Living in good soil

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Sermon this week by: Steve Plank
Mark 4:1-9, 14-20

Satan,Betrayal, and Night

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Recap of 10/7/12 (John 13:18-30):

1.  Jesus predicts His betrayal so that the disciples would know that what would happen was not a surprise to Him.  He quotes Psalm 41:9 in support of His prediction.  William Barclay points out: “It was as Scripture said it would be.  There was never any doubt that the redeeming of the world would cost the broken heart of God.  Jesus knew what was happening.  He knew the cost and He was ready to pay it.  He did not want the disciples to think that He was caught up in a blind web of circumstances from which He could not escape.  He was not going to be killed; He was choosing to die.  At the moment they did not, and could not, see that, but He wanted to be sure that a day would come when they would look back and remember and understand.” 

2.  Jesus gave Judas numerous opportunities to change course, treating him as an honored guest at the Last Supper, but Judas yielded himself instead to be used of Satan.

3.  Judas is a cautionary tale in the sense that: A person can know doctrine, can associate with God’s people, can be found in worship services and at the Lord’s Table and yet now know Jesus as Savior.  (John Mitchell)

4.  Two good sources for Biblical teaching about Satan and demons are:  Balancing the Christian Life by Dr. Charles Ryrie and You Mean the Bible Teaches That …, also by Dr. Ryrie.

And It Was Night

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Recap of 9/30/12 (John 13:14-17):

1.  Humility is essential to the life, service, and exercise of authority of the believer.

2.  Humility is not, as commonly thought, thinking poorly about ourselves, it is not being preoccupied with ourselves (the freedom not to think about ourselves). “Being humble involves having a true perspective about ourselves (see Romans 12:3).  It does not mean that we should put ourselves down.” (NLT One Year Study Bible)

3.  Pride (self) gets in the way of humility.

4.  To deal with pride:

-we must realize and accept our position in Christ, finding our satisfaction and acceptance in Him.

-we must realize that all we have and all we are (gifts, talent, knowledge, position, status, means) are from God’s hand (1 Corinthians 4:7)

-when we think about others we must focus on how we may serve them, not on how we compare with them (2 Corinthians 10:12,18; Philippians 2:3,4)

-we must take control of our thoughts, asking “Would Christ think this way, or would he like this thought?” We must not let our thoughts be taken captive by our feelings.

-when feeling  ad about ourselves or threatened by others we must focus our thoughts upon Christ (Philippians 4:8)

5.  Jesus is the primary biblical example of humility (Philippians 2:4-8), Timothy is cited by Paul as another (Philippians 2:19-24).

6.  God’s attitude toward the proud (resistance) and the humble (providing grace) should be motivation for believers to seek humility.

 

The Towel and The Pecking Order

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Recap of 9/23/12 (John 13:14-17):

1.  The disciples saw life in terms of power, authority, recognition, rulership, much like the world.  They had to impress others with their importance.  Jesus saw life in terms of servanthood,  and humility.  He was not looking to impress others but to fulfill God the Fathers purpose for Him.

2.  “…every leader must examine his or her conduct against Jesus’ teachings concerning genuine greatness.  Our Lord taught and demonstrated by His life that servanthood was the path to effective service.  His servanthood symbols were a basin, a towel, and dirty feet.” (Author unknown)

3.  In chapter nine of Richard Foster’s book, Celebration of Discipline, he presents two kinds of authority, the authority of status (represented by the pecking order) and the authority of function (represented by the towel-based on Jesus’ action in John 13). The authority of status is characterized by a desire to control, manipulate, focusing on position and titles, service is discriminate and self-serving, seeking great service, expecting reciprocation, serving by moods and whims.  This kind of service is destructive to a body and ruptures community.  The authority of function on the other hand is characterized by a desire to serve in humility and hiddenness (seeking only God’s approval), doing any service, great or small, without expectation of being paid back, serving because there is a need, a lifestyle not temporary.  This kind of service build up a body, builds community.

