A Solution for Sin that is More than Skin Deep

Willing and Able

(Mark 1:40-45, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, July 29, 2018)

[40] And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” [41] Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” [42] And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. [43] And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, [44] and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” [45] But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.

If you will, you can make me clean.

“And a leper came to him...” Since sin entered into the world, death and the diseases that lead to death have plagued humanity. Whether Mark was referring to Hansen's disease or some other skin malady, the “leper” had external manifestations of biology gone bad and internal hidden enemies that may have been the root cause of severe neurological damage. More importantly, according to Old Testament ceremonial law, the leper had a social problem since his trouble made him ceremonially unclean in a way that was religiously communicable to anyone who touched him. What a vivid picture of the damage that came to mankind through the rebellion of our first parents!

“... imploring him, and kneeling ...” This man took a desperate and dangerous risk in coming near Jesus because he had no other hope. He said to Him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” What would the Lord do with this statement of faith–not necessarily a statement of trust in Jesus as the one who would heal humanity's sin problem, but at least the courage to see this Rabbi as the miracle worker who could heal his leprosy.

Be clean.

Notice that Jesus was “moved with pity.” Here we have a glimpse into the inner holiness of right emotions that filled the perfect soul of the Son of God. When we become hardened to the pain and sorrow of others, we need to see that we have a problem inside us that has outer manifestations in our words, the looks on our faces, and the activity or inactivity of our lives. Too often, our first sin is that we just don't care. Who could ever fix that disease within us?

Jesus did care, and so He did the unthinkable in that Jewish culture governed by lots of biblical and extra-biblical regulations concerning clean and unclean: “He stretched out His hand and touched him.” He added to the wonder of His inner life of perfect caring, the calming impact of just the right words. Proverbs 25:11 says that “a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in setting of silver.” Words make a difference. We are creatures that have the divine ability to speak. Jesus had perfect speech. In this case, the man had said “if you will, you can make me clean.” Jesus said to him, “I will; be clean.” What could be better? Maybe it is just what you needed to hear today, even if nothing else makes sense.

Sometimes we would like to say the right thing, and it comes to us the next day. Occasionally we know what to say, and we may even say it well, but then we don't have the power to bring about what we might desire. With Jesus, His Word was always full of strength. Concerning creation, the Apostle John writes, “In the beginning was the Word.” With the leper, we see that Jesus' willingness was combined with amazing divine power. “And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.” This was an astounding miracle. It may have included the elimination of massive numbers of unseen bacteria combined with the healing of nerve damage and all the externally visible losses. Jesus' touch and His words were part of a merciful deliverance that would change the life expectancy, daily existence, and social and religious isolation of this needy petitioner. Praise God! Who could do such a thing? Jesus could, was willing, and did!

Now what?

When we read Mark we need to realize the historical facts of this book. Mark's gospel is very likely the written record of Peter's teaching. Peter would certainly have begun to bring his message to people geographically and temporally near the time and place it was alleged to have happened, certainly within five years time and five days walk. With all the controversy that Jesus brought to Judaism in those days, if this had all been a fake, it would have been easy to dismantle. But there was no one in Jesus' day who denied that He worked miracles like this. To view this account as mythological is over-skeptical, like doubting if you exist. (Dubito, ergo cogito, ergo sum → No way to live.)

So this really happened. Now what? The passage tells us: “Jesus sternly charged him

and sent him away at once, and said to him, 'See that you say nothing to anyone.'” This was a regular pattern for the Lord. What was it that Jesus sought to avoid? He was not demanding that this miracle never be known. The Scriptures included laws about how a man might give testimony to the rest of Israel about divine healing from the socially isolating disease of leprosy. Jesus said, “Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” The man did not do Leviticus 14. His excited report, which did not really go through proper channels, was undeniable to everyone, and most inconvenient for Jesus' ministry of teaching. Because the man “spread the news” the normal way one would, “Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.” Shouldn't we do ministry Jesus' way—the way the Bible directs?

Jesus was willing and able to heal a leper. Why was this significant? What difference should it make in our lives? Take the story forward to the ultimate fulfillment of the plan of God: Jesus will heal all visible and invisible manifestations of sin in our lives.

Applications:

1. What do we want? Health, happiness, prosperity OR to be crucified and risen followers of our Savior? Ouch. Who can heal that leprosy of worldly religion? Jesus.

2. A Spurgeon devotion this week referred to a man who would enter a leper colony and sleep there with the deepest natural revulsion, given the “horrible corruption” in such a place. This dying world is a leper colony. Do we have the heart, the words, and the power of Christ to do what He did or at least to minister in His way? Will we love the offensive with truth or do one of two errors: i) Be disgusted and run away, or ii) Pretend that sin is not sin just to grow? Heal us O Lord! Make us like Your Son (Luke 15).

Again, Jesus will heal all visible and invisible manifestations of sin in our lives. This is our sure destiny. Let's do ministry God's way now. Truth. Love. Obedience.

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 68 – Your Procession, O God

New Testament Reading—2 Peter 1:1-15 – Confirming your calling and election

Prayer Must Be A First Priority

That Is Why We Must Pray
(Mark 1:35-39, Preaching: Pastor Nathan Snyder, July 22, 2018)

[35] And rising early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. [36] And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, [37] and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” [38] And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” [39] And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

There is an unfortunate saying that we sometimes use when we think there is nothing more we can do to help in a particular situation.  We say, “Well, I guess all we can do now is pray.”  This implies that prayer is a last resort.  Do all you can do to work something out, and when all your efforts fail, then pray.  The saying also seems to imply that it is unlikely prayer will actually accomplish anything.  If prayer was merely talking to the wall, then of course it wouldn’t accomplish anything.  But when we pray in faith, we come before the God of all wisdom, power, and love, who created, sustains, and governs all that exists.  Prayer to God can do anything God can do.  In prayer we seek the gracious work of God, and there are no limits to what he can do except his own good pleasure.  Maybe instead of viewing prayer as a last resort, we should make it our first priority.  Today’s Scripture text shows us that this was the perspective Jesus had on prayer during his earthly ministry.

Jesus rose early in the morning while it was still dark, and went out to a desolate place to pray.  This was the first day of the week, the day after the Sabbath day.  The previous day had been a hectic day of ministry.  Jesus had taught in the synagogue of the town of Capernaum (1:21).  While teaching, Jesus was confronted by a demon-possessed man.  He commanded the spirit to leave the man, and the spirit obeyed.  The townsfolk were amazed and word began to spread of what had happened.  After leaving the synagogue, Jesus healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever.  At sundown the whole town of Capernaum came out to him.  Jesus healed the sick and delivered those who were in bondage to evil spirits.  Now a new week had begun and Jesus began the week by getting up early, before the crowds mobbed him again, and getting away to a deserted place to pray.  Apparently the people of Capernaum were looking for Jesus as soon as they had risen for the day, as were his disciples.  Jesus, the new miracle-working preacher, had become an instant celebrity, and people were out their doors in the morning eager to see him again.  The disciples found Jesus before anyone else did.  Maybe he had told them to find him outside the town.  They informed him that everyone was looking for him.  Jesus responded by calling his disciples to come with him as he left Capernaum that they might travel to other towns.  He intended to preach the good news of the kingdom of God throughout Israel, not just in Capernaum.  Thus he told the disciples that the reason he had departed from Capernaum was to preach elsewhere.  So he continued throughout Galilee, following the pattern of teaching in the synagogues and delivering people from demons.  Implicit in verse 39 is the fact that Jesus was continuing to heal people of physical illnesses and disabilities as well.  But deliverance from demons is what Mark chose to highlight here, as if to emphasize the importance Jesus placed on setting people free from spiritual bondage, which is far more important than being free from physical illness.  Jesus was preaching the good news that the kingdom of God had come (1:14), and his ministry of deliverance for those enslaved by Satan backed up this claim.  Jesus is the fulfillment of what the prophet Isaiah wrote 700 years earlier, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound” (Isa. 61:1).

Jesus had ministered to the people of Capernaum, but there were more people who needed to hear the good news of God’s kingdom.  More people needed to be set free from Satan’s oppression.  Now imagine you were Jesus.  You have just had a busy day of ministry and you are about to travel on foot to other towns to continue the same ministry throughout the region of Galilee.  How would you spend your morning?  Some of us might just sleep in as much as possible, then rush out the door and be on our way.  Not Jesus.  Jesus knew that he needed time in prayer before continuing his travels and ministry.  Prayer was not a last resort for Jesus, but his first priority.  Jesus knew the truth of Proverbs 16:3, “Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.”  He knew the power of prayer to set prisoners free from Satan.  As he explained later to his disciples who had not been able to drive a particularly stubborn demon out of a man, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer” (9:29).  Jesus knew the effectiveness of prayer when it is made with confidence in God’s power and willingness to answer the prayers of his people.  “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (11:24).

If Jesus, the very Son of God, committed his own ministry work to his Father in prayer, if he sought the Father’s power to drive out demons, if he prayed in faith to remove mountains in the way of the kingdom of God, then should we not also make prayer our first priority?  Are there still people who need to hear the good news of God’s kingdom?  There are, and that is why we must pray.  Are there still people who need to be delivered from spiritual bondage and oppression?  There are, and that is why we must pray.  Jesus has poured out his Holy Spirit on his Church to empower the Church for ministry to a needy world, and he has promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against his Church.  We must never think that this means we do not need to pray, that since final victory is assured, prayer is unnecessary.  On the contrary, prayer is one of the primary ways God intends to build his kingdom and deliver people from the domain of darkness.  The Holy Spirit works by moving his people to pray, and then God deploys the Spirit forward to new conquests in answer to those Spirit-motivated prayers.  Paul writes about spiritual warfare in his letter to the Ephesian church, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places...  praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (Eph. 6:10-12, 18a).

Considering that we are to pray “at all times,” this does raise the question of what this looks like in practice.  Did Jesus spend all his time in prayer and nothing else?  No.  As we just read, he carried on his calling of preaching and driving out demons.  Yet I am sure he was continually lifting up every situation to his Father in prayer.  We also ought to pray for wisdom, patience, courage, humility, and whatever each situation calls for.  We can pray for the people we encounter, and the situations.  What would it be like if we consistently brought matters to the Lord in prayer before rushing into them in our own strength?  Not only must we live a continuously prayer life, but it is also important that like Jesus, we carve out time to spend alone with God in prayer.  One advantage of doing this is that it gives us time to strategically bring before the Lord various needs and burdens in our personal life and vocation, our family and friendships, our local church, the worldwide church, our community, nation, and world.  There is another important reason for spending time alone with God in prayer.  Through such times, as we meditate on God’s Word and talk with him in prayer, we find our own spirits refreshed for the work ahead of us, that we might carry out the good works he has prepared in advance for us to do.  God uses these times to rejuvenate us.  In the midst of our daily work and ministry, we must not lose sight of the fact that our first love is God himself, not the work we are doing for God.  Communing with him in prayer, in which we not only bring our requests to him, but our thanksgiving and praise, is necessary so that God stays central in our lives and hearts.  And if God is central in our hearts, you can be sure his Spirit will bring forth fruit in our lives, for the glory of God.  Jesus spent time alone in prayer with his Father not simply to seek his Father’s guidance and power in his ministry, but because of the relationship of love he has with his Father.  We also, through faith in Jesus, have been adopted into God’s family and drawn to his love.  God loves us and wants to satisfy us with his love.  This is why we must pray.  After all, it is the awesome love of God that is the basis for the good news of his kingdom and deliverance from the evil one.  If we wish to see his kingdom advance and more people be rescued by his love, and if we wish to be used by him, we must pray.  Prayer unleashes the saving power of God’s love while drawing us deeper into the enjoyment of his love.

Historical Evidence of a Most Definite Hope

The Whole City of God

(Mark 1:29-34, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, July 15, 2018)

[29] And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. [30] Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. [31] And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

[32] That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. [33] And the whole city was gathered together at the door. [34] And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

Various Diseases

The Bible tells us that sin entered the world through one man (Romans 5:12). With sin came all kinds of trouble, including disease and death. Since that time, human beings have lived in a world under God's wrath and curse. God subjected the world to what Ecclesiastes and the Apostle Paul called “futility.” Things fall apart.

Paul says that God did this “in hope.” We read in Romans 8:20–25:

[20] For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope [21] that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. [22] For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. [23] And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. [24] For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? [25] But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

This is the big picture of suffering. Like Job, who faced great loss and a devastating skin disease, we are not normally permitted to understand the Lord's specific reasons for His providence, but we need to bear it all patiently. Israel was warned as a nation that their covenant rebellion against God would lead to much trouble, including diseases. They were also told that they could call out to God for help, individually and as a nation, with the hope that He would hear them as they humbled themselves before the Lord.

In 2 Kings 20:1-7 we learn that King Hezekiah had what the Scriptures call a “boil” which threatened his life. Despite a prophetic announcement from Isaiah that Hezekiah would die, the king “wept bitterly” before the Lord and He was heard. The Lord added fifteen years to his life. That does not always happen, but it did in his life.

In John 9 we read about a man born blind who was healed by Jesus. The disciples wondered who sinned in order for such a challenge to come upon this man, was it him or his parents? Jesus' answer is uplifting to hear: “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:3)

Peter's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They told Jesus about her and he “took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.” We would like that healing today for the people that we pray for here. We live in a world of death and life. We need healing, and we are waiting patiently for the man who healed Peter's mother-in-law to return with the full deliverance that He has surely promised.

Jesus suddenly entered this world with His ministry of resurrection signs, and at the end of that day the whole city gathered at the door of the house where He was staying because the fact that He could overturn the curse was undeniable. No one denied that Jesus could heal. The facts were right in front of them.

Oppressed by Demons

Nor did anyone deny that Jesus could cast out demons. We are surprised to read about so much demonic activity associated with the overturning of the devil's dominion in Jesus' ministry. We return again to the beginning of the Bible to get the fuller story of this aspect of evil. Some may claim to know more about heaven and hell, and angels and demons than anyone in the first century could, but of all the people ever born on this earth, Jesus is the expert on these subjects. The Scriptures give us the sure record of His encounters with unseen realms and with His faultless analysis of what took place and the significance of this history for us today.

Angelic beings are real, and God has determined that they are to be “ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14) As we saw last week, some angels have fallen (Jude 1:6, 2 Peter 2:4). All are under the sovereign authority of the Almighty. “Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases.” (Psalm 115:3) Once again, we remind ourselves of our own inability to sort out His providence. Yet we also quite certain about the full defeat of evil.

This complete defeat is tasted in the miracles of Jesus, but it happens especially at two moments in time. First, in the cross of cross (Colossians 2:15) where God in Christ “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him.” Second, in final judgment (2 Thessalonians 1, Revelation 20-21), when all that must be cast out of the new worls will face the fullness of God's eternal judgment.

The Only Hope of the World

The great overturning of various diseases and demonic hosts is sure. The beginning of their certain defeat was seen in the miracles of Jesus that we read about in our passage this morning. Therefore these supernatural events are quite important as historical markers and as devotional encouragements. They were true for Peter's mother-in-law, true for the whole city and region, and true for the entire world.

God has always had a plan for a world beyond disease and rebellion. What began in Galilee will not be finished until Jesus brings heaven to earth in a great work of astounding renewal. This is the Christian hope: The same Jesus who cared very specifically for Peter's mother-in-law will not be content to leave us sick and oppressed. He will make all things new.

Imagine the joy that our Lord has for us when the whole city of God is healed and free!

Sermon Point: Jesus' initial works were just the beginning of a vast and glorious future.

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 66 – Bless our God, O peoples!

New Testament Reading—1 Peter 5:1-11 – To Him be the dominion forever

How does Jesus use His Authority over Evil Today?

The Authoritative Word

(Mark 1:21-28, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, July 8, 2018)

[21] And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. [22] And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. [23] And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, [24] “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” [25] But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” [26] And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. [27] And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” [28] And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

He taught as one who had authority

When Jesus taught in the synagogue in Capernaum, everyone knew that they had never heard anything like it before. Over and over again people were shocked about one thing: “He taught them as one who had authority.”

They were used to the scribes, who were experts in the rabbinic traditions that informed their interpretations of religious law. If a scribe had a point to make, he based it on a point that someone else had made before him. When Jesus said something, it was as if God was speaking in person, and that made a difference to those who were listening to Him. A powerful light from heaven was shining in an unexpected place (Isaiah 9:1-2).

Be silent, and come out of him

The same conclusion came inescapably from the actions of Jesus. He had authority over unseen realms. Imagine being there in the synagogue, and in walks someone who has an “unclean spirit.” Such a man might be very frightening to be around, and he just walked into your church. You would be looking at a human being under the oppressive power of one or more malignant demons.

The drama gets even more intense as the possessed man shouts out (lit. screams up) at Jesus in fear, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”

There would be only one person in that synagogue who would be unafraid. That would be Jesus, who is able to calmly take charge over fallen angels, which is what demons are. The Lord spoke out with complete confidence. “Be silent, and come out of him!” At this point the demon has absolutely no choice. It's over. One last loud cry, and out he goes!

He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him

The people were stunned. Interestingly, they connected this spiritual power with Jesus' teaching authority. They said to one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” They knew about unclean spirits, they just had never seen anyone who could win a battle against them with such calm dignity.

Of course, this was an experience that could not possibly remain a secret. We read what happened: “At once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.”

The content of Jesus' ministry was not only His authoritative doctrine but His definitive power over demonic realms. That which people saw with their eyes was a witness to them that they should be paying attention with their ears. Jesus was not like the religious teachers of their day. He could distinguish between spirit and man, and save.

Is it possible that we are too accustomed to what we think we know about the Messiah? Perhaps we need a fresh look at the ministry of our Savior as we read through Mark's gospel. Then we might say along with the Galilean crowds, “What is this?” Do we believe that Jesus overturns unseen evil authorities, or was that just something for 1^st century Galilee? Should we be that confident when we fight evil? Or do we hate the people?

By the way, what a strange place to start a Jewish religious movement. Why not Jerusalem, or at least Bethlehem, King David's village that was not far from the center of Jewish life? Or perhaps Rome? That was the capital of the empire. Why not make a name for Himself there?

Why these insignificant lives in an unimportant synagogue in a backwater town that was a one week journey from the center of religious power in the Holy Land? God came to visit the earth, and He deliberately began to confront the true evil empire in a place not that different than Epping, Somersworth, Rowley, or Kittery.

And why make everyone uncomfortable with obvious evil in the midst of a nice synagogue service? The Lord God is turning a broken world upside down. I don't know why He does what He does in any particular place, but I do know that His plan is for everyplace everywhere to be touched by His love, even through you. But how?

A question that every agent of the Almighty needs to be asking: How do I confront evil? I don't want to go around accusing everyone of being demonic just because I think they are wrong. Would I recognize true evil if I saw it, and then what would I do about it if I encountered it? Perhaps we need to start with love (1 Corinthians 13).

Here's a radical thought for Calvinists: We're the ones who make the biblical point that we love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). We also know that we are supposed to be imitators of God as His beloved children (Ephesians 5:1). We have been explicitly instructed by the Lord who died on a cross for sinners to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). I put it all together in a world that seems to be heading toward civil war, and I ask myself if I am OK with waiting for people to love me and love what I love before I will love them in very practical ways. I think I need to be the first to love others, and that you need to be there with me. That's our way to avoid the quagmire of the hate all around us.

In the words of Peter, remember that the “Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” He who is in you is still the authoritative Word in the battle against evil. So “let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 65 – When God visits the earth

New Testament Reading—1 Peter 4:12-19 – The Spirit of Glory and of God

Fishing with a net

Fishermen and Fishers of Men

(Mark 1:16-20, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, July 1, 2018)

[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.

As I prepared to give a message on Jesus choosing fishermen to become His “fishers” of human beings, I was happy to hear from my friend Tom Powell who serves on a lobster boat off the coast of Maine and the pastor of two churches on the Cranberry Islands. When he started to speak about the comparative benefits of working on someone else's boat, I asked him to send me his thoughts so that I could share them with you.

“On Fishing:

There is something about commercial fishing, especially when you aren't the captain (I guess Zebedee would have had that role, concerned with sales, maintenance, etc.) that makes it a freeing vocation. Your work is bounded to the boat. It begins and ends there. That's where the bait is, the traps are, all the adrenaline and rush are concentrated on a few square feet of deck. When you leave, it is done. The gear comes off, gets washed off, bait up, perhaps move some gear, clean it, paint it, but when you go home your time is your own—the most you worry about is the weather... and God alone controls that. Gospel ministry on the other hand asks our whole life—quite a contrast.”

Simon and Andrew, James and John

While there may have been more of a back story to the calling of these four men, Mark (Simon Peter's translator), does not consider it important enough to his point in writing this gospel to share it with us as listeners and readers. These men are presented as regular fishermen who come out of nowhere to be leaders of the most important religious movement in the history of mankind. What does Jesus know about them and their qualifications? Peter does not tell us. For that matter, what do they know about Jesus' abilities to make disciples or to teach them how to “catch men?” Again, no information for us on that topic.

What do we know? The men who were called were two sets of brothers. They were working men in a local industry around the Sea of Galilee. They were not just chosen as autonomous individuals but as a group of men who would learn from one Master, who is in many ways an unknown to them. What is most striking then is His commandment and their amazing response. Lest we miss this, it is repeated twice in these few verses. Jesus takes them from a working life that they knew well—a life with some reasonable boundaries, and He issues an order that they take up an entirely different calling that demands everything they have. And they agree to this. Why? We can only assume that it has everything to do with the Man who calls them, who is the same person who has called all who are a part of the kingdom that possesses the gospel that men like Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John eventually preached.

By the way, don't miss the obvious here, Jesus came fishing for some specific men that day, and he caught them very definitively. That's our Savior who gave His all for us. The only net he used was His own divine/human voice. That no-nonsense proclamation of the Word of God with really no supporting argumentation was all it took to utterly change the lives of four men. That's how powerful the Word of God is. We in the church have been told to speak that same Word of God which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. That is our only net. We trust the Almighty.

Fishers of Men

Ministers are not solo fishermen with a rod and a reel, a hook and some bait. We are part of a family operation, and we fish with a net. We want our words to be understandable, but our confidence is not in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.

In the late 1960s a man named Richard Bach would write a book about an autonomous seagull that would soon be the 1972 best-selling little novella Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Jonathan was different than the rest of the seagulls. Their passion was eating, while his was flying. Of course, his parents didn't understand him, and he was eventually ostracized by the elders of what was called the Flock, the oppressive community that tried to hold him back. None of that mattered much to him. He was a bird on his own mission. As he figured out the aerodynamic secrets that led to greater personal success, the narrator approvingly says, “What he had once hoped for the Flock, he now gained for himself alone.” Like a Pilgrim's Progress for the postmodern world, this little book chartered a course for the the new world of autonomy.

We in the church are not our own. We have been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20). Our Hero calls us to be together as fishers of men. Our goal is not just being ourselves, but the glory of our Maker and Redeemer. When people leave the faith, we feel it, and we long for the reclaiming of the lost. God has found us, and He is finding, keeping, and growing others through us. This kind of fishing with a net is more than a personal preference, it is a divine call upon every community of professing Christians.

In Luke 15, Jesus tells three stories to explain that there is rejoicing in heaven when one lost child of God is found again. If a shepherd would rejoice over finding a lost sheep, a woman would have a party because she recovered a lost coin, and a father would start a great public celebration because a disobedient son came back home, surely we should join angels who are happy about the reclaiming of any pilgrim who has lost his way to the celestial city. The Lord is calling you to care that way today. Jesus is speaking to you. This is what He says: “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” This is not an individual burden; it is a collective mission. When one is too weary to speak, pray, and love, others find their voice and do their part.

Jesus chose some surprising men to be His closest associates. He told them to follow Him, and they did, leaving everything behind. His announced intention was to take fishermen and to turn them into “fishers of men.” God made the heavens and earth with His own all-powerful voice. Who would have thought that He would bring a new world into being through the work of very ordinary human beings? This is what He has done.

Sermon Point: God will use us to build His kingdom.

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 64 – Deep People and God

New Testament Reading—1 Peter 4:1-11 – Times Past and the End of All Things