The Call

Matt. 4:18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Jesus' ministry on earth is just about to start. He has just been baptized, by John the Baptizer, and from here he is tempted by Satan after fasting and praying for 40 days and nights. The angels come and minister to Him. Except for the baptism, it doesn't appear that there is any human audience for the rest of these things.

So when Jesus comes to call His disciples and they immediately leave all they have ever known to follow Him, what is it about Jesus that drew them to Him? He hadn't performed any miracles yet, so what was it in Him that caused these hardened fishermen to be willing to leave it all?

I don't know the answer to that question, but what about today? We have all read about His miracles in the Word; are we willing to leave it all for Christ today?

There is something about the call on our lives that draws us to Him. Abandon it all for the sake of the call. There's more to life than fishing, and there is certainly more to life than whatever else we are doing currently. The "more" is what He gives us to do along the way. "Fishing while you work" should be our calling. How are you doing in telling others about our Good God along the way? Today, tell someone about something really great that God is doing in your life. They will be encouraged, your faith will be strengthen and God will get the glory.

The Sake of the Call
Steven Curtis Chapman

Nobody stood and applauded them
So they knew from the start
This road would not lead to fame
All they really knew for sure was Jesus had called to them
He said "Come follow me" and they came
With reckless abandon they came

Empty nets lying there at the waters edge
Told a story that few could believe and none could explain
How some crazy fishermen agreed to go where Jesus lead
With no thought for what they would gain
For Jesus had called them by name and they answered

CHORUS
We will abandon it all for the sake of the call
No other reason at all but the sake of the call
Wholly devoted to live and to die
For the sake of the call

Drawn like the rivers are drawn to the sea
No turning back for the water cannot help but flow
Once we hear the Savior's call we'll follow wherever he leads
Because of the love He has shown
And because he has called us to go we will answer

We will abandon it all for the sake of the call
No other reason at all but the sake of the call
Wholly devoted to live and to die

BRIDGE
Not for the sake of a creed or a cause
Not for a dream or a promise
Simply because it is Jesus who calls
And if we believe we'll obey