• Today  Salvation (you know, that forgiveness thing that

o Pt 5 in the Mark series. John preached)

 Covering theology, apologetics, historical insights, • It’s through Jesus and we, like the disciples,
 Today, covering a controversy in the church. have been recruited to share that life giving
• And one that shouldn’t exist! message.
• It centers on the gospel message. And  Our response?
whether we should tell people to repent. • Repent and believe

First read-through – notice the elements, notice what it says Mark 1:14–20 (NASB95)
14
Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee,
Mark 1:14–20 (NASB95) preaching the gospel of God,
14
Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, 15
and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand;
preaching the gospel of God, repent and believe in the gospel.”
15
and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; • John the Baptist taken into custody
repent and believe in the gospel.” o Extra-biblical verification
 Josephus –
• Big picture stuff • His existence
o Jesus’ first preaching • Baptism
 And WHAT He preaches is simple and profound. • Huge following
 Simply – repent and believe in the gospel! • and his eventual death by Herod.
• Gospel – the truth about Jesus • More in Mk 6
 It’s also an incredible summary of o But what’s the point?
• Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s plan for  Jesus is the one to listen to now!
man’s salvation • John 3:28–31 (NASB95) 28“You yourselves
• Jesus as the way to enter the kingdom of are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the
God Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of
• How we can be saved by repentance and Him.’ 29“He who has the bride is the
faith. bridegroom; but the friend of the
o Main point? bridegroom, who stands and hears him,
 Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s plan for bringing rejoices greatly because of the
people into His kingdom. bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has
• Jesus – it’s all about Jesus been made full. 30“He must increase, but I
o This can’t really be overstated. must decrease. 31“He who comes from
o Jesus, central in creation, above is above all, he who is of the earth is
redemption and in participation in from the earth and speaks of the earth. He
the kingdom of God. who comes from heaven is above all.
 o Jesus, He is greater!  Praise God!
 Does this mean Jesus’  Side note: our focus should be on Jesus.
message is more true than • Someone led you to Christ. A church, a
John’s? leader, a person.
• As we might get o But they aren’t your security
from some like o In fact, maybe they failed.
Brian Zahnd o Jesus needs to be your focus.
• To invalidate OT
• NO!! 15
and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand;
 It means all other messages repent and believe in the gospel.”
from God pointed to Him • Do you think this is all Jesus said?
 It means Jesus is the speaks o Then why do we have only one short sentence telling us
as the one from above what Jesus preached?
Hebrews 1:1–2 (NASB95) God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the
1  It’s the essential elements of the gospel message
prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2in these last days has spoken • “the time is fulfilled”
to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also o Not just one prophecy.
He made the world. o This is the culmination of God’s revelation!
Hebrews 2:1–3 (NASB95) 1For this reason we must pay much closer o Not just what we normally think of as prophecy
attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. 2For  The whole OT
if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every • Prophecies, pictures of Christ, the riddles,
transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, 3how will we escape the needs, the promises, the purpose.
if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through  “I have come to fulfill the Law and Prophets”
the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, • Not to tell you about what’s going to
 It means other revelations happen (as John was a herald) but to be the
from God (OT, John) were fulfillment!
about leading us to the • Yes, I’m repeating myself. On purpose.
ultimate revelation; Jesus.  “THE TIME” is fulfilled.
 It means we are judged by • The ULTIMATE revelations of God to man.
our response to Jesus Jesus.
Acts 10:42 (NASB95) “And He ordered us to preach to the people, and
42
o “The kingdom of God is at hand”
solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as  As in available to you.
Judge of the living and the dead.  Right now.
