WEBVTT
00:00:40.799 --> 00:00:48.880
Welcome everybody back to we're gonna continue uh go right into what we did last time.
00:00:49.039 --> 00:00:54.880
I don't want to add a lot onto it because the story continues, and uh we're gonna be in John.
00:00:55.200 --> 00:00:57.119
I mean, not John, we're in Matthew.
00:00:57.280 --> 00:00:58.719
We're in Matthew, not John.
00:00:58.880 --> 00:01:02.159
So get your Bible, go to Matthew, the first book of the New Testament.
00:01:02.240 --> 00:01:02.880
That's where we're at.
00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:04.640
Donnie, where are we at?
00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:08.480
We're in Matthew chapter four, verse twelve.
00:01:08.959 --> 00:01:11.200
Okay, so you're gonna go on and start reading.
00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:12.959
Yeah, let's go ahead.
00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:15.680
Okay, the ministry of Jesus begins.
00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:22.319
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee.
00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:31.359
He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Nephaldi.
00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:55.200
This fulfilled what God said to the prophet Isaiah, in the land of Zebulun and of Nefalti, beside the sea beyond the Jordan River, in Galilee where so many Gentiles live, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who lived in the land where death cast its shadow, a light has shined.
00:01:55.439 --> 00:02:03.439
From then on Jesus began to preach, Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the kingdom of heaven is near.
00:02:04.640 --> 00:02:19.039
The first disciples one day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, also called Peter and Andrew, throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living.
00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:24.639
Jesus called out to them, Come follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people.
00:02:24.879 --> 00:02:28.000
And they left their nets at once and followed him.
00:02:28.240 --> 00:02:38.319
A little farther up the shore, he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father Zebedee, repairing their nets.
00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:41.439
He called them to come too.
00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:46.000
They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.
00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:48.479
Crowds followed Jesus.
00:02:48.719 --> 00:02:58.960
Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the good news about the kingdom, and he healed every kind of disease and illness.
00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:06.000
News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick.
00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:14.639
And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon-possessed or epileptic or paralyzed, he healed them all.
00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:18.400
Large crowds followed him wherever he went.
00:03:18.639 --> 00:03:26.080
People from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River.
00:03:27.039 --> 00:03:33.360
So today we're getting, you know, we're getting into another dimension of the story, Jesus' story.
00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:41.439
He's been baptized, you know, he's had his time in the wilderness, you know, testing with the devil.
00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:44.800
And so now his ministry is is beginning.
00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:47.680
And uh I know Mark, you know, loves to research this stuff.
00:03:47.759 --> 00:03:52.639
And so, Mark, what'd you what'd you find out uh in your uh preparation this week?
00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:54.000
Thanks, Donnie.
00:03:54.080 --> 00:03:55.439
Uh uh Hey Chad.
00:03:56.080 --> 00:04:00.240
So verses 18 through 21.
00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:08.879
What's one of the first words that come to my mind is obedience.
00:04:10.719 --> 00:04:17.680
Jesus walks by and comes up to him and says, Follow me.
00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:20.879
You'll be a fisherman of me.
00:04:21.759 --> 00:04:23.360
That's all he says, right?
00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:28.000
And the first word that comes to my mind is obedience.
00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:31.920
Obviously, there's a question.
00:04:37.279 --> 00:04:39.600
They immediately stopped what they were doing.
00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:43.120
And they obeyed.
00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:52.639
That's where we got started.
00:04:52.959 --> 00:04:54.480
That's where they got started.
00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:03.360
So you know, God calls or Jesus calls us.
00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:10.480
The word obey is a pretty is a pretty big word, right?
00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:20.240
It's a small word, but it carries a tremendous amount of uh not only meaning, but also commitment.
00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:37.680
We we've grown up in in the past where you know, maybe one of our friends would say, Well, y'all come on, follow me, we're gonna go to such and such a place And some go, some don't, but the decision was made right then and there on the spot, wasn't it?
00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:56.399
Yeah, those guys And later, you know, in John 21 verse six, this was after Jesus' resurrection, these guys were disciples by that time, but then he tells them to cast their nets on the other side.
00:05:56.480 --> 00:05:57.600
They're still fishing, right?
00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:03.920
Because they're they're disciples, but I mean they're still working and fishing and and taking care of their families.
00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:15.600
And then again in Luke five verses one through eleven Jesus commands the fishermen to to drop their nets in deeper water.
00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:39.839
And so then again, another miracle takes place with these I mean I can't imagine at you know at that time back then when Simon and Andrew and James and John were asked to stop what they're doing, drop everything and and follow Jesus and follow him.
00:06:42.879 --> 00:06:47.680
There had to be more to it than that, in my opinion.
00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:58.800
They obviously felt the the the the powerfulness and the glory around what Jesus was saying to them.
00:06:59.040 --> 00:07:04.480
Is that is that what do you guys think about that word obedience?
00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:17.040
Well, I think that's uh completely uh relevant and accurate and uh to it like what you're saying about that.
00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:28.639
Yeah, it's if you have something you're doing and you're trying to get people to come along board, a lot of times it's not that easy to get people to buy in, right, or to follow you or whatever it is.
00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:38.160
It doesn't matter how good it is or how obvious it is, you know, this it's difficult to um persuade people, right?
00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:42.639
To say, hey, this is a good thing, and you know, you need to come do this with me or whatever.
00:07:42.879 --> 00:08:14.000
And I think about like you were saying, Mark, we know Jesus was fully God and fully human, but he had some, there were some things about him that had to be obvious, I would imagine, if you were, if you were looking for God, right, and you you were a believer in God, and you see the living Lord, when he said, come, I mean, I guess those guys recognize, wow, this is this is this is the Messiah.
00:08:14.160 --> 00:08:33.120
This is this is this man is unlike anything I've ever seen, to just drop everything they're doing and walk away from their business, like Mark is saying, I mean, to be obedient, there had to be something there about Jesus that was so impressionable that they were willing to do all that.
00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:34.639
What do you what do you think, Chad?
00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:36.960
Well, I I do want to interject one other thing.
00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:37.600
Go ahead.
00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:47.840
Um so Andrew, Simon's brother, had met Jesus through John the Baptist, evidently prior.
00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:54.080
And and Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist.
00:08:54.960 --> 00:09:08.960
So after having become a disciple and having met Jesus, evidently was a brief encounter, then Andrew immediately went to his brother and told him about that meeting.
00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:16.159
So when Jesus comes walking up to their abode, obviously Andrew already knew.
00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:24.480
Simon didn't know, but if if um would think clearly about this, Andrew probably says, That's him.
00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:26.799
Yeah, that's him, that's him.
00:09:27.279 --> 00:09:34.559
So he's getting a second opportunity to to meet Jesus on obviously a more personal level.
00:09:35.440 --> 00:09:45.200
Simon, you know, had been told by Andrew, but didn't really have the personal meeting through John the Baptist that um Andrew had.
00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:49.679
So that's another bit of information that uh I found.
00:09:56.320 --> 00:10:04.399
I think when you talk about obedience too, and we see their the transition from them them following Jesus, Jesus says, follow me.
00:10:04.639 --> 00:10:14.159
Um he says, follow me, and then he said, I will show you how to fish for be fishers of men, fish for people.
00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:30.000
Um so I think the important part for me for me when I read the story, I I try to I try to, you know, I always try to point it back to my myself and pr and practicality, like how can I, how can I think about this and influence my my own walk with with Jesus?
00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:38.159
And I think about how he following Jesus they have to act and they have to follow Jesus before serving.
00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:41.360
So following Jesus comes before serving Jesus.
00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:45.440
The relationship came before the assignment.
00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:55.840
And for me, sometimes we become so focused on, especially for me, because I have a job that I that I work, I'm on staff at a church.
00:10:56.000 --> 00:11:22.240
Um, and so sometimes the focus is on doing things, doing things for Jesus, and we were actually talked about this Sunday, and so sometimes you simply neglect because you're so busy serving that you forget to just be with Jesus, just the relationship, like y'all said, just knowing who he is first, understanding who he is.
00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:28.960
Um I think for me, effective ministry grows because of the discipleship part of it, and sometimes I lose that.
00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:39.600
So I think the obedience part is very significant, and then you you guys took it all the way back to um telling him when he when he told him, Hey, that's the guy.
00:11:39.759 --> 00:11:42.480
That's that's him, that's Jesus, and he recognized.
00:11:42.639 --> 00:11:45.120
So recognizing him before the obedience.
00:11:45.200 --> 00:11:49.679
Anyway, there's a there's a lot of things that I that I uh I got out of this.
00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:58.559
I think it's such an important moment um when Jesus when it when he when it said he entered a place, it talked about darkness.
00:11:58.799 --> 00:12:11.440
I'll have to go back to the passage, but there was a specific line and it talked about a place of darkness, and then here comes Jesus, who is the light, the light, announcing the arrival of God's kingdom.
00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:21.759
And another part of this that stuck out to me is we've talked about this so many times, how God is calling regular people, ordinary people to follow him.
00:12:22.159 --> 00:12:26.000
And uh, yeah, I like I like the obedience part of it.
00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:29.360
Yeah, that's a prime example, isn't it?
00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:31.440
How Jesus calls on ordinary people.
00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:42.000
Bro, can you know, just to follow him, and then he takes them from there on to this journey, right?
00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:43.279
23.
00:12:44.159 --> 00:12:51.600
Travel through the region of Galilee, teaching in synagogues, announcing the good news about the kingdom, starts healing.
00:12:54.399 --> 00:12:57.120
And these guys are witnessed to all this.
