14th Sept 2008 1

Mark 1v14-20, 35-39, 2v18-22 - Discipleship and Prayer

Dominant Theme: In these three short readings we see how Jesus calls
people to a life of discipleship and prayer
As we look at them today I want to encourage you to
Purpose: understand what Jesus wanting us to do … to accept the call of
Jesus … to gain a greater hold on the way Jesus will help us and empower
us to live the life of a disciple.
One of the things we looked at last week was Jesus words in v14 -15 Jesus
went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God – ‘The right
time has come’ He said ‘and the kingdom of God is near. Turn
away from your sins and believe the good news!’
Our life of discipleship and prayer begins as we open our heart to God in
response to this message of Jesus. When we believe the gospel message
… turn away from sin … and put our faith in Jesus Christ we become
Christians – disciples of Jesus.
Immediately after these words Mark describes how the first disciples of
Jesus responded to His call. And begins to show us what the life of
discipleship will involve.
Structure:
The First Disciples responded to the Call of Jesus
Jesus said to them ‘Come with me, and I will teach you to catch
men’
At once they left their nets and went with Him v17-18 GNB
‘Come, follow me’ Jesus said ‘and I will make you fishers of men’.
At once they left their nets and followed Him v17-18 NIV
• To be a disciple means that we follow Jesus … we go God’s way (we go
with Him as the GNB says) … we spend time with Him – living our lives
in relationship with Him … we accept His teaching and we seek to apply
it to our lives – we start doing the things He teaches us to do – … we
seek to be like Jesus.
• This is true not just of the first disciples – but every disciple – look at
what the first disciples were told to do at the end of Jesus life in Matt 28
The great commission – (back a page) Read It. Notice particularly the
phrase – teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.
Everything Jesus taught the first disciples to do - everyone who later
became disciples were also to – the teaching of Jesus was to be
faithfully passed on to and obeyed by every new disciple (Christian).
• The pattern of discipleship given to the first disciples was to be
faithfully passed on down the years to future generations of disciples.
We are to do the same …
What Jesus told the first disciples is also what He wants of us.
• This must include the very first thing Jesus said – come with me …
follow me. The call to be with Him … to walk with God … to follow His
example.
• This call to be with Jesus – to walk with Him – to follow his example
points us first to a life of prayer. We need to live out lives in relationship
with Him. His own walk and relationship with the Father is the model for
our walk and relationship with God.
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• This is why I read the second of our readings in Mark 1 – Jesus made
time to be alone in prayer – it was one of the hallmarks of his life. Luke
makes spells it out for us in his gospel 5v15-16 – Read It. But the news
about Jesus spread all the more widely, and crowds of people came to
hear Him and be healed from their diseases. BUT He would go away to
lonely places where He prayed.
• So the example Mark gives is not an isolated incident – it part of Jesus
lifestyle. He gave priority to being alone in prayer – He gave priority to
His relationship with the Father. Even in the busy-ness of His life as His
vital and wonderful ministry was growing He wanted time alone with
the Father.
• Come with me is the call to His disciples – we need to follow Him – to
take time aside in our busy lives – to be alone with God. Come with
Jesus the Son - walk in prayerful relationship with Him and we will be
with Him in relationship with the Father also.
This life with God is in fact at the centre of the redeeming work of
Christ on the cross. He died so that we might be forgiven and so
begin to have a relationship with God.
• The life of prayer is first and foremost about being in relationship with
God. To talk to each other and share life together is at the heart of any
relationship.
The first principle of discipleship then is prayerful walk with God –
Jesus invitation is to ‘Come with me’.
It is as we walk in loving and prayerful RELATIONSHIP WITH Jesus we
experience the great blessing which John the Baptist speaks of in v8 I
baptise you with water but He will baptise you with the Holy
Spirit.
• When John baptised people in the river Jordan they were immersed in
the water. In making this comparison he is saying Jesus will immerse
your life in the Holy Spirit.
• Our relationship then is with the whole being of God – Jesus says come
with me, as we respond we are immersed in the Holy Spirit and we
enter into the prayer life of the Son able to speak in prayer with our
Heavenly Father.
• Through Jesus the disciple is in relationship with the whole Trinitarian
Godhead – adopted by the Father, embraced by Son and immersed in
the Holy Spirit. This is the call of Jesus – come with me.
Jesus then makes a promise to those who respond to
this call
He says Come with me and I will teach you to catch men v17
Again we need to understand that this promise is for everyone
• Just as the call to be a disciple is for everyone of us – so also the call to
catch men. Everyone of us is called to make more disciples. It is NOT
just the pastors and evangelists … every follower of Jesus will catch
men.
• Remember the great commission – the first disciples are to make
disciples and baptise them and to teach them to obey everything I
have commanded you. So if Jesus is teaches Simon Peter and Andrew
and James and John to catch men then they must pass that same
teaching on to any new disciples – to the men they catch and so on
down through history to today.
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• As disciples of Jesus we should do as He did – we are called – to catch

some more people … to make some more disciples … and teach those
disciples to catch yet more men.
• It is because people have done that in past centuries that the church
has spread all over the world – millions of people are disciples of Jesus
today.

