Sermon 24th January 2021 – Epiphany 3 - Text: Mark 1:14-20 – The Good News of repentance

 Sermon 24^th January 2021 – Epiphany 3 - Text: Mark 1:14-20 – The Good News of repentance

 

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night to a house or car alarm going off? What’s your first response? If it’s like mine, it’s usually not – I hope everything is okay. No it’s normally annoyance – seriously, don’t they know what time it is. Last week we heard an alarm going off in the afternoon and rather than rushing out to see if there was a problem we pondered wondering where it might be coming from.

 

It seems that we have somehow drowned out alarms from our system finding them an annoyance rather than a warning that something is not right. And I believe that this is one of the greatest challenges that faces the Christian Church today. You may recall a generation or so ago when Preachers were more known for delivering fire and brimstone sermons which seemed to draw in crowds through fear but that doesn’t seem to be working these days.

People have drowned out the warnings coming from the church about the dangers hell.

 

I’m not suggesting that we go back to those days but I’m wondering whether we are a little bit reluctant to use our sermons and messages to warn people but to be more warm and accommodating – but is that working? Even Jesus used a warning to remind people why it was necessary for him to come: Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news. It was the message that John the Baptist had also preached to the people to repent. Notice Jesus connects – repent with the good news.

 

Our teaching has always been one of Law and Gospel. We preach the law in order for people to understand the human condition before God – one of our fallen relationship through sin. But we don’t leave the message there – we assure people of the Good News that God forgives our sin and restores our relationship with him.

In order to truly appreciate and understand God’s grace we need to be fully aware and understand what God’s grace is delivering us from. If there is “good news” then what is the news that is not good?

 

St Paul says that the not good news is our punishment for sin – as St Paul says in Romans 6 about sin – for the wages of sin is death – but the gift of God – the grace of God – the good news of God is eternal life in heaven through Jesus Christ our Lord. There Paul preaches – Law and Gospel. And what we see in our Gospel reading and also in our 2nd reading from Paul is the urgency of needing this good news.

 

When Peter and his brother Andrew heard the call from Jesus to follow him their response was “immediate”.  Immediately they left their nets and followed him. When James and his brother John heard the call of Jesus to follow him – their response was immediate. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him. Even the people of Nineveh in hearing the judgment of God at their doorstep took no time at all to respond: When Jonah came and told them that in 40 days God was going to bring about his judgment, they didn’t say – well, we’ve got 40 days, let’s have a think about this. No, the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. They saw the urgency of needing to turn their lives around and receive God’s grace.

 

St Paul also stresses the urgency: The appointed time has grown short; the present form of this world is passing away. The growing shortness has been used as a way of frightening people but it need not be frightening. Jesus, connecting repentance and good news is to bring comfort to the suffering and concerned.

 

As we live in a world that continues to bring grief and concern to us how comforting to know that the time is short for which we must endure this lifetime.

 

Once sin entered into God’s perfect world, life in this world would not be a blessing. Even if a person is born into a well off family, never needs anything, they will still face the day when their life draws to an end and their health diminishes. So God has limited this lifetime and assures us that after this life there is new life in heaven where perfection is guaranteed because nothing evil will ever live there. Where there will be no more suffering or death because the old order of things will have passed. That’s what Jesus comes to proclaim as the Good News - The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near;

 

The Kingdom of God is where there is a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Where God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  Tears that we have shed through suffering and mourning. And after God has wiped away our tears, there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

 

So what is the Good News of the urgency? If fire and brimstone preaching and the fear of hell is not behind the immediacy of these readings what is? It’s because of God’s love for his children that does not want to see them burdened by the weight of fear that comes to us through sin. That’s Satan’s preferred way of attack.

Remember back to Adam and Eve. When they first sinned they feared God – they hid from God – “Adam where are you”. Adam responded - I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.

Sin didn’t keep God away from Adam but sin took Adam away from God. So Jesus issues an invitation to us when he says – come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest - I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

 

God wants you to begin to experience the comfort of his presence now and invites you – repent for the Kingdom of God is near. That’s what Paul refers to when he says - For the present form of this world is passing away. We don’t have to wait until WE pass away to experience the joy waiting for us. We can experience it now through a relationship with God. It doesn’t mean we can avoid the suffering of this world but we can know the comfort that soon it will be over. That’s why Jesus says – the Kingdom of God is near. Come and experience it NOW.

 

The message may to some be a message of fear and concern where they are not in a relationship with Jesus.

As Paul says in Corinthians – the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God, not wanting anyone to miss out on the blessings of eternal life in Heaven. The message of repentance is not one of fear but one of invitation to experience the comfort and assurance that Jesus is with us as we journey in this life.