This biblical truth was on my mind as I stood by while a committed believer and member of our church was breathing. He is in hospice care after a 8 year battle with bone cancer (the doctors gave him 3-5 years). The doctors expect him to pass away at any moment. As of yesterday, he was sleeping but his breathing was strong. As I stood there with the family, there were moments when we just watched and listened to him breathe. In those moments, I thought of the brevity of life. Earlier, I had a car malfunction, and realized how close I was to a major car accident (no guarantees of another day of life, even if we are cancer free). I thnk of my age, and although many would call me young, I realize how quickly life is passing; and how quickly it might be over.
My intention in writing this and contemplating on it is not to dive into discouragement and despair. Instead, I want to turn these thoughts into opportunities for praise and intentional growth. Because life is vapor and we are breath away from eternity, I am reminded that the Scriptures are true. This life is temporal and the only things that last are the treasures that are laid in Heaven.
I am grateful for te life and blessings God has given me. I know that much of my time is spent investing in temporal things. What I learned from yesterday is that I need to be recomitted, with whatever time I have left, to invest in people, since they will last forever; and in what God has called me to do in this short life.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
I STILL DO
This message was the most difficult one to prepare for in the book of Mark. The topic of divorce is such a sensitive one, as everyone is affected by it in one way or another. I felt led, by God, to emphasize Jesus' words about God's plan from the beginning: the marriage covenant, between one man and one woman - for life. In doing so, we were able to concentrate on the part that we can positively do something about: be committed, once again, to our present spouse - for God's glory. We took time, as you will read, in the middle of this message, to honor the commitment of marriage. The two songs that were included within the message were: Holding Hands by Steve Green and God Blessed The Broken Road by Selah.
If you would like to listen to an audio of this message (although I was having a terrible time with my voice) you can find that at www.gbcwestlake.org and click on listen now. This message was preached at Grace aptist Church on Sunday August 17th, 2008.
I STILL DO
Mark 10:1-16
Please turn in your Bible to Mark 10. In the Bible in front of you, it is page 875 or 893.
I admit that I come into this message with some fear and trembling. I want to be true to the Word of God; and yet I also know that this topic today touches some families more deeply than any other. Therefore, I want to be true to the entire Word of God, using the time I have allotted to me this morning to communicate what I can about this.
The issue is divorce and you probably already know the statistics. Over half of marriages end in divorce and I don’t think the percentages are any better for those married more than once. Divorce touches everyone’s life in some way. You have probably either been divorced, or your parents or grandparents have; or you have someone close to you that has been divorced or are dealing with the effects of divorce in their family.
Jay Adams, in his book, Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible, writes: “Contrary to some opinions, the concept of divorce is biblical. The Bible recognizes and regulates divorce. Certain provisions are made for it. This must be affirmed clearly and without hesitation. Because divorce is a biblical concept, used and referred to frequently in the pages of the Bible, Christians must do all they can to understand it and to teach what God, in his Word, says about it.”
It is important that we know what the Bible says about divorce. But, I want to warn you: my main purpose is to teach the principles laid out in these passages in Mark, since I am preaching through the book. I will not be able to answer every question about divorce in this message or look at every passage on it. That is not my purpose. However, I am going to talk about some of the other things the Bible has to say about divorce, so that we will have a better context for which to view the specifics of Mark 10. And we will emphasize the positive aspect that Jesus deals with: the covenant commitment – the life-long commitment of marriage.
Mark 10:1,2 – “And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
Jesus continues his teaching to large crowds, but here the emphasis is not on what He was teaching. The emphasis is on the fact that wherever Jesus taught, you would usually find the Pharisees lurking. And, at every opportunity, they would pounce on something Jesus had said or introduce a question or accusation that might eventually cause Jesus to lose favor with the people; or cause Him to rebel against the Roman government; or do something that would allow them to get rid of him. Verse 2 tells us they asked this in order to test him; or trap him. They knew the divisive nature of that topic. It was hugely controversial back then, just as it is today in religious circles.
The Pharisees may have thought Jesus would contradict the Old Testament law (Deuteronomy 24), because they believed it was lawful, according to the Bible, to get a divorce. The Pharisees believed this permitted divorce, that the husband could initiate it and that they could get re-married – all according to the law, in their opinion.
One of the cultural things you need to know, was that, in that day, women were considered an object, a possession of the husband. According to Barclay: “She had no legal rights and was at the complete disposal of the male of the household. The result was that a man could divorce his wife on almost any grounds…”
But, there was huge disagreement over 2 particular schools of thought on the reasons for getting divorced. This may have been another reason they were asking Jesus this question. It is like 2 children coming to the parents with the same problem, hoping the parent would take their side. If they could get Jesus to take one side over the other, then perhaps there would be more opposition against Him.
Some held to the view of Rabbi Shammai who taught the more conservative view: that divorce was allowed only if the wife were guilty of sexual immorality. Others held to the view of Rabbi Hillel, who allowed a husband to divorce his wife for almost any reason.
The Pharisees had heard Jesus say in the past:
Matthew 5:31,32 – “It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce. But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
According to pastor and commentator John MacArthur: “From His previous teaching, the Pharisees knew Jesus did not hold to the liberal view of divorce (that a man could divorce his wife for any reason). They now expected Him to take the same stand and thereby alienate and intimidate the many other Jews besides themselves who accepted the idea of divorce for any cause at all…
Ultimately, of course, they wanted to destroy Him. The clever Pharisees were well aware that Perea, where Jesus now ministered, was under the rule of Herod Antipas. He was the tetrarch who had John the Baptist imprisoned and eventually beheaded for condemning his unlawful marriage to Herodias, whom he had seduced away from his brother Philip. No doubt the Pharisees hoped that, by denouncing divorce for any cause at all, Jesus would thereby publicly condemn Herod’s adulterous relationship just as John had done – and suffer John’s fate.”
So, they asked this question of Jesus: “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” They were hoping to get Jesus in trouble. Jesus, as He often did with these kinds of questions, responded with a question:
Mark 10:3– “He answered them, What did Moses command you?”
In other words: “What does the law of the Old Testament say?”
Mark 10:4 – “They said, Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.”
The human view of marriage: When it gets rough, find a way to escape.
Why? Because God allows for divorce.
I am going to explain to you the different views the religious leaders and people had of divorce. But, the bottom line is that they considered divorce an option; and a very viable one, since there was an Old Testament law attached to it. In fact, as human nature goes, over time people have come to view the laws of divorce as a great way to get out of a difficult marriage and then to move on with life and find someone else.
This is where all the controversy in that day came from. The law states this:
Deuteronomy 24:1 – “When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house…”
The controversy surrounded the words from this verse. What did “find no favor in his eyes” mean; and what did “indecency” mean. The school of Shammai taught that this means that she was found to be sexually immoral and therefore he could divorce her. The school of Hillel taught that this meant that he simply was displeased by her and didn’t want to be married to her anymore; and all he had to do to be rid of her was to write the certificate of divorce.
According to this school of thought, you could divorce your wife if she: burned your dinner, was caught with her head uncovered in public, talked disrespectfully to your parents, was seen in public talking to another man; or even if she was not able to bear children; and there were more.
So, they wanted to know: Jesus, which side are you on? Because regardless of the side he chose, it would make him more despised by whatever school of thought He disagreed with. So, it seems they had Him trapped. But, not quite. Jesus seemed to know how to answer with truth, so that He wasn’t really agreeing with either of them. Many felt Deuteronomy 24 gave men complete freedom to divorce their wives as they desired; and that the law was there to take away any guilt or consequences for doing so.
But this commandment about divorce was not there to allow men to easily get out of their marriages. But, since the men were going to divorce their wives, the law provided protection for the women. By writing a certificate of divorce in the presence of witnesses, she would not be charged with adultery, therefore sparing her life. At that time, adultery on her part would bring death. Although in Jesus’ day, that was no longer the case, the Rabbi’s laws did urge a man to divorce his wife is she was unfaithful.
According to Barclay, the certificate of divorce read very simply: “Let this be from me thy writ of divorce and letter of dismissal and deed of liberation, that thou mayest marry whatsoever man thou wilt. In later days the certificate became more elaborate.” They focused on this piece of paper that gave them their freedom and made them feel like they had done their duty. They were wrong. Jesus now confronts their wrong thinking:
Mark 10:5 – “And Jesus said to them, Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.”
Jesus makes it clear what the reason was for the law in the first place. Yes, Moses, who wrote the law under God’s direction, did so because he recognized that divorce was happening; and to regulate it. However, he did not write the law to excuse divorce. He wrote it because men’s hearts were hardened to God’s original purpose for marriage. Since men rebelled against God’s purpose, the law was then written so that when men divorced their wives, and it was supposed to be only on the basis of marital infidelity, then the paperwork would be done with witnesses; and the wife could be protected and even released from guilt. They were allowed to divorce because they were not going to accept God’s plan. It is time now to look at:
God’s view of marriage: When it gets rough, find a way to stay together.
Why? Because since the beginning, His plan was for one man and one woman to be married for life.
There are 4 reasons why we know that “married for life” was God’s plan:
1. There was only one man and one woman created in the beginning, to be given to one another in marriage.
Mark 10:6 – “But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.”
This is a part of God’s plan: one man, one woman in marriage. And this is the way God intended it since He created the first man and woman. If God intended for it to be one man and another man, he would have created it that way. One man and a little girl, one man and an animal, one man and multiple wives, or any other combination, God could have done it. But, God’ plan had to do with the fact that he created a single male and a single female, to bring them together as husband and wife for life.
Jay Adams wrote: “God did not put a parent and child into the garden. Adam and Eve were man and wife. That shows that the primary human relationship (and family relationship) is husband and wife. That is why a man must leave father and mother and cleave to his wife. The first relationship is temporary and must be broken; the second is permanent, and must not be broken.”
And Jesus emphasizes that permanence of the relationship in the next reason that “married for life” was God’s plan:
2. There were no parents for Adam and Eve to leave, so the “leaving and cleaving” is a principle laid down for all future generations.
Mark 10:7– “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife.”
This is pretty strong from Jesus here. The word for “hold fast” or “cleave” refers to a strong bonding together, as a strong glue or cement. Family is important; but at some point, for most people, this is God’s plan. The man and woman leave their family and create a new one together. The third reason we see that “married for life” was God’s plan is that:
3. In God’s eyes, the two distinct people become one person.
Mark 10:8 - “And they shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh.”
Not only does the couple come away from their families, but they also become one flesh. The two become one. And this tells you how serious God is about one man and one woman coming together for life. In His eyes, in His plan, there is no undoing of the marriage covenant. The idea of this phrase: “shall become one flesh” is very strong, as the cement or glue (the holding fast from vs. 7) - that holds two things together. In order to separate those two things, because of the strength of the glue, there would have to be tearing; and if you did separate them, there would be damage done, just like in a real life divorce.
As John MacArthur puts it: “When a man and woman are joined in marriage, they are indivisible and inseparable, except through death.” That was God’s plan.
And that is why Jesus adds the next strong warning and we find the fourth reason that: “married for life” was God’s plan:
4. Every marriage is made in Heaven.
I realize that because of people’s personal experiences, they might not think this to be true. But, that doesn’t take away the truth of this next statement:
Mark 10:9 – “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
God has joined every couple that makes the covenant promise to one another – together. It is God’s work. That is a pretty strong statement, isn’t it? He put this man and woman with one another, and He never, ever makes mistakes. So, Jesus commanded: You don’t take apart what God has put together. Tough statement – but it is what He said.
And His plan has not changed. It didn’t change when Moses wrote the law. It didn’t change when the Pharisees asked Him these difficult questions. It didn’t change when Paul wrote about marriage and divorce; and it still has not changed 2,000 years later. God’s plan is that you stay married for life.
In God’s eyes, there are no irreconcilable differences. There are some marriages that seemed hopeless - that have been reconciled, only by the grace and mercy and miracle of God! Every husband and wife are different from one another; and sometimes that drives us absolutely crazy. Sometimes Teresa will say to me: I don’t understand you. And I will reply: And I don’t understand you either! And marriage can sometimes get very rough, and discouraging and hard.
But, hear what Jesus said: “What God put together, let no man separate.”
You have probably heard of the man who told his wife who wanted to know if he loved her: “I told you I loved you when we got married 30 years ago, and I’ll let you know if I change my mind!” But, that is not the way it should be, is it?
We know that God’s plan of one man and one woman for life is not what most people experience; and that doesn’t mean that those divorced didn’t fully believe their vows. But, this should not keep us from celebrating God’s plan. We should take time to confirm: this was God’s plan from the beginning; and hopefully, all of us, regardless of our current situation; are willing to say: this is God’s plan, and I will do everything I can to uphold it presently in my life.
So, it is appropriate for us to take some time this morning to celebrate what God meant marriage to be. We don’t need to be ashamed of God’s plan. We know the world has its perspective on the sanctity of marriage and pretty much laughs at how serious God is about His plan. But, as a part of the Body of Christ, we can affirm, that although we still fail in our commitments, we believe that this is God’s plan; and is therefore the best plan, the safest plan, and the plan that leads to His blessing.
SO WHAT? Tell your spouse, on a regular basis: I STILL DO
We know the traditional wedding vows end with the commitment: I DO. But, don’t let that be the last time your spouse hears you say that. This morning, I would like to encourage you, if you are married, to say: I STILL DO; and confirm that we believe this is God’s plan; and we are committed to it.
Even if your marriage is not perfect (and whose is?) and even though your marriage might not be close to dissolving (and hopefully it isn’t), I would like to encourage you to say this to one another today. Even if this is not your first marriage, but you want it to be your last, then please participate. If you signed up to participate today, then we have a certificate to give you to commemorate this special occasion. They will be on a table just outside the worship center doors as you leave this morning. Please pick it up on your way out. They are in alphabetical order of your last name. But, even if you didn’t sign up, you can choose right now to participate anyway. If you choose not to, that doesn’t mean you have a bad marriage. It just means you decided to support everyone else rather than participate yourself – no big deal.
For those of you who are single or divorced, this is not meant to make you feel badly. This is meant to uplift God’s original plan; and for all of to say of His plan: It is good. I encourage you to support and encourage and pray for those who are re-committing to one another again today.
So, if you are married, let me encourage you to sit close to your spouse and enjoy this time together. If you are separated by your children right now, climb over them, push them aside and snuggle close! This is your time. Before I encourage you to repeat some I STILL DO vows, I have asked John Jacobs to sing a song that commemorates this ceremony:
Special: HOLDING HANDS – John Jacobs
I had thought about making these the vows for today: for both the husband and wife to say to one another.
I STILL DO – even when you’re grumpy, even when you have the flu
Even when you leave the clothes on the floor, or forget to clean up
Even when you misplace my favorite cup – I STILL DO
Even when you make mistakes, mess up, blow it, and sin
Even when you’re struggling with God – I STILL DO – even then
I STILL DO – when you go through tough days, and nothing seems to be right
Even when you wear unmatched clothes, and your pants are now too tight
Even when we disagree, and we don’t see eye to eye
Of course you’re wrong and I am right – but I’ll even let that pass by
As the years pass on, we grow older and things keeping changing
There is one thing in my life I have no desire for rearranging
No matter what life may bring us, no matter what we may go through
I’m in this for the long haul – forever; never forget that…
I STILL DO
But, I decided not to use those for our vows today. Many of you wrote your own vows for your wedding. I know we did; and those are special and unique to you. Many of you used the traditional vows, and that is what I would like to use this morning for our I STILL DO vows – with a couple things added in. So, if you are a couple that would like to participate in this today, would you please stand…next to your spouse!
Would you please turn toward one another, and hold hands?
Husbands: please repeat after me, as you speak these words to your wife:
I still choose to have you as my wife
I still want you to be my wife
To have and to hold
For better or for worse
For richer, for poorer
In sickness and in health
To love and cherish
To grow with in holiness
Until death do us part
I Still DO
Wives: please repeat after me:
I still choose to have you as my husband
I still want you to be my husband
To have and to hold
For better or for worse
For richer, for poorer
In sickness and in health
To love and cherish
To grow with in holiness
Until death do us part
I Still DO
And this is the best part: I am going to kiss my wife, so guys: please feel free to do likewise – don’t kiss my wife, but you can kiss yours!
THE KISS
Thank you – you may be seated. I really believe we are right in confirming what Jesus said about the permanence of marriage in this passage by what you have just done. But, that was not enough for the disciples – they had more questions:
Mark 10:10 – “And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter.”
I bet they had a lot of questions! But, we just have one major issue recorded here, which Jesus talked to them about:
Mark 10:11,12 – “And he said to them, Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
These are some of those verses that I would put in a category of: I wish Jesus never said these things. These are hard statements. Maybe not for you; but for those who have been divorced, those who want to be re-married, those of us who counsel people in these difficult circumstances: this is hard! However, this is what Jesus said, and you cannot really get around it.
This does not include the exception clauses which are not in Mark, but in other places of Scripture. We will touch on those later. The emphasis here is that if a man or woman decided to separate what God has put together, then he or she is not to remarry. Because if they do, they are sinning again through adultery.
You can try to interpret this differently, but it is biblically impossible to make it say something else. God says this is sin, if you get divorced and then remarry.
Jesus made sure they knew that this applied to men as well as women. Men were not getting a pass here. When the Pharisees asked about getting a divorce, some of them believed the men were guiltless and because of the law of Moses, could do whatever they chose, without penalty – not true! With Roman readers of Mark’s gospel, many of whom did not have the Jewish law, they needed to read that this applied to a woman seeking divorce just like a man. The principles and commands in the Bible referring to divorce and remarriage apply equally to men and women today. Don’t think that because it doesn’t use the word man in one place or woman in the other, that it doesn’t apply to you. The words were chosen to communicate to a particular culture.
Although Mark does not deal with divorce completely, I think it is necessary that I talk to you for a few minutes about some of the issues Mark does not include. Otherwise, if you only read what Mark has to say, you could leave confused; and even have the wrong idea of what God says about divorce.
