Tarkio First Baptist Church

Hope to See You There!

Hope you are blessed by today’s message! See you tonight!

Worship 12.13.20 @ FBC TARKIO

Stand Firm SUNDAY, December 13 Mark 3:31-35... Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother (vv. 34-35). We are a part of God’s family. We are not fit for a place in God’s family; the idea of His loving and exalting us sinners as He loves and has exalted the Lord Jesus sounds ludicrous and wild yet that . . . is what [it] means. J.I. PACKER Every year I travel with my wife’s family to the Blue Ridge Mountains for a beautiful and peaceful vacation. What has been a longstanding tradition for them became something new for me when my wife and I were married. You see, the only reason I am allowed to attend this annual retreat is because of what happened on our wedding day. Before that, I was just a boyfriend. But once we were joined together in marriage, I became a part of the family. I became one of them, and as a result their vacation became my tradition as well. In today’s focal verses from the Book of Mark, Jesus said that He creates a new family for us. While many of the religious leaders thought they were in God’s family because they were physical descendants of Abraham, they were actually unwelcome strangers. Jesus said that this new family this new community comes by doing God’s will. In short, the man who is in Jesus’ new family does His will when he loves the Lord with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength, and then in turn loves his neighbor as himself. The family that we are born into physically is full of sin and evil. As such, we are God’s enemies. But as a result of the finished work of Jesus on the cross, we can be brothers with Him. That is a radical change and a significant shift in our identity. What good news it is that Jesus calls us brothers when we love Him and His commandments. Live in the identity of the new family Jesus provides for you, not your old one. Consider This Read: Mark 3:31-35. What is your favorite family tradition? Do you have to be a family member to participate? How does belonging to God’s family encourage you? Pray: Thank God that you are a part of His family. Mark 3:31-35 31 His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him and told him, Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you. 33 He replied to them, Who are my mother and my brothers? 34 Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.

Journey SUNDAY, December 13 Hovering Over... AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD WAS HOVERING OVER THE SURFACE OF THE WATERS (GENESIS 1:2). I still remember the day of my baptism, as the pastor lowered me into the water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As I was immersed in the cool waters of the small baptismal, I remember coming up to a renewed life of joy and purpose. I knew the Holy Spirit lived in me, and for the last 32 years He’s been with me every step of the way. Yet, even with His constant presence, I sometimes feel an emptiness I can’t quite explain. It’s as if one side of my spiritual vessel is filled to the brim with the things of God His love, grace, and peace but the other side feels lacking, wanting, and hollow. Searching the Scriptures for answers, I return to the beginning, as the Bible describes the moments of creation. In Genesis 1:2 it says, Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. As I read those words, I picture all the substance of the earth floating in space but not yet formed into a functioning planet. And yet God didn’t stand far off waiting for things to come together. He didn’t allow time to pass in order to let things take shape from nothingness on their own. Instead, He hovered over the waters a constant, active presence working all things for His glory. I liken this imagery to a potter with a lump of clay. He doesn’t merely watch the clay, hoping it will turn into a beautiful vessel. He actively works the clay into exactly what he has purposed for it. So perhaps, during those empty, hollow times, God is working something new in me, fashioning a part of me that is still raw and uncultivated. And when I yield to Him, as the clay yields to the potter’s hand, a renewed sense of purpose is formed. I can’t help but be encouraged by those first verses in Genesis. As the thought of God’s Spirit hovering over the surface fills my mind, I find it deeply comforting knowing that even in the formless emptiness, He was there. Nothing was left to chance. And I know that in my own life, nothing escapes His sovereignty. Whether I feel His presence or not, He is there. And He will never leave me nor forsake me. Steps of Faith Lord, thank You for hovering over my emptiness and filling me with Your presence. Deeper Walk DEUTERONOMY 31:8 8 The Lord is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.

Prayer for December, Day 13: Almighty God, thank you for being a God who is forever faithful. A God who gives sight to the blind and food to the hungry. Thank You for Your unending blessings. We are forever thankful for the hope You give us. Amen. Psalm 146:5-10 Happy is the one whose help is... the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them. He remains faithful forever, executing justice for the exploited and giving food to the hungry. The Lord frees prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord raises up those who are oppressed. The Lord loves the righteous. The Lord protects foreigners and helps the fatherless and the widow, but He frustrates the ways of the wicked. The Lord reigns forever; Zion, your God reigns for all generations. Hallelujah!

This is Sunday night.