Sunday Sermon | The Gospel of Mark: Fan or Follower

Mark 3:7–19 | Pastor Jason Smith FBC Boerne — Gospel of Mark Series

"I would like three dollars worth of Gospel, please. Not too much. Just enough to make me happy, but not so much that I become weird."

D.A. Carson wrote that. And it names something most of us carry but rarely say — the quiet desire for the benefits of Jesus without the cost of surrender.

In this message from Mark 3:7–19, Pastor Jason Smith traces the moment Mark draws a line between the crowd and true disciples. Thousands have flooded in from across the region — all with real needs, all pressing toward Jesus. And he welcomes them. But in verse 13, the scene shifts. Jesus walks up a mountain. He calls to himself the ones he wanted. And he makes twelve — not just gathers them, makes them — into a new covenant people.

The first thing he calls them to is simply this: to be with him. Before preaching. Before authority. Before mission. With him.

That order matters. And the sermon unpacks what it means that discipleship is not primarily about obeying rules or accumulating doctrine — it's about knowing Jesus himself, walking with him long enough to begin to look like him, and then being sent as he was sent.

The message closes with the remarkable fact that the Gospel traveled from that mountaintop, through ordinary fishermen and zealots and tax collectors, through persecution and migration and kitchen table conversations — all the way to you.

"Everywhere you go, you are a sent one."

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Transcript

Opening And Three Dollars Worth Gospel

SPEAKER_00 0:02

This is the Gospel of Mark. Well, good morning, church family. Turn with me in your Bibles to Mark chapter 3. Mark chapter 3. If you're a guest with us this morning, we're really grateful that you are here. Let me introduce myself. My name is Jason Smith. I have the awesome privilege of being the pastor here at First Baptist Bernie. If you do not have a Bible, there's a Bible in the PureC in front of you. Please take that Bible and keep it as a gift from us to you. We would love for you to have a copy of God's Word. Mark it up. Make it yours. I would like $3 worth of gospel, please. Not too much. Just enough to make me happy, but not so much that I become weird. I don't want so much gospel that I hate my lust and materialism. I certainly don't want so much that I start to love those that are different from me, or deny myself, or and then go pursue where God is working. I want comfort, not conviction. I want to feel better, not be transformed. I would like enough gospel so that my family feels secure and my children are well behaved. But not so much that my finances are reshaped. I would like three dollars worth of gospel, please. D.A. Carson wrote that. And as we come to Mark chapter three, we find that the crowds are flooding to Jesus. They want healing and provision and relief. And Jesus welcomes broken people. But Mark is going to force us to wrestle with a deeper question this morning. And that question is: do we want Jesus himself or just the stuff that Jesus can do for us? Because sadly, most come to Jesus as consumers, wanting the benefits without the cost of surrender. In many ways, they are fans of Jesus, but not followers.

