Mark 1:14-15 CSB
[14] After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: [15] “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

We walk around today and we don’t even realize what’s going on around us.  Situational awareness is an absolute necessity.  But here we are walking around with our heads in the clouds, or in the sand, or quite frankly other places that are incredibly inappropriate given the nature of our calling.

What does it say to my children when I can’t put my video game down to answer a question? 

What does it say when my children never see me reading God’s Word?

What does it say to my children when my children never hear me talk about what I know to be true and right?

What does it say to the world when we don’t answer their questions, or they never see us searching for answers,  and then proclaiming what we know to be true and right?

There is always someone watching.

Let me give you examples of what they see.

I’m not important. 

I’m not worthy?

No one cares.

Nothing matters.

I’m useless.

I’m hated.

The list goes on and it never gets better.  So how do we combat this?  Let’s look at the text.

From the beginning of Mark 1 we see God’s timing.  A messenger is promised, he comes, Messiah shows, Messiah’s mission is inaugurated in His baptism with water, Spirit, and God’s proclamation.  Jesus is tempted, Jesus prevails over Satan. John is arrested and now Jesus is there to take over.

God is always meeting the needs of those who will choose Him, perfectly.  Is He using you to do it?  If you are a Christian, the answer is YES! 

The time is fulfilled,

When we see the phrase the Kingdom of God, we often only think of heaven.  We’re kind of programmed that way by society.  That however doesn’t alleviate us from the work of reading and realizing that it’s only 1/3 of the equation.  That phrase has 3 distinct impressions.

1. The Kingdom of heaven is heaven to come.

John 14:1-4 CSB
[1] “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. [2] In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? [3] If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. [4] You know the way to where I am going.”

2. The Kingdom of heaven is Messiah.

Mark 1:7-11 CSB
[7] He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. [8] I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”  [9] In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. [10] As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. [11] And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”

3. The Kingdom of heaven is all Christians.

Matthew 28:18-20 CSB
[18] Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. [19] Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Genesis 1:26 CSB
[26] Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”

1 Peter 1:16 CSB
[16] for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.

We are called to be holy, everything else we are called to be falls in place under that.  You are a messenger of some sort.

The Kingdom of heaven has come near.

The message of the Gospel is simple.  God made it that way I think because man has proven over and over that he can’t handle complicated.  To share the Gospel you need only to keep 6 things in mind.

1. Pray.  Pray like you’ve never prayed before, for God to do the work.

2. God made everything.  Genesis 1 and 2.

3. Man messed it up, broke it.  Genesis 3.

4. Jesus came to fix it.  John 3:16-18 and Romans 3.

5. Christians are part of  the fix.  Matthew 28:19-20.

6. Tell your story.  You came to Christ.  Tell how it happened.

Repent and believe the good news!

Now I’ve never been one to beat around the bush.  So here it is.  As Christians, if we’re in public we’re probably less than 50 feet for someone who is lost or just someone who needs our message.  Christians need to hear it too.  You are proclaiming a message whether you want to or not.  What message is it?  You have access to the One who knows what needs to be said and He is faithful. 

Know that I say this in love.

Remove your head from wherever it’s at that’s stopping you.

PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS!

Love in Christ,

Colby