Jay Adams wrote: “It is altogether true that God hates divorce. But He neither hates all divorces in the same way nor hates every aspect of divorce. He hates what occasions every divorce…he hates the results that often flow to children and to injured parties of a divorce…but that leaves some things about divorce that He does not hate. He certainly does not condemn or hate divorce proceedings per se (as a process). Nor does He hate divorce when it is obtained according to the principles and regulations laid down in the Scriptures and which he followed in His dealings with unfaithful Israel.”
Every divorce includes sin. I didn’t say every divorce is a sin; but every divorce includes sin. God’s plan is that we stay married for life, but there are sinful human beings involved in these relationships, so there is going to be failure; and it seems, at least half of the time, there is going to be divorce. It happens. And when it happens, you can be sure that one or both people involved sinned in the process. They obviously both sinned during their marriage, but at least one of them sinned in getting the divorce. Either the person seeking the divorce or the person being divorced was guilty of sin.
Let me say a word or two to those of you have gone through the tragedy of divorce. I know that some of those who have gone through a divorce have felt ostracized in their churches. They have been made to feel like 2nd class citizens, as though they have committed the unpardonable sin. But, I want to be clear here; and I want to encourage you.
No one, when they are married, intends to be divorced. That is obvious. You said your vows just like everyone else, that probably included the words: “until death do us part.” But, tough times came; and it may even be that the other person was the offending party, and all of sudden, what you never thought about when you walked down that aisle was a reality in your life. And there was incredible pain involved; and that pain may still be very fresh, even today.
Can I remind you of a couple very important biblical principles? First of all:
1. All sins can be forgiven. If you sinned in the process of the divorce, it can be forgiven. If you sinned by getting remarried, it can be forgiven. Why do people think that divorce is the sin that continues on and on and on, as though God doesn’t cleanse the guilt of that sin like He does any other? Why do people sometimes look at you as though you have a scarlet A on your dress? God doesn’t look at you that way. Here is the truth:
I John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Notice that verse did not say cleanse us from our sins (except divorce) – did it? If you agree with God about the sins you committed in the divorce and possible remarriage, you are forgiven. Did you hear what the Scripture says? You are forgiven. Believe it…and live like it.
2. Those who sinned in divorce and remarriage have not committed a greater sin than others
In other words, divorce is not at the top of the list of the sins God hates. Now, we do know from the book of Malachi that God hates divorce. But, read the list of things God hates from the Old Testament book of Proverbs:
Proverbs 6:16-19 – “There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.”
Guess what? Divorce didn’t make the list. But, some other things are on the list. What about the haughty eyes of someone who looks down on divorced people? What about these other sins that many other people commit – God hates these!
Now, read the other lists in the New Testament that give a rundown of some terrible sins.
There are lists of sins in Galatians 5, I Corinthians 6; Romans 1; and in Revelation 21, just to name a few. And guess what? Divorce and remarriage don’t appear in any of these lists. I’m not trying to tell you that people don’t sin often in divorce or that remarriage is not often a sin. What I am telling you is that the Bible does not put divorce and remarriage apart as something more sinful than any of the other sins that you and I commit every day.
I have heard people make the comment that divorce is worse than any other because our marriages are to be a picture of Christ and the Church. It is true, according to the Scriptures, that marriages are to be that picture and divorce distorts it. No doubt about it. But, the Bible also says that every individual Christian is to be like Christ; and every time we sin, we distort people’s view, not only of Christianity, but of Jesus Christ Himself. They are both distortions, sin always is; but the Bible does not say divorce and remarriage are worse than what the rest of us struggle through.
3. God is divorced. Yes – God went through divorce. You don’t believe me?
When God talks to His chosen people through His prophet Isaiah, He said this:
Isaiah 50:1 – “Thus says the LORD: Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce, with which I sent her away?..for your iniquities…and for your transgressions…”
God is talking through the prophet Jeremiah this time:
Jeremiah 3:8 – “…for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce.”
No, God did not have a physical wife. But, He did get divorced, cutting off the intimate relationship and present blessings for His people, His bride, because they committed spiritual adultery. Yes, God will reconcile with Israel and still has future blessings for them; but He also was clearly divorced. And by the way: it caused Him incredible pain; because He loved His people so much. Believe it or not, God knows and understands the pain that those involved in divorce go through.
4. Divorce and remarriage is not always a sin for the “innocent” party
Although everyone tends to sin in some way when divorce happens, there are times when the Bible says there is an innocent party. And in those cases, it also allows for remarriage without sin. Now, please understand that people argue about these points, and many people will not agree with me; and that is o.k.
Jesus, in Matthew, allowed for an innocent party to be divorced, if the spouse was unfaithful. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, allowed for an innocent party to be divorced, if the person, being a non-believer, deserted the spouse. In both cases, I believe that Bible allows for that person to also be re-married without sin. We are not spending a lot of time on this because Mark does not spend His time here. But, let’s be clear that divorce is not always sinful for both parties; nor is re-marriage after a divorce. We have to take all of the Scriptures into consideration when we are talking about these things.
If you get divorced for any other reason, have you sinned? Yes. If you get remarried as a divorced person or marry a divorce person, who does not fit into these “exceptions” in the Scriptures, have you sinned? Yes. The Bible is clear. We are not going to sugarcoat it. So, what should you do? Confess it and let God forgive you. And don’t let others act as though your sins cannot be forgiven; or that you are some sort of 2nd class Christian because of it. Your sin has been placed as far as the east is from the west, says God.
Some of you want to ask more questions: what about abuse, addictions to alcohol, pornography, etc.? Why aren’t those exceptions? I don’t know. I wish they were. They aren’t. However, that doesn’t mean that you have no options. If you are in a rough marriage, and don’t know what to do, we would love to sit down and talk to you about what God says about it. We would love to be of any help we can to you. No – we will not recommend divorce. In fact, we won’t even recommend divorce if your spouse has been unfaithful; but we will help you to sort it all out and come up with a plan. Our God is a God of hope, and a God of miracles. Don’t doubt what He can do.
Now, let me be clear on something else as we get ready to close. Although the sins of divorce and remarriage can be forgiven and spiritually wiped clean, there is a practical truth about these sins that are different than many other sins. There are natural consequences to divorce and re-marriage; and sometimes those consequences are terribly painful, seemingly unfair, and many times devastating – to many more people than just those who were married and now divorced; and perhaps married to someone else now.
You probably already know this, don’t you? There are some natural consequences to our actions, and it seems that the actions of divorce and remarriage bring consequences that never seem to go away; especially as it relates to the children caught up in the mess. Choosing God’s way is always the right way, the safest way, the way of wisdom, the way of blessing. And if you choose or if divorce is chosen for you, know that it will be difficult and painful; but God’s grace is still present.
When our service is done this morning, we can’t celebrate marriage without a reception, can we? So, all of you are invited to join us in the fellowship hall for some cake and punch. You will get the food and drink in the ministry room first, which is across from the nursery; and then carry it into the fellowship hall. There are only a couple tables set up for those of you who physically have to sit down. Otherwise, we are encouraging you to stand and fellowship while you eat and drink. Also, there are some wedding albums sitting around the interior walls of the fellowship hall; and we encourage you to look through them as you would like (without staining them with cake!) And if you brought one for display, feel free to take it with you once you leave for home today.
I encourage you to take the rest of the day and tonight to go spend with your spouse. Go on a date! If you want to use your date to come back to Madison Avenues evening service, feel free – Tim Konuch will be speaking. But, if you choose to spend the day and/or night with your spouse, you have made a great choice!
On the back of your outline this morning, I have listed a couple of good resources for those of you who would like to read a good book on marriage: Sacred Marriage; or I also included one by Jay Adams concerning divorce that I quoted in this message.
I have asked Shannon Dawson to come and sing the closing song this morning. And I just encourage you to listen to the words and contemplate on how gracious and merciful our God is, when it comes to our marriages. That, even though our lives could be described as “broken roads”, God brought you together as husband and wife – and that is something to thank Him for - something to praise Him for.
Let’s consider that now
Special: GOD BLESS THE BROKEN ROAD – Shannon Dawson
Prayer
If you would like to listen to an audio of this message (although I was having a terrible time with my voice) you can find that at www.gbcwestlake.org and click on listen now. This message was preached at Grace aptist Church on Sunday August 17th, 2008.
I STILL DO
Mark 10:1-16
Please turn in your Bible to Mark 10. In the Bible in front of you, it is page 875 or 893.
I admit that I come into this message with some fear and trembling. I want to be true to the Word of God; and yet I also know that this topic today touches some families more deeply than any other. Therefore, I want to be true to the entire Word of God, using the time I have allotted to me this morning to communicate what I can about this.
The issue is divorce and you probably already know the statistics. Over half of marriages end in divorce and I don’t think the percentages are any better for those married more than once. Divorce touches everyone’s life in some way. You have probably either been divorced, or your parents or grandparents have; or you have someone close to you that has been divorced or are dealing with the effects of divorce in their family.
Jay Adams, in his book, Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible, writes: “Contrary to some opinions, the concept of divorce is biblical. The Bible recognizes and regulates divorce. Certain provisions are made for it. This must be affirmed clearly and without hesitation. Because divorce is a biblical concept, used and referred to frequently in the pages of the Bible, Christians must do all they can to understand it and to teach what God, in his Word, says about it.”
It is important that we know what the Bible says about divorce. But, I want to warn you: my main purpose is to teach the principles laid out in these passages in Mark, since I am preaching through the book. I will not be able to answer every question about divorce in this message or look at every passage on it. That is not my purpose. However, I am going to talk about some of the other things the Bible has to say about divorce, so that we will have a better context for which to view the specifics of Mark 10. And we will emphasize the positive aspect that Jesus deals with: the covenant commitment – the life-long commitment of marriage.
Mark 10:1,2 – “And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
Jesus continues his teaching to large crowds, but here the emphasis is not on what He was teaching. The emphasis is on the fact that wherever Jesus taught, you would usually find the Pharisees lurking. And, at every opportunity, they would pounce on something Jesus had said or introduce a question or accusation that might eventually cause Jesus to lose favor with the people; or cause Him to rebel against the Roman government; or do something that would allow them to get rid of him. Verse 2 tells us they asked this in order to test him; or trap him. They knew the divisive nature of that topic. It was hugely controversial back then, just as it is today in religious circles.
The Pharisees may have thought Jesus would contradict the Old Testament law (Deuteronomy 24), because they believed it was lawful, according to the Bible, to get a divorce. The Pharisees believed this permitted divorce, that the husband could initiate it and that they could get re-married – all according to the law, in their opinion.
One of the cultural things you need to know, was that, in that day, women were considered an object, a possession of the husband. According to Barclay: “She had no legal rights and was at the complete disposal of the male of the household. The result was that a man could divorce his wife on almost any grounds…”
But, there was huge disagreement over 2 particular schools of thought on the reasons for getting divorced. This may have been another reason they were asking Jesus this question. It is like 2 children coming to the parents with the same problem, hoping the parent would take their side. If they could get Jesus to take one side over the other, then perhaps there would be more opposition against Him.
Some held to the view of Rabbi Shammai who taught the more conservative view: that divorce was allowed only if the wife were guilty of sexual immorality. Others held to the view of Rabbi Hillel, who allowed a husband to divorce his wife for almost any reason.
The Pharisees had heard Jesus say in the past:
Matthew 5:31,32 – “It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce. But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
According to pastor and commentator John MacArthur: “From His previous teaching, the Pharisees knew Jesus did not hold to the liberal view of divorce (that a man could divorce his wife for any reason). They now expected Him to take the same stand and thereby alienate and intimidate the many other Jews besides themselves who accepted the idea of divorce for any cause at all…
Ultimately, of course, they wanted to destroy Him. The clever Pharisees were well aware that Perea, where Jesus now ministered, was under the rule of Herod Antipas. He was the tetrarch who had John the Baptist imprisoned and eventually beheaded for condemning his unlawful marriage to Herodias, whom he had seduced away from his brother Philip. No doubt the Pharisees hoped that, by denouncing divorce for any cause at all, Jesus would thereby publicly condemn Herod’s adulterous relationship just as John had done – and suffer John’s fate.”
So, they asked this question of Jesus: “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” They were hoping to get Jesus in trouble. Jesus, as He often did with these kinds of questions, responded with a question:
Mark 10:3– “He answered them, What did Moses command you?”
In other words: “What does the law of the Old Testament say?”
Mark 10:4 – “They said, Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.”
The human view of marriage: When it gets rough, find a way to escape.
Why? Because God allows for divorce.
I am going to explain to you the different views the religious leaders and people had of divorce. But, the bottom line is that they considered divorce an option; and a very viable one, since there was an Old Testament law attached to it. In fact, as human nature goes, over time people have come to view the laws of divorce as a great way to get out of a difficult marriage and then to move on with life and find someone else.
This is where all the controversy in that day came from. The law states this:
Deuteronomy 24:1 – “When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house…”
The controversy surrounded the words from this verse. What did “find no favor in his eyes” mean; and what did “indecency” mean. The school of Shammai taught that this means that she was found to be sexually immoral and therefore he could divorce her. The school of Hillel taught that this meant that he simply was displeased by her and didn’t want to be married to her anymore; and all he had to do to be rid of her was to write the certificate of divorce.
According to this school of thought, you could divorce your wife if she: burned your dinner, was caught with her head uncovered in public, talked disrespectfully to your parents, was seen in public talking to another man; or even if she was not able to bear children; and there were more.
So, they wanted to know: Jesus, which side are you on? Because regardless of the side he chose, it would make him more despised by whatever school of thought He disagreed with. So, it seems they had Him trapped. But, not quite. Jesus seemed to know how to answer with truth, so that He wasn’t really agreeing with either of them. Many felt Deuteronomy 24 gave men complete freedom to divorce their wives as they desired; and that the law was there to take away any guilt or consequences for doing so.
But this commandment about divorce was not there to allow men to easily get out of their marriages. But, since the men were going to divorce their wives, the law provided protection for the women. By writing a certificate of divorce in the presence of witnesses, she would not be charged with adultery, therefore sparing her life. At that time, adultery on her part would bring death. Although in Jesus’ day, that was no longer the case, the Rabbi’s laws did urge a man to divorce his wife is she was unfaithful.
According to Barclay, the certificate of divorce read very simply: “Let this be from me thy writ of divorce and letter of dismissal and deed of liberation, that thou mayest marry whatsoever man thou wilt. In later days the certificate became more elaborate.” They focused on this piece of paper that gave them their freedom and made them feel like they had done their duty. They were wrong. Jesus now confronts their wrong thinking:
Mark 10:5 – “And Jesus said to them, Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.”
Jesus makes it clear what the reason was for the law in the first place. Yes, Moses, who wrote the law under God’s direction, did so because he recognized that divorce was happening; and to regulate it. However, he did not write the law to excuse divorce. He wrote it because men’s hearts were hardened to God’s original purpose for marriage. Since men rebelled against God’s purpose, the law was then written so that when men divorced their wives, and it was supposed to be only on the basis of marital infidelity, then the paperwork would be done with witnesses; and the wife could be protected and even released from guilt. They were allowed to divorce because they were not going to accept God’s plan. It is time now to look at:
God’s view of marriage: When it gets rough, find a way to stay together.
Why? Because since the beginning, His plan was for one man and one woman to be married for life.
There are 4 reasons why we know that “married for life” was God’s plan:
1. There was only one man and one woman created in the beginning, to be given to one another in marriage.
Mark 10:6 – “But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.”
This is a part of God’s plan: one man, one woman in marriage. And this is the way God intended it since He created the first man and woman. If God intended for it to be one man and another man, he would have created it that way. One man and a little girl, one man and an animal, one man and multiple wives, or any other combination, God could have done it. But, God’ plan had to do with the fact that he created a single male and a single female, to bring them together as husband and wife for life.
Jay Adams wrote: “God did not put a parent and child into the garden. Adam and Eve were man and wife. That shows that the primary human relationship (and family relationship) is husband and wife. That is why a man must leave father and mother and cleave to his wife. The first relationship is temporary and must be broken; the second is permanent, and must not be broken.”
And Jesus emphasizes that permanence of the relationship in the next reason that “married for life” was God’s plan:
2. There were no parents for Adam and Eve to leave, so the “leaving and cleaving” is a principle laid down for all future generations.
Mark 10:7– “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife.”
This is pretty strong from Jesus here. The word for “hold fast” or “cleave” refers to a strong bonding together, as a strong glue or cement. Family is important; but at some point, for most people, this is God’s plan. The man and woman leave their family and create a new one together. The third reason we see that “married for life” was God’s plan is that:
3. In God’s eyes, the two distinct people become one person.
Mark 10:8 - “And they shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh.”
Not only does the couple come away from their families, but they also become one flesh. The two become one. And this tells you how serious God is about one man and one woman coming together for life. In His eyes, in His plan, there is no undoing of the marriage covenant. The idea of this phrase: “shall become one flesh” is very strong, as the cement or glue (the holding fast from vs. 7) - that holds two things together. In order to separate those two things, because of the strength of the glue, there would have to be tearing; and if you did separate them, there would be damage done, just like in a real life divorce.
As John MacArthur puts it: “When a man and woman are joined in marriage, they are indivisible and inseparable, except through death.” That was God’s plan.
And that is why Jesus adds the next strong warning and we find the fourth reason that: “married for life” was God’s plan:
4. Every marriage is made in Heaven.
I realize that because of people’s personal experiences, they might not think this to be true. But, that doesn’t take away the truth of this next statement:
Mark 10:9 – “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
God has joined every couple that makes the covenant promise to one another – together. It is God’s work. That is a pretty strong statement, isn’t it? He put this man and woman with one another, and He never, ever makes mistakes. So, Jesus commanded: You don’t take apart what God has put together. Tough statement – but it is what He said.
And His plan has not changed. It didn’t change when Moses wrote the law. It didn’t change when the Pharisees asked Him these difficult questions. It didn’t change when Paul wrote about marriage and divorce; and it still has not changed 2,000 years later. God’s plan is that you stay married for life.
