The Invitation To Follow - Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. No man, no man talk the way he taught. No man has the resume that this man had remembered to zoning worship. Worship is the kind of joining us today on this additional fellowship in the work. Pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana going Pastor Bill Gebhardt now is once again he shows us how God's word meets our world when he ate famous versus what's how similar the idea is, and again there's a calling here Jesus says come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, everybody was sick and tired of being sick and tired. Everybody who thinks life stinks and it doesn't seem to get any better as you come to me. Everybody come to me all you are weary and heavy laden, and then he says some interesting I'll give you rest. I'll let you rest. It is come to me. You take my yoke upon you and you learn for me and we talked about that in the past that the large ox in the small ox, but he says you take my yoke and I just want you right here beside me.

That's all I'm asking nieces when you walk around that grinding mill with me. He says you will learn for me is a but I want to tell you something about me I am gentle and humble in heart, he said, you will find rest for your souls is a gift understand something. My yoke is easy, my burden is light.

That's Christianity. Just call me just Imperial couple getting my yoke with me just walk with me. I'll do the grinding number never uses other metaphors on the vine are the branches.

You know, and if you abide in me will bear much fruit, but apart from me you can do nothing is all you have to do is abide all you have to do is stay in the same yoke. All you have to do is follow me. Jesus says that's all it will take.

This is the first time in Matthew that this happens with me to Matthew.

For now, let's go back to Matthew four and verse 18. Now, as Jesus was 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. Immediately they left their nets and they followed him going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother in the boat. Of Zebedee their father many minutes and he called them and immediately left their boat and their father in a fallen did you ever wonder about that when you read it like what does that mean, how did that happen.

It almost seemed always reminds me of like a 1950s B-movie about my zombies. You know the whole idea is that Jesus walked by and says follow me and are there fishing adjusting about an just following just blindly falling. I can't resist it there just following that's not what happened at all. That's not the way it worked out. You see, Matthew gives you an accurate account but is just a summation it's not really the whole story at all to me now to Luke chapter 5 Luke chapter 5 and I went to see the whole story. Verse one and now it happened while the crowd was pressing around him. Jesus is the sea of Galilee Capernaum again and he's teaching and the crowd is enormous. I imagine everyone from that region is there.

I would guess there were thousands of people, and Jesus is teaching. Notices says it happened while the crowd was pressing around him, listening to the word of God. He was standing by the lake of goodness or see ago he standing there by the lake and his huge crowd and Jesus is teaching the word of God. Could you imagine anything richer than that's the greatest teaching of all time.

There is no one before Santa ever taught like this. This is God incarnate. This is Jesus Christ the son of God. He's teaching what is he teaching. I am sure he's teaching about who he is, who they are, what the Old Testament points toward you see I'm sure he's teaching all of that, he's teaching about the essence of God, the idea of the sinfulness of man is just teaching and everybody wants to hear it and he saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and washing their nets. You see after you finish all night you have to clean your nets and apparently they had a bad night and now they're cleaning and mending their nets. It's a labor intensive deal, it has to be done every single night and also it's extremely time-consuming, very necessary now while they're cleaning their nets and I by the way rest of the story, we know they are that so Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew nets James and John son Zebedee. Now Jesus is speaking to a huge crowd which means he's putting his voice out there so they're cleaning and that's and what are they doing the listening there listening to everything Jesus is saying who he is, who they are what he brings what they need and it says in verse three and got into one of the boats which were Symons and he asked Simon to put out a little way in from the land and he set down and began teaching the people on the boat. He looks the Simon he says, could you help me use your boat by 20 to 30 feet normal commercial fishing boat CL I get in short, Simon gets in them. Simes thinking that I was going to get home normal time but I'm not going to get in the boat out? So, is that Jesus sits down the boat and is teaching know what's interesting about that is, it says and when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, something the last thing Simon expected, put out into the deep water and let Don your nets for a catch what you put out in the deep. Now think about a thing. Simon's point of view this is the best rabbi I've ever heard speak.

He might be a prophet. If you have never heard anyone speak this way and people tell me was a pretty good carpenter is Nazareth.

I'm a fisherman all by the way, I'm just a fisherman.

My dad fishermen.

My grandpa fishermen hubby my great grandpa. I might fourth fifth generation fishermen and guess where I fish all the different places I fish right here every day I fish here is that's like. That's what I am. I'm a fisherman. Just imagine a rabbi who was a carpenter by trade, tells him put out into the deep personable yup understand the reason that they fish at night as the fish from the deep come up to the surface there nets can reach the fish once daylight comes the fish dive deep and by the way sea of Galilee is not likely pondering the sea of galleys, 140 feet deep. So the whole point is that we know where the fish go they go deep in the day I nets don't reach their lot. What's is going to take on his part, Simon answered and said master real interesting term epi-status. It just means one who was appointed over it's a term used casually for teacher is not master like I dream of Jeannie master is not that he's just saying he's respecting me saying teacher. He says we work hard all night caught nothing.

No watch, but I will do as you say about the nets. What the debtor take faith mustards. There's something about you this and I've heard what you have done things are inexplicable and I've heard your words, if that's what you're saying sing he already showing this little greedy and about being a follower. He already shows and demonstrates his faith is schism when they had done this, the enclosed a great quantity of fish and their nets began to break and so they signaled to their partners. The sons of Zebedee, James and John and the other boat for them to come and help them and they came in a field of both boats and so they began to sink. W. How many fishing outings. Peter ever had, like that none his dad. None.

His grandfather, none explain this. I mean how many fish would that be see. Imagine at first dislike this is going to be great with a catch a lot of fish. That aside, while gun control really a lot of fish. Wait a minute, we have too many fish. Now we Know the sink in the boat. The whole idea of it is it's is an overwhelming thing that's happening to them. Interesting how this works.

The immediate results of trusting Jesus verse eight when Simon Peter saw that he fell down at Jesus feet literally it doesn't say fetuses. His knees, he fell down the Jesus knees. He said go away from me aboard Coriolis is he not epi-status not teacher board is and you go away from me, Lord, I am a sinful man, Matthew Dineen need to be told that repeater now realizes no one could have done what he did. No one no man could do what he just did no man talk the way he talked no man has the resume that this man has remembered Jews only worship God. They don't worship Peter worshiped Peter says I think I know who you are and as soon as you do. By the way, guess what you know who you are.

Peter says you have to leave me. I'm a sinful man in the presence of God I am a sinful man. You see, Peter just doesn't understand. You know. Humility is the elevator to spiritual greatness, and he humbles himself before the Lord. When you're a follower of Jesus, the sinner becomes this instrument of God is this for amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch. Which of fish which they had taken what a scene. This must've been Jesus then says in the notice. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon and Jesus said to them, do not fear. From now on, you'll be catching man. Just imagine it from Simon Peter's point of view.

What what just happened. I had a bad fishing night. I heard some guys speaking and all of a sudden, I'm compelled by him in this manner saying things are now doing things that I can explain it all. Jesus doesn't give them too much information. Notice what Jesus could've said to Simon would change her name to call you Peter just means pebble I got big plans for you to be one of the 12.

You can be an apostle to what's apostle that's going to be big is in fact will probably get too big and mental venerate you like they never should don't want to make you something special, way beyond what you are what yeah yeah and it ended in a city far away in Roma by the way home yet and won't guess what they're going to do the minimum go to Basilica for your bones to take them 107 years to build it just for you love Jesus would never say that. But what would point is this.

Peter had no idea what was going to happen and neither do you. And you doing when you follow Jesus Christ.

You have no idea what how that may turn out.

None. He's not asking you to have an idea. He knows the end from the beginning. He just says to them, do not fear, for now he says from now on you will be catching man and when they had brought their boats to land they left everything and what did he do if all that's that's astounding.

That's it in a nutshell, follow me.

It's all masking follow me we turn it into something so much greater than that. And by the way, it doesn't stop.

It doesn't stop after you follow Christ the first time.

