Transcription downloaded from https://bibletalks.htd.org.au/sermons/38012/jesus-disciples/.

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[0:00] In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Jesus, in chapter 4 of Matthew, had overcome the temptations of the devil.

[0:21] And he was now ready to begin his public ministry. And the signal for that was the arrest of John the Baptist. John the Baptist, who had been preparing the way for Jesus.

[0:38] Preparing the way for the Messiah. When Jesus got bored that John had been arrested, he returned to Galilee.

[0:49] He moved from his hometown of Nazareth. He moved from Zebulun and Neptali Hills. And Matthew sees this as a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

[1:09] And Matthew shares with us what Isaiah prophesies. Land of Zebulun, land of Neptali, on the road to the sea across the Jordan.

[1:24] Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. For those who sat in the...

[1:35] Has dawned. This is the prophecy that Isaiah prophesied.

[1:47] This came to life in Galilee. The moment Jesus began preaching. And Jesus began preaching.

[2:00] He picked up where John left off. Repent. Says Jesus. Repent. For the kingdom of heaven has come near.

[2:15] Change your lives, he says. God's kingdom is here. Galilee is a strange place for the Messiah to work.

[2:30] Galilee was not just geographically far from Jerusalem. It was thought to be spiritually and politically far too.

[2:42] Galilee was the most pagan of the Jewish provinces. It was situated at the northernmost part of Palestine.

[2:55] And the Galileans were considered by the Judeans to sit a bit loosely with the law. And to be less pure.

[3:06] Less biblically pure than those who lived in or near Jerusalem. And finally, Galilee was notorious for being a nest of revolution.

[3:23] It was the haunt of zealot revolutionary activity. So when Jesus withdrew to Galilee, he did more than head north.

[3:36] He seemed to go wrong. Because we know from other places in the New Testament. That being a Galilean and exercising his ministry there.

[3:49] Was a charge that was brought against him quite often. In John chapter 7 verse 41 and in verse 52 we read the accounts of this.

[4:02] Jesus worked where Judaism touched paganism. Where the nation, God's nation, intersected the nations.

[4:19] Where light met darkness. Jesus lived and worked on the frontier. Jesus moved to the Galilee of the Gentiles.

[4:36] Shows us very clearly God's amazing initiative. His initiative to the Gentiles who had never been considered before.

[4:52] Jesus here is called the light of the nations. The light of the nations. The light of the nations. The light of the nations. The light of the nations. The light of the nations. As the NRSV puts it.

[5:05] And Jesus will later call his disciples the light of the world. The disciples' light is a reflection of Jesus' light.

[5:19] He is the sun. And they and we are the moon. Because he is the light. We his disciples are light too.

[5:32] And in the prophecy. The nations. The nations. We are told. Are not by themselves.

[5:42] The light. They are. In Matthew's reading. So in the dark. That they're not able to even move. They sit in darkness.

[5:53] He tells us. They sit in darkness. The nations are paralyzed. Until Jesus comes to them. They sit shrouded in night.

[6:04] Until Jesus the sun rises on them. The New Testament. Pictures the world without Christ.

[6:16] As a very very shadowy place. And there is some theology around today. That is saying that non-Christian religions.

[6:28] Have a possibility of salvation. Whether there's faith in Jesus Christ or not. This is a very generous opinion.

[6:39] But it is not based on New Testament teaching. The New Testament teaches. That people apart from Christ.

[6:50] Christ who is the light. Are in the world of night. They're under the shadow of death. They need Jesus.

[7:03] To live. They need Jesus to see. So light. Is not. What the nations.

[7:14] Are. Are. Or have. In themselves. It's what comes to them. Through Jesus. Land of Zebulun.

[7:32] Land of Neptali. On the road to the sea. Across the Jordan. Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who sat in darkness. Have seen.

[7:43] A great light. For those who sat in the region. And the shadow of death. Light. Has dawned. And we go on to read.

[7:58] From verse 17. And from then on. Jesus started to speak. He started to speak out. And to say. Repent. For the kingdom of heaven.

[8:10] Has come near. Turn your lives around. He says. Because here comes. The kingdom of heaven. Turn your lives around.

