I'd like to welcome you to our service if you'd like to find your place in Mark chapter 14 and we'll be looking at chapter 15 as well. And the title of the message is, What Will You Be Remembered For? We're going to kind of pick up where we left off last week as we make our way through the days and the events that lead up to the crucifixion and the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And we're looking in the book of Mark and kind of sticking with the events here as they go along in the book of Mark. And last week we looked at many people who are mentioned by name and then some who weren't mentioned by name in chapter 14. And each person in chapter 14 is being remembered for what they did or did not do. There were those who had gathered in the first verse. They had gathered together to plot against Jesus. And that just reminds us that we should never get too comfortable in this Christian life. There's always an adversary who's seeking whom he may devour. On the next few verses, you find Jesus in the house of Simon the leper. And here's a good question. Would Jesus be welcomed at your house? him to sup with you and stop in for a little visit. Boy, I tell you, all you got to do to answer that question truthfully, all you have to do is just answer the next few questions I'm about to ask you, I mean, and be honest about it, and it'll tell you if you want Jesus to come by your house or not, or if he'd even be welcomed at your house. How often do you open the pages of this King James Bible? How much time do you spend with Jesus on a daily basis? How much time do you spend with him compared to the other things that you do? Hey, does the thought of his soon return motivate you, affect you to walk with him in any way. I mean, what impact does Jesus' soon return have on you? Does it motivate you to prepare for His soon return? That'll help you answer the question of whether Jesus would be welcomed at your house or not. a woman whose name is Mary. She brought an alabaster box of ointment, a spikenard, very precious to Jesus in Mark chapter 14. And Jesus would testify of this woman that she did what she could and that she wrought a good work on him. He also said that she would be remembered for what she did versus what everybody else did at that same time. For him, the others were there, but all they brought was opinions. All they brought was criticism to Jesus, but no worship. What did you bring today to Jesus? Would Jesus approve of what you brought and what you wrought for him today? Would he approve of your thoughts? And remember, he sees them. You don't have to say them out loud. He knows exactly what you're thinking. You know, the judgment seat of Christ is gonna reveal if we did all that we could and how good a work we wrought on him while we had opportunity. And then we saw that there was a man bearing a pitcher of water in that passage. And just minutes to hours before the two disciples encountered this man, Jesus told them exactly where they could find this man and what he would be doing and that they could follow him to a house. Hey, can I just remind us that Jesus knows our every move. Jesus knows even before we do exactly what we're going to do and how we're going to respond. He knows where you're going to be. He knows what you're going to be doing. And He knows where you're heading. Hey, would Jesus be able to point to your life and tell others to follow you to a place where they could be used of the Lord further? Are you faithful? Are you laboring, are you walking in such a way that your life would influence others to go further with God, to get closer to God, to be more separated unto God and less going toward the world? Oh, after that we looked at the good man of the house, where this young man that led the two disciples to the house there. And the good man of the house, he had prepared himself, and he had made what he had available for the master's use. I wonder how much of what we have and what we would do for Jesus. I wonder how much does Jesus have access to right now. You see, this good man of the house did not have to go and tidy things up in order for Jesus to be able to use what he had. He didn't have to go clean things up in order for Jesus to be able to use it. he had was already ready for the master's use. Hey, are you available today? Is what you have already prepared and ready for Jesus to use it? Though we also mention Peter, James, and John, I mean, the inner circle, the cream of the crop of the disciples. Oh, in that same passage, we find them sleeping. when they ought to have been watching and praying. And Jesus came to them three times, and each time he found them sleeping. Oh, Jesus has commanded us to watch. Why? Because he's coming back. I wonder how many Christians is Jesus gonna find asleep at the will of their spiritual life when he comes again. Busy just doing your own thing, living for yourself. and not watching and praying, not involved, not laboring, full of opinions maybe even, being a critic of everything else. Most people that criticize is because they're not involved. They're