fishing trips or your golf game but that is simply not true.
Becoming a real follower is something that is going to require decision, on and dependence. But it’s what real followers do.
You may not be called to go overseas for a mission project you might be called on to be a voice of integrity and influence in your community. You may end up hearing his call to accept a role of leadership here. You might find him leading you out of one area of ministry and service and into another.
What category will you fall into Casual, Convinced or Committed? Have you made the decision to be dedicated and dependent on Him?? What about in Isaiah 6…God is calling some of you tonight…He’s calling some of you to do great exploits for Him, and how will you answer Him? Will you say yes or no?
Just like with KU Basketball too, the players must DO what the coaches tell them to do…period…they must GO where the coaches tell them to go, so that offenses, defenses and that sort can work out the right way…if you are playing a 2-3 defense and one man is at the other end of the floor, it won’t work!!!!!
Just the same, we must do and go where our coach tells us to go…He’s telling us as a whole church to GO, Luke 4, and then Matthew 28…He’s telling us to GO…but He’s calling some of you as individuals to go out of your comfort zones…to step out in faith…something that some of you may not have done in a very long time…but God’s requiring it of you right now…how will you answer Him???
Signal Margie, INVITATION (ALTAR TIME)
Have you been presenting a real Gospel of Jesus Christ? Have you been a real christian for Him??
See, if you haven’t given everything up, you can’t be 100% dependent on Him, and if you’re not 100% dependent on Him, then how can you know that where He’s telling you to go is the right place? They all intertwine!!!
Jesus said that he came to take away the sins of the world
If you need to get those things out of your life Jesus asks you to follow him.
Jesus is asking you to leave your sin he is asking you to come to him and depend on him for comfort, hope, strength, and life.
Jesus wants to use you to make his message known. Come be a part of the kingdom of God here and now. Acknowledge you have sinned turn form that lifestyle, Confess that Jesus has called you to be a real follower.
Tonight is a commitment to make it real…to make your life a real committed one to Jesus Christ….
Get ready…on the count of 3…if you haven’t given something up…raise your hand…
Get ready…on the count of 3…if you haven’t been 100% dependent on Him, raise a hand…
Get ready…on the count of 3…if you haven’t been going where He’s told you to go, raise a hand…
