Jesus Calls Us to Follow Him

Matthew 4:18–22 and Luke 9:23

The Call of the Shore: Why Following Jesus Changes Everything

There is a common misunderstanding that faith is a "spiritual quest"—a climb up a high mountain to find a hidden deity. We often talk about "finding Jesus" as if He were the one who was lost. But the reality of the Gospel is the opposite: the Christian life doesn’t start with us choosing Jesus; it starts with Jesus choosing us.

Meeting Us in the Mess

When Jesus called His first disciples by the Sea of Galilee, He didn’t find them in a quiet retreat center. He found them covered in fish scales and sweat, doing the hard work of earning a living.

Jesus walks into the middle of normal life—the office, the kitchen, the job site—and issues a command: "Follow me." This is the heartbeat of grace. He doesn’t wait for us to "clean up our act" or master our theology. He sees exactly who we are today, but He also sees who He is going to make us become.

A New Center of Gravity

Often, we try to fit Jesus into our lives as if He were a "religious wing" we are adding to our house—a nice extra room for Sunday mornings. In reality, following Jesus means giving Him the keys to the front door and letting Him rearrange the furniture.

Think of your life as a solar system. Before Christ, something else sits at the center—perhaps success, comfort, or approval—and everything orbits that one thing. When Jesus calls us, He becomes our new center of gravity. Our careers, families, and hobbies don’t disappear, but they begin to orbit Him. Everything finds its proper place only when it is circling the Son.

The Daily Path

Following Jesus is a daily posture. He spoke of "taking up a cross daily." In the ancient world, carrying a cross-beam meant your old life was over. Taking up our cross today isn't just about enduring hardship; it’s the daily choice to obey Jesus even when it costs us our pride or our "right" to be angry. We are no longer the CEOs of our own lives.

Walking Together

Jesus never intended for us to walk the Christian life alone. He didn’t call us to be “solo hikers” forging our own path, but a flock following the Shepherd together. When someone in the next pew stumbles, our calling is to reach out, steady them, and help them rise again.

The voice that spoke on the shore is speaking today. He calls you not because you are perfect, but because He loves you. Following Him happens one inch at a time—one step of trust, one day of obedience, centered on the One who stands on the shore and calls your name.

This blog is based on a sermon preached by Pastor Paul Becker of the First Presbyterian Church of Bakerstown. You can listen to the full message at the link below:

[Click Here to watch the Sermon]