1 Peter 4:5 (NASB95) 5but they will give account to Him who is ready to • God’s kingdom is something you can enter!
judge the living and the dead. o Mark 10:15 (NASB95) 15“Truly I say
 And His message? Repent to you, whoever does not receive
and believe! the kingdom of God like a child will
o So, John decreases. Christ is now successfully in focus. not enter it at all.”
  Why is it at hand now? • JESUS Luke 13:5 (NASB95) 5“I tell you, no,
• Jesus is at hand. but unless you repent, you will all likewise
 How do I respond to this? perish.”
• Do this, “repent and believe in the gospel” o These teach a universal need for
o “Repent” repentance.
 Already we’ve got a problem o Luke 13:1–5 (NASB95) 1Now on the
• Many say we shouldn’t preach this because same occasion there were some
o 1- It’s not needed present who reported to Him about
o 2- It adds works to the gospel the Galileans whose blood Pilate
o 3- It’s a stumbling block. had mixed with their sacrifices.
o 4- the HS will do it. 2
And Jesus said to them, “Do you
 Is this necessary? suppose that these Galileans were
• Yes. greater sinners than all other
o Jesus proclaimed it as part of the Galileans because they suffered this
gospel. fate? 3“I tell you, no, but unless you
 We should too. repent, you will all likewise perish.
• JOHN Matthew 3:2 (NASB95) 2“Repent, for
4
“Or do you suppose that those
the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” eighteen on whom the tower in
• JOHN Mark 1:4 (NASB95) 4John the Baptist Siloam fell and killed them were
appeared in the wilderness preaching a worse culprits than all the men who
baptism of repentance for the forgiveness live in Jerusalem? 5“I tell you, no,
of sins. but unless you repent, you will all
• JOHN Luke 3:3 (NASB95) 3And he came into likewise perish.”
all the district around the Jordan, preaching • JESUS Luke 24:47 (NASB95) 47and that
a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness repentance for forgiveness of sins would be
of sins; proclaimed in His name to all the nations,
• JESUS Mark 1:15 and saying, “The time is beginning from Jerusalem.
fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; • DISCIPLES Mark 6:12 (NASB95) 12They went
repent and believe in the gospel.” out and preached that men should repent.
• JESUS Matthew 4:17 (NASB95) 17From that • DISCIPLES Acts 2:38 (NASB95) 38Peter said
time Jesus began to preach and say, to them, “Repent, and each of you be
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
hand.” forgiveness of your sins; and you will
• JESUS Luke 13:3 (NASB95) 3“I tell you, no, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
but unless you repent, you will all likewise • DISCIPLES Acts 3:19 (NASB95) 19“Therefore
perish. repent and return, so that your sins may be
wiped away, in order that times of
 refreshing may come from the presence of Like faith “I’ll show you my faith by
o
the Lord; my works”
• DISCIPLES Acts 5:31 (NASB95) 31“He is the • Repentance and faith doesn’t include
one whom God exalted to His right hand as obedience!
a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance o Obedience happens naturally
to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. afterward. Repent is the heart
• DISCIPLES Acts 11:18 (NASB95) 18When they turning from sin.
heard this, they quieted down and glorified  Definition
God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to • Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible:
the Gentiles also the repentance that leads o Literally a change of mind, not
to life.” about individual plans, intentions,
• PAUL PAGAN AUDIENCE Acts 17:30 or beliefs, but rather a change in
(NASB95) 30“Therefore having overlooked the whole personality from a sinful
the times of ignorance, God is now course of action to God. (under
declaring to men that all people Repentance)
everywhere should repent, • Not just a change of opinion.
• FINALLY Hebrews 6:1 (NASB95) 1Therefore • W. Grudem “a decision of resolve to turn
leaving the elementary teaching about the away from ones evil or wrongful conduct”
Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying • The Greek words – Metanoia MetanoeW
again a foundation of repentance from • Lexham Theological Wordbook
dead works and of faith toward God, o μετάνοια (metanoia). n. fem. change of mind, repentance. In the nt,
 Is it a work? primarily refers to a comprehensive
• No change of one’s orientation toward
o Matthew 3:8 (NASB95) 8“Therefore following God.
bear fruit in keeping with o This is the noun equivalent of the verb μετανοέω (metanoeō) “to
repentance; change one’s mind.” Like the verb, it originally

o Luke 3:8 (NASB95) 8“Therefore bear referred to a change of mind, but

fruits in keeping with repentance… by the time of the nt it had taken on
o Acts 26:20 (NASB95) 20but kept a meaning in Jewish thought of a
declaring both to those of return to God
Damascus first, and also at o “Primarily a change of mind, also
Jerusalem and then throughout all with a nuance of remorse in regret
the region of Judea, and even to the for shortcomings and errors. In our
Gentiles, that they should repent literature, with focus on the need of
and turn to God, performing deeds change in view of responsibility to
appropriate to repentance. deity. Repentance, turning about,
conversion.”
 Bower Lexicon as cited by  o Rev – Jesus councils the church to
Wayne Grudem here repent
https://youtu.be/Ifi168XDU  Revelation 3:19 (NASB95)
X8?t=1400 19
‘Those whom I love, I
• Not just “change your mind/opinion” reprove and discipline;
o No English translation puts it that therefore be zealous and
way. repent.
 Ask, seriously, is there anything you need to repent o 2 Cor – the church repented
of. o Luke 17:3–4 (NASB95) 3“Be on your
guard! If your brother sins, rebuke
 Applying it
• Think of your own experience. The thing you did before you stopped any sin was to repent
 It’s the turning of the commitment of the person from sin to the Savior
 EXAMPLES
• Luke 15
o
o
3 parables they go together
the first 2 clearly refer to repenting.
him; and if he repents, forgive him.
4
“And if he sins against you seven
o A sinner who is “found” is one who “repents”
o The third examples it.
 Coming to his sense. Grieving. Humbly turning to the father and away from the sin. Admitting error.
Asking to be received.

 Does this mean saving faith includes obedience? times a day, and returns to you
• No. But obedience naturally follows seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’
o James – show me your faith by your forgive him.”
works. • Repentance doesn’t mean a sinless future
• Repentance, it seems, is an element of o “Repent” – is the attitude I take toward sin
faith. o “faith” – is the attitude I take toward Christ
o Hebrews 6:1 (NASB95) 1Therefore  Two sides of the same coin
leaving the elementary teaching • Imagine saying “I believe in Jesus but refuse
about the Christ, let us press on to to obey Him or follow Him as Lord… can I
maturity, not laying again a have grace?”
foundation of repentance from o “And believe IN the gospel”
dead works and of faith toward  Trust –
God, • What’s missing from this is works.
o Acts 20:21 (NASB95) 21solemnly  False gospels generally add works.
testifying to both Jews and Greeks • Sufficiency of grace vs necessity of grace
of repentance toward God and faith o The core message
in our Lord Jesus Christ.  The time is now.
 A gospel without repentance may lead to false  God’s kingdom is available
converts!  Repent – internal remorse and turning from sin
 What about repenting again?  Believe – faith in Christ’s death and resurrection.
• Yes o The point?
o Take the parable of the prodigal  We need to echo, not alter this message.
son.  Anyone watching who has been listening but not
 It’s not like he never had responding to the gospel?
trouble with his dad again! • The time is now.
 • The kingdom is at hand
• Repent
• Believe
• 1- It’s not needed
o Yes, it is.
• 2- It adds works to the gospel
o No, it’s not a work.
o It’s a heart thing.
• 3- It’s a stumbling block.
o Yes. A necessary one.
 Jesus is a stumbling stone too.
• 4- the HS will do it.
o And you are a vessel of the HS.

Next week!
I speed up a bit.
Continued study of Mark.

