The Message of Jesus

Good Morning church. It is always good to be together each Sunday and worship with you! If you are new here, we are pumped you are here! We actually have a gift for you today. If you will please take the card from the back of the seat in front of you and fill it out, you can drop it by Next Steps on your way out today in the lobby, and they will hook you up with a free t shirt! No better deal than that this morning!

Today, we are kicking off a new series. This is actually what we call a Together Series. That means, we are preaching through the same series at all three of our Lindsay Lane campuses! We are beginning to look at the Gospel According to Mark.

When us three teaching pastors from each campus got together to discuss our messages for the coming year, we wanted to study through one of the Gospels. We decided on Mark for its simplicity and straightforwardness. It will take us 12 weeks to get through the whole book, but we will not do that straight through. We will do Part 1 of this series will be chapters 1-8 called “Ministry to the Multitudes,” looking at the interactions Jesus has with the large crowds of people who were following him. Then in March, we will do Part 2, “Ministry to the Disciples.” Then we will wrap it up in July with part 3, “Ministry to the nations.” We will move through the major moments in the Gospel of Mark. We won’t be looking at every single verse, but talking larger sections of text.

This morning, I think it’s important to understand some very basic things about the book itself, but also begin to see the general message Jesus is teaching and sharing with others.Let me read the first 8 verses to get the convo rolling, I’ll pray, and then we will step off in it! Alright?

Mark 1:1–8 CSB

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight! John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

PRAY

If you are new to the Bible, it is made up of two parts. The Old Testament is the first 2/3 of the Bible. It tells the story of God’s relationship with man up until the 4-500 years before Jesus was born. The New Testament picks up after that 4-500 years with the birth of Jesus and continues through the first generation of Jesus followers.

The first four books in the New Testament are named after four men. These are what we call Gospels. Gospel is a word that means good news. It was used to talk of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus: good news for us! You see that word in verse 1...

Mark 1:1 CSB

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Each of these four men who wrote these accounts set out to retell the story of Jesus to the church that formed after Jesus’ death. Two of them had actually walked with Jesus during much of his ministry. But none of them were there for all of it, so all four had to do research and find out the stories they didn’t know.

Mark wasn’t one of Jesus’ disciples but very well may have been hanging around by the end of his life. We know that he had a close relationship with Peter after Jesus’ death so that may very well be where he got most of his research.

Each of these four men, tell the story of Jesus in a somewhat unique way. You can see that simply by how they start!

Matthew and Luke begin with the story of Jesus’ birth. Matthew grounds that story into the story of the Israelites from the Old Testament by using lots of imagery they would be familiar with. Luke does not focus on much of anything Jewish. Seems to be writing more to connect with the non-Jews.

John goes back not to the beginning of Jesus’ earthly life, but back the beginning of EVERYTHING! He begins by informing the reader that Jesus is not just some man, but that he is actually the SON OF GOD, an eternal being that was involved in creation.

Both of those make a lot of sense, right? But Mark doesn’t start there. Mark jumps right in by talking about a guy named John...

That’s what I read earlier.

Mark 1:2–4 CSB

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight! John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Mark doesn’t talk about Jesus first, he talks about John. The guy we call John the Baptizer! This was actually Jesus’ cousin who was a strange guy, dressing different from everyone else, living off the land, avoiding a lot of city life.

Mark 1:6 CSB

John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.

But he develops quite a following. And he plays a huge role in Jesus’ ministry beginning.

1. JESUS’ DEBUT

John recognized his calling from God to not be a big deal himself. He knew people would think that he was the Messiah who had been promised to God’s people, but he knew he was not. He was there to simply PAVE THE WAY for the Messiah. That’s why he says...

Mark 1:7–8 CSB

He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

John is trying to prepare the people for the Messiah’s coming. He knows that when the Messiah comes, he will intensify the way we interact with God. That’s why he can say that the Messiah will baptize with the Holy Spirit.

This is not a new idea here though. God’s Spirit had already been at work in the Old Testament over and over again. We see individuals being FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT accomplishing great things throughout the history of the the Israelites.

John was referring to a filling of the Holy Spirit that happens to every believer when we trust in Christ. Paul expounds on this a lot in his letters that are sent to help churches understand how to exist together.

The story then skips forward to a moment that would have been overwhelming for John! He has just said that he is not fit to untie the sandal of this Messiah that is coming, and then this happens...

Mark 1:9 CSB

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.

WOW! Can you imagine how unfit John felt in this moment! Especially after what happened following the baptism...

Mark 1:10–11 CSB

As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”

This moment sets the stage for Jesus’ ministry to begin taking off. We don’t know how many were there to witness it, but you can be sure that those who were there were telling folks!

Jesus then takes 40 days to prepare for the ministry through fasting and solitude. And after that, we quickly see...

2. Jesus’ Message

John ticks off a local leader because he wouldn’t lie and say that God approved of his sketchy life decisions, instead called him to repent. So, in response, John was arrested. But it’s at this time that Jesus begins his teaching ministry. It was a common thing for skilled teachers to travel from city to city and teach in the synagogues. But Jesus had a unique message...

Mark 1:14–15 CSB

After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Jesus was a Jewish man, teaching mostly in Jewish circles. As we have already kind of talked about, the Jews were a people who were waiting. They had experienced incredible blessing from God in past generations but were now living in the land God had promised would be theirs, but it’s part of the Roman Empire, not theirs. So, they are waiting on this Messiah that God continued to remind them was coming. He would turn things around! He would bring the Kingdom of God to the earth.

That’s what Jesus says here is happening! The kingdom of God has come near.

But Jesus and the other Jews were not on the same page. You can’t fault the Jews too much on that either. When the Israelites look back at their history, the peak was obviously the time when David was king. To them, that was because they owned the most land, they had a powerful military. All the stats that ancient nation leaders looked at.

This is why the Jews expected a military leader! The only way they could envision the Kingdom of God on earth was through a kingdom ON EARTH and a king!

But Jesus’ message is not, “The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Get your guns boys, and be ready.” The way to prepare for the kingdom’s coming is not by preparing physically, but spiritually! This had to be confusing! What does repentance have to do with an overthrow of the government!?

Jesus is laying the groundwork here that gets fleshed out through his ministry that the revolution that is coming to restore the kingdom of God on earth will not be one that sheds the blood of others, but one’s own SIN. The true kingdom of God exists when people live under the rule of God, following his plans, desires, and will. When we seek God above all else! That’s the kingdom. That’s what was coming in Christ! He was coming to show all of humanity what that really looked like and through salvation in him, we receive the Holy Spirit which enables us to be able to live for God too!

Jesus’ message was not too different from prophets of the past and other teachers of the day, but there was something unique there.

Mark 1:21–22 CSB

They went into Capernaum, and right away he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach. They were astonished at his teaching because he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not like the scribes.

Do you see it? It wasn’t necessarily the message but the authority by which he spoke! Jesus backs that authoritative voice by showing them he was legit. He drives a demon out of a man in the synagogue there! And then it says this...

Mark 1:27–28 CSB

They were all amazed, and so they began to ask each other, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” At once the news about him spread throughout the entire vicinity of Galilee.

News is spreading quickly! Jesus is no longer just an out of town teacher who the people might want to listen to. He is a prophet that is performing incredible miracles!

Mark helps us see that Jesus quickly developed a following!

3. JESUS’ FOLLOWING

People wanted to be around Jesus. They wanted to be healed and wanted to see him heal.

Mark 1:32–34 CSB

When evening came, after the sun had set, they brought to him all those who were sick and demon-possessed. The whole town was assembled at the door, and he healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

Did you catch that? THE WHOLE TOWN was assembled at the door! Yes, that can be a literary device. We shouldn’t take that to mean that LITERALLY the whole town had gathered, but we should recognize that Mark is saying that a HUGE crowd has gathered there. These are the multitudes that we see Jesus beginning to interact with from here til chapter 8 or 9.

