All right, I'm gonna ask you
to take your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Mark. Mark
chapter one. Mark chapter one. I'm gonna look at verses 35 to
39 this morning. And Our Lord's earthly ministry has
just begun. And the Spirit of God was pleased
to give us some instruction on the Lord that we worship, the
Lord that God's people worship. I got to reading these verses
and as I read, I began to think. There's places all over this
world where men are standing in pulpits and telling people
about Jesus, Jesus Christ. Many, many people are listening
and they're familiar with that name. They've heard that name.
Jesus Christ. Who is He? Who is the Lord Jesus
Christ? Who is the Messiah? Now, obviously, these few verses
We'll never exhaust the depth of who He is. We'll never exhaust
that in this life or eternity. But in these verses, there's
some things that's set forth concerning the Lord. The Lord
that we worship. How shall they call on Him in
whom they've not believed? And how are they going to believe
in whom they've not heard? I need to hear who is the Lord
that I worship. Who is he? Tell me about him. Tell me what the scripture says
about him. And that's what I'd like to just
look at for just a few minutes. The scripture declares concerning
the Lord that we worship. In verse 35, it says, and in
the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out
and departed into a solitary place and there prayed." From just that statement, that
verse of scripture there, we learn something about our Lord
who humbled himself. He humbled himself. This is God. This is God. God Almighty in human flesh. The Word was made flesh. He was made like unto His brethren,
yet without sin. Who is He? Now listen. The Scripture says He rose up. He had gone to sleep. He rested. He rose up a great while before
day. And he went out and departed
into a solitary place. And he prayed. He prayed. Now, concerning him, hold your
place right there, but turn with me to John chapter 17. As soon as I read that, I thought
about what he said about his prayers. Here it tells us that
he prayed. Look at John 17, verse 6 to 9. Now this is what the Lord said. So as I've said before, you let
God be true, let everybody else be a liar, let man be a liar.
He's the truth. The scripture says in Mark he
prayed. He said in John 17 in his high priestly prayer, he
tells us who he prayed for. John 17, 6, I have manifested
thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world. I know he's got an elect. I know
that. I know he's got some that he's
representing. I know that. He said that. He
said, I've manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest
me out of the world. Thine they were, and thou gavest
them me. They have kept thy word. Now
they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me
are of thee. For I have given unto them the
words which thou gavest me, and they have received them, and
have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have
believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. Now let me tell you who the Lord
Jesus Christ is. He is the one that has come into
this world sent of the Father for a particular people. I've
given your word unto those men that you gave me out of the world. He's got somebody in this world
that He came for. And He said, I gave them Your
Word. And they received it. How did they receive it? God
made them willing in the day of His power and regenerating
grace. Psalm 110.3. I know that. And He said, I'm
praying for them. I'm praying for them. I don't
pray for the world. I don't pray for the world. And
you know what? That settles that, Chuck. Who
does the Lord pray for? Well, I know He don't pray for
the world. I know that. He prays for those that the Father's
given Him. I know that. Who is He? He's
a Messiah for a particular people that the Father gave Him. And
He came into this world and as the suffering servant, the Messiah,
God in human flesh, God who went to sleep one night, Woke up one
morning and rose up early, early in the morning. And he went out
into a solitary place, got alone by himself. And he prayed. He found it best to rise early
in the morning, the best part of the day, and get alone with
his father and commune with him in prayer. Here's the one to whom we pray. God Almighty, the fullness of
the Godhead, God himself, the incarnate word, praying. When he was baptized, the scripture
said in Luke 3.21, now when all the people were baptized, it
came to pass that Jesus, also being baptized and praying, the
heaven was opened. In Luke 9, 28, 29, it came to
pass, excuse me, it came to pass about eight days after these
sayings, he took Peter, James, John, they went up into a mountain
to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion
of his countenance was altered and his raiment was white and
glistening. And I read that word right there,
he went up there to pray. Here he was, praying for his
people. He knew, he knew what was getting
ready to happen. On that mount, he knew. And he
already said in John 17, I pray for those you, I don't pray for
the world, I pray for those you gave me out of the world. I'm
praying for them. And here he was, the great high priest, praying. Who is the Lord Jesus Christ?
