There is only one place where we can find God’s inductees into Faith’s Hall of Fame–the eleventh chapter of the New Testament book of Hebrews. There is only one qualification for entry–the possession of great faith. There are some predictable heroes enshrined there—people like Noah, Abraham and Moses. But there are some notable surprises as well. People like Enoch, Jacob and Rahab have also found their way there, for they demonstrated God honoring faith in some unique ways.
In this portion of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus announces that the kingdom of God is at hand. He invites all who will repent and believe. But Mark wants us to know that this call to discipleship comes with cost. Persecution is the lot of those who follow Jesus. Are you experiencing pushback from the culture? If not, are you more like the culture than like Jesus? Jesus is still calling people to follow him unreservedly. Have you heeded that summons?
SERMON SUMMARY If you were with us last week, you will recall from our study of Psalm 3 that King David is on the run. His son Absalom is attempting a military coup. Absalom wants to be Israel’s next King, and if he has to kill his father to make it happen, so be it.…
