Archive for March 2009

Some challenge the way I think: Matt. 5:11 – “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”
Some challenge the way I feel: Matt. 5:44 – “Love your enemies”
Some challenge what I do: Matt. 5:41 – “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”
But there is one statement Jesus made that has captured my whole life. I cannot get away from it. I love it and hate it at the same time. It is my greatest motivation and my biggest mountain.
Just when I believe I have it solved, it throws me a curve and am left standing there be wildered.
I have found that it is the key to the door that will change every person’s life no matter who you are.
It is the simplest and yet most difficult thing I have ever done in all my life.
Sometimes I feel like the biggest success and other times a failure.
There are some days when these words are all I live on, and others when I wish Jesus had never said them.

Here is what I know: All my success in this life and all my failures in this life can be traced back to this one statement that Jesus made.

I believe that I have thought about these ten words more than any other words ever spoken to me.
No other words have had more impact on my life than these ten words.
If you personally are living life in a way that is not fulfilling, peaceful, joyful, purposeful or hopeful, it is because you have not allowed these ten words to take over your life.
The deception is that we think we have accomplished what we have not accomplished.

Transition: These next few minutes are a message from my heart. This would be the one message I would share if all I had was one opportunity to share. And it is my prayer that the only one who can reveal it to you (Holy Spirit) will be so present here today that He captures your soul and changes your life.

THE TEN WORDS

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matt. 4:19)
Have I blown you away? Because these eleven words have blown me away.
What I would like to do this morning, is simple take you on a journey through one verse of Scripture. I desire not to teach you the words, but share the power of what Jesus is still saying today, to us, now.

PRIORITY

First, before anything else in the life of a Christian is the top priority to FOLLOW!
FOLLOW = to go with, to obey, to cleave; indicates personal as opposed to general; a spiritual, moral relationship; a fellowship of faith and life. Decisively different from the occasional & temporary “follow” of Jesus by the crowds.”
When I hear Jesus make the call to follow I understand that it means forsaking my way of life and pursing a life I’m not even sure where it is going or how to get there.
The priority to FOLLOW means that I will never be in charge of my life again, ever.
The priority to FOLLOW means that my opinion always takes a back seat.
The priority to FOLLOW means that it is His priority; first, before anything else, now that I am saved, and my sins forgiven, what happens, I follow.
I don’t fish men first, I follow. The call is clear, follow!! (I’m a follower)

PERSONAL

It is priority yes, but much more, it is personal, follow ME!
Jesus doesn’t call me to follow a country, a church, a group, but I follow HIM, PERSONALLY.
This is personal, intimate; this is about one person, me, following one other person, Jesus.
John 21:22 – “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”
To become personal, vulnerable, intimate, and open with Jesus is one of the hardest struggles in my life. I didn’t think it was going to be, I thought, read the book, pray a little, come to church, sing some songs, clean up my life and Jesus and I will be tight.
Not so, not even close I have discovered.
Jesus is so relentless and so personal sometimes I can’t handle it.
Psalm 139: 1-4 – “O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts a far off. You discern my going out and my laying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.”
A relationship where nothing is hidden, not one word, not one thought, not one action.
There are times when I am so intimidated by this relationship, my thoughts are not His thoughts and yet He knows everyone of my thoughts before I have them. This is overwhelming to me. How can I trust this relationship anyway!
The “woods” story in NJ. “I love you”

PRINCIPLE

I love how perfect Jesus Christ is. He has revealed it in this one statement to us.
Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Allow me to share one principle this morning. Jesus said that if I choose to follow him, the choice, and the process to follow Him would begin to change me into a new person. Jesus said that He would be in charge of the process and the end result would be that I would be a “fisher of men.” What a strange promise, what if I don’t want to fish.
But here is where Jesus is so perfect toward us.
Because Jesus has designed us, created us, He knows that He has created every human being with basic needs. (we easy see the need for food, shelter & clothing).
Jesus knows that we all have the same need: The need to “matter” to God and to people.
If I follow him will all that I have, He will make me matter to others. He will cause me to begin to affect the lives of other people in a way that will last forever.
He will make me a “fisher of men.”
Here’s the principle, if I follow; Jesus has to make me a person fisher, one who matters to other people in a way that will influence & change lives.
So, if I (we) are not affecting other lives the reason is that we are not following with a passionate, personal priority, Jesus Christ.
“You are trying to make people like Christ; I am trying to make you Christ-like, so follow me and I WILL MAKE YOU A FISHER OF MEN!
Inside this ten word command each one of us will find life fulfillment in being transformed into people who matter to other people.
“When our focus is on following Jesus, rather than fishing for men, we will have no trouble attracting others because of the light of Christ.

PEOPLE

One last thought, the call is all about people. “Fishers of MEN” (mankind).
Jesus wants me to become a partner with Him in the greatest purpose of all time and eternity…. Mankind.
See it’s follow Me, and I will make you…. Someone whose life draws people to God.
Sometimes I get so caught up in the philosophy of following, ministry, my needs, I forget that people are going to heaven or hell forever, that’s it.
People are who Jesus died for. People are why Jesus is coming back again. People are the purpose for the command to Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men!
How do I matter, how do I become someone who affect people? Follow Jesus.

CLOSING

I was youth pastoring in another state some years ago and I was struggling with “my ministry.” I had a Friday night program, songs, games, teaching, etc.
What was really happening in the lives of these young people? Am I really influencing them to love the Lord?
To follow Jesus with all their heart?
I believe the Lord called me to take a week and invite any of the students who wanted to join me in what I titled “A Time to Die.” Follow Jesus!
I dug out the original sheet, I still have it. About 10 young people signed up. Well for one week we were going to “follow Jesus.”
Well we did it together and when it was over, the other youth asked if we were going to do it again because they wanted to do it.
Year’s later one of the young ladies who did the Time to Die week, was passing through Massachusetts and got our number and called my wife and stopped by.
She was married, two children, an assisting in youth ministry herself now.
During her visit she said, Pastor that week changed my life. I was deciding what I would do with my Christianity at that time in my life, I did the week to try it and God got a hold of my heart and I have never been the same ever since, thank you. It changed my life.
She broke up with her boyfriend at the time, moved back in with her parents, made things right and has been following the Lord ever since.
My wife and I were influencing her life and we never knew it.

Jesus is with all His disciples in Jn. 14. And Jesus says to them, “If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well.
Philip responds, “Lord Show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
Jn. 14:9 – “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?” How can you say show us the Father…Don’t you believe?”

Is the Lord ever so gently, so softly, but so assuredly whispering to your heart right now, amidst all your questions about what is happening in your life: Jesus is speaking one thing: Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men! Or is saying to you, don’t you know me?

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