The Call of the Kingdom

Last week we considered Mark 1:14-15 and the nearness of the kingdom of God at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. I said last week that the kingdom of God was seen in Jesus’ discipleship and deliverance. Today, we begin to consider various examples that Mark gives us of what that discipleship and deliverance looks like. We start with an example the call to his first disciples. There are two fundamental truths about the kingdom of God that I want you to recognize today. First, you do not enter the kingdom of God by your own accord. This means, for one, that you do not earn your way into the kingdom of God. You cannot bring your good works as some sort of payment worthy of buying citizenship into God’s kingdom. Remember, if you are outside of Christ, you are the subject of a different king – namely Satan. So, imagine that a member of the Taliban army was to come to the US border and request citizenship. No, he does not want to change his ways. No, he still believes what he’s always believed. Yes, he still thinks that the US is the great infidel. And yet, he likes our capitalistic economy and the freedoms we enjoy, so he wants in. Under normal circumstances, one would hope that Border Patrol would reject him outright. But, the Taliban man persists, “I have never killed an American! And, I have money and talents!” Still, we’d hope that border patrol would resist his entry. Why? Because he is an enemy! And, regardless of his works, regardless of his perceived worth, his heart is set against the very place he wants to go. So it is with those who would enter the kingdom of God by their good works.

It also means that we cannot reason our way into the kingdom of God. In America, we pride ourselves on being a society of reason. We think, if we can just order our propositions rightly, then society will prosper, and people will find happiness. So, when we come to the kingdom of God, we might make the mistake of thinking that we can enter it by just understanding the right things. But, the kingdom of God isn’t entered by reason. Yes, reason can help in bringing you to the gate of the kingdom, but it cannot bring you through. Let me give you two examples of what I mean. On the one hand, consider the now famous professor of psychology, Dr. Jordan B. Peterson. Peterson is a classical liberal who once taught at the University of Toronto. His lectures were so popular that he began to put them on YouTube, where they also gained considerable traction. Then, in the 2010s, he skyrocketed in popularity because Canada was considering a law that would criminalize the “misgendering” of another person. In that controversy, Peterson’s book, Twelve Rules for Life, launched into the stratosphere, selling over one million copies. He has become a sort of conservative hero, in part because of his resistance to gender ideology, but also because of his famous lectures on the Bible. In those lectures, Dr. Peterson dissects the Bible through a psychological lens. In other words, he doesn’t believe that the stories are actually true, but that they hold a meaning that is beneficial to humanity. Now, God has used Peterson to bring people to faith in Christ, but interestingly, Peterson himself resists being called a Christian. As far as I know, he has never professed faith in Christ. He reasons all the way up to it, but he cannot make the leap.

On the other hand, consider the actor, Russel Brand. Brand represented all of the worst qualities of Hollywood. He was hedonistic. He practiced Hinduism. He lived for pleasure and fame. But, about a year ago (through the influence of Jordan Peterson, among others), Brand began to consider Christianity. At first, he thought it was just another valid way to Spirituality, but then he began to read the Bible. There was a radical change in his life. He professed on his Instagram page that he believed that Christ truly rose from the dead and that he wanted to seek baptism. He has given up his mystical practices of Taro and meditation and in their place devoted himself to prayer, Scripture, and Worship. What changed about him wasn’t that he reasoned his way to Christ, though I’m sure that had a part to play. It was apparent, in watching his journey, that Brand was convicted of the truth of what he read of Christ. It was apparent that he believed it had to mean something. So, Brand has said of our society’s rationalism: “[It] precludes a belief in the supernatural and [favors] the political over the religious, [excluding] so many things that are actually, I believe, impossible to live without.”

The second fact of the kingdom that I want you to see today is this – once you enter the kingdom, it changes the entirety of your life. So, with those two facts in mind, let’s read Mark 1:16-20. From this passage, see three points: the call of the disciple, the change in the disciple, and the completeness of the change.