He's God. praying for me. Before he called his 12 apostles,
Luke 6, 12, 13, came to pass in those days that he went out
into a mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called
unto him his disciples. And of them, he chose 12, whom
also he named apostles. He chose 12 men, one of them
was a devil. One of them was a devil, he said
that. But there were 11 that he knew, he everlastingly knew
and loved them and prayed for them, prayed for them. Before he came walking on the
sea, listen to this, Matthew 14, 22, Matthew 14, 22. The scripture says, straightway
Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship and to go
before him unto the other side while he sent the multitudes
away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into
a mountain apart to pray. And when the even was come, he
was there alone. Before his suffering at Calvary,
When he was found to be in the Garden of Gethsemane, speaking
to his disciples, he said in Mark 14, 32, sit ye here while
I shall pray. My heart is just drawn to be
thankful, thankful. that He prays for me, prays for
me. I believe Him. I believe Him. I believe Him. I believe in Him.
I believe Him. If anything we should learn from the action
and the manner of the Lord, it's the indescribable importance
of prayer. Has the Lord ordained all things
that are going to come to pass? Yes. Are all things finished from
the beginning? Yes. Has He predestinated His
people to be conformed to His image? Has God the Father predestinated
His people? But yes. Is there anything that's
going to change apart from God's counsel? No. The counsel of the
Lord, that's going to stand. Then why pray? Because the Lord
ordained it. He ordained it. That settles it. We are to call
on the Lord. If He who is holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, prayed without ceasing, did you
ever notice what He was doing? Everything that He was doing,
He was praying. praying. If it was his manner,
what manner should it be for us to be praying? If he found
in the days of his flesh, he offered up prayers and supplications
with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save
him from death and was heard in that he feared, he reverenced,
this is our federal head. I cannot enter in. Neil, I can't
enter into the depth. I know who this is. I know he's
God. I don't know the depth of it.
You know that. But here's God. You say, well, there would be
no need for him to pray. I beg your pardon. He did. Therefore, it was needful. He prayed. Therefore, we can
enter in to what his disciples requested. One of his disciples
says, Lord, teach us to pray. As John also taught his disciples.
I've told you before, I don't know anything about prayer. I
don't. I know that I'm to pray. But as the scripture says, the
spirit of God has shown us, we don't know what to pray. I don't
know what to pray, I don't know what to pray. My prayers, I've told you this
before, I find my prayers to be pretty much the same every
time. And I don't want them to be vain
repetitions, I don't. I find myself every day, every
day. By God's grace, I'm not, I'm
just telling you the truth, praying for you. And the only way I know
how to pray for you is I'm standing here, I know where you're sitting.
And I can go down this aisle and I thank the Lord that I still
got a mind I can remember where you're sitting. You know, I know
where you are. Praying. Asking the Lord. Oh, Lord, let us, according to
Hebrews 4.16, therefore come boldly unto the
throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to
help in time of need." I know the Lord's given His people permission,
the grace to be able to call on Him. And as we pray, we want
to pray as the Lord instructed us to pray. When you pray, you
say, But not only do we learn from
this verse of scripture right here. And in the morning, rising
up a great while before the day, he went out and departed into
a solitary place and there prayed. Not only do we learn something
of his need of prayer, his faithfulness of prayer, pray for his people,
we also learn the immense importance of following him. I want to follow the shepherd.
It says in verse 36, and Simon and they that were with him followed
after him. Followed after him. Now, is this
not the truth? that our Lord taught concerning
His people. John 8, 12, Then spake Jesus
again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world. He that
followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the
light of life. You know, a believer, wants to
follow. Is there a believer here that
doesn't want to follow the Lord? Follow the Lord? I want to follow
Him in what He says. I want to follow... I know He
guides. He's the shepherd. I know that.
He said, I'm the great shepherd. And how do I know where He's
leading me? Well, where am I right now? The
steps of a good man. Not in Himself. You know that.
But those made to be believers, those that have a desire to follow
Him, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. He guides, He directs, He worketh
all things after the counsel of His own will. And there's
times that I find myself or you find yourself. In a situation,
you said, I'd have never led myself to this. If you'd have
given me a choice to come this way, this ain't the way I'd have
come. Aren't you glad he doesn't ask our permission? He knows
what's best. The scripture says Simon and
they that were with him followed after him. I'm telling you, whenever
he came, there was Matthew, I love that, I love this passage of
Scripture. He walked past the receipt of
custom and there was a man, he was a tax collector, his name
was Matthew. The Lord gonna call him, be one
of his apostles. And he walked past him, this
is what he said, follow me. Where was he going? Matthew didn't
know. wherever he's going, I'm going.
That's what it was. It wasn't a suggestion, you know,
for Matthew to kick it around. You know, he just got up and
walked away. Scripture says, Matthew 9, 9,
he arose and followed him. My sheep hear my voice. That's a mysterious thing to
me. That's a mysterious thing. They've got ears, new ears to
hear. And you hear, when you hear these
scriptures expounded consistently, and believe me, a believer hears,
and they know, they know. When they hear something that
is inconsistent with this word right here, here's what they
say, that's not the shepherd talking. That's not what he says. Somebody, I read something the
other day, and it was concerning a passage of scripture in Malachi
3, and it was talking about when, well, let me just look at it
so I get it right. Malachi 3, and when the Lord
was saying that Verse 16, then they that feared the Lord spake
often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it.
And a book of remembrance was written before him for them that
feared the Lord and they that thought on his name. And I was
reading some, somebody handed me a little book and opened it
up and I opened it up in that book, about that thick, and opened
it up and it was talking about that scripture right there. And
they said that the Lord hears when Christians talk about the
good works that they've done. And he remembers there, and I
thought, that's not the voice of the Lord
speaking there. That is not His voice. They that
feared Him. and respect him, walk after him. They follow, they hear his voice. But I'll tell you another thing
about the Lord that we worship here back in Mark chapter one.
His wisdom, now this is the Lord we serve. The Lord who humbled
himself, praise, communion, praise for his people, the great high
priest, the one who is the shepherd that the sheep follow. But the
one thirdly who knows those that are his. Look at verse 37, 38. And when they had found him,
now the scripture says Simon and those that were with him
followed him. And when they had found him,
they said unto him, all men seek for thee. All men seek for thee. Now listen to what he said. And he said unto them, let us
go into the next towns, that I may preach there also. For
therefore came I forth. Simon and those that were with
him, he had gone to a solitary place to pray. Simon and those
that were with him came and they followed him. And said, when
they found him, they said, all men seek for thee. And here was his reaction. Let's
go to the next town. Now, you know, one would think
with an announcement from his disciples, all men seek for thee. Boy, what a prime opportunity
for the Lord to gather some souls. gets some new converts to himself.
But without hesitation, it's what they said, it's what he
said. Let's go to the next towns. If there was a sheep in that
place, a sheep whose time of love had come, the Lord would
have done just exactly what the Lord was pleased to do. Like
in John 4, 4, he must needs go through Samaria. Why? There was a woman there. There was a woman that was there
that he was going to have to meet at a well about noontime. A place called Sycar. It was a woman that had everlastingly
been given him as one of his own a sheep that he must bring
to the father. And this woman came to him, and
you know the conversation. She left her water pot. She went
back. She told some men, I want you to come here, man. It told me everything I ever
did. Is not this the Christ? This is the Christ. The scripture says in John 2,
23, 25, now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover in the feast
day, many believed in his name when they saw the miracles which
he did, but Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he
knew all men. It needed not that any should
testify of man for he knew what was in man. Many saw the miracles
that the Lord did and And they confessed that they believed
on Him, but their profession wasn't from a heart of love for
Him. They were stony ground heroes
according to the Word of the Lord that the Lord didn't commit
Himself to them. You read that, you know what
it is? The Lord didn't believe them. He didn't believe them.
Why? Because He knew them. He knew them. He didn't need
for anyone to tell him man's true motives. He knew their heart. He's never turned away one of
his own. Never broken, bruised, reed, or quenched the smoking
flax of a repentant sinner, one for whom he came. Everybody's seeking after you.
