Behold my servant, Video preaching

Christ the Preacher

Scripture: Mark 1:14-20

Sermon notes 

The power of the Holy Ghost made itself visible immediately in the life of the Saviour in two ways.

First, there was victorious conflict with the power of the devil. This took place away from human witnesses. In the arena of the wilderness and weakened by the fasting he had engaged in, Matt 4:2; He encountered Satan and overcame his temptations. The Holy Ghost always leads His people into such victorious conflict with sin and its allies even in this life/world. Cp Gal 5:16-17.

Second, there is the beginning of His preaching ministry, v14. The Holy Spirit always works to this end of advancing the gospel kingdom of Christ.

I   PREACHING THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

The Holy Ghost works in power to promote the preaching of the gospel and call sinners to faith and repentance. These are very basic marks of Spirit-filled preaching!

  1. He comes to Galilee, v14. Some early events in His ministry are passed over in the record here. Cp Matt 4:12-16. The ministry of Christ was a great light in this region marked by the darkness of devilish power and activitiy. His power is undiminished by His triumph over Satan, Luke 4:14, and He continues His triumphant rout of the devil’s kingdom Luke 4:40-41.
  2. He comes as a prophet. He is preeminently a preacher of the gospel. Cp Luke 2:10—the gospel is the ‘good news’ that the Saviour has come to provide salvation for sinners. See 1Cor 15:1-4. The Saviour fitted the mould of one of the prophets, 6:15. See Luke 4:24, Deut 18:15.
  3. He announced the presence of the kingdom of God, v15. It is at hand. The time has come when there is a full revelation of that long-promised gospel kingdom. The Old Testament anticipation of that Kingdom (John 8:56) is realized by its presence now in the person of Christ the King. The kingdom is initially a spiritual kingdom consisting of the people of God, ruled by Christ, administered by His laws. Cp Luke 17:20-21. Many were distracted by expectations of an external kingdom set up in contrast to the Roman occupation.
  4. Repent and believe. The substance of John’s message is continued, Matt 3:1-2. It is interesting to observe the connection made v15 between the removal of John and the coming of Christ to preach. This is the theme of Christ’s message and ministry. It is a perfect continuity with the prophets who went before. Cp Acts 3:18-24.

Repentance is necessary to salvation. There is no entering the kingdom of God apart from repentance. It is sin that excludes men from that kingdom. It is sin that makes them rebels against and enemies of the kingdom. It is sin that that will bring their ultimate defeat by the kingdom of God. Repentance is a sorrowful turning from sin. Cp 2Cor 7:9-11. It produces works meet for repentance, Matthew 3:8.

Faith accompanies repentance. The two go together and act together. They have no independent existence though each has a different focus. Cp Acts 20:21. Saving faith embraces the truth that God’s Messiah has come, and that the Lord Jesus is that Messiah King.

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