Grace Baptist Santa Clarita: Service Podcast

In the Old Testament we have seen that God created all things for the purpose of reflecting His glory and greatness. But Adam’s rebellion brought the virus of sin into every area of the world’s operating system. Would God let sin win? NO! Rather, He put into play the greatest rescue mission ever conceived, and determined to reclaim and reform all of creation through the “He.” The Old Testament is really a search for this “He” even as it calls on the people of Israel to show their love for God through their obedience and recognize their great need for the “He” as the only answer to their brokenness. But who was doing this “calling”?  Who was it that God used to teach and call the people to their privilege of loving and trusting the Almighty in every area of life? The answer is the prophets! Today we learn about these special men, hear their layered messages, and come to see just how their ancient words bring God’s message and hope to us today.

The Bible is a huge collection of 66 individual books, and yet we are to understand it as the single voice of God speaking through the human authors telling us His story. But what is God saying? And what is God doing in the books that narrate thousands of years of ancient history? Does it matter today? And if so, what are we to do with it? When Jesus met with two of His disciples after His resurrection, He asserted that they should not have been surprised at the events of His death and resurrection. He declared that, had they known the Old Testament, they would have been prepared to understand and welcome all that had transpired. Here’s how Luke records it: “And He said to them ‘O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?’ Then, beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.” Luke 24:25-27 Today we begin our jour

Today the topic of hope is regularly the subject of conversation. Politicians, professional athletes, corporate spokesmen, as well as parents and their children all speak about the presence and necessity of hope. But what is it? Can it be more than just wishful thinking? And can we really ever have a hope that isn’t constantly in danger of being dashed by circumstance in this uncertain, broken world? Most of all, can hope really be maintained when all around us there is a growing sense that evil and tragedy are beginning to have their way? For many, hope is merely wishful thinking; for others it is built on allegiance to a business venture or a cause. For still others, hope centers on an ideology and on those heroes they believe can advance it. But the truth is that any hope built on the efforts of humanity - even ourselves! - cannot possibly fulfill its promises. Only a hope that is grounded in the God who exists above the uncertainty of circumstance can bring true security and joy in this world, and eternal

Our story today is the familiar entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. And while the crowds cheered, it soon became evident that their perspective was not aligned with the reality of God’s plan for the Messiah to suffer and die. They wanted a champion, but God sent the true Passover Lamb who would give His life as a ransom for many. They wanted a leader, but God sent a Servant. They wanted release from bondage to Rome, yet God sent the One through whom He would offer release from bondage to sin and Satan. And yet in their confusion, they did provide an opportunity for Jesus to fulfill the Old Testament clues about the Messianic mission, and it is in these that we, looking now through the eyes of faith, come more fully to understand the wisdom and power of God.

Jesus, His disciples, and the crowd are now heading toward Jerusalem. For the third time Jesus explains to His followers that suffering and death await Him there. First the Jews will arrest and scourge Him, and then the Romans will put Him to death. But three days later, victory will be proclaimed through His resurrection back to life. As before, the prediction of Jesus’ death and resurrection sets off a power struggle among the disciples. James and John approach Jesus with a request to be given preeminent positions when He comes in glory. While this causes indignation among the other disciples, Jesus uses this to teach the real pathway to greatness, and ends with the illustration of His own sacrificial life and death, designed not for His well being, but the ransom of many.

We’re all familiar with the story of the rich, young ruler who clung to his stuff rather than become dependent on Christ alone. But we may not be aware of just what Jesus is saying both to His disciples and to us. It may surprise you to know that this isn’t really about money and possessions but about our hearts. And while success often masquerades as the favor of God, the real focus of God’s vision is on just how child-like we are in humble dependence upon Christ alone. After the conversation ended with the rich young man, Jesus entered into an even more significant time with the disciples. They reacted to Jesus’ statements much as we would today, and that gave Jesus the teaching opportunity He wanted. He shows in no uncertain terms that entering the Kingdom isn’t easy; it’s hard. In fact, it’s impossible on the basis of human effort or merit. It’s so impossible that only God can make it happen! And those who “come as a child” depending only on the gracious provision of God will find that they have made the

As this major section of Mark begins, we see Jesus heading south on His journey to the cross. The opposition that will later put Him to death is seen here as still trying to undermine Him before the people. The issue this time is divorce. The Pharisees attempt to bring Jesus into an ongoing debate regarding the legality and grounds for divorce. This question had split the scholars of that day, and it was their intent to put Jesus into an unwinnable position. Regardless of His answer, He would offend someone! But Jesus is not as interested in divorce as He is in reinforcing God’s design for marriage. Mark, writing to a Roman audience, stresses the marriage issue, aiming Jesus’ remarks at the hearts of people for whom divorce was barely an issue simply because marriage was not held in high honor. What Mark’s readers needed to know was that God intended marriage to be a covenantal relationship between a man and a woman, designed for their life-long pleasure and His glory.

