The Staggering Call of God to Preach

Matthew 4, verse 18, And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Now this brief account in Matthew of Peter and Andrew's calling to discipleship is elaborated and carefully detailed by Luke, who wrote in chapter 5, verse 1, And it came to pass that as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing by the lake. But the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing. Nevertheless, at thy word, I will let down the nets, I will let down the nets. And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishers. When they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishers, and their net break. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help, come and help them. And they came and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. They began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me, depart from me, for I am a sinful man, I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished. And all that were with him at the draught of the fishers which they had taken, and so was also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men. From henceforth thou shalt catch men. When they had brought their ships to land, when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all. They forsook all and followed him. Now Peter, Peter had obeyed the Lord's staggering and confusing command to launch out into the deep and once more to let down their nets for a draught. And he was astonished. He was astonished when they enclosed a great multitude of fishers. They enclosed a great multitude of fishers. He then readily obeyed the Lord's incomprehensible command to be willing to forsake everything in life and to follow him that he might make him into a fisher of men, a fisher of men. Two years later, after Peter preached his first sermon in Acts chapter 2, verse 41, three thousand men converted to Christ, followed by a further five thousand after his second sermon in Acts 4, verse 4. Acts 4, verse 4 records as a result of Peter's obedience to Christ's incomprehensible and staggering command to be willing to forsake everything in life, to follow him that he might make him into a fisher of men, that is into a soul winner. A great multitude of people, a great multitude of people were gloriously saved through him. Daniel chapter 12, verse 3 speaks of they that turn many to righteousness, that turn many away from iniquity. Malachi 2, verse 6, they that turn many to righteousness, that turn many away from iniquity. And this, this is what Peter clearly proclaimed in his second sermon in Acts chapter 3, verse 26, that God sent Jesus to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquity. God sent Jesus to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquity. Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 2 Timothy 2, verse 19, Titus chapter 2, verse 11, for the grace of God, the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. God sent Jesus to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquity. And beloved, anything less than this, anything less than this would be a tragic lie being proclaimed from our pulpits. Anything less than this would be a tragic lie being proclaimed from our pulpits. Now after, after Peter and Andrew, together with James and John, the sons of Zebedee, the Lord went on, the Lord went on to call eight more disciples, whom also he named apostles. He went on to call eight more disciples, whom also he named apostles. Luke 6, verse 13. Firstly, Matthew, surnamed Levi, who was a despised, despised tax collector for the Roman rulers. He later would write the first and longest book in the New Testament, Matthew, Levi. And then Thomas, surnamed Didymus, Thomas Didymus, who will always be remembered as Doubting Thomas, Doubting Thomas. And then Philip, the evangelist, the evangelist, Acts 21, verse 8 says, whose four daughters prophesied. Verse 9, your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Joel 2, verse 28. Then Bartholomew, Bartholomew and James, the Lord's brother. Galatians 1, verse 19 says, the Lord's brother, whose father, Alpheus, married Mary, the mother of Jesus, after Joseph's death. James became the head of the apostles in the early church in Jerusalem, and wrote one of the most feared, yet doctrinally pivotal books in the entire Bible. He wrote one of the most feared, yet doctrinally pivotal books in the entire Bible. And his brother, Jude, also referred to as Judas, or Labias, Thaddeus. He wrote the second last book in the Bible. And Simon, Zelotus, the zealot, the zealot, or political activist against Roman rule in Israel. And lastly, lastly, Judas Iscariot, the son of perdition, literally meaning destruction. And Edomite, whereas all the other apostles were Galilean, the traitor which betrayed Christ, which betrayed Christ. The 30 pieces of silver for Satan entered into him. John 13, verse 27, Satan entered into him, and Jesus was troubled. Jesus was troubled in his spirit and said, one of you, one of you shall betray me. Have not I chosen you? Twelve. And one of you is a devil. One of you is. And he drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. And Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the son of man? Betrayest thou the son of man? With a kiss, with a kiss. But later when he saw that Jesus was condemned, he repented himself. He repented himself. He repented himself and went out and hanged himself. After which the remaining 11 apostles erroneously, erroneously drew lots and chose a man called Mattias to replace Judas as one of the twelve. But Christ had chosen someone else, a man called Saul, Saul of Tarsus, which is situated in Turkey. And he appeared unto him. He appeared unto him on the road to Damascus in Acts chapter 26, verse 16, and said, I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness, both of these things which thou hast seen and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee, delivering thee, delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles, the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee to open their eyes, to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they, that they, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, that they may receive forgiveness of sins. For whosoever, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10, verse 13. But how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent, except they be sent? The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. The laborers are few. Matthew 9, verse 37. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest. Now this verse in Matthew 9, verse 37 must needs be viewed very carefully and prayerfully to come close to what God's saying here. Firstly, contextually and secondly, in the light of vitally related scriptures. You see the previous verse, that's Matthew 9, verse 36. We read that when he saw the multitudes, when he saw the multitudes he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted. They fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, then saith he unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. The laborers are few. When he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them. And beloved, I believe the same God, two thousand years later, is moved with compassion upon this world as he views the multitudes, billions, over nine billion scattered throughout this world, mostly, mostly fearful, confused, mostly despairing, weary, hopeless, lost. I believe the same God, two thousand years later, is moved with compassion across this entire world that he views, men's hearts failing them, men's hearts failing them across the entire world for fear of things which are coming upon the earth. This book says about this day, this generation, I believe this book that cries out of God's compassion, he knoweth our frame. He remembereth that we are dust. He remembereth that we are dust and I believe this God in compassion upon the multitudes to this day across this entire world longs to cry out, longs to cry out through the foolishness of preaching, through the foolishness of preaching, look, look unto me, look unto me and be saved. All the ends of the earth be saved. All the ends of the earth who will have all men to be saved, who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2 verse 4, who gave himself a ransom for all. Verse 6 says, 1 John 2 verse 2, beloved, he is the propitiation. He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. God have mercy on you if you doubt that and you need mercy, sir, also for the sins of the whole world. You see, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 19 tells us, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. All we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53 verse 6 says, the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. And he who tasted death for all men, he who tasted death for all men, I believe with my soul, longs to cry out through the foolishness of preaching. Through the foolishness of preaching across this entire world to the uttermost parts of the earth, to the ends of the earth, who will have all men to be saved. I believe he cries out from his soul through the foolishness of preaching this book. We preach Christ crucified. Oh, we've got no message to give that's worth anything. We preach Christ crucified and he longs to cry out through the foolishness of the preaching of him on the cross, the preaching of the cross. Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. I will in no wise cast out or turn away. God promises to the souls he died for in the light of all the scriptures, when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. The laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers into his harvest. Amos 7 verse 14, Then answered Amos and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son, but I was an heard man. I was an heard man and a gatherer of sycamore fruit and the Lord took me. The Lord took me as I followed the flock and the Lord said unto me, go, go prophesy unto my people. As Isaiah wrote in chapter 6 verse 8, also I heard the voice of the Lord. I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send and who will go for us? Then said I, here am I, send me. And he said, go, go. And as you sit here today, is it possible there be any, perhaps many, perhaps one that through this sermon have heard the voice of the Lord here today? And you know when God's speaking, there's no doubt when it's God, you know it's not human voice who fail, frail man who stands trying his best in his weakness. You're suddenly aware you have to do with God, there's nothing to do with this man. It's you and God. Perhaps you've heard the voice of the Lord here today, crying out an uncomprehendable command to your life, to be willing to forsake everything in one moment and never to look back longingly once again in your life, to burn your bridges behind you in one moment because of love for Christ who's speaking to your heart and wants you to separate yourself, to be willing to forsake everything in life, to follow him that he might make you a fisher of men, a full-time preacher, a full-time missionary, someone who forsakes everything to follow him and give every breath in his body, every bit of strength in his soul to ring this world to Christ through the foolishness of preaching. Perhaps God's laid his hand on you somehow through the greatness of the uncomprehendable workings of God, but there's no doubt it's God when God speaks. But let us all be very careful here with what you do with this message, for Christ warned, the night cometh when no man can work. It's on 9 verse 4, when the multitudes in their masses and billions of fearful, despairing souls will cry out, the harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. We are not saved. Jeremiah 8 verse 20, no man cared for my soul. Psalm 142 verse 4, no man cared for my soul. We all need to be very careful, for that night is so close when no man can work. I was saved three months. I'd never been so presumptuous in my life, and I never would have, especially what God saved me from. I never would have been so presumptuous as to believe God could lay his hand on such a base, weak, despised, rightfully so man with such weakness. I would never have dreamed, never dared to think that God would want me to preach the gospel of Christ, and I sat in a meeting as you are sitting right now, the front row, as I was so desperate to get everything God could ever give me. I was scared anybody in front of me would move, and I lost one word. As shy as I was, I sat in the front row. I want everything God wants for my life, and the preacher stood and said staggering words that shook me so to the core that I sat trembling like a leaf in fear. God may cry out to you, launch out into the deep, away from the security of the harbor, where it's easy to go back, pull yourself where you cast in the mercy of God, and it's not easy to ever look back or get back, to give yourself, to burn every bridge behind you, every dream you ever had, every plan you ever made in one moment, in one moment, never ever to look back or argue with God, for you know when God's speaking or he isn't speaking, don't doubt that, and everyone who knows God is saying to them, I want your life, I want you to be willing to forsake everything, every plan, every dream, and never to look back, not once, to give every breath you have left for the noblest thing God could ever give a man or woman, a call to preach, don't stoop to be a king if God has called you to preach, a great godly man once said, you stoop, for there's no greater honor God could give you, oh don't doubt this now, or do you run away from it boy, as fast as you can, oh I sat there trembling because I knew, I knew this sermon was for me, I knew God had singled me out in that great old gothic building with many, oh I knew, I sweated, I trembled, I started weeping, me, but I knew it is God, I want you to stand, the preacher said, if you say to God I'm willing to obey, no matter what I have to face in life, in the consequences of preaching uncompromising truth to the day I die, and you will have consequences, but it's worth it, a billion times over, or the preacher says, I want you to dare to stand in this sanctuary, with satan viewing, trembling at what could happen through your life now, if you say yes, and God in heaven waiting to see your answer, stand and say yes God, have my life, what's left of it, take everything, I hold nothing back, I give it to you, oh my dreams mean nothing now, oh I stood, I thought I was the only one, there were five of us that night, I didn't know or care, all five went to theological seminar, all five went into God's service, two were dead and died in God's service, the others who were alive still are in God's service including me, and literally hundreds of thousands of people have been preached to through those, five who stood that night, across this world, and multitudes have found Jesus as their savior, God was in it, it wasn't emotion, it wasn't manipulative preaching, it was God, it was God, and I knew it and they knew it, and satan knew it, he knows right now if it's God, and what could happen to you, who will go, boss.