16As He wa s goi ng along by the Sea of Galilee, H e saw Simon and Andrew, the brot her of Simon, casti ng a net i n the se a; for they w ere fisherme n.
17And Je sus said to t hem, “Follow Me, and I will make y ou become fishers of men.”
18Immediately they left their nets a nd foll owe d Him.
19Goi ng on a little farther, He sa w James the s on of Zebe dee, a nd John hi s br other, w ho w ere als o in the boat me ndi ng the nets.
20Immediately He calle d them; a nd they left their father Zebedee i n the boat wit h the hir ed serv ants, a nd w ent away to follow Him.
• “sea” – not as big as you may think. (as with mountai n)
o But still big
 13 miles N /S and 8 mikes E/ W
• What doe s it mean “follow Me”?
o Rabbis didn’t a ppeal to pe ople to follow th em. It was the st ude nt who ap pealed.
 Jesus initiates!
• And He is calling A LL
o Rabbis w ould put the m throug h some tests or re quire q ualificati ons
 The only q ual is “come now, with no greater priorities”
• Luke 9:57–62 (NASB95) 57A s they were going along the r oad, someone sai d to Hi m, “I will follow You wherever Y ou go.” 58And Jesus sai d to hi m, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has now here to lay His he ad.” 59A nd He s aid to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 60But He s aid to him, “Allow the de ad to bury their own de ad; but as for you, go and pr ocl aim everyw here the kingdom of
God.” 61A nother also said, “I will follow Y ou, Lord; but first per mit me to say good-bye to those at home .” 62But Jesus s aid to hi m, “No one, after putti ng hi s hand to t he plow and looki ng back, i s fit for the kingdom of God.”
• They left?
o Peter and Andrew le ft nets
o James and John le ft their father an d the hired servants
• It affe cted their occupation . Location. Everything.
o Be with Him, lear n from Hi m, imitate Him a nd take on Hi s priorities
o Following Jesus comes be fore all ot her priorities.
 We need t o take this seriou sly.
o We don’t really see the conce pt of “follow G od” i n the OT.
 It’s OBEY
o In the NT it’s follow.
 More dee ply personal.
 Imagine… God with us says “follow me”
• Well, that’s the reality of YOUR calling.
 Let’s not forget our th eology is ab out following Jesu s.
• Splitting hairs?
o Are you followi ng Jesus in that?
o I think this makes u s stricter, with out be coming p harisaical.
o Are they part of the 12 n ow or later – later it seems
 Jesus called others to follow Hi m wh o weren’t the twelve
• “fishers of me n”
o Pun – in stead of your focus bei ng temp orary things it will be eternal life.
 Evangelism an d dis ciples hip
o How qui ckly following Jes us goe s from bei ng about your relations hip with Him t o your activity with others.
 A true principle for u s
• Instead of taking care of sel f you’ll hel p others.
o How it applies to US
 Whatever else you do, the priority is on the eternal thi ngs.
• “treasures in heaven ” is, in ma ny ways about peopl e in heaven .
• Side notes
o “preaching the gospel ”
 Jesus proclaims the gos pel
 Preachi ng requires WORDS!
• That’s what it means t o “prea ch ”
o No timidity or he sitance here. Or a nywhere in the N T.
 Not with the gos pel
 You ca n’t just “live it”
• A false dichotomy
 But the gospel is the g ospel of Jesu s
 He’s the annou ncer an d su bject of the gospel
• We continue to proclaim it, but it’s n ot about us, it’s about Him.
 He is also the one who e stablish es it as true
• Hebrews 1 2:2 (NASB95) 2fixing our eyes on Jesus , the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy s et before Hi m endured the cros s, de spisi ng the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
o 1:14 “Gos pel of God ”
 Vs 1 “Gos pel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God ”
 Gospel of G od als o found i n
• Romans 1 :1 (NASB95 ) 1Pa ul, a bon d-servant of Christ Jesu s, called a s an apostle, set apart for t he gos pel of God,
• Romans 1 5:16 (NASB9 5) 16t o be a minister of Christ Jes us to the Ge ntiles, mi nistering as a priest the g os pel of God, s o that my offering of the G entiles may become a cceptable, sa nctifi ed by the H oly Spirit.
• 2 Corinthia ns 11: 7 (NAS B95 ) 7Or di d I commit a sin in h umbling mysel f so t hat you mig ht be exalted, be cause I preached the g ospel of God to you with out charge?
• 1 Peter 4:17 (NASB9 5) 17F or it is time for j udg ment to begi n with the house hold of G od; an d if it begin s with us first, what will be the out come for those w ho do not obey the gospel of God?
 Gospel of the Bless ed God
• 1 Timothy 1: 11 (NASB95 ) 11a ccording to the glori ous g ospel of the bless ed G od, with whi ch I have been e ntrusted.
 Gospel of His S on
• Romans 1 :9 (NASB95 ) 9For God, wh om I serve in my spirit in the pr eachi ng of t he gos pel of Hi s Son, is my witness as t o how u ncea singly I make mention of y ou,
 Gospel of Christ
• Romans 1 5:19 (NASB9 5) 19i n the p ower of signs and won ders, in the power of the Spirit; s o that from Jerusale m and r oun d about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached th e gos pel of Christ.
• 1 Corinthia ns 9:1 2 (NAS B95 ) 12I f others s hare the right over you, do we n ot more? Nevertheles s, we did n ot use thi s right, but we en dure all things s o that we will cause no hi ndran ce to the g ospel of Chri st.
• 2 Corinthia ns 9:1 3 (NAS B95 ) 13Becau se of the proof given by this mi nistry, they will glorify God for your obedie nce to your confession of the gos pel of Christ an d for the liberality of your contribution t o them a nd to all,
• 2 Corinthia ns 10: 14 (NASB95 ) 14For we are n ot overextending ourselves , as if we di d not reach to you, for we were the first to come eve n as far as you in the gospel of Chri st;
• Galatians 1:7 (NASB95 ) 7whi ch is really not a nother; only there are some wh o are distur bing you a nd want to dist ort the gos pel of Christ.
• Philippian s 1:2 7 (NASB95) 27Only condu ct yourselves i n a man ner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come an d see you or remain a bse nt, I will hear of you that you are standi ng fir m in on e spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
o Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
 2 Thessal onians 1:8 (NASB95 ) 8d ealing out retributi on to those who do n ot know G od an d to those w ho d o not obey the g ospel of our Lor d Jesus.

