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MARK CHAPTERS 9 & 10
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Mk 9-1
· (26b)
Sin Ø
Consequences of sin Ø
Death is hell
--
This is a mysterious verse to some, because it needs a bit of interpretation
to understand it. Let's start with the context. In the verses above Jesus was
talking about the inherent evil of the world, and that anyone who would be
ashamed of Him because of the world will be put to shame. Without skipping a
beat He then said that there are some who were standing in the crowd next to
Him (2000 years ago) "that will not taste death until they see the
kingdom of God coming with power." Of course everyone in that crowd
have died by now, but the kingdom of God has not yet come with power, and
therefore, according to Jesus, have not yet fully died. So, what did He mean
by "Not taste of death?" There were some in that crowd who
were not going to believe in Him, and thus not make it to heaven. This verse
is partly a description of hell, for Jesus was explaining that people in hell
will be able to witness God setting up His kingdom here on earth. Once they
realized what they've missed by refusing to believe in Jesus who came to them
in love, and once they
realized how lavish God's eternal plan was for them, they will weep and
lament their loss far more than the suffering of hell. Unfortunately, that is
when they will truly die in their spirit.
Mk 9,2-8
· (67a)
Authority Ø
Lordship of Christ Ø
The glory of
Jesus' authority
Mk 9-5,6
· (88i) Thy kingdom come Ø
Fearing the power of God is the beginning of wisdom
-- Although the disciples did not know what to say because they were
terrified, they were assured to return from the mountain knowing something
very important, since the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. The most
certainly had a factual understanding that Jesus came from God, but after they
saw Jesus transfigured before them and Elijah and Moses talking with Him,
their mental ascent was increased to a deep seeded realization. By the way,
the disciples have never seen Elijah and Moses, so how did know it was
them?
Mk 9-5
· (223b) Kingdom of God Ø
The elusive kingdom of heaven Ø Conceit Ø
Thinking you are superior to others Ø Having an
inflated opinion of self
· (224g)
Kingdom of God Ø Illustrating the kingdom Ø
Description of heaven Ø The joyful kingdom Ø
We will recognize our family members in heaven
Mk 9,9-14 -- No Entries
Mk 9-15
· (143g) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Witnesses of Jesus Ø
Popularity Ø Sought commendably Ø
seeking Jesus to be healed -- This verse goes with verse
25
Mk 9,17-19
· (20a) Nature of sin Ø
Unbelief Ø Spirit of familiarity --
These verses go with verse 24
· (138b) Temple Ø
Building the temple (with hands) Ø Reproof Ø
Jesus reproves His disciples for their unbelief
--
Jesus could not tolerate unbelief; it exasperated Him, especially when it
came from His disciples. He did not see their excuse for being unable to
cast out the demon from the boy. He expected His disciples to believe in
Him, whom He delegated His authority to heal diseases, to cast out demons
and to perform any and all miracles that warrant God's intervention for the
cause of bringing glory to Himself. Jesus was relentless in disciplining His
disciples. He was building the truth in them, which entailed constructing a
mental image of God in the form of a temple in their hearts, digging the
foundation, laying the groundwork, and meticulously constructing the truth
in them with great patience as a master builder. He taught and rebuked and
reproved His disciples until the day of His cross. Once the Spirit was given
to them, they remembered all the lessons they learned from their master,
while the Spirit of truth put them into proper perspective. First, however,
He had to dismantle the old mental structures of unbelief previously
ingrained in them
Mk 9-16 -- No Entries
Mk 9-17
· (146g) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Jesus’ works bear
witness of Himself Ø Deliverance from demon
possession Ø Deaf, dumb and blind spirits
Mk 9,18-21
· (146b) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Jesus’ works bear
witness of Himself Ø Demon possession Ø
Human state Ø Their behavior Ø
Epilepsy -- These verses go with verses
26&27
Mk 9-22
· (146c) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Jesus’ works bear
witness of Himself Ø Demon possession Ø
Human state Ø Their behavior Ø
Masochism --
The Satanic behavior of Masochism is a very peculiar and revealing trait. You
would think that demons who coax a person to share his or her body with them
would take care of it so they could live there longer, but the fact that
demons seek a vessel to inhabit and then soon afterward begin to destroy it
exhibits the devil's addiction to destruction. God has put it in Satan's heart
to destroy everything he pursues to ensure that he never accomplishes any
plans. That way God doesn't have to fight against the devil's insurgence;
instead, God has made it so the devil's greatest enemy is himself to hold him
in check.