Crowds Chase Jesus For Miracles

SPEAKER_00 2:38

Listen, as I read Mark chapter 3, beginning in verse 7. Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples, and a great multitude from Galilee followed, and also from Judea and from Jerusalem and Edumea and beyond the Jordan and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that he was doing and came to him. And he told his disciples that a boat should be ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd him. For he had healed many, with the result that all those who were afflicted pressed around him in order to touch him. Whenever the unclean spirit saw him, they would fall down before him and shout, You are the Son of God. And he earnestly warned them not to tell who he was. And he went up on the mountain and summoned those whom he himself wanted, and they came to him, and he appointed twelve, so that they would be with him, and he would send them out to preach and to have authority to cast out the demons. And he appointed the twelve, Simon, to whom he gave the name Peter, and James, the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and to them he gave the name Boangorus, which means sons of thunder, and Andrew and Philip, and Bartholomew and Matthew and Thomas, and James, the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Will you pray with me? Heavenly Father, as we come to your word this morning, you are our desire. Father, we pray that your spirit would open our heart and help us to discern our heart and to expose the real reasons we come. All of us come with need. But you, King Jesus, are the ultimate prize. Help us to know that with absolute certainty, that we are disciples of yours and not merely fans in the crowd. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. You see, word about Jesus began to spread like wildfire. Even beyond Israel, fifty miles north to Tyre and Sidon and even east of the Jordan. News about his power to heal, cast out demons, provide. That news is reaching to the masses, and they are drawn to him because they have endless needs. Recall at the end of chapter one that Jesus was no longer able to enter into cities, that he must remain remote, somewhat elusive. But the broken still come, desperate. You see, they need their miracle. And the multitudes crowd Jesus, pressing past the other, nearly crushing him, hoping simply to be able to touch the hem of his garment. Mark tells us that Jesus withdraws from the crowds. Now, not because he lacks compassion, but because the needs are endless. He tells the disciples to acquire a boat to keep him from being overrun by the desperate. But Mark refuses to let us think that way. The crowds press in. People are pulling on him constantly. And if there's one thing I know about ministry, it always comes with a cost. Every conversation, every healing, every burden, every person. Jesus knows what it is to be tired, emotionally drained, constantly pulled upon by the needs of others. Now, some of you in this room, excuse me, today need to be reminded of the fact that there has never been a more understanding, sympathetic ear than that of King Jesus. And he says, Come to me, and I will give you rest. Now, don't misunderstand, Jesus loves the broken. He welcomes needy people. Remember back in Mark chapter 2 when the paralytic, right? He was lowered through the roof. Jesus was not irritated by the scene, he rejoiced in it. He was moved with compassion. But the focus of Mark's gospel has begun to shift.

Who Is Truly Following Jesus

SPEAKER_00 8:22

You see, up to this point, Mark has largely focused on the conflict. Conflict between the scribes and Pharisees, the religious leaders, and their pushback, their objection to Jesus. So up to this point, the question has been why do the religious leaders not follow Jesus? But now that shifts. And the question Mark now wants us to ask is: who is truly following Jesus? Because not everyone who draws near to him belongs to him. You see, some are fascinated by him. They want something from him. Some are drawn to his power, but others are called to be with him. And Mark's going to draw a distinct line between the crowd and true disciples, between those who seek Jesus superficially and those who surrender themselves to him. Look at the text. I want you to see it yourself. Look at verse 7. Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him. Verse 9, and he told his disciples that a boat should stand ready for him because of the crowd. Verse 13, and he went up on a mountain and summoned those whom he himself wanted. So it's important for us to be able to think well about this. Friend, it's not how or why you come to Jesus, because all of us have needs that can only be met in Christ. Some come brokenhearted, some come with financial needs, some come searching for answers, maybe you're barely holding life together. You see, the crowd is not wrong because they are needy. The problem is that they stop short at only their needs. They only look to Jesus for what he can give, but not Jesus himself. You see, they want the benefits of the kingdom without surrender to the king. That's why the crowds shouted, Hosanna, on Palm Sunday, and then crucify him on Good Friday. Because they wanted blessing without a cross. Listen, everybody wants what the crowd wants, right? Don't we all want health and peace and prosperity? And Jesus truly is healer and provider, the good shepherd. But the crowd wanted those things without repentance and without surrender. So Mark forced us to ask a deeper question. Am I simply near Jesus, like the crowd? Or am I truly following him? Am I a fan or a follower? Because fans want the gifts of Jesus, and followers want Jesus himself.

Fan Vs Follower And Tony Romo

SPEAKER_00 12:10

So those of you that know me, you know that I'm a huge Dallas cowboy fan. And probably my most favorite cowboy of all time is Tony Romo. Now you can laugh it up all you want about that, alright? That's okay. I'm secure in my love for Tony Romo. I defended Romo on that fumbled snap there in the playoffs, and I celebrated, I cheered for him as he dated Carrie Underwood. Not gonna lie, there were those questionable years where he was dating Jessica Simpson, but he got it together. He got it together, okay? And uh in fact, believe it or not, one time I was in a supermarket, this was many years ago when I had hair, uh, but uh about a 50-year-old woman came up to me and asked, are you Tony Romo? I said, ma'am, of course I am. You can understand her mistake. I mean, Tony Romo's 6'2, and you know, like I just have that aura about me. I am a huge Tony Romo fan, but I don't know the man. I've never met him. And shockingly, the same can be true for Jesus. There are many people who admire him, talk about him, sing about him, enjoy being around Christianity, but have never surrendered themselves to them. They are fans of Jesus, not followers of Jesus. Look again at verse 13.

