WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:18.539 Mark chapter 1, verse 1 simply says, the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 00:00:18.539 --> 00:00:22.320 ! Well, today we begin a journey together. 00:00:22.320 --> 00:00:25.080 This will be the longest study that we've done together. 00:00:25.080 --> 00:00:29.560 But don't worry, there are breaks along the way. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:34.320 And Mark reads really fast. 00:00:34.539 --> 00:00:35.939 He moves fast. 00:00:36.500 --> 00:00:46.019 Matthew wrote to the Jews and wanted them to know that Christ was in fact the Messiah that they were waiting on. 00:00:46.980 --> 00:00:51.179 And Luke writes a very detailed account. 00:00:51.659 --> 00:00:53.079 He even states it that way. 00:00:53.140 --> 00:00:53.879 He was a doctor. 00:00:54.019 --> 00:00:55.140 He dealt with specifics. 00:00:55.140 --> 00:01:00.000 And you see that in the gospel of Luke. 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:02.340 And then John's the theologian. 00:01:03.359 --> 00:01:10.400 He writes like a theologian in both Big John, the gospel of John, as well as the three little Johns. 00:01:10.519 --> 00:01:11.939 First John, Second John, Third John. 00:01:12.219 --> 00:01:17.859 And then, of course, that powerful revelation of Jesus Christ that ends out the New Testament. 00:01:17.859 --> 00:01:20.519 But John states why he writes. 00:01:20.519 --> 00:01:29.819 In John 20, verse 31, he says, these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. 00:01:29.879 --> 00:01:32.760 He makes a similar comment at the end of 1 John. 00:01:32.840 --> 00:01:36.219 He writes so people will come to know the Lord Jesus. 00:01:36.359 --> 00:01:37.219 That's why John writes. 00:01:37.219 --> 00:01:39.400 Mark, however, is in a hurry. 00:01:40.260 --> 00:01:42.079 He don't deal with a lot of details. 00:01:42.319 --> 00:01:47.319 You don't see him dealing with the dialogues of Jesus like you do in Matthew. 00:01:47.439 --> 00:01:48.620 You see the Sermon on the Mount. 00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:51.319 And in Luke, you see the Sermon on the Plain. 00:01:51.819 --> 00:01:58.680 And in John, you see John 13 through 17 in the upper room of Jesus speaking with the disciples. 00:01:58.840 --> 00:02:01.460 The longest discourse in the gospels that we have of Christ. 00:02:02.239 --> 00:02:03.759 Mark, not Mark. 00:02:04.099 --> 00:02:05.099 He don't deal with that. 00:02:05.099 --> 00:02:08.379 He deals with the works of Christ, the miracles of Christ. 00:02:08.739 --> 00:02:10.099 He moves in a hurry. 00:02:10.340 --> 00:02:13.400 And he has a point that he's trying to get to. 00:02:13.799 --> 00:02:15.180 And that's in the middle of the book. 00:02:15.780 --> 00:02:17.019 We won't deal with that today. 00:02:17.120 --> 00:02:18.159 But it's in the middle of the book. 00:02:18.539 --> 00:02:25.840 And then once he gets to that point, he makes a beeline toward the cross to get to the cross of Christ. 00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:27.659 Very deliberate in what he does. 00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:31.859 What's interesting to me is that Mark is not a disciple of Christ. 00:02:31.979 --> 00:02:34.219 And I don't mean, I mean an apostle. 00:02:34.219 --> 00:02:37.659 He was not called by Christ to follow him. 00:02:37.819 --> 00:02:39.699 He did not walk with Jesus. 00:02:39.859 --> 00:02:41.620 I don't mean he didn't love Jesus. 00:02:41.740 --> 00:02:43.240 I mean, he didn't walk with him. 00:02:43.319 --> 00:02:45.340 Literally, he didn't walk with him on earth. 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:49.639 He was a teenager during the ministry of Jesus. 00:02:49.639 --> 00:02:55.259 And what he saw of Jesus and what he heard of Jesus was from afar. 00:02:56.019 --> 00:03:00.059 He writes during the days that the book of Acts cover. 00:03:01.019 --> 00:03:07.000 And that is why he entitles the gospel, the beginning of the gospel. 00:03:07.799 --> 00:03:11.039 Now, he's writing to Christians in Rome. 00:03:11.039 --> 00:03:14.500 So what does he mean by the beginning of the gospel? 00:03:14.679 --> 00:03:16.759 Well, he writes to them. 00:03:16.900 --> 00:03:23.239 He writes for them to know the background of what God is doing among them. 00:03:23.599 --> 00:03:30.819 If you look at the book of Acts, you'll see the preaching of Peter and the great revivals of the early church. 00:03:30.819 --> 00:03:33.139 And then you'll see the missionary journeys of Paul. 00:03:33.479 --> 00:03:36.919 And you'll see the spread of the gospel throughout the known world. 00:03:37.699 --> 00:03:42.039 Well, Mark wanted those folks to know, do you know where all this began? 00:03:43.479 --> 00:03:44.840 It began with Jesus. 00:03:44.840 --> 00:03:49.900 I want you to see the beginning of the gospel. 00:03:51.159 --> 00:03:55.140 Now, that word gospel is a Greek word, euangelion. 00:03:55.960 --> 00:04:00.140 And the only reason that's important is because that comes from the word evangelism. 00:04:00.140 --> 00:04:04.719 That's where we get our word evangelism from, which means good news. 00:04:05.759 --> 00:04:11.800 Gospel is actually an old English translation of the word godspell, 00:04:11.800 --> 00:04:14.560 which means good story. 00:04:14.840 --> 00:04:20.019 So if you ever hear an old fellow tell you, why don't you sit down for a spell? 00:04:20.819 --> 00:04:24.660 Well, that means sit down in time for me to tell you a story. 00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:31.319 And so Godspell, the gospel, is the stories of God. 00:04:31.439 --> 00:04:33.399 It's the stories of Christ. 00:04:33.500 --> 00:04:38.340 There is no better story to tell than the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:04:38.540 --> 00:04:39.899 That's a story, my friend. 00:04:39.899 --> 00:04:45.500 However, Jesus didn't write a story about his life. 00:04:47.339 --> 00:04:50.679 We don't have any record that Jesus wrote anything. 