Years ago, cameras did not have auto focus. You had to carefully adjust the focus or the photo would be blurry. Your life does not have an auto focus either. You must adjust your own focus. What is your life focussed on right now?

Transition

In Mark 1:14-20, the Lord challenges us to adjust our focus on three very important areas.

We must adjust our focus so that we …

Focus on the Gospel (v.14-15)

  1. The Gospel is good news
    1. The word translated Gospel simply means good news.
    2. Since the Garden of Eden, God’s people had been looking for God to send one who would bruise the head of Satan (Ge 3:15) who tempted Eve to sin.
    3. Since Adam and Eve sinned, sin has been a curse to the human race. Every child born of human parents has experienced the curse of sin. Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Ezekiel warned, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die…” (Ezekiel 18:20).
      1. Can you identify with the curse of sin? Have you experienced the regrets, pain, and heartaches that sin brings?
      2. Do you find that you often yield to sin even though you know it is wrong?
      3. Yes, sin truly has been a curse since the Garden and still is today.
    4. Scores of prophets had preached to bring people to a close relationship with God, but overall they had failed.
  2. We must focus on the Gospel
    1. When John the Baptist began preaching Israel had been without a prophet for about 400 years. Herod arrested John the Baptist for preaching against sin and that is when Jesus’ ministry began in full.
    2. Note what Jesus was preaching – read Mark 1:15.
      1. The time was fulfilled. It was God’s time to deal with sin and crush the Devil’s head (Gen 3:15).
      2. God’s kingdom was at hand. God was about to reign as King in the hearts of those who would believe on Christ.
      3. People must repent and believe the Gospel. God has never forced His redemption on anyone. Instead, Jesus presented two requirements:
        1. REPENT: To repent is to chance the mind about the direction you are going. Is the direction you are going in life God’s direction?
        2. BELIEVE: To believe the Gospel is to believe the good news that Jesus came to earth to pay for sin. This is not a belief in the mind but in the heart. It is placing your sinful soul in the hands of Jesus and believing that by His death and resurrection He is able to cleanse you and change your life.
          We must adjust our focus so that we …

Focus on Following Christ (v.16-17)

  1. Jesus had been preaching the Gospel
    1. Mark alludes to this in the previous verse (v.15).
    2. Luke describes this section in more detail (Lu 5:1-11). He tells us that while Jesus stood by the Sea of Galilee people pressed on Him to hear the Word of God. His words gave them hope of forgiveness and cleansing. They had not heard such teaching before. Deep in their hearts they knew they were sinners needing God’s forgiveness.
    3. In the book of Hebrews we learn why the Word of God can help us. (Hebrews 4:12) “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” God’s word bores down into the secret chambers of our hearts. The Word does this because God wants us to confess so He can cleanse our secret sins.
  2. Jesus called the fishermen to follow Him
    1. Read again this call – Mark 1:17.
    2. Jesus simply called Peter and Andrew to come after Him. They had heard Jesus preaching the Gospel (Lu 5:1). Likely, they had already repented and believed on Christ.
    3. Jesus said that He would make them fishers of men. This was not a call to salvation. This was a call to tell others about Christ.
      1. Instead of their life’s occupation being fishing for fish, Jesus called them to fish for men.
      2. By following Christ they would learn how to lead others to salvation in Christ.
      3. The soul is the part of a person that will live forever either in heaven or in hell. Note what God said about the soul of the man who boasted of his wealth. (Luke 12:20) “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” Jesus asked in (Matthew 16:26) “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Whether Jesus was taking about the soul’s salvation or a life of dedication both are priceless.
      4. How valuable is the salvation of your soul? How valuable is the salvation of your lost relative’s soul? How valuable is the salvation of your child’s lost soul?
      5. The Lord wanted Peter and Andrew to look beyond their fishing career and He wants us to think beyond our own busy life. Relatives and friends around us will go to hell without Christ. They will suffer forever.
        We must adjust our focus so that we …

Focus on Eternity (v.18-20)

  1. The call to fish for men is urgent.
    1. Peter and Andrew immediately they obeyed. They forsook their nets and followed Jesus. A short time later, Jesus called James and John (v.19-20). They too immediately obeyed. They left their father and went after Christ.
    2. Is God’s call to you any lest urgent? Over 100 people die every minute in our world. Most of them will go to hell.
  2. Fishing for men is of greatest importance.
    1. These young men gave up a good career to fish for men. The rest of their lives were filled with difficulty and hardship. They eventually died as martyrs for Christ. Like the apostle Paul each of them could look back on his life as a fisher for men and say, (2 Timothy 4:7-8) “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
    2. God does not call every Christian to be a missionary or a preacher, but every Christian ought to struggle with the possibility. The harvest field of lost souls is ripe but the labours are few. Will you answer God’s call? Will you stand in the gap? Will you say with Isaiah, “Here am I send me?”
    3. Even if God does not call you to His full-time ministry, praying for the lost and sharing the Gospel is the duty of everyone who knows the Lord. What are you doing to reach your lost children, loved ones, neighbours and workmates? Think about the words of this chorus.
      ² Lead me to some soul today, O teach me, Lord, just what to say; Friends of mine are lost in sin, And cannot find their way. Few there are who seem to care, And few there are who pray; Melt my heart and fill my life, Give me one soul today. – Will H. Houghton

Conclusion

God urges us to focus on the Gospel. Are you 100% positive you have trusted Christ and He has changed your life? God urges us to focus on following Christ. He is calling you to tell others about Him. He may be calling you to surrender your life to serve Him. God urges us to focus on eternity. The call is urgent. The call is costly but rewarding.

Song: Give Me a Passion for Souls – 306, I’ll Go Where You Want – 440
—
Adjusting Our Focus
23 April 2017 AM – Mark 1:14-20 – Mr17 – Scott Childs