not where they need to be with the Lord, because if they were, they'd be too busy serving the Lord, worshiping Him to worry about everything else. You know, America wouldn't be in the mess it's in today if Christians would not have been sleeping. But here's the problem. How many times has Jesus came to us and knocked on our door and even put his hand on our shoulder and speaking to us and trying to wake us up. I mean, how many message after message, Jesus just trying to get us to wake up. But here's the problem, we've become comfortable in our Christianity and yeah, I got my four and no more. Me and my little family, we're here, I'm okay. It's all about, you know, just me being comfortable here and I'll try to squeeze Jesus in every now and then. Here's the problem. We become so comfortable in all that that Jesus is knocking on our door and we have no idea He's there. Sitting in a message after message and not responding, not humbling ourselves. Full of pride, thinking that we're rich in need of nothing. But really we're blind. Our life's a mess. Message after message, invitation after invitation, and no response. Peter will wind up denying the Lord. He's going to wind up cursing and swearing and weeping over his regretful mistakes. The woman who brought the ointment to Jesus and worked a good work on him, that lady had no regrets. The man bearing that pitcher of water, had no regrets. The good man of the house had no regrets. But everybody else in this chapter will have wished that they had done more. And there's more in this chapter that's gonna wish they had done more than those that did something. And that's about how it is today in our services. Old Judas is in that passage. He's going to betray the Lord and now he's in hell for all eternity being in torment. Why? Because he never put his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. You see, Judas hung out with Jesus for three plus years hoping that Jesus was the one that would rid Israel of the Romans and establish his kingdom right then. Judas wanted a position in the kingdom. Maybe he wanted to be the treasurer of the kingdom. The Bible says he held the bag. But Judas didn't see himself a sinner in need of repentance, in need of a savior. He didn't believe that Jesus was the way, the truth, and the life, and that no man cometh unto the Father but by him. He didn't see himself in need to be saved. He died and he went to his own place, the Bible said, in hell. And there's a place for every person who dies having rejected Jesus as their Savior. You better be careful living for this life only. You better be careful if you're lost today walking out these doors, walking out from beneath the sound of my voice and walking away from Jesus because you're not promised another day. If you die on your sins and you die not having accepted Jesus as your savior, then in hell you will lift up your eyes, being in torment for all eternity. There's another unnamed person here in Mark chapter 14, and all that was just introduction. Go back and listen to last week's message there, and you'll have that more in detail, but he too is gonna be remembered for what he did. You know, everybody in here, we're gonna be remembered for what you did. I mean, Jesus is going to call it into account one day, what you did for him. In Mark 14, verse 51, it says, And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body. And the young man laid hold on him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked. Well, there's a whole message right here on this unnamed man who was following at a distance. Many scholars believe that this young man may have been awakened by the commotion of those going down the streets, going to the Garden of Gethsemane, and he got awakened by the commotion and by the noise and he just kind of grabbed his night coat, if you would, He went outside to see what was happening and he was just trying to follow at a distance, trying to get a glimpse of what was going on. Now the Bible doesn't tell us, but it's very plausible that that's the case. Some scholars even believe that that may have been Mark himself right there at this particular time. The Bible doesn't tell us. I don't know, but that's just what some people think. But what can we learn from this young man regardless of who he is? One thing we notice that he was nosy. Boy, that fits the bill to many Christians today. Nosy. Spend more time on Facebook than keeping your face in the book. Wanting to know what's going on with everybody, everybody else, instead of wanting to know what God wants us to do. That's just a free one right there. That wasn't in my notes, but that's just a free one. But he was nosy. He hung around to see what was going on, but he did not want to be involved. He did not want to implicate himself or involve himself. Oh, there could certainly be some Christians here underneath the sound of my voice that's just like this young man. Just here, just there long enough to catch a glimpse, but not willing to get involved. Oh, you see, we see that this man, he wasn't just nosy, he was very impulsive as