Корените на благовестието

Библията

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Написана в продължение на 1600 години и в три езица

Авторите включват царе, рибари, земеделци, доктори, музиканти и други

Има 66 книги в Библията; 39 в Стария Завет и 27 в Новия Завет

100,000,000 копие са продадени всяка година

The Bible is a unique book. It has over 40 authors, written over a 1600-year period, different languages, cultures, traditions, genre… but is a whole and complete book.

o It is ONE story written by many people, inspired by God, to tell ONE important message.

o That message is… There is HOPE in this world.

· Problem… our world is messed up…and the Bible explains how it got that way.

o God created a perfect world. Created a wonderful garden for Adam and Eve to live in. But God also, because He loved them, gave them a free will.

o A sign of God’s free will and love was a tree…a tree in the center of the garden.

o God said to Adam and Eve: You can eat of anything, except this one tree. If you eat of this tree you will die.

· We know the story. Adam and Eve decided that they knew better than God, that they wanted to BE God instead of worship God, and our world has been going downhill ever since.

· BUT God gave us hope in the midst of our despair.

Битие 3:15. “Ще поставя и вражда между теб и жената и между твоето потомство и нейното потомство; то ще ти нарани главата, а ти ще му нараниш петата.”

o Proto-evagelion… The first Good News.

o A child will be born of a woman. He will be injured, but He will free us death and Satan.

· The question has been, since the beginning of time, who is this child? When will he come and free the world from the chains of death? Where will He be born? How will he give us hope and freedom? The whole of creation is waiting for restoration.

· Now… a lot of people have claimed… and are still claiming to be this Messiah.

o Examples: (1) Alan Miller of Australia claims to be Jesus Christ. His girlfriend, Mary Luck, is also Mary Magdalene

o (2) Jose Luis Miranda from Puerto Rico also claims to be Jesus. He teaches that there is no sin, devil or hell and he is Jesus Christ.

· But just because someone claims something does not make it true. Court…Person 1: He stole my candy. Person 2: No I didn’t.

o What does Person 1 need? Witnesses. If Person 3 & 4 say, “Yes. I saw it.” Totally different situation.

· In the beginning of the Gospel (Good News) of Mark he gives us three witnesses. Witnesses that testify that Jesus is the Messiah.

o The witnesses are the Prophet Isaiah, John the Baptist and God Himself.

· These three testify that, Yes, Jesus is the Messiah.

· Jesus is the One that we have all been waiting for since the fall of Adam and Eve.

o Jesus is the One who will restore our lives to the way they should be.

o It is through Jesus that we can have hope for this life and the next.

· Let’s read the words of the first witness: Isaiah the Prophet.

Witness 1: The Prophet Isaiah

“Началото на благовестието на Исус Христос, Божия Син както е писано в книгата на пророк Исая: ‘Ето, Аз изпращам пред лицето Ти вестителя Си, който ще устрои Твоя път; глас на един, който вика в пустинята: Пригответе пътя за Господа. Прави направете пътеките за Него.“ Марк 1:1-3

· The Prophet Isaiah lived in 740 BC…over 700 years before Jesus was born on this earth, and he writes a lot about the coming of the Messiah.

· Here Isaiah tells us the following 700 years before Jesus is born…

“Глас на един, който вика: Пригответе в пустинята пътя за Господа, направете в безводното място прав път за нашия Бог. Всяка долина ще се издигне и всяка планина и хълм ще се сниши; кривите места ще станат прави и неравните места – поле; и славата Господня ще се яви и всички твари заедно ще я видят; защото устата Господни изговориха това.” Исая 40:3-5

· Isaiah says (като брат Бойко) that we are going to make a highway! Right? This is how you make a highway… bridges where it is low, knock down hills that are too high…so that there is nothing in the way.

· Isaiah says… don’t let anything get in the way of you hearing this message. Don’t let anything stop you from following the Messiah.

o Don’t let money get in the way. Don’t let your reputation or “данък обществено мнение“ to get in the way.

o If there is a mountain of doubt that is in your way…knock it down.

o If there is a valley of depression and fear that it in front of you…build a bridge to get over it.

· Don’t let anything in your life, your own desires or fears keep you from following Jesus.

· The Prophet Isaiah is the first witness. Now we will read about the second witness.

Witness 2: John the Baptist

“Йоан дойде, като кръщаваше в пустинята и проповядваше кръщение на покаяние за опрощаване на греховете. И излизаха при него цялата Юдейска страна и всички жители на Йерусалим и бяха кръщавани от него в реката Йордан, като изповядваха греховете си. А Йоан носеше облекло от камилска козина и кожен пояс около кръста си и се хранеше с акриди и див мед. И като проповядваше, казваше: След мене иде Онзи, Който е по-силен от мене, на Когото не съм достоен да се наведа и развържа ремъка на сандалите Му. Аз ви кръщавам с вода, а Той ще ви кръсти със Святия Дух.” Марк 1:4-8

· The second witness is John the Baptist. Here is what he says and does.

o [SLIDE] Read Mark 1:4-8.