o 1 Thes is interesti ng.
 Gospel of G od 3 times
• 1 Thessal onians 2:2 (NASB95 ) 2b ut after we had alrea dy su ffere d and been mistreated in P hilippi, as y ou know, we had the b old ness in our God to sp eak to you the gospel of God amid mu ch opp osition.
• 1 Thessal onians 2:8 (NASB95 ) 8Having s o fond a n affection for you, we were well-please d to impart to you not only the gos pel of G od b ut also our own lives, b ecau se you had be come very dear to us .
• 1 Thessal onians 2:9 (NASB95 ) 9For you recall, brethr en, our labor an d hards hip, h ow working night an d day so a s not to be a burde n to any of you, we pr oclai med to you the gospel of God.
 Then G ospel of Christ
• 1 Thessal onians 3:2 (NASB95 ) 2an d we sent Ti mothy, our broth er and G od’s fellow worker in th e gos pel of Christ, to strength en an d en courage you as to your faith,
 Obje ction:
• But Mike, the Bi ble also call s it the Gos pel of th e kingdom, of salvation, of pea ce, of grace!
o But, thos e aren’t pe ople.
o The gosp el is of salvation, pea ce, grace a nd the kingdom.
o But each of t hose is relate d to God and Jesu s
 Revelation 7: 10 (NASB95 ) 10an d they cry out with a loud voi ce, saying, “Salvation [belongs] to our God w ho sits on t he throne, a nd to t he Lam b.”
 Romans 1 :7 (NASB95 ) 7to all who are beloved of G od in Rome, calle d as saints: Grace t o you a nd pea ce from God our Fat her and the Lord Je sus Chri st.
 2 Peter 1:11 (NASB9 5)
11for in t his way the entran ce into the eter nal king dom of our Lord a nd Savi or Jesus Chri st will be abun dantly su pplied to you.
o The poi nt?
 The good news of G od is the good n ews of Jesus
 The salvation of God is throug h Jesus
 The pea ce of God is i n Jesus
 The grace of God is throug h Jesus
 The kingdom of God is accesse d through Jesus a nd rule d by Jesus.
 The Gos pel of God is the Gospel of Jesus .
o Why Galilee?
 S
o Peter introdu ced right away
 Inclu sio?
o