Follow Me (Matthew #14) - Bible Baptist Church

Text: Matthew 4:18-22

Luke 5:1-11 gives more detail about these men following Jesus Christ.

There will be reasons not to follow (vs 5)

Excuse of unbelief
- Peter doesn’t think it will work, but obey regardless of his skepticism.
- You don’t believe that it will work. You don’t trust God.
- That lack of trust will cause you to fear obeying God.
Excuse of experience
- …Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing…
- I’ve been doing it this way all my life.
- I’m well educated in this area.
- I know what I’m doing.
Excuse of ability
- …We have toiled all the night…
- We’re too tired
Excuse of inconvenience
- They’re tired, they’re going to clean their nets, they’re done fishing for the night. Jesus’ instructions interfere with their plans.
- Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Nevertheless obedience – The point to be made here is every Christian will obey the Lord without question to a point. But there is a point that each one of us reaches that we begin to make excuses. In verse 5 there is a phrase, at thy word I will: what a great definition of true obedience. Peter had exactly the type of obedience that God expects.
Obedience with one exception –…let down your nets…(vs 4)…I will let down the net…(vs 5)…and their net brake(vs 6) – The Lord Jesus Christ said nets and Peter let down a net.
Obedience puts God’s goodness on display
- Psalm 119:162 I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.
- Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
- …goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance… Peter fell down at Jesus’ knees (5:8)
Obedience opens the next door
- Luke 5:10 …henceforth thou shalt catch men. Until you are in full obedience to God he will not open the next door in your life.

Now, what the Lord Jesus Christ did was done to show these men that he is someone to follow.
They forsook all. Why? Because they couldn’t follow Jesus Christ and continue doing what they were doing.
- They left their occupation.
- They left their father.
- They followed Jesus Christ.
Matthew 8:22 – Let the dead bury the dead…
Matthew 9:9 – Matthew follows Jesus Christ after leaving the receipt of custom.
Matthew 16:24-28 – Deny himself, take up his cross, verse 26 is the logic of his calling, verses 27 and 28 describe the reward for those who chose to go to work for the Lord. (That’s not salvation or justification in Jesus Christ; it is someone being paid out by God what they worked for when the time of compensation comes.)
John 10:27 – my sheep hear my voice and follow me
John 12:26 – service and following
Physically following the Lord and spiritually following the Lord
- Romans 14:19 – follow after things that make for peace, and edification
- 1 Corinthians 14:1 – follow charity
- 1 Thessalonians 5:15 – follow that which is good
- 1 Timothy 6:11 – flee the love of money, follow righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
- 2 Timothy 2:20-22 – follow righteousness
- Hebrews 13:7 – follow the faith of people God has given oversight to