Jesus' First Disciples | A Sermon on Matthew 4:18-22

The First Disciples – Introduction
Today, we continue our study of the first few chapters of the Gospel of Matthew.  Here’s a quick outline of what we’ve studied so far in Matthew:
Chapters 1-2: Jesus’ Birth & Escape to Egypt
Chapter 3: Jesus & John the Baptist
Chapter 4: Jesus’ Ministry Begins

Today, we read the story of Jesus calling the first disciples.

Matthew 4:18-22
¹⁸ One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. ¹⁹ Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” ²⁰ And they left their nets at once and followed him.

²¹ A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. ²² They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.

Along the Shores of the Sea of Galilee
In Jesus’ time, the Sea of Galilee was a bustling center of life, work, and trade in northern Israel. The large freshwater lake was a vital hub for fishing, with towns like Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Tiberias lining its shores.  It’s about 33 miles to walk all the way around the lake, which would take several days of hard walking.  But one could use a boat to cross the 8-mile-wide lake in about 3 hours. 

It was along the shores of the Sea of Galilee that Jesus would do the majority of His ministry.  And it was along these shores that Jesus called His first Disciples.  First, He found two brothers, Peter and Andrew, who fished for a living.  “Come follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”

“And they left their nets at once and followed him.”
Peter and Andrew immediately left their nets to follow Jesus.  Leaving their nets means they left behind their careers and livelihoods.  Fishing wasn’t a fun weekend hobby for them—this was how they put bread on the table so their families could survive.  Jesus asked them to walk away from their nets and come follow Him.  And they did.

I want to point out that Peter and Andrew (and James and John) probably already knew Jesus (or knew of Him).  Jesus grew up in Nazareth, which is only about a day’s journey from Capernaum.  And before He began His ministry, Jesus was a carpenter (actually a better translation is craftsman or construction worker).  And Jesus likely worked in Capernaum and probably knew the fishermen.  At the very least, they knew something about the rising fame of this new teacher.

Peter and Andrew answered the call to leave their fishing careers to follow Jesus.  James and John not only left behind their careers, they left their father’s family fishing business.  The fact they were mending the nets on their father’s boat seems to indicate Zebedee’s fishing business was a whole enterprise—not just a small business.  And they left it all behind to follow Jesus.

Jesus Doesn’t Need Our Help. We Need to Help Jesus
Now I want you to think about something.  This seems like a lot of work and a lot of sacrifice.  Jesus was asking a lot.  Leave behind your career, your ability to make a living, to provide food for you and your family and keep a roof over your head.  Leave your father to take care of his fishing business all by himself.

 And here, Jesus is supposed to be the Messiah, the Chosen One who will save the world.  Even more, the Bible tells us Jesus is the son of God.  That He is God. He was there when the universe was created.  Nothing was created except through Him. He gave life to everything.  He is the Light of the world!

But if Jesus is so great and so powerful, why did He want people to help Him save the world? 

Jesus didn’t need people to help Him.  But we need to participate in the salvation of the world in order to be saved ourselves.  Helping Jesus is part of our salvation. Jesus doesn’t need our help, but we need to help Jesus. Somehow, through helping Jesus, we find healing and restoration for our soul.

There’s a powerful principle in Alcoholics Anonymous that speaks directly to our life of faith: helping others is essential to healing. In AA, those who find freedom from addiction are taught that one of the best ways to stay sober is to help someone else on the same journey. It’s not just a good deed—it’s part of their own recovery.

In the same way, as followers of Jesus, we are not just saved from sin so we can sit back and enjoy the blessings. We are saved to serve. Our healing deepens when we help others find their healing in Christ. We grow stronger in our walk when we walk alongside someone else. Jesus doesn’t need our help in a cosmic sense—He’s the Lord of all. But in His mercy, He invites us to be part of His work in the world.

Helping others isn’t a bonus part of Christianity—it’s part of our transformation. When we serve, give, pray for, and walk with others, we’re reminded of what Jesus did for us. We live out our faith. And in that, we recover more fully from the grip of sin and step more deeply into the life of the Kingdom.

What “Nets” Do You Need to Leave Behind?
So Jesus comes and He calls each of us:  “Come follow me…” He chooses us before we choose Him.  And He chooses all of us.  No matter what you’ve done.  No matter who you are. You are never too good or too bad or too broken for Jesus to choose you. Jesus chose you to be His follower, His disciple, to fish for people.  But that leaves two questions for you:  Will you choose Him?  And What nets do you need to leave behind?

Some of the "nets" we may need to leave behind to follow Jesus aren't made of rope—they're the things that entangle our hearts. It could be the comfort of routine, the pursuit of success, unhealthy relationships, guilt from the past, or even our own pride and self-sufficiency. Like the disciples who dropped their fishing nets to follow Jesus, we’re called to let go of whatever keeps us from fully trusting Him. Leaving those nets behind can be scary, but it’s the first step toward a life of greater purpose, peace, and freedom in Christ.

