I Re-Purpose You

Context

Our preaching series is “The Life of Jesus for Us.”

During this season after Christmas we are seeing how Jesus, the Son of God shows us his life-giving power. He overcomes four traditionally identified blocks to spiritual growth: self, the world, evil, and death.

This week our theme is how Jesus overcomes the block that emerges between us and God by virtue of living in this world.

First Reading

A reading from the well known book of Jonah. God sends the prophet Jonah to the city of Nineveh. It is a great, Gentile, adversarial city. God sends him to cry out against their great sin. Instead Jonah flees the task. But through a series of events — including having Jonah swallowed by fish in the sea — God convinces Jonah to go. A second command to go.

I want us to notice how the Ninevites respond: whole-heartedly and practically, the way we should all respond to God’s call.

Jonah 3:1-5 , 10

Jonah 3:1–5 ESV

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

Jonah 3:10 ESV

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

Second Reading

Last week, we read the story of Jesus calling Nathaniel and Philip to be disciples. Title: I See You. He sees the internal issues we wrestle with — doubts, misconceptions, “baggage”— and he reaches through those to us.

This week, it is the story of Jesus calling Simon, Andrew, James and John. Title: I Re-Purpose You.

These new disciples — Andrew and Simon, James and John — have met Jesus. In the gospel of John, we are told that John the Baptist pointed Jesus out to them. These men had then started listening to Jesus, but there had not yet been a full start to Jesus’ ministry or a specific call to them.

Then John the Baptist was arrested by the evil king Herod.

Jesus comes along their shore.

Mark 1:14–20 ESV

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” 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.

INTRODUCTION

National Highway Traffic Safety, (https://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/distracted-driving)

“For the past decade, distracted driving has taken U.S. roadways by storm, endangering not only the distracted drivers, but their passengers, pedestrians and others using the road. When we're behind the wheel, we must focus on one task: safe driving. Anytime you shift your attention from driving, you're distracted.

Distracted driving comes in many forms: adjusting the radio or GPS, applying makeup, eating and drinking.

But it’s cell phone use — specifically, texting, talking, and social media use — that has become the most common distraction. Texting, which includes messaging, is considered the most dangerous type of distracted driving because it combines visual, manual and cognitive distraction.

Dangerous but we can’t help ourselves. The steering wheel propper. The sneak a peeker. The fast scroller. The nightlighter. But these become the fender-bender-er, the got a ticket-er, the veering off the roader, the one who kills someone.

Enough with the phones. Just put them down.

Focus on driving. Get there safe. For YOUR sake and ours!

Not an safety-mercial.

We are all on a spiritual road. From this mortal life to eternal life.

Are we focused or are we distracted?

Ancient Problem: Distraction

Andrew, Simon, James and John had heard of Jesus. Listened to the preaching of John the baptist. Likely even baptized by John.

But here they are at their nets. Why?

The “world” had intervened. Circumstances. Distraction.

Herod had arrested John.

That broke up the baptisms at the river.

Jesus had disappeared (as we know: gone into the wilderness to combat Satan).

May have dashed whatever hopes James and John, Simon and Andrew had about John or Jesus.

They went back up north.

Back to the familiar tasks of life. Back to the world.

Fishermen.

Making a living. Providing for their families. Employees. Fitting in with society.

All good tasks. God given work. Blessings to manage.

But the Main thing was not there: The Expected One. The Great Day. That John talked about. That Jesus was going to bring. With such a hole in the soul — distraction is best.

Back to the nets! Back to business and busyness. Always a net to clean, to fix, a catch to make, a tally, an income, a Sabbath day to relax on. Party on the Friday.

Current Problem:Distraction

A recent conversation with a new Christian. An adult woman.

Shared exuberance of first encounter with Jesus. Her husband’s prayerful life had inspired her conversion.

She shared for about two minutes (a long time in a conversation) about Jesus’ love and how she was serving him then: “Sorry I gushed at you.” But I was not bored or offended. I was re-invigorated.

Jesus is the One. I’ve believed that for a long time. It is true.

Yet something seems to make that reality far-away. The world. Relentless circumstances that demand my attention and pull me away.

Some are Herod events: Someone does us wrong

violence or abuse or theft.

