The Urgency Of Our Mission
Preaching
What Jesus Did:
The Answer To WWJD
The ending of Mark has posed interesting problems for Bible scholars and students throughout the ages. Some of the most reliable manuscripts end with Mark 16:8. The remaining verses seem to have been added at a later date. The longer ending of Mark looks like a compilation of fragments from the resurrection accounts found in the other Gospels. Even so, it is possible that we have some of Mark's original thoughts in this ending. The commission in Mark is in keeping with the theme and tone of Mark.
Mark is a very fast moving Gospel. Jesus is always on the go, from here to there to there. Mark favors miracles connected to teaching and preaching sections. Mark's catchword is "immediately" -- immediately this, and immediately that. There is a feeling of urgency. There is the sense that you must deal with Jesus now, before it is too late. The ending of Mark matches that style and tone -- short descriptive stories of the resurrection that pulse with aroma of urgency.
• Do you consider the mission of the Church an urgent matter, or one we can take our time with it?
The Great Commission as recorded by Mark also conveys this sense of urgency: "Go, preach the gospel, to every creature. Those who believe and are baptized will be saved. Those who do not believe will be condemned." As in Matthew the tense of the verb "to go" suggests "as you are going" or "while you are on your way." Christians need to go now. Christians need to preach now. The gospel includes every creature. People need to believe now and be saved. If they don't believe now, they will be condemned.
Notice the contrast to Matthew's "as you are going." Matthew is almost laid back and easy. As you are going with the gospel, keep in mind that making disciples is not an overnight thing. We have to teach them to obey all Jesus' commands. The time frame in Matthew's Gospel is "until the end of the age." Relax, take your time, and do a good job discipling.
Mark's approach is "Hurry, go, preach, believe, baptize. The time is short, the time is now. Signs will accompany the preaching of the Good News so that people can have immediate proof of the truth of the preaching." In this, Mark gives us some needed perspectives on our mission.
Mark first of all emphasizes the necessity of preaching the gospel. Don't make the mistake of thinking that the Great Commission applies only to pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and others whom we think of as preachers. Preaching in this case needs to be broadly defined. The major meaning of preach, to be sure, is to proclaim, to speak aloud in a public gathering. We think of sermons on Sunday mornings, but Mark's commission is a commission to all believers for the work of preaching the gospel. Some are called to proclaim from the pulpit at worship services. All of us are called to proclaim through our witness and testimony about Jesus in our lives. All of us are called to proclaim the gospel by our deeds of kindness and charity. All of us are called to proclaim as we listen to a friend in need. All of us are called to proclaim by our holy lifestyle in everyday living. All of us are called to proclaim by being obedient to the commands of Christ. We do this by loving our families, by making church a priority, and by following as disciples of Jesus.
• Where has God called you to proclaim the gospel?
Every day, we all write a sermon. Some days, we write brilliant sermons demonstrating faith and hope and love. Other days ... well, let's just say there may be a lot of room for improvement. We write a sermon to our spouse. What does our "preaching" say about the love of Christ and the importance of family? We write a sermon to our children. What does our "preaching" say about the precious gift that children are from God? We write a sermon to our parents. What does our "sermon" say about obeying God's command to honor mother and father? We write a sermon to our coworkers. What does our "preaching" say about work being a gift from God, to be done for the glory of God? We write a sermon to our neighbors. What does our "preaching" say about loving our neighbors as ourselves? We write a sermon to the world around us. What does our "sermon" say about our faith and commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? If, like Saint Francis of Assisi, we take Mark's "every creature" literally, we even write sermons to our pets. What does our "preaching" say about good stewardship and care for all of God's creatures?
• How effective have your "sermons" been lately?
What are we to preach? The Good News, the gospel. The gospel is good news. Can there be any better news than the message we have? Death is not the end. We can live forever with God in a beautiful place called heaven. We can know the power of God in our lives now through the Holy Spirit. We can know the freedom of sins forgiven and a soul cleansed from guilt. We can know the joy and love of God. We can share our joy with other brothers and sisters in Christ. With God's power, we can reach your fullest human potential by living according to God's will for our lives. We have good news. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again from the dead. If we put our faith in him as Lord and Savior, he will forgive our sins and give us eternal life. That is excellent news.
The urgency of our preaching is that people's eternal lives are at stake. While it may not be fashionable to believe in hell or talk about hell, Christians must talk about hell. Jesus was unfashionable. We are called to follow in his footsteps. Those who believe and are baptized will be saved. This refers to the first steps in becoming a Christian, belief and baptism. To believe is to have faith. Biblical faith means trust, which involves commitment of heart, mind, soul, and strength. Biblical faith implies unswerving obedience to Jesus as Lord.
