Matthew 4:12-23
Illustrations
I'd like to take you on a little trip through the powers of your imagination today. Our Gospel reading told us about the selection of some of Jesus' first disciples. Being Jesus, son of God, all-knowing and all powerful, I guess he didn't need much outside information about these fishermen before he asked them to join him in his mission. But, just for argument's sake, let's update this story to the present day. What if Jesus went on-line to work with a "head hunter", or consulted an employment office or a temp agency in order to recruit the "right" kind of career-minded workers? What kind of evaluations might those first twelve candidates have received?
Well, I just happen to have here a long-lost copy of just such an evaluation. It's from the Jordan Management Consultants, Jerusalem and is addressed to: Jesus, Son of Joseph @ Woodcrafters Carpenter Shop, Nazareth Here's what it says: Dear Sir:
Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for leadership positions in your new organization.
All of them have now taken our battery of tests; and we have not only run the results through our computer, but we have also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultants.
We have included here the profiles of all tests, and you will want to study each of them carefully. As part of our service, you will note below some general comments for your guidance. We offer these summaries much as an auditor will include some general statements. This evaluation is given as a result of staff consultation, and comes to you without any additional fee.
It is our experienced opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. Most of them do not understand the team concept. They're likely to fight among themselves. We would recommend that you continue your search for persons of experience in this field who have proven their ability and who have honed their skills. Following are our notes on each candidate: Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper. Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership. The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal best interests above company loyalty. Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale. We feel that it is our duty to tell you that Matthew has been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau. Both James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus definitely have radical leanings, and they both registered a high score on the manic-depressive scale as well.
One of the candidates, however, shows great potential. He is a man of ability and resourcefulness. He meets people well, has a keen business mind and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious and responsible. We recommend as your treasurer, comptroller and right-hand man one Judas Iscariot. All the other profiles are self-explanatory. We wish you every success in your new venture. Sincerely yours, Jordan Management Consultants
A sermon Opener by Linda Kraft
And Adapted from Sermonshop Sermons Note #1176, by Robt Hutchinson, ELCA Pastor in Buffalo, NY
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He called my name...on a quiet autumn evening;
He whispered words of ....Comfort, love and care.
He called my name...on the gentle breezes blowing;
He called my name...and a baby girl was born.
He called by name...In the heat of a summer's day;
He said, "The time had come for me to serve."
He called my name and I said,.."I was not worthy".
He called my name and I answered..."I am yours."
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In the following story one person made a whole lot of difference in the mission fields.
There is the classic story about the faithful pastor who was told by his superior that something was wrong with his work. The supervisor told him, "Only one person has been added to your church this year, and he is only a boy."
Later that day, heavy of heart, the pastor was praying when someone walked up behind him. Turning around, he saw the same boy-his only convert that year. The boy said, "Pastor, do you think I could become a preacher or missionary some day?" The pastor encouraged him to pray and seek God about it. The lad was Robert Moffit who was destined to open Africa to the Gospel of Christ.
Years later when Moffit spoke in London, a young doctor heard him say, "I have seen in the morning sun the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been." The young doctor, deeply moved by Moffit's message, was none other than David Livingstone. In 1840, he sailed for Africa where he labored for Jesus for more than three decades-all of this happened because a faithful pastor encouraged his "one convert."(1)
(1)Contributed by: Bruce Howell on SermonCentral
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Peter and James and John in a sailboat (3x)
Out on the deep blue sea
They fished all night and didn't catch any (3x)
Out on the deep blue sea
Along came Jesus over on the shore (3x)
Out on the deep blue sea
He said throw your nets over on the other side (3x)
Out on the deep blue sea
The nets were filled with very many fishes (3x)
Out on the deep blue sea
The lesson of the story is listen to the Lord (3x)
Out on the deep blue sea
Unknown
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On a small lake in Northern Minnesota, an old man sat one sub-zero day, ice fishing in complete peace, until a group of children joined him on the ice, running, sliding, falling, laughing, and generally being a nuisance. He chased them off, complaining they were scaring away the fish. They moved closer to the edge of the lake, but he could still hear them yelling louder and louder and was getting more and more annoyed, when one of the little boys ran up to him. "What do you want?" the old man snapped. " It's Tim," the boy shouted, "he broke through the ice, we can't pull him out." The man looked up and saw the young boy struggling in the icy water. He picked up his fishing pole and ran.
When he got there he cut the hook off his line, but left the lead weight. With one cast, he draped the line over the boy's arm. "Grab It," He shouted, and the boy grabbed the line for dear life. "Now the rest of you grab the line here." They all pulled, while the old man prayed his light weight line would hold. The boy's clothing kept him afloat as they pulled him to solid ice where they could haul him out of the water. Other ice fishers had joined the rescue by this time and one of them had a small shelter with a camp stove, where they took Tim to dry off and warm up. In the confusion, the old man walked off without being thanked, but satisfied with a good day's fishing.