The Call of a Lifetime

September 8, 1993

Jesus: "Follow Me!" John 21:22

Introduction

It all began for Peter one day by the sea-side. Several boats were drawn up on the beach, and his brother and others were going about their business. Some were washing and mending nets; some were looking to their boats. Peter thought he saw the ripple of fish feeding along the shoreline, and he walked over and threw his round weighted casting net over the place where the ripples were.

Then he saw Him! This was the One called Jesus of Nazareth. He was a Man that was like no other man Peter had ever known. Peter felt a stirring deep down in his insides. And then he heard Jesus say, "Follow Me!"

And that is just what Peter did. He put aside everything, and began to follow Jesus. He could not have imagined that day where Jesus would take him. But Peter decided he would forsake everything else, and trust Jesus.

It is impossible to over-estimate the importance of who we walk with. Oh, I do not mean that we should not spend time with all kinds of people. But those people we follow, the people we call our special friends will have a profound effect on us.

If you follow some people around you might get rich. If you follow others you will almost certainly get into big trouble. One thing for sure— the one you walk with will make a big difference in your life.

Peter decided that he was going to go where Jesus went, and it took him into all sorts of situations. One time Peter even walked on water. No one, as far as I know, has done it since!

Has Jesus called YOU to follow Him? Really? I don't mean has some preacher told you Jesus was calling you— or YOU have decided to be a Christian... but has JESUS called you?

I. A CALL TO FOLLOW JESUS IS A CALL TO ABANDONMENT

  1. A call "Follow Me!" means leaving nets and all, and a definite change in life and living. It is a "turning."
  2. A call means a willingness to take orders. Training, discipline is a part of serving. [John Kauffman in OCS in Marines had to undergo "boot training;" being treated roughly, etc.] Rough edges need to be knocked off in any smooth-running relationship. [Marriage's first 365 days!]

    Peter was of the "Let's just DO it!" "Shoot-from-the-LIP!" variety of people. They are good people— but do they ever need to learn to FOLLOW and to TAKE orders before they are commissioned to LEAD themselves, and to GIVE orders.

  3. Later Peter sort-of-complained: "Lord, we have left all, and have followed You." He was implying the question, perhaps, "Is it really worth it, this total abandonment to Jesus?"

    Do you remember two key incidents in Peter's life: ONE was a real HIGH point, when Peter was inspired, and he said, "Thou art the Christ! The Son of the Living God!" And in reply Jesus said to him: "Blessed are you, Peter! I will build my Church on this Rock! I am giving you the keys to the kingdom!"

    But the other was a LOW time, which Peter would have loved to forget. Peter had trusted his own strength, and said to Jesus, "Even if all these others forsake You, I won't!" And Jesus this time had gently said, "Peter, before morning comes you will deny Me three times!"

II. A CALL TO FOLLOW IS A CALL TO RESPONSIBILITY

  1. It is inescapable: God expects His people to take life to a higher and higher level! It will be true when we get to heaven: "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a few (earthly) things; I will make you RULER over many (cosmic) things! Enter into the JOY of your Lord!" But it is true right now here in the nitty gritty where we live between Sundays.
  2. Peter was far from ready, far from perfect. He was even a little bit two-faced at times through fear of confrontation (see Galatians 2.) Still Peter was challenged by Jesus: "I am giving YOU the keys to the kingdom!" And every child of God can open or shut doors into the kingdom! What if, on a bad day, you were rude to a delivery person; then you discovered that the person was settling things about whether or not to become a Christian? And you told him Christians are just the same as everyone else!
  3. God challenges everyone He calls, every one of His children, to things that count. Jesus doesn't let us settle for trivial pursuits. Someone has scrambled all the price tags of our world. We pay much too much for money, and we value life-changing love so very little.; but Jesus gives the keys to the kingdom to those who will follow Him, and ONLY to those!

One last story about Peter: It was the first Easter evening. Jesus left a message: "Tell the disciples— and especially PETER, 'I'll meet them by the lake.'"

It was a 90-mile journey back to Galilee. The disciples must have made it back in record time, because less than a week later, back by the beautiful lake where Jesus had first called them, where they had once earned their living, Jesus met them.

Jesus took the big fisherman aside, and He tenderly renewed their broken relationship. "Do you still love Me?" He asked.

Peter was grieved that Jesus had to ask.

But the relationship was restored. Then Jesus said, "Whatever the others do, Peter, I want you to follow ME!"

And Peter followed Jesus to the death!

III. A CALL TO FOLLOW IS A CALL TO THE VERY DEATH

  1. It isn't very good sales technique, I guess. But if you follow Jesus you will live for Him and you will DIE for Him! It isn't that you will necessarily be tortured to death. Things aren't usually as simple and clear-cut as that.

    ["How sweet would be their children's fate; If they, like them, could DIE for Three!"]

    Anyway, in THIS world, where, do you suppose, is the Christian faith the "healthiest" and the "strongest?"

  2. The most important aspect of our faith, TO SUPERFICIAL CHRISTIANS, is to have just enough of God to save our souls from hell, and at the same time save our skins from as much discomfort as possible.

    "Give to the church— because you will GET MORE in return!" "Tithe the income you WISH you had— and you will get it!" Even "Seek ye first the kingdom of God—AND ALL THESE THINGS! will be added!" These half-truths are a perversion of a deeper truth about true riches!

  3. As a matter of fact, life as we see it with the natural eye is NOT fair! Jesus was crucified at 33 years of age! Every one of his followers since, up to the present generation, has died, too. Does it pay to follow Jesus even to the death? I wish I could beam Peter down here and ask him in person just now!

Conclusion

The common caricature of Peter is the Gate Keeper of heaven. There he stands with the keys, saying who shall and who shall not. but that is just a cartoon idea, of course.

Peter, just like you and me, had to come to God by faith, through grace. I am not saying that any one of us is equal to Peter's stature. But I am saying that God LOVES you just as much as He loves Peter, and has provided for YOU to follow Him to the death, too.

But Peter was faithful to the death! I wonder just how Jesus greeted Peter when Peter's great spirit left his martyred body and was escorted by the angels into the Presence? Whether or not there were words spoken, however it was expressed, I can only imagine! But in that "Well done, good and faithful servant!" that greeted Peter there had to be a flashback in both Peter's AND the Master's mind to that day along the lake shore when a number of boats were lined up on the sand and a Stranger came by with the holy light of heaven in His face and said to Peter and his brother Andrew, "Follow Me!"

Jesus is still stopping by where we are going about our daily routines, and He is still saying to people who will listen, "Follow Me!" You cannot know what you are getting into, or where you will end up if you hear that voice and obey. But you DO know WHO will be walking with YOU!

Prayer

Hymn #468 I Have Decided to Follow Jesus