He has already called some of his close disciples to follow him at this point, and Mark records right after this the calling of some more. But the early chapters of Mark retell Jesus’ interactions with the large crowds of people.

The next three weeks, we will look at three of the major moments in which Christ does this. It’s going to be a lot of fun, don’t miss a one!

But the question is WHY? Why did Jesus do all of this? Was it just to see how many people he could get to follow him? He trying to be a celebrity? Get his picture on the cover of Rolling Stone or Time? Time’s person of the year! That’s it!

Jesus was I believe intentionally drawing a crowd so that more people could hear his message. And not just that HE was living in the Kingdom but that everyone could! When we skip ahead to the end of the section we are studying this month, you will see this.

Mark 8:34 CSB

Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

This statement was made to the multitude! Jesus wasn’t just doing good things for people. He was inviting them into a new way of living! It’s important to understand that everything Jesus did was to show the people life without the reprecussions of sin.

Think about it… Why were there sick people in Capernaum? Because man’s a sinner and the world we live in is broken! Why were people possessed by demons? Because man’s a sinner and the world we live in is broken!

The way Jesus taught and the miracles he performed were all about undoing the effects of sin. Not that man deserved these actions but Jesus was giving them a glimpse of the Kingdom! What would it look like for mankind to live completely under the reign and rule of God on earth? NO SICKNESS. NO POSSESSION by demons! Perfect relationships. No bitterness, no brokenness. No shame. Jesus was pulling back the curtain in tiny little ways to show them the Kingdom of God!

And then he would say, “Follow me.” Don’t follow me because of what I have done for you. Don’t follow me because you got to see cool stuff. Don’t follow me because I’m a good teacher. Follow me because you want to be a partner in the kingdom of God here on earth!

Church, nothing has changed! The call is the same for us today! The Kingdom of God has come near in Christ. REpent and believe the Good NEWS. partner with Christ in his Kingdom! Live under the reign and rule of God with the Spirit of God in you to guide you. Partner with God to show people glimpses of life without the effects of sin!

Show grace where it is not deserved. That’s the kingdom of God.

Serve others instead of looking to be served. That’s the kingdom of God.

Give to those in need sacrifically. That’s the kingdom of God.

Help the helpless. Show love to the unlovable, Give hope to the hopeless. That’s the Kingdom of God.

This is why so many Christians are not living as Christians! Because we are choosing the ways of the world over the ways of the kingdom! God help us give people glimpses of the Kingdom!

I believe one of the best ways we can do this is by what happens on Sunday morning. Let me speak to people who call East home for a bit… What question is on your mind when you come in on the weekends here? Is it me centered? Even if you put a spiritual spin on that, if you are at the center of your goals for this morning (I want to be fed. I want to be invested in) then you probably don’t have a kingdom mindset! If your first priority coming in here is looking for someone new or someone hurting, or someone in need and making them feel welcome and loved, that’s the kingdom baby! Which mindset do you have?

What about at your workplace? Do you leave your kingdom mindset at home with your Bible? Or do you carry it to work. To Target. To the restaurant. To the ballfield. Do you see this? The message of Christ was “The kingdom of God has come near,” you and I get to show the reality of that to others through the way we live!

But for some of you, you may have not yet trusted in this message of Jesus. But, for you, Jesus’ message hasn’t changed either: Repent and believe the Good News.

Today, God stands ready to use you to show others the kingdom of God, but you need to first repent of your sins and believe in this good news story of Jesus.

If you would like to begin that journey today, please let us know! We are going to sing another song shortly. During that song, I always stand down front right here and you can come and share with me that you need to trust in Jesus. We want BADLY to help you take that step today. Please come talk to me or slide back to the back to our decision counselors by the door.

Jesus had a clear message, let’s be obedient to it today!

This last song is a time for all of us to respond in whatever way we need to. You can spend some time praying for yourself or others whether at your seat or up here at the altar. Or you could spend this time worshiping God through song for allowing us to partner with him. Or you can come talk with us about a decision you are ready to make!

Let’s pray together. After I say amen, let’s stand and respond however each may need to.

PRAY

Do you come in here on the weekends asking the