IN THE BEGINNING

This is the first message in our Mark series and the first time I have preached through the book. I am excited about how it will change my life.

All of our messages, including this one, can be listened to online by going to the church website:
www.gbcwestlake.org

The video mentioned in the message can be viewed for free at bluefishtv.com The name of it is A Man Fell Into a Hole

IN THE BEGINNING…
Mark 1:1-20

Please turn in your Bibles to Mark 1. In the Bible in front of you, it is page 864 or 881.

“In the beginning” is the Bible’s version of the classic line: “Once upon a time”. When you hear that line, you know you are going to hear a story; and in the Bible’s case, a unique story of something at the very start…something new…something fresh. The first words of the Bible are “In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.”

This morning, we are at the beginning of a new message series. We are going to walk our way through the book of Mark. Over the next several weeks, I will share with you some more of the background of this great book; but today, I wanted to jump right into its message. We are going to take some larger portions of this story, so that it doesn’t take us years to finish; but it is my hope that you will not only learn from this story of Jesus Christ; but that it will make a difference in your life – now, on a daily basis, and for eternity.

Mark 1:1 – “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

This is something new. It is the beginning of something. It is not the beginning of the world, as God created it. But, it is, as Mark writes it, the “beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ…” This is the gospel according to Mark. There are four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Each of these books is God-breathed, inspired by God the Holy Spirit.

Each of these books has the same theme: the gospel, or, the good news about Jesus Christ. But, what is different about each of these is that although they are each God-breathed writings, God used a different human author to write according to his particular perspective and personality, as they each wrote about some of the same stories concerning the same person: Jesus Christ. Many scholars believe Mark was the first gospel written. This is a unique gospel, for another reason besides authorship, because it emphasizes Jesus’ actions more than His teaching. Mark uses words like “immediately” often in his book, to emphasize the action taking place. Mark includes 18 of Jesus’miracles but only 4 of His parables. Over a third of this book is dedicated to the final 8 days or so of Jesus’ life, from His entry into Jerusalem (celebrated on Palm Sunday) to His crucifixion, and His resurrection (celebrated on Easter Sunday).

Mark was a close associate of the Apostle Peter; and since Peter calls him his “son” (I Peter 5:13), he may have been led to the Lord by Peter. We are going to focus on how Mark presented the good news story of Jesus Christ. He is referred to several times in the Scriptures as John Mark: John (the Hebrew name), also called Mark (his Latin name). It will be tempting to think about Matthew’s, Luke’s and John’s perspectives; but I truly believe that God gave us this book of Mark; and within its writings, we have truth that can transform our lives. So, the very first words from the hand of Mark are: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

IN THE BEGINNING…
Jesus, the Son of God, was to be the Savior of the world.

The gospel here is not referring to the message about Mark, but it is referring to the message about Jesus Christ: the gospel of Jesus Christ. The simple definition of gospel is “good news”. This is the good news about Jesus Christ. Historians tell us that by the time Mark wrote this book, the term gospel was being used to describe the communication of the truth that Jesus Christ was on Earth to save people from their sins. That is the ultimate good news. In this first verse of Mark, we are introduced to the main topic: This is about Jesus (Savior), who is the Christ (the promised Messiah from the Old Testament) and is also the Son of God. He is uniquely THE SON OF GOD. He was fully man. He was fully God. This is the good news story of the most unique person who has ever lived. And He can change your life.

IN THE BEGINNING…
John the Baptist prepared people for the ministry of Jesus.

Mark 1:2-4 – “As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight, John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

Mark didn’t begin this good news with the birth of Jesus, but instead goes right to the introduction of His public ministry. And he starts by referring to the prophecy of Isaiah (given about 800 years before the birth of Jesus), that mentions that someone would come to prepare everyone for the message and ministry of the Messiah. We now find out who that prophecy was about. It was someone who would prepare the way. It was someone who, in a desert region, would immerse in water, people who believed in God.

