1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:04,680 Of the four gospels, Mark is the shortest gospel and when 2 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:07,000 starting a new series is important to to give you some 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:09,880 background, some reason for this series. 4 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:13,720 And so one might ask, so what's so special about the Gospel of 5 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:16,079 Mark that we need to do a sermon series on it? 6 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,800 The Gospel of Mark paints a portrait of Jesus that we are in 7 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:22,760 much need of learning in our time. 8 00:00:24,080 --> 00:00:27,360 One of the things that we know about Jesus and we say it and 9 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,440 it's true and we want to dig into that, but that Jesus came 10 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:33,000 as a servant. He came as a savior, as a 11 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,200 teacher, a healer, but he came as a servant. 12 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:41,600 The message of servanthood is very important and it really 13 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:44,400 sticks out in Mark's gospel in our world today. 14 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:49,040 It is especially important because we are a people in our 15 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:52,680 world today where we expect to be served. 16 00:00:55,640 --> 00:01:00,320 Just pause for a moment. When we came to church this 17 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:03,440 morning, did we come to serve or be served? 18 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:05,280 Maybe both. I hope both. 19 00:01:06,960 --> 00:01:09,600 But the idea of I, what am I going to get out of it? 20 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:12,800 What's it going to do for me? How am I going to benefit from 21 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:14,920 this? Those are very real thoughts and 22 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:17,160 it's so much of life is like that. 23 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:18,520 Think about going to a restaurant. 24 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,320 A lot depends on the service, whether you like that place or 25 00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:24,320 not. In so many areas, you go to a 26 00:01:24,320 --> 00:01:27,360 repair shop, get your vehicle fixed, or somebody comes and 27 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:30,320 does work in your house. What kind of service are they 28 00:01:30,320 --> 00:01:32,400 providing? How's the service? 29 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:41,200 Here's the thing, are we more concerned about the service we 30 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:47,440 give or are we more concerned about the service we get? 31 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:52,080 And we're increasingly becoming a self focused society. 32 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:54,160 We want our needs met. And I'm not saying it's wrong to 33 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:56,200 have our needs met. We need our needs met. 34 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:00,640 But there's something else that we often do not take into 35 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:02,880 consideration. It's when we think about 36 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:05,320 service. How am I serving? 37 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:08,600 Too often? We don't want to get involved. 38 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:11,120 That's too busy. And I want to ask a question and 39 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:12,560 just please don't raise your hands. 40 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:16,120 But when we came this morning, were these thoughts on our 41 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:17,560 minds. Don't raise your hands. 42 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,080 Who can I comfort in church today? 43 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:24,480 Who can I encourage a church this morning? 44 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:28,040 Who might I be able to pray with a church this morning? 45 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:30,920 Who can I show some support this morning? 46 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:34,680 How many of us came to church with that mindset? 47 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,160 Almost some of us, I think did. Did we all? 48 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:41,760 And before we dig into the gospel of Mark, there's some 49 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:44,120 things I want to say first, but I want to read one verse out of 50 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,320 Mark, chapter 10, verse 45. And Jesus says this, and Mark 51 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:50,040 wrote it down. For even the Son of Man did not 52 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:54,200 come to be served, but to serve and give his life a ransom for 53 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:56,040 many, to serve and then give his life. 54 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:01,440 Those are two things. As people, we find it harder to 55 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:06,360 serve than to be served. If there ever was one who 56 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:10,160 served, it was Jesus. If there ever was one who 57 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:13,360 deserved to be served, it was Jesus. 58 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:17,320 Jesus clearly portrays himself as one who served. 59 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:21,560 Mark shows us in great detail how Jesus served the people of 60 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:25,040 his time. In Mark's Gospel, we continually 61 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:27,840 find Jesus portrayed as the man who served others, even though 62 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:32,320 he was God's son. When we read the Gospels, we 63 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:34,960 find the writers do not tell the story of Jesus exactly in the 64 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,040 same manner. In the Gospel of Mark, for 65 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:39,760 instance, he portrays Jesus as the Messiah, the King of the 66 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,160 Jews. In Luke we find Jesus portrayed 67 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:45,120 as the Savior of the world. In the Gospel of John, we find 68 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:47,440 Jesus portrayed as the Son of God through whom we have life. 69 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:51,640 Mark does the same, except Mark really outlines the activities, 70 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:55,920 the work of Jesus himself. Mark, when he wrote the gospel, 71 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:59,280 he was not an apostle of Jesus. He never was an apostle of 72 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:01,640 Jesus. He came in after the fact. 73 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:03,920 He's mentioned a number of times in Scripture. 74 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:07,840 He's mentioned in Acts chapter 13 under the name of John or 75 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:10,680 John Mark. Early on, this guy, young man 76 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:14,240 named John Mark, he traveled with Paul and Silas and part way 77 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:16,880 into the missionary journey, he turned and went back to 78 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:18,920 Jerusalem. What the reasons were, we're not 79 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:21,640 told. Then when Paul and Silas want to 80 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:24,240 go on a missionary, Paul and Barnabas, sorry, I messed that 81 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:25,640 up. Paul and Barnabas, when Paul and 82 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:27,880 Barnabas want to go on the second journey, Barnabas says, 83 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:30,400 well, let's take Mark along. We ain't taking Mark along. 84 00:04:31,280 --> 00:04:36,040 And so Paul and Barnabas had a split and Paul went with with 85 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:38,640 Silas and then Barnabas took Mark. 86 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:41,840 Later on we find that Paul spoke well of Mark. 87 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:46,240 Maybe Mark matured or got some more courage or whatever may 88 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:47,760 have happened. Paul may have softened up a 89 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:49,560 little. We are not told, but Mark was a 90 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:53,320 very useful laborer in the church, and it's believed he may 91 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:56,600 have recorded this gospel as he heard it from the apostles. 92 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:00,840 And so we're not given all that information, but Mark wrote a 93 00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:03,640 gospel of Jesus, and it's believed that he wrote it 94 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:08,520 approximately between 660 years and 70 years AD after the birth 95 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:10,120 of Christ. And that only would make it a 96 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,040 little more than about 30 years after Jesus was crucified. 97 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:16,200 So it's a very early gospel. Some say it's the earliest 98 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:18,760 gospel, and that information may be correct. 99 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:21,840 We don't have reason to doubt it per SE, but one thing is also 100 00:05:21,840 --> 00:05:25,040 sure is that the persecution had already started in the church at 101 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:28,200 the time. Also, the culture of the time 102 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:31,200 that Mark wrote this was the church was young, but it was 103 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:33,120 very healthy. It was very robust. 104 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:36,600 The church was spreading and putting roots down in all parts 105 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:39,200 of the empire in spite of opposition from the Jews in 106 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:42,360 different parts of the, of the of the empire and opposition 107 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:45,760 from the Romans as well. And as I mentioned, this is the 108 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:48,880 shortest gospel, but he writes in a very interesting manner. 109 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:51,880 If you read the gospel in the new King James, it's a often 110 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:53,960 times he uses the word immediately and immediately and 111 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:55,200 immediately. There's an urgency to it. 112 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:59,000 And also I think the ESV talked about and at once and at once 113 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:02,160 things happened. It's a very fast-paced gospel. 114 00:06:02,840 --> 00:06:05,400 He covers a lot of events in a very short time. 115 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:08,640 But then toward the end, the 1st 10 chapters is kind of very, 116 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:11,400 very compact, very, very tightly packed. 117 00:06:11,840 --> 00:06:15,120 But then from chapter 10 and onward, Chapter 11 to 16, he 118 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:17,920 stretches it out and there's this, this, the Passion Week 119 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:21,000 covers a long stretch. He really emphasizes that as 120 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,640 well. So our theme for the sermon 121 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:28,160 series will be Jesus, the servant son of God going forward 122 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:31,120 through these sermons. As far as the ordinary average 123 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:34,400 Jew was concerned, who knew about Jesus, He's a rabbi, a 124 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:37,160 Jewish rabbi. But Jesus didn't play by the 125 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:39,680 rules. Jesus did things that angered 126 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:44,400 the religious leaders. Jesus demonstrated A servant 127 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:48,120 heart and humility and loyalty to both God and people. 128 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:50,880 And the Jewish leaders were put to shame many a time and they 129 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:54,960 got angry at him. Our title this morning is in 130 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:59,680 God's Servant Training program. When we look over the earthly 131 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:03,120 journey of Jesus, there were serious challenges for him to 132 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:07,240 endure and to overcome. But one of the things in the 133 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:10,120 stories of all the Gospels is clear the earthly journey of 134 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:13,000 Jesus. It was never smooth. 135 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:18,800 It was never easy. It was never convenient or 136 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:25,400 comfortable. But we want ours to be something 137 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:27,960 for us to realize right out of the gate in the series is this. 138 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:31,760 If you're going to follow Jesus, you're going to do what God has 139 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:33,880 for you. You will be challenged. 140 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:37,120 It's not a question of if, just a question of timing. 141 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:42,200 So let's take our Bibles, turn to the Gospel of Mark and begin 142 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:47,640 reading out of chapter one, verse 1 to 13. 143 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:52,920 We'll read this in our Bibles, the beginning of the gospel of 144 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:55,960 Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as it is written in the prophets. 145 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:59,600 Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will 146 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:02,840 prepare your way before you, the voice of one crying in the 147 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:04,520 wilderness. Prepare the way of the Lord, 148 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:08,000 make his path straight. John came baptizing in the 149 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:10,400 wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the 150 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:14,280 remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea and 151 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:17,800 those from Jerusalem went out to him and were all baptized by him 152 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:19,840 in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 153 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:23,520 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather 154 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:26,560 belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 155 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:30,400 And he preached, saying, There comes one after me who's 156 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:32,120 mightier than I, who sandals trap. 157 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:34,039 I'm not worthy to stoop down and loose. 158 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:37,919 I indeed baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the 159 00:08:37,919 --> 00:08:41,159 Holy Spirit. It came to pass in those days 160 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:45,600 that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John 161 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:47,840 and the Jordan. And immediately coming up from 162 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:50,600 the water, he saw the heavens parting and the Spirit 163 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:53,760 descending upon him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven. 164 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:58,080 You're my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. 165 00:08:59,680 --> 00:09:03,880 Mark condenses the beginning of the story of Jesus really into a 166 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:06,800 small package. He bypasses the genealogy that 167 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:10,960 Matthew mentions. He bypasses the birth Bethlehem 168 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:13,600 of Jesus, the story of the shepherds, the wise men, the 169 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:16,480 flight into Egypt, the early years of Jesus, his journey to 170 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:19,360 Jerusalem as a boy. He bypasses all of that. 171 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:23,000 Mark's focus is on what Jesus did. 172 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:26,480 It's not wrong that he bypasses the other parts of the story. 173 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:29,880 Mark's calling, his focus was different and he looked at how 174 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:34,560 Jesus served and what he did. Mark begins with pointing that 175 00:09:34,560 --> 00:09:37,160 Jesus was not just a random person starting out on his own. 176 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:40,640 He mentions that the coming of Jesus was a fulfillment of 177 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:43,800 prophecy. The Messiah had been prophesied. 178 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:47,080 The Jews had been told for centuries that one day a king 179 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:49,600 would come who would reign and rule as King David. 180 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:52,400 They knew the stories of their beloved King David, who in 181 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:53,920 centuries past have been a good king. 182 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:57,480 When the prophecies were made about a coming king, of course, 183 00:09:57,480 --> 00:09:59,640 they had images in their minds what it would look like. 184 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,000 You see, sometimes people have their own ideas how something 185 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:06,240 should be in their mind. And then when the anticipated 186 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:09,560 event happens, it's different than the anticipated, and they 187 00:10:09,560 --> 00:10:12,920 have a different idea, and then it's different and they miss it, 188 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:16,960 sometimes completely. And even those who did not miss 189 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:19,600 it, like the disciples, they got it, they didn't miss it. 190 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:22,080 They still had the wrong idea about him as a Messiah. 191 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,040 And it was not that the people did not prepare. 192 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:28,640 They did prepare. They went to the Jordan to get 193 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:33,000 baptized, but who they were preparing for and who showed up 194 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:37,080 was not the same thing, not the same person. 195 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:40,200 You see, we just celebrated Easter last week, Easter Sunday. 196 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:44,080 And from the time that this event happened, what Mark writes 197 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:47,520 about to the time that Jesus was killed, that was about three 198 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:49,440 years. That's not very long, only about 199 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:51,280 3 years. Three years is very short time 200 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:56,680 and it may very well have been that the same people or some of 201 00:10:56,680 --> 00:10:58,680 at least the same people that were at the Jordan getting 202 00:10:58,680 --> 00:11:02,840 baptized and expecting Elijah to come or the the Messiah to come. 203 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:07,080 The very same people may have been in Jerusalem when he was 204 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:11,120 judged before Pilate and they shot a crucified crucified. 205 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:14,120 We don't know for sure, but it's possible these same people could 206 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:18,400 have been in both groups. And so here in the desert, John 207 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:21,360 the Baptist is sent by God to prepare the way for the coming 208 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:24,280 Messiah. And it's as if Mark is with very 209 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:28,440 broad brush strokes, paints and masterpiece portrait of how God 210 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:31,480 worked his purpose in this world through Jesus as the serving 211 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:34,560 servant. Notice the opening lines in the 212 00:11:34,560 --> 00:11:37,120 beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 213 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:40,600 He introduces the gospel with these words in the beginning, 214 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:44,520 the beginning of the gospel. In his opening line, Mark 215 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:48,040 identifies Jesus, who he is, and this is Jesus gospel. 216 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:51,920 It's important that he begins with Jesus because it's about 217 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:55,840 Jesus and everything to that is to follow is to be about Jesus. 218 00:11:56,760 --> 00:11:59,320 In this passage, right on the heels of his opening statement, 219 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:02,720 Mark anchors or fastens or grounds his proclamation of the 220 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:05,760 good news of Jesus on the prophecies of the past. 221 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:09,720 And he says in verse 2, as it is written in the prophets, Behold, 222 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:13,080 I send my messenger before you who will prepare your way before 223 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:15,200 you, the voice of one crying in the wilderness. 224 00:12:15,560 --> 00:12:18,960 Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 225 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:23,320 He's quoting Isaiah for the coming Messiah. 226 00:12:23,680 --> 00:12:25,560 The way of the Lord needed to be prepared. 227 00:12:26,560 --> 00:12:28,840 Mark is writing about a faith response to God. 228 00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:31,800 It's not some physical construction equipment making 229 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:33,800 some roads in Judea. It's not what this is about. 230 00:12:34,560 --> 00:12:37,720 Make his path straight. This is a a spiritual journey, 231 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:41,320 not a physical path in the nation and in the hearts of the 232 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:43,440 people. The paths were no longer 233 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:45,640 straight. They were no longer thinking 234 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:47,360 straight. They were not living straight 235 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:49,760 either. There were things that needed to 236 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:52,400 be lined up. He's talking about the path of 237 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:55,120 the hearts. They were not right before God. 238 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:56,640 We could say they were not aligned with God. 239 00:12:56,640 --> 00:12:59,600 They had to be prepared. What is noteworthy also in this 240 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:01,440 passage is the reference to the wilderness. 241 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:04,080 We noticed the wilderness a number of times. 242 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:05,840 We will make reference to it a few times. 243 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:08,920 The voice is crying for change. That's one thing. 244 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:14,040 Where is he crying from? Not some resort, not some famous 245 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:15,840 place. He's crying from the wilderness. 