May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:17-23)

In Christ, dear friends: We see in the gospels that great crowds of people gathered around Jesus to listen to him preach and teach. Often so many were present that special efforts were taken for Jesus to be heard and the people to be able to listen--going up on a hill, pulling apart a thatch roof, going more than a day's walk without bringing food along. This particular day the other evangelists tell us that Jesus used a fishing boat to get out a bit from the people so his voice would carry over the water. Why all the fuss to catch his voice? Of course, we know from the Bible that God was speaking, and his voice was a magnet. And it was not his style, the earthly sound of his voice, or his oratory. The reason for the fascination is given by the audience itself--(Matthew 7:29) because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. It was the authority of his voice that drew the people. And the authority consisted in the Gospel (God's gifts in Christ) rather than the Law (God's demands on us). I would like to center on that idea. May that compelling voice do its gracious will among us. HIS COMPELLING VOICE.

We have two direct quotations from that compelling voice today. First, he says, Repent. I guess we most often associate "sorrow" with repentance, and it does involve that when we think of our sin. But to repent is more than sorrow. Even our English dictionaries include "a change of mind" along with sorrow. Repent! Jesus is saying, change your mind. Yes, change your mind about sin. It does not make you wiser, better off, more secure, happier if you disobey God. That's what Satan has been telling people since Adam and Eve. When we sin, especially when we sin consciously, we have that delusion that somehow we will be better off by doing this. Repent. Change your thinking on that. Instead listen to God who says, There is no peace for the wicked."(Isaiah 57:21) But to repent is not only to change our mind about sin; it is also to change our mind about what to do about our sin. Again, Satan's old ploy is to say that we can somehow undo our sin, resolve it, rectify it before God. Repent! Change your mind about that. Instead, listen to God when he says, For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.(Romans 3:28) In God's kingdom he does the fighting against sin and conquers for us.

Now, here's the important part. It is that compelling voice of Jesus that makes us repent. Just as the compelling voice of Jesus made water turn to wine, made blind people see, and dead people come to life; so the compelling voice of Jesus compels people to repent. Only this compelling voice makes a soul say, I regret that I did this; I want, I rejoice, in your forgiveness, dear Savior. It is a wonderful, simple, precious thing that God comes to us, speaks his compelling words to me and we believe. There are no long lists of prerequisites to hammer out, nothing in any person that would disqualify before one even gets a start-like one must be a certain age, income or achievement level before he is ready for what Jesus gives. None of that. The Augsburg Confession that we will begin to read and study in late February simply says that "through the Word the Holy Spirit works faith where and when it pleases him." And the fitting thing for us is simply to answer with a "thank you, Lord." It has puzzled sinners always why some believe and others don't listen to this compelling voice. But don't live in the mistakes of the past-chief of which was to rob the Lord of credit and say, "My part is believing; I must do that." God forbid that I think that way! Could you imagine Lazarus coming out of his grave and announcing to Mary and Martha, Aren't you glad I listened to Jesus. How ridiculous! Rather-I praise my Lord who has brought me to life! Oh, the sweet compelling voice of my Savior!

Now, the other words that his compelling voice says to us today is, Come, follow me. This is not the same as his former word "repent." That word has to do with conversion, with contrition, with believing that Jesus is our Savior from sin. "Come, follow me" are the words that Jesus says to believers compelling them to live as they believe. It's important to notice that even in the works and lives that accompany faith the compelling voice of Jesus is to have the credit. In this specific instance "come, follow me" was spoken to some of the Apostles, and Jesus meant for them to enroll in seminary training, listen, learn over the next three years in my little school. Later they would be pastors, evangelists, the first pillars in my church after I have redeemed the world and ascended to my Father's right hand. Peter, brother Andrew, and fishing partners John and James left their nets and followed. His voice compelled them.

The Apostle wrote: Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. It is not just pastors and teachers that his voice compels. "Those who live," those who believe, are the ones who are to live for the Savior. Come, follow, his compelling voice says again today.

Come, follow. Leave your nets. Not, actually because you are not asked to be pastors. Stay in your station in life, but do leave your nets in a spiritual sense. Your career and earthly tasks only catches fish-food for the stomach. Those nets cannot catch manna from heaven, or secure a heavenly home. You believe that, I know. So live as you believe. Don't make your nets your life. Leave them each day and seek the better, the lasting, the heavenly.

Come, follow. Look at the fish you catch in a new way-not as an end, but as a means to an end. The end is the furtherance of God's kingdom-keeping those in in and bring in those not yet in. Apply yourself to that goal. Apply yourself by taking your fish and using them. What do you have to give? Money, yes. Better-how about self. I know we have more money than time, but for that very reason make the greater gift of time. Volunteer. Our boards and groups will be asking for help now. Don't say someone else will do it. It's to you that Jesus says, come, follow. The announcement in the bulletin is not just Pastor H & S asking you to come to the Voter's Mtg. to the WINGS mtg. or some other service. Jesus says, Come, follow.

Come, follow. Next week is our Mission Festival. Make an extra effort to honor God with your mission offering and be a part of God's kingdom work by applying your recourses to finance the work. But more, give yourself. Pastor Joel Schulz will be here. He toils away in an outlying mission field where there are not always immediate, visible results. It can get discouraging. I know he's coming here to encourage us, but let us encourage him to keep up his good work too. Be here. Greet him. Show him you're interested. Promise to pray for him and the kingdom work in Mississauga, Canada. Think of him and God's work there as you fill out your offering. Come, follow. Jesus' compelling voice is calling out to you.     Amen.