Closing Ceremony – Leave Your Nets
When Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John, He didn’t just give them advice—He gave them a choice: Leave your nets and follow Me. Those nets weren’t bad in themselves, but they were holding them back from the life Jesus had for them.

Today, I want to invite you to do something simple, but powerful. Ask yourself:
What net is God calling me to leave behind?
Maybe it’s fear. Maybe it’s a habit, a distraction, or something good that’s just taken first place in your life instead of Jesus.

Write it down on a piece of paper—just between you and God—and when you’re ready, come forward and leave it at the altar as you kneel for a time of prayer.  Let that act be your way of saying, ‘Jesus, I’m ready to follow You more faithfully.’"

Addendum
I realized after preaching this sermon, I probably should have shared more supporting evidence about why I think Peter, Andrew, James, and John may have already known Jesus before He asked them to follow Him.  For example, in John’s Gospel (1:35–42), Andrew was with John the Baptist when Jesus passed by and John said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world…” Later in the Gospel of John, Andrew went and told his brother Peter about Jesus.

Luke 5 also gives more context to the calling of Peter. Jesus gets into Peter’s boat and asks him to put out a little from shore. That kind of request suggests some kind of prior relationship—most people wouldn’t let a stranger just borrow their boat. Plus, Peter calls Him “Master,” a term of respect for a known rabbi or spiritual teacher.

Add to that the closeness of Nazareth to towns along the Sea of Galilee and the nature of small, tight-knit Jewish communities of the time—it seems likely they at least knew of Jesus beforehand. It’s not certain, of course, but I think it’s a fair conclusion to consider.

Standing on Holy Ground | A Sermon on 1 Kings 8:27-30

Introduction
Today, we begin a new series about the Holy Temple.  But don’t think this is just a series of lectures about some ancient ruins of a long, lost temple.  What the Bible says about the Temple is highly relevant to your life today.  The New Testament teaches that Christians are the “Temple of God”, that each one of us is a “living stone” in God’s spiritual temple.  I want us to understand the full ramifications of what this means for how we are to live every day.  So for the next 4 weeks, we will explore the Biblical concept of Holy Ground.  And we will end on August 25^th a special rededication service for our “Holy Ground” here at Pleasant Grove Methodist Church.

Our Scripture today is 1 Kings 8:27-30.  This passage is part of King Solomon’s prayer when he dedicated the first Temple he built in Jerusalem in 957 BC.  Solomon asks an important question.

1 Kings 8:27-30
²⁷ “But will God really live on earth? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built! ²⁸ Nevertheless, listen to my prayer and my plea, O Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is making to you today. ²⁹ May you watch over this Temple night and day, this place where you have said, ‘My name will be there.’ May you always hear the prayers I make toward this place. ³⁰ May you hear the humble and earnest requests from me and your people Israel when we pray toward this place. Yes, hear us from heaven where you live, and when you hear, forgive.

Will God really live on earth?
In his prayer, King Solomon asks a wise question:  Will God really live on earth?  For thousands of years, human beings across the globe have worshiped in sacred places.  There is archaeological evidence of sacred rituals in caves as far back as 100,000 years.  The oldest evidence of a temple is Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey that dates back to approximately 9600 BC—that’s 11,000 years ago.  Obviously, people have always felt the need to worship God in special places—whether natural or manmade.

Christians believe God is omnipresent – meaning God is everywhere.  If I go to church, God is there.  But God is also with me when I go on my morning walk.  And God is with me when I lay down to sleep.  And God is with me when I go on vacation.  Psalm 139:7 – “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!”  If we believe in an almighty, all-powerful God, we also understand God can be everywhere.  So why go to the trouble to build and worship God in a temple, or a church, or even in special place we deem “Holy Ground”?

People sense a deep need to worship a Higher Power.  Christians call this higher power God.  But we also inherently seem to understand, something troubles and separates us from God.  Isaiah 52:2 reveals, “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God.”  Sin separates us from God who is Holy and Sinless.  This was not always so.  Originally, God dwelled in perfect Holy Communion with humanity.

Heaven and Earth and Holy Ground
In the beginning, God made heaven where God and His angels dwell, and God created earth where animals and humans live.  Then God made the Garden of Eden where God and humanity abide together in perfect harmony.  

Unfortunately, Adam and Eve sinned and broke their relationship with God through disobedience.  Their sin separated them from God.  And all creation suffered from this “great fall” that corrupted everything.  Romans 8:20 says, “all creation was subjected to God’s curse.”

It’s not so much that God can’t be around us because we’re filled with so much disgusting sin
(as guilt and shame ridden people often think of it).  God has always loved us unconditionally and desired a relationship with us aven after we sinned.  The problem is:  we cannot abide the holy presence of God.  Hebrews 12:29 says, “Our God is a consuming fire.”  God’s holiness is like a beautiful light emanating from a brilliant and holy fire.  Our sin is an impurity that would burn up in the presence of God’s absolute holiness; we could not survive it.  So God’s act of separating from us is actually an act of merciful grace.  