That person, according to verse 4, was John; and because his main ministry before Christ was to baptize, he was known as John the Baptizer or John the Baptist. And this name helps us keep him straight in our minds, different than John Mark, who wrote this book and The Apostle John, whom we will be introduced to in a few verses.

Verse 4 says John the Baptist was “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” At first reading, you might wonder if he is saying that you have to be baptized to be saved from your sins; but that is not what he communicated. The people already knew about baptism because Jews required Gentiles who converted to Judaism, to be baptized. But, John was saying that those who turned from their sins were then baptized to demonstrate their forgiveness. This phrase could be translated: baptism of repentance “with reference to” the forgiveness of sins; or “because of” the forgiveness of sins. The baptism was a sign of a commitment on the person’s part to identify with God and His coming Messiah.

Commentators Walvoord and Zuck: “Forgiveness was not conveyed by the outward rite of baptism, but baptism was a visible witness that one had repented and as a result had received God’s gracious forgiveness of sins.” This is supported by the rest of Scripture, which teach that baptism comes after salvation, not before; and is a demonstration that a person has been already saved, and wants to publicly identify with Jesus Christ. He was baptizing people who were repenting; that is, they were turning their lives around, in order to follow God and accept whomever He would send. Mark then tells us a little more about John the Baptist:

Mark 1:5-8 – “And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Mark uses hyperbole (exaggeration for effect), saying all Judea and all Jerusalem – meaning - that a great group of people from all over the area was going out to hear John speak. And, as he pointed ahead to the coming Messiah, he was baptizing those who believed; those who were willing to confess (agree with God about) their sins. Someone estimated that John baptized as many as 300,000 people. John was described as wearing the clothing and eating the food associated with someone living in the desert. This was the prophet God chose to get people ready for the Messiah. There were similarities between this man John and a prophet who had come before: Elijah.

God didn’t choose someone to go into the middle of the capital city, well respected, scholarly, looking the part of a Scribe or Pharisee. He chose someone who would be out in the desert, not necessarily the person you would expect to prepare the way for the Messiah. But, John the Baptist was the one chosen by God, who fulfilled the prophecy and got people ready for the most unique person to ever walk the Earth: The Son of God.

And in verses 7,8, we have a summary of John’s preparatory message: Someone much greater than me is about to come. I am lowlier than a household servant, when it comes to this particular person. And although I am immersing you in water, those of you who have confessed your sins…this man will immerse you in the Holy Spirit.

The prophecies of Isaiah, Ezekiel and Joel, all pointed ahead to a time when the coming Messiah would give the power of the Holy Spirit to God’s people. It would only be a few years before the followers of Jesus Christ would experience the power of God the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

The baptism Jesus would give would not be a physical one, but a spiritual one. Although those who chose to follow Christ would be baptized, the baptism Christ offered was to immerse them into a spiritual organism: the Body of Christ. The Bible tells us, in I Corinthians 12:13, that every true believer has been baptized into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. This was unique. This is something no one else could do.Yes, this was going to be a unique minister with a unique ministry…greater than any other. And John was preparing the way.

IN THE BEGINNING…
Jesus was baptized by John and affirmed by His Father

Mark 1:9-11 – “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

During the days that John the Baptist was preaching repentance and baptizing those who believed, here comes Jesus, from the obscure, belittled, town of Nazareth. And what is the very first thing Jesus does? He gets baptized. We know he wasn’t getting saved. There did not need to be confession of sins, because he had none. But certainly, being baptized was going to give those who would follow a very clear picture of identifying with Him. Jesus set the standard; and being baptized by John not only showed his support of the ministry of John the Baptist; but He was identifying with the sinners He came to save.

This was the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. What a start! And, just after he comes up out of the water, who shows up but God the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, and God the Father, whose voice comes from Heaven, affirming: “You are my beloved Son; and I am very pleased with you.” There was to be no doubt. The entire Godhead (the Trinity): Father, Son and Holy Spirit, were involved in the beginning of this ministry, which would save those who believed.