When Mark was written (somewhere around 50-60 A.D.), there were dire consequences for some who became Christians. Christians were sometimes put out of their families. They were disowned. Some lost their jobs. Some lost their houses and all material possessions. Some lost their families and children. In Rome, some lost their lives in the arena. In America, most people don't have to worry about these things, but in other countries, these things still happen with alarming frequency.
• What trial, tribulation, or trouble came to you when you became a Christian?
When a person truly has put one's faith in Jesus, obedience out of love follows. Jesus' first command is to be baptized. Those who really believe will be baptized because they want to be obedient. Those who really believe will be baptized because they want to proclaim to the world what Jesus has done for them. Those who really believe will be baptized because they want to join with a local body of Christ and assist in every way in accomplishing our mission.
Now the hard part. Those who don't believe will be condemned. The only sin that will send us to hell is the refusal to put our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus says all sins will be forgiven except one. That one is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. What is the most blasphemous thing a person can say? "Jesus isn't the Son of God." Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4). It is this reality that gives the preaching of the gospel its importance and urgency. Those who don't believe will be condemned.
It is only right that we make every effort so that people will have the opportunity to hear the truth about Jesus and make an informed decision of their own free will. If we refuse to preach, and they don't believe, much of the blame will fall on us because we did not obey the command to preach the gospel to every creature. We must be steadfastly committed to our mission of preaching through thought, word, deed, and prayer. The eternal destiny of our families, our friends, our relatives, our coworkers, our neighbors, and our world rests on how well we preach this gospel. In the end, it will be their decision, but our mission is to proclaim the Good News so that they have every opportunity to make their decision for Jesus.
Jesus says that various signs will accompany those who believe and are faithful in their preaching. Here we see some of the more spectacular signs, signs that create a spectacle: snake handling, poison drinking, tongue speaking, and the like. What signs will people see in our lives if we are preaching harmoniously in thought word and deed? First, they will see the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22). While the signs in Mark create a spectacle, they are generally isolated events. But the fruit of the Spirit is the presence of Christ with us day in and day out. It is a sign that God will never leave us. Second, people will see the sign of answered prayer in our lives. As we consistently pray about the situations in our lives, people will see that we are people of prayer. They will also see that God answers prayer. They will also see our trusting submission when prayers aren't answered exactly as we wanted. All of this is a sign of the presence of God. These signs will come as we are obedient to the Word of God in our own lives and continue maturing in our faith.
• What signs of God's power are visible in your life?
Mark's is the commission of urgency. The eternal destiny of the people around us rests on our faithful proclamation of the Good News, but we don't have to do this in our own power. Jesus is with us. He will confirm our obedience to his commands with various signs. We are called to be faithful to the commission. Let Jesus do the rest.
WWJD -- Pick an area in your life where you need to improve your "preaching." Make an action plan for that improvement.
Mark is a very fast moving Gospel. Jesus is always on the go, from here to there to there. Mark favors miracles connected to teaching and preaching sections. Mark's catchword is "immediately" -- immediately this, and immediately that. There is a feeling of urgency. There is the sense that you must deal with Jesus now, before it is too late. The ending of Mark matches that style and tone -- short descriptive stories of the resurrection that pulse with aroma of urgency.
• Do you consider the mission of the Church an urgent matter, or one we can take our time with it?
The Great Commission as recorded by Mark also conveys this sense of urgency: "Go, preach the gospel, to every creature. Those who believe and are baptized will be saved. Those who do not believe will be condemned." As in Matthew the tense of the verb "to go" suggests "as you are going" or "while you are on your way." Christians need to go now. Christians need to preach now. The gospel includes every creature. People need to believe now and be saved. If they don't believe now, they will be condemned.
Notice the contrast to Matthew's "as you are going." Matthew is almost laid back and easy. As you are going with the gospel, keep in mind that making disciples is not an overnight thing. We have to teach them to obey all Jesus' commands. The time frame in Matthew's Gospel is "until the end of the age." Relax, take your time, and do a good job discipling.
Mark's approach is "Hurry, go, preach, believe, baptize. The time is short, the time is now. Signs will accompany the preaching of the Good News so that people can have immediate proof of the truth of the preaching." In this, Mark gives us some needed perspectives on our mission.
Mark first of all emphasizes the necessity of preaching the gospel. Don't make the mistake of thinking that the Great Commission applies only to pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and others whom we think of as preachers. Preaching in this case needs to be broadly defined. The major meaning of preach, to be sure, is to proclaim, to speak aloud in a public gathering. We think of sermons on Sunday mornings, but Mark's commission is a commission to all believers for the work of preaching the gospel. Some are called to proclaim from the pulpit at worship services. All of us are called to proclaim through our witness and testimony about Jesus in our lives. All of us are called to proclaim the gospel by our deeds of kindness and charity. All of us are called to proclaim as we listen to a friend in need. All of us are called to proclaim by our holy lifestyle in everyday living. All of us are called to proclaim by being obedient to the commands of Christ. We do this by loving our families, by making church a priority, and by following as disciples of Jesus.
