All In

Introduction

Good evening, church! I hope you all know how much of an honor it is to be able to stand in the pulpit and preach the word this evening. A few weeks ago, we started through this new sermon series on the gospel of Mark. I'm super excited to see how God speaks to us through this sermon series over the next few months. Today we're going to look at really the start of Jesus's ministry.

A lot of the time in the news and things like that we we talk about how important the first few months of things like a presidency are. I remember after Trump had been in office for the 1st 100 days, they talked about how those 100 days signified what the rest of his time in office was going to be like. You think about the same thing with businesses and things like that, people talk about the opening pitch. These things matter; the first impression matters. For any leader, the things that they do in the first few days or months set the projectory for what is to come.

This evening, we are going to really start to see how Jesus started his ministry. The characteristics of the start of Jesus’s ministry can be seen throughout his time on this earth. That’s why it’s so important that we take note of the early days of Jesus’s work on this earth.  

And so if you have a Bible, open it with me to mark chapter 1. Now, a few weeks ago Justin preached about John the Baptist and the message that he was proclaiming, that was preparing the way for the son of God. But today we're going to actually talk about the son of God as he's come in the flesh. We are going to look at the very first things that Jesus does when starting his three-year ministry journey that ultimately ended with his death and resurrection. And so if you're there with me, stand for the reading of God's word.

Mark 1:9–20 ESV

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” 12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him. 14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” 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.

Thank-you! You may be seated, let's pray before we move any further. [Pray]

            As we dig into this text there's two main points that I want us to look at. The first is who are you following? And the second is what message are you proclaiming? So let's get started by looking at point #1.

Who are You Following (vv. 9-13)

When I ask, “Who are you following?” in this case I’m not taking about you following idols. This is not the purpose of this question. My goal in asking that question is to cause you to think about who Jesus is. Assuming you're following Jesus, who is he? Who is the man who we all claim to follow?

Let me read those first 4 verses again. Starting in verse 9 It says,

Mark 1:9–13 ESV

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” 12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

Following the first 8 verses of Mark that talked about John the Baptist, we see that a man named Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee. It says that Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River and immediately when he came out of the water, three things happened.

1st we see that the heavens were torn open. 2nd, we see the spirit descended on him like a dove. And 3rd  it says that a voice came from heaven, and said “You are my beloved son with you I am well pleased”. Think about this amazing picture. Jesus goes under the water. As he emerges, the heavens are torn open above him. A spirit like a bird flies down and descends on him, and then a mighty voice from heaven proclaims that this is the Son of God himself.

One really cool thing we see at Jesus’s Baptism is that we have all three members of the trinity together. There’s Jesus who’s in the Jordan, the Holy Spirit that descends on him, and God the Father who speaks from heaven. All three persons of the God we serve was there for this moment. And notice what happens next.

Immediately after being baptized, Jesus was driven into the wilderness. In the wilderness, Jesus was completely alone for 40 days with just the wild animals around him. For these 40 days, he didn’t eat any food at all. During these 40 days, he was being tempted by Satan himself.

An interesting thing to note is the significance of 40 days. In the wilderness forty days recalls Israel’s testing for forty years as well as Moses’s and Elijah’s forty-day wilderness fasts. The angels were serving him may indicate that they ministered to Jesus in unstated ways throughout his temptation, though he was not fed until the end (Mt 4:11). Angels also ministered to Elijah during his forty-day wilderness fast (1Kg 19:1–8).

As we read about Jesus being tempted for 40 days it begins to paint the picture of the difference between us and Jesus. It’s that Jesus is perfect. He never gave in to temptation. It doesn't say it here, but we know from the Gospel of Matthew that Jesus didn't eat until after the 40 days were over. Guys, anyone who knows me knows I have a hard time saying no to a pack of Oreos, let alone going 40 days without eating!

I want us to begin to think about what this says about Jesus' ministry and actually what this says about who Jesus is. Jesus, he's fully God and fully man. He came down, he was humble, he didn't come down in a horse and chariot with a bunch of angels by his side. Instead he came down through the womb of Mary and was humbly born in a stable. But we also see that he was humbled in the way that he even allowed a man whom he created to baptize him. We know that John felt unworthy to untie his sandal, and yet Jesus said John baptized me.

We also see that Jesus humbles himself to the point where he allows Satan to tempt him. We know from books like the Book of Job that Satan cannot do anything against God’s will. Satan couldn’t have tempted Jesus unless Jesus allowed him to. Jesus allowed Satan to tempt him for 40 days.

