WHAT’S YOUR MESSAGE? Mark 1:14-15
INTRO:
Life’s Onlookers
A man’s life is always more forcible than his speech. When men take stock of him they reckon his deeds as dollars and his words as pennies. If his life and doctrine disagree the mass of onlookers accept his practice and reject his preaching.
C.H. Spurgeon
There is an old saying that goes, “Your walk talks more than your talk talks.”
Our life is a message for those around us. What are we saying to them?
Mark tells us in a statement of what Jesus message was. He left us an example of what our message should be.
What did Jesus message sound like?
I. THE CALL TO WORSHIP “ preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God”
A. Jesus Call to Worship was that of the “good news”.
B. Our approach to life should be that of the “good news”.
C. Yet do we turn people off by our negative bent toward life?
ILLUS: Two men worked for a shoe factory. One day they sent one to an island to sell shoes. Soon after he got there he contacted his bosses and said, “Get me out of here. No one wears shoes here.” Later they sent the other salesman to the island and he too contacted his bosses and said, “Send more shoes. The opportunities are endless. Everyone needs shoes!”
D. Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
E. We get to choose the attitude we have! We need to learn to have the good news in our hearts. We will do this by what we dwell on.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Phil 4:8-9
II. THE CONTENT
A. As much as people will watch the attitude of our lives, they also will see if the content matches what we say!
B. Jesus shared two basic truths:
1. HOW TO HAVE LIFE: The time is fulfilled,
Greek word: “make replete” = fully or abundantly provided for or filled.
Christ has come to meet the requirement for sin!
Gal 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
Jesus is the only way to salvation!
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
People have a tendency to add to the plan of salvation:
What they say.
What they wear.
What they give.
How they attend church.
John 10:10 I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly
In the fullness of time, God gave us Jesus so that we can have a personal relationship through Christ for the forgiveness of sin.
Hebrews 9
Eph 1:9-11 9God’s secret plan has now been revealed to us; it is a plan centered on Christ, designed long ago according to his good pleasure. 10And this is his plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11Furthermore, because of Christ, we have received an inheritance from God,
2. HOW TO LIVE LIFE and the kingdom of God is at hand
Jesus has come to share the kingdom of God as a way of life.
Two fold:
1. Realm of God: We know this is yet to come.
Our future hope is in the eternal Heaven where Christ is at the right hand of God.
2. Reign of God.
God is in control now! It is His kingdom that we are a part of here on earth. It is not like the fallen world!
Rom 14:17 7for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
We live in a different world!
Phil 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven,
III. THE CONCLUSION
A. Jesus ends His message with the response that man should automatically give:
1. REPENTANCE: The Greek = “thing differently, reconsider”
The call is to change our thinking.
Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Paul’s call upon our lives is to that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Eph 4:22-23
I Surrender
In his book I Surrender, Patrick Morley writes that the church’s integrity problem is in the misconception “that we can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin. It is a change in belief without a change in behavior.” He goes on to say, “It is revival without reformation, without repentance.”
Quoted in John The Baptizer, Bible Study Guide by C. Swindoll, p. 16
2. BELIEF: The Greek = “to have faith, entrust, commit”
The life that Jesus wants us to live is one of trust and commitment.
I have always said the a man cannot live differently from his belief system for long. Like a sponge, when put under pressure, what is really inside will come out!
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
In our world we do not have a strong biblical understanding of belief. It only goes skin deep, and not to the very essence of who we are an how we will live! That is one reason why we do not have a world full of commitment!
We are more concerned with our entitlement and happiness than commitment to Christ!
CONCLUSION:
Will Houghton
More recently, the Christian walk of Will Houghton, a preacher who became the president of Moody Bible Institute during the 1940s, played a large role in the conversion of an agnostic who was contemplating suicide. The skeptic was desperate, but he decided that if he could find a minister who lived his faith he would listen to him. So he hired a private detective to watch Houghton. When the investigator’s report came back, it revealed that this preacher’s life was above reproach; he was for real. The agnostic went to Houghton’s church, accepted Christ, and later sent his daughter to Moody Bible Institute.
- H.V.L.
Our Daily Bread, September 29
Does our life match our message? The right message from the body of believers will bring about growth of the Kingdom of God!
