Following Jesus

Mark 1:14-20

Every person can know Jesus better by understanding the phrases used in this passage.

Introduction:

I am sure that we have all had moments in our life when we wished we could be like someone else. We saw something great that someone else did and we wish we could be like that person. I remember at one point in my life wanting to be a fireman like my father was. Then at another point in my life I wanted to be a farmer like my uncle. I wanted to be like these people because I looked up to them.

There are probably different heros that we have now that we are older. As I was getting close to college my desire was to be like Billy Graham. I wanted to be able to address large crowds of people and see them make moves to become fully committed followers of Christ. Since then I have often thought I wish I could write colorful and interesting books like Max Lucado.

I also have dreams of being able to fly a plane and to drive a really fast car. Who are the people you would like to imitate? Who do you wish you could be like?

In this passage Jesus is challenging a group of fishermen to become followers of him. As they follow they will be becoming more like Jesus.

Phrase I. Good News

A. When I was in college I took a trip to Jamaica my senior year. It was a group of students from the college who were going. We were going to rebuild after Hurricane Gilbert had hit the island. It was exciting. I did not need to go, but I choose to do this. I would be traveling with a group of friends. I was really anticipating a great time. As the time got closer to make my departure it got harder and harder to sleep at night. I was looking forward to this trip. Finally, the day arrived and we went to Detroit to meet the rest of the group and set off for Jamaica. There was a tremendous amount of anticipation. Surrounding this big event.

B. The anticipation that I felt must have been something like the Jewish people experienced as they were waiting for the arrival of the Christ. They had known since the time of Moses that he was coming, but the time had not been revealed to them. In v. 14 we are told that Jesus was proclaiming the good news of God. This is the good news he was proclaiming. It was that the Christ had finally arrived. After thousands of years of waiting, the man they had been waiting for had arrived. Any devout Jew would have prayed for and waited for the coming of the Christ, and now that day was upon them. This was the good news that Jesus had to share.

C. Sadly many refused to accept the good news that Jesus was bringing to them. They had in their mind what the Christ would be like. These opinions were so strong they were unable to recognize Jesus when he did arrive. We know from Scripture that Jesus is coming again. I am afraid that many people who call themselves Christians will have the same problem then. Christ will return, but he will not come in the way they anticipate, so they will be left behind.

D. The good news of Jesus’ day was that the Christ had finally arrived. That is good news for us too. I think that in order to be a Jew in Jesus day was a physically demanding task because of the sacrifices, celebrations and offerings that were required. We have good news in that way. Even more we have the good news that the Christ has arrived, and he is still alive today. Through Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection all people can have the forgiveness of their sins. They can be assured of a right relationship with God and they can know of eternal life after this life. This is the good news we can have.

E. If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your lord and savior, you are missing out on these blessings. Jesus came into this world for you. He did not come for the good people, or the righteous people. He came for all people. If we accepted Him as lord and savior you can be assured of the forgiveness of sins, a right relationship with God and eternity with God.

Phrase II. Repent and believe

A. I took a group of students to Detroit to the art museum several years ago. I had a co-pilot with me who knew where we were going so he gave me directions as I drove. I also had another vehicle following me. As we were making our way down the highway the co-pilot told me to take the next exit. I did that and then he told me to get on a certain ramp, which simply took me back onto the same section of highway. I don’t think he really knew what he did there, but the person behind me certainly did. When we stopped she asked what that maneuver was all about. I said I was just following directions, even though they were the wrong directions then.

B. Sometimes we have times like that in our life. We are following the directions and we are doing what we think we should be doing, but it is wrong. It is not the right direction that we are going in. A big part of Jesus message in v. 15 is repent. That is what is behind that word. A part of what Jesus was saying with repent was to stop following what you have been following, because what you have been following is wrong. So the solution is to stop following what you have been following and make a change in your course. In aviation or nautical terms this might mean making a slight adjustment in your course, or it could mean that you need to turn around and head in the opposite direction.

C. Because of the placement of this in v. 15 it seems that Jesus wants his listeners to repent because the Kingdom of God is near. Whatever they had been following needed to stop. They need to change course and begin to follow Jesus Christ. As is implied in this passage that would mean they would need to turn from their present way of life and start something different. Jesus was offering them something that was new and fairly different.

D. They also were being called upon to believe. As I mentioned earlier, many refused to follow Jesus because he did not fit the image they had of what he should be. He was different. They were being called upon to believe the good news. This was to put confidence in the fact that Jesus had come into the world. He had come into the world to save men from their sins and show them the way to God.

E. There are many things in this world for people to follow. Not all of these things have the label of a religion or a faith. We all need to be careful that we are following the truth. If you discover that you are following something that is wrong, I challenge you to follow Jesus Christ. If you do realize you are following something wrong, you must repent and believe. That means you need to make corrections to your course and make sure you are headed in a right direction.

Phrase III. Fishers of men

A. The men Jesus was dealing with were fisher men. That was their occupation. If they did not fish, they would not be able to survive. This was something that they needed to do. As Jesus comes to them he gives them a greater purpose for what they are doing. They will no longer be fishing to survive and provide for their family. They will be fishing for men. It is a little bit of a play on words. As Jesus says in v. 17, “I will make you fishers of men.”

B. Several years ago I was talking with a man who had no children, but he had nephews and he would sometimes take them with him. When those children were in his car he said it was a much different experience than when he was by himself. He was very careful about his speed. He was more cautious when he went over bumps. He made sure that everyone in the vehicle was secured. He was doing a lot of the same things, but he was more cautious when he had children with him. He was still driving, but he had greater responsibility.

C. When Jesus called the fishermen to follow him, he was calling them to something with greater responsibility. They were obviously men who would turn back to fishing when the opportunity presented itself. This was a new responsibility. It was adding to what they were doing. Most if not all of these men were familiar with Jesus because of their connection with John the Baptist. In the first verse we read we are told that John was in prison. These men are no longer able to be John’s disciples, so Jesus challenges them to make a commitment to follow Him. The calling that Jesus gave them was not just about following, but it was about being fishers of men. They were going to do more than put food in their stomachs. They would be changing the lives of people. They would be making an eternal impact on the lives of the people they came into contact with.

D. These men became world changers. They followed Jesus and did what they were called upon to do. As a consequence of that we are still talking about them about 2000 years after their death. The greater value is not in their notoriety, but the greatest value is in their obedience. They were able to work toward life change.

E. Perhaps God is calling you to something greater. How would you respond to that call? Are you ready to accept the fact that God might be calling you to something greater?

Conclusion: