Mark Pt. 15: A Role In HIStory

John The Baptist: A Role Model

Thanks to everyone who played a part in enabling me to take this break! I am humbled and blessed to be part of the team leading this church, Christ’s church!

My Sabbatical: Family / Rest / Travel / Connection with old friends / Listening to God. Laban has been doing a great job connecting Mark’s telling of the Good New about Christ to the Hebrew Scriptures. God’s Word tells us about Him and about us! Study Scripture for understanding…

John The Baptist: Jesus’ Redneck Cousin. John was the greatest of all humans according to Jesus of Nazareth. John’s role was foretold in Scripture (Isaiah 40:3) John played an amazing, one of a kind role in HIStory…but so can you!

If we are willing to face our natural tendency to be corrupt and evil (SIN) and fully submit to God’s plan, even when it confuses us and costs us things, we can fulfill our God given role in the story HE is telling…

Our Text this Week: Jesus is only briefly mentioned…But you and I are…

Last Week: Jesus is rejected in His hometown AGAIN!… His family the 1st time, now everyone…

And He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. ~ Mark 6:5-6 (ESV)

Then Jesus sends out the 12!

So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. ~ Mark 6:12-13 (EVS)

Now we get this story that Jesus is not really involved in…

Mark 6:14-29 (NLT)

14 Herod Antipas, the king, soon heard about Jesus, because everyone was talking about Him. Some were saying, “This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead. That is why He can do such miracles.” 15 Others said, “He’s the prophet Elijah.” Still others said, “He’s a prophet like the other great prophets of the past.” 16 When Herod heard about Jesus, he said, “John, the man I beheaded, has come back from the dead.”

  • Spiritual state of the nation of Israel is al an all time low
  • Illegitimate priesthood, Illegitimate king / kings
  • So little Idea about God he thinks ridiculous things

17 For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John as a favor to Herodias. She had been his brother Philip’s wife, but Herod had married her. 18 John had been telling Herod, “It is against God’s law for you to marry your brother’s wife.” 19 So Herodias bore a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But without Herod’s approval she was powerless, 20 for Herod respected John; and knowing that he was a good and holy man, he protected him. Herod was greatly disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him.

  • Herodias was said to be exceptionally beautiful…and entitled
  • Herodias was a social climber, Antipas had a better kingdom than Phillip
  • Herod Antipas found a way to make his wife happy (kinda) and not kill John
  • While John was imprisoned he asked Jesus if He was the Messiah

21 Herodias’ chance finally came on Herod’s birthday. He gave a party for his high government officials, army officers, and the leading citizens of Galilee. 22 Then his daughter, also named Herodias, came in and performed a dance that greatly pleased Herod and his guests. “Ask me for anything you like,” the king said to the girl, “and I will give it to you.” 23 He even vowed, “I will give you whatever you ask, up to half my kingdom!”

  • Herod Antipas is trying to impress
  • Herodias the daughter, was originally named Salome
  • She was not Herod Antipas’ daughter, she was Phillip’s daughter he adopted

24 She went out and asked her mother, “What should I ask for?” Her mother told her, “Ask for the head of John the Baptist!” 25 So the girl hurried back to the king and told him, “I want the head of John the Baptist, right now, on a tray!”

  • Her loyalty was to her Mother…blind loyalty
  • Herodias (Mother) was a opportunist!
  • Both women were incited to evil because they gave it place (corrupt lives)
  • The daughter, having been raised in the corruption was fine asking for murder

26 Then the king deeply regretted what he had said; but because of the vows he had made in front of his guests, he couldn’t refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner to the prison to cut off John’s head and bring it to him. The soldier beheaded John in the prison, 28 brought his head on a tray, and gave it to the girl, who took it to her mother. 29 When John’s disciples heard what had happened, they came to get his body and buried it in a tomb.

  • He is regretful…but it is more important to save face in front of his guests
  • Herod was more fearful of man than he was of God
  • He was so desensitized to evil, he kills someone on a bet…

In 39 AD Herod Antipas was betrayed by his brother in law / nephew, Herod Agrippa, to the Roman Emperor Caligula, which resulted in Antipas & Herodias being exiled to Gaul (Southern France).

TAKEAWAYS:

Don’t be surprised when corrupt leadership is manipulated by satanic influences to enact evil that was not necessarily intended.

John The Baptist is an example for all who follow Christ. We can imitate his speaking out against corrupt leadership, his courage and trust in God.

God’s sovereign design for events is not in any way effected by demonic interference. John had completed his mission in life and death. He decreased that Christ would increase (John 3:30)

If you live trying to please other people you will not be able to focus on pleasing God. If you focus on pleasing God (like JTB), you will not please most people.

APPLICATION:

Do YOU believe that by giving evil a place in any part of your life you then open yourself up to be manipulated by it?

Do YOU believe Jesus’ followers should speak up against corrupt leadership and then trust God for what happens?

Do YOU believe Christ has given each member of His body a mission for this life?

Where are you with discovering and enacting that mission?

As we continue to read the Gospel of Mark, see yourself in the characters…

And be honest about who you can be and what you are capable of (we all are)

And see Jesus for who He is: God among US!

Ask Him to give you total submission to His will

Then you can say: ‘The Lord gives and takes away…blessed be the Name of the Lord’!

/by

Mark Pt. 14: Something Greater is Here Pt. IV

Something Greater is Here Part IV
Jesus Rejected
Mark 6:1-13 (ESV)

After two weeks of long cuts of text, we get to a shorter passage this week. Still just as dense though, very rich. We are looking at Mark 6, verses 1 to 13.

We can split our text in to two parts this morning. The first part is Jesus being rejected in Nazareth, and the second is Jesus sending out his disciples to evangelize.

Jesus leads the group back home. I am sure Jesus was excited to take his disciples to his home town

But it is weird to see how people change over time. Sometimes it is for the better. Sometimes worse

The first story we’ll read this morning is about how the people of Nazareth didn’t recognize Jesus. Not physically, but his spirit.
Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

we are going to compare this story of Jesus to someone in the Old Testament. This morning I want us to look at Joseph, the favorite son of Israel.

Joseph was the son of Jacob and Rachel. He was beloved by his father, but his brothers, his own kinsmen, hated him. They attempted to murder him and leave him for dead. They ended up selling him into slavery. In Egypt Joseph was wrongfully accused, but remained faithful and God went on to place him in a position of power, at the right hand of Pharoah.

It’s an amazing passage that shows how God uses even terrible situations like his brother’s hatred to display his mighty power.

6 He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

•       As was his custom, Jesus heads to the synagogue and starts teaching on the Sabbath.
•       Immediately we hear from people who knew Jesus before he started his ministry, and the text tells us they are astonished at what they see.
•       they think they know the real Jesus.
•       Have you ever met someone who doesn’t really take us seriously as new creations? Maybe someone from our past who knew us before the holy spirit began its good work in us.
•        They might think that our old selves are our real selves, more authentic.
•       That’s the trick sin plays

4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.

•       Seems like Jesus intellectually expected this. He could be thinking of any number of God’s messengers that came before him who were ignored, maybe even Josephs dreams ignored and ridiculed. He understands this was going to happen.
•       This is the puzzle of Jesus being man and God. It must have hurt a little bit to have people that he grew up with scoffing at him, dismissing him. It could have been old friends.

Joseph is one of the best Old Testament examples we could look at. He was faithful to the Lord, and did what was asked of him. Our last few Jesus comparisons have showcased how the human nature made our heroes flawed, but with Joseph the task is harder. He is one of a few people in the bible that sin is not recorded. We know he sinned because he was human.

Romans 3:23-24
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

God used this hatred. Because of the persecution of Joseph by his own brothers, God used Joseph to store up food in Egypt and provide an escape from famine for the whole region. He used the hatred of Joseph to save his special family, the people who would become the nation of Israel.

As righteous as Joseph was, Jesus is greater. The hatred that Jesus’ own brothers had for his righteousness was greater. We get a taste of it here in Nazareth, but this is only a preview of how much his brothers hated him. That great hatred would eventually bring about a greater deliverance than that of Joseph. This time salvation would be for the entire world, not just from physical famine, but from spiritual death.

Now we’ll look at the next section of text, where Jesus sends out his disciples to preach and evangelize.

7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.

•       He sends out his disciples. They have been with him for some time now, and he empowers them, gives them authority.
•       The point of his instructions for this mission is for them to put trust in God. They aren’t able to lean on their own earthly possessions or provisions.
•       A as far as I can tell Jesus is telling them not to go out and buy things to get ready for this trip. Just go.

10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.”

•       Jesus says there will be people that will not listen, and it’s an uncomfortable fact sometimes
•       We want people to like us, and it’s a challenging aspect of ministry that not everyone is going to listen to Gods message. A dangerous result occurs when we aren’t OK with that truth.
•       We start trying to entice people with things that are not the gospel. We think, maybe if we have great kid’s programs, great cookouts, etc…
o       Matthew 9:37 “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few”
•       On a practical level, it’s hard to tell who those people are. The ones that won’t ever listen, versus the ones that need to be hit by a bus, maybe metaphorically.  Some people need time, the seed needs to grow.

12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

•       Repentance is the major theme in the last several passages. And the disciples pick up the mantle. They go out to preach the need to change directions.
•       There is no reason to repent if we like the direction we are going. But Jesus came to tell the world that we need to.
•       He came to face us with our brokenness and sin.
•       Amazingly, the disciples are full of power, able to heal supernaturally, restore. This is an incredible testament to the power of Christ.

So why are these passages right next to each other? How are they connected? The first story is of Jesus being spurned by his home town, and he uses that rejection to explain how we will face the same thing, for His sake. He shows his disciples that not everyone will take them in.

How can we apply this?

are you sharing the good news?

what does ministry look like in my life right now?

are you afraid of the rejection of men?
•       Don’t be surprised if we are rejected. The people who are dying will NOT like it
2 Corinthians 2:15-16
“For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life.”

Josephs response to his brothers, after God has revealed his plan.

Genesis 45:5
“And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.”

God’s plan is seriously incredible. Josephs brothers rejected him, their own flesh and blood. But being God’s plan, their hatred ended up being their salvation. His brothers eventually did bow down to Joseph. And because Jesus is greater, salvation will come to the entire world, and one day all of creation will bow down to him.

Acts 7:51-52
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered”

But praise God for that betrayal, and for that murder. Through it we all have been saved. Because Jesus was rejected at Nazareth, and eventually in Jerusalem, we can have life.

The cross is offensive to this world. and it doesn’t make any sense that the cross would cause such a change in anyone’s life.

/by

Mark Pt. 13: Something Greater is Here Pt. III

Something Greater is Here part III

Jesus Gives Life

Mark 5:21-43 (ESV)

Today’s passage focuses on Jesus a healer and more importantly as a giver of life.

when Jesus arrives back in Galilee the crowds are right back surrounding him. They cannot get enough

Our theme the last few weeks has been “something greater is here”. I want to take a minute to talk about why this theme is important.

Jesus was a fulfillment of a plan that had been set in motion long ago

It connects us Christian believers to Gods overarching story. The jewish history and our old testament

Jesus has to be greater than everyone else otherwise he wouldn’t have been needed.

Today we are going to look at the ways that Jesus exceeds a man who came before him named Elijah.

1 Kings gives us the first recorded instance of someone being raised from the dead. Elijah asks God to restore life to a widow’s dead son. It is that miracle where our main parallel lies today.

Elijah was and is to the Jewish people a very big deal. He was a prophet who was around for a particularly low point of Israels history. They were dealing with a king who did more evil than all who were before him.

He was tasked with reminding Gods people who gives life. Each miracle he performed displayed that only the LORD God himself could bring rain or restore breath to the dead. 

If there is any doubt remaining about the dominion Jesus has over nature, let it be removed this morning. We’ve seen weather, demons, disease and now death itself all subverted! Lets see how Jesus is greater than Elijah.

21 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23 and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24 And he went with him.

  • it was likely bold for Jairus to ask Jesus for help. It says something about his belief. 

When we go to God with things, it’s easy to think of it as an insurance policy. But for this man, he might have been risking quite a bit to show his faith in someone the Jewish leaders didnt like

24b And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 

    • All these years, she would have been ceremonially unclean, and never would have participated with her community in worship. She is an outsider, unable to approach God (in the temple). She was a social outcast.

    • The woman is at the end of her rope. She has spent her money and exhausted her options to find a cure for her physical ailment.

27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 

  • So she touches him and for the third time in as many weeks, we see that Jesus immediately and completely remedies the situation. She is “healed of her disease”. 

30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 

  • As big and grand as he is, this small act does not go unnoticed. 

33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

    • Her faith has made her well. Begs the question, where does faith come from? 

    • Romans 10:7 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ”

    • So her God given faith allows her to be restored, both physically and in society.

35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 

    • Things have taken a turn for the worse, the daughter has died.

    • Jesus knows all things, and he knew exactly how much time the girl had left but he didn’t rush. 

  • they are being silly, making some inane distinction between being sick and being dead. I think of Jesus as capable of doing anything. But in the same breath, I can doubt Gods power. I think there is no way God is capable of giving me wisdom, providing me opportunities, of healing people in my life. Of bringing certain people to himself. 

38 They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40a And they laughed at him. 

  • Death is particularly difficult when it’s someone we think of as too young, or it wasn’t their time, or the circumstances we feel are unjust.

40b But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

  • I read these stories and it sometimes fails to excite me in the way it should. The girl is actually dead. She has stopped breathing. But Jesus does something beyond belief.
    • He uses the Aramaic word “cumi” or κοῦμ.
      • We see the word translated as “arise” all over the bible. In the new testament its used every time someone raises someone from the dead. But the old testament it is almost always a command from god to get to your feet and get to work. Go!
  • Even if people intellectually know that God CAN give life, the fact that he DOES shows how much he cares and the great mercy he has for us.

Jesus raising the little girl overcomes the people with amazement. Something that had not been seen since the time of Elijah and Elisha is happening before them. 

Elijah ask God to intervene and raise the widow’s son. The resurrection of her child leads her, a gentile, to declare Elijah was from god.

1 Kings 17:23b 

“‘See, your son lives.’ 24 And the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.’”

1 King 18:37

“Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

Elijah had been sent to refocus the nation of Israel on their creator. He performed many miracles of healing and signs of Gods power. Incredibly he even raised a man back to life. But he was human, weak and imperfect. His witness was insufficient in turning the hearts of Gods people back to him. 

His flawed witness was not enough. The Israelites did not turn back to the God who brought them out of Egypt. They continued to disobey his laws, blatantly worship false idols and descend into darkness and evil. 

James 5:16

“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours”

Someone greater than Elijah had to come. Israel could not be convinced to give up their false gods and turn back to the true living God, even after he used Elijah to display supernatural miracles.

It can be easy to think that sin is winning. With the pain we experience every day as collateral damage, the constant barrage of bad news and hurt. But we as Christians should take heart, that over the three thousand years since Elijah raised the widows daughter, billions more have been raised to life in Christ. Since that first gentile widow professed faith by the raising of her son, Jesus’ power over death itself  has been causing new believers to profess Jesus is Lord ever since.

So how do we apply this?

Be like Jesus, don’t be in a hurry

  • We should emulate this man. Not just in personality traits or characteristics. But in the way he lived and went about his business.

We’ve been made alive. Arise

  • Take up the call to get up and go! There is work to be done

Don’t limit Jesus’ power

Be desperate for Jesus

  • Jairus knew that asking Jesus to save his daughters life was well worth the hit to his reputation. He was desperate. 
/by

Mark Pt. 12: Something Greater is Here Pt. II

Something Greater is Here pt II

Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon

This morning we’ll continue in Mark.

Last week we saw that Jesus demonstrated his incredible power over nature

I referenced it last week, but when Jesus explained the sign of Jonah to the pharisees he gave this answer

Matthew 12:40

“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth

…for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.”

This story does not have a direct one for one, chronological pairing with the Exodus

Jesus has come to free the world, much like Moses had freed the Israelites.

If you only hear two things today, let it be this. 

First, we human beings are insane in our sin. Sin has a large impact on our world.

