The King and His Preachers: Mark 1:14-20

Introduction

I hope you have enjoyed and been encouraged by our two weeks in the book of Mark. We have been reminded that the gospel is about Jesus. We have been reminded that Jesus is our substitute king, and victor. We have been urged to make our lives, ministry, and preaching about Him. These themes continue to pop up throughout the book of Mark, including in our passage today. So lets get right to our text.

Narrative Exposition

As you read this narrative you, will be forced to consider King Jesus and His Preaching:

14: After John’s arrest, Jesus’ ministry begins. Jesus was arrested for his preaching of the truth. John as Jesus’ forerunner preached like him and would experience suffering like Him. Indeed the ministry of the gospel is a ministry of suffering that gives way to glory. Jesus began his ministry in Galilee, a place of little significance in Jesus’ day with a mixture of Jewish and Gentiles living there. Jesus’ ministry is described as one of preaching the gospel of God.

After John’s Arrest

Galilee

15: The time of God’s choosing had come in the ministry of Jesus Christ. The fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament were to find their fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The time of the kingdom of God was near. The kingdom of God is the reign of God, or the place in which the reign of God is recognized. God’s reign was recognized in part in Israel, but its fullness had arrived in Christ, who is the true Messiah King and Israel. Jesus after announcing the good news of the kingdom calls all to repent and believe this good news. To repent is to turn from sin both in deed and in thought. To believe is to trust in or rely upon something. In this case it to rely on Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. These commands are binding on all who hear it, but are obeyed by the supernatural work of God in the hearts and minds of the people of His choosing.

The time’s fulfillment and the coming of the Kingdom of God

Repent and believe the Gospel

In addition to considering King Jesus and His preaching, you also must consider King Jesus and His Preachers:

16-18: Mark moves from the brief description of Jesus’ preaching to time where He in-listed His first preachers. Jesus was walking along the side of the Sea of Galilee, which is slightly smaller than Lake Truman. It was a popular fishing spot and as such had bustling harbors all around it. As our Lord walked around the sea, he spotted Simon, who is more popularly known as Peter, and his brother Andrew throwing nets into the sea. Jesus called the men to come after him, and promised that He will make them fishers of men. In other words, Jesus called them to leave their worldly employment of catching fish, to a greater task of catching men. The net they would through was the gospel of Jesus Christ. The catch they would bring in would be God’s chosen people. Jesus called these first men to leave their livelihoods, follow Him, and preach his gospel. They didn’t hesitate, but left their nets and follow Him immediately .

The call: Come follow me

The promise: I will make you fishers of men

The response: Immediate and leaving all others

19-20: When Jesus and his two new disciples had gone a little ways more down the lake he saw two more brothers who were fishermen, James and John. They were fixing there nets in a boat. He called them in the same way he called Peter and Andrew, namely to follow him. Their response was the same. They immediately left their livelihood to follow Jesus. In their case, however, Mark notes that they also left their father to work with the hired help.

In considering the King Jesus and His preaching and His preachers, we learn much about Jesus and the calling He places upon the lives of His people. We learn, one, that Jesus is a seeker. He seeks and he calls. He initiates the relationships with his disciples not them. Two, we learn that Jesus call upon the lives of the disciples was to leave all, whether good or bad, that would keep them from following Him. With these two truths before us, I will give you three points of application.

The response

Main Points/Application

Follow King Jesus by following Him before all

To follow him before all plays off of the idea of urgency communicated throughout the book of Mark, but particularly from our text. Jesus proclaimed of God’s fast coming Kingdom and the time of fulfillment. He demanded that people repent of sin and believe in Him. There is the temptation in everyone to delay following Jesus. There are a number of excuses that pop up into our head. This is especially true of those of you who are young. You may think that you have time to take God seriously later in life, but now is a time to have fun, make mistakes, and pave your own way. The tragedy in LA, including the death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter among others, should make you think more carefully about life and its shortness. Tragedies like this have happened in our own community. Life isn’t long and we are ultimately powerless when it comes to the time that we will die. Therefore, take Jesus seriously now. He is the redeemer, His calling may seem hard, but when compared with the reward of forgiveness of sins, communion with God and His people, and eternal life the present sufferings we experience and sacrifices we make are put into perspective. Follow Jesus before all. If you are following Him, keep on following. If you aren’t following Him, then will you today?

