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12/11/06 Year B. 4 Before Advent/Remembrance Mark 1:14-20

Mark 1:14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" 16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 18 At once they left their nets and followed him. 19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

God lives outside time, but he invades time;; Jesus said "The time has come,"

Today we remember God's deliverance of this and other nations through two world wars.

We are thankful to those who were injured and who died during these conflicts.

We are also aware of the conflicts that are going on around the world at the moment, including those in Iraq and Afghanistan. War is bad news.

Our gospel involves Jesus proclaiming the good news. That the kingdom, or rule, of God was near. Jesus statement was made before he commenced his earthly ministry. The rule of God was seen in the person and work of Jesus. Jesus always loved God with His whole being and loved other people as himself, as we saw last week.

Jesus showed the rule of God by teaching, forgiving, healing the sick, raising the dead, driving out evil spirits, feeding 5,000 with a packed lunch, turning water into wine, walking on water, stilling a storm, fishing until the nets started to burst, washing people's feet, and undergoing unfair suffering and death yet forgiving those who did this.

Jesus called for a response. He said, "Repent and believe the good news!"

Repent means to change one's mind, literally. To forsake a way of thinking that rejects God and his rule for one that is devoted to him. Loving him wholeheartedly and our neighbours as ourselves.

Believe is a trusting word. One that puts words into action. Where people trust in Jesus by understanding his teaching and putting it into practice. Turning the other cheek. Forgiving and praying for foes and persecutors. Doing good to enemies.

Jesus called for a response from Simon and Andrew, James and John. He invited them to leave everything and follow him. As fishermen they would have had quite good jobs. Verse 20 says that there were hired men with James and John. They left their homes, their jobs and their families. The family was very important to the Jews then, and to do this would not have been easy. Jesus was calling them to be part of a new community.

Jesus also predicted a transformation from fishermen to fishers of men. The disciples would become people who would save people from darkness and death to light and life. Jesus would use the gifts and abilities of these fishermen and add to them so that they could catch people for God. At Pentecost Peter caught 2,000 people who responded to his first recorded sermon!

Jesus called his disciples into a community to minister for him. To live out the good news and to proclaim this to others.

This pattern is to be repeated today. God calls us to be part of his community of faith. In this church. In Knebworth Family of Churches, and beyond. He calls and equips all of us to minister for him. We are all called to be involved.

We live in a changing world. In 1901 Knebworth had a population of 522. In 2001 it was 4,433. At one time the population of Knebworth was almost entirely employed in agriculture. Today only a very small of people are involved in this. Communities are changing. At one time your family would be within a few miles of where you lived. Nowadays they are spread all over the world!

Once people felt part of their local community. This was reflected in the way that people were involved in two world wars. Today, this is less so. The changing nature of community and the absence of it for so many people has a challenge and an opportunity for the church locally and worldwide.

The challenge is not to let ourselves be fragmented and divided but to be united in our love and service of Jesus. One of the things that came out of the "Have Your say" consultation is that we everyone to be involved in the life of our church. It was also said we need our churches and congregations to mix more. Having listened to and read some of the comments I feel we also need to be more loving and accepting of one another.

The opportunity that we have is to offer a loving community to those who need this. People who are cut off from their families by physical distance or emotional distance. Although there is, thankfully, no war in this country, we do live in a very isolated, competitive, even hostile world

Today we remember with gratitude the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We remember that he calls us into his community. He does this so we can live and proclaim the good news for the benefit of others and to the glory of God.

Mark 1:14-20

John the Baptist's ministry had ended. He had prepared the way for Jesus and was now in prison v.14. As we saw last week, Jesus public ministry began after his baptism. Confirming who he is and what his mission was to be. Jesus said ""The kingdom of God is near v.15. It was near in two ways.

Geographically, because the kingdom or rule of God is seen in the life and work of Jesus.

Historically because it happened in time, and is the only event prior to the end of the world. When the kingdom of God comes next time Jesus will return as judge of the living and the dead.

In the light of this Jesus calls people to respond : "Repent and believe the good news!"

Repent, change of mind, U-turn.

Believe involves trusting. Not just intellectual, but whole being. Following Jesus and his teaching.

It is urgent and demands a decision. No sitting on the fence, that is a decision ! Radical.

In verses 16-20 we then have examples of people who did this.

17a. "come follow me". Definition of a disciple. Involved them abandoning their old way of life. Read v18, cf v.20.

