Pressing Matters

Mark chapter 3, have you ever just felt overwhelmed?

Mark 3 · chapter mention

!

We all deal with stressful circumstances that seem bigger than anyone could ever imagine.

And I believe Hebrews chapter 4 verse 15 is reassuring when it talks about our Lord Jesus.

Hebrews 4:15

For it says,

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,

but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Today we look at Mark chapter 3.

Mark 3 · chapter mention

I don't believe Jesus is overwhelmed here, I'll be honest with you.

But he had a lot going on.

He was under a lot of pressure.

He had disciples that he were about to call his apostles that were under a lot of pressure.

However, Jesus, I believe, gives us great guidance in this passage about those times that are overwhelming.

This scripture, this passage is considered a transitional passage by most theologians.

That it's showing a transition between the time of Jesus, when he left Capernaum,

he traveled throughout Judea, preaching.

And as people came, healing.

It was a great movement of God.

As Christ spoke the gospel.

As people's lives were changed.

The crowds grew.

And it was amazing.

And after this passage, what we'll look at next week is when he calls the apostles

to fully, full-time engage with him.

To follow him.

So that he can begin, as A.B. Bruce calls it, the training of the twelve.

And what you'll see after that point is every time Jesus has an interaction with folks,

it's a teaching time for those disciples.

He was teaching them how to share.

He was empowering them with gifts of miracles.

And as well, he was preparing them to establish the church that we see in the book of Acts.

The church that we're benefactors to today.

So it is a transitional time.

But it's a few verses that share the background or the atmosphere

and how it changes in this timeline of the ministry of Christ.

But I believe it's also much more than that.

More than a transition.

It also shows us how Jesus shows us how to make transitions.

He tells us how to deal with the overwhelming.

He tells us how to handle life when it seems like it's pressing in on us.

And he does that not through teaching it, but through showing it.

I want you to see this.

It's in Mark chapter 3, beginning in verse 7.

Mark 3 · chapter mention

And it says this.

When you look at a map and see where people are transitioning to Jesus,

it is quite amazing.

Scripture says they come from Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem,

Idumea, and from beyond the Jordan and from the Tyre and from Sidon.

And they're coming from all over Israel to see Jesus.

From the southern deserts that approach Egypt to the northern coast.

From the heart of the country to the east bank of the Jordan.

And the heart of the country to the east bank of the Jordan.

It is a wide area.

Those that traveled from the south traveled as much as 100 miles by foot to get to Jesus.

The only part of this surrounding area that's not mentioned is Samaria.

Now there's another area on the other side of the Jordan called the Decapolis.

That was 10 Roman-based cities in that area.

But we already know from previous passages that Jesus has ministered in that area.

But Samaria is different.

Mark, throughout the gospel of Mark, never mentions Samaria.

There was a lot of tension with Samaria and the rest of the surrounding region.

And it comes back to what happened years before this.

When the Assyrians besieged Samaria in 722 BC,

they deported many of the Israelites, scattering them.

Then they moved other people into Samaria with the remaining Samaritans.

So you had people all over the world, known world, coming into that area.

And when they came in with those Samaritans,

they were, not only did they come, but they brought all their gods with them,

all their false beliefs with them.

And then they get in there with Samaritans and they marry.

And Solomon teaches us that when you marry people that have other faiths and other religions,

that it can pollute you in your walk with God.

And that's exactly what happened to him because he had a thousand women from all over the world,

as Solomon did.

And he got intoxicated with all of that and got off track.

And he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes to say, I messed up.

I missed it.

And so what happened here in Samaria was this intermarriage and this compromise of faith among believers,

there was a lack of racial purity, which was a big deal among these folk.

And Samaritans were called half-breed dogs.

You didn't go to Samaria.

It was tense for generations afterwards, including the time in which Christ walked in those days.

All of these places are listed, but not Samaria.

And that's probably why.

John records that later that Jesus made a point to go through Samaria.

John 4 says Jesus had to go through Samaria.

You don't have to go through Samaria.

You make your way around it.

That's like saying that you have to go down a New York City dark alley at midnight.

