In Pastor Grant Brown's sermon 'Behold! (Part 1)', he emphasizes the importance of Mark 16:9-20 in the context of the Gospel's message and the doctrine of the preservation of Scripture. Pastor Brown argues that these verses are crucial due to historical acceptance, being included in the Bibles of significant Reformers and early Church Fathers, despite modern scholarly debate. He stresses that the doctrine of preservation ensures that these verses are divinely intended and authentic. The sermon draws connections between the parables in Mark 4 and the culmination of Jesus' promises in Mark 16, showcasing the triumph of Jesus' kingdom. By referencing parables such as the Sower and the Mustard Seed, Pastor Brown illustrates the expansive and triumphant nature of Jesus' kingdom, which grows beyond expectations. He highlights that Jesus' triumph over sin, death, and Satan is evidenced by the spread of the Gospel to all nations. The sermon concludes with an application for believers to rest in the triumph of Christ and engage in kingdom labor, assured of its eternal significance.

Mark chapter 16. Now we're going to be studying verses 8 through 20 as our main text this morning. But just to remind ourselves of context, Especially in this chapter, we're going to read the whole chapter. We're going to start in verse one. So again, our focus of study is going to be on verses eight through twenty.

It's going to take us two Lord's days, Lord willing, I always say two and it turns into three. But I'm pretty sure it's just gonna be two. It's gonna take us two Lord's days, Lord willing, to unpack these verses eight through 20 in two different parts. But just to remind ourselves of where we're at, Let's begin in verse one. And if you'd stand with me as we hear now from God's perfect word.

Thus saith the Lord. Beginning in verse one. When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices so that they might come and anoint him that is Jesus. Very early on the first day of the week they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. They were saying to one another, who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?

Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe, and they were amazed. And he said to them, Do not be amazed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen.

He is not here. Behold, here is the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, he is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see him just as he told you. They went out and fled from the tomb for trembling and astonishment had gripped them.

They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Now after he had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and reported to those who had been with him while they were mourning and weeping. When they had heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it. After that, he appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking along on their way to the country.

They went away and reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either. Afterward, he, that is Jesus, appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table. And he reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who had seen him after he had risen. And he said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved, but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.

These signs will accompany those who have believed. In my name they will cast out demons. They will speak with new tongues. They will pick up serpents. And if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them.

They will lay hands on the sick and they will recover. So then when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into the heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. They went out and preached everywhere while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the Word by the signs that followed. They promptly reported all these instructions to Peter and his companions. After that, Jesus himself sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.

The grass withers and the flower fades but the word of our God stands forever and so may God bless the reading and now the preaching of his eternal word. Amen. You may be seated. One of the questions that I have gotten probably the most when it comes to this final chapter of Mark's gospel has been this, pastor, what are you gonna do about verses nine through 20? What are you gonna do with the end of Mark?

I'm getting that question a lot. And the reason that that question is asked is because of those brackets in your Bible, beginning in verse 9. Do you see that in verse 9? Look at verse 9. There's a bracket and then the words, now after he had risen.

Then there's a bracket at the end. Those brackets are there because some scholars believe, a great deal of scholars believe, that verses 9 through 20 weren't a part of Mark's Gospel originally. Some people think that those verses don't belong in your Bible. And so thus the question I keep getting and I keep getting, it's a good question, pastor what are you going to do about verses 9 through 20? I'm going to let you answer that.

What do you think I'm going to do about verses 9 through 20? I'm going to preach them I'm going to preach them They're in the Bible They're in my Bible They're in your Bible and they matter. They very much matter. And so that is how we begin this morning why these verses matter. Why these verses matter.

I have three reasons and I think there are more than three, but here are three reasons why these verses here at the end of Mark's gospel matter. First, these verses matter because of the doctrine of the preservation of Scripture. These verses matter because of the doctrine of the preservation of Scripture. We as a people, you and I, we as Christians, We believe in the doctrine of the preservation of the Holy Scriptures. We believe as the Westminster Confession of 1646 and the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689, they both say explicitly, and I quote, we believe this, the Old and New Testaments were inspired directly by God, and by his unique care and providence, Both testaments, new and old, were kept pure down through the ages.

