We reminded ourselves yesterday that Jesus called his followers into a relationship with him. Moreover, Jesus had a goal for those relationships: that they would become like him. Back in Matthew 4, what did he say to Peter and Andrew?

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4.18, 19, ESV)

“Follow me, and I will make you…” Jesus didn’t want a mass of passive fans but a cadre of trained men. Men who would do what he was doing.

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. (Matthew 4.23, NKJV, emphasis mine)

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. (Matthew 9.35, NKJV, emphasis mine)

Teaching, preaching, healing. That’s what Jesus was doing. But he couldn’t do it all, and the well-known solution follows immediately:

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9.36 – 38, NKJV)

There’s a labor shortage, and who got to fill it? His disciples – his students. Again, they weren’t called to be spectators but participants:

And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease… And as you go, preach, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. (Matthew 10.1, 7, 8, NKJV)

He sent them out to preach and heal, same as he was doing.

I was at a denominational conference once, and a pastor came by my table where I was displaying discipleship materials. “Study the word, and preach the word. There is nothing better than studying the word and preaching the word!” I responded, “I can think of something better.” Shocked, he asked, “What would that be?” I replied simply:

Teaching someone else how to study the word and preach the word.

“I never thought of that,” he said. I hope he did.

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Timothy 2.2, NIV)

PS I have written before about my struggle to improve my golf game. It’s fun to watch the pros compete. The recent Master’s, for example, where one of my favorite golfers, Jordan Spieth, came in fourth. But there’s someone more important in my golf life than Jordan Spieth. It’s Tyler one of our local pros and my golf teacher. You won’t see Tyler on television, but he said to me during a lesson the other day: “My satisfaction is seeing you hit the ball well.” That will preach!

For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 3.8, NKJV)