Gospel Living

33  Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34  When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. Jesus and His disciples seek out a deserted place near the Sea of Galilee for a needed reprieve.  As they set sail, people in nearby towns recognized them and followed along the shoreline.  Perhaps Jesus and the disciples faced a headwind, and the younger of the Galileans ran ahead, but a crowd begins to form ahead of where they come ashore.  While some might be irritated or discouraged by a gathering in what was supposed to be an area of desolation, Jesus is moved to compassion. Jesus is moved to compassion because they are like sheep without a shepherd.   The Lord chooses to show compassion on whomever He chooses (Ex 33:19), and we’ve seen Him move because of it (Mark 1:41).  Yet, Jesus’s h

30  The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31  And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32  And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. The apostles return after their apostolic mission.  They dutifully but joyfully report all that transpired on their first journey.  We can see a lesson in just verse 30—ministers of Christ are responsible for what they do in ministry, and they must teach the doctrine of the Lord.  Even so, they’ve been burdened now with ministry for some time, and we see in this passage that rest is beneficial. The Lord modeled rest .  The fact that God created us to need sleep evidences this, and in this passage, it’s clear that they needed a reprieve from their swamped ministry.  Moreover, while as the pre-incarnate Creator, He didn’t need it, He still rested on the seventh day (Gn 2:1–

Steven Lawson preached in the twelfth session of the 2017 G3 Conference.  His topic was, "The Reformation Was a Recovery of the Gospel." NOTE:  All content of the G3 Conference is protected under copyright law.  You can share content, but we ask that you place a link back to the G3Conference.com website or YouTube.com channel when you share.

But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22  For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23  And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” … 26  And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. … 29  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. Herodias unsuccessfully plotted to murder John the Baptist until this point because her husband had him arrested.  On this strategic night, she finally persuades Herod to follow through with her plan.  Herod knew it would be wrong, but he sinned nonetheless because of two reasons. Herod fell to his temptations.  Lust was obviously a problem for Herod, for he stole his b

But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22  For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” … 24  And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” … 27  And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28  and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. We’ve been seeing the depth of sin in the Herod’s household, including the unlawful marriage between Herod Antipas and Herodias.  John the Baptist highlighted this sin and called them to repentance.  Herod knew it was the word of a true prophet (v. 20) but never repented; Herodias hated John and sought his life (v. 19).  This night pr

Good morning, church! We know Jesus as a friend of tax collectors and sinners (Mt 11:19)—an expression meant to be deride our Lord, but one of great hope to those who see themselves as sinner. Jesus won’t be satisfied to leave sinners as they are; He calls them to transformation. He calls all who have sin to repent and believe in the gospel. With that said, we have a simple outline this morning. First, Jesus calls sinners (vv. 13–14), and second, Jesus doesn’t call the self-righteous (vv. 15–17). Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz_TmqAudFo Audio: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=32217152384 Notes: PDF:  http://playpdf.sa-media.com/media/32217152384/32217152384.pdf Jesus, a Friend to Sinners | Mark 2:13–17 Shaun Marksbury | Morning Service | 19 March, 2017 Heavenly Father, • We thank You for sending a true friend to sinners.  May we see Him today in Your Holy Word. I. Introduction It’s an oddity that believers become self

We are losing the local church, and you need to listen to this sermon. Voddie Baucham preached in the eleventh session of the 2017 G3 Conference. His topic was, "The Need for Reformation in Evangelical Ecclesiology." NOTE: All content of the G3 Conference is protected under copyright law. You can share content, but we ask that you place a link back to the G3Conference.com website or YouTube.com channel when you share.

This post is in lieu of the morning devotional. Conrad Mbewe preached in the tenth session of the 2017 G3 Conference.  His subject was, "Biblical Reformation Requires Courageous Preachers of God's Word." NOTE:  All content of the G3 Conference is protected under copyright law.  You can share content, but we ask that you place a link back to the G3Conference.com website or YouTube.com channel when you share.

