Christ's Patience
Notes
Transcript
Prepare for this upcoming election!
Prepare for this upcoming election!
There are 72 days left until the general election in November. So, before I begin the message this morning I want to challenge you to begin preparing for this upcoming election.
Register to vote!
Register to vote!
The deadline to register to vote in North Carolina is Friday, October 9, 2020.
The deadline to register to vote in South Carolina is Friday, October 2, 2020.
Remember, this is not only a presidential election!
Remember, this is not only a presidential election!
Know who is on the ballot.
Know who is on the ballot.
Do not wait until the night before the election to “figure out” who you are going to vote for. Do it now!
One of the best ways to do this is to find, online, your sample ballot. (I searched, online, for my sample ballot yesterday and I don’t believe they have posted them yet - at least in SC.)
Educate yourself about the candidates; Educate yourself about the issues.
Educate yourself about the candidates; Educate yourself about the issues.
There are many ways in which you can educate yourself:
Social Media
Most candidates have websites
Voter guides (like the one that I posted on our website Friday evening)
Call them; text them; tweet them; message them...
Vote based upon principle not personality or party.
Vote based upon principle not personality or party.
That was not my message. That was just a “public service announcement.”
Turn to and read Mark 8:1-9. Pray.
As you read through each chapter of Mark - or any Gospel for that matter - you can break each chapter up into events. (That’s a good way to help understand “the flow” of the text and to keep your perspective without completely losing your way.)
Mark chapter 8 is no different. This chapter can be broken up into several events:
(Vs. 1-9) Christ feeds the 4,000.
(Vs. 10-12) Christ gets into a boat with His disciples and goes “into the parts of Dalmunutha” where He has a brief interaction with the Pharisees.
Matthew 15:39, which is the parallel passage to this, states that they "came into the coasts of Magdala.” Discrepancy? Error? Neither. They are the same place. Why different names, then? I believe there is a simple explanation.
The Gospel of Matthew was written with a Jewish audience in mind. The Gospel of Mark was written with a Roman, or Gentile, audience in mind. Each audience likely had a different name for different cities or locations. As such, the only discrepancy is in our minds, not God’s Word.
When we come across supposed discrepancies or errors in God’s Word we need to realize God’s Word is 100% accurate. However, we are capable of making mistakes; our understanding is not complete. We can - and should - trust God’s Word!
Back to Mark chapter 8...
(Vs. 13-21) Christ and His disciples get back into the boat and, on their way back to other side, Christ tries to give the disciples a spiritual lesson.
(Vs. 22-26) Christ then heals a blind man outside of Bethsaida in a very interesting way.
(Vs. 27-33) On their way into the region of Caesarea Philippi, Christ asks the disciples a very probing question, “Whom do men say that I am?” He follows that up with, “But whom say ye that I am?” Peter gives their response, “Thou art the Christ.” (Vs. 29) Although Mark does not record it, most of us have Matthew 16:17-19 come to mind:
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
In this day and age, where it seems that the church - even here in the United States - is under attack, I’m reminded of - and encouraged by - an old Gospel song that I heard yesterday afternoon: The Church Triumphant
This ship's been through battles before
Storms and tempests and rocks on the shore
Tho' the hull may be battered,
Inside it's safe and dry
It will carry its cargo to the port in the sky
Let the church be the church, let the people rejoice.
Oh, we've settled the question,
We've made our choice.
Let the anthems ring out, songs of victory swell
For the church triumphant is alive and well
Back in Mark chapter 8...
(Vs. 34-38) I believe Dr. John Halsey describes these verses so well that I’m going to let him speak:
“Jesus gathered the disciples and the crowd around Him. The crowd that had followed were, in my view, improperly motivated. They had followed Him gladly for the loaves, fishes, and miracles. Jesus told them that there was a cost involved in following Him.”
That was just the introduction to the message.
Although we can look at this chapter as merely a series of separate, isolated events, I don’t believe that is how Christ viewed them. Christ could see the whole picture and He could see “the big picture” of what He was seeking to accomplish - which is something that we have difficulty with. We sometimes see our lives as merely a series of random events that, when put together comprise our life. It’s good for us, every once in a while to step back and ask God to help us see the “big picture.”
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
With that being said, we all understand that Christ came to this earth with the ultimate goal of giving His life on the cross of Calvary. However, another goal that He had was to prepare the disciples for what was to come - His death, His burial & His resurrection!
