Worship service 08/30/26.
Greetings and call to worship.
—Greetings and good morning, saints and fellow Christians, called out of darkness, and into the marvelous light of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, unto a life of obedience and suffering waiting for the final day of redemption in which we shall be glorified together with Him. We come before Him once more on the Christian Sabbath to offer ourselves before Him in thankful praise, for who He is in Himself and what He hath done for our souls. Psalm 40:5-11 says, “Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, thou knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.”
A Christian minister writes,
The rest of God consisted not only in his ceasing from the work of any new creation, but also in that sweet satisfaction and delight he had in the demonstration of his own attributes and perfections, which were gloriously displayed in the work he had now finished, especially after he had added a lustre to this inferior world by bestowing upon it a most excellent inhabitant, who was to be a careful spectator, and the herald and proclaimer of the perfections of his Creator, and in whom God himself beheld ου μικρον της δοξης αύτοῦ απαυγασμα, “no small effulgence of his own glory.” Wherefore it is said, Exod. 31:17, “and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed;” not as if he was fatigued, but as rejoicing in his work so happily completed, and in which he beheld what was worthy of his labour.
Prayer unto the public reading of the Holy Scripture:
Our holy and righteous Father,
full of all glory, justice, mercy, and truth;
faithful and righteous, who will by no means clear the guilty,
yet thou showeth mercy unto thousands that love thee and keep thy commandments:
We come before thee in all holy reverence,
as those whom thou hast chosen in Christ,
redeemed by His precious blood,
called out of darkness,
and brought into the fellowship of the gospel
and the kingdom of thy dear Son.
We bow before thee in true humility,
acknowledging the severity of thy law,
the holy requirements of the gospel,
and our own vileness and unworthiness
to draw so near unto thee.
We confess, O Lord,
that apart from the grace and righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ
we are worthy of thy wrath and curse,
without hope, and without access to the covenant promises.
For we are guilty and polluted by sin,
unable of ourselves to repent, believe, or return unto thee.
Therefore we call upon thee for grace and mercy through Him:
Pardon our iniquities,
cleanse us by the blood of Christ,
sanctify us by thy truth,
strengthen our faith,
subdue the lusts of the flesh,
and enable us to perform this holy service
in the strength which thou dost so freely supply.
And now, as we come to the reading of thy holy word,
grant a special blessing upon this portion of Holy Scripture.
Make it effectual by thy Spirit
to build up thy Church,
and establish thy kingdom.
Open our hearts to receive the word with meekness;
give us eyes to see and ears to hear;
and cause us by thine own grace to live by it,
that we may be built up a holy temple in the Lord—even through Jesus Christ.
Our Captain, Governor, and Deliverer,
Our Prophet, Priest, and King. The Author and Finisher of our faith.
In His most worthy name we pray,
Amen.
Devotional and doctrinal exposition on the Psalms:
Psalm 29 [8] : 1 The Prophet exhorteth the princes and rulers of the world (which for the most part think there is no God.) 3 At the least to fear him for the thunders and tempests, for fear whereof all creatures tremble. 11 And though thereby God threateneth sinners, yet he is always merciful to his, and moveth them thereby to praise his Name.
A Psalm of David.
1 Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength.
2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory maketh it to thunder: the Lord is upon the great waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is mighty; the voice of the Lord is glorious.
5 The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He maketh them also to leap like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
7 The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord maketh the wilderness to tremble; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.
10 The Lord sitteth upon the floods; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever.
11 The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.
Exposition:
—We saw previously that the voice of the LORD is declared in this Psalm with such remarkable force and majesty as utterly to put away the slightest notion that He cannot accomplish all things by a word. And such is the frailty of our flesh and the weakness of our faith that we stand in need of such inducements and encouragements, lest our spirits sink into an insensible stupor. Therefore, lest we let slip that the LORD is to be glorified, and that we are bound both by the book of nature and by His revealed law to render unto Him praise, David, in declaring the power of the LORD demonstrated in the storm, remindeth us of our duty to honour, glorify, worship, and fear Him.
