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."
Matthew 4:18-20 (NKJV)
• Simon Peter and his brother, Andrew, were called by Jesus Christ in order to make them fishers of men.
- They were called to fish for men, albeit it will take a process.
- Whatever God has ordained you to be, it takes your followership to make it a reality.
- If you stop following Christ, you truncate His plan for your life.
- Your followership is important in bringing to fulfilment whatever God has purposed you to be.
- For Christ Jesus to make you what He intended you to be, there must be a close tie between you and Him.
- You stay with Him, be with Him, and follow Him closely; in order to learn of Him.
- "And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him.
- Then He appointed twelve, THAT THEY MIGHT BE WITH HIM AND THAT HE MIGHT SEND THEM OUT TO PREACH,
- and to have power [authority] to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons."
Mark 3:13-15 (NKJV)
- They were to be with Him before sending them out to preach, and to have power, authority, to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons.
- They were to be with Him in order to learn of Him.
SOME wanted Jesus to send them without being with Him.
THEY wanted to demonstrate power, anointing, without being with Him.
IT is not done that way.
• There are things that may want to distract you, stop you from following Christ—you need to be focus, for you not to be distracted.
- Paul said:
"No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, BUT I FOCUS ON THIS ONE THING: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead."
Philippians 3:13 (NLT)
- Paul did not lose focus till he finished his assignment.
- "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
- I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
- Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but to all those who have loved His appearing."
2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NKJV)
- Peter also remained focus till the very end of his assignment (2 Peter 1:12-15).
• There are alluring things of the world that may be beckoning to you, that would not want you to be what the Lord Jesus, who has called you, wanted you to be.
"No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier."
2 Timothy 2:4 (NKJV)
- What keeps your friendship with Christ is your unwavering interest in Him—when your interest in Him is lost, you equally lose your friendship with Him (John 21:15-17).
"You are My friends if you do whatever I command you."
John 15:14 (NKJV)
~ How is your relationship with Christ?
~ Are you still following Him, or you have stopped?
• Take note:
- It takes your following to arrive at prominence.
- To arrive at the glorious and colorful future that is awaiting you, you need to keep following Him.
- The plan He has for you can only be fulfilled through your following.
- When Simon Peter and Andrew his brother were called by the Lord Jesus Christ to follow Him: they immediately left their nets and followed Him.
- What are the things holding you back?
- What are the things making you look back?— "Remember Lot's wife" (Luke 17:32).
- "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, LET US LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT, AND THE SIN WHICH SO EASILY ENSNARES US, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
- looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Hebrews 12:1,2 (NKJV)
• For the process of making not to be hampered, you must have to keep following.
- When you stop following, you hinder God's plan and programme for your life.
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!