The second point this text makes it that Jesus is the only way to be free.

5 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

– Right away, we are introduced to a man with an “impure spirit”.

– Their goal was to destroy the man who was made in the image of God. 

– The man is an example of all human kind. He is uncontrollable.

-I think this maps well to the Israelites enslaved in Egypt. This man was a slave to the demons. He was held captive by a mighty power. And unable to liberate himself. 

– Jesus taking them here is a preview of what was to come once Jesus left

6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

– The demons immediately recognize his presence

– no sense of submission or worship.

– Compare this to the disciples who call him “Lord”. Similarly it is a declaration of power, but also a surrender. Recognizing not just power but authority too. 

9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

– They beg to be shown mercy

11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

– A wild image to picture

– If Jesus will no longer allow these demons to destroy the man, they beg to destroy the pigs. All they want to do is destroy Gods creation.

– This is reminiscent of God no longer allowing his people to be held captive by the Egyptians, and he frees them by running their captors in to the red sea to drown.

14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 

– Every part of this man had been restored. 

– how can we be lukewarm about Jesus? There are two reactions, terror and amazement. 

16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

– There are repercussions if Jesus is God. And they do not want to deal with it.

– This resonates with what Pharaoh tells Moses. Once God has struck down all the Egyptian firstborns, Pharaoh says he has had enough.

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

– It’s AFTER he’s saved he’s begging to walk with Jesus. Only after he is clothed and in his right mind that he is able to desire Godly things.

– By no actions of his own was the man healed. In fact it was in the face of his opposition to healing!

– Jesus did not liberate him so the man could continue living in the tombs. 

Mark 16:15

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

Our salvation story is a tool that God has given us, we need to be prepared to use it.

Moses was called by God to free their ancestors from their captors. But it didn’t come to fruition, both physically and spiritually. 

But Jesus has come here to bring about a new exodus for mankind, ultimately defeat satan at the end of all days. 

Jesus has liberated us from our sin, we are no longer in Egypt. But we remain in the wilderness.

Something greater than the exodus has happened. God himself came down to free us, let us celebrate it. 

/by

Mark Pt. 11: Something Greater is Here

Something Greater Is Here


Jesus Calms the Storm

Have you ever watched a movie or been reading a book and thought, I know this story! I’ve seen this play out before. I’m not talking about the severe lack of creativity plaguing our culture now. What I am talking about is often a good thing. There is a fine line between copying and retelling. But some of the best movies are retellings of classic literature. “Oh brother where art thou” is a fun twist on Homers Odyssey. The Lion King is a modern Hamlet. When it is done right, it’s not lazy, it is an homage. 

We are going to see something like that through the next chapter of Mark. Gods story is intricate and detailed. His plan to rescue his creation from sin and darkness started long before Man ever left the garden. God orchestrated it together with perfect and purposeful. There was set-up that needed to happen in order to pave the way for Jesus. God prepared the world in specific ways by giving hints about his Character, and how he would never give up on his creation. God used a nation, of cowards, failures and idol worshipers mind you, to tell the world about him. He used kings, prophets and emancipators who loved him, but who were flawed. And then Jesus came to set things right at the exact right time. We are blessed to know that part of the story.

-Mark will show us through a series of stories that Jesus uses his life to retell some of the stories we’re familiar with in the old testament. 
-We will see parallels that show how Jesus is a fulfillment of the things God promised to his people. All the things he asked us to do, knowing that we would fall short, Jesus has come to complete. 
-Jesus is here to show that he is a better version than everyone who has come before him.

Mark written very fast paced. My study bible calls Mark a “docudrama”. It is a collection of tidbits of the life of Jesus. The tidbit we will read about today is Jesus calming the storm. 

Our text is Mark 4:35-41 

We only get 7 verses describing it in this account. We get a version of the story in all three synoptic gospels, and surprisingly this is the longest most detailed version! 

35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 

    • Jesus is traveling with his disciples through the region, and they have spent a full day in the hot sun keeping the crowds at bay as Jesus taught. He would teach the crowds with parables, and then the disciples privately. 
    • So they decide to get away
    • it would have looked as archaic as you are thinking.   
    • The boat would have been made of wood, about 25 feet long, and fit 15 or so people. 

37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

    • A “squall” means a sudden and violent gust of wind. 
    • The sea of Galilee is hundreds of feet below sea level, so apparently it was and still is prone to sudden and violent storms.
    • Danger comes out of the blue. Imagine not being able to swim. Do you know what happens when you wear loose fitting clothes in the water? Have you been on a boat when you are not in control? 
    • There is fear of death mostly, fear of losing the boat. No coast guard, no life jackets. 
    • Do not let the fact that Jesus is sleeping through this whole ordeal convince you otherwise: this was an intense moment.
    • Jesus was tired, a reminder of his humanity. He is not straight out of an action film where the characters have a seemingly superhuman source of energy.
    • They wake him up. Unclear why. Do they think he can calm the storm? From their reactions it sure doesn’t seem that way. Are they handing him a bucket to bail water out?

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

    • As quickly as the storm was upon them, it’s over. 
    • This should immediately make clear that Jesus is no regular man or prophet
    • Throughout the scripture there is only one entity who has control over nature itself 

Job 38
8 “Who shut up the sea behind doors
    when it burst forth from the womb,
9 when I made the clouds its garment
    and wrapped it in thick darkness,
10 when I fixed limits for it
    and set its doors and bars in place,
11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;
    here is where your proud waves halt’? 