And as in music one composition may lull the hearer with tranquillity, another sing with grace and tenderness, another ennoble the mind with grandeur, and another startle it awake by austerity and force, so Psalm 29, like the mighty sounding of trumpets and alarms, awakeneth the conscience and compelleth us to consider the majesty of God, and to worship and fear the LORD alone, whose voice is powerful and full of majesty. There is nothing languid in its progression. The voice soundeth over the waters; the cedars are broken; the mountains uprooted; the lightning rendeth the heavens; even the wilderness trembleth; and all within His temple cry, “Glory.” Glory to God alone.
In this respect there is something in the Psalm analogous to the famous opening of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. For it suffers scarcely any preparation before it arrests the attention. The listener is not permitted merely to observe it from afar; the music lays hold upon the attention and carries it through conflict, development, and resolution. Beethoven is indeed frequently associated with musical thunder, not merely because he employs great volume, but because of the inevitable rhythmic force, dynamic contrasts, harmonic tension, and cumulative development by which comparatively small musical materials are driven towards consequences of tremendous weight.
Yet the songs and doctrine of Scripture are of infinitely greater weight, and teach us more than notes following notes or the representation of natural passions and events. Beethoven may imitate the terror of the storm; David declares whose storm it is. Music may represent the thunder; but the Psalm tells us whose voice maketh it to thunder. The orchestra may make us feel something analogous to the shaking of the earth; Scripture commands us to behold in that shaking the government, power, and majesty of the LORD.
Psalm 29 therefore teaches us to look into the book of nature and behold the glory of God therein. It teaches us that the kings and mighty of the earth are worse than the brute creatures when they acknowledge not the LORD, nor give unto Him the glory due unto His name; for the insensible creation answereth immediately to His voice, whilst sinful man hardeneth himself against it. It teacheth us that the LORD alone is to be feared, and that all idolatry and atheism must be banished from the heart and mind. He breaketh the cedars; He divideth the flames of fire; He maketh the hind to calve; He discovereth the forests. And nothing remaineth unmoved before Him.
And the conclusion of all this terrible and magnificent display is exceedingly worthy of our attention: “and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.” The storm indeed hath preached its sermon. The waters, the thunder, the cedars, the mountains, the lightning, the wilderness, and the beasts have all borne their several witness; and the answer of the Church is summed up in one word: “Glory.” All glory and praise be unto the LORD who made heaven and earth!
We ought therefore to mark this as a chief characteristic of those who believe in and fear the LORD: that their speech, confession, worship, and doctrine are governed by the glory of God. For our text doth not say that some in His temple speak of their own glory, and some of God’s; nor that some give credit unto man’s free will in salvation, and some unto God’s grace; but that in His temple—that is, the LORD’s—doth every one, that is, all the members thereof, even as part of His visible corporate Church, speak of His glory, and His glory alone. As it saith in another place, “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake”; and again, “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” We might even say that Philippians 3:3 is the perfect commentary upon Psalm 29:9.
Again, it is written, “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”; and, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Such statements of praise and adoration belong unto the people of God, and mark them as members of His holy temple.
For all such as turn aside unto lies and vanity are none of His, as it is written, “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his”; and, “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God”; and, “Their spot is not the spot of his children”; and, “Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god”; and, “Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?” And again, “All the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up”; and, “He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.”
So we see from the testimony of Scripture that the righteous glory in the LORD, and not in idols. From the book of nature and from the law they read; they read, and they learn to fear Him whose voice is full of majesty and glory. And in His temple they speak of His glory, and His glory alone.
Calvin—
God’s voice fills the whole world, and spreads itself to its farthest limits; but the prophet declares that his glory is celebrated only in his church, because God not only speaks intelligibly and distinctly there, but also there gently allures the faithful to himself. His terrible voice, which thunders in various ways in the air, strikes upon the ears, and causes the hearts of men to beat in such a manner, as to make them shrink from rather than approach him not to mention that a considerable portion turn a deaf ear to its sound in storms, rains, thunder, and lightnings. As men, therefore, profit not so much in this common school as to submit themselves to God, David wisely says especially that the faithful sing the praises of God in his temple, because, being familiarly instructed there by his fatherly voice, they devote and consecrate themselves wholly to his service. No man proclaims the glory of God aright but he who worships him willingly. This may be understood likewise as a complaint, in which David reproves the whole world of being silent in so far as the glory of God is concerned, and laments that although his voice resounds through all regions, yet his praises are no where sung but in his temple alone. He appears, however, after the example of all the godly, to exhort the whole of mankind to praise God’s name, and designedly to erect a temple as a receptacle for his glory, for the purpose of teaching us, that in order truly to know God, and praise him as is his due, we need another voice than that which is heard in thunders, showers, and storms in the air, in the mountains, and in the forests; for if he teach us not in plain words, and also kindly allure us to himself, by giving us a taste of his fatherly love, we will continue dumb. It is the doctrine of salvation alone, therefore, which cheers our hearts and opens our mouths in his praises, by clearly revealing to us his grace, and the whole of his will. It is from thence that we must learn how we ought to praise him. We may also unquestionably see that at that time there was nothing of the light of godliness in the whole world, except in Judea. Even philosophers, who appeared to approach nearest to the knowledge of God, contributed nothing whatever that might truly glorify him. All that they say concerning religion is not only frigid, but for the most part insipid. It is therefore in his word alone that there shines forth the truth which may lead us to true piety, and to fear and serve God aright.
David Dickson—
“One work of God dwelt upon, shall shew more of God then many of his works being slightly looked on, and passed over: as for example, this one of the thunder, considered with the effects, saith more than many; yea, one sensible and understanding man, will discover more of God in one work of God, then many in their ordinary mood, either in that work, or in any other, or in all his works.
Ver. 9. The voice of the Lord maketh the hindes to calve, and discovereth the forrests: and in his Temple doth every one speak of his glory.
He giveth a second reason of his exhortation to the mighty, to worship God in the beauty of holinesse, because in his Temple every one doth speak of his glory. Whence learne, 1. The glory of the Lord is shewn forth in all the earth, and in all his works, but in his Temple, in his Church, his works are holden forth expresly and fully, for there by his Word, his counsel is open∣ed, his holinesse, his goodnesse, justice, mercy, and all his attributes are declared. Without the Church, men are compelled to acknowledg glory now and then, but in his Church, men do declare his glory distinctly and willingly. In his Temple doth every one speak of his glory, all men there do confesse his praise, and every thing in the Temple holdeth forth something of Christ and his benefits, to the glory of Gods mercy; and this is more then the world understandeth.”
Opening Prayer.
—
Amen.
Lesson 98. [1.2.71.] The Contents of Holy Scripture: The Gospels. Mark. The Gospel of the Suffering Servant.
Westminster Confession of Faith 1.2.
Under the name of holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testaments,
Genesis—Matthew. Mark.
All which are given by inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life.
Intro.
Read Mark 1
1. Introduction to Mark:
The Gospel according to Mark was written within the apostolic age and, according to very early Christian testimony, preserves particularly the preaching and recollections of the Apostle Peter. Its exact date cannot be certainly determined, but a date in the 50s or 60s accords well with much of the ancient testimony. If written for Christians at Rome during the latter years of Peter’s ministry, perhaps near the Neronian persecutions, its peculiar emphasis becomes especially powerful: in the capital of worldly dominion, Mark proclaims a King who became servant of all; among Christians threatened with suffering and death, he sets forth the Christ who suffered before them; and against the apparent triumph of persecutors, he declares that this crucified Servant, the Lord Jesus Christ, rose again.
The New Testament introduces John Mark in Acts 12:12, and he subsequently accompanies Barnabas and Paul. Peter later writes:
1 Peter 5:13— “The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.
Papias, as preserved by Eusebius, says that Mark became “the interpreter of Peter” and accurately recorded what he had received, taking care neither to omit what he heard nor to falsify it. Irenaeus likewise says that Mark, Peter’s disciple and interpreter, handed down in writing what Peter had preached. Clement of Alexandria preserves a tradition that Peter had preached publicly at Rome and that his hearers urged Mark to preserve the teaching in writing.
