The Gospel of Mark, chapter 1.
As we get into this book, I'm excited and already looking ahead into what we are going to encounter. I love the Gospels probably more than any of the other books in the Bible. Only because I get to read the words of Jesus, as He spoke them. I love seeing Him encounter people and watch as they are moved from one place to another, or have their lives radically changed, merely through Him speaking. My heart yearns when I read those words. They strengthen me and give me peace. I hope as we move through this book, it will have the same effect on you as well.
So first of all... couple things we need to know. What is a Gospel? In the days of the Romans, when a Caesar was "crowned" or what ever you want to call it, a decree went out that said Caesar is King. It meant that you were to submit yourself to him and his authority. It meant that Caesar was a "god-man", that his words were infallible and to disobey him meant death. These decrees were called gospels. So it is no coincidence that when the Gospels of Jesus were written, they were called "GOSPELS" for a reason. It smacked the face of the emperor. They were absolutely, and intentionally saying that Jesus was King, not Caesar. That Jesus was the "god-man", not Caesar and that to not obey Jesus, meant certain death. (We of course know that the death they spoke of was the "second death", as it is mentioned in the Bible in Revelation 21:8.) And make no mistake.... people were put to death by Caesar for this. Secondly, who was Mark? Well, it is widely accepted by scholars and theologians that Mark is John Mark, a companion and scribe of Paul's. It is believed that Mark wrote the Gospel sometime between 60-70 A.D. And contrary to what you may think (him being a scribe for Paul and all...) the gospel is actually an account from Peter. It was written for a Jewish/Roman audience, and it documents mostly the accounts of Jesus. There is no genealogy, nor is there a birth story in this gospel. It merely focuses on the facts of Jesus' ministry. It is believed not to be chronological, but rather, thematic. Pastor Erik talked about this in week two of Sola Scriptura. And one of the biggest things that took place here was the translation from Aramaic for the purposes of the audience being able to understand. That's a little bit of info on the Gospel of Mark. You can find lots of interesting things about this Gospel if you research it, but be careful. If you are tooling around on the internet for said research, you need to pay attention to the source, and if it's credible or not.
Chapter 1:
Aw, man... I could go on and on and on just in this one chapter! But for time's sake I'll let you guys explore and talk about the many things. I'll key on two things. First: vs. 17-18 "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men." And immediately they left their nets and followed him. WHAT! Are you serious? Some dude comes along, that you've never seen before, speaks one sentence and you completely throw away your entire life to go follow him? Seriously!
Can you imagine, for one second, what Peter and Andrew's hearts felt like when they heard, literally, the voice of God speaking to them; commanding them to follow. I don't know about you, but my heart is wrecked when I read Jesus' words. I can't fathom actually hearing them. If I hadn't had a heart attack at that moment from the sheer power and authority of them, I probably would've fallen to my knees and wept at the beauty of the sound of His voice!
Next: vs 23-28. There were so many teachers and philosophers trying to win the attention of the people back then, they immediately recognized that when Jesus spoke, he carried authority. It wasn't new to them that someone else would be coming along spouting out this new philosophy, it WAS new to them that the person could actually command results with His teaching and his words alone. Can you imagine standing there watching a demon possessed person, who by the way refers to himself in a pluralistic fashion saying, "Have you come to destroy us?" But then he says probably the most key thing from this entire chapter. "I know who you are- the Holy One of God". If I hadn't believed by then, I probably would've had to re-evaluate my position after that encounter!
Okay, I'm done. But I can't wait for your comments! There's sooooo much more in here. We could seriously do a month just on this first chapter. What are your thoughts?
-robbie
Monday, February 15, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Romans 16
Romans 16
Well, everyone, this is it; the final chapter of Romans. I'm sure some of you are saying, "Woohoo!" But the reality of it is, we can almost find more useful instruction on Christian living in Romans than anywhere else in the new testament. Obviously we can find lots of stuff in other books, but Romans is just one nugget after another.
