The Christ-Centred-Church & Relationships

[Gospel Prayer]

The Gospel of God

[Context] Before we read the passage together, if you’re visiting with us, we’re in the second half of our Bible Series, The Gospel of God, from one of the four accounts of Jesus life in the Bible, the Book of Mark. And we’ve been looking that God’s good news to us, about His Son, Jesus, who suffered on the cross for sin to bring us back into relationship God. And so last week we started looking at the how the gospel shapes our life. That when life is shaped by the gospel, this good new of Jesus’ supremacy, the his death cross, and his Servant-heartedness, it changes everything. And in this passage Jesus shows his disciples how following him shapes church ministry, friendships and marriage.

The Gospel According to Mark

So come with me to Mark chapter 9 verse 38 and lets read.

Sermon 15

[Context] Before we read the passage together, if you’re visiting with us, we’re in the second half of our Bible Series, The Gospel of God, from one of the four accounts of Jesus life in the Bible, the Book of Mark. And we’ve been looking that God’s good news to us, about His Son, Jesus, who suffered on the cross for sin to bring us back into relationship God. And so last week we started looking at the how the gospel shapes our life. That when life is shaped by the gospel, this good new of Jesus’ supremacy, the his death cross, and his Servant-heartedness, it changes everything. And in this passage Jesus shows his disciples how following him shapes church ministry, friendships and marriage.

So come with me to Mark chapter 9 verse 38 and lets read.

[Read ]

[Gospel Prayer]

[Read ]

[Illustrate] So in a second, I’m going to ask you three questions.

[Existential Link/ Illustrate] So in a second, I’m going to ask you two questions.

After I ask each question, I want you to turn to the person next to you share your thoughts. And once you’ve chatted briefly, what would be great is to write down your answer in the handout. Now, if you’re visiting with us, my apologies if this might be a bit uncomfortable for you. So feel free to just join into a conversation near you, as just listen in, if you like. But for the rest of us, it would be great to throw yourself into this.

Escape stories

[Illustrate] So in a second, I’m going to ask you three questions.

So here’s our first question, who has shaped the way you think and participate in church life? And in what way have they shaped this?

Ok, so where to from here.

After I ask each question, I want you to turn to the person next to you share your thoughts. Now, if you’re visiting with us, my apologies if this might be a bit uncomfortable for you. So feel free to just join into a conversation near you, as just listen in, if you like. But for the rest of us, it would be great to throw yourself into this.

Second question, who has shaped your approach to friendship? And in what way have they shaped this?

We’re free. What are we do to with our freedom.

So here’s our first question, who has shaped the way you think and participate in church life? And in what way have they shaped this?

And third question, who has shaped your approach to marriage? And in what way have they shaped this?

Now I know there wasn’t a lot of time and I’m sure that if we had more time, we would discover lots about how we’ve been shaped by different people in our lives for better or worse.

Second question, who has shaped your approach to friendship? And in what way have they shaped this?

[Principle] And it is important for us to think and talk about what is shaping our approach to church life, relationship and marriage.

[Link To Passage] And we’re going to see in Mark chapter 9 verse 38 to chapter 10 verse 12 is that it is important to Jesus. And Jesus is going help his followers make sense of what church life, friendship and marriage looks like in light of the gospel.

Now I know there wasn’t a lot of time and I’m sure that if we had more time, we would discover lots about how we’ve been shaped by different people in our lives for better or worse.

[Tension/F.c.f] Because it is for some of us we’ve spent our whole life doing church, friendship and marriage a particular way, maybe you’ve thought hard about these things, or maybe you’ve never thought about them, you’ve just got on with it.

[Tension/F.c.f] Because the thing is, for some of us we’ve spent our whole life doing church, friendship and marriage a particular way, maybe you’ve thought hard about these things, or maybe you’ve never thought about them, you’ve just got on with it.

Or maybe, like me, you’re haven’t quiet reached mid-life and you’re still figuring out these things.

You know, you might be still in school and even thinking about life

[Principle] And it is important for us to think and talk about what is shaping our approach to church life, relationship and marriage.

We either haven’t thought about this and so we don’t know what is shaping our church life, relationships and marriages.

And if you have thought about this, then this is going to be a great opportunity to have a fresh look at this.

[Link To Passage] And so what God wants us to show us in this passage is,

[Link To Passage]

[Divine Intention] That the Christian life is about displaying Christ.

[Link To Passage] And we’re going to see in Mark chapter 9 verse 38 to chapter 10 verse 12 is that it is important to Jesus. And Jesus is going help his followers make sense of what church life and relationships looks like in light of the gospel.

The Christian life — our church ministry, our relationships and our marriages are to display Christ. Gospel-drive Marriage reflects Christ. Gospel-driven church reflects Christ. Gospel drive relationships reflect Christ.

Gospel driven life reflects Christ.

Gospel-drive Marriage reflects Christ.

[Heads-Up] Now as a way of heads up. We’re going to look at how the gospel, the good news of Jesus supremacy, the cross and servant-heart shapes Church ministry, relationships with others, and marriage. First look with m at Mark chapter 9 verse 38 to 41

[Tension/F.c.f] Because it is for some of us we’ve spent our whole life doing church and relationships a particular way, maybe you’ve thought hard about these things, or maybe you’ve never thought about them, you’ve just got on with it.

Or maybe, like me, you’re haven’t quiet reached mid-life and you’re still figuring out these things.

You know, you might be still in school and even thinking about life

[Read/Explain ]

English Standard Version Chapter 9

38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”

In verse 38 John comes to Jesus with a problem,

English Standard Version Chapter 9

38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.

“Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”

Look closely at the problem John has, He doesn’t say,

“he’s not follow you”

John says,

“He’s not follow us”

Or in other words

“he’s not one of our group”

The Christian life and ministry is one that recognises Jesus authority, his supremacy.

“If anyone is working for the cause that Jesus and the Twelve are committed, he cannot work against it at the same time.”

Jesus makes the

39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.

Did you pick up on John problem?

“he’s not follow you”

John says,

“Some bloke is casting our demons in your name.”

Or in other words

And did you notice the reason behind John’s issue?

“Because this bloke isn’t following us. He’s not one of our group.”

“he’s not one of our group”

Notice that John doesn’t say,

“This man isn’t following you.”

And noticing John misguided ambition, Jesus says in verse 39,

“Do not stop him.”

And Jesus gives three reason for this. Three reasons that are mark by this little word “for” in verse 39 to 41.

“For no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.”

"For no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.

Verse 40 For the one who is not against us is for us.

Verse 41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.

Notice is response to John, Jesus says, in verse 39,

“For anyone who’s on about me, seeing the Gospel spread, they’re not about to turn around an suddenly start criticising me.”

In verse 39, “For anyone who’s on about me, seeing the Gospel spread, they’re not about to turn around an suddenly start criticising me.”

The disciples personal-ambition is getting in the way of a gospel-ambition that Jesus desires. What the disciples need to understand is that it’s not about the fame of their name. It’s about the fame of Jesus’. It’s about Jesus’ supremacy.

And verse 40 Jesus makes his point clear (; ),

“For if someone is for me they’re not against me.”

Don’t over think or overcomplicate Jesus wisdom here.

“If anyone is working for the cause that Jesus and the Twelve are committed, he cannot work against it at the same time.”

Because if someone is actively proclaiming the gospel - this good news of Jesus, then they cannot be actively opposing it at the same time. Now it’s important to see that proverbs, like this one from Jesus, are general rather than absolute truths.

Love is like a war: Easy to begin Hard to end!

[Illustrate] Like, it’s generally true that only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty. But it’s not always truth, because sometimes real friends don’t tell your face is dirty.

Or it’s generally true that love is like a war: easy to begin hard to end! But it’s not always true, because love doesn’t always come easy, it can be hard.

Love is like a war: Easy to begin Hard to end!.

And it’s not always true that love is like a war: easy to begin hard to end! Because love doesn’t always come easy, it can be hard.

[Principle] It might generally be true, but not always

[Link To Passage] And so it’s generally true that those who claim the name of Jesus are for him.

Read more: http://www.searchquotes.com/search/Proverbs_Expressing_General_Truths/2/#ixzz5Nfrdf9nw

And this unknown man is for Jesus. He’s not using Jesus’ name like a magic formula or for show. He’s a true follower of Jesus, although outside of the inner circle of the 12 disciples. He’s a true disciple because he believes Jesus’ supremacy, that Jesus saves, and reflects Jesus’ servant-heartedness. This unknown man is a beautiful display of what it looks like to be about the work of the gospel. He’s not caught up in following the famous 12 disciples of Jesus. He’s caught up in following Jesus himself.

The Gospel is more important than his personal ambition.

And notice how Jesus reason in verse 41 parallels his first reason in verse 39. Here again, Jesus reminds his disciples that what matter is a persons belonging to him. But check this out too, in verse 39, where Jesus said anyones mighty works done in his name are to be accepted as authentic service of Christ, now, here, in verse 40 Jesus says,

“Even someone giving you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, even this work will by no means lose be look down upon.”

now, here, in verse 40 Jesus points to simply provide a cup of water as a sign of they

So the difference in attitude, between John and Jesus, isn’t simple about not being exclusive like John and inclusive like Jesus. It’s also about the difference between seeing Jesus’ work, seeing ministry, not as John-like private and privileged work but public and (T.Wright, Mark, 126).

The simple and humble gift, of a cup of water, is to be accepted as authentic service of Jesus. From the greatest of public displays to the most humble and secret displays of service, both are done in service of Jesus are to be accepted as the work of true ministry.

Jesus says to his disciples that the work of ministry, being on about serving Jesus, this is something anyone who belongs to and follows him should do. Jesus says it’s not about being apart of this exclusive group.

Look closely at the problem John has, He doesn’t say,

[Illustrate] We’ve been talking lately about, the plan to start a coffee cart ministry at church, as a way to build relationships with the local city workers. And so the other week, a mate and I we’re invited to one of the larger charismatic churches in town to see how they set up their coffee cart. To be honest, it’s one of those churches that I haven’t always felt to kindly about. Often, I’ve felt that it would be great if they just stopped what they did. But arriving. Walking in. We’re handed a cup of hot chocolate.

[Principle]…

“he’s not follow you”

[Link To Passage] …

[Principle] And reading this passage this week, I’ve had to change my attitude of personal-ambition, to remember that the Christian life and ministry is about gospel-ambition. It’s about people hearing the good news about Jesus.

John says,

“He’s not follow us”

[Link To Passage] And that’s what this passage is getting at. That in the Christian life our loyalty belongs to Jesus, not our tribe, group, or denomination.

Or in other words

“he’s not one of our group”

The kingdom is more important the personal ambition

Mark doesn’t give the impression that this man is using Jesus’ name like a magic formula - this man is presented as a true follower of Jesus, out side of the inner circle of the 12 disciples. This man, then is one marked by a belief of Jesus’ supremacy, Jesus saves, Jesus’ servant. This man is someone who’s joined to Jesus in faith and obedience.

So, how might of John’s comment been different, if his concern was more for Jesus’ fame than his own? Perhaps it might have sounded more like this,

“Teacher, we saw someone freeing people from spiritual darkness in your name, so we championed and encouraged him, because he was following you.”

“ Us in light of belong to Jesus, not us in light of our tribe.

38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .

T.Wright, Mark, 126)

We either haven’t thought about this and so we don’t know what is shaping our church life, relationships and marriages.

[Explain] …

[] …

Jesus points Gospel ambition not personal ambition

And if you have thought about this, then this is going to be a great opportunity to have a fresh look at this.

Gospel ambition not personal ambition

39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .

Its about Loyalty belonging to Jesus.

Jesus makes the

This unknown man about gospel work —

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .

[Link To Passage] And so what God wants us to show us in this passage is,

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .

This unknown man about gospel work —

The kingdom is more important the personal ambition

[Divine Intention] That the Christian life is about displaying Christ.

The Christian life — our church ministry and our relationships are to display Christ.

Gospel-driven church reflects Christ. Gospel drive relationships reflect Christ.

[Heads-Up] Now as a way of heads up. We’re going to look at how the gospel, the good news of Jesus supremacy, the cross and servant-heart shapes Church ministry and our relationships with one another. First look with m at Mark chapter 9 verse 38 to 41.

“he’s not follow you”

John says,

[Read/Explain ]

What a different scene that would have been.

[Doctrine Link]

In verse 38 John comes to Jesus with a problem,

“He’s not follow us”

Or in other words

“Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”

But what would have made that kind of difference?

“he’s not one of our group”

Did you pick up on John problem?

Loyalty belongs to Jesus.

“Some bloke is casting our demons in your name.”

The Christian life and ministry is one that recognises Jesus authority, his supremacy.

And did you notice the reason behind John’s issue?

“Because this bloke isn’t following us. He’s not one of our group.”

“If anyone is working for the cause that Jesus and the Twelve are committed, he cannot work against it at the same time.”

Jesus makes the

Notice that John doesn’t say,

Mark doesn’t give the impression that this man is using Jesus’ name like a magic formula - this man is presented as a true follower of Jesus, out side of the inner circle of the 12 disciples. This man, then is one marked by a belief of Jesus’ supremacy, Jesus saves, Jesus’ servant. This man is someone who’s joined to Jesus in faith and obedience.

“This man isn’t following you.”

[Illustrate] … Visiting a Church and being handed a hot chocolate.

[Principle]…

And noticing John misguided ambition, Jesus says in verse 39,

“Do not stop him.”

[Link To Passage] …Its about Loyalty belonging to Jesus.

[Biblical Theology Link]

And Jesus gives three reason for this. Three reasons that are mark by this little word “for” in verse 39 to 41.

“For no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.”

Supremacy of Christ

[Gospel Link]

Well, we saw this last week, that what drives this kind of life is a life driven by the gospel.

A life that’s lived in light of Jesus’ Supremacy as God rather than our leadership.

A life that’s lived in light of Salvation in Christ won on the Cross rather than our efforts.

A life that’s lived after Christ’s own servant-heartedness rather than serving ourself.

And this is what it means to serve in Jesus’ name -- to bear Jesus name is to belong to him.

[Specific Gospel Link]

And so the Christian’s life and ministry is one that recognises Jesus authority, his supremacy.

Notice is response to John, Jesus says, in verse 39,

The kingdom is more important the personal ambition

Mark doesn’t give the impression that this man is using Jesus’ name like a magic formula - this man is presented as a true follower of Jesus, out side of the inner circle of the 12 disciples. This man, then is one marked by a belief of Jesus’ supremacy, Jesus saves, Jesus’ servant. This man is someone who’s joined to Jesus in faith and obedience.

This unknown man isa beautiful display of what it looks like to be about the work of the gospel — he’s not caught up in following the famous 12 disciples of Jesus. He’s caught up in following Jesus. The Gospel is more important than his personal ambition.

“For anyone who’s on about me, seeing the Gospel spread, they’re not about to turn around an suddenly start criticising me.”

[Apply/Use]

And what this means for us, as a church and as individuals, is that we’re to have gospel-ambition rather than a selfish-ambition.

Church & Denominations

And so together, as a Church,

Church life is not about us.

This church doesn’t exist to promote our influence and authority.

The New American Commentary: Mark 10. The Question about the Independent Exorcist (9:38–41)

The lesson for the church today is that tolerance, acceptance, and recognition should be extended to other denominations and to persons of other theological persuasions. Sadly, few individual Christians and Christian groups throughout the history of the church have followed this teaching of Jesus. Exclusiveness rather than inclusiveness has been the rule.

This church exists to promote the Gospel and Jesus supremacy, salvation and servant-heart.

Level 1: What to do (and what not to do)

So, make belonging to Jesus as the mark of being a Christian.

Don’t make being presbyterian or anything else as the mark of being a Christian.

We’re not to rally around our Presbyterianism. Our Presbyterianism, our distinctives as a reformed church are meant to rally around Jesus making him know. Our Presbyterianism only matters as it serves to make the gospel know. We’re about the business of the gospel.

We’re not to rally around our Presbyterianism, our Presbyterianism, our distinctives are to rally around Jesus to make him know. Our Presbyterianism only matters as it serves to make the gospel know. We’re about the business of the gospel.

Level 2: How to do it (and how not to do it)

And we do this, we make it not about us, by not letting our person preference get in the way of making Jesus know. We make Jesus and the gospel our main concern.

And we make Jesus and the gospel our main concern.

Level 3: What it looks like (and what it shouldn’t look like)

And so this looks like caring more about creating a welcoming environment at church rather than getting angry about moving furniture in church.

This looks like caring more about the attitude that we wear to church rather than the clothing we wear.

This looks like caring more about the attitude that we wear to church not our clothing.

This looks like bending over backwards, sacrificing our personal preferences, for the sake of seeing the gospel more clearly displayed in our church life.

What we wear to church

This looks like actively thinking about how we can change how we do things, rather than getting upset that we’re not doing this the old way.

This looks like having the hope that the best days, the good days are ahead of us, rather than thinking the old days were the good days.

So this means we’re going to bending over backwards sacrificing our personal preferences for the sake of seeing the gospel more clearly displayed in our church life.

This is going to look like holding in a close hand the gospel — Jesus’ supremacy, the Salvation of Jesus cross, his servant-heart. And holding everything else in an open hand. Because nothing else saves souls.

This is going to look like putting your hand up to play your part in church life, reading the bible, praying, welcoming, handing out bibles, being part of music, setting up and packing up, reading the bible durning the week with one another.

Level 4: Why you should (and why you shouldn’t)

And we should want this because we belong to Jesus. This is what it means to follow Christ, doing the work of Christ.

We don’t do this stuff because somehow it makes us a Christian

Level 5: Where you are (and where you should or shouldn’t be)

So were are we, St Andrews, Evening Church, were are we at with all of this?

To level with you, we’re in a really tough spot with music. We need people who can play instruments to play. If people can sing we need you to sing.

I think we’re finding it hard to shift from a very old way of seeing ministry being the minister doing everything, rather than equipping you to do the ministry. I’m here to get you reading the Bible to one another, I’m here to get you praying for one another, I’m here to get you leading to share the gospel with one another. We need to make this shift in our thinking from, Ryan, Peter, and the elders do ministry, to Ryan and Peter are here to equip me to do ministry — that’s the biblical vision of a Pastor-Minister.

Level 6: What drives it (and what shouldn’t drive it)

But remember what drives this kind of church life is the

[Question] How are we to respond to other churches in Townsville? [Answer] Are they preaching gospel? We’ll then let’s have the attitude the Apostle Paul shows in . “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defence of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.” Because it’s not about us, it’s about Jesus.

We’ll then let’s have the attitude the Apostle Paul shows in .

“Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defence of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

Because it’s not about us, it’s about Jesus.

We’ll then let’s have the attitude the Apostle Paul shows in .

15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

“Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defence of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .

Because it’s not about us, it’s about Jesus.

As individuals, as a Christian,

Team Ministry — Body of Christ

As individuals, as a Christian,

Level 1: What to do (and what not to do)

Level 1: What to do (and what not to do) - Control>Will

In a way it’s much the same. This church, it’s here for you to assert your power and authority.

This church is here for you to know Jesus supremacy, his salvation for you on the cross and his servant-heart. And for you believing in him and belonging to him, to become like him.

And so, serving like Jesus, means playing you part.

Every Christian has a role to play —

Church — Serving is me regularly giving money — yes and no.

Level 2: How to do it (and how not to do it)

Level 3: What it looks like (and what it shouldn’t look like)

What this does look like is take seriously our actions because our actions have eternal consequences.

God’s never approved or

This doesn’t look like

What this does look like is take seriously our actions because our actions have eternal consequences.

This doesn’t look like self-mutilation

eg.

Level 4: Why you should (and why you shouldn’t)

- centre>Perception, Control>Will & Coping>Thinking

Level 5: Where you are (and where you should or shouldn’t be)

- addressing conscience

Level 6: What drives it (and what shouldn’t drive it)

- addressing heart idols.

The disciples personal-ambition is getting in the way of a gospel-ambition that Jesus desires. What the disciples need to understand is that it’s not about the fame of their name. It’s about the fame of Jesus’. It’s about Jesus’ supremacy. And verse 40 Jesus makes his point clear (; ),

And verse 40 Jesus makes his point clear (; ),

[Summary] So what we’re beginning to see is that the Christian life, particularly, our church ministry, must be Gospel-drive reflecting Christ.

[Transition] And having dealt with church life, in verses 42-50 Jesus zooms in on our relationships with one another. So lets keep moving. Coming with me to .

“For if someone is for me they’re not against me.”

But lets keep moving. Coming with me to .

Because if someone is actively proclaiming the gospel - this good news of Jesus, then they cannot be actively opposing it at the same time. Now it’s important to see that proverbs, like this one from Jesus, are general rather than absolute truths.

[Read/Explain ]

[Illustrate] Like, it’s generally true that only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty. But it’s not always truth, because sometimes real friends don’t tell your face is dirty.

[Explain] …

And continuing to teach his disciples, in verse 42-50, Jesus helps his disciples make sense of how his supremacy, salvation, and servant-heart shapes our relationships. And in verse 42 he says,

Or it’s generally true that love is like a war: easy to begin hard to end! But it’s not always true, because love doesn’t always come easy, it can be hard.

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”

[Principle] It might generally be true, but not always.

Welcoming the least of God’s people and radical self-denial in light of eternity.

42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

Jesus is talking about Christians here, “these little ones” refers to those “who believe in” Christ. And so Jesus is talking about the nature of relationship between Christians.

And Jesus explains what christian relationship look like, by tell his disciples, what it doesn’t look like. Christians relationships don’t look like causing one another to sin or stumble in any way. Or in other words, it means not leading others in any direction away from Jesus. This movement way from Jesus is captured by this word, “cause to sin,” this word is going to feature a lot in verses 42 to 50. So sin is clearly defined as any movement away from believing in and following Jesus.

And Jesus says that influencing one other in this way is deadly serious. Jesus use of hyperbole — deliberate exaggeration. Not to make it seem more serious than it is. But to realise just how serious it is. It presents a vivid picture of the seriousness of leading others away from Jesus — it would be better for you “if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”

Cause to fall-down, stumble, sin in anyway, fall/lead away from Jesus.

movement away from Jesus is captured by this word, “cause to sin” or “stumble”

The language Jesus is using is hyperbolic. Taken metaphorically, they present a vivid picture of the seriousness of leading others away from Jesus.

But, if we’re not to have this influence on others, if we’re to lead others towards Christ and not away from Christ, we need to be aware of our own inward pressure for ourselves to be lead away from Christ. This is what Jesus goes onto say in verse 43 to 48. So where as verse 42 focused on outward pressure coming from others that cause sin, notice the shift in verse 43 to focus on the pressure that comes from within that cause sin. Pick the passage up with me in verse 43,

Where as verse 42 focused on outward pressure coming from others that cause sin in any way, notice the shift in verse 43 to focus on the pressure that comes from within that cause sin in any way.

The language Jesus is using is hyperbolic. Taken metaphorically, they present a vivid picture of the seriousness of leading others away from Jesus.

Notice the

movement away from Jesus is captured by this word, “cause to sin” or “stumble”

“43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.

45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell.

47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’”

Did you notice the repetition throughout these verses. Each verse repeats the same idea. That finding any cause to sin, to walk away from Jesus, needs to be deal with serious, “Cut it off”. And the reason, “for”, the consequences of sin is hell and the reward for following Jesus is so great, “it is better” life with God.

The hypothetic “if” that makes us

That finding any cause to sin, to walk away from Jesus, needs to be deal with serious, “Cut it off”. And the reason, “for”, the consequences of sin is hell and the reward for following Jesus is so great, “it is better” life with God.

Central idea of Causing to fall-down, stumble, sin in anyway continues.

But also notice how the verses paints an all-of-life perspective. It’s about the hands, the feet, the eyes. Following Jesus and cutting off sin relates to what we do, were we go, and what we see. Or in other words, its our heart, mind, body.

hand, doing

Did you notice how the verses touch on every aspect of our life

hand, doing

foot, going

eye, looking

And how could we miss the, the vivd hyperbolic language. That means these verses aren’t to be taken literally. The language paints a picture of treating our sin seriously.

These verses contain metaphors that must not be taken literally. The language Jesus is using is hyperbolic, Taken metaphorically, they present a picture of treating sin seriously.

And if they’re is sin that leads us away from Jesus it is to be cut off. The vivd language of self-mutilation, self-sacrifice, of killing-sin is to prevent us from walking away from Jesus. It’s a radical self denial in light of salvation and judgement - of heaven and hell.

The vivd metaphors of self-sacrifice, killing self, to prevent spiritual failure

radical self-denial in light of eternity.

Hell and heaven — peoples souls are at steak.

“The one is called life, which is therefore not purely a Johannine term for salvation, as sometimes claimed. The other is called here, not ‘death’ but hell or Gehenna, and explained as unquenchable fire (Gk. asbestos)” (A. Cole, Mark, 227).

“No man ever spoke stronger words about this ultimate alternative than the loving Son of God; but his words on it were addressed either to his own disciples, as here, or to professed religious leaders (as in ). We never hear of him expounding this topic to publicans and sinners, although John the Baptist may have struck this note widely (). Jesus therefore spoke of hell to professed saints, and of heaven to acknowledged sinners, unlike many other preachers. Also, when Jesus spoke of judgment, according to Luke, he wept () (A.Cole, Mark, 228)

[Illustrate] In 254 AD the church father Origen, struggles with sexual temptation, so he mutilated himself (J.Brooks, Mark, NAC, 153). More recently, the NRL player, Angus Crichton, had his badly injured finger cut off. The ongoing injury to his finger would often me his because waiting for it to recover would mean missing games.

Angus, wanted to hit the ground running for the season, he wanted nothing holding him

[Principle] THIS is the very definition of commitment — and it’s quite confronting.

[Link To Passage] …

Why the seriousness?

because God takes sin seriously

Jesus brought peace between God and us, so we’re to be at peace with one another.

sin deforms us.

Killing sin, forms Jesus in us.

Rom 6

49 For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Welcoming the least of God’s people and radical self-denial in light of eternity.

radical self-denial in light of eternity.

[Link To Passage] And so it’s generally true that those who claim the name of Jesus are for him.

Hell and heaven — peoples souls are at steak.

“The one is called life, which is therefore not purely a Johannine term for salvation, as sometimes claimed. The other is called here, not ‘death’ but hell or Gehenna, and explained as unquenchable fire (Gk. asbestos)” (A. Cole, Mark, 227).

