The Urgency of the Gospel

Urgent- (of a state or situation) requiring immediate action or attention. "the situation is far more urgent than politicians are admitting"synonyms:acute, pressing, dire, desperate, critical, serious, grave, intense, crying, burning, compelling, extreme, exigent, high-priority, top-priority; life-and-death "the urgent need for more funding"

(of action or an event) done or arranged in response to a pressing or critical situation. "she needs urgent treatment"

(of a person or their manner) earnest and persistent in response to a pressing situation. "an urgent whisper"synonyms:insistent, persistent, importunate, earnest, pleading, begging"an urgent whisper"

The urgency of the gospel is at an all time high in my lifetime. Christianity has been on a decline since 1948 when 69% of the population professed to be christians. IN 2016 that number is down to 37%. I think we could all agree that there is definitely a need for urgency when it comes to spreading the gospel.

In our scripture today I want to show you that this urgency is not a new thing. God the father, God the Son, and God the Spirit have always had urgency in their love of people. We are going to see a word repeated in several different places and that word is immediately, some translations use the word straightforward which means immediately, you might see the phrase just as which means immediately following something, as soon as which means immediately after something. All of these translations have one meaning, urgency.

1 Corinthians 15:1–4 ESV

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

1 Corinthians 15:

Urgency of God the Father and Spirit

Mark 1:9–12 ESV

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 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. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” 12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.

Mark 1.

Urgency of Jesus’ Call

Mark

Mark 1:17–21 ESV

17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. 21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.

Mark 1:28–30 ESV

28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee. 29 And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.

Mark 1.28-30

The Urgent Response of Illness

Mark 1:40–45 ESV

40 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.

Mark 2:8–12 ESV

8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

The Urgency of Enemies

Mark 3:6 ESV

6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

Mark 4:5 ESV

5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil.

The Urgency of Salvation

Mark 4:15–17 ESV

15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.

mark 4:15-17

matthew 25:

Matthew 25:45–46 ESV

45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Matthew 24

15-17

Matthew 24:36 ESV

36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.

Matthew 24:36–37 ESV

36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Matthew 24:36.37

Matthew 24.

Let us pray

How much time do we have to introduce that lost person to Jesus. Who is that lost person? Maybe a neighbor, a homeless person, a brother or sister, how about a child??? We are called to spread the gospel, to be witnesses, and we have no time to waste!

1. There is nothing I have done that could make you love me less, and nothing I could do that would make you love me more.

2. You are all I need for everlasting joy.

3. As you have been to me, so I will be to others.

4. As I pray, I’ll do so according to the compassion you’ve shown at the cross and the power you demonstrated through the resurrection.

Let us pray