Mk 9,23-25
· (146e) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Jesus’ works bear
witness of Himself Ø Deliverance from demon
possession Ø Casting out spirits with a word – You watch movies about haunted houses or
poltergeist events or spirits stalking people, and wonder if some of these
things ever happen in the real world, but what is already happening right
there at the theater is questioning the idea if these things happen as
possibly the first signs of believing that demons can exert power over you. If
you believe that ghosts are real and that one is stalking you, there is a
chance of demons taking the opportunity through a mindset they have built in
your head to literally doing it, but a ghost cannot chase you if you don’t
believe it. It can try, but the minute you see a ghost and know the truth that
you have power over all the power of the enemy, you tell that thing to leave
and it must obey you. This is why demons must build empires of deception in
your mind before they can control you in progressive stages of control to
literally manifesting in more physical ways, depending on their ability to
convince you of their own reality. If no one believed in such things, demons
would have no power to manifest themselves.
Mk 9-24
· (20a) Nature of sin Ø
Unbelief Ø Spirit of familiarity --
This verse goes with verses 17-19
· (86f)
Thy kingdom come Ø Belief Ø
Mental ascent (believing a set of facts) --
Many of us believe like this boy's father; we believe, yet we don't believe.
The difference between us and him is that he admitted it. Another difference
is that he had the privilege of working directly with Jesus. If we had his
advantage, we would probably admit it too that we never really believed.
Mental ascent can be defined as believing a set of facts. Believing a set of
facts can be illustrated by looking at a map of the world, plotting a point
on it, imagining what's there, and then getting into a plan, flying overhead
and parachuting to the ground exactly where you plotted your point. You
could be parachuting into the mouth of a live volcano, or into the center of
a swamp twenty miles in diameter. Although the Bible is true and accurate,
believing it as a set of facts will not prepare you for interacting with the
spirit realm. Think of the learning curve of missionaries, coming from the
states, suddenly introduced to a voodoo culture that practices witchcraft
with demon possessed people all around them. Their mental ascent is not
going to help them there.
Mk 9-25
· (143g) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Witnesses of Jesus Ø
Popularity Ø Sought commendably Ø
seeking Jesus to be healed -- This verse goes with verse
15
Mk 9-26,27
· (146b) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Jesus’ works bear
witness of Himself Ø Demon possession Ø
Human state Ø Their behavior Ø
Epilepsy -- These verses go with verses
18-21
Mk 9-27
· (115g) Thy kingdom come Ø
Working the grace of God Ø Laying on of hands Ø
Seeing signs, wonders and miracles
· (147g) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Jesus’ works bear
witness of Himself Ø Raising the dead
--
The reason everyone who witnessed this miracle thought the boy had died is
because he probably did. The devil must have thought that if he must go, he's
going to take the boy with him, but Jesus had other plans. One of Jesus' goals
in coming here was to conquer the devil at every level. Satan was completely
powerless in the presence of Christ because He is Lord of lords and King of
kings. Whatever the devil would do, Jesus would trump it and abrogate his
works.
Mk 9-28 -- No Entries
Mk 9-29
· (83b) Thy kingdom come Ø
Receiving from God through prayer Ø Ask and it
shall be given
--
Jesus cast out the devil with a word, but told the disciples they could not
cast it out by any other means but prayer. Prayer communicates that you are
powerless to solve your problem, but believe God is willing and able to solve
the problem for you. The main ingredient to prayer is humility. Satan is
evicted from any situation with the prayer of humility.
· (189j) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Separation from the old man Ø Masochism
(Self-made martyr)
Ø Fasting
simulates dying to self
Mk 9-30 -- No Entries
Mk 9-31,32
· (168i) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø The world has
deaf ears to God Ø Deaf to the word of God from
a lack of understanding
-- If they didn't understand His statement, then why didn't they just ask Him
and He would have explained it to them (though He was explaining it to them).
The fact that they were afraid to ask Him says that they understood enough to
know that they didn't want to know what He was saying. This might sound like
doubletalk, but that is exactly what was happening inside the disciple's
minds; they were dodging the truth. What Jesus said to them sounded so
horrific to the disciples that it probably made their ears tingle. It was the
perfect opposite of how they were imagining their future.