00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:05.039
Plugging into the source and the light switch being turned on.
00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:19.039
Boy, do they get uh some eye-opening experiences which reaffirmed, I'm sure, their faith and their belief, and and then I'm sure they felt like they were doing the right thing.
00:13:19.679 --> 00:13:28.639
Yeah, and you said you said 23, and then if you go on to 24, what I find really interesting, it says news about him spread as far as Syria.
00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:32.720
And we're talking about back in the day, you don't have telephones, you don't have social media, you don't have all that.
00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:47.200
So these are people having real conversations, not being afraid to say, hey, this guy is doing all of these things, he's incredible, he's you know, and the and the word spreads because they're open in their mouth face to face.
00:13:47.360 --> 00:13:52.080
So can you imagine how many people are meeting face to face having these conversations?
00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:55.919
That's right.
00:13:56.080 --> 00:14:20.559
You know, and and um and when we think about this, um, you know, one of the great things about doing the podcast or discussing the Bible together, like the three of us, or if you know our listeners are doing this wherever they live, you know, if they're having conversations with other people or maybe beginning Bible studies or whatever, is that you know, you get a different perspective of what's really happening, like we've talked about before.
00:14:20.639 --> 00:14:30.559
You know, Matthew is an author, he's he's one of the disciples, he's been there, he's actually living all this stuff that we're you know talking about.
00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:38.799
But in this particular case, you know, it it gives us a glimpse of what it was really like to be there.
00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:41.840
I mean, you know, these these guys are there.
00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:45.679
I mean, Jesus, it's like Jesus was in the room here, okay?
00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:51.200
These guys were in the room with Jesus, they're they're about to embark on this journey.
00:14:51.360 --> 00:14:54.080
They've, you know, he says, come follow me.
00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:56.240
They they walk away from everything, right?
00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:59.759
They walk away from their business, their job, whatever they were doing.
00:14:59.840 --> 00:15:03.120
They laid it down and they and they follow Jesus.
00:15:03.279 --> 00:15:10.159
And like Mark was saying, they're they're embarking on a journey where they're going to see things that no one could even imagine.
00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:25.279
I mean, they're gonna be they're gonna be seeing miracles, they're gonna be seeing, you know, they're gonna be seeing Jesus challenged, they're gonna see him do things that, you know, that are are hard to really fathom intellectually, but it's real.
00:15:25.360 --> 00:15:33.840
And I think when we read the Bible, we get we get a glimpse of that, what it would have been like that day to have Jesus walk up to you and say, hey, come on, follow me.
00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:35.919
I mean, you know, that's that really happened.
00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:44.159
I I think that's such an exciting thing about discussing the Bible as we get to see it from a more realistic perspective.
00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:54.080
Yeah, the distance between the distance between Gal I was gonna say the distance between Galilee said as far away as Syria.
00:15:54.799 --> 00:15:57.840
Well that's like thirty to forty miles.
00:15:58.320 --> 00:15:58.720
Yep.
00:15:59.039 --> 00:16:05.120
That like you said, Chad, it's not being texted, it's not being a phone call, it's not a carrier pigeon.
00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:11.120
You know, it's it's uh that word of mouth is traveling pretty fast.
00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:11.919
Yeah.
00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:12.879
Far away.
00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:14.720
Yeah, absolutely.
00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:17.519
That verse that I've I found that verse, it's 16.
00:16:17.600 --> 00:16:21.279
It says, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.
00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:24.080
I thought that line was really was really interesting.
00:16:24.159 --> 00:16:33.679
I think, well, I mean, I think we can all kind of uh figure out what the darkness means, you know, people who aren't just sitting in uh are walking through darkness.
00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:38.240
It said they were sitting in darkness, sitting, it means they're not moving.
00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:45.440
It suggests that darkness, uh it maybe they're used to this darkness that's become their normal, their norm.
00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:55.919
They had lived under this darkness so long that maybe they've stopped expecting that anything else was going to change.
00:16:56.080 --> 00:17:01.360
And so Jesus was this great, great example of light.
00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:03.360
Uh light has shone.
00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:06.720
So what do you guys think when you think about that line?
00:17:06.880 --> 00:17:10.960
Um, the people who sat in darkness, what do you think it means?
00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:25.839
Well, I think like you're describing in that time, you know, the the people um like today, okay, who you know are beaten down and you know they're having a tough time, and they're they're at this point they're oppressed by Rome.
00:17:26.079 --> 00:17:31.759
Okay, you know, we know they've uh they've had a ruler like Herod, which we've read about before.
00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:35.599
You know, they they were uh they had seen a lot of bad stuff.
00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:40.240
I mean, you know, like a lot of times we we see difficult things today.
00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:42.559
It's it's very much like today.
00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:47.519
And um the, you know, Jesus is the light of the world.
00:17:47.680 --> 00:17:52.319
I mean, it's not it's not by chance that it's that it's written that way.
00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:56.480
And I think about these guys still had a choice, right?
00:17:56.640 --> 00:18:00.880
I mean, you know, they didn't think I said, no, man, we're busy.
00:18:01.519 --> 00:18:02.559
We're not doing that.
00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:03.839
I mean, we're happy here.
00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:15.279
We're you know, we got a good whatever their situation was, but they made a choice, and that choice led them to a relationship with the living Lord and changed their life.
00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:17.759
How relevant is that to today?
00:18:18.319 --> 00:18:20.799
I mean, people make a choice about Jesus every day.
00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:22.160
Are you gonna follow him or not?
00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:30.720
You know, he's right there, ain't making himself visible uh more than we probably realize if we're not looking for it.
00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:32.640
But what do you what do you think about that?
00:18:32.799 --> 00:18:45.440
I mean, these guys made a choice, like Mart said, they were obedient, they didn't have to go, but they chose to go, and it it you know, it wasn't an easy path, but it changed it changed the trajectory of their lives forever.
00:18:45.759 --> 00:18:57.279
And you know, just to continue on, in 16, who sat in darkness, and for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow.
00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:08.400
They're just like you said, Chad, they're just kind of sitting there, they're really not making any gains in life, and they're just basically going through the motions and waiting to die.
00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:09.839
And there's people around them.
00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:12.160
You know.
00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:13.599
I like Don.
00:19:14.160 --> 00:19:20.799
I'm glad, Donnie, that you brought that into today, because I think that's very that's like the one of the most relevant parts of this today.
00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:22.880
I feel like there's a lot of that, you know.
00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:25.039
Yeah.
00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:38.720
Well, and and there again, you know, people who don't know the Lord and they're not seeking to know the Lord and for and I'm not judging nobody, I'm just saying for whatever reason, uh it's very easy to get beaten down in this life.
00:19:38.799 --> 00:19:46.799
I mean, it's very easy to get you know pummeled to the point emotionally or in different ways where you know you lose hope.
00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:52.319
You know, and and like Mark was saying, they lived in the valley of you know death or whatever.
00:19:52.480 --> 00:20:00.559
I mean, if if someone had doesn't have the Lord in their life and they're they're what what they're going through the motions, right?
00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:07.680
They're living day to day, they're trying to make it on their own, and they don't really have that relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:10.319
I mean, that's very symbolic of today.
00:20:10.400 --> 00:20:12.160
That what do you think about that?
00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:20.319
I I think this is just as this passage is just as relevant today as it was when it was it was lived by these men.
00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:22.000
What do y'all what do y'all think about that?
00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:23.839
What do you think we can learn from that?
00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:26.319
I think you're absolutely right.
00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:36.480
I think when I think about that line and then what Mark was just talking about, when we think of that as a whole, the darkness, it it's re it represents sin and confusion, like you said, Donnie.
00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:41.519
Umppressiveness, people, suffering, people live with that now.
00:20:41.599 --> 00:20:45.759
Up they're in oppression, hopelessness come because they're separated.
00:20:45.839 --> 00:20:48.240
They're separated from God and they don't know Jesus.
00:20:48.400 --> 00:20:51.519
Um and then Mark, you said the shadow of death.
00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:54.880
I feel like that's another representation in this text.
00:20:55.039 --> 00:20:57.920
And Donnie, you said it's it's written, it's put in there for a reason.
00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:12.079
I think the shadow of death represents um the fear and and the the power under which humanity lives, which it's either the power of Jesus or something that is not of Jesus, and a lot of people are living in that.
00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:18.319
And another thing in this, Jesus brings He brings truth into that darkness.
00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:23.680
He brings light into that darkness where there's confusion, where there's despair.
00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:37.680
And I think Jesus often does his, he begins his greatest work in the places uh where darkness may have settled in and where people are so used to this.
00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:42.559
And like you said, Donnie, they could have said, No, this is how we're used, we're used to this.
00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:43.759
And then that fear comes in.
00:21:43.839 --> 00:21:45.759
What's gonna happen when he changes it?
00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:53.200
But you've got to get over that if you're gonna get to know Jesus, because change will inevitably happen in your life and around your life.
00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:55.759
And it's good change, but people could be afraid of that.
00:21:55.920 --> 00:21:59.839
So I think it's it's so relevant, it's it's really the gospel right here that we're talking about.
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:02.319
Talking about Jesus changing life.
00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:18.640
You know, it's interesting that also when they started on the journey and they're they're traveling and Jesus is healing people, not just the sick, you know, various diseases, paralyzation.
00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:22.640
But he heals them all.
00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:30.799
So nobody is isolated out by what what what what ails them, so to speak.
00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:37.839
He didn't pick and choose, so to speak, who he was going to heal.
00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:43.920
We've all kind of heard the saying, you know, I've seen the light.
