Wheaton Bible Church

True disciples count it a privilege to obey Jesus and do His will. Continuing our studies in Mark, Pastor Rob explains that this response comes as we feel the seriousness of our sin and grasp the immensity of Jesus' grace.

Jesus adds another dimension to His focus. Up to this point He had been attracting the public through miracles and large-group teachings; He had a "come and see" ministry. Now Jesus looks for and picks followers, showing us a "go and send" focus. Pastor Rob describes the steps Jesus took to pick His followers and also calls us to move from a "come and see" mindset to a "go and send" way of life.

God commands us in His Word to throw off every sin that keeps us from following Him. For most of us that sin is fear. Guest speaker Tom Doyle tells us that although many of us might fear Muslims, thousands are coming to a personal faith in Jesus everyday. Tom explains that it takes immediate, radical, and costly obedience to reach out to Muslims and shares exciting stories of what God is doing to bring this group to Himself.

Jesus uses the Sabbath laws to show how much He and God hate legalism, trying to be right by keeping rules. Pastor Rob explains that Jesus has authority over law and that authority involves grace, acceptance, and mercy. Legalism points to faults. Grace welcomes us with love.

In His call of Matthew, Jesus shows that He loves sinners, seeks them out, and desires to transform them. Pastor Rob reminds us that Jesus’ love and grace in our lives empowers us to respond to His call to love and go to sinners.

The Colossians were missing the value of the Gospel; they didn’t fully understand that the Gospel is the foundation of everything. It shapes our mission and sends us. Guest speaker Dr. Ed Stetzer asks us if we are going to go with the Gospel or let ourselves be cul de sacs on the Great Commission highway.

When Jesus healed the paralyzed man He showed that God often does His best work through people with no names, such as the man’s stretcher bearers, whose faith amazed Him. God calls all of us to be stretcher bearers for Him.

Christianity is both a belief system and a lifestyle. Pastor Rob reminds us that too often we make it just a belief system and ignore what Jesus taught us about how to live. He showed us three key elements of the Kingdom rhythm of life.

We see Jesus' deity as He heals and casts out demons. Pastor Rob explains that Jesus has come to rescue and restore us. God's plan for us is to seek the "Kingdom life," to deny ourselves and follow Jesus, not to pursue "the good life," success and comfort.

Jesus sets the context for calling His disciples by explaining that God's Kingdom is both a journey and a destination, it's about hearts not circumstances. We are called, not because of anything we have done, but by God's grace to both follow Jesus and to become "fishers" of men and women.

This account of the life of Jesus begins by asserting two things: this Gospel is historical and Jesus is God. Pastor Rob calls us to see Jesus for who He is so that we might follow Him more fully.