Sermon

On Mission with Jesus

October 9, 2011 Carrigaline Baptist Church - Sermons

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I'm sorry, I haven't asked anybody, but I'm going to ask Ryan.
Do you mind reading?
Is that okay?
You've got a voice?
Mark 3, verse 7.

Mark 3:7
Crowds followed Jesus.
Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.
He appointed twelve, designating them apostles, that they might be with him, and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.
These are the twelve he appointed.
Simon, to whom he gave the name Peter.
James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
To them he gave the name Bonerges, which means son of thunder.
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.
When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, he is out of his mind.
And the teachers of the law, who came down from Jerusalem, said, he is possessed by Beelzebub.
By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.
So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables.
How can Satan drive out Satan?
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand.
His end has come.
In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man.
Then he can rob his house.
I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them.
But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven.
He is guilty of an eternal sin.
He said this because they were saying, he has an evil spirit.
Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived.
Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him.
A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him,
your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.
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.
Sorry, there are some sheets going around.
If anybody wants to take notes, we encourage people to do that.
You can either take notes on the back of your new sheet,
or there's some headed paper.
Somebody mind getting the box of pens?
I think they're in the cupboard somewhere.
Thank you, Yelena.
And if you have any questions at the end,
we haven't got to the point of interrupting the talk just yet.
But if you really have to, you can put up your hand,
and you can interrupt, and I might answer.
I might just say, wait until the end afterwards.
But all I'm doing is asking and encouraging you
to think through what we're talking at, what we're looking at,
and to ask questions afterwards, and to think through it together.
So we're looking at Mark's Gospel.
Thank you, Yelena.
There's pens there.
If anybody would like a pen, just put up your hand.
And the question that we're going to start with this morning
is this, Satan, real or make-believe?
And it's simply this.
Do you believe in Satan?
That's a big question, isn't it?
Do you believe in Satan?
Well, before we answer that, we're going to pray.
Why don't we pray?
Lord, we thank you for this day.
We thank you for your help to us so far.
And as we read your word, as we look at it together,
we still need your help.
We need the help of your Holy Spirit to hear what you are saying to us
individually and together as a church,
that we may understand better who Jesus is,
what he has come to do,
and what it means to follow him,
what it means to be a part of his mission.
So please break into our lives and change our lives,
disrupt us,
do what you have to do
so that we are on board with you
and know what it is to follow you your way.
We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
So do you believe in Satan?
Well, if you don't,
I suggest that that proves that he does exist
and that he is alive and well.
If you don't believe in him,
I think that's proof that he does exist.
Let me tell you why.
C.S. Lewis wrote a book called The Screwtape Letters.
Some of you may have read it.
It's a collection of letters
from a senior devil called Screwtape
to an apprentice devil called Wormwood.
And Screwtape, the senior devil,
his aim is to help Wormwood,
this kind of new, inexperienced understudy,
to guide a man who they call the patient,
their job is to guide the patient,
to our father below, Satan,
and away from our enemy, who's God.
And at one point, Wormwood, the younger devil,
he asked the senior devil, Screwtape,
about their existence,
about whether people believe they exist.
And here's Screwtape's advice.
He writes,
My dear Wormwood,
you ask me whether it is essential
to keep the patient in ignorance
of your own existence.
Our policy for the moment
is to conceal ourselves.
I do not think you will have much difficulty
in keeping the patient in the dark.
The fact that devils are predominantly comic figures
in the modern imagination will help you.
If any faint suspicion of your existence
begins to arise in his mind,
suggest to him a picture of something in red tights,
and persuade him that since he cannot believe in that,
he therefore cannot believe in you.
You see, we shouldn't be surprised
if people don't believe in Satan,
because that's part of his tactics.
He doesn't want us to believe in him.
In fact, the title the Bible gives him
is deceiver and father of lies.
He's a fraud.
He's described as the ancient serpent
called the devil or Satan
who leads the whole world astray.
In 1 John 5.19,
it tells us there that the whole world
is under the control of the evil one.
So this is really serious.
Because his purpose is,
in the words of Screwtape to Wormwood,
guide us to the Father below,
to Satan, to hell itself.
So it's very serious.
