United Presbyterian Church of West Orange

1. A while back I received an interesting bit of mail.  It started out with the words: “Pastor, do you long to part of a movement of God that is truly significant?”

2. It was a nice invitation to a free Ministers’ Rally for Revival.

3. It had some big name speakers.  Probably be a great event.

4. But, I must confess, I was a little offended at their catch phrase: “Be part of a significant movement of God.” 

5. I kind of like to feel like what I already do is significant. 

6. They seem to be implying that if you have large numbers of people gathered in a stadium listening to some celebrities, then that is what makes something significant. 

7. Not according to Matthew chapter 4.  The first thing we notice is that Matthew’s account has no celebrities. 

8. There is only Jesus, the carpenter’s son from Nazareth.

9. He is thirty years old, and so far as anyone knows, he has never done anything significant. 

1. But despite his anonymity, the disciples immediately left what they were doing to follow him. It seems a sudden and rash decision.
2. The only thing I can think of is that they must have seen something of who he was in his face. 
3. Try this: picture yourself sitting at your desk, cleaning your home, or out at your job.  Someone comes up to you and says “Follow me.”—and you do it. 
4. What kind of a face, what kind of a presence would someone have to have in order for you to do that? 
5. The presence of God must have simply been palpable around Jesus. That’s the only thing I can think of. 
6. My second observation is that unlike my mailing, Jesus does not invite anyone to a stadium in a big city.  He is in Galilee, parts of which were formerly called “Zebulun and Naphtali”
7. This region was the sticks, hicksville, a region which had been humbled in former days. 
8. But we all know how much God loves an underdog.  Through the prophet Isaiah God had made a promise to this region.  “the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
9. No stadium, but a great light on this humble place.  This is where Jesus Christ, the messiah, began his ministry. 
10. Observation #3.  This mailing I received went out to ministers.  Jesus approaches uneducated fishermen.  None of Jesus’ disciples were professional clergy. 
11. Moreover, who knows how he picked them?  No mass mailings, no application, no resume, no experience required.
12. He says one thing: “Come, follow me.”  Let me tell you about the Greek word for ‘follow’ which is used here.  It is ‘dyoo·teh’. 
13. This is not the ordinary word for follow which is used in verse 20 when it says that they left their nets and followed him.
14. No, this special word ‘dyoo·teh’ means more than just follow; it is more like seek, as in “seek the good”, or seeking righteousness, or seeking after justice.  The disciples have made a decision to seek after Jesus and all he represents.
15. In fact, the New Testament only uses this word ‘dyoo·teh’ with reference to following Jesus.  Following Jesus and seeking righteousness are one and the same—are all that is required.  No special training, just a sincere heart. 
16. Observation #4 My mailing invited me to a one-day gathering.  If I went I would then come home and return to my “normal life”, if it can be called that :-).
17. But the disciples left nets to follow Jesus.  They left boats.  They left fathers and mothers. 
18. They sought after righteousness and were willing to sacrifice much in that seeking. 
19. Again, I ask you to consider.  What must they have seen in Jesus that made this so worthwhile?  What would his eyes look like?  What would it feel like to be with him?
20. Observation #5, the last one. 
21. I didn’t go to this rally; I said “no”.  But the disciples said “yes”.  They went with Jesus. 
22. It almost seems trivial to talk about this.  “They’re disciples; of course they said ‘yes’.  We know that.”
23. But actually, this is the most important point of all. 
24. There were so many reasons to say “no”, but they said “yes”.  It would be crazy to say “yes”, but they said it. 
25. This really resonates with me, because I can find so many reasons to say “no”. 
26. You could even consider this whole sermon to be an exercise in rationalizing my refusal to go to this rally I was invited to. 
27. It didn’t really appeal to me; maybe that’s why I should have done it. 
28. Because I know myself.  I know how good I am, how good we all are at saying ‘no’ to things we ought to do. 
29. Because I am even better at procrastinating things I ought to do than I am at saying ‘no’ to them. 
30. I can find a million reasons.  Planning is one of my favorites.  I tell myself I haven’t done enough preparation to start something. 
31. The disciples didn’t plan anything; they just followed. 
32. Fear is another big component.  Sometimes I feel scared to try something new, to start a new program; I wonder if people will like it, how they will feel about me if it doesn’t work out. 
33. The disciples didn’t let their fear stop them; they just followed.
34. Laziness is yet another problem.  Sometimes it seems that it sure would be comfortable (and a whole lot easier) to just keep doing the same things I have been doing.  It avoids all the hassles and all the work of trying something new. 
35. The disciples didn’t let old habits or comfort zones hold them back; they just followed. 
36. Now let me pause and say that this sermon is not an attempt to lay a guilt trip on anybody else. 
37. This is what my engagement with this Biblical passage is bringing about in me. 
38. Now having said that, I doubt that I am the only person in this room who wrestles with these same issues. 
39. But of course it must be said that the disciples of Matthew 4 did not just leave their nets and boats and families to go off on some whim. 
40. One has to listen for God’s Spirit to lead us in the right direction.
41. All of this leads us to what comes next in our service—the ordination and installation of deacons and elders. 
42. I don’t know any of you personally. Maybe I’ll get the chance to know you better.
43. But as one more presbyter, let me thank you for saying ‘yes’.
44. I hope you said ‘yes’ for the right reasons. I hope you will take those ordination vows to heart. I think you will.
45. Because you have responded to a call from Christ to serve Christ’s church in special ways.
46. Some of your fellow members, probably through a nominating committee, have said “we think you may be called to ministry as a deacon or an elder”
47. You have evidently felt that call confirmed in your own lives and your walk with God.  You have said “yes”. 
48. You have given up some things to do it. 
49. You have chosen to “Be part of a significant movement of God.” 
50. Because like backwater Galilee and poor fishermen, no part of this world is in-significant to God. 
51. And Christ values every part of his church, and everyone who responds to his call—including everyone in this room who has chosen to respond to Christ’s call in whatever way you hear it in this place and time.
52. Thank you. Amen.