Mark gives an account of Jesus that is different to other accounts providing insights into Jesus character which other Gospels do not provide. These details help to dismiss the incorrect ‘effeminate’ picture which we see in so many historical depictions of Him.
It is well regarded that the Gospel of Mark is written by John Mark, who has the infamy of being the cause of the division between Paul and Barnabas in Acts. Paul refused to take Mark on a
journey because He had left them while they were in Pamphylia (Acts 15). What we see later is the reconciliation between Paul and Mark, showing us the picture of reconciliation which is the heart of the Gospel call.
The main message of Mark is of the servant-hood of Christ. Throughout the record the roles of Mark and Peter is minimized, most likely to raise up Christ and His work. And finally Mark wraps up his Gospel with the exhortation to continue the work of preaching the Gospel throughout the whole world.
As parents we must ensure that our affections towards our children are not misguided. Children need the affections of both parents equally. When parents start playing favourites the household will divide. Parents must be impartial and treat all the children equally. If there is partiality, the children will learn to play the parents or may act up to get attention.
Our actions and affections with our children will have a life long effect. Major issues are not the first sign of problems. Major issue will have a formation in small issues. Often the root of these are partiality.
How much confusion is there in he to raise your children when even within the Church there are many different views on how to parent. Throw the modern psychology from the world into the mix and it is understandable why so many parents have little to no clue as to how they should be raising their children in a Biblical fashion.
One of the major losses in parenting today is the concept of authority. Only a few years ago, there was no question to the authority and rights of the parents over their children. It seems today that child’s have no respect for authority either within the home or outside. Children today seem to be bent on asserting their rights, contrary to the Biblical mandate. Authority though starts with the parents. If they are not under the correct authority of God then how can we expect our children to respect the authority of e parents? Children will model what they see the parents doing.
We see this modeled out through David and his sons. Not only do we see Amnon talking his half sister in an inappropriate manner, we also see Absalom dealing with the problem in the same fashion as David dealt with Uriah. Additionally we see Solomon taking multiple wives as his father had.
The Book of Proverbs contains a large amount of wisdom about and for women. Interestingly one of the main warnings is around nagging women. The exhortation for a wife not to nag is based around the curse of the woman in Genesis 3. Nagging shows a desk for the woman to lead, to usurp the biblical role of the husband. The Bible sets different roles for men and women. This is not done because one is more valuable thank the other. Proverbs 12:4 tells us that the woman is to be the crown of the man.
We see from the start of Proverbs 31 that one role of a woman is to teach her children and provide good council. As with any advice we must ensure that we are living the instruction that we are giving. As the advice from King Lemuel’s mother continues, she passes on the qualities that a wife should have. Throughout the list of qualities, we notice that they are not given to be a response to her husband but are exhortations of how to be regardless soy how he may be acting.
We need to be careful about drawing our ideas of how a family is to operate from the media, especially television shows. While we can be entertained by some of the portrayals, we should ensure that we are drawing our view of the world from the scriptures. Psychology likes to shift the blame for people’s actions away from their own responsibility and onto their environmental circumstances. What this fails to do however is explain why people who seem to have had the ‘perfect’ upbringing go off the rails and commit heinous acts. This contrasts the Bible which holds man responsible for all that he does, regardless of how he has been raised.
Throughout scripture we see that David had a proclivity to be attracted to beautiful women. Some things haven’t changed today. One such example is that of Abigail, the wife of Nabal. At the end of the detail of their interaction we see that David takes another wife, seemingly at the same time. This shows to us a fundamental issue with many men: that the pursuit of a woman is just to win her, and that once won, no more affection is required.
Imagine if the love that Christ had for the church was just to die for us so that we can become yoked to Him. Yet this is the out working of the mentality that David exhibits towards his wives. Christ does not have multiple wives. His love is an ongoing union with us, that He commits to continue to love us and grow us, and never to leave us.
There is an underlying presupposition in this sermon series:the Bible is the authoritative source of understanding as to what our family should be. Therefore it does not matter what the experts say is the current understanding of the best way of parenting. What does matter is what the Bible tells us are the roles within the family and how a family is to operate. There Bible is not a parenting manual in that it does not prescribe exactly what to do in every situation. What it does provide is principles to be followed in order to be a Biblical family.
Notice in the creation account that man was the only creation of God that was formed by God, and the only creation decreed to be a living creature. This shows us the special place that man holds in the creation, and proves that man is the pinnacle of God’s creative work. Man is the only creation which was given attributes which are attributed to God. Being fashioned in His likeness, we have been made to reflect attributes of the Creator. For example, man has intelligence (being a reflection of God’s omniscience) whereas animals simply have reactions. Man is a moral being. We have an understanding of what is right and wrong. Animals do not have morals, they just react.
All that ails marriages today stems out of sin. This is in both Christian and non-Christian marriages. It is sad that the rate of divorce amongst ‘Christians’ is not much better than for the heathen. In Ephesians 5, Paul lays out the interaction between a husband and his wife. The picture that is given is the relationship between Christ and His Church. It should be a relationship of service, each serving the other.
Do you know what your spiritual gift is for the church? You don’t have to know, but if you are not doing anything to try to find out then there is a problem. Paul exhorts us to desire spiritual gifts, for our gifts are given primarily so that we can bless the body of Christ.
Within the body of Christ there should be a giving of our hearts to one another. This union in relationship is important because we cannot grow effectively on our own. No man is an island. Our growth will come from the conflicts and violations of relationship that will occur as we live our lives in proximity to one another. Iron will sharpen Iron. Sharpening requires that the rough edges are smoothed off. How can our rough edges be tempered if we are not in contact with other rough edges?
What is the extent of your fellowship with other believers? Do you just get together on a Sunday at church? Do you spend days or evenings with other believers? God’s solutions to the problems that we are in come from those in the body. The trials that we go through are often used later to encourage others in the same situations.
One of the hallmarks of the Pentecostal church is an emphasis on a baptism in the Spirit separate from salvation. There is no place in scripture where the believer is exhorted to seek a baptism in the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians Paul does exhort us to be filled with the Spirit. His exhortation is about what is in control of our lives, and not about being topped up with the Spirit.
A body is constructed of many different parts. A body cannot exist without differences between the parts. A body requires the differences to be able to function correctly. And so it is in the Body of Christ. We are not our own, but are part of the body for one another. We cannot function on our own, but need the other parts of the body in order to function as the Body of Christ. Christianity is not a solitary existence, but an existence of interdependence one to another, and full dependance upon Christ and His atoning work.
Every member has their part to play. Every member is important. There should be no one in the local assembly who is not functioning in the body. The biggest challenge for some people is understanding the calling the God has for them in the local assembly. Not every member is in a glamourous position. Like the human body has the eye, the ear and the mouth, so it also has the liver, appendix and colon. Every part plays a vital role, regardless of the perceived glamour of the role. Paul tells us that God esteems higher those who are fulfilling the roles which are not glamourous.
The parallels between the human body and the body of Christ run deeper. As within our bodies, when one thing is wrong it can effect the rest of the body. Conversely when something is running well, that is reflected throughout the whole body. This is how it is in the body of Christ. When something is not right, if there is division between members of the body, then the whole body is suffering.
We are baptized by the Spirit into one body, the Body of Christ. Paul tells us that the one body is comprised of many members. Why then do so many Christians run around independent of the rest of the Church? Why does division reign in so many local churches?
There are many examples where Paul exhorts us to be unified. This is just an echo of Jesus charging His disciples to love one another, so that the world would know that they are His disciples. We are to be of one mind, and that should be the mind of Christ.
Is there room for differences in the church? It depends on where those differences are and the effect that they have on the Gospel. There are some issues where differences can be ok. There are areas however we differences cannot be tolerated for to do so would change our understanding of God and His plan of salvation.
Guest Preacher Larry DeBruyn as part of The Vanishing Gospel conference
The Jews should have known that it was the time of the messiah, and Jesus held them accountable to know this. It would seem that we are close to the second coming of Christ: a literal, physical return.
When Paul was writing to the church at Galatia they had been seduced to embrace “another gospel”, which is not the Gospel. It is worth noticing that false teaching is often appealing to our flesh. The appeal of the ‘secret’ religions, such as masonry, is that there is something in them which can only be gained by being a part of the movement. This is Gnosticism at the core, and we are starting to see churches moving into this direction. They entice people to “know the secret things of God” which aren’t found in the Bible.
Our world today is based upon Platonic philosophy. Plato imagined that we could move from the real world below to the ideal world above through mystical contemplation. This philosophy and it’s variations has permeated the church today.
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