- Mark — The Gospel of the Suffering Servant.
Matthew repeatedly teaches humility.
Mark repeatedly shows Christ humbling Himself in service.
The central text is Mark 10:45— “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
But its force becomes greater when read with the preceding verses. James and John seek worldly greatness; Christ softly rebukes them. His kingdom consists in service, and He sets Himself forward as the supreme example.
Thus:
Christ does not merely command His disciples to serve: He establishes service by His own pattern and example.
Notice Mark’s Christ:
- preaching from town to town — Mark 1:38–39;
- touching the unclean — Mark 1:40–42;
- surrounded by needy multitudes — Mark 3:7–10;
- interrupted while eating — Mark 3:20;
- unable even to find leisure to eat — Mark 6:31;
- moved with compassion — Mark 6:34;
- taking children into His arms — Mark 9:36; 10:16;
- giving His life for others — Mark 10:45.
Mark 6:31 is particularly characteristic:
“For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.”
Supporting passages: Isaiah 42:1–4; Isaiah 52:13–53:12; Philippians 2:5–8; John 13:13–17.
- The Gospel of Christ’s Prophetic office.
Irenaeus, while discussing the peculiar character of the four Gospels explicitly speaks of its “prophetical character.”
Note, Mark begins not with genealogy or nativity, but with prophecy:
Mark 1:2— “As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.”
Then immediately comes:
John preaching → Christ preaching → disciples sent preaching.
Mark 1:38— “And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.”
His prophetic office includes:
Preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God:
Mark 1:14–15.
Revealing the mystery of the kingdom to His disciples:
Mark 4:11; 33-34 7:14–23.
Exposing the false religion of hypocrites:
Mark 7:6–13; 11:15–18; 12:38–40.
Foretelling His own death:
Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33–34.
Foretelling Jerusalem’s destruction:
Mark 13:1–23.
Foretelling His glorious coming:
Mark 13:24–27.
Speaking as that divine Prophet whom men must hear.
At the Transfiguration:
Mark 9:7— “And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.”
4. The ox.
Matthew— The lion. Mark— The ox.
The ox signifies:
- strength placed under the yoke;
- patient labour;
- service;
- burden-bearing;
- usefulness rather than display;
- and ultimately sacrifice.
The gospel of patient and obedient suffering according to hope. (1 and 2 Peter, Matthew – Hebrews, Luke – Acts, John – Revelation)
Mark 8:31— “And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”
Note the word must.
Christ’s suffering must be according to:
- the decree of God;
- the fulfilment of Scripture;
- His messianic office;
- Must be, for the redemption of His people.
And each revelation of Christ’s suffering corrects the disciples’ worldly conception of greatness.
This is essential to Mark.
They originally desire glory.
Christ teaches them the cross.
They dispute who is greatest.
Christ sets forth Himself as servant.
James and John request thrones.
Christ speaks of the cost. Mark 10:32-45
6. The gospel to the Romans.
Mark 7:3–4 explains ceremonial washing.
He translates Aramaic expressions:
- Mark 5:41 — Talitha cumi;
- Mark 7:34 — Ephphatha;
- Mark 15:22 — Golgotha;
- Mark 15:34 — Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani.
That strongly suggests readers outside Palestine.
The Gospel also contains a number of Latin or Roman features, and significantly its climactic human confession at the cross comes from a Roman centurion:
Mark 15:39— “And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.”
Ancient tradition likewise relates Mark to Peter’s preaching at Rome, while the Gospel itself appears suited to Gentile readers by explaining Jewish customs.
There is something theologically magnificent in that final confession:
The Jewish Messiah hangs crucified under Roman authority, and a Roman soldier becomes the man who declares, “Truly this man was the Son of God.”
Matthew — Christ presented in relation to Israel and the promises.
Mark — Christ proclaimed in the Roman world of power, action, suffering, and service.
And Mark overturns the Roman idea of greatness:
Mark 10:42–45.
The Gentile rulers exercise lordship.
