Danny W.

Davis Expository Sermon Outline Title: I Will Make You to Become

Proposition: The calling of Christ into His dynamic Kingdom comes with a call and a promise. The call is to follow Him. The promise is that Jesus will make us to become. Introduction: Marks place as the first gospel. Some background on the letter (place/time). The purpose of the letter: to reveal Jesus as Son of God, through His personal activity and teaching. I. The Calling of Simon and Andrew a. Simon and Andrew (1:16) b. Follow Me (1:17) c. Immediately (1:18) The Calling of James and John a. James and John Sons of Zebedee (1:19) b. Immediately Jesus Calls (1:20a) c. They leave and follow (1:20b) The Calling of You a. Jesus Is Still Moving and Seeing b. Jesus Is Still Calling c. Jesus Continues to Expect A Faithful Response

II.

III.

Introduction Despite being positioned as the second gospel of the New Testament, Mark actually stands as the first gospel written. Matthew, Luke and Johns gospels include 641 of the 678 verses found in Mark. Most likely Mark wrote this account of Jesus ministry and teaching between 55 and 65 A.D. Mark writes primarily to Romans who have converted Christianity. Mark often explains Jewish customs to the reader implying that his audience was not Jewish but Gentile. Everything Mark includes in his gospel seeks to reveal Jesus as the Son of God (Mk 1:1). Every miracle and every teaching focuses on some aspect of Christs divinity. Because this gospel reveals the uniqueness of Jesus it still impacts the Body of Christ today. Marks Gospel also packs a lot of activity into a small space. One of Marks favorite words is immediately (or in the KJV, straightforward). This adjective appears 40 times to connect events together keeping the reader engaged with the immediacy of Christs mission and calling. In Mark 1:16-20 we will see Jesus call four men to be His disciples. All of these men are fisherman. All of these men have varying socio-economic standing. All of these men choose to obey the call of Christ to follow and accept the promise that Christ will make them become something more than they were. I. The Calling of Simon and Andrew a. Simon and Andrew (1:16)

Danny W. Davis As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee The picture being painted by Mark shows Jesus actively moving by the Sea of Galilee.

The Sea of Galilee, a small freshwater lake, was a favorite place for Jesus. All the Gospels have him preaching at the Sea. Nearly of the parables of Jesus were spoken while at the Sea of Galilee. Two of Jesus most famous miracles took place on the Sea of Galilee walked on water (cf. Mk 6:47-52) & calmed the storm (cf. Lk. 8:22-25). After Jesus resurrects from the dead we find Him on the shore of the Sea of Galilee cooking a meal for some of His disciples (cf. Jn. 21:9, 12). The Sea of Galilee was vital to the economy of the region of Capernaum. Fishing was a source of income for fisherman who would export them to neighboring cities. He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. As Jesus is making His way along the Galilean shore he saw two fishermen: Simon and Andrew. This is not the first time Jesus had met Simon and Andrew. The first time Jesus meets Simon a miracle happens and Simon tells Jesus, Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man! (cf. Luke 5:8b). Lukes story also tells us that Jesus had met James and John prior to this event. John tells us that Andrew was a follower of John the Baptist and heard Johns declaration that Christ was the lamb of God. Andrew went and got Simon his brother so that he could come and see the Messiah (cf. John 1:35-42). b. Follow Me And Jesus said to them, "Follow Me(v. 17a) Now that Mark has introduced us to Simon and Andrew the fishermen; and given us a sense of place and time, he now gets to the point. Jesus is not at the Sea of Galilee to do some shopping. Neither is He there to linger very long He is on the move. Nevertheless, He saw these brothers casting their nets and Jesus issues a call FOLLOW ME. and I will make you become fishers of men." Along with the call (Follow me) comes a promise (I will make you become). There seems to be a very emphatic tone to Jesuss promise. The Greek verbs poie (make you) combined with ginomai (become) suggests the idea that Jesus will take something (i.e. the lives of men who fish for fish) and make a thing out of it (i.e. men who fish for men). This same idea can be found in Ephesians 4:12 in regards to the equipping of the saints. Jesus promises that IF these men follow after Him, He will bring their potential as believers into fullness.

Danny W. Davis Immediately they left their nets and followed Him (1:18).

Here we have Marks favorite adjective Immediately. As I mentioned earlier Mark uses this word 40 times in his gospel. The repeated use of this word heightens the scene. Jesus calls and Jesus promises the disciples follow. There does not seem to be any sense of hesitation on the part of Simon and Andrew. Its almost seems like Jesus fully expected these men to follow. There are two things these men do when responding to the call of Christ: 1) they left their nets; 2) they followed. Simon and Andrew having met Jesus earlier made no specific movement like they do now. We are not privy to what happens between their first meeting with Jesus and the second but there has definitely seems to have been some soul searching on the disciples part. Possibly they have been hearing more and more about what Jesus is doing in the region. II. The Calling of James and John a. James and John (1:19)

Going on a little farther Having called James and John, Jesus keeps on moving along the Sea of Galilee. He comes upon two more brothers who are also fishermen. He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. Jesus finds John and James in the boat. In contrast to Simon and Andrew presumably fishing from the shore casting their nets. This seems like a small, maybe trivial, notion but it gives us real insight into the contrasting context around the story. And it tells us how these four men are connected through their vocations. Mark gives us a clue into the life of Simon and Andrew. Notice he only talks about them casting a net and does not mention a boat. Contrast this with James and John who leave their father, boat, and servants. This tells us that Simon and Andrew were probably not really wealthy. They were throwing out a simple circular net from the shore of Galilee. These nets were weighted on the edges and would trap the fish as the net was pulled back. Luke tells us that Simon was in partnership with James and John (cf. John 5). Simon uses one of their boats the first time they meet Jesus. The partners had been fishing all night and caught nothing but Jesus told them to cast on the other side and they caught more fish than they could handle (cf. Luke 5:1-11). b. Immediately Jesus Calls (1:20a) Immediately He called them

Danny W. Davis

Here again we see Marks favorite adjective. Notice however that the term this time is used in connection with Jesus and not necessarily the disciples. There appears to be an increase in Jesus urgency to call disciples to Himself. c. They Leave and Follow Jesus (1:20b) and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him. Notice the difference in the things left behind between Simon and Andrew and James and John leave: 1) their father and 2) the hired servants. Andrew and Simon: 1) leave nets. This does not mean that one group made more of a sacrifice than the other. It does imply that James and John had a bigger decision to make. Nevertheless, like Simon and Andrew there seems to be no hesitancy in their response to Christs call THEY LEFT! The call to follow is the same for both sets of brothers. Implied in this verse is the same promise. James and John would also become fishers of men. They too would become something more than they may have intended. There are similarities between each calling: 1. 2. 3. 4. Jesus is moving Jesus saw the potential disciples Jesus issues a call The men respond sacrificially and positively then follow Jesus.

III.

THE CALL OF YOU a. Jesus Is Still Moving and Seeing

I want you to know that Jesus Christ still SEES today. He sees what you have to offer to the Kingdom. Jesus saw the four disciples at work. He sees you at work and knows that whatever it is that you are doing has an impact on the Kingdom of God. If you are a believer then your vocation matters in the plan of God. Whether you are a plumber, doctor or student the Lord who called you to salvation has also called you to proclaim His Kingdom in the place you are. If you are not a believer in Christ I want you to know the Lord has a great plan for your life. He has plans to use the gifts and talents he placed in your life. He wants to give you the opportunity to BECOME something you never thought you could be. Where you are today does not have to be where you will be tomorrow. Jesus sees where you will be! In other words, today you might not feel as if you have anything you feel would be of value

Danny W. Davis

to the great kingdom of God. STOP WORRYING ABOUT WHAT YOU DO NOT HAVE NOW AND REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN BECOME EXACTLY WHAT GOD NEEDS YOU TO BE. b. Jesus Is Still Calling Us With the Promise to Become Not only does Jesus see you but he also calls you. He calls you out from your present life of darkness and into the life of light. That does not mean everything will be perfect but it does mean that you can walk through life with the assurance that Christ is in you. Now when I use the word call I have two meanings in mind. 1) The general call made to all of lost humanity to come to Christ for salvation: the call to move from sinner to child of God. 2) The specific call God has for your life. I mean that purpose for which you were created. If you have not given your heart to Christ I would urge you to stop worrying about what it will cost. When I came to the Lord I had no idea the things I would have to lay down BUT NEITHER DID I HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT I WOULD GAIN. In the end, the gains have far outweighed the losses I have traveled the world, met some awesome people, seen God raise the dead to life, heal the sick, and open blinded eyes. He has given me a great wife and two wonderful kids. He has given me a church to love and serve and a pastor who cares for my soul. Sure, I had to lay aside addictions and attitudes (but was able to because of Christ) but laying those things aside only lightened the load so I could keep moving with Jesus. My life has been a fast paced adventure giving me experiences I would have never had without the church c. Jesus Expect An Active Response If you are a believer and you just feel like living for God is drudgery or boring I have some advice for you. Get back on the SERVANT track and start moving with Christ. Remember that He is making you but part of that process is responding to the call to follow. Follow Him in the call to repent of the sin the weighs us down. Follow Him in the call to set aside the attitudes that prevent us from being fully formed into His image and character. Find a place to put your calling into action and abandon yourself to the service of God. Just as the Four responded in faith the call of Christ, you and I are called to active obedience to Christ. The life of a Christ FOLLOWER is dynamic. Following after the Holy Spirit leads us to into places where we are challenged to trust God and move forward. The kingdom of God does not stand still and if you are in it tonight the Jesus expects us to actively respond to His voice and His prompting.

Danny W. Davis