Building the Kingdom of God

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What does it take to build a great organization? How does one attract followers, build devotion, and inspire lifelong commitment? I believe compelling vision few good three things are absolutely essential: (1) a compelling vison, (2) a few good people who can provide the necessary foundation, and (3) a great leader.

God brings all three of these essential elements together for the building of His kingdom. A compelling vision: “I will make you fish for people! You will play a part in building My kingdom, the kingdom of God” (v. 17). The few good people: Simon (Peter) and Andrew (v. 16), James and John (v. 19). A great leader: Jesus! The Christ! The Son of God! As we live as citizens of His kingdom, we must hold fast to these same components.

We Must Proclaim the Right Message

Mark 1:14-15

Jesus calls His followers to fish for people. That is accomplished not with bait, hooks, or nets, but with a powerful, confrontational, and compelling message! It is the same message we must proclaim today.

18Jesus delayed His preaching ministry in Galilee until John the baptizer was imprisoned. Verses 14-15 summarize well the preaching ministry of Jesus. It is the “good news of God.” This is popular in Paul’s letters. It refers to the good news from God now revealed in His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus will proclaim the gospel, and indeed He is the gospel! Further, this gospel is crucial to the coming of something called “the kingdom of God.” The message of Jesus breaks down into four components: (1) The time is fulfilled, (2) the kingdom of God is near, (3) repent, and (4) believe in the gospel.

The Time Is Fulfilled

Jesus announces that “the time is fulfilled.” He is proclaiming that the One John said would come (1:7) has appeared! The “time” is a decisive and critical moment in history. Now begins “the Great Galilean Ministry,” which will last for one and a half years (Robertson, Harmony, 30). Jesus returns to Galilee (away from unbelieving Jerusalem) for the inauguration of His public preaching ministry, and it is the occasion for, in effect, a first-century “press release.”

The Kingdom of God Has Come Near

Jesus proclaims, “The kingdom of God has come near.” This phrase has provided a lot of discussion and disagreement among Bible scholars. I find the comments of Mark Strauss helpful:

Did Jesus preach that the kingdom was something that would arrive in the future in a dramatic and cataclysmic fashion, or was it a present reality for those who would accept it? ... Albert Schweitzer claimed that Jesus drew his expectations from the Jewish apocalyptism of his day, which viewed God’s kingdom as his dramatic intervention in the future to deliver his people, judge the wicked, and establish his kingdom on earth. (Strauss, Four Portraits, One Jesus, 440)

According to Schweitzer’s understanding, Jesus was sorely mistaken and was nailed to a cross for His error! Strauss continues:

British New Testament scholar C. H. Dodd argued that Jesus proclaimed the kingdom as wholly present. Through Jesus’ person and work, God’s eternal reign had already begun. The hope of the Old Testament prophets has been realized in history. (Strauss, Four Portraits, One Jesus, 440)

This understanding of the kingdom is personal, subjective, and inward in focus. A future cosmic kingdom is not in view. Therefore, Strauss concludes,

19The problem with both of these views is that they ignore much contrary evidence. Jesus taught both present and future dimensions of the Kingdom. The best interpretation of the data is that the kingdom has been inaugurated through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection but awaits consummation in the future.... Jesus proclaimed the kingdom as both present and future, as “already” but also “not yet.” (ibid.; emphasis added)

With the appearance of the Messiah-King, the “kingdom of God” has drawn near. In the person of Jesus Christ, men are confronted head-on with the kingdom—the reign of God. What should be our response? Jesus gives His hearers two commands.

Repent!

Those who are confronted with the kingdom of God must repent, that is, “change their minds leading to a change in behavior.” It is both a rational decision and a willful act. It involves a turn from sin and a turn to the Savior. It is a call that we find in the preaching of John the Baptist, Jesus, and Peter (Acts 2). It is at the heart and soul of our response to the gospel and the coming of the King.

Believe in the Good News

When one encounters the kingdom of God, repentance is complemented by belief in the gospel. Repentance notes that we turn from sin; belief highlights what (or whom) we turn toward. Both repent and believe are present imperatives. We are commanded to live in a state of repentance and trust. This call is not to a momentary, one-time decision that has little if any lasting effect. This is a life-altering change, a radical transformation of our life orientation! A King has arrived who rightly demands that we follow and radically obey Him. This is the unchanging and uncompromising message and vision of the eternal kingdom of God.

We Must Find the Right People

Mark 1:16-20

A great movement must have the right people to get its message out. These people must embody that message if it is to have lasting impact. Based on John 1:35-49, Jesus seems to have already met the two sets of brothers we see in this passage: Simon (Peter) and Andrew, and James and John. All four were successful fishermen. Jesus capitalizes on this occasion to call them to a new vocation and a new intimacy with Himself.

Jesus Calls

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Verse 17 is crisp and clear: “Follow Me ... and I will make you fish for people!” This is a call to discipleship and a unique one at that. In the rabbinic schools of the day, the aspiring student sought out the respected rabbi. Further, the student’s allegiance was to the Law, not to the teacher. Jesus’ form of discipleship is fundamentally different! Jesus seeks them out, and their allegiance will be to Him.

Jesus looks for men and women who will commit to Him, who will learn from Him, who will deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him (8:34). As the Messiah King, the Son of God, He has this authority, this right.

There is no prerequisite to following Him. This is a grace call. He does not tell them to improve their moral character or their social acceptability. Jesus finds them where they are, and He simply calls, in effect, “Come! Come as you are, but come, you must and come right now.” They are to follow, immediately and in faith. This was a radical call for those fishermen, to be sure, and it is no less radical today!

