MENDING THE NETS
Mk. 1:14-20
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: Career planning
1. One Sunday morning, as the Bubba Rathbone family were driving home from First Assembly after a great service where their Pastor really preached a great message, 9 year old Sam said to his father Bubba, "When I grow up, dad, I've decided to be a Preacher."
2. "Well Sam," said Bubba, "I have no problem with that. But tell me, why have you now decided to be a Pastor? You were going to be a football player last week."
3. "I know I was," replied Sam, "but during the church service I realized that I’m going to be going to church every Sunday for the rest of my life - and that's a long time. So I decided that it would be funner to be standing and shouting than just sitting and listening!"
4. That’s not the ideal way to get a ‘call.’ Here’s a better way…
B. TEXT
14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” 16 And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 They immediately left their nets and followed Him. 19 When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. 20 And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.
C. THESIS
1. The phrase “mending their nets” was used in Mt. 4:21 & Mk. 1:19 (KJV) of the disciples repairing their nets. Both are the Greek word katartidzo, which means to “repair, mend, prepare, or restore.”
2. The NIV translates it as “prepared their nets” – like drying or folding, but since the word has the connotation of “perfect that which is lacking,” 1 Thess. 3:10, it seems more likely there was actual repairs being made.
3. So what kinds of nets do we need to be repairing or mending? I can think of three: a. Our relationship with God, b. our relationship between us and other people, and c. To repair the relationships between others and God.
I. MENDING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
A. JESUS’ MISSION IN COMING
1. The mission of Jesus was to mend the relationship between people and God. The Bible says…
2. “Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mk. 1:14-15.
3. Jesus first started with His disciples. “And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” Mk. 1:16-18.
4. Just like James and John – further down the beach – were repairing their nets, so the Lord Jesus was calling people to repair/ mend their relationship with God.
B. WHAT KIND OF MENDING DOES IT NEED?
1. Gal. 6:1 translates the same word “mending” here as “restore,” and in context, indicates we need to be restored from a state of sin/deadness to be alive again!
2. As Eph. 2:1,5; “And you has he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins….Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved).”
3. So this “mending” between us and God is from death to life, from being a sinner to becoming a righteous person.
4. Wow! That’s quite a fix. Only God could restore us to Himself that way!
5. But He does it when we come to Him and surrender our lives into His hands. Then He can do the repairing! Will you do that today?
6. Another type of mending that needs to happen is…
II. MENDING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS
A. “MENDING OUR FENCES”
1. Merriam-Webster defines “mending fences” as:
2. Definition: “to improve or repair a relationship that has been damaged by an argument or disagreement.”
3. EXAMPLES:
a. “She and her father are trying to mend their fences.”
b. “After the election, he spent a lot of time mending political fences.”
4. Basically, “mending fences” is about FORGIVENESS!
B. WHY MUST WE FORGIVE?
1. WE’RE COMMANDED TO IN SCRIPTURE
“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” Lk. 17:3-4.
2. IT GIVES THE DEVIL A STRONGHOLD IN YOUR LIFE
“And don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.” Eph. 4:26-27, New Living Trans.
3. OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD IS AFFECTED
“But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” Mt. 6:15.
4. OUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS AFFECTED
The law of spiritual growth says that “Everyone grows in their spiritual life to their own personal point of disobedience.” This applies to unforgiveness. Unforgiveness stops our spiritual growth.
5. UNFORGIVENESS CAN PHYSICALLY AFFECT YOU
Unforgiveness causes stress, anxiety, resentment, and physical illness.
6. OUR RELATIONSHIPS ARE AFFECTED
a. Finally, because people don’t enjoy being around bitter people, our relationships are poisoned.
b. A Chinese proverb says "Before starting down the road to revenge dig two graves." You don’t just hurt the other person you hurt your own life & relationships too.
III. MENDING THE NETS BETWEEN OTHERS AND GOD
A. LOOKING FOR THE FALLEN
1. Listen to Gal. 6:1, “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”
2. The word “restore” is the same Greek word translated as “mend” in Matt. 4:21 and Mk. 1:19. Liddell and Scott say the meaning could be similar to "setting a broken limb."
3. This means we’re supposed to look for people who have a torn relationship with God and try to mend it.
B. WHO NEEDS THIS HELP?
Even God's people can be overtaken by a fault. Examples of saints who had to be restored:
1. Moses -- was a great man, yet there was a time that he 1). Ran from God, 2). Murdered, 3). Was on the backside of the desert 40 years.
2. David -- fell into a trap. Entangled in lust, murder and shame. But Nathan restored him in a spirit of meekness.
3. Woman caught in Adultery, Mary Magdalene, or the Woman at the Well.
4. Peter -- who cursed, swore, denied Jesus 3x. Probably some unbelievers said, "Old Rev. Peter ‘the Rock!’ What a joke! I had my suspicions all along." But he became the Apostle of Pentecost.
5. John Mark – 1). He became a turncoat and quit the Ministry. 2). But thank God there was a Barnabas who restored him. Now there’s a Book of Mark. 3). Paul refused to take Mark along, but later said he was "profitable" for the ministry.
C. HOW DO WE “RESTORE” THEM?
1. GENTLY (Meekness)
a. When a person is broken, you must handle them gently.
b. ILLUSTRATION: Two girls were talking about a moral difficulty. One commented, "If I got in trouble, the people at church would be the last ones I'd want to know." It shouldn't be that way!
2. HUMBLY/ SYMPATHETICALLY
a. Reason? "Lest you also be tempted." You may someday be the person who has fallen, and you’d want gentle restoration!
b. You may say, "I'll never fall!" But Paul said, "Wherefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" 1 Cor. 10:12. Sin is a built-in weakness. All it needs is an opportunity!
CONCLUSION
A. FINAL THOUGHTS
1. A "moment" (single mistake) is not the measure of a man or woman.
2. Just because we stumble doesn't mean God is finished with us. If God only gave us one chance, most of us would be "out."
3. Mending takes time.
4. If every broken Christian in our community were restored, think how many would fill the churches!
5. Someone needs your Ministry of restoration.
B. ILLUSTRATION
1. A member of a church board fell into sin. The pastor called together the other board members, and with love and compassion he told them the sad story.
2. Then he asked them this question: "If you had been tempted as our brother was, what would you have done?"
3. The first man, confidence of his ability to withstand temptation, said, "I'm sure I would’ve never given in to that sin." Several others made the same statement.
4. Finally the last member of the board, a man deeply respected, said, "Pastor, I feel that if I had been tempted as he was, I would’ve probably fallen even lower." There was silence.
5. Then the pastor said, "You are the only one who can go with me to talk with our erring brother and try to restore him to fellowship." [Because he would be so forgiving.]
C. THE CALL
1. Some of you are the ones who've stumbled, made mistakes, and failed. Others have judged you, hurt you.
2. Some of you feel like God is finished with you; that He won’t use you -- you'll never measure up.
3. It's a lie from the pits of hell! God wants you to be restored tonight! COME! "Restore” is a command.
4. Do you know someone who's away from God and needs to be restored? Will you go and do your duty with them? Restore them; "set the broken limb."
