Now that we have read through the Gospel of Mark with our eyes on Jesus, we’re going to take one more pass through this Gospel in light of the initial words of Jesus to his disciples, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). There are three verbs in this sentence: follow, make, become. For the next three weeks, we will explore the Gospel of Mark one more time to see how this promise to Peter and Andrew are fulfilled in their lives, and how, ultimately they are fulfilled in our lives as well.
April 7th
“Follow, Don’t Flee”
We’ll look at the beginning and the end of Peter according to Mark’s Gospel. In Mark 1:17-18, Jesus called Peter to follow him, and immediately he did. At the end of Mark’s Gospel, Peter followed Jesus even into the courtyard of the high priest (14:66-72). But there, in his denial, he just like the rest of the disciples flees from Jesus.
In this sermon, we’ll focus on the first verb in Mark 1:17, “follow.” We’ll consider that command of Jesus to “follow him.”
What does that mean? It means more than to follow him at a distance. More than simply to know of him. It means to actually know him. To have a relationship with him. And to go to the places that Jesus goes. Where does Jesus go? To the lost, the lonely, and the least with the good news of the kingdom of God.
April 14th
“I Will Make You”
We’ll look at the second verb in Mark 1:17, “make.”
In this sermon, we’ll focus on how Jesus “makes stuff happen.” When his word is proclaimed with power and authority demons flee, blind see, deaf hear, dead are raised, the poor have good news preached to them.
Jesus makes us who we are. Do we like this reality?
Not a lot of people like someone saying, “I’m going to make you do this.” But this is part of following Jesus. He makes us become a certain way. And he makes us do certain things. And it’s all for his purpose and for his glory alone!
April 21st
“Become by Being With”
We’ll look at the third verb in Mark 1:17, “become.”
In this sermon, we’ll focus on how following Jesus changes our lives and we actually become someone totally different than we were before. How do we become this new creation? By “being with” Jesus.
We’ll look at Mark 3:14 where it says that Jesus appointed the twelve, “so that they might be with him.” Jesus called his disciples so that he could spend time with them. Through living in close proximity to Jesus, and by the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives we are transformed into a new creation.