246 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:20,240 Wilderness places are not easy places to live in or to be. 247 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:22,720 But you know what? That's often times the place 248 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:25,920 where good things happen. John the Baptist was a 249 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:28,280 wilderness guy. His message was important in 250 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:30,680 timely for the people of Israel, but for them to hear it, they 251 00:13:30,680 --> 00:13:34,160 had to go into the wilderness. I believe this. 252 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:38,920 It is just as important from where a person wants help or 253 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:42,640 where a person is willing to go to for help, then that a person 254 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:44,920 wants help. Often times we want help, but 255 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:47,480 it's so conditional. I want help, but only on these, 256 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:50,840 this and this way. I have my, I have my, my, my 257 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:53,640 demands or my conditions on which I want help. 258 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:56,120 You don't go to the doctor and tell the doctor what to do. 259 00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:58,800 You just go to the doctor and say, I'm sick, can you help me? 260 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:00,760 And the doctor will tell you what you got to do and you just 261 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:04,280 do it. Some people want help while 262 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:06,880 insisting on being in the place of convenience, No hardship, no 263 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:10,280 struggle. That's usually not a good thing. 264 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:14,040 But notice where the preparation takes place. 265 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:18,440 It takes place in the desert. God often uses desert places to 266 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:21,360 prepare people. In the Gospel of Mark, it's 267 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:22,960 where it all began, in the desert. 268 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:27,400 This is not the first passage in Scripture where a desert turned 269 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:31,520 to a training place. Imagine signing up for training 270 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:35,200 of some kind and you're told, by the way, you're going to be 271 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:37,440 eliminated. Everything will be eliminated 272 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:40,360 from you and the place you're going, you're the amenities of 273 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:44,000 life won't be there. Think of Moses, He was a Prince 274 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:46,000 in Egypt. One day he sees an Israel, an 275 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:50,480 Egyptian taskmaster beating up a Hebrew slave. 276 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:53,600 He kills the Egyptian. He's going to work some justice. 277 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:56,440 Egypt was a land of plenty and of wealth. 278 00:14:57,440 --> 00:15:00,120 He took and killed the Egyptian. The next day Moses sees 2 Hebrew 279 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:02,080 men fighting. He tries to play peacemaker 280 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:03,600 again. Well, not again. 281 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:06,280 The previous day he killed the Egyptian, but he tries to play 282 00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:08,000 peacemaker between these two guys. 283 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:10,280 One says, are you going to kill me like you did the Egyptian 284 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:13,480 yesterday? Moses terrified, he flees into 285 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:16,600 the desert. He makes the wilderness his home 286 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:20,440 as a as a shepherd and stays there for 40 years until one day 287 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:21,800 God called him and gave him a job. 288 00:15:21,800 --> 00:15:23,880 He told Moses to bring the Israelites out of Egypt to the 289 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:26,560 land of Canaan. But guess what that wrote it too 290 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:29,200 LED through the desert. Moses had experience in the 291 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:32,680 desert by now and he led the people through the desert and 292 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:35,600 God guided them. They didn't do too well and we 293 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:37,560 know the story. They complained a lot. 294 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:40,280 Many of them died. In fact, all them aged 20 and 21 295 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:43,880 and older died except 240 long years. 296 00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:46,440 Another case in the Bible is Elijah. 297 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:48,320 On one occasion he was depressed about life. 298 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:52,120 He had had a great victory over the prophets of Baal and he gets 299 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:54,200 threatened with death and he wants to die. 300 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:57,840 He goes to the desert and that's where God meets him. 301 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:00,840 You see, deserts have less distractions. 302 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:06,000 There's a there's an elimination process that happens when you go 303 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:09,760 to the desert. And sometimes God brings us to a 304 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:13,600 desert and we don't like it. It's uncomfortable. 305 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:19,840 It's it's, it's difficult. You see, deserts have 306 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:22,000 wilderness. Places have a way of helping 307 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:23,920 people sort out their priorities. 308 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:28,240 They can be dreaded places. But we must consider something 309 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:31,440 in our time. We have cell phones and services 310 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:35,800 usually almost worldwide, and we have fast transportation. 311 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:37,800 So deserts don't hold the same dread for us. 312 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:40,240 They would have been back in those days because we can 313 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:42,600 quickly get out of a desert. We can go in and get out. 314 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:46,240 We're we have these umbilical cords, technology, whatever you 315 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:49,240 want to call it, to get away. In those days, if you walked 316 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:53,720 into the desert, you were cut off, you were separated, and it 317 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:57,200 took time. There were lonely places of 318 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:02,360 isolation. So for us, a desert does not 319 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:05,119 have the same connotation that did for those people. 320 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:07,079 But here's John the Baptist, the man of the desert. 321 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:10,520 It tells us in the in the gospel, Luke, Mark that he's 322 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:12,560 baptizing in the wilderness. No doubt there was an area in 323 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:14,119 the desert where the Jordan River ran by. 324 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:15,720 Let's read that verse and verse 4. 325 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:18,520 And on John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a 326 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:20,640 baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 327 00:17:20,839 --> 00:17:23,440 Then all the land of Judea and those from Jerusalem went out to 328 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:26,160 him and were all baptized by Jordan, by him in the Jordan 329 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:29,320 River, confessing their sins. So in verse 4, baptizing in the 330 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:31,480 wilderness, apparently the Jordan River, As for a stretch, 331 00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:34,680 runs to the desert. In this case, the crowds come 332 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:38,480 from everywhere. John did not go to them, having 333 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:39,680 meetings in their towns and villages. 334 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:41,480 We'll see later that Christ did the opposite. 335 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:43,040 He went to the people where they lived. 336 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:48,920 But John here prepares the way of the Lord in the desert, and 337 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:51,080 even Jesus came to the desert. We'll get there in a bit, but 338 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:56,600 God prepared the people for the Messiah and they came from all 339 00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:58,760 over the place, going to the desert, confessing their sins, 340 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:00,400 and John would baptize them in the desert. 341 00:18:01,120 --> 00:18:04,680 This was not a baptism that we practice today, a baptism for 342 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:07,080 repentance. Today we baptize people on the 343 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:10,920 confession of faith to demonstrate they've died to this 344 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:13,440 world, they've risen to, they're alive in Christ. 345 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:15,280 We baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the 346 00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:17,760 Holy Spirit. And that day it was John didn't 347 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:20,600 do that. And baptism were well known in 348 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:22,720 the time as well. And people would receive baptism 349 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:24,680 as a sign of having undergone change. 350 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:27,840 In this instance, they came to the Jordan confessing their sins 351 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:31,600 and receiving baptism. Mark does not spend a lot of 352 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:33,160 time on the story of the baptism. 353 00:18:33,360 --> 00:18:35,960 The other gospel writers give more detail on this baptism than 354 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:39,560 Mark does. What is important for us to know 355 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:43,320 as people is that we need to be mindful that God is in the 356 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:47,480 people changing business. That's what this is all about. 357 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:51,640 God's not primarily interested in changing our circumstances as 358 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:53,280 He's interested in changing our hearts. 359 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:56,240 I'm not saying God never wants to change our circumstances. 360 00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:58,600 We can pray for that. And if sometimes He wants to 361 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:01,760 change our circumstances, but first and foremost, he wants us 362 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:06,200 to change us to prepare us to make the way straight. 363 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:09,480 Our problem often is that we pray in asking God to change our 364 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:11,280 circumstances. And again, it's not wrong, but 365 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:17,120 too often that's where we stop. We need to be about God changing 366 00:19:17,120 --> 00:19:22,600 our hearts first, changing us to be in a relationship with Him. 367 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:26,280 Often that training is difficult, and it happens often 368 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:28,440 times in a desert. And when I say desert here, I 369 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:31,280 don't mean necessarily we go to an isolated place where there's 370 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:34,320 nobody there, but everything falls away and it's just us and 371 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:37,200 God left. The preparation that was 372 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:39,880 happening to these people in the desert was happening for a 373 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:41,920 person. Yes, they were being baptized 374 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:43,680 for the remission of sins, but for what purpose? 375 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:46,200 To become ready for the one who was to come. 376 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:49,160 It says here describing John a bit. 377 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:51,720 John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt 378 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:53,560 around his waist. Nate, locust and wild honey. 379 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:56,440 And he preached saying, there comes one after me who's 380 00:19:56,440 --> 00:19:58,000 mightier than I, who's sandal strap. 381 00:19:58,000 --> 00:19:59,680 I'm not worthy to stoop down and loose. 382 00:19:59,960 --> 00:20:02,480 I indeed baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the 383 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:06,160 Holy Spirit. John the Baptist had been 384 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:08,080 prepared. He was prepared. 385 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:12,160 Now he comes preparing the way he was prepared for the Messiah. 386 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:16,520 He lived in the desert, was ready when the Messiah came, he 387 00:20:16,520 --> 00:20:19,920 was ready to meet him. I'm assuming that John spent a 388 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:23,160 lot of time in the desert. It's not just that he grew up to 389 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:25,360 be a man and just walk into the desert and then a few days later 390 00:20:25,360 --> 00:20:27,520 did this. No, I believe it's safe to say 391 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:30,120 John was a man of the desert. This was his lifestyle. 392 00:20:30,120 --> 00:20:34,800 This is who he was at this time. He was in his mid early 30s. 393 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:39,000 Humanly speaking from a from a fresh standpoint he was he was 394 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:41,400 related to Jesus. He was a cousin of Jesus, but 395 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:43,160 older than Jesus. In the prime of his life we 396 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:45,360 could say. It tells us how he wore his 397 00:20:45,360 --> 00:20:48,520 clothing. Camels hair, garb of some kind, 398 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:51,000 leather belt around his waist. I wonder what his hair looked 399 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:52,440 like. I've seen people describe him in 400 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:54,000 pictures. Looks like a wild man. 401 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:57,640 The food he ate, a diet that I don't wouldn't want anyway. 402 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:00,240 Some art. Some artists portray him as a 403 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:07,040 man poor, just kind of very rough looking and just the way 404 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:09,680 he preached. He didn't have a long ministry, 405 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:12,640 a very short ministry, but just the way he preached Luke's 406 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:14,120 gospel. And let's look at some of these 407 00:21:14,120 --> 00:21:15,760 passages. It says he said to the 408 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:17,960 multitudes. Now this is this is Mark leaves 409 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:19,040 this out, but Luke talks about it. 410 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:21,280 He says, then he said to the multitudes that came to be 411 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:24,360 baptized by him. Brood of Vipers, who warned you 412 00:21:24,360 --> 00:21:26,760 to flee from the wrath to come? How's that first sermon opening? 