I was ten years old when I trusted in Jesus to be my salvation from sin. I was in a small Baptist church attending Vacation Bible School when the preacher told those that where there that Jesus loves us and died on a cross for our sin and if we would accept him and follow him we would have eternally life. I was called to salvation and accepted that call.
In the fall of 1985, I turned on my FM radio at 10:30 to listen to a new radio station in our area. On this station was a preacher named Chuck Swindoll. I listened to a part of his message nearly every night during that time and remember him clearly giving a message of hope to the listeners. One morning, I woke up after listening to his message the night before and I said to myself—that is what I want to be when I grow up! I want to be a preacher! I was called to ministry and accepted that call.
That was the turning point in my life–the moment that I acknowledged and accepted the call to the ministry. I was mentored by listening to a radio preacher, followed by a church camp, and my first ministry experience of leading a prayer group in high school. This was the exciting beginning of the realization of God’s calling on my life.
Sitting in your seat this morning.—anticipating another week of work, some challenges that you know will come–I want you to ask yourself:
What is your calling?
God calls all of us to serve Him. He calls us to salvation and to service. Some he calls to fulltime ministry; but that doesn’t negate the importance of those he has called to do other work.
What are you called to do?
What is the task that God has placed on your heart to accomplish? We are all called to different ministries—by our different strengths. What are you called to do?
Where were you when you first sensed the call?
What did that look like? Who did you tell?
What did you do?
When was the last time you took time to consider your calling?
I want to take a couple of moments, this morning, to look at the text of Matthew 4.
Matthew 4:18-25 gives us a story of Jesus calling his disciples. As we reflect on this, I pray that during this time each of us will reflect on our call. It is our call—it is unique to each of us. The call is a mystery. We can’t explain it. We cannot adequately describe it. But, we all know it is there and how it happened.
So, looking at Matthew 4; we want to first consider the call.
v.18
While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:18-19 ESV)
Jesus calls the disciples to “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Jesus was walking by the sea. This was no accident. He knew who was going to be there. God had been developing them and their gifts for years before. It is also understood that there were more people out there by the sea than these two sets of brothers—the first set described here in verse 18 and the second set described in verse 21—Luke 5:10 says that they were partners with one another. But it was these four men Jesus had come to see.
They were fishermen. They were trained to catch fish and to mend nets. They were hard workers—as you could imagine. They were skilled in making a living through fishing—the business of it, the techniques of it, and the patience of it.
While they were average people—they were chosen because of who they were and the skills that they brought to the table.
I want you to understand that Jesus didn’t call these men to be fulltime priests or Army Chaplains. He just said to them; “Follow me.”
Jesus calls the disciples from where they were, as they were—he brought all of their skills and personalities together for a unique task.
In the same way; Jesus called us individually into service to Him. We all have different strengths and personalities. We all have different backgrounds and different stories to tell. We all called and developed for his good purpose.
But, even as we consider the call and its blessing—we must not forget to consider the cost.
V20
Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. (Matthew 4:20-22 ESV)
The disciples left everything. They left their boats; their livelihood. And they left their father; their family.
Does this mean that they never returned to their boats or families again? No.
What we see is that they stopped putting their occupation or their families first, and put Jesus in control. He called them with a special call to follow him; to learn a new trade from him; to make them fishers of men.
We are familiar with the costs of our commitments.
When I signed up for the El Paso Marathon, I considered the cost of spending several hours of my weekend training.
For those who serve to the military, our cost comes in the form of our families back home that we’ve left behind while we move from place to place. Sometimes, it shows up in those times when we are deployed—even our spouses and children are left behind. Some of you had other careers that you left to serve our country.
And when we accept the calling God gives us, there is a cost as well. We begin to change our priorities to what God has called us to do. In some ways, nothing in our calendar changes, but the intent changes. God has us where he wants us and the calling is to do the best where we are and influence those around us in the best way possible. But there is a cost. Some things will have to change.
When we consider the cost, we know that we are doing it for our calling. Jesus asks us to leave everything to follow him.
Have you considered the cost?
Was it a relationship that went sour, because of the call on your life?
Was it a profitable and successful career? You may have to move to a lower paying job to fulfill the calling.
Was it persecution? You may face greater persecution if you have a drastic lifestyle change, because of your calling.
Consider the cost to you!
When we consider the cost of our calling, we see truly how precious that calling is to us—otherwise, we would have never sacrificed in the first place!
This morning, in examination of Matthew 4, I ask you to
Considering the call, consider the cost, but don’t forget to consider the crowds.
V23:
And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. (Matthew 4:23 ESV)
After the disciples left everything, the disciples followed Him—Jesus; and where did Jesus go? He went to the crowds. He went to the people who were hurting. He went to the masses that were searching for meaning in their lives.
These same disciples who started out on a fishing bank—went to the sick, the rulers, the downtrodden, and the rich. They went to the crowds with Jesus.
In the same way, we are called to go to the crowds.
This should not be confused with an idea that to be successful, we must have a large ministry. We are fascinated by filling stadiums and building large followings. But, it is the realization of the fact that “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” (Luke 10:2a ESV) Everywhere we look, there are people who need you to go to them—to bring the teachings of Christ, to proclaim the gospel, to bring healing and hope, and to bring his presence.
It could be a small Bible study of three people. It could be a mentoring relationship with one. It could be a witness to your platoon or section.
We are called to the crowds.
When we consider the call and the cost—there is a purpose. We don’t just sacrifice for the purpose of sacrificing. We sacrifice to fulfill God’s plan to reach the crowds. Throughout the Bible God uses people to reach this world for the gospel. This is what we are called to do—to go to the crowds.
So what about you? Have you considered your call? Have you considered the cost? Have you considered the crowds?
This morning, some of you here are trying to figure out what your calling is.
Jesus first calls us to salvation.
The Bible says:
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, ESV)
God loves you and wants you to spend eternity with him. But we are prevented from this eternity because of our sin. Sin is anything that you think say or do that disrespects God. And, the Bible teaches us, that the payment for our sin is death and hell. We deserve death and hell for our sin.
But God loves us so much that he sent his son to die in our place on the cross; paying the penalty for our sin. And all we must do is to accept his death as your payment and turn from your sin and follow him.
The Bible says in John 1:
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, the gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13, ESV)
You will be saved for all eternity when you receive him and believe in his name.
Then Jesus gives all a special calling. In Matthew 28, the Bible says;
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20, ESV)
Jesus tells us to go. Going means different things for different people. For some it is full time ministry. For some it is staying where you are and setting the example to others—“making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Eph 5:16, ESV) We are to be constantly sharing the message of salvation with those around us.
Where do you fit in?
The crowds desperately need you to bring the good news to them.
Remember your calling! Revisit it. The call may narrow. The people group may shift. But, Gods call is sure.
Listen to the words of Jesus as he whispers once again to you: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Let us pray.
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This sermon was originally preached at the Crossroads Chapel service at Sage Hall. Fort Bliss, Texas on 26 January 2014.
All Scriptures marked ESV: The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.