Why Wait? Mark 1:16-20
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Thank the PT and the A/V folks - Thank Mitch and the Church
“2 years ago, i had no desire lead Worship at a church---------- 1 Year ago i had no desire to be a Licensed Minister - 6 months ago i had to desire to preach a sermon. It’s amazing what God does.”
16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets.
20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
Pray for the Word, my nerves, their ears and hearts
Describe how God put these things together
There are several stages in life when a person is called. There’s a time to answer those calls. I’ve got 3 different callings that i believe will cover the majority of the people in this room and online.
1. A Call for the Devoted
1. A Call for the Devoted
The scene in Mark 1 at the Sea of Galilee was not the first time Peter and Andrew followed Jesus. They had chosen to follow Jesus before. Andrew had been John the Baptist’ disciple - During that time IN BETHANY they met Jesus for the first time.
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples,
36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
Between these 2 scenes they followed Jesus and were devoted. They saw the water turned into wine. Heard him speak. Maybe even saw other events not specifically recorded.
What’s your call?
What’s your call?
Are you being called? Some of you are.
to lead help lead a ministry? Woman’s, Men’s, Homeless, Children’s.
to be a foster parent?
lead a group of people in your neighborhoods?
Lead a marriage class?
Go on mission
he didnt ask if you wanted to or felt like it - He didnt ask your opinion. He commanded us to GO!! You go, He’ll provide
Are you being called into the ministry to preach or minister to youth?
Look at the Youth
Youth, just because you are young, don’t ignore a calling. You are called to lead. Look at the people in your life and in this church. Look at their example
lead your school - your team - Not to a state championship, to Christ
Don’t waste 40 years of your life like i did.
2. A Call for the Religious
2. A Call for the Religious
Turn to John 3:9:
Explain how\why he is there with Jesus
9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”
10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?
11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.
12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
HE’S TALKING TO A PHARISEE! A Highly devoted and religious man.
Lexham Theological Wordbook (διδάσκαλος)
διδάσκαλος (didaskalos). n. masc. teacher. In general, a person who teaches others; in church leadership, a person who teaches the doctrine and way of life of Christianity.
This guy went to big church AND sunday school every sunday. He was probably so devoted that he showed up for supper on wednesday night.
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Three: A Matter of Life and Death (John 3)
He was a man of high moral character, deep religious hunger, and yet profound spiritual blindness.
He was devoted to the wrong things.
Pharisees not only were devoted to the Mosaic Law, but they had developed “oral extensions” of the Law in order to maintain “religious identity” - in other words they had manmade rules they were able to follow. Boxes to check.
He’s not talking to:
a group devoted followers.
He’s not talking to the blind, the needy, the hopeless.
He’s talking to a Pharisee - A Religious, educated, a ritualistically brilliant man. He’s talking to a LEADER. But a leader in all the wrong ways and someone devoted to all the wrong things and for all the wrong reasons.
What are you focused on? if it’s not this book and that Savior, i’d check myself and see where i need to focus.
Are you more concerned with these lights, or those lives.
This sound system or those souls?
Do you care more about committees or conversion?
Are we more supportive of Rules or Relationships?
What is more important, Bi-Laws or the Blood of Jesus?
Are we righteous or just religious?
I’ll clean my office out before we go eat.
Maybe God is just a doormat for you.
Maybe he’s just a convenience. A prayer when you need a blessing or something to go your way. You praise Him when things go good and a punching bag when they go bad. You cuss him when you don't get your way. You only do it because He’s invisible. One day you WILL see him face to face. What will you say then?
More importantly, what will HE say?
You know:
the things in this text
the miraculous events
you've seen true repentance
Maybe you made a profession of faith
Seen what He’s done in my life
Look inside, you know Him on the surface, and don’t pass this opportunity to KNOW him, Fully!
Your call is for a relationship with CHRIST not this organization.
3. A Call for the Unbeliever
3. A Call for the Unbeliever
I’ll be really simple here. Because When Nicodemus came to Jesus - Jesus went straight to the point.
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
The only way to Heaven is to be born again.
The only way to be born again is to be changed.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
The New Bible Commentary says:
“”Flesh is here pointing to human nature, which can reproduce only humankind not the children of God. Being born of the spirit requires a radical change, a new beginning. The gist of Jesus’ statement is that the character of those born is determined by the source that gives them birth.”” New Bible Commentary
your identity may be in:
sports
job
family
children
school
friends
church membership
singing in the choir
teaching a class
Which are all great things, but if your identity is not in Jesus none of this matters.
UNLESS you believe, you will spend eternity in hell.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
4. The Time
4. The Time
When should you make a decision? Look back at our first verse. Find the time when you should make a decision and say it out-loud
Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
2 corinthians 6 2 “2 For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Tell about running away.
So why are you waiting
Why are you waiting?
Why are you waiting?
Busy? Look at the Disciples - they were busy with their life even after they chose to follow him, they were back to their normal fishing lives - Fixing nets - Fishing with their dad
they had seen miracles like water being turned into wine, but when they got back home, they went back to doing what they knew.
Afraid of upsetting your lifestyle? we want to put our family first and say “i’m supporting my family” when in all actuality, we’re just supporting our lifestyle.
Job?
Family? He called James and John, they left their father on the boat
You are missing potential life changing events. Peoples lives are being affected because you haven’t surrendered to the call God has placed on your life.
Look at this passage
40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).
42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
Who are you keeping from meeting Jesus? Who are you keeping from following THEIR calling.
Mark and Carol
There’s Freedom in Obedience
Religious - Are you worried that the people you’ve been in church with for 40 years will think something of you? you’ll be embarrased?
Why blame God for “events in your life that didnt go the way you wanted? but thank God for those stories and use those to reach others. And maybe others tell others and some miracle happens in their life.
Unbeliever - why wait?
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
Are you waiting till next time?
to be clear - If you don’t make a choice, you have chosen to reject Him
Even if you say i will another time, you have rejected this invitation.
invite fathers to pray.