Sermon Notes

The Authority of Christ (Mark 1:16-28)

Mark wrote his account of the Gospel to demonstrate to us Who Christ is, not only by recording His actions, but also by giving us a written account of His death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The ultimate goal of Mark’s writings, and the writings of any New Testament author, is to build our faith.

By recording His actions, Mark paints a vivid picture of Who Jesus of Nazareth was, makes the case that He is the Christ, the Messiah, moreover the Savior of all mankind.

He opened His Gospel by showing how Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the messenger that would go before the Lord. While this prophesied messenger was indeed John the Baptist, Mark pointed out how John the Baptist clearly identified Jesus as being the Christ.

As he continues his opening statement, Mark demonstrates the authority of Christ by showing His authority to call the disciples into apostleship, His authority to teach, and His authority over demons.

In Mark 1:16-20, Mark writes:

Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. 18 And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him. 19 And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets. 20 And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.

Here, Mark records how Jesus called Simon (Peter) and Andrew, as well as James and John, to follow Him. When the Lord called them, He called them to follow Him, to learn from Him, and to help Him fulfill His mission. Likewise, when the Lord calls us, He calls us to salvation, to learn from Him, and to join His mission of spreading the Gospel.

Now, when He called them, He told them He would make them fishers of men. To them, fishing was a labor intense occupation where teams of men would drag nets throughout the sea to gather as many fish as they could. To be a fisher of men means to drag the net of the Gospel through the sea of humanity to bring as many to Christ as possible. This was a team effort.

Throughout the early years of Christianity, we see that it was always a team effort. The apostles always worked together in groups, whether they were sent out two-by-two by Christ into the villages of Galilee, or whether they were working together in the church of Jerusalem to preach the Gospel in the Temple court.

The Apostle Paul only traveled alone when he had to flee violence. However, during his missionary journeys, he always had people with him. Barnabas and Mark accompanied him on the first missionary journey. Other teammates to Paul included Luke, Silas, Timothy and Titus. Read any of Paul’s epistles, and you will see when he signs off that he lists the individuals who were with him who also sent their greetings to the church addressed in the letter.

Like the apostles, we are called to work as a team to spread, promote, propagate, publish and share the Gospel. We promote things all the time. We share funny posts on social media, we talk about our favorite TV shows and music, and we praise the restaurants that deliver amazing meals to our table. I’ll be sharing a link to this post as soon as I finish writing it.

Why don’t we share the Gospel more?

Social media is your story to the world. Through your posts and your comments, you tell the world Who you are and what you stand for. That story needs to center on the Gospel.

Like the Apostles were called to work together as a team in the ministry of Christ, we, too, are called to work as a team. There are no lone rangers in God’s work. We are to work as a team to spread the Gospel.

This is why much of the work in the Gospel is accomplished through the local church. We gather for worship, collect offerings to fund missionary endeavors, and we perform church outreach efforts. We fish together.

It is worth noting that when the Lord called us, He called us with the same authority with which He called His disciples on the shores of Galilee. This means that following the Lord’s call is not an optional feature to the Christian life. It is something the Lord calls us to, and something He expects from us.

Ephesians 2:8-9 say that it is by grace through faith that you are saved, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast. However, many Christians overlook verse 10, which says we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.

We were created to follow the Lord’s call, and to do His will, and to make an impact for the Kingdom.

Now, many Christians will object, citing work obligations, financial stress, and a busy family life. It is worth noting that the Apostles had things going on when the Lord called them as well. Simon and Andrew weren’t fishing as a hobby. Their abilities to feed their families depended on them having a successful catch.

James and John were not engaged in recreational crafting when they were mending their father’s nets. Those nets needed to be repaired in order to have another successful catch.

When Jesus called, they quickly left behind their livelihoods to follow. That requires faith.

The Lord has not necessarily called you to quit your job at 3M, the school, the state, or the phone company. However, using it as an excuse to fail to follow the Lord’s calling on your life will not work. By the authority in the Lord’s call, we have to prioritize the work of the Gospel.

Mark’s attention then turned to the Lord’s authority in how He taught.

Mark 1:21-22:

And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. 22 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.

When Jesus taught in the synagogue, He did not spend time quoting other rabbis, discussing tradition, and sharing thoughts and ideas. He boldly proclaimed what the scriptures actually said. And what astonished those in attendance was the authority and certainty in which He delivered His teaching.

Well, of course He taught with authority. Not only were the scriptures about His redemption of His people, but it was through His Spirit that the scriptures were inspired and written in the first place.

There is a scene in the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, where the white witch confronts Aslan the Lion about Edmunds betrayal, citing the deep magic’s requirement for such a one to be punished. Aslan responded by saying, “Do not cite the deep magic to me, I was there when it was written.”

In his Chronicles of Narnia series, C.S. Lewis attempted to explain the Christian faith in the form of a fantastical story involving talking animals and humans. In the Narnia universe, the deep magic was their scripture. Aslan the Lion was Lewis’ Christ-like figure, who submitted himself as a sacrifice for the betrayal of Edmund (and the sins of the creation). And in this scene, Aslan reminds everyone of His divinity and authority.

