Untitled Sermon

A Fresh Start

(Mark 1:16–20)

1. Intro

A. Can you believe how fast last year came and went?

1. I want you to think just a minute as we begin this morning.

2. I want you to quickly reflect over your past year.

3. Maybe you’ve already done it.

4. We did a little bit last week, but let’s do it one more time.

B. What were the highlights of your year?

1. What are the good things that stand out?

2. Think about the good moments.

3. We can thank God for giving us those good moments last year.

C. Now, what about those not so good moments?

1. We all had those, too, didn’t we?

2. There’s some things we wish hadn’t happened.

3. There’s some things we’d like a do-over on, isn’t there?

I heard about a husband who really enjoyed the meat his wife had served for dinner one night. He asked her, "What did you marinate this in?" Well, his wife immediately went into a long explanation about how much she loved him and how life wouldn’t be the same without him, and so on. Eventually, his puzzled expression made her interrupt her answer with a question of her own: "Why did you ask me that?" When he told her, she chuckled and said, "I thought you asked me if I would marry you again" As she left the room, he called out, "Well, would you marry me again?" Without hesitation, she replied, "Vinegar and barbecue sauce."

E. The first of the year is when we always look forward.

1. We make those resolutions.

2. We make plans for the better.

3. We look forward to a fresh start.

4. In this new series: Fresh, that’s what we’re going to be talking about.

F. We’re going to start today by looking at the essential need for a fresh start.

1. Not just a fresh start to survive, but a fresh start to thrive.

2. What we’re going to talk about here is going to be essential for the rest of the series.

3. What is the one essential thing needed for a fresh start to begin the new year?

4. We’re going to answer this question by looking at a couple of stories in the Bible.

. The first story is in Mark, chapter 1.

A. Read Mark 1:16–20.

16 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon[a] and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 17 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 18 And they left their nets at once and followed him. 19 A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets. 20 He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.

1. This is the story of Jesus calling the first disciples.

2. Peter, Andrew, James, and John were fishermen.

3. Fishermen were not very high up the social totem pole.

4. I’m sure it was a respectable job, but there were better things to do.

B. There’s also the way things were done in Jewish society at that time.

1. Most Jewish boys got an early education.

2. The goal was to find the best and brightest and move them into Rabbi status.

3. They would all go to, say, the second grade.

4. Then the best were allowed to go forward, while the rest were sent back to find something else to do.

5. Then there would be another culling process a few years later.

6. By the time they were around 13, only the smartest were left.

7. The Rabbis would then come and select who they wanted to teach.

8. They would call the ones they wanted.

9. The rest were done, they went back to whatever they could find or the family business.

C. I say all of that to take us back to Peter, Andrew, James, and John.

1. They were—what?—Fishermen!

2. That means at some point in their lives, they weren’t good enough.

3. At some point, they were rejected, turned down.

D. I can’t help but believe they thought about that often.

1. Pulling in those slimy nets full of stinky fish, they must have thought about it.

2. What might have been.

3. If only I had another chance at it.

4. If only I could get a new shot at it.

5. If I only had a fresh start!

E. So here comes a young rabbi, Jesus.

1. Here’s the chance they were looking for.

2. They just might get that fresh start yet.

3. They only had to do one thing to get that fresh start rolling!

3. There’s a second story in Mark I want us to look at.

A. Read Mark 10:17–22.

17 As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. 19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’[a]”20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”22 At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

1. This is commonly called the story of the Rich Young Ruler.

2. And we have a different situation than the earlier story.

3. This young man seemed to have it all.

4. He was rich.

5. He had all kinds of possessions.

6. He had all kinds of money.

7. But it must not have satisfied him.

8. He was still searching for something.

9. He was looking for eternal life.

B. So he comes to Jesus.

1. Jesus gives the young man a quick rundown of the Ten Commandments.

2. The young man seemed to be a moral person.

3. He seemed clean.

4. Then Jesus tells him to get rid of all the stuff that didn’t satisfy him.

5. And then do this one thing and get a fresh start.

4. Two very different situations.

A. Two very different sides of the social scale.

1. One, a story of the rejected.

2. One, a story of the unsatisfied.

3. In both situations, there was the possibility of starting over.

4. The people in both situations could use a fresh start.

5. And in both situations, there was one thing left to get that fresh start.

5. It’s January.

A. We’re only a few days into a new year.

1. All that happened last year is in the past.

2. All that’s left is the future.

3. Whether the past was good or bad, we stand at the dawn of a new year.

4. We’ve got the chance at a fresh start.

5. And the one thing left for us to get that fresh start is the same as in those stories.

6. Our one thing to a fresh start is the same as the one thing of Peter, Andrew, James, and John.

7. Our one thing to a fresh start is the same as the one thing of the Rich Young Ruler.

6. What is this “one thing?”

A. What is this “one thing” that Peter, Andrew, James, and John had to do for a fresh start at life?

1. What is this “one thing” that the rich young ruler had to do for a fresh start at life?

2. What is our “one thing” we have to do to get a fresh start at life?

3. Let’s go back to our two stories to find out.

4. Read Mark 1:17.

17 Jesus called out to them, “Come,follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”

5. Read Mark 10:21.

21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

B. The one thing that leads to a fresh start in life is to … follow Jesus!

1. You want a fresh start in your life? Follow Jesus!

2. You want to make this year a year you will never forget? Follow Jesus!

C. Our two stories have very different endings.

1. Peter, Andrew, James, and John followed Jesus.

2. And their lives were never the same!

3. They saw things no one had ever seen.

4. They got to do things no one else ever got to do.

5. They changed the world.

6. And it all started with following Jesus.

D. The Rich Young Ruler walked away.

1. He left the only person who could change His life.

2. When Jesus called him to follow, he walked the other way.

3. He had an opportunity for a fresh start, but he decided what he had gained in the past was enough.

7. You want a fresh start this year?

A. The way to have it is still the same: Follow Jesus!

B. You may be a Christian.

1. But you’ve just been playing the Christian game.

2. You haven’t really let Jesus lead you.

3. You’ve been walking on your own path and telling Jesus to follow you.

4. Now, it’s time to start over and follow Him!

5. (That’s what we’re going to talk about in the coming weeks).

6. Right now, you just need to make the decision that this year, you are going to get serious about following the One who died for your sins.

C. You may not be a Christian.

1. And you may be like the Rich Young Ruler.

2. You may have stuff.

3. You may have possessions.

4. But you now know that’s not what you thought it would be.

5. You know there’s got to be more to life than this.

6. There is.

7. You can find it by following Jesus.

D. You want a fresh start this year?