I don't have any tricks up my sleeve, just a few questions to consider as we walk through Mark 11 this Thursday night. If you know all of the answers, you don't have to come. Because that's what Christian faith is all about - knowing the answers.
Mark Chapter 11
The Triumphal Entry
Knowledge?
The donkey, it’s virgin state, the objection, satisfaction
John 8:58
What’s Up With the Donkey?
Prophecy? Zech 9:9
Stately?
Hosanna – ‘Save us, we pray!’
What was their expectation?
“coming kingdom of our father David!” (2Samuel 7:11-14)
Is Jesus fulfilling the promise of 2Samuel?
Is He fulfilling it in the way people expect Him to?
How about us?
“went into the temple...looked around at everything...went out to Bethany”
What was this all about? Cheap pep rally theatrics?
Was this important?
Why the temple? Why not city hall?
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
“In the leaf...” Is this story about a fig tree?
What would ‘in the leaf’ look like in the life of a person?
“Not the season for figs...”
Does He have the right to curse the tree, when it really isn’t season?
When we meet Jesus, it won’t matter whether we think it was our time or not.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
What was so bad?
Money Changers
Those who sold pigeons
How do we misuse His temple today?
What is ‘the church’ for?
What is ‘your life’ for?
Why did the priests want to kill Him? For the disruption?
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
“Be taken up and thrown into the sea...”
How far do you take that?
What are the qualifiers?
It’s not a sideshow or cheap Christian performing trick!
Confidence, relationships
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
“By what authority are you doing these things?...”
Why doesn’t Jesus answer?
Was the question too hard?
Would the answer satisfy them?
What is His response?
What can we learn from His response?
What about His authority? John’s?
What do you do because of your faith? By whose authority?
Exodus 33:15
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Sunday, February 26, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Your Question is Your Question
It was a very easy question for Him to answer.
“By whose authority did you drive out the merchants from the temple?” Mark 11:28
Any of us who would be willing to read the story of Christ could likely answer the question with ease. There is little need to head to seminary or work towards a Masters of Divinity. I just asked my 10 year old son. Even he knew the answer. So
I’m pretty sure Christ wasn’t being quizzed beyond His capacity.
Do you suppose the answer would have satisfied his audience? If He had told them, “My Father gave me the authority”, do you really think that would put the issue to rest? Up until this point, these leading priests and teachers were trying to kill him. (Mark 11:18) Do you really think that His answer would divert their purpose?
“Oh. I see. God told you to do it. That makes it all better. And to think, we were upset with you and wanted you dead. Now we know you are doing these things for God. That makes it all better. After all, we love God too. Let us do lunch sometime!”
That would be too surreal.
If you’ve chosen to take your stand with Christ, you’ve no doubt had occasions where you have been similarly put on trial. You have found that no matter how you answer the questions presented to you, nothing seems to satisfy the one who asks, even though they are normally pretty simple questions.
There are people who have genuine questions about Jesus and the faith which carries His name. Many questions which come our way however, aren’t actually questions at all. They’re merely objections which take on the form of query.
In my walk, one such trial took place a couple of years ago.
“You’re a Christian are you? Well. I have questions that you can’t answer.”
“I’m sure you do.”, I replied.
As it turns out, his questions were very simple questions, much like the one posed to Jesus in Mark 11. He didn’t have questions I couldn’t answer. Instead, the questions he had were not able to be answered in a way that pleased him.
The question he gave me in particular was the old fashioned, “If there is a God, then why is there suffering?”
I can answer the question with one word. Sin.
It answers the question, and it answers it quite directly. It does NOT however answer the question in a way that generally satisfies the one who asks.
If you have read at least the first few chapters of the Bible, you should have gathered that much yourself. God created a good world, one in which men and women would live forever. Death came into the world by the sin of one man, and it’s a curse which hangs over humanity to this day.
Jesus never answered the question posed to Him. He’s smart enough to know the difference between an honest question and an objection. Rather than answering His critics, He responded with a question of His own. If only we were that intelligent.
We don’t have to answer every question brought before us. We do have the right to remain silent, and sometimes keeping our mouth shut is the smartest thing to do. Seeing as Jesus responded with a question of his own, perhaps we should do the same if we find ourselves in a similar situation.
I don’t know why the atheist expected me to answer his life questions. Why is it my responsibility to figure life out for someone else? I’m not Jesus, so I can’t always tell if the person interrogating me is asking with an honest heart or not. What I can say, is most of the time, if I have to explain it to you, you probably won’t understand anyway.