Likewise, when Christ taught in the synagogues, He was not merely another rabbi or scholar. He was the One Who inspired the scriptures, He was the subject of the scriptures, and His message, embedded in the scriptures, was redemption.

John 1 tells us that Christ was in the beginning with God, and that He was God, and that He created all things. Having created all things, then revealing Himself through scripture, we learn that Christ is the ultimate authority in the universe.

The scriptures were written by His authority and they say what He wanted said.

Therefore, when we study scripture, we are not merely reading a religious text or the works of a theological writer. We are reading the very words of God. We are in no place to reconsider, retranslate, reword, or question.

After demonstrating the Lord’s authority to call and His authority to teach, Mark showed us the Lord’s authority over demons.

Mark 1:23-26:

And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. 25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. 26 And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.

Notice that, not only did the demon fear Jesus, but had to obey what Jesus told Him to do.

God and Satan are not two divine beings who are battling each other in a struggle of similar powers. God is God, has infinite power. Satan is a created being at the mercy of God’s power. Satan, therefore, has to obey and do what God orders. The same with demons.

So, when Jesus commanded the demon to come out of the man, he was forced to comply.

Demons have no power over the Lord. Further, Satan has no power with God either. He’s not a superboss at the end of a video game. He is a glorified demon. Nothing more.

Therefore, we can quit making Satan out to be a boogeyman, and we can quit fearing His antics. Go forward in faith, trust the Lord, and trust His call on your life.

Psalm 91:1 says, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

We will find peace when we learn to live close to the Lord, under His authority, and depend on Him for our purpose, beliefs and protection.

Christ is Glorified in the Gospel

During an annual meeting of the Missionary Baptist Association of Texas, Pastor Bobby Sparks of Emmanuel Baptist Church of Greenville, Tex., preached that the glory of Christ is in the cross.

That statement drew dozens of “amens” from the congregation of pastors, deacons and church representatives, but it also prompted me (Leland) to study what glory is, and how the Gospel glorifies Christ.

The word “Glory” is translated from the Greek word, Doxa, which means to make renown, to cause to be well-known and well though-of, to magnify and to be great.

In this message, I discuss how the cross (and the Gospel as a whole) brings glory to the name of Christ, and how it should bring us glory as well.

Agents of Distraction: How We Wander from God

In this message, Pastor Leland Acker discusses how multiple, seemingly small decisions made to please ourselves lead us away from God. Scripture reference is Isaiah 53:6, which says, “All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

The Hour is Come

In John 17, Jesus is with His disciples in the upper room following their observance of the Passover, and the institution of The Lord’s Supper. Judas has been sent away to betray Christ, and our Lord spent chapters 14-16 preparing His disciples for His crucifixion, and their lives after His ascension into Heaven.

At the conclusion of his discussion with His disciples, Jesus lifts up His eyes to God and says the most epic prayer ever recorded. In opening the High Priestly Prayer, Jesus says, “Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:”

This word, “glorify,” is translated from the Greek word doxoza, which means to honor, to make renown, to make to be well-thought of. Basically, to be made famous in a good way for great things you’ve done. It is from this word comes the title of the hymn, “Doxology,” which is simply referred to in many Christian denominations as “The Doxology.”

Indeed, God’s name has been made great throughout all of human history, from the creation, to redeeming Adam and Eve, to His raising up of Israel, to His chastisement of Israel, to His reconstruction of Israel, to bringing forth Jesus, born of a virgin, and giving Him to be the sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. God’s glorification continues with the resurrection of Jesus, His victory over sin, and will come to full fruition when He establishes His Kingdom on Earth.

Jesus prays that God would glorify Him, to make Him great and renown, so that Christ, in turn, can do the same for the Father.

But first, He says, “The hour is come.”

The hour is this moment, when Christ would fulfill the Gospel and redeem His people. God’s entire plan with mankind centered around this moment. This is the moment that Jesus Christ would undo the inherent sin and death brought by Satan into the world. He would undo the damage done by Adam and Eve in the garden.

In this hour, Christ would pay for the sins of the world, bringing forgiveness and redemption to mankind, and saving all those who believe to the eternal life God originally intended back in the beginning. For Jesus, it’s time!

In this hour, mankind had a decision to make. In Luke 19:42 Jesus said, “If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.”

Jesus had come to Jerusalem to complete God’s plan of salvation, but the Pharisees only saw a threat to their personal prestige, power and desires. So, they had Him crucified, and sealed their judgment. Hence, Jesus says in Luke 22:53, as He was being arrested, “When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

To complete the Gospel and pay for the sins of mankind, Christ handed Himself over to sinful man. And man was told He had one hour, to do unto God (who was in the flesh in Jesus) what He wished. Man treated our Lord as shamefully as he could.

No compassion.

No mercy.

The compassion and mercy we desire was denied to Christ, both by man, and by God.