00:04:50.680 --> 00:05:03.860 Those that did write and that are in the canon of Scripture that we have today were led by God in what to write. 00:05:04.860 --> 00:05:06.420 I want you to listen to how Peter describes it. 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:07.980 2 Peter 1 verse 21 says, 00:05:07.980 --> 00:05:19.800 My friend, that's why I love the word of God. 00:05:19.800 --> 00:05:23.520 It is, as the apostle Paul puts it, spirit breathe. 00:05:23.720 --> 00:05:24.920 It comes from the breath of God. 00:05:25.160 --> 00:05:28.160 It is alive with God moving in it. 00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:32.400 Yet, yes, Mark wrote it, but it came from the Lord. 00:05:32.620 --> 00:05:34.200 So who is Mark? 00:05:34.460 --> 00:05:37.340 Well, I told you he's not an apostle of Christ. 00:05:37.800 --> 00:05:39.540 Wasn't called by Christ personally. 00:05:40.580 --> 00:05:42.280 Not a disciple in that way. 00:05:42.360 --> 00:05:43.700 He's much younger than Jesus. 00:05:44.879 --> 00:05:47.020 So most of what he witnessed was from afar. 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:55.740 It's interesting to me that sometimes we get this in our mind the wrong way because of the order of the New Testament books. 00:05:55.740 --> 00:06:03.180 But the reality is that some of the letters that follow the Gospels were actually written before the Gospels were written. 00:06:04.540 --> 00:06:08.759 Galatians, for instance, one of the early books was written before the Gospels. 00:06:09.720 --> 00:06:13.319 James was written before the Gospels. 00:06:14.759 --> 00:06:24.639 The reality is that people were hearing so much about Jesus in the decade or two after his ascension 00:06:24.639 --> 00:06:27.899 that no one really saw the need to write it down. 00:06:29.259 --> 00:06:33.319 The oral stories were so strong in a very oral society. 00:06:33.519 --> 00:06:36.659 They were so strong that they didn't bother to write that down. 00:06:37.139 --> 00:06:43.139 Paul focused on how do you live out your faith in Christ that you've heard of, these stories of. 00:06:43.659 --> 00:06:47.300 That was the focus of so much of the writing. 00:06:47.300 --> 00:06:50.560 But the Jews were missing it. 00:06:52.660 --> 00:06:54.680 And they didn't see Christ as the Messiah. 00:06:54.879 --> 00:07:02.600 So as I said, Matthew was to show, was to, wrote to show them this is, this is the Messiah. 00:07:03.379 --> 00:07:04.620 Jesus is the Messiah. 00:07:04.860 --> 00:07:08.660 Let me show you in Matthew 1 the genealogy of Jesus. 00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:10.000 Let me show you where he came from. 00:07:11.019 --> 00:07:14.780 Let me, you'll see him often reference Old Testament passages. 00:07:14.779 --> 00:07:19.519 Let me show you how he fulfilled the passages that you lean on. 00:07:19.779 --> 00:07:22.000 That was the burden of Matthew. 00:07:22.599 --> 00:07:25.719 And Mark was written at a very similar time as Matthew. 00:07:25.819 --> 00:07:30.959 We're unsure of exactly the dates, but it was written at a very similar time. 00:07:31.359 --> 00:07:33.639 Luke came about a decade later. 00:07:34.219 --> 00:07:37.379 And then John came at the end of the first century. 00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:39.359 Now, now think about this for a moment. 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:48.139 At the end of the first century, we believe Jesus was born about 4 B.C. 00:07:48.199 --> 00:07:49.180 That may blow your mind. 00:07:49.240 --> 00:07:50.100 We're not dealing with that today. 00:07:50.180 --> 00:07:51.460 But it's about 4 B.C. 00:07:51.460 --> 00:07:53.800 And he died in about 30 A.D. 00:07:54.199 --> 00:07:54.520 Okay? 00:07:54.920 --> 00:07:57.840 That's what most theologians will tell you. 00:07:58.360 --> 00:08:06.220 And so when you get to the end of the first century, you're 70 years out from the life of Christ on earth. 00:08:06.220 --> 00:08:06.780 Okay? 00:08:09.320 --> 00:08:10.960 Where were the eyewitnesses? 00:08:13.420 --> 00:08:18.720 Well, if they were adults when Jesus was here, a lot of them is in glory by that point. 00:08:20.420 --> 00:08:21.240 Think about this. 00:08:21.300 --> 00:08:22.380 I thought about this this way. 00:08:23.840 --> 00:08:27.420 We're about 80 years out from the end of World War II, if I'm not mistaken. 00:08:30.180 --> 00:08:32.360 How many World War II veterans do we have left? 00:08:34.279 --> 00:08:35.000 A handful. 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:35.100 A handful. 00:08:36.220 --> 00:08:37.080 Very few. 00:08:38.360 --> 00:08:41.879 The oral stories of that are gone. 00:08:43.060 --> 00:08:48.320 Thankfully, some historians have restored those and put those on video so we can see those. 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:51.960 And there's a multiplicity of books that have been written that tell those stories. 00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:59.379 But we don't get the chance to hear that firsthand anymore. 00:08:59.379 --> 00:09:07.279 And the same scenario happened in the first century with the eyewitnesses of Jesus. 00:09:08.480 --> 00:09:13.279 And so there become this compelling, we've got to write this stuff down. 00:09:13.279 --> 00:09:22.059 We want people to know what Jesus did because the oral traditions will go away as they die. 00:09:22.059 --> 00:09:26.000 So John wrote in the late first century. 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:36.699 And again, he wrote five books of the New Testament, but all of them came very late and he was very old when he wrote. 00:09:36.700 --> 00:09:40.720 But these gospels, a lot of things were written. 00:09:40.720 --> 00:09:45.640 But these gospels were validated by the first century church. 00:09:45.800 --> 00:09:51.620 The church knew that the gospels were written by the Spirit of God. 00:09:51.620 --> 00:09:54.580 But they were penned by these authors. 