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TEXT: Mark 16:15-20

Matthew 28:16-19
“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

Our church is a part of Christ’s continuing work here on Earth.

I. WE LIVE OUR LIVES ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED THAT JESUS CHRIST HAS RISEN

1. The proof of Salvation.
2. The proof of the Scriptures.
3. The proof of the Saints.

Has my life been radically changed as a result of following the Risen Christ?

Is my life continuing to radically change as I follow the Risen Christ?

A true follower of Christ realizes that salvation is not a makeover but a takeover!

II. WE LEAD LIVES OF TOTAL COMMITMENT TO CHRIST AND HIS MISSION

Quote:
“The motto of every missionary, whether preacher, printer, or schoolmaster, ought to be "Devoted for life." Adonirham Judson

God has called us to be committed contributors who carry out the mission of Christ; not complaining consumers who take their business elsewhere when they can’t have their way.

The commission of Jesus means:
1. We do not live a performance driven life.
2. We do not seek to be professional in our living.
~ God has not called the church into the education or entrainment business, we have been commissioned to evangelize and make disciples!
3. We do not rely on programs to accomplish the mission.
~ The early church was not only totally committed to carrying out the mission they were completely relying on the Holy Spirit to help them accomplish their mission!
4. We carry out the mission with compassion.

Go To Them- Involvement
Baptize Them-Identification
Teach Them- Instruction

There is no such thing as someone who really believes in the Gospel and never goes after and engages people in need of the Gospel.

III. WE LIVE OUR LIVES FULLY KNOWING THAT JESUS CHRIST IS RETURNING

You decide if you will be a part of what happens next!

TEXT: Mark 16:1-14

Mark 8:31
“And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

Mark 9:31
“For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.”

Mark 10:32, 33
“And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him, Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:”

Before we can get to the most important message ever we have to ask ourselves the most important question ever; “do I believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ”?

John 11:25, 26
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

I. THE ASTONISHMENT OF AN EMPTY TOMB

The stone was not rolled away to let Jesus out it was rolled away to let the witnesses in!

II. THE NOT SO SUBTLE REMINDER

III. THE SKEPTICAL DISCIPLES

Quote:
“The truth of the resurrection gives life to every other area of gospel truth. The resurrection is the pivot on which all of Christianity turns and without which none of the other truths would much matter. Without the resurrection, Christianity would be so much wishful thinking, taking its place alongside all other human philosophy and religious speculation.” John MacArthur

IV. THE ADMONISHMENT BY THE SAVIOUR

Romans 10:9, 10
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

What you believe will affect the way you behave.

Quote:
“If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.” Tim Keller

Acts 2:22-24;32
“Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses."

Have I believed the most important message ever?

TEXT: Mark 15:15-39

The death of Christ was prophesied, planned, and performed in accordance to God the Fathers Perfect will.

Mark 8:31
“And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

Mark 10:45
“For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Quote:
“At the cross in holy love God through Christ paid the full penalty of our disobedience himself.” John Stott, The Cross of Christ

I. THE MOCKING OF THE MESSIAH

Quote:
“It was not nails that held Jesus to that wretched cross; it was his unqualified resolution, out of love for his Father, to do his Father’s will—and it was his love for sinners like me.” D.A. Carson

II. THE DARKEST MOMENT IN HISTORY

Quote:
“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” C.S. Lewis

Jesus felt the shattering effect of God turning away from Him.

Quote:
“In his death on the cross, Christ becomes the place of refuge, the place in the world where the full wrath of God has already been spent. Therefore, to stand in Christ is to stand in a place where the wrath of God will never be felt, because it has already been there.” —Rory Shiner

III. A NEW WAY MADE POSSIBLE

Hebrews 10:19-22
“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Ephesians 2:14-16
“For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:”

IV. THE FIRST PERSON TO MAKE A CONFESSION

The moment you recognize, repent and receive Jesus Christ; that becomes the most important moment of your life!

TEXT: Mark 14:12-26

The Lord’s Supper is a meal that cost Jesus Christ everything.

I. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PASSOVER MEAL
John 1:29
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

Hebrews 10:4
“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”

Full atonement for sin could never come through an animal sacrifice. Only the shed blood of Christ cleanses our sin.

