When Life Feels Out of Control – Mark 1

Pastor Dan Walker, PhD, MDiv

When Life Slips Through Our Fingers

My message today is :When Life Feels Out of Control. There are moments when life feels like it slips through our fingers. A job ends without warning, and the security we depended on suddenly disappears.

The numbers do not add up. The future feels uncertain. Yet, God’s Word says:

Philippians 4:19 (ESV) And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
This promise is for someone today to believe and claim through prayer to see it fulfilled in your life. Maybe a doctor walks into the room with news we were not prepared to hear. Pain lingers longer than we expected or our strength feels diminished.

Yet God’s Word says:

Psalm 103:2-3 (ESV) Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
Another promise to believe and claim through prayer. Or maybe tensions are rising in the home and conversations grow sharp. A child may be drifting in the wrong direction or a marriage is strained.

The atmosphere shifts from peace to pressure. But God’s Word says:

Psalm 34:18 (ESV) The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Even when things feel out of our control, the Lord is near to us. He can give us hope and direction. In every one of those moments, we’ve just talked about and many others, Life seems out of control.

So, we scramble to fix things. We attempt to manage what overwhelms us. But that is not the answer and often makes things worse.

Today we’re going to continue our study of Jesus in the gospel of Mark. When Jesus speaks, He has authority over the direction of our lives and over the attacks of darkness. Jesus still speaks to us today, through His Word and His Spirit.

When life feels out of control, we are not abandoned. We are invited to trust the one who commands what we cannot.

Follow Jesus When He Redirects Your Life

Mark 1:16 (ESV) 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.
Jesus is walking alongside the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee. He sees two brothers working together as fishermen. They were casting their nets into the sea and then hauling them back with the fish they had caught.

This was their job, this was how Simon and Andrew supported their families. They ate the fish and sold it to provide income.

Mark 1:17 (ESV) And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men."
Jesus speaks to the brothers and first calls them to follow me. Jesus’ authority begins with a call. He does not offer self-improvement, He offers transformation.

Jesus does not merely adjust their schedule, He calls them to a completely new way of life. When they answer His call, He promises that He will make them fishers of men. Jesus was calling these brothers to redirect their lives.

From working all day and night to support themselves to a whole new way of life. I doubt the brothers knew what it meant to be a fisher of men, but they were willing to find out. So, how would they respond?

Mark 1:18 (ESV) And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
The brothers immediately obeyed Jesus’ command to follow Him. They didn’t talk it over for a while, together, they obeyed. In order to do that they had to leave their nets behind.

They trusted His authority more than their income and livelihood. It always costs you something to follow Jesus.

Mark 1:19 (ESV) 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.
As Jesus walked further along the shoreline, he met two more brothers. They were not fishing but were mending their torn nets to prepare for fishing.

Mark 1:20 (ESV) And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
The call was the same, to follow Him and the promise that He would make them fishers of men. This surrender was deeper than that of the first two brothers. James and John left not only their nets, but their father and the family business.

Jesus may call us to trust Him beyond our comfort and even our family. Follow Jesus when He redirects your life.

Becoming Fishers of Men in Everyday Life

How does Jesus redirect our lives today? It begins with His call to every person to redirect their lives and follow Him. You see everyone is following something or someone.

To be saved, we must repent and turn away from whatever sin we were following and choose to follow Jesus. As a follower of Jesus, we must submit to His plan for our lives. His plan for our lives is the same as it was for the first disciples.

Every follower of Jesus must learn to be a fisher of men. Everyone is fishing for something in life. Fishing for money, fame, satisfaction, pleasure, and so on.

Jesus calls every follower to become a fisher of men. What is a fisher of men? A fisher of men is a follower of Jesus who calls on others to follow Jesus.

Following Jesus and His redirection of our lives is not just a onetime event. It is a lifelong pursuit, to follow Jesus and make more followers of Jesus. As a follower of Jesus, He will speak to you and help you grow closer to Him and more effective in fishing for men.

Are you seeking to grow as a fisher of men? Ask Jesus to help you. Submit to Jesus’ Authority in His Word.

Submit to Jesus’ Authority in His Word

Mark 1:21 (ESV) And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.
The scene now shifts as Jesus enters a synagogue and begins to teach. Jesus is not only Lord over vocation, but He is also Lord in worship. He begins to teach the people, some were His followers and others were not.

His authority is revealed through the truth of His teaching.