00:09:55.259 --> 00:09:59.399 Now, there were other, quote, gospels that were written. 00:10:00.039 --> 00:10:01.320 They were false. 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:03.080 They were not true. 00:10:03.860 --> 00:10:05.200 They were not inspired. 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:07.680 But they were written later. 00:10:07.680 --> 00:10:12.560 And they were often attributed to strong followers of Christ. 00:10:12.960 --> 00:10:15.540 There was one called the Gospel of Thomas. 00:10:16.200 --> 00:10:17.180 It was heresy. 00:10:17.620 --> 00:10:19.060 And it didn't come from Thomas. 00:10:19.259 --> 00:10:20.740 But they just put his name on it. 00:10:21.020 --> 00:10:23.100 There was another one called the Gospel of Peter. 00:10:23.480 --> 00:10:24.379 It was heresy. 00:10:24.740 --> 00:10:25.780 It didn't come from Peter. 00:10:26.040 --> 00:10:27.460 They just put his name on it. 00:10:27.520 --> 00:10:29.680 So there were other things written. 00:10:30.220 --> 00:10:32.820 But the first century church knew they were not valid. 00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:34.980 Knew they were not of the Spirit of God. 00:10:34.980 --> 00:10:38.860 Did not include them in those things that they paid attention to. 00:10:39.720 --> 00:10:42.740 When I was in seminary, I was working. 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:54.300 When I first got there, I was working security slash telephone operator slash host at an Ethan Allen gallery in New Orleans. 00:10:55.100 --> 00:10:59.320 Now, if you think about that for just a moment, you'll understand why I was so uncomfortable in that setting. 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:01.840 But I worked that for a while. 00:11:01.840 --> 00:11:02.440 Lock up. 00:11:02.600 --> 00:11:04.460 And when somebody would come in, they needed a designer. 00:11:04.460 --> 00:11:05.900 I'd line them up with a designer. 00:11:06.100 --> 00:11:08.259 And then I'd lock up the building and all that stuff. 00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:11.800 And I'd go back to the seminary and pray, dear God, let me do some ministry. 00:11:12.120 --> 00:11:12.300 You know. 00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:16.800 I had been active in ministry in college. 00:11:17.160 --> 00:11:21.160 And had served in my home church in my last year of college. 00:11:21.159 --> 00:11:29.919 And I left everything, put everything I had in that Civic and drove 600 miles away from my mama crying and thought this must be the end, you know. 00:11:30.019 --> 00:11:34.799 And working in the Ethan Allen gallery in New Orleans will make you think it's the end. 00:11:34.860 --> 00:11:35.219 But anyway. 00:11:35.220 --> 00:11:40.420 And so I went home with a friend for Thanksgiving. 00:11:41.379 --> 00:11:43.420 And we went to see a Christian concert. 00:11:43.779 --> 00:11:45.040 And I went home with a friend. 00:11:45.240 --> 00:11:48.320 And his father said, will you go for a ride with me one day? 00:11:48.360 --> 00:11:48.700 I said, sure. 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:49.560 So we rode. 00:11:49.600 --> 00:11:50.680 We rode to a little church. 00:11:51.180 --> 00:11:52.980 And he said, this is my church. 00:11:53.019 --> 00:11:54.759 And this is the circumstances of my church. 00:11:55.379 --> 00:11:56.960 And it was horrible circumstances. 00:11:57.620 --> 00:12:00.100 The church had split twice in the last 15 years. 00:12:00.100 --> 00:12:03.519 They had very little left in the church. 00:12:03.740 --> 00:12:08.759 And they were looking at going from a full-time pastor to a half-time pastor. 00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:11.159 And he said, this is our situation. 00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:14.639 What would you do about it if you were the pastor of the church? 00:12:15.940 --> 00:12:17.500 Well, I was 23 years old. 00:12:17.560 --> 00:12:19.420 Had no pastoral experience at all. 00:12:19.580 --> 00:12:22.920 And so I gave him the wealth of my wisdom in about 15 seconds. 00:12:25.200 --> 00:12:27.820 I preached at that church the following Sunday. 00:12:27.920 --> 00:12:29.519 I preached again the next Sunday. 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:31.779 I went home for Christmas to see my parents. 00:12:32.059 --> 00:12:34.539 And they called me in South Carolina. 00:12:34.759 --> 00:12:35.439 The church did. 00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:36.939 And said, will you come and view us as a pastor? 00:12:38.139 --> 00:12:40.319 And I said, let me pray about it. 00:12:40.699 --> 00:12:41.120 Yes. 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:42.000 Yes, I will. 00:12:45.240 --> 00:12:50.399 And they learned how to deal with a guy who never pastored. 00:12:50.519 --> 00:12:55.379 And I learned how to preach multiple times during the week while I studied Greek and Hebrew 00:12:55.379 --> 00:12:56.799 and commuted back and forth in New Orleans. 00:12:57.659 --> 00:12:59.000 It was quite an experience. 00:12:59.519 --> 00:13:05.419 There was a dear lady in that church that there used to be a page. 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:06.600 And I don't know the details. 00:13:07.220 --> 00:13:08.840 I'm kind of making them up as I go along. 00:13:08.980 --> 00:13:13.319 But there used to be a page in the back of a magazine. 00:13:13.399 --> 00:13:14.259 In the back of a magazine. 00:13:14.319 --> 00:13:15.319 I don't know what kind of magazine it was. 00:13:15.819 --> 00:13:18.679 Magazine magazine that sold all these little things for like 99 cents. 00:13:19.019 --> 00:13:21.120 You can get an apple peeler, a plastic apple peeler. 00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:23.779 You can get something squeezed out of an orange for 99 cents. 00:13:23.779 --> 00:13:24.799 You can get all these 99 cents. 00:13:24.839 --> 00:13:26.799 And they all came from Carroll Stream, Illinois. 00:13:27.559 --> 00:13:29.879 I don't know what the significance of Carroll Stream, Illinois was. 00:13:29.919 --> 00:13:31.199 But it all came from Carroll Stream, Illinois. 00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:32.879 And this lady loved that stuff. 00:13:33.339 --> 00:13:40.439 And so every now and then she'd bring me some weird plastic tangent that she had bought for 99 cents. 00:13:40.440 --> 00:13:41.440 And she was like, oh, my God. 00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:43.540 And I took it home and it didn't. 00:13:44.740 --> 00:13:49.660 But one day she came to me and she had a paperback book in her hand. 00:13:49.659 --> 00:13:52.399 And she was carrying it like it was Tiffany Glass. 00:13:52.559 --> 00:13:58.179 And she walked up to me and she said, Pastor, I found the lost books of the Bible. 00:14:01.319 --> 00:14:02.939 I didn't know what she was talking about. 00:14:03.779 --> 00:14:10.339 I took the book from her and looked at it and realized these books wasn't lost from the Bible. 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:13.519 These books never were intended for the Bible. 00:14:14.439 --> 00:14:18.279 They were these false gospels is what they were. 00:14:18.279 --> 00:14:24.360 They were a multiplicity of things that were written during the first century and the second century 00:14:24.360 --> 00:14:28.939 that attributed themselves back to faithful followers of Christ from the first century 00:14:28.939 --> 00:14:31.500 that never were acknowledged. 00:14:31.799 --> 00:14:35.220 There was a lot of that going on in that day. 00:14:35.860 --> 00:14:42.659 But the gospels that we have in Scripture are those that the church said, this is valid. 00:14:43.559 --> 00:14:44.720 This is of God. 00:14:45.659 --> 00:14:46.699 God led this. 00:14:46.700 --> 00:14:49.980 And that includes Mark. 00:14:50.120 --> 00:14:52.100 Now, Mark was younger, as I said. 00:14:52.700 --> 00:14:54.680 So what was his human source? 00:14:56.000 --> 00:15:02.759 Historians tell us that it was primarily the stories of Peter that Peter shared with Mark 00:15:02.759 --> 00:15:05.520 and that Mark wrote down. 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:15.000 Papias of Hierapolis was a historian that wrote in early second century. 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:15.960 And he said this. 00:15:15.960 --> 00:15:17.379 He said, and I quote, 00:15:17.919 --> 00:15:24.899 Mark, in his capacity as Peter's interpreter, wrote down accurately as many things as he recalled from memory, 00:15:25.320 --> 00:15:31.600 though not in an ordered form of the things either said or done by the Lord. 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:35.779 For he neither heard the Lord nor accompanied him. 00:15:35.779 --> 00:15:41.700 But later Peter, Peter who used to give his teachings, 00:15:42.379 --> 00:15:46.639 Peter had no intention of providing an orderly arrangement of the narrative of the Lord. 00:15:46.639 --> 00:15:55.399 Consequently, Mark did nothing wrong when he wrote down some individual items just as he related them from memory. 00:15:55.399 --> 00:16:04.500 For he made it his one concern not to omit anything he has heard or to falsify anything. 00:16:04.500 --> 00:16:09.820 Justin Martyr of the second century called Mark the memoirs of Peter. 00:16:10.679 --> 00:16:15.019 Other well-known and reliable historians backed it up. 00:16:15.980 --> 00:16:24.679 Euseppius of Caesarea of the third century said that Mark wrote it because Peter's hearers wanted him to record it. 00:16:25.299 --> 00:16:29.720 And he goes on to say that Peter was pleased with what Mark wrote. 00:16:29.720 --> 00:16:36.220 He said, the apostle, knowing by the revelation of the Spirit to him what had been done, 00:16:36.820 --> 00:16:42.779 was pleased at their zeal, at the writings of Mark's zeal, 00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:47.920 and ratified the scripture for study in the churches. 00:16:48.920 --> 00:16:54.800 Now, Peter was killed in 67-68 under the reign of Nero. 00:16:54.799 --> 00:17:01.199 But from historians, he at least had a knowledge of what Mark was doing. 00:17:01.740 --> 00:17:03.219 We don't know if it was all compiled. 00:17:03.579 --> 00:17:04.899 We don't know if he saw it in pieces. 00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:11.200 But we know that Peter saw what Mark had done, was pleased with what Mark had done, 00:17:11.399 --> 00:17:15.919 and, quote, ratified the scripture for study in the churches. 00:17:16.519 --> 00:17:18.220 Now, what I want you to understand is this. 00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:22.480 The unique perspective that Mark had. 00:17:22.480 --> 00:17:27.720 The book of Acts helps us with that, and Paul's letters help us with that as well. 00:17:28.420 --> 00:17:34.220 When you look at Acts, the first 12 chapters of Acts deal with Peter's ministry 00:17:34.220 --> 00:17:39.380 of spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. 00:17:39.559 --> 00:17:43.019 It began in Jerusalem, spread to Judea, spread to Samaria. 00:17:43.220 --> 00:17:43.860 What does that sound like? 00:17:43.960 --> 00:17:44.839 It sounds like the Great Commission. 00:17:44.940 --> 00:17:49.160 Well, listen, the Great Commission in Romans, excuse me, Matthew 28, 18 through 20, 00:17:49.160 --> 00:17:51.680 the Great Commission is carried out in the book of Acts. 00:17:51.680 --> 00:17:52.360 You can see it. 00:17:52.460 --> 00:17:54.060 It's continuing to be carried out today. 00:17:54.320 --> 00:17:56.600 But you can see it carried out because it starts in Jerusalem, 00:17:56.600 --> 00:18:02.759 just like the end of the Great Commission says, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost. 00:18:03.160 --> 00:18:08.120 Peter dealt with Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria from Acts 1 through 12. 