They are therefore true and authoritative. They are therefore, all of it, authentic. The Savoy Declaration, written in 1658. The Belgian Confession, written nearly a hundred years prior to everything I just mentioned written in 1561. They all confess the same truth.

God's Word has been preserved as it's been passed down from generation to generation to generation. So that right now in that pew, in that chair, you have right in front of you the perfect, inerrant, infallible, Totally sufficient word of God. Right there in that Bible, that's what you have in your hand. God preserves His Word. And of course, these confessions that I just quoted from, they are merely saying what the Bible itself says.

Psalm 12, verses 6 and 7, quoting from the King James, my brother. The words of the Lord are pure words. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord. Thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever and ever. Psalm 12.

Psalm 119. I won't quote it. Isaiah 40. 1 Peter chapter 1. They all say the same thing.

God preserves His word. And you believe this doctrine, don't you? You believe in the preservation of God's holy scripture from generation to generation, God preserves it himself. If you didn't believe it otherwise, why are you here? I mean, especially this church.

I mean, you wouldn't be here listening to hour-long sermons based on this book week after week after week if you didn't believe that the same God who created all things with the Word, who covered the world in a flood that rescued Noah and his family, who called out Abraham, who sent his son Jesus into the world to save it the same God who raises the dead If you didn't believe that that same God who could do all of those miracles can also do the miracle of preserving his word If you didn't believe that you wouldn't be here But you are here so you believe it amen So I need you to think on this. I need you to think on this. These verses, verses 9 through 20, those verses, all but the last two sentences of those verses, all but the last two sentences of verses 9 through 20, Those verses were in John Calvin's Bible. Those verses were in Martin Luther's Bible. Those verses were in Tyndale's Bible.

Those verses were in all the Bibles of all the Reformers. But not just the Reformers. These verses, for over 1, 700 years, were in the Bibles of the saints. Even the early Church Fathers had these verses in their Bibles. Seventeen centuries and then some of these verses being in the Bibles of all of God's people.

And it wasn't until the 1800s that critics came in and began to raise doubts as to the authenticity of these particular verses in Mark. And it's one you get that Calvin's Bible, Luther's Bible, the Puritan's Bible, the early church fathers' bibles. For 17 centuries these are the scriptures that God has given to His people. And yet in the 19th century, all of a sudden, we just started to know better. I mean, finally after 19 centuries, we finally got it figured out.

Now in our day we just know better. Man that's smacks of pride. Smacks of pride and I would even say potentially theological liberalism. A panel of experts showed up. What a 2020 teaching.

Be careful of the panel of experts. Panel of experts come on the scene. Hooray! Now we can finally know which verses belong in the Bible after 1800 years of confusion. Now that the experts are here, we can really find enlightenment.

I mean, I guess they had it wrong for nearly two millennia. We got it figured out now though, that's good. Now that's just ridiculous if you're at all following me. Just so ridiculous. It's ridiculous, especially if you believe and you do believe in the doctrine of the preservation of the Holy Scriptures.

That's what you think on it. This idea that God Himself, the same God who created all things with a word, that God, This idea that God for nearly the entire history of the New Testament Church, that that God didn't give his people the right verses in the Bible for almost two millennia? That's rest of my case. That just smacks of what C.S. Lewis calls chronological snubbery.

We are more sophisticated now. We are better thinkers now. And so what they thought back then, for 1800 years and then some, well that's just outdated. And our modern way of thinking is far superior. That's chronological snubbery.

I think it's nonsense. God has preserved his word pure in all ages, including the ending of Mark. Okay? These verses matter because God preserves his word. And his word matters.

All of it. All of it. All scripture inspired by God. It's prophetical. These verses matter because God preserves his word and his word matters.

All of it. That's the first reason. That's not the only reason that these verses matter, but I wanted to start with that. These verses also matter because in Mark's Gospel, these verses preserved by God from generation to generation, these verses are the perfect fulfillment of the promised triumph that Jesus has foretold in the previous fifteen chapters. All right?

These verses are the perfect fulfillment of all the promised triumph that Jesus has promised in the past 15 chapters. And so in addition to the doctrine of the preservation of scripture, I have two textual reasons for why these verses matter to God, and therefore if they matter to God, who else should they matter to? You. So reason number one. The first textual reason is found in Mark 14 verse 9.

