When Jesus walked by the shores of Galilee, he called some fishermen who had just caught the biggest haul of their lives: "Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men!" Immediately they forsook all and followed him! (Luke 5:2-11) They forsook the fish, the nets, their boat, their livelihood, their old life, and even their poor old father!
How could they do such a thing? How could they forsake their living, and their own family and friends, without even giving notice, to follow this strange Stranger and his motley crew? They did it because he offered them a better life, a better job, with a better Boss, for a better family, and with better rewards! Why "labour for the food that perishes" (John 6:27) when you can win immortal souls, who will be your friends forever!
Someone said, "First let me say farewell to my father." Jesus replied, "He that puts his hand to the plough and then looks back is not worthy of me!" (Luke 9:61-62) "But let me at least bury my father," said another. (The father probably wasn't even dead yet, and this might have taken months or years!) Jesus firmly said, "Let the dead bury the dead! You come and follow me!" (Luke 9:59-60)
God refuses to take second place to anything or anyone. He will not let you put any other god before him - not your old job or your old boss or even your old family and friends! God is your Boss now and he has a new job for you that will not wait. This is God's first test for every would-be disciple. To see if you love him enough to put him first by forsaking all immediately to follow him!
"Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these other things will be added unto you!" (Matthew 6:33)
God will not tolerate you putting anything else before him and his work. If you can bring the boss and family with you, fine. But obviously the disciples' father was unwilling to leave his boat business and all those nice fish and follow Jesus with them--and we never hear of him again. The father who stuck by the business vanished into oblivion, while his sons wandered off with a perfect Stranger and made history, helping millions of souls for eternity.
Isn't it ridiculous now to compare the business, the father, and the family, which all soon perished, with the millions of immortal souls who have been saved through the decision of those fishermen to put God first that day, drop everything, and follow Jesus! Now that we can see the results, it's easy to know they made the right choice despite their father's objections and the wrecking of his business.
Nothing is more important than God and his work of love to save the world. God's only time is now! The guys who stalled never came back. And their list is longer than the list of followers. Many are called, but few have chosen to follow him above all. Who and what are you going to put first?
Why not ask the boss and family to come along? They could follow just as well, you know.
If they're not willing, they don't deserve you! Which is more important: Serving them or saving the world? The time is Now! Tomorrow is too late.
The Lord makes the entrance exams hard so we'll know right away if you've got what it takes.
It's kind of like being born: It's a crisis experience that the mother and baby go through. If they can make that they can usually make the rest pretty well. From then on you just go step by step and grade by grade and it becomes a little more spread out, like the growth of a baby.
Lukewarm believers make God sick to his stomach. (Revelation 3:16) He says the double-minded are "like the troubled sea when it cannot rest." (Isaiah 57:20) I cannot comprehend people's hesitation in serving the Lord all the way! If he's worth serving at all, he's worth serving full time and with all that you have!
How about you? Are you ready to give up everything, in absolute loyalty, and full-time service to Jesus? Do you want to be part of the last great spiritual revolution? If so, it requires 100% dedication. Do or die! Amen?
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