R. Alan Cole, Mark: An Introduction and Commentary (vol. 2; Tyndale New Testament Commentaries; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 227.

R. Alan Cole, Mark: An Introduction and Commentary (vol. 2; Tyndale New Testament Commentaries; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 228.

This is why numbers matter! — how dare we say numbers not matter, they’re people on their way to hell.

And this unknown man is for Jesus. He’s not using Jesus’ name like a magic formula. He’s a true follower of Jesus, although outside of the inner circle of the 12 disciples. He’s a true disciple because he believes Jesus’ supremacy, that Jesus saves, and reflects Jesus’ servant-heartedness. This unknown man is a beautiful display of what it looks like to be about the work of the gospel.

He’s not caught up in following the famous 12 disciples of Jesus.

He’s caught up in following Jesus himself.

The Gospel is more important than his personal ambition.

And building a new building isn’t going to win souls — if we’re not winning souls now, a new building isn’t going to change that. — because it’s about us, our hearts changing to be more affected by this true that hell and heaven are real, and no building ever saved anyone — only Jesus does —

I near every now and them people say that we’re building for the future because we’re building a new building, that’s wants going to keep saint andrews around — what on earth! No the church is people who’ve been saved from sin because of Jesus — if we’re not convinced that hell and heaven are real, are real people are heading there, St Andrew wont be here. Because we’d giving up on being the church — the local church is the hope of the word, not because on any building, but because we hold out the gospel of Jesus which is the power of God for salvation!

And notice how Jesus reason in verse 41 parallels his first reason in verse 39. Here again, Jesus reminds his disciples that what matter is a persons belonging to him. But check this out too, in verse 39, where Jesus said anyones mighty works done in his name are to be accepted as authentic service of Christ, now, here, in verse 40 Jesus says,

“Even someone giving you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, even this work will by no means lose be look down upon.”

We bend over backwards — and unbending in the gospel

we become servants to all — because we’re a servant of the gospel

The simple and humble gift, of a cup of water, is to be accepted as authentic service of Jesus. From the greatest of public displays to the most humble and secret displays of service, both are done in service of Jesus are to be accepted as the work of true ministry.

These verses contain metaphors that must not be taken literally. The language Jesus is using is hyperbolic, Taken metaphorically, they present a picture of treating sin seriously.

“What we have is a vivid metaphor, couched in extreme terms that assure us of its dominical nature, for this appears typical” (A. Cole, Mark, 227).

Mark: An Introduction and Commentary vi. Stumbling-Blocks (9:41–48)

What we have is a vivid metaphor, couched in extreme terms that assure us of its dominical nature, for this appears typical

R. Alan Cole, Mark: An Introduction and Commentary (vol. 2; Tyndale New Testament Commentaries; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 227.

[Illustrate] We’ve been talking lately about, the plan to start a coffee cart ministry at church, as a way to build relationships with the local city workers. And so the other week, a mate and I we’re invited to one of the larger charismatic churches in town to see how they set up their coffee cart. To be honest, it’s one of those churches that I haven’t felt to kindly about. Often, I’ve felt that it would be great if they just stopped what they did. But arriving. Walking in. We’re handed a cup of hot chocolate.

[Illustrate] In 254 AD the church father Origen, struggles with sexual temptation, so he mutilated himself (J.Brooks, Mark, NAC, 153). More recently, the NRL player, Angus Crichton, had his badly injured finger cut off. The ongoing injury to his finger would often me his because waiting for it to recover would mean missing games.

These verses contain metaphors that must not be taken literally, as did the church father Origen (d. a.d. 254).

Angus, wanted to hit the ground running for the season, he wanted nothing holding him

James A. Brooks, Mark (vol. 23; The New American Commentary; Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991), 153.

[Principle] And reading this passage this week, I’ve had to change my attitude of personal-ambition, to remember that the Christian life and ministry is about gospel-ambition. It’s about people hearing the good news about Jesus.

[Principle] THIS is the very definition of commitment — and it’s quite confronting.

[Link To Passage] And that’s what this passage is getting at. That in the Christian life our loyalty belongs to Jesus, not our tribe, group, or denomination.

[Link To Passage] …

Christians will be 'salted’ be made to be ‘christ-like’ through persecution and trials, that as we choose to kill sin, we’re also choosing to be more like Christ.

But if we loose our christ-likeness, what good is that,

It implies that each follower of Jesus will be tested by fire. What is worthless will be destroyed, and what is good will survive” (A.Y Collins & H.W. Attridge, Mark, 454).

“Have salt within yourselves” in Mark may be read as a metaphor for protecting oneself against corruption, for avoiding the kinds of sins and occasions of sin” (A.Y Collins & H.W. Attridge, Mark, 455).

A.Y Collins & H.W. Attridge, Mark, 454.

“Broadly they convey the message that discipleship is a serious matter, that it carries the potential for ‘coming unstuck’, and that it is important to work at it in such a way that the disciple group retains its integrity and distinctiveness as a community of peace” (R.T. France, The Gospel of Mark, NIGTC, 385).

(A.Y Collins & H.W. Attridge, Mark, 455.

R.T. France, The Gospel of Mark, NIGTCommentary; Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 2002), 385.

[Biblical Theology Link]

So, how might of John’s comment been different, if his concern was more for Jesus’ fame than his own? Perhaps it might have sounded more like this,

[Doctrine Link]

“Teacher, we saw someone freeing people from spiritual darkness in your name, so we championed and encouraged him, because he was following you.”

[Specific Gospel Link]

[Apply/Use]

Level 1: What to do (and what not to do)

Treat sin seriously, don’t treat sin lightly

Don’t sin yourself

we’re to take sin and it’s consequences seriously

We’re to take the radical cost God paid to deal with those consequences.

Level 2: How to do it (and how not to do it)

Look to the we can make sure we’re not leading others into sin, by not falling ourselves.

Remember and look to the cross — see the seriousness of sin.

Level 3: What it looks like (and what it shouldn’t look like)

So we need to ask, how does the gospel make this change?

This doesn’t look like self-mutilation, because nowhere does God as his people to do deal with sin in that way. And also because sin isn’t dealt with that way, it doesn’t prevent sin.

What this does look like is take seriously our actions because our actions have eternal consequences.

eg.

What this looks like is — bending over backwards for others while being unbending in the gospel.

This is why numbers matter! — how dare we say numbers not matter, they’re people on their way to hell.

And building a new building isn’t going to win souls — if we’re not winning souls now, a new building isn’t going to change that. — because it’s about us, our hearts changing to be more affected by this true that hell and heaven are real, and no building ever saved anyone — only Jesus does —

I near every now and them people say that we’re building for the future because we’re building a new building, that’s wants going to keep saint andrews around — what on earth! No the church is people who’ve been saved from sin because of Jesus — if we’re not convinced that hell and heaven are real, are real people are heading there, St Andrew wont be here. Because we’d giving up on being the church — the local church is the hope of the word, not because on any building, but because we hold out the gospel of Jesus which is the power of God for salvation!

We bend over backwards — and unbending in the gospel

we become servants to all — because we’re a servant of the gospel

- sacrificing anything for the sack of others spiritual health.

Level 4: Why you should (and why you shouldn’t)

Sin has catastrophic effects — so not lead others there or yourself there.

Level 5: Where you are (and where you should or shouldn’t be)

Level 6: What drives it (and what shouldn’t drive it) - addressing heart idols.

[Summary] …

[Question] Why is verse 44 and 46 not in the passage? Because they are not found in the earliest and best Greek manuscripts of Mark. They also simply repeat verse 48, which attempt to add greater emphases and symmetry.

[Transition] …

[Gospel Link] What a different scene that would have been. What a difference the gospel makes.

How is the gospel shaping ministry and church life?

So we need to ask, how does the gospel make this change?

Well, we saw this last week, that what drives this kind of life is a life driven by the gospel.

[Read/Explain ] …

A life that’s lived in light of Jesus’ Supremacy as God rather than our leadership.

A life that’s lived in light of Salvation in Christ won on the Cross rather than our efforts.

1 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.

A life that’s lived after Christ’s own servant-heartedness rather than serving ourself.

1 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.

10 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.

2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

sacred institution that reveals the gospel — the nature of our relationship to God is displayed.

what was happening is that husbands were abandoning their marriages because they simply weren’t meeting their personal needs.

Jesus says that his followers must not abandon their marriages for this reason. authentic christian marriages is not about self-gratification, but about giving oneself in sacrificial service of the other and Jesus. The christian marriage commitment shows displays the powerful message of reconciliation between God and people.

The statement that Moses “wrote this commandment for you because of your hardness of heart” (v. 5*) implies that divorce is not the will of God but was allowed by Moses only because of the people’s stubbornness” (A.Y Collins & H.W. Attridge, Mark, 467).

A.Y Collins & H.W. Attridge, Mark: A Commentary on the Gospel of Mark (Hermeneia—a Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible; Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2007), 467.

