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Mark 1:9-15
We invite you to worship with us each Sunday morning at 9:30. You may also download our service on I-tunes by clicking on Baptist-Christian. As a result of the D-day invasion of Normandy and the atom bombs dropped on Japan in 1944 and 1945, over nearly a half million people were killed, never experiencing the freedom for which they sacrificed their lives. Millions more were injured and maimed for life. As monumental as those two events in world history are, they pale in comparison to the most significant invasion in all of human history. That was the invasion of God Himself into the human race. At least in America, the “holiday season” has already begun. It is a sad truth that many (could we say most) people will never give thought to the true reason for celebration at this time of year. The birth of the Christ-child presents at least three truths from this week’s Scripture.
- THE TIME HAS COME! Mark actually wrote “the time has been fulfilled.” The word “time” is interesting in its basic meaning which is “decisive, crucial place or point- whether spatially, materially, or temporal.” In the Old Testament it means “a decisive point of time.” That is especially important for us as Christians because we know that it is always God Who controls and sets all time/times. In the New Testament time focuses on “an immediate, personal, fateful, decisive point.” For us as Christians that means that God directs our entire life bringing us to critical, decisive points where He is able to show is His infinite and gracious goodness. In short, God offers us His best at exactly the right time in our lives for us to enjoy it to the fullest. If we refuse or postpone the offer, we lose the fullest amount possible forever! Notice the time had come for
- THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO BE AMONG HIS PEOPLE! In the first 18 verses of his gospel, John tells us that God Almighty came to live among us to share the glory of God and His Kingdom with us. When Mark wrote “the time has been fulfilled” he was telling us the quantity and quality of the Kingdom God offers. God wants to fill us completely with the blessings and benefits of His Kingdom. It is God Who desires that we should be filled and He is the One doing the filling because He is the Only One qualified to fill us. How does that happen? Notice the last part of verse 15. We are to
- REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOOD NEWS! In this statement the Incarnation comes into focus so the human heart can understand it. Jesus is the fullest revelation of God the human race in general will ever have. One writer says in reference to the Incarnation – it demands radical conversion, a transformation of a person’s nature, a definitive turning from evil, and a resolute turning to God in total obedience. Our 21st Century easy-believism is perhaps one of history’s greatest retaliations to the Incarnation. It is now arrogant even vulgar to suggest (even in private thought) that any person would receive a personal offer from God to share in His Kingdom. However, Scripture teaches the only way into the Kingdom is if God first offers it to us. Isaiah tells us “there is none who seek after God.” If He doesn’t come to us, seeking us, and offering eternal life through Christ, we certainly aren’t going to look for it. Sin won’t allow us to do so! Consider what you may have rejected from God this past year in all the offers He has given to you. Do you need to repent and stop refusing them?
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