Discipleship Starts With Being With Him

SPEAKER_00 14:07

And Jesus went up on a mountain, and he called those whom he wanted to himself. There's a scene change here. Do you feel it? Jesus has separated from the chaos of the crowd, the noise and the constant demand. Suddenly it's now calm, it's quiet. And up on this mountain, Jesus is calling to himself disciples. In fact, Mark twice mentions that he appointed the twelve, but the original language is actually stronger than that. It literally says he made the twelve. See, Jesus is not just gathering random followers, he's actually forming a new covenant people, calling them to himself. The imagery is so strong here, it actually pictures Israel as a people. When Moses went up on Mount Sinai, or the twelve tribes of Israel. You see, the king has come, and he is calling, he is creating a new people. Now look carefully at verse 14, because before preaching, before ministry, before authority, before mission, Jesus calls them to himself that they might be with him. This is the heart of discipleship. See, Christianity is not merely obeying rules or learning about doctrines or serving somewhere. See, at the center of Christianity is communion with Christ. Not merely knowing about Jesus, but knowing Jesus himself. The Jesus who is holy enough to judge your sin and loves you enough to die for it. The Jesus whose thoughts towards you outnumber the sand. But he also searches your thoughts and calls you to renew your mind. The Jesus who sympathizes with your weaknesses and temptations and loves you too much to remove the trials and discipline from your life. But sadly, fans they don't want that Jesus. Fans want benefits, followers want the relationship. See, the call of discipleship is the call of a lifetime to go on a journey. Not to a place, but to a person, to know him. And in my thirty plus years of walking with Jesus, through suffering and temptation and blessing, friend, I fail to grasp at words, to describe his love, the joy of his presence, the peace that he gives. It is a fountain with no end. And the deeper you go, the sweeter and the more all-encompassing he is. Look again at verse 14. And he appointed twelve so that they would be with him, and that he could send them out to preach and to have authority to cast out the demons. See there

Sent To Preach With Authority

SPEAKER_00 18:06

the first with him, and then that he could send them out. Two simple steps of being called to be a disciple of Christ, communing with Christ, and then being sent out as a Christian, a representative, an ambassador, as one who has been with Jesus. Did you know that Jesus never calls us to just come and simply adore him? He calls us to walk with him. Okay? And the longer you walk with him, the more you begin to look like him and to do what he does. Like an apprenticeship. You know, an apprentice watches the master and learns from the master and adopts the habits of the master. And then eventually carries on the work of the master. His mission becomes our mission. You see that, don't you? And what was Jesus' mission? You go back to chapter 1, verses 14 and 15. He preached the gospel and said, Repent and believe, for the kingdom of God is at hand. And he's been proving his authority by healing and casting out demons and touching the unclean and teaching as if he himself is the lawgiver. And now he says to his disciples, what you've seen me doing, now you go and do. My mission is your mission. Preach. And I'm giving you my authority. And then Mark lists the twelve. Remember, these are ordinary men, fishermen, zealots, tax collectors, strong and weak personalities, men who will misunderstand Jesus. They will fail him. They will abandon him. And still he calls them anyway. And then he gives them his mission and says, You represent me. And beloved, he says the exact same thing to you. Now, can you believe that? To you. Jesus says, You represent me. I am giving you my mission for you to carry on. 2 Corinthians 5, 20. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. Church, this is one of the most magnificent truths in the whole of Scripture about us being a new covenant people, that every disciple is now a sent one. In fact, there's no other version of a disciple than being a sent one. Everywhere you go, you are a sent one. To your most immediate community in relationships, to the community at large, even to the ends of the earth. Every one of us in this room have people we know that are close. To us, but far from God. People who do not know Jesus. I mean, they may know church and they may know about Jesus, but you see, they're simply part of the crowd. They're a fan and not a follower. And Jesus is sending you to do what he did, engage people.

