Lindsey Blair and Bobby Gilles recap and discuss Pastor Jonah Sage's sermon from Mark 1:14-20.
Lindsey Blair and Bobby Gilles recap and discuss Pastor Jonah Sage's sermon from Mark 1:14-20.
Lindsey: Welcome to the Midweek Checkup. My name is Lindsey Blair and this here is Bobby Gilles. This past Sunday, Pastor Jonah Sage preached from Mark One, verses fourteen through twenty in our new series called Good News People.
Bobby: Pastor Jonah said that Jesus walks to you so you will walk with him.
If you’ve forgotten or missed the sermon, it’s time for the Midweek Checkup.
Lindsey: Jonah began by noting that Mark drops some interesting details that we’d like to know more about, like the temptation in the wilderness and the arrest of John the Baptist. But Mark is a writer on mission, who wants to get into his story quickly. And that story is the message of Jesus in verse fifteen: The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” Jesus does not say God is coming. He says God is here.
Bobby: Jewish people in Jesus' day were living under Roman oppression
An occupying force was living in their town, patrolling their streets, standing outside their church services, stopping their children at the grocery store.
Parents had to explain to their children how to talk to Roman soldiers, where it was safe to walk or not walk, keep your eyes down, mind your own business, stay out of trouble.
Lindsey: In Jesus' day, the idea of God coming to town meant liberation and war. And when they heard that it was "GOOD NEWS", remember, that's that old word gospel, and that was a word that meant the war was over.
They heard Jesus saying God is here, the war is over before it's even begun. But they didn’t understand that God’s plan was much bigger than Rome.
Bobby: Jesus goes on a walk and finds some fishers. They are not praying, they are not doing anything spiritual or special. They are at work. Boring, mundane, work. Fishing! Ordinary, unspiritual men doing ordinary, unspiritual work. And yet...Jesus comes walking to them. You do not have to be special for God to walk to you.
Lindsey: This is what the Kingdom of God will look like: A walking-paced life with God himself. He comes to you, not in a hurry, because he wants to be near you. He has work for you, but we're not quite sure what that means yet, in this series. But we have an invitation that is not ambiguous at all: follow me. Jesus walks to you so you will walk with him.
Bobby: Jonah said, “The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. It produces a mustard seed kind of life. Not soldiers, but fishermen. Not swords, but slow walks. Not invasions but invitations. This is the good news of Jesus: the kingdom of God is at hand.
Lindsey: Our journey through the Gospel of Mark continues this coming Sunday, where we’ll learn more about walking with Jesus. And in Bible Fellowship, we’ll discuss Psalm Sixty-Seven together. Join us and bring a friend.