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Saturday, December 21st, 2024
the Third Week of Advent

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Verses 1-8

Intro:
1. Prayer: Lord, we lay out the welcome mat for You, in front of our hearts, for 2014. You are giving us a new set of 12 months, should you tarry.
2. I like new years. To me it’s like that feeling you get when you get to clean off your work desk...or clean your garage.
  1. We get to seal up 2013 with a bow.
  2. Maybe it was a great year for you. Or, maybe it was a year to forget or put behind. Maybe it was a year of failures. Regrets. Even poor choices relationally, or bad investments financially, or you felt it was unsatisfactory spiritually.
  3. 2014 clean slate :) New beginning. New year.
  4. As we look into 2014 in sports...we don’t know whether it is going to be too cold for The Superbowl this year in Jersey. Or, too warm for the winter Olympics in Sochi. The Boston Marathon will be the 2nd largest in history w/36,000. Brazil promises to be ready for the World Cup, but they’re asking can its infrastructure handle all the tourists?
  5. But what about our spiritual life in 2014...will it be status quo Christianity? Or, off the charts cool things partnering with God?
3. Well, we just celebrated Jesus’ birth, which we get to do each year.
  1. But our topic this morning is one to be celebrated every day, cuz it is always Easter.
    1. “Easter morning was the Father’s audible Amen to all the claims of Jesus Christ.” George Matheson
    2. Christ has died, Christ has risen, & Christ is coming again...maybe in 2014? :)
4. Let’s start by watching a clip from, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. King Aslan the Lion(rep/Jesus) has been brutally killed by the White Witch, leaving his body on the stone table. Lucy & Susan are dejectedly mourning the loss of the great king. Turning to walk away, the ground shakes & they hear the sound of stone cracking. The girls turn & see Aslan's body is gone.
  1. Susan said, "But we saw the knife..."? But her question was cut short by Aslan's response. He explains the Evil Witch did not understand the true meaning of sacrifice. Aslan proclaims, "When a willing victim who has committed no treachery is killed in a traitor's stead, the stone table will crack and even death itself will turn backwards."
  2. Our Title this morning - Death Turned Backwards
5. This is the story of Transformation. It’s a story of Victory. New beginnings. Fresh starts. Refreshed purpose. An Invigorated life. Revived faith. Restored hope.
6. God has a Word for each character in the Res story…& a Word for each of us this morning.
7. Outline: A Word of Victory for the Ladies. A Word of Encouragement for Peter. A Word of Direction for the Disciples. And, A Word of ________ for you.
A WORD OF VICTORY FOR THE LADIES
1. (4) When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away - for it was very large.
2. 1st, a couple words about the resurrection.
  1. The religious leaders jeered, Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.
    1. Well, Jesus had one better for them...How about instead of down from the cross...I come up from the grave?!!!
  2. All 4 gospel accounts end with the resurrection story. Yet some get worried about the different accounts.
    1. Well, they are 4 different individuals, giving 4 different perspectives.
    2. If the police call in 4 eyewitnesses, & they all give the exact-same-story, it is usually not trustworthy because most likely they have collaborated.
3. (1) The same Love that brought these ladies to the cross brought them to the tomb.
  1. They must not have expected His Resurrection. For they brought spices to complete the anointing Joseph & Nicodemus had begun.
4. Brought spices – αρωµα(aroma) perfumed oils.
  1. Since embalming wasn’t a Jewish custom, these aromatic perfumes were poured over the body to counteract the stench of decay.
  2. But this was also done as an expression of loving devotion (as we bring flowers to the grave today)
5. (3,4) What surprises these ladies faced:
  1. The stone was already rolled away.
    1. The heart pound. Did someone steal it? Is someone defiling it? Would they be denied this last act of devotion?
    2. Once the large stone was slotted in the prepared groove, it was far harder to remove.
    3. Of course this not to let Jesus out, but to let them in.
    4. Great Lesson: It is interesting that when we are worried about how something is going to work out, i.e. vs.3 who will roll away the stone?…we just need to Look up (4)
      1. On reaching the place of the resurrection...they found their difficulty gone!
      2. The stoned rolled away by an unseen hand.
      3. Our you facing any terrible difficulties?
        
        We imagine difficulties which God has already solved for us.
6. The stone was rolled away from their hearts.
  1. Joy rested. Salvation completed. Holiness was assured.
  2. The Christian church is built on an empty grave.
A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR PETER
1. (7) Tell the disciples and Peter.
2. There is restoration. There is forgiveness. There is amnesty/pardon.
  1. In spite of Peter denying our Lord, Jesus never denied him.
    1. See, He had plans for Peter. And when you have returned to Me Peter strengthen your brethren.
    2. And backslidden brethren, He has plans for you. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace & not of evil, to give you a future & a hope.
  2. Peter loved Jesus, & even if his loved failed, it rose again.
A WORD OF DIRECTION FOR THE DISCIPLES
1. (7) Go, tell His disciples...that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him.
  1. Or, as Mt.28:6,7 writes it Come and See. Go and Tell.
2. He’s going before you –
  1. Where do you need Him to go before you? Where would you like to be assured that He’ll be there waiting. Where do you need to know He’s been there first?
3. According to The Proceedings of the U.S. Naval Institute: The USS Astoria (CA-34) was the first U.S. cruiser to engage the Japanese during the Battle of Savo Island, a night action fought 8-9 August 1942. Although she scored two hits on the Imperial flagship Chokai, the Astoria was badly damaged and sank shortly after noon, 9 August.
  
  About 0200 hours a young midwesterner, Signalman 3rd Class Elgin Staples, was swept overboard by the blast when the Astoria’s number one eight-inch gun turret exploded. Wounded in both legs by shrapnel and in semi-shock, he was kept afloat by a narrow lifebelt that he managed to activate with a simple trigger mechanism.
  
  At around 0600 hours, Staples was rescued by a passing destroyer and returned to the Astoria, whose captain was attempting to save the cruiser by beaching her. The effort failed, and Staples, still wearing the same lifebelt, found himself back in the water. It was lunchtime. Picked up again, this time by the USS President Jackson (AP-37), he was one of 500 survivors ofthe battle who were evacuated to Noumea.
  
  On board the transport Staples, for the first time, closely examined the lifebelt that had served him so well. It had been manufactured by Firestone Tire and Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio, and bore a registration number.
  
  Given home leave, Staples told his story and asked his mother, who worked for Firestone, about the purpose of the number on the belt. She replied that the company insisted on personal responsibility for the war effort, and that the number was unique and assigned to only one inspector. Staples remembered everything about the lifebelt, and quoted the number.
  
  It was his mother’s personal code and affixed to every item she was responsible for approving. (Adapted from Kent Hughes, Hebrews, pg.168,169. Commander Eric J. Berryman,“Strange Things Happen at Sea”,Proceedings, U.S. Naval Institute, June 1989, Vol. 115/6/1036, p. 48.)
  1. 71 ago, a mother’s unheralded diligence in an anonymous wartime job made sure her soon-to-be shipwrecked son’s hope of survival.
  2. But how much greater are the stakes in eternal matters, and how much greater is the challenge to diligence in eternal matters. “We desire/long for each one of you,” says the writer in verse 11, “to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.”
4. Heb.6:19,20 Forerunner – This spoke of the men or troops which were sent to explore before the advance of an army.
  1. Jesus was our forerunner, our trail blazer, our pioneer, our guide, our scout, our leader who opened up The Way.
5. I see the image of Jesus as the lead climber(forerunner) w/a mountain climbing team.
  1. He “goes ahead” & anchors the pitons/pee-tons (the metal spike w/eye for rope) into the rock [or nuts or camming device]
    1. At salvation we clipped our carabineer, onto His rope of salvation. And we follow behind progressing onward & upward w/faith & patience(12).
    2. Faith = This is when He anchors to a place out of our sight. [Picture up over the rock where you can’t see]
      1. Jesus has gone 1st through the veil, into His Fathers presence, & though we don’t see it yet, we’re climbing close behind.
    3. Patience – you can’t be in a hurry when you’re climbing. Every step & grip better be calculated.
  2. We are anchored, w/His pitons, so we can make progress.
A WORD OF ________ FOR YOU
1. Which do you need? Victory, Encouragement, or Direction?
2. We are part of this story. It is unfolding right before us.
  1. We do not tell a completed story. At the beginning of the book of Acts, Luke says that in his first volume he recorded all the Jesus began to do. The history of the Church is what Jesus continues to do.
  2. We look back at the first disciples, Mary or Cleopas or Peter. Our role is to live as consistent characters in line with the unfolding story.
3. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
  1. What is old in your life? sin, sickness, pain, suffering, grief, heartache…but Christ has opened to us the path to what is New.
  2. What is new in Christ? Forgiveness, salvation, eternal life, a new creation. New birth by faith. New nature, new heart, new life, new hope, and a new task. Finally, a new body in a new home called Heaven.
    1. Now God is giving us a New Year. This means a new start for some as they have not done well in the old one. Not lived for God as they should. Chance for a new start. New hope.
    2. Maybe you dreamed certain things would happen in the old year, but dreams can become reality in the New Year of 2014.
  3. Let’s make Jesus our everything in 2014.
4. Jesus is our everything:
  1. To the Artist He is the One Altogether Lovely.
  2. To the Architect He is the Chief Cornerstone.
  3. To the Astronomer He is the Sun of Righteousness.
  4. To the Baker He is the Living Bread.
  5. To the Banker He is the Hidden Treasure.
  6. To the Biologist He is the Life.
  7. To the Carpenter He is the Sure Foundation.
  8. To the Doctor He is the Great Physician.
  9. To the Educator He is the Great Teacher.
  10. To the Farmer He is the Sower and Lord of the Harvest.
  11. To the Florist He is the Lily of the Valley and the Rose of Sharon.
  12. To the Geologist He is the Rock of Ages.
  13. To the Horticulturist He is the True Vine.
  14. To the Judge He is the Righteous Judge.
  15. To the Juror He is the True Witness.
  16. To the Jeweler He is the Pearl of Great Price.
  17. To the Editor He is the Good Tidings of Great Joy.
  18. To the Oculist He is the Light of the Eyes.
  19. To the Philosopher He is the Wisdom of God.
  20. To the Printer He is the True Type.
  21. To the Servant He is the Good Master.
  22. To the Student He is the Incarnate Truth.
  23. To the Toiler He is the Giver of Rest.
  24. To the Sinner He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.
  25. To the Christian, He is the Risen Son God, the Savior, the Redeemer, and Lord of Lord’s and King of Kings!!!

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Verses 1-8

Intro:
1. Prayer: Lord, we lay out the welcome mat for You, in front of our hearts, for 2014. You are giving us a new set of 12 months, should you tarry.
2. I like new years. To me it’s like that feeling you get when you get to clean off your work desk...or clean your garage.
  1. We get to seal up 2013 with a bow.
  2. Maybe it was a great year for you. Or, maybe it was a year to forget or put behind. Maybe it was a year of failures. Regrets. Even poor choices relationally, or bad investments financially, or you felt it was unsatisfactory spiritually.
  3. 2014 clean slate :) New beginning. New year.
  4. As we look into 2014 in sports...we don’t know whether it is going to be too cold for The Superbowl this year in Jersey. Or, too warm for the winter Olympics in Sochi. The Boston Marathon will be the 2nd largest in history w/36,000. Brazil promises to be ready for the World Cup, but they’re asking can its infrastructure handle all the tourists?
  5. But what about our spiritual life in 2014...will it be status quo Christianity? Or, off the charts cool things partnering with God?
3. Well, we just celebrated Jesus’ birth, which we get to do each year.
  1. But our topic this morning is one to be celebrated every day, cuz it is always Easter.
    1. “Easter morning was the Father’s audible Amen to all the claims of Jesus Christ.” George Matheson
    2. Christ has died, Christ has risen, & Christ is coming again...maybe in 2014? :)
4. Let’s start by watching a clip from, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. King Aslan the Lion(rep/Jesus) has been brutally killed by the White Witch, leaving his body on the stone table. Lucy & Susan are dejectedly mourning the loss of the great king. Turning to walk away, the ground shakes & they hear the sound of stone cracking. The girls turn & see Aslan's body is gone.
  1. Susan said, "But we saw the knife..."? But her question was cut short by Aslan's response. He explains the Evil Witch did not understand the true meaning of sacrifice. Aslan proclaims, "When a willing victim who has committed no treachery is killed in a traitor's stead, the stone table will crack and even death itself will turn backwards."
  2. Our Title this morning - Death Turned Backwards
5. This is the story of Transformation. It’s a story of Victory. New beginnings. Fresh starts. Refreshed purpose. An Invigorated life. Revived faith. Restored hope.
6. God has a Word for each character in the Res story…& a Word for each of us this morning.
7. Outline: A Word of Victory for the Ladies. A Word of Encouragement for Peter. A Word of Direction for the Disciples. And, A Word of ________ for you.
A WORD OF VICTORY FOR THE LADIES
1. (4) When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away - for it was very large.
2. 1st, a couple words about the resurrection.
  1. The religious leaders jeered, Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.
    1. Well, Jesus had one better for them...How about instead of down from the cross...I come up from the grave?!!!
  2. All 4 gospel accounts end with the resurrection story. Yet some get worried about the different accounts.
    1. Well, they are 4 different individuals, giving 4 different perspectives.
    2. If the police call in 4 eyewitnesses, & they all give the exact-same-story, it is usually not trustworthy because most likely they have collaborated.
3. (1) The same Love that brought these ladies to the cross brought them to the tomb.
  1. They must not have expected His Resurrection. For they brought spices to complete the anointing Joseph & Nicodemus had begun.
4. Brought spices – αρωµα(aroma) perfumed oils.
  1. Since embalming wasn’t a Jewish custom, these aromatic perfumes were poured over the body to counteract the stench of decay.
  2. But this was also done as an expression of loving devotion (as we bring flowers to the grave today)
5. (3,4) What surprises these ladies faced:
  1. The stone was already rolled away.
    1. The heart pound. Did someone steal it? Is someone defiling it? Would they be denied this last act of devotion?
    2. Once the large stone was slotted in the prepared groove, it was far harder to remove.
    3. Of course this not to let Jesus out, but to let them in.
    4. Great Lesson: It is interesting that when we are worried about how something is going to work out, i.e. vs.3 who will roll away the stone?…we just need to Look up (4)
      1. On reaching the place of the resurrection...they found their difficulty gone!
      2. The stoned rolled away by an unseen hand.
      3. Our you facing any terrible difficulties?
        
        We imagine difficulties which God has already solved for us.
6. The stone was rolled away from their hearts.
  1. Joy rested. Salvation completed. Holiness was assured.
  2. The Christian church is built on an empty grave.
A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR PETER
1. (7) Tell the disciples and Peter.
2. There is restoration. There is forgiveness. There is amnesty/pardon.
  1. In spite of Peter denying our Lord, Jesus never denied him.
    1. See, He had plans for Peter. And when you have returned to Me Peter strengthen your brethren.
    2. And backslidden brethren, He has plans for you. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace & not of evil, to give you a future & a hope.
  2. Peter loved Jesus, & even if his loved failed, it rose again.
A WORD OF DIRECTION FOR THE DISCIPLES
1. (7) Go, tell His disciples...that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him.
  1. Or, as Mt.28:6,7 writes it Come and See. Go and Tell.
2. He’s going before you –
  1. Where do you need Him to go before you? Where would you like to be assured that He’ll be there waiting. Where do you need to know He’s been there first?
3. According to The Proceedings of the U.S. Naval Institute: The USS Astoria (CA-34) was the first U.S. cruiser to engage the Japanese during the Battle of Savo Island, a night action fought 8-9 August 1942. Although she scored two hits on the Imperial flagship Chokai, the Astoria was badly damaged and sank shortly after noon, 9 August.
  