How The Gospel Reached You

SPEAKER_00 22:36

I had a great conversation this past week with a couple that is uh, well, they want to start a Bible study in their neighborhood because they they've gotten to meet a lot of their neighbors and they realize they don't go to church. And well, they would never step foot in the church, so I'm gonna bring church to them. We're just gonna have a Bible study in our neighborhood. And I'm like, yes, that's yes, but you know, there's there's questions, of course. There's fears. They already know that some of their neighbors are homosexual. Some of them have church hurt. What what what if they come in and they ask questions? What if what if the conversations get difficult? Brothers and sisters, it it might. But remember, they they are not rejecting you, they're responding to Jesus. And I'll pray for you. It's what I told him. I'll pray for you. One, that you would have the heart that God has for these people. That God would give you his heart. That God would give you words as you teach, his truth. And then that God would give you wisdom for whenever the time comes. But guys, can you believe it? God is using us to carry on his mission. Now, don't you see the disciples have been, they've been wrestling with the complexity of this mission for two thousand years. And you may think, well, that's absurd of Jesus to send ordinary people into a hostile world to be his messengers. But somehow, the gospel made it all the way to you. What began on the other side of the world on a mountaintop where Jesus called to him, just a ragtap group of fishermen and zealots and tax collectors, and said, You guys go and preach this message through persecution and oppression, through ordinary men and women, made it to you. Because some told their grandkids and some had their neighbors over for tea, and some engaged their coworker, and some went to a whole new place and learned a language, from Israel all the way to Rome, and then spread across Europe, and then over the Atlantic, and then what began in the 13 colonies made it all the way to Texas to a 15-year-old like me, who heard the gospel for the first time, and it made it to you.

Deployed For Your Kingdom Adventure

SPEAKER_00 26:14

You see, here at First Baptist Bernie, we have a mission statement that reads we exist to help people discover their identity in Christ, for you to develop your unique gifts, and then for you to be deployed on your kingdom adventure. See, we exist to make disciples, right? People that know Jesus and then are sent by him. And for many of us in this room, we have to ask ourselves the question: do I function like a sent one? Or have I believed the cultural lie that all Jesus wants from me is to go to church and listen to a professional sermon and fill my head with knowledge and then do nothing with it? Are you deployed for kingdom adventure? For the season that you're in, do you know how you are functioning in the kingdom of God? Because that's the call of every disciple. And if that's you today, we want to help equip you to answer that question so that you know how God has gifted you and is using you so that you can get plugged in. And it actually begins with simply understanding the incredible truth that God has called you to get in the game. But for some of you here today, you are like the thousands in the crowd that surrounded Jesus that day, wanting relief from their problems, but you've never surrendered to the rule of Christ in your life, and you don't know him.

Surrender To King Jesus Today

SPEAKER_00 28:20

See, Jesus called the disciples to himself. Friend, is that you? All the religious activity about Jesus without the relationship itself. Today I invite you to surrender to the King that he would call you his own. Will you pray with me? Heavenly Father. Father, I pray if there's anyone here under the sound of my voice that does not know you as Lord and Savior, I pray that you would save them. I pray that they would right now, they would cry out in faith. That they would realize just being around Jesus is not enough, but that they need to surrender to you. God, I pray that today is the day of salvation. And Father, I pray for those of us that do know you, that we would be sent ones. That we would deeply consider the people that you've placed in our lives, the gifts that you have given to us, the resources that you've placed at our disposal, and that we would use it all for the glory of your name and for your kingdom. Jesus, you are worthy of it all. There is no God like you who loves us in spite of our sin. Who pursues us even after we've hardened our hearts so many times, who is patient with us, even though we are slow to listen. Father, have your way in us today. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Church family, the praise team is gonna come and lead us in a couple songs of response that we give at the end of our service as an opportunity for each of us to respond. However, the Spirit of God has stirred your heart today, you must be obedient. You must respond. What else would you do? So we'll have ministers down here at the front who would love to pray with you. If you want to use these steps as an altar to pour out your heart before the Lord, whatever decision of obedience is the Spirit is requiring of you, you do it now. Would you stand?