Let's go to the next town. But lastly from this passage,
and I've already read part of it, this is the Lord that we
love, serve, follow. We learn from this latter part
of verse 38 and 39, God's sovereign means by which his sheep are
called and the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus Christ. When the
disciples came to him and he told them, he said, let's go
into the next town. Everybody's seeking after you.
Let's go to the next towns. Why? Well, look what it says. The latter part of 38 and verse
39, that I may preach there also, for therefore came I forth. And he preached in their synagogues
throughout all Galilee and cast out devils. Now if you were to
ask someone, why did the Lord come into this world? He came
into this world to save his people from their sins. That's what
scripture says. He came to save them from their
sins. He came to die for them, live for them. put away their
guilt, establish their righteousness. How is He going to call them? How does the Lord call His people? How? You know He does. He calls
them. He's going to call His sheep.
Here, according to His Word, is the God-ordained means of
God calling His people. preaching the gospel. Preaching the truth. Preaching. Let's go to the next towns that
I may preach there also for therefore came I forth. Here is the prophet
of God. And while this world, there's
a lot of people that's meeting. Why do we make the word of God
be everything. Tell me what this book says. That's what I just said. Tell
me what he said. Read what the Lord said. What does he say? I came forth
to preach while this world puts great emphasis on Organizations
and seminars and cantatas. God's preachers are sent to preach
Christ and Him crucified. First Corinthians 121, for after
that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God,
it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe. preaching. I told you about this
dear lady in Tennessee that came, she and her husband came one
time and they came on a Sunday because her mama went there and
she and her husband came and they sat through two services
and following Wednesday night she came by herself, came up
to me after the service and she said, I came back tonight because
I wanted to make sure that I was hearing what you said last Sunday. I said, well, did I say the same
thing? She said, you did. You did. And she said, the thing that
amazes me is that you picked up the Bible and you preached
out of the Bible. And I asked her, I said, where
do you go to church? She told me. I knew where it
was. And I said, well, what does your pastor preach out of? Well,
she said, well, newspaper articles, current events. I said, the gospel, the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation.
This is what God's gonna bless right here. This is it, nothing
else. The Lord said, let's go to the
next towns that I may preach there for therefore came I forth
and he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee and cast
out devils. What honor. What dignity, what
importance the Lord has set forth and established on the preaching
of the gospel. It doesn't matter. All the other
stuff that we get into, people get into, all of that other,
I don't have any problem, I want to help everybody I can. I want
to, if somebody is in a need and they're in trouble, if I
can help, I want to. I want to. If I can, I want to. But do you know what I want people
to do? Do you want to know what I want, you know what I need
to do and what I want people to do? I want you to hear the
word of God. I want you to hear. I want you
to hear the truth. This is what I want. If I ask
somebody, say, come to the service, let me just go ahead and confess
to you. Let me tell you what I want. I want you to hear what
I need to hear. I need to hear this book. I need
to hear the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ preached again.
That's the only thing God's going to bless, to the salvation of
the soul. That's all. I want you to hear. Who is the Savior? Who is the
Lord Jesus Christ? Who is He? He's God made flesh. He came to this world, prayed
for us. Prayed for us. Prayed for His people. Seeking
as the great high priest, the Lord's salvation for His own. The one, the shepherd that we
follow. We follow Him. It's the one that knows His own.
If anybody's seeking for you, let's go to this town over here.
How's he going to call them? He's going to preach to them.
He's going to preach to them. They're going to hear about Christ. They're going to hear about God's
sovereignty. God who elected a people. God
who redeemed those people. God who calls those people. God
who keeps those people. That's what's going to bless.
That's why every time you come, You're not going to hear, Lord
willing, anything, any different. I might, I'll change the passage,
but if you're honest, if I'm honest with myself, I'm going
to say this. I'm going to tell you the same thing over and over
and over again. Because in that day, when we
all stand before God, this is the only thing that's going to
matter right here. It's not going to matter what whatever else
was involved, any of the fluff. You tell me who Christ is. You
tell me about Him. And may the Lord bless it to
my heart, to the salvation of my soul for His glory and my
eternal good. Amen.