Mk 9,33-37
· (56l) Paradox Ø
Opposites Ø Greatest are least
· (90a) Thy kingdom come Ø
God convicts us Ø Conviction leads us in the
way of righteousness
Mk 9-36,37
· (33f) Gift of God Ø
God is our Father Ø Greatness is expressed as
being a child
Mk 9,38-41
· (156i)
Witness Ø Validity of the believer Ø
Confessing Jesus is evidence of salvation
-- The disciples were concerned about a "lone ranger" type of
character casting out demons in the name of Christ and reported him to the
Lord. Jesus was unconcerned about him as He was about so many things, except
about what truly mattered. His method was to let things run their course and
let the fruits of people's actions and motives judge themselves. If demons are
being cast out and people are being made whole, then God is glorified and is
working with this person. If you try to stop him, you may be fighting against
God. Jesus' interpretation of the situation is that if a person is not doing
anything to hinder the kingdom of God, then he is with us, and those who are not
with us are against us. One of the purposes of miracles, signs and wonders
is to validate the person performing them. If you witness someone performing a
genuine miracle (not a staged gimmick), you are obligated to listen a little
closer to what they have to say, because they appear to have God's seal of
approval on their lives. Jesus said that anyone doing good through miraculous
signs will not soon afterward be able to speak evil of Christ, but over time
could possibly fall away from the faith and speak evil of Him a couple years
down the road. If he does fall away, so be it, but if he doesn't, let him be
blessed, he needs your support.
· (226c)
Kingdom of God Ø Illustrating the kingdom Ø
Rewards of the kingdom of heaven Ø Reserved in
heaven Ø God crowns us with glory for sharing
our rewards
Mk 9-39
· (105a) Thy kingdom come Ø A pure heart is a genuine heart
Mk 9,42-48
· (47b)
Judgment Ø
Hell is a place of sorrow Ø
Hell is a great fire Ø
Burning site where
people are thrown away
Mk 9-42
· (28i) Gift of God Ø
God is our advocate Ø God crushes those who
make us stumble
Mk 9,43-50
· (59c) Paradox Ø
Two implied meanings Ø Literally cut off your
hand if it causes you to sin / Commit yourself to this extent and you will
stop sinning
· (236g) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø
Invest your treasures into the kingdom Ø Invest
your flesh
Mk 9,43-48
· (47c) Judgment Ø
Hell is a place of sorrow Ø Hell is to be
avoided at any cost
· (101e) Thy kingdom come Ø
Zeal does not count the cost Ø Zeal goes to
extremes
--
In these verses Jesus is commanding us to make a commitment against sin to
such an extent that if we cannot stop sinning, we should then cut off and
pluck out the body parts that offend God. Of course He didn't mean that we
should literally dismember ourselves, since making a commitment to that extent
would lead us to simply stop sinning. What is literal about these words is the
importance of abstaining from sin and the reality of hell. Essentially, He was
saying that those who find themselves in hell wish they would have cut off
their hands instead of using them to sin. He was not saying we must pluck out
your eyes to get to heaven. In fact, it wouldn't do any good, since sin is
conceived in the heart. Take away the means of sinning and you will still sin
in your heart. Instead of jettisoning our appendages God wants to harness our
body parts and use them for His service and glory.
· (208e) Salvation Ø
The salvation of God Ø Salvation verses Ø
Preaching on hell
Mk 9-47,48
· (22i) Sin Ø
Lust (craving pleasure) Ø Lust of the eyes
Mk 9-49,50
· (70k) Authority Ø
Believer’s authority Ø We are the salt of the
earth (Preservative)
· (113m) Thy kingdom come Ø
Guard the anointing
--
Do not abuse the anointing, since you do not have anything to re-anoint
yourself, only God can do that. He never promised to re-anoint us after we
have allowed the initial fire die. The quickest way to kill the anointing is
to use it for your own glory, usually in a leadership position by telling
people that they have to pay homage to you since you have a special anointing
from God, as though the people of your stewardship don't. Those who have an
anointing from God know abuse when they see it and will keep their distance
from anyone who would attempt to abuse them. The best way to protect the
anointing is to use it to glorify God by blessing others with it, which
involves offering your services free of charge to anyone who is thirsty and
wants to drink from your spirit.
