The Word from Mountain View

Kingdom Entrance - Jan 26, 2020

Kingdom Entrance

 Text: Mark 3:31-4:12 (vs 11)

Thesis: Only those who in faith, sincerely seek Jesus will be allowed in the Kingdom of God.

1. Jesus spoke to a very large crowd who held various understandings on how get into the Kingdom of God. (vs.1-2)
2. Jesus had just recently been questioned about his family and Jesus made a profound declaration, "Who are my mother and my brothers? "he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." (vs 33-35)
3. Jesus realized that in this large crowd there were people who sincerely wanted to know Him and believed he was from God while others were just gawkers and where there because of the excitement and entertainment value of Jesus.
4. Jesus’ suspicions about the crowd were confirmed at His trial. Some continued to love Jesus while the masses yelled, “Crucify him!”
5. Jesus’ first word to the crowd was “listen” (vs3) and his final words to the crowd was “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (vs 9).
6. It was Jesus’ heart desire that the crowd would accept Him and His teachings.
7. In between vs. 3-9 Jesus tells a parable that describes the various responses that the crowd will have towards him and what he has taught concerning himself. (next week’s sermon will break the 4 groups down)
8. Jesus wants all people to “listen” with a sincere heart so they will put their faith in Him.
9. Only those who sincerely seek Jesus will be allowed in the Kingdom of God.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD” Jeremiah 29: 13-14)

2. Jesus explains later that there were some in the crowd to just get a free meal and not for Him.

Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." (John 6:26-27)

3. Don’t chase after the (freebees) blessing of Jesus, Chase after Jesus.

 

III. Jesus later, is approached by his disciples and other sincere supporters with a question because they are confused. (vs 10-12)

1. However, Jesus doesn’t answer their question immediately but addresses the major issue that has been on his mind related to “Kingdom Entrance”.

“He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'" (11-12)

1. God desires a relationship with every person, but God will not be mocked.

• Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows’ (Gal.6:7 NIV)
• Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.” (Gal. 6:7 NLT)

2. God is not only “love”, but God is “Just”.
3. We can only come to God on His terms-a sincere heart of faith (see thesis), and through His eternal provision-Jesus Christ.

• For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— (Ephesians 2:8-9)
• Peter preached, Jesus is "'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone. ‘Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:11-12)

 Jesus said, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you.”

 

God Loves the Unborn Baby - Jan 19, 2020

God Loves the Unborn Baby 

Text: Jeremiah 1:4-5; 29:11
Thesis: God knows the Unborn, God has a plan for the Unborn and God Loves the Unborn Baby! 

1. God knows everyone before they were formed in the womb.

         “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” (5a)

1. God knows of our existence even before we are conceived. 

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9) 

1. Human life begins in the mind of God. 

“Even though we believe our physical existence begins at conception this passage seems to be saying that Jeremiah existed in God’s mind and intentions from the beginning.” (Pastor Chuck’s Thoughts)

1. God reveals that even before we are born, He has set us apart for a        particular plan He has for our lives. (5b)
   
   
2. The apostle Paul proclaims, as revealed to him by the Holy Spirit, “we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10) 
   
   
3. God knows the role we will play as Christians in building God’s Kingdom. 

1. We need to pray for our unborn to be able to carry out God’s will for their lives. 

2. God spoke to King David in personal ways about his formation as well. (See Psalms 139:13-16)                                                       

1. Jeremiah “was appointed to be a prophet to the nations.” (5c) 

1. It is recorded in Jeremiah 29:11 one of the most quoted passages in scriptures concerning God’s intimate plans for everyone. 

    “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” 

III.  God not only knows and has a plan for the unborn, but He Loves the

         unborn baby.

1. Pray for the Unborn baby. 

2. Pray the parents will love the unborn baby. 

3. Support ministries that promote the life of the unborn baby such as Lifeline        Pregnancy Care Center (See Bulletin Insert) and Love Inc. 

4. Vote only for leadership that love the unborn baby and see them as of great value.

The Family of God - Jan 12, 2020

The Family of God

Mark 3:20-35
Thesis: Jesus said, “Whoever does God’s will is my brother, sister and mother.”
(vs.35)

I. Jesus’ family thought he had lost his mind. (vs20-21)
“When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind." (vs21)

A. Jesus ministry was so radically different, and his followers so zealous they came “to take charge of him”.

1. The “Good News” had a “shock and awe” effect!

a. God loved everyone, rich or poor, young and old, and all ethnicities.
“For God so loved the world…” (John 3:16)

b. People could be saved by “Grace” NOT works.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

c. This is revolutionary because no one gives anything away FREE!

2. The “Good News” is attractive “go” tell others is Jesus’ command.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28:18-19)

II. The Religious leaders thought Jesus was demon possessed. (23-30)

A. The teachers of the law attempted to discredit Jesus and his message.
Jesus revealed two Spiritual facts:

1st “If a Kingdom or house is divided against itself, they cannot stand.” (vs25)

a. Jesus had been driving out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit.

2nd “All sins are forgivable except the sin of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit.”
“By opposing Jesus and accusing him of acting by the power of Beelzebub, they are actually denying the activity of God in Jesus. Despite their religious credentials, they align themselves with Satan, not God. From that settled position there is nei- ther retreat nor hope.” (NBBC, page 110)

III. Jesus elevates those “who do the will of God” as having a greater status than even our birth families.

• “Jesus meant no affront to those related to him by blood; this is clear from the way He cared for his mother even in the agony of the Cross (John 19:26-27). Our Lord was simply driving home a point with a forceful dramatic gesture.” (BBC, page 297-298), A. E. Sanner)

• The Apostle Paul States: “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8)

A. Jesus recognizes those “who do the will of God” as his eternal family.

B. Jesus seeks to elevate the importance of our Church family or Spiritual family.

1. Jesus modeled this even as a twelve-year-old boy.
“When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you. Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49)

2. Jesus teaches further, "Truly I tell you," 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 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--along with persecutions--and in the age to come eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-30)

Jesus said, “Whoever does God’s will is my brother, sister and mother.” (vs35)

A New Year, 2020 - Dec 29, 2019

A New Year
2020

Text: Matthew 16:21-28; (vs 24)
Thesis: Jesus instructs us “to deny oneself” (vs24) and if followed will produce eternal life.

I. Jesus makes it very clear to his disciple for them to “take up his cross and follow him” they must “deny” themselves. (vs 24)

A. One of the hardest things to do in life is to deny oneself.

1. It will take the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish this.
“Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19: 26)

2. Jesus made this clarification to his disciples when the rich young ruler “went away sad” (Read Mathew 19:16-26)

3. Wealth in itself, is not bad. It is only harmful when your desire for wealth or material things are greater than your love for God.

B. Jesus wants his disciples to identify the things that will hinder their relationship with God.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” (Hebrews 12:1)

1. The things that may “hinder” you in your devotion and service to God may not be wealth.

a. It maybe misuse of time or poor planning.
“Teach us to number our days aright, (brevity of life)
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalms 90:12)

II. Jesus wants them to “save their lives by losing their lives” (vs 25)

A. Our investments in Christ Jesus and His Kingdom are eternal.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Mathew 6:19-20)

B. Jesus can take the life fully surrendered and multiply it.

C. Jesus states if we seek to gain all that the world has to offer we will “lose our Souls.” (vs 26)
“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”
(John 12:24)

Deny Oneself and Seek God in 2020!