Mark Sermon Manu Week 3

Additions:

we are discipled by our experiences, but Jesus is over our experiences

Intro/Welcome

Welcome

Good morning One Hope Church

My name is Justin, one of the Pastors here

Good to be with you.

Welcome online views

Text

We’ll be in Mark 1:16-20 today

Go there in your Bibles

Follow along

Introduction

fulfilled longings — transformation and purpose.

What we’ve seen so far in the gospel of Mark is

a strange man by the name of John the Baptizer showing up and preaching and baptizing talking about someone greater who is coming

Then we have this man from nazareth getting baptized, doing battle with satan and beginning his ministry of what he called the Kingdom of God

Imagine this were to happen in our day:

a homeless man where a fur coat and a belt standing out here by the river dunking people and preaching repentance

and then another homeless man showing up and preaching that a new Kingdom has come

Would you follow him?

Many of us might be afraid (FCF)

that Jesus might not come through (FCF)

that he was nothing special (FCF)

or we are just too comfortable being in control of (FCF)

What would compel the first disciples to follow Jesus?

They were going about their lives just as you are I are

In fact they were in the middle of their work day (or the end)

And this itinerant homeless preacher shows up and says follow me an they do.

What was it about Jesus that these fishermen would leave everything and follow Him?

What is it about Jesus for you and I that would compel us to follow Him, not out of obligation, but out of wonder.

Because they followed Him they were never the same.

And that’s true for you and I as well.

If you follow Jesus you will never be the same

Pray

follow him and be transformed by him.

Follow Me

Mark 1:16–20 (ESV)

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.

What was it about Jesus that these men would immediately leave their professions, in the middle of their work day to follow him?

leave their parents (family business) a big deal

leave their source of income

leave all that they had known and been comfortable with

Was it something Jesus did? Something he said?

For Mark’s purposes it is sufficient to give the summary of what took place.

But Luke gives us a more specific picture of what took place on that day.

Luke 5:1–11 (CSB)

Luke 5:1–11 (CSB)

1 As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, he was standing by Lake Gennesaret. 2 He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.” 6 When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!” 9 For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners. “Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people.” 11 Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed him.

THE CHOSEN

Anybody a fan of The Chosen?

I was resistant, but now personally I would highly recommend it

It is a great adaptation to the gospels, biblically faithful, and very well done.

I believe it is episode 4 of season 1 that depicts these event

They take some freedom to develop the characters of peter and the storyline

But they really do a good job, very plausible of what might have happened.

Go watch the chosen! It’s great

it has impressed me and more importantly increased my love for Jesus

Jesus performed a miracle that day.

Last week we saw that Jesus was this Messiah King and with him comes the arrival of the Kingdom of God

We looked at the elements of the Kingdom:

The calling of Disciples

The demonstration of Authority and Power over

disease, deformity, the demonic, and the display of his power over nature

The declaration of the Kingdom of God

through preaching teaching.

All of these would be demonstrated throughout the Gospel of Mark.

Whatever they witnessed that day it began to change them.

There was something different about this Jesus than anyone else who had ever walked the earth.

John’s account

John the apostle, was another who was called that day.

Towards the end of his life he would write his gospel account and here is how he describes Jesus.

John 1:4 (CSB)

4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

John 1:14 (CSB)

14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Promise of Jesus

Throughout Mark we will see how people described Jesus.

Mark 1:22 (CSB)

22 They were astonished at his teaching because he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not like the scribes.

Mark 1:27 (CSB)

27 They were all amazed, and so they began to ask each other, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”

8 Times in Mark the crowds or disciples respond in this way.

There was something mesmerizing about Jesus

people were just drawn to him, the religious and the wretched

the sinners and the saints.

The Promise of Jesus

It is no doubt what Peter, Andrew, James and John experiened that day.

But it was also the hope that Jesus gave them with his words.

What did Jesus say?

Mark 1:17 (ESV)

17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

He says to follow Him.

then he says what will happen if they will follow him.

2. I will make you fishers of men.

I see two things in this verse:

The promise of transformation

in the words “I will make you”

The promise of purpose

what will I make you? fishers of men.

This was to be Peter’s primary calling.

He was going to be the great Apostle Peter the leader of the disciples

the leader of the Jesus movement

But at this point he was a long way from that goal.

He may have thought he was ready.

Just as Moses thought he was ready when he killed that egyptian

But moses needed to be molded, shaped and transformed into the leader who would lead God’s people

The same is true with Peter

And the same is true with you and I.

You may have a vague sense of what God may be calling you to.

But you are not ready.

How do you get ready?

follow Jesus.

he will lead the way.

So right here we have two of our deepest longings promised to be fulfilled by Jesus.

I will utterly transform you

I will lead you into God’s purposes for your life.

Let’s look at these in turn.

I will Transform You.

Jesus promises to “make Peter” into something new.

The transformation of Simon Peter

Remember Mark’s gospel is Peter’s Gospel

John MacArthur — Twelve Ordinary men (39)

Of all the apostles

Peter’s name is mentioned more than any other

No one speaks as often as Peter

No one is spoken to by the Lord as often as Peter

No disciple is so frequently rebuked by the Lord as Peter

No disciple ever rebukes the Lord except for Peter

No one else confessed Christ more boldly or acknowledged his lordship more explicitly

yet no other disciple ever verbally denied Christ as forcefully or as publically as peter did

no one is praised and blessed by Christ the way peter is, yet Peter was also the only one Christ ever addressed as Satan

The Lord had harsher things to say to peter than any of the other apostles.

All of that contributed to making him the leader Christ wanted him to be. God took a common man with an ambivalent, vacillating, impulsive, unsubmissive personality and shaped him to be a rocklike leader—the greatest preacher among the apostles and in every sense the dominant figure in the first twelve chapters of Acts, where the church was born.

It’s what the Bible calls ‘new creation’

In fact, his name was Simon, but Jesus calls him Peter

These were some of the first words that Jesus spoke to Peter

John 1:42 (CSB)

42 and he brought Simon to Jesus. When Jesus saw him, he said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated “Peter”).

Peter means rock.

This is significant b/c this is precisely what Jesus would do with Peter

He would transform him from an:

impetuous, speak before you think, stubborn, strong-willed fisherman

into humble, submissive, loving, compassionate strong Leader — like a Rock.

How did Jesus do that?

He simply loved Peter as Peter walked with Jesus.

Life experiences shaped peter, he often put his foot in his mouth.

Jesus lovingly rebuked him, taught him, prayed for him and had compassion on him.

this is a complete transformation

of the Head, heart and hands.

Application

Now was this just for Peter? Was Peter the only one to whom Jesus would transform?

No — it is the promise for all those who would follow Jesus

that means it is a promise for you and I

Jesus words to Peter are also his words to us.

Follow me — and I will transform you.

I will make you something new.

So how have you been trying to change yourself?

How have you been trying to change others?

By your own power.

Notice it doesn’t say “follow me and you can change yourself”

it says “follow me and I WILL MAKE you something new.

Where do you need to confess your own self-salvation projects?

your own self-sufficiency

the parts of your life that are being lived independently of following Jesus.

We all do this.

But here’s the promise

Follow me, come back to me, and I will change you.

Isn't’ that great!

we’ve got the easy part, he’s got the hard part.

And here’s the beauty of the Gospel.

There is no part of you that is beyond the transforming power of the Gospel.

NOTHING!

2 Corinthians 5:21 (CSB)

21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

See what happens here

Jesus was utterly transformed from the (righteousness of God into the recipient of the wrath of God) sinless incarnate son of God into the very essence of sin, the deepest and darkest parts of your story, indeed of all of human history

the most depraved acts — this is what Jesus became on the Cross

from the righteous one to the wretched one

Why?

2nd half

so that we might be transformed — that is become the righteousness of God

that we might become like Him through the power of resurrection

And so he is transformed from saint into sinner and we are transformed from sinner into saint.

The great exchange.

Illustration:

A story of Transformation

He makes you into new kinds of people

Jesus changes all of who we are

head — how we think

heart — our desires, passions, wills

hands — how we live our lives.

Types:

for mothers — only Jesus can make you kind, compassionate, patient, loving

forgives your sins

for fathers — only Jesus can make you strong, adequate

for young professionals — only Jesus can assure you of the direction and purpose of your life

only he can give you secturity

For college students — only God can make you the kind of person who entrusts your future, your careers, decision and relationships to Him.

When we put Jesus back in the center of our life, everything else is put in it’s proper place but put anything else in the center nothing will be in its proper place.

Follow Jesus

Fishers of men

What did Jesus transform Simon Peter into?

one of the most influential men in all of history

From fisherman from a no-name town in galilee

to the leader of the apostles, the leader of the early church

A man who would author two books of the bible and provice the material for this gospel of mark

A man who witnessed and performed miracles, saw thousands come to faith in Christ

A man who led the early church the the boundary break realties of the gospel for all peoples

A man who would, in the end, give his own life rather than deny Christ again.

A man who was so humble, and so worshipful of Jesus that he refused to be crucified right side up, choosing rather to be crucified upside down

b/c he was not worthy to die like Jesus.

This was the man that Simon became — Peter the Rock.

And this was the Lord’s calling for Peter.

Peter took steps of faith to follow Jesus.

He had to leave his business behind

He had to suffer time away from his wife

he had to deal with divisions and controversies

he spent time in prison, and in persecution.

Jesus indeed did make Peter into a fisher of men

and a leader of men.

Because Peter followed Jesus — because he chose to follow Jesus

Jesus changed him

and Jesus found his calling, his purpose and fufilled.

Application:

So was this promise just for Peter?

Did Jesus only promise peter that he would find his way?

No, this promise if for us.

Jesus teaches if we lose our life for his sake we will find it.

Matthew 10:39 (CSB)

39 Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it.

Matthew 16:25 (CSB)

25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it.

Matthew 16:24–28 (CSB)

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. 26 For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each according to what he has done. 28 Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Some of you are wondering what purpose God has for you…let me assure you

He does have a purpose for you

We have a God of intention, and design and purpose

Do you want to find you life?

follow him.

The problem is we are afraid.

We are afraid to be wrong

afraid to lose

afraid God won’t come through

afraid to risk.

and so many of us stay in our comfortable little controllable worlds

But Jesus has uniquely designed you

there’s only one of you

your gifting, your skill set, your story.

It’s going to take some risk to follow Jesus.

Closing Exhortation

How do we do this?

How do we follow Jesus?

Through God’s Word, God’s Spirit and God’s People.

God’s word teaches us who Jesus is and how he lived

God’s spirit is active an alive in us and will teach us and guide us — he transforms us

God’s people.

Discipleship — Disciple-making.

helping people trust and follow Jesus.

We need each other for this

2 Timothy 2:2 (CSB)

2 What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Through God’s Spirit and the God’s Word we disciple one another

WE want to help

Our role is to help equip the saints for ministry

we want to be disciple-makers.

Alex’s Story (or Ben’s)

A call to discipleship.

fill out link.

Closing Prayer.