[8:21] Repent. And in this single sentence. There is a summary. Of Jesus. Whole message. Repent.

[8:33] For the kingdom. Of heaven. Has come near. Turn your lives around. And. Jesus message. Is not.

[8:44] One bit. Different. From that. Of John the Baptist. And we read that. In chapter 3. Verse 2. And there.

[8:55] To. John. Preached. Repent. For the kingdom. Of heaven. Has come near. Exactly. The same. Message. Turn.

[9:06] Turn. Your lives. Around. And there is nothing. Tricky. There is nothing. Difficult. About this. Meaning. It is not.

[9:17] Telling us. What to turn. From. Specifically. But the emphasis. Is on. Turning. From. Our preoccupations.

[9:28] Towards. God. It is simple. As that. Turn. From. Our preoccupations. Towards. God. Whatever. Keeps us. From. Turning.

[9:38] Towards. The coming. Kingdom. Is that. From which. We should. Turn. And the words.

[9:49] The kingdom. Of heaven. Has. Come near. The kingdom. Of heaven. Has. Come near. Pronounce. A fate. A complete. It.

[10:01] Pronounces. A fate. A complete. The kingdom. Of heaven. Of heaven. Has. Come near. And it sounds. As though.

[10:12] There is not much. We can do about it. But when Jesus says. Repent. When Jesus says.

[10:23] Turn around. Jesus. Honours. Us. Jesus. Jesus. Honours. Us. Jesus. Helps. Us.

[10:34] He helps us. By telling us. That there is something. That we can. Do about it. And that there is something. That we must.

[10:45] Do about it. When Jesus says. Repent. Turn around. He releases.

[10:56] With his word. Even to us. Who hear his word today. Two thousand years later. He releases. With his word. The spiritual power.

[11:07] To repent. The spiritual power. To turn around. When he says. Repent. He releases.

[11:18] With. That word. The power. Which enables us. To do it. The power to receive. Or to do.

[11:29] What Jesus says. Is tucked. Inside. The word. The power to receive. And do. Is tucked.

[11:40] Inside. The word. As it sinks. Into our ears. Its power. Sinks. Into our hearts. Words.

[11:52] Even human words. Do things. And we all know. When someone says to us. I'm sorry.

[12:04] Does something. To the one. Who hears it. When someone says to us. I love you. I love you. When that's spoken from the heart.

[12:16] It does something. Does something very special. And there are many. Many. Many. Many.

[12:27] Performative. Words. Doing. Words. Apart from the informative. The. Saying words.

[12:40] And God's word. Whether it's written. Whether it's preached. Whether it's administered. With the sacraments. Is lived. Is performative.

[12:53] So. Whenever Jesus. Whatever Jesus says. Is pregnant. With the power. To perform it. Whatever Jesus says.

[13:04] Is pregnant. With the power. To perform it. Jesus words. Changes people. Jesus words.

[13:14] Performs. Reforms. Reforms. And transforms. Whoever it touches. Jesus words.

[13:25] Enables. What it commands. Jesus words. Enables. What. It commands. I think.

[13:39] Here. Perhaps. It's important. To see. That Jesus. Does not say. Repent. So that.

[13:50] The kingdom. Of heaven. Can come. He does not say. Repent. So that. The kingdom. Of heaven. Can come. Because. That.

[14:01] Suggests. That it is. Human action. That enables. God's action. He does not say. Repent.

[14:13] So that. The kingdom. Of heaven. Can come. This. If it was. This way around. It will be. Human action.

[14:24] Enabling. God's action. Jesus does not. Say that. Jesus says. Repent. For. The kingdom.

[14:35] Of heaven. Has come near. Repent. For. The kingdom. Of heaven. Has come near. Because. The kingdom. Of heaven. Is here. God's kingdom.

[14:48] Is. En route. It's breaking through. In Jesus. Therefore. Repent. And both. John the Baptist. Teaching. And Jesus.

[14:59] Preaching. Had this. Same sequence. Repent. Because. The kingdom. Of heaven. Heaven. Has come near. Human.

[15:12] Response. Is always. Based. On divine. Initiative. On God's. Initiative. Our. Response.

