“Come to Heidelberg Theological Seminary and help the church by becoming a preacher.”

More than likely, you have heard about the Macedonian call recorded in the book of Acts. “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them” (Acts 16:9–10). Absent the vision, this is a similar call, a seminarian call to men, and especially younger men of the RCUS, to come to Heidelberg Theological Seminary and learn how to preach “the Holy Gospel, which God Himself revealed first in Paradise; afterwards proclaimed by the holy Patriarchs and Prophets, and foreshadowed by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law; and finally fulfilled by His well-beloved Son” (HC19).

Brothers and sisters, if Jesus were standing in a church pulpit today, what would He preach? What would He think is the number one need for our culture, our country, our congregation, for your family, for your individual soul? If Jesus were here on earth, He would see that people feel disconnected and left out in a world traveling at light-speed with its advancing technology and super-busy chaotic lifestyle. He would see by reading through local church advertisements that churches are competing with one another over how loving they can be. Churches advertise themselves as friendly, pro-family, and a place to call home. Yet Jesus would step up into any of these pulpits and give the message of our text today: “the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel!” Repentance? Believing in the gospel? People don’t want to be told they are sinners. People certainly don’t want to be told they have to believe certain things and think hard to understand those doctrines. Yet Jesus did just that. He announced the Kingdom and demanded repentance and faith. That is what Jesus would preach today because that is what Jesus preached 2,000 years ago.

For Mark gives us a summary of the entire ministry of Jesus in our text: Jesus preaches the gospel of God’s Kingdom. Our text shows Jesus announcing the time of the Kingdom and the demands of the Kingdom.

If it weren’t so serious, we would all get a good laugh out of what is going on in our country.

In these difficult economic times, most in our government have determined that the only possible way that the people of the nation can survive is if someone bails them out. After years of greed, foolish overspending, and irresponsible living on credit, the liberals and secularists of our age are putting their collective heads together and coming up with their solution to the problem that the populace is facing. Their solution is not ‘tough medicine,’ but more of the same medicine—only on a larger scale where money will solve all ills.

"I believe . . . in the forgiveness of sins."

This is the fifteenth article on the teachings which we confess in the Apostles’ Creed. The fact that our sins are forgiven is the work of the Holy Spirit—the third part of this creed. It is the Holy Spirit, through the Word, who works this important element of faith in our hearts—that Jesus has fully paid the penalty of sin. And it is also the Holy Spirit who gives us the assurance and comfort that, to all who believe in Jesus, their sins are removed from them as far as the east is from the west. With the removal of our sins, God has imputed to us the perfect righteousness of Christ, that we may nevermore come into condemnation.