Matthew 4:12-17 / Mark 1:14-15 / Luke 4:14-15 / John 4:43-45…
The news spreads, and when great things are happening, great crowds will come admiring. Yet the gospel that comes from God is a message that must be turned to, not just with ears and excitement, but with heart and soul. It is not something that can be simply admired, like so much of the sentimental, humanistic, “oh isn’t that lovely” type of thing we see so prevalently today.
Outside your regular church world and into areas of great darkness Jesus will sometimes take you (Isaiah 9:1-2). When you enter into that darkness, the dream in you (Colossians 1:27) is the hope of the light that dawns. The kingdom of God had arrived with the presence of the King. Jesus was the long awaited Messiah; He is the Christ, Jesus IS the good news of the gospel. It is He who saves sinners. You are the movement of His message (Romans 10:9-17).
What does your arrival bring? What does your life announce? Is it simply, “follow your heart”, “be a good person”, “just reform a little and it will be okay”, or, “as long as you are sincere you will have eternal peace”? If so your life does not shine the truth! If yours is the Christian life then your life is the message of “repent and believe”, not in yourself or your own faithfulness, not in the goodness of man, not in some other way to be reconciled to God, but only this: repent and believe the gospel.
What message moves you? You are a royal priest and an ambassador for the kingdom of God. The king will at once come again. When people encounter you, do they know the kingdom is at hand? Or are you the herald for humanism?
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