[15:22] Is based. On God's. Initiative. Initiative. And we move now. From Jesus.

[15:33] Beginning his ministry. In Galilee. To him calling. His first. Disciples. This. We. Move. To verse 18. We see.

[15:45] Jesus. Walking. Along the. Lake of Galilee. Along the beach. There. And Jesus. Sees. The brothers. Simon. Who was later. Called Peter. And Andrew.

[15:56] They were fishing. Throwing. They. They nets. Into the lake. This was. Their regular. Work. And Jesus. Said. To them. Come.

[16:07] With me. And I. Will. Make you. A new. Kind. A fisherman. Out of you. I'll show you. How to catch. Men. And women.

[16:18] Instead of. Perch. Or bass. They didn't. Ask. Any questions. But simply. Dropped. Their nets.

[16:29] And followed. So. How come. These men. These men.

[16:40] Became. Became. Jesus. Disciples. Is it. As we. Sometimes. Hear. Something. Jesus. Saw. In Peter.

[16:51] And Andrew. Some. Potential. Maybe. Some. Sincerity. That. Singled. Them. Out. Well.

[17:02] Nothing. Of the. Sort. Is. Recorded. And. Matthew. Seems. To. Go. To. Great. Length. To. Force. Our. Attention. Away. From.

[17:12] Anything. That. Is. In. The. Disciples. And. Towards. Jesus. Jesus. Called. They. Followed.

[17:23] Jesus. Said. Follow. Me. And. They. Dropped. They. Nets. And. Followed. Him. And.

[17:34] Theologically. There. Is. Something. Very. Important. Here. And. We. Read. This. In. John. 15. Verse. 16. Where. Jesus. Says.

[17:45] You. Have. Not. Chosen. Me. But. I. Have. Chosen. You. You. Have. Not. Chosen. Me. But. I.

[17:55] Have. Chosen. You. When. A. Person. Becomes. A. Disciple. Of. Jesus. It. Is. Because. Jesus. Calls.

[18:06] The. Person. And. Not. Because. The. Person. Calls. Jesus. We. Owe. Our. Conversion. We. Owe.

[18:17] Our. Call. We. Owe. Our. Baptism. We. Owe. Our. Discipleship. And. Whatever. Else. We. Have. In. Christ. To.

[18:27] The. Word. And. To. The. Work. Of. Jesus. Not. To. Any. Potential. In. Us. Not. To.

[18:37] Any. Sincerity. That. Is. In. Us. Or. Not. To. Any. Sense. Of. Of. Of. Spiritual. Pride. Or. Superiority. In. Ourselves.

[18:51] We. Owe. It. All. To. Jesus. You. Have. Not. Chosen. Me. He. Says. I. Have. Chosen. You. Every.

[19:03] Single. One. Of. Us. Here. Today. God. Has. Chosen. You. I. Don't. Know. About. You. But.

[19:13] It. Makes. Me. Feel. Very. Special. So. What. Makes. A. Disciple. Jesus. Christ.

[19:24] Alone. Follow. Me. He. Says. Follow. Me. And. I. Will. Make. You. Fish. For. People. He.

[19:35] Actually. Saying. Here. Come. Be. My. Students. Come. Be. My. Students. And. I. Will. Turn. You. Into. Fishers. Of. People. With.

[19:46] Jesus. Invitation. Comes. That. Exciting. Promise. The. Promise. Of. Catch. It.

[20:02] At. The. Very. Core. Of. Our. Being. Very. Very. Core. Of. Our. Being. We. Find. There. Is. A. Real. Desire. To. Influence.

[20:13] Or. To. Be. There. For. Others. To. Influence. Others. Socially. That. We. Made. This. Way. Jesus.

[20:23] Promises. That. I. I. Will. Make. You. Fishers. Of. People. People. And. It's. Interesting.

[20:34] That. Jesus. First. Meeting. With. Those. Disciples. He. Actually. Calls. Them. To. School. To. The. School. Of. Discipleship. He. Doesn't.

[20:45] Say. Follow. Me. And. I. Will. Save. Your. Souls. These. Are. Not. The. Words. That. Jesus. Uses. In. His. First. Evangelistic. Call. Jesus.