17  For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. 18  For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19  And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 20  for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. The house of Herod was a nest of sin.  It wasn’t a biblical reign over Israel, but instead established by Rome.  It didn’t herald the One “born king of the Jews” (Mt 2:2) but instead tried to murder Him (vv. 16–18).  And in this text, it alternatively arrested and sought to kill a prophet of God who called for its repentance.  A specific sin had caught the attention of John the Baptist.  Herod Antipas had stolen the wife of his brother (Philip), a flagrant disregard for God’

The world's issue du jour . As we consider the cultural conversations swirling around, we must do so with caution and wisdom.  Our commitments today set our churches on trajectories, and may they be God-oriented ones.  Whereas a dedicated love of neighbor seems to fit that description, it may not.  To help us see the danger in this, we need only to learn from the decline of mainline denominations. Wayne Grudem in his Systematic Theology (pp. 875-876) gives this helpful description of liberal Protestant churches: It is helpful at this point to remember that classical liberal Protestantism is humanistic, and its approaches are primarily man-centered rather than God-centered. When a church begins to stray from faithfulness to Christ, this will be evident not only in the shift to impure doctrine (which can sometimes be concealed from church members by the use of evasive language) ...  Pausing here for a moment is important to our understanding, because we often think of churc

Phil Johnson preached in the ninth session of the 2017 G3 Conference.  His topic was, "Love Not the World."  NOTE:  All content of the G3 Conference is protected under copyright law.  You can share content, but we ask that you place a link back to the G3Conference.com website or YouTube.com channel when you share.

14  King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15  But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16  But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” King Herod I was appointed by Rome, so he wasn’t “born king of the Jews” (cf. Mt 2:2).  After he died in 4 BC, Rome appointed one of his sons tetrarch over Galilee, “King” Herod Antipas.  The Herods held their power tenaciously, having no reason to believe God would protect their position. Moreover, Antipas, like the rest of us, was a sinner, only with power.  As we’ll see in vv. 17–18, he’d stolen his brother’s wife for himself.  He eventually executed John the Baptist (vv. 19–29).  He was a man given over to his desires, and we see the guilt eating away at him as he hears about Jesus. He hears that Jesus may b

D.A. Carson preached in the eighth session of the 2017 G3 Conference.  His topic was, "Soli Deo Gloria." NOTE:  All content of the G3 Conference is protected under copyright law.  You can share content, but we ask that you place a link back to the G3Conference.com website or YouTube.com channel when you share.

This message was delivered at a combined service at Quacco Baptist Church. First, Jesus authoritatively preaches the Word (vv. 1–4)   A. Where people are gathered, Jesus preaches the Word (vv. 1–2)   B. Where the teaching of Jesus is, people bring friends to Him (vv. 3–4) Second, Jesus authoritatively reveals hearts (vv. 5–8)   A. He knew and is able to forgive the sins of the paralytic (v. 5)   B. He exposes the thoughts of the scribes (vv. 6–8) Third, Jesus authoritatively forgives sins (vv. 9–10) Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rQhm-ajqFM Audio: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=313171838201 Notes PDF:  http://playpdf.sa-media.com/media/313171838201/313171838201.pdf ·         I.                Introduction In the previous chapter, Jesus heals the unhealable.  A person with the incurable disease of leprosy made his way to Jesus and found cleansing.   Jesus gave this man two commands: “say nothing to anyone… show yourself to the p

2            In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;             let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised. 3            For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,             and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord. 4            In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;             all his thoughts are, “There is no God.” 5            His ways prosper at all times;             your judgments are on high, out of his sight;             as for all his foes, he puffs at them. 6            He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;             throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.” Depravity twists the desires and inclinations of the human heart.  A younger person, though still a sinner, might be more sympathetic to the plight of others, but training in unrighteousness warps and hardens him to the poor and afflicted.  All are born in sin, but the wicked engage in planned rebellion agains

He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9  but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10  And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11  And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12  So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. We’re continuing to look at the sending of the apostles, and here, Jesus’s instructions to them seem strange.  They’re to bring nothing with them—no provisions.  They’re certainly sent with an urgency, but also with a lesson.  Even though they have supernatural authority (v. 7), must still trust in the Lord for their provisions.  There’s also a hint here as to how God expects His ministers to live. The apostles had to take nothing .  They weren’t to model wealth (sporting two tunics), nor were they to bring ev

