On the Move with the Master

My Sunday school class at church is in the early stages of a Bible study of the Gospel of Mark. We recently got into a deep discussion on some topics like authorship of each of the Gospels as well as each one's particular audience. We really got some good talk about Mark and his relationship to the apostles of Jesus and whether or not he was an apostle himself. I love it.

Here is a bit of how ou can study along with us online and keep the interaction going. I will provide the week's lesson as far as chapter and any materials such as an outline or "homework." From there, you can engage in a lot of the activities with us.

 I suggest that you use a website like YouVersion or Biblegateway if you plan on using your mobile device or laptop to read the Bible as we study together. These sites provide a pretty good variety of Bible translations in case you are more comfortable with NIV or ESV, even the New Century Version or the Message, rather than the plain old King James Version. This week's lesson transitions from Mark chapter 4 to chapter 5. Read Mark 4 to familiarize yourself with what we have studied and read chapter 5 to be up to speed with the rest of us. Once you have done that, follow the link below to our class review and answer the questions. From there, be on the lookout for the responses that come rolling in. I will share them as we go forward.

Review of Mark Chapter 4. . .

Go to the first study's "Quiz" on Getting to Know the Gospel of Mark. . .

A Crusade for Compassion

Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
- Romans 13:10 (NIV)

Love fulfills the law.  That's not the local ordinances of your city or municipality.  No magistrates or legislators are looking for you to love your neighbor.  The police and other law enforcement do not expect it out of you.  Otherwise, why would they exist?

We are called to live at a level above the low standards set by many.  We are called to live at a higher level than the low expectations that many people have for their fellow man.

If someone says, "I love God," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? - 1 John 4:20 (NLT)


Love is about doing no harm.  Love is a life-giving force.  Love will make sacrifices of the self for the good of the ones who feel unwanted and unworthy of even being considered for love.

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. - 1 John 4:12 (NIV)

If we really love the Lord, let's start showing our love by loving our neighbors.  We can do better by being better towards one another.  It starts with you and I, then it moves on from there.  Let's love somebody today and make things better by fulfilling the law.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
- 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

Assigned by the Almighty

Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

- Acts 13:1-3 (NKJV)

Our assignments come from the Almighty.  He can set us apart for the work that He alone calls us to do in His name and for His sake.  He can single us out and call us out "for the special work"  that He has for us to do (v. 2, New Living Translation).  Even when there are other teachers, preachers, evangelists and prophets in the vicinity, He can still call for us to be separated from everyone else.

Such a calling is a heavy responsibility.  It requires us to act on it once we have accepted it. 

Look at Paul and Barnabas.  Look at the work that they did immediately folowing being set apart for this assignment of "special work." They took action with their assignment.  They had all of the confirmation that they needed to go.  They had gone through all of the preparations that you could imagine necessary, not possible.  Fasting, praying and the laying on of hands were all part of what took place prior to sending them out.

Imagine what you would do if and when the Lord calls you out.  Try to picture your response to the Lord picking you out for "special work." Go on and respond with some action.

Just Jotting in a Journal

 For ever, O LORD,

thy word is settled in heaven.

- Psalm 119:89

How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart

that I might not sin against you.

-Psalm 119:9-11(NIV)

Look at the Word of God.  Look into and seek the things that God wants to share with you.  Oddly enough, the Word tends to strike us right where we are in our lives.  Whether we are up or down, happy or sad, it touches us and it speaks to us through the Spirit of God.

Start keeping track of your daily inspirations from God and His Word.  Jot down in a journal or notebook how God speaks to you daily.  Keep track of it.  Refer to it on your down days or just during your down time. 

Write openly and freely about what the Lord says to you with the Word.  Keep your journal as your own private sanctuary for you coming before the presence of God with the burdens of your heart and soul.  Let loose and see what God does with your thoughts, expressions and feelings.

Help in Times of Trouble

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

-Psalm 46:1

We are to look to God for our strength.  He is to serve as our supplier.  He is to provide us all that we need, especially when we find ourselves in the midst of trouble.  Finding ourselves in such deplorable conditions and circumstances, we should look with hope to the Lord.  We should earnestly seek Him in such times as these, hoping for the best from the Lord.

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. - Psalm 9:9

You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge. - Psalm 14:6

Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. - Psalm 31:4

My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. - Psalm 62:7

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. - Psalm 62:8

The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. - Psalm 145:18

God can step in and stand in for us.  He did it at Calvary at our greatest point of need.  The sin that could not be taken away by any work on our part was cast away on the cross.  The bounty due for the countless transgressions against God were far outweighing any offerings placed upon the altar of sacrifice, but the Lord provided Himself an offering in our stead.  He provided the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the earth.