Think about what this says about the man that we follow. Allow this to remind us of his humility. We also see that Jesus he was perfect. We see that as he's tempted, he never gave in to those temptations. He wasn't controlled by his stomach or his desires or his wants. What Jesus wanted most what the Father wanted. The spirit said Go to the wilderness and so that's what he did he was in submission to that. He allowed himself to be tested just like you and I are tested he didn't have to do that. He did it because the Father wanted him to.

And so as we read this tonight, I just want us to reflect on who exactly we were following. Who is it that you are following tonight? Think about the character of Jesus. Think about who he is and what he's done and allow that to encourage you. Guys, we can relate to Jesus; he knows how you're feeling when you deal with temptation. He knows how you feel, but he never gave in to those things. He is perfect, and thank goodness for that, because that's how we're able to have salvation. It is because Jesus was perfect! It is because of his blood that we're able to have a relationship with him!

We can't forget who it is we are following and what he's actually done for us. We follow the Son of God who went to this earth in submission of the Father all so that we could have a relationship with him. He was fully God and fully man. And he was 100% perfect without sin. He was untainted by the sin that separates us. The start of Jesus’s ministry shows he was in submission to the Father when he allowed Satan to test him. And the end of his ministry shows that Jesus submitted to the Father so much that he was willing to die on the cross.

The start of Jesus' ministry starts with a testimony of his own character. Next, we're also going to see how he starts to build up a group of men whom he will pour into for years. This brings me to my second point. What message do you proclaim?

What Message do You Proclaim (vv. 14-20)

Any good leader needs something to lead towards. Something that gives the mission purpose. For Jesus, that message is unparalleled. Let’s continue reading.

In verse 14, it says,

Mark 1:14–20 ESV

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” 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.

At the very start of Jesus’s ministry he does a few very important things that set him up for the rest of his ministry. It shows a lot about his character and his heart. Look at verse 15 mark wrote the time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe in the gospel. This is the message that we proclaim. It's a salvation based on belief and faith not on works and deeds. And right at the start we see that this is the message that Jesus is proclaiming.

It doesn't say that the Kingdom of God is at hand therefore we should all act to certain way and do certain things in order to earn God's favor or God's blessing. As we read this we just have to be reminded of the Grace of God. He doesn't save us because the things we do he saves us because he deemed it so, he saves us because he loves us, and he wants to have a relationship with us.

            Following this statement made in verses 14 and 15 we see Jesus’s interaction with the first of the disciples. Jesus he's walking around along the sea of Galilee, and he sees these two brothers Simon and Andrew. Jesus tells them follow me and I will make you fishers of men! I want to be clear that most people believe that this wasn't the first time that Jesus had talked to these two men it was likely that they had seen each other before as Jesus was in the area. It wasn't like Jesus had just walked up to these two random dudes and told them to follow him. I believe Jesus had been building a relationship with them. But either way we see in verse 18 what they did. It says immediately they left their Nets and they followed him.

            And then it says that going a little further he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother James and John they were in a boat mending the Nets. It says that Jesus he called to them and they left as well.

            Mark points out that they left their father Zebedee and that they left their hired servants. This wasn't just like two men on a fishing boat this was an operation. They had their father that was working with them and as well as hired servants who worked for them to help with the fishing. I bring this up because in both of these cases we see just the amount of willingness for these men to go and follow Jesus. Now we're not here to worship these men. But I want to note something about their faithfulness to God. It shows us more about the character of God and the message that he was proclaiming.

            These men Simon Andrew James and John they were impacted by the gospel. As Jesus was proclaiming repent and believe they were impacted so much so that they were able and willing to leave everything that they had worked so hard to get behind. It reminds me of what we've been going through on Sunday mornings with the Ecclesiastes. These men they had an understanding that all is vanity and that the only important thing is serving Christ. Everything else will perish everything else will fade away but the eternal things are the things of God.

And they left everything that they had including their family including their jobs all for this man claiming to be God. We all have to remember that we're given the same choice each and every day and still there's days where we choose the idols over God. There's days where we hold on to the things like our jobs and our families and we don't give those things over to God we're not willing to leave those things for God. So that really brings me to the application of these verses.

The first thing that we have to remember is that the gospel that we proclaim is not work based it's all about repenting and believing. It's all about what Jesus did on the cross not about what we can do. And the other thing that we must remember is that we must be willing to leave all things. Even the strongest people in their faith fall into the habit of worshipping idols. We all are sinful in nature and we like pleasure. We like to make ourselves feel good.

