A Jerry Springer Church?

Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)  Repent!

You tell'em preacher.  Let them know how great a sinner they are.  They deserve to hear the Law condemn them, because look at how bad they are.  This is our mantra: we want others taken to task.  It is the same reason people like to watch Jerry Springer or all the different court TV shows: I'm definitely not as bad as them!  It's even why many like to watch the news and hear about all the bad things that are being done: At least my life isn't that messed up.

We like it because we like to know that there are people worse than us.  See God, I am not as bad as that person.  I do all sorts of great things.  I've served as an elder, a Sunday School teacher.  I have raised my children in the Christian faith.  So of course I am worthy of being saved.  And oh I pray, I pray often.  Here's a sample of my prayer, "God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, sleeping with other women, and I'm certainly not like these people on the Jerry Springer Show.  I don't live like I want to live; God, I even give tithes of all that I get." (see Luke 18:9ff)

We love to boast in our flesh and not being like others, but this is not the Christian faith. 

In fact: Listen to Paul's Words from Phillipians 3, "If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;  as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ."

The Christian CANNOT boast in what they do and they certainly CANNOT boast that they are better than others.

No instead I invite you to relish and bask in the words of Jesus.  Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15) 

Repent? 

Seriously?

Yes.

When you struggle with your sins, you don't go running to what you have done.  When you struggle with your sin you don't say look at how bad they are.  You say: Lord I have sinned.  I am sorry for what I have done. Whatever I think I am, even this I cannot count on, and must count it as worthless for my salvation

A colleague of mine recently dealt with someone who was upset with him because he had pointed out the man's sin.  Why is it that we get angry when our sin is pointed out?  Because we forget the last phrase of Jesus' first teaching in Mark, believe the Gospel. 

If I am only to confess my sins and acknowledge the depths of how wicked I am, you can be assured I am going to hate this word.  But with the completion of Jesus' simple teaching, "believe the gospel"  you no longer have a need to hate the word repent.

For to believe the gospel is to believe that Christ has reconciled everything for which you are repenting of.  We don't need to watch Jerry Springer or Judge Judy to feel better about ourselves, we need to understand what this gospel is that we are called to believe. 

These words spoken into your ear, "believe the gospel" are how the Holy Spirit works to create faith in you.  Here is the gospel, it's for you. 

And what is this gospel that you believe?  It's Jesus for you, who suffers for you, is shed for you, to drown you, to feed you, to speak righteousness to you.  It is Jesus bloody, once for all sacrifice, given for the many many sins you commit. 

This forgiveness is proclaimed into your ears as you confess your sins to your pastor and he absolves you.  It is this blessed gift that Jesus gives for you to eat often.  This is the blessed gift that is given to the repentant.


Peter susinquently spoke the gospel on that first pentecost as he finishes his sermon saying, "know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now this is obviously law.  Which is shown by the crowd's response, "Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”  (Acts 2:37) He did not say do this or do that.  He did not say compare yourselves to others.  He did not say you aren't as bad as those other guys.

He said to them, “Repent." Now if they were left just there they would have been distraught with no where to go.  No, rather he continued, "Be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  (Acts 2:38) Gospel! 

This is no Jerry Springer church.  It's Christ's Church.

And in this Holy, Christian, and Apostolic Church repentance is a good thing, because thanks be to God,  who worked through the blessed reformer, Dr. Martin Luther, we are not directed to do good things or to look better but are always directed back to the Gospel, for a repentant church is Christ's church.  A repentant church is a saved church, for when we are truly repent, we then rely on the Gospel alone.








So the next time you are called to repent by your pastor, don't get upset, he is simply relaying Christ's teaching because his desire is for you and your salvation.  We don't need to be built up by others, but by Christ alone and that is what your pastor wants for you, better yet, it's what Christ wants for you.  It's why he went to the cross for you.  To lead you to the joy of repentance for...the forgiveness of sins.



Peace be with you,
Rev. Gerald Heinecke