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MARK: The Gospel for Stressful Times

Feb 23, 2020 | Rev. Dr. K. Rick Baker

JESUS BRAND or Religious Knockoff

Mark 12:13-37

Full Service

To the people who mingle close to your life, are you all Jesus Brand or are you a Religious Knockoff?

Does your lifestyle bring much glory to Christ?

Do you know what a Jesus Brand should be like?

ARE WE TO GROW?- (Eph. 4:11-16; Col. 2:6-7; 1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18)

The average Christian is suffering from malnourishment of the soul due to malpractice of their salvation-the unintentional, inattention and malnourishment of the spiritual life granted you by Christ.

  • We are aiming at the wrong motivation for growth.

  • We are heavily dependent on physical systems (methodology) to make spiritual change.

THE PRIMARY MOTIVATING REASON TO GROW - To Showcase the GLORY of GOD (1 Cor. 10:31; Phil 1:20-23)

THE PRIMARY METHODOLOGY FOR GROWING - More JESUS and less me. (Jn 3:30)

Recalibrating your life for maximum spiritual health/growth must grow from a holy passion to bring glory to God in a healthy environment for growing MORE CHRIST in you! (2 Cor. 3:18)

GOD NURTURES EVERY ACTION I TAKE, THAT GROWS MORE CHRIST IN ME, SO HIS GLORY WILL BE SEEN IN ALL THE NATIONS.

From three encounters with three Religious Knockoffs, Jesus clarifies His Brand…

1. Religious Knockoffs get bogged down in bearing more of the image of the world. Jesus Brand increasingly reflects the image of God. (12:13-17)

Are you giving yourself more to the wrong image you resemble/ prefer most; busy trying to trip Jesus up in his words so you can justify your preferred ways?

Whose image are you?

2. Religious Knockoffs don’t know the Scriptures and therefore have lost connection with the power of God. Jesus Brand know the Scriptures and experience the power of God. (12:18-27)

“in error”(v.24)…because they don’t spend enough time in the Scriptures

“badly mistaken”(v.27)…because they have lost connection to the power of God

3. The lives of Religious Knockoffs are crowded with many other affections, making it impossible to love God with all their hearts, souls, minds, strength…and loving their neighbours gets crushed under the many things devoted to loving themselves. Jesus Brand love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength and love their neighbour as themselves (12:28-34).

…“most important”

GOD NURTURES EVERY ACTION WE TAKE, FOR GROWING MORE CHRIST IN US, SO HIS GLORY WILL BE SEEN IN ALL THE NATIONS.

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