Gospel of Mark Study

Main resource used outside the biblical references:

Hedman, Tom. A Life of Impact: Leadership Principles of Jesus. New Life Publications. Toronto, ON: 1993.

Introduction-

• Along the lines of helping one another connect more with God through our bible study time together, I'd like to go through the book of Mark.

  • We will go through Mark, tying it all into the character of leadership we see in Jesus, who lived a life with the most possible impact!

  • One of the greatest points of impact is that He brings us into a life of impact!

    • After all, who wants to live a menial life?

Mark 1

1. Mark's introduction (vs.1)

   1. Mark begins his gospel with a succinct introduction.

   2. This book contains the gospel (good news) about Jesus...

      1. The Christ (Messiah)

         1. Illustration: Imagine you're the son or daughter of the most powerful, wealthy, influential person to ever live. What kind of life would you live?

         2. Although Jesus was born into humble circumstances, He came from the most noble birth!

         3. Jesus wasn't born to be some nice moral teacher, nor just a great carpenter, or even having the most worldly fame—He knew He was born to save the world from its sins!

            • Do you believe that the expectations we have for our lives will dramatically affect how we live our lives?

      2. The Son of God

         1. Jesus had high expectations of Himself because He knew He was the only Holy Spirit conceived Son of God!

         2. Similarly, we have all the rights and privileges of a son or daughter in Christ!

         3. Ephesians 2:19

            • 19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

         4. 1John 3:1

            • 1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

         5. What are we saying if we don't expect more of ourselves?

2. John the Baptist's introduction (vss2-8)

   1. Do you know the significance of John the Baptist?

      1. God chose to use him to announce Jesus' coming.

   2. Jesus did not need this introduction, but what kind of impact did it have?

      1. Someone who gained a lot of influence spoke extremely high of Jesus, urging everyone to listen to Him.

   3. Similar for us, it inspires us when someone respected speaks well of us

      1. Also, we can implement this principle by talking one another up in our circles of influence.

3. God, the Father's introduction (vss9-11)

   1. So much can be said from this passage, so what kind of impact do you think this expression from the Father had on Jesus?

      1. Surely He probably felt like He could conqueror the world!

   2. Galatians 3:26-27

      1. 26You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

   3. John 17:23, 26

      1. 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me...26I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

   4. Quote 1John 4:10

      1. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

   5. Do you hear God expressing His love to you like a Father to His son? Yes or no, and how does that impact the way we live?

4. To have eternal impact, first Jesus was prepared (vss12-13)

   1. Lets take a quick stab, why did Jesus go through these trials?

   2. Look ahead to the next couple of verses: it was right before His ministry began.

   3. Also read a parallel passage to show the bigger picture: Hebrews 2:14-18

      1. 14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

      2. God saw it necessary that Jesus first suffer 40 days of extreme trial—like going to boot camp before the war

      3. Here we see the process God has for developing His leaders, starting with the top leader—Jesus, the One we do all things through!

   4. So, what is the benefit of going through trials and temptations?

      1. Jesus went through intense and focused self-denial.

      2. We can't overcome anything till we overcome ourselves.

      3. Jesus first overcame self in order that He could overcome the world!

   5. How many of us rejoice when we go through trials?

   6. But that is exactly what God calls us to do: James 1:2-4

   7. We should rejoice in preparation, but why don't we?

   8. Illustration: How much sense would it make for an athlete to make a significant contribution to the team without practicing with the team? Similarly, or how useful would a soldier be to his commanding officer if he never went through boot camp? Wouldn't you be insecure about visiting a doctor who never went through a rigorous and reputable training institution?

      1. With these kinds of things we understand the need for preparation for a person to have impact in those areas.

      2. Why then do we set off to accomplish great feats without the training it takes to prepare?

   9. If Jesus needed to prepare for His great feats through intense focus and self-denial, can we expect to reach our goals without preparation?

   10. I know the temptation to think highly of ourselves, but we got to think sober—we may think we're standing strong (I'm proud of you who have gone after your physical and academic training), but are you taking seriously your spiritual training.

   11. Juma Ikanga, a long-distance runner whose weekly regimen includes 140 miles of high-altitude training: "The will to win is nothing without the will to prepare."

   12. Jesus went through this intense trial, and as we'll see, it developed a tough attitude in Him toward the spiritual battle

       1. The spiritual war is waging, and all of us must get a tougher attitude—so we too might need to fast a pray.

5. The person of impact has a message of good news (vss14-15)

   1. Is there any greater message than the one Jesus brought?

   2. Here is the good news of Jesus' message: "The opportunity of entering God's kingdom is laid before you...change your minds and believe this good news!"

   3. What an attractive message that an intimate relationship with God is within everyone's reach!

   4. What if Jesus came saying, "Now listen to me! None of you are going to heaven because of your sins. The kingdom of God is close, but none of you are in it yet because of the sin in your life!"