00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:46.319
Well, maybe this is what they're referring to.
00:22:46.559 --> 00:22:47.119
Oh yeah.
00:22:47.359 --> 00:22:49.119
You know, the light at the end of the tunnel.
00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:51.039
The light at the end of the tunnel.
00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:54.319
Yeah, you're right, Donnie.
00:22:54.400 --> 00:22:56.000
It it goes right back to this.
00:22:56.880 --> 00:23:03.920
You know, Chad, you you know, you're working with a church and you're involved in, you know, a lot of faith-based things, which are wonderful.
00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:05.920
You know, applaud you for that.
00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:15.359
And you know, we see uh to me when I when we're reading this and talking about this, you know, Jesus, he's he's he is the church, right?
00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:17.839
I mean, Jesus Christ is he is the church.
00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:19.519
He is he is Lord, right?
00:23:19.599 --> 00:23:20.960
He's the head of the church.
00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:24.960
He walks by these guys, they're they're doing their thing.
00:23:25.119 --> 00:23:29.279
And like Mark said, they may have had some idea who he was, but they still had to be obedient.
00:23:29.440 --> 00:23:32.079
Mark has a great point, had to be obedient.
00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:34.720
But Jesus makes the call, right?
00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:37.359
Jesus says, come and follow me.
00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:54.559
As the church, the body of Christ at work in the world, we need to be out there sharing this gospel and calling people, calling them to come to church, call, encouraging them to read the Bible, you know, saying that, hey, God loves you and He He wants a relationship with you.
00:23:54.720 --> 00:24:04.799
How relevant is that message today to us as Christians to be doing these things to try to share the good news with people?
00:24:06.319 --> 00:24:07.119
A hundred percent.
00:24:07.200 --> 00:24:08.079
It's very relevant.
00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:10.160
You have you you hit the nail on the head.
00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:20.480
We have we have become so so comfortable in having these groups of individual brick buildings that we call churches.
00:24:20.640 --> 00:24:20.799
Right.
00:24:21.119 --> 00:24:39.279
Often, often most most of the time, I hate to say that, but most of the time, what happens at each specific individual brick and mortar building that we call the church is not what should be happening within the group and body of believers under Jesus Christ that is called the church.
00:24:39.440 --> 00:24:43.119
And we we what we have done is we have split that into two different things.
00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:57.839
When in all actuality, can you imagine if all of the action in each of these buildings was just going out to people who were not on those inside of those walls and reaching the people on the outside of the walls, I think it would be an incredible transformation.
00:24:57.920 --> 00:25:05.599
And I think most pastors would agree with me that there's a lot, a lot going on inside that should be reaching out.
00:25:05.759 --> 00:25:10.640
The outreach, the outreach has to be more than what we're doing inside the walls.
00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:12.240
And if that happened, it'd be incredible.
00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:26.240
But um, you know, American, um the American Christian culture is it we've split it up into so many different things, and this person doesn't believe what this person believes.
00:25:26.319 --> 00:25:31.680
But they're just very minute differences when in actuality they do believe the same thing.
00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:46.000
They both believe in Jesus, they both believe in sharing the love of Jesus with other people, and they both believe that the only way to be saved and to know Jesus is to confess your sins and to believe in Jesus.
00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:55.119
But we let these little differences, we let these little bitty differences in our minds split us up into all these little different groups.
00:25:55.359 --> 00:25:57.599
I I guess you could almost call them cliques sometimes.
00:25:57.759 --> 00:26:00.160
Sometimes they feel like that's kind of what they are, you know?
00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:01.039
Yeah.
00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:01.599
Yeah.
00:26:01.759 --> 00:26:15.599
So it's it's sad if you think about it, but it's it's such an incredible thought if we could, if we could start doing what we see in this passage and using our mouths and talking about Jesus everywhere we're at, the grocery store, the gym, everywhere, just talking to people about Jesus.
00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:17.039
Well, exactly.
00:26:17.200 --> 00:26:20.720
And and to tag that and say that's a big this is a tall order.
00:26:21.200 --> 00:26:24.480
But um a lot of people are led by example.
00:26:26.079 --> 00:26:27.359
They're led by example.
00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:42.480
They they make they make decisions as to what they're gonna change in their life based on an example that they have seen or experienced that changed another person's life.
00:26:43.680 --> 00:26:54.000
And they they decide to to make a change in their life based on somebody's else's example.
00:26:54.640 --> 00:26:56.160
That's right, a hundred percent.
00:26:56.319 --> 00:27:12.079
And you know, like Mark, you know, was talking about earlier when he was, you know, you know, giving what he'd learned from this week when it says the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who lived in the land where death cats a shadow, a light has shined.
00:27:12.319 --> 00:27:15.440
You know, this tell me what y'all think about this.
00:27:15.599 --> 00:27:25.519
This I don't think it's by chance that Jesus' first ministry work recorded in Matthew is in a difficult place.
00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:29.599
He he didn't start out going to the temple, right?
00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:31.519
You know, and preaching to the religious leaders.
00:27:31.680 --> 00:27:36.960
He didn't go to he didn't go to Rome, you know, and and and talking to the emperor.
00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:40.880
He went where the suffering people live.
00:27:40.960 --> 00:27:50.319
I mean, when he says, where you live in a land where death casts its shadow like Marsa, I mean that would have been a very desolate and downtrodden place.
00:27:51.039 --> 00:28:15.519
You know, if we as the church, and I'm not being judgmental, I'm saying we, including me, me, me, okay, if we aren't willing to go into those places where people are hurting and suffering, you know, and try to share the good news of the gospel, I mean, then are we really accomplishing what what the mission of the church is?
00:28:15.759 --> 00:28:18.480
Well, what do you say about that, Mark, Chad?
00:28:18.559 --> 00:28:20.079
I mean, how do you guys see that?
00:28:20.480 --> 00:28:25.279
Well, also age doesn't age is not a qualifier, right?
00:28:25.440 --> 00:28:30.799
You don't have to be of a certain age in order to be able to lead by example.
00:28:31.119 --> 00:28:37.519
Jesus, they are speculating was around thirty years old when his ministry started.
00:28:37.920 --> 00:28:47.279
And I I don't know how old Simon and Andrew were or or James and John were, but chances are they might have been a little older.
00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:48.880
So could be, yeah.
00:28:49.119 --> 00:28:55.200
You know, age is really not a factor as far as uh making that decision.
00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:57.039
Yeah, absolutely.
00:28:57.200 --> 00:28:57.680
It's not.
00:28:57.759 --> 00:29:01.599
And he and he's like you said, he's calling, he calls every everybody.
00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:04.880
He calls anyone who will come, come.
00:29:05.039 --> 00:29:09.359
And you know, another thing he says, I this is what I was trying to say in the beginning.
00:29:09.519 --> 00:29:18.799
I didn't word it quite like I wanted it, but he says uh in his words, he says, come follow me, and then he says, I will show you how to fish for people.
00:29:18.880 --> 00:29:24.640
So you don't have to be afraid of, well, I don't know how to do all of this stuff.
00:29:24.799 --> 00:29:27.119
I see people in the church and they're doing all of these things.
00:29:27.200 --> 00:29:28.480
You don't have to know any of that.
00:29:28.559 --> 00:29:33.680
You follow him first, then he will teach you what to do.
00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:38.559
He didn't say learn everything, uh, fix everything, and then follow me.
00:29:38.720 --> 00:29:39.680
He said, follow me.
00:29:39.759 --> 00:29:40.720
That's the first step.
00:29:40.799 --> 00:29:42.400
That's the only thing he asked them to do.
00:29:42.559 --> 00:29:45.920
Follow me, and then I will show you.
00:29:46.079 --> 00:29:54.799
And I think there's a there's also that's another aspect of looking at the modern day church, um, the fear of I don't know how to be religious.
00:29:54.960 --> 00:29:56.240
Well, you don't have to be religious.
00:29:56.400 --> 00:30:00.000
You don't have to please don't be religious, just follow Jesus.
00:30:00.079 --> 00:30:01.039
That's all you gotta do.
00:30:01.200 --> 00:30:02.640
Just follow Jesus.
00:30:04.079 --> 00:30:07.599
And I like the way he put it into perspective talking to fishermen.
00:30:08.240 --> 00:30:12.720
He tied it into fishing for men or fishing for people.
00:30:13.279 --> 00:30:16.640
He's like, I don't understand that terminology, but people?
00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:24.160
That that was a nice nice addition to uh his request.
00:30:25.680 --> 00:30:27.440
Yeah, I mean it really isn't.
00:30:27.519 --> 00:30:30.960
And we um there are people that need to hear the good news.
00:30:31.119 --> 00:30:46.480
I mean, they're there we what we have to we and I say we, I mean we the body of Christ that work in the world, what we have to share with people the news that, hey, you know, you're creating God's image, you're fearful and wonderfully made, you know.
00:30:46.960 --> 00:30:48.799
He wants a relationship with you.
00:30:48.960 --> 00:30:51.839
I mean, you know, that how many people today need to hear that?
00:30:51.920 --> 00:30:53.519
I mean, my God, I need to hear it.
00:30:53.680 --> 00:30:54.480
I need to hear it.
00:30:54.559 --> 00:30:54.799
Yeah.
00:30:55.039 --> 00:31:12.640
And I I and I think about like what what's happening in this situation where Jesus is calling these people, you know, these these first disciples, you know, it and I and we talk a lot about social media and different things on here, you know, different things that are going on.
