And he saith unto them, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left [their] nets, and followed Him. Matthew 4:19, 20
Introduction
“DISCIPLE” MEANS A FOLLOWER OR A PUPIL. The word disciple appears more than two hundred and fifty times in the Bible, mostly in the Gospels and Acts. Being a disciple energizes the spirit, challenges the mind, and requires our best efforts in our relationship with God and our fellow humans. Without total loyalty to Christ and the demands of His life and message, there can be no discipleship.
Service is a remedy.
You who are suffering with poor health, there is a remedy for you. If thou clothe the naked, and bring the poor that are cast out to thy house, and deal thy bread to the hungry, “then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily.” Doing good is an excellent remedy for disease. Those who engage in the work are invited to call upon God, and he has pledged himself to answer them.
Do not be afraid of good works. “Let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Do not wait to be told your duty. Open your eyes, and see who are around you; make yourselves acquainted with the helpless, afflicted, and needy. Hide not yourselves from them, and seek not to shut out their needs. {HM, November 1, 1889 par. 14-15}
Activity: Group the congregation into classes according to age or seating arrangement. Answer the discussion questions below. Allot time and pick out representatives to share their answers at the end of allotted time. Allow groups to share a special song before sharing their answers.
- What are examples of good works for God?
- Why are we called co-laborer of Jesus? And what is its importance these last days?
- What stops us from answering the call?
- For each group, you will be given a disciple, what lessons can we get and apply to our same calling, and continue the work here in this world?
Group 1: Peter
Group 2: Matthew
Group 3: Andrew
Group 4: Judas
Highlights/Conclusion:
Apart from Christ, our work is fruitless, and it is easy to distrust and murmur. But when He is near, and we labor under His direction, we rejoice in the evidence of His power.
“Master,” he said, “we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the net.”
The first lesson of being a disciple: obedience to Christ’s Word.
Andrew, John, and James also soon learned that the long and fruitless night had given way to a bright
and surprising dawn, with a large group of fish caught. At once, Peter fell to his knees and cried out: “ ‘Depart [leave] from me, for I am a sinful man’ ” (verse 8, NKJV). Recognizing the holiness of God and the sinfulness of oneself is another important step in the call to discipleship
Lessons from Self-Distrust
Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh [but] in vain. Psalms 127:1
The presence of divinity revealed his own unholiness. Love for his Master, shame for his own unbelief, gratitude for the condescension of Christ, above all, the sense of his uncleanness in the presence of infinite purity, overwhelmed him. Desire of Ages, 246.2
“My comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.“ Daniel 10:8
“Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.“ Isaiah 6:5
O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Romans 7:24
Christ’s answer: Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” Luke 5:10
The change from being fishermen to becoming fishers of men is extraordinary (amazing; great):
it requires (1) full self-surrender to Jesus, (2) recognizing one’s inability and sinfulness, (3) a reaching out to Christ in faith for the strength to walk the lonely and unknown path of discipleship, and (4) continual dependence upon Christ and Him alone.
The life of a fisherman is uncertain and dangerous. He has to battle rough waves, unsure of a steady income. The life of a fisher of men is not any different, but the Lord promises, “Fear not.”
Discipleship is not an easy road. It has its ups and downs and its joys and challenges. But a disciple is not called to walk alone. The One who said “Fear not” is by the side of the faithful disciple.
“Then Jesus said to all the people: ‘If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross each day and follow me’ Luke 9:23
The thing to be learned by all who would become workers together with God is the lesson of self-distrust; then they are prepared to have imparted to them the character of Christ. DA, 249.4
Matthew “left all, rose up, and followed Him.” There was no hesitation, no questioning, no thought of the lucrative business to be exchanged for poverty and hardship. It was enough for him that he was to be with Jesus, that he might listen to His words, and unite with Him in His work. {DA 273.2}
Immediately They Left All
When Jesus bade Peter and his companions follow Him, immediately they left their boats and nets. Some of these disciples had friends dependent on them for support; but when they received the Savior’s invitation, they did not hesitate, and inquire, How shall I live, and sustain my family? They were obedient to the call; and when afterward Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye anything?” they could answer, “Nothing.” Luke 22:35.
To Matthew in his wealth, and to Andrew and Peter in their poverty, the same test was brought; the same consecration was made by each. At the moment of success, when the nets were filled with fish, and the impulses of the old life were strongest, Jesus asked the disciples at the sea to leave all for the work of the gospel. So every soul is tested whether the desire for temporal good or for fellowship with Christ is strongest.
The Assurance of Providence
Before asking them to leave their nets and fishing boats, Jesus had given them the assurance that God would supply their needs.
We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history. 3SM, 162.3
The Assurance of Success
“God takes men as they are, and educates them for His service. That is if they will surrender themselves to Him. If the Spirit of God is received into the soul, He will bring to life all its abilities. Under the leading of the Holy Spirit, the mind becomes dedicated to God and grows and works well with God’s will.
The mind also is strengthened to understand and fulfill the requirements of God. The weak character [thoughts; feelings; acts] becomes changed to a strong one. Continual faithfulness leads to a very close relationship with Jesus so that the Christian becomes like [almost the same as] Him in mind and
character.”—Adapted from Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, page 251
He whose word could gather the fishes from the sea could also impress human hearts, and draw them by the cords of His love, so that His servants might become “fishers of men.” {DA 249.3}
But when we give ourselves wholly to God and in our work follow His directions, He makes Himself responsible for its accomplishment. He would not have us conjecture as to the success of our honest endeavors. Not once should we even think of failure. We are to co-operate with One who knows no failure. Christ’s Object Lessons, 363.1
We should not talk of our own weakness and inability. This is a manifest distrust of God, a denial of His word. When we murmur because of our burdens, or refuse the responsibilities He calls upon us to bear, we are virtually saying that He is a hard master, that He requires what He has not given us power to do.
We do not make ourselves disciples. It is a result of accepting the call of Jesus. Luke writes that Jesus has already called Peter, Andrew, John, and James (Luke 5:11; Matthew 4:18–22) and Levi Matthew, the tax collector (Luke 5:27–32).
Now, the writer (Luke) reports that Jesus chose the twelve disciples at the right time. After the Sabbath healing of a man with a withered hand (Luke 6:6–11), the Pharisees (Jewish religious leaders) started planning the murder of Jesus. So, the Lord knew that it was time to choose a team of workers whom He could train to carry on the work.
Luke describes the preparation and authorization of the apostles as a three-step process. First, Jesus called them together (Luke 9:1).
The word call or calling is as important to Christian mission as it is to Christian vocabulary. It must be a personal experience. The apostles must accept Jesus who calls, come to Him, and be “together.” Both obeying Jesus who calls and surrendering everything to Him are important for working in unity (oneness) with God and others. And the unity is important for the mission’s success.
Second, Jesus “gave them power and authority” (Luke 9:1, NKJV). Jesus never sends out His workers empty-handed. He does not expect us to be His representatives in our own strength. Our education, culture, social position, or wealth are powerless to succeed in His mission.
It is Christ who gives us power to do His work. The Greek word for “power” is dynamis. From this Greek word we get “dynamo,” which gives energy for light, and the word dynamite. This also gives energy that can plow through a mountain. The power and authority that Jesus gives are plenty to crush the devil and defeat his purposes.
Jesus is our power. “When the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it becomes very powerful. Whatever is to be done at His command may be done in His strength. All God’s commands can be done by men with His help.”—Adapted from Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, page 333.
Third, Jesus “sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick” (Luke 9:2, NKJV). Preaching and healing go together. And the mission of the disciples is to care for the whole person—body, mind, and soul. Sin and Satan have captured the whole person. So, the whole person
must be brought under the holy power of Jesus. A person can be a good disciple only when his or her
life is totally given to Christ, with nothing else in the way. Christ, His kingdom, and the witness to a lost world alone are more important than anything else.
Lifting the cross cuts away self from the soul. It puts man where he learns how to accept and carry Christ’s burdens. We cannot follow Christ without wearing His yoke, without lifting the cross, and without
carrying it after Him.
Suppose our will is not in agreement with Jesus’ requirements. Then we are to deny our wishes,
give up our favorite desires, and step in Christ’s footsteps.” —Adapted from Ellen G. White, Sons and Daughters of God, page 69.
God is calling you and me! Let us answer the call!
HeavenwardYouth 