Yet God has never stopped loving us.  And God always wants to be with us.  And God started working from the very first moment we sinned to save and reconcile with us, but it’s a very difficult and expensive to rescue us.  It’s a plan thousands years in the making and cost the death of God’s very own Son—Jesus Christ.  And so, from the very beginning, God has made special places to be in His holy presence.

Holy Ground
In Genesis, we see God is primarily working through individuals and individual families.  Therefore, worship is primarily done by individuals or their families and private altars.  In Genesis 6, God told Noah to build an Ark to save his family and a remnant of the animals from a great flood.  Afterward, Noah built the first altar mentioned in the Bible.  As God painted a rainbow across the sky, Noah worshipped God on holy ground.  

In Genesis 12, God appeared to Abraham and blessed Him at Shechem, promising to make His descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.  So Abram built an alter and worshipped God and they cut a covenant together.

In Genesis 22, we find the disturbing story where God tells Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac, the miraculous child of promise on holy Mount Moriah.  Isaac carries the wood for the sacrifice up the mountain as Abraham mournfully seeks to obey God in this terrible request.  It is hard to understand, but  this story foreshadows God's plan of salvation for humanity.  Mount Moriah is the same hill as Mount Calvary.  God cries out and tells Abraham not to sacrifice his son.  God provides a ram to take Isaac's place.  2,000 years later, Jesus--the Son of God--carries the wooden cross up Mount Calvary and is crucified upon it to atone for the sins of the world.

In Genesis 28, we find Isaac's son Jacob sleeping on another piece of holy ground in a place he names Bethel, which means “House of God”, because there he dreamed he saw a ladder upon which angels where ascending and descending from heaven to earth.

In Exodus, God broadens His focus from individuals/families to a whole nation—the Israelites.  In Exodus 3, God appears to Moses in a burning bush and tells him to take off his sandles because he is standing on holy ground.  God tells Moses to go to Pharaoh in Egypt and let God's people (the Israelites) go free from slavery.  

Then in Exodus 20, Moses climbs up holy Mount Sanai where God gives him the 10 Commandments and the Law for His people.  This is how God's holy people are to live.  God's people became a nation.  They were slaves, but God rescued them from Egypt.  

As the Israelites wander through the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land, they dwelled in tents Since His people lived in tents, the Holy, omnipotent God who dwells in the glory of heaven humbled Himself and came down and lived in a tent alongside His people.

The Tabernacle

In Exodus 25, God gives instructions to build a Tabernacle, Israel’s first worship center.  That's how bad God wants to be with us, despite our stubborn, sinful, rebellious nature.  For 440 years, the Israelites worship the Holy and Living God, Yahweh, in the Tabernacle, an elaborate tent complex designed to mimic the Garden of Eden, the intersection of Heaven and Earth.  Here are some of the ways the Tabernacle was designed to mirror the Garden of Eden:

• The Menorah Lampstand in the Tabernacle looks like the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden.
• There are pomegranates embroidered on the priestly garments to represent the fruit of the garden.
• There are cherubim guarding the Holy Place in the Tabernacle that houses the Ark of the Covenant (the footstool of God); these represent the cherubim guarding the entrance to the Garden of Eden.
• The holy presence of God is with His people in the Tabernacle as He was with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

The purpose of the Tabernacle was to make space for holy ground where people could once again dwell in the presence of God.  And all the elaborate rituals of the Old Testament Law where meant to make it possible for sinful humanity to come into the presence of their holy God as much as possible.  

The Israelites worshiped God in the Tabernacle for 440 years until they settled down in Israel.  And finally, after most Israelites were dwelling in houses and not tents and the king of Israel lived in a palace, God finally told King Solomon to build a Temple--a permanent structure, not a tent.  The pattern for the Temple was much the same as the Tabernacle—mimicking God's original plan to dwell with people in the Garden of Eden.

Then and Now
Despite God being beyond physical containment, He chose to make His presence known to the Israelites in the Tabernacle and then the Temple.  These worship centers served as the focal points for prayer, worship, and the experience of God's presence.  The temple was a physical reminder of God's covenant with Israel and His promise to dwell among His people.  The temple was a place to seek God's mercy and forgiveness and healing. 

Of course, God is not confined to a specific building, no matter how sacred and glorious it was.  God is still everywhere.  But the ancient temple in Jerusalem was the communal place where the ancient people of God (Israel) gathered to worship together.

Together
And that's a key word for us to take away today:  together.  God’s people are meant to worship God together.  Of course, we can and should worship God every day in our own personal ways and in our own personal spaces.  However, our worship is always incomplete if we do not join together with other believers as a community.

Conclusion
There is much to unpack as we examine the history and purpose of the Temple.  I'm going to share more over the next few weeks.  I hope you will stay tuned as we examine a number of important ideas and themes connected to the Temple.  Stay tuned!