Sermons from November 2014
“Freedom from Slavery to Sin” Mark 8:27-38
Theme: Jesus is the Messiah, who came to die and be raised from the dead, who requires our death.
Aim: Trust in Jesus as God’s Messiah, trust in the power of His death and resurrection alone to save you from sin, death and God’s wrath, and die to your self-centeredness. Die to yourself so that Jesus might be all in your life. Take up the cross of identifying with Jesus in the face of the opposition of this world.
(1) Who Is Jesus? Mark (8:27-30)
(2) What Did Jesus Have to Do? (Mark 8:31-33)
(3) What Does Jesus Require of Us? (Mark 8:34–38)
“King of All” Mark 8:1-26
Theme: Only Jesus has the power to satisfy and only He can open our eyes to understand who He is.
Aim: See Jesus in His power, have your eyes opened up to be able to more fully behold His beauty, and that God would quiet our argumentative hearts.
(1) Jesus Has Power to Satisfy (Mark 8:1-10)
(2) Argumentative & Blind Hearts (Mark 8:11-13)
(3) Hard Hearts (Mark 8:14-21)
(4) Jesus Gives Sight (Mark 8:22-26).
“What Does It Take to Accept God?” Mark 7:1-37
Theme: Accepting God requires obeying God’s Word, receiving a new heart, begging for God no matter who you are, and includes God opening your ears and influencing your mouth.
Aim: Pray for a new heart to love God, pray that He will purify us by His Word, that He will help us to come to Him no matter what we’ve done, no matter what our ethnic background is, and that He will powerfully open our ears to His Word and influence our speech.
What does it take to accept God?
(1) Obedience to the Word of God (Mark 7:1-13)
(2) A New Heart (Mark 7:14–23)
(3) Longing for God Regardless of Your Background (Mark 7:24-30)
(4) Have Your Ears Opened & Your Mouth Influenced (Mark 7:31-37).
“King of the Jews” Mark 6:30-56
Theme: Jesus is relentless in feeding, shepherding, healing, and saving His people, and He is the King promised to the Jews in the Word.
Aim: Know that Jesus is King, not only of the Jews, but also of us. By faith He is your king. You need not have any fear in the face of things that are fearful. He is good, trustworthy, and true.
(1) Jesus Is Relentless in His Kingly Mission (Mark 6:30-34)
(2) Jesus Is the King Who Is Able to Feed and Provide (Mark 6:35–44)
(3) Jesus Is King Over Creation (Mark 6:45-52)
(4) Jesus Is King Over Sickness (Mark 6:17-29)
“What Does It Take to Reject God?” Mark 6:1-29
Theme: Rejecting God consists in offense and unbelief toward God, a lack of love for God’s people, not listening to the Bible, refusing to repent, and pursuing unsatisfying pleasures.
Aim: See your unbelief, ask God to strengthen your faith, and trust in His ability to powerfully save you from the posture of underestimating that Jesus is mighty and true.
Here’s how we reject God…
(1) Be Offended & Don’t Believe in Jesus (Mark 6:1-6)
(2) 3 “Do Nots” (Mark 6:7-13)
a. Don’t Love God’s People (vv. 7-11, especially 11)
b. Don’t Listen to the Apostles/Bible (vv. 7-11, especially 11)
c. Don’t Turn from Your Sin (v. 12)
(3) Ignore Who the Bible Says Jesus Is (Mark 6:14-16)
(4) Pursue Weak Fleeting Pleasures (Mark 6:17-29)