YOUR SHIP HAS COME IN

Matthew 4:18-25 ¹⁸And 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.

 ¹⁹And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

 ²⁰And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

 ²¹And 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.

 ²²And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

 ²³And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

 ²⁴And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

 ²⁵And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.

I. When the “Ship” comes in

A.        The accident

1.  The loss of the ability to work and earn income

2.  Workers compensation

a.  Accident on the worksite

b.  Income is greatly reduced

3.  Lawsuit

a.  Negligence

b.  Years of court battles

B.        Our “ship”

1.  Mom and Dad used to say, “just wait until our ship comes in.”

2.  One day our ship came in, and a settlement was reached.

C.        The ship

1.  Can refer to opportunity

2.  Can refer to material wealth

3.  Can refer to attachment

a.  Always means something better than what you have now

II. Jesus calls His disciples

A.        Walking by the Sea

1.  Saw two brothers fixing their nets

a.  Simon and Andrew

2.  Jesus offers an invitation to them

a.  Follow me and I will make you fishers of men

b.  They immediately leave and follow Jesus

3.  Now the three of them are walking and come across James and John

a.  Jesus calls to James and John

b.  Immediately they leave and follow Jesus

4.  Jesus went all over Galilee healing people and teaching about the Kingdom

5.  His fame spread far and wide (Last verse)

6.  Why did the disciples and others follow Jesus?

a.  They realized that their “ship” had come in

b.  They left their earthly ships for the “ships” that Jesus offered to them.

III.The ships that Jesus offered

A.        Friendship

1.  The simple fact of Jesus’ calling to others showed that he was friendly

2.  The Bible proves that Jesus was friendly

a.  We often read of Jesus going into people’s homes for meals

b.  Or stopping to talk to people

1)        Woman at the well

c.   Or calling out to those that were despised by society

1)        Zacheus

3.  The Bible often talks of Jesus sitting down and talking with his disciples privately

4.  These were intimate conversations with the Almighty God

5.  This was friendship that goes beyond anything that this world can offer

John 15:13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

 

6.  Jesus offered friendship

B.        Membership

1.  The call was to many people, not just one

2.  Jesus offered them a place to belong

a.  No longer were they disconnected

b.  They were joined by their mutual bond with Jesus Christ

3.  Beyond the ordinary and the mundane

4.  Jesus offered them the chance to be part of something great

Luke 22:31-32And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:  ³²But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

5.  Beyond their relationship with Jesus Christ, the disciples gained a relationship with each other

C.        Leadership

1.  The call was to “follow me”

a.  Jesus called all of them to follow Him

b.  Jesus offered them direction and guidance for their lives

c.   They left to follow

d.  They relinquished control of their lives to Jesus

2.  Jesus became their leader

a.  No longer did they have to worry about tomorrow

b.  All they had to do was follow Jesus

Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

c.   Jesus offered them leadership

D.        Discipleship

1.  Jesus told them “I will make you”

a.  Jesus spent time training his twelve disciples in ministry

b.  He often spent time alone with them explaining things and encouraging them.

Luke 8:9-10 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?

 ¹⁰And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

2.  Jesus offered them the chance to learn more and receive training and instruction

3.  Jesus offered them the chance to be molded and shaped the way that God intended for them to be.

4.  They had the opportunity to learn and grow in the Kingdom of God

a.  Jesus offered them discipleship

E.        Championship

1.  Jesus told them that he would make them “fishers of men”

a.  Beyond just normal fishing for fish

b.  Jesus gave the chance to do something that no one had ever done before “fish for men”

c.   He called them to do something extraordinary

d.  They were called to be Champions

2.  A champion is not just a winner

a.  If a winner loses then he becomes a loser

b.  But a champion can lose one game and still become the champion

Micah 7:8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.

John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

c.   They were given the choice of life in obscurity and mediocrity or rise to new levels

d.  You may fall, but you don’t have to fail

e.  Jesus offered them Championship

F.         Sonship

1.  Jesus offered them the chance to be the children of God

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

a.  They followed Jesus,

b.  So they were led by God

c.   Because of that they became the children of God

d.  Jesus offered them Sonship

IV. Today

A.        Jesus is still calling

1.  Follow me

2.  Why did the disciples leave their boats to follow Jesus?

a.  Because they recognized that their “ship” had come in

3.  What does that mean?

a.  That something better than what you have right now has come along.

4.  Friendship

a.  Beyond the world

5.  Membership

a.  Find a place to belong and real relationships with others

6.  Leadership

a.  Direction and guidance for your life

b.  You don’t have to worry about tomorrow

7.  Discipleship

a.  You can learn and grow in the Kingdom of God

8.  Championship

a.  You can do things that you never thought possible before

b.  You can be victorious, even though you’ve made mistakes

9.  Sonship

a.  You can be called the child of God

b.  Jesus call is to follow –

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

c.   And after you’ve repented, then you can get in the “ship”

d.  WORSHIP