It’s an incredible time to be alive if you like to learn and do things yourself. There are so many resources available to us. With YouTube, you can look up almost anything and there’s probably someone with a YouTube video to show you how to do it step by step.
If you want to know how to fix a leaky faucet in your shower, there’s a video for that. Need to change the starter on your 2016 Toyota Camry? There’s a video that shows you how to do that too.
Have you ever dropped your phone in the bathtub or the pool? You need to know what to do because you can’t afford to buy another $1,000 phone. There’s a video that will tell you how to dry it out and clean it up.
Need to know how to study Matthew 4:19? There’s a video for that as well. In fact, I’ve already posted two—this one will be up tomorrow, and there’ll be another one next week. And of course, there are probably a thousand other preachers out there doing the same thing.
So yes, there are all kinds of resources available—videos to show you how to do just about anything. But here’s the problem with YouTube: you have to be careful who you trust. Anybody can post a video, even if they don’t actually know what they’re talking about. Someone might tell you how to change the starter on your Camry, but if they don’t really know, you could end up doing it wrong—or even blowing up your car! So you have to be wise, check your sources, and find the right ones that are truly helpful.
Why am I telling you this? Because today we see the “how-to” statement in Jesus’ invitation. We’ve been looking at Matthew 4:19.
Matthew 4:19
19 Jesus
called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to
fish for people!”
One of the
things that set Jesus apart from other spiritual leaders of His day was Jesus showed
His followers how to do stuff. While
other rabbis would sit down with students in a classroom and teach from a book,
Jesus took His disciples out into the real world and showed them how to live
for God.
Some of the things Jesus showed His disciples how to do were:
How to Love and Forgive:
Jesus showed them how to love their neighbors and even their enemies. He taught
them about forgiveness and demonstrated it on the cross by forgiving those who
crucified Him (Luke 23:34).
How to Pray:
Jesus didn’t just tell them to pray; He showed them how. He gave them the
Lord’s Prayer as a model (Matthew 6:9-13) and demonstrated a life of prayer in
all circumstances.
How to Serve with Humility:
Jesus washed His disciples’ feet (John 13:1-17), showing them that true
greatness is found in humble service. He lived out a servant-hearted life and
invited them to do the same.
How to Trust God in Difficult Times:
Whether calming a storm (Mark 4:35-41) or facing His own crucifixion, Jesus
showed them what it means to trust the Father fully.
But Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 4:19 wasn’t just for the 12 Disciples 2,000 years ago. It’s the same invitation He gives you today. Come, follow me, and I will show you how to…
Unfortunately,
Jesus doesn’t have a YouTube Channel, but He does have a Holy Bible, and it is full of His wisdom and practical lessons that show us how to live for
Him. We should definitely read it and study it and puzzle over it.
Don’t get sidetracked by puzzling questions like how did Noah fit all the animals on the Ark or how did God split apart the Red
Sea. I would encourage you to focus on the real life practical lessons of Jesus like: How to forgive, how to pray, how to serve, and how to trust God in hard times. These are the lessons that will truly draw you closer to God and help change
the world.
So we have
the Bible where Jesus teaches us How To, but we can’t forget the other part of the formula. We have to get out there and do it.
Jesus’
lessons to His Disciples and to us must be practiced in the real world. This is not head knowledge. This is
heart knowledge. It’s meant to
change your heart. And it has to be practices with your hands and feet. Let’s take one example.
When Jesus taught His Disciples about serving, He got down on His knees and washing their feet. He taught them while showing them. And then He told them to do the same thing. He said, “The greatest among you will be your servant.”
In order
to truly follow Jesus and learn from Him, you must do the things He showed us
how to do in the Bible. Following Jesus
isn’t an accumulation of head knowledge. Following Jesus means letting Him transform your heart and your life. As you practice what He preached, your attitudes and behaviors begin to change. You become more like Him. It doesn’t happen overnight. But the
more you live like Him over the course of your life, the more you begin to reflect His character to the world around you.
Think of
the disciples: they didn’t become “fishers of people” on day one. They
stumbled, they doubted, they failed—but little by little, as they walked with
Jesus, He transformed their hearts. The same is true for us.
This is
the process of discipleship: Jesus says, “Come, follow Me, and I will show
you how…” If you keep walking with Him, He will show you how to forgive
when it’s hard, how to serve when it costs you something, how to trust when the
storm rages, how to love when it feels impossible.
And here’s
the best part: you don’t do it alone. His Spirit lives within you, shaping you,
guiding you, strengthening you every step of the way.
So today, the question is simple: Will you let Jesus show you how?
- How to forgive that person
you’ve been holding a grudge against.
- How to serve quietly when no
one else notices.
- How to pray with trust instead
of fear.
- How to love someone you think
doesn’t deserve it.
- Or something else (there are a
lot of lessons He showed us in His Bible)
This is what it means to be His disciple—not just to know about Him, but to let Him transform your heart and your life. So here’s Jesus’ invitation, still echoing after 2,000 years: “Come, follow Me, and I will show you how…” Will you take Him up on it today?