In God’s eyes, there are no irreconcilable differences. There are some marriages that seemed hopeless - that have been reconciled, only by the grace and mercy and miracle of God! Every husband and wife are different from one another; and sometimes that drives us absolutely crazy. Sometimes Teresa will say to me: I don’t understand you. And I will reply: And I don’t understand you either! And marriage can sometimes get very rough, and discouraging and hard.
But, hear what Jesus said: “What God put together, let no man separate.”
You have probably heard of the man who told his wife who wanted to know if he loved her: “I told you I loved you when we got married 30 years ago, and I’ll let you know if I change my mind!” But, that is not the way it should be, is it?
We know that God’s plan of one man and one woman for life is not what most people experience; and that doesn’t mean that those divorced didn’t fully believe their vows. But, this should not keep us from celebrating God’s plan. We should take time to confirm: this was God’s plan from the beginning; and hopefully, all of us, regardless of our current situation; are willing to say: this is God’s plan, and I will do everything I can to uphold it presently in my life.
So, it is appropriate for us to take some time this morning to celebrate what God meant marriage to be. We don’t need to be ashamed of God’s plan. We know the world has its perspective on the sanctity of marriage and pretty much laughs at how serious God is about His plan. But, as a part of the Body of Christ, we can affirm, that although we still fail in our commitments, we believe that this is God’s plan; and is therefore the best plan, the safest plan, and the plan that leads to His blessing.
SO WHAT? Tell your spouse, on a regular basis: I STILL DO
We know the traditional wedding vows end with the commitment: I DO. But, don’t let that be the last time your spouse hears you say that. This morning, I would like to encourage you, if you are married, to say: I STILL DO; and confirm that we believe this is God’s plan; and we are committed to it.
Even if your marriage is not perfect (and whose is?) and even though your marriage might not be close to dissolving (and hopefully it isn’t), I would like to encourage you to say this to one another today. Even if this is not your first marriage, but you want it to be your last, then please participate. If you signed up to participate today, then we have a certificate to give you to commemorate this special occasion. They will be on a table just outside the worship center doors as you leave this morning. Please pick it up on your way out. They are in alphabetical order of your last name. But, even if you didn’t sign up, you can choose right now to participate anyway. If you choose not to, that doesn’t mean you have a bad marriage. It just means you decided to support everyone else rather than participate yourself – no big deal.
For those of you who are single or divorced, this is not meant to make you feel badly. This is meant to uplift God’s original plan; and for all of to say of His plan: It is good. I encourage you to support and encourage and pray for those who are re-committing to one another again today.
So, if you are married, let me encourage you to sit close to your spouse and enjoy this time together. If you are separated by your children right now, climb over them, push them aside and snuggle close! This is your time. Before I encourage you to repeat some I STILL DO vows, I have asked John Jacobs to sing a song that commemorates this ceremony:
Special: HOLDING HANDS – John Jacobs
I had thought about making these the vows for today: for both the husband and wife to say to one another.
I STILL DO – even when you’re grumpy, even when you have the flu
Even when you leave the clothes on the floor, or forget to clean up
Even when you misplace my favorite cup – I STILL DO
Even when you make mistakes, mess up, blow it, and sin
Even when you’re struggling with God – I STILL DO – even then
I STILL DO – when you go through tough days, and nothing seems to be right
Even when you wear unmatched clothes, and your pants are now too tight
Even when we disagree, and we don’t see eye to eye
Of course you’re wrong and I am right – but I’ll even let that pass by
As the years pass on, we grow older and things keeping changing
There is one thing in my life I have no desire for rearranging
No matter what life may bring us, no matter what we may go through
I’m in this for the long haul – forever; never forget that…
I STILL DO
But, I decided not to use those for our vows today. Many of you wrote your own vows for your wedding. I know we did; and those are special and unique to you. Many of you used the traditional vows, and that is what I would like to use this morning for our I STILL DO vows – with a couple things added in. So, if you are a couple that would like to participate in this today, would you please stand…next to your spouse!
Would you please turn toward one another, and hold hands?
Husbands: please repeat after me, as you speak these words to your wife:
I still choose to have you as my wife
I still want you to be my wife
To have and to hold
For better or for worse
For richer, for poorer
In sickness and in health
To love and cherish
To grow with in holiness
Until death do us part
I Still DO
Wives: please repeat after me:
I still choose to have you as my husband
I still want you to be my husband
To have and to hold
For better or for worse
For richer, for poorer
In sickness and in health
To love and cherish
To grow with in holiness
Until death do us part
I Still DO
And this is the best part: I am going to kiss my wife, so guys: please feel free to do likewise – don’t kiss my wife, but you can kiss yours!
THE KISS
Thank you – you may be seated. I really believe we are right in confirming what Jesus said about the permanence of marriage in this passage by what you have just done. But, that was not enough for the disciples – they had more questions:
Mark 10:10 – “And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter.”
I bet they had a lot of questions! But, we just have one major issue recorded here, which Jesus talked to them about:
Mark 10:11,12 – “And he said to them, Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
These are some of those verses that I would put in a category of: I wish Jesus never said these things. These are hard statements. Maybe not for you; but for those who have been divorced, those who want to be re-married, those of us who counsel people in these difficult circumstances: this is hard! However, this is what Jesus said, and you cannot really get around it.
This does not include the exception clauses which are not in Mark, but in other places of Scripture. We will touch on those later. The emphasis here is that if a man or woman decided to separate what God has put together, then he or she is not to remarry. Because if they do, they are sinning again through adultery.
You can try to interpret this differently, but it is biblically impossible to make it say something else. God says this is sin, if you get divorced and then remarry.
Jesus made sure they knew that this applied to men as well as women. Men were not getting a pass here. When the Pharisees asked about getting a divorce, some of them believed the men were guiltless and because of the law of Moses, could do whatever they chose, without penalty – not true! With Roman readers of Mark’s gospel, many of whom did not have the Jewish law, they needed to read that this applied to a woman seeking divorce just like a man. The principles and commands in the Bible referring to divorce and remarriage apply equally to men and women today. Don’t think that because it doesn’t use the word man in one place or woman in the other, that it doesn’t apply to you. The words were chosen to communicate to a particular culture.
Although Mark does not deal with divorce completely, I think it is necessary that I talk to you for a few minutes about some of the issues Mark does not include. Otherwise, if you only read what Mark has to say, you could leave confused; and even have the wrong idea of what God says about divorce.
Jay Adams wrote: “It is altogether true that God hates divorce. But He neither hates all divorces in the same way nor hates every aspect of divorce. He hates what occasions every divorce…he hates the results that often flow to children and to injured parties of a divorce…but that leaves some things about divorce that He does not hate. He certainly does not condemn or hate divorce proceedings per se (as a process). Nor does He hate divorce when it is obtained according to the principles and regulations laid down in the Scriptures and which he followed in His dealings with unfaithful Israel.”
Every divorce includes sin. I didn’t say every divorce is a sin; but every divorce includes sin. God’s plan is that we stay married for life, but there are sinful human beings involved in these relationships, so there is going to be failure; and it seems, at least half of the time, there is going to be divorce. It happens. And when it happens, you can be sure that one or both people involved sinned in the process. They obviously both sinned during their marriage, but at least one of them sinned in getting the divorce. Either the person seeking the divorce or the person being divorced was guilty of sin.
Let me say a word or two to those of you have gone through the tragedy of divorce. I know that some of those who have gone through a divorce have felt ostracized in their churches. They have been made to feel like 2nd class citizens, as though they have committed the unpardonable sin. But, I want to be clear here; and I want to encourage you.
No one, when they are married, intends to be divorced. That is obvious. You said your vows just like everyone else, that probably included the words: “until death do us part.” But, tough times came; and it may even be that the other person was the offending party, and all of sudden, what you never thought about when you walked down that aisle was a reality in your life. And there was incredible pain involved; and that pain may still be very fresh, even today.
Can I remind you of a couple very important biblical principles? First of all:
1. All sins can be forgiven. If you sinned in the process of the divorce, it can be forgiven. If you sinned by getting remarried, it can be forgiven. Why do people think that divorce is the sin that continues on and on and on, as though God doesn’t cleanse the guilt of that sin like He does any other? Why do people sometimes look at you as though you have a scarlet A on your dress? God doesn’t look at you that way. Here is the truth:
I John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Notice that verse did not say cleanse us from our sins (except divorce) – did it? If you agree with God about the sins you committed in the divorce and possible remarriage, you are forgiven. Did you hear what the Scripture says? You are forgiven. Believe it…and live like it.
2. Those who sinned in divorce and remarriage have not committed a greater sin than others
In other words, divorce is not at the top of the list of the sins God hates. Now, we do know from the book of Malachi that God hates divorce. But, read the list of things God hates from the Old Testament book of Proverbs:
Proverbs 6:16-19 – “There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.”
Guess what? Divorce didn’t make the list. But, some other things are on the list. What about the haughty eyes of someone who looks down on divorced people? What about these other sins that many other people commit – God hates these!
Now, read the other lists in the New Testament that give a rundown of some terrible sins.
There are lists of sins in Galatians 5, I Corinthians 6; Romans 1; and in Revelation 21, just to name a few. And guess what? Divorce and remarriage don’t appear in any of these lists. I’m not trying to tell you that people don’t sin often in divorce or that remarriage is not often a sin. What I am telling you is that the Bible does not put divorce and remarriage apart as something more sinful than any of the other sins that you and I commit every day.
I have heard people make the comment that divorce is worse than any other because our marriages are to be a picture of Christ and the Church. It is true, according to the Scriptures, that marriages are to be that picture and divorce distorts it. No doubt about it. But, the Bible also says that every individual Christian is to be like Christ; and every time we sin, we distort people’s view, not only of Christianity, but of Jesus Christ Himself. They are both distortions, sin always is; but the Bible does not say divorce and remarriage are worse than what the rest of us struggle through.
3. God is divorced. Yes – God went through divorce. You don’t believe me?
When God talks to His chosen people through His prophet Isaiah, He said this:
Isaiah 50:1 – “Thus says the LORD: Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce, with which I sent her away?..for your iniquities…and for your transgressions…”
God is talking through the prophet Jeremiah this time:
Jeremiah 3:8 – “…for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce.”
No, God did not have a physical wife. But, He did get divorced, cutting off the intimate relationship and present blessings for His people, His bride, because they committed spiritual adultery. Yes, God will reconcile with Israel and still has future blessings for them; but He also was clearly divorced. And by the way: it caused Him incredible pain; because He loved His people so much. Believe it or not, God knows and understands the pain that those involved in divorce go through.
4. Divorce and remarriage is not always a sin for the “innocent” party
Although everyone tends to sin in some way when divorce happens, there are times when the Bible says there is an innocent party. And in those cases, it also allows for remarriage without sin. Now, please understand that people argue about these points, and many people will not agree with me; and that is o.k.
Jesus, in Matthew, allowed for an innocent party to be divorced, if the spouse was unfaithful. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, allowed for an innocent party to be divorced, if the person, being a non-believer, deserted the spouse. In both cases, I believe that Bible allows for that person to also be re-married without sin. We are not spending a lot of time on this because Mark does not spend His time here. But, let’s be clear that divorce is not always sinful for both parties; nor is re-marriage after a divorce. We have to take all of the Scriptures into consideration when we are talking about these things.
If you get divorced for any other reason, have you sinned? Yes. If you get remarried as a divorced person or marry a divorce person, who does not fit into these “exceptions” in the Scriptures, have you sinned? Yes. The Bible is clear. We are not going to sugarcoat it. So, what should you do? Confess it and let God forgive you. And don’t let others act as though your sins cannot be forgiven; or that you are some sort of 2nd class Christian because of it. Your sin has been placed as far as the east is from the west, says God.
Some of you want to ask more questions: what about abuse, addictions to alcohol, pornography, etc.? Why aren’t those exceptions? I don’t know. I wish they were. They aren’t. However, that doesn’t mean that you have no options. If you are in a rough marriage, and don’t know what to do, we would love to sit down and talk to you about what God says about it. We would love to be of any help we can to you. No – we will not recommend divorce. In fact, we won’t even recommend divorce if your spouse has been unfaithful; but we will help you to sort it all out and come up with a plan. Our God is a God of hope, and a God of miracles. Don’t doubt what He can do.
Now, let me be clear on something else as we get ready to close. Although the sins of divorce and remarriage can be forgiven and spiritually wiped clean, there is a practical truth about these sins that are different than many other sins. There are natural consequences to divorce and re-marriage; and sometimes those consequences are terribly painful, seemingly unfair, and many times devastating – to many more people than just those who were married and now divorced; and perhaps married to someone else now.
You probably already know this, don’t you? There are some natural consequences to our actions, and it seems that the actions of divorce and remarriage bring consequences that never seem to go away; especially as it relates to the children caught up in the mess. Choosing God’s way is always the right way, the safest way, the way of wisdom, the way of blessing. And if you choose or if divorce is chosen for you, know that it will be difficult and painful; but God’s grace is still present.
When our service is done this morning, we can’t celebrate marriage without a reception, can we? So, all of you are invited to join us in the fellowship hall for some cake and punch. You will get the food and drink in the ministry room first, which is across from the nursery; and then carry it into the fellowship hall. There are only a couple tables set up for those of you who physically have to sit down. Otherwise, we are encouraging you to stand and fellowship while you eat and drink. Also, there are some wedding albums sitting around the interior walls of the fellowship hall; and we encourage you to look through them as you would like (without staining them with cake!) And if you brought one for display, feel free to take it with you once you leave for home today.
I encourage you to take the rest of the day and tonight to go spend with your spouse. Go on a date! If you want to use your date to come back to Madison Avenues evening service, feel free – Tim Konuch will be speaking. But, if you choose to spend the day and/or night with your spouse, you have made a great choice!
On the back of your outline this morning, I have listed a couple of good resources for those of you who would like to read a good book on marriage: Sacred Marriage; or I also included one by Jay Adams concerning divorce that I quoted in this message.
I have asked Shannon Dawson to come and sing the closing song this morning. And I just encourage you to listen to the words and contemplate on how gracious and merciful our God is, when it comes to our marriages. That, even though our lives could be described as “broken roads”, God brought you together as husband and wife – and that is something to thank Him for - something to praise Him for.
Let’s consider that now
Special: GOD BLESS THE BROKEN ROAD – Shannon Dawson
Prayer
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Communicating for a Change: Book Review
One of the blessings of vacation is that I normally get a little time to read some books I have been wanting to read or finish. One such book was Communicating for a Change by Andy Stanley and Lane Jones. I really appreciate Andy's writing and what I have learned of his ministry. A couple of months ago, Steve (my associate) and I were able to go to his DRIVE conference and thoroughly enjoyed it. So, I was looking forward to reading this book that I knew would challenge my communication style as it relates to preaching God's Word.
These words in the introduction give away a basic goal of his in preaching: "Every time I stand to communicate I want to take one simple truth and lodge it in the heart of the listener. I want them to know that one thing and know what to do with it." The rest of the book explains why this is important and how to go about doing it.
What I also enjoyed about one of his other books, that he wrote with Lane, is that the first half of the book is told in story form, but it lays out the basic components of process that he is trying to communicate. In this case, a pastor is sent to learn about preaching from a truck driver. It is a very easy and interesting read. The second half of the book goes through and explains in more detail the points brought up in the telling of the story.
In this section, he begins by saying that every communicator needs to determine what his goal is in speaking. This sounds simplistic, as do most of his major points, but they challenge what most communicators actually do, including me. He said most communicators have 1 of 3 goals for speaking: Teach the Bible to people; teach people the Bible; or teach people how to live a life that reflects the values, principles, and truths of the Bible: life change. This last one is the one he suggests, and the one that captures my heart.
I realized that some of what he is talking about has been something I have been wrestling with in the past, making it a part of my regular preaching. "When you commit to preach for life change, your preparation is not complete until you have answered two very important questions: So what? and Now what?" That statement made me feel like I am doing something right, by emphasizing the SO WHAT? question in most messages.
I was challenged most, however, in the section entitled: pick a point. This is the hardest one for me to apply. I have been trained and used to a point by point style of preaching, usually emphasizing 3 or more points in a message. Stanley wrote this rebuke: "If life change is your goal, point by point preaching is not the most effective approach." He suggests that you should pick one and only one point, going through this process: "dig until you find it; build everything around it; and make it stick."
There are several other things in the book that were helpful to me; and I will work at incorporating some of them into my preaching as time goes on. It is a book I would encourage any communicator to pick up and read. There are some simple principles that can help make us more effective communcators for the glory of God.
As I read this book and others like it (especially about ministry), I am reminded that we all have more to learn, we can all improve; and there are no perfect methods, styles, or books. But, if we will humbly desire to keep learning and growing in every aspect of life and ministry, I believe God will be honored, and others will be blessed.
These words in the introduction give away a basic goal of his in preaching: "Every time I stand to communicate I want to take one simple truth and lodge it in the heart of the listener. I want them to know that one thing and know what to do with it." The rest of the book explains why this is important and how to go about doing it.
What I also enjoyed about one of his other books, that he wrote with Lane, is that the first half of the book is told in story form, but it lays out the basic components of process that he is trying to communicate. In this case, a pastor is sent to learn about preaching from a truck driver. It is a very easy and interesting read. The second half of the book goes through and explains in more detail the points brought up in the telling of the story.
In this section, he begins by saying that every communicator needs to determine what his goal is in speaking. This sounds simplistic, as do most of his major points, but they challenge what most communicators actually do, including me. He said most communicators have 1 of 3 goals for speaking: Teach the Bible to people; teach people the Bible; or teach people how to live a life that reflects the values, principles, and truths of the Bible: life change. This last one is the one he suggests, and the one that captures my heart.
I realized that some of what he is talking about has been something I have been wrestling with in the past, making it a part of my regular preaching. "When you commit to preach for life change, your preparation is not complete until you have answered two very important questions: So what? and Now what?" That statement made me feel like I am doing something right, by emphasizing the SO WHAT? question in most messages.
I was challenged most, however, in the section entitled: pick a point. This is the hardest one for me to apply. I have been trained and used to a point by point style of preaching, usually emphasizing 3 or more points in a message. Stanley wrote this rebuke: "If life change is your goal, point by point preaching is not the most effective approach." He suggests that you should pick one and only one point, going through this process: "dig until you find it; build everything around it; and make it stick."
There are several other things in the book that were helpful to me; and I will work at incorporating some of them into my preaching as time goes on. It is a book I would encourage any communicator to pick up and read. There are some simple principles that can help make us more effective communcators for the glory of God.
As I read this book and others like it (especially about ministry), I am reminded that we all have more to learn, we can all improve; and there are no perfect methods, styles, or books. But, if we will humbly desire to keep learning and growing in every aspect of life and ministry, I believe God will be honored, and others will be blessed.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
BUT GOD NEVER TAKES A VACATION!
We are in the midst of a 2 week family vacation. But, even as we greatly enjoy this time, I am aware that there are pastors and friends of mine who do not take vacations. Although there are a variety of reasons, the one that challenges me the most goes something like this: "I just can't take vacation. I have too much to do here at the church. Besides, if I leave, the church might fall apart!" I admit that there have been times when I have wondered if I should take the vacation weeks I am offered by the gracious people of Grace Baptist church.
I no longer think about it. I do consider the timing of the vacation, as it relates to what is happening at church, or in relation to other staff. However, I do not wrestle any longer with any guilt over leaving for a few days, a week, or even a couple of weeks. But, what if things go wrong at church? How can I take vacation when others in my church, including church leaders, do not get as much vacation time? How can I "take time off" when God never does?
It is pretty simple, as far as I am concerned. I must have "time away", in order to be recharged and be most effective in my ministry. It is not about how far away I travel. It is about not being in the office or responsible for ministry during a period of time. It is not about spending money, because vacations can be done without much cost. It is not about selfishness, because investing time in my family is one of the most important things I can do. In fact, I could argue that taking the time away from ministry makes an invaluable impact on my family; which is very difficult to measure.
I have heard of many pastor's families that eventually struggle because the pastor simple does not take the time to be with them for extended periods of time. I realize that we must not just rely on one vacation a year to make up for neglect during the year. I would agree that it is just as important or more important, even, to spend time with family throughout the year, finding ways to let them know how important they are.
For me, it means taking one day off a week and being available to my family. During the summer months, we try to go places together on my day off and make the most of it. It means being home more nights than I am out. It means I will not be able to do all I could do in ministry, or that other guys do; and yet I believe I am doing the most important things. Just my opinion.
So, to all my non-vacationing friends who are making more hospital calls and visiting door to door and spending the extra 20 hours on their messages: "Take some time off, go play with your kids, take your family on a trip, enjoy being with them, Let them know how important they are to you - more important than your minsitry - and leave your ministry in God's hands. I'm pretty sure He can handle it!"
I no longer think about it. I do consider the timing of the vacation, as it relates to what is happening at church, or in relation to other staff. However, I do not wrestle any longer with any guilt over leaving for a few days, a week, or even a couple of weeks. But, what if things go wrong at church? How can I take vacation when others in my church, including church leaders, do not get as much vacation time? How can I "take time off" when God never does?
It is pretty simple, as far as I am concerned. I must have "time away", in order to be recharged and be most effective in my ministry. It is not about how far away I travel. It is about not being in the office or responsible for ministry during a period of time. It is not about spending money, because vacations can be done without much cost. It is not about selfishness, because investing time in my family is one of the most important things I can do. In fact, I could argue that taking the time away from ministry makes an invaluable impact on my family; which is very difficult to measure.
I have heard of many pastor's families that eventually struggle because the pastor simple does not take the time to be with them for extended periods of time. I realize that we must not just rely on one vacation a year to make up for neglect during the year. I would agree that it is just as important or more important, even, to spend time with family throughout the year, finding ways to let them know how important they are.
For me, it means taking one day off a week and being available to my family. During the summer months, we try to go places together on my day off and make the most of it. It means being home more nights than I am out. It means I will not be able to do all I could do in ministry, or that other guys do; and yet I believe I am doing the most important things. Just my opinion.
So, to all my non-vacationing friends who are making more hospital calls and visiting door to door and spending the extra 20 hours on their messages: "Take some time off, go play with your kids, take your family on a trip, enjoy being with them, Let them know how important they are to you - more important than your minsitry - and leave your ministry in God's hands. I'm pretty sure He can handle it!"
Thursday, July 31, 2008
THE POWER AND GLORY OF JESUS
This message was preached at Grace Baptist Church in Westlake, OH on Sunday, July 27, 2008.
To hear an audio of this message, go to www.gbcwestlake.org and click listen online.
THE GLORY AND POWER OF JESUS
Mark 9:1-29
Please turn in your Bible to Mark 9. In the Bible in front of you, it is page 873 or 891.
A missionary society wrote to missionary David Livingstone, serving in undeveloped Africa, and asked, "Have you found a good road to where you are? If so, we want to know how to send other men to join you." Livingstone wrote back, "If you have men who will come only if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all."
Reading #1:
1: Last week, we read that…
2: Jesus began to teach His disciples that He must suffer many things,
3: Be rejected and condemned by the religious leaders,
4: And be murdered [emphatically]
1: And rise again [as though you don’t want them to forget this one]
2: But no one paid attention to that point. [emphasize “that”]
3: He was not speaking in parables but spoke very clearly.
4: Never afraid to speak without thinking, the leader of the pack, Peter, asked to have a private conference with Jesus.
1: When he got Jesus alone to the side, he rebuked him:
2: “Jesus, what are you thinking? You can’t talk like this! [in a rebuking tone]
3: You have never talked like this before. This makes no sense! [emphatic]
4: You are the Messiah, remember? You are supposed to do the conquering, not be conquered!
1: Certainly, not be killed! The people are ready to follow you. [matter of fact]
2: We are all ready to follow you. [a little stronger]
3: To overthrow the Roman government. [building in intensity]
4: To set up your Kingdom, right here and right now! [victoriously]
1: …Then Jesus turned to all of his disciples and rebuked Peter in front of them all.
2: Get behind me Satan! [strong, commanding]
3: You are speaking the word of Satan, as you try to dissuade me from God’s plan
4: You have set your mind on the plan of man, not the plan of God.
1: Jesus then called a crowd of people to Him, and with his disciples listening in, explained what it takes to be a true follower of this one and only Messiah:
2: If anyone wants to be my disciple, he must
3: Deny himself
4. Take up his cross
1: And follow Me.
2: If you are living only for the physical life
3: You will not have eternal life
4: If you give up control of your life for my glory
1: Then, you have eternal life.
2: There is no eternal benefit to having everything this world has to offer but not having eternity in Heaven
3: Those who deny Me now
4: Will be rejected when I return to judge someday.
That reading was a loose paraphrase of the final verses of the last passage we covered last week: Mark 8:31-38. We needed to be reminded of what Jesus had been talking about, because our first verse this morning concludes that discussion and gets us prepared for the passage under consideration this morning.
Mark 9:1 – “And he said to them, Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”
He just spoke to them of a time when Jesus would come to judge, warning that those who reject Him now, will be rejected by Him when He comes. Just after that, he makes an emphatic statement, beginning with “Truly I say to you”. Then, He tells them that some of them that were there at that moment would not die until got a taste of this future kingdom, which would come in a powerful way.
Now, remember, just before this, they were all upset because everyone expected Jesus to set up His Kingdom very soon. But Jesus said that it was not God’s plan…yet. Before that, He would need to suffer terribly, die and then rise again. Sometime after those events, then He could come at any time to set up His Kingdom. However, Jesus was going to give some of them a taste of His glory…very soon.
There are different ideas about what this taste of the Kingdom would look like; but I believe, because of what comes next in this text, this is the immediate fulfillment. Certainly, there would be power displayed at Jesus’ death and resurrection, as well as at the Day of Pentecost. But, the next recorded event after Jesus said these words best fit the context of His promise.
Mark 9:2,3 – “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.”
3 Disciples experienced a taste of the future glory of Jesus
The fact that the next words after verse 1 are: “And after six days” show the connection between what was said in verse one and what is going to happen now.
Jesus took His closest disciples: Peter, James and John and took them high on a mountain. This might remind us of times when God revealed Himself on a mountain, such as to Moses and also to Elijah, both on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24;
I Kings 19).
Then it tells us: “And he [Jesus] was transfigured before them…” This word translated “transfigured” is the word from which we get our English word: “Metamorphosis”. It means to be changed into another form. For just a moment, Jesus’ body was transformed into His glorified body and the bright whiteness of his clothes was unlike anything they had ever seen.
They caught a glimpse of what He would look like when He does come one day to judge and set up His Kingdom in power.
Walvoord and Zuck put it this way: “Jesus’ transfiguration was a striking preview and guarantee of His future coming in glory.”
If that wasn’t awesome enough, look at what happened next:
Mark 9:4 – “And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.”
One moment, there is this bright light of Jesus’ glory, and then they blink and look again; and the disciples see Jesus talking with 2 guys, and these guys were known right away, somehow. It was Elijah and Moses. Moses represented the law and Elijah, the prophets. Jesus had said that He was the fulfillment of both.
Yes, this was the same Elijah that some people thought Jesus was. Yes, this was the Moses who died long ago, who wrote the law and led God’s people up to the brink of the promised land. Yes, this was Elijah, who was a mighty prophet of God and did many miracles. Yes, these two men were miraculously brought back to Earth, just for this moment. In life, they had seen God’s great power revealed on Mount Sinai. Now, they were a part of these 3 disciples were experiencing: the awesome power and glory of Jesus, as they had never seen; and would no one would see (in this way), until Jesus returns to set up His Earthly Kingdom.
Of course, these 3 disciples didn’t know this was just a taste of the Kingdom and the power and glory of God. They probably thought this was it… the time had come. And, even though verse 6 tells us that they didn’t know what to say, Peter decides to say something anyway!
Mark 9:5 – “And Peter said to Jesus, Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one of Moses and one for Elijah.”
Peter, Peter, Peter…He impulsively says: Rabbi, that is, teacher, good thing we are here to experience your glory and the glorious reappearing of these great men of faith. Let’s build 3 booths, 3 tents of meeting, one for each of you, to commemorate and continue to celebrate your glory! This may sound bold, but the next verse explains why Peter just started talking:
Mark 9:6 – “For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.”
They had seen many of Jesus’ miracles, but they had never seen Him transformed like this; and they had never seen Moses and Elijah appear before. This was incredible, unexplainable, to them: terrifying. They didn’t know what to say. They were speechless; but Peter just had to say something, so that’s what came out of his mouth. They were obviously not able to comprehend what was going on; but that is pretty normal for them. If they built these tabernacles, booths, then it would give them a feeling of security, safety, and glory, rather than the suffering and death Jesus had been talking about. They wanted to escape their fear.
They needed an explanation, and God the Father provided it, next:
Mark 9:7 – “And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, This is my beloved Son, listen to him.”
In the midst of their doubts and failures, the disciples were to focus on following Jesus.
As in many times before, in the Old Testament, God appeared in a cloud and commanded with His voice. At Jesus’ baptism, this also took place:
Mark 1:11 – “And a voice came from heaven, you are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
God wanted to make sure these disciples understood a very important point. Jesus was greater in glory than Moses and Elijah. Jesus was God’s Only Son, and the fulfillment of the law and prophets, represented by these 2 Old Testament characters. His command for how they should respond to Jesus was:
“Listen to Him.” It means to be “obedient to him”. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of a prophecy spoken by Moses, back in the law:
Deuteronomy 18:15,18 – “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brother – it is to him you shall listen…and he shall speak to them all that I command him.”
Jesus, not Moses, not Elijah, is now the One with the authority to speak for God. In a sense, this event let these closest disciples see that a definite transition had taken place. Yes, they still had the law of Moses and the Prophets, but Jesus was the One who fulfilled them all; and it was to Him that they were to listen and completely obey. And in the context of what Jesus had just revealed to His disciples, and of what Peter had rebuked Him for, this was fitting.
Jesus had been trying to tell them: I am going to suffer, be murdered, and then rise again. And now, He was telling them, even showing them, that He would come in glory in the future; and that they didn’t need to fear.
Later on, Peter would write about this experience and speak much more confidently:
II Peter 1:18 – “For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory. This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased, we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.”
God was making sure that these 3 disciples, a part of Jesus’ inner circle and future leaders of the church, would understand that Jesus Christ was THE ONE AND ONLY MESSIAH. He had God’s authority; and it was Him alone they were to listen to and follow. Yes, they doubted, stumbled and failed. But, in the end, they would see the truth and be a part of the Kingdom of God.
There was a man who went to his doctor and expressed the following concern: “Doc, I’m really worried. Every time I drink a cup of coffee, I feel a stabbing pain in my eye. Do you think it’s serious?” To which the doctor replied, “No, the coffee is not the problem - try taking the spoon out of your cup.” The problem for this man was not the coffee, it was the spoon. I’ve done this same thing with a straw many times. The disciples were like this man. They thought the problem was Jesus. He had the wrong plan. He shouldn’t have to die. But, the real problem was the spoon they left in the cup. They were thinking on their own terms, their own plans; and with their limited understanding. That is why when Jesus was transfigured, Peter suggested making booths for them to all stay in and celebrate. He didn’t get it. Now, we are going to see them wrestling with the idea of the resurrection of Christ, rather than just accepting it as Jesus told them. In a few more verses, they will focus on Elijah, when the focus should have been on Christ. We tend to do the same thing. Instead of focusing on Jesus and what He has said; we focus on our circumstances and then question what He said.
Mark 9:8-10 – “And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.”
And just like that, they looked around, and Elijah and Moses were gone. It was just them and Jesus again, restored to His earth bound appearance. On their way down the mountain, I suspect that these 3 disciples just couldn’t wait to tell the other guys what they saw; but Jesus commanded them to keep it to themselves – until He rose from the dead.
Evidenced by Peter’s idea of the 3 tents and the terror they displayed, these guys still did not completely get Jesus as the Messiah and the plan that God had for Him. Jesus did not want them to spread this until He rose from the dead. Then, the time will have come to put everything in perspective. In fact, it would be after Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to them several times, that they finally would put it all together in their own minds. Then would be the time to proclaim to all who Jesus was and what He had done, including rising from the dead.
And just to show that these guys didn’t even understand what He just said, the final phrase in verse 10: [they were] “questioning what this rising form the dead might mean.” This was the second time Jesus told them that He was going to rise from the dead; but it was not registering with them. They didn’t get it.
So, they asked another question, as they tried to figure this out:
Mark 9:11- “And they asked him, Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”
They did know their Old Testament prophets. They knew of the prophecy:
Malachi 4:5,6 – “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of father to their children and the hearts of children to their father, lest I come and strike a land with a decree of utter destruction.”
They had just seen Elijah, so they thought this was going to be the time. But, then Elijah disappeared. So, the question about Elijah is asked. And perhaps, with Elijah’s work, maybe Jesus would not have to go through His suffering – who knows? Jesus then tries to clarify it for them:
Mark 9:12,13- “And he said to them, Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”
Yes, Elijah does come first and bring renewal. However, this does not mean I will not have to suffer many things and go through painful rejection. He said the Scriptures are very clear on that. For example:
Isaiah 53:3-5 – “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he as despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities…”
He then identifies John the Baptist as the fulfillment of the prophecy of Elijah coming to restore. They had just seen Elijah at the transfiguration; but now Jesus lets them know that the prophecy of Elijah was initially fulfilled in someone who came in His place…a forerunner, someone to prepare the way for the Messiah. That was obviously John the Baptist.
John had also gone through a terrible murder, at the hands of Herod Antipas and Herodias, as we saw in Mark 6. Elijah had suffered great persecution, at the hands of Ahab and Jezebel, as recorded in I Kings 19. What these opponents of God did to them, they would eventually do to the Messiah, Jesus Himself.
Walvoord and Zuck explain this well: “John the Baptist fulfilled the Elijah prophecy at Christ’s First Advent. Yet Malachi’s prophecy indicates that Elijah himself will also appear just before Christ’s Second Advent (Revelation 11).
SO WHAT?
Focus on obeying God and following the example of Jesus Christ
It is so easy for us to get overloaded with information. It is easy for us to get distracted by the burdens of this life. It is easy for us to become discouraged because we fail often in matters of faith. We sometimes struggle with doubt, and find it hard to press on in the midst of it. But, one of the things we can learn from this event in Scripture is that, like the disciples who were also full of doubt and failure, there is one person we can count on to do what He has said.
Jesus Christ will come again, and He will set up His Kingdom. No matter our circumstances, we can know that what God says is true and will be fulfilled in the future. Therefore, we can focus on what we can control. Learn of what God expects and commit yourself to obedience. When you fail, confess it and keep pursuing Him. Learn more of Jesus Christ and model your life around His. This is certainly enough for us to work on.
So, they get down the mountain and return to the rest of the disciples, just to find that there is some more action going on here as well – Mark 9:14,15:
Reading #2: Mark 9:14,15
1: And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them
2: And scribes arguing with them.
3: and immediately all the crowd, when they saw Jesus
4: Were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him.
[pause]
1: Aren’t you guys supposed to the disciples of Jesus Christ, the great miracle worker?
2: So, what’s your point?
3: Well, it’s obvious He didn’t give you any of His power that you claim; because you cannot heal this boy.
4: Well, you’re sure not helping anything. All you do is sit around and condemn these sick people, claiming they have sinned.
1: That’s right, Pharisees! At least we are trying to help!
2: Trying to help? You guys aren’t helping anybody. You’re a bunch of frauds
3: Yeah? Well look who’s calling people frauds - you hypocrites
4: Hey, everybody - Jesus is here!
It doesn’t tell us the exact words of the argument; but in the next verses we find out what the topic was. There was a crowd gathered as the scribes of the Law argued with the remaining disciples. When Jesus arrived, however, all attention went to Him. And Jesus spoke:
Mark 9:16-18 – “And he asked them, What are you arguing about with them? And someone from the crowd answered him, Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciple to cast it out, and they were not able.”
