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Lead Pastor Curt Drexler Announces Retirement Date

Together with Christ The Rock’s Elder team, Lead Pastor Curt Drexler has shared he will retire from his role next year. After 33 years on staff, three of which have been as the church’s senior leader, Pastor Curt will enter a phased retirement October-December 2021. He will continue to serve as Lead Pastor until then. Scroll down for a video announcement.

This process began nearly five years ago when the Elders asked both Curt (who was then CTR’s Executive Pastor) and founding and Senior Pastor Bill Lenz to begin thinking about a plan for retiring from their ministry positions. Four years ago, Pastor Curt shared his intentions with them to retire in 2021. After Pastor Bill’s unexpected passing in 2017, CTR’s Elders appointed Curt to the position of Lead Pastor and he has served as the church’s senior leader since that time.

We are grateful for Curt’s steadfast leadership throughout many changes. He has served faithfully as the church grew from a street outreach ministry into a fledgling church community, and beyond.

Pastor Curt directed moves to different locations as well as renovation and building projects; helped oversee the church’s expanding local and global ministry, and has been a consistent, transparent leader throughout and after the crisis of Pastor Bill’s death. His leadership is marked by humility, sacrificial love for others, and consistently prioritizing the most important thing in both his personal life and ministry: sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are also thankful for Marian Drexler, Curt’s wife, who has been an integral part of Christ The Rock. Marian has volunteered in many capacities including our Lay Counseling Program, Children’s Ministry and worship teams. She also worked on staff for 17 years in several roles, as receptionist in Christ The Rock’s early years, and later as part of the Weekend Service team and our Restore Team, which cares for people through support groups and counseling. Together, Curt and Marian have touched many lives in our church and community.

About the leadership transition process, Pastor Curt says, “The Elders and I will continue to work side by side to create our plan for a smooth transition of leadership. In our humanity, we tend to like things to stay the way they are, but change is a normal part of life in every organization. Especially in the church, we have the security of our good Father being the One we follow over and above any human leader.”

Curt will continue to serve as Lead Pastor through the next 12 months and will be part of a planned mentoring process to fully prepare for the leadership transition. With this first step of announcing Curt’s retirement date, the second phase is in progress as the elders seek God to discern who He is preparing for the Lead Pastor role. The third step will be planning who that person will need in supporting roles around them. Then Curt will spend several months mentoring and coaching the new Lead Pastor.

The next steps in CTR’s leadership transition will be announced in the first quarter of 2021. All future updates will be posted here.

As a church, we thank Pastor Curt for his tireless, Christ-centered leadership for more than three decades. We pray together for God’s blessing upon him and Marian as his formal ministry years transition to retirement. And along with him, we embrace the future God has for us together as we continue to build a community that seeks the lost, loves the hurting and makes disciples who follow Jesus Christ.

by Rebecca Zickert

At the drive-through window, my thoughts swiftly began to string together judgment upon the woman behind the glass. Thoughts happened so quickly, I could hardly capture one before the next began.

Catching them, I mentally “slap” myself: “You don’t even know her!” And I turn toward the window again. But it’s as if if my brain forgot the “slap” just seconds before, and the judgment and assumptions about the stranger began again.

Paul writes:

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else . . .
ROMANS 2:1

Turning away again I thought, “She is God’s. How dare I judge? Her heart may be huge. Her kindness abundant. Her story crushing. I do not know her.”

What I hadn’t thought about was the woman on the other side of the drive-through window: me. The woman who was doing the judging. Where was her heart and kindness?

…for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself . . .

ROMANS 2:1

A third turn, and at last I begin to “see” her face. I cast aside another thought that begins to sneak in. I see her. My heart and mind soften and I catch a glimpse through God’s eyes. This time, the struggle ceases.

But it will happen again. In my humanness, no matter how strong my desire to be free of judgmental thoughts, I’m not sure they will ever be completely captive. Whether I’m judging on appearance or status or behavior, I need to continue to remind myself that it is not mine to judge. In the end, judgment only leaves the person on the other side of the window — me — to be judged by Someone much greater than mankind.

So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?

