Sermon: Walking with Jesus… Empowered by the Spirit & with others

Reading: Mark 1:9-20

Sermon date: 25 February 

 

Icebreaker

Can you remember when you first realised that you were Jesus’ disciple? How did that feel?
 

Study

We are starting a new series in Lent looking at different aspects of Jesus’ life. Lent is an important time in our Church calendar to look into repentance, surrender, change and introspection. We will be looking at Jesus as our model of self-denial, humility, service, faith and victory. To learn from Him and to give another step into being a bit more like Him.

1. Can you share anything that you remember about the sermon you heard on Sunday? 

Please read Mark 1:9-20
 

Interesting fact:

In the first few verses we find one of the most visible images of the Holy Trinity in action. God the Spirit descending like a dove, God the Father speaking from heaven and God the Son being baptised. It is a great image of how the Trinity communicates and relates in a loving and honouring way. Jesus hasn’t actually done anything in his public ministry yet, but the Father says “you are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased”. It seems like God the Father is not pleased because of something Jesus has done, but He is just pleased with who Jesus is.
    
2. Do you feel that God is pleased with you? Do you feel you need to earn God’s love and respect?

3. Why do you think Jesus needed the Holy Spirit to descend on him?

4. Jesus wanted the Holy Spirit to be part of His ministry. Do you think it’s important that we are empowered by the Spirit? What does this mean?

5. How can we be more open to the Holy Spirit’s work in us?

6. Why do you think Jesus had to be in the wilderness during forty days?

Please read vs.14-20 again

7. We find in vs 14-15 that Jesus is announcing the good news. Do you really think that His message is good news? Why?

8. Jesus saw Simon and his brother Andrew and he said “Come, follow me”. How do you imagine that situation was? What do you think Simon and Andrew might have been thinking?

At the time, if a rabbi called you to follow him, to be his disciple, this was a great honour. Only the best students got that privilege. When a rabbi called someone, he was putting a lot of faith in them. He was actually saying “you can be like me”. Possibly not many people had much faith in this little group of fishermen, but Jesus did. He is inviting them to follow him, to be like him, because he trusts in them and it actually paid off!

9. As Jesus called his disciples 2000 years ago, He also calls you to follow Him. Do you think you are aware of how much faith Jesus has in you?

10. Jesus called twelve to be his closer group of disciples. What are the benefits of being part of a small group like that one?

11. How can we fully take advantage of the blessing of being part of a house group?

12. This passage has many things we could learn from and talk about. Is there anything else from the passage that has struck you?
 

Action:

It is good to remember that the words God the Father says to Jesus, he could easily have said them to us as well: “you are my son/daughter, whom I love; with you I am well pleased”. And the words that Jesus said to his disciples, are the same ones He says to us “Come, follow me”.

If you’ve got time, pray for each other that you might be empowered by the Holy Spirit.