You don't have to.

You can go around a block.

You didn't have to go through Samaria, but Jesus, it says, had to go through Samaria.

And you know what happened when he went through Samaria.

He met a woman at the well.

He changed her life, and she went and told others.

And when he met that woman at the well, he broke racial barriers.

He broke gender barriers.

Every barrier with the gospel, as we should.

However, in this passage, Samaritans are not mentioned here.

So all of these people are coming.

They're rushing to the point of possibly crushing him, as it says in verse 9.

That word crushing there is the same word they use for the wine press when they throw the grapes into the bin and walk on those grapes, squeezing out those juice.

Hopefully they wash their feet before they did that.

If not, there's a little extra twang in that juice.

But they crush those grapes.

And that's the word there that he speaks of when he says that they were crushing him, lest they crush him.

So what do you do when everything starts pressing in on you?

It says in verse 10 that people were pressing.

They came from all over, and the pressures were pressing.

We looked last week at the Pharisees and the Herodians who plotted against Christ.

The expectations of the people were pressing.

People had their wants of what he was supposed to be and what he was supposed to do.

And he had a mission that he was to follow for our salvation.

And all of this is pressing in on Christ.

And I believe when we see how he deals with it, how he deals with pressing matters, that we can better know how we can deal with it.

Because he's our example.

He's the one that not only empowers us, but he's the one that also gives us our example.

So what do you do when you face pressing matters?

Let's learn from the master.

The first thing, when life presses in, withdraw.

When things get tight, Jesus has a plan.

And he had a plan of action then.

He said, have me a boat ready at all times.

Now, I've spoke of this before.

I'll be quick.

But that boat could have been used for amplification process, for amplification on that water.

Because if people start crowding in and they can't hear, he can get out in that boat.

I've been on the Sea of Galilee.

I've been in a boat that was supposed to be like those boats that they were in, much larger than the one that he asked for, which is more like a dinghy.

But the reality is, I've been on those boats and I've seen other tourists on other boats and I've heard their conversations across the water as they've heard our conversations across the water.

Because if you spend much time on the water, you know it's amplification.

But it appears that here, and it was used for that by Christ more times than one in Scripture.

But it appears here that it was there instead for evacuation purposes.

He needed a plan of escape because they were crushing.

We need a plan of escape.

Even a pattern of escape.

And I want you to listen to me this morning.

I want you to hear me out.

Because I don't want you to misunderstand this.

Take it out of context or get half of it.

I don't mean run away.

I don't mean we leave our family.

That's of the devil.

Okay?

I don't mean that at all.

I don't mean that you leave your job.

Unless that's what God's telling you to do.

And I would encourage you to try to secure another one before you leave that one.

Just personal advice, not from Scripture.

But I encourage you to do that.

I don't mean leave your church.

And I sure don't mean neglecting meeting together, as the Hebrew writer said, as some are in the habit of doing.

I don't mean that either.

No.

I mean we better make some time to be set apart.

We need a time of quiet with the Lord.

And we need it often.

And we need it daily.

Mark chapter 1 verse 35 that we looked at a few weeks ago says,

Mark 1:35

And rising very early in the morning while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place.

And there he prayed.

It was the Lord's pattern to get up early and pray.

Now listen, I'm a morning person.

And I like doing it that way as well.

I'm kind of like my, I had a veterinarian.

He didn't treat me.

He tripped my dog.

But in Mississippi.

And he was primarily a cow doctor.

That's what he did.

He took care of people's cattle for the most part.

But he opened his office from 6 to 8 a.m. in the morning.

And that was it.

If you had a pet and wanted to see him, you bring it from 6 to 8.

And you know what he said?

He said, because that's the only people I like are people that get up between 6 and 8.

That's the only people he dealt with.

I'm a morning person.

And so all the morning people in the crowd look at Mark 1 verse 35 and say,

Mark 1:35

Yeah, that's exactly how you're supposed to do it.

You're supposed to get up in the dark and spend time with the Lord as Jesus did.

However, at 10 p.m., the night owls are just starting.

