Series – John Markum

Monday Recap: UNseries week 3

Posted on October 30, 2023October 30, 2023 by johnmarkum

Yesterday was one of the most emotionally charged messages I’ve ever shared as a pastor, as I walked through Romans 10:11-17, and called us to collective commitment to completing the Great Commission by the 2,000^th anniversary of the church around April 2033. You can watch the entire service on our YouTube channel.

The main points to my sermon were:

God saves whoever believes. The Greek word “whoever” and “all” appears some 1,248 times in our New Testament. And it means exactly what it sounds like – everyone. Absolutely everyone can be redeemed in Jesus name, and everyone who calls upon Him will be saved (Rom. 10:11-13). Jesus is contrasted with Adam, the first man, in Romans 5, and the point is made there, that the total, universal implications of Adam’s sin across the human race is “much more” overcome by the “Second Adam” Jesus Christ. If Adam’s sin effects all humanity, then Jesus’ righteousness can absolutely save all of humanity, if we will just turn to Him in faith.
God speaks to whoever listens. God promises to pour His Word upon all the earth, and that it will not return unto Him empty (Isaiah 55:1-11). All creation declares God’s glory (Psalm 19:1-4; Romans 1:18-23), and if we truly listen and seek after God, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:12-13).
God sends whoever will go. The passage in Romans 10 crescendos at the call to send preachers to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Here, Paul quotes Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”

There are an estimated 500 ethnic people groups around the world, and many Christian organizations are tracking our progress in bringing the Gospel to each. To date, it is estimated that there 144 of these people groups who have yet to receive the good news of Jesus Christ. That means that if only 144 people or couples decided they would each commit their lives to taking the life-changing message to one each, we could see the Great Commission fulfilled in our lifetime. We’re that close…

“How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? ¹⁵But how are they to preach unless they are sent?” Romans 10:14-15a

Blessings,
Pastor John

Year of the Bible

Posted on October 17, 2023October 17, 2023 by johnmarkum

This past Sunday at Life Valley Community Church, I shared a vision of what 2024 will look like for our church – preaching, small groups, and more. I’m calling this our “Year of the Bible”, and here’s how it’s a going to look for us…

Our preaching calendar across the year will walk through the entire story of Scripture, in 52 Sundays, from Genesis to Revelation. Now it’s not realistic to do justice to every single book, chapter, and verse of Scripture in just 52 weekly sermons, even if I covered an entire book every week. So the preaching calendar I have planned out isn’t attempting to do that. Instead, we’ll focus on the overarching “meta-narrative” of Scripture, with the goal of helping our people deeply grasp the overall layout, themes, and purpose of the Bible as one cohesive story. Of course, I will take special dedication in specific points to appreciate the deeper nuances of specific books and segments of the Bible. For example, we’re starting the year with a full 5 week series in Genesis, but we’ll also cover all of the Old Testament History of Israel in a 5 week series as well.

To fill in many of the gaps I couldn’t possibly preach over in a single year, we’ll also be leading our church through a One Year Bible Reading Plan, beginning January 1, 2024. If you want to join us and follow along, follow our church on the YouVersion Bible app. I love this plan because of how it systematically walks through Scripture, while breaking up Psalms and the Gospels across the year.

But we don’t want to just read the Word, we want it to take root in our hearts. So we’re also preparing a Scripture memory list, and challenging one another to learn dozens of verses to memory over the new year.

Additionally, we’re going to lead our small groups to dig deeper into the Word, especially in studies that we’ll touch on in the preaching, but not have the time to dig into more of the details for. It’s my hope to continue creating more Bible studies to engage our church – and other ministries – deeper into the Scripture.

The heart behind this is to sincerely know the “Word of Truth”. I have committed my life to learning, studying, and teaching the Bible. And it continues to open up to me in new, powerful ways. And this is what has compelled me to lead our church in this direction. Of course, we always teach and preach the Bible, but I want the Word of God to mean more to us than a long menu of seemingly disjointed stories and instructions. It is truly much more than that. And the magnificence and beauty of the Bible continues to blow my mind, even after 20 years of pastoral ministry.

I can’t wait to unpack the entire story of the Bible in a meaningful way this next year! You can catch our services and sermons here on Youtube.

Blessings,
Pastor John

What I don’t pray for…

Posted on September 29, 2016 by johnmarkum

It’s an election year… good times, amiright?! No, of course not. We’re all miserable and wondering how this circus is going to end in November. I’ve got countless people in my life who know Christ as I do, that are praying that this is somehow the end of times, and Jesus is going to come back and remove us all from the scene before all Hell literally breaks loose. But I’m not one of them…

You see, as long as I’ve been a Christ-follower, the most spiritual people I’ve known have looked longingly toward the day our salvation inevitably ends being a matter of faith but at long last a matter of sight. Many of you reading this don’t share that belief, and that’s fine. You don’t have to argue that belief, just for the moment understand that I do, and in various theological flavors all “Christians” do.

Over the years, I’ve never actually said publicly anything in that vein of thought – that I hope Jesus comes soon. I’ve been a pastor for the vast majority of my adulthood, and I’ve never once prayed for Jesus to return. I’ve always been this weird kind of outlier to my more theologically fundamentalist counterparts. But that ship sailed awhile ago.

You see, I can’t do it. I can’t bring myself to ask God to usher the rapture of His church, or the beginning of the worst period of time on earth never before seen. I know prophecy beyond the average seminary grad, and I just can’t pray for that.

Don’t misunderstand me… I believe in His return. I even long for the day that I look upon Him. But when that day does come, if my current disposition holds true in that moment, my overwhelming joy will only be comparable to my gut-wrenching agony at the fate of the world I leave behind.

Most Christians say things or quote parts of Scripture to express their longing for His return. Things like, “Even so come quickly Lord Jesus!” or “maybe today [He’ll return]”. Such thoughts break me. As much as I trust Him to judge this world in righteousness, I know beyond doubt that this will result in eternal separation from Him for so many who have rejected Him. I just can’t ask God for that, though I know one day it will come. It must come.

My prayer is two-fold…

“God give us more time… more people know Your Son today than at any other point in history. Please, merciful God of Heaven – stay your return but a little longer while Your servants lift up Jesus across this earth.” and…
“God let Your Spirit fall fresh on us again. Bring revival and new life into your church. Send a second pentecost upon my city, our nation, and this world that Your Son died to redeem. Send a tidal wave of your love and grace in ways no one can deny.”

Dearest Christ-follower who’s praying for the end to come, I fear that you know not what spirit you are of. When He does show up, may He find us living, preaching, loving, and desperately compelling our communities to turn to Jesus. That would be a really great “welcome” present. Instead of praying for that return (which you and I have no influence on anyway), why don’t you pray that He send more laborers into His field? The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few, tired, and lonely. Better yet, why not join in the harvest?

Blessings,
Pastor John