Turn with me in your Bibles to Mark 14 verse 9. If you like seeing how the gospel of Mark connects all together, we've been trying to do that for 64 sermons now, well this is the culmination of that effort. I'm going to be pointing back and forth from beginning to the end, beginning to the end, how all these things connect. If you like that kind of stuff, then stay awake. Mark 14 verse 9.

If you don't like that kind of stuff, stay awake. You need to repent. Everybody should stay awake. All right, Mark 14 verse nine, let's read that together. Before we do, I just wanna remind you, in Mark 14 verse nine, Jesus, He was anointed by Mary in this passage, right?

This is a different Mary, I don't want you to be confused. This is a different Mary than we have here at the end of Mark's gospel. As best as we can tell, the Mary in Mark 14 is the sister of Lazarus. And she comes in, she anoints Jesus for his death and burial. And what happens in Mark chapter 14 verse 9, Jesus makes a promise.

Right? The disciples, they're wondering, Why all this perfume wasted? Judas especially. You wasted all this perfume on Jesus' feet. It's not a waste.

It's not a waste. So Jesus makes a promise to this woman and to the disciples, to you, wherever... Well, let's just read. Verse 9. Truly I say to you, verse 9, Jesus says, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.

Jesus promised that. Mark included that promise from Jesus in his book in Mark chapter 14 verse 9 that wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world what this woman has done will be spoken of. Now, wouldn't it make sense so that you could know that Jesus really has triumphed and that you can really trust every single promise of this Jesus? Wouldn't it make sense that you could, so you could really trust all the promises of Jesus. Wouldn't it make sense here at the end of Mark, if Mark would show you that what Jesus promised in Mark 14 actually came true at the end.

Wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will be spoken of. It would be so great if Mark at the end of his gospel demonstrated how the gospel was being preached to the whole world, wouldn't it? I can trust even that promise. And here at the end of Mark, in Mark chapter 16, verses nine through 20, where is the gospel being proclaimed? To the whole world.

To all of creation. That's how Mark ends his gospel. Christ keeps his promises. Christ kept this promise to this particular woman. Will he not then keep all of his promises to you?

He will. These verses show that. Verses 9 through 20 demonstrate that. They illustrate that God, Christ, keeps his promises. That's textual reason number one.

Jesus makes a promise to this woman. The gospel is going to be preached to the whole world and they'll talk about it. And it is at the end of Mark's gospel. Jesus promised the gospel. We see it being preached to the whole world.

That's textual reason number one. But textual reason number two is massive. The second textual reason can be found in Mark chapter 4. Go to Mark chapter 4 now. We're going to go all the way back towards the beginning.

Mark chapter 4. Mark chapter 4 beginning in verse 3. Now in these verses, Jesus has been giving kingdom parables. Jesus is telling his disciples, Here is what to expect concerning the kingdom of Jesus Christ. What are these parables about?

The kingdom. Look at verse 3. Jesus says, listen to this. Now when Jesus says listen to this, come on. Listen to this.

Behold the sower went out to sow. As he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on the rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. And after the sun had risen, it was scorched, and because it had no root, it withered away. Other seeds fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.

Other seeds fell into the good soil. And as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced a 30, 60, and 100 fold. What does Jesus say there? It's been a minute since we've been in that chapter. What does Jesus say?

Surely, there will be some seed that's going to perish. There's going to be some plucked up by birds, others scorched by the sun, others choked out by thorns, but despite those losses, those losses will be as but nothing in comparison to the triumphant harvest that the sower will see. That's the parable. Jesus says to you, behold the sower. And most of the time in Mark 4, you know what you're doing?

You're beholding the wrong thing. You're beholding the soil. You're getting, oh, super introspective. Not always a bad thing, but in this parable it is. Which soil of mine is not the point of the parable?

Who went over that a long time ago? It's not the point of the parable. You go to Mark 4 and you start, you make the soils, the point of that parable, you miss the whole chapter. The point of the parable is the sower. Jesus says, behold the soil?

Behold the what? Sower. Right there in the text. Behold the sower. Behold the sower.

Behold. You know what? That's the same word. That word behold? Does that sound familiar?

