(Matthew 4: 18-25)
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt. 7:21-23). Becoming a disciple is a personal decision which every one of us must make. It is also possible to be a disciple and not finish well. Judas Iscariot was among the twelve disciples of Jesus but he fell away.
Steps to Discipleship:
The story in Matt. 4:18-25 shows us how Jesus called His first
disciples. Here are some of the things we can learn from this
scripture.
1. Hear the call: Jesus was walking by the Sea of
Galilee and He saw Simon Peter and Andrew his brother. He said to them,
follow me and I will make you fishers of men. It’s one thing for Jesus
to call them, it’s another thing for them to hear the call. Today Jesus
is still calling us to become His disciples but there are many people in
the world and even in the Church who are not hearing the call of God.
Simon and his brother heard the call of God and so must we.
2. Respond to the call: When Jesus said to them, follow
me, immediately they responded to His call. There are many people in
the world today who have heard the call of God but have not responded.
They say I’ll do tomorrow but tomorrow is, however never promised any
one of us.
3. Surrender to the call: It is also not enough to respond to God’s call, we must totally surrender. Simon and Andrew surrendered their lives, business and their families to Jesus. Many of us today are still not totally surrendered to God’s call. We want to serve God and still please our flesh.
4. Follow the Master: To become true disciples of Jesus, we must be willing to follow our Master. Simon and Andrew left everything behind and for three and half years followed Jesus wherever He went in His earthly ministry.
5. Call upon The Lord:
As we follow our Master, there will be times when we will need to call
upon Him to help us. When the disciples were in the storm, they called
Jesus for help. Whenever we are in trouble we must call upon Him. Even
those who are yet to become a disciple should call upon Him for the
Bible says “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13).
6. Have a teachable spirit: To be a disciple of Christ
we must have a teachable spirit. Jesus came into the world to teach, to
preach, and to heal (Matt. 4:23). He taught His disciples the way of God
and because they had a teachable spirit, the disciples were able to
teach others what they have been taught by the Master. We must be ready
to be taught by God, so that we can grow in Him and teach others also,
the way we are being taught by Him.