Kingdom of God Appears in a Person Mark 1 9-13-12

WELCOME

It is so glad to see each of you ladies here tonight. Did you enjoy your Bible Study? How are you enjoying your Core? Did your Core Leader contact you last week and pray for you?

Mark 2 The Good News is Mark is a wonderful book with a plethora of parables and stories about Jesus. The Bad News is I can’t cover Chapter 1 in 20 mins.

Good News and Bad News.

Bad News: A guy falls out of an airplane.
Good News: He has a parachute. 
Bad News: The parachute doesn't work.
Good News: There is a hay stack down below.
Bad News: There is a pitchfork in the hay stack.
Good News: He missed the pitchfork.
Bad News: He missed the hay stack.

What is the Bad News? Seems to me most of our news on television and in the paper today is BAD. Worse than bad; horrible, awful, unthinkable!

But the GOOD NEWS is God had a plan for our Salvation.

I know “Who is in charge!” of the election, who is in charge of my Social Security, who is in charge of my health and my money!!!

Jesus Christ is Lord of all; Sovereign over all the earth.  The news we need to spread is

 1 Timothy 1:15 “Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”  

 The good news that Jesus paid the price to redeem me from all my sins, once and for all.

PRAY

God had a plan for our Salvation

•      God prepared the way for Our Redeemer vv.1-8

•      Jesus proved His Obedience vv. 9-15

•      Jesus knew His Purpose  vv. 16-45

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

 Mark offers to the gentile world the Good News. He opens his gospel with the words that tells us Jesus Christ is the son of God.  At Jesus baptism by John, the Spirit descends and a voice from heaven declares “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” In Mark 15:39 After the crucifixion of Christ on the cross His divinity is again validated by a Gentile. The Roman centurion utters, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

God prepared the way for Jesus the Messiah vv.1-8

God had prepared for our Salvation before the beginning of time. Even as He gave the 10 Commandments to Moses, God knew we were unable to save ourselves.

Mark begins his Good News with an introduction of the forerunner of Christ. Quoting Isaiah the prophet;

2-“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”

In ancient times messengers were sent ahead to prepare the people for the visit of a King. Even with the hugh crowds that thronged to see this unusual man and hear his message,  John the Baptist was careful to magnify Jesus and not himself. John’s message of repentance and  baptism of sinners were preparation for the people to be ready to meet and trust the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Have you accepted God’s plan for your Salvation?

Jesus Obedience to the Father

•      Baptism in the Spirit vv.1-8

•      Wilderness Experience vv.9-15

•      His Ministry vv.16-45

Jesus was baptized not because he had sinned, but as an act of obedience to His Father's purposes.

The Spirit of God descended on Him as a dove. It was a proclamation that identified Jesus Christ with the coming Messianic Kingdom. Also, it marks the beginning of Jesus’ ministry on earth.

Wilderness Experience

vv 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.

Again, why was Jesus who knew no sin required to go into the wilderness, suffer hunger, loneliness and fatigue then be subjected to temptation?

Hebrews 2:18 (ESV) For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Application: Have you ever been in the wilderness of divorce, loss of a loved one, or without financial support? When you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired you are the perfect target for the Satan’s schemes. Remember your best defense is the WORD of God.

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV) For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword.

God’s plan for our Salvation includes a guidebook: “the Bible.” Have you committed key verses from God’s WORD for you defense?

His Ministry

Mark introduces Jesus as he began his ministry with two crucial actions the very private event of battling Satan in the wilderness and the very public action of calling his first disciples.

 “I will make you to become fishers of men”

Jesus first recorded act of ministry was calling four fishermen.

Mark 1:16Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, and called them by name.

 Not that He simply knows their name,  but He knew them. He drew them to Himself with the Words, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

It is important to note that when Jesus called these men, they were not at that time what Jesus wanted them to become. He did not require them to change anything in their lives before they became His.

 

The Gospels revealed most of these men were:
• common laborers
• poor
• uneducated
• little spiritual perception
• self-centered
• often harsh
• proud
• weak
• cowardly
• selfish

 

Do any of these describe you before you met Jesus? God’s plan for our Salvation does not  require us to change before we accept His call.

You’ve heard it said “You catch ‘em and He’ll clean ‘em.” He promised to “make” them (poieo) to “become” fishers of men.

“Fishers of men” with a common description used by philosophers of that day.  For teachers to capture a man's mind they would bait the hook with their teaching and acquire disciples.

It was likely that at least seven of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen. Jesus knew the qualities of successful fishermen would be patience, energy, stamina, faith, and tenacity, courage, and the ability to work together. These fishermen left family ties, their occupation, and their belongings to follow Christ. Hook, Line & Sinker

Think about it. When Christ calls us, what are our priorities and impediments that must be surrendered in order to be free to follow Jesus.

Illustration: Last year in third grade my grandson Brayden studied about “opportunity cost” in Economics. The thing that you must give up to choose another item is called your opportunity cost.

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer pointed out in his book, The Cost of Discipleship,

“ Jesus does not call us to cheap grace.  He calls us to costly discipleship.”

What He wills us to become, He promises to fulfill. 1 Thess.: 5:24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

Application- Ladies what is your opportunity cost to follow Jesus and become fishers of men?  Will you join in God’s plan for Salvation to the lost?

What was Jesus PURPOSE?

·        Teach in the synagogue v.21

·        Cast out unclean spirits vv.23-28

·        Heal the sick vv. 30-33

·        Spend time alone with His Father v. 35

·        Preach to throughout all Galilee 37-45

·        Fulfill God’s Plan of Salvation

Jesus found time to pray

Even the Son of God needed alone time with His Father. How much more do we need to spend time in prayer! Think about accepting His Call to follow Him and to become fishers of men.

Joseph Stowell (pastor Moody Church) “We have become quite happy to call ourselves Christians with little or no thought of following.”

Paul Harvey said, "Too many Christians are no longer fishers of men, but keepers of the aquarium."

What does it mean to follow Jesus?

John Hamby suggests

•Lay aside your personal ambition and plans in order to fully follow Christ.
•Purpose in your life to better reflect the light of Christ to those around you.
•Look for and take opportunities to share with others what Jesus has done for you. 

Perhaps you are thinking, “I can’t witness to people about Jesus. I can’t even talk to my family.”

FINAL ILLUSTRATION

 Moody SS Teacher There was a man in Texas that couldn’t read, but he got himself a pocket full of tracts and went out to the highway and started hitchhiking. When someone picked him up, he would ask them to read the tract to him and then he would tell them what Jesus had done for Him. He would try to lead that person to Jesus. When he finished witnessing to that individual, he would get out and hitch a ride back the other way. Again, asking the person to read him the tract and telling them about Jesus. In his first year, this illiterate man had brought 168 people to the Lord. He wasn’t a theologian, but he knew who Jesus was!

What does responding publicly mean to us in this time of political debate? We as Christians have been silent too long.  When we vote in November; we need stand for what is right and vote the Bible.

Would you choose to follow God’s plan for your life?  PRAY