413 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:33,320 I like the low German. It has a nice ring. 414 00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:38,560 That's my mother tongue. But ye Schlang and Brozel, you 415 00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:42,600 nest of snakes. That's when he starts his 416 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:45,360 sermon. He says, therefore bear fruits 417 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:48,160 worthy of repentance and do not begin to say to ourselves, we 418 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:50,200 have Abraham has her father. For I say to you that God is 419 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:52,320 able to raise up children to Abraham from from from these 420 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:53,840 stones. In other words, oh, we're from a 421 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:55,840 religious background. We're Mennonites or we're 422 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:57,800 whatever. No, don't use those. 423 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:00,840 He says, even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees, 424 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:05,680 therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down 425 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:08,840 and thrown into the fire. So the people asked him saying, 426 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:11,560 what shall we do? Then he answered, Satan said to 427 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:15,280 them, he was too Tunis, let him give to let him give to him who 428 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:17,640 has none and he who has food to let him do likewise. 429 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:20,600 Then the tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they 430 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:21,800 said to him, Teacher, what shall we do? 431 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:24,560 And he said to them, Collect no more than what's appointed for 432 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:26,480 you. Likewise the soldiers asked him 433 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:29,480 saying, what shall we do? And he said to them, Do not 434 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:31,800 intimidate anyone or accuse false to be content with your 435 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:35,880 wages now, as the people were expectation and all reason in 436 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:37,920 their hearts about John, whether he was a Christ or not. 437 00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:41,000 John answered saying to all, I indeed baptize you with water, 438 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:43,080 but one mighter than I is coming, whose sandals strap I'm 439 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:46,000 not worthy to lose to lose. He'll baptize you with Holy 440 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:48,800 Spirit and with fire. His winning fan is in his hand. 441 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:51,160 He will get thoroughly clean up his threshing floor and gather 442 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:52,960 the wheat and his barn. But the chaff he burned with 443 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:57,000 unquenchable fire, and with many other exhortations he preached 444 00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:00,520 to the people. But Herod the Tetrarch being 445 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:03,080 rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's 446 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:06,480 wife, and for the all the evils which Herod had done, also added 447 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:09,640 to this above all that he shut John up in prison. 448 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:12,440 Talk about a successful ministry. 449 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:17,480 We do know that in between this he also did baptize Jesus. 450 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:24,640 John's life was not easy. First God prepared John, and 451 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:26,560 then he had John prepare the way for the Messiah. 452 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:32,880 We should not expect an easy preparation, the path of 453 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:35,520 redemption, the preparation, the fulfillment of God's plan, as 454 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:37,960 glorious and as good as it did not come easy. 455 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:40,960 God's plan came with a lot of hardship. 456 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:44,520 Not just that, God's plan does not promise an easy life, quite 457 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:51,240 the opposite. And during this time that John 458 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:53,920 was ministering and preaching and baptizing in the desert, 459 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:56,400 Jesus shows up, it says in verse 9. 460 00:23:57,360 --> 00:24:00,200 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of 461 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:02,400 Galilee and was baptized by John and the Jordan. 462 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:05,520 And immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens 463 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:08,520 parting and the Spirit descending among like a dove. 464 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:10,600 Then a voice from heaven came from heaven. 465 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:12,840 You're my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 466 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:18,680 Even Jesus subjected himself to this preparation of service as 467 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:22,240 well. He's identified with humanity 468 00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:27,640 and baptism. When Jesus was baptized, it was 469 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:30,160 not like the people that he got baptized for any sins he had 470 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:32,280 committed. There wasn't a repentance 471 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:35,400 baptism. He was baptized to identify with 472 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:37,120 humanity. He had nothing to repent of. 473 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:40,800 He was going to carry what we're forced to carry. 474 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:44,400 He was going to wear the badge of broken humanity. 475 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:51,320 He became one of us fully at his birth, but especially at his 476 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:55,440 baptism. He identified with us and he 477 00:24:55,440 --> 00:25:01,520 went to the desert to do it. He entered our broken world of 478 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:03,280 sin. When he did this. 479 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:06,880 He identified with us at every level, yet without sin. 480 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:09,800 When he came up out of the water, it tells us that God 481 00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:12,600 said, this is my beloved Son and whom I'm well pleased. 482 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:14,440 God was pleased with Jesus as a man. 483 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:19,480 For Jesus to take this step, He was entering and engaging a 484 00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:24,160 world riddled with pain and sin and darkness and brokenness, and 485 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:28,320 he would experience it. For Jesus, the baptism and the 486 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:30,600 approval of the Father was not the finish line. 487 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:33,600 However, that was the starting line of ministry. 488 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:36,600 You see, too often in life you have the idea that once you 489 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:38,360 leave the starting line canal, it's going to be easy. 490 00:25:38,360 --> 00:25:39,800 Going from here on in, it's going to be easy. 491 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:42,640 It's not like that. And how many experiences don't 492 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:45,840 we have that attest to this? For instance, a young guy 493 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:48,040 becomes a follower of Jesus. He's grateful that God has 494 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:49,400 helped him overcome some addictions. 