Sermon Index
The Kingdom of God Has Come Near
January 25, 2008, Epiphany3
Mark 1:14-20
MK 1:14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee,
proclaiming the good news of God. 15 "The time has
come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and
believe the good news!"
MK 1:16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon
and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were
fishermen. 17 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and
I will make you fishers of men." 18 At once they left their
nets and followed him.
MK 1:19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of
Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20
Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee
in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
This last week in America, there was the inauguration of a new
president. Barack Obama now starts his new job to lead the
country. I think that since this has been in the news so much
recently, it will help us to understand today’s Gospel
lesson.
Jesus is also starting the work of his public ministry. His
inauguration ceremony was his Baptism. His oath of office was
taken in the wilderness when he was tempted by the devil and
Jesus proclaimed, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him
only” (Mt.4:10). Mr. Obama selected his cabinet members.
Jesus chose his first 4 disciples.
President Obama gave a speech at his inauguration. He spoke about
his hopes for America; he called upon people to be faithful to
the ideals of the Declaration of Independence and the
Constitution. He called for change. In the Bible, Jesus gave a
speech at the beginning of his ministry. He said, "The time
has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good
news!" Mr. Obama called for change, and so did Jesus. The
Bible word for change is repent. The way things are done in the
Kingdom of God is a change from the way things have been done in
the past. Jesus is talking not only of the management of the
kingdom by those in charge; he is talking about a change in heart
so that people are living differently. People are living
according to the ideals of the Gospel. As Jesus put it,
"Repent and believe the good news!"
To believe in the Gospel means to put it to work in your life. To
believe something means that you live according to that ideal.
For example, if you think a bridge is sturdy and strong, then you
go across it. If a child thinks that Daddy will catch them, then
they will jump into his arms. That is what belief is. If you
believe in the rule of law, then you keep the law. If you believe
the words of a T.V. commercial, then you buy the product. If you
believe in freedom, then you live freely and help others to be
free also. If you believe in the Gospel, then you live in the
power of that Gospel. The Gospel is the Good News of God’s
love and forgiveness in Jesus Christ. When you believe in the
Gospel, you make that love and forgiveness a part of your life,
it becomes the way you live. The Gospel becomes the power to
repent.
There were people who voted against Barack Obama. There are those
who lament his taking office and fear for those things they hold
precious. With all the talk about change, I pray we do not change
our moral standards about the sanctity of life and the family.
Although there are those who mock him and blasphemingly call him
the “messiah,” his kingdom is not the Kingdom of God.
And so we need to pray for him and for the United States.
There were those also who opposed Jesus. They feared for those
things they held precious. They feared that they would lose
control of the Nation of Israel. But Jesus did not make the
Nation of Israel the same as the Kingdom of God. It was
different, much bigger. The true reign of God is the whole world.
Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is near." It is near,
but not quite here yet. It makes you wonder about what the
kingdom of God really is. Hasn’t God been ruling the earth
since creation? Has God been gone all that time? But hasn’t
it been rather, that people have not accepted the rule of God in
their lives? People have rejected their creator. They have
rejected the true King of this world and have worshiped and
followed idols of their own making. There are idols of metal and
stone. There are idols of money and power and pleasure. There are
idols that are charismatic people who control the lives of the
people who believe in them and follow them. Then there is the
idol of self, when we feel that we are the center of the universe
and want everything to be as we want it to be. All these idols
and all of these kingdoms really have only one king, the devil.
Satan’s kingdom is called Hell.
And so Jesus came and proclaimed Heaven, that is, the Kingdom of
God. The rule of Jesus is different than earthly nations.
Countries have laws and police and armies. This is to protect and
to control the nation. The Nation of Israel was controlled by the
Ten Commandments and the Law of Moses. Jesus promises change.
Change is repentance. Repentance is changing from the old bad
self to the new good self. But this change is not possible with
the old laws. The Ten Commandments tell us what to do, but give
not power to do it. The Gospel is different. The Gospel does not
tell us what to do, rather it tells us what God has done and is
still doing ? for us. Therefore, the Gospel is the power of God
for us to change our lives.
Jesus said the Kingdom was near, at hand. The Kingdom finally
came when Jesus ruled as King upon his throne of the cross. Then
he defeated the power of the devil. Then he forgave our sin and
made us members of his Kingdom.
In the Lord’s Prayer we pray, “Thy Kingdom come.”
We pray that Jesus will be King in our hearts and lives right
now. We pray that the church might proclaim the Gospel of
Salvation to the world so that the Kingdom might come to the
hearts and lives of people throughout the world. We pray God
would rule in our church here in Okinawa and bless our church.
And we pray for the ultimate Kingdom of heaven to come. We look
forward to the Kingdom coming both for now and for eternity.
This is what it means to repent and believe in the Gospel. It
means that we change from our sin of following false idols and
false leaders, and live according to the love and hope and
forgiveness and peace of the Gospel.
Amen.
Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church