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TEXT: Mark 1

Life is not about us inviting Jesus to join us on our journey through life; it’s about us following Jesus as we surrender our life and join Him on His mission.

Philippians 1:6
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

I. THE CONFIRMATION OF JESUS

Do we know who Jesus is and are we pointing people toward Him?

Romans 6:4
“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Following Jesus is not simply a one-time action displayed by baptism but rather a life of action demonstrated in following Jesus.

II. THE CALL OF JESUS

A. The Call For God’s Help When Tempted

Satan will always get you to question the authority of God in your life.

Hebrews 4:14-16
“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

B. The Call To Repent

Until recognize who Jesus really is following Jesus will seem optional.

Luke 6:46
“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”

C. The Call of The First Disciples

Nothing will grow you and change you more than following Jesus!

D. A Call For Deliverance

The missing element in so many churches today is not a lack of activity but rather a lack of authority.

III. THE COMPASSION OF JESUS

Having experienced what the compassion of Jesus on us has done, we should be motivated to move toward those who have yet to know the life changing power of Christ.

TEXT: Mark

Action is a word that should be used to describe a church because it speaks of life and movement.

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

The reality of our life as Christians is that what we do is to be driven by who we are in Christ.

Christ is the Suffering, Servant, Savior!

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.”

Who is Jesus to you?

Mark 8:27-29
“And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.”

Until you can answer the question of who Jesus is to you, your identity will always be found in something or someone else.

If you know Christ and are in Christ then ultimately you will not be inactive, because following Christ always leads you to a life of service!

While our identity is not found in the church but in Christ, the church is the primary place where we publically identify with other believers and continue carrying out the mission of Jesus.

We must actively…..
1. Exalt the name of Jesus.
2. Engage in the mission.
3. Encourage one another.

Selected Texts

John10:27
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me”-

Galatians 5:22, 23 says;
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:

It’s very true that you will “hear” God speak when you are in a relationship with Him.

If you’re praying for God to do something in your life then you must be prepared to obey because obedience is the key that unlocks the clarity you’re seeking.

Genesis 22:1
“And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.”

Hineni is a way of expressing total readiness to give oneself to God-it’s an offer of total availability!

How will you respond when your hineni moment comes?

I. Relinquish Control

The Christian life is to be a life of complete and continual surrender.

I Corinthians 6:19, 20
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

II. Resist Complacency

III. Respond Unconditionally

The main problem most Christians have when it comes to serving Christ is that it is very inconvenient, often costly and gets in the way of our comfort.

IV. Resolve To Follow Christ

God is still calling people, the question is how will you reply?