Many of us find the idea of making disciples rather a daunting task.

Perhaps these first disciples also found it daunting. BUT - What an
intriguing thing He had said? They know about catching fish but - how do
you catch men? What does it mean to catch men? His words caught their
imagination and He touched their hearts – they were willing to drop
everything and go with Him
These disciples – have been caught by Jesus – now they are to do what
Jesus has just done – to catch men – they are to continue the mission and
ministry of Jesus. They must be wondering how? How do you catch men? It
was the beginning of a new life with Christ.
• Well a more literal translation of Jesus words is given in the NIV
translation of the Bible there we read that Jesus said – I will make you
fishers of men. I will make you. The wonderful truth is that those
who Jesus calls He also prepares and equips.
• Our responsibility is to accept the call and follow Christ. Part of that is
believing and trusting that God will give us all we need to fulfil that call.
When we respond to the call of God – we can expect Him to give us the
power we need and the gifts we need and the training we need.
In fact the first part of the training for these early disciples has already
begun
• Jesus communicates with them where they are – these men are
fishermen, they understand what is involved in catching fish. Jesus
does NOT use spiritual language – go and share the gospel – He says
catch men. Notice also He speaks while they are at work – they are not
in the synagogue – He seeks them out – in the workplace mending their
nets
• It is a picture of how mission is to take place – we are to be among
those we are to reach … to speak in a language they understand. This
is how to catch men – their training began with their own call.
• We can ask ourselves the question - How was I led to faith in Christ?
Are there things about making disciples that I can learn from my own
decision to follow Christ?
This was only beginning for the early disciples – they would have three
years of walking with Jesus – listening to the most wonderful teaching –
seeing everything He did – their lives challenged by the experiences he led
them to. How little they knew as they started their journey with Him – BUT
each day they learned to trust Him more.
• The same can be true of us – we do not know what our journey with
God will be like. But we can choose (like the early disciples) to walk
with Jesus and trust Him with each day.
Perhaps we can now turn to Mark 16v19-20.
After the Lord Jesus had talked with them, He was taken up to
heaven and sat at the right side (literally right hand) of God. Then
the disciples went and preached everywhere, and the Lord
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worked with them and proved that their preaching was true by
the miracles that were performed 16v19-20
• It is quite clear that by the time Jesus has completed His mission these
disciples have been fully prepared, trained and equipped to continue
the ministry and mission of Jesus.
• They are now doing the same things Jesus did … they are experiencing
the power of God in their lives as they faithfully serve Him.
• Most significantly of all – although Jesus has now ascended into heaven
– they experience His continuing presence – the Lord worked with
them.
• The Holy Spirit was present and active in their lives.
If we will respond to the call of God and faithfully seek to serve Him in the
place where He sends us – in the family and community and workplace He
gives to us then can expect God to prepare, train and equip us too
The Disciples Response
When someone hears the call to discipleship a response is required
• The disciples had heard Jesus message at the start of our reading – The
time has come and the Kingdom of God is near! Turn away from your
sins and believe the gospel. Their response to Jesus meant that they
accepted His message. They did turn from sin and begin to live a new
life … they did believe in Jesus … they did accept Him as their king and
so become members of the kingdom of God … they did follow Him …
they did become fishers of men
• These men - Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John could have rejected
the call of Jesus and continued to live as they had done before. As Jesus
walked on the opportunity to walk and live in relationship with Him
would have been lost – perhaps forever.
• But these fishermen respond as everyone should – at once they left
their nets and went with Him … they left their father Zebedee
in the boat with the hired men.
• They recognised that all other concerns of life are to take second place
to being in relationship with God and responding to His call.
Conclusion
• We have also heard the call of Jesus - ‘Come with me, and I will
teach you to catch men’ … ‘Come, follow me’ Jesus said ‘and I
will make you fishers of men’.
To walk with Jesus is the greatest honour anyone can ever
experience.
• Let me say - If you are looking for meaning and purpose in life – there is
no greater meaning or purpose than to become a disciple of Jesus
Christ. Living God’s way … in every part of your life – in the home, in
the workplace, in the community, in the church - is the best and most
fulfilling life anyone can know. It is what we were created for.
How will we respond?
• Will we walk with Jesus in a life of prayer
• Will we embrace the call to be a fisher of men – applying Jesus
teaching to our lives and trusting Him to equip and empower
us to spread the good news and catch men for God
•