The voice of God

Notes from a sermon on Sunday 18 September 2011

Mark 1 verses 16 – 20

These are the first words of Christ’s earthly ministry. Mark cuts out any information about the birth of Christ and his earthly ministry. The call of God is going forth to these fishermen. Something of the voice of Jesus breaks the stillness of the morning here as they begin their days work. The tranquillity of the lake is broken up by something special - the voice of Christ. As we gather around the word of God, God is going to be heard. The voice of the Lord will be heard. God will speak to you tonight. Maybe you are not saved tonight, have never come to Calvary, taken eternal life as a gift from Christ, never taken him as substitute or Saviour. Are you still sitting in your sin, on your way out to a lost and Christless eternity? Maybe tonight as we gather here you have been saved for a number of years. God will speak significantly with you, share with you something as we look at these verses tonight. These words are not the initial call to the fishermen. This is the call to service.

It captured their minds. The voice of God first and foremost does that. This is the first point of contact. Your mind is opening up. How important the mind is tonight. The God of this world is preparing to blind your mind. He does that work himself. Have you heard the gospel invitation to your heart? Yet tonight you are still not saved. Never come to the foot of the cross, never known anything of saving grace in your life. On this particular occasion the voice of God penetrated through the normal exercises of the day. The men were caught up in the activity of fishing, waiting to see if fish would come into the net. Then all of a sudden the voice of Jesus broke into their lives. Maybe in the stillness of the meeting God is speaking to you preparing your heart already today. The call of God is something very special, do not take it for granted. Solomon was spoken to while in bed. Solomon’s mind was captured. Is there the slightest glimmer of God’s precious blood shed stirring to capture your heart and mind tonight? The Holy Spirit is already breaking through that guard you have been putting up tonight. The voice of God can leave you in your sin tonight if you keep rejecting him. God captured that young man’s mind and he rejected it. Remember Saul of Tarsus making his way from Damascus when God broke into his life. God spoke to him and he said “who art thou Lord?” He had an awful hatred against the Christians. He had one thought in his mind – to put every Christian into prison. God spoke to him. He recognised his voice. Remember Moses. He was minding the sheep when a burning bush stopped him. There and then God spoke to him. What is God doing to capture your mind? Jesus teaches us in the parable of the sower 2 things – need to be careful what we hear. It is a dangerous thing to listen to someone who comes against the message of the gospel. He will tells you that you are alright and that one day heaven will be open to you. Be careful what you hear but also be careful how you hear. You can be slipping in your attitude of hearing. God said in Genesis “my Spirit will not always strive with man.” God is biding you to come to him, wants to save you, bring you into his family. The voice of the Lord captured the fishermen’s minds – it got their attention!

The voice of the Lord challenged their will. The word became clear. What were they doing? They began to listen to it. These men were walking in the wrong direction, following after their own pursuits. The Lord was now directing them “come after me I have a purpose in life for you.” The Lord saw the direction they were going in. God called them to change their direction. It meant turning their backs on everything they knew. The Lord was calling them to a life, leaving everything else behind. It meant leaving behind their boats, friends and families. That is what it costs us. Salvation costs us. Leave past behind and come to Christ. The woman in John 4 once she trusts Christ everything changed. For her she met a prophet as she thought. She soon realised that he was none other than the Messiah. That day changed her life forever. She drank of something only Christ could give her. She was willing to leave her water pot for ever. No longer caught up in the sinful life she had been living. She became a new creature in Christ. Jesus talked about 2 ways that people are travelling on, destinations are so different, so varied in their ways. One way is broad. You see we are born into this world into this broad way and the end of it is death and destruction. There is a narrow way but it is so different. Only access is by faith in Christ Jesus. It leads to heaven and home. As you come to Christ you must believe in his atoning death. I challenge you tonight is that what you have got? The disciples were standing by the seaside and Jesus said “follow me”. They were ready to follow him. Are you ready to follow Christ tonight? To trust him as Saviour and Lord? What have you been doing with Christ since the day you trusted the Lord? Are you sitting on the fence right now? The Lord says to you “follow me”.

He concerns them with the future – verse 17.

He convinced their hearts to step out and follow the Lord – verse 18. Have you been convinced of who the Lord is? Have you left all? Take nothing. Are you convinced tonight that you need to be saved? That you can no longer sit on the fence? No longer stay as you are, that you need to be saved?