  About 0200 hours a young midwesterner, Signalman 3rd Class Elgin Staples, was swept overboard by the blast when the Astoria’s number one eight-inch gun turret exploded. Wounded in both legs by shrapnel and in semi-shock, he was kept afloat by a narrow lifebelt that he managed to activate with a simple trigger mechanism.
  
  At around 0600 hours, Staples was rescued by a passing destroyer and returned to the Astoria, whose captain was attempting to save the cruiser by beaching her. The effort failed, and Staples, still wearing the same lifebelt, found himself back in the water. It was lunchtime. Picked up again, this time by the USS President Jackson (AP-37), he was one of 500 survivors ofthe battle who were evacuated to Noumea.
  
  On board the transport Staples, for the first time, closely examined the lifebelt that had served him so well. It had been manufactured by Firestone Tire and Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio, and bore a registration number.
  
  Given home leave, Staples told his story and asked his mother, who worked for Firestone, about the purpose of the number on the belt. She replied that the company insisted on personal responsibility for the war effort, and that the number was unique and assigned to only one inspector. Staples remembered everything about the lifebelt, and quoted the number.
  
  It was his mother’s personal code and affixed to every item she was responsible for approving. (Adapted from Kent Hughes, Hebrews, pg.168,169. Commander Eric J. Berryman,“Strange Things Happen at Sea”,Proceedings, U.S. Naval Institute, June 1989, Vol. 115/6/1036, p. 48.)
  1. 71 ago, a mother’s unheralded diligence in an anonymous wartime job made sure her soon-to-be shipwrecked son’s hope of survival.
  2. But how much greater are the stakes in eternal matters, and how much greater is the challenge to diligence in eternal matters. “We desire/long for each one of you,” says the writer in verse 11, “to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.”
4. Heb.6:19,20 Forerunner – This spoke of the men or troops which were sent to explore before the advance of an army.
  1. Jesus was our forerunner, our trail blazer, our pioneer, our guide, our scout, our leader who opened up The Way.
5. I see the image of Jesus as the lead climber(forerunner) w/a mountain climbing team.
  1. He “goes ahead” & anchors the pitons/pee-tons (the metal spike w/eye for rope) into the rock [or nuts or camming device]
    1. At salvation we clipped our carabineer, onto His rope of salvation. And we follow behind progressing onward & upward w/faith & patience(12).
    2. Faith = This is when He anchors to a place out of our sight. [Picture up over the rock where you can’t see]
      1. Jesus has gone 1st through the veil, into His Fathers presence, & though we don’t see it yet, we’re climbing close behind.
    3. Patience – you can’t be in a hurry when you’re climbing. Every step & grip better be calculated.
  2. We are anchored, w/His pitons, so we can make progress.
A WORD OF ________ FOR YOU
1. Which do you need? Victory, Encouragement, or Direction?
2. We are part of this story. It is unfolding right before us.
  1. We do not tell a completed story. At the beginning of the book of Acts, Luke says that in his first volume he recorded all the Jesus began to do. The history of the Church is what Jesus continues to do.
  2. We look back at the first disciples, Mary or Cleopas or Peter. Our role is to live as consistent characters in line with the unfolding story.
3. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
  1. What is old in your life? sin, sickness, pain, suffering, grief, heartache…but Christ has opened to us the path to what is New.
  2. What is new in Christ? Forgiveness, salvation, eternal life, a new creation. New birth by faith. New nature, new heart, new life, new hope, and a new task. Finally, a new body in a new home called Heaven.
    1. Now God is giving us a New Year. This means a new start for some as they have not done well in the old one. Not lived for God as they should. Chance for a new start. New hope.
    2. Maybe you dreamed certain things would happen in the old year, but dreams can become reality in the New Year of 2014.
  3. Let’s make Jesus our everything in 2014.
4. Jesus is our everything:
  1. To the Artist He is the One Altogether Lovely.
  2. To the Architect He is the Chief Cornerstone.
  3. To the Astronomer He is the Sun of Righteousness.
  4. To the Baker He is the Living Bread.
  5. To the Banker He is the Hidden Treasure.
  6. To the Biologist He is the Life.
  7. To the Carpenter He is the Sure Foundation.
  8. To the Doctor He is the Great Physician.
  9. To the Educator He is the Great Teacher.
  10. To the Farmer He is the Sower and Lord of the Harvest.
  11. To the Florist He is the Lily of the Valley and the Rose of Sharon.
  12. To the Geologist He is the Rock of Ages.
  13. To the Horticulturist He is the True Vine.
  14. To the Judge He is the Righteous Judge.
  15. To the Juror He is the True Witness.
  16. To the Jeweler He is the Pearl of Great Price.
  17. To the Editor He is the Good Tidings of Great Joy.
  18. To the Oculist He is the Light of the Eyes.
  19. To the Philosopher He is the Wisdom of God.
  20. To the Printer He is the True Type.
  21. To the Servant He is the Good Master.
  22. To the Student He is the Incarnate Truth.
  23. To the Toiler He is the Giver of Rest.
  24. To the Sinner He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.
  25. To the Christian, He is the Risen Son God, the Savior, the Redeemer, and Lord of Lord’s and King of Kings!!!