· First, look what John does.

o What is he doing? Baptizing people for repentance.

o Remember Isaiah? What does Isaiah say? Get ready. How? Repent.

o The first step in accepting Jesus is repentance. You are not a Christian and cannot become a Christian unless you are ready to repent of your old life and start to go in a new direction.

o We must admit that we have failed to live up to God’s standard. I cannot do this on my own. I need a savior – Jesus Christ.

· [SLIDE] Second, what John says.

What I am doing is nothing. The Messiah who will come after me will not only baptize with water but also with the Holy Spirit.

o What does that mean? It means that what John is doing is symbolic. Right? People confess their sins (repent) and to symbolize their inward cleanliness they also get baptized in the river. They show their inward cleanliness with an outward symbol.

o But it is only a symbol.

· John says that Jesus is so much more powerful and important than him. Why? Because Jesus will baptize us with the Holy Spirit.

o What does that mean?

o It means that through Jesus there is REAL forgiveness from sin. We can be made clean, really clean, on the inside AND… AND God’s Holy Spirit will come into us and help us want to do what is right.

· This is unique in Christianity. All other religions…Islam, Buddhism, Dunovism… try to cover over your sin, but they cannot heal us and take away our guilt and pain.

o Brittany. Example of sin – snot in yogurt… sin is like snot (сополи) in yogurt.

o Even if you get most of it…I’m still not going to eat it… like most religions.

o Jesus is able to give us a new yogurt... a new life and a new start.

· John the Baptists says: Jesus is the one! Here He is! He can give us a new start.

· John the Baptist is the second witness. He tells us that only through Jesus can we get a new start in life. Only Jesus can take away our sins.

Witness 3: God

“И в онези дни дойде Исус от Назарет Галилейски и бе кръстен от Йоан в Йордан. След като излезе веднага от водата, видя, че се разтварят небесата и че Духът като гълъб слиза на Него. И дойде глас от небесата: Ти си Моят възлюбен Син; в Теб е Моето благоволение. И веднага Духът Го закара в пустинята. Той беше в пустинята четиридесет дни, изкушаван от Сатана, и беше със зверовете; а ангелите Му служеха.” Марк 1:9-13

· [SLIDE] Read Mark 1:9-13.

· The last witness we see that testifies to Jesus as the Messiah is God Himself.

· What we see:

o “се разтварят небесата и че Духът като гълъб слиза на Него”

o The word “се разтварят” means an opening up or a dividing

o There is one other place that this word is used in the Bible. When God “divided” the waters when the Jews were escaping Egypt. This is on purpose.

o Remember from the Old Testament in Exodus… God frees his people from slavery in Egypt through many miracles and parts the sea so that the Jews, who are pursued by their enemies, can pass to safety on dry land.

o Just as God parted the waters so that the Jews could be free from slavery, so now the heavens “open up” or “are divided” to free us all from slavery to sin and death.

· What is said:

o [SLIDE] Not only that, but we see the words of God Himself about Jesus.

“Ти си Моят възлюбен Син; в Теб е Моето благоволение.”

o If anyone has doubt about who Jesus is, God says it directly. Jesus is his beloved son.

o Everyone knows who Jesus is because of what God says.

o Just like you and I should know who we are because of what God says about us.

· God says that we are created in His image to worship Him.

o We are not evolved monkeys or product of chance. God loves us. He created us on purpose. We are his children.

· The final witness is God Himself, who states clearly that Jesus is His beloved son.

Conclusion

· So, we have three witnesses: Isaiah, John the Baptist and God who testify about who Jesus is.

· Imagine we are in a courtroom…

o I would like to call as my witnesses the Prophet Isaiah, John the Baptist and God Himself.

o Not a bad list of witnesses.

· This is the beginning of the Gospel of Mark. From this point on Mark is going to explain to us what is means that Jesus is the Son of God AND specifically what it means for all of us.

· I will give you a hint [подсказвам]. (I sometimes read the ending of books).

o God sending His Son means that we are NOT forgotten by God. God is not somewhere far away.

o God has sent His son and made a way for us to escape the curse of death that has been upon us since the garden of Eden.

· If you wish to truly live, follow Jesus. If you want a new start in life, follow Jesus. If you want freedom in life, follow Jesus.

· Starts with repentance… continues as God changes you from the inside… a constant transformation from the way you life now to the person God has created you to be.

· This is my hope. A new year and a new you. Follow Jesus.

· Begin by reading the Bible and pray, non-religious, prayers.