Mark-Lesson 12...Continued from page 5
Thomas Klock
DAY SIX
Following Christ
Jesus’ disciples learned much during this time, and a lot of it the hard way, for they had allowed spiritual dullness to block out what Jesus was teaching them. We would be wise to learn the same lessons in our lives. Let’s think about three of these lessons.
1. The first lesson in the feeding of the 4,000 and the encounter with the Pharisees is that we must live by faith in His Word and trust Him, realizing He is the only one sufficient to meet our needs, not the external and physical. Thankfully He knows our needs and will provide for us as we concentrate on seeking Him and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33, 34). We saw how Jesus felt about the disciples and the Pharisees; this makes us wonder how Jesus feels about us. Think about it: When you go before Him, does He have to repeat the same lessons over and over, and get a little exasperated with you? Does He sigh deeply within His spirit out of frustration over your lack of simple faith in His word? Does He have to rebuke you for your hard-headedness and teach you these things the hard way? Or does He look at you and see the heart of an imperfect person who is doing all they can in the power of His Spirit to seek after and serve Him, and smile over you? Think through the following areas of your life based on what Jesus reproved the disciples about, here based on the nlt, and record some ways you can improve in them.
(1) “Why are you so worried about having no food?” (Lack of trust that He will provide for your needs):
(2) “Won't you ever learn or understand? Are your hearts too hard to take it in?” (Emotional concerns or some other factors leading to spiritual congestive heart failure):
(3) “You have eyes?can't you see? You have ears?can't you hear?” (Senses filled with things that will keep your eyes off Jesus and onto the wrong thing, or listening to the wrong voices dulling His call to you):
(4) “Don't you remember anything at all?” (Failing to remember the promises of God’s Word or to recall how He has worked in your life in the past):
2. We have seen that as we put these truths into practice in our lives, we will be fed to the full, be faithful and not forgetful, and be fully fit for His service. There are also two questions asked directly and indirectly by Jesus here that demand an answer from us. The first was, “But who do you say that I am?” Who is Jesus to you? If you are a Christian already, the obvious answer would be that of Peter that He is the Christ, the Messiah, Lord and Savior, the Son of Man and the Son of God. This question will be answered by all at some point, determining their eternal destiny by their answer. But let’s think about how this can be practically applied in our walks with Jesus now that we are saved by Him. Who is Jesus to you when you are going through good times? Who is He when the bottom drops out of your life unexpectedly? Who is He when you are tempted to sin against Him? Who is He in light of your human relationships, your singleness or marriage, and your family? Who is Jesus to you in all you face in this life? Think about this for a while and write down your thoughts here to share with your group in view of your life.
3. The third lesson and the second question that Jesus asked indirectly is, “Who will you live for?” In the last part of our lesson and memory verse we were exhorted to deny ourselves, die to ourselves, and follow Jesus all the way. As John Phillips well said, there is a cross for the Christ and a cross for the Christian.[xx] But what does this mean for you personally today? Perhaps these thoughts from Warren Wiersbe will help you discern how this applies to your life today:
Denying self is not the same as self-denial. We practice self-denial when, for a good purpose, we occasionally give up things or activities. But we deny self when we surrender ourselves to Christ and determine to obey His will. This once-for-all dedication is followed by a daily “dying to self” as we take up the cross and follow Him. From the human point of view, we are losing ourselves, but from the divine perspective, we are finding ourselves. When we live for Christ, we become more like Him, and this brings out our own unique individuality.
Discipleship is a matter of profit and loss, a question of whether we will waste our lives or invest our lives. Note the severe warning Jesus gives us here: once we have spent our lives, we cannot buy them back! Remember, He was instructing His disciples, men who had already confessed Him as the Son of God. He was not telling them how to be saved and go to heaven, but how to save their lives and make the most of their opportunities on earth. “Losing your soul” is the equivalent of wasting your life, missing the great opportunities God gives you to make your life count. You may “gain the whole world” and be a success in the eyes of men, and yet have nothing to show for your life when you stand before God. If that happens, though you did own the whole world, it would not be a sufficient price to give to God to buy another chance at life.[xxi]
As you think through this, record some thoughts as to what this means in your own life. Perhaps pondering this question may also bring things into focus: If you died today and stood before God, what would show on your life’s record?a life lived for Him as best you could, or a saved soul but a lost life?
Scripture Memory: Hopefully you now can write out this week’s passage completely by memory. Do so now, and keep on reviewing it do you will be ready to share it with others in your group time.
Mark 8:34b-35:
[i] Unless elsewhere noted, all Greek word/phrase translations are based on the following: A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. In Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1932, 1933, 1997); James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible: Showing Every Word of the Text of the Common English Version of the Canonical Books, and Every Occurrence of Each Word in Regular Order, Electronic Edition (Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship; in Bellingham: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1996); M.R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (Bellingham: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2002); Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Studies in the New Testament: For the English Reader (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, Co; in Bellingham: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1984, 1997); and Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, Electronic Edition (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, in Bellingham: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1992, 1993, 2000).
[ii] James A. Brooks, Mark. In David S. Dockery ed., The New American Commentary, Vol. 23 (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1991), p. 124.
[iii] John Phillips, Exploring the Gospel of Mark (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2004), p. 173.
[iv] Edgar Elliott, Ph.D., New Testament Synthesis I (Newburg: Trinity Theological Seminary, 2003), Tape 10.
[v] J. M Freeman & H.J. Chadwick, The New Manners and Customs of the Bible, Electronic Edition (Brunswick: Bridge-Logos Publishers, in Logos Research Systems, Inc, 1998); Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary Vol. 1 (Wheaton: Victor Books/SP Publications, Inc, 1989), p. 137.
[vi] John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005), p. 1222.
[vii] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downer’s Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993), p. 155.
[viii] John D. Grassmick, Mark. In John F. Walvoord & Roy B. Zuck eds., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament (Wheaton: Victor Books/SP Publications, 1983), p. 137.
[ix] A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. In Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1932, 1933, 1997).
[x] Walter W. Wessell, Mark. In Frank E. Gaebelein ed., The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 8 (Grand Rapids: Regency Reference Library, 1984), p. 689.
[xi] D.R.W. Wood, D.R.W. Wood, and I.H. Marshall, New Bible Dictionary (Downer’s Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996; in Logos Research Systems, Inc.).
[xii] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, p. 156.
[xiii] John D. Grassmick, Mark, p. 138; James A. Brooks, Mark, p. 133.
[xiv] John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary, p. 1224.
[xv] John D. Grassmick, p. 139.
[xvi] James A. Brooks, Mark. In David S. Dockery ed., The New American Commentary, Vol. 23, p. 134.
[xvii] Warren W. Wiersbe, p. 138.
[xviii] Wiersbe, p. 140.
[xix] Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Studies in the New Testament: For the English Reader (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, Co; in Bellingham : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1984, 1997).
[xx] See John Phillips, Exploring the Gospel of Mark, pp. 183, 185.
[xxi] Wiersbe, p. 140.
© 2005 by Harvest Christian Fellowship. All rights reserved. Written by Thomas Klock for Men’s Bible Fellowship, 2005-2006.
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