Burning the candle at both ends?

We can't go on like this!

Mark 1:9-15New King James Version (NKJV)

John Baptizes Jesus

9 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptised by John in the Jordan. 10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 11 Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Satan Tempts Jesus

12 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. 13 And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry

14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Sermon Summary Brian McConkey

Have you ever heard the expression, “We can’t go on like this!”

When the country eventually admitted it was living on debt the whole country writhed and people had to admit “We can’t go on like this!”

When people have been in debt they eventually say “We can’t go on like this!”

In sport dedicated fans frequently get infuriated as exclaim, “We can’t go on like this!”

In our own relationships we may have been burning the candle at both ends and we admit “We can’t go on like this!”

The Gospel has a word for the “We can’t go on like this!” - it is Repentance. Jesus came preaching repentance at a time where the mood was very much “We can’t go on like this!”

The challenge - is there a time for change in our lives?

I can’t answer that for anyone, but I can humbly speak for the position of the church. We can’t take things for granted. We do not live in a time of great Christendom, which we used to live in where many people used to go to church and everyone knew many of the prayers. There used to be a time where all the denominations could just open their doors and fill their churches. Our displays pointed to better times, but sadly we do not live in those times. We can not just open our doors and expect people to come in.

The bishops letter to the diocese (18 oct) was about just that thing that “We can’t go on like this!”, here is an excerpt;...

I am convinced that we need to embark on radical change. We need to reinvent ourselves for the 21st Century. Anything less will leave us to wither away (rather like the once mighty Lancashire cotton industry). A few tweaks and adjustments will not suffice. The proposed vision is summed up in the statement Healthy Churches Transforming Communities. What makes for a healthy church? Imagine one in which the congregation

▪ Are wholehearted disciples, living Christ-like lives in healthy fellowship with each other;………….

I am an optimist and I believe God would not abandon anyone, just like I believe God has not abandoned his church. But I have felt a growing need for us to grow leaders, grow disciples. We have plenty of vision at this church, and there is plenty that we are really good at, and we are doing fantastically well in some areas.

But we need to get back to the grass roots and pray “where are our leaders coming from?”

I ask us to pray; We Can Not Go On Like This!

Above all we take courage that God is with us and in the fullness of time He is working His purposes out.

Amen