The public ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ was meteor-like: brief but brilliant. His public preaching began only after his forerunner and cousin, John the Baptist, declared that “He must increase, I must decrease,”—introducing to the world “the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 3:30; 1:29)
John, the “voice of one crying in the wilderness,” was eventually jailed for his radical message that Israel should “make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah,” whereupon Jesus took up John’s message, preaching “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 4:17)
Jesus did not come preaching a social gospel. What He offered was not psychiatric or psychological counseling, not even the “power of positive thinking.” He came preaching the soul-saving gospel, as should those who call themselves preachers today: “The time is at hand; Repent and believe the gospel!” We do not need politicians to save the world! We dare not trust the scientists to deliver us from our present dilemma! What we do desperately need is the preaching of the gospel: the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth! “Repent and believe, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” That was His message; now note with me His method:
My text is Mark 1:14-20. Verse 16 says, “As He walked….” Nothing complicated about that method. Nothing costly or complex about it. Just walking and preaching.
I know the 21st century is not the 1st century. There are continents inhabited now that were not accessible, if populated, when Jesus began to preach and teach. There are electronic and technical and automotive aids that are so effective in spreading the gospel that it would indeed be a sin of omission not to employ them in the most urgent and worthy task of evangelizing, both at home and abroad.
But it might be good to remind ourselves that the first primary method of preaching the good news was simply walking while preaching. I do not remember their last names, but when I was pastoring in Kansas 50 years ago, two men—Norm and Jim—shared with our small church in Newton their burden for reaching England by using the “novel” method of “walking evangelism.” They planned to walk daily through villages, engaging people with the truths of scripture about life and eternal life. I lost track of these 20th-century missionaries, but as long as I was in touch with them, they reported results and success with this method—the original method—of reaching the lost.
This passage in Mark’s gospel records the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus. It is instructive to note in the calling of the 12 apostles (1) What He called them to do; (2) What He said He would do; and (3) What the apostles did:
1. What Jesus called His Disciples to do: In a word, He simply said to them “Come.” They were required, therefore, to move and to act, by faith, according to His Word (not feeling or circumstances). There was, for those who would follow, no guaranteed annual income; no health insurance or retirement program or multi-year contract, and no immediate “fringe benefits” of a material nature. Just “come.”
When Cortez landed in 1519 in Mexico with 700 men, he purposely destroyed his fleet of 11 ships. His men watched their only means of retreat sink to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico; there was only one thing to do: follow their captain. There was only one way to go, forward!
2. What Jesus said He would do:
- “I will make”: He had the power to keep his promise.
- “You….”: the prospects, obedient and yielded.
- “Fishers of men”: the product.
“God has retained none of us to be His lawyers; we have been called to be witnesses.” Christ’s last act was to win a soul; His last command was to make disciples; His last prayer was to forgive those who were crucifying Him.
3. What His Disciples did:
- They forsook all (they were fishermen—secure, prosperous, family men).
A young man, surrendering to go to a mission field, was asked by a friend, “Aren’t you interested in making name for yourself in the world?” To which he replied, “Which world?”
- They followed: without question, hesitation, or reservation.
Someone asked a concert violinist how she became so skilled. She said, “By neglect; I planned to neglect everything not related to my main goal.”
James Calvert went to the Fiji Islands as a missionary. The captain of the ship tried to turn him back: “You will lose your life among those savages,” he said. To which Calvert replied, “We died before we came here.”
There came a time when Jesus appointed 70 others to go on a preaching mission two by two “into every city and place, whither he himself would come.” (Luke 10:1) Their advance mission was hugely successful as they journeyed “as lambs among wolves.” Coming back rejoicing with glowing reports about how even the devils had been subject to them through His name, Jesus warned and reminded them that they need only rejoice in that “your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20)
The Lord of the harvest is still calling, equipping, and using obedient followers of His to spread the good news that Jesus still saves. He will make you a fisher of men. Will you simply follow Him? Let Him draw men and women to Himself through you. And, don’t forget to keep everything in perspective: It is still true that what we have to rejoice in, above all else, is that our names are written in heaven in His Lamb’s Book of Life. Amen!
“Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:2)
YOU and GOD 