Christ’s kingdom operates according to the opposite principle:
greatness through sacrificial service.
This contrast is especially powerful if Mark was indeed being read among Roman Christians.
- The gospel of Action.
This is unmistakable and would resonate with a Roman audience.
Mark has:
- no genealogy;
- no infancy narrative;
- no lengthy prologue.
He begins with:
“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ…”
John appears.
Christ is baptized.
enters the wilderness.
preaches.
calls disciples.
casts out a devil.
heals Peter’s mother-in-law.
All within the first chapter.
The Greek adverb εὐθύς, “straightway/immediately,” occurs with extraordinary frequency in Mark.
The KJV accordingly repeatedly gives us:
- “straightway”;
- “immediately”;
- “forthwith.”
Mark 1:12— “And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness.”
Mark 1:18— “And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.”
Mark 1:20— “And straightway he called them…”
Mark shows a Christ perpetually about His Father’s business.
II. Mark is simultaneously the Gospel of the Servant and the Gospel of power.
Once again this resonates with a Roman audience.
The One who takes the lowest place among men possesses absolute authority in heaven.
The Son of God hath authority over:
Devils
Mark 1:27— “What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.”
Disease
Mark 1:40–42.
Sin
Mark 2:5–12.
Sabbath
Mark 2:28.
Nature
Mark 4:39–41.
Legions of devils
Mark 5:1–20.
Death
Mark 5:35–43.
Bread and creation
Mark 6:30–44; 8:1–9.
The sea
Mark 6:45–52.
Deafness and dumbness
Mark 7:31–37.
Blindness
Mark 8:22–26; 10:46–52.
The temple
Mark 11:15–17.
His own death
Mark 10:45.
And yet the supreme revelation of His power is found in His voluntary humiliation.
- The gospel of the secret, kept hidden from the world, now revealed.
This deserves particular emphasis because it is one of Mark’s most distinctive narrative structures.
Mark 4:11— “And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:”
Mark also repeatedly records Christ commanding silence:
- Mark 1:34 — devils forbidden to speak;
- Mark 1:44 — cleansed leper commanded to say nothing;
- Mark 3:12 — unclean spirits commanded not to make Him known;
- Mark 5:43 — Jairus’s household charged concerning secrecy;
- Mark 7:36 — healed men charged to tell no man;
- Mark 8:30 — disciples charged not to reveal His Messiahship;
- Mark 9:9 — Transfiguration concealed until resurrection.
Why?
Not because Christ’s identity should remain unknown.
Rather, because it cannot be rightly understood apart from the cross.
Peter confesses:
“Thou art the Christ.”
But immediately rejects the necessity of Christ’s suffering.
Thus Christ’s Messiahship must not be proclaimed according to worldly Jewish expectations of political glory.
Only after:
Obedience→ cross → death → resurrection
can the mystery be declared in its fullness.
The progression is beautiful:
Demons know who He is.
Mark 1:24.
The multitude wonders.
Mark 1:27.
The disciples ask:
Mark 4:41— “What manner of man is this?”
Peter confesses:
Mark 8:29— “Thou art the Christ.”
Peter still misunderstands.
Mark 8:32–33.
The Father declares:
Mark 9:7— “This is my beloved Son: hear him.”
Christ openly declares Himself before the high priest.
Mark 14:61–62.
A Gentile centurion finally confesses:
Mark 15:39— “Truly this man was the Son of God.”
The empty tomb reveals the final secret:
Mark 16:6— “He is risen.”
Thus:
What was veiled during Christ’s humiliation is interpreted by His cross and openly vindicated by His resurrection.
This is much stronger than the modern phrase “Messianic secret” if that expression is made to suggest literary invention. The secrecy is itself part of Christ’s historical and redemptive purpose.
8. The gospel of the Psalms.
suffering → prayer → apparent forsakenness → trust → divine vindication → inheritance and kingdom.
- The gospel of discipleship.
10. The gospel of the Son of God.
Conclusion.
Closing Prayer.
YouTube Audio: https://youtu.be/EJsT7sRv3Ng