Good News Series: You Can Change Your Mind
“Good News Series: You Can Change Your Mind”
By: Pastor Kent Munsey
November 7, 2021
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Mark 1:15 (NIV)
During this time period, the King’s messenger never brought bad news. When the Gospel or the Good News is introduced to us in the New Testament, it is presented through Jesus, who is the King. The Good News is that God reigns and that he has come in the person of Jesus. He has come near. The Gospel is not just a message or a story, but a person whose name is Jesus. If someone asks us if we know the Gospel, we can say yes. We know the Good News from the King; his name is Jesus.
In this scripture, we see that Jesus shows up to deliver the Good News (the Gospel). The Good News that Jesus brought is that the Kingdom of Heaven is here. It is good news because Jesus is announcing that God has come near. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords has come close, he is reigning, and he is present.
Christianity differentiates itself from every other religion. If we study every major religion, we learn that they are built around the idea that if we do certain things, we will be able to ascend to the righteousness or consciousness of the deity that we are serving. In contrast, in Christianity, God is both the good news and the messenger, and the good news for us is that the King is present. He is here. We don’t have to try and find him.
The good news for us is that God has come near. God has come close. He is present, not because of anything that we have done but because of who he is. The Gospel is that the King has come to deliver himself the King’s message that he is here. He is present.
The instruction is to repent. Repentance usually does not have a positive connotation. If we are not careful, we can process it as something negative or something wrong. Often, we think of repentance as turning from sin and to God, but in Greek, the term “repent” means to change one’s mind. Turning our hearts can be a result of repentance. Here are three thoughts on repentance:
1. Changing our minds about our relationship with God. In the context that the King is present and the Kingdom of Heaven is near, changing our minds relates to how we think about our relationship with God. God is here, in person, in the flesh, and his kingdom is present.
2. Change our minds about ourselves. There are sins of omission and sins of commission. When God shows up, it will change the way that we think about ourselves. God has graced us and given us gifts, talents, and abilities. Every day, we need to ask God, “What do we need to change our mind about?”
3. Change our minds about Jesus. Throughout scripture, we see Jesus spending time with tax collectors and sinners. That was his reputation. When we change the way we think about God and how he thinks about us, we will begin to change our minds about our lives.
The Good News is that Jesus is here. God promises that when two or more of us are gathered in his name that he is present. Jesus is near. He has come close. Jesus is present today.
Reflection/Discussion Questions:
1. What do you think of repentance as simply changing your mind?
2. What do you need to change your thinking about (your relationship with God, yourself, Jesus)?
3. How do you feel knowing the Good News that Jesus is present with us?