Untitled Sermon

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Grace Mercy and Peace be to you from God our Father. We are here today to celebrate a Festival Day in the Church year as we give thanks to God that he raised up a servant like Mark who not only wrote the Gospel of Mark, but also spread the message of the Gospel in the early Church that more people may know the truth, that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God.

Now most of us are familiar with the end of the Gospel of St. Mark as we had to memorize a portion of it for Confirmation, and this verse is also used in our Liturgy, but before I focus on that verse, I want to address some of the final verses here as you no doubt may have some questions. about what is in v17-18.

We do find those signs in the book of Acts as the message of the Gospel is spread. They did cast out demons, they did speak in new tongues on the day of Pentecost. But you won’t hear that you hear at Pentecostal churches. When Mark says new tongues, that means new languages, a language that the person did not know and had not learned, but was given that tongue, that language, as a gift to spread the Gospel. St. Paul was bitten on his travels by a venomous snake and did not die, that is recorded in the book of Acts. He also witnessed the Apostles laying hands on people and healing them. These gifts that were generously poured on the day of Pentecost have faded as the years have gone on, but that doesn’t change the fact that they were there.

We want to look at here today v15 and v16. As Mark was an Evangelist, and he still is, he is not able to present bodily, but his gospel is read throughout the world, that people might know who the savior of the world is and how they might be saved.

If you look at v14, Jesus shows up and he is not happy with the disciples that they did not believe those who brought the message of Salvation, if you remember in the Gospel of Luke, that by the time the Disciples who had been on the road to Emmaus got back that Jesus had appeared to the disciples. This lets us know that Jesus rebuked them a bit. Let us look at v15

English Standard Version Chapter 16

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

Instead of just staying the upper room they were to go out into the world and share with every one the wonderful news of salvation, and who were they to proclaim the gospel to? The Whole creation. Now think about that for a moment, who does that include. Is the Gospel meant just for the Israelites? No, it is meant for all people. The message of salvation is going forth into the world that everyone might hear the message of salvation, and know what Christ has done for them. When we think about that in a grand scale, we think of missions and sharing the message of the Gospel with people in different countries. That it is meant for every man, woman, and child on earth.

The Christian religion isn’t just for Americans, Israelites, Germans, English, Greeks, Turks, Egyptians, Nigerians, South Africans, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Mexicans, Columbians, Brazilians, it is meant for everyone. That is easy for us to visualize, and to appreciate on the outside. Sure enough St. Mark went out and shared the Gospel with Jew and Gentile. But we also ought to remember that we are called to share the Gospel not just with those who are in distant lands and who speak different language than we do. We are to share the Gospel also here at home.

Our town is a mission field, and Christ’s words of rebuke, are meant for us as well. For if we have the truth why aren’t we sharing it? If we are to share it with all people, what about our neighbor? We must not neglect sharing the Gospel here at home as well. In some ways it is a bit easier to share the Gospel with someone who you will never see or won’t see again, than it is to share it with a family member or a neighbor that you will see everyday. But think about that here we have a charge to share the Gospel with everyone, and not just those who are close to us here, but even those who are our enemies, with those in society that people look down on, for Christ died for them too. Because they are part of creation and they are the ones that Christ has put close to us. We can share with them the good news that is found in Jesus Christ our Lord.

But what is that Gospel? Look there at v16, what does it say?

English Standard Version Chapter 16

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

The Gospel is that whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. Those are the two things that are necessary for salvation. Why is that how is baptism the Gospel? Well when John the Baptist came preaching, he was preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. On the day of Pentecost, what does Peter say? Repent and Be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Paul describes it as a washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. How is baptism the gospel? Because a person who is baptized has been forgiven and if there is forgiveness there, is there not also eternal life and salvation. Which why Peter says in his epistle that Baptism now saves you.

While Baptism gives the gift of forgiveness, you will see that belief, that is faith, is also needed. Now faith, that is belief, doesn’t exist in a vacuum, you can’t just say I have faith, that’s like saying I have trust, I have believed, we would ask you believed what? You trust whom? Faith clings to something.

The only thing in the text is Baptism, and baptism has two parts, the water, and the promise that God gives. Faith doesn’t cling to the water, the water didn’t make any promises. Rather we believe the promise that God attaches to that water. It is a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of our sins, that God gives to us the Holy Spirit and to give us His name to let us know we are his child. If you condense all of those blessings in to one short phrase, like Mark has, you simply say, they will be saved. That is pure gospel. For what do they do? Nothing nobody adds anything to God’s promises in Baptism, they don’t make them more effective or certain they just receive God’s gracious gift, and who is to be baptized all peoples, the whole creation, it doesn’t matter if they are young or old because it is God making the promise. They don’t baptize themselves.

Now there are some who certainly abuse their baptism. They go about and spurn the gift that God has given. That is to say they don’t have faith, they don’t believe everything that God has done for them in Baptism. This is important for there are those who believe wrongly about what Baptism does and so even if a person has been given that gift, if they do not trust it, believe it, or have faith in God’s promises, they shall not be saved. They will be condemned.

We don’t believe in a once baptized always saved, faith which trusts in these gifts is needed. This is why it is important that those who are baptized regularly hear the Word of God and continue to receive God’s gifts that this faith, this belief, this trust in God’s promises might remain that you might be saved.

Mark wanted everyone to have this wonderful gift. Mark had been there the night that Jesus was betrayed that young man who fled naked when they came to arrest Jesus. He saw what Jesus had done for the world and everything that Christ had given up, and that Christ wanted everyone to have these wonderful gifts might be given to the whole creation. It was made so simple so that everyone can have salvation in him.

So dear Christian Are you baptized? Is your family baptized? Are your friends, your neighbors, baptized? If not tell them about what God wishes to give them, forgiveness, eternal life, His Holy Spirit that God might bring them to life. If they are, is there faith being strengthened by the work of the Holy Spirit through the Word? Are they in Church learning about what God has given them, that they might trust in God’s work? Then encourage them for Jesus has accomplished so much for them, and has given it all to them through this precious gift. So share that wonderful news just as Mark did so that everyone might find the hope and comfort they need in what Jesus has done for them. In Jesus name. Amen.