More routinely:

responsibilities of life. school, marriage, children, sports, sleep.

challenges of life: sickness, loss of a job, aging.

Life distracting many Christians today from the spiritual life.

Book: the Great De-Churching (Davis and Graham, 2023). Reasons for leaving the church. Two most common reasons:

25% - moved to a new community.

15% I had other priorities for my time and money. Distractions.

40% de-churched: not theological, not issues, not music style, not service quality, its: I am doing other stuff.

We get distracted

Could to go to church. But Sunday morning sports.

I could pray. But Watch TV.

Could my Bible. But I’ll scroll on my device.

Could be in ministry: But I’m tired

Driving on our way to the Kingdom of God, but distracted with the phone.

Hinge

Andrew, Simon, James and John, are at the nets, attending to this world.

Unexpected happens: Jesus came proclaiming his message.

The time is fulfilled.

The Kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent. Turn from the wold to the Kingdom.

Believe the Good News. The kingdom the life is available.

Ancient Solution: The disciples believe and follow

They thought Jesus would have been silenced. The opposite happened. Jesus was unleashed.

People may have panicked, Jesus became purposeful.

John failed, no: his ministry is now fulfilled.

Back to distraction, Jesus looking for disciples.

When the disciples see and hear Jesus they know again that they are in the presence of the Real Thing.

By beginning his ministry in the face of a hostile world, he is showing what is really important.

Not just going about life doing the usual:

Wide is the way to destruction. Narrow the way of life, few find it.

Not possession.

What does it profit to gain all the world and lose your soul?”

Not praise.

If you want that, you have, it seek the approval of the Father.

Not family.

Whoever loves mother or brother or sister of child more than me is not worthy of me.

Not life. Whoever will lose his life, will gain it.

Establishing the real purpose. Seek first the Kingdom of God and everything else will be added unto you. Everything else will be taken care of as needed.

That life: Demands focus. Commitment.

Jesus invites them into it.

Jesus said, come and follow me.

They make that choice.

Dropped what they were doing and followed him.

Real world gesture. The left……

their nets

their boats

their servants (employees)

their father

Quit their jobs, their routines, at least for a time, went off with Jesus. Made everything else work, in relation to him.

For an eternal purpose: to have real life.

Current Solution: We have new purpose

Jesus comes walking up our shore. Not in the flesh. In the Spirit. In the Scriptures.

We are frantic, but he is focused. We are distracted, he is looking for disciples.

Kof God is at hand. Here and Now.

Jesus calls us to follow him.

Follow him into eternal life, into the Kingdom.

If we are going to follow him, we have to be purposeful about it.

leave the nets, the boats, the family, the servants.

Real action in the this world to make the Kingdom priority.

Leave the nets of sin. Drop it. Can’t do whatever I want and follow Jesus at the same time.

Can’t watch this. Can’t consume this. Can’t go to this place.

Leave behind the boats.

wealth and comfort. Best way is by tithing. Regular disciplined giving. I can leave behind wealth in this, and in a more significant way if called.

Leave behind family.

Carve out time for prayer and spirituality.

Wife said that he understood she needed time for art. It improved their relationship. Will our spouse and children and family respect our need for prayer, worship, probably even appreciate it as you are in a better place with God.

employees. All the things that make life work

school, grades, sports,

Not reject all earthly ties all completely, but not let them cloud what it is important. Clear on what is important, we do better with them too.

So we can have a real purpose. Eternal life. That is our purpose.

CONCLUSION

Put down the distractions

Multi-task: myth. Like driving while distracted. End up neither well.

put down the phone. Getting there safe will allow all the other things.

Spiritual hazard or help to yourself and others?

So in this life. Want to choose the KofG. Get that right, then everything else starts to work too.

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

God of new visions, we pray for people highly placed in power, that they may focus their eyes on you.

And we pray for the lowly victims of power, that they may also focus their eyes on you.

We pray for those who bless with their lips but curse with their mouths, including ourselves.

We pray for those who are ill and those facing the end of life. Give them the gift of prayer, that they may pour out their hearts to you.

We pray for the church and its leaders, that we may hear and respond to your call to be fishers of people.

Rock of our salvation, through Christ and your Holy Spirit bring us into the new world that you are shaping even as this world is passing away. Amen.