Romans 2:3

My prayer, therefore, when battling intrusive thoughts about others, is that God’s kindness towards his children (including me in the midst of my thoughts) leads me to repentance and a renewed mind. Demonstrating kindness to myself (verses contempt) as I strive for God’s best allows me to experience grace as I move closer to God’s design for us. And then, by His grace, I can show His kindness to others.

by Pastor Peter Leschke

As we continue with our current “Sit, Walk, Stand” message series, God has been drawing me back to the book of Psalms during my quiet times with Jesus. In this season when the news is filled with upheaval, God is using the Psalms to not only grow in my worship, but to grow me as a follower and disciple of Jesus.

Walking in the Way of Righteousness
During uncertain times, we need to have a place where we can ground ourselves, a place where we can stand on solid ground with God. He invites us into that right away in Psalm 1:

Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.

PSALM 1:1-3

Here we are invited NOT to walk in the steps of the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take, but to meditate DAY and NIGHT on the goodness and the law of the Lord. That’s how we construct a firm foundation of His strength underneath us — like the tree planted deeply by streams of water. I want my roots deep in God, especially in these constantly changing and shifting times.

Walking in His Comfort and Protection
Have you felt more overwhelmed and stressed in the last weeks or months? I know I have! A friend and colleague from our CTR staff reminded me at a meeting this past week of Jill Briscoe’s words: “Remember, when you are overwhelmed, you are overshadowed.” We are covered and sheltered in the “shadow of His wings,” and His comfort is always available to us:

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

PSALM 91:1-2

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

PSALM 23:4

God will not leave us or forsake us in any season of trouble, stress or strain. He is with us on the top of the mountain and in our lowest valleys. He invites us to walk with Him and rest in Him.

Walking In His Delight and Joy
While our daily emotions during this COVID season may not always feel happy or peaceful, we are invited to walk in the delight and joy that Jesus offers us. No matter what our circumstances are, Jesus offers us His delight at all times!

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with
gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will rejoice over you with loud singing.
Jesus simply delights in you and I as his children. He not only loves us, He likes us! And in every moment of our life, we can choose to walk with Him. We can choose to follow and worship Him. And when we walk with Him in the light of his love and delight, we will find joy!

ZEPHANIAH 3:17

How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
O Lord, they walk in the light of Your countenance

PSALM 89:15

Christ The Rock family, let’s enjoy the delight that our Abba Father has in us. And let’s join Him each day in the walk of faith and seek His heart in the Psalms or any part of scripture. As we walk more closely with Him, He will grow us more and more in our love, hope and faith.

by Pastor Steven Bruce

These past few months, we have all seen an enormous amount of suffering, pain, anger, uncertainty, fear, and even death. We live in a broken world, we’ve always known that, but for many of us, this is perhaps the most vivid demonstration we’ve had to endure. We’ve seen physical, emotional, and financial suffering that this global crisis has brought. We’ve seen our lives and community disrupted. We know many continue to suffer, and over 100,000 have lost their lives due to COVID-19. This breaks my heart. But as a Christ-follower, I need to do more than shed a tear.

Right now, there are some of us who live in fear of our freedoms being taken away. For some, that means the freedom to move about as we wish, but for others, it’s the basic freedom to stay alive. My heart SHOULD be broken. But the world needs more than my broken heart.

It’s easy, when we are faced with these different situations, to do 1 of 2 things:
1. Lash Out
2. Tune Out (Ignore)
Neither one of these is right. And I want to speak boldly enough to say that both are sin. We are in a country that has enormous power and advantages, but with that power comes a responsibility to recognize that as a follower of Jesus Christ, I was never promised “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” My King is not here on earth, and I am part of a Kingdom that doesn’t have a flag as a symbol, but a cross. Nor was I promised freedom from pain or persecution or tyranny. What I am promised is that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12)

To that end, I want to say that my heart breaks. My heart breaks for the division that exists, even among believers. While we don’t have to agree on everything, we must agree to stand for the teachings of Jesus, the heart of the gospel and the mission of the church. Can we, as a collective church, across the miles, unite around our shared gospel mission and honor each other, even when we disagree? As a wise mentor once told me, “keep the main thing the main thing.” What’s the main thing? “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your mind, and your strength. Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:30-31)
So my heart breaks. But the world needs more than my tears.

