Urgency pt1

Use of “immediately” 9 times in the first chapter of Mark- sets the tone

And “immediately” being used 42 times in the text of Mark continues that tone to the end- Jesus has a mission and He will not be deterred from it

“Euthus”- straight ahead…implies no deviations or pauses…relentless...

Mark 2. The Baptism of Jesus (1:9–11)

Mark’s treatment of the baptism, though very brief, is important from a theological standpoint. The Gospel opens with a statement that Jesus is the Son of God. At the baptism God himself affirmed that Jesus is his Son. The purpose of both passages—and especially the second—is to inspire the readers/ hearers to acknowledge Jesus as Son of God and to love and take pleasure in him.

Why the hurry?

I think sometimes we forget, in thinking of Jesus as human- which He was, and forgetting that He was also God. He had the perspective of eternity. As we walk thru Mark over the next few weeks, we will be reminded of that reality via miracles, teachings, claims of divinity, and prophecies. But in all of that, Jesus is conscious, always, of time.

We live in time. We have a set number of days. We do not know how many days we have. Jesus knew, EXACTLY, how many days He had. And He was determined to use each day, hour, moment to do the will of the Father. To do what He was sent to do. Time was not to be wasted- because He knew His time was limited.

Look at verses 14-15- the time is fulfilled…the kingdom is at hand…repent and believe… How about us? We have no idea how many days we have left. If Jesus knew exactly how many days He had and was urgent, what should we be like? If you knew that time was short and soon you would be with Jesus, what would you be motivated to do? Jesus knew His time. We do not. Any day could be our last. What do we want to be about on our last day?

Mark 1. Introduction (1:14–15)

Therefore the expression refers to the kingly rule, the reign, the dominion, the sovereignty of God in the hearts of people. “Realm” in the sense of sphere of influence might be a better translation, but it too is subject to misunderstanding. “Reign” probably is the best translation.

Jesus is about announcing the arrival of a change. A movement from a distant God, knowable only by laws and thru special people, to a God who is AMONG US and able to relate to each person, regardless of who they are or what they have done, if they come to Him with a repentant heart.

So in this first chapter, we see the foundation for a ministry set. A ministry that will seize the times and bend them to the Father’s will.

As we start this series, I want to look at the immediatelys in this chapter alone, as a way of orienting ourselves for the new year:

v9-11

Immediately seeing God- Jesus baptism, the inauguration of His ministry- begins with His immediately seeing the Presence of God- the inauguration of His ministry is also a picture of our initial relationship with God- we see Him and He descends on us- you don’t have to wait for God to show up and use you…He is present from the moment you are saved…and endures to the end...

If you are listening this morning and have trusted Jesus as your Savior, you are equipped to do ministry. you were equipped immediately. And that ministry will grow and expand as you deepen in your faith and walk in obedience with what God has called you to do.

v12-13- Immediately obeying, even in times of temptation and trial- the Spirit leads, and Jesus goes- temptation is going to be a normal part of life and when combined with trial it can make us hesitate to obey…we should not.

The Gospel according to Mark God’s Son Meets God’s Adversary (1:12–13)

The Spirit that empowers the Son for ministry now tests him to determine whether he will use his divine Sonship for his own advantage or submit himself in obedience to God.

Mark The Temptation of Jesus (1:12–13)

Mark’s presentation of Jesus’ baptism and temptation does not offer any encouragement to advocates of a “me-first” Christianity. Marks draws too strong a connection between the baptism of the Spirit and the confrontation with evil for anyone to be glib about having the Holy Spirit.

In fact, think about this. If you so consumed with obeying God, you are LESS likely to fall into temptations! And if you are urgently about the Father’s business, trials are more endurable, because they come with the rush of seeing God’s calling on your life come to fruition!

v16-20- immediately goes about calling people to follow Him and people who He calls respond to Him immediately- discipling and being disciples- I mean this chapter has it all doesn’t it!

Mark 2. The Calling of the First Disciples (1:16–20)

By beginning Jesus’ ministry with this account, Mark showed that the disciples were qualified to be witnesses of his entire ministry. He showed the importance of discipleship. He showed the way in which all should respond to Jesus’ summons: promptly and completely. He showed the inseparable relationship of discipleship and Christology. And he showed that Jesus takes the initiative in making disciples: they do not seek him, but he seeks them

When we are called by Jesus, we do not delay in seeking to know and follow Him. There isn’t a period of “breaking in” or deciding how deep we want to go. The calling for us is to drop what we are doing and go. That is hard and it is why we see such a struggle with discipleship in the church. We want the benefits of being near Jesus and being secure in our future, without the work of knowing what it entails to really follow Him. The two are inseparable. And that is why so many of us, after the initial joy of salvation begins to wane, find ourselves struggling with the “realness” of our faith and chafing at the demands of Scripture. Cafeteria style Christianity doesn’t exist. You cannot pick and choose.

All of this leads to a snapshot of a day in Jesus’ ministry life...

v21-34- immediately begins ministering publicly by teaching the Word and setting people free and healing them- fully orbed ministry- no one beyond His reach- the religious, the oppressed, the homebound, the masses

Following selecting and calling His disciples, Mark gives us a snapshot of a day in ministry for Jesus. What the next three years of His life will look like.

He is going to teach. A lot.

He is going to set people free from spiritual bondage.

He is going to heal people.

He is going to take authority over evil.

The Kingdom is going to push back against the darkness!

Each of us are going to have a calling on our lives from God. Day to day life will change- but the core of the calling of God on our lives will not change. We are called to advance the Kingdom. We are called to push back against the darkness. We have a mandate on our lives to follow the Savior.

What are you doing, today, this week, this month, this year- to understand your calling, your Kingdom role, your place in the family and to EXECUTE that role.

Where is your urgency?????

v35-39- What is the fuel driving this urgency- His time with the Father.

When we think of urgency, we sometimes confuse it with being frantic. Jesus was not frantic. He was measured and intentional. He did not do things out of a desire to simply be busy. He was being guided in His urgency by a Father who had set Him loose on the world.

And the end results of Jesus ministry directed by the Father, is that He cannot be hidden, and people seek Him out no matter where He is.

For so many of us it is the opposite. We are not urgent. We are frantic. That is why we cannot finish anything. Cannot see victory over sin or Kingdom advancement in our own lives. We are drawing on our own strength and frantically trying to make an impact on our own terms. That’s not going to happen!

v40-45- His urgency builds a ministry that cannot be contained

What is this? It is a picture of the Church…what a functioning, healthy church should look like…both inwardly being strengthened and outwardly bursting forth…and the end results are something so vibrant, so hopeful, so transformative, that they opened the doors and people were waiting to get in.

Think about that. What if in 2021, you were so in step with the Father, so urgent about Kingdom business, that people came to you already looking to learn about Jesus.