Open by reading chapter one. (Or, if you are willing, memorize it and present it as if you are Mark telling about Jesus to the church. This is very effective. If you are not confident in your memory, use notes, but let me encourage you to tell the church what you are attempting and try it).
Jesus came calling us to come, follow him, and he empowers us to become like him. Jesus came here and became a man. 2 Cor. 5:21 tells us that he who knew no sin, became sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God. He came to die for us on the cross. He came to bring us back to God. Jesus came. He came! By the way, Jesus is coming again. He’s coming back for all of us who have heard his call and answered it by coming to him to become like him. Jesus is coming back to judge the living and the dead in righteous judgment. He’s coming to bring evil to an end. He’s coming to bring all the sanctified sinners saved by his grace and changed by his blood to eternal glory.
Today as we enter the gospel of Mark he presents to us a slide show of events in Jesus life splashed on the screen of each Spirit inspired page. Mark is in a hurry to echo the call of Jesus Christ and show him to us. Scene after scene of Jesus life is displayed in short order. Twelve times in this one chapter he repeats the word “immediately.” What impresses us in Mark is not his linguistic ability, but his urgency to place Jesus before us.
Jesus is on the move in Mark preaching, teaching and calling disciples to come follow him and become new through him. Let’s look at Jesus calling and explore what it implies and how it applies to us. Our text is Mark 1:14-20.
We will look at Jesus calling from these five angles:
The information
The interruption
The invitation
The motivation
The application
1. The information
Look at verse 15. The information of the message of Jesus preaching was very brief. Perhaps I should pay more attention to this. Mark sums it up in a sentence. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel!” Can you hear the urgency of this call?
It’s time, it’s here, turn and trust God’s good news NOW!
We have no promise of tomorrow. There are times when you don’t have the luxury of mulling it over. I asked Sheila if I could share this next illustration. I think of the look on the doctor’s face Tuesday night in the emergency room when the x-rays of James Shoemate’s lungs came back. James could barely breathe. I was there as the Doctor walked in the room and asked, “Where is the family? I need to talk with them.” The information on that x-ray and James’ physical condition after all his cancer treatments revealed that his time was very short. I was able to ask him directly, “James, are you ready to meet the Lord?” He answered, “Well, I’m scared, but I’m ready.” And by God’s grace I know that he was. Back in July when he realized his situation with cancer was critical James told me, “I’m thankful that God has given me time to make a change. I know a lot of people who didn’t get this opportunity.” God gave James the call of the gospel and he answered. This is the same call God has given you and me. It doesn’t matter if we live 20 years or 200 years. If we fail to answer the call of Jesus, we lose. And if we answer that call, by the grace of God, we gain it all! God’s inheritance is forever, for us, for you, for me, now, today.
The call of Jesus comes with urgency. Jesus gives us this information, “The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand…” Some things can wait, some can’t.
2. The interruption
Look at when Jesus called his first disciples. What were they doing? Were they sitting there pondering God’s will for themselves? Perhaps, but Mark tells us that they were also busy with ordinary business of life. Jesus entered their world and interrupted their schedule and activities. He didn’t just interrupt them at dinner or as they were entertaining themselves watching a football game. Jesus interrupted them at what most men feel is the most important identifying character of their lives. Jesus interrupted them at work. Men build an identity based on this. (We men don’t just do our jobs, we take on the identity of what we do… Doctor, Lawyer, Teacher, Preacher, Policeman, Mail-man, Fisherman, etc.) When men meet, we don’t generally notice what the other is wearing (unless, like John, it is a uniform that stands for what we do) or pay attention to each other’s hair style. Ask a man how his wife and kids are doing and you’ll usually get a one word answer. “Fine.” If you ask a woman about her husband and kids you should prepare yourself for a lengthy conversation. Men are generally not like that… (until we are retired or become grandparents). Do you want to get a man to talk? Here’s the question: Where do you work? What do you do for a living? Men build their identities around their job. So Jesus interruption here in Mark’s gospel comes at a crucial time. He interrupted them at work!
Notice, Jesus didn’t say, “Hey, guys, if you have a minute on your break time, could I talk with you about something important?” Jesus never asks permission to have your time. He speaks with authority that even the germs and demons recognize. And when he calls you, HE’S NOT MAKING A REQUEST. He’s not ASKING you to come. He’s telling you. He’s commanding you, “Come, follow me!” If Jesus said those words to a mountain, it would have no choice but to do it! But Jesus gives this call to human beings whom God has granted something he didn’t give to any of his other earthly creatures: choice. Jesus calls. We have the power to choose: to obey God, or not; but God does not give us a choice about the temporal and eternal consequences of obeying or not. We may choose to obey or not, but God enforces the consequences.
But back to the point, Jesus interrupts our lives, does he not? Sometimes he calls at the most inconvenient time! There are two kinds of interruptions. Ones that are worth it, and others that are not. The interruptions that are not worth it, we call “rude interruptions,” like the telemarketer that calls during supper. But there are interruptions that are worth it, like an emergency call or warning that breaks in on our normal activities. Jesus interrupts our lives with the most worthy of all interruptions! Eternity is at stake. It is a matter of life or death, no… more than that, it is a matter of heaven or hell. Thank God for his willingness to interrupt my life with the call of the gospel of his grace! Remember though, the call is not a request, it is a heavenly command. It is one that you and I must choose to answer. Don’t wait on a convenient time. Do it now. Do it.
3. The invitation
Anyone who has been to any of our services for any length of time knows that we always extend the Lord’s invitation for any to respond to specifically for salvation or restoration. At the end of this lesson today we will join together in singing a song we call the invitation song. We do this to encourage anyone present to come to the front here and express your desires to answer in some way the call of Christ to you. If you are not a Christian and do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are invited to answer the call of Jesus Christ to come follow him. He wants to save you. He died on the cross to pay for your sins. He has promised to prepare an eternal place in heaven for you. But, listen to me now… you must respond! Jesus calls us while we are dead in our sins and trespasses. His call is a command to rise from the dead and receive new life in Him. But we, the dead, must listen to the call, believe on the one who calls us, repent of our sins, confess our faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Lord of our lives, and be buried with him in his name in baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and raised up with him to walk in newness of life in Christ.
The invitation is from God – to you! There is no greater call. There is no more urgent or important matter in your life. The call of Jesus Christ to come, follow him, is an invitation you must not refuse or ignore! The time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news! Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. Respond!
4. The Motivation
The motivation of the call is clear. This is God’s good news! The beloved Son of God has come here for you! The heart of the gospel is God’s love. Can there be any greater or more glorious motivation? But someone says, “Yes, but God loves everybody! I just want to be special!”
A man got on a plane and as they were taking off he called the flight attendant over and said, “Don’t forget that I ordered a special meal for lunch.” The attendant looked at his seat number and made a quick note and assured the man that they would not forget. Later, after the plane had reached altitude and the pilot turned off the seatbelt light, the man again motioned to a flight attendant. “Excuse me,” he said, “But don’t forget that I ordered a special meal for lunch.” The attendant promised not to forget. Finally, as lunch was being served an attendant came early to give the man is “special” meal. “Here’s your order, sir,” said the attendant. It was some tuna salad, fruit, cottage cheese, and bread with butter with a piece of apple pie for dessert. The man smiled and began to eat. Then as the other passengers were being served he noticed something. Each one was receiving tuna salad, fruit, cottage cheese, and bread with butter with a piece of apple pie for dessert. He started to get upset! He called the attendant and said, “What’s going on!” “I ordered a special meal, and everyone else is getting the same thing!” The attendant went back and brought out the man’s special meal order: “tuna salad, fruit, cottage cheese, and bread with butter with a piece of apple pie for dessert.” As the man looked at it, he became furious and said, “I’ll never fly with this airline again!”
Some people see God’s call like that. They don’t feel special because it’s not just about them!
Listen: there is no room for selfishness in the call of Christ. No room for pride, nor for the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes or the boastful pride of life. The call of Jesus Christ is motivated by God’s love for us all. This is a love pure and holy that sets us free from sin, free from selfishness, free from pride and all the worldly lusts that destroy us. The call turns our attention from self to the Savior, from pride to purity and humility, from sin to the holy God.
5. The application
Finally, what is the application of the call of Christ? They left everything to follow him. We are called to do no less. Is Jesus the Son of God? Does he speak with authority in your life? Do you know him as Lord?
They had very little idea about what lay before them when they answered the call. But like Abraham of old, they heard the call and recognized the one who was calling and left it all.
May God grant each of us such a faith and heart as theirs.
