The Forerunner of the Son of God

Good morning, it sure is good to see everyone again, please remember all those who are still battling illness, one thing is for sure when the stomach bug, the flu, and strep is going around we are certainly going to be missing some of our family, so continue to pray for them. Turn with me in your Bibles this morning to the gospel of Mark, the gospel of Mark. Were going to be looking at chapter 1 verses 1-8. (Let’s read)

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, this is your word, these are your people. We ask this morning that you meet with us speak to us and have Your will in this service, we have come to this place to glorify and honor Your name help us to do this by how we listen, by how I preach and may the time we spend together this morning make us more like your Son Jesus it is in His authority we ask these things Amen.

The Reason and the Writer

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ” This is how Mark begins describing his book. those opening words not only tell us the purpose behind why he is writing it but it also tells us who is writing. This man mark is referred to several times in the book of Acts, where his name is given as “John who was also called Mark.” His mamma’s house was used as a gathering place for the early church.

Acts 12:12 ESV

When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.

Most scholars agree that John Mark or “Mark” as we know him was a fairly young man, possibly in his mid thirties, when the apostle Paul went on his first missionary journey it was John Mark who went with them. BUt when things got rough in a place called Perga, Mark bailed on Paul and Barnabas and as a result Paul refused to allow Mark to go with him anymore on missionary journeys.

Acts 13:13 ESV

Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned to Jerusalem,

When the going got tough and the journey ahead became overwhelming John Mark hit the road in another direction. However as time past if you read the scriptures you will see how he was restored by Paul. In Colossians Paul mentions mark as one of his “fellow workers for the kingdom” who had proven “to be an encouragement to him during his time in prison”

As the days past Paul found himself on the verge of dying and guess who he asked for?..... Mark

He asked Timothy to:

2 Timothy

2 Timothy 4:11 ESV

Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.

So this young guy who had blown it so badly and caused Paul to split from him, had now seen that he was very useful and wanted him by his side in the last moments of his life. There is something emphasized in the gospel of Mark that is repeated over and over again. Its the word amazed. he uses the word Amazed or “greatly amazed” almost 37 times in this book!

JESUS AMAZED EVERYONE HE CAME IN CONTACT WITH

We will see this coming up over and over again throughout the book. Now that you know who wrote it let’s dive in.

Mark jumps off to a fast start:

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God”

When you hear the word gospel what do you think of?

“Good News”

“the first four books of the NT?”

While those things are true that is not the word Mark uses he uses the word Evangelion in the Greek which doesn’t just mean good news. it means something more than that, this word was used to refer to a military victory, political triumph, or physical rescue.

(during war— GOSPEL RIDERS/Evangelists)

The good news of the Gospel is that JESUS CHRIST IS ALIVE HE HAS DEFEATED SATAN AND KICKED THE TEETH OUT OF DEATH!!! MARK IS THE SPIRITUAL GOSPEL RIDER RIDING IN TO TELL GODS PEOPLE THAT THE VICTORY HAS ALREADY BEEN GIVEN TO JESUS!!! If you are saved you are in Christ and SIN HAS NO DOMINION OVER YOU, DEATH HAS NO HOLD ON YOU!!!!

Isaiah 52:7

Isaiah 52:7 NKJV

How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

1st century Romans would have understood the word to refer to the good tidings from a coming King. So Mark lets you know right off the bat what his intentions are, He wants you to know that the King has come and the victory has been won! This gospel was actually the first account written down of the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we enter into this first chapter of Mark we meet a very interesting character, he is a man who Jesus Himself said was the greatest man to ever be born. His name John the Baptist and his job was to prepare the way for God’s chosen King.

The Promise of a New King

Mark 1:2–3 ESV

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’ ”

Since he introduced his account as a royal proclamation of a divine King, Mark continues his story by introducing us to the King’s forerunner, his witness, the one who would prepare the way for the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Earthly Kings as we learned earlier had Gospel riders who would ride in and announce the good tidings of New Kings and proclaim to people peace and victory. This is why John the Baptist was born. JTB was mentioned for centuries before he was ever born:

Malachi 3:1 ESV

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.

Isaiah 40:3 ESV

A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

God had this planned in eternity past and the Jewish people had longed for the day when they would see this messenger that would proclaim the good news of the coming King. John had a supernatural birth, not a virgin birth but one where God was surely at work. He was called to be a preacher, who made a strong call for people to ready themselves for the New Kings arrival. This OT prophecy told everyone about this messenger that would come before the Lord, and it explains his mission. JTB was to be the herald of the Messiah, God’s chosen lamb His own son who would die for your sins and mine.

In the ancient world, a royal herald was charge not only with proclaiming good tidings, and telling the outcome of battles but he was also in charge of making the road ready for the Kings arrival. But what does that mean? rather than clearing literal roads of physical debris, John’s job was to remove obstacles of stubborn unbelief from the hearts and minds of sinners.

