Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow Me, and I will show you how to fish for people!"
You may think that disciple sounds like a Bible word that refers to people that Jesus hung out with. You may know them as a praying, worshiping, loving and giving but do you know that they are ordinary people like you and I?
When it was time for Jesus to begin his ministry we didn't have a big kick-off, he didn't offer a side show or food, he quietly invited people like you and I to follow him. Jesus gave the invite not to join a church or attend a class he didn't demand that they get down and worship him as he deserved, he simply invited them to follow him and do life together learning from his example.
Let's take a look at Jesus invitation and look for what he wants us to do and what he wants to accomplish through us if we allow him to be in control.
Follow Me
A disciple knows and follows Christ.
So many people accept Jesus as Savior and stop there, they have their ticket to heaven and they are okay, they don't see any need to rock the boat and get too crazy about following Jesus. That is not the kind of relationship that Jesus had in mind, he wants us to offer ourselves to him completely, in this relationship Jesus is the leader and he wants you to live a surrendered life to Him as Savior and Lord.
John 12:26 Anyone who wants to be My disciple must follow Me, because My servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves Me.
Jesus wants a head level change, he wants us to spend time with him and get to know him better.
I Will Make You
A disciple is being changed by Christ.
Jesus is inviting you to a heart level change, Jesus didn't want to leave you the way that you are a change in thinking, motives and attitude. Jesus wants us to be through with our preoccupation with self. We need to get beyond our self and trust God for everything that he ask us to do. A new life has begun when you become a child of God, His desire is to transform you to become more like him.
Romans 12:2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
It's God's power and he needs to be in charge so that you will be a new person with new thoughts, new attitudes and a new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 4:22-24, Colossians 3:10)
Fishers Of Men
A disciple is committed to the mission of Christ.
Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.
Being a disciple of Christ demands a response to go out and create even more disciples, I need to tell the good news of what Jesus has done for me, how can I possibly keep this to myself? I need to do life with the unsaved, invite them into my home, celebrate life together, I need to make them wonder why I love them so much.
A gospel community is more than a Bible study or a small group that cares for other believers. The community is made up of Spirit-led people who reorient their lives together for the mission of making disciples, this means our schedules, resources and decisions that we make are now collectively built around reaching people together.
It requires a lot from us but then a lot has been done for us. Will you accept the invitation?
