Mark 1:4-11
“That Ought To Make A Difference!”
 

 

Have you ever known anyone with a really bad self-opinion? Or some one with a major inferiority complex? A person who thinks they never receive the respect that they are due? Someone so lacking confidence that they must always strive to find a way to build themselves up?

 

Well, basically there are two ways that people have a propensity to do this:
              One is to falsely inflate themselves.

              The other is to tear others down.

 

Either approach is equally false in its desired results. Any attempt, any attempt to “manufacture” a sense of superiority is an empty and hollow action that will lead eventually to decay. Yet, it happens everyday! People try to “manufacture” a sense of superiority over other people based on:

 

               National Origin
               Race
               Religion

               Gender

               Marital Status

               Sexual Orientation

               Education

               Portfolio Size

Well, you get the point and if you will join me in getting’ just “naked honest” this morning, you and I have done the same thing! I can find no indication in Mark or anyplace else in the Bible that Jesus ever needed someone else to look down on. Let’s talk about that for a minute or two this morning.

As you know, Mark’s Gospel in incredibly distilled. It takes him all of three verses to tell us the story of Jesus’ baptism.  Jesus came from Nazareth. John baptized Jesus. Something really important happened as if the very heavens were torn apart and as if God’s very spirit came down and a voice spoke to Jesus and said,

“You are my child, I love you, with you I am well pleased.”

 

So, after about 40 days in the wilderness, fighting temptation, trials and darkness Jesus returns to Galilee and begins His ministry. He starts his ministry with a reminder and an invitation.

 

The reminder is: The time is fulfilled – The Kingdom of God is near.  

The invitation is:  “Repent” and believe the Good News! (The Greek word used here for repent is mĕtanǒĕo  (met-an-o-eh-o) “to think differently or reconsider”)

 

You need to notice and be aware that Jesus’ invitation to repent comes after The Good News, the time is fulfilled (meaning Jesus has come), is shared! 

“The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

This is a synopsis of Jesus’ program and of Mark’s Gospel. It is now the time for the completion of long-standing yearnings and hopes, God is finally acting to reestablish his beneficent will for the people. Repent, return to God’s way, in response to the Good News of God’s action.

That Ought to Make A Difference!  

Do you see the difference here in the ministry of John and that of Jesus?  

John invites us to repent in order to get ready for the Kingdom.
Jesus invites us to repent because the Kingdom has come!

That Ought To Make A Difference!

We do not return to God’s way (repent) so that God will do something for us, We repent (think differently) because God has done something for us.

That Ought to Make A Difference!

Too often it seems the message of the Church follows the teachings of John more closely that the teachings of Jesus.


We repent, return to God’s way, in response to the Good News, and the Good News is this:

God loves you…….. Just as much…….. as God loves Jesus!

 

I want you to think about that this week:  God loves you just as much as God loves Jesus!

 
Have you ever thought about what that means?

I believe that with all my heart because Jesus spent his entire ministry trying to get people like you and like me in touch with the same truth that was shared with Him on the day of his baptism. 

I believe that when Jesus came up out of that water and heard that voice, he never once said “Boy, ain’t I great!” or “Look at all those low-life’s over there, ain’t they awful. 

Jesus spent His entire ministry trying to make people everywhere understand that God wants for everyone what God wants for Him. God wants for everyone what God wants for Him, Jesus does not need to feel more important than anyone else.  

That Ought to Make A Difference!

 

I believe that any time you read the Bible it is essential to be aware of YOUR position in the passage.  It is very important where you locate yourself in relationship to the passage you are reading, because where you place yourself is critical to the meaning you receive from that text.

Where do you locate yourself in the picture that Mark paints of the Baptism on that day?

 

If you see yourself as being 2000 years removed from that baptism…looking back on something that has no relation to you…that’s not good! Perhaps most of us would see ourselves observing from a distance, you know on the river bank or up on the hill looking down at the action, but not really taking part. I do not hesitate today to invite you to place yourself in the story of this baptism in the very place of Jesus. Now, let’s tell the story again:

In those days:
 _________, was baptized;
 _________, was baptized;
 _________, was baptized;

and something really important happened, it was if the Heavens split open and a voice from Heaven spoke:  "You are my Child, I love you; with you I am well pleased."

Please, repeat those words with me:
I am a child of God!
God loves me!
God is Pleased with me!

That Ought to Make A Difference!

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of religious chatter that invites us to form a relationship with God based on how vile we are!

We have all heard, at some point in our lives, that in order to start a relationship with God we first must acknowledge our sins.

That message has NO relationship to the message of Jesus!Jesus tells us that in order to have a relationship with God we must acknowledge that:

That God has acted positively in our behalf!
That God has come to you!
That God has done something for you!
That God loves you!

God starts a relationship with us because God loves us!
God’s love and mercy bring us to Him!

That Ought to Make A Difference!

Today’s message and the message for all time is simple:

God loves you,  and everyone else in the world,  just as much,  as God loves Jesus. 
He wants the same things for you,  as he wants for Jesus.

You are God’s Child! 
God loves you!
God is pleased with you!          

That … Ought To Make A Difference!