[Illustrate] …

And this is what it means to serve in Jesus’ name -- to bear Jesus name is to belong to him.

[Principle]…

[Apply/Use] As we think about the life of our church and how we function as a church, how should our church life look when it’s driven by the Gospel?

[Link To Passage] …

[1st] If ministry and church isn’t about us, but about Jesus.

Church life is not about us.

This church doesn’t exist to promote our influence authority and comfort.

Church life is not about us.

This church exists to promote the Gospel and Jesus supremacy, his salvation and his servant-heartedness.

It’s interesting if you want to know what most important to you, then you just have to look at what you get most annoyed, frustrated, passionate about.

And so how do we know if we’re a church that driven with a deep concern for the Gospel? We’ll what do we collectively get annoyed, frustrated, passionate about the most?

You see a church driven-by the gospel is passionate about the preaching and teaching having the good news of Jesus front and centre, not only in the explanation of the passage but also the application of the passage.

This church doesn’t exist to promote our influence and authority.

And we do this, we make it not about us, by not letting our person preference get in the way of making Jesus know. We make Jesus and the gospel our main concern.

A church driven-by the gospel is passionate about prayer reflect the this same good news of Jesus.

A church driven-by the gospel is passionate about people’s conversations show a curiosity and concern for the health of each others relationship with God.

A church driven-by the gospel is passionate about people are serving Jesus by using they’re gifts and passions in church life, on a Sunday and throughout the week.

A church driven-by the gospel is passionate and curious about how we can be a church that is welcoming to those who aren’t Christians yet and concerned when we don’t see new people coming to faith in Christ.

A Gospel driven church is passionate about being unbending in the gospel and bending over backwards to see others hear the gospel.

A gospel driven church isn’t overly concerned and passionate about what clothing you wear to church, that the seat you usually sit in being taken, or making changes to how we do things, or even a new building.

A gospel driven church isn’t overly concerned and passionate about the seat you usually sit in being taken.

Because none of these things matter when it comes to salvation — what matters above all is Christ, his supremacy and salvation. Church and ministry isn’t about us — it’s about Jesus.

A gospel driven church isn’t overly concerned and passionate about making changes to how we do things.

A gospel driven church isn’t overly concerned and passionate about that a new building.

Because none of these things matter when it comes to salvation — what matters above all is Christ, his supremacy and salvation. Church and ministry isn’t about us — it’s about Jesus.

We must not make church and ministry about us. When church becomes about us,

letting our person preference get in the way of making Jesus know. We make Jesus and the gospel our main concern.

So, make belonging to Jesus as the mark of being a Christian.

Don’t make being presbyterian or anything else as the mark of being a Christian.

We’re not to rally around our Presbyterianism. Our Presbyterianism, our distinctives as a reformed church are meant to rally around Jesus making him know. Our Presbyterianism only matters as it serves to make the gospel know. We’re about the business of the gospel.

This church exists to promote the Gospel and Jesus supremacy,

In what ways are we wanting to control what happens at church?

Level 1: What to do (and what not to do) —

Well we’re to promote Jesus’ supremacy and salvation in him.

Level 2: How to do it (and how not to do it)

Promoting the salvation that Jesus has provided in the cross, this means we’re giving our lives to making Jesus known.

Level 3: What it looks like (and what it shouldn’t look like)

This church doesn’t exist to promote our influence and authority.

This church exists to promote the Gospel and Jesus supremacy,

Level 4: Why you should (and why you shouldn’t)

Level 5: Where you are (and where you should or shouldn’t be)

Level 6: What drives it (and what shouldn’t drive it)

Promoting Salvation in Christ

Saved

Level 1: What to do (and what not to do)

Level 2: How to do it (and how not to do it)

Level 3: What it looks like (and what it shouldn’t look like)

Level 4: Why you should (and why you shouldn’t)

Level 5: Where you are (and where you should or shouldn’t be)

Level 6: What drives it (and what shouldn’t drive it)

Servant-heart

Level 1: What to do (and what not to do)

[2nd] Ministry in Church life is for everyone, not just for Peter, the elders and myself.

Level 1: What to do (and what not to do)

Ministry, or in other words, being a servant of Christ, is something we’re all called too.

So how can you be serving Jesus in the life of church?

Level 2: How to do it (and how not to do it)

This is going to look like putting your hand up to play your part in church life, reading the bible, praying, welcoming, handing out bibles, being part of music, setting up and packing up, reading the bible durning the week with one another.

Level 3: What it looks like (and what it shouldn’t look like)

[3rd] Our church isn’t to only church doing gospel ministry in Townsville.

Level 4: Why you should (and why you shouldn’t)

We need to see that even these other church are more effectively representing Jesus than we are.

Let’s not think that our way of church is ‘the only and right way.’ We are a Presbyterian church because we hold particular convictions about how a church structure, what should be apart of the gathering of God’s people on Sunday, and sacraments. If you want to know more, you should’ve come to the Membership course. But lets be honest and crystal clear about this, none of these convictions determine where someone is a Christian or not. They are not salvation issues. What matters is whether a person is untied to Christ by believing in his supremacy and salvation achieved on the cross.

Level 5: Where you are (and where you should or shouldn’t be)

Level 6: What drives it (and what shouldn’t drive it)

[Summary] So what we’re beginning to see is that the Christian life, particularly, our church ministry, must be Gospel-drive reflecting Christ.

[Transition] And having dealt with church life, in verses 42-50 Jesus zooms in on our relationships with one another. So lets keep moving. Coming with me to .

[Biblical Theology Link]

Deut 24:1-4

[Doctrine Link]

[Read/Explain ]

[Specific Gospel Link]

And continuing to teach his disciples, in verse 42-50, Jesus helps his disciples make sense of how his supremacy, salvation, and servant-heart shapes our relationships. And in verse 42 he says,

[Apply/Use]

[Specifically — Leadership & Manhood]

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”

[1st — Leadership] isn’t about serving the gospel. not ourselves.

Jesus is talking about Christians here, “these little ones” refers to those “who believe in” Christ. And so Jesus is talking about the nature of relationship between Christians.

And Jesus explains what christian relationship look like, by tell his disciples, what it doesn’t look like. Christians relationships don’t look like causing one another to sin or stumble in any way. Or in other words, it means not leading others in any direction away from Jesus. This movement way from Jesus is captured by this word, “cause to sin,” this word is going to feature a lot in verses 42 to 50. So sin is clearly defined as any movement away from believing in and following Jesus.

Goes under, not over. As a leader, speaking our leaders, are we leading with a self-ambition or a gospel-ambition?

And Jesus says that influencing one other in this way is deadly serious.

Giving our money to the work of the gospel

Jesus use of hyperbole — deliberate exaggeration. Not to make it seem more serious than it is. But to realise just how serious it is.

[Illustrate] There’s a character in the Batman series, the Joker. And in the recent Batman movies, the memorable line that Joker has, is this question, “Why so serious?”

and Angus Crichton, he went to such radical lengths because of what it would cost him in the end, perhaps his NRL career.

[Principle] “Why so Serious?”

[Link To Passage] And this passage begs the same questions. “Why is sin so serious?”

Well, the sin is presented in such a serious and vivid picture, because sin in it simplest sense is a walking away from God. In this passage, this is what’s at stake, leading one others away from Jesus.

But, if the disciples are to keep themselves from leading one anther away from Jesus, they need to be aware of their own inward pressure in themselves to be lead away from Christ. And this is what Jesus goes onto say in verse 43 to 48. So where as verse 42 focused on outward pressure coming from others that cause sin, notice the shift in verse 43 to focus on the pressure that comes from within that cause sin. Pick the passage up with me in verse 43,

Giving our time, being at elders meeting regularly and on time, because if we’re not, what does that say about our concern for the leadership?

“43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.

[2nd — Manhood] As a man, speaking our men,

45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell.

Marriage — are we a servant to our wives and families?

Yes, we might bring home the pay check. But we have to realise that is only one part of the picture.

47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’”

Personally, The Gospel story has changed by life. How does the story of the Gospel shape me?

Did you notice the repetition throughout these verses. Each verse repeats the same idea. That finding any cause to sin, to walk away from Jesus, needs to be deal with serious, “Cut it off”.

[Illustrate] On man is famous for taking this passage literally. In 254 AD the church father Origen, he struggles with his sexual desires, so he castrated himself (J.Brooks, Mark, NAC, 153). But more recently, the NRL player, Angus Crichton, had his badly injured finger cut off. The ongoing injury often caused him to miss games. Angus didn’t want anything holding back his football career anymore.

[Principle] One journalist commented that this is the very definition of commitment.

[Link To Passage] Christian’s are to be so committed to following Jesus, we’re to cut out any sin in their lives so that nothing is holding them back in reflecting Jesus.

And the reason “for” this is the consequences of sin, hell.

That’s will is we’re people suffer God’s anger for sin until the price is paid, the price that Jesus

Hell a place where God’s anger of sin is unquenched.

and the reward for following Jesus is so great, “it is better” life with God.

