The Seven Invitations of Jesus
The Invitation to Follow
“We should follow our Lord as unhesitatingly as sheep follow their shepherd, for He has a right to lead us wherever He pleases.” Charles Spurgeon
Introduction:
Matthew 4:18-22, “While 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 followed him.And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.”
1. The invitation to follow is a summons to a new vocation:
2. Jesus is not a life coach, somebody who provides advice and support to people:
Matthew 8:19-20, “And a scribe came up and said to him, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’And Jesus said to him,‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’”
1. Jesus doesn’t respond to our words:
2. Jesus doesn’t want a declaration of commitment out of us:
3. We cannot initiate discipleship:
4. When we commit to following Jesus:
Matthew 8: 21-22, “Another of the disciples said to him, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’And Jesus said to him,‘Follow Me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.’”
1. There are those disciples who are called:
2. That calling to a deeper level of ministry means:
Matthew 16:24, “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.’”
1. Coming to Jesus means:
Matthew 19:21, “Jesus said to him, ‘If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’”
1. Following Jesus means that there is nothing on earth:
Mark 10:32, “And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.”
1. There will be times when following Jesus:
John 1:43, “The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow Me.’”
1. Jesus will find you:
John 10:27, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
1. It is impossible for:
2. It is impossible for:
3. It is impossible to:
John 12:26, “If anyone serves Me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”
1. In order to be of service to Jesus:
2. Wherever Jesus is:
3. The Father rewards:
John 13:36-37, “Simon Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, where are You going?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow afterward.’Peter said to him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for You.’”
1. There are times when we will make the right confession:
John 21:18-19, “ ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.’ (This He said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’”
1. Now it is the right time for Peter’s confession:
2. Jesus knew that when it came time for Peter to be martyred:
John 21:20-22, “Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them…When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about this man?’ Jesus said to him, "If it is My will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!"
1. It is very human to want to know what the Lord:
2. It is then that we must remember the Lord:
3. We have our orders:
Conclusion: