Mark 1:14-15 "Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into
Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time
is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe
the gospel." (KJV)
I have come this morning to bring you news that has eternal implications.
A news that should have been expected and has long been looming on the
spiritual horizon of this nation and beyond.
JOHN IS IN PRISON
THE TIME IS FULFILLED
THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND
You may be wondering this morning what I mean by the statement "John is in
prison"
The same spirit that sought to silence John the Baptist as he went about
preaching in Jerusalem, Judea and all about the region of Jordan- has too
been loosed on this nation.
And just like in the days of John the Baptist- this spirit has been loosed
everywhere from the church house to the white house- it is a spirit that
seeks to:
1. Silence the truth
2. Impede the Power
3. Harden the heart
4. Blind the Eyes
5. Satisfy the Flesh
>>Silence the truth by offering a pastel pink substitute for a blood-red
gospel- we have so sought to reach the masses and fill the seats of
man-made ministries, that we have diluted the life changing truth into a
heart hardening, seeker-friendly, mealy mouthed rhetoric- void of any
conviction, commitment or compassion
>>Impede the power by creating a prayerless church- the Body of Christ had
substituted the intimacy of the prayer closet for the pageantry of the
prayer service.
We have rented airplanes to fly over cities with anointing oil and left
the tear soaked fox holes of the quiet place. We have look at prayer as a
"means to an end" rather than the end! We have claimed to pull down
strongholds, while all the while we have fortified the enemies encampment
with our faithless prayers and lack of brokeness before God. What was once
THE source of revelation- has merely become a token, obligatory censor of
man-made cliches and self indulgent petitioning.
>>Harden the heart by preaching a self-centered, self-gratifying gospel-
the church has inoculated themselves against the word that changes lives,
by changing the word to fit their own lives. We preach financial
prosperity to the spiritual destitute. We preach authority to the
spiritually rebellious and we preach victory to the spiritually dead.
>>Blind the eyes by disguising the stench of death with an aerosol of
"all is well, all is good and all is of God"- the church has filled the
air with a wanna-be aroma and have said to themselves "We are doing the
work of God" all the while thousands upon thousands are plunging headlong
into hell- The church has ceased to invest in souls and has instead
invested in flashy campaigning and slick salesmanship. The rotting
fragrance of what was once a vibrant, violent, victorious church has been
buried under the gravestone of church programs and scheduled revivals-
When Revival truly comesĖ it won't be because the church has penciled in
three days in early June!
>>Satisfy the flesh by preaching grace without growth, manifestations
without maturity and salvation without self-denial. The Roman Road to
salvation has been bulldozed in favor of a superhighway full of twists and
turns and plenty of exits, just in case you don't like the particular road
that your traveling.
JOHN IS IN PRISON!
Matt 3:1-12 "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the
wilderness of Judaea,[2] And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand (have you ever heard that preached?) [3] For this is he that
was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in
the wilderness,(Saints we are not too unlike the Children of Israel when
they found themselves looking across the wilderness and into the promised
land-the church though hasn't been crying in the wilderness- the church
today has had a dry-eyed view of their promised land) Prepare ye the way
of the Lord, make his paths straight. [4] And the same John had his
raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his
meat was locusts and wild honey.(this speaks of humility and consecration)
[5] Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region
round about Jordan, [6] And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing
their sins. [7] But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come
to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned
you to flee from the wrath to come? [8] Bring forth therefore fruits meet
for repentance: [9] And think not to say within yourselves, We have
Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these
stones to raise up children unto Abraham. [10] And now also the axe is
laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not
forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (Somebody say,
"John is in Prison") [11] I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance:
but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not
worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
[12] Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and
gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with
unquenchable fire." (KJV)
The church today has called for the head of John the Baptist on a platter!
1 Tim 4:1-2 Paul the Apostle said "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that
in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to
seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy;
having their conscience seared with a hot iron;" (KJV)
2 Tim 4:3-4 he says, "For the time will come when they will not endure
sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves
teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from
the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (KJV)
JOHN IS IN PRISON
All the elements that were alive and well during the ministry of John the
Baptist have resurfaced as we face the end of this millennium.
1. The same pharisitical order of cold hearted religion is still there.
2. The same refusal to repent.
3. The same fruitless relationship with God.
But when a remnant rises up in the midst of such hypocracy it is bound to
stir something up! When you put on your camel hair coat of prayer and you
gird up your loins with truth and your meat is to do the will of your
Father who is in heaven- and your declaration is make straight the paths
of the Lord!
That is when you will began to see the crowds of your association effected
by the Jesus that has come to fill your life! They will either repent or
cry out for your head!
Back to our text of Mark 1:14-15 "Now after that John was put in prison,
Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And
saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent
ye, and believe the gospel." (KJV)
Once John is in prison- once you began to hear the world and the false
church call for the head of the prophetic voice of the Bride of Christ-
then you can rest assured that "the time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of
God is at hand"
What does it mean that the Kingdom of God is at hand? It means that the
fulfilment of all time is imminent- that it- we are standing on the
threshold of eternity.
There is something that John said that rings in my ears and demonstrates
to me a prophetic warning or signal as to the coming of the Lord. This has
become more and more evident, especially as we have been studying the Book
of Revelation and it is this simple statement:
John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease." (KJV)
John's decrease marked Christ's increase. I believe that the same can be
said for that of the church- for years- and especially in this nation, we
have had a history of religious freedom. We have had the opportunity to
live in a country founded upon Godly principals and a value system taken
from the Word of God.
But, it is getting increasingly clear that, that freedom is slowly being
taken away. That the influence and appeal that was once afforded the
church is definitely decreasing in terms of societal impact.
II Th 2:2-3 "... be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by
spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ
is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not
come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be
revealed, the son of perdition;" (KJV)
We now have a court system that cries out the "separation of church and
state" but in reality- the last days "Laodacean" church doesn't look much
different than the state that they are trying to separate it from!
This, I believe, is what will usher in the rapture of the church and bring
about the start of the tribualtion.
DECREASE TO FACILITATE INCREASE!
THEN OUR TEXT CONTINUES Mark 1:14-15 "Now after that John was put in
prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of
God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand:
repent ye, and believe the gospel." (KJV)
Jesus then utters one of the most powerful words ever spoken on the News
Testament.
A word that has caused brother to turn against brother
A word that has caused nations to rise against one another
A word that cost John his head, cost Peter and Paul their lives and
ulimatley sent Christ to the cross of calvary.
A word that holds so much power and offers so much hope- but is so
despised, misunderstood and underapplied.
REPENT- the moral compunction to think differently.
Recognize, Renounce, Reconcile, Reveal
Acts 3:19
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted
out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the
Lord; (KJV)
Mark 6:12
12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent. (KJV)
Luke 13:3
3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
(KJV)
Then Jesus made the final point....
Mark 1:14-15 "Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into
Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time
is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe
the gospel." (KJV)
Believe the Gospel
believe comes from the same root for "faith" it means to be utterly
convinced and committed to.
Rom 1:16 " For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the
power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first,
and also to the Greek."
True belief produces true righteosness in your life.
In your:
Prayer life
Burden for Souls
Heart for the hurting
Study of God's Word
Commitment to the Body of Christ
Faithful giving
John is in prison
