Pastoral Concerns

Mark 13:1-37

Pastor Miles

Oct 28, 2012

1. Jesus is concerned that we will be deceived.

And Jesus began to say to them, "See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.

And then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand. (Mark 13:5-8, 21-23 ESV)

• Watch that we won't be deceived by false prophets and worldly ways.
• We need to know the real Jesus in order to recognize the false ones.
• We can do this by studying His Word.

2. Jesus is concerned that we will be distracted from our mission.

"But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Mark 13:9-13 ESV)

Our Heavenly Father is in control. Don't worry about the details, trust God, use every opportunity to witness for Him.
We can just as easily be distracted e.g. Financial, relationship, health crises; business of life; but no matter what, look for what God is doing around you. He has placed us there for a reason. Use every opportunity to witness for Him.

3. Jesus is concerned that we will be discouraged by His delay.

"But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Mark 13:24-31 ESV)

• Jesus' coming is near but there will be a delay. He reassures us that He will definitely come again. So while we wait, don't fall asleep. Only the Father knows the second coming.

"But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake." (Mark 13:32-37 ESV)

• Each of us has an assigned task. Don't fall asleep on the job!
• Be prepared, be ready! Don't waste your time predicting when Jesus will return. Jesus Himself was content leaving that in His Father's hand. We need to live our lives in anticipation of His coming.

Are we living our lives completely in the knowledge of His certain coming?

What do you want me to do for you?

Mark 10

October 14, 2012

Pastor Miles

1. "I want permission to do what I want"
- in the area of relationships and divorce
- do we want to truly know God's plan, or just His approval?
- if our heart isn't right, then what we desire is often not right
- do we want God's best for our lives or are we just seeking His approval?

And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away." And Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." (Mark 10:1-9 ESV)

2. "I want eternal life and I want to hold on to my old life"
- are we reluctant to give up our possessions, or whatever is controlling our lives?
- Jesus did not mention the first commandment about having other gods. Do we have other "gods" that we worship over God?
- if we can't give it away it owns us, we don't own them (possessions)

And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'" And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth." And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Mark 10:17-22 ESV)

3. "I want a special guarantee for serving you"
- are we expecting something in return for following Jesus? Eg faithful spouse, children who obey God, not suffering a health crisis or painful death
- God doesn't give us such guarantees except that He will always be with us

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" And they said to him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." (Mark 10:35-40 ESV)

4. "I want to see."
- Bartimaeus knows that he deserves nothing from Jesus. He just calls out in frank honesty. He is blind and asks for nothing but mercy. After receiving his sight, he makes the decision to follow Jesus.
- Jesus gives sight to a blind man, but there are those who can see who remain blind
- Jesus, help me to see my relationships, possessions, and service the way You see them

And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart. Get up; he is calling you." And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" And the blind man said to him, "Rabbi, let me recover my sight." And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way. (Mark 10:46-52 ESV)

Only Halfway There

Mark 8:27-38

Oct 7, 2012

Pastor Miles

1. Jesus is the Christ, the promised Jewish Messiah.

And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets." And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ." And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. (Mark 8:27-30 ESV)

2. Jesus came to suffer and be killed and rise again.

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. (Mark 8:31 ESV)

3. To follow Jesus we need a new worldview.

And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." (Mark 8:32, 33 ESV)

• Worldview is not just a matter of perspective, It's also about where we are living.
• It's about the reign and rule of God in my personal life.

4. To follow Jesus we need to die to self.

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:34-38 ESV)

• Once we have submitted to the reign of God, are we allowing His rule to transform us in all aspects of our life? Eg, friendships, family, financial, etc.
• God's reign and rule is about the breadth of surrender and the depth of transformation: for this to occur we need to take up His cross and follow Him. 
• There are essentially 2 kingdoms (earthly and heavenly) but only one throne (of God). 
• By taking up the cross we are dying to self. The more we die to self, the more we will save our lives. If we are ashamed of Jesus, He will in turn be ashamed of us.

Questions for reflection.
1. Are you still trying to save your old life?
What have we not surrendered to Him?
2. What do you still cling to the world's values?
3. Where or when are you ashamed of Jesus?
4. Where is The Lord saying to you: "this part needs to die?"