Jesus asked the remaining 9 disciples what they were arguing about, and someone from the crowd explains it, because he started it all. His son had an evil spirit. He came to his disciples for help; but they could not cast the spirit out. They tried, but couldn’t do it. This demon had a terrible affect on this boy, and his father was desperate for help. Perhaps Jesus could do something that His followers could not. They should have been able to. Back in Mark 6:7, Jesus gave them the authority to do so. It should have been expected that they could have done this without Jesus.
So, Jesus responds to this news:
Mark 9:19 – “And he answered them, O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.”
The inability to do what Jesus had given the power to do was linked to a lack of faith
Jesus showed emotion, disappointment and heartbreak, in the people’s, in particular, His disciples, lack of faith. They continued to demonstrate that they had not fully embraced in practice what they said they believed through their words of commitment. They did believe, but they failed time and again to put the truth into daily practice, such as in this case of the demon-possessed boy. And Jesus expresses what any frustrated parent might say: How long do I have to put up with this? I will show you again. Bring the boy to me.
Robert Louis Stevenson gave us this little story:A ship was in a serious storm and in great distress. The passengers were alarmed. One of them finally, against orders, went up to the deck and made his way to the pilot of the ship. The seaman was at his post of duty at the wheel, but, seeing the man was greatly frightened, he gave him a reassuring smile. Returning to the other passengers, the man reported. "I have seen the face of the pilot, and he smiled. All is well."
This was supposed to be the response of Jesus’ disciples, no matter the circumstances. And it was supposed to be the response by people of faith, regardless of what they were facing. This father is going to have to trust in Jesus for the miracle. One main thing they all had to learn – we have to learn – is that in the midst of the storm, our pilot is still in control, He smiles at us, and gives us the confidence to trust in Him. Jesus was continually teaching them this, and He continues as He encourages faith in the healing of this boy.
Mark 9:20-22 – “And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, how long has this been happening to him? And he said, From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
As soon as the demonic spirit saw Jesus, it responded by sending the boy into a seizure, uncontrollably shaking on the ground. Jesus shows compassion and asks the father how long this had been happening. The father said, “since he was a little boy. In fact, sometimes the demon has thrown my son into our campfire and into the lake, trying to destroy him. The father’s faith was shaken. He had brought his son to Jesus’ disciples and they couldn’t help. Perhaps Jesus couldn’t either. Therefore, he worded his request this way: “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
And then, Jesus throws the issue back to the Father:
Mark 9:23 – “And Jesus said to him, If you can! All things are possible for one who believes.”
Jesus knew He could do it. The key question here was: Did the Father have the faith to trust in Christ to do it. Jesus encouraged him to have faith: “All things are possible for one who believes.” Jesus is not talking about having faith in a lucky charm of some kind. He is referring to the faith one has that Jesus can do anything that he chooses; which includes casting out demons. And I love the spontaneous response of the dad to Jesus’ statement:
Mark 9:24 – “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, I believe; help my unbelief!”
This dad said he believed, but he also admitted that his faith was very weak. I like that. I can identify with that! And the help, in order to have the faith that is needed, comes from God Himself. So, then, Jesus responds as a large crowd was gathering to see what was going to happen.
Jesus had the authority to perform miracles and to use the faith of others to do so
We already know that Jesus was able to heal, cast out demons and do all kinds of miracles. But, one of the interesting things here, and a main point of this passage, is that the disciples should have been able to cast out this demon if they had the faith in God’s power and relied on Him. This father was told by Jesus that it was His faith in what Jesus could do that would bring the miracle. This was an important lesson the disciples had to learn; because it wouldn’t be long before they were on their own.
Mark 9:25-27 – “And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, you mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again. And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.”
Jesus gave two clear commands to the demon: “come out of him; and never enter him again.” And with one last violent surge, the demon came out of him. And that left the boy looking lifeless; even to the point that people thought he was actually dead. But Jesus lifted him up; and the boy got up – alive and well.
This same type of thing had happened at the healing of Jairus’ daughter by Jesus, in Mark 5:39-42. This is a physical picture of the spiritual victory that takes place, going from spiritual death, under the control of Satan, to eternal life, under the care of God’s Holy Spirit. And, in the context, the ultimate battle would be won by Jesus Christ, when He conquered Satan, sin and death, through His dying on the cross and His rising from the dead.
Mark 9:28 – “And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could we not cast it out?”
Going into the house, the disciples were sure curious. They had cast out demons before. What was going on here? Why couldn’t they cast this particular demon out of the boy? I’m sure they were embarrassed, for one thing. This didn’t make any sense to them; and I’m sure it was frustrating.
Mark 9:29 – “And he said to them, This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”
Fasting is added in some of the translations, but not here in the English Standard Version. Walvoord and Zuck give a brief explanation as to why some translations have the additional words: “Perhaps the words were added early by some scribes to the textual tradition to support asceticism. But the words, if original, refer to a practical means of focusing one’s attention more fully on God for a specific purpose, for a limited period of time.”
Jesus explained that this type of thing: casting out demons, comes through a complete dependence on God – demonstrated by prayer. Perhaps these disciples went into this particular confrontation with this demon, overconfident because they had cast out demons before. And Jesus is reminding them that they must have continual and full dependence on God, just like they did when He first sent them out two by two, to cast out demons for the first time. In the end, this is all about faith.
SO WHAT?
Go to God, in faith, and see what He will do.
This is all about faith. It is all about trusting in God and what He has said in His Word – that it is true. It is all about taking whatever circumstances we face day to day, and submitting ourselves and those circumstances to the authority of God and His Word.
And this goes well beyond the issue of casting out demons. It affects every aspect of our lives today:
Reading #3
1: I have an illness, and I’m not sure I can deal with it
2: The answer is prayer: Give your illness to God; and submit your life to God.
3: Believe, by faith, in what the Bible says. God will use your illness to understand that He is all you need:
4: II Corinthians 12:9 – “But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you,
1: for my power is made perfect in weakness.
2: Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses,
3: so that the power of Christ
4: may rest upon me.”
[pause]
1: I have financial problems, and it seems like God is letting me down
2: The answer is prayer: Give your financial problems to God; and submit your life to Him.
3: Believe, by faith, in what the Bible says. God will use your financial difficulties to improve your faith and trust in Him.
4: Philippians 4:12,13,19 – “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.
1: In any and every circumstance,
2: I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need…
3: And my God will supply every need of yours
4: according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
[pause]
1: I find myself getting worried, all the time, about everything!
2: The answer is prayer: Give your worries, your burdens to God; and submit your life to Him.
3: Believe, by faith, in what the Bible says. God will use your anxieties to get your focus on Him and to glorify Him in your mind.
4: Philippians 4:6-8 – “Do not be anxious about anything,
1: but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
2: And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
3: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just,
4: whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
[pause]
1: When I face difficult circumstances, I find my faith to be very weak; and I have no idea what to do
2: The answer is prayer. Give your difficult circumstances to God; and submit your life to Him.
3: Believe, by faith, in what the Bible says. God will use your difficult circumstances to bring about what is best for your spiritual good.
4: Romans 8:28 – “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
These are just a few examples of how our real life issues fit into these passages about faith. It is faith in the glory and power of God. It was for the disciples, and the key issue remains the same for us today. Whether it was the transfiguration of Christ, His prediction of His coming death and resurrection; or the healing of a demon possessed boy, it is all about faith.
And my guess is, is that you are somewhat like me, and I find myself a lot like those disciples – I don’t always get it; and I fail in faith often. I believe in the power and glory of God, but I don’t always live that way. However, God has called me, He has called us, to live lives of faith; and we can take another step toward Him this morning. Perhaps one of the issues you just heard from our readers hits you; and you need to spend some time in prayer concerning that. Or, perhaps there is some other issue of faith you need to deal with God about. Take a few moments to silently pray and talk to Him about your response to His Word today.
To hear an audio of this message, go to www.gbcwestlake.org and click listen online.
THE GLORY AND POWER OF JESUS
Mark 9:1-29
Please turn in your Bible to Mark 9. In the Bible in front of you, it is page 873 or 891.
A missionary society wrote to missionary David Livingstone, serving in undeveloped Africa, and asked, "Have you found a good road to where you are? If so, we want to know how to send other men to join you." Livingstone wrote back, "If you have men who will come only if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all."
Reading #1:
1: Last week, we read that…
2: Jesus began to teach His disciples that He must suffer many things,
3: Be rejected and condemned by the religious leaders,
4: And be murdered [emphatically]
1: And rise again [as though you don’t want them to forget this one]
2: But no one paid attention to that point. [emphasize “that”]
3: He was not speaking in parables but spoke very clearly.
4: Never afraid to speak without thinking, the leader of the pack, Peter, asked to have a private conference with Jesus.
1: When he got Jesus alone to the side, he rebuked him:
2: “Jesus, what are you thinking? You can’t talk like this! [in a rebuking tone]
3: You have never talked like this before. This makes no sense! [emphatic]
4: You are the Messiah, remember? You are supposed to do the conquering, not be conquered!
1: Certainly, not be killed! The people are ready to follow you. [matter of fact]
2: We are all ready to follow you. [a little stronger]
3: To overthrow the Roman government. [building in intensity]
4: To set up your Kingdom, right here and right now! [victoriously]
1: …Then Jesus turned to all of his disciples and rebuked Peter in front of them all.
2: Get behind me Satan! [strong, commanding]
3: You are speaking the word of Satan, as you try to dissuade me from God’s plan
4: You have set your mind on the plan of man, not the plan of God.
1: Jesus then called a crowd of people to Him, and with his disciples listening in, explained what it takes to be a true follower of this one and only Messiah:
2: If anyone wants to be my disciple, he must
3: Deny himself
4. Take up his cross
1: And follow Me.
2: If you are living only for the physical life
3: You will not have eternal life
4: If you give up control of your life for my glory
1: Then, you have eternal life.
2: There is no eternal benefit to having everything this world has to offer but not having eternity in Heaven
3: Those who deny Me now
4: Will be rejected when I return to judge someday.
That reading was a loose paraphrase of the final verses of the last passage we covered last week: Mark 8:31-38. We needed to be reminded of what Jesus had been talking about, because our first verse this morning concludes that discussion and gets us prepared for the passage under consideration this morning.
Mark 9:1 – “And he said to them, Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”
He just spoke to them of a time when Jesus would come to judge, warning that those who reject Him now, will be rejected by Him when He comes. Just after that, he makes an emphatic statement, beginning with “Truly I say to you”. Then, He tells them that some of them that were there at that moment would not die until got a taste of this future kingdom, which would come in a powerful way.
Now, remember, just before this, they were all upset because everyone expected Jesus to set up His Kingdom very soon. But Jesus said that it was not God’s plan…yet. Before that, He would need to suffer terribly, die and then rise again. Sometime after those events, then He could come at any time to set up His Kingdom. However, Jesus was going to give some of them a taste of His glory…very soon.
There are different ideas about what this taste of the Kingdom would look like; but I believe, because of what comes next in this text, this is the immediate fulfillment. Certainly, there would be power displayed at Jesus’ death and resurrection, as well as at the Day of Pentecost. But, the next recorded event after Jesus said these words best fit the context of His promise.
Mark 9:2,3 – “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.”
3 Disciples experienced a taste of the future glory of Jesus
The fact that the next words after verse 1 are: “And after six days” show the connection between what was said in verse one and what is going to happen now.
Jesus took His closest disciples: Peter, James and John and took them high on a mountain. This might remind us of times when God revealed Himself on a mountain, such as to Moses and also to Elijah, both on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24;
I Kings 19).
Then it tells us: “And he [Jesus] was transfigured before them…” This word translated “transfigured” is the word from which we get our English word: “Metamorphosis”. It means to be changed into another form. For just a moment, Jesus’ body was transformed into His glorified body and the bright whiteness of his clothes was unlike anything they had ever seen.
They caught a glimpse of what He would look like when He does come one day to judge and set up His Kingdom in power.
Walvoord and Zuck put it this way: “Jesus’ transfiguration was a striking preview and guarantee of His future coming in glory.”
If that wasn’t awesome enough, look at what happened next:
Mark 9:4 – “And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.”
One moment, there is this bright light of Jesus’ glory, and then they blink and look again; and the disciples see Jesus talking with 2 guys, and these guys were known right away, somehow. It was Elijah and Moses. Moses represented the law and Elijah, the prophets. Jesus had said that He was the fulfillment of both.
Yes, this was the same Elijah that some people thought Jesus was. Yes, this was the Moses who died long ago, who wrote the law and led God’s people up to the brink of the promised land. Yes, this was Elijah, who was a mighty prophet of God and did many miracles. Yes, these two men were miraculously brought back to Earth, just for this moment. In life, they had seen God’s great power revealed on Mount Sinai. Now, they were a part of these 3 disciples were experiencing: the awesome power and glory of Jesus, as they had never seen; and would no one would see (in this way), until Jesus returns to set up His Earthly Kingdom.
Of course, these 3 disciples didn’t know this was just a taste of the Kingdom and the power and glory of God. They probably thought this was it… the time had come. And, even though verse 6 tells us that they didn’t know what to say, Peter decides to say something anyway!
Mark 9:5 – “And Peter said to Jesus, Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one of Moses and one for Elijah.”
Peter, Peter, Peter…He impulsively says: Rabbi, that is, teacher, good thing we are here to experience your glory and the glorious reappearing of these great men of faith. Let’s build 3 booths, 3 tents of meeting, one for each of you, to commemorate and continue to celebrate your glory! This may sound bold, but the next verse explains why Peter just started talking:
Mark 9:6 – “For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.”
They had seen many of Jesus’ miracles, but they had never seen Him transformed like this; and they had never seen Moses and Elijah appear before. This was incredible, unexplainable, to them: terrifying. They didn’t know what to say. They were speechless; but Peter just had to say something, so that’s what came out of his mouth. They were obviously not able to comprehend what was going on; but that is pretty normal for them. If they built these tabernacles, booths, then it would give them a feeling of security, safety, and glory, rather than the suffering and death Jesus had been talking about. They wanted to escape their fear.
They needed an explanation, and God the Father provided it, next:
Mark 9:7 – “And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, This is my beloved Son, listen to him.”
In the midst of their doubts and failures, the disciples were to focus on following Jesus.
As in many times before, in the Old Testament, God appeared in a cloud and commanded with His voice. At Jesus’ baptism, this also took place:
Mark 1:11 – “And a voice came from heaven, you are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
God wanted to make sure these disciples understood a very important point. Jesus was greater in glory than Moses and Elijah. Jesus was God’s Only Son, and the fulfillment of the law and prophets, represented by these 2 Old Testament characters. His command for how they should respond to Jesus was:
“Listen to Him.” It means to be “obedient to him”. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of a prophecy spoken by Moses, back in the law:
Deuteronomy 18:15,18 – “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brother – it is to him you shall listen…and he shall speak to them all that I command him.”
Jesus, not Moses, not Elijah, is now the One with the authority to speak for God. In a sense, this event let these closest disciples see that a definite transition had taken place. Yes, they still had the law of Moses and the Prophets, but Jesus was the One who fulfilled them all; and it was to Him that they were to listen and completely obey. And in the context of what Jesus had just revealed to His disciples, and of what Peter had rebuked Him for, this was fitting.
Jesus had been trying to tell them: I am going to suffer, be murdered, and then rise again. And now, He was telling them, even showing them, that He would come in glory in the future; and that they didn’t need to fear.
Later on, Peter would write about this experience and speak much more confidently:
II Peter 1:18 – “For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory. This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased, we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.”
God was making sure that these 3 disciples, a part of Jesus’ inner circle and future leaders of the church, would understand that Jesus Christ was THE ONE AND ONLY MESSIAH. He had God’s authority; and it was Him alone they were to listen to and follow. Yes, they doubted, stumbled and failed. But, in the end, they would see the truth and be a part of the Kingdom of God.
There was a man who went to his doctor and expressed the following concern: “Doc, I’m really worried. Every time I drink a cup of coffee, I feel a stabbing pain in my eye. Do you think it’s serious?” To which the doctor replied, “No, the coffee is not the problem - try taking the spoon out of your cup.” The problem for this man was not the coffee, it was the spoon. I’ve done this same thing with a straw many times. The disciples were like this man. They thought the problem was Jesus. He had the wrong plan. He shouldn’t have to die. But, the real problem was the spoon they left in the cup. They were thinking on their own terms, their own plans; and with their limited understanding. That is why when Jesus was transfigured, Peter suggested making booths for them to all stay in and celebrate. He didn’t get it. Now, we are going to see them wrestling with the idea of the resurrection of Christ, rather than just accepting it as Jesus told them. In a few more verses, they will focus on Elijah, when the focus should have been on Christ. We tend to do the same thing. Instead of focusing on Jesus and what He has said; we focus on our circumstances and then question what He said.
Mark 9:8-10 – “And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.”
And just like that, they looked around, and Elijah and Moses were gone. It was just them and Jesus again, restored to His earth bound appearance. On their way down the mountain, I suspect that these 3 disciples just couldn’t wait to tell the other guys what they saw; but Jesus commanded them to keep it to themselves – until He rose from the dead.
Evidenced by Peter’s idea of the 3 tents and the terror they displayed, these guys still did not completely get Jesus as the Messiah and the plan that God had for Him. Jesus did not want them to spread this until He rose from the dead. Then, the time will have come to put everything in perspective. In fact, it would be after Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to them several times, that they finally would put it all together in their own minds. Then would be the time to proclaim to all who Jesus was and what He had done, including rising from the dead.
And just to show that these guys didn’t even understand what He just said, the final phrase in verse 10: [they were] “questioning what this rising form the dead might mean.” This was the second time Jesus told them that He was going to rise from the dead; but it was not registering with them. They didn’t get it.
So, they asked another question, as they tried to figure this out:
Mark 9:11- “And they asked him, Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”
They did know their Old Testament prophets. They knew of the prophecy:
Malachi 4:5,6 – “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of father to their children and the hearts of children to their father, lest I come and strike a land with a decree of utter destruction.”