“THE WAY OF THE LORD”- is the way of repentance, in order to walk the Lords was we have to do so by repentance, turning from our sin and turning to righteousness, by turning away from sin and turning to Jesus He will take crooked paths and make them straight and holy. John bursts onto the scene and not long after he begins his preaching ministry he becomes famous, the multitudes swarm out to the wilderness to hear him, as he cried out passionately pleading with people to repent.

Preachers today could take a lesson from JTB, he didnt come out to preach and have a conversation, he didn’t come out and try to woo them with good sermons or intelligence, WITH THE FIRERY VOICE OF AN IMPASSIONED PROPHET HE WAS CRYING OUT WITH SHOUTS, GROANS, and pleas for sinners to forsake thier sin and see the Savior!

JTB

I’m telling you WE DONT NEED MORE PREACHERS WHO WILL STAND UP AND GIVE YA A 20 MINUTE SPIRITUAL FRUIT CAKE, THIS WORLD WITH ALL OF THE EVIL WITHIN, THIS ROOM WITH ALL OF THE REBELLION AGAINST GOD WITHIN IS IN NEED OF SOMEONE TO STAND UP AND CRY OUT REPENT TURN FROM YOUR SIN AND TURN TO CHRIST!!! THERES NO HOPE IN THE ROAD YOUR WALKING DOWN, THERE’S EMPTINESS APART FROM JESUS STOP RUNNING BACK TO YOUR OLD SIN AS IF SOMEHOW IT CAN BRING SOME RELIEF TURN TO THE ONE WHO HAS THE WORDS OF LIFE!

Being a herald of the King doesn’t mean you’ll be popular, it doesn’t mean you’ll be understood, it doesn’t mean people will like ya, but by george if we aren’t gonna tell em the truth who is!

I’m telling you guys and I love you all more than I could ever express, WE DON’T NEED TO BE A SUCCESSFUL CHURCH WE NEED TO BE A BROKEN CHURCH, THAT DAILY STRIVES TO TURN AWAY FROM OUR SIN AND TURN TO JESUS!!!

(why does the preacher act like someone is gonna respond every Sunday) CONVERSATION

I guess why it burdens me so badly is because i know the result of true repentance, and I feel as though most of the time we sit here and go through the motions, we have hearts that are calloused and we don’t receive the word of God and allow it to transform our life!

But let me be clear the reason why we should take notice of how JTB preached and the urgency that he had as he pleaded with people to repent, is because He was the first witness of Jesus Christ. he was the first evangelist, do you know why this matter? BECAUSE GOD HAS CALLED YOU AND I TO GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF THE NATIONS BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! THATS WHY HE SAVED YOU THATS WHY HE CALLED YOU UNTO HIMSELF TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR HIM!

Oh preacher would you get off your soapbox gosh, I mean people might leave, I dont know about you but I firmly believe that reason our world is so damaged is because everybody wants to play patty cake and be politically correct and im telling you that is not the heart of God! Wow glad i got up for this this morning, gollee wish he would just calm down… JTB didnt calm down until they put his head on a platter, and I’m telling you that we aint got time to be cute with Christianity anymore.

So if we are to be heralds of the King?

Then let me ask you the question that burdens my heart.....

how many people did you tell about the Lord this week? They need Him, you got him, dont keep him to yourself.

One thing that interests me is this JOHN’S NAME:

John=The Lord is Gracious

John the Baptist mother wrapped john in this name because she had experiecned the graciosness of God, and as a result John walks around with this firery zeal and passion for the Lord because thats what happens when you see the grace and love of God up close and personal. To know and understand you weakness and to know that God not only loves you but desires to use your life, should drive us all to passion.

Notice the:

The Nature of His ministry

Mark 1:4 NKJV

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

He came Baptizing-

Bapto- means to be dipped it speaks of a moment in time, a temporary dipping.

For JTB the people who came out to him were baptized because they agreed with JTB and they desired to be right with God. it was merely a statement of agreement that they had turned from sin.

but if we look down in verse 8 look what JTB says

Mark 1:8 ESV

I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

John says I baptized (bapto) you with water, but HE (speaking of Jesus) will baptize (baptizo) you with the Holy SPirit.

John is telling these people about the coming King and he is saying look, Im gonna dunk you under some water but the One who is coming is going to do something more than just wahs your body he is going to cleanse your heart!

a good picture of the difference in words used here is found from:

the Greek poet and physician Nicander, who lived about 200 B.C. It is a recipe for making pickles and is helpful because it uses both words. Nicander says that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be ‘dipped’ (bapto) into boiling water and then ‘baptised’ (baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution. But the first is temporary. The second, the act of baptising the vegetable, produces a permanent change.When used in the New Testament, this word more often refers to our union and identification with Christ than to our water baptism.

Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.

Let me put this in our language:

You can come up here and be bapto’ed but if you aint baptizoed, it dont really matter.

In other words getting dunked up here cant change you in here, but when the Lord comes and He baptizes you with the cleansing fire of the Holy Spirit he will clean you from the inside out and now when you come up here to be baptized the changing power of the Holy SPirit is already running through your veins!