[20:57] Calls. These. Two. Men. To. School. And. Even. In. This. School. He. The. Promise. Is. Not. Their. Salvation. But. Others. Jesus.

[21:08] Promises. Help. Through. The. Disciples. To. Others. Jesus. In. Fact. Offers.

[21:19] Nothing. Here. To. The. Disciples. Except. That. Of. Being. A. Help. To. Others. And. We. All. Have. The. Capacity. To.

[21:30] Help. Others. To. Care. For. Others. We. All. Have. That. Capacity. And. Jesus. Promises. To. Supply. The. Power. To. Those.

[21:40] Who. Join. Him. In. His. Ministry. I. Will. He. Said. I. Will. Make. You. Fish. For. People. We.

[21:53] Sometimes. Worry. And. Rightly. So. About. Those. Deep. Down. Thoughts. And. Ambitions. That. Really. Burn. Deep. Within. Us. And. We. Don't. Really. Own.

[22:03] It. Up. To. Anybody. That. That. Perhaps. We. Want. To. Be. Someone. To. Be. Somebody. To. Do. Things. That. Are. Special.

[22:14] People. And. It. How. Much. Of. This. Wanting. Is. Self. And.

[22:24] How. Much. Of. This. Wanting. Is. Christ. And. Jesus. Unapologetically. Targets.

[22:35] Those. Deep. Deep. Thoughts. And. Feelings. And. Says. To. Us. Do. You. Want. To. Make. Something. Useful. Of. Your. Life. Do.

[22:46] You. Want. To. Have. A. Life. That. Is. Catching. I. Will. Give. This. To. You. I. Will. Give. This. To. You. Follow.

[22:57] Me. And. I. Will. Make. You. Fishers. Of. People. Jesus. Calls.

[23:08] People. To. Himself. Follow. Me. He. Says. He. Calls. His. Disciples. Then. And. Now.

[23:19] To. A. Walk. To. A. Journey. It's. Not. A. Single. Act. He. Says. Follow. It.

[23:30] Means. To. Live. A. Life. Following. Him. And. Jesus. Uses. Fresh. Language. That. The. Fishermen. Understand. The.

[23:40] Language. Of. Their. Trade. He. Doesn't. Tell. The. Fishermen. That. They. Will. Become. Healers. Of. People. Language. That. Would. Be. Appropriate. To. Doctors.

[23:50] Rather. Than. Fishermen. He. Says. I. Will. Make. You. Fishers. Of. People. And. Finally.

[24:00] With. That. Comes. A. Promise. That. Promise. Is. Of. Reaching. Outside. Of. Ourselves. To. Others. So.

[24:14] What. Then. Are. We. To. Do. When. We. Hear. Jesus. Word. We.

[24:24] Give. Him. Ourselves. We. Give. Him. Ourselves. As. His. Followers. God. And.

[24:35] This. Gift. Of. Self. Is. Not. Something. That. We. Can. Work. Up. Or. Drum. Up. Inside. Us. It. Something. That. Comes. To. Us. From. God's.

[24:45] Word. And. Is. Spoken. To. Us. We. Jesus. Disciples. Who.

[24:55] Read. And. Hear. Jesus. Word. Here. On. Sundays. And. Throughout. The. Week. Wherever. We. May. Be. We. Find. New. Power.

[25:07] We. Find. A. New. Will. Power. To. Leave. As. The. Fisherman. Did. To. Leave. What. We. Should. Leave. And.

[25:19] Then. For. Another. Week. We. Can. Serve. We. Can. Care. We. Can. Help. Others. And. Whether. We. Know.

[25:29] It. Or. Not. We. Can. Be. Catching. Catching. To. Others. Come. Be.

[25:40] My. Student. Says. Jesus. And. I. Will. Make. You. Catching. With. People. To.

[25:52] Follow. Jesus. Is. To. Catch. People. To. Give. Our. Will. To. Jesus. In. A. Life. Of. Close. Discipleship.

[26:03] Is. Somehow. And. Mysteriously. To. Move. Other. People. To. Give. Their. Will. To. Him. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To.

[26:13]  To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. To. Amen.