First I want to clear up something that probably gave you pause while reading this. We all have been told forever that Paul wrote Romans. But in the last few lines we see someone named Tertius claiming to have written this letter in his own hand. Don't let that confuse you. It is widely accepted and customary of that time for people like Paul to have hired scribes or "secretaries". Remember, the servant culture in that day was huge. If you weren't a peasant, which Paul wasn't, you would have your "posse" that would carry out your tasks. You need to know that Paul hand wrote the greetings of his letters. From that point on, he dictated the body, then hand-singed the letter. So don't let that confuse you.
The instruction from this chapter is pretty clear. Don't be led astray. Hold true to the teachings of Christ. Be careful not to be in the company of those who are divisive. In Paul's time, there would be Jews who would come behind him, from city to city, and try to tell the new Christians that they had to adhere to all of these Jewish customs in order to truly be saved. Paul warned the church of this. And I think we would do well to listen in our day as well. We have so many people offering up these pluralistic ideas of how Jesus is just "one" way, or unless you do x,y, and z, you can't truly be saved. We need to be armed with the knowledge of the scriptures to combat these ideals. This is why we are devoting so much time this year to this kind of teaching from the stage, and this kind of study by this team. When Peter said in 1 Peter 3:15 to be prepared to give an account, I don't think that he just meant for you to say: Because Jesus loves me and I prayed to Him to save me. If that's the extent of your knowledge of your salvation, you are going to fall prey to those who would cause you to question your salvation. You are going to be hard pressed to defend yourself to a Hindu or a Muslim who can tell you everything about "Your" Jesus, and why their god is just as good.
Anyway, that's Romans. I'd like some feedback on what you guys would like to do for our next blog session. I'm thinking about the Gospel of Mark. What are your thoughts?
-Robbie
Well, everyone, this is it; the final chapter of Romans. I'm sure some of you are saying, "Woohoo!" But the reality of it is, we can almost find more useful instruction on Christian living in Romans than anywhere else in the new testament. Obviously we can find lots of stuff in other books, but Romans is just one nugget after another.
First I want to clear up something that probably gave you pause while reading this. We all have been told forever that Paul wrote Romans. But in the last few lines we see someone named Tertius claiming to have written this letter in his own hand. Don't let that confuse you. It is widely accepted and customary of that time for people like Paul to have hired scribes or "secretaries". Remember, the servant culture in that day was huge. If you weren't a peasant, which Paul wasn't, you would have your "posse" that would carry out your tasks. You need to know that Paul hand wrote the greetings of his letters. From that point on, he dictated the body, then hand-singed the letter. So don't let that confuse you.
The instruction from this chapter is pretty clear. Don't be led astray. Hold true to the teachings of Christ. Be careful not to be in the company of those who are divisive. In Paul's time, there would be Jews who would come behind him, from city to city, and try to tell the new Christians that they had to adhere to all of these Jewish customs in order to truly be saved. Paul warned the church of this. And I think we would do well to listen in our day as well. We have so many people offering up these pluralistic ideas of how Jesus is just "one" way, or unless you do x,y, and z, you can't truly be saved. We need to be armed with the knowledge of the scriptures to combat these ideals. This is why we are devoting so much time this year to this kind of teaching from the stage, and this kind of study by this team. When Peter said in 1 Peter 3:15 to be prepared to give an account, I don't think that he just meant for you to say: Because Jesus loves me and I prayed to Him to save me. If that's the extent of your knowledge of your salvation, you are going to fall prey to those who would cause you to question your salvation. You are going to be hard pressed to defend yourself to a Hindu or a Muslim who can tell you everything about "Your" Jesus, and why their god is just as good.
Anyway, that's Romans. I'd like some feedback on what you guys would like to do for our next blog session. I'm thinking about the Gospel of Mark. What are your thoughts?
-Robbie
Monday, February 1, 2010
Romans 15
Romans 15
Well, I guess by now we should just automatically assume that whatever is next on our blog is going to directly reflect whatever Pastor Erik just taught on! LOL. Apparently, God has some work to do in us beyond what Erik's talks have been about. :)
So, for those of you who didn't get the chance to check out his talk yesterday, as he streamed it live on the web, let me give you a brief rundown of what he talked about. The message was entitled, "The Christ Who Changes Me." And basically, it was this: Christ, who gave you grace and salvation expects a life change to go along with the heart change that was given to you in order that you may come to Him. If the Holy Spirit lives within you, meaning you are a Christian, then you have an obligation to put aside the things of this world and strive for righteousness. One of the main points that he talked about was building up each other. And while his central passage was Colossians, it mirrored that of Romans 15 and the book of James. We are to build each other up, and hold each other accountable.
Vs. 1-7 really speak of this. How many times do we give someone a hard time, in fun, but yet we rarely, if ever, encourage them, tell them how much we appreciate them, or just thank them for who they are and what they are bringing to the church? Or even, how much they mean to us, personally. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to chide each other in fun. But we also have to remember.... are there any unbelievers in our midst while we're doing it? Cause if they are, are we showing them that we have been changed? Or are we just conforming to the culture and the world around us? Are we saying something to build someone up, or tear them down? If Jesus were standing right beside us, would we say it at all? That last question is the big one! Cause here's the reality.... He is!
In a nutshell, this is something that I have to get better at. My nature is one to have fun and joke around with people; to let the little snide remark come out. But at the end of the day, I'm not building up anyone or edifying the church in doing it. I need to repent of this and ask God to continue to change me and grow me.
Robbie
Well, I guess by now we should just automatically assume that whatever is next on our blog is going to directly reflect whatever Pastor Erik just taught on! LOL. Apparently, God has some work to do in us beyond what Erik's talks have been about. :)
So, for those of you who didn't get the chance to check out his talk yesterday, as he streamed it live on the web, let me give you a brief rundown of what he talked about. The message was entitled, "The Christ Who Changes Me." And basically, it was this: Christ, who gave you grace and salvation expects a life change to go along with the heart change that was given to you in order that you may come to Him. If the Holy Spirit lives within you, meaning you are a Christian, then you have an obligation to put aside the things of this world and strive for righteousness. One of the main points that he talked about was building up each other. And while his central passage was Colossians, it mirrored that of Romans 15 and the book of James. We are to build each other up, and hold each other accountable.
Vs. 1-7 really speak of this. How many times do we give someone a hard time, in fun, but yet we rarely, if ever, encourage them, tell them how much we appreciate them, or just thank them for who they are and what they are bringing to the church? Or even, how much they mean to us, personally. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to chide each other in fun. But we also have to remember.... are there any unbelievers in our midst while we're doing it? Cause if they are, are we showing them that we have been changed? Or are we just conforming to the culture and the world around us? Are we saying something to build someone up, or tear them down? If Jesus were standing right beside us, would we say it at all? That last question is the big one! Cause here's the reality.... He is!
In a nutshell, this is something that I have to get better at. My nature is one to have fun and joke around with people; to let the little snide remark come out. But at the end of the day, I'm not building up anyone or edifying the church in doing it. I need to repent of this and ask God to continue to change me and grow me.
Robbie
Monday, January 25, 2010
Romans 14
Romans 14
I love this book! And I really like this chapter. It's a big ol' fat reminder to me that I am responsible for my brother and sister! Who am I to judge anyone! It's my job to lift you all up and hold you accountable.... but not to judge; just as it's your job to hold me accountable also.
But the biggest thing that I think we should take away from this chapter is what Paul talks about in the second section. Don't do anything that would cause your brother or sister to stumble. We are responsible for our choices and our actions. And if something we do causes one of us to stumble, or fall back into an old way, then we will be judged for that. But here's the thing.... we may not always know that we are doing these things. We may be unaware of someone's struggle with something... say.... insecurity. We may just joke around and give each other a hard time (like we are prone to do!), but not realize that someone truly struggles with insecurity. And every time we poke fun of, or make a silly joke about something, we may not realize that we are doing real damage to that person.