Quote:
“When Jesus Christ shed his blood on the cross, it was not the blood of a martyr; or the blood of one for another; it was the life of God poured out to redeem the world.” Oswald Chambers

Hebrews 10:11, 12
“And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;”

I Peter 2:24
“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

II. THE INSTITUTION OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

The Passover meal looked forward to the Messiah who had yet to come. The Lord’s Supper looks back to the Messiah who has come.

III. AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SAVIOUR

The Lord’s Supper looks back to the cross and redemption and it also looks forward to the coming kingdom and the rule and reign of Christ!

I Corinthians 11:24-26
“And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.”

By the grace of Christ we have been brought out of this world and into the family of God.

Revelation 22:1; 3, 4
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.”

Quote:
“I think the moments we are nearest to Heaven are those we spend at the Lords Table.” C.H. Spurgeon

I Cor. 11:28;
“let a man examine himself.”

1. Make sure that our conduct is in line with our character.
2. Remember that we are part of a community.
3. After we contemplate then we should partake.

TEXT: Mark 14:1-9

Joshua 4:20-24
“And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal. And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.”

A memorial serves to remind us that a significant event transpired and a sacrifice was made.

I. SHE KNEW WHAT WAS COMING FOR JESUS

Hearing the words of Christ should impact not only our head but our heart and move our hands to actions.

It’s difficult to believe the words of Jesus when our hearts are hardened through unbelief.

II. SHE KNEW WHAT SHE WAS DOING TO JESUS

Everyone seemed to know the cost of the perfume she purchased but only Mary knew the value of the person she was pouring it on!

When you invest your life in the worship of Jesus there will always be a crowd of people who think you’re wasting your life.

III. SHE KNEW WHO JESUS WAS

Erwin Lutzer said, "If we haven't learned to be worshipers, it doesn't really matter how well we do anything else"

IV. SHE DID WHAT SHE COULD

John 12:3
“Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.”

Jesus is saying that the priority of His mission was not to eradicate poverty but to seek and save people in the midst of their poverty!

Is Jesus worth it to you?

V. WE ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT WHAT SHE DID

One act of worship impacted the whole world!

If you don’t really know the worth of Jesus then giving him your wealth seems like a waste.

Will anyone be STILL talking about our worship long after we are gone?

TEXT: Mark 6:30-44

Hebrews 4:9
“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.”

The secret of rest is not found by escaping your problems it is found in the person of Jesus.

I. THE COMPASSION OF JESUS DISPLAYED

Compassion is the vehicle that moves the soul to action.

I John 3:16, 17
“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”

Insensitivity to the needy people around us is one of the greatest dangers we face as believers.

I Peter 2:25
“For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”

I Peter 2:24
“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

Matthew 4:4
"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

II. THE DIRECT COMMANDS OF JESUS

Every problem in life is an opportunity for us to trust the Father and bring glory to His name.

When commanded to obey remember, that while it may seem impossible, you can rest assured of an incredible outcome, even if we are not told what it will be.

Never measure your resources to determine if you’re going to trust God with them.

John 6:32-35
“Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

III. THE DEMONSTRATION OF JESUS COMMITMENT

When you commit yourself to obedience in the ministry of Christ there will always be enough to sustain.

Philippians 4:19
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

When you give your life and all that you have to Jesus you will be amazed at what He can do!

Text: Psalm 122

Worship is not a one day a week activity but a life of daily devotion.

St. Augustine in Confessions wrote, “Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.”

II Thessalonians 2:1
“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,”

Psalm 95:1-2
“O come, let us sing unto the Lord: Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, And make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.”

Psalm 100:2
“Serve the Lord with gladness: Come before his presence with singing.”

I. The Reality of Worshipping Together

"Worship is ascribing ultimate value to an object in such a way that engages the mind, the heart, and the will. By using your whole person (whole being) you ascribe ultimate value to some object.”

The emotions
The gaze of your heart will determine the direction of your life!
The will
The mind

What we do in “here” helps shape everything we do out “there”.

II. The Reason of Worshipping Together

Worship is designed to be corporate.

Worship is designed to change us.

III. The Results of Worshipping Together

Heading to worship should fill us with excitement as we anticipate the joy and peace that will flow over us and through us because the Holy Spirit is in us, for us, and with us.