“By whose authority did you drive out the merchants from the temple?” Mark 11:28
Any of us who would be willing to read the story of Christ could likely answer the question with ease. There is little need to head to seminary or work towards a Masters of Divinity. I just asked my 10 year old son. Even he knew the answer. So
I’m pretty sure Christ wasn’t being quizzed beyond His capacity.
Do you suppose the answer would have satisfied his audience? If He had told them, “My Father gave me the authority”, do you really think that would put the issue to rest? Up until this point, these leading priests and teachers were trying to kill him. (Mark 11:18) Do you really think that His answer would divert their purpose?
“Oh. I see. God told you to do it. That makes it all better. And to think, we were upset with you and wanted you dead. Now we know you are doing these things for God. That makes it all better. After all, we love God too. Let us do lunch sometime!”
That would be too surreal.
If you’ve chosen to take your stand with Christ, you’ve no doubt had occasions where you have been similarly put on trial. You have found that no matter how you answer the questions presented to you, nothing seems to satisfy the one who asks, even though they are normally pretty simple questions.
There are people who have genuine questions about Jesus and the faith which carries His name. Many questions which come our way however, aren’t actually questions at all. They’re merely objections which take on the form of query.
In my walk, one such trial took place a couple of years ago.
“You’re a Christian are you? Well. I have questions that you can’t answer.”
“I’m sure you do.”, I replied.
As it turns out, his questions were very simple questions, much like the one posed to Jesus in Mark 11. He didn’t have questions I couldn’t answer. Instead, the questions he had were not able to be answered in a way that pleased him.
The question he gave me in particular was the old fashioned, “If there is a God, then why is there suffering?”
I can answer the question with one word. Sin.
It answers the question, and it answers it quite directly. It does NOT however answer the question in a way that generally satisfies the one who asks.
If you have read at least the first few chapters of the Bible, you should have gathered that much yourself. God created a good world, one in which men and women would live forever. Death came into the world by the sin of one man, and it’s a curse which hangs over humanity to this day.
Jesus never answered the question posed to Him. He’s smart enough to know the difference between an honest question and an objection. Rather than answering His critics, He responded with a question of His own. If only we were that intelligent.
We don’t have to answer every question brought before us. We do have the right to remain silent, and sometimes keeping our mouth shut is the smartest thing to do. Seeing as Jesus responded with a question of his own, perhaps we should do the same if we find ourselves in a similar situation.
I don’t know why the atheist expected me to answer his life questions. Why is it my responsibility to figure life out for someone else? I’m not Jesus, so I can’t always tell if the person interrogating me is asking with an honest heart or not. What I can say, is most of the time, if I have to explain it to you, you probably won’t understand anyway.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Where is Whitney Houston?
I just heard some guy on the radio say that Whitney Houston is in heaven now. I thought we weren’t supposed to judge people. Of course, why would I assume that the radio guy is a believer? I firmly believe that it’s God’s call as to who lives in His presence.
I am also firmly convinced that we as people actually want to be judged. We just want to hear a favorable judgment. We want people to tell us that we’re okay. I have actually gotten into trouble by refusing to judge people. Perhaps the darkest spot in my ministry took place approximately 8 years ago when I told someone, “I don’t know if you’re right with God or not.”
It really isn’t my call. However, the person in question felt that I had condemned them or that I was calling their faith into question.
So if anyone ever asks you whether or not I’m a genuine believer, it’s okay if you tell them you aren’t sure. How do you know what’s really in my heart? Who made you God?
I am also firmly convinced that we as people actually want to be judged. We just want to hear a favorable judgment. We want people to tell us that we’re okay. I have actually gotten into trouble by refusing to judge people. Perhaps the darkest spot in my ministry took place approximately 8 years ago when I told someone, “I don’t know if you’re right with God or not.”
It really isn’t my call. However, the person in question felt that I had condemned them or that I was calling their faith into question.
So if anyone ever asks you whether or not I’m a genuine believer, it’s okay if you tell them you aren’t sure. How do you know what’s really in my heart? Who made you God?
Sunday, February 5, 2012
How Do You Discipline Your Kids?
The question seemed to come out of the blue. “How do you discipline your kids?” At first, I had a hard time understanding what was being asked of me. What comes to mind when you hear the question? In many ways, the question might be substituted for, “Do you spank your kids?”, or “What do you do when they do bad stuff?” These are the kinds of questions that we see researched and debated in our world.
