Rip The Heavens Open

Sermon by Apostle Ren Schuffman What if one of the most important words in the entire Gospel of Mark has been mistranslated in most of your Bible? In Mark 1:10, the Greek word used to describe what happened to the heavens at Jesus' baptism does not mean opened. It means torn. Ripped apart. Split open. That single word changes everything about how we understand the presence of God, the power available to believers, and what Jesus actually accomplished through His life and death.This message walks through the bookends of Mark's gospel, from the tearing of the heavens at the Jordan River to the tearing of the temple veil at Calvary, and shows how these two moments are deeply connected. Mark intentionally uses the same Greek word in both places to make a powerful theological statement: Jesus ripped heaven open at the start of His ministry to be empowered, and He ripped it open again at the end of His ministry so that we could be empowered.The prophet Isaiah had cried out centuries before, begging God to rend the heavens and come down. Mark opens his gospel by quoting Isaiah, and the connection is unmistakable. What Isaiah longed for has now happened. Heaven has broken into earth through Jesus Christ, and the access that was once limited to one priest entering one room one day a year is now available to every person.This message also addresses one of the most common struggles in the modern church: the gap between what we say we believe and how we actually live. Like King Saul, many people give God whatever is left over after everything else is done. Like King David, we are called to prioritize the presence of God above our own thrones and ambitions. Comfortable Christianity is not the cheaper option. It is actually the most costly one, because what you choose not to carry will cost you far more in the long run.If you have ever felt separated from God because of your failures, or wondered why God seems distant in your hardest seasons, this message speaks directly to that. Your sin is not strong enough to put back the veil that has already been torn. The presence of God is not waiting on more effort from you. It is waiting on more surrender.Topics covered include the Gospel of Mark, the baptism of Jesus, the temple veil, Isaiah 64, the presence of God, spiritual breakthrough, kingdom of God, Christian living, faith and surrender, overcoming spiritual dryness, and the power of the Holy Spirit.Whether you are new to faith or have been walking with God for years, this is a message about stepping into what has already been made available to you. Heaven has broken through. The only question is where you choose to posture yourself.https://www.ffc.church (Our Website) https://www.facebook.com/freedomfellowshipokc (Follow us on Facebook) https://anchor.fm/freedom-fellowship/message (Subscribe to our Audio podcast) Were you blessed by this message? Give to help us spread the gospel https://www.ffc.church/give