Last week, my heart broke again for those who face daily persecution that I will never fully understand, simply because of the color of their skin. The recent deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd are cause for deep grief for ongoing racial injustice. This isn’t a political issue (although I recognize it is often politicized). It’s a matter of right and wrong. Racism is wrong. It is evil. And I have been personally convicted that simply believing that fact isn’t enough. Not acting like a racist isn’t living in opposition to racism. As a Christ-follower, I am called to more. I grew up in and among, and being influenced by, people of color who were mentors, teachers, friends, who lived with a burden I will never have to bear. Yet, I have lived most of my life under the illusion, the ignorance, that today this “isn’t that big of a deal anymore.” I should know better. It’s so easy to ignore a problem that doesn’t seem to directly affect you. But that isn’t an excuse. I will call it what it is: sin. Racism is sin. Ignoring it is also sin. And I need to repent of that. Maybe you do too?

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.

You’ve probably heard that quote before. At a moment in history, these words helped bring about change. But they didn’t completely fix the problem. Perhaps those words can bring about change again.

I’m not saying I have all the answers. I’m not here to tell you the specific ways each believer in Jesus should respond to injustice. Each of us has a whole range of options for living in opposition to racism, including educating ourselves about racism, being involved in our communities, dedicating prayer time to this specific issue, speaking out on social media and in real life, and more. But while I may not have all the answers, I can’t keep avoiding the questions. Christ-followers have been called, all of us, regardless of our social standing, economic level, political affiliation, or the color of our skin, to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

Proverbs 31:8 tells us: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.”
Ephesians 5:11 tells us: “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”

White people . . . don’t ignore this issue because you think it doesn’t affect you. Don’t ignore it because you haven’t seen it. A trusted friend posted this week that “Racism is a white problem that white people must fix.” It’s time to stop minimizing, justifying, blaming and ignoring racial injustice and insist on change. Again, I’m not here to detail how each person should insist on that change. But I believe it starts with each of us searching our own heart, repenting of anything we need to repent of, and then turning. That’s what repenting means: turn away; and not just turn away and ignore, but turn away and move towards the light. Move towards living and loving those who look different than you do. Ask questions. Make an effort. Don’t tune out.

I believe Romans chapter 12 is a word from the Lord for all of us today, and actually, chapters 12-15 in their entirety. No matter what your reaction is to what you’re seeing from a distance or experiencing up close, I believe this is for you. This is for me. This is for us.

¹ “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. ² Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
³ For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. ⁴ Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, ⁵ in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. ⁶ According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one’s faith; ⁷ if service, use it in service; if teaching, in teaching; ⁸ if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.
⁹ Let love be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another. ¹¹ Do not lack diligence in zeal; be fervent in the Spirit; serve the Lord. ¹² Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. ¹³ Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. ¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. ¹⁸ If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. ²⁰ But if your enemy is hungry, feed him.
If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing
you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.
²¹ Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

ROMANS 12 (CSB)

May I, may we, not lash out, not tune out, but STEP OUT; into loving others as much as ourselves, with words and actions.
May we all do our part to overcome evil with good.

by Josh Vande Hey

For I have come to down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.

JOHN 6:38, ESV

As summertime rolls in, corporations everywhere are usually getting ready for an influx of new faces. It is intern season! As an intern, I remember some of my first mentors (both in life and professionally) – and those that are still teaching me today. There’s something special about having someone bought into your life so deeply that they truly care about the outcome. It’s pretty simple but so important. Not nearly as often do we remember how much those seasoned veterans are learning too but having two unique perspectives collaborating on the same goal is powerful!

Believe it or not, Jesus did (and is doing) this same thing during His ministry. We wouldn’t often consider that Jesus was “mentored” in any way, but during Jesus’ time on earth He clearly imparted that He was not on earth to do His own will – but rather He was here to do the will of the Father (John 6:38). We see Him being directed by God as he asks questions and spends time with God. We see this up until some of the last moments before His death when Jesus is pleading with God for another way but ultimately submits to the Father’s will instead (Luke 22:42).

Jesus taught His disciples to live just like He did by calling them to just “follow Me” (Matthew 4:18-20). This was so simple. He didn’t put any additional requests on them. He didn’t say that they were only allowed to follow Him if they performed certain rituals, straightened themselves up, or said certain words – it was just “follow Me”. If I dug a little deeper, I would suggest that He was also conveying, “Please just come spend time with Me. Just follow Me and I will do the rest. Learn from me. Ask me questions. Observe as much as you can. I just love you and I will take care of everything else.”

