First Baptist Church
September 13, 2026

      • Romans 8.1-3ESV

      • Romans 8.4-5ESV

      • Romans 8.6-8ESV

      • Romans 8.9-10ESV

      • Romans 8.11ESV

  • All I Have Is Christ
  • From Everlasting (Psalm 90)
  • Blessed Assurance

      • Mark 8:27–29ESV

  • How Great (Psalm 145)
    • In 1933, a slogan was made and attached to a breakfast cereal so that it would be associated with energy, success, and prestige. The slogan, which is still in use today, that was placed on the box is the breakfast of champions. To really push their efforts of marketing this cereal as a champions breakfast, they featured some of the most decorated and most achieved people in the world on the cover of these boxes.… Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Muhammid Ali.… to name a few. Each time they put a known success story on a box, what they hope to suggest is that wheaties fueled their performance.
      As we look at our text today, we are given a similiar “advertisement”… for a greater fuel, a greater refreshment, a greater performance enhancer than any cereal or any known morning diet can produce. A real breakfast of champions because it features the greatest champion of them all.
      *THIS REAL BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS comes from a resource that God gives to us that is far superior than anything else we can imagine. That resource is prayer!
      We’ve been studying thru the gospel of Mark. We recall that the gospel of Mark was written by John Mark to the Christians in Rome under the direction and teaching of Peter to present the gospel “the good news”, the royal pronouncement of Jesus the King coming to this world. It’s what the entirety of Mark writing is about. Mark begins by validating Christ as King with the proclamation from a divinely appointment messenger, John the Baptist, who prepared the way of the Lord.
      We further looked at how Mark identified Jesus not only as a king, but also as a savior. Christ being baptized wasn’t to identify Himself as a sinner but was a moment where He identified with sinners. Being baptized confirmed the message of repentance for sins… Jesus agreed with that message… but He also united Himself to the sinner by foreshadowing why He came. To be die, be buried, and rise again as a substitute for sinners…
      So He came as King, as Savior, and but also as Conqueror, succeeding where all of mankind had failed as seen thru the temptations in the desert. He proved Himself to be the better Adam, the spotless lamb, the perfect son of man. Thru this He proved to be the only acceptable substitutionary sacrifice for mankind that would indeed meet the righteous requirements of a Holy God. Only Jesus could do this! He is the ultimate champion! In an entirely different class of His own!
      As Mark continues, he keeps the spotlight on Jesus by highlighting what Jesus sought to accomplish during His life on earth… to begin a kingdom work. Not necessarily a physical kingdom at this time, but a spiritual kingdom where men’s heart would be given in full devotion to Him. Marks highlights Jesus’ kingdom ministry in 3 primary activities that He would continuously cycle through… Preaching, Preparing His disciples, proving Himself as God thru His signs and wonders.
      And yet as we read of Jesus ministry life.… it wasn’t all gas and no brakes. Mark is sure to make clear that Jesus Himself as the Son of Man in the flesh needed fuel in order to complete these tasks.
      And so today, we will be looking at this fuel of champions as we consider...
      The Gospel Ministry of Jesus: A Most Critical Christian Resource from Mark chapter 1:32-39.
      We will pick up where we left off last time. The narrative has already unfolded for us Jesus’ busy day at His new home base at Capernaum, where the house of Peter was. Jesus had began that morning by calling the disciples from the fishing trade to follow Him, following that He joined them for worship at the synagogue, where he was given the opportunity to teach, was confronted by a demon and cast it out, made quite a spectacle, following that, they returned to Peter’s home where Jesus showed His incredible divine power to heal Peter’s mother of a very severe sickness. A full and thorough cleansing. Following this event we pick up the account in verse 32.
      Mark 1:32–39 ESV
      That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
      What immediately stands out in this text… between the cycles of ministry activity… Preaching, preparing, proving. In verses 23-34, Jesus has been proving His Godhood thru the miraculous. In verses, 38-29, He returns to preachin! But before he does that, notice what Jesus does in between.
      Jesus ........breaks......... the cycle......... to pray! (REPEAT)
      This small text, interrupting the narrative cycle, is a critical one that Mark and Peter and many others will not overlook because it is so powerful. Simple but powerful. Jesus breaks the cycle of ministry for the Kingdom to pray.
      That tells us that there is a priority to prayer.