· (184i) Works of the devil Ø
The origin of lawlessness Ø Abusing the grace
of God Ø Spending His grace on your pleasures Ø
Adding leaven to His grace
Mk 9-50
· (126c) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Peacemakers are a blessing
Mk 10-1
· (143k) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Witnesses of Jesus Ø
Jesus is popular because of His words
· (174a) Works of the devil Ø
The religion of witchcraft Ø Man’s religion Ø
Good traditions (Exception to bad religion) Ø
Good customs
· (239h) Kingdom of God Ø Pursuing the knowledge
of the kingdom Ø Teachers are construction workers Ø Jesus is a
teacher
Mk 10,2-9
· (3f) Responsibility to the Family Ø
Divorce because of your hardness of heart
--
Jesus made it clear that outside of adultery, Moses made the provision for
divorce under one condition, that the one who seeks it has a hardened heart.
It is also good to remember that the one who looks to divorce as the answer
for his life seeks it from the law and not from the grace of God. Perhaps if
the couple were living by the grace of God instead of by the law they
wouldn't be filing for divorce.
· (151d)
Witness Ø Validity of the Father Ø
New Testament bears witness of the Old Ø The
Patriarchs Ø Moses
Mk 10-2
· (75e)
Thy kingdom come Ø Motives Ø
Being manipulative Ø Questioning God’s judgment
--
The Pharisees questioned Jesus about this particular subject for a couple
reasons, first because they were confident with their answer, since they were
largely in agreement with how the law read after Moses spelled it out for them
in black and white. They felt they could refute anything He might say that
conflicted with their theology (though what they thought was intrinsically
wrong). Many of them personally took advantage of the provision of divorce in
the law, which they considered a privilege (that is what was wrong with their
theology). Secondly, it was a hot, moral issue and they hoped He would make an
incriminating statement that conflicted with Moses' teaching to reduce His
popularity with the people. Their goal was to drive a wedge between He and the
His followers, and possibly even cite Him as a heretic with grounds for imposing
criminal charges against Him. Jesus admitted that the provision of divorce was
written into the law, but went back to the very beginning of God's creation and
His vision of man and his wife. He taught them what was in God's heart for us to
do, not what the law says. Such ponderings are impossible for men like the
Pharisees. They used the law because it was flexible enough to make it say
whatever they wanted. However, Jesus taught that the man and wife should work
out their marriage by loving one another, and there is no interpreting
love.
Mk 10,3-5
· (177l)
Works of the devil Ø The religion of witchcraft Ø
Presuming the will of God Ø Presumption
interprets God’s word
Mk 10-3
· (90j) Thy kingdom come Ø
Keeping the law Ø We do not nullify the law
through faith; we fulfill it
Mk 10-5
· (74l) Thy kingdom come Ø
Let not your heart be hardened Ø Insensitive to
the things of God
Mk 10,10-12 -- No Entries
Mk 10,13-16
· (33d) Gift of God Ø
God is our Father Ø Kingdom belongs to the
children of God
--
The disciples resisted the children when they sought the Lord, just like
adults continue to resist their contribution to the world today, but Jesus
wanted to see them, because they of all people reminded Him most of heaven.
When adults make a mess of the world, the answers to all their problems always
lie within the hearts of children. Parents make a large contribution to their
offspring, providing for them and solving all their big problems so they don't
have to worry about the future, but children have something to offer too. It
is this faithful, carefree attitude about life that was so attractive to the
Lord. Jesus was a grown man, yet He never had to solve any big problems or
worried about the future, because He had a Father who looked after Him. He
could sleep on a small boat in the middle of the sea during a raging storm, because
He knew His Father was greater than any possible threat on earth. What we so
often forget is that Jesus' heavenly Father is also our heavenly Father, and
as much as Jesus' health and welfare was His Father's concern, so our health
and welfare is also His concern. As well as the Father provided for His Son is
as well as He will provide for His sons and daughters. Children usually know
these truths better than adults.