After years together, He then gives them a final command – in the same way I have taught you about God’s love, go teach others and invite them to be loved by Me through you! (Matthew 28:16-20). Today, we often call this style of relationship “discipleship.”

In the Western church, “discipleship” has become a bit of a buzz word. It has become so popular that I sometimes wonder if we’ve lost its simplicity. Churches and authors often describe discipleship as programs, techniques, or skills. It’s almost as if some believe there’s a way for us to become a “next level Christian.” Jesus’ focus, however, was on following Him together in obedience and as we are with Him, He changes us. The call of Jesus is to abide with Him, and as we do the Holy Spirit fills us with the desire, strength, and direction to live for Him. Being a disciple isn’t something we add on top of our lives, it is the person He calls us to become!

So today I want to ask you, how’s your discipleship? How are your relationships are doing – are they all pointed toward the same goal? It takes true authenticity and humility to allow others to speak life into your world – are you willing to try? It also takes a supreme trust in His guidance to speak life into another’s world – are you willing to try? My prayer for my own life, is that I can simply obey “follow Me.”

by Rebecca Zickert

And God said, “Let there be light” and there was light. God saw the light was good and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day and the darkness he called night. And there was evening and there was morning — the first day.

GENESIS 1: 3-5

“There was evening and there was morning…” These words from the first chapter of Genesis radically disrupted the rhythm of my mind. It removed me from a rut from which I so desperately tried to be released for much of my life. In reading this chapter it dawned on me, He didn’t say “there was morning and then evening.”

My weekdays are often a rush, beginning with an alarm, perhaps a few hits of the snooze and then a dash into the new day. I have attempted to wake when there is still quietness in the house and before my mind haunts me with the “to-do” list, but as much as I’d like to be a morning person, I seem to fail again and again.

“There was evening and there was morning…” God’s words. Not man’s. We are taught and try to live knowing God’s words are for our good. They are better than any other ways this world could offer. Yet the patterns of this world tend to take over. Evening, in the book of Genesis, came before morning on the first through the sixth days, and on the seventh day He rested and “blessed” it.

As I pondered these words this January, I decided to see if God really intended a new day to begin at sunset. The following Sunday, as the sun was getting low in the sky, I began to feel excitement as my new day (Monday) was moments away. Because of my new thinking, the beautiful thing is my Monday did not begin like a typical Monday with a frantic, dreaded rush. Instead, it was ushered in with a prayer in the quietness of the evening and downtime with family, which was followed by a long eight-hour rest awakening to the last 10 hours of my Monday. What a difference! Oh, how I loved and looked forward to the setting of the sun each day and knowing the world’s night was my next day’s beginning.

I’m discovering that a new rhythm does not just flawlessly happen. To alter the time my brain views as the start of a day and to practice beginning a new day while everyone else is still in yesterday requires new, transformed thinking. I offer myself grace because I don’t want to go back to my old pattern, and I enjoy the peace in this new way.

As I came to the end of my first week, I knew that in Genesis 2:2-3, God rested from all of His work. I wondered, “Could I, too, practice a day of rest (Sabbath)?” It would mean I’d have to fight the urge of finishing up all that didn’t get finished. I worked excitedly through my Saturday during the daylight knowing that as soon as the sun dipped below the horizon, my work would cease. When it did, I exhaled. What was done was done and what was unfinished would remain so over the next 24 hours.

I went to my room and began my Sabbath by candlelight, in the darkness of the beginning of my day. I read a passage from Douglas Kaine McKelvey’s Every Moment Holy. * (I replaced “morning” with evening and “yesterday” with last week):

Meet me, O Christ, in this stillness of morning.
Move me, O Spirit, to quiet my heart.
Mend me, O Father, from yesterday’s harms.
From the discords of yesterday, resurrect my peace.
From the discouragement of yesterday, resurrect my hope.
From the weariness of yesterday, resurrect my strength.
From the doubts of yesterday, resurrect my faith.
From the wounds of yesterday, resurrect my love.
Let me enter this new day (week), aware of my need,
and awake to your grace, O Lord, Amen.

