Mark: Who Do You Serve?

Who do you serve? What is Greatness? These are important questions that Jesus answers in surprising ways in the book of Mark.

Mark 10:32-45
1 Corinthians 1:18-24
Luke 18:34

Let us mark this well. There was nothing involuntary and unforeseen in our Lord's death. It was the result of his own free, determinate, and deliberate choice. From the beginning of His earthly ministry He saw the cross before Him, and went to it a willing sufferer. He knew that His death was the needful payment that must be made to reconcile God and man. That payment He had covenanted and engaged to make at the price of His own blood. And so when the appointed time came, like a faithful substitute, He kept His word, and died for our sins on Calvary.

Let us ever bless God that the Gospel sets before us such a Savior, so faithful to the terms of the covenant--so ready to suffer--so willing to be reckoned sin and a curse in our stead. Let us not doubt that He who fulfilled his engagement to suffer, will also fulfill His engagement to save all who come to Him. Let us not only accept Him gladly as our Redeemer and Advocate, but gladly give ourselves, and all we have, to His service. Surely, if Jesus cheerfully died for us, it is a small thing to require Christians to live for Him. J.C. Ryle The Gospel of Mark

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• Why did Jesus have to force Himself to go to Jerusalem?
• Have you ever had to force yourself to do something like this?
• Why was the disciples' attitude so wrong?
• How can we be like them today?
• What is greatness in Jesus kingdom?
• What is one of the questions God will ask you on the Final Day?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

The Holiness of God: Part 1

The Holiness of God is such an important doctrine and reality to understand. It will help us all appreciate God's specialness and majesty as well as how wonderful it is that He has provided a way for mere creatures to come to Him and be adopted by Him.

Exodus 19:10-24,15:11,3:2-6,20:18-21,33:17-23
Psalm 50,104:1
1 Samuel 2:2
Hosea 11:9
Revelation 15:4
Judges 13:22

From this it already appears that it is not correct to think of holiness primarily as a moral or religious quality, as is generally done. Its fundamental idea is that of a position or relationship existing between God and some person or thing.

It is this holiness of God which Otto, in his important work on Das Heilige,... includes such ideas as "absolute unapproachability" and "absolute overpoweringness" or "aweful majesty". It awakens in a man a sense of absolute nothingness, a "creature-consciousness" or "creature-feeling" leading to absolute self-abasement.

...the response to it: "Mere awe, mere need of shelter from the 'tremendum', has here been elevated to the feeling that man in his 'profaneness' is not worthy to stand in the presence of the Holy One, and that his entire personal unworthiness might defile even holiness itself." Louis Berkhof Systematic Theology

Sermon discussion questions for parents to use with their children:

• Why is it so important to understand God's Holiness?
• What significance is the fact that the basic idea of holiness is to separate?
• Why is God's holiness also understood as God's specialness and His aboveness?
• How did God teach these things to Moses and the people of Israel at the burning bush, at Mt. Sinai and when Moses saw God pass by?
• What are the implications of all of this for us?
• What will it be like to see God for the believer?
• For the unbeliever?
• For you?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

The Lord's Prayer: Make Your Name Great

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Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA