Called in the Ordinary: Embracing Discipleship Together
Summary
In today's exploration of the call stories within the Gospels, we delve into the unique and profound ways Jesus called his first disciples. Each Gospel presents a distinct narrative, yet they all emphasize the immediacy and obedience of the disciples' response. In Mark and Matthew, the call is straightforward and direct, highlighting the simplicity and urgency of Jesus' invitation. Luke adds a miraculous element with the abundant catch of fish, symbolizing the transformative power of Jesus' call. John, on the other hand, presents a more relational and spiritual dimension, emphasizing the disciples' spiritual longing and the messianic identity of Jesus.
These narratives remind us that Jesus meets us in the ordinariness of our lives. The disciples were engaged in their daily routines when Jesus called them, illustrating that God's call often comes in the midst of our everyday activities. This ordinariness is contrasted with the grandeur of the call stories of the prophets in the Hebrew Bible, yet both share a commonality in the transformative nature of God's call.
The evolution of the call across the Gospels—from the directness in Mark and Matthew, to the miraculous in Luke, and the relational in John—mirrors the evolving understanding of Jesus' identity. He is seen as a teacher, a miracle worker, and ultimately, the Messiah. This progression invites us to reflect on our own understanding of Jesus and how it shapes our response to his call.
The call stories matter today because they teach us that God meets us where we are, without expecting perfection. They remind us that following Jesus involves significant life changes, but also comes with promises of purpose and transformation. The diversity of discipleship paths in the Gospels encourages us to embrace our unique journeys and recognize the communal aspect of being called together as the body of Christ. In a world where gathering as a church is counter-cultural, we are reminded that we are the "called out ones," set apart to do Christ's work in the world.
Key Takeaways:
1. God Meets Us in the Ordinary: Jesus calls us in the midst of our daily routines, just as he did with the first disciples. This reminds us that God's call is not reserved for extraordinary moments but is woven into the fabric of our everyday lives. We must remain attentive to his voice amidst the busyness of life. [08:27]
2. Immediacy and Obedience: The immediate response of the disciples across the Gospels highlights the importance of obedience in our spiritual journey. While we may not have all the answers, our willingness to follow Jesus is what truly matters. This obedience is a testament to our faith and trust in God's plan. [20:44]
3. Diversity in Discipleship: The varied call stories in the Gospels illustrate that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to following Jesus. Each disciple's journey is unique, reflecting the diversity within the body of Christ. This diversity enriches our communal faith experience and encourages us to celebrate our differences. [20:44]
4. Transformation and Promise: Responding to Jesus' call involves significant life changes, but it also comes with promises of purpose and transformation. Jesus assures us that our gifts will be used for his glory, and we are called to be his witnesses in the world. This promise gives us courage to embrace the changes that come with following him. [20:44]
5. Community and Calling: While Jesus calls us individually, he also calls us into community. The early church understood themselves as the "called out ones," set apart to be the body of Christ. In a culture that often dismisses the relevance of church, we are reminded that our gathering as a community of believers is a powerful testament to our faith. [20:44]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:10] - Introduction to Call Stories
- [01:15] - Mark and Matthew's Direct Call
- [02:30] - Luke's Miraculous Element
- [03:45] - John's Relational Call
- [05:00] - The Ordinariness of the Call
- [06:15] - Evolution of Jesus' Identity
- [07:30] - Why Call Stories Matter Today
- [08:27] - God Meets Us Where We Are
- [09:45] - Imperfection and Willingness
- [11:00] - Life Changes and Promises
- [12:15] - Diversity in Discipleship
- [13:30] - Community and Ecclesia
- [14:45] - The Called Out Ones
- [16:00] - Closing Thoughts and Building Block
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Mark 1:16-20 - Jesus calls Simon and Andrew.
