Sermon
Notes & Quotes
Stephanie Allen
Taking People to Jesus: Testimony
Romans 1
What are we called to do as disciples?
Mark 16:15
15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
John 20:21
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Luke 24:45-49
45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
And of course, my favorite one of the calls....
Acts 1:8
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
You get it. The Gospel (εὐαγγέλιον) is what we as the Body of Christ (both individually and together as the church) take out into the world. The Gospel isn’t a thing. It isn’t a system or a bunch of words. The Gospel is the new thing that points people to the Kingdom of God. I want to normalize this year what has seemed like a taboo for disciples. There has been no shortage of commentary for Christians as to how we are both supposed to engage in evangelism, but only if we have permission, if it feels safe, if we feel like we even need to, etc. Let me stress that evangelism is not argue; in fact I would recommend that we don’t argue with people. We are not trying to convince people to sign-up like it’s Amway. We don’t need to go door-to-door – in fact I would say that is not evangelism as much as it is intrusive. No, we don’t need to be pushy, we need to be present. Every one of us has been placed already in families, work situations, with friends where sharing what God is doing in our lives is normal. It doesn’t need to be weird or forceful. But that’s not what we have been told over the last thirty years.
Romans 3:28
28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
It blows Luther’s mind. He is able to actually understand the words. Could you imagine? People trusted that what was read in Latin meant what they said it did, but Luther understood he hadn’t been told the truth. Even as a priest, he had trusted others to relay and teach the Bible to him. That is how we can be deceived. Don't outsource your understanding of God’s Word to anyone. Not even me.
Romans 1:1
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—
Most notably, before the writings, his missionary work and long before he referred to himself as an “ambassador in chains” for the Gospel or a “servant of Christ”, he was also this:
Acts 9:1-4
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
He was actually asking for the right to pull Christians off the street and arrest them and the eventually being killed. Paul/Saul was at first trying to KILL the Gospel long before he ever thought of pushing it out into the world.
Acts 8:3
3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
Knowledge of the Gospel isn’t what changed Paul. Paul actually met the Gospel and THAT changed him.
Acts 9:3-4
3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
Romans 1:2
2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David,
Paul is saying, in a letter, read aloud to the church in Rome by Pheobe, that the term “good news” when applied to what and whom he is talking about was not a Roman official, but THE Lord known as Jesus. This “good news” is not about a human rising in the ranks or claiming a divine calling, but the ACTUAL one was divine- Jesus.
Romans 1:4
4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 1:5
5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake.
Romans 1:6-7
6 And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:
Romans 1:11-12
11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.
Romans 1:15-17
15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
We know how it will end for Paul. He will be killed by Nero. He will spend most of his adult life either escaping death such as a shipwreck AND facing persecution and jail. Why? Think about that for a moment? I started this whole sermon talking about why we should go out into the world with the testimony of Christ. The Gospel is pushed out into the world by us and has ever since the disciples first began to proclaim it and yet most of us don’t. We are scared. Or we don’t see the point. Maybe we aren’t even sure if it is the thing for us and perhaps that is why we keep it to ourselves, but Paul begins with why he continues to serve Christ by telling of the Gospel.
17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Stephanie Allen
The Kingdom Breaks Through: The Gospel
Mark 1; Mark 16; Luke 2
Mark 1:1
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God
Paul describes what just happened on Christmas as this way to the church in Galatia.
Galatians 4:4-5
“When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons”
The question I want us to consider as we head into 2026 is:
What Do with the Knowledge of Who Jesus Is AFTER We Know Him?
Luke 2:8-12
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
Luke 2:
17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured (συνετήρει (synetērei) up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
“(T)hey spread the word concerning what had been told to them”.
Luke 2:36-38
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[e] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
Mark 1:41-44
41 Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. 43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
Right after the feeding of the 5,000 in John’s Gospel, Jesus says this.
John 6:
14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
Mark 1:45
45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news.
Which Jesus knew that healing and miracles would catch fire and so as a result.
Mark 1:45b
As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.
Matthew 3:12
12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
Mark 1:16-18
16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.
Mark 1:35-39
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” 38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Mark 16:15
15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
Acts 4
29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Stephanie Allen
The Kingdom Breaks Through: The Son of God
Mark 1; John 1; Luke 2
We have been looking at who Jesus is during this Advent. Who He is as the Good News, the Lord, the Messiah AND today, what it means for Him to be the Son of God. Focusing on that first verse in Mark’s Gospel. We have not left the first chapter of Mark in a month.
Mark 1:1
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God
The Son of God means of the same essence as God. It is probably one of the most confusing and highly debated means of looking at Jesus. It is both true AND bananas at the same time. How does that even happen? There is no Greco-Roman mythology or any other tradition that has a deity both fully human AND fully divine. That would be a demi-god. Remember when the angel shows up to give Mary the Good News?
Luke 1:30-33
“Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
And with obvious need for explanation, Mary says “how can this be I’ve never known a man”. To which the angel gives the obvious answer.
Luke 1:
“The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
There was no and is still no grid for believing that the Messiah would be from God as His Father. God did what no one was expecting to happen.