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Verses 9-11

Intro:
1. Did Mark end on verse 8? Vs9-20 are not in Codex Sinaiticus & Codex Vaticanus [codex/ancient manu]
  1. We do know that everything we find in here can be found in the other 3 gospels.
  2. We do know though it is not found in the 2 codex, is found in all other manuscripts.
  3. We do know no major doctrine is changed nor even diminished.
  4. We do know it is in harmony w/the rest of the NT teachings.
2. Ken Gire said, “It was in a garden ages ago that paradise was lost, & it is in a garden now that it would be regained.” Ken Gire, Mary Magdalene, pg.130.
3. Title: Mary Magdalene, Apostle to the Apostles.
  1. "Apostle to the Apostles", an honorific title that 4th-cent orthodox theologian Augustine gave her. [i.e. apostle/one divinely sent]
4. Let’s read Mark 16:9-11 & then the fuller story in Jn.20:11-18.
WHO IS MARY MAGDALENE?
1. Overview: Mary Magdalene was Mary from Magdala. [funny picture]
  1. A town on the western shore of Galilee 3m. so. of Capernaum. It was a thriving populous town. Known for its Dye works & primitive Textile factories.
  2. presently one of the most important archeological digs going on right now
2. Her Family? No record of parents, marital status, or her age.
3. Statistics: She is mentioned 14 x’s in the gospels. 8 of the 14 she is named w/the other ladies and she is always mentioned 1st. The 5 x’s she’s mentioned alone are in connection w/ Jesus’ death & res. And in only 1 verse is mentioned after Mary(Jesus mother)& the aunt of Jesus.
4. Prostitute? Was she?
  1. Not a shred of genuine evidence that she had a bad reputation.
  2. This came from the idea that this is the sinful women who anointed Jesus feet, like Mary also did, found in Lk.7:36-50.
    1. History continued this bad reputation: The R.C. Church started Magdalen Houses/Asylums in 1324 for fallen women.
      1. Thus became the patroness of wayward women.
  3. Art galleries are full of paintings w/her as a voluptuous or a 1/2 dressed female.
  4. Film makers continued this idea: Remember the blasphemous rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar [1973]. Mary Magdalene was pictured as a prostitute making attempts to seduce Jesus.
    1. Martin Scorcese’s film The Last Temptation of Christ did the same.
    2. Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ depicted her as a women with a bad reputation.
  5. Again, there is not a shred of genuine evidence that she had a bad reputation.
    1. Yet God has plenty to say about women with bad reputation/pasts/or those born on the wrong side of the tracks. Matter of fact He starts off the NT w/4 in His own genealogy.
    2. Tamar - I’ve deceived (played the harlet with Judah).
    3. Rahab - I’ve got a bad reputation (the x-prostitute).
    4. Ruth - I wasn't raised a believer (wrong pedigree, a gentile, a Moabite).
    5. Bathsheba - I’m an adulterous.
      1. Don’t ever say God can’t use you because of what you’ve done whether 10 minutes ago or 10 yrs. ago.
      2. Don’t be a Scab Picker. Leave the past as that.....Past!
      3. We say we can’t pick our relatives. But Jesus did. Especially to show His incredible Love & grace for Sinners. That’s the Good News.
      4. The stage was now set for God to do a new thing. Broader than Israel, & deeper than the law.
5. 7 demons – Yes, she did have 7 demons…before she met Jesus.
  1. These dreadful inmates must have caused such pain & pollution.
  2. Such a horrible & hopeless case. She couldn’t help herself, nor could any human help her.
  3. Her conditions were worse than any of the other ladies we’ve met in this gospel.
  4. She became a special trophy of Christ’s delivering power. A trophy of Grace.
  5. Her deranged & nerve racked mind obviously became as tranquil as the troubled lake Jesus calmed.
  6. Note: the greatness of our sin before conversion doesn’t disqualify us in any way of His favor.
    1. Mary’s first step from extreme darkness into the most brilliant light wasn’t the expulsion of the demons, but her meeting Jesus. It is Christ who casts out demons, not the expulsion of demons that brings Christ. George Matheson, Portraits of Bible Women, pg.139
    2. Mary was transformed by 1 ideal, it lit the metropolis(mother state/city) of her heart on fire & it spread to all the provinces. George Matheson, Portraits of Bible Women, pg.139
  7. Mary proved that no depth of sin & no possession of numerous demons shall separate us from the love of Christ.
6. Her devotion: No woman superseded her holy fidelity to the Master.
  1. She traveled w/the other ladies who helped in taking care of Jesus substance.
  2. She left her home to follow Jesus. She was constantly on the move. She gave up any personal comforts.
    1. In some of the worlds cultures when a man saves another mans life the man whose life is saved becomes the other mans servant. He does this by choice and out of gratitude. From the time of her deliverance Mary Magdalene followed our Lord. She went where He went. She listened, learned and believed in Jesus.
  3. She was the last at the cross. [she could answer yes to the question in the hymn, were you there when they crucified my Lord?]
  4. She was earliest to the grave. She was sitting over against the sepulcher & watching until Joseph had laid the Lord’s body to rest in the tomb.
  5. She witnessed the most important event in world history, the resurrection.
    1. Jesus chooses & permits her to be the 1st witness of that Resurrection. [not even his own mom!]
    2. Jesus chooses & to appear to a woman w/o hope. His 1st words to her…“why are you weeping?”
    3. Are you a woman/man w/o hope? Wait for Him. Wait for His 1 word for you today.
      1. Notice how Christ is revealed to her…by a word, “Mary!”
        
        It needed but one word in His voice, & at one word she knew Him. i.e. My sheep hear My voice. And her heart owned allegiance by another word, “Rabboni!”
        
        We also just need one word of His to turn our weeping into rejoicing, His presence makes our heart’s shine.
      2. Wait for His one word for you today. Maybe it will just be your name. How would that be?
  6. She was there at the tomb early.
    1. Whole new meaning to “the early bird catches the worm.” (Ps.22:8 tolath)
    2. When she 1st saw the tomb open she must have thought that the tomb had been violated.
      1. It’s like buying something from the store where the seal had already been broken. Or coming home, you front door is ajar.
    3. What did they do with the body? Was it the Romans? Was it the religious leaders? Did they throw it in the garbage heap of Gehenna? Have they put it on display somewhere? (like king Saul’s fastened to the walls of Bet Shan)
    4. She mistook Jesus for the gardener (after 2 1/2 yrs of walking with Him).
      1. Who did you mistake Jesus for, before He called you by name? Maybe you thought He was unreachable, untouchable, unknowable?
  7. She was graced to see 2 angels. [explain ark of the covenant w/angels on each end]
    1. “The woman who was once possessed w/demons finds herself in the presence of angels.”
  8. She was invited to be the 1st commissioned to herald this news. (Jn.20:17b but go...)
  9. She loved her Jesus – He changed her life forever. Cast out the 7 demons. Freed her from untold torment. He gave her life. A reason to live. A place in His kingdom. Worth & dignity. Understanding & compassion. Love and Hope.
7. (11) They did not believe – because the testimony of a woman was not accepted in a Jewish court? Nope! For they didn’t even believe the witness of the 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus(13).
WE ARE LIKE MARY MAGDALENE
1. We like Mary Magdalene are sinners in need of God’s grace, love and forgiveness.
2. We like Mary Magdalene have been delivered from the kingdom of Satan.
  1. Not all of us may have been possessed by 7 demons but all of us were his possession, chained in sin and sentenced to eternal death.
  2. Maybe your 7 demons are like: Dante’s 7 scars (Pride, envy, anger, intemperance, lasciviousness, covetousness, spiritual sloth). Or Solomon’s 7 deadly sins (6 things the Lord’s hates, yes 7 are an abomination). Or John Bunyan’s 7 abominations. What were the 7 abominations in your heart?
3. We like Mary Magdalene were unable to help ourselves.
  1. Jesus Christ met us and called us His own. Then freed us from Satan’s power. Then called us to follow Him all the days of our lives and be His disciples.
4. We like Mary Magdalene live life at the foot of the cross.
  1. Through the hearing of God’s word we have joined Mary at the foot of the cross.
  2. We have seen our dying savior and we know He is dying for Mary and He dying for us. He is dying because of our sins. He is dying to taking our place. Dying to take our guilt. Dying to take our punishment. Dying our death, once and for all. And for His sake we have received forgiveness and reconciliation to God.
5. We like Mary Magdalene now live standing at the empty tomb.
  1. With the eyes of faith we believe that Jesus was raised from the dead for our justification, proclaiming our innocence before God.
6. We like Mary Magdalene are told by Jesus to go and tell others the good news.
7. We like Mary Magdalene share in joy and hope in a Savior that will never leave us nor forsake us.
8. We like Mary Magdalene after meeting Jesus, life would never be the same for us.
9. We like Mary Magdalene have moments that define our lives.
  1. With our lives lived at the foot of the cross, and now standing at the empty tomb, knowing what Jesus has done for us, having faith in Christ’s resurrection...we too join the great cloud of witnesses that has gone before us to proclaim God’s grace in Jesus Christ to the world. These are the moments that define our lives.