That's the same word. Used by the angel where? At the tomb. Do you remember reading that this morning in our passage 21 minutes ago? The woman approached the tomb Mary, Mary, Salome.

Stone's been rolled away. Young man sitting there dressed in a white robe. What does that young man, that angel say? Behold. Behold!

He's not here. Behold! He has risen. Here is the place where they laid him. Behold, behold, the sea has gone into the ground.

Get this. The sea has gone into the ground and the sea has come back Triumphant Christ has triumphed The Sower has triumphed Christ's kingdom will do exactly what Jesus promised it would through his death on the cross and in his resurrection from the grave. Just as Jesus said it would in Mark chapter 4. His kingdom would expand thirty-fold, sixty-fold, a hundred-fold. It's an unimaginable harvest.

I know we talked about this a long time ago, but twofold would have been a big deal back then. Jesus doesn't even mess around with twofold nonsense. Thirtyfold, sixtyfold, a hundredfold. A great triumph. His gospel will conquer.

His gospel, his kingdom will triumph. That's the promise all the way back at the beginning of Mark's gospel, at the beginning. In Mark chapter four, this crucified and risen and now reigning Christ the sower, his kingdom will have an unimaginable harvest, an unimaginable yield. That's the promise at the beginning. And now at the end of mark what do we find here is Jesus at the end the first fruits of the resurrection behold the sower he not here Then look at the very last verse of Mark.

Look at the very last verse of Mark. Go back to Mark 16. Very last verse of Mark. Mark 16 verse 20. And his disciples went out and preached where?

Everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word by the signs that followed. Everywhere! That's 30-fold. That's 60-fold. That's 100-fold.

That's the gospel going, as verse 15 says, to all creation. That's a great harvest, an unimaginable harvest. That's the triumph of the kingdom, expanding from east to west all the way. And Mark says it's being realized. The promise made in Mark chapter 4 is being realized in Mark chapter 16.

Promise made in Mark 4, promise kept in Mark 16. Are you seeing that at all? Christ's kingdom through the preaching of his gospel promised in Mark 4 to be a triumphant in its great yield, almost unimaginable. It was gonna be unlike anything anyone had ever seen. And in Mark 16, Jesus has triumphed.

Jesus really is the Christ, the Son of God, whose kingdom is forever, whose kingdom is expanding in unimaginable ways. You see at the end of Mark, the Gospel has gone forth into all the world. It's going forth still. And if you are snickering at that, I don't know why you would, doubting that, like is that... We in this room, on the other side of the world where these verses are happening?

We, you, and me, hearing and preaching and believing on the gospel of Jesus Christ, we, you, are living proof this church is living proof of the triumph of the sower. You want to know who's the 30-fold, who's the 60-fold, who's the 100-fold, you're part of that. You're on the other side of the globe. That's the triumph of the sower. Earl of Iowa, a group of saints who used to be in bondage to their sin, now free in Jesus Christ.

Woo-hoo! As a triumph! As a triumph. Behold the sower, Mark 4. Behold, he is not here, Mark 16.

Behold, the seed will go in the ground, and it will come up again, Mark 4, Mark 16. He went in the ground and has come up again. His kingdom triumphs and it will never fail. And that's really the same idea, but just even pressed harder in the next parable. Actually, there's a few parables over, but if you go to turn the page and look at verse 30, it's the same idea.

It's a kingdom parable. Verse 30, Mark 4 verse 30. Jesus is giving another kingdom parable. And look at what he says in verse 30. Mark 4 verse 30.

So again, he's still talking about kingdom parables. Verse 30 reads this. And Jesus said, How shall we picture the kingdom of God? Or by what parable shall we present it? This is a parable about the kingdom.

It is like a mustard seed, which when sown upon the soil, though it's smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, yet when it is sown, It grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches so that the birds of the air can nest under its shade. You see that there in the text? Yes? Okay. What's the kingdom that Jesus promised?

The kingdom starts out like a little tiny what? Mustard seed. An insignificant little seed is Gone. My girls just planted flowers. Well, basil, something else.

I'm bad at that stuff. I need to get better at that stuff. I live in Iowa, I'm just crying about that. Shame. Anyway, they got these tiny little seeds.

I mean these tiny little seeds, right? I mean you sneeze and they're all gone. Well, I guess they're planted, right? That's what happened. I mean my girls kept dropping the seeds.

