Keep obeying all the way. Our study today only
involves six short verses found in two places, Mt. 4:18-22 and Mt. 9:9.
Let’s notice just a few short lessons on obedience from the call of
theses apostles.
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Jesus calls us to follow. Sometimes, it seems that
people who come to Jesus never pick up on the idea that we are
following. That is, we are to go where Jesus went and do what Jesus did.
The sheep follow the shepherd (Jn. 10:4). We sing the song, “Where he
leads me, I will follow.” Let us remember that means in attitude,
thought and action.
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The apostles obeyed the call to follow. From the
beginning of time, God has demanded obedience. Consider Adam’s and Eve’s
sin with the forbidden fruit. Consider Saul’s failure to destroy the
Amalekites. “behold, to obey is better than to sacrifice… (1 Sam.
15:22). Worship without obedience is vain. Let’s obey the call to
follow.
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They followed immediately. In the work of God, time is
always of the essence. “And he took them the same hour of the night and
washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway
(Acts 16:33). “…behold, now is the accepted time…” Once you have learned
a new truth or new application of truth from you study of God’s word,
nothing is gained by waiting to obey it. Much could be lost (your soul).
Why wait? It is our Lord who calls us to the work.
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They sacrificed the life they had planned for the life
Christ planned for them. Jesus said, “…whosoever he be of you that
forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Lk. 14:33)..
This is what James was trying to tell us when he said in James 4:13: “Go
to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city,
and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14: Whereas
ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is
even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth
away. 15: For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and
do this, or that.” Let’s live the life Christ plans for us. Let’s hide
our lives in his (Col. 3:1-3).
Obey all the way.
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