Explores understanding God's kingdom, the importance of spiritual kinship, and the humility required to follow Jesus, aiming for transformative, not just intellectual, engagement.
Good morning, my dear family in Christ. I am so glad to see each one of you here today, gathered together in the love and fellowship of our Lord Jesus Christ. We gather not as strangers, but as brothers and sisters, united by the grace that has been freely given to us.
Today, we find ourselves turning to the first chapter of Mark, verses 14 to 20. As we prepare to immerse ourselves in the Word, let us remember the words of the great Christian author, J.I. Packer, who said, "The Bible is God's word to us, still fresh through all the ages. And if we read it and believe it, we find in it the story of our own redemption."
Let me read the passage to you:
"14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 'The time has come,' he said. 'The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!' 16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 'Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will send you out to fish for people.' 18 At once they left their nets and followed him. 19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him."
In the passage we read, we see Jesus proclaiming the good news of God. He announces that the time has come and the kingdom of God is near. This is a profound declaration. It's a statement that demands our attention. It's a statement that changes everything.
What does it mean that the kingdom of God is near: It means that God's rule, His reign, His authority is close at hand. It's not a distant, far-off concept. It's not something that we have to wait for in the afterlife. It's here. It's now. It's within our reach. This is a radical shift in thinking. It's a shift from a focus on the temporal, the here and now, to a focus on the eternal, the kingdom of God. It's a shift from a focus on our own desires, our own ambitions, our own plans, to a focus on God's desires, God's ambitions, God's plans.
More than a shift in focus: It's a shift in allegiance. It's a shift from allegiance to the world, to allegiance to God. It's a shift from serving ourselves, to serving God. It's a shift from living for ourselves, to living for God. This shift in focus and allegiance is not easy. It's not something that we can do on our own. It requires a change of heart. It requires a change of mind. It requires a change of life.
But how do we make this shift? How do we change our hearts, our minds, our lives?
The answer: It’s found in the words of Jesus. He says, "Repent and believe the good news." To repent means to turn away from our sins, to turn away from our old ways, to turn away from our old life. It means to acknowledge our sins, to confess our sins, to ask for forgiveness for our sins. It means to turn to God, to seek His forgiveness, to seek His grace, to seek His mercy.
Believe the good news: This means to trust in Jesus, to trust in His death and resurrection, to trust in His promise of eternal life. It means to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, to commit our lives to Him, to follow Him in obedience and faith.
What does it mean to follow Jesus?: In the passage, we see Jesus calling Simon and Andrew, James and John to follow Him. He says, "Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people." To follow Jesus means to leave behind our old life, our old ways, our old self. It means to take up our cross, to deny ourselves, to live for Jesus. It means to become fishers of men, to share the good news, to bring others into the kingdom of God.
Not a task that we can do on our own: It's not a task that we can accomplish in our own strength, in our own wisdom, in our own power. It's a task that requires the power of the Holy Spirit, the wisdom of God, the strength of Christ. In the passage, we see Simon and Andrew, James and John leaving their nets, their boats, their father to follow Jesus. They leave behind their old life, their old ways, their old self to follow Jesus. They take up their cross, they deny themselves, they live for Jesus. They become fishers of men, they share the good news, they bring others into the kingdom of God.
This is the call of Jesus: This is the call of the kingdom of God. This is the call to repent and believe the good news. This is the call to follow Jesus. This is the call to become fishers of men. This is the call to bring others into the kingdom of God. But this call is not just for Simon and Andrew, James and John. This call is for all of us. This call is for you and me. This call is for every believer, every follower of Jesus, every child of God.
As we continue to reflect on the passage, we find ourselves drawn to the interaction between Jesus and the fishermen ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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