"The Blessing's Of Following The Lord"

Southern Hills Baptist Church

October 27 2002

The Blessings of following the Lord

Mark 10: 28-29

By Pastor Mark Hensley

28Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"

29"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.

Introduction: Setting in the middle of moving boxes waiting for the men who would move us to our new home, I took the time to pray and seek God Monday morning October 7th. What would Southern Hills be like, just what is instore for us there? Questions surround a new beginning they always do; will we find it easy transition, will the kids fit in? I know you have called us Lord; I know that could you give me yet another word of affirmation that this indeed is your plan your choice, your tap on my shoulder?

I had spoken the night before for the final time to the people of the West Greeley Baptist Church from the Gospel of Mark, chapter 9. Knowing full well that the best way to study Gods word is systematically I opened Gods word to the 10th Chapter of Marks Gospel reading through the chapter my eyes and heart locked onto verses 28-29 imagine my delight when I read those two verses literally moments before Bob Scott and Bob Dilman steered the van and moving truck onto 7th street in Greeley Colorado.

28Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"

29"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.

Transition: Tonight in a message I have titled The Blessings of following the Lord. I want you to know that no matter the situation in your own life be it a move across the country or a change in job or school or relationship, perhaps a change you did not initiate or want you can know the absolute joy of following the Lord! Mark 10:28-29

28Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"

29"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.

Following the Lord may cause you to leave what¡¦s familiar.

Following the Lord always involves His care and his blessings!

Following the Lord will ultimately lead to heaven.

I. Following the Lord may cause you to leave what¡¦s familiar. 28Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!" 29"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel.

Peter that Galilean fisherman must have wandered mentally back to the coast line where he developed his trade. The sights and smells of his fisherman days seemed to remind him of another life he could have had if he hadn’t taken Jesus up, on his offer to leave his nets behind. After our Lords death Peter is meeting with the other disciples their future obscure overcast at least from their perspective. Unbeknownst to them the Risen Lord Jesus is observing the disciples.

Its at that time that Peter makes a statement that I seem to always link together with the one in our passage tonight. John 21: 1-7

1Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias.[1] It happened this way: 2Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3"I’m going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We’ll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.¡¨ 4Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

5He called out to them, "Friends haven’t you any fish?"

"No," they answered. 6He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. 7Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!"