And without a doubt,
Satan does exist,
and his influence is great.
Now in Mark's Gospel,
Jesus is coming up against Satan
time and time again.
Wherever Jesus goes,
he seems to be specifically
driving out demons
and healing those who are possessed
by evil spirits.
His ministry, so far,
can be summed up in chapter 1,
verse 39.
Where it says there,
he travelled throughout Galilee,
preaching in their synagogues
and driving out demons.
That seems to be his priority.
And Mark, the author,
is highlighting these events
to show us not only that Satan is real,
but to show us that Jesus has come
to destroy the work of Satan.
Jesus has come to rescue us
from the snare and the grasp of Satan
and to bring us into the freedom
of his kingdom.
Let's see how this happens.
Look at verse 7.
Jesus is gaining popularity
in his ministry.
He's attracting a lot of people
and the crowds begin to follow.
Verse 7.
Jesus withdrew with his disciples
to the lake
and a large crowd,
which was in the west,
began to follow.
When they heard all he was doing,
many people came to him
from Judea,
Jerusalem,
and Edumea,
which was down in the south.
And they came from the regions
across the Jordan,
which was over in the east,
and around Tyre and Sidon,
which was in the north.
Now, this isn't just
geographical information.
This is a description for us
of the worldwide mission of Jesus,
that Jesus came into this world,
and he came for people
in this world,
north, south, east, and west,
regardless of their race or religion.
And his mission for coming
into this world,
as we'll see,
it'll unfold before us,
is to rescue people,
whoever they are
and wherever they come from,
from the grasp of Satan.
Verse 9.
Because of the crowd,
he told his disciples
to have a small boat ready for him
to keep the people
from crowding him.
For he had healed many
so that those with diseases
were pushing forward
to touch him.
Now, the scene here,
and I want us to try
and picture this in our minds,
is one of absolute chaos.
I don't want you to think
of your kind of little
cuddly picture of Jesus
and people lining up
in an orderly queue,
sitting beside the lake
in a nice, sunny, shiny day.
People here are crowding in
and they're pushing
and they're shoving.
There's no lines here.
It's dangerous.
People are being crushed
in their attempt
to touch Jesus.
All these people
who are looking for healing,
coming from all over the place,
crowding in on Jesus.
He's being mobbed
at every side.
And because he's got
no limos to climb into,
he has to make do
with a boat.
His disciples
are on crowd control.
And so Jesus gets into
a boat for safety
and so that he can speak
to the crowds.
And amidst all this disorder
that's going on,
look at verse 11.
In the middle of it all,
whenever the evil spirit
saw him,
they fell down before him
and cried out,
you are the son of God.
So can we picture
what's going on here?
We have this aggressive
mobbing crowd.
There's chaos
and there's disorder.
And in the middle of it all,
we have these demon-possessed people
and the evil spirits
present amongst the people.
And I think Mark here
is stepping back
and painting a picture for us
to show just how broken
the world we live in is.
And the huge needs
that there are of people.
And behind it all
stand Satan
and his work.
But in all of this
chaos and disorder,
look at the calming authority
of Jesus.
Read verse 11 again.
Whenever the evil spirit
saw him,
they fell down before him
and they cried out,
you are the son of God.
As on other occasions,
the demons are one step
ahead of everybody else.
They've got Jesus' identity right.
He is the son of God.
Jesus holds supernatural power
and authority.
He is God on earth
in human form
confronting Satan himself.
And look at their response
to Jesus.
Verse 11,
they fell down before him.
It's an act of submission.
The demons have come up
against not just
a higher authority,
they've come up against
the authority,
God himself.
And look how they respond
to his command,
verse 12.
He gave them strict orders
not to tell
who he was.
As we saw in the other weeks,
he has come
primarily to deal
with spiritual needs.
Physical needs
are of concern.
But he is concerned
to rescue people.
And so he comes
showing them clearly
that yes,
Satan is real,
but Jesus is the
supreme king
who is over
and above all
coming to free
those
who are under
his grasp.
Now with such
a huge crowd
of people
crushing him
from every side,
and in the middle
of all of these crowds
he's trying to deal
with the people
who are demon-possessed,
this is obviously
a work
that Jesus
can't do
on his own.