And all those folks that got up with the Lord in the dark and with the chickens,

about 10 o'clock are folding up their spiritual wings and getting mighty cranky and getting ungodly.

It's a good thing they did get up in the morning with the Lord.

I realize everybody works on a different schedule.

At night, Dawn looks at me and says,

Why are you going to bed this early?

And in the a.m. I look at her and say, Why aren't you getting up now?

I mean, I don't say it.

I think it.

And you're not going to tell her.

And I'm sure she wasn't listening.

Folks are different.

We're different.

And how it works, how you work that out between you and the Lord is up to you and the Lord.

But I want to make some suggestions to you.

One is spend time with God daily.

You need the spiritual nourishment of withdrawing to be with the Lord.

We live in a wicked world, an evil world, a pressure-filled world, a tempting world.

And you need time with the Lord daily.

I hope and pray that every time you come here,

that you get a blessing from every song that's sang,

that you're uplifted through the prayers,

that you're challenged and encouraged through the Word of God.

I know Brian works hard to make that happen on his part.

I try my best to do everything I can to prepare for this time.

Because I do believe it don't look like a desk anymore.

But it is a sacred desk.

It is the opportunity for us to go before God.

And I take that seriously.

But I got news for you.

This ain't enough.

You got to have time with God.

You need to spend time with God daily.

Secondly, spend time with God first.

And I realize that it's easy for one that gets up early to say that.

However, it only makes sense to spend time with God first.

I mean, in Ephesians chapter 6,

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

it explains our spiritual preparation

as if it was a body of armor that we put on,

a spiritual armor that we put on.

When do you put the armor on for battle?

When you're done?

Or before you go into battle?

I spent 25 years every Friday in the fall

speaking to football teams

and telling guys,

taking some battle from the Old Testament

and saying,

you need to go out there

and kill somebody

in the name of Jesus.

I had the opportunity to do that

for high schools,

for colleges on Saturday.

It's a blessing to have that kind of opportunity.

And I always enjoyed it.

But we did that before the game.

You're licking wounds and celebrating afterwards.

But you do that before the game.

If you need directions to go somewhere,

I would advise you get them before you go.

And I don't like anybody telling me where to go.

I don't.

Okay?

So my GPS is silent.

And I pray that the people in my car are silent as well.

But that's another matter.

But my GPS is silent.

I don't need them barking at me about where to turn.

But because of that,

sometimes I'll miss a turn.

I won't look up and see that.

So I'll miss that turn.

And we'll go another way around to do that.

It would have been best

if I knew I was making that turn

before I got to the turn.

Listen, friend.

There's going to be turns in your day today

that you don't know that's coming.

And you need preparation for that

before it comes.

It only makes sense to start your day

with the Lord.

Get your direction daily first.

And then schedule seasons of withdrawal.

You need to pull away.

whether it is for a day

or for an hour,

you need to just sit before the Lord.

I'm thankful

that this past week

through benefactors and sponsors

that work with Billy Graham's Training Center

and through your church's,

this church's generosity

to give us the time to do that.

Dawn and I was able to go

to the Billy Graham Training Center

at the Cove this past week.

Sat under Erwin Lutzer for three days.

Erwin Lutzer,

legendary pastor of Moody Church

for over 30 years.

Pastor emeritus there.

He's written a ton of books

and just sat at his feet

and listened to a good godly man

share the wisdom.

Spend time together

in God's beautiful nature

and just,

just to decompress

and just to take it in

and just to be fed.

I'm telling you,

you need to schedule seasons

of withdrawal.

Now,

sometimes I may do that

on a walk.

I had a health crisis

earlier this year

and it's caused me

to have to build back my strength

and when I was in cardiac rehab,

they had me go down the hallway

and walk for six minutes

at a brisk pace

to measure how far I walked

and they said,

what's your goal

at the end of this time together?

And I said

to do a 10 mile hike

in the mountains

and they said,

well,

we're hoping to get

100 feet more out of you

and I said,

well,

we're about nine and a half miles

different between me and you.

The reality is

to walk down a trail

by the river

in the mountains

is therapy for me.