    • There is no shortage of examples where God and God alone demonstrates power over nature
    • King David writes…

Psalm 29
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the Lord thunders over the mighty waters…

10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
    the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
god controls even the flood, the uncontrollable. 

    • Jonah also found himself on a boat, for a very different reason, sleeping when they were caught in a deadly storm. 
    • When the crew realizes Jonah is the cause, he is thrown overboard, and God stills the storm

40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

    • He rebukes the storm, and quickly turns to rebuke the disciples. They are chastised for their lack of faith. 
    • “why are you so afraid”
    • there is an expectation that they have a certain level of faith at this point. 
    • Fear and faithlessness are connected. Fear is what manifests when we do not have faith.

41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

    • The disciples are talking amongst each other about what they just saw. 
    • Previously, when Jesus performed miracles the people around him were in awe or disbelief.
    • But this scene gives us a different reaction from the disciples than a lot of the other miracles. It says “they were terrified”. The danger is gone, usually fear is replaced by relief or shock. But their terror transfers from the storm to Jesus. 
    • They were afraid of the storm because of its power. It clicks for them here that the storm is powerless over them. But the master over the storm is still in the boat.
    • “Who is this?” Do you think it’s a real question? 

A person could not be God. Only God has dominion over nature in that way. Yet it was a man, a tuckered out, sleep deprived man, who calmed the storm. The disciples did not know how to make sense of this.

Humans are not supposed to do what Jesus did. Even the ones that want to do good, can’t get it right. From Moses to David, they all got it wrong.
From the beginning, God knew he had to do it himself. He planned to take on flesh, and come down to show how it really should be done. 
When God called Jonah, he got up and left… in the opposite direction he was told to go. He didn’t want to go to Nineveh, it was a foreign land. It was beneath him. And after a bit of arm twisting and stomach churning, Jonah did as he was told. 
By comparison, Jesus listened. He didn’t need to be thrown overboard for God to calm the storm.

Jesus is a better Jonah in more ways than that. A little later in his ministry, the Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign. Jesus says they will only get one, and he calls it the Sign of Jonah. 

The crux is this: Jonah, after initial reluctance, preached repentance to the gentiles, and thousands listened. Jesus is greater than Jonah. He preached the same message, and it has lead to billions of gentiles around the world laying down their lives and following him. Praise God

What do we do about this? We follow suit

Jonah 3:10
10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

    • Where have I fallen short? What do I need to repent of right now?

Secondly, the disciples were afraid because they lacked faith

    • What do you not trust God with?
    • Do you know Gods character well enough to trust him?
    • Is your fear in the right place?

Matt 10
28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

I want to leave you this morning with verse 38. “don’t you care if we die”? Imagine looking Jesus in the face and asking him this question. How might he respond? As the disciples will find out soon enough, it turns out he does care if they die. He cares so much about them dying that he came to die in their place. He took on flesh to live a perfect life, that only he could live, and give his life for us. 

Jesus did not come to erase Jonah, he came to complete the mission
Jesus is a better Jonah. And because we aren’t stuck with the old version, we are able to know God, and repent. Thats just what we get to do together as we celebrate communion.

/by

Mark Pt. 10: Big Picture Parables

Pt. 10: Big Picture Parables

4:21-34 [NASB 1995]

Four Parables about Big Picture Principles

2 about God’s Word, 2 about The Kingdom of God

As disciples of Jesus Christ we do well to grasp and live by these principles

As context we keep in mind what Christ said about the 1st parable He told

Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? ~  Mark 4:13

That was regarding the way God’s Word works in different people’s lives

These parables continue to teach us about who God is and How He operates…

God wants to transform us by the renewing of our minds

In order for us to walk closely with Him we need to understand Him

If you are a disciple of Christ, ask God’s Spirt in you for insight into His meaning

21 And He was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? 22 For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

  • This parable come right after the previous on the nature of God’s Word
  • This is a continuation of teaching about ‘God’s Word’
  • The purpose of light: make things more visible; light enables us to see better
  • God’s Word, [His revealed will & ways] gives us the ability to see more clearly
  • God’s Word combined the The Holy Spirit’s Illumination reveals all truth
  • If God enables you to understand this then ACT ON IT!

24 And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. 25 For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”

  • The difference between the idea of hearing and the idea of listening
  • Again this parable has an understood context that it is about God’s Word
  • The more you live based on God’s Word the more it will be revealed to you
  • There is no middle ground here, seek and get more or don’t and get ZERO!

26 And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; 27 and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. 28 The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. 29 But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

  • God’s Kingdom operates on principals that can’t be explained by our senses
  • We have learn a lot about our natural world, yet we don’t know everything
  • The farmer doesn’t understand it all but he trusts it
  • But when we do know from experience it is time to act, we should not hesitate
  • He knows his role in the process and he plays that role

30 And He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, 32 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.”

  • ‘How might I describe the Kingdom of God?’
  • The mustard seed appears to be part of something small, based on our senses
  • Yet in ways we can’t comprehend it becomes part of something massive
  • It grows to become support for other things; an unlikely foundation 

33 With many such parables He was speaking ‘The Word’ to them, so far as they were able to hear it; 34 and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.

  • The Word, God’s Word is communicated by Christ through examples / parables
  • The crowd understood them to varying degrees…[w/ Holy Spirit Illumination]
  • To the Disciples: Personal Jesus Illumination! [this is what it means to ‘walk’]
  • Christ reveals things to His disciples that not everyone gets to understand 
  • This right here, right now is that sort of debrief, as we gather, HE is among us!