495 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:52,000 He's repented. Satan is now now gone, so to 496 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:53,880 speak. And only to find out, wait a 497 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:56,800 minute, now it gets hard. It does. 498 00:25:57,680 --> 00:26:00,400 One thing that I often think about when I work with young 499 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:02,680 couples is they, they love each other. 500 00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:04,880 They're madly in love, passionately in love, and they 501 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:06,720 want to get married. And they do get married only to 502 00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:09,440 figure out, wait a minute, I married someone with problems 503 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:11,720 and I have problems and he married some of those problems 504 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:13,760 and, and they both have problems. 505 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:19,080 It's uphill. There's many cases where people 506 00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:21,920 just don't anticipate that the preparation time is somehow, ah, 507 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:23,720 whatever, we'll get there. We'll, we'll take care of that 508 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:26,040 when it comes. No, no, no, no, we have to do it 509 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:29,080 as it comes. We can't short circuit this. 510 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:33,280 There are many cases people just don't anticipate any preparation 511 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:37,000 time. What would happen after, after 512 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:40,040 this? And I didn't put verse 12 on my 513 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:41,720 slides here, so just read verse 12 with me. 514 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:45,640 Immediately after, the Spirit drove him into the wilderness, 515 00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:47,760 and he was there in the wilderness 40 days tempted by 516 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:51,040 Satan, and he was with the wild beast, and the angels minister 517 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:53,440 to him. Jesus was driven to the desert, 518 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:56,840 and Jesus received his training in the desert. 519 00:26:57,400 --> 00:27:00,920 And Matthew goes into great detail of what this looked like 520 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:04,640 just because Jesus got baptized but wasn't me. 521 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:06,040 Now he's prepared, He's finished. 522 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:10,960 That's when classes commenced was driven into the desert and 523 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:13,600 there's three specific temptations that Matthew loosed 524 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:20,000 and I want to read those Matthew chapter 4 verse one to four my 525 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:23,640 my spelling is incorrected. Then Jesus was led up by the 526 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:25,920 spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 527 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:28,960 And when he had passed it, 40 days and 40 nights afterward, he 528 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:31,040 was hungry. Now when the tempter came to 529 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:33,320 him, he said, If you're the Son of God, command these stones to 530 00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:35,320 become bread. But he answered and said, It is 531 00:27:35,320 --> 00:27:38,480 written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word 532 00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:40,160 that proceeds from the mouth of God. 533 00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:43,240 Then the devil took him up into the holy city, set him up on the 534 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:45,840 pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, If you're the Son of 535 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:48,000 God, throw yourself down, for it's written, He shall give his 536 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:50,120 angels charge over you, and in the hands they shall bear you 537 00:27:50,120 --> 00:27:51,840 up, lest you dash your foot against the stone. 538 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:54,920 Then Jesus said, It's written, you shall not tempt the Lord 539 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:57,080 your God. Again the devil took him up on 540 00:27:57,080 --> 00:27:59,520 an exceedingly high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of 541 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:02,480 the world and their glory, and said to him, All these things 542 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:04,520 I'll give you, if you will fall down and worship me. 543 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:06,960 Then Jesus said to him, Away with you Satan, for it's 544 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:09,160 written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and him only 545 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:11,280 shall you serve. Then the devil left him, and 546 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:13,520 behold, angels came and ministered to him. 547 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:16,400 So Mark leaves that out. But see, here's the temptation 548 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:18,840 of Jesus that he experienced in the desert that Mark describes. 549 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:22,040 So Jesus had the power. He had the need too. 550 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:24,120 He needed to food. He was hungry. 551 00:28:24,120 --> 00:28:27,040 After 40 days, Satan says well turn stones to bread. 552 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:33,560 But Jesus will never compromise his loyalty to God, even even 553 00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:41,840 for a good 'cause if it meant pleasing Satan, we just need to 554 00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:45,360 be real. Would we have faulted Jesus for 555 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:47,280 turning some stones to bread to satisfy his hunger? 556 00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:50,880 Well, he had the power of his stones, but Jesus countered that 557 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:53,320 temptation because it meant compromising his relationship 558 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:56,120 with God. We must learn that relationship 559 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:58,840 with God consists of things beyond the realities of this 560 00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:00,440 life. Well, there's another 561 00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:03,600 temptation, and that was for Jesus to show off. 562 00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:06,280 Show the world who you are. Show the Jews who you are. 563 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:07,720 Jump off the temple. You won't get hurt. 564 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:10,600 After all it's written, you won't dash your foot against the 565 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:14,200 stone. Again, Jesus rebuked him. 566 00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:16,400 We must learn that we are here for God's purpose, not for 567 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:19,520 ourselves or to impress people. There was a third temptation. 568 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:22,240 Third temptation was for Jesus to worship Satan, give him. 569 00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:24,240 So Satan would give him all the kingdoms of the world. 570 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:26,920 And of course we know Jesus was God in human flesh. 