He Called And I Answered

Text:

Mark 1:16-18:

16 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

18 And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.

 

Theme:

He Called And I Answered

 

Introduction:

• The Gospel According to Mark is the second of the four Gospels of the New Testament and therefore the second of the books of the New Testament. The Gospel is believed to have been written by Mark, the young interpreter of Peter.  Although Mark was not an eye or ear witness of Jesus and His teaching, Mark absorbed the words of Peter to give him his content for the book.
  • In his not passionately living the events of Jesus’ life, Mark understandably does not portray Jesus in any subjective aura like the other Gospels.
    • Matthew à the Messiah
    • Luke à the Universal Redeemer
    • Mark gets right to the heart of the matter and gives us the full picture of who Jesus was – the wonder-working Son of God!

The text specifically depicts the calling of the disciples Simon and Andrew by Jesus, the Christ.

• While walking by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus CALLED Simon and Andrew.

“And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.”

• It’s all about who is calling who!
  • When was growing up in Shepherd, Mama would stand on the porch and call out, “Chuck!” and wherever I was my friends would even say, “Man, your Mama is calling you! You better go!”
  • When interacting with people of the opposite sex or dating, it is a major occurrence when, after the number has been given and the initial words of interest have been planted, that fine woman or that fine man calls you on the phone…regardless of whether you deserve their company or sometimes even desire their company.
  • When looking for a job, it is a confidence builder and opportunity manifester when a potential employer calls you to either request an interview or even to tell you that you got the job.
• In similar fashion to Simon and Andrew though, GOD CALLED ME!
  • Thank You, Father, for CALLING ME!
  • Thank You, Father, for letting me know that You want ME!
  • Thank You, Father, for giving me purpose and power!

Body:

• The Calling of God
  • 2Peter 1:10, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:”
  • PLACE and POSITION are critical to the Called Preacher à It’s not the CAPABILITY. It’s the AVAILABILITY!
    • PLACE is where you are in your life
      • Where the Call makes its mandate on the life…God calls the Preacher
      • Philippians 4:8 explains the PLACE
        • “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
    • POSITION is where you are in Christ
      • The choice of the Called Preacher which dictates the “effectiveness” of his Calling
      • As Matthew 5:48 explains,
        • “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
• The critical component for this study is the actual RESPONSE of Simon and Andrew!
  • When Mama called me as a child, I responded by coming home.
  • When that fine woman calls me on the phone, I answer with conversation…or somethingJ
  • When that job calls with an opportunity, I respond to learn of the new opportunity.
  • Greatest of all, while I was sitting on a park bench by the Chickamauga Dam on May 2, 1988 at about 2:10pm, I responded to God’s Calling ME!!!
    • The RESPONSE is IMPORTANT because…
      • The response realizes the POWER of the call
        • God said in Isaiah 50:2, “Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.”
      • With no response there is no CHANGE in the life
        • 2Kings 5:9-10, “So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.”
    • The RESPONSE must be COMPLETE because…
      • God wants all of us in the response!
        • As the old hymns says

Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?
Your heart does the Spirit control?
You can only be blest,
And have peace and sweet rest,
As you yield Him your body and soul.

• The RESPONSE must be TIMELY because…
  • The slower we answer, the more of US contaminates the response
  • We must respond WHEN He calls and not when we feel like it!
    • For the disciples à “And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him”
    • They went STRAIGHTWAY!
    • As the old hymns says,

Just as I am without one plea

But that Thy blood was shed for me

And that thou bidd’st me come to thee,

O Lamb of God, I come!  I come!

• So it is in the response that we obtain POWER and CHANGE!!
  • No RESPONSE…no POWER…no CHANGE

Conclusion:

• Now in my life, I thank my God for HIS CALLING and MY ANSWERING
  • If He had not called,
• God is still calling every day!!
  • Call to LIVE!
    • John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
  • Call to LOVE!
    • John 15:12, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”
  • Call to SERVE!
    • Romans 7:6, “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”
    • John 21:16, “He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”
  • Call to LIVE RIGHT!
    • Matthew 5:48, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
  • There are benefits to answering God’s Call!!!
    • Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
    • Then in my life I have learned that there is more fruit à POWER and CHANGE!
      • POWER à Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
      • CHANGE à 2Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

 

I used to be afraid that I would miss the CALL

I used to be afraid that I would miss the RESPONSE

Now I ain’t scared no no more! J

My affirmation is in the old hymn…

When He calls me, I will answer

I’ll be somewhere listening for my name

If I pray right, I WILL answer

If I live right, I WILL answer

If I talk right, I WILL answer

 

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