2. Luke 5:1-11 - The miraculous catch of fish and Peter's response.
3. John 1:35-42 - John the Baptist points to Jesus, and the first disciples follow.
#### Observation Questions
1. In Mark 1:16-20, what was the immediate response of Simon and Andrew when Jesus called them? How does this reflect the theme of immediacy and obedience? [08:27]
2. How does Luke 5:1-11 add a miraculous element to the call of the first disciples, and what does this signify about Jesus' authority? [08:27]
3. In John 1:35-42, what role does John the Baptist play in the calling of the first disciples, and how does this emphasize the relational aspect of Jesus' call? [08:27]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the immediacy of the disciples' response across the Gospels challenge our understanding of obedience in our spiritual journey? [20:44]
2. What does the diversity of the call stories in the Gospels suggest about the nature of discipleship and the different ways people are drawn to follow Jesus? [20:44]
3. How does the progression of Jesus' identity from teacher to Messiah in the Gospels invite us to reflect on our own understanding of who Jesus is? [20:44]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your daily routine. How can you remain attentive to God's call in the ordinariness of your life? What practical steps can you take to listen for His voice amidst the busyness? [08:27]
2. Consider a time when you felt called to make a significant change in your life. How did you respond, and what role did obedience play in that decision? [20:44]
3. In what ways can you celebrate the diversity of discipleship paths within your community? How can you encourage others to embrace their unique journeys in following Jesus? [20:44]
4. Think about a recent change or challenge in your life. How can the promise of purpose and transformation in following Jesus give you courage to embrace it? [20:44]
5. How can you actively participate in your church community as part of the "called out ones"? What specific actions can you take to strengthen your connection with fellow believers? [20:44]
6. Reflect on a moment when you felt unworthy of God's call. How can you remind yourself that God meets you where you are and does not expect perfection? [20:44]
7. In a culture that often dismisses the relevance of church, how can you be a testament to the importance of gathering as a community of believers? What steps can you take to invite others into this experience? [20:44]
Devotional
Day 1: God’s Call in the Ordinary
In the Gospels, Jesus calls his first disciples in the midst of their daily routines, illustrating that God's call is woven into the fabric of our everyday lives. This ordinariness contrasts with the grandeur of the call stories of the prophets in the Hebrew Bible, yet both share a commonality in the transformative nature of God's call. The disciples were engaged in their daily activities when Jesus called them, reminding us that God's call is not reserved for extraordinary moments. We must remain attentive to his voice amidst the busyness of life. [08:27]
"Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.'" (Jeremiah 1:4-5, ESV)
Reflection: What ordinary activity in your life might God be using to speak to you today? How can you be more attentive to His voice in your daily routine?
Day 2: The Power of Immediate Obedience
The immediate response of the disciples across the Gospels highlights the importance of obedience in our spiritual journey. While we may not have all the answers, our willingness to follow Jesus is what truly matters. This obedience is a testament to our faith and trust in God's plan. The disciples' immediate response to Jesus' call serves as a powerful example of the faith and trust required to follow Him, even when the path is not fully clear. [20:44]
"And he said to them, 'Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.' Immediately they left their nets and followed him." (Matthew 4:19-20, ESV)
Reflection: Is there an area in your life where you feel God is calling you to act immediately? What steps can you take today to respond in obedience?
Day 3: Embracing Diversity in Discipleship
The varied call stories in the Gospels illustrate that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to following Jesus. Each disciple's journey is unique, reflecting the diversity within the body of Christ. This diversity enriches our communal faith experience and encourages us to celebrate our differences. The disciples were called in different ways, showing that God values the unique paths and gifts of each individual. [20:44]
"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ." (1 Corinthians 12:12, ESV)
Reflection: How can you celebrate the unique gifts and journeys of those around you in your faith community? What steps can you take to embrace diversity in your own discipleship journey?
Day 4: Transformation Through Jesus’ Call
Responding to Jesus' call involves significant life changes, but it also comes with promises of purpose and transformation. Jesus assures us that our gifts will be used for his glory, and we are called to be his witnesses in the world. This promise gives us courage to embrace the changes that come with following him. The transformation that comes from answering Jesus' call is both personal and communal, impacting not only our lives but also the world around us. [20:44]
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)
Reflection: What life changes might Jesus be calling you to embrace for His purpose? How can you trust in His promise of transformation as you take these steps?
Day 5: The Importance of Community in Our Calling
While Jesus calls us individually, he also calls us into community. The early church understood themselves as the "called out ones," set apart to be the body of Christ. In a culture that often dismisses the relevance of church, we are reminded that our gathering as a community of believers is a powerful testament to our faith. The communal aspect of being called together as the body of Christ is essential to living out our faith in a meaningful way. [20:44]
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)
Reflection: How can you actively participate in your faith community to strengthen and encourage others? What role can you play in fostering a sense of belonging and purpose within your church?