Mk 10-13,14
· (21e) Sin Ø
Disobedience does not understand God
Mk 10-13
· (176e) Works of the devil Ø
The religion of witchcraft Ø Zeal without
knowledge (Spirit w/o the word) Ø Devotion
without direction
Mk 10-14,15
· (221d) Kingdom of God Ø
The elusive kingdom of heaven Ø Kingdom hidden
behind the veil from the world Ø God hides from
the mind of man Ø He hides behind man’s
intellect
Mk 10-15
· (207f) Salvation Ø Salvation verses
Ø Children of God’s
kingdom
· (224i) Kingdom of God Ø
Illustrating the kingdom Ø Description of
heaven Ø The people of heaven Ø
Traits of people who make it to heaven
--
This was a world-view altering statement Jesus made, "Whoever does not
receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all."
In other places He says that we must be converted and be like children. I hear
the world mostly telling children that they are supposed to be like adults. It
does not surprise me that Jesus spoke the opposite of the world, He always
does, because the world is opposite of heaven.
Mk 10-16
· (115h) Thy kingdom come Ø
Working the grace of God Ø Laying on of hands Ø
Bestowing the Holy Spirit
Mk 10,17-31
· (249i) Priorities Ø
God’ s preeminence Ø Wealth Ø
World’s perception of wealth Ø The worlds
wealth erodes good values Ø Being a slave to
wealth
Mk 10,17-25
· (233g) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Seeking the kingdom Ø
Seek the kingdom by the flesh
Mk 10,17-22
· (90f)
Thy kingdom come Ø Keeping the law Ø
Law is our tutor Ø It shows us our need for
Jesus
-- This rich man was a good person in the eyes of the people. Jesus quoted him
all the commandments that were not a problem to him; they were the
commandments that pertained to the way he treated his fellow man, and he
replied that he had kept them from his youth (note that coveting was not on
the list). Jesus, however, failed to mention the first and most important
commandment that he had not kept, "you shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart...." The rich man came to Jesus for spiritual
advice because he sensed there was something missing in his life. He was not
keeping the first commandment because he was loving something else in God's
place, the infamous unrighteous mammon. The rich man did not take what Jesus
told him as a revelation, but as bad news, because though it was clear he had
an interest in heaven, he wasn't going to give up his money over it. He was in
bondage to idolatry; his wealth is where he gained his identity, and he
couldn't visualize himself without it.
Mk 10,17-21
· (174d) Works of the devil Ø
The religion of witchcraft Ø Form of godliness Ø
Self righteousness Ø Trying to please God by
your own good works
--
The bible teaches that we can use how we relate to others as a thermometer of
our relationship with God. Keep in mind that a thermometer only represents
temperature; it is not the temperature itself. Too often people will use how
they relate to others as their relationship with God, instead of
properly using it to represent their status with Him. 99% of those who
do not understand the grace of God will use the law to justify and calibrate
themselves before God. They gravitate to this form of religion because it is
easily malleable by emphasizing the good things they do and ignoring the bad
things. They fail to understand, however, the rudimentary problem with man;
the question is not how good or how bad we are, but whether we are forgiven.
You can't be forgiven by being good, because then there would be nothing to
forgive. The only thing good about us in the eyes of God is our faith in Him.
Mk 10-17,18
· (133b) Temple Ø
Your body is the temple of God Ø Holiness Ø
God is holy Ø Jesus is holy
Mk 10-17
· (159d) Works of the devil Ø
Essential characteristics Ø
Counterfeit godliness Ø Counterfeit
righteousness
Mk 10-18
· (58k) Paradox Ø
Two implied meanings Ø Only God is good / Jesus
is God
-- Why did Jesus seem to deny that He was a Good person? This rich man
had a misconception about being a good person; he was trying to get to heaven
based on that position. He was probably not keen to the fact that Jesus was
God in human flesh, since not even His disciples were on to that. Jesus didn't
want him thinking there could be someone good enough for God based on the way
they lived, so instead of giving him a deep theological dissertation about his
deity (and because He was trying to keep that fact under wraps), He just
reminded him that only God is good. That is all the rich man needed to know
anyway. It answered any question about being justified under the law, which
was the rich man's strategy. He was trying to get to heaven and keep his loot
at the same time, and not even the law would allow that, let alone the grace
of God. Grace is grace, not because it allows us to do things that the law
prohibits, but because it allows us to believe in God for His righteousness
and repent of the sins for which the law condemns us.