This is why Jesus’s death on the cross is were salvation is won. The salvation Jesus brings on the cross is a satisfying of God’s anger towards sinners. The result of following Jesus is so much great, “it is better” life with God, a place in his kingdom. No man ever spoke stronger words about the ultimate alternative of hell to rejecting God’s salvation than Jesus (A.Cole, Mark, 228).

[Illustrate] For Origen, he went to such radical lengths because of what it would cost him in the end, his relationship with God.

and Angus Crichton, he went to such radical lengths because of what it would cost him in the end, perhaps his NRL career.

[Principle] The cost of being held back and hindered in any ways was too costly.

[Link To Passage] The cost of being held-back from following Jesus is too costly — heaven and hell are at steak.

Remember the story about the story of manhood I’ve grown up with, I wonder how you think the gospel story would change my manhood?

But also notice how the verses paints an all-of-life perspective. It’s about the hands, the feet, the eyes. Following Jesus and cutting off sin relates to what we do, were we go, and what we see. Or in other words, its the heart, mind, body. So if there’s any sin in any part of life, that leads us away from Jesus it is to be cut off.

Christ is the model of my manhood. That being a leader of my family, my leading is to be marked by a servant hearted leadership that points my wife to Jesus as I put her first.

So if there’s any sin that leads us away from Jesus it is to be cut off. The vivd language of self-mutilation, self-sacrifice, of killing-sin is to prevent us from walking away from Jesus.

Angus, wanted to hit the ground running for the season, he wanted nothing holding him

[Principle] One journalist commented that this is the very definition of commitment.

[Link To Passage] Christian’s are to be so committed to following Jesus, we’re to cut out any sin inn our lives so that nothing is holding them back in reflecting Jesus.

Because sin is so serious, radical self-denial in light of the salvation Jesus brings on the cross, but also because of God’s anger towards sinners who reject this slavation - of heaven and hell.

It’s a radical self denial in light of salvation and judgement - of heaven and hell.

radical self-denial in light of God’s kingdom.

That this task is beyond me in my own strength so, as a bloke I look to Jesus and his supremacy to provide his grace to me

Salvation from hell, to life.

Hell and heaven — peoples souls are at steak.

That in my falling short of this, I need time to grieve the loss of opportunities not take to do that, and the opportunities I took to serve myself. I look to the cross for forgiveness, but I look to the resurrection that raises me back up and gives me guts to keep living for Christ.

and Angus Crichton, he went to such radical lengths because of what it would cost him in the end, perhaps his NRL career.

[Principle] The cost of being held back and hindered in any ways was too costly.

[Principle] THIS is the very definition of commitment — and it’s quite confronting.

[Link To Passage] The cost of being held-back from following Jesus is too costly — heaven and hell are at steak.

“The one is called life, which is therefore not purely a Johannine term for salvation, as sometimes claimed. The other is called here, not ‘death’ but hell or Gehenna, and explained as unquenchable fire (Gk. asbestos)” (A. Cole, Mark, 227).

[Summary] …

[Transition] …

Angus, wanted to hit the ground running for the season, he wanted nothing holding him

[exegetical movement — Faith & Life]

[Read —] …

[Principle] THIS is the very definition of commitment — and it’s quite confronting.

because God takes sin seriously

[Link To Passage] …

[Explain] …

God’s people are those marked by lowliness and dependance on Him.

Why the seriousness?

[Illustrate] …

because God takes sin seriously

Jesus brought peace between God and us, so we’re to be at peace with one another.

[Principle]…

Jesus responds to the cavalier attitude of his contemporaries with the shocking claim that, in light of the one-flesh-union , remarriage after divorce constitutes adultery — the point is, in light of the true nature of marriage, divorce is a great tragedy.

[Link To Passage] …

sin deforms us.

[Biblical Theology Link]

Killing sin, forms Jesus in us.

[Doctrine Link]

[Specific Gospel Link]

And verses 49 to 50 pulls these verses together,

“For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Fire is a refining, cleansing, and purifying thing. And salt provided a taste, flavour, and distincitiveness to food. What Jesus is saying to his disciples, is that they’re distinctiveness as christians, there Christ-likeness will come through the refining and purifying process of cutting sin out of our life. This saltiness, Jesus says is marked by being at peace with one another.

And salt - taste, flavour, distincitiveness

This killing of sin, cutting it off and not leading others into sin, is going to be hard. It’s a fiery process, it’s a cleansing process, its a purifying process, making us taste and look more and more like Jesus. The more we’re cutting sin out of our life the more we’re going to look like Jesus.

[Gospel Link] Jesus has brought us peace with God, so a key mark of a Christian is being at peace with one another. We’re a community marked by peace, peace vertically, between us and God. So we must be mark by peace horizontally with one another.

[Apply/Use]

We’re a community marked by peace, peace vertically, between us and God. So we must be mark by peace horizontally with one another (A.Y Collins & H.W. Attridge, Mark, 454-455 & R.T. France, The Gospel of Mark, NIGTC, 385).

Level 1: What to do (and what not to do) - Control>Will

(A.Y Collins & H.W. Attridge, Mark, 454-455 & R.T. France, The Gospel of Mark, NIGTC, 385).

Although God allows divorces, he never sanctioned it. So to find or seek ‘grounds’ for divorce isn’t the way to go.

Anyone who seeks divorce out, is looking for a way to dissolve their marriage without warrent. You can’t seek divorce out and not sin.

What divorce looks like, you could say, that it seeks you out — adultery or abandonment has invaded your life and marriage.

See Strauss, pg 429

Level 2: How to do it (and how not to do it) - Control>Will

It implies that each follower of Jesus will be tested by fire. What is worthless will be destroyed, and what is good will survive” (A.Y Collins & H.W. Attridge, Mark, 454).

As a church we need to take our marriages seriously, the health of our marriages needs to be part of our conversations.

Level 3: What it looks like (and what it shouldn’t look like) - addressing centre>Perception, Coping>Thinking, Love>appearance

“Have salt within yourselves” in Mark may be read as a metaphor for protecting oneself against corruption, for avoiding the kinds of sins and occasions of sin” (A.Y Collins & H.W. Attridge, Mark, 455).

“Broadly they convey the message that discipleship is a serious matter, that it carries the potential for ‘coming unstuck’, and that it is important to work at it in such a way that the disciple group retains its integrity and distinctiveness as a community of peace” (R.T. France, The Gospel of Mark, NIGTC, 385).

Is there intimacy in your marriage

touching each others hearts

and

touching each others bodies — and yes, I’m talking about sex.

Sex is

“Although marriage was a legal and social contract between families, marital affection “was considered essential to a true marriage, so much so that its cessation was cause for divorce” (A.Y. Collins & H. W. Attridge, Mark, 465).

A.Y. Collins & H. W. Attridge, Mark, 465.

Level 4: Why you should (and why you shouldn’t) - centre>Perception, Control>Will & Coping>Thinking

Level 5: Where you are (and where you should or shouldn’t be) - addressing conscience

Jesus brought peace between God and us, so we’re to be at peace with one another.

sin deforms us.

Killing sin, forms Jesus in us.

Level 6: What drives it (and what shouldn’t drive it) - addressing heart idols.

[Apply/Use] As we think about the life together, how can we be at peace with one another, what difference does the gospel make for us?

[1st] We need to care for one another’s spiritual health. Don’t let one another walk away from Jesus in the little everyday moments of life. What this looks like is — bending over backwards for others while being unbending in the gospel ().

[Jesus supremacy, Salvation, Servant-heart]

Church life is not about us.

What drives divorce is a breaking and failure of the promises made to God and one another. Divorces is to make the breaking of the promise official — it doesn’t make the act that broke of the marriage covenant any less real or serious — but is an offical statement of the condition of the marriage.

This church doesn’t exist to promote our influence and authority.

What drives divorce is tragic, because it’s always a result of human sinfulness.

Level 1: What to do (and what not to do) —

[Summary] …

This church exists to promote the Gospel and Jesus supremacy,

And so we need to realise that christian relationships are messy one. On one hand, we’re a bunch of sinful people living with sinful people. And on the other hand, we’re a bunch of sinners who by the grace of God have been saved from our sin.

In what ways are we wanting to control what happens at church?

[Transition] …

We’re

We’re going to sin against one another. We are going to think and act in ways towards one another that we should not. Are we’re not going to think and act in ways towards one another that we should have.

(1st) We’re going to sin against one another. We are going to think and act in ways towards one another that we should not. Are we’re not going to think and act in ways towards one another that we should have.

So how should we deal with this when it happens? In the little book Resolving Everyday Conflict, by Ken Sande, he helpful points out 4 steps, under for 4 G’s.

G1 - Glorify God, by bring God into the situation. Because sin is a result of not wanting God to be apart of the situation. Ken says, “so long as we keep God out of our situation, we can expect to stay stuck in conflict.”

The question to ask is, “How can I honour Christ in this situation?”

Because the messiness in relationships we face are always opportunities for us to discover more of God’s grace.

G2 — Get the Log Out of you’re own eye, by owning your part in this.

The question to ask is, “How can I take responsibility for the part I’ve played in this?”

Go to God asking, “Lord please help me to see how I’ve played a part in this.”

Ultimately, owning your part is seen in confessing that to the one you’ve hurt. You haven’t owned your part if you haven’t confessed it to the other person.

And there’s 7 things that make a good confession:

A1 — Address everyone involved, real confession begins admitting your sin to everyone directly impacted by it. This is the general rule, your confession should reach as far as your offence.

A2 — Avoid, “if,” “but,” and “maybe.” It’s really difficult to find a confession that doesn’t uses “if,” “but,” and “maybe.” These words ruin confessions. Because, let’s face the it, when we use these words in a confession we either don’t know if we’ve actually done anything wrong or we simply don’t think believe we’ve done something wrong. It’s just a way of getting someone off our back.

A3 — Admit specifically. Now this is key and also hard. The more detailed you provide when you confess, the more likely you are to get a positive reaction. Because the more detail you’re able to give shows that you’ve got eyes to see your sin. General, abstract, unclear and un-detailed confessions simply reveal that you haven’t really understood what you’ve done.

So admit specifically.

A4 — Acknowledge the hurt. If you want someone to respond positively to your confession, make it a point to acknowledge to them the hurt you have caused. This is what it means to sympathises. Sympathy reveals that you have taken the time to actually feel the hurt. If you’re unwilling to sympathise with the others hurt, it just a way of getting someone off our back. Acknowledge the hurt.

A5 — Accept the Consequences. Accepting any penalty your actions deserve is another way to demonstrate genuine repentance. The harder you work to make repair any harm you’ve cause, the easier it is for someone to trust you again.

A6 — Alter your behaviour. You don’t really mean that your sorry if you don’t commit to not repeating the sin. Simple as that.

A7 — Ask for forgiveness (and allow time). Once you’ve talk through each of these steps with someone you have hurt, many will be willing to forgive you and move forward.

G3 — Gentle Restore. As we’ve seen, the Bible is clear, that we need to take our own and one anothers sin seriously. And confronting one another about out sin is confronting and tough to do. But if someone has sinned against us, God wants us to take the first step to seek peace. If there is something that damages my relationship with some, if someone else has been hurt, someone is hurting themselves, or if someone is dishonouring Christ, we need to confront the sin.

G4 — Go and be Reconciled. Ken Sande says, “Christians are the most forgiven people in the world. Therefore, we must be the most forgiving people in the world.”

Forgiveness is the radical decision not to hold an offence against the offended. Forgiveness then is costly.

Now its important to realise there is a difference between forgiveness and reconciliation.

Having a forgiving attitude rests on you, but reconciliation depends on both people and their willingness to forgive and the offenders to repent.

So that’s the first thing, we’re going to sin against one another and that’s how we need to approach dealing with our sin against one another.

(2nd) Because how we deal with our sin with one another reflects how God has dealt with us and our sin. God came to deal with our sin in a specific away, Jesus came

Level 1: What to do (and what not to do) —

We need to care for one another’s spiritual health. Don’t let each other walk away from Jesus. And don’t let ourselves walk away from Jesus. Because every time we choose to sin that’s the decision we’re making.

Don’t sin.

Walk with Jesus, keep in step with him.

Remembering that Christ has set us free from sin.

By not gratifying sinful desires — just don’t go there.

Remember that not gratifying sinful desires is hard work, it’s a refining and purifying process.

By not gratifying sinful desires — just don’t go there.

Remember that not gratifying sinful desires is hard work, it’s a refining and purifying process.

What this looks like is — bending over backwards for others while being unbending in the gospel.

- sacrificing anything for the sack of others spiritual health.

[2nd] And so what does sin look like, what does walking away from in the everyday little moments of life look like. Paul in Galatians chapter 5 verses 19 to 26 shows us what walking away from Jesus looks like,

Paul in Galatians chapter 5 verses 19 to 26 shows us what walking away from Jesus looks like,

Sinful desires, the Apostle says is,

“sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But he also goes onto show what Christ-likeness looks like,

“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

And at after this Paul reminds us of the gospel that drives this kind of life,

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Is your spiritual health on your radar?

If your spiritual health isn’t on your radar, get it on your radar

Is the spiritual health of others on your radar?

If it’s not, get on your radar.

And should care about this, but more than that, you should be actively dealing with sin because Christ has set you free from it.

[3nd] Finally, I want us to think about ow this passage effects how we see those who don’t yet know Jesus. Because this passage should drive us to care about these people, because people are going to hell if they don’t hear, believe and follow Jesus.

We should care about this because people are going to hell if they don’t hear, believe and follow Jesus.

This means we are a church that should care deeply about numbers.

We should never be caught saying that our numbers at church on Sunday don’t matter.

Because numbers matter. Because numbers mean people.

How dare we say numbers not matter, they’re people on their way to hell.

How dare we look around at these empty seats unmoved. Because these empty seat only point to the fact that that’s one more person who hasn’t heard the gospel.

And as we think about the future of our church we have to understand that building a new building isn’t going to win souls — if we’re not winning souls now, a new building isn’t going to change that. No building ever saved anyone — only Jesus does.

And we can’t say that it’s not God’s pleasure to see people come to Christ at the moment.

What on earth! God makes it crystal clear in the Bible he desires all people to be saved and that Christ’s death on the the cross is sufficient to save the whole world if only they would believe in him.

If people who don’t know Jesus aren’t coming through our doors, it’s on us. Not God. It’s our hearts than need to change, not Gods.

The local church is the hope of the word, not because on any building, but because we hold out the gospel of Jesus which is the power of God for salvation!

Will we be Christ’s servants bending over backwards and be unbending in the gospel to see people come to Christ?

.

Remembering that Christ has set us free from sin.

By not gratifying sinful desires — just don’t go there.

Remember that not gratifying sinful desires is hard work, it’s a refining and purifying process.

How do we walk with Jesus?

How do we move forward with those we’ve sinned against?

How do we move forward with those who’ve sinned against us?

Level 3: What it looks like (and what it shouldn’t look like)

Paul in Galatians chapter 5 verses 19 to 26 shows us what this is like,

Sinful desires, the Apostle says is,

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

“sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But he also goes onto show what Christ-likeness looks like,

“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

And at after this Paul reminds us of the gospel that drives this kind of life,

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Galatians 5 ESV

1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. 7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves! 13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

What this looks like is — bending over backwards for others while being unbending in the gospel.

This is why numbers matter! — how dare we say numbers not matter, they’re people on their way to hell.

And building a new building isn’t going to win souls — if we’re not winning souls now, a new building isn’t going to change that. — because it’s about us, our hearts changing to be more affected by this true that hell and heaven are real, and no building ever saved anyone — only Jesus does —

- sacrificing anything for the sack of others spiritual health.

I near every now and them people say that we’re building for the future because we’re building a new building, that’s wants going to keep saint andrews around — what on earth! No the church is people who’ve been saved from sin because of Jesus — if we’re not convinced that hell and heaven are real, are real people are heading there, St Andrew wont be here. Because we’d giving up on being the church — the local church is the hope of the word, not because on any building, but because we hold out the gospel of Jesus which is the power of God for salvation!

but his words on it were addressed either to his own disciples, as here, or to professed religious leaders (as in ). We never hear of him expounding this topic to publicans and sinners, although John the Baptist may have struck this note widely (). Jesus therefore spoke of hell to professed saints, and of heaven to acknowledged sinners, unlike many other preachers. Also, when Jesus spoke of judgment, according to Luke, he wept () (A.Cole, Mark, 228)

We bend over backwards — and unbending in the gospel

we become servants to all — because we’re a servant of the gospel

- sacrificing anything for the sack of others spiritual health.

If your spiritual health isn’t on your radar, get it on your radar.

Level 4: Why you should (and why you shouldn’t)

And should care about this, but more than that, you should be actively cutting sin out of your life because Christ has set you free from it.

[Restate Divine Intention] …

Salvation

And so we should never be caught saying that our numbers at church on Sunday don’t matter.

This is why numbers matter! — how dare we say numbers not matter, they’re people on their way to hell.

And building a new building isn’t going to win souls — if we’re not winning souls now, a new building isn’t going to change that. — because it’s about us, our hearts changing to be more affected by this true that hell and heaven are real, and no building ever saved anyone — only Jesus does —

I near every now and them people say that we’re building for the future because we’re building a new building, that’s wants going to keep saint andrews around — what on earth! No the church is people who’ve been saved from sin because of Jesus — if we’re not convinced that hell and heaven are real, are real people are heading there, St Andrew wont be here. Because we’d giving up on being the church — the local church is the hope of the word, not because on any building, but because we hold out the gospel of Jesus which is the power of God for salvation!