It does me a world of good

and it don't take the place

of my time with God

but I'll tell you,

it is a time with God.

For me,

when I see the beauty

of creation

and see what God's made,

it reminds me

of how great our God is.

It's reassuring to me

to see that

and so it's been my prayer

and I'd encourage you

praying with me

that I'd have the opportunity

to be able to do that.

Again,

I think I could

but we'll see

because you need

and it's different

for different folks.

Sometimes,

you may need

a rod and reel

in your hand.

You might need

a tree stand.

You might need

a ride down the road.

Quiet moments

of reflection

with the Lord.

Now,

again,

I told you,

you need to listen

closely this morning.

That does not

take the place

of worship.

That does not

take the place

of corporate worship

on the Lord's Day.

It does not

take the place

of personal worship

daily.

So,

don't tell me

my daily time

with God

is while I'm

driving down

123.

Don't do that

because you're

full of ungodly

thoughts when you're

driving down

Highway 123

in the morning.

Okay?

I promise you.

So,

don't do that.

It's not the same

but I think

you need both.

It does not

take the place

of worship.

We dedicate

ourselves

to not forsake

the assembly

of the people

of God.

However,

you need time

to withdraw.

And Jesus knew

the disciples

needed that.

They needed time

to pull away.

We do as well.

And you say,

well,

I'm so busy.

Listen,

you are not

too busy

for that.

There's a book

that was written

years ago

called Too Busy

Not to Pray.

The reality is

if your schedule

is so busy,

it's too busy.

And so,

you need to

ask the Lord

in this very hour,

God,

show me

what I need

to do different

in my life

to make time

for you.

We are not

busier than Jesus

nor are we

doing as important

a work

as he did.

When life

presses in,

you need to

withdraw.

Not only that,

but when life

presses in,

you need to

minister.

I want you

to notice

what Jesus

did.

His aim

was to pull

away with

his disciples.

However,

the people

just kept

coming.

They kept

coming.

They were

coming from

all over

and they

were pushy.

They were

so eager

to be healed,

they were

trying to

touch his

garment.

But when

one tries

to touch

and the

other behind

him is

trying to

touch

and the

other behind

him is

trying to

touch,

it became

a mob

mentality,

a somewhat

chaotic

atmosphere to

the point

that he

told him

to have

that boat

behind him

at all

times ready

for evacuation.

He knew

he had to be

able to pull

away from

all of that.

His priority

was to

preach,

to impact

lives for

eternity,

not just for

temporal healing,

and to train

his disciples.

However,

I want you to

notice that he

always took

time to

minister.

He still

meets needs.

needs.

The scribes

are questioning

him and

trying to

set him

up.

The people

are pushing

their way

in.

He felt

the need

to withdraw

with his

disciples,

but even

with that,

he still

ministered.

He never

stopped meeting

needs.

You know

what that

tells me?

That tells

me that we

need to be

careful when

we go through

pressing

matters.

Because when

we go through

pressing

matters,

God will

still put

people in

our path

that need

Jesus.

Let's be

honest,

it's easy

to get

selfish when

things get

pressing.

But the

reality is

God still

puts people

before you

that need

Jesus.

Many have

come here

today,

and you need

God to

intervene in

your life.

There's a

matter in

your life

that you

need God

to intervene

in your

life,

and you

come in

here today

with a

heavy heart.

Maybe it's

the life of

a loved

one.

Your heart

is heavy

for that

person's

life,

or maybe

it's another

pressing

matter in

your life.

You've

come in

here with

that.

I got

news for

you.

You're

not alone

in that.

You're

not the

only one

experiencing

that.

I've

learned

through

long-term

pastorates

that,

and I

hope I'm

able to

be here

a long

time,

but I've

learned

there's a

pain on

every pew.

I said

that one

time to

another

pastor,

and he

said,

yeah,

the key

is to

find out

who they

are.

And I

said,

no,

that's not

what I

meant.

That's

not what

I meant,

you bunch

of

darlings.

It's not

what I

meant at

all.