There might be little sprouts throughout our house. So it's just insignificant, right? So tiny. And yet this morning we wake up and there's two sprouts and the little egg cup and it's like that sprout is Huge in comparison to that little tiny thing. And it's gonna get a lot bigger.

Right, so that's the picture, tiny, tiny little seed. Insignificant, it goes into the ground, but when it comes out of the ground, what does Jesus say? Almost like a resurrection. When it comes out of the ground. When the first fruits come, that seed grows up and becomes what?

What does it say in the parable? Larger than all the garden plants, becomes the biggest thing in the garden. You see that there? I'm not making it up. Seed goes in, it's the most insignificant thing in the garden when it goes in.

By the end it's the most significant thing in all the garden. So significant, so large, so great, so expansive that even the birds of the air can nest under its shade. A bird would eat that seed at the beginning. And now it's nesting under its shade. The birds of the air throughout the Old Testament, they often refer to the Gentiles, the nations.

So put it all together. The Kingdom of Jesus Christ will be so great that it will stretch out to the nations. They will come to the King of Kings, they will find forgiveness from their sins, and they will find rest in Jesus the Son of God. That's what Jesus said would happen in Mark chapter 4. That's part of the 30, 60, 100 fold.

And now here at the end of Mark's Gospel, in Mark 16, verse 15, Mark says, the Gospel preached to all creation. The Gospel going east to west, to all the nations, to the world, and all the birds, the birds, the nations are given to Christ. They're finding their rest in Christ. The nations belong to Christ. We're seeing that in Mark 4, Mark 16, it's realized.

Man, you need those verses in Mark 16. Really get it. The nations belong to Christ. The birds are nesting under the shadow of his wings, shadow of his branches. You know, that idea of the nations belonging to Jesus, I've been saying that a lot, the nations belong to Jesus.

That's actually, I think, what verse nine of Mark 16 is supposed to remind you of. So if you go back to Mark 16 verse nine, this idea of the nations, look at verse nine, Mark brings up again Mary Magdalene, and he makes a point to say what about Mary? A really particular point Mark makes. What does Mark say about Mary? Look in verse nine.

This is the Mary from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons. What's that supposed to remind you of? Well, that's supposed to remind you of in my estimation of Mark chapter 5. Mark chapter 5, what does Jesus do in Mark chapter 5? Again, Mark chapter 4, the kingdom parables is going to expand.

Mark chapter 5, Jesus goes into the nations. My gospel, my kingdom is going to be for all the nations. The birds are gonna nest under its shade. And then to double down on that, Jesus then goes to the nations. He goes to the gatherings.

He goes across the lake to the place of the gatherings. He goes into the nations. And what happens when he goes to the stronghold of Satan? This is the Gentile land, this is pagan land in Mark 5. He goes across, enters the stronghold of Satan.

What happens when you enter a stronghold? Who normally greets you? Soldiers! You might even call it a legion of soldiers guess what happens to Jesus in Mark chapter 5 he's met by what a man who has a host of demons a legion of demons the troops of Satan this is Satan's land and what did Jesus do He goes into that nation and does what? He goes into that land and does what?

Casts them all out. Casts them out. Do you remember the point of that chapter? Mark was emphasizing that Jesus' kingdom, his triumph, is extending to the nation, to the whole world. And Mark is showing you in Mark chapter 5 that what once belonged to Satan is now being plundered and won over by Jesus Christ.

I want you to think about it. I really want you to think about it. Please think about this. At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus is baptized, and where does he go? Goes into the wilderness, and he's tempted by who?

Satan. This is so significant. And what does Satan do in the wilderness, tempting Jesus? At the end of the temptations, Satan himself takes Jesus up to a high place and he shows Jesus what? All the nations of the world.

Satan says to Jesus, you see these Jesus? If you worship me, Jesus, I'll give you all these nations. I'll give you all the kingdoms of the world. They're mine, Satan says. I'll give them to you.

You must worship me. I'll give you the kingdoms. What's Satan saying? He's saying the nations belong to him. The kingdoms of the world belong to Satan.

And so he says, I'll give it to you, Jesus. And how does Jesus respond? Jesus says, no. No! He quotes scripture to Satan and then Jesus goes and does what?