Thus, Isaiah 53:4-6 says, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

The punishment Christ endured on the cross settled the sin-debt for all mankind. Man’s rebellion against God came to full fruition on Christ as He was beaten and tortured prior to the crucifixion.

And God’s need for justice was satisfied on the cross, as Isaiah 53:11 says, “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” 

Now, with the hour of salvation complete, it’s now your hour, and you have the same choice to make.

Will you see Christ as a threat to your happiness, pleasure, fun, prosperity, autonomy over your life. Is He a buzzkill?

Or will you see Him as salvation, the source of life, and the One to whom you will give your faith and trust?

What is your decision?

Having proclaimed that the hour has come, Jesus then prayed that God would glorify Him so that the glory could be returned to God. God answered that prayer by resurrecting our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Because of the resurrection, the Gospel was spread throughout the world, and the name of Jesus Christ has been remembered throughout the centuries.

Because of the resurrection, we have a confident expectation of salvation, of eternal life in the Kingdom of God, and a life without pain, sin or adversity in His Heaven.

Because of the resurrection, we can comfort each other at funerals.

Again, there is a choice to be made here. To believe, or to reject. What is yours?

The Real Jesus Christ

What do Christians believe, and what does the church stand for?

In this day of social media strife, international turmoil, and 24-hour cable news, Christian pundits, personalities and pastors seem to be offering opinions on everything from the latest Congressional scandal to college football realignment. Hundreds of Christian Web sites exist, promoting family values, wholesome entertainment, and conservative politics. In all of this noise, is the central message of Christianity being lost? What is that message?

Our new sermon series, “The Real Jesus Christ,” aims to correct this error by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded by John the Apostle. Furthermore, it is our aim to call all Christians, as well as our sister churches and Christian organizations to return to the Gospel. Through this, we hope to see our country experience a revival.

Catch up with us by listening to the first part here, and the second part here.

What’s Our Advantage? (Romans 3:9-31)

Paul, after demonstrating that religious people are just as sinful as the lost world, answers the question, “What advantage do we have?”

Basically, “If my religion hasn’t earned me any favor with God, what was the point to that?”

Paul answers the question by stating that our advantage was that we were entrusted with the word of God, the Bible. Then, in a theological eloquence that could only be inspired by God Himself, demonstrated God’s grace and salvation of us, in spite of our sinfulness.

Dreams vs. Reality

Each miracle that Jesus performs is simply amazing. From healing the blind man, to feeding 5,000 with just a few loaves and fishes, the miracles of Christ not only amaze us, but demonstrate His compassion upon those who are helpless and hopeless. Furthermore, each miracle has both the physical, and Spiritual application.

Such is the case with the miraculous catch in Luke 5:1-11. In it, Jesus demonstrates His power in a way that catches Simon Peter’s full attention. He makes Peter’s wildest dreams come true, but does so in a way that makes Peter leave them behind to follow the Lord.

Peter was a fisherman. He made his living dragging nets along the bottom of the Sea of Galilee, hoping to gather enough fish to be able to feed his family and make a living in the market place. History records that during the time of Christ, the fishing industry along Galilee was struggling.

If that were the case, the Peter, Zebedee, James and John were likely in need of a great catch. Such a catch had proven elusive, however, as when we find Jesus teaching along the shore of Galilee, the four fishermen were washing their nets after an unsuccessful night.

In reading this passage, we are reminded of the struggle of mankind. Man’s curse, brought on by Adam’s sin in the garden, is that work would be hard, and would pay off only after maximum efforts had been expended. As God told Adam in Genesis 3, “In the sweat of your face will you eat bread.”

The Lord sees this struggle. It’s real. And He’s sympathetic. It’s worth pointing out in Matthew 6:31-33 that Jesus promises to meet those needs for His followers.

After concluding His teaching, Jesus told Peter to take the boat out into the deep, and to cast the net one more time. When Peter did so, he pulled up a net so full of fish, that it filled both boats to the point that they began to sink.

If you read too quickly, you’ll miss what this really meant.

Everyone who goes into business does so with the dream that they will be wildly successful. What generally happens, however, is that the businessman struggles to make ends meet, and constantly has to worry about the consequences of a bad month.

Peter was in business as a fisherman. When Christ provided the miraculous catch, He made Peter’s wildest dream come true, and He placed that dream right in front of Peter.

At this point, Peter has a choice. Stay and count the fish and work out the logistics of getting them to market, or follow Christ. Peter chose the latter.

Peter was a skilled fisherman who built a business and supported a family. However, his purpose in life was not to be a great fisherman. It was to follow Jesus and become the lead apostle.

Dreams are good, and we never fault anyone for pursuing them. However, the lesson we learn from Peter is that our purpose is not always tied to our dreams. However, when we find the path of our purpose diverging from our dreams, what God has for us down the road of purpose will bring us greater fulfillment than our dreams ever could.

This passage gives us an opportunity to reflect on our priorities and make sure they are in line with God’s.