68. TO BE SHAPEABLEJesus said, "Follow me." What does that invitation mean?
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Why would you change jobs? Well you would change jobs to be closer to family, to make more money, or to have better working conditions. Why would you change careers? You might change careers because the occupation you are in doesn’t support the lifestyle you want to live. Regardless of the reasons, it would be a big step to completely forsake all that you have been trained or educated to do and go do something completely different. There would be a lot of uncertainty as to whether or not you were making the right choice.
Another reason that you might change jobs is because you believe your new job is more important than your current one. For example, a doctor might make more money working in a private hospital, but choose to work at a state teaching hospital where he can be of greater service to his community and country.
People everyday are faced with the decision to change jobs and careers. Unfortunately, God does not write the answers to our questions in the sky. We have to make a choice, a choice that can change our lives forever. In this lesson we will examine how Jesus called men to be his disciples and the kind of decisions they were forced to make. We will also see how those decisions affected their lives. Let’s look at Buket’s experience first.
Buket got up from the couch and went to the kitchen for some sun ower seeds. She returned, sat on the couch across from the television, and continued listening to the news reports concerning the teacher appointment lottery. (öğretmen atama kurası). The lottery would begin in a few minutes and would be done by computer. Of 10,000 new appointments, 2700 would be classroom teachers like her.
Buket's shaking hand fumbled for the bag of sunflower seeds as she couldn't take her eyes off the television. She had worked so hard to get to this point. She had graduated from Ankara University, passed the KPSS10, and been among those who were entitled for the drawing. But what were her chances? Tens of thousands of people were competing for those jobs. It wasn't even the rst drawing she had lived through. On two other occasions, she had followed the same routine hoping that somehow she would get a teaching job.
Her emotions had gone up and down so much that she wasn't sure if she could stand the stress anymore. She said to herself,
"If I don't make it this time, I am going to look for work in another field. I have to make some money."
Her husband Varol had not mentioned it but she knew from the look on his face that her unemployment was straining their finances.
As she watched, the bowl beside her began to fill with the empty shells of the sun ower seeds and her hopes became as empty as the bag she was pulling seeds from. At last the final announcements were made and Buket was still without a job.
Buket's whole life was spent preparing to be a teacher. Now there was nothing. When Varol came home, she took one look into his eyes and burst into tears. There was nothing Varol could do to comfort her. Now what would they do?
That night an unusual phone call came. It was Buket's friend Elif who said there was an unannounced job opening at the Renault
factory. It was in the personnel department.
"Would you be interested in looking at the job?"
"I don't know, I have never thought about being anything other than a teacher. How can I be a personnel manager? I have never done that before. I don't have any training in it. I don't have a degree in it."
"You don't know until you try. What have you got to lose? Nothing. What have you got to gain? Everything."
"But that means saying good-bye to being a teacher forever. I don't know if I could do that."
"The decision is yours Buket. I can't make it for you and no one is forcing you. It's your life. What do you want to do with it?"
That is a good question for all of us. When the decisions of life come, what are we going to do? Buket can wait for a teaching career that may never come. She can try something different which is hard to do in our culture. What would you do?
Changing jobs can be unsettling if we are not sure that we are making the right decision. Even when we are sure that the decision is the right one, we still have to adjust to a new environment. This is true in our time and it must have been true in old times as well because people are people. One day Jesus approached some men with an offer that would change their lives. Let's read about it in Luke chapter 5 verses 1-5:
1 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the shermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. 4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." 5 But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."
Simon called Jesus, "Master." This was not their first meeting. This event took place probably more than a year after Jesus was baptized. You can read how the disciples were loosely connected to Jesus at that time.45 Jesus had ministered in Judea and was largely rejected by the leaders of the Jews. In fact, he had very few followers after the first year of his ministry. John the Baptist was in prison and the prospects that this new teacher named Jesus would amount to something were not very promising.