First, consider the call of the disciple. We find in verse 16 that Jesus is working his way through the region of Galilee, and he passes down along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Mark’s way of communicating what happened on the shore of Galilee is intended to teach us what it looks like to be a disciple of Christ, especially in the call to discipleship and our response to it. So, in Mark’s version, the call is abrupt, and the response is immediate. Recognize that it is only by the work of God that anyone enters the kingdom of God. You do not decide to be a disciple. The master must call you. Peter, Andrew, James, and John were not looking for the Messiah. They had not “done their research”. They were busy about their daily tasks, worried with the success of their business and feeding their families. And out of the blue, Jesus walks by and calls. The kingdom of God is for those whom Jesus calls. In John 3, Nicodemus comes to Jesus to understand how he might enter the kingdom of God, and Jesus tells him in verse 3, “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” You see, the difference between Jordan Peterson and Russel Brand isn’t their intelligence, their rationality, their depth, or their upbringing. The difference is that Brand was born again, and until now, Peterson is not. If you are to come to Christ, God must call you by his Spirit. As Jesus says in John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” Friend, if you are to be a part of the kingdom of God, it will be because of the call of God, not because of your works or wisdom.

Second, see the change of the disciple. In verse 18, when Jesus extends the call to Peter and Andrew, we are told, “immediately they left their nets and followed him.” Again, remember that Mark wants to emphasize the immediacy of this call and their response. When I read this, I imagine Peter and Andrew, worn out from a long day of fishing, frustrated that they hadn’t caught a thing. Sweaty, tired, probably aggravated that their nets were catching on debris – they hear a voice behind them call. They look up to see Jesus, who they recognize because they are both disciples of John the Baptist and had witnessed Jesus’ baptism and heard John’s witness of him. Yet, they are fishermen – uneducated peasants who could not benefit the Messiah in any meaningful way. So, when they saw his baptism, I’m sure they rejoiced with no expectation of being the first in his kingdom. And now, he is standing there on the shore, and he says, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” So, in the middle of their work, without concern for their business or family, they leave their nets in the water, grab their cloaks, and follow. See in this the fact that the call of the kingdom demands an immediate response. As Jesus preached in verse 15 – “the kingdom is at hand, therefore repent and believe!”  Friend, do you understand that the king of kings, the creator of the universe, the one who is God with us, the one who died for your sins and rose again, is right now, through this Gospel, calling you to repentance and faith in him. And, the only right response to that is an immediate change – to turn from your sins and believe in Jesus!

Lastly, see the completeness of the change. In verses 19 and 20 we are told that Jesus goes on to meet James and John, who were also fishermen. It’s a common misconception that fishermen were poor. Certainly, they were peasants, like most other people in those days. But, fish was a staple of the ancient diet, and so their product was in high demand. Plus, fishing was a risky, skilled profession that few could do. So, these men had big businesses to run, and a lot to give up. And yet, when Jesus called, they didn’t just commit to following him on Instagram. They didn’t decide there to buy his book. Everything about their lives changed. James and John left their father, Zebedee, standing in the boat with his servants and followed Jesus! When you are called into the kingdom of God, not only is the change immediate, but it is complete. When you come to faith in Christ, everything about you changes. You are made into a new creation, according to 2 Cor. 5:17. Your desires change from those that are set on the flesh to those that are set on the Spirit, according to Romans 8:2.  Relationships with other people change, as you pursue their own good above yours. Marriages change as husband and wife pursue Christ above their own wishes and desires. Even our work changes, as we do everything for the glory of God and not just our own gain.

So, perhaps you are here today, and you sense the call of God in your heart. You recognize that reason is not enough. Knowing some facts about Jesus isn’t enough. You need a change. Through this Gospel, God is calling you. Won’t you repent and believe today?

Brothers and sisters, as those who are part of the kingdom of God, we are called to a radical and complete change of heart and mind. We are called to live as sacrifices to the Lord. We are called to kingdom work. We are called to glorify Christ in all that we do. So, may we go from this place and live in that complete change.