Mark and the God of New Beginnings

I can't think of anything more wonderful for us than to be—

starting this brand new year together, and
celebrating the New Covenant promises of a new heart and a new spirit within us through this communion, and
worshiping our God of New Beginnings.

You may have had a horrible past year or an incredible 2006—but whichever it was, God declares that we start today brand new in Christ. This reality is emphasized as the calendar starts over; communion also is a constant reminder of this promise—but as we will see this morning, the Gospel by Mark is from start to finish the Gospel of New Beginnings!

We are returning in our study of God's Word to the second book in the New Testament, the Gospel by Mark. Before us lays…

FOUR GOSPELS—ONE THEME

There are four Gospels in our Bibles. Each is a Gospel by Matthew, or Mark, or Luke, or John. But each has the same theme; each is a snapshot of a Perfect Jesus.

 Matthew captures the Perfect King of Israel—His ancestry, His Birth, His Life, and His Death. Jesus wants to be our King!
Mark Captures the Perfect Servant; as opposed to all the imperfect ones that have lived. Jesus came to serve and give His Life for us!
Luke captures the only Perfect Man that ever lived in a world of imperfection, falseness, death, disease, and despair. Jesus came to seek and save the lost!
John captures the Perfect Deity; in a world of false gods, fallen gods, and feeble gods--enters the real God of Creation. Jesus came to give us abundant life!

But back to the Gospel by Mark—Jesus is the Perfect Servant. The only perfect servant God has ever had was His Son; all the rest of the countless men and women, boys and girls He has used have been imperfect!