As we continued our series on the Gospel of Mark, we came to the passage where Jesus called His first disciples. In Mark 1:14-20, Jesus invites Simon, Andrew, James, & John to follow Him. In Mark’s fast-paced style, this pivotal moment in the lives of four men has been stripped down to its simplest terms: Jesus called; they followed.

In looking at this passage, we discover some practical lessons for us today. Jesus is still calling us to be His disciples and wants us to respond in the same way these four men responded.

Jesus’ call to be His disciples is a…

• Grace-filled Call – Jesus met them where they were and invited them to “come as they are”. 
• Demanding Call – Jesus calls us to a lifetime of discipleship that requires us to surrender to His authority over our lives.
• Equipping Call – God doesn’t call equipped; He equips the called. In other words, Jesus gives us everything we need to do what He’s called us to do. 

The disciples response to Jesus’ call should be…

• Instant Obedience – these four men immediately dropped everything and followed Jesus.
• Total Abandon – they surrendered their whole heart and lives to Jesus. All their prior pursuits & interests paled in comparison to following Jesus. 

The reality is that Jesus still extends the same calling to each and every one of us.

The question remains, are you willing to answer His call?