Introduction

Good morning, beloved in Christ. There's a certain kind of warmth that fills this room every time we gather together in fellowship, a warmth that can only be attributed to the love of God that binds us together as a family. I am always grateful for these moments we share, moments where we open our hearts to the Word of God and allow it to shape us, to mold us, to make us more like our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Today, we turn our hearts and minds to a passage that is as powerful as it is profound. Mark 1:9-15, a passage that speaks of the proclamation, the perception, and the promise of God's Good News. Allow me to read it to you:

"In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.' 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. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.'"

We find ourselves standing on the precipice of a grand revelation, a revelation of the power, the purpose, and the promise of God's Good News. My dear friends, isn't it a wonderful thing to know that we serve a God who not only proclaims His love for us but also gives us a purpose and a promise?

In the words of the great Christian preacher and theologian, Charles Spurgeon, "The gospel is preached in the ears of all men; it only comes with power to some. The power that is in the gospel does not lie in the eloquence of the preacher otherwise men would be converters of souls. Nor does it lie in the preacher’s learning; otherwise it could consists of the wisdom of men. We might preach till our tongues rotted, till we should exhaust our lungs and die, but never a soul would be converted unless there were mysterious power going with it – the Holy Ghost changing the will of man. O Sirs! We might as well preach to stone walls as preach to humanity unless the Holy Ghost be with the word, to give it power to convert the soul."

So, as we prepare to delve into the depths of this divine passage, let us approach it with humility, with reverence, and with a heart that is open and ready to receive what the Lord has to say to us today.

The Power

The Good News of God is not just a message, it's a force. It's a force that has the power to change lives, to transform hearts, to break chains, and to set captives free. It's a force that has the power to bring light into the darkest corners of our world, to bring hope to the hopeless, and to bring peace to those who are in turmoil. It's a force that has the power to heal the sick, to mend the broken, and to restore the lost. It's a force that has the power to bring the dead back to life.

When Jesus came up out of the water after His baptism, the heavens were torn open and the Spirit descended on Him like a dove. This was not just a physical manifestation of God's presence, but a powerful proclamation of the Good News. It was a proclamation that Jesus is the beloved Son of God, with whom God is well pleased. It was a proclamation that Jesus is the one who has the power to fulfill the promises of God, to bring about the kingdom of God, and to make the Good News a reality in our lives.

The power of the Good News is not just in its proclamation, but also in its perception. When Jesus was driven out into the wilderness, He was tempted by Satan, but He did not succumb to the temptation. Instead, He perceived the power of the Good News in His own life. He perceived that the power of the Good News is not just about overcoming temptation, but about living in the reality of God's kingdom. He perceived that the power of the Good News is not just about resisting evil, but about embracing the goodness of God. He perceived that the power of the Good News is not just about surviving in the wilderness, but about thriving in the presence of God.

The power of the Good News is not just in its proclamation and perception, but also in its promise. When Jesus came into Galilee after John was arrested, He did not just proclaim the Good News, He promised it. He promised that the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. He promised that those who repent and believe in the Good News will not just hear about the kingdom of God, but will experience it. He promised that those who repent and believe in the Good News will not just know about the power of God, but will witness it. He promised that those who repent and believe in the Good News will not just learn about the love of God, but will live in it.

The power of the Good News is not just in its proclamation, perception, and promise, but also in its purpose. The purpose of the Good News is not just to inform us about God, but to transform us into the image of God. The purpose of the Good News is not just to tell us about God's love, but to show us how to love like God. The purpose of the Good News is not just to teach us about God's kingdom, but to train us to live as citizens of God's kingdom. The purpose of the Good News is not just to reveal to us the power of God, but to release in us the power of God.

The Purpose

As we continue to reflect on Mark 1:9-15, we find ourselves drawn to the moment when Jesus emerges from the waters of the Jordan, the heavens open, and the Spirit descends on Him like a dove ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO