Abundant Life Sermons

Jesus lived a daring life, but He was most daring in His death. In the last week of His earthly life, Jesus entered Jerusalem knowing ahead of time it would end with Him being tortured to death on a Roman cross.Four daring events of “Passion” week in the life of Christ…1. The Presentation of the King.Mark 11:1-7, Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; and He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.” So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it. But some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, loosing the colt?” And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it.By entering Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives through the Eastern Gate, while riding on the back of a colt, Jesus was presenting Himself to the Jews as their promised Messiah. This was done in direct fulfillment of biblical prophecies concerning the Promised One.Zechariah 9:9, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.Ezekiel 43:1-2, Afterward he brought me to the gate, the gate that faces toward the east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory.2. The Coronation of the King. Mark 11:8-10, And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”By lining the streets with palm branches and clothing and declaring Jesus as the One to usher in David’s Kingdom, the people were receiving Jesus as the Promised King!3. The Crucifixion of the King.Mark 15:12-15, Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?” So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!” Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!” So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.Jesus had not come to conquer Rome; He had come to conquer sin and death. But one day He will return, and the kingdoms of this world will become one and the same with the Kingdom of Heaven!Ezekiel 44:1-2, Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary which faces toward the east, but it was shut. And the Lord said to me, “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore, it shall be shut.”4. The Resurrection of the King.Mark 16:5-6, And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.Jesus dared to die so that He could arise! It demands we take the same dare!Dare to live a daring life for the Lord Jesus Christ!Dare to invite someone to church on Easter weekend!Dare to find your ONE! Personally share the gospel with someone!Dare to believe that Christ died for your sin and rose again!

Which scoreboard are you using for your life?Jesus taught the world’s scoreboard for success is different from God’s. Success is defined differently in the Kingdom of God than in the kingdoms of this world. Mark 1:15, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”As a member of God’s Kingdom, the world cannot “score” you because God keeps a different score! Some of us need to change teams and start keeping a different score!How the world scores vs. how God scores…The world’s scoreboard values the temporal; God values the eternal. (See Mark 1:15) The kingdoms of this world will all decay and fade away. But the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ will last forever!Mark 9:33-35, Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. 35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”The world’s scoreboard values being “first” — serving “self.” God values being last — serving others. (See Mark 9:33-35) The world’s value system is full of self-promotion, position, and competition. Mark 9:38-40, Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is on our side.The world’s scoreboard values competition; God values communion. (See Mark 9:38-40) On “essentials” we have unity. On the “non-essentials” we give each other liberty.Mark 10:13-14, Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.The world’s scoreboard values hierarchy; God values humility. (See Mark 10:13-14) The world says some are more “important” than others. To God everyone is a VIP—a very important person.Mark 10:21-22, Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” 22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.The world’s scoreboard values prosperity; God values generosity. (See Mark 10:21-22) Money is neither moral, nor immoral. It is not how much you have that matters to God, but rather what you do with what you have.Mark 10:42-45, But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”The world’s scoreboard says to live positionally; God says to live sacrificially. (See Mark 10:42-45) The world’s scoreboard says some are expendable; God says every person is essential. (See Mark 10:46-52)Today some of us need to change teams! Mark 1:15, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Get on the winning side! Become a member of God’s Kingdom by receiving God’s Son! Every Kingdom has a King. And the King of God’s Kingdom is God’s Son. But if He is not your King you are on the wrong side.

One KC, Part 5 – Mark 8:27-35Mark 8:27-28, Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?” So they answered, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”1. Who do people say Jesus is? Mark 8:29a, He said to them, “But who do you say that I am? 2. Who do you say Jesus is? Mark 8:29b, Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”Christ – anointed one or chosen one. Mark 8:34-35, When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”3. How do you follow Jesus?

One KC, Part 4 – Mark 5:24-34Jesus has chosen us to be His family! Jesus has called us more than merely His “followers” – He has called us “family.”Mark 3:31-35, Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.” But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”As adopted members of God’s family, we are related by blood! We are adopted into God’s family through the shed blood of Christ. That was the price of our adoption!Mark 5:24-34, So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him. Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”Like this woman with a “sickness” of blood, we are all born with a “sickness” of blood—our bodies are under the curse of sin. Before Adam sinned, his body and that of his posterity would have had no blood. Only mortal bodies have blood. One day our immortal bodies will have no blood. (See 1 Corinthians 15:50) Jesus shed His blood to heal us and cleanse us from our “sickness” of blood! Ephesians 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”This is our chance to enter the story!Jesus has chosen us to bear fruit eternally! John 15:16, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain…”Like the woman healed from her “sickness” of blood, when you are looking for your “one,” your “one” will sometimes find you.

February 28, 2021One KC, Week 3 - Mark 1-3Jesus brought with Him an explosion of compassion! Mark 1:40-41, Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”Leprosy in the Bible is a picture of sin. Spiritually, we are all born lepers and need to be cleansed! Jesus came to not only forgive us of our sin but to cleanse us from our sin! 1 John 1:9 ,“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”Like sin, leprosy was a disease that started beneath the surface long before it could be seen. Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?”Like sin, leprosy would begin as a tiny speck on the flesh that would eventually take over the entire body. That is the nature of sin. It begins small, but when allowed to go unchecked, it will eventually completely take over.Like sin, leprosy attacked the sensory nerves of the body; the leper eventually lost feeling. 1 Timothy 4:2, “speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.”Like sin, leprosy was a slow death, but eventually it always destroyed its victim.James 1:13-16, Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.Mark 1:41-42, Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.”

1.  The need for Jesus. Mark 1:1-7, The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’” John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 2.  The example of Jesus.Mark 1:9-11, It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Baptism is an outward symbol of an inward commitment.Baptizo: dip, dunk, submerge, sink, drown Ephesians 2:8-9, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

One KC, Part 1: - Mark 10:46-52Mark 10:46-47, Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”In the eyes of the world, this blind beggar did not even have enough value and worth to be given a name. Bartimaeus literally means “the son of Timaeus.” His parents never even bothered naming him. Bartimaeus is a picture of us all – born blind, spiritually and in poverty, eternally.God sees and saves anyone who will call upon His name! What matters most is not that Bartimaeus didn’t have a name, it’s that He knew Jesus’ name! Romans 10:13, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”Mark 10:47-49, And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.”In the middle of the crowd, Jesus found the ONE. And a someone others thought was a “no one” became the ONE. In the middle of the thousands, Bartimaeus became Jesus’ “one” because Bartimaeus confessed Jesus as the “anointed one.”Jesus values people others don’t; He sees people others won’t. While others told Bartimaeus to be “unseen” and “unheard,” Jesus both saw him and heard him. When you call on His name, He’ll call yours.Mark 10:49-52, So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.Bartimaeus knew both what he needed and what he wanted. Jesus healed him spiritually and opened his eyes physically. What Bartimaeus needed was God’s mercy; what he wanted was to see. Jesus gave Him both.Three things Jesus calls us all to do…Cheer up! Mark 10:49, “Be of good cheer...”Happiness focuses on happenings, but joy focuses on Jesus. Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”Rise up! Mark 10:49, “Rise, He is calling you.”The agony of a crucifixion precedes the joy of a resurrection. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, “We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed – always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”Step up! Mark 10:52, “And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.”Today Jesus is calling you to take your next step to follow Him.

A pioneer is willing to risk all that is for all that could be. They are compelled by a dream to go to a place they’ve never been and to a land they’ve never seen.Acts 1:6-8, Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” It was pioneers that paved the way for where we are today. Jesus gave the early Christians a pioneeringvision of taking the gospel to all nations and future generations! That’s the reason 2000 years later the movement Jesus started that changed the world is still changing lives!This pioneering vision that demands multiplication is called the Great Commission. Like the early church, we are launching new gatherings in new places to reach new people. To be pioneers, we must relinquish the security of being settlers. For impossibilities to become realties, we must live dangerously with a faith that is risky.A faith that costs nothing will accomplish nothing. A faith that demands nothing will do nothing. Luke 9:23, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”Pioneers are people of conquest. Like the early pioneers of Christianity, God has set before us an open door!Revelation 3:7-8, “And to the angel of the church of Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens: I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.’”Pioneers leave a permanent mark and a trail for others to follow. When your life is over, will anyone be able to tell you were ever here? 

