The Call A Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: The Call Keyword: "follow” Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Matthew 4:18-22; 9:9* 18. And walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19. And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." 20. And they immediately left the nets, and followed Him. 21. And going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. 22. And they immediately left the boat and their father, and followed Him. 9:9 And as Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office; and He said to him, "Follow Me!" And he rose, and followed Him. Questions 1. Who are the five men Jesus' calls to "follow" in the verses above?   2. What do you understood Jesus to be challenging them to do when they heard Him say, "Follow Me"?   Practical help Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew dropped everything they were doing and began following Jesus at His invitation. They left lucrative businesses (the first four were involved in the fishing industry on the Sea of Galilee; Matthew was a tax-collector for Rome — an unpopular but good-paying position). I take it that there must have been something absolutely compelling about the idea of following Jesus. How many of us, today, would drop whatever it is we are doing at the invitation of someone to "follow me"? For none of them was this the first meeting with Jesus. They had seen Him around before. A few of them had already met Him. They all knew of His reputation. They knew Him to be God's Man, to be loving, to be powerful. They must have known, too, that following Him would require sacrifice on their part and a willingness to change attitudes and behavior, for that was what disciples did in the first century. They imitated their leader. If you have logged on to the eXXit web site to find help in standing strong against sexual temptation, you will find that help as you follow Jesus. There has never been anyone like Him. He is uniquely holy and loving. And He is uniquely able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. If you say "Yes" to His invitation to follow, you will find yourself developing the guts to say "No" to temptation. He took the first step toward you when He died on the cross and rose again. You've placed your trust in Him for eternal salvation. (I hope you have! If you haven't, click here for an explanation of what trusting Jesus is all about). The next step is up to you. He is calling you to follow. Your "Yes" will lead farther and deeper into life. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2003 by eXXit *Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. ----