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“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”  (Mark 1:1)

1. Mark was the first to write an inspired gospel and two other writers copied much of his. Mark pictures Jesus as the supreme Servant of the Lord. He went about doing good. Mark’s is an action gospel. We see that very clearly in the first ten chapters. A servant does things immediately. The word immediately appears over 50 times in the 16 chapters of Mark and it deals with the activity of Jesus, how He does things, usually with someone being healed. Watch for this word and realize it doesn’t have to take a long time for Jesus to do something in your life. 

2. The Good News begins in the first verse of this Gospel, not the first verse of chapter eleven, where Mark begins to narrow his inspired narrative down to the sacrifice of Jesus, which is the heart of the gospel. This is HUGE! The gospel includes not only the sacrifice of Jesus found in chapters 11-16, but the service of Jesus found in chapters 1-10. 

 There is not much good news these days. If you watch the evening news you are watching bad news. If it’s not bad news it’s not news on TV. People today, as they did 2,000 years ago, need good news. Mark has it. The coming of Jesus into the world was good news.  The coming of Jesus into your world will be good news. He did not come to judge, condemn, or hurt anyone. There is no bad news in the good news. Now if you don’t receive Jesus there is plenty of bad news for you, but even that comes later at the end of time. 

The key verse in Mark’s gospel is 10:45, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Jesus came to do two things: to serve and to sacrifice. That service is included in what we call the Good News of Jesus Christ. The word gospel means good news. 

What Jesus did during His life is good news just like what He did during His death and resurrection. It is “the beginning of the gospel.” While His sacrifice is the heart of the gospel, His service is the hand. 

3. There are 21 amazing miracles in the first ten chapters of Mark, ranging from casting out demons (1:21-28; 3:11; 5:1-20; 7:24-30; 9:14-27), stilling storms on the sea (4:35-41), walking on water (6:45-51), feeding multitudes – twice! (6:30-44; 8:1-9), transfiguring Himself (9:2-7), and many healings (1:29-34, 40-42; 2:1-12; 3:1-6,10; 5:21-42; 6:56; 7:31-35; 8:22-26; 10:46-52). 

 When Jesus casts the devil out of your life, that’s good news; when Jesus stills the storms that threaten your life, that’s good news; when Jesus feeds your hungry family, that’s good news; when Jesus heals your body or the body of your loved ones, that’s good news! Everything that Jesus did on the earth was good news: “He went about doing good…” (Acts 10:38). 

4. Also in the first ten chapters of Mark’s gospel Jesus teaches us how to live in this world and in the kingdom of God (4:1-34; 7:6-23; 9:38-50; chapters 10 & 11), and that’s good news! We need to learn from the infinite wisdom of Jesus. After coming to Him, there is nothing more important (Mt.11:28-30). We have much to learn. 

5. Jesus calls people to Himself to train and use them for His eternal

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John 5:16-30 - "16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, [a]and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now and I have been working.” 18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. 19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. 30 I can of Myself do nothing."

TAKEAWAYS

1. Always check the context to understand the text. The answer to the title question is in the context of the story. 

2. This is the answer to the title question. In exercising the gift of healing, Jesus was led by the Father to this one man (v.17, 19-20, 30). As Jesus was led by the Father (not that Jesus was not filled and led by the Spirit), we must be led by the Holy Spirit to minister to the ones He leads us to. 

3. This is the second part of the answer to the title question. Sometimes He doesn’t heal everyone at any given time because they have no faith or because He has other plans for those not healed. For example, this pool was not far from the very gate called Beautiful where Peter and John healed the lame man in Acts 3:1-10. And what about all the people in and around Jerusalem who were healed by the early church (Acts 5:14-16). 

4. If all the impotent folks at the pool had faith they could have all been healed (Mt.8:13; 9:22, 29; 15:28; Mk.5:34; 10:52; Lk.7:50; 8:48; 17:19; 8:42). We don’t read of any of the other impotent folks at that pool crawling to or calling out to Jesus. You’d think at least one would raise his hand and say, “Me next!” But no!  Faith by anyone in this crowd would have put the pull on the Lord. Anyone who believes can be healed of anything at any time. But the man healed here had no faith. That’s where the gift of healing comes in. 

5. Jesus exercised the gift of healing. He had previously given a word of knowledge with the woman at the well. With the Gifts of Healings, only the healer needs faith, not the one being healed. That faith comes by revelation, as it did with the Father showing Jesus what He was doing. 