SUMMARY:

Parable #1: A lamp is ‘God’s Word’ being revealed / illuminated to people, explaining reality about God or to show what the truth is about something. 

God’s influence in our lives is light: There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.  ~  John 1:9

Parable #2: What you listen to is a reflection of what you value. The way you value God’s Word is proportional to how much understanding of it will be given to you. Abundance will be multiplied and lack of will become total.

“For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.”  ~  Matthew 25:29

Parable #3: A foundational principle of God’s Kingdom is that HE makes all the growth happen that is necessary to enter into the Kingdom and harvests [saves] those who become ready. WE get to participate in the harvest: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”  ~  Matthew 9:37&38

Parable #4: The mustard seed represents the otherworldly nature of the Kingdom of God. What can seem insignificant to our senses can be used by God to become so important it supports other things.  ~  And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  ~  Matthew 19:26

Jesus’ words to the general population are unexplained parables, to many they are without meaning. God allows Christ’s disciples to understand the spiritual significance of His parables. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”   ~  Matthew 11:15

APPLICATION:

What specific parts of YOUR LIFE could use some of God’s light shined on them?

What actions can YOU take to honor God’s Word and treat it as more valuable than you currently do?

What are some ways YOU can make yourself more available to join God in His work going on around you?

What resources can YOU use to evaluate what is valuable based on God’s point of view?

What are some ways YOU can be actively grateful for the spiritual understanding God has given you?

/by

Mark Pt. 9: Responding To The Word of God

MARK 4:1-20 ‘THE 4 SOILS’

There is nothing more important you will do in this life than respond to God’s Word. What does Jesus mean when He uses the term ‘God’s Word’? God’s Word embodies who He is. It is the revelation of His character, His will for mankind and the ways in which He calls us to relate to Him.

God’s Word is given to us though Scripture, by The Holy Spirit in various ways and Christ was the living Word. The Biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s Word. God’s Word has a purpose in our lives; through recognition, surrender and obedience to IT we are reconciled and united with Our Creator. Biblical Salvation!

The gravity of this passage is immense! Jesus states it’s importance clearly…Christ is basically going to say; If you can’t understand how the Word of God works in this world with different people you will not understand anything else about God.

What happens with my response to God’s Word determines my eternity.What I do with God’s Word on a daily basis is a measure of my stewardship of that Word.

Mark 4:1-20

1 Once again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. A very large crowd soon gathered around him, so He got into a boat. Then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore.

  • The Sea of Galilee, NW shore
  • They had prepared for this day [mark 3:9]
  • Instead of clamoring to touch Him, they chilled, and became teachable

2 He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. 4 As he scattered it across his field…

  • The way HE taught was with real life situations, relatable examples…
  • You don’t need to be a farmer to understand, just need to have seem ‘ground’
  • He begins with ‘Listen’! He is declaring this to everyone
  • The farmer starts with intention: desire is to plant what he has so it bears fruit
  • He has seeds from the previous crop

some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it.

  • 1st Soil, not even soil…
  • Part of the field he was planting in had a path [exposed ground]
  • Birds eating it is finality…

5 Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died.

  • 2nd Soil, there is dirt there but rock below [field clearing = rock removal]
  • It started strong, but over time and in normal conditions…
  • No roots = No Future…for plants and people

7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain.

  • 3rd Soil. Plant can grow in this soil…problem is…
  • Other plants were using that soil, and they were there first!
  • They were more established and dominated the resources
  • There were little seedlings that did not reproduce
  • All mature things reproduce

8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

  • 4th Soil, fertile soil: Receptive / Prepared / Positioned
  • They not only sprouted they grew to the point of reproducing [giving off seed]
  • They continue to reproduce maturity that reproduces…multiplication of maturity

9 Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

  • Those who The Holy Spirit gives the gift of ‘Illumination’ do well to pay attention
  • Do you have ears to hear?

10 Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked Him what the parables meant.

  • Debrief time: The twelve & others…what others? [audience]
  • They all wanted to know… They were teachable

11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders, 12 so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they see what I do, they will learn nothing. When they hear what I say, they will not understand. Otherwise, they will turn to me and be forgiven.’” [Isiah 6:9b-10]

  • Permitted to Understand = Spiritual Illumination [Matthew 16:15-17 [‘not flesh..]
  • Secret = Mysteries [mysteries ARE Knowable by nature]
  • God’s Word says some people will not get it!
  • When God himself speaks [Jesus on Earth] it will go over people’s head
  • The opposite of not understanding is turning to God, [repenting] being forgiven

13 Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables?

  • The way of the Word of God is rudimentary
  • The basic method of a parable is to apply the principle of the example
  • Only parables so far were about garment patching & wineskins [2:21-22]
  • This really is the ‘Intro To Parables’ portion of Christ’s school of God’s Word
  • Recognize pattern of ‘spiritual application’ Jesus shares, use it as an example

14 The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. 15 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away.

  • The farmer has something [God’s Word / Gospel] and HE wants to reproduce it
  • Soil #1 is given the Word of God, they ‘HEAR’ it
  • But it is taken before they ‘LISTEN’
  • Seed on a footpath is exposed to the birds / people live exposed to satan / evil
  • It is too easy for the birds to find and devour…

16 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 17 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.

  • Soil # 2 ‘Rocky Soil’
  • The conditions were nothing extraordinary: [problems & persecution normal]
  • Is God’s Word too hard when life happens?