Needed a new way of life to replace the old. This would involve them being witnesses of Jesus' life, death and resurrection in order that they would become "fishers of men".v.17.

Because Jesus has come, fishing for people became a necessity. It involves confronting people with the good news. Forcing them to make a choice. This is not easy, and is not a popular way. But the way of Jesus has never been popular.

We have heard the story of four fishermen who decided to follow Jesus. We know of Saul of Tarsus who changed from persecuting Christians to wanting everyone to become a Christian.

I think it is always encouraging to hear someone's faith story. We did this at a Church Fellowship meeting late last year. Mel's dad Roy shared his testimony in a morning service last year. As we are looking at discipleship I thought it would be good if a few folk could share how they became Christians.

Share own story ?

God summons people by his undeserved favour as ambassadors for his kingdom to gather people into his kingdom. This does not mean that we are all called to be evangelists, but we are all called to be witnesses of what God has done for us. Last Thursday someone in a group I was leading expressed an uncertainty in dealing with Jehovah's Witnesses. I told her not to get involved in theological discussion but to share what God had done for her. I also suggested that she invite them in for a cup of tea as this would unsettle them! They do not expect to be welcomed.

These first disciples of Jesus turned the world upside down. They did so by perseverance and determination through God's grace. Their early excitement of following Jesus would soon have changed when they realised that he was not going to be the earthly conquer they expected. That his way involved suffering, apparent defeat, as well as resurrection joy.

Illustrate from marriage.. Goes on beyond first love, emotionalism, become more conscious, driven by will as well as compassion and emotion. "I will" in wedding service.

Read 1 Cor. 13 - not generated by romantic love but selflessness inspired and enabled by the Holy Spirit. Contrast to "spiritual highs" that the Corinthians were seeking. Problem of where do you go next ? We are created with emotions, yet we are not to be slaves of them.

The word disciple and discipline are linked. Sometimes our following of Christ will have to involve a deliberate conscious effort to of his ways, rather than what we want to do. Or what is convenient for us.

I have just been reading a book called "Restoring your spiritual passion" by Gordon MacDonald. He looks at a number of conditions that apply to many Christians. They all begin with "d".

Drained - how someone feels physically and emotionally after exerting themselves.

Dried out - a spiritual exhaustion where there has been a giving but no receiving.

Distorted - how someone's Christian world view is distorted by what is accepted or expected by those around them.

Devastated - a fatigue originating from those who are opposed to what one stands for.

Disillusioned - where hopes and dreams are shattered.

Defeated - where there is a sense of personal failure.

Disheartened - where intimidation is felt, and where people are perceived to be more powerful than God.

The story is told of the discovery of an old sturdy box that was found. It had "dynamite" written on it. When it was carefully opened it did not house the potentially explosive contents that it was designed for. Inside were a collection of everyday items.

Perhaps we feel like this. Everyday things dampen or even eclipse our passion for God.

MacDonald puts forward three ways of rediscovering our spiritual passion that are worth repeating.

1) Have "safe places" where you can go to escape from the noise of the world.

Read Psalm 63. David had just been defeated in battle and faced a personal crisis. Yet he looks to God verse 1. He remembers times with God in the sanctuary v.2 and at night on his bed v.6. Being aware of God's protection and care - read v7b.

When I worked in Peterborough I was two minutes walk from the cathedral and would regularly go there to do this. When I worked in an office I would arrive early and this would become my "safe place" at least for a while.

2) Have still times to escape the busyness of the world. We live in a busy, pressurised and pressurising world. This is basically an honouring of the Sabbath day principle. A day to escape work and time pressures, to rest, and to be with God. Sometimes there may be mini-Sabbath grabbed when the opportunity presents itself during the day.

3) Have special friends. Christians with whom you can be honest about yourself with, and who can be honest with you. Friends who are not fearful of you or competitive with you. This would include people who affirm, who pray, who tell the truth, who share a burden, and who care about us. We regularly meet up with friends from theological college and we can share with them in a very deep way. Family can also help in these areas in some circumstances.

The goal of these principles is to re-charge our spiritual batteries, to listen what God wants to say to us and to build us up. Not necessarily so that we may feel good, although that may happen, but to build us up so we can become the people God wants us to be. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. To empower us to live for Jesus. To demonstrate in word and deed the power of Christ to rescue lost people and turn them round to a better way of living.

PRAY