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Verses 9-11

Intro:
1. Did Mark end on verse 8? Vs9-20 are not in Codex Sinaiticus & Codex Vaticanus [codex/ancient manu]
  1. We do know that everything we find in here can be found in the other 3 gospels.
  2. We do know though it is not found in the 2 codex, is found in all other manuscripts.
  3. We do know no major doctrine is changed nor even diminished.
  4. We do know it is in harmony w/the rest of the NT teachings.
2. Ken Gire said, “It was in a garden ages ago that paradise was lost, & it is in a garden now that it would be regained.” Ken Gire, Mary Magdalene, pg.130.
3. Title: Mary Magdalene, Apostle to the Apostles.
  1. "Apostle to the Apostles", an honorific title that 4th-cent orthodox theologian Augustine gave her. [i.e. apostle/one divinely sent]
4. Let’s read Mark 16:9-11 & then the fuller story in Jn.20:11-18.
WHO IS MARY MAGDALENE?
1. Overview: Mary Magdalene was Mary from Magdala. [funny picture]
  1. A town on the western shore of Galilee 3m. so. of Capernaum. It was a thriving populous town. Known for its Dye works & primitive Textile factories.
  2. presently one of the most important archeological digs going on right now
2. Her Family? No record of parents, marital status, or her age.
3. Statistics: She is mentioned 14 x’s in the gospels. 8 of the 14 she is named w/the other ladies and she is always mentioned 1st. The 5 x’s she’s mentioned alone are in connection w/ Jesus’ death & res. And in only 1 verse is mentioned after Mary(Jesus mother)& the aunt of Jesus.
4. Prostitute? Was she?
  1. Not a shred of genuine evidence that she had a bad reputation.
  2. This came from the idea that this is the sinful women who anointed Jesus feet, like Mary also did, found in Lk.7:36-50.
    1. History continued this bad reputation: The R.C. Church started Magdalen Houses/Asylums in 1324 for fallen women.
      1. Thus became the patroness of wayward women.
  3. Art galleries are full of paintings w/her as a voluptuous or a 1/2 dressed female.
  4. Film makers continued this idea: Remember the blasphemous rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar [1973]. Mary Magdalene was pictured as a prostitute making attempts to seduce Jesus.
    1. Martin Scorcese’s film The Last Temptation of Christ did the same.
    2. Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ depicted her as a women with a bad reputation.
  5. Again, there is not a shred of genuine evidence that she had a bad reputation.
    1. Yet God has plenty to say about women with bad reputation/pasts/or those born on the wrong side of the tracks. Matter of fact He starts off the NT w/4 in His own genealogy.
    2. Tamar - I’ve deceived (played the harlet with Judah).
    3. Rahab - I’ve got a bad reputation (the x-prostitute).
    4. Ruth - I wasn't raised a believer (wrong pedigree, a gentile, a Moabite).
    5. Bathsheba - I’m an adulterous.
      1. Don’t ever say God can’t use you because of what you’ve done whether 10 minutes ago or 10 yrs. ago.
      2. Don’t be a Scab Picker. Leave the past as that.....Past!
      3. We say we can’t pick our relatives. But Jesus did. Especially to show His incredible Love & grace for Sinners. That’s the Good News.
      4. The stage was now set for God to do a new thing. Broader than Israel, & deeper than the law.
5. 7 demons – Yes, she did have 7 demons…before she met Jesus.
  1. These dreadful inmates must have caused such pain & pollution.
  2. Such a horrible & hopeless case. She couldn’t help herself, nor could any human help her.
  3. Her conditions were worse than any of the other ladies we’ve met in this gospel.
  4. She became a special trophy of Christ’s delivering power. A trophy of Grace.
  5. Her deranged & nerve racked mind obviously became as tranquil as the troubled lake Jesus calmed.
  6. Note: the greatness of our sin before conversion doesn’t disqualify us in any way of His favor.
    1. Mary’s first step from extreme darkness into the most brilliant light wasn’t the expulsion of the demons, but her meeting Jesus. It is Christ who casts out demons, not the expulsion of demons that brings Christ. George Matheson, Portraits of Bible Women, pg.139
    2. Mary was transformed by 1 ideal, it lit the metropolis(mother state/city) of her heart on fire & it spread to all the provinces. George Matheson, Portraits of Bible Women, pg.139
  7. Mary proved that no depth of sin & no possession of numerous demons shall separate us from the love of Christ.
6. Her devotion: No woman superseded her holy fidelity to the Master.
  1. She traveled w/the other ladies who helped in taking care of Jesus substance.
  2. She left her home to follow Jesus. She was constantly on the move. She gave up any personal comforts.
    1. In some of the worlds cultures when a man saves another mans life the man whose life is saved becomes the other mans servant. He does this by choice and out of gratitude. From the time of her deliverance Mary Magdalene followed our Lord. She went where He went. She listened, learned and believed in Jesus.
  3. She was the last at the cross. [she could answer yes to the question in the hymn, were you there when they crucified my Lord?]
  4. She was earliest to the grave. She was sitting over against the sepulcher & watching until Joseph had laid the Lord’s body to rest in the tomb.
  5. She witnessed the most important event in world history, the resurrection.
    1. Jesus chooses & permits her to be the 1st witness of that Resurrection. [not even his own mom!]
    2. Jesus chooses & to appear to a woman w/o hope. His 1st words to her…“why are you weeping?”
    3. Are you a woman/man w/o hope? Wait for Him. Wait for His 1 word for you today.
      1. Notice how Christ is revealed to her…by a word, “Mary!”
        
        It needed but one word in His voice, & at one word she knew Him. i.e. My sheep hear My voice. And her heart owned allegiance by another word, “Rabboni!”
        
        We also just need one word of His to turn our weeping into rejoicing, His presence makes our heart’s shine.
      2. Wait for His one word for you today. Maybe it will just be your name. How would that be?
  6. She was there at the tomb early.
    1. Whole new meaning to “the early bird catches the worm.” (Ps.22:8 tolath)
    2. When she 1st saw the tomb open she must have thought that the tomb had been violated.
      1. It’s like buying something from the store where the seal had already been broken. Or coming home, you front door is ajar.
    3. What did they do with the body? Was it the Romans? Was it the religious leaders? Did they throw it in the garbage heap of Gehenna? Have they put it on display somewhere? (like king Saul’s fastened to the walls of Bet Shan)
    4. She mistook Jesus for the gardener (after 2 1/2 yrs of walking with Him).
      1. Who did you mistake Jesus for, before He called you by name? Maybe you thought He was unreachable, untouchable, unknowable?
  7. She was graced to see 2 angels. [explain ark of the covenant w/angels on each end]
    1. “The woman who was once possessed w/demons finds herself in the presence of angels.”
  8. She was invited to be the 1st commissioned to herald this news. (Jn.20:17b but go...)
  9. She loved her Jesus – He changed her life forever. Cast out the 7 demons. Freed her from untold torment. He gave her life. A reason to live. A place in His kingdom. Worth & dignity. Understanding & compassion. Love and Hope.
7. (11) They did not believe – because the testimony of a woman was not accepted in a Jewish court? Nope! For they didn’t even believe the witness of the 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus(13).
WE ARE LIKE MARY MAGDALENE
1. We like Mary Magdalene are sinners in need of God’s grace, love and forgiveness.
2. We like Mary Magdalene have been delivered from the kingdom of Satan.
  1. Not all of us may have been possessed by 7 demons but all of us were his possession, chained in sin and sentenced to eternal death.
  2. Maybe your 7 demons are like: Dante’s 7 scars (Pride, envy, anger, intemperance, lasciviousness, covetousness, spiritual sloth). Or Solomon’s 7 deadly sins (6 things the Lord’s hates, yes 7 are an abomination). Or John Bunyan’s 7 abominations. What were the 7 abominations in your heart?
3. We like Mary Magdalene were unable to help ourselves.
  1. Jesus Christ met us and called us His own. Then freed us from Satan’s power. Then called us to follow Him all the days of our lives and be His disciples.
4. We like Mary Magdalene live life at the foot of the cross.
  1. Through the hearing of God’s word we have joined Mary at the foot of the cross.
  2. We have seen our dying savior and we know He is dying for Mary and He dying for us. He is dying because of our sins. He is dying to taking our place. Dying to take our guilt. Dying to take our punishment. Dying our death, once and for all. And for His sake we have received forgiveness and reconciliation to God.
5. We like Mary Magdalene now live standing at the empty tomb.
  1. With the eyes of faith we believe that Jesus was raised from the dead for our justification, proclaiming our innocence before God.
6. We like Mary Magdalene are told by Jesus to go and tell others the good news.
7. We like Mary Magdalene share in joy and hope in a Savior that will never leave us nor forsake us.
8. We like Mary Magdalene after meeting Jesus, life would never be the same for us.
9. We like Mary Magdalene have moments that define our lives.
  1. With our lives lived at the foot of the cross, and now standing at the empty tomb, knowing what Jesus has done for us, having faith in Christ’s resurrection...we too join the great cloud of witnesses that has gone before us to proclaim God’s grace in Jesus Christ to the world. These are the moments that define our lives.

