Messages
A collection of sermons and messages Mark has given over the years
New messages are added as they become available
Jul 28, 2024, 10:30 AM
Time is short now. Jesus has finished His teachings on the end of this age and His return. Now it's time to prepare for His departure and inauguration of the New Covenant. So many preparations to make! Over the next 30 verses, we jump from scene to scene, all in preparation for the sacrifice of God's Passover Lamb. Two people stand out in these verses: one devoted, one a devil. It bids us consider, "Which am I?" From Matthew 26:1-30.
Jul 21, 2024, 10:30 AM
Since explaining the timing of His return and the end of the age, Jesus has spoken several parables to urge His disciples to be ready. But what preparations should we be making? If we've been entrusted with other servants, we're supposed to lead them well and give them their food at the proper time. We need to be careful to be wise and bring enough oil to wait until the return of Christ. We need to make more "money" with the "money" we've been giving. But what does it all mean? What should we be doing? We finish off this chapter with not a parable, but a preview of the final judgment, and within it, we discover the kinds of things Jesus wants us to be doing. From Matthew 25:31-46.
Jul 7, 2024, 10:30 AM
What can we expect when the Lord returns? Jesus wants us to be prepared, but how? What should we be doing? In the rest of this chapter, Jesus will be expanding on and illustrating His expectations. Today He uses the example of a master going on a journey, entrusting his property to several key servants. It's a test. He has bigger plans than just to make a few bucks while he's away. He needs to know which servants are loyal and committed to him. We too are being tested. Do you know how you're doing? Do you know what Jesus' response will be when you stand before him to give account of what you did with His "property"? Let's see what this parable tells us about what He expects of us. From Matthew 25:14-30.
Jun 30, 2024, 10:30 AM
Jesus is still answering His disciples' question: "What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" (Mt 24:3b) After giving all kinds of signs, both in regard to the time of the birth pains and of the time of the end, Jesus now gives this parable of the ten virgins. There are foolish virgins that miss out on the wedding feast, rejected by the bridegroom as unknown to Him. There are wise virgins who prepared to endure to the end of their wait. They were ready. They were welcome. This is a message to Jesus' disciples, to those who follow Him. There are wise ones among them, and there are foolish. Which one are you? Which one am I? We need to know what distinguishes the wise from the foolish virgins, so that we can make sure we're making ourselves ready. From Matthew 25:1-13.
Jun 23, 2024, 10:30 AM
How do we motivate Christians to Christian living? One way is to convince people that Jesus is returning at any moment. But what Jesus has revealed here and what the rest of the Scriptures support and teach is that Jesus' return is not yet imminent. We are still in the time of the birth pains, not yet at the end of this age. What, then? Can we kick back and relax, live it up in this age while we wait for the anti-Christ to appear? Why do we need to keep watch? How do we keep watch now? From Matthew 24:36-51.
Jun 16, 2024, 10:30 AM
The disciples asked, "What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" Beginning in verse 15, Jesus finally answers their question. "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel...." What? Is Jesus saying that the end begins with the "abomination that causes desolation"? How can that be? Actually, this and the rest of Jesus' answer may not be what you're expecting! From Matthew 24:15-35.
Jun 2, 2024, 10:30 AM
There's nothing better than being a Christian! You sure about that? What makes it so? Jesus schools His disciples on what's coming for them, and it's not pretty. Are you sure you're ready to follow Christ? If you think it's not so bad, are you sure you haven't been deceived by a false gospel or a false teacher? How can you know you're actually on the right path, believing the true Gospel and the True Christ? Well, join Jesus for a private discussion with His disciples and see if you're up to the challenge of following the real Jesus. From Matthew 24:1-14.
May 26, 2024, 10:30 AM
Jesus is fully aware of the hypocrisy of the teachers of the Law and Pharisees, yet He expects His disciples to obey them! How unfair is that? What is He thinking? Won't His disciples have to suffer under the rule of uncaring leaders? What about the hypocrites? What happens to them? Jesus at the last reveals their end. From Matthew 23:29-39.
May 19, 2024, 10:30 AM
At the beginning of Matthew 23, Jesus tells the crowds and His disciples that they need to do everything the teachers of the law and the Pharisees tell them to do. Even though He knows and says they're hypocrites! As if that wasn't insulting enough, then He goes into detail about the ways in which they practice their hypocrisy! And His disciples have to obey them? Why? Because the worst thing any of us could do is become like them! Take warning! From Matthew 23:13-28.
May 5, 2024, 10:30 AM
How many insensitive, hypocritical leaders have you met in your life? There's certainly no lack of them, at all levels of leadership. So what should we as Christians do, when we're stuck under a foolish leader like that? Jesus has some instruction. Not advice, but instruction, and it'll test your faith. Just make sure you're not one of those leaders! From Matthew 23:1-12.