What Do We Do Now?

Happy New Year Church. Can't believe it's a new year. I was younger invited say things I can go so fast as you get older and I talked about it, right? Emma turn 14 oz baby at the very recent birthday, but 14 is like I exist is 5 on 2 minutes ago for the first Sunday of 2020. If you're like me, you probably want to say hey, it's New Year. I'm going to turn some new leaves over resolutions are often called or up a broken. There's no surprise there I suppose but as we move towards this year, one of the things that we've decided to do Mike and myself we met and talked and we preach to books of the Bible before we can do that. Again. We're going to be a mark for some time for this a try to do a a a a book a chapter a week and effort to keep things moving along a lot. Sometimes just can't get to Set a timer going to slow down a little bit and try this out. So the first chunk is 13 vs. I will do three weeks on Mark 1 alone. So it's going to be excited. We're looking forward to it. I hope everyone will be excited as mentioned before if you're if you're new here. Are you looking to get put into small group or whatever? There's a couple of great offerings. If you're completely new to the Bible on the way Bible studies or or what have you and I may be just like I don't have a Bible or I don't know how to read it. I'm struggling in any number of ways we have for the 1 class of basically follows the sermon a week late and then another glass of Sherry leads to doing a different study. So depending on what you're interested in, please get plugged in if you just want to reinforce what was talked about here and find other details believe me. There's no way in 30 minutes will ever get through all of it. That's important. So that said let's go ahead and read the scripture for today and then we'll pray and get into the study of it.

The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the son of God as it is written and Isaiah the prophet behold. I send my messenger before your face will prepare your way the voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord make his path straight John appeared baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the Forgiveness of sins and all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem are going out to Hanover being baptized by him in the River Jordan confessing your sins that John was clothed with camels hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts. And wild honey. Any Precinct after me comes he who is mightier than I the strap of whose sandals. I am not worthy to stoop down. And untie I have baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan and when he came up out of the water immediately, he saw the heavens being torn open in the spirit descending on him like a dove and a voice Came From Heaven. You are my beloved Son with you. I am well pleased the spirit immediately drove him out into the Wilderness and he was in the world in this 40 days being tempted by say he was with the wild animals and the Angels were ministering to in Osprey.

Heavenly father. Thank you for this opportunity today to dig into your word thankful for in 13 verses. There is so much going on relating to your work on this Earth. Been our work after you have left this Earth Lord and we are humbled to be in your presence or grateful for the grace that you show us every day to be able to gather in wake up and and Proclaim your your greatness in your your graciousness in our lives Lord. And as we dive into this new study as a church today Lord, I pray that your word will speak loudly and boldly direct me to people's hearts Lord and your spirit will be at work in your sons and I pray amen.

All right New Year Joy to the World. The Lord is come at the lyric from her a Christmas song Joy to the World. So we just celebrated his first so that's right. We do this every year but now it's over it's beginning of the year Christmas time is passed. Now. What do we do the sermon series we settled on I think I think I sort of settled out of it. What do we do now? I think my first take was now what in the mics off in that up a little bit for good reasons, but sometimes after we do this big Christmas thing where we everybody the whole world talking about Jesus and it's on our tongues in the year comes we put all of our Christmas crap away and we are like well now back to the drudgery until Easter so moving into the gospel study were talking about Jesus I think is a great service great time to figure out what we're going to do now, right? They sure grow up fast. I put that here because you know what? We're talking about here and Mark we ready to Look Alot during Advent. Who does a good job of chronicling the birth mark is with that was one and it ended with him The Temptations sick of being done in 13 versus no talk of a baby. No talk of a Manger. Mark is getting right to the work of Christ as a man doing Ministry. So that's what we're going to focus on today. Let's study what Jesus did after his Advent? So where we are? He's obviously been born. He's obviously been raised. He's old enough now to to go out and find John in the wilderness and and kick off his ministry. So why are white marks men short? I mean, I don't know. I just don't see what the problem is. Right, but the good news here is that I think Mark is a very action or in the gospel. It's easy in some regards to to digest what's going on in mark because at least I'd space what we're reading is pretty straightforward. There's a lot of genealogy your lineage to try to Parson understand what that means or may be hard to grasp concepts for straightaway top. It doesn't hit the things that are bright and we're going to be able to talk about but it is somewhat easy to read I think of it as a lot. One of these are hard fast rule, so don't be like my disagree with that cuz you probably do in your right to do so, but beating the four gospels I think of is answering these questions in different ways. So Matthews who Jesus was Jesus lineage improving through prophecy and who Christ is it wasn't the person that he fulfills the need for a messiah. Luke is very detail-oriented. So he talks a lot about the house. A lot of steps. That's why it makes a great Christmas talked about all these things in the order in which they happened and so on so far Mark is a lot more of what so there is a lot of what Jesus is doing in Mark baby. All the particular details that Luke would have written down but the fact that things happened what he didn't really want and then John is a alcoholic called like a love letter but I think of it as a y in this construct explain assets because God loved us so much and what would he loved his son so much and yet here we sit right? So that's where I got off we go. So here we are in Mark. We read all of the marks entire account of the Advent and the the birth of the birth and growth of Christ. We covered all of it just now incredible. There's no genealogy. He doesn't even talk about a story of Advent. Does it get into it at all on this book? And where we ended is? Basically Jesus is grown in Ministry. It's kind of a nice segue in that regard because we just spent for 5 weeks talking about Advent specifically what that means how many foot is so this is a great stepping stone. next right and if you look at the way this book starts if you ever get one sentence to explain who Jesus is, I think this is a good choice. If someone ever said to you, I'm going to give you one one sentence and you have to explain to me. Who Jesus is what he did? the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the son of God That would be like the beginning weight. But Sunday was uneven in the sentence it is take these words apart. The gospel means good news Jesus. His name actually means Yahweh is salvation. So God Saves. Christ which is a title. Now that kind of goes hand-in-hand with just this title. Right is the anointed one and then the son of God. Is uniquely positioned close to God more so than any other world son is like okay, that's good for inheritance. Right? But being a Son of God means he gets to inherit the kingdom of God is designated. So this list if you take this first verse and you start that packet in this first verse we have John Mark the author saying I have good news. The Son of God who is uniquely positioned close to God to dispense the kingdom of God as he sees fit. I've come is is the one this man Jesus is salvation and has been anointed to do it the one it's not a any number of people. It's not over here has a head for five misses and I'll cry shows up. This is not the not the case at all price came to do this job. He is the only one that could do it. I need it.

So, like I said. If you ever get some one ever says give me one sentence. Now. If you said this one since I probably like what does a terrible sickness but that's a trick. So you say this and then you get a chance to explain what all these words mean and then in reality reviews many more senses, but that's a good jumping-off point.

So at every see this intro immediately Mark than job goes back. So talking about prophecies. I'll be using in my slides JTB so I shortened it cuz John the Baptist types. It's a certain time. So it's just Jay to be so Isaiah foretold of John the Baptist or telling of Jesus and he's supporting this right John the Baptist and Jesus. This is he was foretold to foretell But Isaiah also foretold of Jesus himself, so we did Isaiah study and there's tons and Isaiah talking about the Christ directly John the Baptist. Yes, but also Jesus

the author hear John Mark focuses on this double Prophecy in the question is why would he do that? Why not just talked about all the things to pick why prophesy about John the Baptist and then show how he foretold of Christ and I think that the reason he was John the Baptist attitude and his ministry is Russia what we see here, right? Is a is a specific of wonderful example of Christ centered and Christ dependent Ministry. Most people maybe if you don't consider John the Baptist as a minister iq3 is it wasn't like he was necessarily out there is not known for preaching or you know dividing the word of God. He was known for baptizing people and talking about Jesus coming in the sink. But I mean that's got to do that's the Great Commission talk about Christ baptize them in his name. That's what John the Baptist Church in his attitude was one of I'm out here doing the job. I've been called to do it's interesting if you remember we went right through that I've been tailing Loop we had we had Ameri going and meeting John the Baptist in the womb, right and he flips over right away all the stuff coming together. He knew before Christ was born and before he was born. Something was happening. Something really big is going on. So John the Baptist was on the willingness talking about Jesus and how he's going to come and actually baptize everybody in the Holy Spirit. Where is John? The Baptist is going to baptize in water. Now we we talked about an autistic drive to be christ-like. We have that the full stories. We know Jesus day. We know we are called to do but I think John the Baptist shows us how to minister properly John the Baptist was not out there saving anybody even the baptism. He was doing that people probably be fully understand at the time you sing the precursor write this this baptism here is is a symbol when Jesus comes will baptize you in the Holy Spirit. But somebody on our world and the minister of Father whatever else I baptized baptized in the Holy Spirit Kaiser in water. That's still Jesus's job, right? There's no nothing magic about that bath to water. All of that doesn't show us what we're supposed to be doing and in the story of the reason that Mark talking about this is it it paints a very interesting pictures. Jesus is baptized.

Can you imagine watch on the Baptist was experiencing during this baptism?

We try to put yourself in his shoes here. Somebody that is probably deemed crazy. You know, he hints at this you are camels Harry Locust and wild honey. I mean is like a wild like a wild man lived out in the middle of nowhere alone and baptize people people come down baptizing. I don't know why we're here. I don't know how but listen I'm telling you about Jesus. There's a massage in a kind of a buzzing noise. Just wait then one day Christ shows up Johnny. Mathis has met him before right in a little but he turned over so I was feeling it as a baby separated by two mothers recognize one another but I'm sure John the Baptist was like, oh that's right. And what sees his attitude is already. I'm not I'm not fit to untie a sandal. Yet here. He comes right John the Baptist knew who he was and he knew what he was doing. What he would do. He has already been been proclaiming us. This man will save us he will baptize Us in the Holy Spirit. However, why was Jesus baptized at all John the Baptist you remember this or he tries to stop know? You should baptize you think I should baptize you.

Matthew in the Book of Matthew Jesus tells John the Baptist has to fulfill all righteousness. That's why why should I baptize you? You're the Son of God you without sin. Jesus answer to fulfill all righteousness. All right. donut fried pickles

what's up backed out of it. So we talk about fulfilling all righteousness. Jesus righteous, so so let's be really really clear on this. He had no need of baptism to make himself righteous. There's a lot of debate here that this was some sort of cleansing of saying I don't subscribe to that. I don't think it's accurate. Jesus was without sin fully God fully man. No, sin and either part that's that's the way it was. So this is an interesting thing. He is now requesting to be baptized. We are not righteous. We have immense need of Jesus to be righteous. Not baptism. I had some really good friends going out before I had any idea of really Where I Stood with a faith. What was my walk with Christ and Deb that thought you must be baptized to go to heaven. It's a good thing to do. If you are a Believer we are we doing out of obedience, but it doesn't save us any and it doesn't cleanse us of our sense of water is not magic. The act itself is not magic. There's nothing to that. We don't see that here. We know it because Jesus was baptized. Jesus said I need to be baptized because of cleanses my sin. We be in a whole different scenario. He doesn't say that he says this to fulfill all righteousness. So we are righteous. We have a mincemeat of Jesus to be righteous, but we follow Christ into baptism not to be cleaned. But to be obedient obedient is the key Christ said I'm going to do this to fulfill all righteousness. So be it then I'll do the same thing. It does for us what it did for Jesus. Pretty straightforward. Well, what did he do for Jesus? So we'll talk about this. This is at least this were using as an outline the book Cry Center Gospel According to Mark really thick a book but it breaks down really nice seeing a lot of details or so if you want to follow up with some of the sermon or be prepared for the small group study. I check it out in these are points that are hinted at in that book. But here's what here's what we see from Jesus baptism is signal the beginning of his ministry on Earth and inaugural event if you will, so this moment in time is a say a very stepwise rotation to beginning at the beginning of the Book of Mark where we see him coming down to be baptized. We see the Holy Spirit write it demonstrated his Humanity. He is being baptized by a man in water physically on earth. Once again, no need for this other than to fulfill. All righteousness. There wasn't a thing that was added to Christ by this act other than the father had requested 11 clear that glorified got it for Phil's righteousness to do it. So he did it but being a man on Earth it demonstrates for us. Yeah. Okay, this this is something that men should do human beings ought to do this. It also somewhat conveniently Associates him with the work of John the Baptist write this fulfills many prophecies that pointed to both Christ and John the Baptist in a relationship between so him coming for the river and being baptized by John perfect. It fulfills all righteousness. So all righteousness, I mean we talked about all righteousness in the scope of the magnitude of the lord. It's there's no there's not pulling any punches. They're all righteousness. It's right to fulfill the prophecies. It's right to demonstrate obedience to the father all this what we see also here is approval by God the father. So this kind of Epic it's I bought you are my with you I am well a voice Came From Heaven. I mean, I guess you can imagine big there people probably in shock and all this is happening John the Baptist probably out of his mind for real trying to figure out what's happening here. And here's here's the Gods. Dike job like oh my gosh. It is just talking to me. No, my son. I was talking to you. It's okay. I got you, right and then we see the Holy Spirit at the same time to sending. So here we've got Christ in the water. father speaking from Heaven Spirit sending on the Sun It's just thinking about this or people standing there. That's all three persons or experience rather all three persons of the Trinity at that event receptor Bings. incredible Here it is at this moment. This will be seen the baptism. We see a father please with the sun whose fulfilling all righteousness by being obedient. We see the the Holy Spirit descending being imparted to Christ to give him all the the powers that are in it shows us the immense power of the Holy Spirit lightest as as this is now descending on Christ and forend and preparing him for what comes next.