We like to cling to those things that make us feel good and find our value and our worth in those things. As I'm sure most of us know these things they never leave us truly satisfied these things they still leave us always wanting more. And that's the difference between these things these idols and God. God never leaves us wanting more, God never leaves us unsatisfied.

John 4:13-14 says Jesus said to her everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. This is the truth that we cling to we cling to the fact that God can satisfy us. This is the truth that these 4 disciples clung to they clung to Jesus to the point where they left everything. They didn't cling to their idols they didn't cling to their security of their jobs or to their families. They clung to Jesus; they left everything and followed him.

The other big thing that we see here is that these men God used them to do amazing things. Jesus said that he would make them fishers of men. This doesn't mean that they were actually down at like the street corner with a fishing pole and then a dollar on the end like the guy from the old State Farm commercials.

These Disciples were used by God in order to make more disciples. Jesus impacted them and then poured into them and loved on them and and out of the outpouring of that love they were then able to go love on other people and pour into other men and those men then became fishers of men and so on and so forth and that's how we got the gospel today. It was because of this long line of discipleship. There's a long line of people pouring into other people and then passing it on from generation to generation. Notice that it all started with Jesus. That's why Paul said to the Church of Corinth to imitate him as he imitates Christ.

It's vital as believers that we are fishers of men. It's essential that we are replicating our faith to others around us. This takes a lot of work but at its core Paul said that it's sharing your life with someone else. There's a few young men that I meet with regularly that I pour into I share my life with them I share my struggles with them I pour into them and I help them to become more and more like Jesus. This all comes from this idea that we see in Mark. We see that Jesus he impacted these men and he poured everything that he had into these men. And we see that even after Jesus was gone these men they served the Lord because of how they'd been discipled.

Church as believers we should be being poured into by someone else, by another believer someone who's mature in their faith. And second, we should be pouring into it someone else who's not as mature in their faith. We should be encouraging them lifting them up edifying them and rebuking them when needed. This is the biblical picture that Jesus said as an example for us way back 2000 years ago. We have to make an effort as a church to do this. This is why we pushed things like knot groups.

In these verses we see the message that Jesus proclaims. Message is to repent and believe. Part of repenting is to leave behind the things of this world. And these verses explained to us that when we do these things God will use us to do his will. He will use us to spread his message and to make more fishers of men to make more disciples more followers of Jesus. And so in closing I want to give us a few questions to think about.

Closing

The first thing that I want you to think about is who are you following? Think about the character of Jesus think about what he's done. He came down in the form of a man he lived the perfect life he was tempted just like us he struggled with some of the very same things that we struggle with each and every day and yet he never gave in to sin. Because of this he was the only one that could pay our price. And so he paid the price for our sins on the cross when he died for us he reconciled us with God, and he started this process of sanctification in us that we believe will be brought to completion.

I want you to meditate on who God is on the capabilities of God and ask that the knowledge that truth give you encouragement this evening. Instead of focusing on your inability or your failings focus on what he's done and how he is capable of all things. Not even death could hold him down therefore whatever problems we face whatever struggles we get through God is capable of getting us through them.

The second thing I want us to meditate on is what message are we proclaiming? Where do you put your hope? The bible's very clear that none of us are good enough, none of us can do things necessary to have a relationship with God we're too dirty we're sinful. However just like Jesus proclaimed here in mark all we must do is repent and believe it's that simple. Most of us in this room we've done this. But I want to remind us all that while yes our action should show a change in life it's not our actions that get us favor with God it's simply by his grace that we're able to be in his presence. It's not something we can earn or something we can obtain on our own doing it's something that is freely given. All we must do is be willing to leave everything behind and justice cling to Jesus. The Free gift of salvation is only obtained through him.

The Bible says that with this free gift is a mission or in other words a command to go out and to make disciples. To go out and pour into the lives of other people to help other people to become more like Christ and to leave everything behind. When we fully surrender to him in all areas of our lives God will use us to do amazing and miraculous things. Surrender all areas of your life to God and allow him to use you to do amazing things.

And if you're here tonight and you've never given your life to Christ then look at the example of these men he left everything in order to follow Jesus. Look at who Jesus is. Think about who he is, and let me asks you what's stopping you from giving your life over to him. It's as simple as repenting and believing. After we're done and I've closed in prayer if you'd like to talk if that's you tonight I'll be here come and talk to me. I'd love to help you process what you're feeling.

Now allow me to close us in prayer this evening.

[Prayer]