Sermons

Would you follow the King?

Posted by Alex on
Sermon on March 25 by Pastor Roland Eskinazi

Scripture: Mark 1:14-20

‘Follow Me.’ What does following Jesus imply?
If you would follow King Jesus :

1. NOW IS ALWAYS THE RIGHT TIME (v14-15)

  • To seize the moment, while it’s here
    Jesus coming into the world, is the significant moment (‘kairos’) of all history.
  • To connect with Jesus, for Jesus
    All other religions offer advice. In Jesus alone is the good news that frees us from self-centeredness to love the King’s rule.
    ‘The hands of the king are healing hands, and thus shall the rightful king be known’. (J.R. Tolkien: ‘The Lord of the Rings’)

2. SURRENDER IS ALWAYS THE COST! (v16-18)

  • Jesus will reshape your identity
    Simon and Andrew had at least a year to think before they followed … When they and the others followed, it was no longer family or career that shaped their lives, but Jesus.
  • Jesus will reverse your priority
    ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters- yes, even his own life- he cannot be me disciple’ (LK 14:27)
    Are you ready to follow Jesus so fully and so intensely that by comparison all other attachments will look like hate?

3. CALLING WILL ALWAYS FOCUS YOUR LIFE! (v19-20)

  • Follow Jesus – and choice becomes a responsibility, not a right
    The more sophisticated life becomes, the more choices. Choosing Jesus first every time keeps us focused on what matters.
  • Follow Jesus – and His calling will set the course of your life
    ‘Follow the call – and despite the uncertainty and chaos of modern circumstances, you have the story line of your life.’
    (Os Guinness)

Following is tough. How can we follow Jesus? He has not called us to do what He Himself does not do. Jesus left His Father’s throne and Jesus was crushed at the Cross, so you can follow your call into His arms. Follow Him!

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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

  1. If a non-Christian asked you, how would you summarize what the gospel is and what being a follower of Jesus means?
  2. In what way is the kingdom of God already here – and in what way is it yet to come in the future? How does this relate to the call to be fishers of men?
  3. As you consider your life, is your family, your career, or something else determining how you live, where you go, and what you choose? Without dishonouring what is good, what have you given up to respond to Jesus’ call?
  4. Who is Jesus that we should follow Him?

 

 

Photo credit FreeImages.com/Asif Akbar