I think finally says it shows it to me. It shows that Jesus will do only what the Son of God can do. This isn't a task. The salvation of mankind doesn't fall on just a good person that tries really hard and doesn't send very much. It has to be somebody without sin but fulfills all the prophetic writings from the past. It has to be perfect spotless lamb. Here we have one and this land goes through baptism.

Only Jesus can do that. However, every Peak has a valley kind of a down or maybe but I like the way this this spins and I I changed his side probably 15 times because I don't know it's not we a lot of times I think few temptation as a bad thing. We're told to flee from it. And that's all right. We we shouldn't certainly shouldn't succumb to Temptation and temptation is very trying but what we see here is because of Christ Temptation. We have a savior that is relatable. So it's it's it's a bummer that it would have been I'm sure very difficult for Christ, but I'm glad that he did it because certainly I couldn't have so mediately after the baptism narrative. I mean what to get if you could put picture this event where the Trinity is now acting in front of us and I'm sure John the Baptist was crying and like I can't believe this is happening and everything that I know it was going to happen is now happening in my time here is done. I fulfilled my part of the prophecy and everything is probably and then immediately and this is not you know, Try to get sounded tense, but it says and immediately. The spirit immediately drove him out into the Wilderness a voice Came From Heaven. You're my son with you. I am well pleased and spirit immediately drove around the Wilderness like maybe

Immediately the spirit gets to work. Now. I say to work. I mean that the spirit drove him out into the Wilderness to Spirit. The holy God has work to do Christ has work to do his ministry begins that moment. Well after the Temptations not sure because I would argue his ministry begins that day. We know this I think because it drove him into the Wilderness rolling out there doesn't mean your chauffeur like an Uber showed up and said I'm here to drive you to the Wilderness. This is being compelled like I was driven out of town without a car but kind of drive. So the spirit is telling Christ to go. You must go. It's actually the same word that use when Jesus drives out demons. It's the same Drive. But I'm at the demons Jesus submits to this driving and that's really critical. Right? This isn't the spirit dragging him kicking and screaming and I won't go I don't want to go you'll have to make me go. This is the interesting use of a word like submit where the spirit says You must go and Jesus says, That's going to be terrible, but your will not mine. We still here at the very beginning now conveniently, we're going to see the end of his ministry. But this for Tales of the ministry of Christ that yes, he was indeed human. He didn't enjoy suffering. He didn't enjoy being tested. There's no there's no indication that Christ would have was excited to go to the cross with no trepidation at all know, he was fully man and suffering is not ideal. But from suffering comes amazing glorification occasionally, right and Christ knows it drives him out. Meaning you must go and price like, all right, I'll go I'll go I will go do it but I'm not really looking forward to it because this might not be such a good time out there in the wilderness. Temptation station Sparks narration, it's like remember that Conjunction Junction days. 40 days

