Calvary Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Debra May Cerra
January 25, 2009 – Annual Congregational Meeting

Psalms 62:5-12 (NRSV)
For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. 6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. 8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah 9 Those of low estate are but a breath, those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. 10 Put no confidence in extortion, and set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them. 11 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, 12 and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord. For you repay to all according to their work.

Mark 1:14-20 (NRSV)
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news." 16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

“Will You Follow Him?”

            This morning our reading from the gospel of Mark has a sense of urgency to it. We read that when Jesus said, “Follow me,” to Simon and Andrew, they “immediately left their nets and followed him.” (17, 18) And when Jesus saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, “Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.” (19, 20)
            Notice how Jesus called these disciples. “Jesus did not say to them, ‘I have a theological system which I would like you to investigate or I have certain theories that I would like you to think over orI have an ethical system I would like to discuss with you.’” Jesus just said: “Follow me!”
Can you imagine dropping everything to tag along with someone you really don’t know…someone who just calls out “Follow me”? Simon and Andrew, James and John might have known about Jesus but they surely were not in his inner circle of friends. Yet somehow Jesus made an impression on these guys and they dropped everything to follow Him.
It’s hard to understand that type of conviction – leaving everything behind – without any concern or even thought for the future. I guess it’s a bit like the guys that I grew up with in and around Milford and Frenchtown, NJ. In those little towns that surrounded my regional high school, all the fire departments were manned by volunteers and almost every one of my male friends was a member. That was a time before beepers. In order to rally the troops, so to speak, a VERY LOUD siren was blasted whenever an alarm was called into the firehouse. You could hear it for miles!
When that alarm sounded, those guys stopped whatever they were doing – mowing the lawn, eating dinner, out on a date, fishing in the Delaware – and went directly to the firehouse. It was as if that siren was calling to them, “Follow me – NOW!”
That’s a bit like the urgency these men heard from Jesus. But what would have happened if the disciples responded differently? What if they said: “Maybe a big school of fish will come soon. We need to stay at our nets”? Or what if they were worried about what their dad would say about them leaving the family business high and dry? Could it be that they might have been concerned about others making fun of them for leaving their livelihood to follow a guy that they didn’t know very well? What if Simon and Andrew, James and John had decided that they needed to know a bit more about Jesus before they made a commitment? We could go on and on with a list of possible “what if’s.”
            But that’s not what happened. Mark tells us that “immediately they left their nets and followed him.” Can you sense the urgency, the immediacy, the conviction of these men? They could have told Jesus that they needed to think about their decision. But when Jesus called, they didn’t question – they didn’t think about it, they didn’t consult their families, they didn’t wait to see if anything better would come along. Immediately, they left everything and followed Jesus.
            When I first got the nudge, or more theologically speaking – “the call,” to go to seminary, I was teaching full time at Montville High School in northern New Jersey. I can’t say that I responded immediately to this sense of Jesus saying, “Follow me.” But, after much prayer, I decided to follow the leading. I sensed a peace about the decision – God’s Spirit was a work. When I finally said yes to the call, it was as if doors that needed to open actually fell off their hinges. My family and friends were more than supportive; people thanked me for asking them to write letters of recommendations; my application to seminary was accepted without question. Jesus didn’t just call me to serve. Jesus also equipped me to be able to say yes to His call.
            Friends, that’s the way it is when Jesus calls. He doesn’t spell out the whole picture. He wants us to trust and say yes. He doesn’t want us to procrastinate, to weigh the pros and cons, to wait to see if something better comes along. Jesus calls with a sense of urgency. His invitation includes an encounter with the strong force of the Holy Spirit. When we embrace openness to the Spirit’s guidance and counsel, we gain the desire to follow Jesus. Jesus calls us and then equips us to say “yes!”
            There was a group of people standing outside a very large and ornate cathedral in Europe. They were admiring the fine craftsmanship, the detail work, and the care that seemed evident in building such a fine place to worship God. One of the men turned to another in the group and said, “Why can’t we build cathedrals like this today? Why can’t we build with such pride and such craftsmanship?” The other man replied, “The difference between then and now is that back when this cathedral was built, the people had conviction; now we have opinions.”
            This rings true in our churches today. The convictions and commitment that the early Christian church had for the Lord seems to be missing. Many people say that they believe in God but only when it is convenient or when there is nothing better to do; when it is socially acceptable or when there is a crisis and everyone is turning to God. We spend more time giving and getting opinions about our beliefs than we do in standing on our convictions of faith.
To give our lives and our control over to the Lord takes conviction and commitment. When Jesus calls us, He does so with a sense of urgency; with a sense of immediacy. In order to affirm His call to us, Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit to guide and counsel us. It is the power of the Spirit which enables us to say yes – with conviction. Jesus has the perfect plan. He calls us and then equips us to say yes!
            When Jesus called Simon and Andrew, James and John to follow Him, He also called them to leave behind some things and some people that were near and dear to them. Jesus asks the same of us. Jesus says, “Follow me,” and expects us to leave the things that get in the way of our relationship with Him.
            What do we need to leave behind or to let go of in order to serve the Lord? What are our excuses? Family, employment, economy? Maybe we need to start by leaving those things which we know are offensive to God; those things which bind us to the world and the power of sin – things like gossip, divisive speech, and slander; greed, power, and prestige; procrastination, self-centeredness, and prejudices.
            About our sense of call, Paul writes: “In light of all this, here's what I want you to do. I want you to get out there and walk – better yet, run! – on the road God called you to travel. I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.” (Ephesians 4:1-6)
            Jesus came to Galilee preaching the good news of God and telling the people that the kingdom of God was at hand. Like Simon and Andrew, James and John, Jesus asks us to go into the world with this same message. Jesus calls us to live a life of conviction and commitment, to live a life of urgency and immediacy, to live a life of reaching out with His message of love and forgiveness to everyone we encounter in life.
            “Jesus said to the disciples, ‘Follow me.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him.” (17, 18) Friends, Jesus is calling. He is saying to each of us, “Follow me.” Will you follow him?
            Amen and amen.