Mark 1:17—I will make you become fishers of men
IT'S A PROCESS
2:22—new wine is for fresh wineskins
THIS PASSAGE ISN'T JUST ABOUT CONVERSION, OR CHURCH CULTURE. I NEED TO CONTINUALlY KEEP THEM FRESH!
3:35—For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother. + Mark 12:29-31 -- Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
EVALUATE WHO'S FOLLOWING CHRIST BY THESE CRITERIA
4:24-25—And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
GRACIOUSNESS, LENIENCY, FLEXIBILITY, CONSISTENCY. WHEN I'M FATIGUED OR STRESSED, I TEND TO BE LESS GRACIOUS.
Mark 4:27—He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.
HE, NOT WE, MAKES IT GROW
Mark 6:4—And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.”
I SHOULDN'T BE SURPRISED
Mark 6:31—And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.
DISCIPLES NEED REST
Mark 6:50—for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
STRIVE TO BECOME AWARE OF ELEVATED ANXIETY AND MOVE THE FOCUS TO CHRIST
Mark 7:21—For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery...
OWN MY SIN. CIRCUMSTANCE / ENVIRONMENT AFFECT US, BUT STILL SIN PROCEEDS FROM OUR HEART.
Mark 8:2—"I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat.
MY WIFE HAS NATURAL COMPASSION. IF I MAKE THE EFFORT I CAN GROW IN THIS AREA
Mark 8:38—For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
STOP TRYING SO HARD TO BE RESPECTABLE.
Mark 9:23—And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”
TAKING THIS PASSAGE ON BOARD WILL STRENGTHEN MY PRAYER LIFE
Mark 9:37—"Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
NOBODY IS UNIMPORTANT.
Mark 9:39-41—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. 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.
DON'T DARE TO THINK THAT SERVANTS OF CHRIST ARE NON-CHRISTIANS JUST BECAUSE THEY AREN'T IN OUR TRIBE!
Mark 9:42—"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."
I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR MY INFLUENCE
Mark 9:43—"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."
BE QUICKER TO NIP SIN IN THE BUD!
Mark 10:15—"Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
HUMILITY
Mark 10:23—And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”
EVEN AS I ENJOY PROSPERITY / WEALTH, I MUST BE AWARE OF THE DANGERS.
Mark 10:29-31—Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first
GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF ME
Mark 10:42-45—And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
THIS IS THE LEADERSHIP MODEL. HE IS THE MODEL.
Mark 10:51—And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.”
I NEED TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT I AM PRAYING FOR.
Mark 11:24—Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
VISUALIZING AN ANSWERED PRAYER WILL HAVE AN IMPACT
Mark 12:38-40—And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
STATUS AND PRIVILEGE AND PLEASURE – WATCH OUT!
Mark 12:44—For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
HONOR THOSE WHO HAVE LITTLE BUT GIVE MUCH
Mark 13:33—Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.
THIS REQUIRES MENTAL FOCUS
Mark 14:6—But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.
BEAUTY IS A BROADER A THING THAN I REALIZE
Mark 16:16—Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
FAITH AND BAPTISM GO TOGETHER
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Luke 4:4,8,12—And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” ... And Jesus answered him, “It is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”... And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
RESPOND TO TEMPTATION WITH SCRIPTURE
Luke 4:18—"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
JESUS' AGENDA INCLUDES GOOD NEWS FOR THE POOR
Luke 4:43—"...I was sent for this purpose.”
PRESUMABLY OURS IS THE SAME PURPOSE
Luke 5:4—And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
TAKE RISKS
Luke 5:13—And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him.
HE WILLS THAT WE ENJOY NEW LIFE
Luke 5:32—I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
HOW DO I VIEW MYSELF?
Luke 6:5—And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
HOW LEGALISTIC AM I?
Luke 6:24—"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
I AM RICH
Luke 6:27-28—"But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
GENUINE GOODWILL!
Luke 6:31—"And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them."
GOLDEN RULE
Luke 6:35-36—"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful."
Luke 6:37-38—"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
THIS IS FAIR
Luke 6:41—"Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
BIAS, BLINDNESS
Luke 7:47—Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little."
GRATITUDE: HOW DO I LOVE THE LORD?
Luke 8:17—For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.
THEREFORE LIVE IN THE LIGHT
Luke 8:21—But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
OBEDIENCE. DON'T REDUCE THIS TO CHURCH-APPROVED ACTIVITIES, BUT TAKE IN THE WHOLE SWEEP OF CHRIST'S COMMANDS
Luke 9:20—Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
WHAT DO I SAY? I KNOW A LOT ABOUT HIM -- BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PERSONAL SIDE?
Luke 9:23-26—And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
AM I PROUD OF THE LORD AND HIS KINGDOM?
Luke 9:62—Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
THE ALLURE OF THE WORLD, SELFISHNESS, EGO...
Luke 10:20—Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
OUR TRUE SOURCE OF JOY
Luke 10:41-42—But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
ANXIETY: HOW DOES MINE MANIFEST?
Luke 11:36—If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.” (11:33 -- "No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.")
INNER LIGHT REVEALED
Luke 11:39—And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.
PURITY OF MOTIVE
Luke 11:42—"But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
HEART
Luke 11:43—Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.
HONOR
Luke 11:46—And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.":
RULES!
Luke 12:15 -- And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
MATERIALISM
Luke 12:19—And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’
AMERICAN (RETIREMENT) DREAM
Luke 12:22—And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life..."
ANXIETY
Luke 13:21—It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”
GENEROSITY!