They had just seen Elijah, so they thought this was going to be the time. But, then Elijah disappeared. So, the question about Elijah is asked. And perhaps, with Elijah’s work, maybe Jesus would not have to go through His suffering – who knows? Jesus then tries to clarify it for them:
Mark 9:12,13- “And he said to them, Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”
Yes, Elijah does come first and bring renewal. However, this does not mean I will not have to suffer many things and go through painful rejection. He said the Scriptures are very clear on that. For example:
Isaiah 53:3-5 – “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he as despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities…”
He then identifies John the Baptist as the fulfillment of the prophecy of Elijah coming to restore. They had just seen Elijah at the transfiguration; but now Jesus lets them know that the prophecy of Elijah was initially fulfilled in someone who came in His place…a forerunner, someone to prepare the way for the Messiah. That was obviously John the Baptist.
John had also gone through a terrible murder, at the hands of Herod Antipas and Herodias, as we saw in Mark 6. Elijah had suffered great persecution, at the hands of Ahab and Jezebel, as recorded in I Kings 19. What these opponents of God did to them, they would eventually do to the Messiah, Jesus Himself.
Walvoord and Zuck explain this well: “John the Baptist fulfilled the Elijah prophecy at Christ’s First Advent. Yet Malachi’s prophecy indicates that Elijah himself will also appear just before Christ’s Second Advent (Revelation 11).
SO WHAT?
Focus on obeying God and following the example of Jesus Christ
It is so easy for us to get overloaded with information. It is easy for us to get distracted by the burdens of this life. It is easy for us to become discouraged because we fail often in matters of faith. We sometimes struggle with doubt, and find it hard to press on in the midst of it. But, one of the things we can learn from this event in Scripture is that, like the disciples who were also full of doubt and failure, there is one person we can count on to do what He has said.
Jesus Christ will come again, and He will set up His Kingdom. No matter our circumstances, we can know that what God says is true and will be fulfilled in the future. Therefore, we can focus on what we can control. Learn of what God expects and commit yourself to obedience. When you fail, confess it and keep pursuing Him. Learn more of Jesus Christ and model your life around His. This is certainly enough for us to work on.
So, they get down the mountain and return to the rest of the disciples, just to find that there is some more action going on here as well – Mark 9:14,15:
Reading #2: Mark 9:14,15
1: And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them
2: And scribes arguing with them.
3: and immediately all the crowd, when they saw Jesus
4: Were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him.
[pause]
1: Aren’t you guys supposed to the disciples of Jesus Christ, the great miracle worker?
2: So, what’s your point?
3: Well, it’s obvious He didn’t give you any of His power that you claim; because you cannot heal this boy.
4: Well, you’re sure not helping anything. All you do is sit around and condemn these sick people, claiming they have sinned.
1: That’s right, Pharisees! At least we are trying to help!
2: Trying to help? You guys aren’t helping anybody. You’re a bunch of frauds
3: Yeah? Well look who’s calling people frauds - you hypocrites
4: Hey, everybody - Jesus is here!
It doesn’t tell us the exact words of the argument; but in the next verses we find out what the topic was. There was a crowd gathered as the scribes of the Law argued with the remaining disciples. When Jesus arrived, however, all attention went to Him. And Jesus spoke:
Mark 9:16-18 – “And he asked them, What are you arguing about with them? And someone from the crowd answered him, Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciple to cast it out, and they were not able.”
Jesus asked the remaining 9 disciples what they were arguing about, and someone from the crowd explains it, because he started it all. His son had an evil spirit. He came to his disciples for help; but they could not cast the spirit out. They tried, but couldn’t do it. This demon had a terrible affect on this boy, and his father was desperate for help. Perhaps Jesus could do something that His followers could not. They should have been able to. Back in Mark 6:7, Jesus gave them the authority to do so. It should have been expected that they could have done this without Jesus.
So, Jesus responds to this news:
Mark 9:19 – “And he answered them, O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.”
The inability to do what Jesus had given the power to do was linked to a lack of faith
Jesus showed emotion, disappointment and heartbreak, in the people’s, in particular, His disciples, lack of faith. They continued to demonstrate that they had not fully embraced in practice what they said they believed through their words of commitment. They did believe, but they failed time and again to put the truth into daily practice, such as in this case of the demon-possessed boy. And Jesus expresses what any frustrated parent might say: How long do I have to put up with this? I will show you again. Bring the boy to me.
Robert Louis Stevenson gave us this little story:A ship was in a serious storm and in great distress. The passengers were alarmed. One of them finally, against orders, went up to the deck and made his way to the pilot of the ship. The seaman was at his post of duty at the wheel, but, seeing the man was greatly frightened, he gave him a reassuring smile. Returning to the other passengers, the man reported. "I have seen the face of the pilot, and he smiled. All is well."
This was supposed to be the response of Jesus’ disciples, no matter the circumstances. And it was supposed to be the response by people of faith, regardless of what they were facing. This father is going to have to trust in Jesus for the miracle. One main thing they all had to learn – we have to learn – is that in the midst of the storm, our pilot is still in control, He smiles at us, and gives us the confidence to trust in Him. Jesus was continually teaching them this, and He continues as He encourages faith in the healing of this boy.
Mark 9:20-22 – “And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, how long has this been happening to him? And he said, From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
As soon as the demonic spirit saw Jesus, it responded by sending the boy into a seizure, uncontrollably shaking on the ground. Jesus shows compassion and asks the father how long this had been happening. The father said, “since he was a little boy. In fact, sometimes the demon has thrown my son into our campfire and into the lake, trying to destroy him. The father’s faith was shaken. He had brought his son to Jesus’ disciples and they couldn’t help. Perhaps Jesus couldn’t either. Therefore, he worded his request this way: “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
And then, Jesus throws the issue back to the Father:
Mark 9:23 – “And Jesus said to him, If you can! All things are possible for one who believes.”
Jesus knew He could do it. The key question here was: Did the Father have the faith to trust in Christ to do it. Jesus encouraged him to have faith: “All things are possible for one who believes.” Jesus is not talking about having faith in a lucky charm of some kind. He is referring to the faith one has that Jesus can do anything that he chooses; which includes casting out demons. And I love the spontaneous response of the dad to Jesus’ statement:
Mark 9:24 – “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, I believe; help my unbelief!”
This dad said he believed, but he also admitted that his faith was very weak. I like that. I can identify with that! And the help, in order to have the faith that is needed, comes from God Himself. So, then, Jesus responds as a large crowd was gathering to see what was going to happen.
Jesus had the authority to perform miracles and to use the faith of others to do so
We already know that Jesus was able to heal, cast out demons and do all kinds of miracles. But, one of the interesting things here, and a main point of this passage, is that the disciples should have been able to cast out this demon if they had the faith in God’s power and relied on Him. This father was told by Jesus that it was His faith in what Jesus could do that would bring the miracle. This was an important lesson the disciples had to learn; because it wouldn’t be long before they were on their own.
Mark 9:25-27 – “And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, you mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again. And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.”
Jesus gave two clear commands to the demon: “come out of him; and never enter him again.” And with one last violent surge, the demon came out of him. And that left the boy looking lifeless; even to the point that people thought he was actually dead. But Jesus lifted him up; and the boy got up – alive and well.
This same type of thing had happened at the healing of Jairus’ daughter by Jesus, in Mark 5:39-42. This is a physical picture of the spiritual victory that takes place, going from spiritual death, under the control of Satan, to eternal life, under the care of God’s Holy Spirit. And, in the context, the ultimate battle would be won by Jesus Christ, when He conquered Satan, sin and death, through His dying on the cross and His rising from the dead.
Mark 9:28 – “And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could we not cast it out?”
Going into the house, the disciples were sure curious. They had cast out demons before. What was going on here? Why couldn’t they cast this particular demon out of the boy? I’m sure they were embarrassed, for one thing. This didn’t make any sense to them; and I’m sure it was frustrating.
Mark 9:29 – “And he said to them, This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”
Fasting is added in some of the translations, but not here in the English Standard Version. Walvoord and Zuck give a brief explanation as to why some translations have the additional words: “Perhaps the words were added early by some scribes to the textual tradition to support asceticism. But the words, if original, refer to a practical means of focusing one’s attention more fully on God for a specific purpose, for a limited period of time.”
Jesus explained that this type of thing: casting out demons, comes through a complete dependence on God – demonstrated by prayer. Perhaps these disciples went into this particular confrontation with this demon, overconfident because they had cast out demons before. And Jesus is reminding them that they must have continual and full dependence on God, just like they did when He first sent them out two by two, to cast out demons for the first time. In the end, this is all about faith.
SO WHAT?
Go to God, in faith, and see what He will do.
This is all about faith. It is all about trusting in God and what He has said in His Word – that it is true. It is all about taking whatever circumstances we face day to day, and submitting ourselves and those circumstances to the authority of God and His Word.
And this goes well beyond the issue of casting out demons. It affects every aspect of our lives today:
Reading #3
1: I have an illness, and I’m not sure I can deal with it
2: The answer is prayer: Give your illness to God; and submit your life to God.
3: Believe, by faith, in what the Bible says. God will use your illness to understand that He is all you need:
4: II Corinthians 12:9 – “But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you,
1: for my power is made perfect in weakness.
2: Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses,
3: so that the power of Christ
4: may rest upon me.”
[pause]
1: I have financial problems, and it seems like God is letting me down
2: The answer is prayer: Give your financial problems to God; and submit your life to Him.
3: Believe, by faith, in what the Bible says. God will use your financial difficulties to improve your faith and trust in Him.
4: Philippians 4:12,13,19 – “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.
1: In any and every circumstance,
2: I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need…
3: And my God will supply every need of yours
4: according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
[pause]
1: I find myself getting worried, all the time, about everything!
2: The answer is prayer: Give your worries, your burdens to God; and submit your life to Him.
3: Believe, by faith, in what the Bible says. God will use your anxieties to get your focus on Him and to glorify Him in your mind.
4: Philippians 4:6-8 – “Do not be anxious about anything,
1: but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
2: And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
3: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just,
4: whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
[pause]
1: When I face difficult circumstances, I find my faith to be very weak; and I have no idea what to do
2: The answer is prayer. Give your difficult circumstances to God; and submit your life to Him.
3: Believe, by faith, in what the Bible says. God will use your difficult circumstances to bring about what is best for your spiritual good.
4: Romans 8:28 – “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
These are just a few examples of how our real life issues fit into these passages about faith. It is faith in the glory and power of God. It was for the disciples, and the key issue remains the same for us today. Whether it was the transfiguration of Christ, His prediction of His coming death and resurrection; or the healing of a demon possessed boy, it is all about faith.
And my guess is, is that you are somewhat like me, and I find myself a lot like those disciples – I don’t always get it; and I fail in faith often. I believe in the power and glory of God, but I don’t always live that way. However, God has called me, He has called us, to live lives of faith; and we can take another step toward Him this morning. Perhaps one of the issues you just heard from our readers hits you; and you need to spend some time in prayer concerning that. Or, perhaps there is some other issue of faith you need to deal with God about. Take a few moments to silently pray and talk to Him about your response to His Word today.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
WHAT DID JESUS JUST SAY?
there are many things Jesus said that are difficult to hear; and even more difficult to obey. When His first disciples spent those 3 years with Him in public ministry, they were continually challenged witht eh truth of who Jesus was,and what was expected of them. This has not changed in 2,000 years. His words continue to challeng me - even today.
This messagewas preached on July 20, 2008 at Grace Baptist Church in Westlake, OH. It is available to listen to online at www.gbcwestlake.org
WHAT DID JESUS JUST SAY?
Mark 8:22-38
Please turn in Your Bibles to Mark 8. In the Bible in front of you, it is page 873 or 891.
VIDEO: WHO WAS JESUS? [2 minutes, 55 seconds]
In these passages today, we are going to see more of who Jesus was, based on what He did, and what he said. And His followers, and all those who were listening, were going to need to decide what they believed about Jesus Christ; and whether or not they were willing to follow Him. We have the same decision to make today.
Mark 8:22 – “And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him.”
This seemed, in the gospel of Mark, to happen quite often. People helped their friends, family, who were in desperate need, to get to Jesus, hoping that He would touch their friend and healing would take place. In this case, a blind man had friends who cared enough about him, not only to bring him to Jesus, but to beg Jesus to touch him. That demonstrates great faith.
Mark 8:23 – “And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him., Do you see anything?”
Just like with the deaf mute in Mark 7, Jesus led this man away from the crowd and became very personal with him. Jesus spit on his eyes and laid His hands on this man. Using spit was something the blind man could relate to in that day. People believed there was special power in saliva. Even today, many people instinctively respond to a cut or burned finger by putting their mouth on it to ease the pain. Jesus used this method to connect with this man.
He then asked him what seems to be a strange question:
[1] “Do you see anything?”. What did Jesus just say? Anytime Jesus would touch someone or declare someone healed, He knew it was done and wanted others to believe it was done, even if the victim of the particular disease wasn’t there. In this case, He just touched the man and then asks if he sees anything.
Mark 8:24,25 – “And he looked up and said, I see men, but they look like trees, walking. Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.”
The man looked up, probably seeing the disciples, but said that he could not see clearly, because they looked liked trees walking around. Perhaps Jesus was making a point about spiritual understanding. The disciples were a lot like this man, in a spiritual way. They could see some of what Jesus was saying, but it was still pretty cloudy to them. They didn’t fully understand – didn’t full see it. It was a process for them; just as it for us.
So, Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again. It is the only time we see a gradual miracle from Jesus; and this miracle is only recorded here in Mark. This time, the man opened his eyes, his sight was fully restored, and everything was clear. There is no indication that Jesus didn’t have enough power the first time – and no indication that this man lacked faith. It does make sense, in the context, that Jesus was teaching his disciples something. Just before this passage, we have recorded the feeding of the 4,000, the disciples not “getting it”; and Jesus asking: “Do you not yet understand?” Their spiritual understanding was coming in stages, and they still had a long way to go. Then, Jesus made a statement that makes us ask: Did He just say that?
Mark 8:26 – “And he sent him to his home, saying, Do not even enter the village.”
Jesus instructed this man, [2] Do not go back to Bethsaida; but instead to return to wherever He lived. Why did Jesus say that? It seems this is another instance of Jesus wanting some of His activities to remain silent. We know, in most cases, this didn’t happen; but people kept talking about what Jesus had done for them.
There is a transition that takes place here in the book of Mark. From here until the end of the gospel, the focus becomes Jesus Christ as the Messiah, here to die for the sins of the world. And this next passage gets us headed that direction with a couple more questions that Jesus asks:
Mark 8:27 – “And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, Who do people say that I am?”
They travelled about 25 miles north of Bethsaida to these villages of Caesarea Philippi. This was once a great center for the worship for Baal. According to Barclay: “On the hillside there was a cave which was said to be the birthplace of the Greek God, Pan, the god of nature. Farther up on the hillside rose a gleaming temple of white marble which was built to the godhead of Caesar, the Roman Emperor, the ruler of the world, who was regarded a god. It is in this context, that Jesus asks a very important question, and the answer becomes a turning point in this gospel.
While they were walking, Jesus posed a question: [3] Who do people say that I am? Why would Jesus ask this? It is interesting that Jesus would ask this, since He already knew the answers. But, there was a point to this line of questioning.
Mark 8:28 – “And they told him, John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”
Back in chapter 6 of Mark, when Herod had heard of all Jesus was doing with His disciples, he heard a few suggestions for who this man going by the name Jesus really was. And the same suggestions were the ones the disciples mentioned here. People are saying three basic things: You are either John the Baptist, Elijah or another one of the prophets. In each case, they thought Jesus was a returning spirit or something from the dead. They certainly could not accept Jesus for who He was claiming to be! The majority of the people did not understand, at all, who Jesus was – not unlike the people in the video we began this message with.
But, Jesus now goes to the heart of the matter. Here is a penetrating, but important question from Christ, that we must all answer:
Mark 8:29 – “And he asked them, But who do you say that I am? Peter answered him, You are the Christ.”
[4] “Who do you say that I am?” Ok – so the popular opinion is that I am one of those options. But, what about you? He asked this of the 12 guys that He personally chose to follow Him. And, I believe, without hesitation, their spokesman, Peter, said what is recorded here: “You are the Christ.” In other words, Peter, representing the 12 disciples said: “Jesus, we wholeheartedly believe that you are, indeed, the promised Messiah from the Old Testament. You are the Christ.”
We almost would expect Jesus, now, to applaud His followers for such a great statement of faith. Instead he says this:
Mark 8:30 – “And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.”
It is almost as though He followed Peter’s statement: You are the Christ, with: shhhhh: [5] “Don’t tell anyone who I am.” Did Jesus just say that?
Jesus did accept this statement as truth. However, the disciples still did not fully understand, and were not ready to proclaim Him publicly as the Messiah. In fact, proclaiming Him as such at that time would have caused more confusion and problems than progress for the gospel. People even in that day had many different, wrong ideas about the Messiah. The popular opinion was that the Messiah would be a political hero, who would come on the scene to rescue the Jewish people from Roman authority.
But, as Jesus was about to explain, He was here for something much more important. He was the Messiah, but the not the one they all expected. It was time for the disciples to hear the whole truth about what would have to happen to this One and Only Messiah:
Mark 8:31 – “And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.”
For the first time, to His disciples, here in Mark, Jesus predicts what is going to have to happen to Him, in order for Him to fulfill His position as the true Messiah. He is basically saying this: Yes, I am the promised Messiah. And I am the Son of Man, fully man and fully God. And, [6] “as a man, I will experience incredible suffering, I will be condemned by the religious leaders [the 3 groups mentioned in v.31 that make up the Sanhedrin] and I will be put to death.” But, I will also rise again 3 days later. What did Jesus just say?
They didn’t even notice that He said He would rise 3 days later. We know the disciples never really got that point until days after He actually did rise from the dead. But, the other part caught their attention. Instead of setting Himself up as some political and military hero, here to rescue people from foreign authorities; Jesus said He was going to humble Himself, go through physical pain, and endure the great humiliation of capital punishment. This is not what the disciples expected to hear. But, this was the mission that God had for the Messiah. He said: The Son of Man must suffer many things. This had to happen. When Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, in John 3, He explained:
John 3:14,15 – “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”
The people of Israel knew the story: a bronze serpent was put on a pole and the sinning Israelites had to look on it to be saved from their poisonous snake bites. Also, Jesus had to be put up on the cross, so that everyone who looked to Him in faith would be saved from their sin. All of this was connected to personal salvation for all who believe. He had to suffer and die. This was a major part of God’s plan to redeem us.