   5. Instead Jesus speaks what was clearly on the positive side, an opportunity

   6. Although He is upfront that it will come at a cost—what two things are needed from us?

      1. Repentance—literally to change one's mind ("be transformed in the renewing of your minds" -- Romans 12:3)

      2. Belief—holding on to the unseen promises with actions of obedience (James 2)

   7. From what He says, and how He said it, what do you think are Jesus' expectations?

      1. Jesus expected people to would respond positively and immediately!

   8. God wants us to inspire people to follow Him the same way Jesus did.

      1. Not forcefully jamming the message down people's throats—being forcefully insensitive!

      2. But being forcefully urgent is good—people are inspired to take the first step because they see the way we're going after God. How can we inspire people to be urgent if we ourselves are not urgent?

         1. I don't think God wants any one of us feeling overburdened or else He wouldn't of said "cast all your anxieties on me...My burden is easy and My Yoke is light" (Matthew 10:28-30).

         2. Here we do see Jesus' urgency—I don't gather that Jesus was so laid back about people being saved.

            • He knew "life was like a mist" and "seek God while you have the chance" because the truth is that it may be their last chance or only opportunity!

      3. However, we must also be like Jesus and give people an attainable vision, where they see His kingdom within reach.

         1. So many people feel too guilty and weighed down to see God's good news—they don't see anything good about themselves and so it is hard to believe the gospel.

            • We need to help those kinds of people—like we see Jesus does—becoming weak to the weak!

         2. Others just don't have direction—not knowing the steps to take in order to have the relationship with God that He desires.

            • Also like Jesus, we need to show it with our lives and with God's word!

Some evangelism responsibility verses

Sometimes it is good to do a little topical study to give you perspective and spur you on.  Here are some verses calling all of us in Christ to our responsibility to reach a lost world!  I am not saying the list is exhaustive, so anyone can respond with other verses.


20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. -- 2Corinthians 5:20 NIV

7It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me -- Philippians 1:7 NIV

19"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." -- Matthew 4:19 NIV

17"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." -- Mark 1:7 NIV

38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." -- Matthew 9:38 NIV

1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

   To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, 2to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home: -- Philemon 1

2We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God's fellow worker^[a]in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, -- 1Thess. 3:2 NIV

35John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light. -- John 5:35 NIV

 14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. -- Matthew 5:14 NIV

23As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. -- 2Corinthians 8:23 NIV

 2I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings,^[a] just as I passed them on to you. -- 1Corinthians 11:2 NIV

18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." -- Matthew 28:18-20 NIV

 31To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." -- John 8:31-32 NIV

Jesus teaching us through illustration about God the Father

Luke 15:11-32

What can you learn about God from this passage?

Where do you find these things?

1. God allows us to leave, to make our choice—He gives us free will. God will let you mess your life up. Specifically allowing famines to happen in your life.

2. He may answer selfish requests

3. The son knew he could go back, just as much God is approachable. He is not holding a grudge and forsaking us, expressing that we will never be called His sons. It is rather the opposite with God.

4. God will allow us to suffer consequences for our sins. His view is that we learn and grow.

5. There is security and being taken care of with God

6. God does not need an explanation. The son was pretty much interrupted. God did not want to spend forty days to talk through all that went wrong

7. God refuses to be manipulated (by the older brother)

8. God feels compassion for us

9. God does not show favoritism

10. This goes counter-cultural, where sin is not as fun as it seems, whereas true lasting joy is with God

11. God shows His affection

    1. God runs

    2. God embraces

    3. God kisses

    4. Celebrated

    5. Forgave

12. God does not treat us as our sins deserve.

    1. When we return to Him with brokenness, He lavishes us with gifts when we deserve punishment.

13. God is always looking for the lost to come back. He does not give up on anyone.

14. God throws a party when his lost children return to him

    1. He is very happy when this happens

    2. He says we must celebrate this occurrence

15. God even has patience, restoring the ungrateful and self-righteous gently.

16. Treasures unity

17. He pleads for us to understand His heart

18. Since the passage is mainly intended for the application of the former point, we see a quality about God in how He convicts some of the most challenging prideful character, the one that mainly rejects Him, by pleading with the power of His grace.

19. We can get down on self, not feel worthy, whereas this shows that God does not want us to feel that way. God completely forgets about it and does not hold it against us, keeping a record of it looming over our heads.

20. There is plenty in God's house

21. God is not always the calamity creator. Whatever happens, God either causes or allows. However, the blame should not go on God because most predominantly He allows it. We and Satan are to blame for the consequences, not God. We live in a world with consequences because it is fallen.

22. Being on top doesn't prove righteousness. The fact that God uses you does not prove your righteous.

23. Dead apart from God

Crave Pure Spiritual Milk

Introduction:

• Focus for the second half of the Spring Semester 2008:

1. Continue to meet people in the Ignite the Fire evangelism plan

   1. We will follow-up with one another more

2. Focus even more on our relationship with God

   1. Mid-week and Sunday school class study of God with a goal to propel you even more in your personal bible study.

   2. We don't want "getting close to God" to seem overwhelming

   3. We want it to be inviting

      • Like the theme of our year as a church, "Joy of our salvation"

• During the last devotional, just before Spring Break, I talked about Spiritual Milk and Solid Food—maybe I communicated the need to move on to solid food, and missed a vital first step?

