Preached by Chris Broom, 6/14/2009

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Elise Miller (second from left) Gets Baptized!

Mark Series part 16 – Be a Giver – Outline

Christianity can be described as the journey from selfishness to selflessness! To follow Christ is to learn to be a giver and not a taker; learning to live a life of selflessness!

Mark 8:31-9:1

• Here Jesus predicts His death for the first time.
• Peter rebukes Jesus for this.
• Jesus rebukes Peter for not having in mind the things of God, but the things of men.
• When we have in mind the things of men, we become selfish.
• Jesus makes it clear that His goal is to lay his life down and challenges anyone that follows Him to lay their life down (take up their cross) also; to learn to be a giver.
• Jesus makes it clear that to be a part of the powerful Kingdom that’s coming is to be a giver.
• We don’t understand how powerful what we have “in the Kingdom” is!
• The Kingdom is a place where we are many parts of the same body, where we are brought to complete unity.
• Keeping two people as one in a marriage is hard. Keeping many in one church as one is even harder, and yet amazing to see!
• What would keep someone from becoming a part of this powerful Kingdom? The answer is sin. Sin is what will cause someone who is married to divorce their spouse and it is what will cause someone to divorce their brothers and sisters by leaving the church.
• Jesus’ ambition was to give His life away! Is that our ambition?

Hebrews 10;1-27

• The Jews were required to sacrifice animals as a reminder of their sin.
• We get dull and our hearts get hard about sin.
• God doesn’t want our meaningless sacrifices, he wants our hearts and for us to do His will!

To become a giver we must…

1. Draw near to God! We can’t do the work of God without God.
2. Hold unswervingly! We must persevere over time when the hits keep coming! The first mile of a marathon is easier than the 20th. After we blow it as disciples, will we get back on track and hold unswervingly! Matthew 24:12 says that the love of most will grow cold. Therefore you will cease to be a giver if you let wickedness take you of track.
3. Consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds! We don’t just know how to give without considering how before we see people.
4. Come to church. Don’t miss as some do. Some don’t expect enough of themselves when they do show up to church. Some no longer appreciate God’s Kingdom cause of your own selfishness and wickedness!

• If we deliberately keep sinning, there is no sacrifice for sin left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and the fire of Hell. If we put our best into the world and not the Kingdom, this is what will await us!
• Others have been rising stars of late in the church because of becoming givers!
• When satan tries to take you out, show God that you will still be a giver no matter what happens!
• When you go on vacation, don’t take a spiritual vacation! Spend extra time with God!
• Take a vacation in a city with a sister church like the upcoming trips to Syracuse and LA!

Proverbs about being givers! Proverbs 11:25 / 25:13 / 15:30 / 15:13 / 15:15 / 17:22

When we get the man right, we will get the world right!

-Chris Broom

Categories: Mark Series, Sermons
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