God was leaving no doubt: This is my Son, I love Him, and He has my full support. It is interesting that this would be a key issue of contention with the religious leaders of that day. They did not believe Jesus was from God; but those who witnessed His baptism, knew what they saw and what they heard. And as you will see in the book of Mark, those who experienced Jesus, and the change He brings, were the ones who believed.

Napolean Bonarparte said this, "You speak of Caesar, of Alexander, of their conquests and of the enthusiasm which they enkindled in the hearts of their soldiers; but can you conceive of a dead man making conquests, with an army faithful and entirely devoted to his memory? My armies have forgotten me even while living, as the Carthaginian army forgot Hannibal. Such is our power.I know men and I tell you, Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him.I search history in vain to find anyone similar to Jesus Christ, or anything which can approach the gospel. Neither history nor humanity, nor ages, nor nature, offer me anything with which I am able to compare it or to explain it. Here everything is extraordinary.”

And, of course, he was right. There has never been a man like Jesus Christ, who was also God. And there has never been a gospel like the good news about Jesus, which could forever change lives.

IN THE BEGINNING…
Jesus was tempted by Satan

Mark 1:12,13 – “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.”

There is more information about this temptation in the other gospels, but our focus is on what God wanted to communicate through Mark. And it is communicated in a straightforward and simple way here: God the Holy Spirit led God the Son into the wilderness for many days; and during that time, he was tempted to sin by Satan Himself. The very picture of the enemy of God personally showed up to try and lure Jesus, here at the beginning of His public ministry, into sin.

We are also told, here, that Jesus was with the wild animals, to further the dangerous picture of the wilderness as Satan’s domain. But, God protected him, in the midst of the danger and temptation, with His angels. It says here that they were ministering to Him. They were serving Him all throughout this battle. His Father had not left Him to struggle alone. His messengers were there to strengthen Him.

He battles Satan at the beginning of His ministry, and wins the victory. He will battle Satan at the end of His public ministry, and win again, as He dies on the cross and then rises from the dead. This was all foretold in the first book of the Bible, that tells the beginning of all things. In Genesis 3:15, God foretold of a time when the serpent, Satan, would bruise the heal of the ONE who would come from a woman; but that same man would crush Satan. This was the prophecy looking ahead to the coming Messiah: Jesus Christ.
At the very beginning of His ministry, Satan attempts to derail Him from what He had come to do. And what was that?

IN THE BEGINNING…
Jesus proclaimed the good news of God

Mark 1:14,15 – “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Near the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, John the Baptist was taken off the scene by ruler Herod Antipas, because John had publicly criticized Herod for divorcing his own wife so he could marry his brother’s. Mark tells us that after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, and it was now his time to proclaim the message he had come to proclaim. John had prepared the way, and now it was Jesus’ time.

Sadly, it had already been prophesied what the majority of the people would do with the good news Jesus was preaching:

Isaiah 53:1-3 – “Who has believed what they heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, And no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

But that did not stop Jesus from coming to proclaim the message He was sent to proclaim. Mark 1:14 says that Jesus was “proclaiming the gospel” (good news) of God; and here is what He was saying: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand…”

The first part of His good news (gospel) is: The time is fulfilled. With Jesus’ arrival on the scene, the time of preparation had been complete; and it was now time for Jesus to show people the way to God. In fact, the second part of the good news (gospel) is: “The kingdom of God is [near].”

Commentators Walvoord and Zuck wrote: “This presents a key feature of Jesus’ message. Kingdom means kingship or royal rule. Involved in the term is the sovereign authority of a ruler, the activity of ruling, and the realm of rule including its benefits…Thus the kingdom of God is a dynamic concept that refers to God’s sovereign activity of ruling over His Creation.”

The Kingdom of God is one of those potentially confusing themes in the Scriptures. It is one of those things that has the already, but not yet features. The Bible tells us that when we become a Christian, we have eternal life. We have it, already, but we have not experienced it yet. That is for when this life is over. The Kingdom of God is similar. We are to be preparing for it, by living for the Kingdom and abiding by Kingdom principles. But, the Kingdom of God will be experienced in the future. However, when Jesus came, the Kingdom of God came near.

What did Jesus mean: The Kingdom of God is near? I thought the Kingdom was still in the future. The people of Jesus’ day were familiar with the Kingdom concept from the Old Testament. They expected a Messiah would come to establish the Kingdom from the line of David here on Earth. Many of those who heard Jesus thought this is what he was talking about; and thought maybe Jesus would overthrow the Roman government and set up that Kingdom.

But, when Jesus said the Kingdom of God was near, as usual, the people did not understand what he was saying. He was not suggesting he would set up the kingdom right then; but that He, being sent by God the Father, was the good news of the Kingdom. The sovereign ruler had sent His Son to be the good news message. This is how you make it to the Kingdom. And in this sense, the Kingdom of God was truly near.

But, there was a response to the arrival of this good news, to the fact that the Messiah had now come. If you will, this was the SO WHAT? for the people of that day, who heard this message from Jesus Christ Himself. It is the last phrase of verse 15: “Repent and believe in the gospel.”

Although Jesus had just been baptized and certainly supported the prior ministry of John the Baptist, who had baptized those who believed, He made it clear – this is what you must do to be a part of the future Kingdom of God: “Repent and believe in the gospel.”

There were two aspects to this application:
First, they must Repent: It means to turn around and go the other direction. In this case, it meant to turn from what they were believing in to believe in this message. It means to have a change of mind. The message Jesus preached to all those who lived back then is the same good news message He proclaims and we proclaim today:

SO WHAT? [what does this have to do with you?]

Repent and Believe the Gospel
What might it mean for you to repent? Let’s say you are a very religious person and it is your desire to make it to Heaven by being good and religious enough. Jesus would say to you: You must repent – turn from that belief. You must start thinking differently. You cannot trust in yourself.

Ephesians 2:8,9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

If you are trusting in your good works to get you to Heaven, to get you to God, Jesus would tell you that you must turn around: Repent.

Maybe you are living a certain lifestyle. You are addicted to pornography; or you are living in adultery; or you are a continual liar; or you steal on a regular basis; or you are addicted to greed; or you are spiritually arrogant. Whatever sin struggles you have. You can fill in the blank. And Jesus comes to you and says: You must repent. You must turn from whatever it is you are addicted to, living for, can’t seem to turn away from. You must turn away from that and turn to me, giving your life to me, be willing to walk away from what has controlled you.

Can you see why this is so difficult for people? Most people are content with their religion, their morals, their lifestyle, their addictions. They may not like everything about their life, but they have found a comfort level, and they are not convinced that anything else is better than what they have right now; or that anything is worth the risk of life change. So, the majority of people in Jesus’ day, and the majority of people today remain religious to some extent, but will not turn from their present life to Jesus Christ. What about you?

In that day, just as today, there are many voices, religious voices, that offer a solution to our sin problem; and a way to get to God for eternity. But, in our day, just as in that day, there is only one voice, one way, one truth that leads to eternal life. And Jesus came proclaiming that He was the only way – the solution to their sin problem. Let’s take a look at a story that illustrates this truth.

VIDEO: A Man Fell Into A Hole

Not only must you repent, but Jesus said, you must believe in the gospel. You repent by turning away from whatever or whomever you have trusted in and turning toward Jesus Christ, the good news.

Believe in the gospel: They were to turn from believing in their religion to believing in the Messiah who has come: Jesus Christ. They needed to believe that He was, in person, the good news they had been waiting for…for centuries. They needed to commit fully to this message. This was a turning from their sinful lifestyle to following the ways of Christ. This was not going to be easy.

