Sermon 7.21.24

The Good News: Transformation!

Luke Stehr

Mark 7:1-23

"These people honor me with their lips bur their hearts are from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules." Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13.

Jesus is calling you and me to have a transformed heart, not just clean hands.

Jesus isn't after our blind obedience to the traditions that the church has made; he's chasing after the transformation of our hearts so that we become like him.

Jesus is calling you to have a transformed heart, not just clean hands.

Katy Reed-Hodges

Restored and Commissioned

Mark 5:1-20

Mark 5:1-20 NIV

“People today are more likely to be controlled by a legion of cravings, captivations, and destructive impulses than by a legion of demons.” – David Garland

“[Legion] may express the man’s sense of being possessed by an aggregate of uncoordinated impulses and evil forces which have so impaired his ego… it is a pathetic admission of the loss of all sense of identity.” – William Lane

Rev. Ryan Chandler

Minister to Young Adults

July 7, 2024

Digging for Discipleship

Mark 4:1-20

If you want to grow higher, dig deeper.

Digging for discipleship looks like pushing. It is pushing through rocky seasons of life that challenge our faith.

Digging for discipleship looks like listening. It is taking time to listen to Jesus and grasp who he really is.

Digging for discipleship looks like trading. It is trading worldly values for kingdom values.

Mark 4:18-19

Dennis R. Wiles

First Baptist Arlington

June 30, 2024

SUMMER 2024

Together . . . in the Gospel

June 2 – August 3, 2024

Preaching Voice: Evangelist

The Good News: Our Ministry

Mark 1:21-45

Theme for 2024: Together

Theme for Summer 2024: Together . . . in The Gospel

THE MESSIANIC MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST: Jesus made His way across the region of Galilee establishing His unique authority, demonstrating His unparalleled power, proclaiming His revelatory message, and displaying His tender compassion.

Mark 1:21-28: Amazing Authority

Mark 1:29-31: Personal Compassion

Mark 1:32-34: Healing Power

Mark 1:35-39: Prayer, Preaching, and Authority

Mark 1:40-45: Compassion and Power

THE MINISTRY OF CHRIST’S CHURCH: We now are the emissaries of the Kingdom of God. We have been called to engage in ministries that bring healing, hope, grace, forgiveness, love, care, compassion, and restoration to this broken world!

Dennis R. Wiles

First Baptist Arlington

June 23, 2024

SUMMER 2024

Together . . . in the Gospel

June 2 – August 3, 2024

Preaching Voice: Evangelist

The Good News: Our Mission

Mark 1:16-20

Theme for 2024: Together

Theme for Summer 2024: Together . . . in The Gospel

Summer – Evangelistic Sensitivity

Tell Me More podcast

COSMIC TO COMMON: The proclamation of Jesus concerning the Kingdom of God had cosmic connotations. Yet, the inauguration of the Kingdom of God would be practically accomplished through the lives of common people!

From now until Gethsemane Jesus appears in the narrative constantly accompanied by his disciples, and their training and development will be one of the main focuses of the story. They may, and often will, fail him and disappoint him, but their role is crucial to the achievement of his mission, for it is through this flawed and vulnerable group of people that God’s kingship will be established. And it is in tracing their development as Jesus’ disciples, both in its successes and in its more frequent failures, that Mark will expect his readers to find the basis, whether by example or by warning, for their own discipleship.

-R. T. France, The New International Greek Testament Commentary: Mark

CALL OF JESUS: Jesus was unique in His day in so many respects. He called people to follow Him! This is still the invitation today!

CONVERSION TO COMPULSION: What happened to these fishermen? They became followers of Jesus and fishers of people!

COMMUNITY CASTING: As followers of Jesus, we cast nets together!

Dennis R. Wiles

First Baptist Arlington

June 16, 2024

Father’s Day

SUMMER 2024

Together . . . in the Gospel

June 2 – August 3, 2024

Preaching Voice: Evangelist

The Good News: A New Day!

Mark 1:14-15

Theme for 2024: Together

Theme for Summer 2024: Together . . . in The Gospel

Summer – Evangelistic Sensitivity

– Tell Me More podcast – live podcast from the Sanctuary on June 23 – 100th episode!

FORERUNNER TO FULFILLMENT: The era of preparation was over, and the time had come for the Age to Come to be announced and inaugurated!

OPPOSTITION: God’s work is always opposed by the enemy.

PROCLAMATION: Jesus had a message to declare – Good News!

FULFILLMENT: It was about time!

THE KINGDOM OF GOD: The reign of God in the Age to Come has begun!

REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOOD NEWS!

Dennis R. Wiles

First Baptist Arlington

June 9, 2024

SUMMER 2024

Together . . . in the Gospel

June 2 – August 3, 2024

Preaching Voice: Evangelist

The Good News: The New Exodus

Mark 1:9-13

Theme for 2024: Together

Theme for Summer 2024: Together . . . in The Gospel

Summer – Evangelistic Sensitivity

Tell Me More podcast - We will be live June 23 for our 100th Episode

MOUNTWEAZEL - a decoy entry in a reference work, such as a dictionary or encyclopedia, secretly planted among the genuine entries to catch other publishers in the act of copying content.

The Good News is . . . Jesus!

CONTEXT FOR THE MINISTRY OF JESUS: Jesus entered the world at a definite point in human history. His ministry was connected to and contextualized by the cosmic battle between evil (Satan) and good (God) and the revelation of God through the life of Israel.

CONSIDER THE BAPTISM OF JESUS AND THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS IN CONTEXT:

• Wilderness – Jesus begins his ministry in the wilderness – evoking so many Old Testament images.
• The Glory of God – this is a cosmic story, and His ministry will be accompanied by heavenly signs. Moses was used by God for the parting of the Red Sea – Jesus’ ministry will be bracketed by the parting of the heavens and the parting of the veil of the Temple.
• The Spirit of God – God’s Spirit was present at creation, in the deliverance of Israel, and remains present in the story of re-creation.
• God heard the cry of the Israelites in Egypt and sent Moses to deliver them. He now has responded to the desperate condition of all humanity by sending Jesus to deliver us all!

Dennis R. Wiles

First Baptist Arlington

June 2, 2024

SUMMER 2024

Together . . . in the Gospel

June 2 – August 3, 2024

Preaching Voice: Evangelist

The Good News is About Jesus!

Mark 1:1-8

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Theme for 2024: Together

Theme for Summer 2024: Together . . . in The Gospel

Summer – Evangelistic Sensitivity

New Devotional Guide for Summer

– Tell Me More podcast – I will also plug the live podcast from the Sanctuary on June 23 – 100th episode!

MARK AT A GLANCE

-Earliest Gospel

-Gospel – Good News!

-Mark was a disciple of Simon Peter

-The Gospel of Mark was intended to be read aloud in community.

-Mark’s Gospel is a drama with three acts: Jesus in Galilee, Jesus on the way to Jerusalem, and Jesus in Jerusalem

-The “Messianic Secret”

-The ending of the Gospel of Mark

THE BEGINNING!

PREPARATION: The Good News about Jesus is new news rooted in old news!

PERSON: The Good News is . . . Jesus!