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Verses 12-20

Intro:
1. Title: Go and…
2. Outline: Go & Believe; Go & Authenticate; Go & Preach. And end with our Mission/Motto Go & Love.
GO and BELIEVE (12-14)
1. Note: did not believe – is repeated 3 x’s (vs.11,13,14)
  1. The disciples were not preprogrammed to believe that Jesus was alive. In fact their unbelief was stubborn. NIV Stubborn refusal to believe.
  2. The only thing that renewed their faith was the appearance of their Res Lord.
2. So why did Jesus specifically rebuke their unbelief & hardness of heart? - Because they didn’t believe that He rose? (Nope) because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
  1. They did not believe the eye witness testimony to the facts…they had seen Him post resurrection.
    1. He was making it clear that the witnesses of His resurrection could & should be trusted.
    2. In order to be valid, faith has to be grounded on facts.
      1. Historical Faith says, “Christ lives”; Saving Faith says, “Christ lives in me!”
3. We’ll come back to vs.15,16.
GO and AUTHENTICATE (17-20)
1. Signs – an evidence that an utterance or action was authentic & trustworthy. Walvoord/Zuck
  1. These signs authenticated the faith of the early believers rather than the personal faith of any one of them.
  2. Brian don’t you believe some of these signs still happen today? Yes, but not to Validate God’s Word (It’s since been penned), but now To build up & edify the body of Christ, as Paul said.
2. So the Word of God was authenticated (confirmed) by…
3. Casting out demons as demonstrated in Acts 16.
  1. Acts 16:16-18 a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation." And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And he came out that very hour.”
4. Speaking with new tongues - These would be intelligible foreign languages not previously known to the speakers.
  1. This was demonstrated at Pentecost & in the life of the early church, and still continues today.
5. Protection from Serpents - This cannot be used as a basis for the deliberate & presumptuous handling of snakes & drinking poison which are practiced by certain extreme religious groups.
  1. It is foolish to tempt God, but not foolish to trust God when obedience to His will takes us into dangerous situations.
    1. “Presumption can kill us, but faith can deliver us.”
  2. This is the practice of certain Tennessee & Kentucky mountain people who handle rattlesnakes and drink strychnine as evidence of their faith. Often called “The Church of God with Signs Following”. [est. 5000 members today]
    1. George Hensley is commonly considered the father of contemporary serpent handling. He was Born around 1880 & died July 25,1955…yep you guessed it...from a snake bite!
  3. Ok, so a better example would be Paul in Acts 28:1-5 when he shook it into the fire.
6. Drinking poison - No examples in Scripture but James shows us the most common deadly poison, But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 3:8
  1. A Medieval proverb reads, “If a Man's life be lightning, his words are thunder.”
7. Lay hands on the sick - Acts 28:8 w/Publius father, one bad case of Diarrhea. Exercised in the early church & still today.
8. Received into heaven, Ascension - The battle was over; the victory was won; the sacrifice He made was accepted, completed, & concluded.
9. Sat down at the rt hand of God, Intercession - Rom.8:34 It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
10. They went out Going & preaching - They went & preached everywhere.
  1. What an opportunity & obligation we have to carry the gospel to the whole world.
11. Indwelling - The Lord working w/them.
  1. He is working w/His people as they take the gospel to every nation.
  2. The message is that this isn’t The End!...but that the risen Lord is still working in & through His people.
  3. Here is the continuing ministry of The Followers of Jesus Christ.
GO and PREACH (15,16)
1. (16) What it doesn’t say: It doesn’t say, “he who does not get baptized will be condemned.” What it does say: But he who does not believe will be condemned.
  1. Belief is always the common denominator in these verses.
    1. i.e. repent & believe; confess w/mouth & believe w/heart; hear His Word & believe; see the Son & believe.
  2. To Believe…is to trust, to depend, to rely upon Christ Jesus.
  3. To be Baptized…is to submit to the ordinance which our Lord fulfilled in the Jordan; to which the 3000 converted ones submitted to at Pentecost; & to which the jailer yielded obedience the very night of his conversion.
    1. Baptism is an outward sign that sets forth our death, burial, & resurrection w/Jesus…& is not to be neglected.
    2. Baptism doesn’t confer salvation; it confirms it.
  4. So, to Go & Preach The Gospel Must Flow, Some Must Go & All Must Sow.
2. [1] THE GOSPEL MUST FLOW
3. The great questions isn’t, will the heathen be saved if we do not send them the gospel? but, Are we ourselves saved if we do not send them the gospel?
  1. You are a missionary or a mission field yourself. You are a missionary or an impostor.
  2. Preach = to announce as a herald. [it was used for an ambassador who had an announcement to make for the king]
    1. You & I have an announcement to make for our King.
    2. And everyone in the world has a right to hear it.
  3. A staggering stat - Percentage of Christian missionaries who go to countries w/a majority of the population professing Christianity is 99%.
    1. We need to penetrate the 10/40 window Why? Because its made up of 60% of the world’s population (3.6 bill people +) 90% are unreached. 85% are the poorest of the world’s poor.
    2. Less than 1/2 of 1% of the mission budget of churches goes to reach the 10/40 Window.
4. [2] SOME MUST GO
5. What a great life investment.
6. What is Missions anyways?
  1. Many would consider sharing with a neighbor missionary work. Is it?
  2. A domestic church plant? [some could be, most aren’t]
  3. So what is Missions? – It is crossing a cultural barrier, to the un-churched, to present the gospel & make disciples & express the genuine love of Christ.
7. But what about the multitude right here in our own city who need Jesus? - Some ask why are you always going overseas? - It comes down to 2 words: Access & Need.
  1. The Need is everywhere; but some do not have any Access to get it.
  2. Robertson McQuilkin, There is 1 full-time evangelical Christian worker for every 200 people in the US; 1 for every 200,000 in India; & 1 for every 2 million in Algeria.
    1. Half the world is out of reach of present gospel witness.
8. [3] ALL MUST SOW
9. Go – doesn’t/can’t mean everyone.
  1. How do I know this? – Acts 13 they separated Paul/Barnabas for the work God had called them to...not all the elders…not the pastor…not the whole church of Antioch.
    1. When they returned, did they rebuke them for not going?
  2. Not all are called to be sent, but all are called to be apart of the discipling of the nations [can you do that here…yes]
  3. But I’m not a pastor - In our day & age many places you can’t go in & do a church plant or be a pastor. There are so many vocations where you can reach millions of lost. Teaching English, construction, computers, helping w/micro-finance, loans, providing jobs w/business overseas.
    1. “To the courageous & creative, few doors are truly shut.”
10. What can I do right now?
  1. Pray earnestly each day for God’s work of world evangelization.
  2. Give sacrificially for this cause.
  3. Consistently share your faith w/non-Christians.
  4. Seek to influence others to become global Christians.
  5. Go anywhere & do anything God desires.
  6. Become a missionary to those beyond the reach of the gospel.
Go and LOVE CM’s MISSION & MOTTO
1. See/grab the new M&M V&V in pews. [same from 2008, just refreshed]
  1. Launch us into a series to go over who we are at CM.
2. God doesn’t give direction for our lives for our consideration. God gives direction assuming participation, action, or obedience.
3. He did not share with us the Great Consideration, nor the Great Contemplation. He gave us The Great Commandment & The Great Commission.
4. God has a world-sized role for every Christian in His global purpose. Perspectives
5. MISSION - States our Aim; our fundamental purpose of why we exist; what we’re supposed to be doing.
  1. To love God completely - To love people authentically - To make disciples globally
    1. To unpack this we’ll into our Motto.
6. MOTTO - The Motto takes our Mission & breaks it down to something that could be placed on a Tee-shirt. A simplified rule to live by.
  1. To live the Great Commandment. Mrk 12:28-34
  2. To fulfill the Great Commission. Mt. 28:18-20
7. [1] TO LIVE THE GREAT COMMANDMENT (read Mrk 12:29-31)
8. The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.
9. (28) Which (of what kind) is the 1st (most imp, foremost, 1st in rank) commandment of all?
  1. The rabbis divided the 613 precepts of the law(248 commands, 365 prohib) into weighty/light
  2. Since they knew no one could keep all of them, they broke them up into 2 categories: Weighty/heavy (more Imp. laws) & Light (less imp. laws)
    1. The problem was if you broke 1, whether heavy & or light, you were guilty before God. For whoever shall keep the whole law, & yet stumble in 1 point, he is guilty of all James 2:10
10. Jesus’ reply was the Shema (Deut.6:4,5) which every pious Pharisee repeated twice a day.
  1. It 1st pointed to the Unity of Deity, The Lord our God is one Lord; and then to man’s chief obligation, to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, & strength. [w/all one’s being]
    1. Love God w/Everything [Heart, soul, mind, strength, possessions, service, our whole life, family, hobbies, time, money, relationships, tax returns, etc.]
      1. To love Him isn’t to have good feelings about Him; True love involves the will, as well as the heart.
    2. Everything devoted to loving God. It does not take much of a man to be a believer, but it takes all there is of him. Kent Hughes, pg.115
11. Jesus then added a 2nd one, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
  1. Because love for God can’t be divorced from love for one’s neighbor; He puts Lev. 19:18 on the same level as the Shema.
  2. Example: Do you like sourdough bread dipped in olive oil & balsamic vinegar?
    1. Have you ever tried dipping in just one? (God says the same)
    2. Don’t try just dipping into just loving Me w/o loving my people; or just loving your fellow man w/o loving Me. (make sure that mix is rt)
    3. John said, If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar. 1 Jn.4:20,21
  3. A total love for God & a sensitive love for others is the essence of a life that pleases God - Love God Completely; Love people authentically.
    1. Now let’s look at how/why we Make disciples globally.
12. [2] TO FULFILL THE GREAT COMMISSION (Mt. 28:18-20)
13. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
14. God has never changed – He’s always been the Global God, the Missionary God.
  1. And has always desired the nations.
15. How it all ends: Rev.5:9,10 You are worthy to take the scroll, & to open its seals; For You were slain, & have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe & tongue & people & nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; & we shall reign on the earth.
  1. Worship song; Gospel song; Missionary song; Priestly song; Prophetic song.
16. Throughout the bible, God displays His election towards Israel, W/His eye on the Nations.
17. Wrap Up:
  1. To live the Great Commandment - To fulfill the Great Commission
    1. If you are a follower of JC it is not to GET the word out, but to simply LET the Word out.
  2. Love God w/everything. He isn’t looking for a part of you, He wants all of you.
  3. Be real with people, no one likes syrupy christians.
  4. Disciple w/your lives, here, there, & everywhere you go.
18. Story: Fritz Kreisler the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn’t able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase that beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay it had been sold to a collector.
  1. Kreisler made his way to the new owner’s home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. “Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?” he asked.
  2. Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector’s emotions were deeply stirred. “I have no right to Slide#25b keep that to myself,” he exclaimed. “It’s yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it.” Thats our commission!
19. Prayer:
  Lord, I have heart trouble [I’m preoccupied w/my own interests &have no room for compassion 4 others]
  I have eye trouble [I don’t see the world w/Your eyes]
  I have head trouble [I’m waiting till everything makes perfect sense in my mind] I have knee trouble [I play at prayer]
  I have ear trouble [Lord you call, but often…I don’t listen]

