Our text for today lends itself beautifully to this purpose in our lives. Matthew records for us how four men left their occupation in order to know Jesus better. He also tells us how they learned about Jesus and the impact that it would have on their lives. Since our goal is also to be
to get to know Jesus better, let us consider how to do this based on the experiences of these four men.
Come, Follow Jesus

1. Witness his Teaching, Preaching, and Miracles.
2. Share with Others what you Have Learned.

Context: Last week we learned of Jesus’ first contact with his future disciples as Andrew and John left John the Baptist to follow Jesus and how Andrew told his brother, Peter, “We have found the Messiah.” Many assume that this is when these men began to follow Jesus full time.
Actually, they were more or less “intermittent” disciples at first. Almost a year later, Matthew records the call into the full time discipleship and their committed response as they left their nets and followed him.

Application: The fact that these men did not at first follow Jesus full time reminds us that there still are those who can be classified as “intermittent” followers of Jesus. Their faith in him may remain constant, but their use of opportunities to get to know him better vary from intense study to neglect. Many people go through periods of time in their lives when they are very active in Christian education and worship and then may also have “dry spells” in which they seldom if ever read or hear God’s word. We always have the hope that those who were brought up to know Jesus will resume their involvement in later years but this is becoming more and more infrequent in our society.

After this intermittent period in the disciples lives, Jesus then called them to full time discipleship. They were to learn daily of him and get to know him better intimately.

How did they respond? They left their nets and followed him.

Did everyone whom Jesus called respond in this way? Not really. Luke 9:57ff
57As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you
go.”Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.”But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.”
62Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Application: Jesus has called you to follow him. You know how you are responding to that call. To some degree your response is obvious to others and it is especially evident to Jesus who reads our hearts as well as sees our actions.

Specific Sin: So many people do not follow Jesus. They are more concerned about themselves, wealth, what others may think, the future, worldly pleasures that they do not even consider making a change for Jesus. Others refuse to let go of their nets or their sins and deny themselves
and follow Jesus. They either refuse to consider it or think that maybe later will be better for them.

Well, it is later than you think. The Bible says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call on him while he is near.”

Illustration: I was pastor of a mission congregation for only three years. It didn’t “make it”. Why not? It isn’t that we didn’t call enough people. Too many said “no” or thought they could come
later. This problem is also evident in established congregations where many members steadfastly refuse the call to get to know Jesus better and are infrequent or non existent in worship. Many congregations have delinquent lists that are longer than other church’s entire membership.

By God’s grace these men, Peter, Andrew, James, and John, did follow Jesus. It would be a learning process. They got to know Jesus by his teaching, preaching, and miracles. Jesus himself would state later the importance of those miracles. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.

Application: God’s Word is still true today and we have the sound teaching and preaching which is centered on Jesus. This is a tremendous blessing in our synod. I have heard a variety of pastors throughout the years with different styles and deliveries, but the message has always been consistently Bible based. Last week I heard a sermon by a pastor of a different denomination. I
was disappointed by the Christless sermon that she preached. I wonder how prevalent that is in Christianity today. We can be grateful that we have what we do and need to take advantage of it at every opportunity.

Transition: Jesus taught his disciples so that they would be saved. He also taught them so that the world would get to know him better through them after he returned to heaven. 16“He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
Jesus refers to this in our text too. “I will make you fishers of men.” You will use the word of God to cast out into the world and draw men to me. They would be trained to do this by Jesus and then inspired by the Holy Spirit to carry it out.
2. Share with Others what you have Learned.

Fishers of men are needed now more than ever before. A generation ago most adults had at least some Christian education or experience in the church. But as that generation began raising their children, they raised them in homes where Jesus was not taught or spoken of or to. They decided to let the children decide if they wanted religion and most have decided on Nintendo instead.
The gap in numbers of churched versus unchurched people in America is widening at an alarming rate. While the population of the nation rises, the number of churches people declines. In addition to this many “churched” people really aren’t involved in God’s word anyway and could
just as well be counted among the “unchurched.”

What can we do about it? Preaching about it doesn’t help because those people aren’t in church.
They are home today resting, or at work, or at play, or playing Nintendo. Many went out to eatlast night, many will watch the football games this weekend. But they aren’t hiding.

Application. You have an opportunity. Using the example of being fishers of men consider this. There are huge schools of people just waiting to have a net thrown around them or a line cast their way. It’s not like there’s only one or two here or there. We are surrounded by them. As
those who know about Jesus and how important he is in our lives and how much others need him, we have the perfect opportunity to use the bait, (God’s Word), and put it out to them.