Mark chapter 3, have you ever just felt overwhelmed?
!
We all deal with stressful circumstances that seem bigger than anyone could ever imagine.
And I believe Hebrews chapter 4 verse 15 is reassuring when it talks about our Lord Jesus.
For it says,
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Today we look at Mark chapter 3.
I don't believe Jesus is overwhelmed here, I'll be honest with you.
But he had a lot going on.
He was under a lot of pressure.
He had disciples that he were about to call his apostles that were under a lot of pressure.
However, Jesus, I believe, gives us great guidance in this passage about those times that are overwhelming.
This scripture, this passage is considered a transitional passage by most theologians.
That it's showing a transition between the time of Jesus, when he left Capernaum,
he traveled throughout Judea, preaching.
And as people came, healing.
It was a great movement of God.
As Christ spoke the gospel.
As people's lives were changed.
The crowds grew.
And it was amazing.
And after this passage, what we'll look at next week is when he calls the apostles
to fully, full-time engage with him.
To follow him.
So that he can begin, as A.B. Bruce calls it, the training of the twelve.
And what you'll see after that point is every time Jesus has an interaction with folks,
it's a teaching time for those disciples.
He was teaching them how to share.
He was empowering them with gifts of miracles.
And as well, he was preparing them to establish the church that we see in the book of Acts.
The church that we're benefactors to today.
So it is a transitional time.
But it's a few verses that share the background or the atmosphere
and how it changes in this timeline of the ministry of Christ.
But I believe it's also much more than that.
More than a transition.
It also shows us how Jesus shows us how to make transitions.
He tells us how to deal with the overwhelming.
He tells us how to handle life when it seems like it's pressing in on us.
And he does that not through teaching it, but through showing it.
I want you to see this.
It's in Mark chapter 3, beginning in verse 7.
And it says this.
When you look at a map and see where people are transitioning to Jesus,
it is quite amazing.
Scripture says they come from Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem,
Idumea, and from beyond the Jordan and from the Tyre and from Sidon.
And they're coming from all over Israel to see Jesus.
From the southern deserts that approach Egypt to the northern coast.
From the heart of the country to the east bank of the Jordan.
And the heart of the country to the east bank of the Jordan.
It is a wide area.
Those that traveled from the south traveled as much as 100 miles by foot to get to Jesus.
The only part of this surrounding area that's not mentioned is Samaria.
Now there's another area on the other side of the Jordan called the Decapolis.
That was 10 Roman-based cities in that area.
But we already know from previous passages that Jesus has ministered in that area.
But Samaria is different.
Mark, throughout the gospel of Mark, never mentions Samaria.
There was a lot of tension with Samaria and the rest of the surrounding region.
And it comes back to what happened years before this.
When the Assyrians besieged Samaria in 722 BC,
they deported many of the Israelites, scattering them.
Then they moved other people into Samaria with the remaining Samaritans.
So you had people all over the world, known world, coming into that area.
And when they came in with those Samaritans,
they were, not only did they come, but they brought all their gods with them,
all their false beliefs with them.
And then they get in there with Samaritans and they marry.
And Solomon teaches us that when you marry people that have other faiths and other religions,
that it can pollute you in your walk with God.
And that's exactly what happened to him because he had a thousand women from all over the world,
as Solomon did.
And he got intoxicated with all of that and got off track.
And he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes to say, I messed up.
I missed it.
And so what happened here in Samaria was this intermarriage and this compromise of faith among believers,
there was a lack of racial purity, which was a big deal among these folk.
And Samaritans were called half-breed dogs.
You didn't go to Samaria.
It was tense for generations afterwards, including the time in which Christ walked in those days.
All of these places are listed, but not Samaria.
And that's probably why.
John records that later that Jesus made a point to go through Samaria.
John 4 says Jesus had to go through Samaria.
You don't have to go through Samaria.
You make your way around it.
That's like saying that you have to go down a New York City dark alley at midnight.
You don't have to.
You can go around a block.
You didn't have to go through Samaria, but Jesus, it says, had to go through Samaria.