• Where has God called you to proclaim the gospel?
Every day, we all write a sermon. Some days, we write brilliant sermons demonstrating faith and hope and love. Other days ... well, let's just say there may be a lot of room for improvement. We write a sermon to our spouse. What does our "preaching" say about the love of Christ and the importance of family? We write a sermon to our children. What does our "preaching" say about the precious gift that children are from God? We write a sermon to our parents. What does our "sermon" say about obeying God's command to honor mother and father? We write a sermon to our coworkers. What does our "preaching" say about work being a gift from God, to be done for the glory of God? We write a sermon to our neighbors. What does our "preaching" say about loving our neighbors as ourselves? We write a sermon to the world around us. What does our "sermon" say about our faith and commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? If, like Saint Francis of Assisi, we take Mark's "every creature" literally, we even write sermons to our pets. What does our "preaching" say about good stewardship and care for all of God's creatures?
• How effective have your "sermons" been lately?
What are we to preach? The Good News, the gospel. The gospel is good news. Can there be any better news than the message we have? Death is not the end. We can live forever with God in a beautiful place called heaven. We can know the power of God in our lives now through the Holy Spirit. We can know the freedom of sins forgiven and a soul cleansed from guilt. We can know the joy and love of God. We can share our joy with other brothers and sisters in Christ. With God's power, we can reach your fullest human potential by living according to God's will for our lives. We have good news. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again from the dead. If we put our faith in him as Lord and Savior, he will forgive our sins and give us eternal life. That is excellent news.
The urgency of our preaching is that people's eternal lives are at stake. While it may not be fashionable to believe in hell or talk about hell, Christians must talk about hell. Jesus was unfashionable. We are called to follow in his footsteps. Those who believe and are baptized will be saved. This refers to the first steps in becoming a Christian, belief and baptism. To believe is to have faith. Biblical faith means trust, which involves commitment of heart, mind, soul, and strength. Biblical faith implies unswerving obedience to Jesus as Lord.
When Mark was written (somewhere around 50-60 A.D.), there were dire consequences for some who became Christians. Christians were sometimes put out of their families. They were disowned. Some lost their jobs. Some lost their houses and all material possessions. Some lost their families and children. In Rome, some lost their lives in the arena. In America, most people don't have to worry about these things, but in other countries, these things still happen with alarming frequency.
• What trial, tribulation, or trouble came to you when you became a Christian?
When a person truly has put one's faith in Jesus, obedience out of love follows. Jesus' first command is to be baptized. Those who really believe will be baptized because they want to be obedient. Those who really believe will be baptized because they want to proclaim to the world what Jesus has done for them. Those who really believe will be baptized because they want to join with a local body of Christ and assist in every way in accomplishing our mission.
Now the hard part. Those who don't believe will be condemned. The only sin that will send us to hell is the refusal to put our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus says all sins will be forgiven except one. That one is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. What is the most blasphemous thing a person can say? "Jesus isn't the Son of God." Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4). It is this reality that gives the preaching of the gospel its importance and urgency. Those who don't believe will be condemned.
It is only right that we make every effort so that people will have the opportunity to hear the truth about Jesus and make an informed decision of their own free will. If we refuse to preach, and they don't believe, much of the blame will fall on us because we did not obey the command to preach the gospel to every creature. We must be steadfastly committed to our mission of preaching through thought, word, deed, and prayer. The eternal destiny of our families, our friends, our relatives, our coworkers, our neighbors, and our world rests on how well we preach this gospel. In the end, it will be their decision, but our mission is to proclaim the Good News so that they have every opportunity to make their decision for Jesus.
Jesus says that various signs will accompany those who believe and are faithful in their preaching. Here we see some of the more spectacular signs, signs that create a spectacle: snake handling, poison drinking, tongue speaking, and the like. What signs will people see in our lives if we are preaching harmoniously in thought word and deed? First, they will see the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22). While the signs in Mark create a spectacle, they are generally isolated events. But the fruit of the Spirit is the presence of Christ with us day in and day out. It is a sign that God will never leave us. Second, people will see the sign of answered prayer in our lives. As we consistently pray about the situations in our lives, people will see that we are people of prayer. They will also see that God answers prayer. They will also see our trusting submission when prayers aren't answered exactly as we wanted. All of this is a sign of the presence of God. These signs will come as we are obedient to the Word of God in our own lives and continue maturing in our faith.
• What signs of God's power are visible in your life?
Mark's is the commission of urgency. The eternal destiny of the people around us rests on our faithful proclamation of the Good News, but we don't have to do this in our own power. Jesus is with us. He will confirm our obedience to his commands with various signs. We are called to be faithful to the commission. Let Jesus do the rest.
WWJD -- Pick an area in your life where you need to improve your "preaching." Make an action plan for that improvement.