18 The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.

  • Soil # 3 among the thorns…[thorny crown]
  • Things that were there before the Word, established things, suck up all the life
  • Worry about material needs, wealth, and status take priority over God’s Word
  • God’s Word can’t get healthy enough to produce fruit in this person…
  • Whatever is not healthy enough to reproduce, dies!

20 And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!

  • Soil # 4 ‘The Good Soil’ What makes it good? Rather WHO makes it good…
  • The seed / Word of God falls, they hear it AND accept it
  • God’s Word Planted in ‘fertile / good’ soil produces more of the same
  • IT REPRODUCES!
  • Not addition, Multiplication!

SUMMARY:

Jesus Christ teaches there are four distinct ways the Word of God works in people’s lives. Christ says this parable is foundational in understanding His message.

The ‘Farmer’ spreading seed is God reveling His ‘Word’ [His Will & Ways]

The ‘Field’ [Our World] has four distinct ‘Soils’ [Geographic Areas] representing different people receiving God’s Word.

Soil 1: A path that has no chance of growing seed. Exposed to the enemy, the seed / Word of God dies. This person lives without acknowledging or obeying God’s Word.

Soil 2: Soil that has rocks beneath. Unable to establish roots, the plants cannot endure ‘normal life’. The seed / God’s Word, is emotionally received but has no future. This person is open to God’s Word for a season, not eternity.

Soil 3: Soil that grows stuff. Choked out by ‘needful things’, this seed does not get the resources needed to thrive, it does not mature and reproduce. This person cannot prioritize God’s Word over material and emotional lusts.

Soil 4: Soil made to grow ONE particular thing. The seed / God’s Word is able to mature and reproduce, multiplying what was planted. This person is the ‘Good Soil’. One who is fully surrendered to God’s Word & Will. This is what Biblical salvation looks like.

APPLICATION:

Since Jesus says this parable is so important, let us make it the topic of conversation for the next week.

What principals in God’s Word have you at times been a footpath or rocky soil to? How might you change that?

Get with someone you trust and evaluate each other on how much the cares of this world impact your discipleship to Christ, then hold each other accountable to change.

How can you be a bigger part of multiplying the Gospel? Initiate change today.

/by

Mark Pt. 8: The True Family Of Christ

Supernatural Reality & Spiritual Family

Jesus tied up Satan and plundered his house. What He took was my soul, perhaps your soul. Jesus has the Spiritual Authority to constrict the Enemy & a Spiritual Family love for His followers. Christ exercises His Spiritual dominion over the kingdom of satan throughout the Gospel of Mark.

Today, all over the world, Christ is plundering the strong man’s house and claiming souls as HIS. But ‘The Strong Man’ is not without weapons to try to guard His house…The world and it’s citizens will claim all sorts of wrongs things about the one true God. It’s goal is to depict God falsely…to undermine His authority, grace & goodness.

Ignorance of God is forgivable…but if Christ has revealed Himself to you and yet you deny who He is, specifically His Supernatural / Spirit nature…Let’s see what our Lord says in our text today…

It is that supernatural nature, specifically The Holy Spirit, through who we become part of the family of ‘The One True God’ when we believe The Biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ. Surrender of one’s life to Christ, and recognition of His Lordship makes people a part of a supernatural family. [Bond of The Spirit]

In our passage today it’s Homecoming for Jesus…

Mark 3:20-35

20 And He came home, and the crowd gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. 21 When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, “He has lost His senses.”

  • At this point Jesus travels to Nazareth and it is a BIG deal [celebrity]
  • His extended family, think He has lost His marbles… [Messiah Complex???]

22 The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”

  • Once again the Law of Moses worshiping religious leaders are watching Him
  • They claim Jesus is possessed by Satan, who is then commanding his minions
  • They can see no way that this is God…has to be something else…

23 And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.”

  • For the rest of the passage the Scribes are who Jesus will address
  • So Jesus said ‘come here all you scribes and listen to me’…
  • He points out their argument makes no sense
  • When He refers to Kingdoms & Houses, this represent absolute loyalty
  • Satan minions always work for Him

26 “If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished! 27 But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.”

  • If it comes to the point where Satan is taking out his own guys, it’s over
  • What is really happening in the supernatural realms is WAR!
  • In a war you have to take the leader out of commission to take his stuff

28 “Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

  • Jesus uses the phrase: ‘truly I say to you’, prior to dropping serious truth
  • Blaspheme: to speak evil of, to disrespect, mock and show contempt for
  • The Scribes were claiming the supernatural power was of evil origin
  • They would not know holiness if it smacked them in the face!

31 Then His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him and called Him. 32 A crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.”

  • The extended family went and got Jesus’ immediate family
  • The ‘they’ is the Scribes who are trying to discredit Jesus
  • Instead of hearing what Jesus is saying they move on to the next tactic

33 Answering them, He said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” 34 Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”

  • He answers ‘them’ which is the Scribes…with a question
  • The family relationship flows from putting your faith in Christ
  • It is a Spirit Bond; that comes from doing God’s will [surrendering to Christ]
  • When we are rightly related to God we can be rightly related to each other
  • What is real family about? What makes family?

BIG IDEAS:

Walking with God will be mistaken by most as a loss of common sense.

Nonsensical spiritual things will be attributed to Christ. [Non-Biblical things]

There are only two Kingdoms, they have nothing in common & are at war constantly.

Christ engages in supernatural spiritual battle to ‘plunder’ your soul out of darkness.

Denial of the Holy Spiritual Essence of God places one into eternal un-forgiveness.

