Follow the Leader
Message Listening Guide
Luke 5:1-3 — Before the Invitation
Peter and John were fishermen for a reason. In the first century, the most promising students were selected by a rabbi to become his disciples. The rest were sent home to learn their father's trade. By the time Jesus showed up on the shore of Galilee, these men had already been passed over. But before Jesus invites Simon to follow him, he invites him to listen. Simon lends Jesus his boat. He hears him teach from the water. The call to follow comes later — after the exposure.
Luke 5:4-11 — The Invitation
When Jesus said "follow me," every first-century listener would have recognized the language immediately. This was a rabbi calling a disciple: come and apprentice under my way of life. The goal was not simply to memorize the rabbi's teaching — it was to become like him.
The Point: Following Jesus means apprenticing yourself to His entire way of life.
If discipleship is apprenticeship, then…
- Saying yes to Jesus is the beginning of the story, not the end. Have you been coasting on a yes you said years ago?
- All of life is your classroom, and you never clock out. What is still off the table?
- Knowing more about Jesus isn't the primary goal — becoming more like him is. What do you know about Jesus that you haven't started living yet?