The Good News

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Mark  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  15:34
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Is believing enough?

Growing up, one of the shows we seemed to see every year was the 1960’s TV version of Peter Pan with Mary Martins as Peter Pan, the boy who wouldn’t grow up.
At one point Tinkerbell drank poison which had been left for Peter Pan to drink and die from .
The little blinking light that was Tinkerbell started to dim and slow and they
brought Tinkerbell close to the camera.
They call on ALL the children watching to say
I believe in Fairies
hurry, hurry say it
I believe in Fairies
If enough children said that,
Tinkerbell's life would be saved.
I remember not liking that scene at all
both because it was tense, Tinkerbell was dying and
Because I wasn’t so sure I believed in fairies,
but they were going to blame me if
I didn’t go along with them and help save Tinkerbell.
In today's Bible passage, believing is very important but it tied with another activity, a choice.
What is that activity?
Repent and Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Repent and believe.
Believing in Jesus without repentance is about as useful as
a car without gasoline.
It might be a comfortable place to sit,
It might be dry and out of the weather
but it wont get you anywhere.
We are going to read the beginning of Marks gospel today beginning at 1:1
And you will see that repentance and believe go together
Mark 1:1–15 NIV
1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”— 3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ” 4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” 12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him. 14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Verse one was packed with important things
Mark 1:1 NIV
1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God,
Mark begins his Gospel, his message of good news declaring
Jesus is the Messiah
Jesus is the Son of God
The Messiah is the anointed one, the savior, God’s rescuer.
Part of the reason the Messiah can do this,
is that he is the son of God.
Not an adopted son or daughter of God but
the Son of God.
Mark doesn’t give us back story of Jesus birth, nothing about a star,
wise men or fleeing to Egypt,
but he does want us to know how God prepared the way for his Son
to come and do his work.
God sent John the Baptizer ahead of Jesus
Mark 1:2–3 NIV
2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”— 3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ”

How does John the Baptist prepare the way?

Does he go trying to persuade the religious leaders?
Does he hang out is Jerusalem,
near the Temple?
No, he lives out in the wilderness and
starts telling people his message.
Only a message from God can start in an obscure place and reach many people.
Mark 1:4 NIV
4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
John is not preaching easy salvation.
It was salvation based on repentance.
Yet word of John and his message spread and
many people were coming to him.
Mark 1:5 NIV
5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

Was John the Baptist young, well dressed, well thought of man from Jerusalem?

No, he wasn’t well dressed, and he didn’t preach in Jerusalem.
He probably looked like a rebel
Mark 1:6 NIV
6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
Have you ever eaten locust?
I caught one once and wanted to fry it, but none of the neighbors seemed to have oil that I could borrow that afternoon.
I don’t think I would care for locust and honey all the time.
In addition to preaching about repentance and forgiveness, John the baptist also told everyone about someone coming after him that was so important, John didn’t feel worthy enough to tie his sandels.
That is he prepared people for the coming of jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God.
Mark 1:7–8 NIV
7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
We get the Holy Spirit when we repent and believe. Yet learning to hear, to listen to his voice takes time.
As we go on in years, we will either learn to hear, or ignore that still small voice that sometimes is not so small.
So, after John had ministered for a while, and people were prepared, then

God sent his Son Jesus to be baptised too and God the Father sent a miraculous sign.

Mark 1:9–10 NIV
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
Well two signs
First the heavens opened and the dove landed on Jesus
Then second
Mark 1:11 NIV
11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
What did the voice from heaven say
“You are my son”
So now Mark stated that Jesus is God’s son in verse 1.
And now we see the first reason to believe it
The voice from heaven saying
“You are my son”
Not only that but God also said from heaven about the son
Whom I love with you I am well pleased”
Already Jesus was living a life that pleased the Father.

The wilderness and testing

Then Mark gives us a very brief account of Jesus testing in the wilderness
Mark 1:12–13 NIV
12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
Other Gospels say more about Jesus wilderness time, and the tempting from the Devil.
Times of testing, loanly low times often come after high points in ministry.
They often come just before something big is started.
If Jesus had to go through hard times
we shouldn’t expect to skate through life of easy street either.
It was God’s will that Jesus be tested.

Jesus ministry begins

So after 40 days, the testing came to an end.
Mark 1:14 NIV
14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.
Sadly, the work, the public ministry of John the Baptist has come to an end.
But he was faithful to his calling,
Much of the country had a new awakening to Gods work and was ready for Jesus to come proclaiming the good news.
And this was the good news,
in a nut shell
that Jesus had to say.
Mark 1:15 NIV
15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Jesus said
“Repent and believe.”
He didn’t say
If enough of you believe, we can all be forgiven.
Believing in God is not enough to be forgiven.
It has to be accompanied with repentance.
as James says
James 2:19 NIV
19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
But the good new is, if we Repent and believe we can be saved,
That is very good news.
Let’s pray
Lord help us to understand how importance repentance is to forgiveness.
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