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Verses 12-20

Intro:
1. Title: Go and…
2. Outline: Go & Believe; Go & Authenticate; Go & Preach. And end with our Mission/Motto Go & Love.
GO and BELIEVE (12-14)
1. Note: did not believe – is repeated 3 x’s (vs.11,13,14)
  1. The disciples were not preprogrammed to believe that Jesus was alive. In fact their unbelief was stubborn. NIV Stubborn refusal to believe.
  2. The only thing that renewed their faith was the appearance of their Res Lord.
2. So why did Jesus specifically rebuke their unbelief & hardness of heart? - Because they didn’t believe that He rose? (Nope) because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
  1. They did not believe the eye witness testimony to the facts…they had seen Him post resurrection.
    1. He was making it clear that the witnesses of His resurrection could & should be trusted.
    2. In order to be valid, faith has to be grounded on facts.
      1. Historical Faith says, “Christ lives”; Saving Faith says, “Christ lives in me!”
3. We’ll come back to vs.15,16.
GO and AUTHENTICATE (17-20)
1. Signs – an evidence that an utterance or action was authentic & trustworthy. Walvoord/Zuck
  1. These signs authenticated the faith of the early believers rather than the personal faith of any one of them.
  2. Brian don’t you believe some of these signs still happen today? Yes, but not to Validate God’s Word (It’s since been penned), but now To build up & edify the body of Christ, as Paul said.
2. So the Word of God was authenticated (confirmed) by…
3. Casting out demons as demonstrated in Acts 16.
  1. Acts 16:16-18 a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation." And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And he came out that very hour.”
4. Speaking with new tongues - These would be intelligible foreign languages not previously known to the speakers.
  1. This was demonstrated at Pentecost & in the life of the early church, and still continues today.
5. Protection from Serpents - This cannot be used as a basis for the deliberate & presumptuous handling of snakes & drinking poison which are practiced by certain extreme religious groups.
  1. It is foolish to tempt God, but not foolish to trust God when obedience to His will takes us into dangerous situations.
    1. “Presumption can kill us, but faith can deliver us.”
  2. This is the practice of certain Tennessee & Kentucky mountain people who handle rattlesnakes and drink strychnine as evidence of their faith. Often called “The Church of God with Signs Following”. [est. 5000 members today]
    1. George Hensley is commonly considered the father of contemporary serpent handling. He was Born around 1880 & died July 25,1955…yep you guessed it...from a snake bite!
  3. Ok, so a better example would be Paul in Acts 28:1-5 when he shook it into the fire.
6. Drinking poison - No examples in Scripture but James shows us the most common deadly poison, But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 3:8
  1. A Medieval proverb reads, “If a Man's life be lightning, his words are thunder.”
7. Lay hands on the sick - Acts 28:8 w/Publius father, one bad case of Diarrhea. Exercised in the early church & still today.
8. Received into heaven, Ascension - The battle was over; the victory was won; the sacrifice He made was accepted, completed, & concluded.
9. Sat down at the rt hand of God, Intercession - Rom.8:34 It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
10. They went out Going & preaching - They went & preached everywhere.
  1. What an opportunity & obligation we have to carry the gospel to the whole world.
11. Indwelling - The Lord working w/them.
  1. He is working w/His people as they take the gospel to every nation.
  2. The message is that this isn’t The End!...but that the risen Lord is still working in & through His people.
  3. Here is the continuing ministry of The Followers of Jesus Christ.
GO and PREACH (15,16)
1. (16) What it doesn’t say: It doesn’t say, “he who does not get baptized will be condemned.” What it does say: But he who does not believe will be condemned.
  1. Belief is always the common denominator in these verses.
    1. i.e. repent & believe; confess w/mouth & believe w/heart; hear His Word & believe; see the Son & believe.
  2. To Believe…is to trust, to depend, to rely upon Christ Jesus.
  3. To be Baptized…is to submit to the ordinance which our Lord fulfilled in the Jordan; to which the 3000 converted ones submitted to at Pentecost; & to which the jailer yielded obedience the very night of his conversion.
    1. Baptism is an outward sign that sets forth our death, burial, & resurrection w/Jesus…& is not to be neglected.
    2. Baptism doesn’t confer salvation; it confirms it.
  4. So, to Go & Preach The Gospel Must Flow, Some Must Go & All Must Sow.
2. [1] THE GOSPEL MUST FLOW
3. The great questions isn’t, will the heathen be saved if we do not send them the gospel? but, Are we ourselves saved if we do not send them the gospel?
  1. You are a missionary or a mission field yourself. You are a missionary or an impostor.
  2. Preach = to announce as a herald. [it was used for an ambassador who had an announcement to make for the king]
    1. You & I have an announcement to make for our King.
    2. And everyone in the world has a right to hear it.
  3. A staggering stat - Percentage of Christian missionaries who go to countries w/a majority of the population professing Christianity is 99%.
    1. We need to penetrate the 10/40 window Why? Because its made up of 60% of the world’s population (3.6 bill people +) 90% are unreached. 85% are the poorest of the world’s poor.
    2. Less than 1/2 of 1% of the mission budget of churches goes to reach the 10/40 Window.
4. [2] SOME MUST GO
5. What a great life investment.
6. What is Missions anyways?
  1. Many would consider sharing with a neighbor missionary work. Is it?
  2. A domestic church plant? [some could be, most aren’t]
  3. So what is Missions? – It is crossing a cultural barrier, to the un-churched, to present the gospel & make disciples & express the genuine love of Christ.
7. But what about the multitude right here in our own city who need Jesus? - Some ask why are you always going overseas? - It comes down to 2 words: Access & Need.
  1. The Need is everywhere; but some do not have any Access to get it.
  2. Robertson McQuilkin, There is 1 full-time evangelical Christian worker for every 200 people in the US; 1 for every 200,000 in India; & 1 for every 2 million in Algeria.
    1. Half the world is out of reach of present gospel witness.
8. [3] ALL MUST SOW
9. Go – doesn’t/can’t mean everyone.
  1. How do I know this? – Acts 13 they separated Paul/Barnabas for the work God had called them to...not all the elders…not the pastor…not the whole church of Antioch.
    1. When they returned, did they rebuke them for not going?
  2. Not all are called to be sent, but all are called to be apart of the discipling of the nations [can you do that here…yes]
  3. But I’m not a pastor - In our day & age many places you can’t go in & do a church plant or be a pastor. There are so many vocations where you can reach millions of lost. Teaching English, construction, computers, helping w/micro-finance, loans, providing jobs w/business overseas.
    1. “To the courageous & creative, few doors are truly shut.”
10. What can I do right now?
  1. Pray earnestly each day for God’s work of world evangelization.
  2. Give sacrificially for this cause.
  3. Consistently share your faith w/non-Christians.
  4. Seek to influence others to become global Christians.
  5. Go anywhere & do anything God desires.
  6. Become a missionary to those beyond the reach of the gospel.
Go and LOVE CM’s MISSION & MOTTO
1. See/grab the new M&M V&V in pews. [same from 2008, just refreshed]
  1. Launch us into a series to go over who we are at CM.
2. God doesn’t give direction for our lives for our consideration. God gives direction assuming participation, action, or obedience.
3. He did not share with us the Great Consideration, nor the Great Contemplation. He gave us The Great Commandment & The Great Commission.
4. God has a world-sized role for every Christian in His global purpose. Perspectives
5. MISSION - States our Aim; our fundamental purpose of why we exist; what we’re supposed to be doing.
  1. To love God completely - To love people authentically - To make disciples globally
    1. To unpack this we’ll into our Motto.
6. MOTTO - The Motto takes our Mission & breaks it down to something that could be placed on a Tee-shirt. A simplified rule to live by.
  1. To live the Great Commandment. Mrk 12:28-34
  2. To fulfill the Great Commission. Mt. 28:18-20
7. [1] TO LIVE THE GREAT COMMANDMENT (read Mrk 12:29-31)
8. The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.
9. (28) Which (of what kind) is the 1st (most imp, foremost, 1st in rank) commandment of all?
  1. The rabbis divided the 613 precepts of the law(248 commands, 365 prohib) into weighty/light
  2. Since they knew no one could keep all of them, they broke them up into 2 categories: Weighty/heavy (more Imp. laws) & Light (less imp. laws)
    1. The problem was if you broke 1, whether heavy & or light, you were guilty before God. For whoever shall keep the whole law, & yet stumble in 1 point, he is guilty of all James 2:10
10. Jesus’ reply was the Shema (Deut.6:4,5) which every pious Pharisee repeated twice a day.
  1. It 1st pointed to the Unity of Deity, The Lord our God is one Lord; and then to man’s chief obligation, to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, & strength. [w/all one’s being]
    1. Love God w/Everything [Heart, soul, mind, strength, possessions, service, our whole life, family, hobbies, time, money, relationships, tax returns, etc.]
      1. To love Him isn’t to have good feelings about Him; True love involves the will, as well as the heart.
    2. Everything devoted to loving God. It does not take much of a man to be a believer, but it takes all there is of him. Kent Hughes, pg.115
11. Jesus then added a 2nd one, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
  1. Because love for God can’t be divorced from love for one’s neighbor; He puts Lev. 19:18 on the same level as the Shema.
  2. Example: Do you like sourdough bread dipped in olive oil & balsamic vinegar?
    1. Have you ever tried dipping in just one? (God says the same)
    2. Don’t try just dipping into just loving Me w/o loving my people; or just loving your fellow man w/o loving Me. (make sure that mix is rt)
    3. John said, If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar. 1 Jn.4:20,21
  3. A total love for God & a sensitive love for others is the essence of a life that pleases God - Love God Completely; Love people authentically.
    1. Now let’s look at how/why we Make disciples globally.
12. [2] TO FULFILL THE GREAT COMMISSION (Mt. 28:18-20)
13. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
14. God has never changed – He’s always been the Global God, the Missionary God.
  1. And has always desired the nations.
15. How it all ends: Rev.5:9,10 You are worthy to take the scroll, & to open its seals; For You were slain, & have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe & tongue & people & nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; & we shall reign on the earth.
  1. Worship song; Gospel song; Missionary song; Priestly song; Prophetic song.
16. Throughout the bible, God displays His election towards Israel, W/His eye on the Nations.
17. Wrap Up:
  1. To live the Great Commandment - To fulfill the Great Commission
    1. If you are a follower of JC it is not to GET the word out, but to simply LET the Word out.
  2. Love God w/everything. He isn’t looking for a part of you, He wants all of you.
  3. Be real with people, no one likes syrupy christians.
  4. Disciple w/your lives, here, there, & everywhere you go.
18. Story: Fritz Kreisler the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn’t able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase that beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay it had been sold to a collector.
  1. Kreisler made his way to the new owner’s home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. “Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?” he asked.
  2. Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector’s emotions were deeply stirred. “I have no right to Slide#25b keep that to myself,” he exclaimed. “It’s yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it.” Thats our commission!
19. Prayer:
  Lord, I have heart trouble [I’m preoccupied w/my own interests &have no room for compassion 4 others]
  I have eye trouble [I don’t see the world w/Your eyes]
  I have head trouble [I’m waiting till everything makes perfect sense in my mind] I have knee trouble [I play at prayer]
  I have ear trouble [Lord you call, but often…I don’t listen]

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Copyright Statement
These files are the property of Brian Bell.
Text Courtesy of Calvary Chapel of Murrieta. Used by Permission.

Bibliographical Information
Bell, Brian. "Commentary on Mark 16". "Bell's Commentary". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/cbb/mark-16.html. 2017.

Bible CommentariesMark 16

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Verses 1-8

Verses 1-8

Verses 9-11

Verses 9-11

Verses 12-20

Verses 12-20

Bible Commentaries
Mark 16