it is a long time. So it's a little more than a month. But if you think of a month of unbridled unrelenting temptation maybe an inkling what that must have been like for Jesus 40 days of Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai Elijah spent 40 days on Mount Horeb. This isn't a coincidence. This is this is a god demonstrated his fulfills a bit as a better Moses and a better Elijah the same 40 day trial the same notion Temptation. It's sparse. We don't get a lot of description of exactly what he went through and here's a list of temptation but what is stated I believe is very difficult to imagine and the reason it's difficult to imagine because Satan would have dropped everything we can be attacked by Satan no question about that. You can do that. We do a pretty good job on our own of ruining our lives making Temptation. I've nothing right? We're more than ample the Inn in that department Jesus. So do you even have this problem of like just take 5 minutes and you know spend some time over here doing something I shouldn't do and then I'll repent of that. That was not that does not happen for Jesus Christ. He doesn't have that problem and Satan being fully aware of who he was on this earth. Right? No question asked at all and Satan's mine. This would have been the one hundred percent pop Target for him if there's anybody here is the perfect spotless lamb. That's the one I want to talk to. So when we talk about turn it all the knobs 211A kicking them off the Temptation machine. That's what that's what exactly what Jesus was enduring anything you can think of Anyway, I'm not anything. I mean, this was the olden days write Hebrews 4:15 for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who in every respect not in many respects relatable to you and most every respect has been tempted as we are yet without sin. There's no debate on that word every now you want to debate it because it seems a logical that Christ would have been tempted by what we're tempted by today. What is every respect? It's a hyperbole a grandstanding. It's not the end of the Bible. Just trying to the sound bigger make cheetah sound like he endured a lot. He endured every Temptation in that 40 days. If you can think of it then Tatian in your life the root of what was experienced by Jesus the root of that was experienced by Jesus in that 40 days because obviously my maybe not I don't know that he had a problem with my should I install Pandora on my phone or something? I don't know. He was dealing with that but he may have for all I know but the root of it of a decision like that. Yes. Absolutely. With that coveting a wife is out with that. Every single thing you can think of so when we are dealing with this stuff in our lives and we think I owe, you know, Lord, I don't know. I'm glad you didn't have to do it this once he's just cuz you probably would have came he didn't do it and he did not cave every respect everyone.

No, temptation was skip the same pull out all the stops for one sin. And we feel put-upon this world right? Like how I just feel like you know, I've got very far away and I'm nothing is going my way and I just everything everything that could go wrong. Did I feel like it happens to me occasionally everything wrong at once as I got just something a little one thing to go right possibly and read that time but Tire not like I don't I'm trying to think God hates me or something right you can imagine what was going through Christ head during this time 40 days of Satan. Absolutely. Everything that would ever be enticing to a man. Was presented to Christ just maybe just this was on the other end and we don't see it hit with another account to this receipt Christ responding to Satan scripture 40 days of this. Just what about that know there's what God told me about that. But here's what the word says. I'm the I'm the way the truth the boot 40 days over and over and over and over Jesus stood fast with the ministering of angels. This is interesting to me write it it it doesn't say and then he was completely abandoned forced to do this all by himself. There's a feeling he was 3 days, but we do seem this and he was with the wild animals and angels are ministering to him and 13. There should be a comfort to us right now. We don't need Angels ministering to us because we are we have the Son of God that's in a seating for us. Right but at this time it's a show here that the father wasn't interested in abandon his son. This wasn't complete and rejection of Christ or a good luck. My son who I am. Well pleased with your on your own you better Stand Fast. Nope. He was encouraged by Angels who minister to him. They didn't take this away. They didn't they didn't adore they didn't go to war with Satan has encouraged him the scripture comforted him, but he stood fast. Jesus Christ did not fold. So what do we do now?

