FOLLOW

“Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.  Immediately they left their nets and followed him.” (Mat.4: 19, 20 ESV) 

Jesus’ call to Peter and Andrew by the Sea of Galilee seems so abrupt, and their response so extreme. If a stranger walked up to you and said “follow me”, would you do it?  Even if he was Jesus?  In reality, this event occurred about one year into Jesus’ ministry, after the arrest of John the Baptist (Mat. 4:12).  Jesus was no stranger to Peter and Andrew.  They had heard him teach, they had seen him turn water into wine, and all this happened before Jesus issued this amazing command, “follow me.” (John 2:1-12, 3:24).  They were already believers.  This was not a call to believe in him, this was a call to leave their nets and follow him - and it was a call to become something, fishers of men.

I became a believer as a pre-teen.  I dedicated my life to serve God at age 17.  I think of myself as a follower of Jesus.  I’m not sure, however, that I’ve ever truly responded to Jesus’ call to. “Follow me and I will make you (a) fisher(s) of men.”  Frankly the thought scares me, but at the same time I feel excited and I’m drawn to obey.  Jesus does not make it easy.  Following him is not something we can do part time.  It is not something we can just squeeze into the corners of our life where we might have a few minutes for him here or there in our schedule.  To move beyond just believing to truly following him we must drop our nets (all the stuff that occupies us) and give him our full attention.  Jesus, then, takes it upon himself to change us, and make us fishers of men.  Unlike Peter and Andrew we don’t have to leave home, we have to do something that may be harder – follow Jesus and become fishers of men where we live.

The family at Rockside Church is taking April and May to learn together what it means to move beyond just believing to following Jesus.  Next fall we will take two months to complete the process and let Jesus make us fishers of men.  It won’t happen quickly or easily, but through Sunday services and Life Groups in homes we will take our first steps.  Will you join us?  For more information go to www.rocksidechurch.com  or call (216) 650 6780.