So Jesus
calls his disciples,
his followers,
to be part
of his mission.
He's become
so overwhelmed
he needs
a band
of people
or as we were
singing earlier
an army
of ordinary
people
to help him.
Look at verse 13.
Jesus went up
on a mountainside
and he called
to him
those he wanted
and they came
to him.
He appointed
twelve
designating them
apostles.
In Genesis,
the very first book
of the Bible,
the very first verse,
it reads,
in the beginning
God
made
the heavens
and the earth.
Jesus.
And that
same idea
and that
same word
is here
where it's
talking about
Jesus making
a new
community
of people.
It literally
reads,
Jesus
made
twelve.
In other words,
these disciples
are a new
creation,
a new
kind of
people,
a new
creation
for a new
beginning
of something
different
that's happening.
And I think
it reminds us
that we can't
make ourselves
disciples.
We can't
make ourselves
a follower
of Jesus.
This is a work
that Jesus
does in the
life of us.
He makes
us disciples.
He intervenes
into our lives.
We would never
choose to be
a disciple
or a follower
of Jesus
unless he
first chose
us
and intervened
into our lives
and made us
a disciple.
So Jesus
is forming
this new
creation,
a new
band of
people,
a new
community.
But this
new community
is for a
purpose.
Look at
the rest
of verse
14.
That they
might be
with him
and that
he might
send them
out to
preach
and to
have
authority
to drive
out
demons.
They have
been appointed
for a
mission
because
that's
what
apostle
means.
Apostle
means
to
commission
or to
send
somebody
out
with a
specific
purpose.
And we're
told what
that purpose
is in
verse 14.
They are
sent out
to preach
about Jesus,
to talk
about the
good news
of his
kingdom
coming.
And
verse 15
to demonstrate
what Jesus
came to
do,
which was
to defeat
Satan
by driving
out demons.
So very
simply,
their mission
is not
something
different,
it is an
extension
of the
mission of
Jesus.
They are
to continue
to do
what Jesus
has already
started.
Preaching
was all
about calling
people into
repentance,
to submit
to Jesus
as their
king,
and the
sign that
we are
to follow
Jesus,
why should
we follow
him above
everybody
else?
Because of
his power
and authority
over Satan.
So as the
disciples went
around preaching,
and we'll see
they do that
in chapter
6,
they drove
out demons
as a sign
that Jesus
was God's
king,
and that
people must
repent
and follow
him.
But I
don't want us
to lose
sight of
the people
that Jesus
makes
disciples.
That was a
great song
we sang
earlier,
an army
of ordinary
people,
and Peter
says,
I'm looking
at you,
you are
ordinary,
we're not
an army,
we don't
look like
an army,
but we
are an
army if
we're
followers
of Jesus.
But look
at how
ordinary
we are,
look at
these people.
Verse 16,
these are
the twelve
he appointed,
Simon,
to whom
he gave
the name
Peter,
James,
son of
Zebedee,
and his
brother
John,
to them
he gave
the name
Boandres,
which means
sons of
thunder.
Now we
don't know
everything about
these first
disciples,
but what we
do know is
very instructive
for us.
Later on in
Acts we
read that
they were
thought of
as unschooled
ordinary
people.
In other
words,
they didn't
quite get to
college or
university,
they didn't
do a great
leaving,
a little bit
of sawdust
upstairs.
They weren't
clever,
ordinary
people.
And then
James and
John,
he tells
us what
their nickname
was,
sons of
thunder.
They were
a hot
tempered
pair.
They were
always
arguing
and losing
the rag.
And then
of course
we know
a bit
more about
Peter,
don't we?
He
disowned
Jesus.
Always
said I
stand up
for you.
When the
time came
he was
an absolute
coward,
a yellow
belly.
Reading
on,
verse
18,
Andrew,
Philip,
Bartholomew,
Matthew.
Well,
sure we've
met Matthew
already,
haven't we?
He was
the one
in chapter
2,
13,
the
defrauding
embezzler,
the tax
collector.
The equivalent
today is
somebody like
one of our
corrupt,
crooked bank
managers,
and the
executives who
help themselves
to our
hard-earned
savings.
He's in
there too.
And then
reading on
we have
Thomas,
well,
he was
a doubter.
James,
son of
Alpheus,
Thaddeus,
Simon the
Zealot.
He was
a Che Guevara
of his
day,
a revolutionary.
He terrorised
Rome,
the occupying
forces,
not unlike
one of our
presidential
candidates.
These are
not the
kind of
people that
you would
appoint as
an elder for
your church,
are they?
they're not
the kind
of people
who you
would say,
let's get
them on
the mission.
They're going
to be good.
I mean,
James and
John,
they're going
to unify
everybody,
aren't
they?
And Peter,
we can
always depend
on him.
He'll be
running a
mile at
the first
side of
trouble.
Look at
how ordinary,
look at how
much they
fail,
look at the
kind of
people that
Jesus has
said,
I've made
you disciples
to be a
part of
my mission.
But that
is the
amazing grace
of God,
taking ordinary
people like
you and
me,
with all
our faults
and all
our failures
and all
our mess
ups,
and he
makes us
disciples.
The church,
the body
of Christ,
is God's
new creation,
a new
community of
people,
appointed
for mission.
And that's
what we're
called to
do.
And the
crowds of
people that
were coming
to Jesus,
he can't
do it.
And we're
in a
situation
today,
in the
world,
the church
in the
world,
and it's
under the
control of
the devil.
And he
has blinded
people's
eyes so
that they
can't see
Jesus.
They don't
want to
follow Jesus,
they don't
see the
need to
it,
because they're
all blinded.
they think
he doesn't
exist.
And many
people within
our community
and in our
world are
under the
snare and
the grasp
of Satan,
and he
sent us
on a
mission to
release people
and to
free them.
People
like you
and me,
with all
of our
mess.
people
who
are
going to
have
an
impact
on the
mission
with
Jesus.
Well,
we can
have
great
confidence
in the
mission
because of
what
Jesus
has
accomplished.
Look at
verse 20.
Then
Jesus
entered a
house,
and again
a crowd
gathered,
so that
he and
his
disciples
were not
even able
to
eat.
When
his
family
heard about
this,
they went
to take
charge of
him,
for they
said,
he's out
of his
mind,
he's gone
a bit
loopy,
this crowd
business
has gone
to his
head.
The
reaction,
I think,
is not
unlike
what our
reaction
would be.
They're
wanting to
take charge
of Jesus.
In other
words,
they want
to control
Jesus.
They want
Jesus to
do what
they want
him to
do.
Not
unlike the
crowds who
want Jesus
as a
healer.
They're
trying to
control him
and to
squish him
into a
box.
But Jesus
isn't going
to be
distracted
from his
mission.
Jesus
can't be
controlled.
We can't
control him.
In fact,
he's out
to prove
that he
has control
over Satan
himself.
Verse 22,
and the
teachers of
the law,
the religious
guys,
they came
down from
Jerusalem
and said,
Jesus is
possessed by
Beelzebub.
By the
prince of
demons,
he is
driving out
demons.
Beelzebub,
that's not
very common.
I don't
think anybody's
called that,
but it's
really a
reference to
Satan.
And the
religious leaders,
they've been
watching Jesus,
they've
recognised
who he is,
and they
see that
Jesus has
power and
authority to
perform miracles.
They've seen
him do all
the healing,
they've seen
him do all
the pushing
out of the
demons,
but they say
the source,
the power
behind that
is Satan.
Rather than
see Jesus as
God's king
who's come to
restore and to
renew the
broken world,
they see that
Jesus is a
servant of
Satan.
Verse 23,
so Jesus
called them
and he spoke
to them in
parables.
How can
Satan drive
out Satan?
Don't be so
silly.
If a kingdom
is divided
against itself,
that kingdom
cannot stand.
Jesus'
point is
simple and
clear.
If Jesus'
work is all
about driving
out Satan,
Satan's
demons,
then how
can you
say that
Jesus is
on the
side of
Satan?
The
religious
leader's
accusation
is
nonsensical.
It's
silly.
Look at
verse 25,
if a house
is divided
against itself,
that house
cannot stand.
And if
Satan opposes
himself and
is divided,
he cannot
stand,
his end
has come.
And to
state his
mission
clearly,
Jesus
explains what
he has
come to
do.