I know that is a silly example and probably may not be a really big deal, but we don't know. But we do know that we'll be held accountable for it. And so, for me, I really have to think about being mindful of what I say and do. And it's also why it is so important that we be in some kind of accountability group. So if we do have these struggles (and don't kid yourselves... we all have them) then you can at least have someone to unload them on, and to pray for you and encourage you.
Good stuff! Lots to think about. What are your thoughts?
Robbie
I love this book! And I really like this chapter. It's a big ol' fat reminder to me that I am responsible for my brother and sister! Who am I to judge anyone! It's my job to lift you all up and hold you accountable.... but not to judge; just as it's your job to hold me accountable also.
But the biggest thing that I think we should take away from this chapter is what Paul talks about in the second section. Don't do anything that would cause your brother or sister to stumble. We are responsible for our choices and our actions. And if something we do causes one of us to stumble, or fall back into an old way, then we will be judged for that. But here's the thing.... we may not always know that we are doing these things. We may be unaware of someone's struggle with something... say.... insecurity. We may just joke around and give each other a hard time (like we are prone to do!), but not realize that someone truly struggles with insecurity. And every time we poke fun of, or make a silly joke about something, we may not realize that we are doing real damage to that person.
I know that is a silly example and probably may not be a really big deal, but we don't know. But we do know that we'll be held accountable for it. And so, for me, I really have to think about being mindful of what I say and do. And it's also why it is so important that we be in some kind of accountability group. So if we do have these struggles (and don't kid yourselves... we all have them) then you can at least have someone to unload them on, and to pray for you and encourage you.
Good stuff! Lots to think about. What are your thoughts?
Robbie
Monday, January 18, 2010
Romans 13
Romans 13
Once again.... scary! This week's blog directly coincides with Pastor Erik's talk. (at least the first part does!)
Paul is speaking about authority here. We just heard Erik talk about this yesterday. Bottom line guys, we have people in authority over us. That goes from everything to our government, to our parents, to our church leaders. Paul, on more than one occasion throughout the Bible, points out that to NOT obey these authorities in our lives will lead to judgment. And he actually, literally says it here in vs 2. He not only says you resist those in authority, but by doing so, you resist what God has appointed. Paul says to give to those what is owed them. Not by your standards and what you think they deserve, but by the standard that God has appointed them and therefore, you owe whatever it is.... taxes, respect, honor, etc. to those who are in positions to receive those things.
For me, I struggled with one of those BIG TIME! And I didn't do it out of malice. But I think about times in my life where I didn't give someone the respect that they may have deserved. I have always been brought up with the... well, they gotta earn it, mentality. I had to remind myself that that is not God's way and I had to repent and ask Him to rid me of that. I try to remind myself that, while I may not agree with those leaders (talking mostly about governments here, for me personally), I still have to respect the fact that God has ordained that they be in positions of authority over me... good or bad. But it does spill over into our personal lives as well. Bosses, families, church leaders... etc. And we have to be mindful that, just as Erik pointed out, that they (those in positions of authority over us) WILL be held accountable to a higher standard, by God.
I could go on and on and on and on about this chapter. So many "nuggets"! But for now, let's hear your thoughts.
-robbie
Once again.... scary! This week's blog directly coincides with Pastor Erik's talk. (at least the first part does!)
Paul is speaking about authority here. We just heard Erik talk about this yesterday. Bottom line guys, we have people in authority over us. That goes from everything to our government, to our parents, to our church leaders. Paul, on more than one occasion throughout the Bible, points out that to NOT obey these authorities in our lives will lead to judgment. And he actually, literally says it here in vs 2. He not only says you resist those in authority, but by doing so, you resist what God has appointed. Paul says to give to those what is owed them. Not by your standards and what you think they deserve, but by the standard that God has appointed them and therefore, you owe whatever it is.... taxes, respect, honor, etc. to those who are in positions to receive those things.