      I. Priority of Prayer (v.32-35a)

      Q: How much did Jesus prioritize prayer?
      Let’s begin by getting some more context.
      NOTE: What was Jesus just out doing. Jesus was out late healing the sick the night before.
      “That evening at sundown”
      In the Jewish reckoning of time, the day ended at sunset which was usually around 6:00pm. The reason for this (thinking about what day it was of the week- Sabbath) meant that they as Jews were required to obey the law which prohibited Jews from doing anything (including carrying people) on the sabbath. So apparently Jesus began healing this multitude of people beginning around or after 6pm and for probably several hours into the evening. Our ESV doesn’t give us the correct sense when it says that they brought to him all who were sick. In the greek, however, these words (brought to him) are in the what’s called imperfect tense which in that tense implies that it event started at a certain point but continued on and on and on… or in other words, they just kept coming.
      SIDE NOTE:
      One thing a commentator noted about Jesus’ healing ministry is that it is wholly unlike any other type of ministry that has ever or will ever exist. Different in purpose and in power. Jesus’ miracles were unique and totally undeniable.… purely magnificient and no one could question their reality. This is evidenced in the mere volume of people that were healed all over Israel but also in the drastic effect of the healing.… In other words, He didn’t heal minor infractions, He didn’t hand pick easier cases, he didn’t manipulate people’s legs so now there legs are the same length as some of our modern so called “apostles and miracle workers” do. His healings were complete… Not partial, not half-finished/half effective, not of a short duration. They were perfect, and they were remarkable. So much so that it garnered the appropriate shock and awe from the crowd.
      “We have never seen anything like this.” That’s in chapter 2. and throughout different parts of the gospel.
      Here’s another interesting thought. Even as much as the pharisees and scribes would come to hate Jesus, they never could deny the actuality of His miracles. Think about that. The most fierce opposition to Jesus’ ministry could never claim His miracles were false. They tried to exclaim that the were from an evil source. They certainly ignored His miracles. They tried to cover them up… thinking about when Jesus rose from the dead… telling people that His body had been stollen. But never once could they deny what He accomplished in these. That goes to show you the uniqueness of Jesus’ healing verses the so called “healings” that happen today. Our modern day charismatics want to proclaim that we are doing greater miracles than even Jesus did, mis interrupting and misapplying scriptures of course. There will never be a greater display of majesty, and glory, and power in the miraculous than when Jesus was here on earth until that day when He comes again. These are incredible moments.
      Returning to our thoughts at hand. Jesus was out late… commentators have suggested that it was very likely that Jesus may have been out even as late as midnight healing people. Word spreads fast.
      Not only though was Jesus out super late, but it says that he was out early.
      “Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark”.
      Meaning Jesus arose well before the sun had started to rise.
      And what caused Jesus to wake so early? Was it the overwhelming crowd? Was it the push of ministry? No it was the desire and the need to speak with God.
      Isn’t that incredible. The morning after one of the busiest days of His Jesus’ life was the morning He chose to rise early and pray.
      When we face our busiest days, it’s usually the morning after that we excuse ourselves from time in the word and prayer. We are too exhausted, we are far too spent and have nothing left to give. “It’s ok to take a pass today”. But we do that to our own demise.
      Martin Luther once lamented the busyness of his life but then exclaimed,
      I have so much to do that I shall have to spend the first three hours in prayer! - Martin Luther
      The Gospels make clear that prayer was a non-negotiable priority for Jesus, no matter how busy his ministry schedule became. Jesus knew what would be far more refreshing than what even sleep could provide. That was the refreshment of communing with His Father.
      There are many great reasons why Jesus as God prayed. One such reason is this. To provide for us a model of faithfulness to God, dependency on God, and a relationship with God for all His followers. Pray accomplishes such things.
      Statement: Jesus’ Model places far more stress and value on prayer as a necessity than anything else. It’s a critical top priority command and resource if we are to live a life motivated for the gospel.
      So we’ve looked at the priority of prayer found in this text, next let’s see the...

