2019-09-08 11:00am Service

I scripture reading this morning is from the gospel of Mark chapter 1 verses 9 to 20. This can be found on page 990 in your red Pew Bible in front of you.

So Mark 1 pregnant first 9 at that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan and Jesus was coming as Jesus is coming up out of the water. He saw heaven being torn open in the spirit descend on him like a dog and a voice Came From Heaven. You are my son who I love with you. I am well pleased at once the spirit sent him out into the desert and he was in the desert 40 days being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals and Angels attended him. After John was put in prison. Jesus went into Galilee proclaiming the good news of God. The time has come. He said the kingdom of God is near repent and believe the good news. 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, Follow Me. Jesus said and I will make you Fishers of Men at once. They left their Nets and followed him when he's gone a little farther. He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat preparing their nest without delay. He called them and they left their fathers debiti in the boat with the hired men and follow him. This is the word of the Lord.

It's pretty Shelley. Got thank you for your Living Word and we pray that you would speak directly to us today. Holy Spirit take this Good gospel word. And I kind of lie for us we pray the name of Jesus Amen. Well, good morning and welcome to everyone here here but it is great to see are not stretch family after the summer and winter coming in. We got good stories to swap about what has happened over the summer months a warm. Welcome to New Student. If you're just beginning your life at uoft welcome. We are glad you're here to all returning students as well. We're excited for this new year that lies ahead for you and for any new friends now if you're new to not I can imagine that you might be wondering OK. What's her church is this is is this going to be a church where I actually might grow where I am I safe place for me to explore God. And we get that for the next two or three weeks. We're going to be talking about some of the vision the theological Vision that drives our church. I hope it'll give you a better sense for who we are as a church, but it's also do what we do here at this church. And Knox church. We are a community that are committed these things following Jesus loving the city and serving the world is how we say who we are as a church. This is our identity. It's our mission statements and you're going to hear it off then if you're here at Knox. We are Community following Jesus. First thing loving the city. This is the place God has given to us and serving the world being part of God's renewal of all things wherever in the world Vixens of those three phrases in so for the next 3 weeks, we're going to explore the meaning of that. We're inviting you here. Step Up all In With God at Knox to be all in with the life of God in with God's Mission and we're calling us to be all in because we believe that in every heart lies the desire to fully give ourselves to something. Worthy of our life devotion. We believe that a life of wholehearted devotion isn't good thing. Who who wants a half-baked life right to give themselves?

I got some of us do. Some of you are missing out on the fullness of God life because you're holding somewhere. I think you're thinking by holding out your keeping other options open. Some of you are not experiencing the power The Joy the intimacy that God intends for you to experience in a relationship with him for one reason because you're holding back somewhere or something. But here's what I know about that. Has never held back on you or I two thousand years ago Jesus with all and he went to the Cross. He died in your place. My plate didn't hold anything back. It's so true in the series. He hears our prayer that at some place in the next couple of weeks. Maybe it's Sunday. Maybe it's during the week. You're going to have one of these all in moments where you catch sight of the fullness of God where God reveals himself to you his love his grace is present his his kingdom Vision where he will reveal that to you. And that would leave you then. How are you all in commitment to God? We believe that God holds out for us full life, and we don't want to miss out on what God has all in life. Now I know some of you here are probably thinking. Really? I got a full schedule at school. I got a new job. I'm just starting and you expect that for me. Can I take that risk to give myself in that turtle?

Or maybe there's some of us here today considered ourselves agnostics, maybe atheists and you're here because no shipping all internet. I wish to do that cuz I have somebody I want that but I can't cuz I don't have the faith you do. The years the beautiful truth of Christianity. Here's the gracious Wonder of Jesus. It is not about finding faith in order to follow Jesus. We follow Jesus in order to find faith. We follow Jesus and we find Faith coming alive. It's not our faith that brings us to follow Jesus Jesus Jesus where we see an account of his life that Faith then begins to Jesus. And you see that here in the story. Look at how it plays out in the story. We read from the gospel of Mark. Jesus begins his ministry with a simple call Andrew and then little further up the beach the two other fisherman James and John and a simple call out early simple. Come follow me. Jesus comes the people with maybe a little faith maybe with a struggling faith maybe with no face at all. And he calls them to follow him. Jesus comes to us people who may have a little faith.