well. Oh, but as soon as the heat was turned on and he was faced with the decision, I either have to align with Jesus or I've got to align with the crowd, the Bible says that he fled. And right here's the thing. He left no lasting impression. Nobody cared about his linen cloth that he left behind. Well, you compare this young man to the woman that brought an alabaster box of ointment, very precious to Jesus. That woman was devoted. That woman had took a stand. Hey, she already chose what side she was on. Hey, she gave Jesus her very best. She did all that she could. She brought something to Jesus that he could use, and Jesus said that will be a lasting memorial of her. Well, I wonder what type of impression would you leave on this body of believers today? What will you be remembered for? You know, last week, two weeks ago, somebody left some sunglasses there in one of the pews, and I had no idea who they belonged to. Apparently they weren't wearing them, because that would have probably caught my eye had they been wearing them, but they left them in the pew, and I don't, I mean, it's just a token that they were there. I have no idea who they were, but it was a token of them being here. But I got no idea who they were. Now would you leave, yourself, would you leave something tangible or just a mere token of your presence here today? I mean, can you hear, can you hear the crowd talking? Where's that young man at? Who you talking about? You know, the one that left his linen cloth right here and fled. Well, I didn't even know he was here. But in one minute, gone the next. No determination, no dedication, no dependability, just impulsive. When the going gets tough, he fled. When the preaching gets too hard, he ran. When the conviction sets in, he runs. Or when a decision for Christ or the crowd was demanded, he flew away naked, leaving no lasting effect behind. But as long as he could watch from a distance, he was okay. No commitment now. Just kind of doing his own thing. Just trying to get a little glimpse of Jesus whenever it was convenient for him. He left no lasting impression. No good memorial of that young man. You know, there's a lot of Christians that way today. They fit in with this young man. They have no resolve. They have no dedication. They just want a glimpse of Jesus when the mood strikes them. But they have no dedication or devotion to Jesus. when the preaching hits home, when the preaching gets just a little too hard, or when it starts meddling where they're living, and the sins that they're involved in, especially when it starts hitting their pride. Boy, that's when they don't humble themselves, they just get offended and run away. And when they see that, following Jesus is going to cost them something. When they realize that, oh, wait a minute, this following Jesus may just cost me a little bit of my freedoms. It's gonna cost me a little bit of my wants. It's gonna intervene in what I wanna do. They get offended and they walk away. They flee when being a Christian becomes just a little too demanding. The preacher's just a little too demanding. Sure he is. I'm not near as demanding as our Lord and Savior is. And ought to be. That same crowd struggles with Romans chapter 12 and verse 1. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, acceptable unto God, which is your... They struggle with the reasonable service. And be not conformed to the world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. When they feel like they're going to have to give Jesus what they consider theirs. I'm going to have to give Jesus a little bit of my time. I'm going to have to give Jesus a little bit of what I think there, and I'm going to have to line up with the way he thinks. I'm going to draw the line right there. You know, if I'm going to give Jesus a little bit of my talents, a little bit of my treasures, I'm going to have to submit to him, then they would rather flee instead of taking up their cross and following Jesus. Well, let's get into verse chapter 15 now. Let's look at one who was grabbed just like this young man, but he chose to bear the cross. We know this man is Simon of Cyrenian. He didn't leave his linen cloth and run away naked like this young man, but he chose to leave a lasting memorial of what he did for Jesus. What you gonna be remembered for? Everybody in here, everybody underneath the sound of my voice, to those listening by the way of the internet, and by the way, thank you for tuning in. Please pray for us. We pray for you. But everybody's writing your memorial every day. Our choices, our dedication, our devotion, our obedience, our lack of obedience, our lack of devotion, our lack of dedication, our availability, our non-availability, our submission to God's will is being recorded every day in heaven. In Psalms 56, 8 it says, Thou tellest my wanderings, put thou my tears into thy bottle. Are they not in thy book? There's a record book being kept in heaven. Just like we have it right here. We have the actions recorded of every person there in Mark chapter 14 and chapter 15. Pilate, the crowd, the