Preacher: Chris Ritter

First: A worshipful woman anointed Jesus.

What is Jesus saying in verse 7?

- You will always have the poor with you is a reference to Deuteronomy 15 and God's command to do good to the poor

- The comparison Jesus is making is "always" and "not always”

- The woman had some understanding that Jesus would not always be present and needed to express her gratitude now

Second: A wicked friend betrayed Jesus.

Jesus confirms 2 things in verse 21:

1. It was God's plan for Jesus to die

2. There is moral responsibility for Judas' choice to betray Jesus

- "This is my body" = "This is myself with you”

- The emphasis on the bread is not so much that it was "broken" but that it was "distributed"... Jesus vividly illustrates his presence with them in the bread.

A Passover meal had 4 cups:

- Each cup represented an aspect of Exodus 6:6-7 

The 4 cups:

1. I will bring you out

2. I will rid you of their bondage

3. I will redeem you

4. I will take you for my people and be your God

Who brought about the death of Jesus?

- A woman anointed Jesus

- A wicked friend would betray Jesus

- A willing and sovereign Savior laid down his life

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead

Big Idea: Live like Jesus is coming back. How can I be ready for Jesus to return?

1. Learn what to look for

2. Lean on the truthfulness of God’s word

Isaiah 40:8 -- “the grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever.”

2 Peter 3:11-13 -- "Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness wells.”

3. Leave the prophesy to God

4. Live with spiritual alertness

- If Jesus were to return today, what would you have wished you spent more of your time doing?

- Who might you regret not having spoken to about Him?

- What might you regret not getting right in your life?

Preacher: Chris Ritter

Big Idea: How can I be ready for Jesus to return?

1. Be close to Jesus (vv.5-8)

2. Be ready for persecution (vv.9-13)

What about verse 10?

- Romans 10:14;10:18 

- Colossians 1:21-23 

3. Be informed about the end

“In the Gospel of Mark there is no passage more problematic than the prophetic discourse of Jesus on the destruction of the Temple. The questions posed by the form and content of the chapter and by its relationship to the Gospel as a whole are complex and difficult and have been the occasion of extensive literature” - New International Commentary on the New Testament

4 things to keep in mind with end times passages:

a. Smart people who sincerely love Jesus disagree with each other

b. You don't need to know every possible interpretation

c. Everyone should approach these matters with humility

d. The truth is not in question, even if it is not clear to us

"Abomination of Desolation” (vv.14-20)

- Comes from passages in Daniel 9, 11, and 12

- Something or someone that would treat the Temple in such a profane way that the result would be the destruction of the Temple

- Jesus tells disciples it will be a clear indicator they need to flee Jerusalem

4 things you need to know from vv.26-27 about Jesus' return:

a. Jesus is coming back visibly

b. Jesus is coming back bodily

c. Jesus will come in power and glory

d. Jesus will come for his people

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead

Big Idea: Jesus confronts false religion and exposes its dangers.

1. Their Interpretation

- Mark 11:10 -- “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our Father David.”

2. Their Influence

3. Their Imposition

BIG IDEA: Love God and love people

1. Love God (vv.29-30)

- 1 John 4:10

How to love God?

a. With all your heart

b. With all your soul

c. With all your mind

d. With all your strength

- 'Love God’ reminders-- Where do you need them?

- Deuteronomy 6:7-9

2. Love people (vv.31-34)

1 John 4:20 -- “If anyone says I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”

a. As yourself

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead

Introduction:

Amos 5:21 -- “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.”

Isaiah 1:14 -- “your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers I will not listen.”

Four Games Religious People Play

1. Flattery

2. Ulterior motives

3. Selective obedience

Our excuses:

1. God understands why I don’t obey

2. God wouldn’t want me to obey if it doesn’t make me happy

3. God is the reason why I don’t obey

4. Feigned interest

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead

Big Idea: Jesus bestows the Kingdom to those who embrace His authority.

1. Explanation

a. Jesus’ Authority Questioned— Mark 11:27-33

b. Jewish Guilt Exposed— Mark 12:1-9

2. Interpretation

- Isaiah 5:7

- Matt 21:41

- Mark 12:10-11

- Luke 20:16

3. Application:

1. Jesus’ authority can be questioned or rejected but it can’t be escaped.

2. Christ is to you either the cornerstone or the crushing stone. (Matthew 21:44)

3. You can’t mess up God’s plan.

4. Authority is given to you as His message bearers.

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead

Big Idea: Giving becomes fun when nothing but God’s Word informs my approach.

1. My manner of giving

a. Willingly

b. Freely

2. My theology of giving

3 views:

- What's mine is mine-- God, why should I give you any of my money?

- What's yours is mine-- God, why haven’t you given me more money?

- What's mine is His-- God, what do you want me to do with your money?

Stewardship reminds us:

a. It’s all a gift-- 1 Corinthians 4:7; Romans 1:6 

b. I am not my own-- Psalm 139:16 

c. Nothing is my own-- Psalm 24:1 

4. My heart in giving

Preacher: Scott Hollingshead

Big Idea: Root out false worship in your heart.

1. Praise: You profess what you don’t possess (vv.1-10)

Zechariah 9:9 — “Behold, your King is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He; humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

How do you know if you profess a faith you don't possess?

1. Are you here for Jesus or what you can get from him?

2. Do you love Jesus or do you feel obligated to Jesus?

3. Do you care about what Jesus cares about or care about yourself?

2. Prayer-- You look the part but lack the heart (vv.11-25)

a. Fig tree and Israel-- (Jer 8:13; Hos 9:10; Joel 1:7)

b. Destruction of fig tree-- (Hos 2:12; Isa 34:4).

Your prayer life is the litmus test of a vibrant relationship with God.

5 parts to powerful prayer:

1. Ask (James 4:2)

2. In the will of God (1 John 5:14)

3. Within an abiding relationship with God (John 15:7)

4. Without doubt and fully believing (James 1:6)

5. Forgiving others (Matthew 6:14)

“When prayer is the source of faith’s power and the means of its strength, God’s sovereignty is its only restriction” — William Lane

Preacher: Chris Ritter

Big Idea: Rightly understanding greatness requires that you rightly understand Jesus.

1: Jesus Suffers

- Mark 10:32-34

- Acts 2:22 - 24

2: Jesus suffers

- Mark 10:35-37

- Mark 10:38-41

- Mark 10:42

4 ways you know you are "Lording" or "Exercising" authority over people:

a. you have unreasonable expectations of others

b. you distance yourself from those "lower" than you in position

c. you think title equals influence

d. you believe the smartest people are those with highest authority

- Mark 10:43-45

- Humble heart + serving others = Greatness

- Greatness is not achieved, it is demonstrated

How does Jesus' definition of greatness play out in the church?

a. Leaders in the church must be defined by service

b. We must grow comfortable with unnoticed acts of service

c. Make it your personal ambition to add to a culture of serving at Harvest

3 things you need to believe about Jesus from verse 45:

a. Jesus is a serving Savior

b. Jesus died as your substitute

c. The death of Jesus was a ransom to purchase you from slavery to sin

3. Jesus saves

- Mark 10:46-52

- James and John came with a prideful demand and made a request for glory

- Bartimaeus came with a desperate cry and made a humble request

- Bartimaeus is a great picture of salvation…

a. Cry out to Jesus as the one who can save you

b. Humbly ask Jesus to do what only he can do

c. Follow Jesus on the way (i.e. for your whole life)