Call To Worship - Job 37:1-17 Scripture Reading - 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 - Bethany Sexton
Knights of the Cross
Mark 1:1-15
Introduction: Factual Data/Scriptural Analysis
1. Speaker/speakers:
Mark
John the Baptist
Certification of His Sonship - God the Father
Jesus
2. Addressees: Seekers and Believers
3. Time: The Beginning of the Gospel (circa 30 A.D.)
4. Setting:
Jordan River
5. Occasion:
Jesus baptism
The theme of baptism with its link to cleansing, renewal, restoration, and the Spirit allude to promises of renewal found in such places as Ezekiel 36 and 37. These links with the prophecies of Ezekiel are heightened by similarities between the appointment of Jesus here and the call of Ezekiel in Ezekiel 1-3.
6. Aim: To develop an understanding the transition between the old and new testament and the change necessary for it to come to pass.
7. Theme: The entrance of Jesus into our world requires a change in the way men look at God..
8. Scriptural Analysis: Mark 1:1-15
Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Mark is the earliest (and shortest) of the Gospels includes nothing at all about the birth of Jesus. If you run your "grammar check," you’ll find that this isn’t even a complete sentence - it’s just a fragment. If the only gospel we had was Mark we would no nothing about Christmas: no Mary and Joseph in a donkey ride Bethlehem, no crowded inn with no room, no angels or shepherds; no Wise Men, no murderous Herod, or flight to Egypt - just: "The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God."
Mark 1:2-4 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "behold, i send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; 3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ’make ready the way of the lord, make his paths straight. 4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."
Mark does not record the first 30 years of Jesus’ life, and begins his story with a clarion call for His readers to recognize that a prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled in the coming of John the Baptist preaching a baptism of repentance and announcing the coming of the Messiah.
Mark 1:5,6 " And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey."
Mark tells us that masses of people were responding to this call to repentance in spite of the peculiar dress and diet of this prophet of God.
Mark1:7,8 "And he was preaching, and saying, "After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. 8 "I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
He was also announcing to the world that the Messiah was coming after him and would baptize, not with water as he, John the Baptist, was doing, but with the Holy Spirit.
Mark 1:9-11 "In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; 11 and a voice came out of the heavens: "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased."
Without further comment, Mark simply announces that Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized of John. Matthew (3:15) informs us that Jesus’ purpose in being baptized was to fulfill all righteousness not to confess sins because He had none. The announcement by the man John, was followed by an announcement from God the Father informing the world that Jesus is not only the Messiah but His Son.
Mark 1:12,13 "Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. 13 And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him."
Following His baptism Jesus struggled with the battle that men have had and still have with the evil one. Being a disciple is more than being baptized and church attendance... It is a call to service in a battle against evil.
Mark 1:14,15 "Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."
Sometimes people say, "Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could have walked with Jesus while He was here among us?" If we did then we would have to devote our time to calling people to repentance instead of celebrating the church year with pageants and parties. His first disciples didn’t have Christmas. As a matter of fact, you might be surprised to learn that none of the Gospel records or the writing of early Christianity have any mention of Christmas and Easter at all.
9. Illustration: Order of the Bath
"The Most Honorable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. However, the origin of the Order is said to be medieval, the earliest mention being in 1128. The name derives from the ancient ceremony wherein individuals participated in a vigil of fasting, prayer, and bathing on the day before being knighted (the ceremony was discontinued in 1815).
The Order’s motto is Tria iuncta in uno (Latin for "Three joined in one"), a reference to either the union of England, Scotland and Ireland, or to the Holy Trinity... Another motto, Ich dien (older German for "I serve") is sometimes used, but only by members of the Order who serve in the military.
In the Middle Ages knighthood was often conferred with elaborate ceremonies. At this inauguration of a knight of Bath was a ritual bathing and giving up of old clothes for new that symbolized purity and a commitment to put the past behind for the challenge of the future. As a knight of Bath one was called to live a life of service, sacrifice in reverence to God and a purity of heart.
"These usually involved the knight-to-be taking a bath (possibly symbolic of spiritual purification) during which he was instructed in the duties of knighthood by more senior knights. He was then put to bed in order to dry. Clothed in a special robe, he was led with music to the chapel where he spent the night in a vigil. At dawn he made confession and attended Mass, then retired to his bed to sleep until it was fully daylight. He was then brought before the King, who after instructing two senior knights to buckle the spurs to the knight-elect’s heels, fastened a belt around his waist, then struck him on the neck (with either a hand or a sword), thus making him a knight It was this "accolade" which was the essential act in creating a knight, and a simpler ceremony developed, conferring knighthood merely by striking or touching the knight-to-be on the shoulder with a sword, or "dubbing" him, as is still done today. "
"The call to knighthood included a vow of allegiance and a call to holiness: "Brother, the king our Sovereign lord wills it that you take up this high and worshipful order, which as a knight I declare to you certain points that belong to this high order of knighthood. You shall love God above all things, be steadfast in faith, sustain the church, and be true to your sovereign lord. Be true to your word and promises, be secure in this. Also you shall sustain widows in their rights, anytime they require you, maidens in their virginity, helping them and succoring them in your good that they not be misgoverned for their own faults. You shall sit in no place where an evil judgment should be wrongfully given, to anybody, according to your knowledge. You shall suffer no murderers, nor extortions of the people within the Country where you dwell, but with your power you shall put them into the hands of justice, that they be punished as the king’s law requires."
All factual data about the Knights of Bath come from http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Bath
[ Ask.com ] and edited and annotated by Kinserdahl
One of the dictionary definitions of a knight is that a knight is a champion or devoted follower. In medieval time the primary law of chivalry was purity.
10. Jesus shows us what it means to be a devoted follower of God by His total submission to His will in all
things beginning with His Baptism which He Himself said was "to fulfill all righteousness" which is the
primary law of Christianity and it’s attendant Christian service.
11. Today, water baptism is most readily identified with Christianity, where it symbolizes the cleansing
(remission) of sins, and the union of the believer with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection so that the
believer becomes one of Christ’s Faithful Knights of the Cross.
12. This passage of Scripture reveals the progression of commitment that is required for a person to become a Christian devoted to Christ and a champion of His cause (seeking and saving the lost).
I. Knights of the Cross Began Their Journey When They Make A Personal Decision - 1:1-9
NAU Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY;
3 THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ’MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.’" 4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey. 7 And he was preaching, and saying, "After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. 8 "I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
1. Becoming a disciple of Jesus requires a Purposeful Journey
Jesus walked to the Jordan with a specific purpose in mind... to be baptized to do what God was calling "right".
Our coming to Christ needs to be a journey that begins with recognition to God’s claim on our life and decision to never look back.
2. Becoming a disciple of Jesus requires a Perfect Surrender.
Willingness to forsake all ties of human relationships for the sake of Christ and His cause.
Our motive needs to be more than salvation... It needs to be a surrender to service of the Lord to fulfill all that’s right..
3. Becoming a disciple of Jesus requires a Public Declaration.
Jesus set an example to follow. "To do what is right by God’s standards not man’s)
Baptism is God’s altar call - confession of our sin and Christ our pledge of allegiance.
II. Knights of the Cross Will Receive Personal Assurance (security) 1:10,11
10 Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; 11 and a voice came out of the heavens: "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased."
1. Jesus was assured of God’s presence and strengthening power at His baptism. "and a voice came out of the heavens, saying, "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased."
2. Believers are assured of God’s presence and strengthening power at His baptism
"Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." Acts 2:38,39
A. Acceptance of Jesus’ offering to lay down His life is seen here by heaven’s opening.
Sinners will yield themselves for salvation.
Sons and daughters will yield themselves for service.
God takes us from wherever we are when we come to Him and opens up then resources of heaven to us.
B. Anointing of Jesus comes when the Holy Spirit is given to us as an indwelling presence.
Security comes when we realize that God not only forgiveness of our sins but that God descends upon us with all the power of love and the resources of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
The same Spirit that dwelt in Jesus dwells now in us.
C. Assurance of Jesus is an added blessing of obedience because we know that we are His Children.
Romans 8:16,17 " The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him."
III. Knights of the Cross Will Experience Temptation - 1:12,13
1. Why? We too are now Holy Spirit driven and will be tried just like Jesus was.
"Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness."
2. Yielding to the Holy Spirit’s guidance is to be our driving force just like it was our Master’s desire.
We may be adrift in the world but we have the Holy Spirit at the helm.
The winds of adversity may come but if the Holy Spirit is in control we can stay the course.
3. When the testing comes - Stand fast - He is ever true.
"And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan;
and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him."
A. Satan’s purposes are not in much danger until we submit ourselves to the Spirit of power.
B. The apostle John records this bit of truth: Greater is He that is in you, than He that is in the world." 1 John 4:4
IV. Knights of the Cross Will Have A Personal Testimony - 1:14,15
14 Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God,
15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."
1. "Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit." Doctor Luke tells us in 4:14.
2. Jesus returned to Galilee teaching and preaching the "good news."
3. When we go forth in the power of the Spirit we go beyond being seekers of salvation to becoming servants of God.
A. Jesus didn’t start His church with the 5,000 he fed loaves and fishes.
B. He started it with a small inner core of committed disciples that recognized His Lordship.
"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life." John 6:68
Jesus doesn’t need a crowd of curious onlookers or self-seeking egotists to build His church.
He needs a core of consecrated men and women who will stand for Him no matter what come their way.
4. We study, we learn, we meditate upon Him and His teachings until we are no longer children tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine but become partners and friends sharing in His sufferings and living His life.
"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. "You are My friends if you do what I command you. "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. John 15:13-15
Conclusion:
1. Louis IX of France (1215-1270)
St. Louis led an exemplary life, bearing constantly in mind his mother’s words: "I would rather see you dead at my feet than guilty of a mortal sin." His biographers have told us of the long hours he spent in prayer, fasting, and penance, without the knowledge of his subjects. The French king was a great lover of justice. Http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09368a.htm
He was renowned for his charity. The peace and blessings of the realm come to us through the poor he would say. Beggars were fed from his table, he ate their leavings, washed their feet, ministered to the wants of the lepers, and daily fed over one hundred poor. He founded many hospitals and houses: the House of the Felles-Dieu for reformed prostitutes; the Quinze-Vingt for 300 blind men (1254), hospitals at Pontoise, Vernon, Compiégne.
King St. Louis IX is our patron saint. The father of eleven children, born during thirty-six years of marriage, the "Baptized of Poissy" (as he was known), progressively became the Good King Saint Louis. His royal duties contributed to his sanctification, but he, himself, only wanted to follow the example of the King of Heaven: poor, just, and the servant of all. www.stlouisparish.org
Signature: Louis De Poissy (city where he was born and baptized.)
Unconfirmed Story: Louis said once to a friend, "In Poissey, I received the greatest honour of my life." The friend replied, "You are mistaken, your majesty. You mean Rheims." "I am not mistaken," said Louis, "It is true I was consecrated king on earth at Rheims, but I was made a Christian at Poessy and there acquired my right to the throne of heaven."
If this is a true story there are two simple steps that were taken that made a king think more of being a Christian than being a king: 1) A mother who challenged him to be upright, 2) A personal desire to please God first in his life.
2. Hunting Area - Large Oaks
Tree stands last when you put them in oaks because they withstand the winds of winter.
One time the mighty oak was just an acorn covered with soil that grew in the shadow of the parent tree until it could stand alone.
3. Commitment begins with a simple step
Change of our life yielding to His lordship.
Ponder Mentally: culminating in planted seed of God’s word coming to fruition as we
Believe Him
Not merely believing in God.
Believe and do what He says.
Repent of our sin.
Take responsibility for the thought or action of sin.
Genuine remorse for the thought or action.
Repudiation of sin.
Resolve not to practice it again.
Restitution where possible for the consequences of your sin.
Physical confirmation:
Confessing our faith and allegiance with our tongue
Planting our life in the watery grave of baptism
Living our lives filled with hope and joy.
Purposeful testimony growing in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Standing tall and firm in the shadow of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives.
4. Will you make that simple first step that leads to change today?
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
What will you do with Him today?
5. If you have fallen: Remember the first step you made, and begin again.
6. You can continue your pilgrimage with joy if you will let Him direct your path.
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones." Proverbs 3:5-8
Questionnaire for Knights of the Cross Mark 1:1-15
Introduction: Factual Data
1. Who is speaking?
2. Who is being addressed?
3. What time frame is it in Jesus’ ministry? (early, middle, late)
4. Where is the setting of this event that is recorded?
5. What is the occasion of this event? (What caused it to occur?)
6. What is the aim of this story?
7. How would you describe the theme of the passage in one sentence?
Scriptural Analysis: Mark 1:1-15
8. Read this text and put your mind to work to discern what universal truth is associated with this Scripture that every believer can use.
1:1 -
1:2-4
1:5, 6
1:7, 8
1:9 -11
1:12,13
1:14,15
9. The proposition of this passage of this sermon is :
10. How is a Christian a knight in the sense of one who is devoted and a champion of a cause? ... To what are we devoted? ... What is the cause?
11. Jesus walked approximately 70 miles for the purpose of being baptized by John and said that even though He was without sin to confess, He was going to be baptized in order to fulfill all righteousness. In light of this, how important do you think it is for one who has sin to confess to do what He commands in regard to baptism? See Mark 16:16 for His words on the matter.
12. How can the purpose behind doing all things to "fulfill all righteousness" be considered the primary law of a Christian?
13. What do you need to do to surrender your life to God’s keeping?
14. How is submission to baptism a public declaration of our faith in Jesus?
15. God spoke out of heaven declaring His pleasure with Jesus. What personal assurance do we have that God is pleased with us? See Acts 2:38,39; Romans 8:16,17
16. How was Jesus’ experience with temptation enable us to see Satan’s tactics? List the human desire that is at the root of each temptation? Compare: Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13
17. How did Satan appeal to the flesh? ... To the emotions... To the intellect? What steps can we take that will enable us to conquer the temptation of self-gratification? ... Personal power? ... Spiritual pride?
18. What is the difference between a personal testimony and sharing what you know about the Bible’s teaching with people?
19. What is the difference between believing in God and believing God?
20. The five signs of genuine repentance are: 1) Taking personal R_______
for your sin; 2) Have genuine R_______ for the thoughts and actions of sin; 3) R________ of the practice of sin; 4) R_______ not to succumb to that temptation or practice again (think about steps you will take to repudiate it when the enemy tries again) 5) R__________ where it is possible to correct the consequences of your sin on others.
21. What are the two physical confirmations of our faith that God commands? What is the importance of each one of these actions?
22. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. What step will you take today to either start your pilgrimage to eternity or to get a fresh start on the quest for everlasting life?