00:31:12.880 --> 00:31:36.799
But my gosh, how different would the world be if we could focus on just that little bit of a message, you know, like you were saying, Chad, if we were more inviting and um, you know, more inclusive or however you want to say it, whatever words you want to use, if we if we could be less judgmental and more loving, wow, what a difference that could be.
00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:39.200
Yeah, absolutely.
00:31:39.440 --> 00:31:44.640
You started off that, Donnie, and you were talking about the you were talking about the fishermen, or maybe it was you, Mark.
00:31:44.720 --> 00:31:47.039
I can't remember who we were talking about fishermen anyway.
00:31:47.359 --> 00:31:54.720
And uh there's a spot, there's a part in this verse, it says, they left their nets at once.
00:31:54.880 --> 00:32:01.519
And I find that interesting because he they he didn't have to put that in that passage, but he put that there for a reason.
00:32:01.680 --> 00:32:03.519
They left their nets at once.
00:32:03.680 --> 00:32:07.440
And so if I think about, can you imagine these are fishermen?
00:32:07.680 --> 00:32:15.519
Their nets represent their livelihood, they represent their security, it's their routine, what they're used to.
00:32:15.759 --> 00:32:24.000
It's almost their well, it is, it's their former identity, the life that they understand, and they immediately left.
00:32:24.160 --> 00:32:28.799
It didn't say they just they dropped them and then carried them with them, they left their nets.
00:32:28.880 --> 00:32:31.519
So I think there's a big representation there of them.
00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:37.039
That's their security and livelihood and routine and former identity, all of it, and they're leaving it behind.
00:32:37.200 --> 00:32:38.720
It's such an incredible statement.
00:32:38.960 --> 00:32:40.400
Yeah, these words are powerful.
00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:46.319
Even in 21, when James and John, I mean, they're with their father, Zebedee.
00:32:47.359 --> 00:32:47.920
Exactly.
00:32:48.240 --> 00:32:52.880
And they're repairing nets, and he calls them, and then what does it say in 22?
00:32:53.599 --> 00:32:54.640
They left.
00:32:55.039 --> 00:33:00.880
They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.
00:33:01.680 --> 00:33:02.319
Wow.
00:33:05.119 --> 00:33:09.759
Yeah, that's those words are those words were written as in documented.
00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:10.640
Absolutely.
00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:14.240
Matthew's sitting up there on the shore watching all this, right?
00:33:14.319 --> 00:33:15.200
And writing.
00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:19.839
I mean, it's just like an eyewitness account.
00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:23.759
Well, it it does make you think.
00:33:23.920 --> 00:33:29.039
I think like too, we talk about following Jesus, right?
00:33:29.200 --> 00:33:34.799
Which we this is something we're we discuss a lot, you know, on our podcast about following Jesus.
00:33:34.960 --> 00:33:38.160
But you know, it's hard to follow something you don't know a lot about.
00:33:38.319 --> 00:33:53.359
I mean, if you're not if it like we do the podcasts, because we, you know, we're hoping and praying that people, you know, who may see or or hear this will decide for themselves that they want to begin to read and study the Bible.
00:33:53.519 --> 00:34:15.760
Well, if we, all of us, right, if we're not reading and studying our Bible and discussing it with our friends like we're doing today, then we're not gonna have that perspective of what it would have been like to be there or or what what Jesus is is asking of us or what blessings could come from following him if we don't really know anything about him.
00:34:15.920 --> 00:34:24.239
So I think that to me, that's Chad, you're again, you know, you're you're you know, you're in the church uh administrative type world.
00:34:24.480 --> 00:34:39.920
To me, that's something that every sermon, every day, every thing that should happen in the church is to encourage us all to read the word for ourselves and to and to learn more and more about Jesus because that way we can be more effective followers.
00:34:40.079 --> 00:34:41.360
What do you think about that?
00:34:41.440 --> 00:34:43.679
I mean, how do you guys view that?
00:34:44.719 --> 00:34:45.679
I've I've 100%.
00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:47.039
I've said it before here.
00:34:47.119 --> 00:34:56.239
I said uh so many people go into a church or a ministry type deal on the weekend, on Saturday or Sunday.
00:34:56.320 --> 00:35:00.719
Most people go on Sunday, and they they expect that.
00:35:01.119 --> 00:35:09.519
And maybe it's because, like you said, they're they're not there's no experience, there's no person in front of them saying, hey, don't just listen to what I'm saying.
00:35:09.760 --> 00:35:12.400
Don't just read it right here while I'm teaching it.
00:35:12.960 --> 00:35:17.119
Go home, dive into it, study it yourself and read it yourself.
00:35:17.280 --> 00:35:26.079
Maybe that's the issue, is that that is not being put forth enough that, hey, don't just come here and listen to me teach and preach.
00:35:26.320 --> 00:35:28.639
Go home and study it for yourself.
00:35:28.880 --> 00:35:32.400
Challenge yourself to get in it every day and learn.
00:35:32.639 --> 00:35:36.559
You know, that call might not be going out enough for people to do that.
00:35:36.800 --> 00:35:44.400
They just get so used to going in on Sunday and oh, I'm gonna open my Bible, I'm gonna close it, and I'll see it next week, you know.
00:35:46.000 --> 00:36:13.920
I mean, whether you baby step it or whether you jump in with both feet, just you know church on Sunday, maybe a Bible study, a podcast, uh coffee or lunch with a friend who is learning and growing and spiritually new, surrounding yourself with other folks that have the same interests, and then the transformation really takes off.
00:36:16.480 --> 00:36:16.800
Right.
00:36:17.199 --> 00:36:25.840
So it's it's it's it's a lot of things that that somebody can do and baby step and it's fine.
00:36:26.159 --> 00:36:27.920
He just wants you to come to it.
00:36:28.719 --> 00:36:28.960
Yeah.
00:36:29.280 --> 00:36:30.719
It's a journey, like Mark is.
00:36:31.199 --> 00:36:31.519
Absolutely.
00:36:31.920 --> 00:36:32.400
It's a journey.
00:36:32.559 --> 00:36:32.800
Absolutely.
00:36:33.039 --> 00:36:34.880
These guys are embarking on a journey.
00:36:34.960 --> 00:36:36.639
They left everything and took off.
00:36:36.719 --> 00:36:42.239
You know, they I'm sure they had no idea they were going up at the foot of a cross, but you know, that's where it took them.
00:36:42.480 --> 00:36:47.920
And you know, it it is um it's it's very relevant to today.
00:36:48.079 --> 00:36:50.719
I mean, this is very, very relevant to today.
00:36:51.039 --> 00:36:51.519
I agree.
00:36:51.760 --> 00:36:52.400
Yeah, yeah.
00:36:52.480 --> 00:36:58.719
And coming out of this, I think one of the things that I like I want to stick with me is how we talked about a little bit ago.
00:36:58.960 --> 00:37:04.960
Mark, you were talking about how far this had spread from Galilee to Syria.
00:37:05.360 --> 00:37:05.599
Syria.
00:37:05.920 --> 00:37:06.880
Uh Jerusalem.
00:37:07.039 --> 00:37:10.159
Yeah, all every, you know, the all of the distance in between, what'd you say?
00:37:10.239 --> 00:37:15.679
It was forty miles, about 40 miles spreading by word of mouth, and that had to be intentional.
00:37:15.840 --> 00:37:21.519
People had to intentionally, and like you said, a lot of these people didn't know a lot.
00:37:21.840 --> 00:37:26.079
They just knew enough they knew of Jesus and that word spread.
00:37:26.320 --> 00:37:27.760
I think that's so relevant too today.
00:37:27.840 --> 00:37:43.360
If we think about how far that spread, if we will just do the little bit, like you said, you said baby step it, if we'll just do that little bit and we'll we'll we'll study the word and we'll tell people what we do know and talk about Jesus, that can make all the difference in the world.
00:37:43.519 --> 00:37:57.280
Uh one of the things I love about this passage is it really presents us with the beginning and the powerful start of Jesus' ministry in a place where we've talked about darkness.
00:37:57.519 --> 00:38:04.559
Darkness had settled, people were sitting in darkness, they were used to the time, and Jesus brings in that light.
00:38:04.639 --> 00:38:20.960
So I hope this is this is the reminder that we need that Jesus, no matter how monotonous your life is, or how you've gotten used to your situation, or how hopeless you might feel, Jesus is the light and will bring light into that darkness.
00:38:21.039 --> 00:38:22.559
It's such a powerful story.
00:38:22.800 --> 00:38:24.639
Go to your Bible and read it again.
00:38:24.719 --> 00:38:27.199
You'll probably get something different the next time you read it.
00:38:27.280 --> 00:38:28.079
It's such a great story.
00:38:28.239 --> 00:38:30.239
Donnie, would you close us out in prayer?
00:38:30.559 --> 00:38:31.519
Absolutely.
00:38:31.760 --> 00:38:39.840
Lord, we want to thank you for the opportunity to be here today and to visit and talk and to share your word and to read this passage from Matthew.
00:38:39.920 --> 00:38:50.880
And Lord, wow, what an exciting moment it must have been for these disciples to have the King of the universe come in there and say, Hey, come and follow me.
00:38:50.960 --> 00:38:56.239
And Lord, we know that you still call on us today and offer us those same opportunities.
00:38:56.400 --> 00:39:09.840
And I pray that our listening audience and viewing audience would be encouraged to read their Bible and to grow in their faith to come to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in a more intimate and personal way.
00:39:10.079 --> 00:39:12.639
And we ask these things in Jesus' name.
00:39:17.760 --> 00:39:22.800
To learn more about our podcast and resources, head over to remember the king.
00:00:40.799 --> 00:00:48.880
Welcome everybody back to we're gonna continue uh go right into what we did last time.
00:00:49.039 --> 00:00:54.880
I don't want to add a lot onto it because the story continues, and uh we're gonna be in John.
00:00:55.200 --> 00:00:57.119
I mean, not John, we're in Matthew.
00:00:57.280 --> 00:00:58.719
We're in Matthew, not John.
00:00:58.880 --> 00:01:02.159
So get your Bible, go to Matthew, the first book of the New Testament.
00:01:02.240 --> 00:01:02.880
That's where we're at.
00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:04.640
Donnie, where are we at?
00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:08.480
We're in Matthew chapter four, verse twelve.
00:01:08.959 --> 00:01:11.200
Okay, so you're gonna go on and start reading.
00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:12.959
Yeah, let's go ahead.
00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:15.680
Okay, the ministry of Jesus begins.
00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:22.319
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee.
00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:31.359
He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Nephaldi.
00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:55.200
This fulfilled what God said to the prophet Isaiah, in the land of Zebulun and of Nefalti, beside the sea beyond the Jordan River, in Galilee where so many Gentiles live, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who lived in the land where death cast its shadow, a light has shined.
00:01:55.439 --> 00:02:03.439
From then on Jesus began to preach, Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the kingdom of heaven is near.
00:02:04.640 --> 00:02:19.039
The first disciples one day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, also called Peter and Andrew, throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living.
00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:24.639
Jesus called out to them, Come follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people.
00:02:24.879 --> 00:02:28.000
And they left their nets at once and followed him.
00:02:28.240 --> 00:02:38.319
A little farther up the shore, he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father Zebedee, repairing their nets.
00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:41.439
He called them to come too.
00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:46.000
They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.
00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:48.479
Crowds followed Jesus.
00:02:48.719 --> 00:02:58.960
Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the good news about the kingdom, and he healed every kind of disease and illness.
00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:06.000
News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick.
00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:14.639
And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon-possessed or epileptic or paralyzed, he healed them all.
00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:18.400
Large crowds followed him wherever he went.
00:03:18.639 --> 00:03:26.080
People from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River.
00:03:27.039 --> 00:03:33.360
So today we're getting, you know, we're getting into another dimension of the story, Jesus' story.
00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:41.439
He's been baptized, you know, he's had his time in the wilderness, you know, testing with the devil.
00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:44.800
And so now his ministry is is beginning.
00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:47.680
And uh I know Mark, you know, loves to research this stuff.
00:03:47.759 --> 00:03:52.639
And so, Mark, what'd you what'd you find out uh in your uh preparation this week?
00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:54.000
Thanks, Donnie.
00:03:54.080 --> 00:03:55.439
Uh uh Hey Chad.
00:03:56.080 --> 00:04:00.240
So verses 18 through 21.
00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:08.879
What's one of the first words that come to my mind is obedience.
00:04:10.719 --> 00:04:17.680
Jesus walks by and comes up to him and says, Follow me.
00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:20.879
You'll be a fisherman of me.
00:04:21.759 --> 00:04:23.360
That's all he says, right?
00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:28.000
And the first word that comes to my mind is obedience.
00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:31.920
Obviously, there's a question.
00:04:37.279 --> 00:04:39.600
They immediately stopped what they were doing.
00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:43.120
And they obeyed.
00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:52.639
That's where we got started.
00:04:52.959 --> 00:04:54.480
That's where they got started.
00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:03.360
So you know, God calls or Jesus calls us.
00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:10.480
The word obey is a pretty is a pretty big word, right?
00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:20.240
It's a small word, but it carries a tremendous amount of uh not only meaning, but also commitment.
00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:37.680
We we've grown up in in the past where you know, maybe one of our friends would say, Well, y'all come on, follow me, we're gonna go to such and such a place And some go, some don't, but the decision was made right then and there on the spot, wasn't it?
00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:56.399
Yeah, those guys And later, you know, in John 21 verse six, this was after Jesus' resurrection, these guys were disciples by that time, but then he tells them to cast their nets on the other side.
00:05:56.480 --> 00:05:57.600
They're still fishing, right?
00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:03.920
Because they're they're disciples, but I mean they're still working and fishing and and taking care of their families.
00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:15.600
And then again in Luke five verses one through eleven Jesus commands the fishermen to to drop their nets in deeper water.
00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:39.839
And so then again, another miracle takes place with these I mean I can't imagine at you know at that time back then when Simon and Andrew and James and John were asked to stop what they're doing, drop everything and and follow Jesus and follow him.
00:06:42.879 --> 00:06:47.680
There had to be more to it than that, in my opinion.
00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:58.800
They obviously felt the the the the powerfulness and the glory around what Jesus was saying to them.
00:06:59.040 --> 00:07:04.480
Is that is that what do you guys think about that word obedience?
00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:17.040
Well, I think that's uh completely uh relevant and accurate and uh to it like what you're saying about that.
00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:28.639
Yeah, it's if you have something you're doing and you're trying to get people to come along board, a lot of times it's not that easy to get people to buy in, right, or to follow you or whatever it is.
00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:38.160
It doesn't matter how good it is or how obvious it is, you know, this it's difficult to um persuade people, right?
00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:42.639
To say, hey, this is a good thing, and you know, you need to come do this with me or whatever.
00:07:42.879 --> 00:08:14.000
And I think about like you were saying, Mark, we know Jesus was fully God and fully human, but he had some, there were some things about him that had to be obvious, I would imagine, if you were, if you were looking for God, right, and you you were a believer in God, and you see the living Lord, when he said, come, I mean, I guess those guys recognize, wow, this is this is this is the Messiah.
00:08:14.160 --> 00:08:33.120
This is this is this man is unlike anything I've ever seen, to just drop everything they're doing and walk away from their business, like Mark is saying, I mean, to be obedient, there had to be something there about Jesus that was so impressionable that they were willing to do all that.
00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:34.639
What do you what do you think, Chad?
00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:36.960
Well, I I do want to interject one other thing.
00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:37.600
Go ahead.
00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:47.840
Um so Andrew, Simon's brother, had met Jesus through John the Baptist, evidently prior.
00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:54.080
And and Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist.
00:08:54.960 --> 00:09:08.960
So after having become a disciple and having met Jesus, evidently was a brief encounter, then Andrew immediately went to his brother and told him about that meeting.
00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:16.159
So when Jesus comes walking up to their abode, obviously Andrew already knew.
00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:24.480
Simon didn't know, but if if um would think clearly about this, Andrew probably says, That's him.
00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:26.799
Yeah, that's him, that's him.
00:09:27.279 --> 00:09:34.559
So he's getting a second opportunity to to meet Jesus on obviously a more personal level.
00:09:35.440 --> 00:09:45.200
Simon, you know, had been told by Andrew, but didn't really have the personal meeting through John the Baptist that um Andrew had.
00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:49.679
So that's another bit of information that uh I found.
00:09:56.320 --> 00:10:04.399
I think when you talk about obedience too, and we see their the transition from them them following Jesus, Jesus says, follow me.
00:10:04.639 --> 00:10:14.159
Um he says, follow me, and then he said, I will show you how to fish for be fishers of men, fish for people.
00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:30.000
Um so I think the important part for me for me when I read the story, I I try to I try to, you know, I always try to point it back to my myself and pr and practicality, like how can I, how can I think about this and influence my my own walk with with Jesus?
00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:38.159
And I think about how he following Jesus they have to act and they have to follow Jesus before serving.
00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:41.360
So following Jesus comes before serving Jesus.
00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:45.440
The relationship came before the assignment.
00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:55.840
And for me, sometimes we become so focused on, especially for me, because I have a job that I that I work, I'm on staff at a church.
00:10:56.000 --> 00:11:22.240
Um, and so sometimes the focus is on doing things, doing things for Jesus, and we were actually talked about this Sunday, and so sometimes you simply neglect because you're so busy serving that you forget to just be with Jesus, just the relationship, like y'all said, just knowing who he is first, understanding who he is.
00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:28.960
Um I think for me, effective ministry grows because of the discipleship part of it, and sometimes I lose that.
00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:39.600
So I think the obedience part is very significant, and then you you guys took it all the way back to um telling him when he when he told him, Hey, that's the guy.
00:11:39.759 --> 00:11:42.480
That's that's him, that's Jesus, and he recognized.
00:11:42.639 --> 00:11:45.120
So recognizing him before the obedience.
00:11:45.200 --> 00:11:49.679
Anyway, there's a there's a lot of things that I that I uh I got out of this.
00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:58.559
I think it's such an important moment um when Jesus when it when he when it said he entered a place, it talked about darkness.
00:11:58.799 --> 00:12:11.440
I'll have to go back to the passage, but there was a specific line and it talked about a place of darkness, and then here comes Jesus, who is the light, the light, announcing the arrival of God's kingdom.
00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:21.759
And another part of this that stuck out to me is we've talked about this so many times, how God is calling regular people, ordinary people to follow him.
00:12:22.159 --> 00:12:26.000
And uh, yeah, I like I like the obedience part of it.
00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:29.360
Yeah, that's a prime example, isn't it?
00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:31.440
How Jesus calls on ordinary people.
00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:42.000
Bro, can you know, just to follow him, and then he takes them from there on to this journey, right?
00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:43.279
23.
00:12:44.159 --> 00:12:51.600
Travel through the region of Galilee, teaching in synagogues, announcing the good news about the kingdom, starts healing.
00:12:54.399 --> 00:12:57.120
And these guys are witnessed to all this.