Mk 10,19-23
· (195a) Denying Christ Ø
Man exercises his will against God Ø Idolatry Ø
Serving two masters Ø You can only love one at
a time
Mk 10,19-21
· (208c) Salvation Ø
The salvation of God Ø Salvation verses Ø
The expectations of God Ø God expects us to
repent and be saved
· (237m) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø The church is transferred to the kingdom Ø
Transferred from the law to the Spirit
Mk 10-19
· (80d) Thy kingdom come Ø
Know the word to learn the ways of God Ø
Leading to the truth
Mk 10,20-25
· (182k) Works of the devil Ø
The origin of lawlessness Ø Deception Ø
Deceitfulness of riches
Mk 10,21-27
· (209f) Salvation Ø
The salvation of God Ø Righteous saved with
difficulty Ø Righteous saved with hardship Ø
Righteous saved with grief
Mk 10,21-23
· (242i) Kingdom of God Ø
Opposition toward the kingdom of God Ø
Persecuting the kingdom Ø Worldly pressure Ø
World pressures you to forsake your values
Mk 10-21
· (44g) Judgment Ø
Satan destroyed Ø Transformed Ø
Complete Ø Lacking in nothing
· (123c) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Love Ø
Spiritual affection Ø
Compassion is the emotion of the Spirit
· (236h)
Kingdom of God Ø Pursuing the kingdom Ø
Invest your treasures into the kingdom Ø Invest
everything you value
Mk 10,22-25
· (22b) Sin Ø
Greed tries to satisfy man’s need for security Ø
The idolatry of greed
Mk 10-28
· (100j) Thy kingdom come Ø
Devotion in your ministry to God Ø
Fulfill God’s calling in your life -- This verse goes with verses
32-34
Mk 10,29-31
· (243f) Kingdom of God Ø
Opposition toward the kingdom of God Ø
Persecuting the kingdom Ø Persecuting the
church of God
Mk 10-31
· (56i) Paradox Ø
Opposites Ø Last is first and the first is last
· (73a) Hierarchy of authority Ø
Authority makes you accountable Ø Kingdom of
God is opposite of the world
Mk 10,32-34
· (100j) Thy kingdom come Ø
Devotion Ø In your ministry to God Ø
Fulfill God’s calling in your life -- These verses go with verse
28
· (105l) Thy kingdom come Ø Led by the Spirit into the
fire Ø Into the wilderness
--
Following the lead of the Holy Spirit into the fiery wilderness is by far the
greatest strength of your ministry, since it yields the greatest results in
changing you as a person, thus perfecting your ministry, and has the greatest
direct impact on the people in your ministry. For example, Jesus was led by
the spirit into the wilderness two distinct times, once at the beginning of
His ministry and once at the end of it. His first wilderness experience did
the most to prepare Christ for His earthly ministry, and His second wilderness
experience (the cross) did the most to prepare us for His heavenly ministry
with the church. So, if you perceive that following Jesus creates hardship in
your life, do not resist Him, but continue with Him into the fire, because you
will come out a better person to influence more people in bigger ways than if
you never went through those fiery trials.
· (234g) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Invest in the kingdom Ø
Sold out Ø Placing no boundaries on your
commitment to God Ø Completely given over to
the will of God
· (241i) Kingdom of God Ø
Opposition toward the kingdom of God Ø
Persecuting the kingdom Ø Persecution to the
death Ø
Kill Jesus by the predetermined plan of God
Mk 10-33,34
· (152h) Witness Ø
Validity of the Father Ø Witnesses of the
father Ø Jesus is a prophet Ø Jesus prophesies about the
fulfillment of Scripture
Mk 10,35-45
· (56l) Paradox Ø
Opposites Ø Greatest are least
Mk 10,35-41
· (23d) Sin Ø
Pride wants to be first
Mk 10,35-40
· (17e) Sin Ø
Judging in the flesh, based on greed – You could say these boys
were evil for making such a preposterous request of the Lord, but perhaps
they were one of the few who were actually listening to Jesus’ dialog
about asking "anything in my name and I will do it" (Jn 14-14). Of
course they put their human twist of greed on it, but their theology was
right; they felt free to ask for very big things. That is what Christ had
been teaching them all along. Now all they have to do is ask for the right
big things and He will be happy to oblige them. However, to ask for the
right big things they will have to change their hearts, and that is the hard
part.