Luke 13:24—"Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able."
EFFORT!
Luke 14:12-14—He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
DISTURBING: TO BE LITERALLY OBEYED?
Luke 17:10—So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
I'M NOT ENTITLED TO SLACK OFF WHEN I'VE DONE WELL!
Luke 22:40—And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
I'VE NEVER DONE THIS—APART FROM BY SAYING THE LORD'S PRAYER
Luke 23:34—And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
GRACE!
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Matthew 5:3-12
[3] “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."CHARACTER! [6] “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
JUSTICE [7] “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
EMPATHY KINDNESS [8] “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
NOT DEVIOUS [9] “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
CONNECTING PEOPLE [10] “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [11] “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. [12] Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
IT'S OKAY WHEN PEOPLE MISREPRESENT ME. DON'T REACT.
Matthew 5:14-16—"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.... In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
BEST EVANGELISM TECHNIQUE? I
Matthew 5:20—"For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
JUSTICE?
Matthew 5:39 ,44—"But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." ... But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
NOT REACTING AT OFFENSES, MAJOR OR MINOR
Matthew 6:1—"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven."
CAREFUL WHEN SHARING ABOUT IBTM
Matthew 6:9-13 —Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
DAILY PRAYER
Matthew 6:19—"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal"
WHAT GOOD IS IT TO ACCUMULATE BUT NOT UTILIZE?
Matthew 6:24—"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
CAREFUL!
Matthew 6:34—"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
EASYGOING (IN A GODLY WAY)
Matthew 7:6—"Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you."
EVANGELISTIC DISCERNMENT
Matthew 7:12—"So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."
THE RULE OF GENEROSITY
Matthew 7:20—"Thus you will recognize them by their fruits."
LOOK AT THEIR LIVES
Matthew 7:29—"for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes."
GRAVITAS. CONVICTION
Matthew 9:13—"Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
MERCY
Matthew 9:38
"therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
MORE THAN SIMPLY SHINING
Matthew 11:29-30—"Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
REST IN LABOR
Matthew 12:36-37—"I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
THINK BEFORE SPEAKING
Matthew 12:45—"Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”
LUKE 11: INDIVIDUAL; JESUS IN MATTHEW REFERS TO ISRAEL
Matthew 12:50—"For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
OBEDIENCE, NOT SENTIMENT
Matthew 13:15—"For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’"
STAY SHARP
Matthew 13:16-17—"But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."
HOW PRIVILEGED I AM!
Matthew 13:22—"As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful."
WATCH OUT!
Matthew 13:30—"Let both grow together until the harvest..."
LIMITS OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE
Matthew 13:42 [and 50]—"and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
SUGGESTS DESTRUCTION NOT IMMEDIATE
Matthew 14:27, 31—"But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “... it is I. Do not be afraid.” ...Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
FEAR & DOUBT
Matthew 18:35—"So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
FORGIVENESS
Matthew 19:23—And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven."
NOT IMPOSSIBLE, BUT HARD
Matthew 22:29—But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God."
POWER
Matthew 22:37-40—And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
LOVE A COROLLARY OF MONOTHEISM
Matthew 23:5—"They do all their deeds to be seen by others...."
MOTIVATION
Matthew 23:23—"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others."
THE STRUCTURE OF OUR FAITH
Matthew 23:25—"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence."
AUTHENTIC?
Matthew 23:28—"So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."
APPEARANCES
Matthew 25:13—"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."
THE END MAY NOT BE SOON BUT I MUST BE READY ALL THE SAME
Matthew 26:10—But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me."
SOME THINGS SHOULD NOT BE QUANTIFIED
Matthew 26:41—"Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
I'M WEAKER THAN I THINK
Matthew 26:45—"Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners."
SLEEP DELAYED ≠ SLEEP LOST
Matthew 28:20—"teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
MAY OR MAY NOT INCLUDE THE COMMISSION ITSELF
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John 4:10—Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
EVEN AS CHRISTIANS WE ASK FOR THE LIVING WATER
John 4:35— "... Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest."
STILL TRUE TODAY
John 4:38—"I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
GOD USES MANY PEOPLE UNKNOWN TO US
John 5:6—When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”
AM I RELUCTANT TO CHANGE?
John 5:24—"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life."
A PROCESS. NO CONDEMNATION (THOUGH WE'RE STILL JUDGED)
+
John 7:38—"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
HOW ARE THESE CONCEPTS CONNECTED?
John 5:39-40—"You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life."
THIS IS (ESP.) TRUE OF A BIBLE TEACHER
John 5:43-44—"I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?"
WHO AM I TRYING TO IMPRESS?
John 10:4, 27— ... He goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.... "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."
INTUITION > SCRIPTURE?
John 12:24—"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."
CONNECTS WITH 15:8, 16
John 13:20—"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
INSIGHT ON "RECEIVING CHRIST"
John 13:35—"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
LOVING CHRISTIANS IN OTHER TRIBES!
John 16:26—"In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf"
NOT A FORMULA. HIS INTERCESSION CONCERNS SALVATION, NOT PRAYER
John 16:33—"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
TRIBULATION IS NORMAL
John 17:3—"And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
QUALITY > INFINITY
John 17:11, 26—"...Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one." ... "I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
A CONDITION, REALITY, DISPOSITION
John 18:36—Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
NON-VIOLENCE
John 21:20-22—Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them... When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?" Jesus said... "You follow me!”
DON'T FRET ABOUT OTHERS' SPIRITUAL LIVES OR STATUS