And you know what happened when he went through Samaria.
He met a woman at the well.
He changed her life, and she went and told others.
And when he met that woman at the well, he broke racial barriers.
He broke gender barriers.
Every barrier with the gospel, as we should.
However, in this passage, Samaritans are not mentioned here.
So all of these people are coming.
They're rushing to the point of possibly crushing him, as it says in verse 9.
That word crushing there is the same word they use for the wine press when they throw the grapes into the bin and walk on those grapes, squeezing out those juice.
Hopefully they wash their feet before they did that.
If not, there's a little extra twang in that juice.
But they crush those grapes.
And that's the word there that he speaks of when he says that they were crushing him, lest they crush him.
So what do you do when everything starts pressing in on you?
It says in verse 10 that people were pressing.
They came from all over, and the pressures were pressing.
We looked last week at the Pharisees and the Herodians who plotted against Christ.
The expectations of the people were pressing.
People had their wants of what he was supposed to be and what he was supposed to do.
And he had a mission that he was to follow for our salvation.
And all of this is pressing in on Christ.
And I believe when we see how he deals with it, how he deals with pressing matters, that we can better know how we can deal with it.
Because he's our example.
He's the one that not only empowers us, but he's the one that also gives us our example.
So what do you do when you face pressing matters?
Let's learn from the master.
The first thing, when life presses in, withdraw.
When things get tight, Jesus has a plan.
And he had a plan of action then.
He said, have me a boat ready at all times.
Now, I've spoke of this before.
I'll be quick.
But that boat could have been used for amplification process, for amplification on that water.
Because if people start crowding in and they can't hear, he can get out in that boat.
I've been on the Sea of Galilee.
I've been in a boat that was supposed to be like those boats that they were in, much larger than the one that he asked for, which is more like a dinghy.
But the reality is, I've been on those boats and I've seen other tourists on other boats and I've heard their conversations across the water as they've heard our conversations across the water.
Because if you spend much time on the water, you know it's amplification.
But it appears that here, and it was used for that by Christ more times than one in Scripture.
But it appears here that it was there instead for evacuation purposes.
He needed a plan of escape because they were crushing.
We need a plan of escape.
Even a pattern of escape.
And I want you to listen to me this morning.
I want you to hear me out.
Because I don't want you to misunderstand this.
Take it out of context or get half of it.
I don't mean run away.
I don't mean we leave our family.
That's of the devil.
Okay?
I don't mean that at all.
I don't mean that you leave your job.
Unless that's what God's telling you to do.
And I would encourage you to try to secure another one before you leave that one.
Just personal advice, not from Scripture.
But I encourage you to do that.
I don't mean leave your church.
And I sure don't mean neglecting meeting together, as the Hebrew writer said, as some are in the habit of doing.
I don't mean that either.
No.
I mean we better make some time to be set apart.
We need a time of quiet with the Lord.
And we need it often.
And we need it daily.
Mark chapter 1 verse 35 that we looked at a few weeks ago says,
And rising very early in the morning while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place.
And there he prayed.
It was the Lord's pattern to get up early and pray.
Now listen, I'm a morning person.
And I like doing it that way as well.
I'm kind of like my, I had a veterinarian.
He didn't treat me.
He tripped my dog.
But in Mississippi.
And he was primarily a cow doctor.
That's what he did.
He took care of people's cattle for the most part.
But he opened his office from 6 to 8 a.m. in the morning.
And that was it.
If you had a pet and wanted to see him, you bring it from 6 to 8.
And you know what he said?
He said, because that's the only people I like are people that get up between 6 and 8.
That's the only people he dealt with.
I'm a morning person.
And so all the morning people in the crowd look at Mark 1 verse 35 and say,
Yeah, that's exactly how you're supposed to do it.
You're supposed to get up in the dark and spend time with the Lord as Jesus did.
However, at 10 p.m., the night owls are just starting.
And all those folks that got up with the Lord in the dark and with the chickens,
about 10 o'clock are folding up their spiritual wings and getting mighty cranky and getting ungodly.
It's a good thing they did get up in the morning with the Lord.
I realize everybody works on a different schedule.
At night, Dawn looks at me and says,
Why are you going to bed this early?
And in the a.m. I look at her and say, Why aren't you getting up now?
I mean, I don't say it.
I think it.
And you're not going to tell her.
And I'm sure she wasn't listening.
Folks are different.
We're different.
And how it works, how you work that out between you and the Lord is up to you and the Lord.
But I want to make some suggestions to you.
One is spend time with God daily.
You need the spiritual nourishment of withdrawing to be with the Lord.
We live in a wicked world, an evil world, a pressure-filled world, a tempting world.
And you need time with the Lord daily.
I hope and pray that every time you come here,
that you get a blessing from every song that's sang,
that you're uplifted through the prayers,
that you're challenged and encouraged through the Word of God.
I know Brian works hard to make that happen on his part.
I try my best to do everything I can to prepare for this time.
Because I do believe it don't look like a desk anymore.
But it is a sacred desk.
It is the opportunity for us to go before God.
And I take that seriously.
But I got news for you.
This ain't enough.
You got to have time with God.
You need to spend time with God daily.
Secondly, spend time with God first.
And I realize that it's easy for one that gets up early to say that.
However, it only makes sense to spend time with God first.
I mean, in Ephesians chapter 6,
it explains our spiritual preparation
as if it was a body of armor that we put on,
a spiritual armor that we put on.
When do you put the armor on for battle?
When you're done?
Or before you go into battle?
I spent 25 years every Friday in the fall
speaking to football teams
and telling guys,
taking some battle from the Old Testament
and saying,
you need to go out there
and kill somebody
in the name of Jesus.
I had the opportunity to do that
for high schools,
for colleges on Saturday.
It's a blessing to have that kind of opportunity.
And I always enjoyed it.
But we did that before the game.
You're licking wounds and celebrating afterwards.
But you do that before the game.
If you need directions to go somewhere,
I would advise you get them before you go.
And I don't like anybody telling me where to go.
I don't.
Okay?
So my GPS is silent.
And I pray that the people in my car are silent as well.
But that's another matter.
But my GPS is silent.
I don't need them barking at me about where to turn.
But because of that,
sometimes I'll miss a turn.
I won't look up and see that.
So I'll miss that turn.
And we'll go another way around to do that.
It would have been best
if I knew I was making that turn
before I got to the turn.
Listen, friend.
There's going to be turns in your day today
that you don't know that's coming.
And you need preparation for that
before it comes.
It only makes sense to start your day
with the Lord.
Get your direction daily first.
And then schedule seasons of withdrawal.
You need to pull away.
whether it is for a day
or for an hour,
you need to just sit before the Lord.
I'm thankful
that this past week
through benefactors and sponsors
that work with Billy Graham's Training Center
and through your church's,
this church's generosity
to give us the time to do that.
Dawn and I was able to go
to the Billy Graham Training Center
at the Cove this past week.
Sat under Erwin Lutzer for three days.
Erwin Lutzer,
legendary pastor of Moody Church
for over 30 years.
Pastor emeritus there.
He's written a ton of books
and just sat at his feet
and listened to a good godly man
share the wisdom.
Spend time together
in God's beautiful nature
and just,
just to decompress
and just to take it in
and just to be fed.
I'm telling you,
you need to schedule seasons
of withdrawal.
Now,
sometimes I may do that
on a walk.
I had a health crisis
earlier this year
and it's caused me
to have to build back my strength
and when I was in cardiac rehab,
they had me go down the hallway
and walk for six minutes
at a brisk pace
to measure how far I walked
and they said,
what's your goal
at the end of this time together?
And I said
to do a 10 mile hike
in the mountains
and they said,
well,
we're hoping to get
100 feet more out of you
and I said,
well,
we're about nine and a half miles
different between me and you.
The reality is
to walk down a trail
by the river
in the mountains
is therapy for me.
It does me a world of good
and it don't take the place
of my time with God
but I'll tell you,
it is a time with God.
