Preaching part 4
I touched on this verse yesterday but I really want to dig into it today. Matthew 4:17, "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." And the part I want to focus on is the "Repent" part. So let's start with what that word means. It is number 3340 in Strong's Greek Concordance and it means, "To think differently or afterwards, that is, reconsider (morally to feel compunction):- repent." Repent doesn't mean what a lot of the religious world has made it out to mean. In religious circles it has come to mean, "Apologize for your sins so you can get into heaven!" When, in fact, to repent means to reconsider something in light of something else. It doesn't mean, "You better knock it off or else." It means, "Look at what Jesus did! Things are different now!" Because, and I understand that Jesus said this before the cross, but here on this side of the cross... the cross is why we can repent. The cross is what happened in order for us to be able to repent. To think differently... about everything. Because, as my momma always says, "Either the cross changed everything or it didn't change anything." When we're preaching this glorious gospel of the Kingdom... and how it is at hand... available to us... we have to give the people something better than what they've already got. A more excellent way, if I can say it like that. But it has to be real. We can't offer people la la land and then not have anything for them when they look at us expecting something. "And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk" (Acts 3:5-6). And did you see how the lame beggar got exceeding abundantly more than he could ask or even think? How he was just trying to scrape by but the disciples went ahead and fixed the actual problem? That's what we have available to us. Not just a better life in the world. Not just more convenience or more stuff. But the keys to the Kingdom! The Kingdom of God. Which is the Kingdom of love. Love is what makes this abundant life that Jesus came for us to have... abundant. Love is what makes the way a more excellent way. Love is what we all need. And love is what is available to us. That's what we ought to be preaching. And, really, that's ALL we ought to be preaching. When I founded this Jesus Rant deal I planted it on the rock of 1 Corinthians 2:2, "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." That's why I called it Jesus Rant; because all I planned to do was rant about Jesus. Which means ranting about love. Because God is love. My point is, you think things are a certain way. But that doesn't necessarily make it so. We need to look at things cross-eyed (through the finished work of the cross) with the light of the world (the light of life and love) shining so that we can see things clearly. Because what you see is what you be. You can't be a witness, or testify, or preach, about something you don't know and believe. You have to first experience it, and then you can tell people how good it is. That's our job, or our mission, or our calling. Let what's inside--the love that's inside--come out!