THE MISSION OF CHRIST
We hope today’s message was encouraging and helpful. These notes are meant to help you remember and reflect on the message, help you go deeper into study on the subject, or to be used for a Bible/sermon group study. Enjoy!
Scriptures: MATTHEW 4:18-22
Notes:
This year, so far, the sermon series has covered a lot about how to have a strong relationship with God. If you recall Living from the Source and how to abide in Jesus, or how to love God with all our hearts, through the book of Malachi. Now, let’s look at another dimension every believer and follower of Christ needs to learn and grow in…that is being missionaries to the lost. If you feel like there has to be more to the Christian life than attending church and reading your Bible, then I have good news for you: you’re right! And if you haven’t been right in a long time, well, congratulations! And if you are always right, you’re not, but this time you are. The church, at times, needs to be reminded why we exist in this community and the world, and we need to be equipped to reach the lost in the process.
The vision and mission for disciples of Christ - Matthew 4:18-22
Matthew 4:18-22 is an invitation to begin the journey of being a disciple maker (Matt 28:18-20).
Definition of a Disciple: Someone following Jesus, being transformed by Jesus, and joining the mission of Jesus. Disciple-maker: Someone intentionally helping others do the same.
Consider yourself a disciple, a follower of Christ, because that’s what every believer in Jesus is truly meant to be.
When Jesus called people into a relationship, He told them up front that He wanted to prepare them to reach and save the lost. Jesus spelled out the vision right away, and before leaving to be with His Father, he clarified the mission.
Jesus is on a mission, and he’s building a fishing team
Jesus isn’t looking to do all the fishing by himself, so He decides to build a fishing team, knowing He won’t be here longer than the appointed time, and the need is too big for just one fisherman. Jesus’ master plan to reach the world is to start by gathering a few men who would be willing to follow, be transformed, trained, and sent to reach one person at a time. It’s wise and it’s necessary to build a team so you can multiply and reach more.
Learning from the master fisher of men
We may not realize this, but Jesus pursued and invited some of the first disciples multiple times before they completely left everything behind to follow Jesus. Jesus pursued Peter three times before Peter dropped everything completely to follow Jesus.
The timing of the call of the four fishermen according to chronological order of the Bible: The Initial call for Peter and Andrew happened in John 1:35-50, then the official call in Matthew 4:18-22, and then the call confirmed in Luke 5:1-11. Charles C. Bing, “Why Lordship Faith Misses the Mark for Discipleship,” Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society Volume 12 12.23 (1999): 47. Charles C. Bing, “The Making of a Disciple,” Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society Volume 5 5.2 (1992): 40–41. David Whitcomb, Great Invitations (Greenville, SC; Belfast, Northern Ireland: Ambassador, 2008), 164.
John 1:35-50 NLT - First invitation
Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist. Because John the Baptist kept pointing to Jesus as the Messiah, Andrew decided to pursue Jesus. Andrew must have believed Jesus was the Messiah because he went to his brother Simon (Peter) and brought him to Jesus. Jesus tells Simon his name will be Cephas or Peter. That is what is recorded. But this was a first encounter with Jesus. Jesus reeling Peter and the others in…
Matthew 4:18-22 - Second invitation and official call
Luke 5:1-11 NLT - Final invitation and call confirmed
Did you notice that Jesus was fishing for his disciples here?
Jesus really is the master at fishing for people, and we get to learn from Him. We also have Jesus with us as we go into our world to reach the lost.
A fourth call could be argued when he confirms his 12 disciples - Mark 3:13-14 NIV Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach…
Jesus isn’t going to transform and equip them in a classroom or training conference. Jesus invites them to live with Him so they can learn from first-hand experience, not classroom lectures.
Takeaway:
Jesus calls us to more
Disciples of Christ are not only worshippers of God, we’re also missionaries to the lost.
Jesus’ vision for His disciples was to be transformed and made into people who could reach and lead the lost to salvation
We are caught in His grace, cleansed by His grace, and called by grace to join Jesus in His mission to seek and save the lost.
This is a pivotal part of our identity as a child of God, a disciple of Christ, and the mission of His church.
To drift from this identity is to drift from who we are, our purpose, and ultimately, it is to drift from following Christ.
I know we all agree with this, and I know we all want to do better…Know this…We will always have the lost with us. We will always need to be spurred on in this endeavor. We will always need to keep learning how to make disciples…But we certainly can’t stay on the shores of church life, enjoying our church services, overthinking evangelism, while people are running to hell.
Here's a raw and honest take from a veteran pastor, and I pray it will hit your heart like it hit mine: "When I would preach on evangelism, it seemed to be the most unheard message. No hoop or holler. No clapping, no praising the Lord. It's like it was a distant concern with the overall response. Why? Not sure. It was like an overwhelming subject for them. I could only imagine the many reasons why. Perhaps, fear of not knowing what to say or how to respond to the world's questions or reaction to our message. Some way, somehow, we have to get the church to understand how valuable they are to the message being disseminated to the lost…for which God, for a reason, changed them to be a light. If not them, then who? Imagine...He saves us, but it doesn't matter that I don't work at others being saved?” -Pastor Roland Coon
You Are Christ’s mission
Closing
I pray God moves our hearts to action and hunger on this subject.
My heart through this series would be to reinspire, motivate, and equip us to know how to fish for people.
Jesus said I will show you how to fish for people. So what does Jesus show them and teach them? That’s what we’ll look at and more in this series…
Discussion
What is one thing from the message that resonated with you?
Have you ever felt like there must be more to the Christian life than just attending church and reading your Bible? How did this sermon speak to that feeling?
In Matthew 4:19, Jesus says, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men", What does it mean to you personally to “fish for people”?
What is the difference between being a churchgoer and being a disciple-maker?
Pastor Roland Coon mentioned how evangelism often receives a cold response in churches. Why do you think evangelism feels overwhelming or even avoided by many Christians?
What fears or obstacles do you face when it comes to sharing your faith?
What additional notes did you make during the sermon?
What can we pray for regarding the sermon? Do you have any prayer needs?
The most important decision you will ever make!
If you’re ready to trust in Jesus for salvation and eternal life we encourage you to process this decision with a strong believer and when you’re ready say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I acknowledge and admit I have sinned. I see my need for Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am forgiven and cleansed of my sin by His death. I also believe I have eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead. I repent, I turn away from my old ways and I choose to live my life to worship you and follow Jesus, Amen!
We would love to know if you decided to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hope you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!