For me,
when I see the beauty
of creation
and see what God's made,
it reminds me
of how great our God is.
It's reassuring to me
to see that
and so it's been my prayer
and I'd encourage you
praying with me
that I'd have the opportunity
to be able to do that.
Again,
I think I could
but we'll see
because you need
and it's different
for different folks.
Sometimes,
you may need
a rod and reel
in your hand.
You might need
a tree stand.
You might need
a ride down the road.
Quiet moments
of reflection
with the Lord.
Now,
again,
I told you,
you need to listen
closely this morning.
That does not
take the place
of worship.
That does not
take the place
of corporate worship
on the Lord's Day.
It does not
take the place
of personal worship
daily.
So,
don't tell me
my daily time
with God
is while I'm
driving down
123.
Don't do that
because you're
full of ungodly
thoughts when you're
driving down
Highway 123
in the morning.
Okay?
I promise you.
So,
don't do that.
It's not the same
but I think
you need both.
It does not
take the place
of worship.
We dedicate
ourselves
to not forsake
the assembly
of the people
of God.
However,
you need time
to withdraw.
And Jesus knew
the disciples
needed that.
They needed time
to pull away.
We do as well.
And you say,
well,
I'm so busy.
Listen,
you are not
too busy
for that.
There's a book
that was written
years ago
called Too Busy
Not to Pray.
The reality is
if your schedule
is so busy,
it's too busy.
And so,
you need to
ask the Lord
in this very hour,
God,
show me
what I need
to do different
in my life
to make time
for you.
We are not
busier than Jesus
nor are we
doing as important
a work
as he did.
When life
presses in,
you need to
withdraw.
Not only that,
but when life
presses in,
you need to
minister.
I want you
to notice
what Jesus
did.
His aim
was to pull
away with
his disciples.
However,
the people
just kept
coming.
They kept
coming.
They were
coming from
all over
and they
were pushy.
They were
so eager
to be healed,
they were
trying to
touch his
garment.
But when
one tries
to touch
and the
other behind
him is
trying to
touch
and the
other behind
him is
trying to
touch,
it became
a mob
mentality,
a somewhat
chaotic
atmosphere to
the point
that he
told him
to have
that boat
behind him
at all
times ready
for evacuation.
He knew
he had to be
able to pull
away from
all of that.
His priority
was to
preach,
to impact
lives for
eternity,
not just for
temporal healing,
and to train
his disciples.
However,
I want you to
notice that he
always took
time to
minister.
He still
meets needs.
needs.
The scribes
are questioning
him and
trying to
set him
up.
The people
are pushing
their way
in.
He felt
the need
to withdraw
with his
disciples,
but even
with that,
he still
ministered.
He never
stopped meeting
needs.
You know
what that
tells me?
That tells
me that we
need to be
careful when
we go through
pressing
matters.
Because when
we go through
pressing
matters,
God will
still put
people in
our path
that need
Jesus.
Let's be
honest,
it's easy
to get
selfish when
things get
pressing.
But the
reality is
God still
puts people
before you
that need
Jesus.
Many have
come here
today,
and you need
God to
intervene in
your life.
There's a
matter in
your life
that you
need God
to intervene
in your
life,
and you
come in
here today
with a
heavy heart.
Maybe it's
the life of
a loved
one.
Your heart
is heavy
for that
person's
life,
or maybe
it's another
pressing
matter in
your life.
You've
come in
here with
that.
I got
news for
you.
You're
not alone
in that.
You're
not the
only one
experiencing
that.
I've
learned
through
long-term
pastorates
that,
and I
hope I'm
able to
be here
a long
time,
but I've
learned
there's a
pain on
every pew.
I said
that one
time to
another
pastor,
and he
said,
yeah,
the key
is to
find out
who they
are.
And I
said,
no,
that's not
what I
meant.
That's
not what
I meant,
you bunch
of
darlings.
It's not
what I
meant at
all.
The reality
is,
until you
sit beside
somebody's
hospital bed,
until you
walk through
a line by
some casket,
you don't
really get the
opportunity
to really
get to
know them.