15 chapters worth. He goes and wins those kingdoms, those nations. He wins the world to Himself through His death and resurrection. When He triumphed over your sin, that death and that resurrection, when He triumphed over your sin and the sins of the world, when he triumphed over Satan and his condemning power over your life. When was that?

The death and resurrection of Christ. That's when Jesus won the world. When he triumphed over sin, Satan, and his cross and his resurrection. It's all hinted at in Mark chapter five. Jesus going into pagan land, Jesus entering into the kingdom of Satan, and he triumphs over it.

How? How do you see his triumph? He liberates a man, a Gentile man, a pagan man, a man under Satan's dominion, domain. And Jesus makes that man a what? A Christian.

That Satan's man plundered. The only way to plunder Satan, Jesus said. The only way to take stuff from the strong man's house is what? You've got to be stronger. You've got to bind that strong man so that the stronger man can go in and plunder.

Mark five, plundering. What's at the end of Mark? Plundering of the nations. They're mine, I want them. The nations belong to Jesus Christ.

So wouldn't it be appropriate if this Jesus who purchased the nations at the cost of his blood, wouldn't it be appropriate if Mark brought up that idea at the end of Mark's gospel so that you'd see that what Satan offered Jesus at the beginning of his ministry, kingdoms of the world that Jesus now has plundered from Satan and won them to himself. Wouldn't it be really cool if Mark brought that idea up at the end? What was at the beginning brought it up at the end? I think it'd be really cool. And you know what?

This is like a masterpiece. It's at the end. Verse nine, a woman full of demons, Mark 16, verse nine, a woman full of demons. And Mark makes a point, so you remember, she's made what? New.

She's liberated. She's following Jesus. And what's that picture of? It just goes right from Mary Magdalene, it goes right into the Great Commission, the nations having the gospel proclaimed to them. That's what's happening to the nations.

What happened to Mary Magdalene is the same thing that happened to this pagan man in Mark 5. You're supposed to remember that. Here at the end of Mark's gospel, that promise of the kingdom expanding in Mark 4. The kingdom expanding so even the birds that would once eat the seeds, now they're nesting under the very shadow of Jesus Christ Almighty in this kingdom. I find that amazing.

I hope you do too. That's how Mark ends verses 9 through 20 with exactly how it should end with triumph for you and for all of creation because all of creation all of the world belongs now to Jesus the Christ the conquering Son of God now that's the big picture I really hope you see it that's a big picture I want I couldn't do it in one sermon to do the big picture and then take the individual verses, so I needed you to see the big picture. I just prayed. I want you to see that these verses in Mark 16, I want you to see that they are extraordinary. I want you to see that they are extraordinary.

I want you to see that they matter so very much. Jesus has declared that the kingdom was at hand in Mark chapter one. It's the first thing you hear from Jesus. The kingdom is at hand. Whose kingdom?

God's kingdom. Jesus' kingdom. And in Mark 16, We see that kingdom going to all the nations. Sixty, thirty, sixty, hundredfold. The tiniest seed has become the biggest thing in all the garden.

Saints, you just need to know Jesus really has triumphed. And saints, it's not just past tense. He is triumphing still. Rest in him. Rest in him.

That is a huge part of the application of this sermon and Mark 4 rest under his branches. He is the vine, you are the branches. Don't get mixed up in all this stuff. Rest in him. We every, well almost every Saturday, almost every Saturday night, my family and I, we have a Sabbath meal.

So we're in preparation for the Sabbath day coming on the Lord's Day. And so the night before Sunday morning, we have a Sabbath meal. And the reason we do that, and we tell our kids every time, we get fancy, it's really fun, we get fancy glasses out, a special drink, we get like the Sprite, we add some little cherry juice, it looks really cool, and it's really fancy, and always the most yummiest meal of the whole week. We do that, and we always tell our kids, we ask our kids, what are we doing? What are we doing?

And they know by now, we're feasting. When do you feast? Well, we feast when there's a victory. We feast when there's triumph. Oh, that's what we're about to celebrate tomorrow on the Lord's Day.