For me, I struggled with one of those BIG TIME! And I didn't do it out of malice. But I think about times in my life where I didn't give someone the respect that they may have deserved. I have always been brought up with the... well, they gotta earn it, mentality. I had to remind myself that that is not God's way and I had to repent and ask Him to rid me of that. I try to remind myself that, while I may not agree with those leaders (talking mostly about governments here, for me personally), I still have to respect the fact that God has ordained that they be in positions of authority over me... good or bad. But it does spill over into our personal lives as well. Bosses, families, church leaders... etc. And we have to be mindful that, just as Erik pointed out, that they (those in positions of authority over us) WILL be held accountable to a higher standard, by God.
I could go on and on and on and on about this chapter. So many "nuggets"! But for now, let's hear your thoughts.
-robbie
Monday, January 11, 2010
Romans 12
Romans 12
Okay. This chapter is kind of a love-hate chapter for me! Love the first half... the second half just reminds me of how selfish and non-Christ-like I can be.
First half: doesn't get any better than verse 1: [...] present your bodies as a living sacrifice [...] which is your spiritual worship. This is a reference to John 4 (the Samaritan woman). Remember Jesus said to worship in truth and in Spirit. We can stand on the stage and sing "truth" all day long. If we don't live lives of worship that actually reflect the character of God... then are we really worshiping at all? (That's not a rhetorical question.... the answer is NO!)
Classic Paul: First he tells you what the end goal is... In a nutshell, live your lives worthy of the Gospel. Then he tells you how to do it: Vs. 9-21. This is where practical servanthood and the Law differ. If you study the law, which every good Jew does, just like they did back then, then you'll see that there is no way that any human being could fulfill it. And like I mentioned before in one of the earlier posts, Paul makes it specifically clear that the Law is not bad. Nor is it for the purpose of us to actually be able to live our lives according to it. Its purpose is to show the righteousness of God. But then Paul points out here in Romans 12 that it's okay. No one can live up to the law.... and that's a good thing! Not because we can't do it, but because Jesus DID it! And now, Paul gives a new directive: Love each other and try to outdo each other in our service to one another, just as Jesus served those around Him. And how do we serve each other? (BTW, I don't know if anyone else has noticed this or not, but for quite awhile now, our blog has been almost mirroring everything Pastor Erik has been talking about, week for week! It's kind of freaky!) How do we serve each other?
Well, just as Erik talked about yesterday, we must surrender to Christ, and then surrender to His call on our lives. We have to recognize, just as verses 3-8 point out, that each of us have been given different gifts for the purpose of building up each other!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Romans 11
Romans 11
WOW! Okay. Paul is really starting to hammer the idea of grace and salvation in this chapter. Remember, he is talking to a Jewish audience here (for the most part). Remember, the Jews believed that salvation was their birthright; that merely by being born into a certain group of people, they were an elect group. Sounds scarily familiar, doesn't it? What about our culture? Specifically, what about our region that we live in? How many people do you know that call themselves "Christian" as a result of their upbringing or the fact that they live in the Bible belt?
However, Paul makes it adamantly clear. God has granted salvation to the gentiles (that would be us), too. And ultimately, he argues that God has hardened many Israelites' hearts for the purpose of showing them His sovereignty. That they may be jealous of the fact that the gentile is granted salvation, for the purpose of them seeing that ultimately, God decides who will and will not come to Him, as a result of the grace He bestows on them, not the fact that they are Jewish.
We really need to understand this. You often hear Pastors and church leaders say, "It's not our job to save anyone. It's our job to preach the Gospel of Jesus, and God will save them." This couldn't be more true. I'm afraid it's lost some of its fervor, though. This is why it is imperative for us to be in the scriptures. God says, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD." -Isaiah 55:8. And the only way we will know His thoughts and His ways are to be in His Word.
For me, ultimately, this chapter is a warning. There is a lot of talk and euphemisms about olive trees and branches. Paul makes it clear that we are but branches "grafted" into a cultivated olive tree, by God, rooted in the "nourishing" root, saying: we are unable to sustain ourselves in the life that God grants; that it is only by His grace and mercy that we have life. And Paul says that we are not to be proud of this, but rather, grateful, living everyday for Him.
-Robbie
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