For several chapters we have watched with wonder as the disciples have simply not understood the privileges of the Kingdom or the manner in which they should understand the mission of Christ. They have increasingly tried to fit Jesus into their strategy, insisting that He fulfill their expectations of Messiah. In this brief paragraph, we witness an event in which Jesus again declares that children are “living parables” from whom we are to understand the only way in which the promises of the Kingdom may be understood, appreciated, and apprehended. While on the surface this text appears to be about children, it is actually about discipleship! In it we hear the very voice of Jesus Christ calling us to receive the Kingdom promises in child-like ways: in humility, joyful dependence, and sincere faith.

Having just returned from visiting and teaching in India, I am excited to share with you what I believe are important truths we can learn from our Indian brothers and sisters. Their following of Christ is greatly different from ours, and there is much about their simplicity and sobriety that we need to imitate. They have very simple, yet profound views on the call to be salt and light in a dark and broken world. They are very serious about the call to follow Christ, regardless of the obstacles. And behind all of their belief lies an unshakable joy that flows from their understanding that God has promised to do something quite significant through them in this world. In fact, they define significance by what their lives ultimately end up contributing to the reach of the Kingdom among their people. My intent is not to browbeat us with guilt, but to encourage us to join in the battle, to catch the vision that God intends to do something great through us in our world, and now is the time to pray and prepare.

Mark concludes chapter 9 with an intense warning from Jesus.  Much in the vein of Mark 8:34-35 (losing our life to save it and taking up our cross daily), Jesus’ words are a stern statement that followers of His are aware that His Kingdom is as much about sacrifice as it is about reward.  These verses are a powerful admonition for Christ followers to do whatever it takes to deal with sin and clear the path for the Spirit’s work because the alternative is hell.

Have you ever wondered why there are so many denominations and other divisions in Christendom? While some have been necessary in defense of the "faith which was once for all handed down to the saints" (Jude 3), many have been the result of human jealousy and pride. Today we see the beginnings of these divisive tendencies in those closest to Jesus. The subject of humility, so clearly taught and modeled by the Savior, once again comes to the forefront. Here they are unwilling to admit that the Kingdom power could legitimately flow through someone else. Their jealousy is apparent. But sadly, their pride kept them from embracing the much greater reality that, in this inaugural installment of the Kingdom, the King would humble Himself to the point of death. Using John’s interaction with an unnamed exorcist, Jesus brings them back to the core truth of the Kingdom: it is all about Jesus, and it is His Name that must be glorified in the end. 

The clash between the agenda of Christ and the agendas of His disciples continues to reveal itself as Jesus turns south towards Jerusalem and His appointment with two pieces of wood (and the wrath of God for the sins of mankind) on Calvary. The men who were eager to follow the Sovereign Son were having trouble grasping why He would at the same time be the Suffering Servant. Even more perplexing to them, and challenging to them, was His clear command for them to follow in His footsteps, to serve as He served, to embrace an entirely new value system. But He refused to lower the bar simply because they had trouble accepting it.  His bar is just as high for us today. He calls us to the path of greatest resistance.

While Jesus and the three disciples were up on the mountain, the remaining disciples encountered difficulty attempting to extend Kingdom power. They had before (6:12, 13), so why not now? Again Jesus must instruct the disciples that it will never be their agenda that works, but only His. Kingdom power is not ours to use aside from faith - a faith that aligns our hearts with the Kingdom agenda. Their deficiency was in the area of true belief, and this belief - this alignment with God’s heart and plan - is only found through prayer. Those who would do the work of the Kingdom must be in heart-alignment with the King.