And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
As such, let’s consider how Christ, in Mark chapter 8, was seeking to prepare the disciples and also - as I titled this morning’s message, “Christ’s Patience,” let’s be thankful that Christ was patient with the disciples and that He is patient with us!
The Disciples Had Terrible Memories
The Disciples Had Terrible Memories
At the beginning of Mark chapter 8 we have the account of Jesus feeding the 4,000. We are familiar with this event, just as we are with Christ’s feeding of the 5,000 that we read about in Mark chapter 6.
Here, in Mark chapter 8, Christ once again has compassion on the multitudes and desires to meet their physical needs.
Aren’t you glad that God has compassion on us and desires to meet our needs - both spiritual needs and physical needs?
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
I would like to point out, though, the disciples response in vs. 4:
And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?
How in the world was it possible for the disciples to completely forget what had happened just two chapters earlier!?!?!?
How in the world was it possible for the disciples to completely forget what had happened just two chapters earlier!?!?!?
That is a legitimate question and it’s a puzzling question. I am at a loss to give an answer.
However, that is exactly the point - How is it possible for us to completely forget how God has provided; how God has met our needs? And yet, we forget all of the time!
Why do we worry and become anxious? Because we forget!
Why do we become fearful? Because we forget!
Roll back the curtain of memory now and then.
Show me where you brought me from and where I could have been.
Just remember I'm a human, and humans forget.
So remind me, remind me dear Lord.
The truth is - We have terrible memories, just as the disciples did - and we need to be constantly reminded of God’s truth and of how God has worked in our lives! I believe that’s why Peter wrote, in 2 Peter chapter 1:
Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.
Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.
Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.
Peter remembered the times when he forgot and he knew that those who followed behind him would also have times when they forgot!
“Just remember I’m human, and humans forget.”
Thankfully, Christ was patient with the disciples and took one more opportunity to not only meet the needs of the crowd that had gathered but also to give the disciples another lesson in God’s provision!
The Disciples Had Terrible Eyesight
The Disciples Had Terrible Eyesight
The feeding of the 4,000 is followed up by a very brief interaction that Christ had with the Pharisees:
And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.
And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.
That was it. Christ and His disciples got back in the boat to head to their next destination. We are told…Turn to and read Mark 8:14-18.
Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?
When the disciples got on the boat they were thinking of food; when Christ got on the boat His mind was on spiritual things! We see the same thing happen in John chapter 4 when, after Christ had finished speaking with the woman at the well.
In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
This morning, how’s your eyesight?
The headlines in the news are working overtime to keep our eyesight focused upon the physical. You’ve heard the saying, “Can’t see the forest for the trees?” We are being so bombarded by the physical that it is difficult for us to see the spiritual.
Turn to and read 2 Kings 6:15-17.
This morning, do we need to pray, “God, open our eyes?”
The old hymn:
Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit divine!
Was it difficult for Joseph to look beyond the pit and the prison?
Was it difficult for Daniel to look beyond the lions?
Was it difficult for the three Hebrew children to look beyond the fiery furnace?
Was it difficult for Elijah to look beyond the threats of wicked Queen Jezebel?
Is it difficult for us to look beyond our circumstances to see the Lord at work in our lives? Yes. But it still is possible.
I’m reminded of the persecution of Stephen, in Acts chapter 7:
But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
While it may take some effort - and faith - on our part, we must look beyond the chaos and corruption of this world and look to Jesus!
O soul are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There's light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and free
Turn you eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
And finally...
The Disciples Needed a Lesson in Discipleship
The Disciples Needed a Lesson in Discipleship
And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
The disciples had yet to learn this lesson. Yet, they would. Tradition tells us that all of the disciples, with the exception of John, met a martyrs’ death. The disciples learned that it cost something to follow Christ.
Especially in the day in which we live, if we are going to follow Christ we must...
Deny ourselves
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Take up our cross
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
Those were the words of the Apostle Peter. Tradition tells us that Peter asked to be crucified upside down because he did not feel worthy to die in the same manner as his Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ.
Jim Elliot, who also met a martyrs’ death, wrote:
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
It costs something to truly follow Christ!
and
We must follow
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
I believe that we have all found that it is easy to follow the world. It takes some effort to swim upstream against the current of society. Yet, it becomes much easier if we first deny ourselves and take up or cross.
Closing: Just as Christ was patient with the disciples He will be patient with us. There are lessons that we need must learn if we are to make a difference in this world.
We must remind ourselves - constantly - of God’s truth and of how He has worked in our lives.
We must “check our eyesight!”
We must count the cost of discipleship!