So I ask you are you basing your eternity on a temporary dunking? or have you been dipped in the blood of Jesus Christ have you come up looking like something different, does your attitude show that youve been marinating in the presence of your heavenly Father...

do you see the difference?

John came baptizing

(Jesus was a southern baptist)

The greatest man alive he said was John a red faced shouting preacher, who baptised people. Jesus was from the tribe of Judah (southern tribe) therefore Jesus was a southern baptist lol

Just a joke

Where did he baptize?

In the wilderness...

he spent the duration of his ministry along the Jordan River, about 20-30 miles south of the Sea of Galilee. How many of you know God will put you right where He wants you to be. Some might say, well now hold on there if God wanted people to repent why did John go into the cities.

the Word of God says that where the SON OF MAN IS LIFTED UP GOD WILL DRAW ALL PEOPLE UNTO HIMSELF. You dont have to pastor a big church, you dont have to have a position or title chances are GOD has you right where He wants you. He has you in the right job, in the right, arena so that you will proclaim His name.....

Will you answer the call?

Some of you need to stop saying well I wish I knew the Lords will for my life, when you already know let me if I may speak for the Lord something he has already revealed through scripture:

PROCLAIM MY NAME!!!! Dont talk about how good the chruch is… it aint

Dont talk about how different we are than other places.... we aint

Dont try to make yourself look high and mighty so that people will look at you.... you aint worthy to be an example.

Let me tell you what I know, It may not be much but I know its right.....

I’M NOT WORTHY TO PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL, I’M NOT WORTHY TO BE CALLED HIS SON, I’M NOT WORTHY TO EVEN BE A LOWLY SERVANT IN THE HOUSE OF GOD BUT YOU KNOW WHAT

I HAVE A VOICE, AND I HAVE A HEARTBEAT, AND I HAVE A TESTIMONY AND I HAVE TASTED AND SEEN THAT THE LORD IS GOOD!!! THOUGH I MAY FAIL HIM DAILY, HE HAS NEVER FAILED ME, THERE ARE THINGS I HAVE FAILED AT HERE AT CHURCH, BUT HE HAS NEVER WALKED AWAY FROM ME!!!

FOLKS WE HAVE GOT TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHILE WE ARE UNWORTHY HE IS TOTALLY WORTHY AND PEOPLE NEED THE GOSPEL!

But in order to preach that gospel we have to be bold enough to preach repentance.....

Without repentance and turning to Christ there is no forgiveness of sin. The fruit of repentance is seen in changed behavior. The cucumber once marinated for hours becomes a pickle, likewise the child of God who recieves the transforming presence of God’s Spirit changes from the inside out.

As John is calling for repentance

Notice what happened:

Mark 1:

Mark 1:5 ESV

And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Now by JTB asking these Jews to be baptized was something that would have been hard to digest. To be baptized was for outsider who were not part of the family of God. So in order for a Jew to admit that they were an outsider would have been incredibly humiliating, since they were considered to be the children of Abraham.

For a Gentile to be baptised would have been no big deal but for a Jew to be baptised was radical, they would have to acknowledge that they were no more fit for the coming Messiah than a Gentile. Those with selfrighteous pride would never undergo such a humiliating public act.

So the Jews who came to be baptised were truly broken over thier sin if they would go through with this command from JTB.

John proclaimed an urgent message of repentance in preparation for the coming King. His preaching focused on the wrath of God and judgement. He confronted the Jewish religious leaders with vivid language calling them a brood of vipers, not something that should have made him very popular.

Matthew 3:12 ESV

His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Before they could hear the good news of salvation they had to be confronted with the bad news regarding thier own wickedness.

The Peculiar Nature of the man

Mark

Mark 1:6 ESV

Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.

Johns physical description fits a man who lived in the wilderness, where clothing fashions were ignored for rugged durability. Think Duck Dynasty JTB would have fit in great I believe with Phil Robertson and those guys.

JTB was different from the way he dressed to the simple diet he ate.

What does this have to do with me?

Oh everything

1 Peter 2:9 KJV 1900

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

1 Peter

Listen guys were not as children of God to be like the world, we are a chosen race, were royal preists, were Gods posession, He says we are to be a peculiar people.

WE ARE TO BE DIFFERENT!!!

IN EVERY WAY!

That doesnt mean we walk around dressed in suits, what i means is that everything from the way we eat to the way we dress, to the things we discuss, and deem important is to be different than the world.

(preach )

The Preeminence of the New King

Mark 1:7–8 ESV

And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Mark 1:

Johns preaching was bathed in the reality of who was coming.

(The coming of the Lord)

Heres what concerns me! It concerns me that we have a loving God who has given us this way to be made right with Him and yet people still don’t take the Lord seriously.

I call out and I ask you, not because I think you are bad people that couldn’t be further from the truth but I ask you, are you right with the Lord?

Are you different?

Have you been changed?

(Gage)-

Do you need to come to Your heavenly Father today I can promise you, He is waiting, and He longs to hold you in His arms and to tell you Your are my child and I will always love you, now go try again son, I will always love you.

(Let’s pray)