00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:05.039
Plugging into the source and the light switch being turned on.
00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:19.039
Boy, do they get uh some eye-opening experiences which reaffirmed, I'm sure, their faith and their belief, and and then I'm sure they felt like they were doing the right thing.
00:13:19.679 --> 00:13:28.639
Yeah, and you said you said 23, and then if you go on to 24, what I find really interesting, it says news about him spread as far as Syria.
00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:32.720
And we're talking about back in the day, you don't have telephones, you don't have social media, you don't have all that.
00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:47.200
So these are people having real conversations, not being afraid to say, hey, this guy is doing all of these things, he's incredible, he's you know, and the and the word spreads because they're open in their mouth face to face.
00:13:47.360 --> 00:13:52.080
So can you imagine how many people are meeting face to face having these conversations?
00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:55.919
That's right.
00:13:56.080 --> 00:14:20.559
You know, and and um and when we think about this, um, you know, one of the great things about doing the podcast or discussing the Bible together, like the three of us, or if you know our listeners are doing this wherever they live, you know, if they're having conversations with other people or maybe beginning Bible studies or whatever, is that you know, you get a different perspective of what's really happening, like we've talked about before.
00:14:20.639 --> 00:14:30.559
You know, Matthew is an author, he's he's one of the disciples, he's been there, he's actually living all this stuff that we're you know talking about.
00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:38.799
But in this particular case, you know, it it gives us a glimpse of what it was really like to be there.
00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:41.840
I mean, you know, these these guys are there.
00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:45.679
I mean, Jesus, it's like Jesus was in the room here, okay?
00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:51.200
These guys were in the room with Jesus, they're they're about to embark on this journey.
00:14:51.360 --> 00:14:54.080
They've, you know, he says, come follow me.
00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:56.240
They they walk away from everything, right?
00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:59.759
They walk away from their business, their job, whatever they were doing.
00:14:59.840 --> 00:15:03.120
They laid it down and they and they follow Jesus.
00:15:03.279 --> 00:15:10.159
And like Mark was saying, they're they're embarking on a journey where they're going to see things that no one could even imagine.
00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:25.279
I mean, they're gonna be they're gonna be seeing miracles, they're gonna be seeing, you know, they're gonna be seeing Jesus challenged, they're gonna see him do things that, you know, that are are hard to really fathom intellectually, but it's real.
00:15:25.360 --> 00:15:33.840
And I think when we read the Bible, we get we get a glimpse of that, what it would have been like that day to have Jesus walk up to you and say, hey, come on, follow me.
00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:35.919
I mean, you know, that's that really happened.
00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:44.159
I I think that's such an exciting thing about discussing the Bible as we get to see it from a more realistic perspective.
00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:54.080
Yeah, the distance between the distance between Gal I was gonna say the distance between Galilee said as far away as Syria.
00:15:54.799 --> 00:15:57.840
Well that's like thirty to forty miles.
00:15:58.320 --> 00:15:58.720
Yep.
00:15:59.039 --> 00:16:05.120
That like you said, Chad, it's not being texted, it's not being a phone call, it's not a carrier pigeon.
00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:11.120
You know, it's it's uh that word of mouth is traveling pretty fast.
00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:11.919
Yeah.
00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:12.879
Far away.
00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:14.720
Yeah, absolutely.
00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:17.519
That verse that I've I found that verse, it's 16.
00:16:17.600 --> 00:16:21.279
It says, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.
00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:24.080
I thought that line was really was really interesting.
00:16:24.159 --> 00:16:33.679
I think, well, I mean, I think we can all kind of uh figure out what the darkness means, you know, people who aren't just sitting in uh are walking through darkness.
00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:38.240
It said they were sitting in darkness, sitting, it means they're not moving.
00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:45.440
It suggests that darkness, uh it maybe they're used to this darkness that's become their normal, their norm.
00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:55.919
They had lived under this darkness so long that maybe they've stopped expecting that anything else was going to change.
00:16:56.080 --> 00:17:01.360
And so Jesus was this great, great example of light.
00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:03.360
Uh light has shone.
00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:06.720
So what do you guys think when you think about that line?
00:17:06.880 --> 00:17:10.960
Um, the people who sat in darkness, what do you think it means?
00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:25.839
Well, I think like you're describing in that time, you know, the the people um like today, okay, who you know are beaten down and you know they're having a tough time, and they're they're at this point they're oppressed by Rome.
00:17:26.079 --> 00:17:31.759
Okay, you know, we know they've uh they've had a ruler like Herod, which we've read about before.
00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:35.599
You know, they they were uh they had seen a lot of bad stuff.
00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:40.240
I mean, you know, like a lot of times we we see difficult things today.
00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:42.559
It's it's very much like today.
00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:47.519
And um the, you know, Jesus is the light of the world.
00:17:47.680 --> 00:17:52.319
I mean, it's not it's not by chance that it's that it's written that way.
00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:56.480
And I think about these guys still had a choice, right?
00:17:56.640 --> 00:18:00.880
I mean, you know, they didn't think I said, no, man, we're busy.
00:18:01.519 --> 00:18:02.559
We're not doing that.
00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:03.839
I mean, we're happy here.
00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:15.279
We're you know, we got a good whatever their situation was, but they made a choice, and that choice led them to a relationship with the living Lord and changed their life.
00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:17.759
How relevant is that to today?
00:18:18.319 --> 00:18:20.799
I mean, people make a choice about Jesus every day.
00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:22.160
Are you gonna follow him or not?
00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:30.720
You know, he's right there, ain't making himself visible uh more than we probably realize if we're not looking for it.
00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:32.640
But what do you what do you think about that?
00:18:32.799 --> 00:18:45.440
I mean, these guys made a choice, like Mart said, they were obedient, they didn't have to go, but they chose to go, and it it you know, it wasn't an easy path, but it changed it changed the trajectory of their lives forever.
00:18:45.759 --> 00:18:57.279
And you know, just to continue on, in 16, who sat in darkness, and for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow.
00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:08.400
They're just like you said, Chad, they're just kind of sitting there, they're really not making any gains in life, and they're just basically going through the motions and waiting to die.
00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:09.839
And there's people around them.
00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:12.160
You know.
00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:13.599
I like Don.
00:19:14.160 --> 00:19:20.799
I'm glad, Donnie, that you brought that into today, because I think that's very that's like the one of the most relevant parts of this today.
00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:22.880
I feel like there's a lot of that, you know.
00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:25.039
Yeah.
00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:38.720
Well, and and there again, you know, people who don't know the Lord and they're not seeking to know the Lord and for and I'm not judging nobody, I'm just saying for whatever reason, uh it's very easy to get beaten down in this life.
00:19:38.799 --> 00:19:46.799
I mean, it's very easy to get you know pummeled to the point emotionally or in different ways where you know you lose hope.
00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:52.319
You know, and and like Mark was saying, they lived in the valley of you know death or whatever.
00:19:52.480 --> 00:20:00.559
I mean, if if someone had doesn't have the Lord in their life and they're they're what what they're going through the motions, right?
00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:07.680
They're living day to day, they're trying to make it on their own, and they don't really have that relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:10.319
I mean, that's very symbolic of today.
00:20:10.400 --> 00:20:12.160
That what do you think about that?
00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:20.319
I I think this is just as this passage is just as relevant today as it was when it was it was lived by these men.
00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:22.000
What do y'all what do y'all think about that?
00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:23.839
What do you think we can learn from that?
00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:26.319
I think you're absolutely right.
00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:36.480
I think when I think about that line and then what Mark was just talking about, when we think of that as a whole, the darkness, it it's re it represents sin and confusion, like you said, Donnie.
00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:41.519
Umppressiveness, people, suffering, people live with that now.
00:20:41.599 --> 00:20:45.759
Up they're in oppression, hopelessness come because they're separated.
00:20:45.839 --> 00:20:48.240
They're separated from God and they don't know Jesus.
00:20:48.400 --> 00:20:51.519
Um and then Mark, you said the shadow of death.
00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:54.880
I feel like that's another representation in this text.
00:20:55.039 --> 00:20:57.920
And Donnie, you said it's it's written, it's put in there for a reason.
00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:12.079
I think the shadow of death represents um the fear and and the the power under which humanity lives, which it's either the power of Jesus or something that is not of Jesus, and a lot of people are living in that.
00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:18.319
And another thing in this, Jesus brings He brings truth into that darkness.
00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:23.680
He brings light into that darkness where there's confusion, where there's despair.
00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:37.680
And I think Jesus often does his, he begins his greatest work in the places uh where darkness may have settled in and where people are so used to this.
00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:42.559
And like you said, Donnie, they could have said, No, this is how we're used, we're used to this.
00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:43.759
And then that fear comes in.
00:21:43.839 --> 00:21:45.759
What's gonna happen when he changes it?
00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:53.200
But you've got to get over that if you're gonna get to know Jesus, because change will inevitably happen in your life and around your life.
00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:55.759
And it's good change, but people could be afraid of that.
00:21:55.920 --> 00:21:59.839
So I think it's it's so relevant, it's it's really the gospel right here that we're talking about.
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:02.319
Talking about Jesus changing life.
00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:18.640
You know, it's interesting that also when they started on the journey and they're they're traveling and Jesus is healing people, not just the sick, you know, various diseases, paralyzation.
00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:22.640
But he heals them all.
00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:30.799
So nobody is isolated out by what what what what ails them, so to speak.
00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:37.839
He didn't pick and choose, so to speak, who he was going to heal.
00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:43.920
We've all kind of heard the saying, you know, I've seen the light.
00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:46.319
Well, maybe this is what they're referring to.
00:22:46.559 --> 00:22:47.119
Oh yeah.
00:22:47.359 --> 00:22:49.119
You know, the light at the end of the tunnel.
00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:51.039
The light at the end of the tunnel.
00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:54.319
Yeah, you're right, Donnie.
00:22:54.400 --> 00:22:56.000
It it goes right back to this.
00:22:56.880 --> 00:23:03.920
You know, Chad, you you know, you're working with a church and you're involved in, you know, a lot of faith-based things, which are wonderful.
00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:05.920
You know, applaud you for that.
00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:15.359
And you know, we see uh to me when I when we're reading this and talking about this, you know, Jesus, he's he's he is the church, right?
00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:17.839
I mean, Jesus Christ is he is the church.
00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:19.519
He is he is Lord, right?
00:23:19.599 --> 00:23:20.960
He's the head of the church.
00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:24.960
He walks by these guys, they're they're doing their thing.
00:23:25.119 --> 00:23:29.279
And like Mark said, they may have had some idea who he was, but they still had to be obedient.
00:23:29.440 --> 00:23:32.079
Mark has a great point, had to be obedient.
00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:34.720
But Jesus makes the call, right?
00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:37.359
Jesus says, come and follow me.
00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:54.559
As the church, the body of Christ at work in the world, we need to be out there sharing this gospel and calling people, calling them to come to church, call, encouraging them to read the Bible, you know, saying that, hey, God loves you and He He wants a relationship with you.
00:23:54.720 --> 00:24:04.799
How relevant is that message today to us as Christians to be doing these things to try to share the good news with people?
00:24:06.319 --> 00:24:07.119
A hundred percent.
00:24:07.200 --> 00:24:08.079
It's very relevant.
00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:10.160
You have you you hit the nail on the head.
00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:20.480
We have we have become so so comfortable in having these groups of individual brick buildings that we call churches.
00:24:20.640 --> 00:24:20.799
Right.
00:24:21.119 --> 00:24:39.279
Often, often most most of the time, I hate to say that, but most of the time, what happens at each specific individual brick and mortar building that we call the church is not what should be happening within the group and body of believers under Jesus Christ that is called the church.
00:24:39.440 --> 00:24:43.119
And we we what we have done is we have split that into two different things.
00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:57.839
When in all actuality, can you imagine if all of the action in each of these buildings was just going out to people who were not on those inside of those walls and reaching the people on the outside of the walls, I think it would be an incredible transformation.
00:24:57.920 --> 00:25:05.599
And I think most pastors would agree with me that there's a lot, a lot going on inside that should be reaching out.
00:25:05.759 --> 00:25:10.640
The outreach, the outreach has to be more than what we're doing inside the walls.
00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:12.240
And if that happened, it'd be incredible.
00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:26.240
But um, you know, American, um the American Christian culture is it we've split it up into so many different things, and this person doesn't believe what this person believes.
00:25:26.319 --> 00:25:31.680
But they're just very minute differences when in actuality they do believe the same thing.
00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:46.000
They both believe in Jesus, they both believe in sharing the love of Jesus with other people, and they both believe that the only way to be saved and to know Jesus is to confess your sins and to believe in Jesus.
00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:55.119
But we let these little differences, we let these little bitty differences in our minds split us up into all these little different groups.
00:25:55.359 --> 00:25:57.599
I I guess you could almost call them cliques sometimes.
00:25:57.759 --> 00:26:00.160
Sometimes they feel like that's kind of what they are, you know?
00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:01.039
Yeah.
00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:01.599
Yeah.
00:26:01.759 --> 00:26:15.599
So it's it's sad if you think about it, but it's it's such an incredible thought if we could, if we could start doing what we see in this passage and using our mouths and talking about Jesus everywhere we're at, the grocery store, the gym, everywhere, just talking to people about Jesus.
00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:17.039
Well, exactly.
00:26:17.200 --> 00:26:20.720
And and to tag that and say that's a big this is a tall order.
00:26:21.200 --> 00:26:24.480
But um a lot of people are led by example.
00:26:26.079 --> 00:26:27.359
They're led by example.
00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:42.480
They they make they make decisions as to what they're gonna change in their life based on an example that they have seen or experienced that changed another person's life.
00:26:43.680 --> 00:26:54.000
And they they decide to to make a change in their life based on somebody's else's example.
00:26:54.640 --> 00:26:56.160
That's right, a hundred percent.
00:26:56.319 --> 00:27:12.079
And you know, like Mark, you know, was talking about earlier when he was, you know, you know, giving what he'd learned from this week when it says the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who lived in the land where death cats a shadow, a light has shined.
00:27:12.319 --> 00:27:15.440
You know, this tell me what y'all think about this.
00:27:15.599 --> 00:27:25.519
This I don't think it's by chance that Jesus' first ministry work recorded in Matthew is in a difficult place.
00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:29.599
He he didn't start out going to the temple, right?
00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:31.519
You know, and preaching to the religious leaders.
00:27:31.680 --> 00:27:36.960
He didn't go to he didn't go to Rome, you know, and and and talking to the emperor.
00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:40.880
He went where the suffering people live.
00:27:40.960 --> 00:27:50.319
I mean, when he says, where you live in a land where death casts its shadow like Marsa, I mean that would have been a very desolate and downtrodden place.
00:27:51.039 --> 00:28:15.519
You know, if we as the church, and I'm not being judgmental, I'm saying we, including me, me, me, okay, if we aren't willing to go into those places where people are hurting and suffering, you know, and try to share the good news of the gospel, I mean, then are we really accomplishing what what the mission of the church is?
00:28:15.759 --> 00:28:18.480
Well, what do you say about that, Mark, Chad?
00:28:18.559 --> 00:28:20.079
I mean, how do you guys see that?
00:28:20.480 --> 00:28:25.279
Well, also age doesn't age is not a qualifier, right?
00:28:25.440 --> 00:28:30.799
You don't have to be of a certain age in order to be able to lead by example.
00:28:31.119 --> 00:28:37.519
Jesus, they are speculating was around thirty years old when his ministry started.
00:28:37.920 --> 00:28:47.279
And I I don't know how old Simon and Andrew were or or James and John were, but chances are they might have been a little older.
00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:48.880
So could be, yeah.
00:28:49.119 --> 00:28:55.200
You know, age is really not a factor as far as uh making that decision.
00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:57.039
Yeah, absolutely.
00:28:57.200 --> 00:28:57.680
It's not.
00:28:57.759 --> 00:29:01.599
And he and he's like you said, he's calling, he calls every everybody.
00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:04.880
He calls anyone who will come, come.
00:29:05.039 --> 00:29:09.359
And you know, another thing he says, I this is what I was trying to say in the beginning.
00:29:09.519 --> 00:29:18.799
I didn't word it quite like I wanted it, but he says uh in his words, he says, come follow me, and then he says, I will show you how to fish for people.
00:29:18.880 --> 00:29:24.640
So you don't have to be afraid of, well, I don't know how to do all of this stuff.
00:29:24.799 --> 00:29:27.119
I see people in the church and they're doing all of these things.
00:29:27.200 --> 00:29:28.480
You don't have to know any of that.
00:29:28.559 --> 00:29:33.680
You follow him first, then he will teach you what to do.
00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:38.559
He didn't say learn everything, uh, fix everything, and then follow me.
00:29:38.720 --> 00:29:39.680
He said, follow me.
00:29:39.759 --> 00:29:40.720
That's the first step.
00:29:40.799 --> 00:29:42.400
That's the only thing he asked them to do.
00:29:42.559 --> 00:29:45.920
Follow me, and then I will show you.
00:29:46.079 --> 00:29:54.799
And I think there's a there's also that's another aspect of looking at the modern day church, um, the fear of I don't know how to be religious.
00:29:54.960 --> 00:29:56.240
Well, you don't have to be religious.
00:29:56.400 --> 00:30:00.000
You don't have to please don't be religious, just follow Jesus.
00:30:00.079 --> 00:30:01.039
That's all you gotta do.
00:30:01.200 --> 00:30:02.640
Just follow Jesus.
00:30:04.079 --> 00:30:07.599
And I like the way he put it into perspective talking to fishermen.
00:30:08.240 --> 00:30:12.720
He tied it into fishing for men or fishing for people.
00:30:13.279 --> 00:30:16.640
He's like, I don't understand that terminology, but people?
00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:24.160
That that was a nice nice addition to uh his request.
00:30:25.680 --> 00:30:27.440
Yeah, I mean it really isn't.
00:30:27.519 --> 00:30:30.960
And we um there are people that need to hear the good news.
00:30:31.119 --> 00:30:46.480
I mean, they're there we what we have to we and I say we, I mean we the body of Christ that work in the world, what we have to share with people the news that, hey, you know, you're creating God's image, you're fearful and wonderfully made, you know.
00:30:46.960 --> 00:30:48.799
He wants a relationship with you.
00:30:48.960 --> 00:30:51.839
I mean, you know, that how many people today need to hear that?
00:30:51.920 --> 00:30:53.519
I mean, my God, I need to hear it.
00:30:53.680 --> 00:30:54.480
I need to hear it.
00:30:54.559 --> 00:30:54.799
Yeah.
00:30:55.039 --> 00:31:12.640
And I I and I think about like what what's happening in this situation where Jesus is calling these people, you know, these these first disciples, you know, it and I and we talk a lot about social media and different things on here, you know, different things that are going on.
