Matthew 4:18-22 (NKJV) ¹⁸ And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” ²⁰ They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

²¹ 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. He called them, ²² and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Jesus gave his life for us, that He might give life to us; so that He might live through us.

• Obedience
• Cultivate a Lifestyle of Prayer
• Being Empowered by the Holy Spirit
• Armed with the Sword

Obedience

(The Heartbeat of True Discipleship)

What Does Obedience Have to Do with Following Jesus?

The disciples were asked to put total and complete faith and confidence in Him. They left everything; they stepped forward in obedience.

To follow Jesus is not only to call Him Lord, but to honor Him as Lord by obeying his commands.

Luke 6:46 (NKJV) “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

Framework of Obedience (excerpt taken from Whole Hearted – Letting God Shape Your Whole Life by author Floyd McClung

• Believing in Christ
• Forgiving Others
• Surrendering Yourself
• Denying Yourself
• Growing in Faith
• Submitting to Authority
• Enduring Hardship
• Doing Justice
• Loving the Lost
• Doing Good Works

In order to obey, you must have faith, trusting and believing in God and His promises even when you can’t see with the physical eye.

Matthew 4:20 (NKJV)

“They immediately left their nets and followed Him. The disciples had no guarantee of what their life would look.”

Cultivating a Lifestyle of Prayer

Prayer is most effective when it’s a lifestyle we cultivate daily.

We should have a dedicated place and time set aside to spend with the Lord daily.

Matthew 9:38 (NKJV) “Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

God’s plan to reach the lost is worked through those who already know and love Him.

Ephesians 6:18-19 (NKJV) ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— ¹⁹ and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Being Empowered by the Holy Spirit

In following Jesus, we need the Indwelling Power of the Holy Spirit.

It is through the transformative and empowering work of the Holy Spirit that believers can become effective witnesses, drawing others to Christ.

John 14:16 (NKJV) ¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another^[e^]Helper, that He may abide with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

Acts 1:8 (NKJV) “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The Holy Spirit gives us boldness to share the good news of the Christ.

The Great Commission:

Matthew 28:19-21 (NKJV) “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Armed with the Sword

Ephesians 6:17 (NKJV)^17 “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”

To follow Jesus faithfully we must immerse ourselves in the word of God

Matthew 4:4 (NKJV)   “Many shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

Hebrew 4:12 (NKJV) ^“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV) “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

God’s Word completes the believers, equipping us for every good work by teaching, convicting, correcting and instructing us.

2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV) “Study (be diligent) to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

 

Follow Jesus is not an invitation to be saved; it is the call of the believer to service.

Practical Steps:

1. Cultivate a heart for the loss through prayer and intercession
2. We must know what is written
3. Practice sharing the salvation message with family, friends, co-workers

 

© Elder Perrilla Woodard, 2024