God’s family is based on the spiritual connection of shared faith in the Biblical Christ.

TRUTH INTO ACTION:

Use Ephesians 6:14-17 to detect and reject false claims about Christ & His Body.

Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. [NLT]

Using 1 John 1:5-6 as a guide, what do you see that is shared between God’s Kingdom and the Kingdom of darkness?

This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. [NLT]

How does Colossians 1:13-14 combine with this passage to define Biblical Salvation?

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. [NKJV]

Based on this passage and Christ’s words in Matthew 12:30-31, what constitutes ‘The Unforgivable Sin’?

“He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters. Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.”

Based on Christ’s words & Ephesians 2:19-22, what defines the connection that makes people part of God’s family?

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in Whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. [ESV]

/by

Mark Pt. 7: Spiritual Balance & The Call To Lead

Biblical Discipleship Prepares Kingdom Leaders

We have two somewhat connected stories in today’s passage. We will learn some things that pertain to all who would be a ‘Disciples’ of Christ. We will learn somethings about being called to leadership of Christ’s body.

As followers of Christ we need both the healing & teaching of Jesus. As followers of Christ we all will be called to lead in some way, shape or form. Balanced discipleship prepares us to play the role God has for us, whatever that is. God’s Word guides us and points us.

Last week, during a visit to a synagogue, Jesus healed & taught…He healed someone, [no demonic component] & taught on the heart of the sabbath. He declared: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” As Christ confronts the legalism of the Pharisees, they begin to plot with the followers of King Herrod to get rid of Him…

Mark 3:7-19

7 Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from Judea, 8 and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him.

  • Back to Capernaum: Home base
  • Masses flocked to Him because He had been traveling, visiting synagogues
  • They heard of what Christ had done, [healing] not so much the message
  • Serious distances coved by seekers…

9 And He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd Him; 10 for He had healed many, with the result that all those who had afflictions pressed around Him in order to touch Him.

  • He knew many were realizing a need for connection to God
  • This is perhaps before He preaches from the boat..
  • There were people who believed they would be healed if they touched him
  • Christ wanted to teach as well as heal [long term spiritual healing vs quick fix]

11 Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!” 12 And He earnestly warned them not to tell who He was.

  • The implication is that not every affliction was the result of unclean spirits
  • When demons were the cause, they were compelled to bow & confess
  • Christ did not want the demons to communicate in any way to seekers
  • Demons obeyed Jesus’ command not to tell better than some people

…Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. ~ Mark 1:43-45

13 And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. 14 And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, 15 and to have authority to cast out the demons.

  • The idea of the mountain was similar to Moses going up on Mt. Sinai
  • God called those He had a specific purpose to fulfill…He still does!
  • When Jesus gives one of His followers a call to leadership they they come
  • They would be with Him [Disciples] AND He would send them [Apostles]
  • God gives people He calls to be His leaders some of HIS Spiritual Authority.

16 And He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), 17 and James, the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, “Sons of Thunder”)

  • ‘Appointed’ them to a place of leadership and Mission
  • ‘The Big Three’ [Peter, James & John]
  • They were called to be leadership for the leadership
  • ‘Son’s of Thunder’ was tongue in cheek AND serious at the same time

18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot; 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.

  • The other 9…Each had a special role
  • Andrew was Peter’s support
  • Philip was a disciple of John The Baptist [Sound Meta-Narrative]
  • Bartholomew [AKA Nathaniel] was un-jaded and without guile
  • Matthew / Levi was to one day write one of the ‘Spirit Breathed’ Gospels
  • Thomas: We all have doubts God wants to address
  • James the lesser: took the Gospel to Persia [Not Levi / Matthew’s brother]
  • Thaddaeus [also called Judas / Jude] He questioned God the way we all should
  • Simon The Zealot: brought radical religious cachet; following Christ is radical
  • And Judas Iscariot…
    • Always mentioned with Iscariot to distinguish him from Thaddaeus
    • Judas is reminiscent of another character in Scripture… Saul

Our church wide 1st Samuel Study… Some heavy theology… often overlooked

Clear parallels between Saul & Judas: Both were selected by God for a specific role but it was not to obey and believe in God as God. Both appear to be part of God’s redeemed but end up proving they are not…

These two and others in Scripture do not ‘lose’ their place as belonging to God, they never did belong to God. Important theology regarding what the Bible teaches about salvation…We are all about what Scripture has to say about salvation / eternity

Biblical Gospel: ‘Once saved, always saved’

SUMMARY:

Jesus wants to connect us to God through healing and teaching; healing for now and teaching for on-going connection.

Jesus reveals Himself through His teaching and His healing, not through demonic proclamation.

God calls exactly who He wants to lead what He wants led. There are numerous roles in leadership of the Body of Christ, the scriptural model is a team of ‘role players’.

People can appear to be serving as leaders of God’s people when they have not fully surrendered their life to The God of The Bible. Such people, like Judas Iscariot and Saul, will ultimately betray the Lord.

APPLICATION:

Is your Christ discipleship a balance of Spiritual Healing and Scriptural Teaching? Do you see the need in your life for both? What adjustments could bring more balance?

What is your process for making certain there is no demonic influence in your relationship with Jesus Christ? Do you recognize the need to closely & biblically scrutinize influences?

Are you available to be called into some form of leadership in Christ Body? Are you willing to play whatever role Christ gives you as well as you can?

What criteria do you use to evaluate leadership of Christ’s Body? How much do you value consistent, time proven surrender to Christ’s Lordship, versus talent and style?

/by