Verse 27,
in fact,
no one
can enter
a strong
man's
house and
carry off
his possessions
unless he
first ties up
the strong
man,
then he
can rob
his house.
Now the
image here
is the
strong man
is Satan.
He's got a
house with
captives,
but if you
want to
release those
captives,
you've got
to tie
up the
strong man
and release
them.
Or to
put it in
another way,
we could
picture it
like this,
a soldier
going in
behind enemy
lines to
free the
captive.
He goes
in,
he first
overpowers
and he
conquers the
enemy,
ties him
up and
then carries
off the
captives.
and Jesus
is saying,
I am
that soldier.
This is a
battle.
This is a
war.
I am the
one who
has come
from heaven.
I've come
into Satan's
territory.
I've invaded
into this
world.
I have come
to defeat
the strong
man,
to tie him
up and to
release his
prisoners.
And Jesus
has already
proven this
as he drives
out demons
and he
commands them
to be quiet.
But his
final and
ultimate display
of power
will come
at the
cross.
That's where
the true
battle is
going to
take place.
Of course
the cross
was seen
as a
failure.
Jesus
died on
the cross
at the
hands of
people.
It looked
like his
end was
over.
But the
death of
Jesus was
God's
victory.
It was
the means
by which
we can
be forgiven
and the
way in
which people
are
set free.
Let me
give you a
couple of
references.
You can
just listen
or you
can follow
them.
Colossians

Colossians 2:15
2 verse
15 says
this,
talking about
Jesus'
cross and
his power
over evil.
It says,
having disarmed
the powers
and authority,
Satan himself,
he made a
public spectacle
of them,
triumphing
over them
by the
cross.
and then
in Hebrews

Hebrews 2:14
chapter 2
verse 14.
Since the
children,
that's us,
have flesh
and blood
just as
we're
human,
Jesus too
shared in
our humanity.
He came as
a man into
this world
so that
by his
death
he might
destroy
him who
holds the
power of
death,
that is
the devil
and free
those who
all their
lives were
held in
slavery
by their
fear of
death.
Isn't that
amazing what
Jesus has
come to do?
He's been
fighting a
battle or
rather that
battle has
been fought
for us
already on
the cross.
on the
cross as
Jesus died
it looked
like Satan
won the
war.
But the
reality is
Jesus won
the battle.
God
Now if we
have been
appointed for
a mission
the way we
release people
and set them
free from the
grasp and
snare of
Satan is
to tell
people the
good news
about what
Jesus has
done on
the cross.
Jesus has
already bound
Satan.
He's already
been tied up.
He can't
hold people.
His power
has been
restrained.
And as we
simply tell
people the
good news
about Jesus
he sets
them free
from the
kingdom of
darkness
to bring
them into
a kingdom
of light
of hope
of forgiveness
of freedom
of the
assurance
of eternity
to come.
But Jesus
isn't finished.
He sends
a very
clear warning
for anybody
who ignores
the work
of Jesus
and says
don't believe
you.
Can't be
true.
Look at
verse 28.
These are
difficult
verses and
we've got
to deal
with them.
Jesus
says I
tell you
the truth
all the
sins and
blasphemies
that slanders
of men
will be
forgiven them.
That's good
news isn't
it?
Anything we
say and
do will
be forgiven
but
whoever
slanders
against the
Holy Spirit
will
never be
forgiven.
He is
guilty of
an eternal
sin
of hell
itself.
Now before
we unpack
this let
me just
address our
immediate
concern
because like
you I can
be guaranteed
you probably
thought as I
thought as I
read this
what if I
have blasphemed
what if I
slandered against
the Holy Spirit
I'm never
going to be
forgiven.
What if I've
done that?
What if I
don't know
if I've
done it?
Well let
me put you
at ease.
The fact
that you
have worry
or concern
about it
is a sure
sign that
you have
a repentant
heart.
So those
who don't
worry or
those who
aren't
questioning
this I
think they
have much
more to be
concerned about
but if you
are concerned
about it
it is a
sign of
a repentant
heart.
So let me
explain.
Remember back
in chapter
one Jesus'
baptism.
We're told
that Jesus
was sent
by the
Father and
he was
empowered by
the Holy
Spirit.