We can see if life with God begins with our choice with the need for us to somehow muster up the necessary faith. We will always be in debt. We will be worrying. Do I have enough faith? What about those questions that linger in my mind was I right to follow? Who am I to follow? Jesus said, oh become very easy to put them all sorts of questions and problems maybe even

But if a life with God begins with the Call of Jesus first, then we might have self in our lives and to us. I get to hear people tell me a lot about their doubts and questions as a pastor. That's part of the fun. I think off my job. I get to engage with people and church where we welcome that. Where we welcome people's questions where we recognized that probably is actually part of Faith a living faith. Of course, we all have that right but the solution to our questions doubt. It's not to avoid Jesus or to turn but is actually to come close to him. Cuz he there's only so much you or I will know about Jesus looking in from the outside. There are things you'll never know about life with Christ. His power is love his grace from the outside looking in. So what do you think doesn't cause us to come close to him to be with him so that we might know him at all. Holy different way. Journey of those who follow Jesus Christ, you know what? It doesn't begin with our decisions the disciples here in this story. They're not going to win pros and cons or not do a cost-benefit analysis. The following Jesus makes sense. I will decide to follow Jesus because he helped me with my soul. Jesus has decided to call them to himself in a call is so overwhelming.

They drop everything Jesus and when you read that, I don't know about you. I read that and right away, I think like that.

When are they going? Are they going to pay my bills? What about their families? What's the plan? It's clear. They don't know the answers to those responsible questions. There. Only plan is to follow Jesus. The hottest pieces get these fishermen to drop their lives and to follow him. Interesting. It's not pointing out their sin and how badly they need help right? That's not it. These are not men who have been convicted of their sin and are now following Jesus.

And neither are they speakers or Skeptics who have just a little about Jesus? We certainly can't say that they understand where this whole journey is leaving them, but there is just something so compelling. About Jesus that they immediately drop everything to following. It's almost.

We sent her our lives on following Jesus. We are all in with Jesus because in Jesus we have heard God calling to us. We have heard a call that it's been so compelling maybe we didn't fully understand it, but it just grabbed our hearts. And we began to explore what that's like. Take a look at this Jesus. Who calls you today? Jesus is the single most influential person who ever lived during influence every division of human has found a home in every cultural context. Jesus has brought hope and life and meeting took to the greatest Harvard physics professors at the Guatemalan Barrios and and European metropolises. Take a look at his character. You know, it's striking that the Bible never gives us a description of Jesus appearance. In our culture all about image rights and was so compelling about Jesus. However is not the image, but the content of his character imagines he with a greatest humility. He has the fiercest commitment to Justice with the tenderest grace and mercy and Jesus. We see me tennis and Majesty Ricci boldness without arrogant. We see an unbending insistence on truth, but always close and love.

Jesus was willing to eat Tax Collectors, which scandalize the people on the left the political left of his day and this rate of his gay assisted on true calling the sexually and economically and moral the religious and tender friendship to all he would touch the lepers the marginalized welcome than giving them a place you would forgive those who were crucified.

In Jesus, we see the creator of the universe all-powerful God humbling himself coming to our level becoming human entering into an understanding and he sees our need a seized our need for salvation and he offers his own life for us on the cross think of it on the cross. Jesus willingly gives his life so that we might live and it is hard on with all the forces that have held us captive all the forces all the powers that threaten to destroy it and he cancels those who makes us for free. Any normally died but 3 days later in the Tomb he rose from the dead and when the women who went to the tomb to anoint his body his dead body, they're expecting. And not taking away but transformed my body not resuscitated, but resurrected take it to A Whole New Order of existence. Jesus who stands unique follow me and again to follow him does that mean you've got it all figured out because there is just too much Glory too much mystery in who Jesus is it all figured out but I'm following Jesus and being with him find a faith that grows emerges not having all our questions answered before him but in finding Faith as we are at with Jesus, Disciples of Jesus called here as we walk through the Book of Mark with them. You seem damn haven't figured out at all. I mean they constantly are getting it wrong. They misunderstand who Jesus is risen from the dead has appeared physically disciple.