The reality

is,

until you

sit beside

somebody's

hospital bed,

until you

walk through

a line by

some casket,

you don't

really get the

opportunity

to really

get to

know them.

I wish

y'all

knew you

very well,

all of

you.

But the

reality is,

doing this

for an

hour,

don't allow

that to

happen,

just alone.

That's why I

always encourage

you to be a

part of more

than just

this.

But besides

that,

when calamity

comes,

you can walk

through somebody

and pray with

somebody through

that.

You build a

relationship

with them.

You get to

know them.

That's where

ministry really,

really is.

And so I

want you to

remember something

when you come

in this place

every day.

Instead of

coming in

saying,

what can I

get today?

No matter

how many

pressing

matters are

on your

heart,

I want you

to try to

think,

what can I

give today?

who is

God going

to place

in my

path?

Not in

your way

to get

out for

lunch,

that's not

what I

said,

in your

path.

Sometimes

it's a

call that

comes when

you don't

want to

get a

call.

Sometimes

it's a

visit that

comes when

you don't

want to

get a

visit,

you want

to be

left

alone.

Sometimes

it's an

interruption

when we

don't want

to be

bothered.

But

Jesus was

not looking

to minister,

he was

looking to

withdraw.

However,

when people

needed a

word from

God,

when people

needed a

touch of

healing,

when people

needed a

loving

response,

he was

always ready

to give

it.

I think

about the

time when

the little

girl was

dying.

They

asked him

to come

and on

his way

a woman

came to

him that

had a

issue of

blood.

She was

dying.

And he

paused in

what he

was doing

and said,

who touched

me?

And people

were all

around him

and the

disciples were

like,

everybody's

touching you,

what are you

talking about?

He changed

that lady's

life.

When he

got to

the young

girl who

had died

before he

got there,

they panicked,

they said he

was too late.

He said,

I ain't too

late.

That's my

version.

I ain't too

late.

And that

little girl

came back

to life.

But he

made time.

I want you

to hear me.

He made

time for

something that

wasn't on

the schedule.

So let's

not be

selfish in

the midst

of our

difficulty.

It is so

easy for us

to shelf

ourselves until

everything in

our life is

right.

I'm not

ready to

serve the

Lord right

now because

I've got,

I've got to

get some

things right.

Listen,

everything in

your life is

never going

to be right.

That's why

you need to

depend upon

the Lord.

And that's

not a

criticism.

That's for

all of us

folks.

There's always

going to be a

missing piece

somewhere.

And if we

wait until

everything's

settled before

we get serious

about the

Lord, we'll

never get

serious about

the Lord.

So serve

the Lord

even when

matters are

pressing in.

Understand,

you're not in

this alone.

There's others.

And not only

that, but

this.

When life is

pressing in,

silence the

demons.

Silence the

demons.

Notice there

were unclean

and demonic

spirits that

came near as

well.

And what this

means is that

there were

people filled

with demons,

possessed with

demons that

were coming as

well.

Demons were

speaking through

those people and

they immediately

started acknowledging

who Christ was.

The demons

did.

even the

religious leaders

didn't recognize

him as the

Lord.

Matter of fact,

they were

trying to

kill him.

They were

already plotting

against him.

We're only in

Mark chapter 3,

Mark 3 · chapter mention

but they're

already trying

to kill him.

But the

demons knew

who he was.

And when they

saw him, they

fell down before

him.

The sick

fell into him,

pushing to get

to him.

The demons

fell down before

him in panic

and submission.

The demons

then seem to

give him

praise, but he

shuts them up.

He silences

them.

They praise him,

but he silences

them.

What in the

world is going

on with that?

Why would he

silence them?

Well, we get a

couple of clues

from Scripture.

One of them is in

Acts 16, 16

through 18, when

Paul and Silas,

Luke's with them

because he's

writing about it,

and it says Paul

and Silas is

ministering, it

says this,

as we were

going to the

place of prayer,

we were met

by a slave

girl who had

a spirit of

divination and

brought her

owners much

gain by fortune

telling.

She followed

Paul and us

crying out,

these men are

servants of the

most high God

who proclaim to

you the way of

salvation.

