Mark 1:16-20

Mark 1:16-20 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. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

Luke 14:23-27 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’” Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “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 my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

In the Mark passage, we could substitute the word GRACE for JESUS, and we would quickly see what the New Testament is all about. As GRACE walked beside the Sea of Galilee, GRACE saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. Unmerited favor found them, called them. Grace permeates the Old and New Testament: God coming to men and calling them, finding them in a crowd, in a temple, in a servant's house, in a palace, by the sea, in the back pasture. We sometimes feel we have to find God, we have to put in the effort to discover him. But the Bible is full of him finding us. God's message of salvation was delivered by his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus walked among men, He went to them. He traveled from city to city to give them the message that God loves them, that righteousness is obtainable, and that ALL MEN SHOULD BE SAVED. Jesus, the Grace of God, carried the cross from the time He was born to the time He died. Jesus, heaven's bright and Morning Star, descended to a sick and dying world to bring God's favor to men. Grace cost Christ. He suffered the ignoble cross and carried the sins of the world on his shoulder, experiencing the wrath of God on sin.

No longer do we pay the eternal price for our waywardness. Jesus has come, He has paid the price, and WE RECEIVE THAT FREE GIFT BY FAITH IN HIS WORK. Yes, Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee. Yes, Jesus saw Simon, Andrew, John, and James. Yes, Jesus said, receive my grace and follow me. But now we see the next act of this grace: following Jesus. QUICKLY, AND EVIDENTLY WITHOUT HESITATION, THE disciples LEFT THEIR LIFESTYLES AND FOLLOWED JESUS. They readily realized that they wanted to be with him; they wanted to see what He was going to see, do what He would do. They wanted their lives to be in his presence. Seemingly, nothing else they were presently doing was worth keeping. They just wanted to follow him. When Jesus comes down the road and calls us, our next decision should be to follow him until the end. Many people decide to follow Jesus for a short time, but some have difficulty signing on for the long haul. I think many new believers become hesitant after they get over the first hill and they can't see home anymore. Where is this Jesus leading me? Where will my next meal come from? Will I have friends? Why did I set out with so little preparation? Maybe I should turn back. At least I know my daily routine, and I have shelter and food back there. And I do miss the comforts of the old lifestyle.

But Jesus says, “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 my disciple." A "newborn" life requires newborn thinking, a newborn environment, and a newborn lifestyle and commitment. The old should fade away, the new should be your awareness. There is a cross that each of us carries, symbolizing the death of our old life and the necessity of carrying grace to a sick and dying world. We are now the ones to draw near to people, to bring them God's grace. We must always remember our new life is an eternal one--the quintessential marathon. There are days, weeks, and years when we think we cannot keep running. We think we are too beaten down, too tired, too exhausted. Giving grace to people is too hard; revealing God's grace is just too much work. But Jesus says, "Keep on running. You're my disciple. Don't give up. I have given you the ability to run. Grace has come to you. Let grace be seen in your life." Yes, Jesus has come to you today. He knows your condition. He knows where you are, and He knows you can run. His strength is made perfect in your weakness. So don't turn back. Don't look back to the captivity of Egypt--it is not the Promised Land. There is nothing behind you but the madness of the world: eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die. Life is more than that. Life is where God is, where peace, joy, mercy, and grace overflow in abundance.