In the
beginning God told us how He
built creation. Genesis 1.
Now, in this beginning
He tells us how He built the Gospel. Mark 1:1-4.
It is profound in its
simplicity.
Foundational
Pillars:
Genesis 1:1. In the
beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Mark 1:1. The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God.
Hebrews 1:1-2. God, who at
various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the
prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son,
whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made
the worlds.
John 1:1,
14. In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God... 14 and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The beginning of the Gospel...
The word the, is the definite article. Meaning there is only One
Gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:6-9 Only
One Gospel
I marvel that you are turning
away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different Gospel,
7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert
the Gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel
from heaven, preach any other Gospel to you than what we have preached to you,
let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if
anyone preaches any other Gospel to you than what you have received, let him be
accursed.
Any other Gospel,
(Book of Mormon, Jehovah Witness Watch Tower and New World Translation, Islamic
Quran...) if we or an angel from heaven, if anyone preach any other Gospel,
let him be accursed.
Accursed: eternally
damned.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Jesus is the One and only Christ,
Messiah, Anointed One, Savior of the Word.
Jesus is God.
John 1:1. In the beginning was the
Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God... 14 and the Word
became flesh and dwelt among us.
Jesus as the Son of God, is the second
member of the Trinity. God the Father. God the Son. God the Holy Spirit.
Three in One.
NOT three separate entities as Morman’s pervert (the
word from Gal. 6:7).
Jesus is the uncreated Creator, NOT our spirit brother
born to the Heavenly Father and a Heavenly Mother, as perverted by the
Mormons.
Jesus is NOT an angel. NOT Michal the Archangel. NOT a
created being as perverted by Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Jesus is God who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14), put on skin as a Man; not simply a good man a respected prophet pointing to Muhammad as Islam perverts it.
The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God.
2 As it is written in the Prophets:
“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.”
Quoting what was prophesied 400 years prior.
Malachi 3:1.
“Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”
Quoting what was prophesied 700 years prior.
Isaiah 40:3.
The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God.
What we’re seeing is
that even though God is Sovereign, He abides by His own Divine system of
justice.
Amos 3:7.
Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants
the prophets.
So, over many years, God
spoke in various ways, at various times, through various prophets. Hebrews 1:1.
Then, at just the
right time, just as promised, the messenger came...
4 John came...
In the
beginning God told us
how He built creation.
Now, in this beginning He tells us how He built the Gospel.
First, everything
begins with God.
In the beginning
God... Genesis 1:1.
The beginning
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Mark 1:1.
It all begins with
God.
With God everything
begins good.
Gospel means good
news.
Next comes
God’s Word.
God said,
“Let there be light...” Gen. 1:3.
In the beginning
was the Word... John 1:1.
As it is written...
Mark 1:2.
Then
comes His messenger.
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him;
male and female created He them.
Behold, I
send My messenger... Mark 1:2
Then, as promised,
the messenger came...
4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching
a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
The promised prophet was
John.
Not Muhammad.
Not Joseph Smith.
Just John.
And what did John do?
He came baptizing,
signifying the washing away of sin by repentance (transition of the heart)
rather than temporarily covering it by works and sacrifice.
He’s the forerunner,
the protype, the first preacher pointing directly to Christ.
He’s the one our all-knowing,
all wise, Lord picked to begin the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This is the mold;
this is the guy I want my preachers to look like.
John. Preaching in
the wilderness. Not in a stained glass, crystal cathedral, ivory towers wearing
designer clothes, private jets, and $20,000 watches.
John’s, our example.
His method was
simple. Baptize in the wilderness.
His message was
simple. Repent. Your soul is dirty in need of a bath. Repent for the Kingdom of
Heaven is at hand. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree
that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and cast into the fire.
(Matthew 3:2, 10).
Same message Billy
Graham preached for over half a century... and changed the world.
That is
the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
God’s
Divine System of Salvation.
Profound
in simplicity.
God
His Word
His
Messenger
Romans
10:14. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how
shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear
without a preacher?
1
Corinthian 1:21. For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew
not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save
them that believe.
That is
God’s Divine System of Salvation.
That’s why saints
still gathered, at the risk of death by dogs, or lions, or being burned alive.
It didn’t matter. They’d
never stop. To stop would be like trying to go on living, but doing it, without
breathing.
Hearing God’s Word is
the Life Breath for His people.
Did preaching
repentance work for John?
5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem,
went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing
their sins.
The people walked to
the wilderness.
Waded into the Jordan
River.
Confessed their sins.
Were fully emersed
under the water, signifying they were all-in, fully committed to repenting,
turning from sin.
The water didn’t wash
away their sins back then, and it doesn’t today.
It was an outward
sign, of an inward commitment to repentance.
For us today it
represents our repentance and commitment to Christ.
6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt
around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
Devoted.
Totally dedicated to
the cause of Christ.
The camel’s hair
reflected the clothes of the prophets, namely, Elijah. 2 Kings 1:8, Zech. 13:4.
John as a Nazarite would
not drink any fermented drink, or grape juice or grapes or raisins, not even
the seeds or skins. Was not to cut his hair. Would not go near a dead body. John
distanced himself from the religious elites and wouldn’t wear soft comfortable
clothing like theirs.
Camel’s hair was not
just a picture of the prophets of the past but practical, durable, and retained
warmth when wet.
7 And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is
mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.
Humble.
Loosing a sandal
strap was the task of slaves.
John said he wasn’t
even worthy to be a slave to Christ.
John
3:30. He must increase but I must decrease.
8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with
the Holy Spirit.”
Focused.
John was totally
focused on Christ.
John
1:29. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
John: Devoted.
Humble. Focused.
We can and should be
too.
John Baptizes Jesus
9 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of
Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
Do right,
just because it’s right.
Matthew 3:14-15.
John said to Jesus, “I
should be baptized by You.”
But Jesus said, “Let
it be so. For it is fitting to fulfill all righteousness.”
Jesus didn’t need to
be baptized. But He did it just because it was the right thing to do.
You don’t need
to be baptized to be saved. But you ought to, because it’s the right thing to
do, “to fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus did. You should too.
As far as the Bible
records it was customary, after, someone was saved, to be
baptized.
Jesus was baptized,
just because it was right.
And it pleased God...
10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the
heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 11 Then
a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased.”
Do right, just
because it’s right, and hear God say: “You are My beloved, in whom I am well
pleased.”
We see
here the Trinity.
God the Son, Jesus being
baptized.
God the Holy Spirit,
descending like a dove.
God the Father, speaking from heaven.
Three in one.
Let’s pray.
Lord
Jesus, thank You for revealing the profound simplicity of Your Gospel. Help us to
walk in it. To seek You first, to love and live by Your Word, and to hear Your
messengers, that we may be soul winners and disciple makers, so of all those
You’ve given us, none are lost
Thank
You.
We love You, forever.
Amen.
Prayer
Requests:
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text: 612-554-2522
Email: pray4measap@aol.com
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Mark 1:1-11
This was
feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to sow.
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