We were troubled and God made His very presence known among us.  He took the form of man.  He became less to do more, never losing His deity but refraining from resisting the fulfilment of prophecy.  As the God-man, the Lord offered us help when we most needed it.  He continues to do so now, even with His blood continually covering us.

Do Like Jesus

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

- Philippians 2:5-11 (ESV)

If we are to become like Jesus, we will have to start to do like Jesus.

That sounds simple enough.  It sounds almost like a formula. Doing like Jesus = being like Jesus.

Really?

We can get wrapped up in a whole lot of theological theory or biblical-sounding babble that sounds good but does us no earthly (or, even eternal) good.  In the end, talk remains just as cheap in Christendom as it did in any secular sense.  At some point, we have to do more of Christianity than simply study about it and show up for church, Sunday school or prayer meeting.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

-Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)

We need to do Jesus by doing like Jesus. That's not as simple as it sounds.  Look at what Jesus went through, too.

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. - Hebrews 12:3 (ESV)

And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. - Mark 6:5 (NLT)

27 Again they entered Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking through the Temple area, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. 28 They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?” - Mark 11:27-28 (NLT)

No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God. - John 5:44 (NLT)

2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? - Matthew 11:2-3 (KJV)

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

- John 6:66 (NIV)

For even his own brothers did not believe in him. - John 7:5 (NIV)

Jesus went through a lot.  He went through a lot with many of the people who should have had His back.  He withstood unbelief and doubt, even an outright walk-out by some of His own disciples.  Even John the Baptist, in his last days in prison, sent two of his own disciples to find out if Jesus was really the Messiah or not.  Jesus had to deal with all of that.

The question is whether we can do like Jesus and endure the abandonment of family and friends. 

Can we withstand those who will walk out or walk away and never walk with us again? Can we endure the doubters and their disbelief?
Can we stand firm when we have to stand alone?

No, the Lord never forsakes us.  He is with us, but we have to understand that the Lord's work can become lonely work in human terms.  We have to accept the fact that some folks just won't stick with us or stick by us as we continue on a journey with Jesus.

If you aim to do like Jesus, just expect to be done like Jesus, too.  Let us not forget that it was Jesus who humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  It was Jesus who took on the penalty of sin upon the cross for the sake of mankind's salvation.   If that's how people treated the Anointed One who healed the sick and performed miracle upon miracle, how do you think they'll do you?

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself. . .

Hated Just Like Him

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. ²¹ But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ He who hates Me hates My Father also. ²⁴ If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. ²⁵ But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.'
-John 15:18-25 (NKJV)

The words of Jesus seem to have been spoken with both simplicity and significance.

What He said to His closest followers on that final night before His death seemed to come off as touching as Lou Gehrig's farewell in Yankee Stadium delivered by Gary Cooper in "The Pride of the Yankees." He spoke specifically of the things to come and how His disciples should face them with the inevitable assurance of the coming of the Helper.  He spoke directly, openly and candidly with these men about His departure.  Yet, He spoke plainly about what these men would face without Him physically present with them.

If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.

He kept it plain.  He said it with simplicity.  He said that they would be hated by the world since Jesus had been hated by the world.  He said it in real simple terms.  He did not want it misunderstood or misinterpreted by them.  He kept it simple, hoping them to take His words in and remember them when the time came.

If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. 

He said it with significance.  Persecution, in whatever form that it would show up, would surely come to the followers of Jesus.  Jesus said it to them while He was still with them.  That was significant.  He did not want them caught off guard by the ill treatment of the world.  He did not want them to be shocked or stunned by how cruel the world could be towards Him or His followers.

He had already shared the indication of the world's past.  He had already spoken of Israel's ill treatment of the prophets.  He had already shared words that had perplexed and confused in His famed Sermon on the Mount, referencing the prophets being treated to persecution prior to His coming. 

Why say it in such a way? Why keep it simple and plain?

Soon, after the meal had been shared and the wine had been sipped, they would see one of their own hand the Master over to His persecutors.  Once they had supped, they would be confused among themselves regarding much of what He had said.  They would question their own motives.  They would run and hide, doing no better than those disciples who "turned back and no longer followed him." 

He said it simple and plain.  He said it with significance.  He said it so the disciples would recall it when they needed to remember it the most.  After all, we read it today and recognize that our own mistreatment is not without reason.  We follow Jesus.  We walk in His footsteps.  We get the hatred of the world that hates Him because we not of the world since He chose us out of the world and caused us to walk with Him.

Those who hate me without a cause

Are more than the hairs of my head;

They are mighty who would destroy me,

Being my enemies wrongfully;

Though I have stolen nothing,
I still must restore it.

-Psalm 69:4 (NKJV)