Sermon: “God promises someone to follow” (launching Serve 2026)

This sermon was preached, together with the launch of Serve 2026, at Immanuel Lutheran Church Buderim on 27 January 2026. See YouTube livestream here.

We are in the final week of our series, “New Year, Same Promises.” Today, we hear that in this new year, God promises we have someone to follow: Jesus.

People go to extreme lengths for the things they love. Just look at the news.

• Tennis fans will wait in line for over two hours in the blazing sun just to get into the Australian Open.

• A friend of mine waited four hours just to see a corpse flower in Adelaide — a flower that smells like rotting meat!

• And get this: Taylor Swift fans in Argentina camped out for five months just to get the best spots in the stadium.

It raises a hard question for us today: What lengths would you go to to follow Jesus? Would you drive an hour just to worship Him? Would you pay $100 just for the privilege of reading his Sermon on the Mount? Would you give up a week’s wages for the poor? Would you be willing to look foolish in front of your friends for the sake of the Gospel? Would you be willing to sell your house and move somewhere else?

Our Gospel reading today from Matthew 4 tells a story of complete, radical devotion. Imagine the scene. Peter and Andrew are fishing. This isn’t a hobby; this is their livelihood. It’s simple maths: If you don’t fish, you don’t eat.

And now, Jesus comes walking by. He issues an amazing invitation: “Come, follow me” (Matthew 4:19). And they do. They drop everything. The text paints a picture where the nets are left splashing in the water. Peter and Andrew turn to follow Jesus while they are likely still wet, smelling like fish. They leave behind stable work, family, and friends for the itinerant life of a disciple. What devotion! What sacrifice!

This story tells us that following Jesus is costly. Jesus is a Rabbi, a Master, a Lord. He calls people to follow Him as learners and disciples. And to follow Jesus is to live a life of radical self-giving. Because Jesus gave his body and blood for you, you in turn are called to offer your life as a living sacrifice to God and neighbour.

So Jesus issues the invitation: “Come, follow me.” We can hear this invitation in two ways.

First, we can hear this invitation as Law. When we hear “Follow me,” we naturally look in the mirror and ask: “Am I truly putting Jesus first?” “Am I really serving others with Christ-like love?”

During our recent “Practicing the Way” series, we learned that being a disciple means three things:

• Be with Jesus.

• Become like Jesus.

• Do as Jesus did.

Be honest with yourself — how are you going with these things? Regularly attending worship is great, but are you being with Jesus in silence and prayer each day during the week? Are you becoming like Jesus? Are you radically welcoming the weird, the difficult, and the outcast? Are you doing as Jesus did? Where are you serving? Who are you blessing?

Hearing the invitation as Law is heavy. If we are honest, the Law reveals our failures. We don’t put Jesus first; we put ourselves first. We don’t want to walk God’s way; we want to forge our own path to where we want. We don’t want to let God decide what’s good or evil; we want to judge. We want to be our own boss. We want to be god.

The Law accuses us of this self-centred failure. “Come, follow me” hold up the mirror to reveal that we not putting Jesus first all the time. And the scary thing about the Law? It offers no help. It simply points out the problem. Then it says there are consequences if we fail to put Jesus first — we’ll perish! But make no mistake: there’s no help through the Law.

But praise be to God that we can bring our shortcomings to the cross! We can approach God with empty hands, asking for grace and mercy. And this brings us to the second way to hear Jesus’ invitation.

Second, we can hear the words “Follow me” not as a demand, but as Gospel — as Good News.

(a) First, it is Good News because Jesus forgives your failures. Jesus knows you better than you know yourself. He knows the number of hairs he has on your head! He knows the various pressures you are under. He knows your particular weaknesses. Maybe this is the first time you’ve heard his invitation. May you hear it not only as demand, but good news that Jesus beckons you to a life of wholeness walking with him. If you’re already a Christian, you’ve likely heard this call many times in your life. And yet, no matter how many times we fail, Jesus issues the invitation again, and again, and again. “Come, follow me,” but then we wander off. “Come, follow me,” but we slip up. “Come, follow me,” but we have blocked ears. So he speaks this invitation to you again today. And this is grace! — the undeserved love of God giving you another chance to walk with Him.

(b) Second, it is Good News because Jesus has gone first. Following Jesus means He has gone before you. He has suffered. He has been hated. He has been rejected. He died on a cross. He did it all for you. But He has also risen! He has defeated sin, death, and evil. His invitation to follow is an invitation into his life. So, yes, as you follow after Him, you will suffer. You will likely face rejection. You will die: both spiritually in baptism, and physically at your end. But you will also rise like Jesus, the first-fruits. Because Jesus has gone first, your ultimate victory is already secured. He has gone first, in front of you, leading the way through life, death, and into new life.

(c) Third, it is Good News because He promises to help you. The Law demands without giving help, but the Gospel promises with help. Jesus promises to fill you with his Holy Spirit. The Spirit comforts you. The Spirit whispers in your ear, “I’m here to help you. I’m going to nudge you this week to keep following Jesus.” Through his Spirit, Jesus forgives you, empowers you, guides you, and is present with you.

This brings us to where the rubber hits the road. I know that I personally have heard Jesus’ invitation to “Come, follow me.” As I’ve shared before, fifteen years ago I was a successful medical computer research scientist, living and working abroad in Europe. I was happily leading a small team, I’d conducted and published original research in medical journals, I had authored a patent and created other IP for my company. Then I told my work colleagues that I was moving back to Australia to become a pastor because of a sense of calling. They were flabbergasted!

Now the church certainly needs pastors. In recent times Immanuel has seen Marty Noller, Ben Lyons, and Stefan begin the pathway to ordination. But not everyone is called to full-time church work.

You might have heard me speak before about the four places we live out our discipleship:

• at home,

• at work (including school and university),

• in our community (including physical neighbourhood and political activities), and

• in the local church.

Today, let’s look at church. When we gather here as local church, we need people to be the hands and feet of God. You need someone to welcome you, to read God’s Word, to lead our singing, to pray, and to put the bread and wine of Holy Communion into your hands. And Jesus calls you to be that person for someone else. Just as Peter and Andrew used their hands to fish for the Kingdom, you are called to serve in the local church. How will you use your hands?

The Serve 2026 booklet outlines ways to serve here at Immanuel Church. We desire for everyone to find a place to be the body of Christ for each other. As you read and pray over this booklet, don’t just see it as a list of chores or a roster to fill. See it as an answer to Jesus‘ invitation. Please prayerfully consider how you will serve in 2026.

May you hear Jesus’ voice speaking to you today, saying: “Come. I forgive you. I have gone first. I will help you. Come, follow me.” Amen.