Jesus Commissions

The Old Testament roots of “fish for people” are often overlooked. It is more than a play on words in light of their vocation. In the Old Testament God fishes for people, and the texts are often foreboding in the context of divine judgment.

21“The summons to be fishers of men is a call to the eschatological task of gathering men in view of the forthcoming judgment of God. It extends the demand for repentance in Jesus’ preaching. Precisely because Jesus has come fishing became necessary” (Lane, Mark, 68).

Like Simon and Andrew, James and John did not hesitate: they left their father and the hired servants in the boat! This is striking and captures what it truly means to follow Jesus. To follow Jesus, we are called to forsake everyone and everything else. We must not rationalize or explain away Jesus’ call as mere hyperbole!

The call to follow Jesus is clear and it is unconditional! In essence He puts before us a blank contract and says, “Sign at the bottom, and I will fill in the details!” This is what it means to be the right men and women with the right message. But there is a third essential.

We Must Follow the Right Master

Mark 1:17-18, 20

There is only one right Master to follow in life and into eternity. His name is Jesus. Jesus called and they left everything to follow Him. The authority of the call and the immediacy of their responses raise the question as to who this Man is that demands such obedience. Actually, Mark has given us a pretty clear picture of who this Teacher is, even in the opening verses of the book.

See Who He Is

This One we are called to follow is the Christ (1:1), the Son of God (1:1), the Lord (1:3), the mighty One (1:7), the worthy One (1:7), the One who22 baptizes with the Holy Spirit (1:8), the Spirit-anointed One (1:10), the beloved Son (1:11), the One who pleases God (1:11), and the One who brings the kingdom of God (1:15).

See What He Does

We will learn we are called to follow in radical discipleship the One who is the astonishing Teacher (1:22), the One with authority (1:22), the Holy One of God (1:24), who is able to cast out demons (1:26, 32-34, 39), heal the sick (1:31-34), and even cleanse lepers (1:42). And this is just chapter 1! The kingdom of God has come near because the King is here. Everything has changed. Nothing will ever be the same again. The hour of decision is now. What will be your response?

Conclusion: Preaching the Gospel to Yourself

Jesus calls us to believe the gospel. One way we do this is to preach the gospel continually, not only to others, but also to ourselves. The result will be that you will see yourself as a much bigger sinner than you thought, but you will also then see Jesus as a much greater Savior than you ever imagined.

How do you preach the gospel to yourself?

See and own your sin. Examine yourself in the mirror of God’s Word. Pray that God would bring to light your negative emotions and attitudes as well as blatant rebellion against God’s holiness. As you do this, guard yourself against sin’s deceitfulness. You will likely feel the tendency to water down God’s standard, compare yourself to others, shift blame, or commit to trying harder. These are reflective of man-centered moralism.

See the sin beneath the sin. Push the “Why?” question until you find whatever you are looking to, other than Jesus, for meaning and value in life—your “functional messiah.”

Expose the idols of your heart. Idols always disappoint. They are weak. They can’t deliver when you succeed; they can only raise the bar. They can’t forgive you when you fail; they can only lower the boom. They are harmful. They hurt you spiritually, emotionally, and physically. They hurt others by undermining your ability to love. They are grievous. By going after these idols, you are saying to God, “Jesus is not enough. I also need _____________ in order to be happy.”

As you expose these idols, confess, “I am a much bigger sinner than I thought. I am a worthy recipient of God’s judgment. Trying harder won’t cut it. I am helpless and hopeless in myself. But there is One who can deliver and rescue, so I flee to Him and Him alone!”

23View repentance as a gift. Pray for the gift of repentance. Do not try to stop sinning; ask God to change your heart. You may change for a season by your own willpower, but eventually you will become resentful or fall back into worshiping your idols, false saviors that distract you from the true Messiah.

See Jesus as the only true Savior. Jesus lived for you; think about and give thanks for specific ways He has lived obediently where you have failed. Jesus also died for you; think about Jesus’ death on the cross for your specific sins and idolatry. Thank God that your sin has been punished once and for all. God sees you in Jesus; think about how God sees you clothed with Jesus’ perfect righteousness. Thank Him specifically for how He provides for you in Christ—ways your idols promised but could never deliver. Jesus lives in you; thank God that He does not leave you to live the Christian life on your own, since the Spirit of Christ now dwells in you. Ask Him to live His righteous life through you, specifically in the areas where you have repented and confessed sin.

Embrace the gospel as your motivation for living. Embrace it and know that the gospel changes you, the gospel empowers you to serve, and through the gospel you meet God. (For this section I have drawn from the insights of Thomas and Wood, Gospel Coach, 81-91.)

The King has come, and He calls all of us to repent and believe the gospel, to walk away from the idols of our life, our former allegiances, and to come follow Him. Leave your nets, leave your occupation, leave your friends, leave even your family, and come follow Him. The demands are great, but then Jesus is a great King, and the blessings of knowing Him are far greater!

Reflect and Discuss

1. Think of a great secular organization. How did a compelling vision, a strong core team, and a good leader bring success?
2. If a non-Christian asked you, how would you summarize the good news in two sentences?
3. In what way is the kingdom of God already here? In what way is it yet to come in the future?
4. How is repentance related to confession and obedience?
5. Compare and contrast the words belief, faith, and trust. In what way is “No, Lord” an oxymoron?
6. Does the assignment to “fish for people” involve grace or judgment? Explain.
7. What have you given up since you responded to Jesus’ call, “Follow Me”?
8. Who is Jesus that we should follow Him?
9. 24What did Jesus do that gave evidence He is the King and Lord, worthy of worship?
10. In your culture, what are the idols many Christians are tempted to rely on for happiness? Which is the most tempting for you?