Introduction

There is so much confusion in our world about what it means to be a Christian. There’s confusion in the culture, which is due at least in part to confusion in the church. So as we look at the Gospels, it gives us the opportunity to get back to the source and realign our vision of what it means to be a Christian with Jesus’ vision. And here’s what you find: Jesus never calls you to become a Christian - he calls you to come his disciple.

Mark 1:14-20

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

Question 1

Ryan mentioned on Sunday that these four men were living out their family trade as fishermen, which to us may not sound significant. But in the first century, those who lived out their family trade did so because they were deemed “not good enough” to study under a rabbi. They were the rejects, the ones who didn’t know enough about the Bible to continue with further study. And that’s who Jesus calls first. How does this reality grow your love for Jesus and inform the way you think about what it means to be his disciple?

Question 2

We learn several things from this text about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus: a disciple leaves their old life behind, a disciple believes that Jesus is who he says he is and can do what he says he can do, and a disciple trains with Jesus to become like Jesus. Which one of these three is God convicting you of right now? In other words, is he calling you to leave something behind? Is he calling you to believe differently? Or is he calling you to train to be like him more intentionally? What action step do you need to take this week to obey?

Question 3

The last thing this passage teaches us is that a disciple tells. Jesus calls his disciples to be fishers of men. And we’ve got an incredible opportunity this week leading up to Easter to take him up on that invitation. Take some time to pray together for your “one more,” and if you haven’t already, take a few minutes to invite them to come to church with you this Sunday!