We bend over backwards — and unbending in the gospel

we become servants to all — because we’re a servant of the gospel

but his words on it were addressed either to his own disciples, as here, or to professed religious leaders (as in ). We never hear of him expounding this topic to publicans and sinners, although John the Baptist may have struck this note widely (). Jesus therefore spoke of hell to professed saints, and of heaven to acknowledged sinners, unlike many other preachers. Also, when Jesus spoke of judgment, according to Luke, he wept () (A.Cole, Mark, 228)

Is your spiritual health on your radar? Because if it’s not, that’s serious.

If your spiritual health isn’t on your radar, get it on your radar.

Look to someh

Level 6: What drives it (and what shouldn’t drive it)

What drives this is knowing the forgiveness of the Jesus ourselves.

We trust that God is working in the lives of others, that we we do confess and seek forgiveness we’ll be meet with grace.

Salvation of the Cross

Level 1: What to do (and what not to do)

We’ve been saved from

Level 1: What to do (and what not to do)

Level 2: How to do it (and how not to do it)

And we’ve been saved to

Level 3: What it looks like (and what it shouldn’t look like)

Level 4: Why you should (and why you shouldn’t)

[Q&A]

Level 5: Where you are (and where you should or shouldn’t be)

Level 6: What drives it (and what shouldn’t drive it)

[Respond to God’s word by Singing and prayer]

Servant-heart

Are you convinced that heaven and hell are real? Because if we are, why aren’t we making aways for those we know who don’t know Jesus to hear about him, why aren’t we seeing them at church?

Servant-heart

Level 1: What to do (and what not to do)

Level 2: How to do it (and how not to do it)

Are you even aware of those in your life who don’t know Jesus yet? If you don’t it’s probably because you don’t take heaven and hell seriously.

becoming like Christ

[Pastoral Prayer]Level 1: What to do (and what not to do) - Control>Wil

Level 3: What it looks like (and what it shouldn’t look like)

Level 4: Why you should (and why you shouldn’t)

Level 5: Where you are (and where you should or shouldn’t be)

Level 6: What drives it (and what shouldn’t drive it)

but his words on it were addressed either to his own disciples, as here, or to professed religious leaders (as in ). We never hear of him expounding this topic to publicans and sinners, although John the Baptist may have struck this note widely (). Jesus therefore spoke of hell to professed saints, and of heaven to acknowledged sinners, unlike many other preachers. Also, when Jesus spoke of judgment, according to Luke, he wept () (A.Cole, Mark, 228)

[Summary] Christian’s care deeply about sin and it’s consequence because God paid the ultimate price to rescue us from it.

[Transition] So what we’ve looked at how the gospel shapes our ministry and church life and our relationships with one another. now let’s look at how the gospel shapes marriage. Coming with me to .

[Read/Explain ]

And crowds gathering to him again he taught them. And coming up to him, some Pharisees, who are un-offical religious leaders, test Jesus asking in verse 2,

“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?”

And answering them in verse 3 Jesus ask,

2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3

“What did Moses command you?”

They respond, verse 4,

4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.”

“Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.”

He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

But in verse 5 Jesus says to them,

“Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

We need a little bit of context, understand what was happening,

what was happening is that husbands were abandoning their marriages because they simply weren’t meeting their personal needs.

The statement that Moses “wrote this commandment for you because of your hardness of heart” (v. 5*) implies that divorce is not the will of God but was allowed by Moses only because of the people’s stubbornness” (A.Y Collins & H.W. Attridge, Mark, 467). Divorces was a way to protect women from unloving husbands abandoning them.

sacred institution that reveals the gospel — the nature of our relationship to God is displayed.

Jesus says that his followers must not abandon their marriages for this reason. authentic christian marriages is not about self-gratification, but about giving oneself in sacrificial service of the other and Jesus. The christian marriage commitment shows displays the powerful message of reconciliation between God and people.

Jesus responds to the cavalier attitude of his contemporaries with the shocking claim that, in light of the one-flesh-union , remarriage after divorce constitutes adultery — the point is, in light of the true nature of marriage, divorce is a great tragedy.

[Illustrate] …

[Principle]…

[Link To Passage] …

[Biblical Theology Link]

[Gospel Link]

[Specific Gospel Link]

[Apply/Use]

Jesus supremacy, Salvation, Servant-heart.

Level 1: What to do (and what not to do) —

Level 2: How to do it (and how not to do it)

Level 3: What it looks like (and what it shouldn’t look like)

Level 4: Why you should (and why you shouldn’t)

Level 5: Where you are (and where you should or shouldn’t be)

Level 6: What drives it (and what shouldn’t drive it)

Salvation of the Cross

Level 1: What to do (and what not to do) - Control>Will

Level 1: What to do (and what not to do)

Although God allows divorces, he never sanctioned it. So to find or seek ‘grounds’ for divorce isn’t the way to go.

Level 2: How to do it (and how not to do it)

Anyone who seeks divorce out, is looking for a way to dissolve their marriage without warrent. You can’t seek divorce out and not sin.

Level 3: What it looks like (and what it shouldn’t look like)

What divorce looks like, you could say, that it seeks you out — adultery or abandonment has invaded your life and marriage.

See Strauss, pg 429

Level 4: Why you should (and why you shouldn’t)

Level 2: How to do it (and how not to do it) - Control>Will

Level 5: Where you are (and where you should or shouldn’t be)

As a church we need to take our marriages seriously, the health of our marriages needs to be part of our conversations.

Level 6: What drives it (and what shouldn’t drive it)

Level 3: What it looks like (and what it shouldn’t look like) - addressing centre>Perception, Coping>Thinking, Love>appearance

Is there intimacy in your marriage

touching each others hearts

Servant-heart

and

Level 1: What to do (and what not to do)

touching each others bodies — and yes, I’m talking about sex.

Level 2: How to do it (and how not to do it)

“Although marriage was a legal and social contract between families, marital affection “was considered essential to a true marriage, so much so that its cessation was cause for divorce” (A.Y. Collins & H. W. Attridge, Mark, 465).

Level 3: What it looks like (and what it shouldn’t look like)

Level 4: Why you should (and why you shouldn’t) - centre>Perception, Control>Will & Coping>Thinking

Level 5: Where you are (and where you should or shouldn’t be) - addressing conscience

Level 4: Why you should (and why you shouldn’t)

Level 6: What drives it (and what shouldn’t drive it) - addressing heart idols.

Level 5: Where you are (and where you should or shouldn’t be)

What drives divorce is a breaking and failure of the promises made to God and one another. Divorces is to make the breaking of the promise official — it doesn’t make the act that broke of the marriage covenant any less real or serious — but is an offical statement of the condition of the marriage.

Level 6: What drives it (and what shouldn’t drive it)I

What drives divorce is tragic, because it’s always a result of human sinfulness.

[Summary]

[Transition]

[Close—Awe-Inspire Towards Christ]

[Restate Divine Intention] God wants us to see that the Christian life is about displaying Christ. We’re our church and relationships display the beauty of the Gospel.

[Q&A]

[Respond to God’s word by Singing and prayer]

[Pastoral Prayer]

[Question] Why is verse 44 and 46 not in the passage? [Answer] Because they are not found in the earliest and best Greek manuscripts of Mark. They also simply repeat verse 48, which attempt to add greater emphases and symmetry.

[Question] How are we to respond to other churches in Townsville? [Answer] Are they preaching gospel? We’ll then let’s have the attitude the Apostle Paul shows in . “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defence of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.” Because it’s not about us, it’s about Jesus. You see a church driven-by the gospel is passion about

[Question] How are we to respond to other churches in Townsville? [Answer] Are they preaching gospel? We’ll then let’s have the attitude the Apostle Paul shows in . “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defence of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.” Because it’s not about us, it’s about Jesus.

[Question] Talking about Hell. Jesus words on it were addressed either to his own disciples, as here, or to professed religious leaders (as in ). We never hear of him expounding this topic to publicans and sinners, although John the Baptist may have struck this note widely (). Jesus therefore spoke of hell to professed saints, and of heaven to acknowledged sinners, unlike many other preachers. Also, when Jesus spoke of judgment, according to Luke, he wept () (A.Cole, Mark, 228)

[Respond to God’s word by Singing and prayer]

[Pastoral Prayer]

[Question] Talking about Hell. Jesus words on it were addressed either to his own disciples, as here, or to professed religious leaders (as in ). We never hear of him expounding this topic to publicans and sinners, although John the Baptist may have struck this note widely (). Jesus therefore spoke of hell to professed saints, and of heaven to acknowledged sinners, unlike many other preachers. Also, when Jesus spoke of judgment, according to Luke, he wept () (A.Cole, Mark, 228)

The Christ-Centred-Church & Relationships

[Existential Link]

[Exegetical Movement —Ministry]

[Gospel-Driven-Ministry]

[exegetical movement — Sin & Temptation]

[exegetical movement — Marriage]

[Gospel-Driven-Relationships]

[Close—Awe-Inspire Towards Christ]

[exegetical movement — Marriage]