Quotes
"Amen. So as I mentioned prior to reading of our scripture, we're going to focus today on the nature of the call stories in our Gospels. And we've been talking about a sense of call as one of the essential C's in our Constructing Christianity program. And we really can't look at the sense of call, I think, as Christians without really understanding the unique and interesting elements of how Jesus called the first disciples." [00:03:12] (33 seconds)
"There is a sense of immediacy and obedience as the primary elements of that call. So the general view amongst biblical scholars that the writing of the Gospel of Matthew, there would have been in circulation at the time the Gospel of Mark. So there is a lot of overlap from the Matthew text from the Mark in text. And so the respective authors kind of, in this case, Matthew borrowed rather liberally from Mark, but then did add certain elements that were unique in other parts of the Gospel." [00:04:26] (41 seconds)
"This notion of the catch of the fish and how fish would become so fundamental, symbolically and metaphorically, in the growth and the evolution of the Christian church. There is this notion of the power and the authority that Jesus brought to the call to... And not only to those first disciples, but we also get a glimpse in Luke of how Peter responds. And Simon, Simon, Peter, how Peter sort of talks about his unworthiness. So that's an interesting kind of unique perspective on the call." [00:05:53] (42 seconds)
"Now in John, right at the beginning of the first chapter of John, it's a fairly lengthy process, that's how Jesus calls the first disciples. It's a longer narrative. And John the Baptist plays a more integrated role. And in fact, John the Baptist is in the front of the, in front of the, or with the first, what would become the first disciples. It's John the Baptist who makes this claim of a look, sees Jesus coming, look, the Lamb of God. So there's that immediate emphasis on messiahship that the gospel of John is so rich and detailed in." [00:06:35] (39 seconds)
"There is the strong emphasis on that spiritual longing, spiritual hunger, spiritual, which, which the gospel of John is so, again, so rich and detailed in its, in its exploration. And every minister I've ever heard preach on these always comes back to the theme of the immediacy of the response of the first disciples across all four gospels. That Jesus called and the first disciples dropped everything and immediately followed him. And that's a truthful, accurate statement. There is this primacy on the notion of obedience in the call." [00:07:42] (45 seconds)
"But one of the things I've always sort of thought about that's interesting about the gospel stories compared to the call stories we saw from some of the great prophets, but even in the great prophets, God's call to them and Jesus' call to the first disciples has an ordinariness to it. The, the first disciples are just engaged in what they would do daily and that's, they're fishermen. They're out fishing, see you Galilee and, and hoping for the best." [00:08:27] (38 seconds)
"That's where Jesus comes into the, just kind of strolls all in and says, okay, folks, I'm about to rock your world and you're going to follow me. Let's do it right now. And they do. But I've always been taken by this notion that it happens in the ordinariness of life. This isn't some grand, you know, life moment of, of imminent death. This is not a deathbed confession. This is not a, this, this isn't a dramatic, mysterious, unexplainable thing that this is a very ordinary moment. Jesus comes along." [00:09:09] (43 seconds)
"He said, come follow me. I'm like, really dude, I got to be in the office by 10. Like, you know, whatever. Like, there's a, there is a, a very practical, ordinary routineness about the nature of Christ's call into our lives. And I don't think we should ever forget that. The other thing that I think is interesting about the gospel calls, as opposed to, not opposed to, but in comparison to the Hebrew Bible's calls, is there is an evolution of the call." [00:09:49] (33 seconds)
"Just like there is in the four gospels, going from the more direct and concise Mark to the very sort of verbose and, and spiritually elaborate gospel of John, there is this evolution of the call. So in Mark and, and Matthew, as I say, it's a very direct call. It's very pragmatic. There's no complication here. You're, you're either going to respond to the call or not. Luke does extend that even further. He brings in that miraculous element, the, you know, the many fish, which I think takes the ordinariness of Mark and Matthew, but brings it, brings in the, the miraculous dimension of, of what Jesus would become." [00:10:28] (58 seconds)
"the fourth or sorry the fifth reason why i think it matters today is yes we are all called individually jesus called each of us individually but you notice yes he did so together so there was an individualness to this but it was in a sense a calling together of his followers and the greek word that we associate with church church ecclesia is actually based so the the theology of that word the root of that word actually comes from the verb to call so the how we understand church ecclesia would have been understood to mean individuals called together to become the body of christ in fact the earliest so the earliest evidence we have um so christ confessing assemblies the earliest ecclesia of of christ would have completely understood the the symbolism of being called out of ordinary lives and into a holiness to be set apart but to be set apart as the body of christ as a community of christ's followers" [00:17:30] (102 seconds)
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