The Work Before the Work | Bryan L. Carter | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

The Work Before the Work

Bryan L. Carter

Concord Church • Sep 13, 2026 • 100 min

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Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

In this message on Mark 1:1–13, Pastor Bryan L. Carter explores how God uses unseen, private seasons to prepare believers before launching them into public ministry or purpose. Through the fulfillment of promises, John's call to repentance, Christ's humble baptism, the revelation of the Trinity, and Jesus' wilderness temptation, we are reminded that God is continuously at work behind the scenes. True strength and spiritual security come from knowing that our identity and worth are grounded in being God's beloved children rather than our output or performance.

Themes

God's PreparationSpiritual FormationIdentity in ChristHumilityRepentanceOvercoming Temptation

Pastor's Points

1.

1. Promises

2.

2. Repentance

3.

3. Humility

4.

4. Trinity

5.

5. Temptation

Key Points

1.
God's work in our lives is built on a foundation of long-foretold promises fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
2.
Repentance is not merely confessing words, but changing one's mindset, actions, and lifestyle to align fully with God.
3.
True humility requires viewing ourselves as opening acts whose primary role is to point others to Jesus Christ rather than seeking personal recognition.
4.
Jesus demonstrated profound humility through His baptism by choosing to identify with human brokenness and need despite being sinless.
5.
At Jesus' baptism, the Trinity was uniquely revealed as the Father declared His love and pleasure in the Son before Jesus had performed any public miracles.
6.
A believer's worth and God's pleasure are grounded in their identity as His child, not in their performance, ministry output, or public success.
7.
Being led into a wilderness season or experiencing severe temptation does not mean a person is outside of God's will.
8.

Sermon Moments

“Before God can do what He wants to do with you in public, He first of all has to deal with you in private.”

“Perhaps God does His deepest work in you before He does His greatest work through you.”

“I don't care how much success you have in your life, you're still an opening act for Jesus when He shows up.”

“Jesus went down clean and came up clean, but He was baptized so that He could identify with our brokenness, our problems, and our humanity.”

“God's pleasure in Jesus was not based on His performance; His pleasure was based on His identity. When you become a child of God, His pleasure in you is based on who you are in Christ.”

“Just because you're going through trouble doesn't mean God has forgotten about you—you could be in the midst of temptation and be right in the center of the will of God.”

“The same Spirit that anointed you, called you, delivered you, and baptized you is the same Spirit that will get you through the test that you're going through right now.”

This Week

Practice daily reflection and confession, asking God to cleanse your heart and align your thoughts, words, and actions with His will.

Reflect on your achievements and titles, intentionally acknowledging that your role in every setting is to serve as an opening act that points others to Jesus.

Rest in your identity as God's beloved child, rejecting the lie that your value or God's pleasure in you depends on your performance or productivity.

When facing testing or temptation this week, reframe the situation by trusting that God is present and actively developing your faith rather than abandoning you.

Thank God for past private trials and quiet preparation seasons, recognizing how He used them to build the faith you rely on today.

Engage in quiet, unseen acts of service and prayer this week, committing to spiritual discipline without seeking public recognition or praise.

Lean on the Holy Spirit's power in moments of difficulty, remembering that the same Spirit who saved you is faithful to sustain you through every test.

Remember This

God often accomplishes His deepest work in the unseen, private seasons of life to prepare us for His purpose and ground us in our identity in Christ.

A Challenge for You

Take time to thank the Lord for the private lessons and hidden moments He has used to prepare you, and keep trusting Him faithfully through every unseen season of your life.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.