And Jesus said this as a matter of fact. And then, as soon as he said it, the representative for the 12 disciples felt He needed to say something else:
Mark 8:32 – “And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.”
The man who boldly said: I don’t care that everyone thinks you are John the Baptist or Elijah or just another prophet. I know that you are Jesus Christ, the Son of God – the promised Messiah! – that man, now takes Jesus aside, as you would your young child who just said something embarrassing in front of company – and Peter rebukes the Messiah. What was He thinking?
Well, he was probably thinking what the rest of the fellas were thinking: “Wait a second Jesus. As the Messiah, you are going to do the killing, not the other way around. We are going to be with you as you defeat this ungodly government. We are going to be with you as you set up your Kingdom (that you keep talking about) here on Earth. Don’t be a “glass half full” kind of guy Jesus. Don’t be negative, pessimistic – Don’t talk this way – about suffering and death. That’s not a good plan!
As you can imagine, it was “teachable moment” time.
Mark 8:33 – But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
What did Jesus just say? [7] “Get behind me Satan.” Did He just call Peter: Satan? Well, He basically said this: “You are speaking the words of Satan.” Jesus took this opportunity to address all His disciples, and by rebuking Peter, He was emphasizing that this plan He just unveiled was the plan of God. And any other plan, including their own, was all about man.
Why did Jesus call Peter Satan? Because what Peter did was to communicate what Jesus’ greatest adversary was trying to communicate and accomplish. The last thing Satan would want is for Jesus to suffer and die for the sins of the world. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, He was trying to get Jesus to respond to selfish thoughts and goals. But, that is not what Jesus was here to do. And Peter was really representing the thoughts of Satan when he rebuked Jesus.
The disciples probably had this fantasy in their heads, that they would accompany Jesus as He overthrew the Roman government and set up His Kingdom right here and right now. Then, they would rule with Him. What Jesus was sharing didn’t sound like it was going to fulfill their fantasies. In fact, it sounded like a nightmare. So, Jesus needed to explain to His followers and potential followers what it truly means to follow Him. There were many people volunteering to be with Christ and follow Him; but their motivations and expectations were out of line. Jesus was going to be clear about what following Him really means.
There’s the story of a soldier frantically digging in during battle as shells fall all around him. Suddenly his hand feels something metal and he grabs it. It’s a silver cross. Another shell explodes and he buries his head in his arms. He feels someone jump in the foxhole with him and he looks over and sees an army chaplain. The soldier thrusts the cross in the chaplain’s face and says, “I sure am glad to see you. How do you work this thing?” Jesus is about to address this same type of question that people interested in Jesus have been asking about the significance of the cross: “How do you work this thing?” Peter had just claimed the truth of who Jesus was, but in the next moment, demonstrated that he didn’t understand anything. He had just learned that His Messiah, Jesus, was going to take a very different path than Peter had imagined.
Mark 8:34 – “And he called to him the crowd with his disciples and said to them, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Did Jesus just say that? I don’t think I like it. He was not just talking to His 12 chosen followers. He was talking to them, since they obviously didn’t understand yet; but He was talking to everyone that considered becoming His follower. And He is certainly saying that same thing to us today.
Understand something: To trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation; or to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior – whatever specific terms you might use to describe the fact that you are a Christian (if you are). – is equal to what Jesus is talking about here. In other words, Jesus is not giving a 2 step plan. First, you pray to receive me as your Lord and Savior. Then, later, hopefully, you decide to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. NO! He is saying: Do you want to call yourself a Christian? This is what it is all about. It is about being a committed follower of Me.
Here is His main statement: In order to be my disciple, you must:
[8] “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me.”
Instead of saying: Bow your heads, close your eyes and repeat after me: I want to receive Jesus into my heart and go to Heaven; Jesus said this: Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me. This is a hard statement. Now, don’t be confused here. Most of us begin to follow Christ with some type of prayer and very little understanding. We pray to receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior and later we truly learn what that means. That is o.k. But, Jesus wanted to make sure these people understood what the decision to follow Christ truly entailed from His perspective.
To deny yourself is not: to beat yourself up, treat material things as evil, to pretend to be something you were not created to be. To deny yourself is to put aside your selfish desires so that you can put God’s interests above your own. It is to be God-centered rather than self-centered. And that…is tough!
Perhaps you’ve heard the story of two young brothers who come downstairs for breakfast on a Saturday morning, and their mother was cooking pancakes. She was starting to pull them off the griddle when the boys start arguing about who’s going to eat first. Their mother seizes this teachable moment and says, “Now boys, what would Jesus say if he were here?” They stopped, looked a little confused, and then their mother says, “Jesus would say, “My brother, you have the first pancake. I’ll wait.” The older brother looks at the younger brother and says, “Hey John, you be Jesus.”
To deny yourself is to apply:
I Corinthians 6:19,20 – “…You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
To take up your cross has nothing to do with the necklaces, tattoos, bookmarks, or any other object in the shape of a cross. The cross had a very distinct picture associated with it in that Roman dominated society. The cross is what a condemned man would pick up and carry. And in doing so, he was showing submission to the Roman authority that he had previously disobeyed. The cross had and is still to have an incredible meaning to those of us who claim to follow Him.
Rene Lacoste was the world’s top tennis player in the late 1920s. He won seven major singles titles during his career, including multiple victories at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the French Open. His friends called him “Le Crocodile,” an apt term for his tenacious play on the tennis court. Lacoste accepted the nickname and had a tiny crocodile embroidered on his tennis blazers. When he added it to a line of shirts he designed, the symbol caught on. While thousands of people around the world wore “alligator shirts,” the emblem always had a deeper significance for Lacoste’s friends who knew of its origin and meaning.The cross is an emblem of Christianity that holds special meaning for every one of us who identify with Jesus Christ. Whenever we see a cross, it should remind us of Christ’s tenacious determination to do His Father’s will by dying for us on Calvary. The cross is all about making a choice. The cross is about discipline, hard work, obedience, and commitment. The cross can be an obstacle for many people.
Billy Graham wrote in Decision magazine, “I find that I can preach on any subject other than the cross, and it does not seem as offensive to people as the cross does. I can preach on doing good works, on social improvement, on all kinds of things, and people will applaud me. But when I preach on the cross and the blood of Christ, there is an offense.”
To be able to understand what Jesus is asking us to do in “taking up our cross”, we have to understand what He did. Jesus was responding to the will of the Father, in going to the cross. He was not following natural self-protection plans or even selfish political aspirations. He was going to obey the Father, and not be sidetracked by anyone else’s desires for Him. When Jesus said to take up your cross, he was not saying they would all have to physically die like He was going to. He was also not saying that enduring certain burdens in our lives was equal to carrying our cross. Sometimes people think they are carrying a cross by putting up with annoying people or bad weather or some other minor thing.
The primary meaning of this phrase: take up your cross, is all about obeying God and doing His will – no matter what. It is a narrow focus on doing only what God wants for our lives, not selfish dreams or even following the dreams others have for us. It means a willingness to do even what would be misunderstood by others. It means doing what might even be considered a waste by others.
When Jesus said “Follow Me” he said it in a way that means: Keep following me.
This is a life process. The disciples certainly didn’t just make the decision to follow Him and then always do it just right. The call is to continually follow. That is a mark of a true Christian – one who is still following, years after they prayed to trust in Christ. You have decided not to follow your own plan, but God’s. You are not going to go after your own dreams, but the vision that God gives you for your life. You are not out to please others with your life, but God. And your greatest example, for you to follow, is Jesus Christ Himself.
This call to follow Christ is not an easy one. In the early days of World War II, when Winston Churchill took over the leadership of England, he said that all he had to offer his people was "blood, sweat & tears."
During the siege of Rome in 1849, Garibaldi, the great Italian patriot, made this famous proclamation: "Soldiers, all our efforts against superior forces have been unavailing. I have nothing to offer you but hunger & thirst, hardship & death. But I call on all who love their country to join with me."
Martin Luther said: “A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.”
Billy Graham has said, “Salvation is free, but discipleship costs everything we have”
And concerning the cost of discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who paid the ultimate price with his execution at age 39 on April 9, 1945, was a good example of this. He had bravely resisted Hitler and the Nazi State when most of Germany’s clergy supported the Third Reich. And it was Dietrich Bonhoeffer who wrote: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
If all of this sounds extreme to you, then you have a little idea of what those disciples and others were experiencing as they listened to these words from Christ 2,000 years ago.
These next 4 statements, are all descriptive ones, to elaborate on this foundational commitment: “Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.” They explain it:
Mark 8:35 – “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.”
· Those who follow Christ submit to God’s will and gain eternal life
What did Jesus just say? He gives a paradoxical statement here. He just said: Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me, if you want to be my disciple. Because: the person who tries to protect Himself will not gain eternal life; but the person willing to give up everything important to him, for Jesus’ sake and the good news, will actually receive eternal life.
Whether one actually gives up physical life for the sake of Christ or gives up their own personal control of their lives, the same thing applies. This is how you deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ. That person is a true Christian, and therefore, has eternal life promised in Heaven.
Understand, this is not about good works. This is about the evidence of a person who has truly committed his life to Jesus Christ – one who is a true follower – a Christian. These statements are showing the differences between those who are Christians and those who are not. Don’t get caught up, here, in trying to figure out who is saved or not saved by what you presently see. Don’t get discouraged because you don’t always see great fruit in your life. However, you should take this opportunity to check your heart and make sure that the commitment you made to Christ was real; and if you have become lazy in your commitment to follow Christ, you have a great opportunity to get back where you should be. Even if you are saved, you probably still need to reminded of your commitment, just as I do.
Jesus now uses the common day idea of financial gain to speak of following Him for spiritual gain – that is much more valuable:
Mark 8:36 – “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?”
· Those who live for themselves lose everything in the end
The rhetorical question: What benefit is there for someone to gain everything this world has to offer and yet suffer the loss of his soul, with no eternity with God? The obvious answer is: There is NO benefit – NONE – It is a wasted life.
Mark 8:37 – “For what can a man give in return for his life?”
· Those who live for this world’s goods have nothing with which to bargain for their eternal life
The next rhetorical question: What can a person, who is living for this world, give to God in order to receive eternal life with Him? The obvious answer is: NOTHING.
It is not difficult for us to see most of the people in this world living for material gain. Most of what our world tells us is about how to get more money and how to spend it on things that will make us happy. And yet, most of what people are living for has NOTHING to do with eternity. In fact, people are pursuing what cannot satisfy and will be gone when this life is over; and ignoring what will truly satisfy and bring eternal life in the end. And even we Christians sometimes get caught up in the confusion – don’t we?
In his book: Don’t Waste Your Life, John Piper relays this story:
“In April 2000, Ruby Eliason and Laura Edwards were killed in Cameroon, West Africa. Ruby was over 80 years old. Single all her life, she poured it out for one great thing: to make Jesus Christ known among the unreached, the poor, and the sick. Laura was a widow, a medical doctor, pushing 80 years old, and serving at Ruby’s side in Cameroon. The brakes failed, the car went over a cliff, and they were both killed instantly…Was that a tragedy? Two lives, driven by one great passion, namely, to be spent in unheralded service to the perishing poor for the glory of Jesus Christ – even two decades after most of their American counterparts had retired to throw away their lives on trifles. No, that is not a tragedy. That is a glory. These lives were not wasted. And these lives were not lost…
Piper continued:
I will tell you what a tragedy is. I will show you how to waste your life. Consider a story from the Reader’s Digest, which tells about a couple who ‘took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30 foot boat, play softball and collect shells.’ Tragically, this was the dream: Come to the end of your life – your one and only precious, God-given life – and let the last great work of your life, before you give an account to your Creator, be this; playing softball and collecting shells. Picture them before Christ at the great day of judgment: “look, Lord. See my shells.” That is a tragedy. And people today are spending billions of dollars to persuade you to embrace that tragic dream. Over against that, I put my protest: Don’t buy it. Don’t waste your life.”
Mark 8:38 – “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
· Those who deny Christ in this life will be rejected by Him when He returns
Jesus is continuing to explain the statement: Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. Jesus is noting that the majority of people living at that time were spiritually unfaithful and continually sinning. And in the midst of it, those who denied Christ (were ashamed of him) demonstrated that they were not believers and would be rejected by Jesus Christ when returned for judgment in the future, along with his angels.
We need to be careful here, because at first reading, we could easily be confused. We are removed 2,000 years from when this was written, and we tend to read it differently than it was intended. You might read verse 38 and think it is saying that if we Christians get embarrassed and are unwilling at times to share our faith or even say we are Christians, then we will lose our salvation and not go to Heaven some day. That is not what this is saying.
Those who are ashamed, or reject Christ are the non-believers. One of the reasons we know that is because one of Jesus closest disciples, the Apostle Peter, was obviously a Christ –follower and on His way to Heaven. However, he denied that he knew Christ, not just once, but 3 times. Did he lose his salvation? NO. Does this mean he was never truly a Christ-follower? NO. This verse is not referring to our failure to talk boldly about Christ. It is referring to those who rejected Christ for who He said He was. They would be rejected in the judgment.
It does point out that true believers will be willing to tell people that they are Christ-followers. They will not be ashamed of Him. Yes, we fail often; but true Christ-followers are denying themselves and lifting up their only hope: Jesus Christ.
SO WHAT ABOUT YOU?
This question is on your outline but there are no blanks to fill in. You will have to answer this question for yourself:
Has there been a time in your life when you have confessed that Jesus Christ is who He said He was: The promised Messiah who died for your sins? Have you trusted in Him for your salvation, not counting on good works or religion to get you to Heaven? Have you given your life to Him, accepting the call to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him?
If you have not, today is a great day to do that. You can do that right in this moment. Just tell God what you want to do. If you would like to talk about it with someone, I will be up here when the service ends; and I would love to talk with you about it.
If you have already made this decision at some time in your life, this is great time to evaluate where you are in following through with this commitment in reality. Maybe you have gotten a little lazy. You might even be living in a way a non-believer lives: you are not denying yourself, you are not submitting to God’s authority and the way of the cross; and you are following your own plan, and not following Christ.
If you find yourself there, you have one option: confess it before God and recommit yourself to His call today. You can do that right in your seat. If you would like to tell us about it, you can see Steve or I after the service. We would love to hear about your decision and pray with you.
Let’s take some time to consider this and pray right now.
This messagewas preached on July 20, 2008 at Grace Baptist Church in Westlake, OH. It is available to listen to online at www.gbcwestlake.org
WHAT DID JESUS JUST SAY?
Mark 8:22-38
Please turn in Your Bibles to Mark 8. In the Bible in front of you, it is page 873 or 891.
VIDEO: WHO WAS JESUS? [2 minutes, 55 seconds]
In these passages today, we are going to see more of who Jesus was, based on what He did, and what he said. And His followers, and all those who were listening, were going to need to decide what they believed about Jesus Christ; and whether or not they were willing to follow Him. We have the same decision to make today.
Mark 8:22 – “And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him.”
This seemed, in the gospel of Mark, to happen quite often. People helped their friends, family, who were in desperate need, to get to Jesus, hoping that He would touch their friend and healing would take place. In this case, a blind man had friends who cared enough about him, not only to bring him to Jesus, but to beg Jesus to touch him. That demonstrates great faith.
Mark 8:23 – “And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him., Do you see anything?”
Just like with the deaf mute in Mark 7, Jesus led this man away from the crowd and became very personal with him. Jesus spit on his eyes and laid His hands on this man. Using spit was something the blind man could relate to in that day. People believed there was special power in saliva. Even today, many people instinctively respond to a cut or burned finger by putting their mouth on it to ease the pain. Jesus used this method to connect with this man.
He then asked him what seems to be a strange question:
[1] “Do you see anything?”. What did Jesus just say? Anytime Jesus would touch someone or declare someone healed, He knew it was done and wanted others to believe it was done, even if the victim of the particular disease wasn’t there. In this case, He just touched the man and then asks if he sees anything.
Mark 8:24,25 – “And he looked up and said, I see men, but they look like trees, walking. Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.”
The man looked up, probably seeing the disciples, but said that he could not see clearly, because they looked liked trees walking around. Perhaps Jesus was making a point about spiritual understanding. The disciples were a lot like this man, in a spiritual way. They could see some of what Jesus was saying, but it was still pretty cloudy to them. They didn’t fully understand – didn’t full see it. It was a process for them; just as it for us.
So, Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again. It is the only time we see a gradual miracle from Jesus; and this miracle is only recorded here in Mark. This time, the man opened his eyes, his sight was fully restored, and everything was clear. There is no indication that Jesus didn’t have enough power the first time – and no indication that this man lacked faith. It does make sense, in the context, that Jesus was teaching his disciples something. Just before this passage, we have recorded the feeding of the 4,000, the disciples not “getting it”; and Jesus asking: “Do you not yet understand?” Their spiritual understanding was coming in stages, and they still had a long way to go. Then, Jesus made a statement that makes us ask: Did He just say that?
Mark 8:26 – “And he sent him to his home, saying, Do not even enter the village.”
Jesus instructed this man, [2] Do not go back to Bethsaida; but instead to return to wherever He lived. Why did Jesus say that? It seems this is another instance of Jesus wanting some of His activities to remain silent. We know, in most cases, this didn’t happen; but people kept talking about what Jesus had done for them.
There is a transition that takes place here in the book of Mark. From here until the end of the gospel, the focus becomes Jesus Christ as the Messiah, here to die for the sins of the world. And this next passage gets us headed that direction with a couple more questions that Jesus asks:
Mark 8:27 – “And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, Who do people say that I am?”
