Day 3: What is Jesus Calling Us To?

By Stacy Tyson | 2024-02-07

As we have already discussed briefly, Jesus is calling us into His Kingdom. When that Kingdom comes in full, everything will be set right, all things will be healed, all things will be made new.

But here is the catch: the only people who will be able to live joyously in this Kingdom are those who can submit to the Truth, Goodness, and Glory of God in this present life. The truth of The Kingdom of God calls us to change the way we think about everything. That is what Jesus is asking us to do when He says, “Repent and believe the Gospel!”

What Does It Mean to Repent and Believe?

We return to a passage we read yesterday:

Mark 1:14–17
…Jesus went to Galilee, preaching the Good News of God:
“The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the good news!”

As He was passing along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen. 1:17 “Follow Me,” Jesus told them, “and I will make you fish for people!”

We discussed the Kingdom yesterday. Today, we focus on Repent, Believe, and Follow.

So what is Repentance?

Repentance
Changing the way we think about everything so that the way we live is also changed.
Repentance involves changing who you are following and who you are trusting to lead you through life.

You may have a false idea of what repentance is. You may think of repentance as “cleaning up your act,” or “getting your life straightened out” so that you can then do what pleases God. That is not exactly right. Repentance comes as the proper response when we discover we are wrong and heading in the wrong direction. At its core, repentance is simply changing who you are following and who you are trusting to lead you through life.

Notice how Jesus ties repentance together with believing. He wants us to believe His teaching and trust Him to lead us in true and fulfilling life. These are the two key spiritual and mental activities that we are going to be exploring in this first phase of study. Repentance involves turning away from our old way of life and thought and turning to Jesus, believing Him – trusting Him to lead us in a whole new way of life.

The Lord Jesus:
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
I came that you may have life and have it abundantly.
John 10:10

Jesus Invites Us to Follow Him so that He May Transform Us

Back in the passage from Mark, Jesus invites Simon (who is also called Peter) and Andrew his brother to follow Him so that He could turn them into fishermen who “fish for people”! Simon and Andrew were fishermen by trade but Jesus had other plans for them. They would still be “fishermen,”but they would no longer be catching fish. Now they would “catch” men and women with the Gospel.

If we accept Jesus’ invitation and follow Him as Master and Teacher, we discover that He will transform us as well. Jesus has unique plans for each and every one of us to serve a vital and indispensable role in His Kingdom work. Through Father-God’s wise planning and the Holy Spirit’s empowerment, Jesus gives each of us gifts and abilities to serve others for His sake.

If you look at the history of humanity, you will soon discover that we do not naturally want to submit to the Kingship of the One True God. We all have a hard time turning away from other masters and “gods” to trust Him. In this study we are going to look at the cause and effects of our rebellion against Father-God and the Kingdom of His Beloved Son Jesus.

At the beginning, we want to make something clear: no matter how much we have rebelled, Father-God has been patiently working in Christ through the Holy Spirit to call us to Himself and make us ready for His Kingdom when it finally comes in full glory and power:

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.

1 Timothy 2:2–4
[Praying for all people] is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

The main goal of this study is to help you know and love our Lord and Savior Jesus more deeply and prepare you for life in His Kingdom both in the “here-and-now” and the “hereafter.” IF you are willing.

Seeing the Big Picture

The illustration below sums up the big picture of this first phase of study: Through the Gospel, Father-God working in Christ through the Holy Spirit calls the smaller story of our lives out of the Dominion of Darkness and up and into the His Master Story.