Simon and his shing partners had had a bad night and they returned from their labor empty handed. Perhaps their disappointment in not catching any sh matched their outlook for being a follower of Jesus. In the daytime, the clear water of Lake Galilee would make it easy for fish to see from their nets. That is why they fished at night. But out of respect for their teacher, they did as he commanded. Let's find out what happened next by reading Luke chapter 5 verses 6-11:
6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of sh, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and lled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of sh which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
It was at the time of greatest prosperity that Jesus called the disciples to forsake worldly gain and enterprise. They had never seen anything like that catch of sh. But Jesus immediately called them to leave it all behind and follow him. Usually we think of someone changing jobs or careers for nancial bene t. Just the opposite was happening here. Jesus gave them prosperity and then called them away from it!
Jesus didn’t have many disciples up to that point. In a similar way the shermen had had no sh. But all that changed in a moment with the miracle working power of Jesus. The same power that brought the sh to the net could change the hearts of men to believe the truth.
Simon saw the power of Jesus in miracles and understood that he was a sinner in the presence of the sinless One. His heart melted and he understood that he was not worthy to follow Jesus. It was when Simon was most vulnerable and humble that Jesus called him to be a follower. It was then that Simon's heart was open to receive the words of Jesus; open to a transformation of both life and character. Jesus didn’t choose the educated scribes and Pharisees to be his disciples because their hearts were not open to truth. No, he chose the outcasts, the ones that all the leaders had given up on. He was looking for those who could be shaped and molded. Those who had nothing to lose and everything to gain!
It is when you have come to the point of spiritual helplessness that Jesus can work with you. When you are proud, think that you know a lot, or think that your good works are suf cient for God to accept you into heaven, Jesus can do nothing for you. He is not inviting you to be a disciple in that condition. He invites you to be a disciple when you understand that without his help and miracle working power in your life you can't do anything to change your fate, spiritual status, or sinfulness.
Simon and the others decided to enter a new occupation. They had no education or training to do what Jesus was calling them to do. They simply trusted that the One who could ll their nets could prepare them for their new life. Jesus will do the same for you. When he calls you to be his disciple, he will supply all you need for your new life. You will learn directly from him. You will learn
from the one who turned ordinary sherman into skilled teachers, writers, and miracle workers!
The shermen were not the only ones that Jesus called from successful businesses to follow him. Let's nd out who else he called in Mark chapter 2 verses 13-17:
13 Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. 14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." So he arose and followed Him. 15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?" 17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
Levi was making good money! He definitely didn't follow Jesus to be closer to his family. Did he think he would make more money or have better working conditions? The Bible doesn't say. But we do have a record later on where Jesus made it very clear that he was not offering money, power, or position to those who chose to follow him. We can read about it in Luke chapter 9 verse 57-58:
57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go." 58 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."
In some cases, we take on a different job because of the opportunity it offers. But sometimes we do it out of a sense of duty. Consider this story about the independence war.
Ekrem was 17 years old and lived in a small village in the Aegean. It was late July, 1920, and news came ltered out of parliament that Mustafa Kemal didn’t think the Turkish revolutionary units (Kuvayımilliye) could stand against the Greek army. The Greeks had started their attack on the twenty-second of the previous month and already the revolutionaries had lost Bursa. Mustafa Kemal called for the qualified soldiers in the revolutionary units to become part of the regular army. A call also went out for mobilization, anyone who could handle a weapon was to come and join the army.
Ekrem walked from the village square to his home. He walked past the familiar cafe and the spring. He paused to look out over the fields in the valley below. He said to himself,
"If I go to war I may never see this place again."
He walked home and saw the owers that his mother planted by the front door. He entered slowly but the noise of the door caught his mother's ear.
"Son, is that you?"
"Yes, mom," Ekrem said with a weak voice.
His mother understood something was wrong and entered the hallway from the living room where she was knitting.
"What's the matter, son?"
"Mom, they need help with the war. I'm not a soldier, I've never done that before. But how can I stay here and see my country overrun by enemies. How can I leave the responsibility of defending our homeland to others? Mom, I've got to go."
Tears came into his mother's eyes as she understood the implication of what her rst-born son was saying. How could she let him go? Which was more important, her son or her country? How could she give her son over to almost certain death?
