“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father and followed him.”— Matthew 4:18-22 (KJV)
Introduction
There is more to these few verses than meets the eye, especially the challenge issued by Jesus: “Follow me.” Jesus has called these men to follow Him.
To have a genuine relationship, we must do what Jesus did. What did Jesus do? We should emulate his example. Relationships require that we “Follow.”
- Follow Him in worship,
- Follow Him in service—As He reached out to the poor, the downcast, the downtrodden,
- Follow Him by demonstrating love and compassion to the fatherless, the homeless, the sick, and the diseased. Those rejected by society; those soaked in sin.
Therefore, we need to become examples in our relationships with Christ. He left us on earth to fulfill the Great Commission and to be aware of its purpose, mission, and reason for existing as Christians. Everything we do as a church, in groups, every special event, every special occasion, and every program should do some ministry.
Jesus kept relationships with His Father and with the people. Today’s church is to do what Jesus did when He was on earth. We are His hands extended. He chose to work through you and me to reach the world.
For our relationships to blossom while on earth, we should do the following as Jesus did on earth: So, What Did Jesus Do?
He did WORSHIP
Examples
Whom did Jesus worship? He worshipped the Father and ONLY the Father.
Satan tempted Jesus to worship him. The response Jesus gave is found in Matthew 4:10 (KJV): “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
We also know what His idea of worship is, which is found in John 4:23 (KJV): “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”
- The time to worship is NOW “Now Is.”
- Acceptable worship is done “In Spirit,” and “In Truth.”
- The Father seeks people who will worship Him in Spirit and Truth.
Jesus did DISCIPLESHIP
Discipleship is training leaders. Discipleship can be done in many different ways. Discipleship can be a verse read as a devotion at any event. A verse that encourages people to share their faith.
Jesus did EVANGELISM
Examples
Evangelism is sharing your faith. You can pass out invitations to church or share a Christian book or Bible.
We are called to evangelize our community.
The world is not going to do it.
- Your Bible doesn’t have legs; you are the legs.
- Your Bible doesn’t have a mouth; you are its mouth.
EXAMPLE: John 4:3-4 (KJV): “He left Judea and departed again into Galilee. And he must needs go through Samaria.” He took a long way and went right through a TERRITORY THAT OTHER Jews tried to avoid. WHY? There was a lost woman in that place.
Jesus did FELLOWSHIP
Examples
Luke 19:5 (KJV): “And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.”—He had fellowship meals with His disciples. True fellowship is about holding one another accountable, encouraging one another, edifying one another, supporting one another, etc. A true relationship is a fellowshipping church.
Jesus did COMPASSION
Examples
Compassion is helping those in need.
Luke 7:12-15 (KJV): “Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.”
Here, Jesus demonstrated His compassion. He could do something about her situation, and He did it!
Jesus in the desert – Matthew 14:14 (KJV): “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.” His compassion prompted action.
Conclusion
The purpose of our relationships with Jesus is to do all Christ did and has asked us to do.