In this second part of our mini-series on the Church, we explore the necessity of the Church. Why does the church exist? Simply because God wills it to be so? No. God uses the Church, made up of individual local churches, to edify the saints, preserve the truth, and evangelize the lost according to his sovereign plan.

God has called us out -- not only individually, but corporately -- into the Church. But if we are spiritual members of the body of Christ, how does that play out in the rest of our lives? This week, we look at Romans 12 with an eye toward how our spiritual unity with one another in Christ works its way out in the context of the local church.

As Jesus is met by Judas and his captors, we see the true colors of the Sanhedrin, Judas, and the disciples. No one seems to really see Jesus for who he truly is. In this sermon, we consider the misconceptions these people had about Jesus and attempt to learn from their mistakes. Then, we look to Jesus, who defies all of their assumptions, obediently going as a lamb to the slaughter simply because he loves his people.

This week we see the anguish that our Savior felt in the Garden. But without the Garden, there is no Calvary, and without Calvary, there is no empty tomb. 

In Jesus' last discourse with his disciples before his arrest, he tells them some unsettling news: they were going to desert him in his hour of greatest need. If you or someone close to you has ever walked away from the faith, this sermon is for you. God is faithful to bring his people back, and there is no sin too big for God's grace.

This week we read why Jesus institutes the Lords supper. He fulfills the Feast of Passover by becoming the spotless lamb and perfect sacrifice.

In this weeks sermon we discuss the difference between the way Judas and Mary viewed Jesus. They both valued him but one saw him as beautiful while the other sadly saw him as only useful.

In the latter half of Mark 13, Jesus prophecies his second coming. In one sense, the Day of the Lord is a fearful thing -- the Jesus returning in fully power and glory is something unlike anything that we've ever seen. But Jesus, in his love and mercy toward us, tells us beforehand what to expect, then reminds us to keep our eyes open so that we are not caught sleeping on that day.

As we continue in Jesus' prophecy concerning the destruction of the temple in 70AD, he commands us to remember what he has said so that when suffering comes, we might not be afraid, but act in wisdom according to his Word.

In Mark 13, Jesus begins the Olivet discourse -- the longest section of teaching from Jesus in the Gospel according to Mark. In this passage, he prophesies about the events leading up to the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70AD. While this prophecy has already come to pass, we can learn much from what Jesus tells his disciples about their period of tribulation and apply those things to our own hardships. Ultimately, Jesus gives us hope in the face of adversity, allowing us to be comforted in affliction and courageous in all circumstances.