00:18:08.560 --> 00:18:14.720 Paul dealt with the uttermost, as scripture puts it, in Acts 13 and continuing. 00:18:15.180 --> 00:18:17.360 And so you see that worked out. 00:18:17.359 --> 00:18:20.759 Now, in Acts 12, Peter is locked up. 00:18:20.879 --> 00:18:21.479 He's in prison. 00:18:22.659 --> 00:18:26.500 As James, he's in prison, King Herod put him in prison. 00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:31.079 King Herod killed James, who wrote the book of James. 00:18:31.479 --> 00:18:34.240 And Peter is in prison at about the same time. 00:18:35.359 --> 00:18:41.079 And while he is in prison, the church in Jerusalem is praying for his release. 00:18:41.079 --> 00:18:46.139 That they've met together, and they are praying for his release. 00:18:46.879 --> 00:18:50.240 And an angel of the Lord came to Peter and released him. 00:18:50.919 --> 00:18:55.099 And he went straight to the house where the church was praying. 00:18:55.099 --> 00:18:57.459 Now, Acts 12, 12 says this. 00:18:58.379 --> 00:19:11.759 He went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 00:19:11.939 --> 00:19:13.619 Now, that's our Mark, okay? 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:19.359 John is his Hebrew name, and therefore he was known as John to the Jews. 00:19:20.079 --> 00:19:22.000 Mark was his Latin name. 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:27.160 He was known as Mark to the Gentiles, sometimes called John Mark. 00:19:27.720 --> 00:19:33.960 But John Mark's mother was a widow, probably well-to-do because she had a house large enough to house a church. 00:19:35.480 --> 00:19:38.259 Mark's mother was a widow who had a church of means. 00:19:38.660 --> 00:19:42.240 She had a room for the church to meet there. 00:19:42.240 --> 00:19:53.400 And Peter had probably been there many times because when Peter was in prison and was released by the angel, where'd he go? 00:19:53.740 --> 00:19:55.240 He went straight to that house. 00:19:55.480 --> 00:19:56.200 What were they doing? 00:19:56.440 --> 00:19:58.740 They were praying for his release. 00:19:58.859 --> 00:20:04.940 Now, listen, if Peter had been there, if Peter had taught there, Mark had probably witnessed those things. 00:20:05.180 --> 00:20:06.799 He had witnessed what Peter had said. 00:20:06.799 --> 00:20:21.480 Peter knocks on the door of the house, and while the church is praying for his release, I hope you all get this, while they're praying for his release, and the servant Rhoda comes to the door, she is so excited that Peter's out there. 00:20:21.700 --> 00:20:24.659 She don't have enough sense to open the door and let him in. 00:20:24.660 --> 00:20:33.980 And she goes back in and tells the church that she interrupts the prayer session to say, Peter is standing outside free at the door. 00:20:34.180 --> 00:20:35.840 And they said, you're out of your mind. 00:20:37.080 --> 00:20:39.720 Ain't it interesting that the church was praying for his release? 00:20:39.960 --> 00:20:43.000 And then when God released him, they said, there ain't no way in the world he's been released. 00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:45.900 Listen, when you pray about something, believe it. 00:20:46.660 --> 00:20:47.680 Believe God can do it. 00:20:47.720 --> 00:20:48.279 It makes a difference. 00:20:48.340 --> 00:20:49.080 I promise you that. 00:20:49.079 --> 00:21:03.339 Acts 11 tells us that Barnabas and Saul are taking a famine relief offering to the church in Jerusalem from Antioch, and they take John Mark with them. 00:21:04.699 --> 00:21:15.460 Galatians 4 verse 10 tells us that Mark is Barnabas' cousin, and Barnabas is called the son of encouragement in Acts 4. 00:21:16.399 --> 00:21:17.639 Barnabas is a Levite. 00:21:17.640 --> 00:21:22.920 And if he's a Levite, that means that he served in the church often. 00:21:23.580 --> 00:21:25.440 He may have been serving the priest. 00:21:25.540 --> 00:21:26.940 He may have been a priest. 00:21:27.120 --> 00:21:30.240 But either way, he was serving in the church. 00:21:31.320 --> 00:21:43.340 And he was a good example for his cousin, Mark, because he was busy serving. 00:21:43.339 --> 00:21:52.619 And it tells us that Barnabas believed that Mark was useful. 00:21:54.059 --> 00:22:03.279 And so when Paul and Barnabas set out on what's called Paul's first missionary journey, Barnabas said, let's take Mark with us. 00:22:04.279 --> 00:22:05.819 He'll be useful for us. 00:22:07.159 --> 00:22:08.319 Mark goes with them. 00:22:08.319 --> 00:22:13.000 But not long after he had been on the trip, he leaves them. 00:22:14.399 --> 00:22:16.240 He returns to Jerusalem. 00:22:17.599 --> 00:22:23.480 And no justified reason for his desertion is mentioned in Scripture. 00:22:24.599 --> 00:22:25.659 He quits. 00:22:25.660 --> 00:22:28.660 He deserts them. 00:22:28.660 --> 00:22:31.320 He goes home. 00:22:33.480 --> 00:22:37.860 In Acts 15, they set out on the second missionary journey. 00:22:39.460 --> 00:22:42.200 Barnabas tells Paul, I want to take Mark with us. 00:22:42.940 --> 00:22:46.480 Paul refuses to take him because he deserted him last time. 00:22:46.480 --> 00:22:57.460 Scripture tells us that Barnabas and Paul got in a sharp disagreement about it to the point that Mark and Barnabas went one way. 00:22:57.980 --> 00:23:00.519 Paul picked up Silas and went the other way. 00:23:01.120 --> 00:23:05.740 And we don't hear from Barnabas for two years after that split. 00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:10.599 We don't hear from Mark for ten years after that split. 00:23:10.599 --> 00:23:17.759 His reputation is scarred and at least some refuse to use him. 00:23:18.859 --> 00:23:23.980 And he does not come up again in Scripture until Colossians chapter 4 verse 10. 00:23:25.240 --> 00:23:27.399 When the Apostle Paul said this, 00:23:27.400 --> 00:23:55.259 In other words, sometime within that ten years of absence, Mark has now caught up with Paul and he's with Paul or he's at least close by. 00:23:55.259 --> 00:23:56.060 Paul's in prison. 