Mark 12 - 15

Mark 12
Death - the one thing in common with everyone. We can't avoid it - it's not a choice. But hope is available - all is not lost.
The Saducees did not believe in life after death. Jesus is not the God of the deat. He is the God of the living (v. 27) because of this, we are saved from the hopelessness of death.
He is our ransom. Parable of the tenants shows how he will ransom us. And how he'll give his son.
"In death, recall, unerringly, that you will always reign with me."
Read this: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1983/383_The_Donkey_the_Stallion_and_the_Strategy_of_the_Hills/
We are the wicked tenants in the vineyard. Will we accept the king's invitation to live with Him forever? Remember the words of the king. Don't be ashamed to give hte message of the king.

Don't make God and the kingdom of God small. GOD IS AWESOME! Response to God is to give up everything for Him. Don't believe God's worthy of it, you don't know him.

Mark 13
Heads Up!
He's not weird. He's just misunderstood.

STAND FIRM (13:13)
You'll be rejected... or, don't you have anything to stand for?

BE ON YOUR GUARD (13:23)
Or yo'll be decieved... or is this all yu have to live for?
This is what will happen. Are you prepared?
Now= kingdom of Man
Then = kingdom of God
Where are you looking? Where is your heart? Don't be deceived. What do you have to live for? Personal inventory: What do you have to live for? This pile of stuff? This cluster of friends? This list of future plans?

WATCH (13:37)
Time is not something you control. If your watch dies, time didn't stop. WE CAN'T STOP TIME!
Look out: He's coming back. How will we spend our seconds? Minutes? Hours?
Live every SECOND as if its your last. Live it for Him.
What am I living for?

There is hope for those who stand firm.

Mark 14
That was dumb.

v. 3-5
Why the waste?
Why is this a "waste"?
*It's expensive and it used up quickly - a whole year's wages!
* Better things to buy with the money - meeting real, better needs.

v. 6
A beautiful thing?
Why is this not a waste?
*Jesus has done so much for us
*The poor will always be with us.
*He's God, respect to him from her heart.
*Serving Jesus, she did what she could - a way of TRUE worship.

v. 8
She did what she could - why?
1. She knew what people needed most.
2. She knew whose head she was annointing.
3. She knew why she was annointing him.

Beautiful thing.
No small thing to devote the best and all of me to the King of Kings. He's the only thing, the only reason. How much is he worth to you?


Mark 15
Watch Your Step
Following Peter: Mark 14:27-72

What changed?
1. Circumstances
2. Surroundings
3. People
4. Pressure
Peter exchanged a discipleship of costly following for one of safe observation. Circumstances shouldn't matter.

How did this happen? The battel against sin is the battle against unbelief.

What can I do about it?
Remember this: Mark 15:1-39
It was doen for you. me. us.
Something awesome was done on your behalf - because HE - LOVED - YOU!

Believe it. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
How far are you willing to go?

Welkner then read this article aloud: http://www.khouse.org/articles/1998/113/ Please, read it... it's a great article, I don't want anyone to miss out on it.
Not only was the physical pain great, but imagine the wrath of God being poured out on your head. That was what made it so much worse.



You know, I've always wondered about unreached peoples - how will they know? When end times come, what about people who never had the chance to hear? Richard put it this way... You know how when you look around you, you see some of the majesty, and the awesomeness of God shown through His creation. They still see that. They can still know there is a creator.

Just an interesting point I thought I'd bring up.

Well, Friday or Saturday I'll finish up on Mark.

Over'n'out
Kilo-Yankee