This is my story: Simon and Andrew

Mark 1:14-20

 

Opening Words: Within the life of the church there are many people. Each one is different. Everyone has different gifts and interests, everyone has different opinions and passions. One of the great challenges in my job is to unite all of these different individuals into a single unit. The best way to unite our church is not to emphasize how we are different but to look at how we are the same. The one thing we all have in common is Jesus.

 

The Master has touched each one of our lives. Each one of us has a different story on how we came to know Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Some stories are quite dramatic, like the Apostle Paul‘s on the Damascus Road. Some stories are quite simple, like mine. This is the truth. The details of the story really doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that at point in your life you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. On this this Sunday of Lent we hear how Simon and Andrew came to know Christ. May God give you ears to hear these words from the first chapter of the gospel of Mark, verses fourteen through twenty.

 

Mark 1:14-20 14After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" 16As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 18At once they left their nets and followed him. 19When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

 

Andrew’s story ended on November 30 in the year 60. Tradition tells us he was crucified on a x-shaped cross. The order came from Nero, himself. In his life he did become a fisher of men. He preached in southern Greece, Russia and the Ukraine. His remains are believed to be in Kiev.

 

Simon or Peter’s story ended on June 29 in the year 64. Tradition tells us he was crucified upside down because he was not worthy to die like Jesus. Once again, the order came from Nero. In his life he too became a fisher of men. He became the first Bishop of Rome. Tradition tells us Saint Peter’s is built over his grave sight.

 

Through the years I have worked with several people who were nearing the end of their stories. The cancer was advancing and their options were going fewer. I think people who are coming near the end of life are truly amazing. Every second becomes sacred. The things they say are truly amazing. For example, it has been said Andrew final words were, “I have been waiting for the glorious moment my entire life!” I have never had anyone say words like that but I have had many tell me about the highlights of their lives. It is like they are reviewing their lives. How they met their spouse. The night their children were born. Stories of the family farm or home. There are certain things I have never heard. No one has ever mentioned a Super Victory or a company deadline. People who are near the end talk about the things that are closest to their hearts. If you only had five minutes to live, what would you talk about?

 

Have you ever wondered what the disciples were saying or thinking when they died? Think about it! They had had incredible lives. Their lives had played out differently then they could have possible imagined. Did they think about people they had met a long the way? Did they think of missed opportunities to proclaim the Good News? Did they think about the perfection of heaven? Did they think about their days with Jesus? Perhaps, they remembered the shock of the resurrection or the amazement of Christ’s ascension. What filled their minds during their executions? (Only John died of natural causes.) They must have thought about the day their lives changed forever, the day they met Jesus for the very first time. This morning’s scripture passage tells us about that day.

 

The day started out like every other day, working! Andrew and Simon are not just together because they are brothers. They are together because they are business partners in a fishing business. It was a forgettable day until Jesus came their way. With a single invitation he changed their futures. Verse seventeen is quoting Jesus who says, “Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men!” Much has been made throughout the ages about verse eighteen, “At once they left their nets and followed him.” The truth is Jesus was not a complete stranger. The gospel of John tells us Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist.” He embraced the ministry of Jesus and encouraged his followers to draw near to the Master. Regardless of the details, Andrew and Simon follow Jesus and the rest is history.

 

This morning I want to look at Jesus simple invitation to Andrew and Simon by asking three questions. These words speak to us because we have all been invited by Jesus to follow him. And what is more important is that we have all accepted that invitation. The call to Andrew and Simon reveals three divines truths about God plan of salvation. They are the same truths you discovered on the day that you accepted Jesus’ invitation to follow him. So if you are ready to answer these three question again say, “Amen!”

 

Who were they?

This is the first question. Who were Andrew and Simon? The answer is ordinary people. Perhaps, you were one of the three billion people that watched the Opening Ceremonies for this year’s Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver? I think that is really an incredible number! There are only six billion people in the world. That means that half of the world’s population were watching! The part of the Opening Ceremonies I love most are the parade of nations. This year there are 82 nations that are completing! That parade tests my geography! I know the location of some countries on the map. I can find, the United States, Canada and Mexico. I can find Great Britain, Russia and China. I can find Italy, Japan and India. However, there are other countries I don’t have a clue. They have a small population and they don’t grab the headlines. I am talking about the former Soviet block countries and some African nations. Can anyone tell me where Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are located? I do not know the location of all the nations but I do know about God’s love. God doesn’t really care less about our politics but he is passionate about people. He wants to have a personal relationship with everyone, regardless of their nationality.

