Responding to the Call

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Responding to the Call</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mark: From Failure to Faithfulness"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lean on the Power of Jesus"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> previous/next sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Ministry Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>“Responding to the Call,” Mark 1:1-20</B></div> <div> <B>Berean Bible Church, June 18, 2000am</B></div> <bR> <div> On Tuesday, April 18, 1995, superstar Joe Montana announced his retirement from pro football after sixteen seasons. To salute him, twenty thousand residents of San Francisco filled the downtown area for a ceremony in Montana’s honor. Television announcer John Madden came to the podium and gave his opinion of Montana’s skills: “This is the greatest quarterback who’s ever played the game.” At one point in the ceremonies when Bill Walsh, Montana’s long-time coach at the 49ers was at the microphone, a fan yelled, “We love you, Joe.”</div> <div> Walsh knew that had not always been the case. “You weren’t saying that in 1979,” he said to the fan. “Then you were saying, ‘where’d you get this guy who looks like a Swedish placekicker?’” You see, in 1979 Joe Montana was merely a third-round draft pick out of Notre Dame. Scouts said he had a weak arm. He was skinny, and he lacked the muscular build of most football players.</div> <div> But when Joe Montana stepped into the pros, he entered his element. He threw passes with perfect timing. He was the master of the two minute drill. He went on to win four Super Bowls, helping to turn the derelict 49ers into the dominant team of the 1980s.</div> <div> Joe Montana was at first <B>unimpressive</B> to many people, but he was destined to be the greatest.</div> <div> There is another superstar figure who was at first unimpressive to just about everyone. He lived for almost thirty years before it was publicly known that he was someone special, who would ultimately save the world. His name was Jesus of Nazareth. </div> <div> We often fail to take Jesus seriously, to give him the respect that he is worthy of.</div> <div> – “A guy that lived 2000 years ago doesn’t have much effect in my life in the 21<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >st</FONT> century.” or . . .</div> <div> – “I thought he would fix all my problems, but my problems didn’t go away.” or . . .</div> <div> – “People have told me I need Jesus, but I seem to be getting along just fine without him.” or . . .</div> <div> – “Even though, I am a Christian, it is too hard to let him have control of my life. There’s just too many activities that I don’t want to give up.”</div> <div> What is your response to Jesus?</div> <div> <B>Series in Mark: “Understanding who Jesus </B><I><B>really</B></I><B> is.”</B></div> <div> Mark, first gospel, based on Peter’s eyewitness accounts, as well as spoken traditions.</div> <div> Written for Gentiles, non-Jews living in Rome during Nero’s persecution, AD60s. Christian’s being asked to give their lives, had better understand the truth about Jesus, to whom they had committed themselves.</div> <div> Mark 1:1-20</div> <div> There are 2 foundational things we need to understand about Jesus: His authority, his message, his call, the appropriate response to him.</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. Vss. 1-13, Jesus’ authority.</B></div> <div>      When we were in Dallas, we saw several news reports about repair crews that would show up on people’s doorsteps after a windstorm, offering to repair damage cheap. Or they would come and offer to resurface your driveway, but you had to decide today in order to get this great deal, because the crew had finished their other job for the day a lot earlier than they expected, and they were available and had the materials needed for the job RIGHT NOW. Some people would actually pay them a couple thousand dollars, and then realize that the work was very poor; the repairs were falling apart, or they didn’t finish what they started, and various other complaints. They would try to reach the company and then find out that the company didn’t really exist after all – it was a scam. Then the news stations would warn residents about this, and they would always say, “check their credentials.” “Make sure you are dealing with a reputable company that can give you references.” “Make sure they have a real office at a real address where you can reach them later.” “<B>Check their credentials</B>.”</div> <div> A. His authority was Recognized by the Prophet, vss. 1-8</div> <div> – Quotes from Exodus 23.20a, Malachi 3.1, and Isaiah 40.3; his prophecy going before the arrival of Israel’s “Anointed One,” Messiah (Christ) Coming King.</div> <div> – “Not worthy to be a slave,” (vs. 7).</div> <div> – “Spirit-baptism,” (vs. 8) spiritual cleansing, empowerment, Spirit with Kingdom (Joel 2).</div> <div> B. His authority was Declared by God himself, vss. 9-11</div> <div> C. His authority was Tested in conflict with Satan, vs. 12-13</div> <div> – Introduces a re-occurring theme.</div> <div> <B>Jesus has authority as the King.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>II. Vss. 14-20, Jesus’ message</B></div> <div> A. Jesus’ initial message, vss. 14-15.</div> <div> – Note Israel’s expectation of the Messiah to fix everything.</div> <div> – Jesus came first to die to pay the penalty of wrongdoing, sin</div> <div> – Call to “repent,” turn around, have a complete life change to God alone can give.</div> <div> B. Jesus’ direct invitation, vss. 16-20.</div> <div> – Call to Simon Peter and Andrew (vss. 16-18).</div> <div> – Meaning of “Disciple,” follower, learner, following teacher around, seeing lifestyle and getting knowledge. </div> <div> – Would be messengers, “Fishers of men,” gathering other followers . . .</div> <div> – Call to James and John (vss. 19-20).</div> <div> – What they each gave up: their nets (Simon Peter, Andrew), their father (James and John)</div> <div> <B>Jesus message was, “The rule of God is near, adjust your life to it.”</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>III. What is your response? (Choose to follow Jesus completely.)</B></div> <div> A. Salvation: <B>Choose to Follow Jesus.</B></div> <div> <B>[Gospel]</B></div> <div> <I>Someone wrote: “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, he would have sent us an entertainer. But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior.”</I> (Swindoll, Oxcart, p. 315).</div> <div> B. Commitment: <B>Choose to Follow Jesus Completely.</B></div> <div> Complacent? Casual? Time to get serious about Jesus . . .</div> <div> 1. Get serious about sharing the good news of Christ with someone you know.</div> <div> 2. Maybe get serious about that call you have been sensing to leave your home and friends behind to share the gospel in another land.</div> <div> 3. Time to put that spiritual gift to use to benefit other in the body of Christ.</div> <div> 4. Definitely time to get serious about giving up that secret area of sin that you have held on to for so long.</div> <div> 5. Time to get serious about using your words to build other people up and encourage them, rather than tearing them down and discouraging them.</div> <div> <B>Choose to follow Jesus completely</B>.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Review</I>: Understand Jesus authority as King, and message that the rule of Christ is near (in Christ) which we need to adjust our lives to. As a result of understanding these things, we must <B>choose to follow Jesus Christ completely.</B></div> <div> <I>Challenge</I>: <I>One preacher tells of when he had preached a morning sermon that had a real appeal in it for people to get serious about this matter of committing ourselves to the ministry of the church. And he said to the congregation that making a vow to God is a serious thing, that we do not play games when it comes to giving God a promise. Now unknown to most people in the congregation, there was one man in the church who had “boat fever.” He’d been down to the ocean and he’d picked out the boat he felt God wanted him to have. His wife didn’t have the same leading, but he felt that he had God’s mind in it. And all through the message that morning he was really wrestling with what he should do with this matter of making a vow and letting go of things that could really hold on to him. And he squirmed a little. Then after the preacher finished the message and had talked about giving our possessions over to God, the man came up to the preacher after the service. He said to him, “You know, I really believe that I know what God is saying now.” And the preacher was all ready for him to say that God had made it clear to him that in this case he shouldn’t get the boat. But do you know what he said? “It’s clear to me now that I should get the boat and maybe start a Sunday School class on it.”</I></div> <div>      Jesus is not merely asking you give up a particular possession. He is first asking you to give him control.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2000, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>