I believe that every single day of my life, whether I'm aware of it or not, what my Lord says to me when I wake up in the morning is Bill, follow me my groups easy. It's like just follow me to show you how important that is. I want to turn with me to John 21 John 21 right at the end of the gospel of John.

Remember peters deny the Lord thought he had forfeited everything thought it was over for him decides best thing I can do is go back to my family business. I'm going to be a fisherman again to see a Galilee. I've been such a disappointment to God. You know that story verse five there out there fishing and Jesus said to them, children. You don't have any fish. By the way you ask it that way because he already knows and they answered no and he said to them, cast the net on the right side of the boat you will find a catch and they cast and they were not able to haul in and because of the great number fish this this is seem like déjà vu all over again for Peter. Wait a minute.

Now you know how that story plays itself out. But I want to look at just two versus verse 19. Now this he said, signifying by what kind of death that he would glorify God. That's Peter. And when he had spoken this this is what Jesus said to Peter, he said what follow me. That's it what what Peter what how my going to do what kind of penance do you want me to do for the denials how my God, how my going to organize, follow me.

Same thing he said before verse 22 Jesus said to him it if I want him to remain referring to John until I come. What is that to you. I have one priority for you. Peter follow me.

You follow me, that's our faith. People that's how simple Christianity is. Jesus says follow and you fall.

In fact, that little episode that I read in Luke five seems to have all the elements of what it means to be a follower of Christ. The first step would be this sit down and listen listen to the words of Christ read about his claims. See if it passes the valid test of truth. You see it.

That's discipleship that were discipled with a chasing that New Testament simply means a Warner learn this in the Christ, let him speak just read the Gospels, start with John just read it. Secondly, loan in your boat. What I mean by that. That's called stewardship that is due something that's inconvenient for you. It certainly was for Peter. He didn't want to go back take his boat out there even when Jesus and his boat. You know how long this guys going to talk. How long can this go on I want to go home. I just went fishing all night. He doesn't think that way. Stewardship something inconvenient for you, your time, your finances, your gifts. Thirdly, take something you said and actually do it. That's called ministry, help the weak strength in the fainthearted. Jesus says do something very follow do something when actually do it and then the last thing the final step was a follower.

Leave your nets. That's what they do. They left the nets which I mean all in CMO and Jesus said, in a variety ways. If you want to be a follower of mine, you need to deny yourself, take up your cross daily and what follow me the same idea. You see it's also simple to Jesus person doesn't become a Christian by going to a ceremony they certainly don't check off a bunch of do's and don'ts consider themselves Christians.

They don't have to become a member in good standing of some religious organization consists of simple for Jesus, follow me.

That in essence is what our faith so spring father if there is anyone here who is never really follow Christ not really at all. I just pray that they follow these steps listen to what Christ is taught examine his life. Be honest about it and see if he his claims are valid. Father no matter what their pastors, no men or how many failures or how deep their sin. The invitation comes to all of us to follow Christ, it's that simple. For those of us who are believers, father I pray that we understand it, just as with Peter, our Lord continually ask us to follow him. Each and every day I deny myself so that I can follow him because it's the essence of my relationship with my Savior, my Lord father.

Sometimes we make things so complicated that we miss it, even if standing right in front of us. Father I pray that every person or just ask themselves one am I pray this in his name for your glory and pastor broke apart on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever miss one of our broadcasting or maybe you just like to listen to the message one more time. Remember the good or great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen to Fellowship in the Word online that website you will find on today's broadcast but also many of her previous audio programs as well have Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible. We ask all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help his radio ministry continuous forecast on this radio station by supporting a monthly with just a one time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word. 4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is is a sermon, the pastor will deliver during a Sunday morning service at Fellowship Bible church visit our website FVC Nola.org that SBC 10 oh LA.Margie at our website you will find hundreds pastor Bill sermon you can browse through our sermon archives defined sensors are looking for, or you can search by title. Once you find the method you're looking for. You can listen online or if you prefer, you can download the sermon and listening room.

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