I wish
y'all
knew you
very well,
all of
you.
But the
reality is,
doing this
for an
hour,
don't allow
that to
happen,
just alone.
That's why I
always encourage
you to be a
part of more
than just
this.
But besides
that,
when calamity
comes,
you can walk
through somebody
and pray with
somebody through
that.
You build a
relationship
with them.
You get to
know them.
That's where
ministry really,
really is.
And so I
want you to
remember something
when you come
in this place
every day.
Instead of
coming in
saying,
what can I
get today?
No matter
how many
pressing
matters are
on your
heart,
I want you
to try to
think,
what can I
give today?
who is
God going
to place
in my
path?
Not in
your way
to get
out for
lunch,
that's not
what I
said,
in your
path.
Sometimes
it's a
call that
comes when
you don't
want to
get a
call.
Sometimes
it's a
visit that
comes when
you don't
want to
get a
visit,
you want
to be
left
alone.
Sometimes
it's an
interruption
when we
don't want
to be
bothered.
But
Jesus was
not looking
to minister,
he was
looking to
withdraw.
However,
when people
needed a
word from
God,
when people
needed a
touch of
healing,
when people
needed a
loving
response,
he was
always ready
to give
it.
I think
about the
time when
the little
girl was
dying.
They
asked him
to come
and on
his way
a woman
came to
him that
had a
issue of
blood.
She was
dying.
And he
paused in
what he
was doing
and said,
who touched
me?
And people
were all
around him
and the
disciples were
like,
everybody's
touching you,
what are you
talking about?
He changed
that lady's
life.
When he
got to
the young
girl who
had died
before he
got there,
they panicked,
they said he
was too late.
He said,
I ain't too
late.
That's my
version.
I ain't too
late.
And that
little girl
came back
to life.
But he
made time.
I want you
to hear me.
He made
time for
something that
wasn't on
the schedule.
So let's
not be
selfish in
the midst
of our
difficulty.
It is so
easy for us
to shelf
ourselves until
everything in
our life is
right.
I'm not
ready to
serve the
Lord right
now because
I've got,
I've got to
get some
things right.
Listen,
everything in
your life is
never going
to be right.
That's why
you need to
depend upon
the Lord.
And that's
not a
criticism.
That's for
all of us
folks.
There's always
going to be a
missing piece
somewhere.
And if we
wait until
everything's
settled before
we get serious
about the
Lord, we'll
never get
serious about
the Lord.
So serve
the Lord
even when
matters are
pressing in.
Understand,
you're not in
this alone.
There's others.
And not only
that, but
this.
When life is
pressing in,
silence the
demons.
Silence the
demons.
Notice there
were unclean
and demonic
spirits that
came near as
well.
And what this
means is that
there were
people filled
with demons,
possessed with
demons that
were coming as
well.
Demons were
speaking through
those people and
they immediately
started acknowledging
who Christ was.
The demons
did.
even the
religious leaders
didn't recognize
him as the
Lord.
Matter of fact,
they were
trying to
kill him.
They were
already plotting
against him.
We're only in
Mark chapter 3,
but they're
already trying
to kill him.
But the
demons knew
who he was.
And when they
saw him, they
fell down before
him.
The sick
fell into him,
pushing to get
to him.
The demons
fell down before
him in panic
and submission.
The demons
then seem to
give him
praise, but he
shuts them up.
He silences
them.
They praise him,
but he silences
them.
What in the
world is going
on with that?
Why would he
silence them?
Well, we get a
couple of clues
from Scripture.
One of them is in
Acts 16, 16
through 18, when
Paul and Silas,
Luke's with them
because he's
writing about it,
and it says Paul
and Silas is
ministering, it
says this,
as we were
going to the
place of prayer,
we were met
by a slave
girl who had
a spirit of
divination and
brought her
owners much
gain by fortune
telling.
She followed
Paul and us
crying out,
these men are
servants of the
most high God
who proclaim to
you the way of
salvation.
That would
seem like an
acclamation.