Courageous: session 4

Spofford Men's Retreat

Life is a relay, passing the baton from one to another.
If you want to run fast you run alone, but if you want to run far you run together.
1 Peter 2:10 - love the brotherhood
Courageous men choose to serve together in fellowship.

Fellowship is abiding in God's community - living out life in God's community (including the good, bad and ugly).
And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. (1 John 4:21 NIV)
 - he who loves God must love his brother also.

Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:14, 15 NIV)
- Timothy provides instruction on how to live in the House of God

4 levels of fellowship:
1. Membership: choosing to belong.
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household, (Ephesians 2:19 NIV)
- Christian life is not just a matter of believing. It is a matter of belonging.
- A Christian without a church is an orphan. God meant for us to be part of a family.
2. Friendship: learning to share.
All the believers were together and had everything in common. (Acts 2:44 NIV)

An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
and against all sound judgment starts quarrels. (Proverbs 18:1 NIV)

- despite our modern connectivity in this society, we are becoming increasingly isolated
- sharing must take place for friendships to develop
3. Partnership: doing my part.
For we are co-workers in God's service; you are God's field, God's building. (1 Corinthians 3:9 NIV)
- we are partners working together for God
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 4:16 NIV)
- every part does its share, to grow into the fullness of Christ
4. Kinship: loving believers like my family.
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10 NIV)
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. (1 John 3:16 NIV)
- we also ought to lay down our lives for our kin (friends)
The Greek word in the bible for fellowship is koinona: meaning "common" as in a common commitment to one a other.

Benefits of brotherly fellowship
1. Men experience honesty
2. Men experience mutuality
3. Men experience sympathy
4. Men experience mercy
5. Fellowship requires time and commitment

Courageous: session 3

Spofford Men's Retreat

Courageous men stay on mission with God
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19, 20 ESV)
- there is no mission without a relationship

He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8 ESV)

1. There is no mission without a relationship. Micah 6:8
2. There is one mission, many commissions!
A. There is one mission - the Great Commission. Matt 28
B. Each has part of the mission. Call it a Commission.
- Ep 4:11-16 every person has a part to play
3. How will you know what your commission is?
Rom 12, 1 Cor 12, Eph 4

Spiritual gifts - how to discover your gift:
a) Look up all the spiritual gifts
b) Look for the ministries in which you feel the most fulfilled
c) Look for ministries in which you seem most effective
d) Look for ministries in which others affirm your abilities
e) Look for a place to feel involved. As you try different things you will gravitate to your spiritual best fit spot - don't give up, don't settle.

4. So when will you courageously serve?
a) I must share with those in my Jerusalem (neighborhood, community)
- John 4: woman at the well; Mark 5: the Demoniac
b) I must share with those near me but "other".
To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. (1 Corinthians 9:22 ESV)
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27 ESV)
Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. (Mark 10:29, 30 ESV)
c) I must share with those in my world.
And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. (Mark 16:15 ESV)
i. Prayer
ii. Giving - giving our resources is the closest thing to being like God. The part that we give away is the part that lasts forever.
The most dangerous prayer you can pray is "God use me."

- Stay in fellowship with God!
- Accept my ministry? Following Jesus' example of ministry.
- Be givers - of your talent and monies.


Lionel

Courageous: session 2

Spoof ford Men's Retreat

Courage comes from having a relationship with God:
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. (James 2:23 NIV)
- Example of Abraham who was courageous in leaving his land.

The Basics
1. He is God ... He created us.
2. He loves us and knows what is best for us.

How can we have a loving relationship with God the right way?
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' (Mark 12:30 NIV)
1. God wants us to love Him with our mind
A. Love Him thoughtfully.
Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. (Hebrews 11:19 NIV)
B. Giving God your attention.
2. God wants us to love Him with our soul
A. One of the best is music.
B. You can use your bodies.
C. Just to say "thank you"
- sometimes we just don't realize how much God loves us (to the point of suffering and death)
- the heart of worship is surrender!
3. Love Him with all our strength.
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, (Colossians 3:23 ESV)
- if you want to make your work an act of worship, you don't have to change where you work, you just have to change who you work for!
- in life it is not what you are that matters, but who you are
- it is not what we do, but who we do it for
- courageous living is about living out your life where you are (for God)