I had to fight to keep the Sabbath free of work. My mind can be very persuasive, but the fight was so worth it. The peace I received by following God’s Word seemed to spread to those around me, and even when it didn’t, His peace kept me grounded. I was awestruck by that day, wondering why I hadn’t done this before. It was a sweet gift but I still wondered, “This couldn’t happen every Sunday, could it?”

A time for God.
A time for family.
A time to rest.
A time to rejuvenate.

I’m going into my fourth month and I have to say, I never want to miss a Sabbath again. It truly is given by God to us for a reason. It is His gift to us and is so sweet if we embrace it. Life is full of challenges, whether it’s Monday or Sunday, but I have yet to experience a Sabbath that didn’t end at sunset with me in awe of how wonderful God’s blessings are if we choose to accept them.

*Every Moment Holy – New Liturgies for Daily Life © 2017 Douglas McKelve

by Pastor Joe Pullen

And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed Him. And going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed Him.
MARK 1:17-20, ESV

Ever wanted desperately to change something about yourself? Ever wanted to have a life that was far bigger than you ever imagined it could be? Great news! Today’s Scripture passage speaks about how Jesus invites us to become our fullest, best self so we can join Him in His mission to save the world from sin and evil.

Peter and Andrew were as ordinary as they come: just lowly fishermen trying to eke out a living. They were disciples of John the Baptist and saw the baptism of Jesus. Then one day, as they were fishing, Jesus came and invited them to be His disciples by saying, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” Shortly after Peter and Andrew said yes to Jesus, Jesus invites James and his brother John to follow, and they also say yes.

Jesus’ invitation demonstrates that our relationship with God is one of mutual accountability and differing roles. As disciple-makers, we need to know that when making disciples as Jesus did, there is my part, God’s part, and their part. In this invitation, Jesus the disciple-maker does His part by inviting the men to follow. Their part was starting to follow Jesus. God’s part (via the Holy Spirit) was creating the desire to follow Jesus – and then changing them while they did. It is in the act of following Jesus that the Holy Spirit changes us to become more like Jesus.

Jesus is invitational and He is King. As King, He had the authority to expect those He called to respond fully and immediately. For both pairs of brothers in the scriptures above, their response when Jesus called was “immediately they left their nets and followed Him.” The Holy Spirit helped them see Jesus as King and worthy of fully abandoning their possessions, their work, and their family to follow Jesus without delay.

I want to be more like those men. Peter showed real guts when he left it all behind and went all in with Jesus. Andrew showed through his actions that he knew how fortunate he was to be called by the King. James and John said goodbye to their dad so they could pursue Jesus. Imagine what our church’s impact could be, imagine the joy and fulfillment in your life, and imagine what your relationships would be like if we all consistently responded to Jesus with immediacy and fullness!

Lord, give us hearts like these first disciples to respond to You immediately and completely whenever You speak to us. Help us see You as these first disciples did – to look at You and hear Your words – and know that You are worth all that we have. Give us boldness to live the kingdom purpose You have for us as You change us into fishers of men. In Christ’s name, Amen.

by Andrea Sloma

The LORD looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, and who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

PSALM 14:2-3, NIV

The beginning of Psalm 14 can sound pretty disheartening and maybe resonates with our own feelings about what we see around us. We’ve all had those days. The kind where you look around and see nothing but brokenness and despair. You lay your head on the pillow at night and wonder, “Is there anyone or anything good left in this world?”

Like David, the author of this psalm, you are not alone in your questions.

Psalm 14 starts off with David talking about people who say, “There is no God,” and who go about life doing whatever they want. Yet, in the midst of what is turning out to be a pretty discouraging passage of scripture, God offers a glimpse of hope.

But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous.

PSALM 14:5, NIV

What this verse tells us is that even though someone can get so caught up in living a corrupt, evil life, completely devoid of Christ, they still cannot escape the presence of Christ. Not because they are looking for it, but because of those who choose to walk in it.

Part of our call as Christians is to draw people to the presence of God in this broken and fallen world. God is full of grace and mercy. He wishes to enter the lives of everyone, even those who have turned their back on Him, even those who deny Him. People are not the enemy but instead the battleground that we fight the enemy on. For some people, their only encounter with Christ and the Gospel may be what they witness in you. There are people this week who will only see God if they see Him in you; if they see Him in your actions, if they hear Him in your words.