 

Authority of the Towel

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Recap of 9/16/12 (John 13:1-13):

1.  John 13 begins the next major section of the book.  The outline we are following is:

              I.  Prologue  1:1-18

             II.  Public teaching and miracles  1:19-12:50

            III.  Private teaching  13-17

            IV.  Passion & resurrection  18-20

             V.  Postlude (Epilogue) 21

2.  John 13 provides one of the most poignant pictures of Jesus’ ministry as He washes the disciples’ feet.  One of the most powerful symbols of His authority is seen in the towel, the basin, and dirty feet.

3.  This visual illustration of humility was needed because of the pride of the disciples seen in their ongoing dispute over which of them was the greatest.  A dispute which is evident in various passages of Scripture and which even inserted itself into this “last supper.”  (See Matthew 20:17-28; Mark 9:33-34; Luke 22:24-28).

4.  Jesus loved them despite their failures.  Dr. John Mitchell stated it this way:  “He knew all about the frailty and the failures of His disciples, yet He loved them to the end.  And He loves us clear through to the end, to the uttermost.  I repeat, our frailty, our faults, our failures, our circumstances never affect His love for us.  Now, I’m not excusing frailty, nor am I excusing failure.  But instead of becoming discouraged because of failure, we must have our eyes on Him and remember that even our failures have not affected His love for us.”

5.  The issue is clearly set before us by the writer who asked:  “Are you willing to follow Christ’s example of serving?  Whom can you serve today?”

The Hour Has Come

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Recap of 9/9/12 (John 12:28-50):

1.  In Jesus last public teaching before the cross He teaches that the essence of life is to live: sacrificially, putting others ahead of ourselves; courageously, accepting God’s will, living for His glory despite whatever suffering may come, to risk “place, profit, and prestige” to identify openly with Jesus; and by faith, responding to Him, exercising faith for salvation and day to day living.

2.  This prayer by Eugene Peterson expresses perfectly what Jesus was seeking to communicate about life in John 12:25,26: “May I never, God, forget that You are my Lord and I am Your creation; that however wonderfully you have made me, you have not made me to live to myself or for myself, but to You and for others, even as Jesus Christ did.”

3.  According to William Barclay at the heart of Christian life and faith are three paradoxes: 1) death to personal aims and ambitions leads to life and real usefulness to God; 2) “only by spending life do we retain it”; and 3) “only by service comes greatness.”

4.  Barclay explains courage in this way:  “Real courage does not mean not being afraid.  It means to be terribly afraid, and yet do the thing that ought to be done.”

 

Jesus' Last Instruction

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Recap of 9/2/12 (John 12:20-27):

1.  John 12:20-50 records the end of Jesus’ public ministry.  This is the last teaching He will conduct among the masses.  Chapters 13-17 deal with Jesus’ teaching for His disciples called the “Upper Room Discourse,” and chapters 18 to the end of the book deal with the crucifixion, the resurrection and the post-resurrection appearances to His disciples.

2.  As if to illustrate the hyperbolic statement of vs. 19 about the whole world going after Jesus, John mentions some Greeks who desired an audience with Jesus.  These Greek were probably “God-fearers,” those who liked the morality and monotheism of the Jews but did not go all the way to conversion to Judaism. 

3.  Jesus realizes that His “hour” has arrived, the hour of His passion, His rejection, scourging, crucifixion and resurrection.  His death was a necessity if there was to be a harvest of salvation.  He would willingly sacrifice His life (as our substitute) to secure eternal life for those who trusted Him. He gave His life so that others might gain real life. 