Pharisees, Judas, Peter, James, it's being recorded. And verse 1 through 20 of chapter 15, Pilate is going to examine Jesus and he ain't going to find any fault in Him. But then again, he too is going to have to make a decision. It's either Jesus or the crowd. And you know who he chose? He chose the crowd. Would you be remembered for choosing and believing Jesus or just going with the crowd? Jesus is going to be stripped. In those first 20 verses there, he's going to be stripped, he's going to be scourged, he's going to be spit upon, and he's going to be saluted. That means they're going to mock him. A crown of thorns is going to be placed on his head and he's going to be hit in the head with a reed. And then you come to verse 21. After all these things, you get to verse 21 and we got this other person here that's mentioned. And they compel one Simon of Cyrenian who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. Simon was just passing by. Now look, we too were just passing by. Our life is but a vapor, the Bible says. We're here one minute and gone the next. But what we do is what we'll be remembered for throughout all eternity. with the little time that we have, that little space of grace, from the time that you're saved to the time that you go to be with the Lord Jesus Christ or until His soon return, what you did for Christ is what you're going to be remembered for for all eternity. whether you were good or bad, whether what you did was good or bad, whether you were in or out, whether you were available to Jesus or not, hey, whether you trusted Jesus or not. Simon was not standing in the back of the crowd just trying to get a glimpse. He wasn't like that young man that was just sitting there trying to see what was going on. No, he put himself in a position where he could be used of the Lord. You see, he wasn't just content of saying, what's going on up there? What's happening up there? And he wasn't content just hearing it from others. He wanted to see for himself. The young man we just looked at was willing to stand at a distance, and he was willing to not get involved. But Simon was available. He didn't volunteer, but he surrendered to the compelling. That word compel means this. to drive or urge with force or irresistibly, to constrain, to oblige, to necessitate either by physical or moral force. You see, only Jesus could bear Simon's sin and the world's sin in his body on the cross. Only Jesus could do that. Only Jesus could bear that weight and shame, but Simon could help bear the cross to Golgotha. What are you willing to bear for Jesus? Are you willing to surrender a little bit of your time and effort and money, get rid of your pride and humble yourself before God in order for Jesus to be able to use you to get him to where people need him? That's where people needed Jesus. They needed him on the cross. That's where you and I needed Jesus, on that cross of Calvary where his blood was shed for you and me. Unless you position yourself in such a way that you can be used of the Lord, then you'll never be compelled to bear the cross. What are you going to be remembered for? In this one little verse, so much is said about this man. Two of his sons are mentioned in this verse. His actions had an impact on his boys. and they'll be well-known in the early church. What are you going to be remembered for? You see, our actions and our availability to the Lord is going to have an impact on others. Are you available to be used of Jesus? You see, God had a plan for Simon of Cyrene, and God's got a plan for you, and God makes no mistakes. Look, our life's so short. You're here today, but where are you? Are you up front where you can be used of the Lord? I mean, are you available to God right now, whether you're sitting on the back row or the front row, whether you're listening on the internet? Are you in a position where God could use you, compel you to go a little further and do something more for Him? Or are you just looking at a distance, trying to get a glimpse of Jesus, not wanting to get involved, not wanting to implicate yourself? Just at a distance. Are you comfortable just getting a glimpse of Jesus and hearing of others who got involved? Or are you in a place where God could compel you to go further with Him? Are you saved? Have you trusted Jesus as your Savior? Jesus died on the cross bearing your sin and my sin in His body. He died for you. Christian, Peter followed Jesus at a distance. And when compelled to make a choice for Christ, he denied the Lord. He cursed and he swore and he wound up weeping with much regret. The young man who, when compelled by the crowd there, had grabbed a hold of him, the Bible says he ran away unwilling to commit to Christ. Simon, when compelled, he bore underneath the load and carried the cross. He too did all he could, just like that woman that had brought that ointment to Jesus. Now look, Simon could not save himself, you and I cannot save ourselves, but he did do what he could. Only Jesus can die, could die, did die for the sin of the whole world. Can I ask you, what will you be remembered for?