 

The question is, “who are Andrew and Simon?” You know the answer. They are the working class of their generation. The are just ordinary people like you and me. Jesus invited them and he invited us for the same reason. God wants to be in relationship with everyone. He doesn’t want to be in relationship with just blue collar people, he was wants to be in relationship with white collar people as well. He does just want to be in relationship with members of the National Honor Society members, He wants to be in relationship with people that hold a GED. He doesn’t just want to be in relationship with the rich, He wants to be in relationship with the poor. Consider this fact with me. You have never met a person that God doesn’t love. Even the strangest people of them all, you and me! And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

 

What were they doing?

This is the second question. What were Andrew and Simon doing? The answer is working. In the eleventh century, King Henry III of Bavaria grew tired of court life and the pressures of being a monarch. He made application to Prior Richard at a local monastery, asking to be accepted as a contemplative and spend the rest of his life in the monastery. "Your Majesty," said Prior Richard, "do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king." "I understand," said Henry. "The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you." "Then I will tell you what to do," said Prior Richard. "Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has put you." When King Henry died, a statement was written: "The King learned to rule by being obedient." Can anyone here relate to that story? Would anyone here like to make a change in their life?

 

Has anyone here grown board with your own life? It is just the same thing everyday. You eat the same old thing for breakfast. You eat with the same old people for lunch. You know it is Tuesday because you are eating hamburgers for dinner. You stay in touch with the same old people. You live in the same house, you have the same job. There is nothing really wrong with your life but it has grown stale. I have asked the question, “What is new?” a million times and a million times I have been answered, “nothing!” There is a blessing and a curse about a routine. Maybe people have affairs for the same reason people go on vacation? They just want to break out of the same old routine and try something new. One of the things I love about my job is that it is always changing. I am always open to something new!

 

In the scripture lesson for today we learned that the Andrew and Simon followed Jesus immediately! That doesn’t really surprise me. Perhaps, they had grown tired of their routine and were hungry for something new. It was time for a change. Has anyone here grown tired of the routine? Is anyone here hungry for a change in their life?

 

What did Jesus offer them?

This is the third and final question. What did Jesus offer them? The answer is eternity. In other words, Jesus knew that life must be lived in balance. There are the temporary things of this world. Things like food and shelter! Our society is filled with all of kinds of things to buy. There is nothing wrong buying the things you need and a few things you want. However, there is more to life then shopping. There is also the eternal matters. The truth is someday you are going to die. Are you preparing to die or are you just getting older?

 

One of my favorite people in this congregation was Marge Perlitz. She was one of the very few people who called me Reverend Adams. We celebrated her life several weeks ago. She was born in 1914 but she was interested in today. I believe Marge had one of those balanced lives. When she turned 90 years old I called her and asked what she was going to do for her birthday. She said she was having birthday cake with the neighbors and then watch the Cavalier’s game. She said, “That Lebron James is really something special.“

 

Far too often I would call Marge and tell her that another long time friend had died. She would always respond in the same way, “They are lucky! I don’t know what I am still doing here? I look horrible!” I didn’t really like her to say those words but I could understand. When you are nine-five years old, you have outlived most of your contemporaries. When you are ninety-five years old life gets lonely and she was spiritually mature enough to know that something much better was waiting for her in heaven. I didn’t say it to her in her life but I said it in her passing. Marge Perlitz was one of the spiritual leaders of this church. Are you preparing to die or are you just getting older?

 

In the scripture lesson for today we learned that Jesus offered Andrew and Simon something new. They were at work, they were covering the basic short term needs of this world, food and shelter. What Jesus was offering them was eternity. Is there anyone here that would like to live for eternity? If you would like to live for eternity say, “Amen!”

 

Have I ever told you are like Andrew and Simon? One day you were in the middle of life and you heard Jesus inviting you to follow him. You accepted that invitation and suddenly everything changed. For it was on that day that you discovered Jesus loves everyone. It was on that day you discovered that there as more to life then the same old routine. It was on that day you celebrated the fact that you get to live for eternity. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”