      II. Place of Prayer (v.35b-37)

      Mark 1:35–37 ESV
      And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.”
      Not only does scripture describe the time of day when Jesus dedicated himself to prayer… but it also describes the place. A desolate place.
      Desolate= erēmos- solitary, lonely, desolate, uninhabited.… used of persons deprived of the aid and protection of others, especially of friends, acquaintances, family.
      This wasn’t a one time event either. This was a consistent practice of Jesus’ life.
      Luke 5:15–16 ESV
      But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.
      We are not exactly sure where it might have been, but one thing was clear. It was far enough away and hard enough to find that it took awhile for Peter and the others to locate him.
      Q: Why go to a desolate place when prayer should happen everywhere?
      Pray without ceasing, right?
      Obvious and practical reasons to apply here:
      Removes distractions
      No people, noise, or competing activities, allowing the mind and soul to be “a blank slate” for God’s voice of truth thru His word
      Deepens our dependance on God
      Without worldly comforts or even others to guide you, the heart is forced to rely solely on God’s presence for guidance.
      Restores our strength
      Jon Courson’s Application Commentary Chapter 6

      Jesus models something that a lot us are discovering. That is, if we don’t come apart, we’ll fall apart.

      Jesus’s solitude wasn’t selfish retreat but strategic restoration. Ministry requires an ebb and flow in which times of service alternate with times of quietness and solitude.
      Allows unhurried communion
      Recenters our understanding and importance
      When you strip away the phones, computers, spreadsheets, calendars, and tasks, when you sit in silence with God, your thoughts, and your prayers, you see him working. Slowly and steadily, through silence, all the things that make you significant in people’s eyes lose their luster in the face of our Creator. In the stillness before him, we quickly learn there’s only one thing in which we can boast, and it isn’t our righteousness or accomplishments. Solitude allows God to “feed” the heart with His thoughts, leading to empowerment, clarity, and renewed purpose.
      We’ve already talked a little about why Jesus prayed, to be a model for us. But Jesus’ prayer life was more than just a model for His disciples to follow. It was an essential part of His own obedience and submission
      Jesus says… not my will but yours be done. Jesus retreating to desolate places reminds us of this. Not to simply pray in front of people so that they may see you, but to pray in your closet alone. To recenter on the fact that you belong to God, His will is most important, that you aren’t the center of the universe. It’s always about His will.
      As we continued through the text, we notice why it was essential for Jesus to go to desolate places to pray.
      Peter wakes up the next morning and realizes Jesus was gone. Crowds have likely assembled at his house and are looking for Jesus.
      “Everyone is looking for you.”
      NOTE: “Simon & His Companions”- first real impression that we have of Peter’s leadership amongst the other disciples.
      What Simon saw when he went to look for Jesus was much ministry to be done, an opportunity to seize, a moment to capitalize on. We could in essence speak Peter’s thoughts for him. “Why waste your time off alone for long periods of time when the people are waiting, wanting, and asking for you right now. The iron is hot, let’s go. Let’s not waste time here.” There’s a lesson we desperately need to understand from this text and from the life of Jesus.
      We have an unhealthy estimation of our own importance when we think our deeds for God are more important than our communion with God. -Acts 29 article, Withdrawing with Jesus to Desolate Places
      Here comes Peter with more of the demands of people’s lives. Jesus knew this. But it didn’t never changed His decisions to retreat and pray.
      Statement: When life becomes demanding, don’t try to do it alone. Don’t try to fill life’s demands without God. When life is most challenging and most demanding, that’s when it’s most important to pray.
      We often think… there’s no time to commune with God because there are people to meet with and tasks to finish and to do.
      But if Jesus is the perfect model of faithfulness, how can we love His words, His truth but not heed his example of ministerial health and devotion? How can we be faithful and healthy to the call of God without solitude and prayer when Jesus himself withdrew from ministry for these very things? 
      Here’s a very helpful thought when it comes to busy lives and prayer.
      “Learning to pray doesn’t offer us a less busy life; it offers us a less busy heart.” - Paul Miller
      Speaking of that, it brings us to our final thoughts on prayer from this text… the priority of prayer, the place of prayer, and the...

