MAN ON A MISSION
- Key Verse
- And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. (Matthew 4:19-20)
READ TODAY'S PASSAGE-
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Central Truth
Jesus is on a mission to engage the world to reveal who He is.
Reflections
There is something inspirational and magnetic about people who are on mission. My best friend and his wife have started "Seed Effect." Their mission? To preach Christ in southern Sudan and provide microfinance opportunities for people in extreme poverty. The result? The love of Christ is shared, and hope has been ignited in a place where it didn't exist before.Here in this great story you have four men who are fisherman. Just another day fishing in Galilee until a Man on a mission arrives, who initiates, calls out to them, and invites them to come with Him, saying, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Jesus is saying "lay down your nets and come, I have something far greater in store for you." Immediately, they walked away from their boat and their lives that day and followed Jesus. James and John left not only a prosperous business, but also their father.
After immediately following, what do they see? In verses 23-25 Jesus goes to teach truth everywhere, even after John the Baptist was arrested for doing the exact same thing! Jesus was on a mission, no matter what the cost, even at the expense of His own life.
In my own life, so many times I've held on to the net, thinking that is where life is found. My mission, my will, my security, my comfort, my pursuit of worldly pleasures, and my significance all take precedence when I think, "I know what's best!" I never like the results when I think that way.
I've found that I feel most alive when I "let go of the net" and follow Christ. I feel that way because that is what I was created for, to be on mission for Christ, loving God and loving others. There is no greater adventure because many don't understand the transforming power of Christ--power to change their lives forever! Our days are few. Let's embrace this opportunity to be a part of our Hero's journey.
Discussion Questions
1. Today, am I on mission for Christ?2. How am I "holding on to the net"?
3. Does my life reflect someone who believes life is found in living for Christ?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What does it mean to fish for people (verse 19)?
2. In verses 20 and 22 the men had the same response to Jesus’ call, what was it?
3. How quickly do you obey what God asks of you?
Comments
The views expressed under “Comments” are solely
those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Watermark Community Church.
Reggie
January 11, 2010 05:32 AM
Jarrad- I loved your application about either holding on to the net or letting go of the net and following Christ's call to pursue "life" with Him. Holding on to the net is whatever makes me feel safe, or promises to give me a purpose (job, resources, pleasures, etc.). "Letting go of the net" means trusting Christ and resting in His love alone to meet my deepest needs and provide me with His direction for "life". As you said "I feel most alive when I let go of the net"; each day provides us (me) with the decision of letting go of the net and following Christ. Thanks for the devotional encouragement to follow Christ today.
brandy kilpatrick-patterson
January 11, 2010 07:57 AM
J Brandt- My net has many many holes in it, in which I try and patch up but until God becomes my daily net sealent, my net remains very unreliable. You're a good man Jarrad! Good devo!
Beth
January 11, 2010 08:28 AM
Jarrad- i love this passage in Matthew! it seems so straightforward and easy to do, but there is always something in the way of totally dropping our daily tasks and following whole-heartedly after christ and it's usually "self" that's the thing that gets in the way. thanks for sharing! loved it!
Roseana
January 11, 2010 09:20 AM
Great word, Jarrad. I will be praying through what my "nets" are.
Ted Schweinfurth
January 11, 2010 09:22 AM
Jarrad - Great reflections and insights. Thank you.
Emily Loerke
January 11, 2010 09:48 AM
'we often hold onto our nets thinking that is where life is found' ... this spoke to me this morning. thank you for sharing (and for the bucket list suggestions).
jake
January 11, 2010 09:53 AM
Jarrad, Since I've known you it has been great watching how you are letting go of the net to follow faithfully and be a fisher of men...great devo this morning!
Marni
January 11, 2010 10:10 AM
Thank you for this message and the reminder that we are to leave the net and follow Christ. I took my spiritual growth assessment yesterday, and it became painfully clear to me that while I know truth, I often fail to act on it. And the times that I actually do act on it, I've generally spent some time wrestling with my selfish desires before I got to that place. I am amazed when I read that the disciples heard his command and IMMEDIATELY left their nets to follow Him. God's clearly communicating to me that He doesn't just want me to KNOW Him and KNOW things about Him, He wants me to act on these things. Thanks for being the Lord's vessel in relaying this message to me today.
Eric Colton
January 11, 2010 10:26 AM
Jarrad, you are an encouragement to me. I enjoy watching you live your life in a way that glorifies God. It's been great serving with you in Corssroads 45 as well. You are truly making an lasting impact on those boys and their families...
Sue Bohlin
January 11, 2010 10:40 AM
>> I've found that I feel most alive when I "let go of the net" and follow Christ.
mo
January 11, 2010 11:46 AM
JB, Always encouraged by you buddy. Thanks for the reminder today!
Chris Stout
January 11, 2010 01:45 PM
Jarrad, Right on my friend, just recently I failed to put my net down, the result was ugly. Praying for us all...not to get be so focused on making this world our heaven. Putting down my net with you all.
Jim Wimberley
January 11, 2010 04:11 PM
Good example of a devoted follower of Christ. I want to be one along with you Jarrad. Jim
Will
January 11, 2010 10:07 PM
Jarrad - I pray for clarity in what putting down the net means - can I serve God's call on my life where I am or are my talents/passions better used elsewhere in service to him? Men and women probably all wrestle with that to some degree, but when the call is clear, I pray we will all put the net down and follow Christ. As it is now, I fish for both men and fish in my current vocation. For the person of Jesus' day (and the person of this day), one may wonder why Jesus didn't go to a temple or call on an enlightened clergyman of the day who could help espouse God's truth with greater rhetoric than these fishermen. Praise God who uses the ordinary, even (especially) the broken, to demonstrate his power. It is in our weakness, not our crafty words and high logic, that Christ's power is made known. May he take us ordinary vessels and accomplish great and mighty things for his glory as we faithfully drop the temporal and pursue the eternal.
jo tiller
January 11, 2010 10:45 PM
great thoughts and application ...thanks
Laurs Smith
January 11, 2010 11:00 PM
Jarrad - thanks for the encouraging and challenging devo today! As I'm in a transition time now, the idea of laying my nets and following harder after Christ gets me more excited for whatever He has in store next! It's great serving with you in Crossroad45 - you set an awesome example for your boys on how to truly follow Jesus!
Kristin
January 13, 2010 04:35 PM
Jarrad - Great devotional and very challenging. Thanks for your words of wisdom. A fun fact: my grandfather built the statue that sits in the middle of the semi-circle of pillars at the Normandy Memorial Cemetery. That place is on my bucket list as well.