Back 2 Basics "Fishing” Series

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

Year B: Back 2 Basics “Fishing”

January 21, 2024

Mark 1:14-20 “Fishing” For Folks Discipleship Basics

1:14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 1:15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."

“Fishing”

Mark 1:14-20

14 After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee preaching the Message of God:

15 "Time's up! God's kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message."

16 Passing along the beach of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew net-fishing. Fishing was their regular work.

17 Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass."

18 They didn't ask questions. They dropped their nets and followed.

19 A dozen yards or so down the beach, he saw the brothers James and John, Zebedee's sons. They were in the boat, mending their fishnets.

20 Right off, he made the same offer. Immediately, they left their father Zebedee, the boat, and the hired hands, and followed.

Over my 30-plus years of pastoring, I have often inquired of people about the moment they embraced Christianity, becoming followers of Jesus. More frequently than not, the responses have echoed sentiments such as:

• I grew up in the church.

• I've always identified as a Christian.

• I underwent baptism in my childhood.

Occasionally, I delve deeper, asking individuals to talk about the basics of being a Christian of being a disciple. This question appears deceptively simple yet putting it into words proves to be a challenge.

So, what does it truly mean to be a Christian?

• Is it merely a matter of believing in God, distinguishing oneself from those who do not?

• Does it entail attending church on Sundays?

• Is it synonymous with abstaining from profanity?

• Does it align with a specific voting pattern?

• Is it contingent on baptism, reciting a prayer, or engaging with the Bible?

In our passage, Mark speaks the basics of being a Christian. Jesus proclaims the arrival of God's kingship, followed by the directive to "repent and believe" or, in essence, to humble oneself and depend on Jesus.

Mark then employs two narratives to illustrate what it means to be a Christian. In summary:

A Christian follows and responds to the message of God's Kingdom, learning to live in it by becoming a student of Jesus.

Let's repeat that. A Christian is someone who follows and responds to the message of God's Kingdom and learns to live in the Kingdom by being a student of Jesus.

I intentionally use the term "student," paralleling the biblical word "disciple," which appears over 250 times in the first five books of the New Testament.

While we commonly use "disciple," various English words help comprehend the biblical concept.

The leading Greek dictionary defines a disciple as "one who engages in learning through instruction from another." Therefore:

• Is a Christian merely someone who believes in God? No.

• Is it someone who attends church regularly? No.

• Is it someone aligned with a political party? No.

A Christian is a student of Jesus, responding to the proclamation that God is redeeming creation through Jesus and choosing to follow him.

What traits can we expect from a student of Jesus?

• See the world through Jesus's perspective.

• Embrace the teachings of Jesus.

• Learn from Jesus.

• Mimic the actions of Jesus.

• Spend time in the company of Jesus.

This is what we mean when we say "follow Jesus."

In the first century, students literally followed their teachers, sharing meals, sleep, and walks with them.

They learned from and patterned their lives after their teachers.

This is distinct from begrudging obedience; it requires acknowledging that the teacher possesses the right answers. It calls for studying Jesus's teachings, practicing what he says and does, and abiding with him. That is a student of Jesus.

Being a student is being a disciple, and that's the Basics of faith.

Now, how do you get more disciples? I'm glad you asked. We get more by fishing and here are three tips for Disciple-making:

1. Make Disciples by Following the Fish: Fishing, symbolized by the fish, represents the followers of Christ. Early disciples used fish symbols to indicate where followers of Jesus would gather. These symbols were discreet because following Jesus was considered a crime, politically incorrect, and a sacrifice. In those times, being the church was a serious commitment with potential peril. During the time of Jesus if you wanted to be a follower of Jesus you had to follow the fish. Today if you want to be a follower of Jesus you too must learn to follow the persons where they are not wait for them to come to you but go and get them,