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Follow Me: Learning to Lead through Following Christ
Lesson 2: The Immediacy and Totality of the Call
Matthew 4:18-22
“And He said to them, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.””
Matthew 4:19
We Are Called to Follow
One cannot enter the kingdom as a leader. Every person comes into the kingdom as a follower. In fact, there could be no greater honor than that of following Jesus. Following Jesus requires immediacy and totality. In this lesson we focus on these two aspects of discipleship. In doing so we will be challenged to make sure we have responded appropriately to the call to follow Christ.
Personal reflection questions:
What does following Christ mean to you?
How committed to following Christ are you?
The Lord’s Invitation (v. 18-19)
Jesus, as he walked by the seashore, said to Peter and Andrew follow me. That was it! His call to them was follow me. It was attached to a promise; I will make you fishers of men.
The call and the promise reveal two spiritual truths for us:
Follow Me = accountability
I will make you fishers of men = assignment
What is accountability? How accountable to Jesus have you been?
Jesus, in calling these men to follow him, was taking on the responsibility of teaching them all they needed to fulfill their assignment. He was committing to investing in making sure their needs were met and they were fully prepared to do what they were called to do.
What were they called to do?
What are followers of Christ called to do today?
Examining the Immediate and Total Nature of the Call (v. 20-22)
How did Peter and the others view the nature of the call to follow Jesus? How do we know how they viewed the nature of the call? The best way to determine how a person views the nature of an invitation is to examine their response. One’s response reveals if the invitation in valued, if it is desirable, if it is urgent, etc.
How did Jesus’ first disciples view the nature of His invitation to follow Him?
How did they respond to the call to discipleship?
Peter and Andrew immediately left their nets and followed Him (v. 20)
James and John Immediately left the boat with their father and followed Him (v. 22)
What prevents people from following Jesus immediately and completely?
What hinders you from immediately and completely following Jesus?
The Temptation to Make Excuses
It is tempting to make excuses for why we can’t immediately and totally follow Jesus today. Many of our excuses sound logical and even reasonable. However, they cannot stand up to spiritual scrutiny.
In Luke 9:57-62 we learn that Jesus is not interested in excuses. He decidedly rejects the excuses of would be followers.
Three rejected excuses:
1. The excuse of discomfort (v. 57 & 58)
2. The excuse of other priorities (v. 59 & 60)
3. The excuse of relational connections (v. 61 & 62)
What excuses have you made for not following Jesus immediately and totally?
What steps do you need to take to begin following Jesus immediately and totally?
Conclusion
Jesus calls us to follow Him immediately and totally. It is an invitation to be all in as His disciple. The call leaves no room for making excuses. Yet, it also promises a new assignment that is amazing. When we accept the call with immediacy and totality, Jesus makes us fishers of men. He gives us an assignment with eternal worth!