4.  His sacrifice also would provide a pattern for His disciples to follow of living sacrificially, placing others above themselves

5.  The thought of His coming travail troubles Him, as later it would in the Garden of Gethsemane before His arrest. Jesus is not concerned only for the physical pain He would endure.  His agony is the thought of becoming sin. He the Perfect, sinless Son of God would have to become sin so that we could be redeemed (2 Corinthians 5:19-21)

Enthusiasm without Worship

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1.  Comparing          Judas                   and                  Mary:

-Motivation           Loved money, selfish           Loved Jesus, selfless

-Method                 Utilitarian                              Sacrificial

-Character              Deceitful                                                Devoted

-Result                    Materialistic                          Material was a means to worship

-Bottom Line         Lavish waste                         Extravagant love 

2.  What others are saying about John 12:

-“True gifts to the poor are in the name of Christ, for the sake of Christ, and to win men to Christ.  Social service divorced from Christianity may spend the treasure of Mary according to the direction of Judas.” (Dr. Charles R. Erdman)

-”There is much charity and philanthropy in our day in which the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ is not considered.” (Dr. James M. Gray)

-“It may be, Christian friend, in your desire and love and devotion to the Savior, that some other Christian will criticize you for doing something in service for Him.  That person may say you’re just wasting your time or your money.  What of it?  Others may call you a fanatic.  What of it, as long as your life is poured out upon Him?  And may I say very frankly, the more devoted you are to Christ, the chances are the more you will be criticized for it.  But what of it as long as your heart is occupied with the Savior?” (Dr. John G. Mitchell)

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Extravagant Love

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1 Timothy 1:1-17

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Take Off the Grave Clothes

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1.  “John carefully selects seven miracles out of the many that Christ accomplished (cf. John 21:25) in order to build a concise case for His deity.  They are called signs because they symbolize the life-changing results of belief in Jesus—(1) water to wine: the ritual of law is replaced by the reality of grace (2:1-11); (2 )healing the nobleman’s son: the gospel bring spiritual restoration (4:46-54); (3) healing the paralytic: weakness is replaced by strength (5:1-16); (4) feeding the multitude: Christ satisfies spiritual hunger (6:1-13); (5) walking on water: the Lord transforms fear to faith (6:16-21); (6) sight to the man born blind: Jesus overcomes darkness and brings in light (9:1-7); (7) raising of Lazarus: the gospel brings people from death to life (11:1-44).  These signs combine to show that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.” (Talk Through the Bible)

2.  When Jesus called Lazarus forth from the grave he came out still bound in the grave clothes, the clothes that spoke and smelled of the corruption of death.  Jesus orders them to “take off the grave clothes and let him go.”  Lazarus had been given new physical life but had to be released from the grave clothes to enjoy it.  In the same way those who come to faith in Christ pass from spiritual death to life.  In order to enjoy this new life we must take off the grave clothes of the old life and put on the new life.  We can’t live the new life in the grave clothes of the old, yet many Christians try to do just that.  A constant theme of the New Testament is that we must put off the old life and put on the new life (Romans 13:11-1 & Colossians 3:1ff are just two examples).

God's Delays Part 2

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God's Delays

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Recap of 7/22/12 (John 11:1-6):

1.  Of the seven signs (or “sign-miracles”) recorded by John in his gospel, the climatic sign is the raising of Lazarus from the dead in John 11.  As with the other signs, Jesus’ nature, power & authority is demonstrated to prove John’s thesis that Jesus is God incarnate.  Jesus authority over matter is seen in Him changing water into wine and multiplying the meager fish and bread of a small boy to feed 5,000 plus.  His authority over sickness and disease is seen in His healing of the official’s son, healing of the man at the Pool of Bethesda, and healing of the man born blind.  His authority over nature is seen in His walking on water to the disciples on the Sea of Galilee.  His power and authority over death is seen in His raising Lazarus from the dead.  This miracle “exemplifies His power over the last and most irresistible enemy of humanity—death.”

2.  The setting for this seventh “sign-miracle” is the sickness and death of Jesus’ friend, Lazarus of Bethany, brother of Mary and Martha.  He was apparently a frequent guest in their home.  This trouble/tragedy comes upon them suddenly, not because of anything they had done.  They were not “out of God’s will” for John 11:4 makes it clear that this happened so that God might be glorified.  God will let difficulties happen to us, not because He doesn’t love us, but because He does and will test our faith and drive us to the place where we find our hope and rest in Him. 

-“Jesus permits this to happen because God will get glory in it.  We need to learn that we are not the center of the universe—nor is our home, our church, our town.  The headquarters of everything are in Heaven, and everything is running for His glory.  Nothing will come into our lives without His permission, and if He permits it, it is going to be for His glory.” (J. Vernon McGee)

3.   “When distress comes to a Christian it is dangerous to assert that the purpose is some benefit, and that the explanation is found in some future blessing.  The purposes of God are beyond our [knowledge] and suffering is an unexplained mystery; but it is absolutely certain that, for a friend of Jesus, the result of suffering will be some eternal good, some manifestation of ‘the glory of God.’” (Charles Erdman).

The Unbroken Word

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Recap of 7/15/12 (John 10:31-42):

1.  If, as Jesus says, “the Scripture cannot be broken” (i.e. it is reliable and authoritative), John 10:35, then the teaching of Scripture cannot be rejected, it is vital to the believer in the following ways:

-it is vital to producing spiritual growth (1 Peter 1:23-2:2)

-it is vital to going on to maturity (Hebrews 5:11-14)

-it is vital to living skillfully (Proverbs 2:1-6)

-it is vital for equipping us for good works that should follow salvation (Ephesians 2:8-10; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17)

-it is vital to intimately knowing Jesus Christ (John 5:39; Luke 24:25-27; 2 Peter 1:3)

-it is vital to spiritual warfare (Matthew 4:1-11; Ephesians 6:10-18)

-it is vital to true worship (John 4:19-24; Acts 17:23; Romans 11:33-12:2; Ephesians 3:20-21)

-it is vital to the doctrinal purity of the church (1 Timothy 4:1-6, 11-16; 2 Timothy 1:13,14;  4:1-4; Titus 1:9-10)

-it is vital to personal and corporate purity (Jude 3,4; Proverbs 29:18; Psalms 119:9-11)

-it is vital to proper relationships both in and out of the church (1 Corinthians 13 ; “one-another passages”)

2.  “May I say this to those of you who love the Savior?  Isn’t it about time that we Christians really got down to business with God and appreciated His love and His care and His knowledge?  To think that He calls you by name individually and personally.  He love you, cares for you, knows you, and is guaranteeing that one of these days—because you belong to His flock—you will stand in His presence conformed to the image of your Shepherd, Jesus Christ.  I say, what a Savior! What a Lord!” (Dr. Mitchell)

Eternal Life Means Eternal

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Recap of 7/1/12 (John 10:22-30):

1.  The setting for John 10:22-42 is the Feast of Dedication, today called Hanukkah or the Feast of Lights.  It was not one of the Old Testament festivals but was as one writer said: “…a minor, more recent celebration.”  It was established in 165/164 B.C. by Judas Maccabeus in honor of the rededication of the Temple which had been desecrated by Antiochus IV Epiphanes who sacrificed a pig on the altar in 168 B.C.

2.  The religious leaders once again challenge Jesus about His identity.  The issue for them was not the need of more information but rather they were unwilling to believe and were just trying to trap Him.  Concerning the nature of their unbelief, Mitchell writes: “We begin to wonder about these enemies of Christ.  With all the evidence He’s presented to them, what more do they want?  They have seen His spectacular miracles.  They have seen Him heal the sick, open the eyes of the blind, and feed the hungry.  What more do they want?  When a person is full of unbelief it doesn’t matter what you do.  They won’t accept the Savior.”  “We should…consider what this section teaches as to the moral element in faith and unbelief.  It is always a matter of the heart and will, quite as much as the mind.  Men do not believe because they do not desire to believe.  The same testimony makes true disciples and deadly enemies.” (Erdman)

3.  Jesus offers eternal life to those who put their faith in Him.  Life which is not just duration of time but is a quality of life Jesus describes as “abundant.”  It is not something that is given to believers in the future but it is their present possession.  It cannot be lost for it is secured by the Father and the Son (Romans 8:28-39).