Galatians 4:4-5
“When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons”
We are adopted children of God. We are the brothers and sisters of Christ because of His willingness to be obedient to the Father. Even obedience through death.
We left last week was with a question:
Do you trust what Christ has said of Himself?
Can we trust the actual words Christ said about Himself? Perhaps, we should start with a larger question? Do we even know what Christ said about Himself? I was watching a YouTube video – well, actually one of our children was watching a YouTube video on the subject of Pride. This child who has been around all things of God their whole life began to talk about pride. It led to what I hope was a thought-provoking subject on what we think is in the Bible. It is amazing to me how many people trust things said about Jesus without ever reading the entire Bible. I don’t even mean deep study with commentaries, but just once through in its entirety because there is whole lot said about Christ that He never claimed to be. He was never just a nice guy who wanted to show what it meant to be different by “loving” everything about everyone with no judgment. Christ came to die so that we could have everlasting life. So, we can be a new creation in Him, Jesus.
When we talk about Christ, I am asking if we talk as one who “believes” or as one who knows Him?
Do we know Jesus as the Son of God? Do we “trust” the words of Christ? Yes, not do you believe them and therefore make Christ real, He is real whether we claim Him as Lord or not, but do we step out on faith by trusting that He is who He said HE was? Consider just what we have looked at for the last three weeks. Do we trust, not believe, but trust that Christ is able to bring joy to the world as the Good News? That doesn’t mean we are always happy, but if we claim Christ as our Lord and never have joy independent of our current circumstances, do we then actually trust those words? Do we trust that Christ is the only name upon which we can call upon to be saved? We don’t need to strive or constantly prove, we simply trust Him that we are saved through Him? Man, how many people suffer needlessly when they think they will never be good enough? Do we trust that Christ is the Anointed One who was promised as our Messiah? That He can handle your pain and stress and worry? That He can step into your life and bring His peace which passes all understanding? Those are not just words or beliefs; they are what Jesus told us about Himself.
Today, where I want us to “land” is taking the following question to the Lord:
Do we trust Christ, as the Son of God to guarantee our salvation?
Christ, came as the promised son who would save us. Salvation was Christ whole purpose. His salvation though doesn’t come us people had hoped. All the prophecies and promises given to us in the OT were to be the “sign” that the Son of God would bring us salvation.
Isaiah 35:4
“Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you.”
That prophecy came 700 years before the baby in a manger. The people of Israel were waiting for a savior which is why they got confused and thought the would-be messiahs like Simon bar Kochba or Judas Maccabes were their chance. 2,000 years ago, Jews were looking for a Thor-type hero to come dashing in on a chariot NOT the lamb slain as the Son of God. Even though John the Baptist knew that was not who he was preparing the way in the desert for, he too found himself in need of a savior temporarily and question if Jesus was the one they were waiting for or not. There is a story at the end of Luke chapter 2 which tells of one man, and one woman, who recognized Christ as the Son of God, as the Savior when they saw Him.
Luke 2:25-32
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation (paraklésis: Comfort, encouragement, exhortation, consolation) of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss (apoluó) your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
He is talking about seeing Jesus. Jesus is the promised salvation - σωτήριόν (sōtērion).
sótérios: Salvation, saving, bringing salvation
Original Word: σωτήριος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: sótérios
Pronunciation: so-tay'-ree-os
Phonetic Spelling: (so-tay'-ree-on)
KJV: salvation
NASB: salvation, bringing salvation
Word Origin: [neuter of the same as G4991 (σωτηρία - salvation) as (properly, concretely) noun]
1. defender or (by implication) defence, salvation.
Neuter of the same as soteria as (properly, concretely) noun; defender or (by implication) defence -- salvation.
Christ, came as the promised son who would save us. Salvation was Christ whole purpose. Simeon understands that this child was not to rule a kingdom for which “salvation” would be deliverance from enemies and physical discomfort. Nope. Simeon understood that Christ came to wage war against sin. He came to destroy principalities. He came to show us the way, the truth and the life. He did that by dwelling among us just as God dwelt in that temple Solomon built.
John 1:14
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Do we trust these words? “Full of grace and truth”. Christ, as the Son of God, has looked at the glory of the Father. Moses had to hide in a cliff just to see the backside of God’s glory on that mountain, but Jesus has seen God face-to-face and we, can see God’s glory through the Son. Which means we can trust Him when He says.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
We have a path back to the Father through the Son, Jesus. Christ came in the flesh. In that form, first of a helpless, baby and then as a man who was subject to pain and suffering just like us. We have access to the Father through the Son, Jesus. Join that with what Christ says and does in Mark 1 looking at verses 35-39.
Mark 1:35-39
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” 38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Everyone wanted a piece of Him for what He could do and Jesus prioritizes His relationship with the Father over everything else but going off to pray. Jesus in vv29-40, healing “many who had various diseases.” (Mark 1:34) But healing people is shockingly not why Jesus came. In verse 38 Jesus says “Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so I can preach there also. That is why I have come. He came to preach the gospel. He has healed numerous people, including Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. But now he is moving on to the next town and for a very specific reason. He wants to preach the Gospel to them as well. That is why he came. It drove him. It consumed him. He launched his ministry by declaring that he came to preach Good News, freedom for the oppressed, the forgiveness of sins, captives set free.
