“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, ESV)

18/12/2022 – Morning Service: The time has come

Bible Readings:

Hosea 2:14 – 23

Isaiah 40:1 – 11

Mark 1:1 – 11

Matthew 3:1 – 12

Sermon Outline:

Mark 1:1–5 (NKJV)

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the Prophets:

“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You.”

3The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord;

Make His paths straight.’ ”

4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

Matthew 3:1–2 (NKJV)

1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

I The time has come

Hosea 2:14–15 (NKJV)

14 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her,

Will bring her into the wilderness,

And speak comfort to her.

15 I will give her her vineyards from there,

And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope;

She shall sing there,

As in the days of her youth,

As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.

Isaiah 40:3 (NKJV)

3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

“Prepare the way of the Lord;

Make straight in the desert

A highway for our God.

II The King is coming

Mark 1:7–8 (NKJV)

7 And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

III Prepare to meet your king


Repentance is a continual spring, where the waters of godly sorrow are always flowing

Thomas Brooks

The beginning of repentance is the confession of guilt.

John Calvin

Repentance is nothing else but a reformation of the whole life according to the Law of God.

John Calvin

Repentance is no fun at all. It is something harder than merely eating humble pie. It means unlearning the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourseleves into for thousands of years.

C. S. Lewis