Follow King Jesus by serving Him above all

Jesus called the first disciples particularly to leave their professions and families to follow Him. This was specific to them, but the principle we may infer from this is that Jesus demands to be first and the guiding principle of your lives. If we want to follow Jesus we must be ready to leave anything that hinders us from following Him faithfully. It may be friendships. It may be family. It may be jobs. It may be wealth. It may be food. It may be possessions. I am not the Holy Spirit, though He dwells within me like all believers. I cannot see your heart. He can. As we studied last Sunday night, the first command of the moral law is to have no other God before Yahweh. Jesus is Yahweh in the flesh. We are to follow none above Jesus. Christian, you are not your own. You belong to Jesus. Your mind, body, and possessions belong to Him. Make sure you order your life and priorities around this truth. Trust in the Lord Jesus and He will empower you as he did these first disciples to follow Him.

Follow King Jesus by proclaiming Him to all

Follow King Jesus by c

Jesus called his disciples to be fishers of men. He called them as he did in the great commission to make disciples, who make disciples. Though we are not the apostles, who were endowed with the spiritual gifts of infallible divine proclamation, languages, and healing, we are called to preach the same gospel that they were. Furthermore, the same Spirit that accompanied their preaching in the power of both conversion and hardening, accompanies our preaching. What I’m doing right now is a form of preaching, but it is not the only one. I might say that it should not be the most frequent one done by a local church. What I mean is that we are all called to proclaim the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are to with the apostles declare that Jesus is the Son of God, promised Messiah, and the Lord of all. We are to call people to rely on Him for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. We are call them to repent of their wicked ways. To do this as effectively at as a local church and individuals requires that we do it frequently. If you want a numerical measure of success in a church, let it be faithfulness to Jesus’ commands. Frequency of gospel preaching is one command among many. Jesus calls each and every believer to be disciple making disciples. Therefore, preach the gospel to

Your church

Your children

Your family

Your coworkers

Your neighbors

Your call is too sow and water the seeds of the gospel. It is God who brings the growth and He will do it.

Also, before you can preach the gospel you should know it. If you are not a big reader, though I encourage you to read Scripture above all and secondarily to read sound Christian literature, then where will you hear the gospel and learn the gospel? Your local church of course. Through the preaching of the Word, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and corporate prayer, your faith will be strengthened and your knowledge increased. Give yourself to these things not only for your benefit, but also for the benefit of the others in this room, and those in your community. Above all give yourselves to these things because Jesus, who lived, died, rose, and reigns for your salvation commands you to. Know the gospel, believe the gospel, and proclaim the gospel to all without discrimination.

Conclusion

Christian, the three exhortations I have given are meant to be encouragements to you. Following Jesus is not a one time decision. It is a life-time decision. You have professed faith in Christ and you have hopefully publically declared your allegiance to Him by baptism. Many of you have joined group of believers by way of covenant to be a visible manifestation of God’s Kingdom called a local church. These things are essential and good, but Jesus’ people whom God has caused to be born again and converted in the power of the Holy Spirit through the proclamation of the gospel, follow Jesus initially and continually until they die or he returns. So the command of my three charges still applies to you just as much as it does to the unbeliever. Follow King Jesus, or we might say keep following Jesus. Circumstances and struggles will change, Jesus will remain faithful in and through them all. He won’t let you down.

Unbeliever, whether you are a child or an adult, whether you came on your own accord or were dragged here in-spite of your desire not to come, my charge to you is to believe on the Lord Jesus for the salvation of your soul and the resurrection of your body in His second coming. Like Simon, Andre, John, and James here the voice of the Lord Jesus calling out to you now through His written Word and follow Him. If you have questions, then don’t hesitate to come and ask me. I may not have the answers, but God who knows all things has spoken and we can search His Word for the answers. There are certain things in this life that we will never know, but one thing we can know is that when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven and we are guaranteed the promise of eternal life. So, unbeliever, you like myself are a sinner in need of forgiveness. Christ alone is the way, the truth, and the life. Reject Him and perish for your sins. Believe in Him and live forever by His righteousness.

To all of you, we he have considered both the preaching of Jesus and His first preachers. I have exhorted you to follow Jesus by following Him before all, serving Him above all, and proclaiming Him to all. Follow Jesus and He will lead you to eternal life.