In my opinion, rather than asking what should be done when Johnny when he spills his milk, the bigger question should sound something like this: “Who am I as a parent?”
Think about it. If your heart is as black as coal, what kind of parenting techniques do you really think could possibly make you effective as a mom or a dad? Seriously though. In our world, we’re much more concerned with our driving privileges than we are our roles as parents. A customer of mine once said, “We have to be licensed to drive a car, but any fool with a functioning set of genitals can help make a kid.”
This would be a great time to rail against dads who come home drunk and beat their families. Or I could spend the afternoon venting at the mom who would rather party with her friends while grandma holds custody of her new baby. I’d probably have a lot of fun doing that. However, as my friends have pointed out, drugs and alcohol aren’t the only things that can impair our judgment as parents.
I have a confession to make. When I was a new father, I really didn’t like my kids. True story. It’s not that I didn’t like them. After all they were great kids. I just didn’t like my role in their life. I resented the responsibility and the effect that they had on my finances. It’s an age old story. “Once the kids came along, the toys
had to go.”
Being a husband I liked. Being as husband was fun. Sex was fun. (Still is.) Going out for dinner was fun. I enjoyed my role as a husband, because it gave something to me. Being a dad, demanded much more of my person.
In all seriousness, how could a man with that mindset possibly ‘discipline’ properly? Don’t hate me and don’t think less of me. In August of ’09, Macleans magazine reports that columnist Anne Landers asked her readers, “If you had it to do over again, would you have children?” Seventy percent of respondents said, “no”.
That’s a lot of people. It was just a poll, so it may or may not be an accurate picture. If it is accurate, it means the majority of children are growing up in households where they aren’t exactly wanted. Whether spoken implicitly or forthright, being a burden on the people who brought you into the world must carry with it a certain shadow of misery.
If it wasn’t for Christ’s intervention in my life, I shudder to think of how my life as a dad would have looked, and it’s not just about the drinking or the drugs. He gave me a love for my children that was not of my own character. I truly revel in who they are, without regard for what I get back from them. That in itself underlies everything I do or don’t do as a dad.
I have no idea of the condition of your heart. You can tell me if you like. Rather than asking whether or not you spank, if you do drugs or how you deal with temper tantrums, tell me this...
What are you made of?
In my opinion, rather than asking what should be done when Johnny when he spills his milk, the bigger question should sound something like this: “Who am I as a parent?”
Think about it. If your heart is as black as coal, what kind of parenting techniques do you really think could possibly make you effective as a mom or a dad? Seriously though. In our world, we’re much more concerned with our driving privileges than we are our roles as parents. A customer of mine once said, “We have to be licensed to drive a car, but any fool with a functioning set of genitals can help make a kid.”
This would be a great time to rail against dads who come home drunk and beat their families. Or I could spend the afternoon venting at the mom who would rather party with her friends while grandma holds custody of her new baby. I’d probably have a lot of fun doing that. However, as my friends have pointed out, drugs and alcohol aren’t the only things that can impair our judgment as parents.
I have a confession to make. When I was a new father, I really didn’t like my kids. True story. It’s not that I didn’t like them. After all they were great kids. I just didn’t like my role in their life. I resented the responsibility and the effect that they had on my finances. It’s an age old story. “Once the kids came along, the toys
had to go.”
Being a husband I liked. Being as husband was fun. Sex was fun. (Still is.) Going out for dinner was fun. I enjoyed my role as a husband, because it gave something to me. Being a dad, demanded much more of my person.
In all seriousness, how could a man with that mindset possibly ‘discipline’ properly? Don’t hate me and don’t think less of me. In August of ’09, Macleans magazine reports that columnist Anne Landers asked her readers, “If you had it to do over again, would you have children?” Seventy percent of respondents said, “no”.
That’s a lot of people. It was just a poll, so it may or may not be an accurate picture. If it is accurate, it means the majority of children are growing up in households where they aren’t exactly wanted. Whether spoken implicitly or forthright, being a burden on the people who brought you into the world must carry with it a certain shadow of misery.
If it wasn’t for Christ’s intervention in my life, I shudder to think of how my life as a dad would have looked, and it’s not just about the drinking or the drugs. He gave me a love for my children that was not of my own character. I truly revel in who they are, without regard for what I get back from them. That in itself underlies everything I do or don’t do as a dad.
I have no idea of the condition of your heart. You can tell me if you like. Rather than asking whether or not you spank, if you do drugs or how you deal with temper tantrums, tell me this...
What are you made of?
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