We can never overestimate the critical task of spreading the Gospel. It is so easy for us to get distracted by so many things that seem to be important. Jesus could have easily been distracted by all sorts of things, opposition from his family, religious leaders who wanted to debate him, people with needs of every variety. But he kept his focus on declaring the Good News that salvation was available by following Him in faith. We have access to the Father through the Son because of the Gospel; because Christ preached the Gospel. Because He was obedient to the Father, even obedience to death. The healing is so people might know that he is the Messiah. It is so he might communicate that in Him, people are seeing the very glory and splendor of God. Christ knows that as the Son of God He came to rectify the enmity in Genesis 3:15. That His war was with sin and death not the kingdoms of this world. Which is what Simeon prophesized about to Mary and Joseph.
Luke 2:33-35
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.
Jesus, as the Son of God, is not nor was not a passive hippy. And not because He was a polarizing figure, but because the Word of God actually divides. I have become obsessed of late with how many times the Word of God is referred to as a sword. The scroll itself is a sword in the mouth of the Spirit in Revelation 3. Hebrews 4:12; Luke 2:35 or Ephesians 6:17 “and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” is used. Over and over again we are to understand Christ as the “word made flesh” as the Incarnate Son of God. His purpose is to proclaim and preach the Good News. He is to make come alive the very words of God AND then Christ tells us that we will understand it when the Spirit comes as a sword. John tells us that Christ’s message will divide.
Matthew 3:11-12
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
The Son of God comes as a purifier and as a judge so that we have salvation. The very words of God are a sword through the Son of God that will divide people. The salvation Jesus preached about was not just a ticket to heaven. He offered a changed life here and now as well. That is obvious in the lives he changed and the message of freedom and abundant life that he preached. That new life was to be found in a relationship of trust, following Jesus no matter what. Crucial to the task of following Jesus is being people who live life differently because of the new life we are given. It is also crucial that we proclaim the Good News to others as Jesus did. It is not enough to just live a nice Christian life and hope people get it. It is critical that we as disciples of Jesus also tell others what Jesus has done for us and what He can do for them. Not so we can get added numbers to the “team” but because that is what we are called to do. Matthew 28 “go and make disciples”.
Consider what I said a few weeks ago that I don’t actually think belief in Jesus is the problem. Even the demons believe in Jesus. It isn’t our lack of belief; it is our lack of surrender. We too want the king or the savior who brings us out of our current state, but Christ came to preach the Word of God. To make alive the words that lead us, direct us and guide us. I don’t know if the question is “do you believe that about Jesus”, but rather do you want that in Jesus? We often want the Christ who washes our feet rather than the one who says “Go and sin no more”. Christ was not a fluffy bunny or a neutral party; He was and is the lamb who was slain for our sins. In Romans 9:30. It is through the Son that we know the glory of God. We don’t have glory, but God’s glory shines through us. That is what we mean when we say that people can “see Christ in us”. To be here among us as the Son of God, Christ was emptied of His glory:
Philippians 2:6-7
6 Who, being in very nature (morphé: Form, appearance, nature) God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
If Christ came to preach the Gospel and the words of God Himself in His Word are what proclaims the Gospel then do we know those words? If Christ as the “word made flesh” is every word used to reveal God then do we trust Him when He says He alone is the way, the truth and the life? I had that conversation as well this week with one of children who said “well people say there are a bunch of different right answers”. Okay, people may say that, but what does Jesus say? Do we first know what He claims about our salvation and then, do we trust His words?
Mark 1:40-45
40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” 41 Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”
Jesus was mad. Now verse 41 is a controversial verse. Is it σπλαγχνισθεὶς (splanchnistheis) compassion/pity)or was it ὀργισθείς (orgistheis) anger/indignant? Some translate this as compassion or pity. Some, like the NIV, track it as anger/indignant. Was Jesus mad? Was He moved by pity? Was He interfacing with the emotions of seeing sin? The leper didn’t sin, but the fact that was/is leprosy in the world is the result of living in a fallen world. Jesus did what He did because He was moved by the human condition in sin. I would argue that either word, σπλαγχνισθεὶς (splanchnistheis) compassion or ὀργισθείς (orgistheis) anger/indignation shows that Christ was feeling big feels. Compassion, by the way, is from the stomach. It means you are big time in your feels and you see the injustice in the person’s situation. Both show what I think was the issue. The question from the father “if you are willing/able” is what gets Jesus. Something similar happens in Mark 9 with the father who’s son is demon possessed. He pleads with Jesus to do something.
Mark 9:22-23
22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” 23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
Not that Jesus is mad because someone questioned His ability; they questioned His purpose. Of course Jesus would speak into sin. They were expecting a prophet and a king. They were expecting a Thor-like Messiah to take them out of the pain of this world. They were not expecting God himself, made human, to sacrifice Himself for the world. They were not expecting that God show us His love through the love of His Son.
How do we know that we can trust that Christ is the Son of God and what does that change?
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.