00:23:56.160 --> 00:23:57.000 Mark's not in prison. 00:23:57.000 --> 00:23:58.180 So he's close by. 00:23:58.660 --> 00:24:02.920 It was the first of two imprisonments of Paul that's recorded in Scripture. 00:24:03.980 --> 00:24:06.980 And that's when he most likely wrote the book of Ephesians. 00:24:07.339 --> 00:24:09.000 It's when he most likely wrote the book of Colossians. 00:24:09.740 --> 00:24:11.480 It's when he most likely wrote Philemon. 00:24:11.640 --> 00:24:15.700 And when he writes Philemon, he mentions Mark in that letter as well. 00:24:16.500 --> 00:24:18.380 So Mark has been missing for ten years. 00:24:18.460 --> 00:24:22.519 But at some point in that ten years, he has got up with Paul. 00:24:23.319 --> 00:24:25.460 Time has healed the wound between them. 00:24:25.460 --> 00:24:35.620 Now, fast forward about five years to Paul's second Roman imprisonment when he writes to Timothy. 00:24:35.619 --> 00:24:41.879 In 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 9, the Apostle Paul says, 00:24:42.039 --> 00:24:43.939 Do your best to come to me soon. 00:24:45.219 --> 00:24:47.179 And then in verse 11 he says, 00:24:47.180 --> 00:24:52.140 Get Mark and bring him with you. 00:24:52.140 --> 00:25:00.060 For he is very useful to me for ministry. 00:25:00.059 --> 00:25:15.759 That is written over 20 years from the day when Peter knocked on the door of the house that was praying for his release at Mark's mom's house. 00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:26.099 Mark, the deserter, is useful for ministry. 00:25:26.099 --> 00:25:33.240 Not only was Mark with Paul, he has a real unique perspective. 00:25:34.139 --> 00:25:35.279 He was also with Peter. 00:25:37.959 --> 00:25:43.279 Some of those ten years that is missing in Scripture, he is with Peter. 00:25:44.119 --> 00:25:45.480 He was a companion to Peter. 00:25:45.579 --> 00:25:46.699 He was a confidant to Peter. 00:25:46.700 --> 00:25:53.440 When he deserted Paul and Barnabas, he went to Jerusalem, but he didn't stay there. 00:25:55.120 --> 00:25:56.980 He was in Rome with Peter. 00:25:58.620 --> 00:26:01.559 In 64 AD, Rome burned. 00:26:02.559 --> 00:26:03.480 And it was awful. 00:26:03.480 --> 00:26:08.640 I've heard it compared to the damage that Katrina did to New Orleans. 00:26:09.819 --> 00:26:15.299 To put that in a regional term, what Hugo did to the coast of the Carolinas. 00:26:15.960 --> 00:26:22.720 That kind of damage is the kind of damage that was done to Rome in the burning. 00:26:23.819 --> 00:26:25.019 R.C. Sproul said, 00:26:25.519 --> 00:26:30.000 The burning was so bad it took 1,900 years to get electricity there. 00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:36.140 Nero blamed it on Christians. 00:26:37.319 --> 00:26:39.819 He probably burned the city himself. 00:26:41.099 --> 00:26:44.579 But he blamed it on Christians and began torturing them. 00:26:46.279 --> 00:26:52.079 He took bloody wild animal skins and wrapped them around Christians' bodies 00:26:52.079 --> 00:26:55.720 and turned wild dogs on them for an audience to watch. 00:26:55.720 --> 00:26:59.920 He impaled the bodies of Christians. 00:27:00.660 --> 00:27:07.519 While they were alive, dipped them in tar and lit his garden with the bodies of Christians. 00:27:09.680 --> 00:27:17.380 He fed them to the lions in the Colosseum for the citizens to watch. 00:27:19.000 --> 00:27:21.180 Peter was executed during those days. 00:27:22.100 --> 00:27:23.299 And so was Paul. 00:27:23.299 --> 00:27:23.360 Paul. 00:27:25.720 --> 00:27:32.799 But in 1 Peter 5, verse 13, Peter calls Mark his son. 00:27:35.640 --> 00:27:41.360 Mark's gospel is the eyewitness account of Peter. 00:27:42.600 --> 00:27:45.339 It is written to those that live in Rome. 00:27:47.140 --> 00:27:49.259 He used a lot of Latin. 00:27:50.100 --> 00:27:51.500 That's what Romans spoke. 00:27:51.500 --> 00:27:59.200 If he uses Aramaic, which is what the Hebrews spoke, he explains it for the Romans. 00:28:00.160 --> 00:28:01.420 Because that's his audience. 00:28:02.420 --> 00:28:03.579 He's not a pastor. 00:28:05.039 --> 00:28:06.240 He's not an apostle. 00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:08.839 He's not a teacher. 00:28:10.359 --> 00:28:11.319 He's a helper. 00:28:11.319 --> 00:28:20.200 Yet God used him to transcribe the testimonies and the account of Peter and write a gospel. 00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:27.119 God used him to be a help to Paul after he deserted Paul. 00:28:28.240 --> 00:28:31.000 Mark was an ordinary guy. 00:28:31.000 --> 00:28:34.579 But God used him extraordinarily. 00:28:35.220 --> 00:28:37.079 He put him in the path of Peter. 00:28:37.740 --> 00:28:39.460 He put him in the path of Paul. 00:28:39.779 --> 00:28:41.579 Both of which he helped. 00:28:42.259 --> 00:28:46.180 Even though he had deserted them earlier. 00:28:48.079 --> 00:28:51.119 God uses deserters. 00:28:53.079 --> 00:28:55.779 God uses sinners. 00:28:55.779 --> 00:28:58.779 God uses failures. 00:29:01.440 --> 00:29:02.720 And thank God. 00:29:02.980 --> 00:29:03.619 He does. 00:29:04.899 --> 00:29:06.759 Because my friend, that's all of us. 00:29:07.859 --> 00:29:10.779 But for the grace of God, none of us would have hope. 00:29:11.259 --> 00:29:16.460 But by his grace, he welcomes us to come as we are. 00:29:17.460 --> 00:29:21.759 And if you've never come to Christ, you've never surrendered your life to Christ. 00:29:21.859 --> 00:29:23.680 Don't wait until you get it all figured out. 00:29:23.680 --> 00:29:26.039 Don't wait until you get it all cleaned up. 00:29:26.120 --> 00:29:27.640 You'll never get it done. 00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:28.680 You can't do it. 00:29:28.720 --> 00:29:34.400 Matter of fact, the acknowledgement that you can't do it on your own is the reason why you need to come to Christ. 