She embraced him and plunged her head against his chest. She remembered the first time she held him in her arms. That was so many years ago. Now he was not a little baby anymore. He was a man with a responsibility and a mission. She could not hold him back from being a man. Ekrem had decided that he must leave his home, leave his mother and father, leave everything he knew behind, and go do something he had never done before. He would do something he was not trained to do. But he was answering the call to do something greater than himself. He was answering the call to self-sacrifice.
What about you dear reader? You have read what Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"You must be born again."
You feel in your soul that Jesus is calling you to be his disciple. But the issue still comes down to a decision. Perhaps you are thinking about what will happen to you if you make this choice. Perhaps you are thinking like Buket that your life will never be the same, you would be saying good-bye to your life as you know it forever.
You may be thinking like Simon and the other disciples that the prospects for worldly greatness and success don't seem very good if you live a life with Jesus. But then you are also reminded that Jesus lled their nets by the miracle power that resides in him. You recall that Jesus told one potential follower that the Messiah had no place to lay his head. Jesus made himself very clear. He was not inviting people to nancial prosperity in this world. He was offering hardship in this world but with the promise of eternal life in the next.
But you also want to think like Ekrem, that you are being called to something more important than yourself. The prospect of being Jesus' disciple involves your salvation, yes. But it is also calling you to the higher task of being a messenger of salvation for others. As Ekrem and thousands of others gave their lives for Turkey, are you willing to give your life for the kingdom of God? You will not have
the courage to stay in the kingdom of God to the end if you really aren't committed to the idea that the kingdom of God is everything.
So you need to make a decision. Jesus, invited those fisherman and they saw miracles, they experienced amazing transformation, truly
their fate was turned, and their lives were changed. What about you, why not also follow Jesus? Just like Buket and Ekrem, there is no looking back, there is no changing plans later. Other options have failed and they will fail again. But Jesus never fails. Your destiny, your fate is in your hands. What are you waiting for?
Discussion Questions
1. What was the real struggle in Buket's mind about taking the new job offer? Have you had to make such a decision? Explain.
2. What quality was Jesus looking for when he was choosing his disciples? Why was that essential to the kingdom of heaven? Do you
have that quality?
3. Ekrem was willing to give his life for his country. What things would you give your life for? Can you imagine yourself as not just a
citizen of Turkey, but as a citizen of the kingdom of heaven? Could you give your life for that kingdom?
4. Can you make a verbal commitment right now to God, in front of the other people in your study group, to follow His Messiah?
45 John chapter 1
Another reason that you might change jobs is because you believe your new job is more important than your current one. For example, a doctor might make more money working in a private hospital, but choose to work at a state teaching hospital where he can be of greater service to his community and country.
People everyday are faced with the decision to change jobs and careers. Unfortunately, God does not write the answers to our questions in the sky. We have to make a choice, a choice that can change our lives forever. In this lesson we will examine how Jesus called men to be his disciples and the kind of decisions they were forced to make. We will also see how those decisions affected their lives. Let’s look at Buket’s experience first.
Buket got up from the couch and went to the kitchen for some sun ower seeds. She returned, sat on the couch across from the television, and continued listening to the news reports concerning the teacher appointment lottery. (öğretmen atama kurası). The lottery would begin in a few minutes and would be done by computer. Of 10,000 new appointments, 2700 would be classroom teachers like her.
Buket's shaking hand fumbled for the bag of sunflower seeds as she couldn't take her eyes off the television. She had worked so hard to get to this point. She had graduated from Ankara University, passed the KPSS10, and been among those who were entitled for the drawing. But what were her chances? Tens of thousands of people were competing for those jobs. It wasn't even the rst drawing she had lived through. On two other occasions, she had followed the same routine hoping that somehow she would get a teaching job.
Her emotions had gone up and down so much that she wasn't sure if she could stand the stress anymore. She said to herself,
"If I don't make it this time, I am going to look for work in another field. I have to make some money."
Her husband Varol had not mentioned it but she knew from the look on his face that her unemployment was straining their finances.
As she watched, the bowl beside her began to fill with the empty shells of the sun ower seeds and her hopes became as empty as the bag she was pulling seeds from. At last the final announcements were made and Buket was still without a job.
Buket's whole life was spent preparing to be a teacher. Now there was nothing. When Varol came home, she took one look into his eyes and burst into tears. There was nothing Varol could do to comfort her. Now what would they do?
