Skip to main content

A New Year Sermon: 2 Chronicles 30:6-12; Mark 1:1-13

"Then the runners went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the king" (2 Chronicles 30:6).
A message had been given to them. They passed the message on. They "spoke according to the command of the king" (2 Chronicles 30:6).
What we see here, in 2 Chronicles 30, is similar to what we read about in Mark 1 - John the Baptist is the messenger sent from God. He brings God's Word to the people.
In the time of King Hezekiah, in the time of John the Baptist, in today's world, God speaks His Word: "Return to the Lord God" (2 Chronicles 30:6). With the call to return to the Lord, there is the promise: "He will return to you" (2 Chronicles 30:6).
"Return to Me and I will return to you" - This is the message that God is speaking to us all of the time.
We look back to the past, and we ask, "Where have we been? How have we lived in 2016?"
We look on to the future, and we ask, "Where are we going? How will we live in 2017?"
Mark's Gospel speaks of a new beginning. It's not a new beginning which begins with ourselves. It's a new beginning which comes to us from God - "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1:1).
Our new beginning does not begin with ourselves. It begins with God. Our returning to the Lord doesn't begin when we say to ourselves, "I think I'll return to the Lord." We don't begin there. We must go further back than that. We must go back to the Word of the Lord. Before we ever think of returning to the Lord, He is speaking to us. He's calling us to return to Him.
"The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus ... " Gospel means Good News. Jesus means Saviour.
At this time of year, we wish each other a "Happy New Year." Very often, this is just hoping for the best, hoping that good things will happen to us. As we say, "Happy New Year", we must ask ourselves this very important question: "Do we know the way to true happiness?"
As soon as we ask this question, God gives His answer: "the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."
Jesus is our Saviour. This is Good News. Jesus is God's way to true happiness.
Following the ministry of John the Baptist, there is the baptism of Jesus.
 * As we think together about making a new beginning with God, the first thing we must say is this - It's a new beginning in faith.
We are called to believe what God says to us about Jesus: "You are My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Mark 1:11).
 * The second thing we must say is this - It's a new beginning in holiness: "The Spirit descended upon Him like a dove" (Mark 1:10).
As I say to you, "Happy New Year", I pray that you will have been saved by Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit.
 * There is, however, a third blessing that I pray you will enjoy - victory over Satan.
In Mark 1:12-12, Mark gives us a brief account of Jesus' temptations - "The Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness", "Jesus was tempted by Satan."
 Here, we see the conflict between the Spirit, in Jesus, and Satan, coming from outside of Jesus.
Like Jesus, we need to say to Satan, "You don't belong here. My heart belongs to the Holy Spirit."
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Let us give thanks - with joy ...

“At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem”, the keynote of the service was joyful thanksgiving. They gathered together “to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving” (Nehemiah 12:27). “On that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy” (Nehemiah 12:43). They sang “songs of praise and thanksgiving to God” (Nehemiah 12:46). This joyful thanksgiving is only a foretaste of the greater joy and thanksgiving of heaven: “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). In the city of God, “the glory of God” will be shining with everlasting brightness (Revelation 21:23). The Church of God will be “prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). The beautiful picture of the godly wife in Proverbs 31 gives us an outline of what God is seeking to do in His people. It is summarized in Proverbs 31:30: “A woman who fears the Lord is to be
Post a Comment
Read more

In true ministry, there is both the Word of God and the Spirit of God ...

In true ministry, there is both the Word of God and the Spirit of God. God’s Word is spoken to us in the power of the Spirit, so that we might speak His Word in the power of the Spirit (Ezekiel 2:1-4). Ezekiel is described as “a watchman over the people of Israel.” He was to speak the word of warning (Ezekiel 3:17). This is the kind of preaching which calls its hearers back from the wages of sin - death. The hearers are called to “change their wicked ways in order to save their lives” (Ezekiel 3:18).
Post a Comment
Read more

Out of the darkness and into the light ...

More of these Bible readings notes can be found at  God's Word For Every Day . Matthew 4:12-17 Having overcome His enemy, Jesus begins His ministry. Satan will be back - Luke ends his account of Jesus' temptations with these ominous words, 'When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left until an opportune time' (4:12). Satan will try again, but - for now - he has failed to stop Jesus setting out on His ministry, a ministry which brings light into the darkness. The light is shining brightly - 'the Kingdom of heaven is near' (17). Jesus' ministry is viewed as a fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy (15-16; Isaiah 9:1-2). The prophecy had been given: Death will be overcome, men and women will be delivered from 'the shadow of death'. Now, in Christ, the prophecy has been fulfilled: by His death, Christ has destroyed 'him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil' and He has set 'free' those who live in 'fear of d
Post a Comment
Read more