That would

seem like an

acclamation.

And this she

kept doing for

many days.

Paul, having

been greatly

annoyed, turned

and said to the

spirit, I command

you in the name

of Jesus Christ

to come out of

her.

And it came

out that very

hour.

Scripture says

that Paul got

annoyed with her,

not so much her,

but the demons

that were in her

that had taken her

over.

Why?

Because they were

speaking well of

him.

He got annoyed

and he cast out

the demon because

it was hurting his

witness.

Because this girl

was known to be

able to tell

fortunes.

Because she was

demon possessed,

and because she was

demon empowered with

a supernatural power

that came from

demons.

And she had

people who owned

her, who were

prostituting her out

for fortune

telling.

She was not

known to walk

with the Lord.

People knew what

her reputation was.

So by giving them

praise and sounding

as if she aligned

with them, the

reality is it

either weakened

their ministry

because they were

aligned with

somebody who was

not of God, or

either she was

elevating herself.

But either way,

it wasn't working.

Therefore, at least

partially, to silence

her, he cast out

the prophet-making

demon.

And the people who

owned her were not

happy with that

because they just

lost their fortune

through her.

not only that,

but I want you to

notice in Matthew

Matthew 16:21–23

chapter 16, verse

21 through 23, it

says this.

From that time, Jesus

began to show his

disciples that he must

go to Jerusalem and

suffer many things for

the elders and the

chief priests and the

scribes and be killed

and on the third day be

raised.

And Peter took him

aside and began to

rebuke him, saying,

Far be it from you,

Lord, this shall never

happen to you.

But he turned and said

to Peter, get behind

me, Satan.

You're a hindrance to

me, for you're not

setting your mind on

the things of God, but

on the things of man.

Peter wasn't demon

possessed.

He was demon

influenced.

Jesus was telling them

about the cross that he

was to bear, and Peter,

I know he was not demon

possessed because he was

a follower of Christ.

And when you follow

Christ, you become

indwelled with the Holy

Spirit of God, and the

Holy Spirit of God lives

within you.

And demons can't live

where the Holy Spirit

is.

That don't happen.

So the reality is,

people who are demon

possessed need the

Lord.

That's what they need.

So we're not demon

possessed if we're

Christians today, but

we're demon influenced.

Some of the things you

think, some of the

things you say, some of

the things you do, that's

demon influenced.

Christ.

And what Peter said,

although he was trying

to protect Christ, trying

to encourage Christ, trying

to have his back, and all

that kind of stuff, was

the influence of the evil

one.

Because Jesus had set his

face toward Jerusalem, and

before what was before him.

And so he looked at Peter

and said, get behind me,

Satan, you're a hindrance to

me.

Satan was using Peter to

try to throw Jesus off

track from his mission of

the cross.

And then notice that he

says, for you are not

setting your mind on the

things of God, but on the

things of man.

That's exactly what the

devil wants to do.

That's exactly what he

wants to do.

He wants us to set our

minds on ourselves.

He wants us to set our

mind on our desires.

He wants us to set our

mind on our troubles.

He wants us to set our

mind on our worries.

And when life is pressing

in, that intensifies, by

the way.

Satan sees the stress in

our life.

He sees our weaknesses.

He goes after them to try

to make a fool out of us in

the midst of it.

And when life is pressing

in, we need to silence

those demons.

And I'm not speaking of

demon possession.

I'm speaking of demonically

influenced thoughts.

The evil one's suggestions

to us.

He gets aggressive when

the pressure's on.

So how do we pull away

and withdraw to the Lord

in the midst of our

struggle?

And how do we continue to

minister even when it

feels like the world is

caving in on us?

And how do we silence the

demonic thoughts?

How do we silence the

depression?

How do we silence the

anger?

How do we silence the

spite?

How do we silence the

revengeful thoughts?

The impure thoughts?

The hopelessness?

How do we silence those

things?

The Apostle Paul said in

Colossians 3 verse 2,

Colossians 3:2

set your mind on things

that are above, not on

things on earth.

We have to set our minds

on what, not what we can

see and not what we can

figure out and not what we

can understand.

