1. Mark 1:1-15

2. 1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
3  the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’ ”

3. 4 John appeared, baptising in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptised by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptised you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.”

4. 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately 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.”
12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

5. 14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

6. Preparing for the Son of God
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
3  the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’ ”

7. Preparing for The Son of God
Jesus isn’t an inconsequential baby. He’s the Son of God we must prepare to meet
John the Baptist came in the image of Elijah
Malachi 4: 5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of YHWH comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
His task – to make a road for God
His method – Teaching
His content – Turn from your evil ways, and turn back to God.

8. Preparing for The Son of God
Jesus isn’t an inconsequential baby. He’s the Son of God we must prepare to meet
John the Baptist came in the image of Elijah, to make a road for God, teaching “Turn from your evil ways, and turn back to God.”
Repentance
A complete change of of thought and attitude, regarding sin and righteousness. - to change one’s way – a total change in both thought and behaviour
There is no salvation or genuine conversion without repentance
Not just beginning to believe that Jesus has saved us, but both believing Jesus has saved us and repenting from and confessing sins, so we can be forgiven.
The preacher’s task is to always point to Jesus Christ, and proclaim repentance
Baptism is a visual sign of our change of allegiance to the Kingdom of God
The wilderness – danger; loneliness; need – God is present and ministers to us
Don’t confuse ‘our desires’ with ‘the will of God’
The Spirit drives us beyond where we want to go & beyond what we want to do

9. Repentance It takes both
Jesus isn’t an inconsequential baby. He’s the Son of God we must prepare to meet
John the Baptist came in the image of Elijah, to make a road for God, teaching “Turn from your evil ways, and turn back to God.”
Repentance
A complete change of of thought and attitude, regarding sin and righteousness. - to change one’s way – a total change in both thought and behaviour
There is no salvation or genuine conversion without repentance
Not just beginning to believe that Jesus has saved us, but both believing Jesus has saved us and repenting from and confessing sins, so we can be forgiven.
The preacher’s task is to always point to Jesus Christ, and proclaim repentance
Baptism is a visual sign of our change of allegiance to the Kingdom of God
The wilderness – danger; loneliness; need – God is present and ministers to us
Don’t confuse ‘our desires’ with ‘the will of God’
The Spirit drives us beyond where we want to go & beyond what we want to do
The message to repent from sin is often rejected, & those who preach it, hated
It takes both
Repentance without the gospel – ‘trying to be better’ – won’t save us
Believing Jesus saves, but not repenting / confessing – doesn’t save us