Jesus has risen, He has defeated sin, He has defeated Satan. Your greatest enemy, condemnation and death, they don't get the final word anymore. And you belong to him by faith in Christ. The Lord's Day is magnificent, it's triumphant. We're getting ready to go and ascend the hill of the Lord and hear from God's word.

And we're gonna be reminded of the assurance of pardon that we have in Christ and how all of His promises are yes and amen. Triumph! We feast! It's a day of resting in His triumph and victory. It's what we do on Saturday nights.

You should too. And that's what I want you to hear this morning. Rest in this Christ whose promises made throughout Mark's Gospel, Mark 16, promises kept, and then some, far more abundantly than what we could ask or think. And so here are some things that you should do in light of what I just said. If Jesus' kingdom is expanding, if his kingdom is undefeated, if his kingdom is triumphant, and it is, here's what you should do.

Rest in the King of the Kingdom. Rest in Jesus Christ. Humble yourself. Turn from your sin. Kill sin in His power.

Trust Him. Rest in Him. He has triumphed. He is triumphing still and he will be forever trying to kill this is your Savior that we're talking about That's who he is This is your Lord And that's why these verses matter You take away the ending of Mark and you take away just so much. If you take away verses 9 through 20, you take away so many of the connections that Mark makes for you about the realization of Jesus Christ's triumphant kingdom.

So don't take them away. Don't take them away. Cherish these verses. Cherish them, okay? And here's why.

If you haven't got it already, your sin really has been dealt with. How do you know for sure? Because everything you promised has come true in Mark 16 and today. The gospel that you believe in, and you hope in, and you rest in, It really is the power of God. And the King of the Kingdom that you belong to, He will not be shaken.

So your salvation, Christian, as a result, cannot be shaken. Because it's found in the unshakable one. That sin, Christian, that you even this very morning are waging war against, lust, sloth, pride, bitterness, That sin in your life, Christian, it shall not triumph. It shall not triumph over you because Christ has triumphed over that sin already. So fight your sin.

Kill it. Put it to death within you. Because you're looking with humility and confidence and hope in the resurrected reigning Savior of Mark 16. The gospel that you proclaim to your children, and to your family members, and to your neighbors, to your coworkers, that gospel is powerful. That gospel transforms, That gospel breaks the power of canceled sin and sets prisoners free.

Did it for Mary Magdalene. Did it for the nations. Do it for you. And your children. And your children's children.

And beloved, the labor that you do for the kingdom, the labor that you do at your workplace, in the home, over the computer, and over the changing table, you know what I'm saying? And over the hammer, and over the stove, the labor, all of it, when done as unto the Lord, that labor is not in vain. That labor is kingdom labor. And I don't know if you've been paying attention, but you get to the end of Mark, and there's one big conclusion. His kingdom triumphs.

Therefore, labor in his kingdom never in vain. Boy, that's helpful when you go out tomorrow. You live like that. Believe that. Change the way you hammer that nail.

Change the way you change that diaper. Change the way you make that meal. And Look at that spreadsheet. Here at the end of this gospel, Mark keeps pointing you back to thing after thing after thing. I've tried to do a little of that for you.

He keeps pointing you back to remind you of Here at the end, look at who Jesus is. Look at what Jesus has done. You see him doing that in Mark 16 a little bit? Look at who Jesus is! Look at what Jesus has done!

And you know that makes a lot of sense because what's Mark been all about? That's what Mark's been all about since the beginning. I said that in sermon number one. Mark is about who Jesus is and what Jesus has done. Who is he?

He is the Christ, the triumphant Son of God. And this is his gospel. And Lord willing, if God gives it to us, we'll then go deeper into those particular verses next Lord's Day if the Lord allows. For now let's pray. Father, thank you for this your word.

Oh Lord, out of so many words that are coming out of my mouth, may this your word remain. May you impress upon your people the glory of your kingdom, the glory of your triumph, the truth that you have won. And that Lord, we as members of your kingdom, by grace through faith, we are more than conquerors. Through Him we love this. Thank you for your son Jesus.

I ask that for those in this room that have not turned and bowed the knees of their heart to the Lord Jesus Christ that they with this day confess that Jesus is Lord, turn from their sins, believe in their heart that God has raised them from the dead. And now Lord, we would be pleased to save them and make them baptized in this church for Jesus sake. In His name I pray, Amen.