· (76b) Thy kingdom come Ø
Motives Ø Seeking authority for security Ø
Motives based on power
· (196h) Denying Christ Ø
Man exercises his will against God Ø
Immaturity Ø Not mature enough to love God
· (217b) Sovereignty Ø
God overrides the will of man Ø God’s will
over man Ø God Is Independent Of His Creation
Ø No one can tell God what to do
· (241c) Kingdom of God Ø
Opposition toward the kingdom of God Ø
Hindering the kingdom Ø Obstacles in the way
of the kingdom Ø Ask but don’t receive Ø
Asking with wrong motives
-- Fortunately, God doesn't give us everything we ask of Him, like these two
guys didn't get what they wanted. We perfectly understand why James and John
didn't get their prayers answered, but we often don't understand why our
prayers go unanswered. The truth is often difficult to accept, but there is
probably just as good a reason why we don't get what we want from God as the
reasons they didn't get what they wanted. Down the road we often can see the
past more clearly and can better understand why our desires then were not
good. At the time everything seems to make sense. Its the things that make
sense to us that confuse us the most, just like being lost in the woods and
are sure we know which way is north. If we know which way is north, then why
are we still lost? If your life is confusing to you now, give it time;
things will clear up, and you will see the way you should have gone. The
question though is always: which way should I go today? That answer is never
as easy. Pray about it, but make sure you are praying for things God wants
you to have; then you can't go wrong!
Mk 10-35
· (167c) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø
The carnal mind is set on the flesh Ø Wanting
authority without responsibility
Mk 10-39
· (17k) Sin Ø
Ignorance Ø Misinterpreting Jesus
· (59c) Paradox Ø
Two implied meanings Ø You shall drink my cup
and experience my baptism / Your cup and baptism are not like mine
Mk 10,41-45
· (130i) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Unity Ø
Accept one another Ø Accepting the great and
the small Ø Great leaders accept small people
Mk 10-41
· (17l) Sin Ø
Unrighteous judgment Ø Discerning by the
flesh Ø Making distinctions between each
other
Mk 10,42-45
· (13k)
Servant Ø
Serve God though small in stature Ø
Greatest is the least – The kingdom of God is opposite of the world
system. Jesus said that world leaders lord it over those they govern, whereas God’s
leaders are the greatest servants of the church. God never intended the
world to be this way; the whole world would stand to benefit from its leaders
if they followed the pattern of leadership as outlined in Scripture and
serve the people instead of expecting the people to serve them. God's
church is based squarely on the principle of humility. It seems that
whenever someone tries to make terms with God to give them whatever they
want, they always ask for the moon. In the next verses (42-45) He reminds
them that the world seeks positions of authority in order to lord themselves
over the masses, but the kingdom of God is not based on competitive
oppression, but is in fact the direct opposite of the world. The greatest is
the least and the least is greatest. These are immutable spiritual laws to
ensure humility sown into the fabric of God's kingdom, so that anyone who
wants to make his mark in the church will have to first humble himself and
become servant of all, and the hotshot among them will not receive the
attention from the people in a spiritual church who knows the truth. A
person can set up a cult to resemble the ways of the world where the
greatest is the greatest and the least is least for the sake of lording
themselves over the people, but neither the leaders of that church nor the
church itself will be recognized before God as a member of His body.
Mk 10,46-52
· (35e) Gift of God Ø
God is willing to Give Ø Ask to receive
-- The request and the motive of our prayers makes the difference. Jesus asked
this question twice, "What do you want me to do for you?,"
once to James and John, who asked of Him an erroneous favor, and once to the
blind beggar, who asked of Him a reasonable favor. Just because Jesus asks you
what you want doesn't mean you are going to get whatever you ask. He told His
disciple in Jn 14-14, "Ask me anything and I will do it," but
there were parameters surrounding that statement in the next verse, "If
you love me, you will keep my commandments." In order to keep His
commandments we must know what they are. Now we have to learn what the will of
God is, and it is His will that sets the parameters for our prayers.