And this she
kept doing for
many days.
Paul, having
been greatly
annoyed, turned
and said to the
spirit, I command
you in the name
of Jesus Christ
to come out of
her.
And it came
out that very
hour.
Scripture says
that Paul got
annoyed with her,
not so much her,
but the demons
that were in her
that had taken her
over.
Why?
Because they were
speaking well of
him.
He got annoyed
and he cast out
the demon because
it was hurting his
witness.
Because this girl
was known to be
able to tell
fortunes.
Because she was
demon possessed,
and because she was
demon empowered with
a supernatural power
that came from
demons.
And she had
people who owned
her, who were
prostituting her out
for fortune
telling.
She was not
known to walk
with the Lord.
People knew what
her reputation was.
So by giving them
praise and sounding
as if she aligned
with them, the
reality is it
either weakened
their ministry
because they were
aligned with
somebody who was
not of God, or
either she was
elevating herself.
But either way,
it wasn't working.
Therefore, at least
partially, to silence
her, he cast out
the prophet-making
demon.
And the people who
owned her were not
happy with that
because they just
lost their fortune
through her.
not only that,
but I want you to
notice in Matthew
chapter 16, verse
21 through 23, it
says this.
From that time, Jesus
began to show his
disciples that he must
go to Jerusalem and
suffer many things for
the elders and the
chief priests and the
scribes and be killed
and on the third day be
raised.
And Peter took him
aside and began to
rebuke him, saying,
Far be it from you,
Lord, this shall never
happen to you.
But he turned and said
to Peter, get behind
me, Satan.
You're a hindrance to
me, for you're not
setting your mind on
the things of God, but
on the things of man.
Peter wasn't demon
possessed.
He was demon
influenced.
Jesus was telling them
about the cross that he
was to bear, and Peter,
I know he was not demon
possessed because he was
a follower of Christ.
And when you follow
Christ, you become
indwelled with the Holy
Spirit of God, and the
Holy Spirit of God lives
within you.
And demons can't live
where the Holy Spirit
is.
That don't happen.
So the reality is,
people who are demon
possessed need the
Lord.
That's what they need.
So we're not demon
possessed if we're
Christians today, but
we're demon influenced.
Some of the things you
think, some of the
things you say, some of
the things you do, that's
demon influenced.
Christ.
And what Peter said,
although he was trying
to protect Christ, trying
to encourage Christ, trying
to have his back, and all
that kind of stuff, was
the influence of the evil
one.
Because Jesus had set his
face toward Jerusalem, and
before what was before him.
And so he looked at Peter
and said, get behind me,
Satan, you're a hindrance to
me.
Satan was using Peter to
try to throw Jesus off
track from his mission of
the cross.
And then notice that he
says, for you are not
setting your mind on the
things of God, but on the
things of man.
That's exactly what the
devil wants to do.
That's exactly what he
wants to do.
He wants us to set our
minds on ourselves.
He wants us to set our
mind on our desires.
He wants us to set our
mind on our troubles.
He wants us to set our
mind on our worries.
And when life is pressing
in, that intensifies, by
the way.
Satan sees the stress in
our life.
He sees our weaknesses.
He goes after them to try
to make a fool out of us in
the midst of it.
And when life is pressing
in, we need to silence
those demons.
And I'm not speaking of
demon possession.
I'm speaking of demonically
influenced thoughts.
The evil one's suggestions
to us.
He gets aggressive when
the pressure's on.
So how do we pull away
and withdraw to the Lord
in the midst of our
struggle?
And how do we continue to
minister even when it
feels like the world is
caving in on us?
And how do we silence the
demonic thoughts?
How do we silence the
depression?
How do we silence the
anger?
How do we silence the
spite?
How do we silence the
revengeful thoughts?
The impure thoughts?
The hopelessness?
How do we silence those
things?
The Apostle Paul said in
Colossians 3 verse 2,
set your mind on things
that are above, not on
things on earth.
We have to set our minds
on what, not what we can
see and not what we can
figure out and not what we
can understand.