6. Why doesn’t every Christian operate with the gifts of the Spirit to heal everyone? Because God distributes these gifts according to His will. (1Cor.12:11)  I often wondered why the Gifts of Knowledge and Healings are given at any particular time concerning certain people or certain illnesses. I still don’t know, except that this is the way of the Spirit. 

7. Even though Jesus only healed this one lame man at the hospital pool, never doubt the will of God to heal everyone (Mt.4:23-24; 8:16-17; 12:15; 14:14; 15:30; 19:2; 21:14; Lk.4:40; 6:19; Acts 10:38).

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When and How to Leave a Church

“Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit…”  (Acts 13:1-4)

Because of so much church hopping (so many churches you can go to), shallow commitments, and people being so easily offended these days, it is necessary to address this very important issue.

First, every Christian should be a member of a local church. “And the Lord added to the church (in Jerusalem) daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47)  In these modern days some think being part of a local church is optional, but a Christian not being in church is unheard of in the Bible. And I’m not talking about being a member of some so-called universal church. There is a universal church, but it is made up of local churches. In the Bible there are local churches: Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesians, the seven local churches in Revelation 2-3, and the list goes on. Every Christian should be a part of a local church. You should be a member of the church you attend. And only born again, baptized believers in Christ are real members. Membership is important; it speaks of commitment and commitment speaks of usefulness. How can you be useful in Christ’s church and mission if you are not a committed member? No one can give a good reason why everyone should not be a member where they attend.

You should never leave THE church (Heb.10:25). Jesus’ commitment to the church is: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” The worst church in the Bible has Jesus standing at the door knocking to get in (Revelation 3:14-20). You think the church is so bad that you can’t be a part of it, but Jesus is knocking to get into the worst church in the Bible, the one that makes Him sick. He is not forsaking it. He’s trying to get in and stay in! He wants to come in and dine with them. Don’t ever think that the church is so bad that you can’t be a part of it. The Corinthian Church had multitudes of problems (prolonged immaturity, divisions, sexual immorality, members suing each other, getting drunk at Communion, abuse of the gifts, and false doctrine) but in his letter to that church Paul never told anyone to leave! Not one verse in the 16 chapters that he wrote to that church did he ever even hint that anyone should leave that church. Instead, that’s where you find his greatest message on love in the Bible: “love suffers long and is kind, is not arrogant, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things.” And we are to love one another as Christ loved the church. Jesus said, “As I have loved you, you also love one another.” (Jn.13:34)

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Sunday morning 10/6/2024 "Church Membership"

We proudly had 18 people join as members this morning!

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Wednesday, October 3 2024

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TAKEAWAYS

1. Jesus is lord of space. Distance is no problem for Him. This nobleman was 20 miles from home and his dying son, but when Jesus spoke the word, immediately he was healed. Christ is in heaven, but He can hear and send the answer instantly when we pray. We can also pray for those who are nowhere near us as if we were laying hands on them.

2. Note the order: First the nobleman believed and then his son was healed. God does everything for us in answer to our faith. Eight times Jesus said, “According to your faith be it unto you.” And He said, “All things are possible for those who believe.” (Mk.9:23) Then we have “These signs will follow those who believe.”

We should believe what Jesus said before we see the answer to our prayer. This son was healed when Jesus gave the word. I love this guy. Jesus said, “Go your way, your son lives,” and he immediately headed back home, considering it done. And it was done. His faith was followed by action. It always is.  Faith without works is dead. When you pray about a problem, live as though you believe Jesus will do what He said. During a drought the whole town gathered to pray for rain; but only one little girl brought an umbrella.

3. Note the progression of faith: First, he believed enough to travel all that way to ask. Secondly, he believed enough to actually ask Jesus to heal his son. Thirdly, when Jesus gave the word of healing, he acted on it. Fourthly, he and his whole family believed in Jesus. The kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed; it may start out small, then grow.

4. Sometimes we may need to put a pull on Jesus. Even though Jesus may have chided him by saying, “You people won’t believe unless you see signs;” he simply replied, “Sir, come down before my son dies.” Jesus seems to have not wanted to show a sign, but that didn’t matter to this man. After all, his son was dying. Jesus hadn’t said no! Mary did this with the water being turned into wine (Jn.2:1-7). The Syrophoenician woman did it when Jesus was seemingly refusing her request (Mk.7:25-30). Putting a pull on Christ is not begging, it  is asking in faith. 

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GOD GIVES HIMSELF THROUGH THE LOCAL CHURCH

He gives Himself by what is called in the Bible the “gifts of the Holy Spirit.” Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 carefully and see that these supernatural enablings equip us to do the things that Jesus and the apostles did.

God is the cure for what ails man and His hospital is the local church. This is what the Bible teaches; you’ll find no other answer in the word of God.

The most difficult thing for a person to see in the greatest thing he needs to see – his need for the Savior. The SECOND most difficult thing for a person to see is the 2nd greatest thing he needs to see – his need for the church (1Corinthians 12:12-13,27): the “you” in this verse is plural, meaning the church).

God lives and works in the local church, giving Himself through spiritual gifts. These Holy Spirit gifts are for the Body to make each of its members healthy and strong. Members of His body, receiving the ministry of the other parts of it, will be healed and edified by the Holy Spirit given through the various gifts.

For example, to affect a cure and make a proper and accurate diagnosis, the physician must find out what is wrong with the patient. The word of knowledge through the same Spirit is in the church for just that purpose. Everything we get from God by grace is through faith. But a person’s faith may be weak and he needs help if he is to receive from God. Faith by the same Spirit is ministered through another member of Christ’s body to that person and he gets what he needs. There are many types of illnesses (spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical, etc.) and so the gifts of healings are in the plural. Gifts of healings by the same Spirit, functioning in the local church, minister the healing of God to those in need. Doctors can only do so much. They can’t cure terminal cases and many other diseases – for those it would take a miracle.  To another the working of miracles is given in the church for just such cases. God can do what doctors can’t do. He can work miracles, but he does them through gifts operating in the members of His body, the church. 

Maybe a person has demonic or spiritual problems. “Discerning of spirits” is given to ascertain just what deliverance is needed and to affect that deliverance. The light drives out the darkness. How to apply the cures and how to keep from falling into the same problem is given through “the word of wisdom.”  Tongues and interpretation of tongues demonstrate the universality (and unity) of the cure and add to the mystery of God’s work. Through these gifts, different things may be given to us from God: messages, prophecies, words of wisdom, words of knowledge, works of power, etc. 

These gifts are still in the church today. One seminary professor told his class, “I believe in healing but I don’t believe in healers.”  I raised my hand and said, “Isn’t that like saying I believe in preaching but I don’t believe in preachers.” Preaching is preached by preachers. Healings come though members of Christ’s bod

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Wednesday, September 18, 2024. From the story of the Woman and the Well. Pastor Terry discusses the significance of the Samarian woman and the many people she brings to Jesus. 
TAKEAWAYS:

1. Everyone needs to hear the good news about Jesus and who He is. Jesus did something very surprising, to the woman, the disciples, and to most people. He spoke first to a woman (a gender thing), a Samaritan woman (a racial and spiritual thing), and a sinful woman (a moral thing). Be not afraid to witness to someone you don’t know, even someone very different from you.  The results might surprise you.

2. Be the first to speak to someone. Most of the time a witness must initiate the conversation about Jesus. Notice, Jesus spoke to her first. He knew what He was going to do: change the subject from physical water to living water. Most people think, “I need to wait till someone asks me about Jesus before I start talking about Him.” That’s not necessarily true. If you do that you will probably never witness to anyone.

3. Lead from a discussion on natural things to spiritual things. Jesus led her from talking about drawing water from a well to drinking living water that would satisfy her thirst forever. Use the F.I.R.E acrostic. Take the conversation from Family, to Interest (Hobbies), to Religion (church history), to Evangelistic questions.

4. Keep the conversation about Jesus. After opening the conversation with natural things, make the transition to spiritual things, to things about the Messiah. Always bring the discussion to the gospel of Jesus.

5. It’s okay to talk about sin. Jesus brought up her marriage sins. Remember, Jesus is the Savior of sinners, and if they don’t know that He knows they are sinners, they will never see their need for Him.

6. Witnessing must become a consuming thing with you, the food you live by. Jesus told the disciples that He had food they knew nothing about, “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent Me, and from finishing His work.” (v.34).

7. Sooner or later, your witness will produce fruit, maybe even much fruit.  This lady brought the whole town out to meet Jesus. Pray that will happen with you in some measure as you begin to share your witness. 

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