  • As it says in 1Peter 2, we need to crave pure spiritual milk

  • <Turn to 1Peter 2>

    • From this passage, we see that it is good to crave!

• Some questions to test whether you have a heart that craves pure spiritual milk:

  • Do you have a daily time of Bible study and prayer?

  • Do you look forward to being with God as you shake the grogginess off in the morning?

  • If you have been a Christian a few years, have you read through the entire Bible yet?

  • Are you focused in church when the word of God is being preached?

  • Does your enthusiasm for knowing God rub off on others?

  • Do your non-Christian friends take you seriously when they see your passion and determination to know the Scriptures and draw close to God?

  • What is your attitude towards reading books outside the Bible when they are suggested? Are you slow or quick to dive in?

• Why would you struggle to see yourself in need of pure spiritual milk?

• This morning's bible class will spur you on to crave pure spiritual milk

1. The Lord tastes good

   1. How have you tasted that the Lord is good?

      1. This probably gets into the ways you've discovered the spiritual milk we talked about

      2. We talked about how spiritual milk is the basics of your foundation in Christ. It is the essential principles.

2. Crave Pure Spiritual Milk

   1. First of all, there is a reason it says "pure" or "unadulterated" spiritual milk

      1. What are some examples of what is impure?

   2. What does "crave" mean?

      1. to long for; want greatly; desire eagerly

      2. Also "yearn intensely"

      3. We often think of cravings as "to crave sweets; to crave affection"

      4. But do you have cravings for the spiritual milk of God?

   3. I personally want to get back to heart that craves...so that...

3. Grow Up

   1. Crave pure spiritual milk...In order to grow up in your salvation

   2. This gets corresponds with the importance of growing up in your faith

      1. What would happen if a baby didn't crave milk?

      2. We know that a baby craving milk is something natural to human growth

      3. Similarly, as spiritually young, it is natural that we crave...

      4. Because God's spirit is in us to grow up and be spiritually strong

      5. God's heart is that we're not weak and vulnerable

   3. So, from the urging of this God inspired passage,we get in touch with our cravings...(think of your own as I share some here)

      1. Crave to know and rely on the love God has for you

         • Crave to take hold of that which took hold of you!

         • Crave the love of Jesus

         • Crave to know God

         • Crave to feel close to God—there is a spiritual security and intimacy from His love

         • Crave to be confident

      2. Crave to know the Bible well

         • Crave to know the basics well enough to teach: Within six months be able to help someone all the way through a conversion study series

         • Crave by having the goal to read the whole bible in a year

         • Crave a contextual awareness of the bible

         • Crave to tackle tough questions—apologetic questions

      3. Crave spiritual depth in your times of worshiping God

         • Crave having inspired prayer times...using the psalms, hymns and spiritual songs

         • Crave powerful prayer and bible study times with one another

      4. Crave the powerful life you have as a Christian

         • Great boldness to hold a high level of commitment

         • Great boldness to call one another higher

         • Great boldness to evangelize

         • Great boldness to even preach the message (give a message to the body)

      5. Ask the students what spiritual cravings do you have?

         • To be more in tune with all the brothers in church

         • Be able to use a vast array of Scriptures

           • Using it for the arising need

         • To get close to the sisters more

         • Let God take control rather than trying to take control

         • Surrender to life as it is for Him, even if you don't understand everything

         • To draw out people's hearts and help them in deeper ways

         • To reach out to our new neighborhood

         • To be apart of real, lively, challenging in a loving way discipling

           • Helping one another be more like God

         • To train the women, give them vision to be future leaders, helping them be excited about God's possibility

         • To grow in God's love, there is so much more it can do

           • Crave the heart to actually do what is right

         • Continual growth

         • Outreach to friends.

Holy Spirit’s Fire through God’s Word

Start off by describing the physical and spiritual maturity comparison: Birth, infancy, toddler, child, adolescent, adult, mature adult, elderly.  That is similar to the process of maturing spiritually.

 

Read 1Corinthians 3:2 and Hebrews 5:11ff and 1Peter 2:2

 

What is spiritual milk? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

What does it mean by solid food?  ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

So how does this understanding help us? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

How important is the word of God in this process? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

How are these verses describing being led by the Spirit through the word?

2Timothy 3:16-17 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

John 16:8 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jeremiah 31:33 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Joshua 1:8 and Psalms 1:2 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

John 6:63-68 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________­­_

 

Psalms 119:97, 105 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

John 1:1 and 1John 1:1 and Rev.19:13 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

John 5:24 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Other significant passages that show being led by the Spirit through God's word: