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What are we made of?
Sunday 8th March

Follow me and I will make you.

Jesus' first disciples were called to follow him. Not to just believe in him or to subscribe to his teaching and his doctrine but to follow. Details would come later; they were asked to trust him with the simple command.

Following Christ was part of their making; Christ took them from Fishermen to fishers of men. First, they were to make a change of direction, leaving behind their lives to take on the life of a disciple.

It's a calling that comes with Christ’s making and if we have ears to hear we will respond to. It’s an exodus way, repent is the out, follow is the way through and the kingdom coming is the way in.

Let's open in 

Matthew 4 

“From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” As he walked 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 people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.”

Matthew 4:17-22 NRSVUE

Jesus begins his ministry in the north around his hometown of Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee.

His message reflects that of John the Baptist, a call to repentance, a call to change hearts and minds.  Jesus has been baptised, has been through the wilderness defeated the enemy and now begins His ministry.

This is a clear instruction with a purpose and albeit not too much detail at this point. The reason for the repentance is that the kingdom is at hand or has come near. This message has a clear instruction and includes reasons. 

From reading this little can be known about why Jesus called these people and why their response was immediately taken up. We can piece together from other passages that these guys may have been present at the baptism of Jesus and some would have been followers of John. However, they seem to be ordinary people and not biblical scholars.

His message of ‘the Kingdom’ preaching may not have been a thing new to the Jews of that day. Many people were suffering under the oppressive rule of the Romans and longed for a day when the kingdom would return. The zealots especially wanted the removal of Rome and a return to self-rule under the anointed king of Israel.  The long-awaited messiah king of the Jews under the lineage of David was promised by the prophets of old. The redemption from slavey and oppression was a key theme, it's an exodus theme. The promised land or the promised kingdom is coming. 

Jesus takes those promises and reveals to everyone that today is the day this kingdom is here. With such confidence why would they not follow him? They grew up hearing the story of the exodus and here is the same story being fulfilled in their time.

Incidentally, Peter in his first sermon at Pentecost has a similar message. 

“Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.””

Acts 2:38-39 

This is a good example of Peter throwing his net out to fish for people.

Back to our story.

Follow Me and I will make you fishers of people. 

Jesus used a clever play on words to call these fishermen to give up their livelihood of catching fish to rescuing people. The implication is that the same way you put out your net for fish I will make you fishing people. 

There is purpose in following Christ, there is work to do. They knew how hard a life of a fisherman was, out in all weather, sometimes for whole nights working to catch. Even time coming home empty.

Fishers of people 

This shows that Jesus' ministry is not just about knowledge or only about the disciples' own lives. Rather, Jesus' calling always includes an outward focus of bringing life and flourishing to others. When we follow Christ it is not so that we can be good people, or that we can live a moral life and get our ticket to heaven, but that we too are meant to call people into the kingdom and call them to follow Christ too.

Someone said it's not what you know but it is what you do with what you know. We need the knowledge but we take action. Christ calls us to that action.

About the calling of Christ Paul prays in  Ephesians 1:18 "...the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what the hope of His calling is, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints." 

 "The Hope of His Calling" In this context, "hope" is not wishful thinking but a confident expectation based on God's certain promises. 

The Calling: Refers to God’s invitation to salvation and an eternal relationship with Him. The Hope: The assurance of salvation, the restoration of all things, and the future glory believers will share when Christ returns. Enlightenment: Paul prays for the "eyes of the heart" to be flooded with light so this truth becomes a lived reality rather than just intellectual knowledge

The call to us today is simple and clear to repent as the return of Christ is nearer than when we first believed.  The kingdom is here but it is also not yet. 

While we wait for the kingdom we have a job to do. Yes, it begins with the call to follow Christ but that is just half of it, fishing for people is part of it. The command comes with the promise, I will make you.

Jesus called others too, a tax collector who walked away from his life working for a corrupt system and followed Christ. Yet others had their excuses 

“Another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” But Jesus *said to him, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.””

Matthew 8:21-22 

This means delay or excuse, listen to Tom's message last week. Wait until my father passes away. Also, it suggests that if we focus on the important work of the kingdom and earthly things will take care of earthy things. In other words, seek first the kingdom of God and don't worry about other things.

In Luke 9.62 Jesus loves to mix up metaphors this time it’s farming, and Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Once we follow there is no turning back, looking back means we don’t walk in a straight line. We are called to walk with discipline.

Jesus taught his disciples many things, but they learned along the journey, they didn’t know until later what the journey had instal for them or where this would take them.

He taught His disciples that the Kingdom of God has arrived and calls for a life defined by radical love for God and neighbour, sincere repentance, and a sacrificial commitment to follow His example. 

After a particularly difficult lesson in John 6 66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

Advert - “Born in Cardiff but I was made in the Army.”

What are we made of? Or what have we allowed to shape us?

The church is known as a body, a family even a bride. But it is not just meant to be a hospital although it can and should be a place of healing. It could be known as a unit or an army, perhaps we are an army with a medical division.

We are here to heal and make people better, but better with a purpose and to re enter into the flight. 

Some things want to shape us, hurt offence can do that but we can be made twisted jaded and dysfunctional. Christ's making comes as we follow him.

Those who grow quickly are those who move from being discipled to discipling 

We are building a church of people who take responsibility.  People who hear the call to follow and in turn make disciples. 

When the church puts on events, do we think ‘let me come and be blessed’ or do we think what can I do to help, what can I bring? Or more importantly, who can I bring? 

In the story of the woman at the well in John, Jesus reveals he is the Christ and immediately she calls others saying Come and see.

Paul writes that he labours until Christ is formed in you. And write in Romans 8 Being 'conformed to the image of Christ" (Romans 8:29) and it is about becoming more like Jesus in who you are, both inside and out, including your spirit and eventually your resurrected body. It's a gradual process guided by the Holy Spirit that helps believers grow away from worldly ways and develop Christ-like love, obedience, and holiness. 

As we grow in discipleship, we are made. When we see a need, we meet that need or we grow to a place where we are not always dependent on others to feed us. Our making is that we are not just those who come to be fed but we are those who are growing into being self-feeders and feeding others.

How is it possible to go from a follower to a leader? Actually, I think we do it at the same time. 

Paul writes follow me as I follow Christ. To lead people to Christ we in turn have to be following him too and living the life of example.

Close with this point - Jesus says I will make you fishers of people. It is a Shift in Purpose: 

Jesus met the disciples where they were, using their daily occupation as an analogy for their new spiritual labour. Instead of drawing fish out of the water, they were to draw souls out of darkness into the light of the church.

The "making" process begins by following and then it is an ongoing endeavour and is supported by being part of a faith community, where believers encourage and learn from one another.

I don’t know much about fishing, or indeed those methods in the first century Galilee.

Jesus met them in their ordinary trade but invited them to apply their existing skills—like patience, persistence, and risk-taking—to a higher calling. Patience: Waiting for the right time and for hearts to be ready.Persistence: Persistently 'casting the net' of failures or rejection. Discernment: Seeking God's guidance on when, where, and how to share the message. Mending the Net: Taking time for spiritual rest and "repair" when feeling discouraged or exhausted.

The call is the same for us today, repent change your heart and mind, for the kingdom of God is near, His promise is being fulfilled, those in darkness have seen a great light. Christ brings his message to ordinary people like us and calls us to follow him. Details will come, but the key to obedience to that call will be our making.

From: The Challenge of Missions, by Oswald J Smith.

Dr Duff that great veteran missionary to India, returned to Scotland to die, and as he stood before the General Assembly of the Presbyterian church, he made his appeal, but there was no response. In the midst of his appeal, he fainted and was carried off the platform. The doctor bent over him and examined his heart. Presently he opened his eyes.

“Where am I?” he cried. “Where am I?”

“Lie still”, said the doctor. “You have had a heart attack. Lie still”

“But”, exclaimed Dr Duff, “I haven’t finished my appeal. Take me back. Take me back. I must finish my appeal.”

“Lie still”, said the doctor again. “You will go back at the peril of your life”.

But, despite the protests of the physician, the old warrior struggled to his feet, and, with the doctor on one side and the Moderator of the Assembly on the other, he again mounted the steps of the pulpit platform and as he did so the entire assembly rose to do him honour. Then when they were seated he continued his appeal and this is what he said.

“When Queen Victoria calls for volunteers for India, hundreds of young men respond, but, when King Jesus calls no one goes.”

He paused. There was silence. Again he spoke:

“Is it true”, he asked, “that the fathers and mothers of Scotland have no more sons to give for India?”

Again he paused. Still, there was silence.

“Very well”, he concluded, “Then, aged though I am, I’ll go back to India. I can lie down on the banks of the Ganges and I can die and thereby I can let the people of India know that there was one man in Scotland who loved them enough to give his life for them.”

In a moment young men from all over the congregation stood to their feet crying, “I’ll go; I’ll go.” And after the old white-haired warrior had been laid to rest these young men having graduated, found their way to dark benighted India, there to labour as his substitute for the Lord Jesus.

My friend will you go? Has God spoken to you? Have you heard His call? And if you cannot go, will you not send a substitute? It is for you to decide.

Why should anyone hear the gospel twice before he has heard it once?