THE POWER OF GOD’S CALL
The Gospel of Mark #3
Pastor Dennis Clanton
Woodland Church
Wednesday, October 5, 2022
(Mark 1:14–15, NASB) “Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
1. The time is fulfilled; God has entered history as a man.
A. The Gospel means Good News. It is the core of Jesus’ teaching: the Messiah has come to break the power of sin and begin God’s personal reign on earth.
B. The Kingdom of God will not be fully realized until all evil in the world has been judged and removed.
C. Christ came to earth first as a suffering Servant; he will come again as King and Judge to rule victoriously over all the earth.
D. The Kingdom of God is a life—lived under the rule of God.
E. If you want to experience Kingdom Life, you must repent and believe.
F. The Kingdom of God began quietly with God’s rule in people’s hearts.
G. The Kingdom was as near as people’s willingness to make Jesus king over their lives.
(Luke 17:21, GN) “The Kingdom of God is within you.”
Have we felt our sins, and forsaken them? Have we taken hold of Christ, and believed? We may reach heaven without learning or riches or health or worldly greatness. But we will never reach heaven if we die unrepentant and unbelieving. –J.C. Ryle
H. Jesus preached to those who wanted to hear and those who didn’t.
I. The Good News is that God has come, God is with us, and that He cares for us.
2. The Gospel will disrupt and give you a new life.
(Mark 1:16–20, NASB) “As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him.”
The power of God’s word.
(Psalm 33:9, CEV) “As soon as he spoke the world was created; at his command, the earth was formed.”
(Mark 1:25, ESV) “But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!”
(Mark 4:39, ESV) “And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”
(Mark 5:41, ESV) “Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”
(Mark 7:34, ESV) “And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”
(Mark 11:14, ESV) “And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.”
(Mark 11:20, ESV) “As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots.”
(Mark 15:38–39, ESV) “And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
3. JESUS SAW ME LONG BEFORE I SAW HIM.
(Matthew 4:19, NIV) “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
a. A call to mission.
b. A call to a larger life.
c. A call to do good.
(Ephesians 2:8–10, NLT) “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
i. I was made for this.
ii. I am called to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
iii. I am Christ’s letter to the world.