00:31:12.880 --> 00:31:36.799
But my gosh, how different would the world be if we could focus on just that little bit of a message, you know, like you were saying, Chad, if we were more inviting and um, you know, more inclusive or however you want to say it, whatever words you want to use, if we if we could be less judgmental and more loving, wow, what a difference that could be.
00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:39.200
Yeah, absolutely.
00:31:39.440 --> 00:31:44.640
You started off that, Donnie, and you were talking about the you were talking about the fishermen, or maybe it was you, Mark.
00:31:44.720 --> 00:31:47.039
I can't remember who we were talking about fishermen anyway.
00:31:47.359 --> 00:31:54.720
And uh there's a spot, there's a part in this verse, it says, they left their nets at once.
00:31:54.880 --> 00:32:01.519
And I find that interesting because he they he didn't have to put that in that passage, but he put that there for a reason.
00:32:01.680 --> 00:32:03.519
They left their nets at once.
00:32:03.680 --> 00:32:07.440
And so if I think about, can you imagine these are fishermen?
00:32:07.680 --> 00:32:15.519
Their nets represent their livelihood, they represent their security, it's their routine, what they're used to.
00:32:15.759 --> 00:32:24.000
It's almost their well, it is, it's their former identity, the life that they understand, and they immediately left.
00:32:24.160 --> 00:32:28.799
It didn't say they just they dropped them and then carried them with them, they left their nets.
00:32:28.880 --> 00:32:31.519
So I think there's a big representation there of them.
00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:37.039
That's their security and livelihood and routine and former identity, all of it, and they're leaving it behind.
00:32:37.200 --> 00:32:38.720
It's such an incredible statement.
00:32:38.960 --> 00:32:40.400
Yeah, these words are powerful.
00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:46.319
Even in 21, when James and John, I mean, they're with their father, Zebedee.
00:32:47.359 --> 00:32:47.920
Exactly.
00:32:48.240 --> 00:32:52.880
And they're repairing nets, and he calls them, and then what does it say in 22?
00:32:53.599 --> 00:32:54.640
They left.
00:32:55.039 --> 00:33:00.880
They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.
00:33:01.680 --> 00:33:02.319
Wow.
00:33:05.119 --> 00:33:09.759
Yeah, that's those words are those words were written as in documented.
00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:10.640
Absolutely.
00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:14.240
Matthew's sitting up there on the shore watching all this, right?
00:33:14.319 --> 00:33:15.200
And writing.
00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:19.839
I mean, it's just like an eyewitness account.
00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:23.759
Well, it it does make you think.
00:33:23.920 --> 00:33:29.039
I think like too, we talk about following Jesus, right?
00:33:29.200 --> 00:33:34.799
Which we this is something we're we discuss a lot, you know, on our podcast about following Jesus.
00:33:34.960 --> 00:33:38.160
But you know, it's hard to follow something you don't know a lot about.
00:33:38.319 --> 00:33:53.359
I mean, if you're not if it like we do the podcasts, because we, you know, we're hoping and praying that people, you know, who may see or or hear this will decide for themselves that they want to begin to read and study the Bible.
00:33:53.519 --> 00:34:15.760
Well, if we, all of us, right, if we're not reading and studying our Bible and discussing it with our friends like we're doing today, then we're not gonna have that perspective of what it would have been like to be there or or what what Jesus is is asking of us or what blessings could come from following him if we don't really know anything about him.
00:34:15.920 --> 00:34:24.239
So I think that to me, that's Chad, you're again, you know, you're you're you know, you're in the church uh administrative type world.
00:34:24.480 --> 00:34:39.920
To me, that's something that every sermon, every day, every thing that should happen in the church is to encourage us all to read the word for ourselves and to and to learn more and more about Jesus because that way we can be more effective followers.
00:34:40.079 --> 00:34:41.360
What do you think about that?
00:34:41.440 --> 00:34:43.679
I mean, how do you guys view that?
00:34:44.719 --> 00:34:45.679
I've I've 100%.
00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:47.039
I've said it before here.
00:34:47.119 --> 00:34:56.239
I said uh so many people go into a church or a ministry type deal on the weekend, on Saturday or Sunday.
00:34:56.320 --> 00:35:00.719
Most people go on Sunday, and they they expect that.
00:35:01.119 --> 00:35:09.519
And maybe it's because, like you said, they're they're not there's no experience, there's no person in front of them saying, hey, don't just listen to what I'm saying.
00:35:09.760 --> 00:35:12.400
Don't just read it right here while I'm teaching it.
00:35:12.960 --> 00:35:17.119
Go home, dive into it, study it yourself and read it yourself.
00:35:17.280 --> 00:35:26.079
Maybe that's the issue, is that that is not being put forth enough that, hey, don't just come here and listen to me teach and preach.
00:35:26.320 --> 00:35:28.639
Go home and study it for yourself.
00:35:28.880 --> 00:35:32.400
Challenge yourself to get in it every day and learn.
00:35:32.639 --> 00:35:36.559
You know, that call might not be going out enough for people to do that.
00:35:36.800 --> 00:35:44.400
They just get so used to going in on Sunday and oh, I'm gonna open my Bible, I'm gonna close it, and I'll see it next week, you know.
00:35:46.000 --> 00:36:13.920
I mean, whether you baby step it or whether you jump in with both feet, just you know church on Sunday, maybe a Bible study, a podcast, uh coffee or lunch with a friend who is learning and growing and spiritually new, surrounding yourself with other folks that have the same interests, and then the transformation really takes off.
00:36:16.480 --> 00:36:16.800
Right.
00:36:17.199 --> 00:36:25.840
So it's it's it's it's a lot of things that that somebody can do and baby step and it's fine.
00:36:26.159 --> 00:36:27.920
He just wants you to come to it.
00:36:28.719 --> 00:36:28.960
Yeah.
00:36:29.280 --> 00:36:30.719
It's a journey, like Mark is.
00:36:31.199 --> 00:36:31.519
Absolutely.
00:36:31.920 --> 00:36:32.400
It's a journey.
00:36:32.559 --> 00:36:32.800
Absolutely.
00:36:33.039 --> 00:36:34.880
These guys are embarking on a journey.
00:36:34.960 --> 00:36:36.639
They left everything and took off.
00:36:36.719 --> 00:36:42.239
You know, they I'm sure they had no idea they were going up at the foot of a cross, but you know, that's where it took them.
00:36:42.480 --> 00:36:47.920
And you know, it it is um it's it's very relevant to today.
00:36:48.079 --> 00:36:50.719
I mean, this is very, very relevant to today.
00:36:51.039 --> 00:36:51.519
I agree.
00:36:51.760 --> 00:36:52.400
Yeah, yeah.
00:36:52.480 --> 00:36:58.719
And coming out of this, I think one of the things that I like I want to stick with me is how we talked about a little bit ago.
00:36:58.960 --> 00:37:04.960
Mark, you were talking about how far this had spread from Galilee to Syria.
00:37:05.360 --> 00:37:05.599
Syria.
00:37:05.920 --> 00:37:06.880
Uh Jerusalem.
00:37:07.039 --> 00:37:10.159
Yeah, all every, you know, the all of the distance in between, what'd you say?
00:37:10.239 --> 00:37:15.679
It was forty miles, about 40 miles spreading by word of mouth, and that had to be intentional.
00:37:15.840 --> 00:37:21.519
People had to intentionally, and like you said, a lot of these people didn't know a lot.
00:37:21.840 --> 00:37:26.079
They just knew enough they knew of Jesus and that word spread.
00:37:26.320 --> 00:37:27.760
I think that's so relevant too today.
00:37:27.840 --> 00:37:43.360
If we think about how far that spread, if we will just do the little bit, like you said, you said baby step it, if we'll just do that little bit and we'll we'll we'll study the word and we'll tell people what we do know and talk about Jesus, that can make all the difference in the world.
00:37:43.519 --> 00:37:57.280
Uh one of the things I love about this passage is it really presents us with the beginning and the powerful start of Jesus' ministry in a place where we've talked about darkness.
00:37:57.519 --> 00:38:04.559
Darkness had settled, people were sitting in darkness, they were used to the time, and Jesus brings in that light.
00:38:04.639 --> 00:38:20.960
So I hope this is this is the reminder that we need that Jesus, no matter how monotonous your life is, or how you've gotten used to your situation, or how hopeless you might feel, Jesus is the light and will bring light into that darkness.
00:38:21.039 --> 00:38:22.559
It's such a powerful story.
00:38:22.800 --> 00:38:24.639
Go to your Bible and read it again.
00:38:24.719 --> 00:38:27.199
You'll probably get something different the next time you read it.
00:38:27.280 --> 00:38:28.079
It's such a great story.
00:38:28.239 --> 00:38:30.239
Donnie, would you close us out in prayer?
00:38:30.559 --> 00:38:31.519
Absolutely.
00:38:31.760 --> 00:38:39.840
Lord, we want to thank you for the opportunity to be here today and to visit and talk and to share your word and to read this passage from Matthew.
00:38:39.920 --> 00:38:50.880
And Lord, wow, what an exciting moment it must have been for these disciples to have the King of the universe come in there and say, Hey, come and follow me.
00:38:50.960 --> 00:38:56.239
And Lord, we know that you still call on us today and offer us those same opportunities.
00:38:56.400 --> 00:39:09.840
And I pray that our listening audience and viewing audience would be encouraged to read their Bible and to grow in their faith to come to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in a more intimate and personal way.
00:39:10.079 --> 00:39:12.639
And we ask these things in Jesus' name.
00:39:17.760 --> 00:39:22.800
To learn more about our podcast and resources, head over to remember the king.