They travelled about 25 miles north of Bethsaida to these villages of Caesarea Philippi. This was once a great center for the worship for Baal. According to Barclay: “On the hillside there was a cave which was said to be the birthplace of the Greek God, Pan, the god of nature. Farther up on the hillside rose a gleaming temple of white marble which was built to the godhead of Caesar, the Roman Emperor, the ruler of the world, who was regarded a god. It is in this context, that Jesus asks a very important question, and the answer becomes a turning point in this gospel.
While they were walking, Jesus posed a question: [3] Who do people say that I am? Why would Jesus ask this? It is interesting that Jesus would ask this, since He already knew the answers. But, there was a point to this line of questioning.
Mark 8:28 – “And they told him, John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”
Back in chapter 6 of Mark, when Herod had heard of all Jesus was doing with His disciples, he heard a few suggestions for who this man going by the name Jesus really was. And the same suggestions were the ones the disciples mentioned here. People are saying three basic things: You are either John the Baptist, Elijah or another one of the prophets. In each case, they thought Jesus was a returning spirit or something from the dead. They certainly could not accept Jesus for who He was claiming to be! The majority of the people did not understand, at all, who Jesus was – not unlike the people in the video we began this message with.
But, Jesus now goes to the heart of the matter. Here is a penetrating, but important question from Christ, that we must all answer:
Mark 8:29 – “And he asked them, But who do you say that I am? Peter answered him, You are the Christ.”
[4] “Who do you say that I am?” Ok – so the popular opinion is that I am one of those options. But, what about you? He asked this of the 12 guys that He personally chose to follow Him. And, I believe, without hesitation, their spokesman, Peter, said what is recorded here: “You are the Christ.” In other words, Peter, representing the 12 disciples said: “Jesus, we wholeheartedly believe that you are, indeed, the promised Messiah from the Old Testament. You are the Christ.”
We almost would expect Jesus, now, to applaud His followers for such a great statement of faith. Instead he says this:
Mark 8:30 – “And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.”
It is almost as though He followed Peter’s statement: You are the Christ, with: shhhhh: [5] “Don’t tell anyone who I am.” Did Jesus just say that?
Jesus did accept this statement as truth. However, the disciples still did not fully understand, and were not ready to proclaim Him publicly as the Messiah. In fact, proclaiming Him as such at that time would have caused more confusion and problems than progress for the gospel. People even in that day had many different, wrong ideas about the Messiah. The popular opinion was that the Messiah would be a political hero, who would come on the scene to rescue the Jewish people from Roman authority.
But, as Jesus was about to explain, He was here for something much more important. He was the Messiah, but the not the one they all expected. It was time for the disciples to hear the whole truth about what would have to happen to this One and Only Messiah:
Mark 8:31 – “And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.”
For the first time, to His disciples, here in Mark, Jesus predicts what is going to have to happen to Him, in order for Him to fulfill His position as the true Messiah. He is basically saying this: Yes, I am the promised Messiah. And I am the Son of Man, fully man and fully God. And, [6] “as a man, I will experience incredible suffering, I will be condemned by the religious leaders [the 3 groups mentioned in v.31 that make up the Sanhedrin] and I will be put to death.” But, I will also rise again 3 days later. What did Jesus just say?
They didn’t even notice that He said He would rise 3 days later. We know the disciples never really got that point until days after He actually did rise from the dead. But, the other part caught their attention. Instead of setting Himself up as some political and military hero, here to rescue people from foreign authorities; Jesus said He was going to humble Himself, go through physical pain, and endure the great humiliation of capital punishment. This is not what the disciples expected to hear. But, this was the mission that God had for the Messiah. He said: The Son of Man must suffer many things. This had to happen. When Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, in John 3, He explained:
John 3:14,15 – “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”
The people of Israel knew the story: a bronze serpent was put on a pole and the sinning Israelites had to look on it to be saved from their poisonous snake bites. Also, Jesus had to be put up on the cross, so that everyone who looked to Him in faith would be saved from their sin. All of this was connected to personal salvation for all who believe. He had to suffer and die. This was a major part of God’s plan to redeem us.
And Jesus said this as a matter of fact. And then, as soon as he said it, the representative for the 12 disciples felt He needed to say something else:
Mark 8:32 – “And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.”
The man who boldly said: I don’t care that everyone thinks you are John the Baptist or Elijah or just another prophet. I know that you are Jesus Christ, the Son of God – the promised Messiah! – that man, now takes Jesus aside, as you would your young child who just said something embarrassing in front of company – and Peter rebukes the Messiah. What was He thinking?
Well, he was probably thinking what the rest of the fellas were thinking: “Wait a second Jesus. As the Messiah, you are going to do the killing, not the other way around. We are going to be with you as you defeat this ungodly government. We are going to be with you as you set up your Kingdom (that you keep talking about) here on Earth. Don’t be a “glass half full” kind of guy Jesus. Don’t be negative, pessimistic – Don’t talk this way – about suffering and death. That’s not a good plan!
As you can imagine, it was “teachable moment” time.
Mark 8:33 – But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
What did Jesus just say? [7] “Get behind me Satan.” Did He just call Peter: Satan? Well, He basically said this: “You are speaking the words of Satan.” Jesus took this opportunity to address all His disciples, and by rebuking Peter, He was emphasizing that this plan He just unveiled was the plan of God. And any other plan, including their own, was all about man.
Why did Jesus call Peter Satan? Because what Peter did was to communicate what Jesus’ greatest adversary was trying to communicate and accomplish. The last thing Satan would want is for Jesus to suffer and die for the sins of the world. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, He was trying to get Jesus to respond to selfish thoughts and goals. But, that is not what Jesus was here to do. And Peter was really representing the thoughts of Satan when he rebuked Jesus.
The disciples probably had this fantasy in their heads, that they would accompany Jesus as He overthrew the Roman government and set up His Kingdom right here and right now. Then, they would rule with Him. What Jesus was sharing didn’t sound like it was going to fulfill their fantasies. In fact, it sounded like a nightmare. So, Jesus needed to explain to His followers and potential followers what it truly means to follow Him. There were many people volunteering to be with Christ and follow Him; but their motivations and expectations were out of line. Jesus was going to be clear about what following Him really means.
There’s the story of a soldier frantically digging in during battle as shells fall all around him. Suddenly his hand feels something metal and he grabs it. It’s a silver cross. Another shell explodes and he buries his head in his arms. He feels someone jump in the foxhole with him and he looks over and sees an army chaplain. The soldier thrusts the cross in the chaplain’s face and says, “I sure am glad to see you. How do you work this thing?” Jesus is about to address this same type of question that people interested in Jesus have been asking about the significance of the cross: “How do you work this thing?” Peter had just claimed the truth of who Jesus was, but in the next moment, demonstrated that he didn’t understand anything. He had just learned that His Messiah, Jesus, was going to take a very different path than Peter had imagined.
Mark 8:34 – “And he called to him the crowd with his disciples and said to them, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Did Jesus just say that? I don’t think I like it. He was not just talking to His 12 chosen followers. He was talking to them, since they obviously didn’t understand yet; but He was talking to everyone that considered becoming His follower. And He is certainly saying that same thing to us today.
Understand something: To trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation; or to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior – whatever specific terms you might use to describe the fact that you are a Christian (if you are). – is equal to what Jesus is talking about here. In other words, Jesus is not giving a 2 step plan. First, you pray to receive me as your Lord and Savior. Then, later, hopefully, you decide to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. NO! He is saying: Do you want to call yourself a Christian? This is what it is all about. It is about being a committed follower of Me.
Here is His main statement: In order to be my disciple, you must:
[8] “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me.”
Instead of saying: Bow your heads, close your eyes and repeat after me: I want to receive Jesus into my heart and go to Heaven; Jesus said this: Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me. This is a hard statement. Now, don’t be confused here. Most of us begin to follow Christ with some type of prayer and very little understanding. We pray to receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior and later we truly learn what that means. That is o.k. But, Jesus wanted to make sure these people understood what the decision to follow Christ truly entailed from His perspective.
To deny yourself is not: to beat yourself up, treat material things as evil, to pretend to be something you were not created to be. To deny yourself is to put aside your selfish desires so that you can put God’s interests above your own. It is to be God-centered rather than self-centered. And that…is tough!
Perhaps you’ve heard the story of two young brothers who come downstairs for breakfast on a Saturday morning, and their mother was cooking pancakes. She was starting to pull them off the griddle when the boys start arguing about who’s going to eat first. Their mother seizes this teachable moment and says, “Now boys, what would Jesus say if he were here?” They stopped, looked a little confused, and then their mother says, “Jesus would say, “My brother, you have the first pancake. I’ll wait.” The older brother looks at the younger brother and says, “Hey John, you be Jesus.”
To deny yourself is to apply:
I Corinthians 6:19,20 – “…You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
To take up your cross has nothing to do with the necklaces, tattoos, bookmarks, or any other object in the shape of a cross. The cross had a very distinct picture associated with it in that Roman dominated society. The cross is what a condemned man would pick up and carry. And in doing so, he was showing submission to the Roman authority that he had previously disobeyed. The cross had and is still to have an incredible meaning to those of us who claim to follow Him.
Rene Lacoste was the world’s top tennis player in the late 1920s. He won seven major singles titles during his career, including multiple victories at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the French Open. His friends called him “Le Crocodile,” an apt term for his tenacious play on the tennis court. Lacoste accepted the nickname and had a tiny crocodile embroidered on his tennis blazers. When he added it to a line of shirts he designed, the symbol caught on. While thousands of people around the world wore “alligator shirts,” the emblem always had a deeper significance for Lacoste’s friends who knew of its origin and meaning.The cross is an emblem of Christianity that holds special meaning for every one of us who identify with Jesus Christ. Whenever we see a cross, it should remind us of Christ’s tenacious determination to do His Father’s will by dying for us on Calvary. The cross is all about making a choice. The cross is about discipline, hard work, obedience, and commitment. The cross can be an obstacle for many people.
Billy Graham wrote in Decision magazine, “I find that I can preach on any subject other than the cross, and it does not seem as offensive to people as the cross does. I can preach on doing good works, on social improvement, on all kinds of things, and people will applaud me. But when I preach on the cross and the blood of Christ, there is an offense.”
To be able to understand what Jesus is asking us to do in “taking up our cross”, we have to understand what He did. Jesus was responding to the will of the Father, in going to the cross. He was not following natural self-protection plans or even selfish political aspirations. He was going to obey the Father, and not be sidetracked by anyone else’s desires for Him. When Jesus said to take up your cross, he was not saying they would all have to physically die like He was going to. He was also not saying that enduring certain burdens in our lives was equal to carrying our cross. Sometimes people think they are carrying a cross by putting up with annoying people or bad weather or some other minor thing.
The primary meaning of this phrase: take up your cross, is all about obeying God and doing His will – no matter what. It is a narrow focus on doing only what God wants for our lives, not selfish dreams or even following the dreams others have for us. It means a willingness to do even what would be misunderstood by others. It means doing what might even be considered a waste by others.
When Jesus said “Follow Me” he said it in a way that means: Keep following me.
This is a life process. The disciples certainly didn’t just make the decision to follow Him and then always do it just right. The call is to continually follow. That is a mark of a true Christian – one who is still following, years after they prayed to trust in Christ. You have decided not to follow your own plan, but God’s. You are not going to go after your own dreams, but the vision that God gives you for your life. You are not out to please others with your life, but God. And your greatest example, for you to follow, is Jesus Christ Himself.
This call to follow Christ is not an easy one. In the early days of World War II, when Winston Churchill took over the leadership of England, he said that all he had to offer his people was "blood, sweat & tears."
During the siege of Rome in 1849, Garibaldi, the great Italian patriot, made this famous proclamation: "Soldiers, all our efforts against superior forces have been unavailing. I have nothing to offer you but hunger & thirst, hardship & death. But I call on all who love their country to join with me."
Martin Luther said: “A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.”
Billy Graham has said, “Salvation is free, but discipleship costs everything we have”
And concerning the cost of discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who paid the ultimate price with his execution at age 39 on April 9, 1945, was a good example of this. He had bravely resisted Hitler and the Nazi State when most of Germany’s clergy supported the Third Reich. And it was Dietrich Bonhoeffer who wrote: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
If all of this sounds extreme to you, then you have a little idea of what those disciples and others were experiencing as they listened to these words from Christ 2,000 years ago.
These next 4 statements, are all descriptive ones, to elaborate on this foundational commitment: “Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.” They explain it:
Mark 8:35 – “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.”
· Those who follow Christ submit to God’s will and gain eternal life
What did Jesus just say? He gives a paradoxical statement here. He just said: Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me, if you want to be my disciple. Because: the person who tries to protect Himself will not gain eternal life; but the person willing to give up everything important to him, for Jesus’ sake and the good news, will actually receive eternal life.
Whether one actually gives up physical life for the sake of Christ or gives up their own personal control of their lives, the same thing applies. This is how you deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ. That person is a true Christian, and therefore, has eternal life promised in Heaven.
Understand, this is not about good works. This is about the evidence of a person who has truly committed his life to Jesus Christ – one who is a true follower – a Christian. These statements are showing the differences between those who are Christians and those who are not. Don’t get caught up, here, in trying to figure out who is saved or not saved by what you presently see. Don’t get discouraged because you don’t always see great fruit in your life. However, you should take this opportunity to check your heart and make sure that the commitment you made to Christ was real; and if you have become lazy in your commitment to follow Christ, you have a great opportunity to get back where you should be. Even if you are saved, you probably still need to reminded of your commitment, just as I do.
Jesus now uses the common day idea of financial gain to speak of following Him for spiritual gain – that is much more valuable:
Mark 8:36 – “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?”
· Those who live for themselves lose everything in the end
The rhetorical question: What benefit is there for someone to gain everything this world has to offer and yet suffer the loss of his soul, with no eternity with God? The obvious answer is: There is NO benefit – NONE – It is a wasted life.
Mark 8:37 – “For what can a man give in return for his life?”
· Those who live for this world’s goods have nothing with which to bargain for their eternal life
The next rhetorical question: What can a person, who is living for this world, give to God in order to receive eternal life with Him? The obvious answer is: NOTHING.
It is not difficult for us to see most of the people in this world living for material gain. Most of what our world tells us is about how to get more money and how to spend it on things that will make us happy. And yet, most of what people are living for has NOTHING to do with eternity. In fact, people are pursuing what cannot satisfy and will be gone when this life is over; and ignoring what will truly satisfy and bring eternal life in the end. And even we Christians sometimes get caught up in the confusion – don’t we?
In his book: Don’t Waste Your Life, John Piper relays this story:
“In April 2000, Ruby Eliason and Laura Edwards were killed in Cameroon, West Africa. Ruby was over 80 years old. Single all her life, she poured it out for one great thing: to make Jesus Christ known among the unreached, the poor, and the sick. Laura was a widow, a medical doctor, pushing 80 years old, and serving at Ruby’s side in Cameroon. The brakes failed, the car went over a cliff, and they were both killed instantly…Was that a tragedy? Two lives, driven by one great passion, namely, to be spent in unheralded service to the perishing poor for the glory of Jesus Christ – even two decades after most of their American counterparts had retired to throw away their lives on trifles. No, that is not a tragedy. That is a glory. These lives were not wasted. And these lives were not lost…
Piper continued:
I will tell you what a tragedy is. I will show you how to waste your life. Consider a story from the Reader’s Digest, which tells about a couple who ‘took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30 foot boat, play softball and collect shells.’ Tragically, this was the dream: Come to the end of your life – your one and only precious, God-given life – and let the last great work of your life, before you give an account to your Creator, be this; playing softball and collecting shells. Picture them before Christ at the great day of judgment: “look, Lord. See my shells.” That is a tragedy. And people today are spending billions of dollars to persuade you to embrace that tragic dream. Over against that, I put my protest: Don’t buy it. Don’t waste your life.”
Mark 8:38 – “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
· Those who deny Christ in this life will be rejected by Him when He returns
Jesus is continuing to explain the statement: Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. Jesus is noting that the majority of people living at that time were spiritually unfaithful and continually sinning. And in the midst of it, those who denied Christ (were ashamed of him) demonstrated that they were not believers and would be rejected by Jesus Christ when returned for judgment in the future, along with his angels.
We need to be careful here, because at first reading, we could easily be confused. We are removed 2,000 years from when this was written, and we tend to read it differently than it was intended. You might read verse 38 and think it is saying that if we Christians get embarrassed and are unwilling at times to share our faith or even say we are Christians, then we will lose our salvation and not go to Heaven some day. That is not what this is saying.
Those who are ashamed, or reject Christ are the non-believers. One of the reasons we know that is because one of Jesus closest disciples, the Apostle Peter, was obviously a Christ –follower and on His way to Heaven. However, he denied that he knew Christ, not just once, but 3 times. Did he lose his salvation? NO. Does this mean he was never truly a Christ-follower? NO. This verse is not referring to our failure to talk boldly about Christ. It is referring to those who rejected Christ for who He said He was. They would be rejected in the judgment.
It does point out that true believers will be willing to tell people that they are Christ-followers. They will not be ashamed of Him. Yes, we fail often; but true Christ-followers are denying themselves and lifting up their only hope: Jesus Christ.
SO WHAT ABOUT YOU?
This question is on your outline but there are no blanks to fill in. You will have to answer this question for yourself:
Has there been a time in your life when you have confessed that Jesus Christ is who He said He was: The promised Messiah who died for your sins? Have you trusted in Him for your salvation, not counting on good works or religion to get you to Heaven? Have you given your life to Him, accepting the call to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him?
If you have not, today is a great day to do that. You can do that right in this moment. Just tell God what you want to do. If you would like to talk about it with someone, I will be up here when the service ends; and I would love to talk with you about it.
If you have already made this decision at some time in your life, this is great time to evaluate where you are in following through with this commitment in reality. Maybe you have gotten a little lazy. You might even be living in a way a non-believer lives: you are not denying yourself, you are not submitting to God’s authority and the way of the cross; and you are following your own plan, and not following Christ.
If you find yourself there, you have one option: confess it before God and recommit yourself to His call today. You can do that right in your seat. If you would like to tell us about it, you can see Steve or I after the service. We would love to hear about your decision and pray with you.
Let’s take some time to consider this and pray right now.
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