SUNDAY LESSON, 10/5/25
DISCIPLESHIP: CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP
Mark 1:16-20 and Luke 5:1-11
(PART 1: THE RECORDING IS IN TWO-PARTS (ONE SERMON, TWO PARTS):
While it’s true that not every person who makes a profession of faith is a Christian (Matthew 7:21-23), it is equally true that not every Christian is a disciple. To put it another way, every disciple is a Christian, but not every Christian is necessarily a disciple.
A true follower of Jesus should want to be a disciple. And what is discipleship? It’s much more than merely calling yourself a Christian.
Discipleship is more than attending church or learning about Jesus. It is a transformative journey of surrender, obedience, and growth. Just as the first disciples lived a sacrificial life to follow their Master, Jesus invites us to do the same. NHowever, I think that some Christians are reluctant to want to live that way because it seems, well, radical. They don’t want difficulty, so they take the path of least resistance. Discipleship is challenging, but it’s fulfilling. It’s hard, but it’s more than worth it. Put simply, discipleship is becoming like Jesus Christ.
Come join us this Sunday as we begin this series on DISCIPLESHIP as Jesus calls His first disciples into service, and learn what it means to you and me to be CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP.
MARK 1:16-20
As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.
19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
LUKE 5:1-11
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