20/20 got a whole year in front of us. All assert that we can start our year of ministry this year of ministry the same way Jesus did by being obedient.

Just being obese people start their right you come you're standing here. I don't know what to do. What do I do now? I want to get pulled back into the Bible. I want to do more philanthropy. I want to get involved in helping the poor. I want to do better at work. I want to measure a Time by Tony Moore family thing is I want to be more invested in my family all of this all these things of you and I want to look at it better work out more whatever. All those things come down to where can I start being obedient, right? Good place to start. Doesn't save you you just being obedient to the law does not save you Christ does that but if you're saved and you're trying to figure out what do I do now obedience is a good place to start. How do we know that we just talked about it? I believe Jesus is the Christ the son of God right now. What should I do? Let's be baptized. That's the first thing Christ at the ministry begins. Are you obedient or not? Yes. Now what we're hoping. It's for 40 days. Will Alyssa Temptation at the telephone for me to sign up for? why because obedience seems easy easy 5 / I mean

I see Smiles because this is reality right. I don't say 5554 safety first. I do not do that. I am disobedient in the speed limit where you'll be at. My answer be absolutely I am.. Murdered. Will there is one for you and 10,000 for send right to get back into the word got to start plugging it. Yes, but know why we're doing not because coming to church and come in a small groups and getting involved with this without the other sages. It does not we do that out of obedience because of salvation. Obedience and easy, but the root of obedience is denying ourselves. And that is hard. If somebody tells you not for me it's easy for me to deny myself is about the is hands-down the most difficult thing that I have to do. I see myself in in very high esteem.

And almost to the point and sadly many times are the point of I know better than God. Well God doesn't understand that. This is modern technology for getting all that technology. He seen what's going to happen a thousand years from now. I mean how naive am I to think that I know better than God? But we do this all the time. So as a church, what do we do now? Jesus is not your savior or isn't the Lord of your life and you want salvation found him. We were on top. Come up during the song if you like or anybody around afterwards. I'm here bikes here. Pretty much find anybody that can send you to one of us your savior, but he's not your lord right. Salvation, but I don't know. I'm still calling the shots a lot of regards. We want to play with you. Want to play with you? Jesus is your Savior and Lord your life pray for this community to make that same choice. Not just a church. Yeah, we love our understanding who Christ is and what he's done what he is still do sometimes if we start to start if we talk too much about his first coming and forget about his second coming. It's easy to get caught, this traffic like on what a wonderful little story about a very loving God who is coming ashore and now we're kind of on our own snot roof. He is alive he is at the right hand of the father. He is praying he is a call us to do work for him and step one. We went to absolutely give our life to hand-painted Roi life and then at the from there. Be obedient. If you're neither these cat if your phone is categorize, I think I should cover just about everybody there's something to do. So with that let's pray.

Heavenly father. Thank you so much for this time. Thank you for New Year. Maybe a feeling of refreshment or feeling of restarting or clean slate Lord. I don't think that's a coincidence as we see the calendar roll over and we we we start fresh in many regards with our jobs after Christmas break in school Lord. It took it is a good time for us to send her our lives have been around what we want to make a priority. What we're going to do personally spiritually switch scripturally moving into New Year Lord. I pray that we don't get caught up in making a laundry list of things to do and then forget to to dwell on who you are and what you've done Lord. I pray that what we will first do is examine our Salvation in you will take time to figure out who you are to us. It will prioritize that relationship and a great step in doing that. Lord is to follow on that by being obedient. Not just through baptism or been in every respect of obedience study in what you have us do how we would apply Our Lives to those around us how we would Minister to others effectively how it would care for others in the way you would care for them and that's not always easy. But with the holy spirit that can be made more so I'm so help us is your lord as we as we return a page and not just in a calendar and not just in the book in our lives will help us to turn towards you but you at the Pinnacle of our Focus. And have everything that we do with our family and our friends and our work and our ministry revolve around and be built upon you and your work. Thank you Lord for this time together and I pray.