Calling Handling the Intensity

Calling

Handling the Intensity

The words of Jesus to “Follow Me” are very intense

These words challenge us to an urgency and abandonment

Although this is true if we do not see the bigger picture

We are liable to make some devastating mistakes

Several times we see Jesus calling His disciple to Follow Him

Each time was to a greater level and they grew in greater maturity

Two times when Jesus called Peter to Follow Him

Jesus did a miracle to give him resources for him and his family

It was also this provision that gave him confidence

That God would provide in the future.

Jesus said Follow Me, He did not say get a head of Me  

Handling the Intensity

The words of Jesus to “Follow Me”

are very intense.

These words challenge us to

an urgency and abandonment.

Although this is true, if we do not see the bigger picture,

we are liable to make some devastating mistakes.

Let’s follow the journey of Jesus’ first disciples…

Andrew and Peter

Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist.

In the days of Jesus’ ministry on earth, disciples

were followers of Rabbis’ or also called teachers.

Disciples were very spiritual people

longing to know more about God and

what God was doing in the earth.

 

John the Baptist was a teacher with

many disciples, his message was…

Prepare the way of the Lord.

The imagery is…

 In those days there was someone who

came before the king or dignitary and announced

the king was coming, make way for the dignitary.

The people would run to the “way” or the road the king

was to travel on and make it smooth or straighten it

out so it would be level for the king’s passage.

John’s message was not to repair

the roads for the Messiah Jesus,

but to make straight a person’s life.

Repentance is key to straightening out life’s road.

    One day John saw Jesus and said…

When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

John 1:36-37

After spending a day with Jesus, Andrew went

to his brother Peter and took him to meet Jesus.

Andrew was a spiritual man…

 A disciple of John the Baptist.

Even though Andrew and Peter did not know

Jesus, they had already knew a lot about Him.

They understood the scriptures

concerning the coming Messiah.

From John 1, we find Andrew, his brother Peter,

and Philip now found Nathanael.

 These men were following Jesus before Jesus called

Andrew and Peter from their boats in Mark 1:17.

Peter and Andrew in John 1 followed on the first day.

 The next day Philip and Nathanael.

 And the third day (John 2), Jesus does

His first miracle of turning water into wine.

This all happened before

John the Baptist was arrested.

Up until the time John was arrested,

Peter and Andrew were disciples of Jesus.

Peter and Andrew were business

partners in the fishing industry.

 

We will find that following Jesus

did not mean they quit their jobs.

They continued to make a living as fishermen.

After John the Baptist was arrested Mark 1:14…

Jesus found Peter and Andrew fishing and called

them to intensify their discipleship with Him.

 

16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee,

he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake,

for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said,

"and I will make you fishers of men."  

At once they left their nets and followed him.

Mark 1:16-18; Matthew 4:18-20

In Luke 5 1:-11, Jesus again calls the fishermen to

Follow Him, but there was a significant difference.

  Here Jesus called them to full time discipleship.

Jesus showed them He would provide for them

by telling them to go back out in the boats to

fish, after they had caught nothing all night.

When they obeyed Jesus, they caught a large

number of fish beyond the capacity of their nets.

This miracle of the large number of fish

was to show He would take care of them

and their families as they followed Jesus.

(It would not have made sense to leave the fish

to rot on the beach while following Jesus.)

It seems likely that Peter and Andrew didn’t

completely get out of the fishing business.

After Jesus died on the cross,

 Peter went back to fishing.

And Jesus in John 21, sees them from shore and

says cast your nets on the other side of the boat.

Again a miracle provision of fish.

It is here Jesus says…

"Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"

John 21:15

Do you love me more than these fish?

Jesus again says to Peter “Follow Me”

John 21:19

Jesus revealed He would feed these fishermen and their

families and then asked them to feed My sheep.

 

Yes, the words of Jesus to Follow Him are intense.

The command to an eminent response.

But not a foolish impulsive response.

Following Jesus starts with

getting to know Him…

 

Becoming a disciple, learning about

Him, watching Him handle life.

Following Jesus intensifies as we are

required to act on what He has taught us.

As you and I hear the call to “Follow Him”.

 

We, too, need to be equipped

in our knowledge of Him.

This takes time and a lot of our

learning is “on the job training”.

Jesus did not ask the disciple to Follow Him

without seeing His ability to provide.

Peter and Andrew did not just quit their jobs…

When the disciples “at once followed Jesus”

it did not mean they did not phased into ministry.

    

Scripture Reading

John 1:35-42 NIV

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.

36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"

They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"

39 "Come," he replied, "and you will see."

So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him.

It was about the tenth hour.

40 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ).

42 And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John.

You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).

Mark 1:16-18 NIV

16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 "Come, follow me ," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."  18 At once they left their nets and followed him.

John 21:4-23 NIV

4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore,

but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

5 He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?"

"No," they answered.

6 He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.   9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught." 

11 Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"

"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." 

16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"

He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." 

17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."  19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!" 

20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"

22 Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."