That night an unusual phone call came. It was Buket's friend Elif who said there was an unannounced job opening at the Renault
factory. It was in the personnel department.
"Would you be interested in looking at the job?"
"I don't know, I have never thought about being anything other than a teacher. How can I be a personnel manager? I have never done that before. I don't have any training in it. I don't have a degree in it."
"You don't know until you try. What have you got to lose? Nothing. What have you got to gain? Everything."
"But that means saying good-bye to being a teacher forever. I don't know if I could do that."
"The decision is yours Buket. I can't make it for you and no one is forcing you. It's your life. What do you want to do with it?"
That is a good question for all of us. When the decisions of life come, what are we going to do? Buket can wait for a teaching career that may never come. She can try something different which is hard to do in our culture. What would you do?
Changing jobs can be unsettling if we are not sure that we are making the right decision. Even when we are sure that the decision is the right one, we still have to adjust to a new environment. This is true in our time and it must have been true in old times as well because people are people. One day Jesus approached some men with an offer that would change their lives. Let's read about it in Luke chapter 5 verses 1-5:
1 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the shermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. 4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." 5 But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net."
Simon called Jesus, "Master." This was not their first meeting. This event took place probably more than a year after Jesus was baptized. You can read how the disciples were loosely connected to Jesus at that time.45 Jesus had ministered in Judea and was largely rejected by the leaders of the Jews. In fact, he had very few followers after the first year of his ministry. John the Baptist was in prison and the prospects that this new teacher named Jesus would amount to something were not very promising.
Simon and his shing partners had had a bad night and they returned from their labor empty handed. Perhaps their disappointment in not catching any sh matched their outlook for being a follower of Jesus. In the daytime, the clear water of Lake Galilee would make it easy for fish to see from their nets. That is why they fished at night. But out of respect for their teacher, they did as he commanded. Let's find out what happened next by reading Luke chapter 5 verses 6-11:
6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of sh, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and lled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of sh which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
It was at the time of greatest prosperity that Jesus called the disciples to forsake worldly gain and enterprise. They had never seen anything like that catch of sh. But Jesus immediately called them to leave it all behind and follow him. Usually we think of someone changing jobs or careers for nancial bene t. Just the opposite was happening here. Jesus gave them prosperity and then called them away from it!
Jesus didn’t have many disciples up to that point. In a similar way the shermen had had no sh. But all that changed in a moment with the miracle working power of Jesus. The same power that brought the sh to the net could change the hearts of men to believe the truth.
Simon saw the power of Jesus in miracles and understood that he was a sinner in the presence of the sinless One. His heart melted and he understood that he was not worthy to follow Jesus. It was when Simon was most vulnerable and humble that Jesus called him to be a follower. It was then that Simon's heart was open to receive the words of Jesus; open to a transformation of both life and character. Jesus didn’t choose the educated scribes and Pharisees to be his disciples because their hearts were not open to truth. No, he chose the outcasts, the ones that all the leaders had given up on. He was looking for those who could be shaped and molded. Those who had nothing to lose and everything to gain!
It is when you have come to the point of spiritual helplessness that Jesus can work with you. When you are proud, think that you know a lot, or think that your good works are suf cient for God to accept you into heaven, Jesus can do nothing for you. He is not inviting you to be a disciple in that condition. He invites you to be a disciple when you understand that without his help and miracle working power in your life you can't do anything to change your fate, spiritual status, or sinfulness.
Simon and the others decided to enter a new occupation. They had no education or training to do what Jesus was calling them to do. They simply trusted that the One who could ll their nets could prepare them for their new life. Jesus will do the same for you. When he calls you to be his disciple, he will supply all you need for your new life. You will learn directly from him. You will learn
from the one who turned ordinary sherman into skilled teachers, writers, and miracle workers!
The shermen were not the only ones that Jesus called from successful businesses to follow him. Let's nd out who else he called in Mark chapter 2 verses 13-17:
13 Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. 14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." So he arose and followed Him. 15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?" 17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
Levi was making good money! He definitely didn't follow Jesus to be closer to his family. Did he think he would make more money or have better working conditions? The Bible doesn't say. But we do have a record later on where Jesus made it very clear that he was not offering money, power, or position to those who chose to follow him. We can read about it in Luke chapter 9 verse 57-58:
57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go." 58 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."