We've got to set our minds
on him, even in transition,
especially when the pressure
is really on.
When the Golden Gate Bridge was
built in the 1930s, it was a
dangerous work.
The winds would howl through
the bay.
The currents below were fierce.
The fog was so thick at times
a man couldn't see his hand in
front of him.
And in the early months of
building that bridge, 11 workers
fell to their death.
That made the work slow.
Because if you see a guy fall
beside you, you'll slow down
a little bit.
And it made them afraid.
It was real.
And then they did something that
nobody had ever done before.
They hung a huge safety net
underneath that bridge.
It was expensive.
Some said it was foolish to do
that.
However, that net ended up
saving 19 men's lives who fell
into the net instead of into
the water.
They actually formed a little
club and called it the
Halfway to Hell Club because
they knew without that net they
would have been in trouble.
And here's what's interesting.
Once that net was in place,
the work didn't get any easier.
The wind still blew like it did
before.
The fog still came just as thick.
The danger was still there.
However, those men worked with
greater confidence because they
knew if they fell, they wouldn't
die.
You know what?
Work effort came up.
The pace picked up.
The bridge was a more successful
project than it had been before
because of that.
They had a net
to help them make it through.
Folks,
when life is pressing,
keep on.
Keep on going to Jesus.
Keep on ministering to other
people.
Keep on silencing the demons by
setting your minds on things
above.
Because
we have a net
in the Lord Jesus.
And his grace
is sufficient
for whatever matters
that we may face.
During the pressing times,
during the transitions.
Now let me ask you a very
personal question this morning.
When you look over your life
and think about
the decisions you've made
in your life,
has there ever been a time
in your life when you've
truly surrendered your life
to the Lord Jesus Christ?
You've asked him to come
into your life.
You've asked him to forgive you
of your sins.
You've asked him to change you.
To save you.
Friend,
if that's never happened
to you,
there's no net.
There's no net.
I wouldn't want to be
where you are,
quite honestly.
If you've never given
your life to Christ,
if there's a question
about that in your life,
don't leave this place today
without nailing that down.
There's no need to do that.
There's no need
to let that linger.
Eternity hangs in the balance.
If you have done that,
is it a private matter
that you did with the Lord
by yourself
or maybe just with a few
or have you ever
acknowledged that publicly?
Have you ever told
anybody about it?
Jesus,
by his example
and by his commission,
show us that the first step
of obedience after that
is baptism.
If you've never been
baptized as a believer,
I encourage you today
to commit to do that.
You can join this church
by baptism.
Maybe you're a member
of this church
and you realize over time
this has happened
just recently.
You realize
there's never been
a time in your life
for you to baptize
as a believer.
Something happened
to you as a child
but in reality
you got saved since then.
You've never been
baptized as a believer
and you realize that.
You want to be obedient
to follow God.
We're not going to
baptize you this morning
but we'll line it up
in the coming days.
Commit to that today
if you've never done that.
Maybe God's drawing you
to Pickens First Baptist Church.
I'm blessed that God's
doing a wonderful work
in this church.
God's so good to us.
He really is.
And if you feel like
the Lord's leading you
to do that,
we'll be happy to guide you
in that process.
We'll be happy to do that.
But then for the rest of us,
there's pressing matters.
Some of you came in here
with a weight around your neck
that's weighing you down
and I encourage you
to set your mind
on things above.
Give it over to the Lord.
That'll take you
following Him in obedience
and whatever that means.
You can do it
where you'll stand
in just a moment
instead of singing.
Get it right.
You can do it at this altar
as someone did
in our nine o'clock worship.
I'll be happy to pray with you.
I'm here.
But let's just take
a few moments
to make sure
we do everything
we need to do
to be obedient to God.
To not let that
be a pressing matter
in our life
that we've been disobedient
when God spoke to us.
Heavenly Father,
lead us right now
to simply do
what you'd have us to do.
Nothing more
and nothing less.
Give us the boldness,
the courage,
and the faith
to just follow you
and set our minds
on you, oh God.
In Jesus' name, amen.