So the
work of
Jesus as
Jesus goes
about doing
his work
it is actually
the work of
the Holy
Spirit.
the
teachers of
the law
that we
met in
verse 22
are claiming
that Jesus'
work isn't
the work of
the Holy
Spirit
it's the
work of
the prince
of demons.
As Jesus
himself says
in verse 30
they were
saying all
this because
they were
saying he
has an
evil spirit.
But to
see the
work of
Satan when
it is
actually the
work of
the Holy
Spirit is
to slander
the Holy
Spirit.
In other
words if we
can't
distinguish
between
Jesus and
Satan
if we
can't see
the difference
between evil
and good
if we
can't
differentiate
between an
evil spirit
and the
Holy Spirit
if we
just think
it's all
the same
we're
beyond
repentance
repentance.
We're
beyond
repentance.
If you
refuse to
see Jesus
as the
supreme
king
over
Satan
if you
reject
that
it is
to be
guilty
of a
sin
with
eternal
consequences.
Hell
is your
only
destiny.
If you
turn your
back on
Jesus
and say
he is
not
supreme
he is
not
king
and to
turn your
back on
him
completely
is a
very
serious
matter.
And let's
note
who are
the people
who are
most likely
to fall
into this
sin.
Surprisingly
verse 22
it's the
religious
people.
The people
who think
they're better
than everybody
else,
better than
the sinners.
They see
no need
of Jesus.
I'm
alright
Jack.
Those
kind of
people.
They're
the ones
most likely
to fall
into this
sin.
Ones
who are
full of
pride,
self-righteous.
people
who are
on the
mission.
We've
got to
take these
things
seriously.
But we're
on a
mission.
Or rather
are we
on the
mission?
Because we
are either
on the
mission with
Jesus
or we
are on a
mission
against
Jesus.
We've
all got to
make our
decision
about that.
Am I
on the
mission with
Jesus or
am I on a
mission against
Jesus?
There's no
sitting on the
fence.
We're either in
one camp or
the other.
How do I
know if I
am on the
mission with
Jesus?
Well, look at
verse 31.
We'll just
read these
verses
quickly.
Then Jesus'
mother and
brothers arrived.
Originally,
they had come
to get
Jesus.
and they're
standing outside
and they
sent someone
in to call
Jesus.
A crowd was
sitting around
him and they
told him,
your mother and
your brothers are
outside looking
for you.
Who are my
mother and
brothers?
Who's my
real family?
Jesus asked.
Then he looked
at those who
were seated in
the circle around
him and he
said, here
are my
mother and
my brothers.
Here is my
true family.
Whoever does
God's will
is my
brother and
sister and
mother.
Those who
are on the
mission with
Jesus, those
who are in
his true
family, are
those who do
his will.
What is his
will?
We'll go back
to chapter 3
verse 14.
That they
might be with
him.
that they
might be with
Jesus.
People who
surround themselves
with Jesus, who
are there to
listen to him, to
learn from him, that
he might send them
out to preach.
Who are concerned
that people hear the
good news and have
authority to drive
out demons, to
tell people what
Christ has done,
that through Christ
people can be
released and set
free.
they're the
people who are on
the mission with
Jesus.
An army of
ordinary people
called to be
part of what
Jesus is doing.
It's an amazing
privilege and a
wonderful call.
Make sure you're
on the right
side.
let's pray.
Our
Father God, we
are amazed at
who Jesus is
with such
power and such
authority that
evil itself
falls down
before you.
We thank you
that we stand
today living
in the victory
of Jesus,
that he has
overpowered
Satan, hell
itself, that
when we believe
and trust the
good news, we
can be set free
and welcomed
into an eternal
kingdom.
And Father, help
us to go this
week recognizing
that we are
failures, we
are messy
people, ordinary
people, made
your disciples,
but a new
creation, a new
community, on a
mission with
Jesus, bringing
the good news
and pointing
others towards
Jesus the
Savior.
Help us to get
these things
right.
help us to
live for you.
And if we
have not yet
made that
decision,
help us,
make us
your disciple.
Ask him
that he will
make him
yours.
Amen.
Amen.
We're going
to sing.
We're going
to sing.