And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. … 12  So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13  And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. God announced His message with miracles, both in Jesus Christ and in His apostles.  Jesus appointed these twelve back in chapter three, and now we come to the reason He originally called them (3:13–15).  They’ll be His “sent ones” (or the apostles from the Greek).  While other apostles appear in Scripture, these are in that special category of specifically being sent by Jesus Christ, those who would later be witnesses of His resurrection (Acts 1:22).  As such, Jesus would give them authority that no other disciple would have.  His apostles could work supernaturally.   Throughout the Book of Mark, we’ve seen the wonders of Jesus, but the idea that He could distribute His power to others is greater still.  Casti

James White preached in the seventh session of the 2017 G3 Conference.  His topic was, "The Atonement: The Strongest Refutation of Rome's Eucharistic Errors." NOTE: All content of the G3 Conference is protected under copyright law. You can share content, but we ask that you place a link back to the G3Conference.com website or YouTube.com channel when you share. (For the time being, I'm not posting any more Wednesday night sessions as our church begins our transition process. I'll continue to search for and post good content in its place.)

4  And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5  And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6  And he marveled because of their unbelief.  And he went about among the villages teaching. Others marveled at Christ (5:20; 15:5), but here, Christ is astounded at faithlessness amid His truth and verifiable miracles.  Last time, we considered the scandal of Christ, that He brings the truth too near to bear on the collective soul of Nazarene people.  They knew Him as a child, so they couldn’t believe that He had the power to heal, even though they were witnessing it firsthand.  The bigger stumbling block was that He now preached repentance and belief in His gospel message (1:14–15; 6:2).  Their initial excitement faded to offense.  They may have believed in God, but they disbelieved they needed to apply His message. They disbelieved by

He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2  And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3  Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. It’s difficult to imagine that the Christian sitting in the pew next to us is, well, not a Christian.  It’s even more difficult to imagine that you might not be the believer that you claim to be.  Even so, we see a repeated theme in the gospels—members of the God-believing covenant community coming to Christ, having good initial reactions to Him, but ultimately rejecting Him in their own lives.  In this passage, as well as the following verses, we not only see believer who prove themselves to be unbelievers, but we see

We had the opportunity to hear another preacher last Sunday, which means that I don't have a sermon to post today.  In lieu of that, here is another message from the G3 Conference. Paul Washer preached in the sixth session of the 2017 G3 Conference.  His topic was, "The Sufficiency of Scripture: God's Church God's Way." NOTE:  All content of the G3 Conference is protected under copyright law.  You can share content, but we ask that you place a link back to the G3Conference.com website or YouTube.com channel when you share.

Here's an excellent excerpt from a recent Q & A with John MacArthur at Grace Community Church.  The question concerned how to deal with “transgendered” people: I've only had five minutes to get further into my next Mark devotional, so I'll have to push that back to Monday so I can get to work on Sunday's sermon.  I apologize for missing it, and I'm hoping to have a couple of days coming up to catch back up.  I also hope this helps you as you're thinking through this emotional cultural issue.

Our normally scheduled devotional will appear tomorrow.  In its place, here's Steven Lawson preaching the fifth session of the 2017 G3 Conference.  His topic was, "Justification by Faith Alone." NOTE:  All content of the G3 Conference is protected under copyright law.  You can share content, but we ask that you place a link back to the G3Conference.com website or YouTube.com channel when you share.

Here is the fourth message from the G3 Conference where he teaches on ministry lessons from Deuteronomy 17:14-20.

38  They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39  And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40  And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41  Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42  And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43  And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. Jesus, the disciples, and Jairus walk alone toward the house, and Jairus has been wondering what Jesus could do.  He’s with Jesus in faith that something could be done for his precious little girl, but now their ears are greeted with

35  While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36  But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37  And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. There are lengths of our journey where it seems that life gets worse while we’re with Jesus, and faith begins to run dry.  Jairus must have felt that way—he came to Jesus asking Him to come and heal his daughter (vv. 22–24).  However, Jesus delays and heals someone else (vv. 24–34), and now the message of his daughter’s death (v. 35).  He risked ridicule and scorn from the scribes and Pharisees, came to Jesus, and seemingly, all for naught. Perhaps the messengers pulled Jairus aside while Jesus healed this girl, but Jesus still overheard the conversation.  He speaks directly to Jairus and says, “Do not fear, only believe.”  Luke notes tha