Nehemiah embodied the core value of GENEROSITY – givingaway what God has given us. One of the marks of a life that is godly is a life of generosity.Nehemiah 5:14-15, Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the governor’s provisions. 15 But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but I did not do so, because of the fear of God.Unlike the former governors, Nehemiah used his personal prosperity, power, and position, to bless others instead of himself. Nehemiah 5:15 “…because of the fear of God.”Nehemiah knew that he was not the owner but rather the steward of the resources God had given him. 1 Corinthians 4:2 “Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” Instead of living selfishly, Nehemiah lived generously for kingdom priorities. Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”Nehemiah 5:16-18, Indeed, I also continued the work on this wall, and we did not buy any land. All my servants were gathered there for the work. 17 And at my table were one hundred and fifty Jews and rulers, besides those who came to us from the nations around us. 18 Now that which was prepared daily was one ox and six choice sheep. Also fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine. Yet in spite of this I did not demand the governor’s provisions, because the bondage was heavy on this people.Nehemiah took personal responsibility to live generously to bless those living in poverty. God blesses you so that He can bless others through you.A core value of Christianity has always been generosity. It was a distinguishing characteristic of early Christianity. Acts 2:44-45, “Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.”The biblical role of government is to provide protection for its citizens from violence, both on the outside and the inside.It is not the responsibility of government but rather God’s people to provide for those in need. Acts 4:34-35 “Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.”A real solution to become more generous…Budget your life to live on 80%, save 10% and give away 10%. God will one day reward us according to our faithfulness. Nehemiah 5:19, “Remember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.”

We all need strong walls around our lives, our families, our church, and our country. In the ancient days, a city without walls was weak and easily defeated. A city needed a strong foundation and walls of fortification.Wherever God is building, Satan is battling. Nehemiah had a vision for rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem which is why he met with intense opposition. Understand the tactics of the opposition…1)  Division. (Chapter 5:1-9) Nehemiah encountered opposition from within. Sin and oppression had created division and an unjust system that could have destroyed the rebuilding vision.“Divide and conquer” is the age-old military strategy most employed by the enemy. Jesus said, “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”2)  Deception. (Chapter 6:1-4) Nehemiah’s enemies attempted to lure him out from behind the city walls under the banner of “peace” to the plains of Ono about twenty miles north of Jerusalem. In reality, it was a trick designed to assassinate him, and Nehemiah saw through the deception.Nehemiah 6:1-4, Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates), that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they thought to do me harm. So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?” But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner.Satan’s methodology is always to distortreality. The key to our victory is to always walk in truth and not by lies.3)  Distraction. (Chapter 6:5-7) Nehemiah’s enemies threatened him with a vicious and deadly rumor campaign. They threatened to frame Nehemiah as leading an insurrection against the Persian King who had sent him.Nehemiah 6:5-7, Then Sanballat sent his servant to me as before, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand. In it was written: It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore, according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the wall, that you may be their king. And you have also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning you at Jerusalem, saying, “There is a king in Judah!” Now these matters will be reported to the king. So come, therefore, and let us consult together.Distraction can become destruction to a godly vision. When the enemy cannot stop you, he will seek to simply distract you. But Nehemiah would not be distracted from the vision! (See 6:8)4)  Intimidation. (Chapter 6:8-11) When the enemy could not stop the vision through division, deception, or distraction, they resorted to intimidation. The enemy paid someone to go and tell Nehemiah they were going to kill him!Nehemiah 6:8-11, Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart.” For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.” Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands. Afterward I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was a secret informer; and he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you.” And I said, “Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!” Colossians 3:1-4, If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.You will live a fearless life when you lay down your life, and you know your life is hidden in Christ. (See Colossians 3:1-4)