Be the salt and light of the world.

MATTHEW 5:13-16, NKJ

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

MATTHEW 5:16, NKJ

Dear God, there are so many people in this world who have chosen to live life their own way and do not seek You. It can be so disheartening to see the evil and corruption in this world. Yet Psalm 14 ends with a promise of salvation and restoration for Your people. You always have the victory in the end, Lord. Thank you for never leaving us without the hope of our future victory in You. I pray that we draw people to your presence; in our home, our work, and our community. May our life be a testimony to Your goodness, mercy and redemption. Let others be so captivated by our light that they choose to seek a life of surrender and obedience to You.
Amen.

by Pastor Joe Pullen

…The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.
MARK 1:15, ESV

In our last two devotional blog posts, we’ve been discussing the impact of Jesus’ statement that the kingdom of God had arrived. We have learned that a kingdom requires:
A Domain
A King
Absolute Authority
Citizens

As we study the rest of the very first sentence Jesus spoke about the gospel, let’s remember that it is King Jesus who is speaking. His domain is heaven and earth and everything within them, and He is the One who has absolute power and authority over His domain. When He gives the command that follows His declaration about the arrival of the Kingdom, He has every right and privilege to issue it. Also keep in mind that the kingdom came to earth because of God’s love for the world (John 3:16).

What did our loving King command? He commanded us to (1) repent and (2) believe in the gospel.

Now, up until just a few years ago, my mental picture of being told to repent involved a fire-and-brimstone preacher behind a pulpit, wagging a judgmental finger at me, yelling, “REEEEPENNNNNNNT!!” (Twisted, huh?) Repentance was associated with shame and feeling less-than for the Lord, and so like many others, I didn’t spend a whole lot of time practicing admitting my sins. I hid them instead, letting them fester in the dark corners of my mind like mushrooms feeding on the manure of my secrets.

But little by little, God revealed to me through His Word and His people, that my lack of repentance actually created my shame and feelings of unlovability. He helped me begin to see repentance as the wrapping paper around His gift of forgiveness. I needed to shed the wrapping paper of my sins to get to the beautiful gift He had purchased for me through His Son, King Jesus. That changed everything for me.

Repentance comes from the Greek word metanoia, which means a change of mind. Unlike in our day, in biblical times, there wasn’t any distinction between thinking and behavior. Your behavior revealed your thinking. When Jesus says to repent AND believe in the gospel, He is saying, in essence, “demonstrate your belief in Me through the action of repentance.” Jesus spent three years in public ministry and this was His very first command. So, the command to repent had to be significant, but why is that?

I don’t presume to know the mind of God, but His Word teaches us that it is in expressing faith and obedience in Jesus that He affords us the gift of salvation (Rom. 10:9-13, Matt. 7:21, James 1:22, Rev. 20:12). Even better, the desire to follow Jesus and receive His gift is also sparked by God through the Holy Spirit (John 15:16, John 16:13)! Repentance, then, is God affording us the opportunity to be relieved in our conscience and hearts, no longer bearing the weight that sin and secrecy thrust upon us. It’s King Jesus commanding us to do something incredibly good for us – to release ourselves from shame, guilt, despair, hopelessness, and regret. Repentance is the place where God allows us to break agreements with evil – that I’m bad and unworthy, that no one would love me if they really knew me, and that because of my shame I have to meet my own needs due to my fear of rejection by God and others. Repentance is God’s amazing “do over” in life. What a gift!

Finally, repentance is more than turning away from sin. Repentance equally means turning towards God! King Jesus is telling us that we can turn towards the God of the Universe, who dwells in inapproachable light, whom no one has seen face-to-face and lived! The King is saying, “My cure for your shame and the sin of your past is to turn towards Me and know that I am looking back at you in love.”

Why don’t you just stop right now, turn towards God, repent of your sins, and enjoy His loving gaze upon your life?
Jesus, we thank You that Your plan for us is to release us from sin, shame and guilt, and that You willingly offer us the chance to be seen by You with eyes of love. It’s so amazing that you don’t want us to miss it, so You made it Your first command to us. Help us receive that command with joy and embrace it to the fullest. In Your name we thank You. Amen.