· (43g) Judgment Ø
Satan destroyed Ø Perfect (mature) Ø
Flawless
· (114c) Thy kingdom come Ø
Working the grace of God Ø Obeying the Holy
Spirit Ø Believing the Father by obeying the
Son Ø Obeying Jesus’ ways
· (145e) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Jesus’ works bear
witness of Himself Ø
Pursuing the healing power of God
· (194b) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Turn from sin to God Ø Run to God Ø
Run to Jesus when He calls for you
Mk 10,46-48
· (82d) Thy kingdom come Ø
Three elements of prayer Ø Our approach Ø
How to pray
--
If you were blind and a known miracle worker walked passed you, what would you
do and to what extreme would you go to get His attention? Would you let people
who could see tell you to be quiet? What would you stand to gain by listening
to them, their approval? Is that what Bartimaeus was after, or did he want his
eyesight? What if you received a revelation from the Holy Spirit and decided
to pursue it with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. You invested many
hours a day in the word of God and prayer, until it became obvious to those
around you that you were spending an exorbitant portion of your life with God.
Would you listen to your critics as they "advised" you about how you
should live your life? And if you told them what they should do with their
life, would they listen to you? If you want to get Jesus' attention, pray like
Mk 10-46,47
· (219g) Sovereignty Ø
God overrides the will of man Ø The elect Ø
God chooses us as we choose ourselves Ø God
chooses us as we fulfill His calling
--
Do you believe in predestination, that Bartimaeus was on God's schedule to
receive his sight that faithful day? There is no indication in Scripture that
Jesus would have healed Bartimaeus had he not called out to Him.
Although the Bible is quite clear about the concept of predestination, both
these statements are true at the same time: Bartimaeus was scheduled to
receive his sight, and Jesus would not have stopped had Bartimaeus not called
out to him. You could say then that Bartimaeus was predestined to call out to
Christ, suggesting that our actions and responses are prescheduled to occur.
This, however, would no longer allow us to be free agents. The fact that God
has made us totally free to exercise our will to do whatever we want defines
us as being made in the image of God, and He cannot violate our free will
without redefining who and what He has made. Therefore, just because it has
been predetermined what we will do does not mean that God has tampered with
His creation. He hasn't made us do anything; He simply knows what we are going
to do next. Since Bartimaeus was required to fulfill his calling before Jesus
could choose to heal him, this statement is true: God chooses us as we
choose ourselves. This may not be the whole story on the subject of
predestination (I don't think anyone has the full story on that), but I think
its explanation is an accurate and balanced model as far as it could
reach.
Mk 10,47-52
· (32d) Gift of God Ø
God is our Father Ø The grace of God’s
healing power
Mk 10-47,48
· (99l) Thy kingdom come Ø
Perseverance (Working to keep in motion) Ø
Persevere in prayer
Mk 10-48
· (164j) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø The world is at
enmity with God Ø The world hates the church --
Let's
use blind Bartimaeus as a microcosm of the church. The fact that Jesus is
passing by represents revival. The church raises her voice to get the
attention of her master and the world discourages the church from seeking God,
because it knows if it grows strong the church will hold the world responsible
for its actions and convict the world of having no relationship with God. So
long as the church is disconnected from her Lord she is merely annoying, but
when she hooks up with Christ, she will receive her sight to see just how
filthy the world really is.
Mk 10,49-52
· (121d) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Hope is the expectation to
receive Ø God initiates His interest
Mk 10-49
· (150a) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Works of the church
bear witness to Jesus Ø Evangelism Ø
Invitation to the kingdom of God
--
Now let's use blind Bartimaeus as a microcosm of the world, and those around
Him as members of the church. People in the world who are lonely for God cry
out to Him. Jesus hears their cries, and commands His church to evangelize the
world. Those who are destined to receive eternal life respond to the message
of the church, who leads the world to Christ, who gives them their
sight.
Mk 10-50
· (174c) Works of the devil Ø
The religion of witchcraft Ø Man’s religion Ø
Good traditions (Exception to bad religion) Ø
Overcoming religion
· (190e) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Separation from the old man Ø Circumcision Ø
Undressing Ø Taking off your sins --
Bartimaeus
casting his cloak aside represents circumcision, the shedding of the foreskin,
and circumcision represents taking off your sins, which signifies repentance. Bartimaeus
cast off his cloak prior to approaching Christ, so he wouldn't trip over it
along the way, implying that sin as an impediment to our spiritual walk with
God. Heb 12-1 says, "Let us lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin
which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is
set before us."
Mk 10-52
· (93k) Thy kingdom come Ø
Following Jesus as He lights the way
· (216a) Sovereignty Ø
God controls time Ø Suddenly Ø
Being healed without delay
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