This was not the message they were expecting. This was not the Messiah they were expecting. But, this good news message, this person, who claimed to be the very Son of God, the promised Messiah, is exactly the message they needed to commit to. This was different. This was unique. They had to believe that this was now God in the flesh, in the form of a carpenter’s son from Nazareth. Could this be true?

Jesus would return one day and set up His Kingdom, and we are still waiting for that. But, when Jesus spoke these words, the Kingdom was near because Jesus, the future King had come to Earth, to bring salvation to those who believe. And again, let me reiterate that Jesus was not just looking for people to say a prayer of belief. He was looking for people to demonstrate their belief by life change. He was looking for people who would step forward and say: I believe in Jesus Christ and I am giving my life to Him. I will obey.

The people of Jesus’ day were in the same hole all of us start in. And only Jesus Christ, because of what He would do on the cross, could save us out of that hole and bring us to live for God. Our responsibility is to repent and believe. He will not save us if we want to continually try to save ourselves. And finally,

IN THE BEGINNING…
Jesus called His first disciples
Mark 1:16,17 – “Passing alongside the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

According to scholars: “The Sea of Galilee, a warm-water lake about 7 miles wide, 13miles long, and 685 feet below sea level, was the scene of a thriving fishing industry. It was geographically central to Jesus’ Galilean ministry.”

Jesus is walking along the shore and he sees Simon (surnamed Peter) and his brother Andrew casting a net (probably a circular fishing net about 10-15 feet in diameter). And the text tells us that they were doing this because this is who they were: they were fisherman. This defined them. This was their job…their livelihood. They were fisherman. And listen to Jesus’ words to them…
“Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” How strange this must have been. But, apparently the Holy Spirit had been working on Simon and Andrew; because after Jesus made this challenge, this call to them to follow Him as disciples, they didn’t hesitate:

Mark 1:18 – “And immediately they left their nets and followed him.”

They were fisherman. Now, they were, at once, going to walk away and follow this Jesus, who claimed he would make them into something completely different. I don’t think they had any idea what being a fisher of people was going to be like; but they made the commitment to leave their old life and start a new one.

Mark 1:19,20 – “And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.”

Jesus keeps walking, and sees a couple other fishermen. They were fixing their nets. He also called them; and they also left immediately to follow Him. In this case, it mentions they left their father and the men who worked for their father in the fishing business; and they became followers of Christ.

It is hard for us to imagine. You are working the family business. Your father is hoping you will take it over one day when he retires. In walks this stranger, who tells you that if you will follow him now and in the future, he will change your life and cause you to find other followers as well. And you tell your dad: see you dad…got to go with this strange man. All I can say is that when Jesus called these men, the Spirit must have prepared their hearts, and they were ready to leave everything and follow Him.

SO WHAT? [what about us…today?]

It is almost unbelievable; but do you know the truth? It is the same call Jesus still gives today; and He has given that call to you. Some of you in the past, responded to that call. You left whatever belief system you had in the past and you put all of your faith in this God whom you cannot see. Some of you, still today, are holding on to your belief system and Jesus is giving you the challenge: Come follow me.

I listened to Andy Stanley, pastor of North Pointe Community Church talk about this in our Sunday school class video series. Jesus said, Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men. He did not say, Come follow me and I will make you rich or happy or safe or comfortable or faithful or a better person or sinless. He specifically told them that if they followed him, his main goal was to turn them into those who would fish for people instead of fish. It is no different today:

SO WHAT?
Follow Me and Fish for the Hearts of People

That is His challenge and call to you. It is not just following Christ to church. It is following Christ, which means leaving things, even relationships that are very important to you. And it means learning to reach out to other people who are not yet followers of Christ. This call to fish for people is not just for pastors or missionaries or evangelists. This call to fish for the hearts of people and direct them to the good news of Jesus Christ is for EVERY PERSON who follows Him. Do you believe that?

The story is told that Mark Twain loved to go fishing, but he hated to catch fish. The problem was he went fishing to relax, and catching fish ruined his relaxation, since he had to take the fish off the hook and do something with it. When he wanted to relax by doing nothing, people thought he was lazy, but if he went fishing he could relax all he wanted. People would see him sitting by the river bank and they would say, “Look, he’s fishing, don’t bother him.”

So Mark Twain had the perfect solution: he would take a fishing pole, line, and a bobber, but he wouldn’t put a hook on the end. He would cast the bobber in the water and lay back on the bank. That way he could relax all he wanted and he would be bothered neither by man nor fish. Mark Twain is like a lot of Christians I know. They have their pole in the water, but there is no hook on the end. They are not fishing; they are relaxing. Do you think this is what Jesus had in mind when he said: follow me and I will make you fish for men? Of course not. But it is true for me, and many other followers of Christ: we have our pole in the water so people think we are fishing; but many times, we are just relaxing, enjoying the benefits of the Christian life without the risks of fishing for the hearts of people.

Let me put this in the context of your life. Not too many of you spend your days fishing for your livelihood. Some of you might do it as a hobby on the weekends. What is your job? What defines you?

For some of you who are housewives or husbands. You love your family and spend most of your time caring for your children and home. Family is your life. Jesus comes to you and says: Come, follow me, and I will not only make you a part of my family; but I will make you into someone who brings others into my family.

He comes to you, the salesman, and says: Come follow me, and I will turn you into someone who convinces people to invest their life in eternity.

To the mechanic, to the construction worker, he says: Come follow me, and I will teach you to build something that last forever – build into other people’s lives for the Kingdom of God.

Take whatever defines you, like fishing defined these men; and listen to Jesus’ words: Be willing to leave what you know and are comfortable with, but is temporal; and be willing to be trained to give your life in order to share the good news with others – for eternal value.

I realize that some of us read this and listen to this, and we think: that’s alright for the disciples. They were special men. But, I can’t do that. But, I think one of the reasons we have recorded in Scripture what we do, is to remind us of this truth: Jesus called normal guys. He called men and women with real sin issues. He called men and women who would fail Him miserable…and often.

He has called every one of you who has trusted in Him alone for salvation. And if that is true of you, then it is also true that he has called you to be used in someone else’s life, to bring them the good news of salvation. Jesus has called you to it, and promised that he will do the work.

Philippians 1:6 – “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

HAND OUT THE CARDS

You are being handed out, right now, a card, that will help you remember what we have talked about today. Would you please consider the 2 key applications for today? These are the 2 things Jesus told those who experienced him for the first time 2,000 years ago; and it is the same things he tells you and I today:

Repent and Believe: If you have been trusting in a church, in a religion; or in your own good works, this is the first decision you must make: Turn from whatever you have been trusting and place your complete faith and trust in Jesus Christ for your salvation. If you want to do that, you can make that decision in your heart and mind when we pray. Just let us know you have made that decision so we can rejoice with you and help you take the next steps of growth.

Or, perhaps you have already repented and believed in the past, but you have not publicly identified with Jesus Christ, following His example through baptism following your conversion. If that is something you are interested in doing, please let me or Pastor Steve know.

Secondly, Jesus says to you what He said to them: Follow Me and I will make you become fishers of men.

The Sunday school elective I am teaching right now deals with this issue: How can we learn to share the good news of Jesus Christ, when it doesn’t seem to come naturally? If you are not attending another class already, I invite you to come for the next several Sunday school classes.
Maybe for you the decision is to truly follow Christ with all you have, leaving some addiction or sin struggle or idol behind. Perhaps, for you, it is about your willingness to share the good news of Jesus with others, rather than justifying the fact that your pole has been in the water, with no hook on it.