In some cases, we take on a different job because of the opportunity it offers. But sometimes we do it out of a sense of duty. Consider this story about the independence war.
Ekrem was 17 years old and lived in a small village in the Aegean. It was late July, 1920, and news came ltered out of parliament that Mustafa Kemal didn’t think the Turkish revolutionary units (Kuvayımilliye) could stand against the Greek army. The Greeks had started their attack on the twenty-second of the previous month and already the revolutionaries had lost Bursa. Mustafa Kemal called for the qualified soldiers in the revolutionary units to become part of the regular army. A call also went out for mobilization, anyone who could handle a weapon was to come and join the army.
Ekrem walked from the village square to his home. He walked past the familiar cafe and the spring. He paused to look out over the fields in the valley below. He said to himself,
"If I go to war I may never see this place again."
He walked home and saw the owers that his mother planted by the front door. He entered slowly but the noise of the door caught his mother's ear.
"Son, is that you?"
"Yes, mom," Ekrem said with a weak voice.
His mother understood something was wrong and entered the hallway from the living room where she was knitting.
"What's the matter, son?"
"Mom, they need help with the war. I'm not a soldier, I've never done that before. But how can I stay here and see my country overrun by enemies. How can I leave the responsibility of defending our homeland to others? Mom, I've got to go."
Tears came into his mother's eyes as she understood the implication of what her rst-born son was saying. How could she let him go? Which was more important, her son or her country? How could she give her son over to almost certain death?
She embraced him and plunged her head against his chest. She remembered the first time she held him in her arms. That was so many years ago. Now he was not a little baby anymore. He was a man with a responsibility and a mission. She could not hold him back from being a man. Ekrem had decided that he must leave his home, leave his mother and father, leave everything he knew behind, and go do something he had never done before. He would do something he was not trained to do. But he was answering the call to do something greater than himself. He was answering the call to self-sacrifice.
What about you dear reader? You have read what Jesus said to Nicodemus:
"You must be born again."
You feel in your soul that Jesus is calling you to be his disciple. But the issue still comes down to a decision. Perhaps you are thinking about what will happen to you if you make this choice. Perhaps you are thinking like Buket that your life will never be the same, you would be saying good-bye to your life as you know it forever.
You may be thinking like Simon and the other disciples that the prospects for worldly greatness and success don't seem very good if you live a life with Jesus. But then you are also reminded that Jesus lled their nets by the miracle power that resides in him. You recall that Jesus told one potential follower that the Messiah had no place to lay his head. Jesus made himself very clear. He was not inviting people to nancial prosperity in this world. He was offering hardship in this world but with the promise of eternal life in the next.
But you also want to think like Ekrem, that you are being called to something more important than yourself. The prospect of being Jesus' disciple involves your salvation, yes. But it is also calling you to the higher task of being a messenger of salvation for others. As Ekrem and thousands of others gave their lives for Turkey, are you willing to give your life for the kingdom of God? You will not have
the courage to stay in the kingdom of God to the end if you really aren't committed to the idea that the kingdom of God is everything.
So you need to make a decision. Jesus, invited those fisherman and they saw miracles, they experienced amazing transformation, truly
their fate was turned, and their lives were changed. What about you, why not also follow Jesus? Just like Buket and Ekrem, there is no looking back, there is no changing plans later. Other options have failed and they will fail again. But Jesus never fails. Your destiny, your fate is in your hands. What are you waiting for?
Discussion Questions
1. What was the real struggle in Buket's mind about taking the new job offer? Have you had to make such a decision? Explain.
2. What quality was Jesus looking for when he was choosing his disciples? Why was that essential to the kingdom of heaven? Do you
have that quality?
3. Ekrem was willing to give his life for his country. What things would you give your life for? Can you imagine yourself as not just a
citizen of Turkey, but as a citizen of the kingdom of heaven? Could you give your life for that kingdom?
4. Can you make a verbal commitment right now to God, in front of the other people in your study group, to follow His Messiah?
45 John chapter 1