Come, Follow Me: Living as Faithful Christians

Jesus’ call beside the Sea of Galilee cuts through the scandal of nominal Christianity. The name Christian cannot merely sit on a Facebook page, a church roll, or a person’s lips while the life remains no different from the world. Christ’s warning about fruit presses the question: does the life actually look like the name? The call is not to talk the talk, but to walk the walk.

Matthew records that Jesus says, “Come, follow me.” That word is more than an invitation. It is a command. Jesus does not wait for fishermen to come asking for a place in his school. Jesus takes the initiative. He sees Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John, and he calls them. Faith begins not with human commitment, but with God’s call. Jesus says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you.”

Christ’s choosing changes the whole posture of discipleship. The image of the Olympic competitor and the tourist exposes the difference between a person chosen to represent a king and a spectator merely checking things out. The competitor carries both honor and responsibility. The tourist has no such purpose. Christ’s call makes disciples chosen, called, and commissioned, not casual observers who fit faith around whatever else they want to do.

The command “follow me” also gives the curriculum for the school of faith. Jesus leads, and disciples follow. Jesus is not a divine bodyguard following behind to bless self-directed plans. Jesus is in charge. Jesus is also more than the subject being studied. He is the curriculum itself. The goal is not simply to know facts about Jesus, but to become like Jesus.

Peter and John show what this kind of formation looks like. The Jewish leaders saw ordinary, unschooled men with courage, and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Christ’s call aims at a generation of followers who actually live like Christians. That does not mean sinless perfection. It means a sincere and sustained effort to become like the Master.

Matthew also makes plain that following Jesus costs something. Peter and Andrew leave their nets. James and John leave their boat and their father. Christ redirects possessions, careers, homes, family ties, and the entire course of life. The first disciples received lives of significance and sacrifice, and many gave their lives as martyrs. Christ remains worth following, because walking with him is life everlasting.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Names must be matched by fruit The name Christian carries the claim that Christ has a real claim upon a life. Nominal Christianity tries to keep the name while refusing the obedience that name requires. Christ’s words about fruit call for honest examination, not public image management. A life need not be sinless, but it must be sincerely moving in the direction of Jesus. [49:56]
• 2. Jesus takes the first step Christ calls fishermen before they come asking to follow him. Faith begins in God’s gracious initiative, not in human self-congratulation. Christ’s choosing gives assurance, but it also gives purpose. Those called by the King are called to represent the King. [51:45]
• 3. Disciples are not spectators The contrast between an Olympic competitor and a tourist reveals two very different approaches to faith. Christ’s call places a disciple on the field, not merely in the stands. Chosen people receive both the honor of belonging to Christ and the responsibility of living for him. A spectator may enjoy the atmosphere, but a disciple is shaped by the mission. [54:53]
• 4. Jesus is both leader and curriculum Christ does not follow behind human plans as a divine bodyguard. Jesus leads, and disciples learn to trust his direction even when it overturns personal preferences. Christ also forms character, not merely beliefs. Time spent with Jesus should make his courage, holiness, mercy, and obedience visible in ordinary people. [57:25]
• 5. Following Christ costs and gives everything The nets, boat, and family connections left behind show that discipleship rearranges life at its deepest levels. Christ does not promise a safe or easy path, and the first disciples knew sacrifice in costly ways. Yet Christ gives a life of greater significance than self-protection can ever provide. To know him and walk with him is life everlasting.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [44:53] - Jesus Calls the First Disciples
• [45:51] - Change Your Behavior or Change Your Name
• [48:47] - The Scandal of Nominal Christianity
• [50:33] - Come, Follow Me
• [51:45] - Faith Begins With Christ’s Call
• [52:55] - Chosen to Represent the King
• [56:26] - Jesus Leads the School of Faith
• [57:25] - Becoming Like Jesus
• [59:58] - The Cost of Leaving the Nets
• [1:01:24] - A Life of Significance and Sacrifice
• [1:02:00] - Prayer of Surrender

1. In Matthew 4:18-22, what were Peter, Andrew, James, and John doing when Jesus called them, and what did each pair leave behind to follow him? [01:00:01]
2. What words in Matthew 4 show that Jesus took the initiative in calling these fishermen rather than waiting for them to approach him first? [51:34]
3. According to John 15:16, what are the two results Jesus expects from those He chooses and appoints?
4. In Acts 4:13, what did the Jewish leaders notice about Peter and John, and what conclusion did they draw about the source of their boldness? [58:13]

1. Jesus says, “Follow me,” rather than simply “Believe facts about me.” What does this wording show about Jesus’ authority and the kind of response He calls for? [56:42]
2. Matthew 7:20 says people are recognized by their fruit. What kinds of visible fruit would reasonably show that a person is sincerely moving toward Jesus, even though that person is not sinless? [59:30]
3. Jesus chose and appointed His disciples to bear lasting fruit. How does being chosen by Christ give both assurance and responsibility, rather than an excuse for passive faith? [55:41]
4. Peter and John were ordinary men, yet others recognized that they had been with Jesus. What does this suggest about how Christ forms courage and character in everyday believers? [58:36]

1. The name Christian should be matched by a life that is being changed by Christ. In what area of your life—words, online presence, relationships, work, private habits, or use of money—is there a gap between the name you carry and the fruit Jesus calls for? What would repentance and a practical next step look like? [49:47]
2. Jesus calls disciples to represent their King, not merely to observe from the sidelines. Where have you been more like a spectator than a participant in the life and mission of Christ? What is one concrete way you could step onto the field this week? [54:53]
3. Jesus leads, and His disciples follow; He is not a divine bodyguard for self-directed plans. Is there a decision, ambition, relationship, or habit where you have been asking Jesus to bless your direction instead of seeking His direction? [56:49]
4. Becoming like Jesus is a sincere and sustained pursuit, not sinless perfection. What one quality of Jesus—courage, mercy, holiness, truthfulness, patience, or obedience—do you most need to grow in right now? Who could help you take that growth seriously? [59:30]
5. Peter and Andrew left their nets, while James and John left their boat and father. What might “leaving the nets” look like in your present season? Is there something good but controlling that needs to be surrendered so you can follow Jesus more freely? [01:00:27]
6. Jesus calls His people to bear fruit that lasts. What opportunity do you have this week to help someone else move closer to Christ through prayer, encouragement, service, or a clear conversation about the gospel? [52:34]