They are going to figure it out, but what they are Jesus. you know, what's interesting so often but the common notion for how you become a Christian is this the first Elite and then you begin to take on the Christian life and you behave in certain ways and then you find the place so long God people you're leaving.

But you look at how that sequence. This is completely reversed here in the gospel of Mark. Here it is. May behave Jesus first invite to make you Fishers of Men you will become more and more like me and only later as they have spent time with Mark Peters.

This is where you can take those first or those next steps. Even if you haven't got it all figured out more about him. Even if you have so many questions in a couple weeks. I am so looking forward to this faith that the church has held for 2,000 years, but we're going to do that in the context of many of our contemporary questions. Come follow Jesus and learn how to follow Jesus and practice the way pigs to give yourself for the sake of others as Jesus did for us to follow Jesus calling Jesus working the life of Jesus into all of our lives. This is how we do it and the first staff. That begins this way relationship with God. Is to repent Jesus said it repent and believe the good news. I know many of us have probably a lot of misgivings about that word repent. It gets mixed up with a lot of negative images of the word really.

Turn Around from all those ways that you have been seeking to find life trying to make life work all that. Jesus has to offer. In response to this call from Jesus. Our first step is completely turn away. Let go of all the ways that you can try to make life work to try to justify yourself to find identity and meaning all the ways that you're looking for Joe and significance and meaning Amazing how many offers of life our culture has for us? But they never deliver. May we have available to us more technology than ever before the connect that you can zoom in FaceTime with someone across the world to get up hundreds of Facebook friends thousands of Twitter followers and get we've never been more lonely.

We have more things to enjoy don't we accumulate more possessions more money than NRA.

With more consistent information all the latest scientific developments and discoveries volume.

We have more articulated Freedom or Define rights, but we are never more lacking in the experience of freedom. We just haven't found what we're looking for in all these offers of Life. Why? Because that's one Christian st. Augustine once said our hearts are restless until they find rest in you God. Until when Jesus calls us. He is offering to us the life our hearts have been hungry for that are restless for that's why.

And today's Jesus comes to every person and offers to fulfill some of the core hopes and aspirations and yet at the same time and challenges are most basic beliefs and practices. He offers to us the desires of our heart meaning satisfaction Freedom identity justice, but he calls it to repent. Find our greatest hope in him.

And so that's our call to give a friend to repent turn from all those ways. We have sought to find like to go all in with Jesus to open yourself to the law. That is our true satisfaction. Can I urge you to take that step? Maybe it's a first step for summer.

But it is the step of moving toward Jesus to be with you to learn to practice to be with his people to belong. And there's a number of concrete steps you can take to do that. Right? We encourage people to front end just put a pin in Sunday's joined the guard people ever send a warship here commit to a home Church get it done this alone. You would have already we can't we need other so join a small community, but mostly what I heart commitment hurting of your heart away from whatever you have set your heart upon for Life Journey towards Jesus who offers you full life today. Let's pray.

Father we thank you. For calling out to us in Jesus.

And the radical called that is you want nothing less than all of us. And you deserve it because you gave nothing less than all of you to us. God would you help us to hear that call and follow Jesus is the true king of our hearts and souls.

Holy Spirit, I pray that you would you would speak to all of us right now you would help us identify that thing that we're we're holding back that thing maybe that were holding onto that. We need to let go in order to be all in with you Jesus. I beseech to hear the compelling call of Jesus. Follow me. I pray we would all answer. By turning yourself to you because that is the way a perfect freedom and life. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.

Princess part of our worship we taking off ring every Sunday. It's a way that we give back to God small token of our love and devotion. So I mean