Immediately They Left The Boat

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. Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
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, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
[Matthew 4:18-22 NKJV]

When Jesus asks us to be with Him, He always asks us to leave the boat - that is His method. Never cajoling or pushing, just a quiet word and a promise. "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." What is it about Him that is so persuasive that we go immediately, leaving whatever we are doing.

In both these cases, the fishermen/disciples were mending their nets - the means of their provision; their livelihood. Jesus' promise to them was not for a career change, it was a life change, and there was no hesitation, or "Give me a few days and I'll get back to you."

I believe that there were three things that convinced Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John to change their lives - and the world - irrevocably.

1. They saw Jesus' authority.  For He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. [Matthew 7:29 NKJV]
   
2. They heard Jesus' truth in what He said. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. [John 18:37b NKJV]
   
3. They were already chosen as disciples before Jesus spoke.  Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, [Ephesians 1:4-5 NKJV]
   

Stepping off the boat involves trust - it is not throwing the net overboard and using your skill to haul in the catch. It is throwing yourself overboard, having faith that Jesus will keep you amid the seething mass of humanity. That is 'a tough sell' for us; but for Jesus Christ, it is what He came to do - make us fishers of men.

And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 
But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish.
[John 21:6-8 NKJV]

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“Fishers of Men” — Carroll Roberson

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OSWALD CHAMBERS — RUN TODAY’S RACE
Monday 14th September 2020
God does not do anything with us, only through us.

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