Mark Driscoll Audio

Jesus finds wrecked people. He pursues people who don’t ask for him and comforts people who don’t seek him. Jesus literally reaches into death and brings life, both for the dead son of the widow and for all Jesus’ people. Dead people do nothing to participate in their healing; it is solely a gift of grace. Jesus is an even greater risen son who conquered death for all the children of God.

Pastor Mark preaches on the Beatitudes at the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus spent much of his ministry. Jesus taught that he is the King of kings who is bringing a countercultural kingdom. The kingdom of God is not about getting wealth, power, comfort, or fame. It’s about being in relationship with God—loving God and loving others, especially your enemies.

Jesus calls the twelve disciples—and all of his people today—to transition from a come-and-see experience to a go-and-die life. We can learn eleven leadership lessons from Jesus’ selection of the twelve disciples, so that, by the Holy Spirit’s power, we will follow Jesus’ leadership example and have a church that is patterned after Jesus’ ministry.

The religious legalists swarm around Jesus to argue with him about the Sabbath. They come not to listen, but to criticize. Religious legalism is adding rules to the Bible, and it is the enemy of Jesus Christ. Legalism makes you bold, unbiblical, arrogant, unloving, and dangerous. The result of religion is a paint-by-numbers life. It’s artless and heartless. There are seven steps—to avoid—to become a legalist.

The people of Capernaum are amazed at Jesus’ authority in preaching, in healing, and in commanding unclean spirits, or demons. There are two erroneous reactions to the topic of demons: the first is to deny they exist, and the second is to obsess over them. Instead, if we know our enemy and understand his schemes, he cannot easily outwit us. Our life is like a house; for Christians, Satan never owns the house, Jesus does, but Satan can influence and oppress. We must recognize the ways in which we could leave doors and windows to our house open (such as through unrepentant, habitual sin). Through repentance and faith in Jesus because of his death, burial, and resurrection, our allegiance to Satan is canceled, and our freedom in Christ is granted. God’s enemy becomes our enemy and Jesus’ authority becomes our authority.

Jesus gave his life for the glory of God and the good of others, and we should too. 1) Pour yourself out in ministry. Do something, anything, for Jesus. 2) Rest and recover in solitude. 3) Pursue your calling, not your potential. Those who don’t have a sense of calling exchange busyness for fruitfulness. Live your life intentionally by pursuing the things that God has gifted and called you to. 4) Train other leaders. Here, Jesus calls his first disciples, Peter, James, and John, and they leave everything to follow him. For them (as it should be for all Christians and churches), it was all about evangelism—people meeting Jesus.

Jesus changes lives, and we see two examples in Luke 5:12–26. There, Jesus heals a man full of leprosy; not only that, but he reaches out and touches him, like he touches all who are unclean. Jesus also heals a paralytic and forgives him of his sin. The religious people question Jesus and accuse him of blasphemy. They just don’t get it: Jesus cleanses us from our filth, Jesus forgives our sin, and Jesus saves us from our religion.

Jesus loves sinners and was a missionary who went into the culture among sinners. He publicly picked, pursued, and called Levi—a despised tax collector—to repent of his ways and follow him. A good missionary: 1) follows Jesus; 2) starts a community group (welcoming other people into your life and home, as Levi did); and 3) repents, repents, repents. At Mars Hill Church, we gather (come together as God’s people for preaching, teaching, and worship) and scatter (go out as God’s people for mission and community) because Jesus did both. The scribes and Pharisees complained when they saw Jesus as a missionary with sinners; they didn’t understand that everyone is a sick sinner who needs Jesus, the great physician, to heal them.

In the second-to-last sermon in the Vintage Jesus series, Pastor Mark gives clarification as to what Scripture teaches us about Mary and the virgin birth of Jesus.

The crowds that came to John the Baptizer wondered if he was the Christ, but John humbly pointed to Jesus. John wanted all to realize that Jesus was greater than him, Jesus’ baptism was greater than his, and Jesus’ judgment was greater than his. In the end, Jesus will judge everyone, separating the wheat (those who repent and abide in him) from the chaff (those who do not and are blown away). John called even Herod to repent, and was imprisoned and beheaded as a result. Even though Jesus was sinless, he came down to be baptized by John, and the entire Trinity was present. The Holy Spirit descended like a dove and rested on Jesus, and the Father spoke from heaven, to reveal that Jesus is God: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” All those in Christ are now God’s sons as well.