The Lord’s Message:  The First Responders

The Lord’s Message:  The First Responders
Date:  October 13, 2024
Where:  Tilghman Methodist Church
Scripture Reference:  Mark 1:14-20

            We are so blessed today to have our Tilghman Volunteer Fire company, Talbot County EMTs, and Talbot County Sheriff with us.  It is with a deep sense of appreciation and gratitude that we pray every day for God’s guidance and protection as they carry out their duties.  These men and women are dedicated individuals who serve our community.  When things go wrong and people are in trouble, these individuals are the first to respond.  They train very hard to be prepared to provide the assistance to save people and their property.  I learned firsthand last year when I had a heart attack and the EMTs came and transported me to the hospital in time to save me. 

Along with the first responders, the volunteers that support these individuals are important to the success of their response.  The Tilghman Volunteer Fire Company is always looking for individuals.  You do not need to be a first responder, there are plenty of opportunities to serve in the auxiliary. 

We are going to learn about the very first responders this morning.

Let us pray.

Let us turn to Mark 1:14. John the Baptist was put in prison for speaking out against the marriage of King Herod to Herodias.   Herodias was married to Philip, Herod’s half-brother, before divorcing him to marry King Herod.  King Herod had divorced his wife Phasa’el to marry Herodias.  This is what John spoke out against.  John the Baptist was the first responder to God.  In Mark 1:4-5, he sounded out the alarm about the kingdom of God coming.  In John 1:29-34, John again sounded out about Jesus being the Lamb of God the Savior of the world. 

Now that John is in prison, Jesus fulfills what John was proclaiming.  Jesus starts off with the same message as John in verse 15.  Theologian Ted Smith says, “Jesus does not just announce the time. He fulfills it, in word and in flesh. And He calls people to respond.  . . . As Mark tells the time, God takes the initiative. The reign of God is not the product of discipleship, but the precondition of it.”

We read in verse 16 that Jesus is walking by the Sea of Galilee and notices two brothers fishing.  They were watermen.  They are casting their nets into the water and hoping to catch fish.  One of these brothers is Andrew, a disciple of John the Baptist.  In John 1:35-42, we are told of the encounter that they had with Jesus. 

Some of us know some of these responders, they are watermen, storekeepers, office managers, school secretary, and others.  Some are retired.  Some are brothers and sisters, parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles or cousins.  Some might be your neighbors.  Ordinary people doing extraordinary jobs to serve their communities. 

This time Andrew and Peter’s encounter with Jesus is different.  Jesus calls them to service.  He says in Mark 1:17. They did not hesitate when Jesus called.  They simply left their nets and followed Jesus.  The same occurred to James and John in verses 19-20.    

Now, not all the people responded to Jesus’ invitation to serve the same way that the watermen did.   In Luke 9:57-62, some people made up excuses for not following Jesus.  As professor Lamar Williamson writes: “Jesus’ “Follow me” confronts us all with a decision that lies deeper than the question of earning a living. His call to discipleship focuses on the question of life’s ultimate loyalty, a question more basic than that of vocational choice. It speaks to Christians whose lives are humdrum, whose discipleship has degenerated into a preoccupation with things like nets and boats and hired servants.”

Now, we might not identify as first responders to Jesus’ invitation, but it still comes down to the basic question of belief.  Who are we following?  Now some of us may have an experience that we can remember the exact date that Christ revealed Himself to us and we started to follow Him.  For others, we might not have ever known a time that we were not following Jesus.  Either way, we know that faith in always the response to Jesus’ invitation.  In John 3:16-17, our response to God’s invitation is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and was sent by God to save us from our sins.  When we come to church on Sunday mornings, we are responding to God in faith.  When we sing hymns and give thanks to God for what He is doing in our lives and the lives of our friends and family, we are responding to God in faith.   Every time we open our Bibles or begin to pray, we are responding to God in faith.  Every time, we pray in a restaurant or tell others about God, we are responding to God in faith. 

This is not something that we do one time in our life, but it is ongoing, daily process for us to live in faith.  It is easy to get tangle up in the cares of this world.  We need to work hard to provide for ourselves and our families, sometimes that requires working on Sundays. That is fine, but we need to set time to God as well.   Our children want to play Sports.  The games are on Sunday mornings.  We need to decide; do we take the time to have family devotion time when we cannot be in church? The pastor is preaching too long, and the football game is about to start.  Record the game and watch it at a later time.  We can easily get tangled up in the ways of this world.  We need to strive to put God first in our life and then our life will be free from the tangles that can easily keep us away from God and our relationship with His Son, Jesus.

            If we do not accept Jesus’ invitation to follow Him now, it may be too late later on.  I have been told numerous times, Pastor, when I get my life in order, then I will be in church.  Being in church is not the important part, following Jesus is.  Most of us know John 3:16-17, but do you know John 3:18?  A person who is condemned is one who is condemned not in this life, but in the life to come.  The eternal place for the condemned person is in hell.  Do not believe me, believe what God says in Revelation 20:11-15. 

            Death is not the end; it is only the passage into eternity.  Where we spend eternity either with God or without God is determine on the decision that you make.  Either accept Jesus’ invitation to follow him and spend eternity with God or reject it and spend eternity without God.  What will you response be?

 Our faith is tested every day, how we respond makes all the difference now and for eternity.  Amen.