571 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:30,360 And from a from a theological standpoint or biblical 572 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:31,520 standpoint, Jesus would not do that. 573 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:33,680 But as a man, this was a temptation, a very real 574 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:39,040 temptation to take the shortcut. Again, Satan rebuked, Jesus 575 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:41,120 rebuked, Satan tempt. And this temptation again 576 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:43,680 faltered. We must know it's never right to 577 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:46,240 take a path in life where the focus shifts away from God to 578 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:48,000 self. You see, when Jesus got 579 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:49,880 baptized, he'd experienced God's approval. 580 00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:53,640 The Father had blessed him. I said, this is my son, whom I'm 581 00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:55,440 well pleased. He was led into the desert, and 582 00:29:55,720 --> 00:30:01,880 there the temptations began to fight, to battle, to conquer, 583 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:05,400 and to win. And then when he came out, he 584 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:09,160 was ready for his journey of servanthood to humanity. 585 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:11,880 Let's think about this for a moment. 586 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:15,040 He didn't walk this earthly path for himself. 587 00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:20,320 He experienced what He experienced on our behalf. 588 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:23,240 He experienced what He experienced so He would know 589 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:28,360 what it's like to go through it. He went through this training 590 00:30:28,360 --> 00:30:32,760 school for our sake. We know He paid a huge price as 591 00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:35,760 a creator of the world. He stepped down. 592 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:39,680 He took on flesh. Join us in our in in His 593 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:45,520 creation and in its fallen nature, all for the sake of 594 00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:48,440 redeeming us and wanting a relationship with us. 595 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:53,520 And he came freely and he served freely and he did it and loved 596 00:30:53,520 --> 00:30:55,480 because he wants a relationship with us. 597 00:30:57,080 --> 00:31:00,280 So for us, if we want to be in relationship with him, it will 598 00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:02,760 take a journey. That journey will not always be 599 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:05,800 easy. And it yes, we'll take the 600 00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:09,240 desert and the desert lessons are not easy. 601 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:16,040 Takes humility, takes patience, steadfastness, perseverance, 602 00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:19,760 endurance. Just As for Jesus, it took a 603 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:22,520 journey into humility. So to take a journey into 604 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:25,560 humility for us as well. And it's often painful. 605 00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:29,000 We do ourselves no service, but trying to create for us the 606 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:31,800 perfect life on earth. It doesn't exist. 607 00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:35,640 Anyone who thinks so is not being honest. 608 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:39,360 Satan tried to convince Jesus, create yourself a path. 609 00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:41,720 He, you know, turn stones to bread, jump off a temple and 610 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:43,720 worship me and all those things and you'll have it easy. 611 00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:48,920 Jesus died on the cross. He offered himself. 612 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:54,040 He came to serve. And if we receive him, we will 613 00:31:54,040 --> 00:31:56,600 not just be set free from sin, which we will, and it's great, 614 00:31:56,880 --> 00:31:58,320 but there's a calling that comes with it. 615 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:03,600 So how are we doing in God's training school of preparation? 616 00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:06,720 How are we doing? You know in class sometimes you 617 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:10,800 get cheat cheats and shortcuts and those kinds of things and 618 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:16,200 that may work in school, but not in our relationship with Jesus. 619 00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:19,800 In the end we have to walk the course. 620 00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:24,960 God sent his Son as a servant. God sends you and I as servants 621 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:27,840 as well. So this week you may have 622 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:31,680 opportunity to serve, maybe in your marriage, maybe serve your 623 00:32:31,680 --> 00:32:37,000 spouse, maybe in school, serving a fellow classmate, maybe at 624 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:41,080 your job, serving that not so pleasant Co worker, maybe to go 625 00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:45,880 about town shopping back again to mark chapter 1045. 626 00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:48,600 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve 627 00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:51,720 and give his life a ransom for many. 628 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:54,480 Where do we get off track and think it's about us? 629 00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:57,080 Where do we get off track and say, well, they're not meeting 630 00:32:57,080 --> 00:32:59,040 my needs? Really. 631 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:03,960 Is that what it's about? Is that where we're at? 632 00:33:04,280 --> 00:33:13,080 They're not meeting my needs. Wow, we do well to remember the 633 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:16,280 lesson of Jesus. He did not come to be served. 634 00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:20,280 He came to serve and how much more we his creation. 635 00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:24,240 And here's the thing, when we serve in humility and 636 00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:28,440 sacrificially serve in loyalty and devotion, we will experience 637 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:33,080 the blessing we have coming, not because we served because the 638 00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:36,920 relationship is is intact. And then we will be served. 639 00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:39,400 We will, we will. Out of the service that we 640 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:43,920 provide, we'll experience the joy and the peace that we 641 00:33:43,920 --> 00:33:46,680 thought would come if we got others to serve us. 642 00:33:47,680 --> 00:33:50,400 God stands this whole picture on its head. 643 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:58,000 So may we serve with love, humility, loyalty, commitment, 644 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:02,160 and devotion to Jesus Christ. And when we do so, the joy and 645 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:08,960 the peace will be ours. Let's pray, but we're thankful 646 00:34:09,719 --> 00:34:15,600 that You walk this earth, that You gave us a path to walk, and 647 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:17,040 You want this path to be a straight one. 648 00:34:18,880 --> 00:34:20,480 It may not be easy, but it's the right one. 649 00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:24,120 Lord, it seems often times we need to learn some lessons 650 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:26,800 repeatedly. We may need to read desert 651 00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:29,800 experiences multiple times for us to learn this. 652 00:34:30,719 --> 00:34:33,840 So help us to learn well, to serve well. 653 00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:37,360 I pray you will grant us Your mercy as we seek to be faithful 654 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:40,760 in hard times. Lord, help us to trust you in 655 00:34:40,760 --> 00:34:42,960 easy times, to help us, Lord, to remain humble. 656 00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:46,480 Help us, Lord, to serve you with loyalty and devotion and 657 00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:48,120 commitment. Learning we pray. 658 00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:48,960 Amen.