Mark 1:22 (ESV) And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.
The scribes taught in the synagogue regularly, but Jesus’ teaching was different. He spoke with authority the word of God and not just the traditions that the scribes taught. Jesus’ teaching was so different that the people were astonished.

Then there was another reaction to Jesus’ teaching.

Mark 1:23 (ESV) And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out.
Jesus’ teaching through the power of the Holy Spirit caused a demon in a man to cry out. An unclean spirit is just another name for a demon. Demons can control people, hurt people and speak through them.

I’ll just add that demons are real and they are all around us, whether we realize it or not. But it’s important to realize that Jesus’ Spirit-led teaching caused the demon to manifest, to reveal its presence.

Mark 1:24 (ESV) "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God."
The demon expressed fear of Jesus coming to destroy all demons. The demon knows that Jesus is the Holy One of God. The unclean spirit recognized the authority and power of Jesus.

Not only was Jesus’ teaching with authority impacting the people listening, but also the unseen demonic realm. Submit to Jesus’ authority in His Word.

Establishing Rhythms That Anchor You in Scripture

In Jesus’ teaching, He makes it clear that all of the Bible is the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation. Although some Bible translations highlight Jesus’ words in red, all the words in the Bible are inspired by the Holy Spirit. All of the words of Scripture are authoritative for every follower of Jesus.

How can we grow in our understanding of God’s Word? There are three simple ways and I believe each is essential for every follower of Jesus and for every family. First of all, make a daily practice of reading God’s Word and praying over it.

Make a weekly practice of attending Sunday services and listening to the teaching of God’s Word. Finally, make a weekly practice of being part of a Life Group and discussing God’s Word with others. These three practices are essential for every follower of Jesus.

If you’re not taking advantage of these three practices commanded by Scripture, make a decision today to practice each one. The Word of God can reveal and set you free from demonic spirits that seek to harm you.

Rest in Jesus’ Authority Over Darkness

Mark 1:25 (ESV) But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!"
Jesus is speaking directly to the demon who is speaking through the man. He commands the demon to not talk anymore and to leave the man. He takes authority over the unclean spirit and sets the man free.

Obviously, the demon was negatively impacting the man’s life at other times as well.

Mark 1:26 (ESV) And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.
For some reason, when demons are cast out of a person, they often throw them into convulsions and scream as they come out. The demon submitted to Jesus’ authority and the man was set free.

Mark 1:27 (ESV) And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him."
We learn that the people in the synagogue are amazed again. They were amazed at the authority of His teaching and now His authority over demons. Jesus’ teaching and His power carry the same authority.

His Word and His works align. When life feels out of control, we need both truth to guide us and power to free us.

Mark 1:28 (ESV) And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
Both the teaching of Jesus and His authority over demons caused the news of Him to spread throughout the area. Miracles further the spread of the gospel as they get people’s attention.

Living Fearlessly Under Christ’s Greater Authority

When life feels out of control, sometimes demons are involved. The people in Jesus’ day understood demons and they are still with us. Yet, most people don’t even believe they exist today.

In the Bible, demons can speak through people, they can cause all manners of disability, mental illness, addictions or sickness. Are all things like this caused by demons? No, but many are. Repeated sin or trauma can open the door for demons to invade.

Sometimes demonic oppression can happen through no fault of a person. In the name of Jesus, followers of Jesus can take authority over demons afflicting people. We know from Scripture that demons can affect children and adults.

The safest place is to be following Jesus and part of our church family. We can bring areas of spiritual struggle into the light, instead of hiding them in shame. We can pray boldly over our families, trusting that Jesus has authority over every dark influence.

Sometimes demons can scare children at night or in their dreams. Prayer over them in Jesus’ name can set them free. We don’t have to fear the darkness, because Jesus’ authority is greater.

Trusting the Authority of Jesus in Every Storm

When a job disappears, when a diagnosis arrives, when tension fills a home, the instinct is to try to fix it ourselves. We want control because control feels like safety. Rather we need to rely on Jesus and His authority over our situation.

. Follow Jesus when He redirects your life, as He will do often. Submit to Jesus’ authority in His Word on a daily and weekly basis. Rest in Jesus’ authority over darkness of all kinds

When life feels out of control, Jesus calls us to trust His authority and rest in His power. The fishermen surrendered direction and found purpose. The demonized man experienced chaos and found freedom.

The watching crowd encountered confusion and found the truth. The authority of Jesus addresses every situation.

📘 Continue the Journey

Reflect deeper and apply this week’s message with the Message Study Guide — perfect for personal devotions, family discussion, or your Life Group.

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