      III. Power of Prayer (v.38-39)

      Mark 1:38–39 ESV
      And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
      Jesus had come to preach the good news. It might have surprised Peter. The crowds are gathered at His house in Capernaum. This seemed like the moment to jump on. But Jesus had a greater purpose. His ultimate purpose was not to deliver people from temporary disease and ailment, but to save mankind from their greater need of sin and eternal judgment. That’s why Jesus said to Peter that instead of returning with you to heal the people of Capernaum, we instead are going to go to the next town and preach the good news. Jesus in other words said it was far more important for Him to preach the gospel in other places than to stay there and heal the sick. He did not permit popularity to change what His priorities were. Preaching saves people eternal lives. Healing merely expresses who he is. In fact, we remember that Capernaum is latter reprimanded for not believing even after all the miraculous deeds done there, reflecting their shallowness, their sinfulness, and their selfishness. They didn’t care about Christ’s kingdom, they just wanted their kingdom and their little lives to be a little better.
      Matthew 11:23 ESV
      And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
      That doesn’t mean He doesn’t care. In fact, it’s quite the opposite… He cares infinitely more than anyone else. What good is our temporary physical healing if it does nothing to cure our eternal condition. No Jesus’ care is far superior to anything we have ever known. He did what no man could do and He gave up what no man has ever gave.
      No doctor can heal our sin. No hero has ever set aside so much. But Jesus has because Jesus cares. He entered our sin cursed world to do this. Not by curing the world of all sickness but by preaching to people’s hearts what they most desperately need to hear… salvation from their sin and a restoration of a relationship with the Holy, Good, Almighty God.
      And so Jesus did go about continuing His work most important work of preaching, but what we want to call out about this in our text, is that the power to accomplish the task came from what he did prior to that.
      Mark 1–8: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Power of His Action (1:35)

      The proof of His person had been demonstrated in His miracles, but the power behind His action was prayer.

      This is yet another reason Jesus prayed. In His humanity, He didn’t rely on His own divinity by relied on the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish His task.
      Notice again that this is the regular practice of Jesus before He did anything big or small.
      Jesus prayed...
      before His baptism (Luke 3:21)
      before calling the Twelve (Luke 6:12–13)
      before feeding the multitude (John 6:11)
      at His transfiguration (Luke 9:28–29)
      before He raised Lazarus (John 11:41–42)
      in the upper room (Matt. 26:26–27)
      in Gethsemane before his death (Matt. 26:36–46)
      while facing his hardest moment hanging on the cross (Matt. 27:46).
      And what Jesus modeled is true for all Christian activity.
      If you were to look at scripture for what activities can be accomplished without prayer.… you won’t find a single one. Everything God accomplishes in the work of ministry, He does through prayer.
      Q: What does prayer accomplish?
      Prayer is the way you defeat the devil (Luke 22:32; James 4:7)
      Prayer is the way you acquire wisdom (James 1:5)
      Prayer is the way a backslider gets restored (James 5:16-20)
      Prayer is how the saints get strengthened (Jude 20, Matthew 26:41)
      Prayer is the way we get laborers out to the mission field (Matthew 9:38)
      Prayer is how we cure the sick (James 5:13-15)
      Prayer is how we accomplish the impossible (Mark 11:23-24)
      I could go on listing the myriad divine activities initiated by prayer, but I suspect you get the point. Everything we do that’s worth doing; everything God wants to do in the church; everything God wants to do in your life; He has subjugated it all to one thing: Prayer.
      Yet, how many activities do we do without prayer because we just don’t have time or desire. Do we not see how essential prayer is for our daily ability to function in accordance with the Word and Will of God?
      Conclude:
      “Remember Jesus arose early to pray on the morning after the busiest day of His life, so why should we think we can do without it when busyness crowds into our own schedules? He is our model. He is our guide. Only when we follow His instructions and His example in this crucial area of prayer will we discover the deepest joy in our adventure with Him.” - Dr. David Jeremiah
      “No one has time to pray; we have to take time from other things that are valuable in order to understand how necessary prayer is. The things that act like thorns and stings in our personal lives will go away when we pray; we won’t feel the smart anymore, because we have God’s point of view about them. Prayer means that we get into union with God’s view on these things.” - Oswald Chambers
      Application:
      MAKE TIME IN THE MORNING FOR PRAYER!
      Psalm 5:3 ESV
      O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

        • Mark 1:32–39ESV

        • Mark 1:35–37ESV

        • Luke 5:15–16ESV

        • Mark 1:38–39ESV

        • Matthew 11:23ESV

        • Psalm 5:3ESV

          • Psalm 5:3ESV

        • Wonderful Words Of Life (Words Of Life Wonderful Words)
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