Mark has been carefully telling the story of Jesus the Messiah, showing clearly that He is the Promised One, the Messiah, the King of Heaven. Peter, speaking for the disciples, declares as much in 8:29. Yet confusion reigns among the Twelve: If You’re the King of Heaven and the Kingdom is here, how in the world can You say You’re going to die? Is this the Kingdom or not? Have You come in glory, or not? What are we to think?In our text today, we find Jesus both declaring and displaying a fundamental truth necessary to our understanding of the redemptive plan of God’s Kingdom: Yes, I am the King and the Kingdom is already here, and at the same time the Kingdom is not yet here in its glorious completion. Already, but not yet. That is the best way to clear up the Kingdom confusion and come to see the part we now play in the time between the inauguration of the Kingdom at the Incarnation, and the fulfillment of the Kingdom when the King returns in glory. 

Mark has just related Jesus’ words to Peter: You are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s! This leaves the reader with a most important question: What will it look like if I do set my mind on the interests of God and not my own? The answer is given clearly and plainly in our text today and qualifies as the most simple and direct definition of real discipleship.We will see that "discipleship" is not an optional "add-on" to being a Christ-follower. Rather, it is really what it means to follow Christ! To follow Christ is to desire more and more to give over mastery of my life to Christ and to increasingly and consistently grow in my likeness to Christ and partnership in His mission.

As Mark moves the story of Jesus forward to a time of rejection, arrest and death, he describes the progress of the disciples in understanding the full impact of Jesus’ Messianic mission. They have always expected that God’s King would come bringing heavenly authority to right the wrongs that have permeated Israel for centuries. Now, validated by miracle, Jesus appears to be that One. But just as they have rightly determined His identity, Jesus springs on them the plan that Messiah must die to accomplish His mission. This sends shock waves through these men. How can this be? This doesn’t fit any of our categories! Messiah is to come and lead Israel to triumph! Peter as spokesman determines to rid Jesus of this preposterous notion, but instead becomes forever an example of the tragedy of obscured vision. He simply cannot see the truth of God because his eyes are clouded by a human agenda. 

As Mark moves toward the close of the first half of his Gospel, we see him summarizing the heavenly power and authority of Jesus in 3 miracle stories. Jesus rules over demonic forces (7:30), rules over disease and death (7:35), and demonstrates sovereign rule over the created realm (8:6-9). And yet, in the face of these miraculous validations of Jesus’ claim to be the Sovereign Son of God and King of Heaven, there remains steadfast unbelief among the people. This is true for those who oppose Him, and even more shocking, in the lives of those who are following Him. From this we learn two important lessons. First, miracles do not produce faith. Second, as those who claim to be followers of Christ, it is important that we be able to sincerely and authentically answer this simple question: Do we really believe?

In this conclusion to Mark 7, Jesus performs two miracles reaffirming His role as the Sovereign Son of God with heavenly authority over Satan and sin, disease and death, and nature itself. We see Jesus free the daughter of a Gentile woman from an unclean spirit and then heal a man who is both deaf and speech impaired. Both are reminders not only of Jesus’ power, but that His power is for all people and comes in all ways.

Over two weekends we will look at a strategy for magnifying the glory of God through the intentional pursuit of righteousness in our lives.David, the King of Israel, lived thousands of years ago, but it turns out he faced the same kinds of pressures and fears as we do today. Looking ahead to 2011, we may be prone to get distracted by all the wickedness in our world, perpetrated by those who seem to prosper through the evil that they do. It is easy to become afraid of their potential, distressed at their influence, or even envious of their prosperity. But when we look at the times and turns of history through the lens of God’s sovereign purposes, we are reminded that he way of the wicked shall perish, while those who trust in the Lord have every reason to expect that He will fill their hearts with His desires.

Over two weekends we will look at a strategy for magnifying the glory of God through the intentional pursuit of righteousness in our lives.David, the King of Israel, lived thousands of years ago, but it turns out he faced the same kinds of pressures and fears as we do today. Looking ahead to 2011, we may be prone to get distracted by all the wickedness in our world, perpetrated by those who seem to prosper through the evil that they do. It is easy to become afraid of their potential, distressed at their influence, or even envious of their prosperity. But when we look at the times and turns of history through the lens of God’s sovereign purposes, we are reminded that he way of the wicked shall perish, while those who trust in the Lord have every reason to expect that He will fill their hearts with His desires.