TOPIC: FOLLOW ME
TEXT: Matthew 4:12-22(NKJV)
- 4:12. Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.
- 4:13. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,
- 4:14. that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
- 4:15. “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, [By] the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles:
- 4:16. The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”
- 4:17. From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
- 4:18. And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
- 4:19. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
- 4:20. They immediately left [their] nets and followed Him.
- 4:21. 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. He called them,
- 4:22. and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
STUDY:
We thank God that the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, has declared this decade for strategic disciple-making. This programme is very important to our Saviour, Jesus Christ. In today’s passage, we discover that after the forty days fasting and prayer, Jesus began his ministry of making disciples. He began by calling men to follow him, so that He would make them fishers of men (disciple makers) (v.19; Mk.3:13).
The response of these fellows is worthy of note (vv. 20-22)- they immediately left everything – boat, net, father, business etc., – and followed Jesus (Mk. 10:28, Lk. 9:23). They knew the cost of discipleship and they willingly, promptly and cheerfully paid the price. They considered that what they found was greater than what they had been doing.
One condition that makes disciple-making possible is the willingness of the potential disciple to follow (Lk. 14:26-27). Note: ‘If anyone comes to me and does not “hate” his father, mother, wife, children, even his life, he cannot be my disciple.’ The disciple must follow Jesus as He leads. He must drop whatever will be a hindrance to the call. On the other hand, a disciple maker must himself be a disciple made by Jesu himself (v.19). There must be evidence that he himself changed his lif because of his contact with Jesus; this must be part of his message o salvation(Acts 4:13 & 18:25).
PRAYER:
Dear Father, please give me the compassion and commitment to win lost souls, Amen!
Watch Today’s Anglican Daily Fountain Devotional:
Watch the devotion on ACNNTV YouTube Channel.
Partner with ACNNTV
Help us reach the world with the undiluted Word of God. Make donations through our website or via the details below:
DAILY FOUNTAIN DEVOTIONALChurch of Nigeria Anglican Communion ACNN Account
Account Number: 1016868363 (Zenith Bank)
Thank you for joining the Kingdom Partners today.