We've got to set our minds

on him, even in transition,

especially when the pressure

is really on.

When the Golden Gate Bridge was

built in the 1930s, it was a

dangerous work.

The winds would howl through

the bay.

The currents below were fierce.

The fog was so thick at times

a man couldn't see his hand in

front of him.

And in the early months of

building that bridge, 11 workers

fell to their death.

That made the work slow.

Because if you see a guy fall

beside you, you'll slow down

a little bit.

And it made them afraid.

It was real.

And then they did something that

nobody had ever done before.

They hung a huge safety net

underneath that bridge.

It was expensive.

Some said it was foolish to do

that.

However, that net ended up

saving 19 men's lives who fell

into the net instead of into

the water.

They actually formed a little

club and called it the

Halfway to Hell Club because

they knew without that net they

would have been in trouble.

And here's what's interesting.

Once that net was in place,

the work didn't get any easier.

The wind still blew like it did

before.

The fog still came just as thick.

The danger was still there.

However, those men worked with

greater confidence because they

knew if they fell, they wouldn't

die.

You know what?

Work effort came up.

The pace picked up.

The bridge was a more successful

project than it had been before

because of that.

They had a net

to help them make it through.

Folks,

when life is pressing,

keep on.

Keep on going to Jesus.

Keep on ministering to other

people.

Keep on silencing the demons by

setting your minds on things

above.

Because

we have a net

in the Lord Jesus.

And his grace

is sufficient

for whatever matters

that we may face.

During the pressing times,

during the transitions.

Now let me ask you a very

personal question this morning.

When you look over your life

and think about

the decisions you've made

in your life,

has there ever been a time

in your life when you've

truly surrendered your life

to the Lord Jesus Christ?

You've asked him to come

into your life.

You've asked him to forgive you

of your sins.

You've asked him to change you.

To save you.

Friend,

if that's never happened

to you,

there's no net.

There's no net.

I wouldn't want to be

where you are,

quite honestly.

If you've never given

your life to Christ,

if there's a question

about that in your life,

don't leave this place today

without nailing that down.

There's no need to do that.

There's no need

to let that linger.

Eternity hangs in the balance.

If you have done that,

is it a private matter

that you did with the Lord

by yourself

or maybe just with a few

or have you ever

acknowledged that publicly?

Have you ever told

anybody about it?

Jesus,

by his example

and by his commission,

show us that the first step

of obedience after that

is baptism.

If you've never been

baptized as a believer,

I encourage you today

to commit to do that.

You can join this church

by baptism.

Maybe you're a member

of this church

and you realize over time

this has happened

just recently.

You realize

there's never been

a time in your life

for you to baptize

as a believer.

Something happened

to you as a child

but in reality

you got saved since then.

You've never been

baptized as a believer

and you realize that.

You want to be obedient

to follow God.

We're not going to

baptize you this morning

but we'll line it up

in the coming days.

Commit to that today

if you've never done that.

Maybe God's drawing you

to Pickens First Baptist Church.

I'm blessed that God's

doing a wonderful work

in this church.

God's so good to us.

He really is.

And if you feel like

the Lord's leading you

to do that,

we'll be happy to guide you

in that process.

We'll be happy to do that.

But then for the rest of us,

there's pressing matters.

Some of you came in here

with a weight around your neck

that's weighing you down

and I encourage you

to set your mind

on things above.

Give it over to the Lord.

That'll take you

following Him in obedience

and whatever that means.

You can do it

where you'll stand

in just a moment

instead of singing.

Get it right.

You can do it at this altar

as someone did

in our nine o'clock worship.

I'll be happy to pray with you.

I'm here.

But let's just take

a few moments

to make sure

we do everything

we need to do

to be obedient to God.

To not let that

be a pressing matter

in our life

that we've been disobedient

when God spoke to us.

Heavenly Father,

lead us right now

to simply do

what you'd have us to do.

Nothing more

and nothing less.

Give us the boldness,

the courage,

and the faith

to just follow you

and set our minds

on you, oh God.

In Jesus' name, amen.