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:37.200 And it is a prerequisite to come to Christ. 00:29:37.539 --> 00:29:41.060 When you acknowledge that, Lord, I'm a sinner and I can't fix myself. 00:29:41.460 --> 00:29:46.279 I need you to forgive me, to cleanse me, to come into my life, and to change me. 00:29:46.539 --> 00:29:51.380 And from this day forward, I commit my life to follow you from this day forward. 00:29:51.380 --> 00:29:55.380 And if that's never happened to you, it's the best decision you'll ever make. 00:29:55.520 --> 00:29:57.540 And it's the first decision you need to make. 00:29:58.060 --> 00:29:59.340 And you need to make it today. 00:30:00.120 --> 00:30:04.040 And thank God scripture tells us today is the day of salvation. 00:30:04.180 --> 00:30:05.520 He'll meet you where you are. 00:30:06.180 --> 00:30:07.480 He'll change your life. 00:30:07.480 --> 00:30:22.380 If that has happened to you, in the gratitude that you have of Christ changing your life, be like Mark. 00:30:24.259 --> 00:30:25.460 Be a helper. 00:30:25.460 --> 00:30:32.140 We have a variety of places for you to serve. 00:30:33.539 --> 00:30:37.720 And when all pitch in, no one gets overwhelmed. 00:30:38.740 --> 00:30:46.539 I've heard a statistic for 30 years in ministry that 20% of the people in the church do 80% of the work. 00:30:47.140 --> 00:30:48.779 I don't know what church that was. 00:30:48.819 --> 00:30:49.700 They come up with that. 00:30:49.880 --> 00:30:51.299 And I don't know how accurate it is. 00:30:51.380 --> 00:30:53.279 But I've seen the trends. 00:30:54.100 --> 00:30:55.100 It sounds similar. 00:30:55.099 --> 00:30:57.259 And the reality is it shouldn't be. 00:30:58.559 --> 00:31:00.619 We all have a gift. 00:31:00.859 --> 00:31:02.939 If you're a child of God, he's gifted you. 00:31:03.980 --> 00:31:07.279 It may take you time to figure out what that gift is and to put that into use. 00:31:07.419 --> 00:31:14.059 But he has gifted you from God, a gift from God to use for his glory. 00:31:14.159 --> 00:31:15.039 So don't waste it. 00:31:16.279 --> 00:31:17.159 Be a helper. 00:31:18.619 --> 00:31:20.179 Be used of God. 00:31:20.180 --> 00:31:25.700 Listen, I realize that some have come into this church and you needed a break. 00:31:26.340 --> 00:31:27.380 You wore out. 00:31:30.259 --> 00:31:31.240 I get that. 00:31:33.080 --> 00:31:35.380 And some of you have got the break. 00:31:36.600 --> 00:31:37.860 It's time to serve again. 00:31:37.859 --> 00:31:40.579 It's time to get after it. 00:31:42.079 --> 00:31:52.959 God didn't save us, sanctify us, give us the strength and the authority and the power to be able to do what he's called us to do for us to sit by the wayside and not get busy. 00:31:54.279 --> 00:31:55.159 Let's get after it. 00:31:55.159 --> 00:31:56.799 Some of you have been serving for years. 00:31:56.799 --> 00:31:59.200 And you need a break. 00:32:00.079 --> 00:32:01.659 Take a breather when you need it. 00:32:02.460 --> 00:32:03.839 But then get back after it. 00:32:04.700 --> 00:32:05.599 It's a pit stop. 00:32:05.839 --> 00:32:08.000 It's not a lifetime. 00:32:08.200 --> 00:32:08.819 It's a pit stop. 00:32:10.659 --> 00:32:19.359 And the reality is nobody needs to be overwhelmed with what they do. 00:32:19.359 --> 00:32:29.919 When everybody, and Apostle Paul talks a lot about the body of Christ and how we all work together, when everybody works together and does their part, the matter is taken care of. 00:32:31.139 --> 00:32:43.959 I can't help but think about, I heard somebody, a pastor one time in a capitalist stewardship campaign say, the good news is we got all the money that we need to accomplish this project. 00:32:44.979 --> 00:32:47.319 The bad news is it's still in your pockets. 00:32:49.359 --> 00:33:08.740 We got everybody that we need to take care of every responsibility in this church and to not have to do it week in, week out, week in, week out. 00:33:11.279 --> 00:33:17.519 Would you take four Sundays a year? 00:33:19.359 --> 00:33:21.159 To hold a baby in the nursery? 00:33:23.419 --> 00:33:28.419 Would you take four Sundays a year to lead kid worship that goes on underneath us right now? 00:33:28.420 --> 00:33:29.420 Would you take five Sundays a year? 00:33:29.420 --> 00:33:30.420 Would you take five Sundays a year? 00:33:30.420 --> 00:33:45.980 Would you take five Sundays a year to greet folks? 00:33:46.600 --> 00:33:47.220 Smile at them? 00:33:47.259 --> 00:33:48.259 Act like you're glad they're here? 00:33:50.400 --> 00:33:51.140 Pleased to them? 00:33:51.940 --> 00:33:52.740 On and on. 00:33:52.740 --> 00:34:04.740 I could go on through every ministry and there's a lot of people that want me to, to promote the need that they have for us to get this done. 00:34:06.740 --> 00:34:09.559 I just ask you to be a helper, be used of God and be willing. 00:34:11.179 --> 00:34:11.860 Be willing. 00:34:13.199 --> 00:34:15.099 You were handed a card as you came in. 00:34:15.099 --> 00:34:20.860 If you wasn't handed a card and you didn't raise your hand when we asked you to, shame on you. 00:34:20.940 --> 00:34:21.559 You should have. 00:34:24.460 --> 00:34:27.019 The reality is when everybody does their part, 00:34:28.019 --> 00:34:35.920 God will give us help where it's needed to make every ministry as full and wonderful as it can be. 00:34:35.920 --> 00:34:41.639 To give all a chance to serve and I believe that we're all to be servants in the family of God. 00:34:43.119 --> 00:34:44.579 Because that's what we are to do. 00:34:46.260 --> 00:34:49.920 It's an obedience matter of serving the Lord. 00:34:50.159 --> 00:34:52.420 So, this is what I want you to do. 00:34:56.159 --> 00:35:01.280 In addition to any decision the Lord may be leading you to make, 00:35:02.820 --> 00:35:03.920 I want you to take that card. 00:35:03.920 --> 00:35:07.320 Maybe you don't know what all these ministries are. 00:35:07.480 --> 00:35:11.599 We didn't use all the names and things like that of these individual ministries 00:35:11.599 --> 00:35:13.820 because people wouldn't necessarily know what it means. 00:35:14.420 --> 00:35:16.519 So, we tried to give a simple explanation. 00:35:16.780 --> 00:35:19.900 But if you don't know what all the ins and outs are, 00:35:20.280 --> 00:35:22.059 but you're interested in finding out, 00:35:22.820 --> 00:35:25.400 just check that block and put your name. 00:35:25.400 --> 00:35:26.460 You ain't signed up for nothing. 00:35:26.940 --> 00:35:28.180 You've signed up for an interest. 00:35:29.119 --> 00:35:30.380 Just check that block. 00:35:30.380 --> 00:35:35.519 And then as you leave today, there are offering boxes on this side. 00:35:35.900 --> 00:35:37.420 There's an offering box on that side. 00:35:37.519 --> 00:35:39.079 There's offering boxes at the doors. 00:35:40.200 --> 00:35:44.660 And nobody's watching you and nobody's paying attention to you except the Lord. 00:35:45.119 --> 00:35:46.420 And he's eyeing you. 00:35:46.420 --> 00:35:52.720 So, you take this card and put it in one of those slots. 00:35:52.880 --> 00:35:53.139 Okay? 00:35:53.260 --> 00:35:54.700 Don't put an empty card in there. 00:35:54.780 --> 00:35:55.559 God sees that. 00:35:55.639 --> 00:35:56.720 I don't need your empty cards. 00:35:57.220 --> 00:35:58.880 Ain't nobody keeping a record but God. 00:35:59.960 --> 00:36:02.619 But you put that in there and say, look, I'm willing to serve. 00:36:02.860 --> 00:36:04.139 I can't do it all the time. 00:36:04.480 --> 00:36:05.440 I don't want to do it all the time. 00:36:05.460 --> 00:36:06.559 We don't want you to do it all the time. 00:36:07.400 --> 00:36:08.119 You know what I want? 00:36:08.480 --> 00:36:10.559 I want nursery volunteers to be able to come to church. 00:36:10.559 --> 00:36:13.340 I want to be able to be in here. 00:36:13.900 --> 00:36:17.799 I want people who work kid worship to be able to be in here during this time. 00:36:18.599 --> 00:36:26.340 People who serve in other capacities around to not be able to have to miss corporate worship on a regular basis. 00:36:26.639 --> 00:36:27.900 We don't need to be doing that. 00:36:28.299 --> 00:36:30.500 God's enabled us to have everything that we need. 00:36:31.139 --> 00:36:32.340 And so, let's just be faithful. 00:36:32.340 --> 00:36:46.860 I am thankful that God took a man like Mark who had very little, if any, eyewitness testimony of what Christ had done on the earth for himself. 00:36:48.680 --> 00:36:53.400 There's some interesting situations in the Gospel of Mark that we'll deal with. 00:36:53.400 --> 00:37:01.139 But he listened to what others said. 00:37:03.000 --> 00:37:20.000 He had the opportunity to be a part of powerful ministries just as a helper for Peter and for Paul that make up the activities of the first century of the Gospel getting out to the known world. 00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:23.719 God used Mark as a helper. 00:37:25.420 --> 00:37:26.900 He was not a perfect man. 00:37:27.840 --> 00:37:29.300 He had made mistakes. 00:37:29.880 --> 00:37:31.280 He had let people down. 00:37:32.239 --> 00:37:34.840 But I'm thankful that God uses such as that. 00:37:36.300 --> 00:37:39.559 Let us be faithful to let him use us. 00:37:40.780 --> 00:37:42.579 With every head bowed and every eye closed, 00:37:43.719 --> 00:37:48.440 I mentioned a few moments ago that if you've never given your heart and life to the Lord Jesus, 00:37:48.440 --> 00:37:50.940 it's the most important decision you make and forget everything else I said, 00:37:51.280 --> 00:37:52.780 that's what you need to deal with. 00:37:54.539 --> 00:37:57.700 If you have done that, but you've never acknowledged that publicly, 00:37:57.840 --> 00:38:00.099 then I encourage you to do that today. 00:38:01.639 --> 00:38:02.720 Acknowledge that publicly. 00:38:02.880 --> 00:38:05.039 Come down and say, I know I've given my life to Christ, 00:38:05.139 --> 00:38:06.940 but I've never acknowledged that publicly. 00:38:07.019 --> 00:38:08.240 I've never told anybody else about it. 00:38:08.500 --> 00:38:10.780 And I've never been baptized as a believer. 00:38:10.780 --> 00:38:13.660 Jesus, by his commission and by his example, 00:38:13.780 --> 00:38:15.660 told us that was the way to follow that up. 00:38:16.280 --> 00:38:17.560 We won't do that this morning, 00:38:17.680 --> 00:38:19.960 but we'll line it up in the coming days if you'll come. 00:38:20.820 --> 00:38:23.140 Maybe God's leading you to First Baptist Church. 00:38:23.540 --> 00:38:29.420 I'm thankful that God is doing a wonderful work in the life of this church. 00:38:30.120 --> 00:38:33.640 He's given us great growth and expanded our ministries 00:38:33.640 --> 00:38:36.080 and expanded the needs of our ministries. 00:38:36.079 --> 00:38:38.900 And I'm thankful that he will provide. 00:38:39.219 --> 00:38:40.179 He always does. 00:38:43.539 --> 00:38:45.980 God's leading you to be a part of Pickens First Baptist Church. 00:38:46.480 --> 00:38:50.679 You come, I'll be happy to guide you in what that process looks like. 00:38:51.679 --> 00:38:54.920 Maybe you're here and you just need to hold a card up to the Lord and say, 00:38:55.000 --> 00:38:58.380 Lord, I don't even know what I'm asking about, 00:38:59.000 --> 00:39:02.759 but I want to be used of you the way you'd have me to be used. 00:39:03.219 --> 00:39:04.440 I don't want to be overwhelmed, 00:39:04.440 --> 00:39:07.059 but I don't want to be overwhelming either. 00:39:07.559 --> 00:39:10.440 I just want to serve as you give me an opportunity. 00:39:11.320 --> 00:39:14.920 Help me to be faithful to walk through the doors that you open. 00:39:15.960 --> 00:39:17.280 My friend, that'll honor God. 00:39:18.539 --> 00:39:20.880 That'll honor God and God bless us such as that. 00:39:21.720 --> 00:39:25.340 Lord Jesus, I love you and I thank you for the love that you have for us. 00:39:26.320 --> 00:39:30.019 Lead us, Lord, this morning to be obedient to follow as you lead. 00:39:30.119 --> 00:39:32.000 In Jesus' precious name, amen.