Mark 1:1-8
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, 3 “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’”
An account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
This baby that is born is the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.
Jesus is the Messiah or Christ.
Point of Emphasis #1 in Matthew
Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of Mary, a virgin.
More: Seeking Jesus
Psalm 63:1
God, you are my God; I eagerly seek you. I thirst for you; my body faints for you in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.
Why seek him through prayer and fasting? It humbles our heart before God. It prepares our heart to hear from God. It provides time for us to be with God. It reminds us of the priority of God.
Psalm 63:1
God, you are my God; I eagerly seek you. I thirst for you; my body faints for you in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.
The reason we need to seek him diligently is because we have forces of evil and the world against us.
We Want More of Jesus
We are not to covet the things of this world, but we are to desire more of Jesus in our lives.
Psalm 42:1-2
As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you, God. 2 I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God?
Truthfulness and Honesty, Commandment #9: Do not give false testimony.
Contentment & Thanksgiving, Commandment #10: Do not covet.
Honor Your Marriage
Commandment #7: Do not commit adultery.
This commandment has to do with:
a) Honoring your marriage/spouse
b) Living in sexual purity
c) Being faithful to the covenant relationship with your spouse
This commandment points us to a life of purity and holiness.
The last six commandments address our horizontal relationships, relationships with people, and are rooted in the first four.
God invited them into a covenant relationship with him.
Commandment #1: Do not have other gods besides me.
The Lord recognized that there are other gods in this world, but for Israel he is to be the only God they know, have, and worship.
Commandment #2: Do not make images for yourself with which to worship.
We must worship God as he is, not as we envision him or would like him to be.
The people of Israel experienced the holiness and awesomeness of God.
God invited them into a covenant relationship with him.
