INTRODUCTION
- Faith, what is it?
- When we speak of faith, what are we speaking of?
- When we speak of faith, are we speaking of only believing something?
- As Mark Moore states in our Core 52 reading, "A rational recognition that Jesus died and rose from the dead doesn't always translate into a life transformed. After all, even the demons believe that (James 2:19)."
Moore, Mark E E. Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Build Your Bible IQ in a Year (p. 187). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
- Belief is reasonable, but it misses the essence of what Jesus means when He speaks on the subject.
- Reducing faith to a feeling or even to personal experience misses the point of what Jesus meant when He spoke on the subject.
- Today, we are in week two of our series within Core 52, A Guide to Greatness, from the Gospel of Mark.
- Mark begins his Gospel by talking about the ministry of John the Baptist.
- Mark then moves to the ministry of Jesus.
- Our focus is on Mark 1:15, a verse that encapsulates the essence of Jesus' inaugural message as He began His public ministry.
- This single verse is packed with power and purpose, offering us timeless truths that are just as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago.
- In our passage, Jesus calls us to a response to the Gospel Mark speaks of in verse one.
- Let's examine the all-important message from Jesus that marked the beginning of His public teaching ministry.
- Today, we will be covering. Mark 1:15.
Mark 1:15 (NET 2nd ed.)
15 He said, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the gospel!”
SERMON
I. The fulfillment of time.
- As we examine the first point, let's consider the profound significance of Jesus' proclamation, "The time is fulfilled."
- This statement marks a pivotal moment in the history of God's redemptive plan, signifying that the long-awaited promises and prophecies were coming to fruition in the person and ministry of Jesus Christ.
- John had paved the way for the Messiah, and now Jesus picked up the mantle.
- When Jesus speaks of the time being fulfilled, He harkens back to the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming Messiah!
- The arrival of the Messiah had been foretold for centuries.
- Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel spoke of a coming Savior who would redeem Israel and bring hope to all nations.
- Isaiah 7:14 prophesied the virgin birth, which was fulfilled in Jesus.
- Isaiah 9:6-7 foretold His eternal reign. Micah 5:2 predicted His birth in Bethlehem.
- All these prophecies and more were fulfilled in Jesus, confirming He is the promised Messiah.
- Jesus alludes to God's sovereignty and timing!
Galatians 4:4 (NET 2nd ed.)
4 But when the appropriate time had come, God sent out his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
- The fulfillment of time also signifies the arrival of the Kingdom of God. With Jesus' incarnation, the Kingdom was no longer a distant promise but a present reality.
- The King had come to establish His rule and reign on earth.
- Jesus' declaration marked the beginning of a new era in God'sJesus' redemptive plan.
- Through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, the Old Covenant was being fulfilled, and a New Covenant was being established.
Hebrews 1:1–2 (NET 2nd ed.)
1 After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets,
2 in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world.
- The beginning of Jesus' ministry was a planned event from our sovereign God!
- God's timing was perfect, and we can rely on God's timing in our lives, too!
- Jesus calls us to live with an awareness of God's timing and purposes for our lives.
- The fulfillment of time also signifies the arrival of the Kingdom of God.
- With Jesus' incarnation, the Kingdom was no longer a distant promise but a present reality.
- The King had come to establish His rule and reign.
- - Jesus begins His ministry by telling us what we have been waiting for is here!
- It is time to get serious; it is time to make some changes in your life.
Mark 1:15 (NET 2nd ed.)
15 He said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the gospel!”
II. The call to repentance.
- Because the Kingdom was near and is here, the first thing Jesus calls to is repentance.
Repentance is a central theme in Jesus' teachings and is crucial for entering the Kingdom of God.
- In Mark 1:15, Jesus' command to repent is not just a call for moral reformation but a transformative invitation to realign our lives with God's will.
- The Greek word for repentance means a change of mind and heart.
- Repentance involves turning away from sin and turning towards God.
- Repentance is not merely feeling sorry for our sins but includes a genuine resolve to change our behavior and align our lives with God's standards.
- Repentance is not being sorry you got caught; you are sorry you sinned against someone or God to the point of transformation!
2 Corinthians 7:9–10 (NET 2nd ed.)
9 Now I rejoice, not because you were made sad, but because you were made sad to the point of repentance. For you were made sad as God intended so that you were not harmed in any way by us.
10 For sadness as intended by God produces a repentance that leads to salvation, leaving no regret, but worldly sadness brings about death.
- We see repentance play in the story of the Prodigal Son.
- When the young man was broken, he returned to his father with a desire to be transformed.
- The son recognizes his sin, turns away from his wayward lifestyle, and returns to his father with a contrite heart.
- The parable shows God's readiness to forgive and restore those who come to Him in genuine repentance.
- After his sin with Bathsheba, David's heartfelt repentance is recorded in Psalm 51.
- He acknowledges his sin, seeks God's mercy, and desires a renewed spirit.
- Repentance is the doorway through which we step into a new life with God, leaving behind our old ways and embracing the new life He offers.
- Repentance is not a one-time event but a continuous attitude and practice.
- As Christians, we are called to live a life of ongoing repentance, constantly turning away from sin and turning toward God.
- True repentance leads to a transformed life.
- When we turn away from sin and turn toward God, our attitudes, behaviors, and actions begin to reflect Christ's character.
- We must be willing to examine our hearts, thoughts, and actions on a continual basis to see where we need to realign our lives with God.
Acts 3:19–20 (NET 2nd ed.)
19 Therefore repent and turn back so that your sins may be wiped out,
20 so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and so that he may send the Messiah appointed for you—that is, Jesus.
- Without repentance, we cannot move forward in our faith or life.
- Let's move to our final calling for the day.
Mark 1:15 (NET 2nd ed.)
15 He said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the gospel!”
III. The call to faith.
- Jesus says that since the Kingdom is near, we are called to repent and believe in the Gospel!
- First off, what is the Gospel?
- It is the story of Jesus and how His life, death, burial, and resurrection afford us the opportunity for eternal life, to have our sins forgiven, and to be made right before God through His blood!
- The word we translate as BELIEVE in this verse comes from the same root word from which we get the word faith.
- When Jesus tells us to believe the Gospel, what does He mean?
- Does Jesus mean from an intellectual standpoint?
- Believe all the facts of the Gospel, and remember all the dates, words, and principles of said Gospel.
- I do believe that is part of it.
- When Jesus speaks of believing, does He mean we are to have a feeling for the Gospel, an emotional connection?
- I would say that can be part of it.
- Or is Jesus calling us to something deeper?
- When Jesus speaks of believing in the Gospel, He is calling us to be loyal to it.
- Mark Moore has a great illustration of this concerning Josephus that illustrates the point well.
- Belief or faith is much deeper than a feeling, grasping, or acknowledging a set of facts; it is a transfer of loyalties and fidelity to the Gospel.
- Repentance goes right alongside belief because repentance involves a change of heart.
- The Gospel, Jesus, is the direction that change is to turn toward!
Hebrews 11:1 (NET 2nd ed.)
1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.
- The Hebrews passage has been used to define faith; however, that is not accurate, Hebrews 11:1 is not a definition of faith but rather a description of what faith does!
- A better translation of faith in that passage would be faithfulness!
- Being sure of and conviction of things not seen leads us to change our allegiance from the world to Jesus!
- We trust in the Gospel so much that we are willing to give our lives to it and Jesus's person!
- Abraham, referred to as the "father of faith," Abraham's life exemplified faith when he obeyed God's call to leave his homeland without knowing where he was going (Hebrews 11:8).
- Abraham's faith in God led him to be loyal to God and His call.
- Loyalty, faithfulness, and belief will lead us to live for and serve Jesus.
- Faith is vital in our relationship with God!
Hebrews 11:6 (NET 2nd ed.)
6 Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
- We have to display our faith, which is how we show God we are loyal to him.
- Our faith and loyalty manifest themselves in what we do.
James 2:15–25 (NET 2nd ed.)
15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it?
17 So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works.
19 You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that—and tremble with fear.
20 But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
22 You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works.
23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.
24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
25 And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way?
- Look at verse 24 again!
- A person is justified and made right by God, not by FAITH ALONE but by the works we do in His name.
- This is NOT earning salvation; the works are a RESULT of our loyalty to God.
Ephesians 2:10 (NET 2nd ed.)
10 For we are his creative work, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.
- Jesus is calling us to be loyal to Him and committed to Him, not the world!
CONCLUSION
- Mark Moore makes an important point concerning faith, obedience, and works,
- Faith, in essence, is loyalty.
- Obedience is the expression of loyalty, not PROOF of it.
- Our "works" are the natural and inevitable expression of the fidelity we pledge to our King, KING JESUS!
- We see so much bad theology from the misguided Free Grace movement, which emphasizes the belief that salvation is a free gift from God that is received solely through faith in Jesus Christ, without the necessity of works or additional conditions, to those who think we can earn our ticket to Heaven.
- The truth is that God calls us to be loyal to Him, and part of loyalty is letting our lives be His.
- We do not bend God to our will; we align our will with His!
- The call to faith is an invitation to enter into a dynamic and transformative relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
- It's about moving from mere acknowledgment to deep, abiding trust.
To do anything less is to cheat yourself out of blessings and to cheat others out of the opportunity to see what a transformed life in Christ looks like!
