It's the Message

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Matthew 4:12 & 17: Now when He [Jesus] heard that John [the Baptist] had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee. ... From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."


Repent:
I remember when I was attending Cleveland State University for a time. The school was on the edge of downtown, about eighteen blocks from the center of town. I would walk from school to the center of town in order to get on a subway toward home. As I was walking there was a "street preacher" standing on a "soap box" preaching to the crowd as they walked by. Sometimes I slowed down to listen. 

What was his theme? It was, "Repent!" As people walked by, this street preacher was proclaiming the need for repentance. Why? Because people are sinful. People, if they don't repent, will be separated from God forever. 

So the street preacher was repeating the longer than 2000 year message. "Turn away from your sins and sinfulness. Turn away from all that separates you from God. Turn toward God and believe in the "Kingdom of Heaven."

Believe:
​And that's the second half the street preacher's message, as it was Jesus'. Believe that you sins are forgiven because of Jesus. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in shall not perish, but have eternal life. 

The message of repentance and faith is the what Faith Lutheran Church and School is all about, too. It is always time to lead people away from Satan and sin to Jesus and grace. 

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