Sermon Tone Analysis

Object

The object of this study is to answer the question: What is a Christian?

Review of first four studies

A person cannot be a Christian without accepting three fundamental beliefs.

Jesus, his sonship (his divine nature)

Jesus, his cross (his atoning death)

Jesus, his physical resurrection (his lordship)

Why, in the first place, do we think it is important to be a Christian?

The chart will help us.

(Who God is, what sin does, the choice we all make).

Today, we will be talking about what the choice looks like.

Opening

Suppose we were to to go out in public and take a survey.

We have only one question: “In your opinion, what is a Christian?”

What kind of answers would we get?

The group members may give such answers as: a good person…goes to church…keeps the golden rule…lives in a Christian country…and so on.

Explain that in this session you will deal with this one question: What really is a Christian?

Key verse Mark 1:15

In one sentence, a Christian is someone who belongs to the kingdom of God.

In Mark 1:15 Jesus says there are two things a person must do to belong to the kingdom of God.

What are these?

(Read)

REPENT - The transfer of our allegiance from sin to Jesus

BELIEVE - The transfer of our reliance from self to Jesus

A Christian is one who turns away from sin and trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ - to save him from sin and the coming judgement.

What is repentance?

When a person is saved, repentance and faith always go together.

Repentance is a new attitude toward sin, and faith is a new attitude toward Jesus.

This study, we will look at Mark’s Gospel to think about what it means to repent.

Before my will.

Read Mark 8:34-38

What does it mean, in practical terms, to repent?

It means I put Jesus first in these things:

Jesus says a person must forget, or deny self, carry his cross and lose his life.

The cross was an instrument of death.

Jesus tells me that if I am to follow him, I must go through I kind of death experience.

I must die to the right to run my own life (sin).

I am to surrender to the God-given right of Jesus to be my King.

Use the house illustration to explain what this means.

Moving-in day happens only once.

Renovation goes on progressively for a long time.

The point is clear.

When I become a Christian, I must be willing for Jesus to be Lord.

This willingness is the beginning of repentance.

What this means in practice will be worked out progressively as I grow in this new life, by his Spirit.

Before my ambitions.

Focus on Mark 8:36-37

People everywhere are trying to “gain the whole world.”

To a greater or lesser degree, their aim is to accumulate power, money, popularity, pleasure, prestige, business success, or just keep ahead of their neighbors.

Now these things may.

Not be wrong in themselves, but they are sin if they are things we live for above everything else.

When Jesus is Number One, these things fall into their proper place.

Before my popularity.

Focus on Mark 8:38

It is not popular to follow Jesus sincerely.

Friends or family members may regard me as strange - some may not want to associate with me anymore.

But true repentance will lead to confessing Christ no matter what.

To repent involves putting Jesus first, even if it means ridicule.

Before my…???

Read Mark 9:43-48

Jesus does not literally mean that I am to cut off body parts.

He means that if anything or anyone is stopping me from entering God’s kingdom, then radical surgery may be necessary.

Point out that pride is often the cause of this.

Am I too proud to accept salvation as a gift?

Am I too proud to submit to Jesus as King?

In this life, he will repay us “a hundred times” for any cost we suffer.

In the next life, he will give us eternal life.

Too hard?

Read, lastly, Mark 10:29-31

It may sound hard to follow Jesus, but he makes two promises when we do.

Conclusion

With all of this talk of repentance, you may be wondering how repenting and believing are different from salvation by works.

Jesus’ work is what we are trusting in. 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”.

The attitude of repentance is something we can have because of grace: Romans 2:4, “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” 2 Timothy 2:25 “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;” .