Spreading the gospel 022912

Bible Study – The Rev. Dr. Floyd H. Flake

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

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“Spreading The Gospel ”

Mark 1:1-11 (NLT)

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(1) This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. It began

(2) just as the prophet Isaiah had written: “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way.

(3) He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming! Clear the road for him!

“Spreading The Gospel”Mark 1:1-11 (NLT)

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(4) This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.

(5) All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.


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(6) His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.

(7) John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals.


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(8) I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”

(9) One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River.


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(10) As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove.

(11) And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”


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Earlier this month, many of us spent a great amount of time preparing for a big event called the Super Bowl. Two teams of huge men, bump helmeted heads as they played a game of football. This opportunity was theirs because they had battled one another and many other teams until this moment when they were the only teams who would have a chance to play for the title of Super Bowl Champion.


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It was a winner takes the crown, the trophy, and eventually a ring. The declaration of the winners was: “We’re number one; we are the greatest, the strongest, the champions, and we proved our supremacy.”

Everyone wants to associate with a winner. That is the reason that there were so many after-parties and parades. Losers are those who finish less than first.


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However, in the Gospel of Mark we find that these actions are in direct contrast to the words and actions of Jesus.

Jesus came to offer a Gospel of salvation to the entire world. The pedigree race, gender, nationality, or class of a person is not a major concern to Jesus. Jesus wants to save everybody. What’s most important to Him is the salvation of all people.


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When we were little children, we would sing, “Jesus loves the little children, all the little children of the world, red or yellow, black or white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.” Jesus is not bias, or selfish when it comes to the question of who should be saved.


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The Gospel of Mark moves past the story of Jesus’ birth, past Jesus’ baptism, and His temptation in the wilderness. It begins with John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness. Some scholars have said that John the Baptist’s mission was to be the announcer of the coming of Jesus. Following that announcement, Mark takes us right into the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry.


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Jesus knew that He needed helpers to spread the Good News of the Gospel. So, He called out men who would be His disciples. When He brought them together, He told them that they would see Heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of MAN. Jesus began to reveal who He was. He was like no other person the world had ever known.


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Jesus introduced a transforming Gospel, telling His disciples first, and then Nicodemus and others that you cannot enter the Kingdom of God unless you are Born Again of water and of the spirit.

His declaration is that you should not be surprised - “you must be Born Again.” It is imperative that we undergird the gospel that we preach today. It is a Gospel of salvation, hope, promise, and possibilities.


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But most importantly, it is the Gospel that changes the life of human beings. A relevant question that we must ask is what has happened to the Gospel? Has it been watered down to the degree that people no longer feel challenged to change their lives from one of sin, to one that has been reformed by the salvalific power of the Word of God.


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In the parables we discover that where ever Jesus preached the Gospel, there was a positive outcome on the life of the person listening.

It is the Gospel that healed Peter’s mother-in-law. When word was spread of her healing, huge crowds in great numbers gathered to be healed by Jesus.


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The Gospel has the power to change those who are demon possessed and give them clarity of mind and spirit. The Gospel, is an anchor that we hang on to that gives us hope in the midst of despair - that most of us have or will encounter at some point in our lives.


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It is through the Gospel that Jesus healed the paralytics.

Today we find that many are running away from the Gospel, not believing that it is still the power of God unto salvation. The Gospel is the only thing that we have that gives us strength and balance as we live our lives in a disoriented society. It is the balanced weight that keeps us from tilting over and losing our lives.


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A word from God is more powerful that that of a president or world leader - it has more capability of bringing people’s lives to heights that are otherwise unimaginable. When we preach the Gospel with power and the ignition of God, miracles happen.


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But, when we try to preach a Gospel that is world-centered rather than God-centered, we loose the ability to perform at the level of capacity that God expects of us.


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We have been called to preach the unadulterated Gospel, and to spread the Good News of the Kingdom. We cannot allow our pulpits to take on the flavor of a reality show, or an entertainment venue. The Gospel must be preached with sincerity, and a hope that the favor of God will bring a resolution to the troubles and the lives of His People.


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We are the Gospel bearers, so we must evangelize and lift up the name of Jesus, and every opportunity it has given us.


Spreading the gospel 022912

Spiritual

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