Mark-Lesson 16...Continued from page 5
Thomas Klock
DAY SIX: Following Christ
1. The purpose of the Temple was to give the people a place to meet with God. The religious leaders had turned it into a place to make money and keep people from God! As Warren Wiersbe well said, “The court of the Gentiles should have been a place for praying, but instead it was a place for preying and paying.”[xvi] Matthew's Gospel tells us that Jesus profoundly wept as He approached the city:
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!” Matthew 23:37-39, nkjv
What Jesus would think if He visited the Temple of my life? Would He find my life busy about His Kingdom’s work, or would it be cluttered, self-seeking, and no longer effective? Take some time to think through the state of your own Temple. What would Jesus do if he came to inspect your Temple today? Record your thoughts about this. Don't be ashamed to share this with your group, but rather share it so you may pray for one another and all be blessed. What action will you take to cleanse your Temple?
2. Jesus was trying to teach His men and also us about the importance of having faith. The Jews used an image of a mountain as a strong and immovable problem that is in our way. Perhaps there is some mountain of a problem that is keeping you from becoming all that you can. You can’t see any way around it; you can only go up and over or dig your way through the mountain! Based on the things that you've been reading this week, what are some ways this might help you overcome the obstacles in your life blocking your way to spiritual progress? Please share some of your thoughts here. Remember to put your problems in the right perspective: A rock that you can hold in your hand is just a mountain that God has broken down to a manageable size!
3. In this week’s study we've been learning about the connection between faith, forgiveness and prayer. As you’ve been thinking through your own prayer life this week, where some of the things that you've been learning personally? How would you rate how your personal prayer life has been coming along since the beginning of this year? What are some new and different things that you can commit to doing with your prayer life the rest of this year?
Scripture Memory: Hopefully you now can write out this week’s passage completely by memory. Do so now, and keep on reviewing it so you will be ready to share it with others in your group time.
Mark 11:24:
[i] John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005), p. 1235.
[ii] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary, New Testament (Downers Grove: Inter Varsity Press, 1993), p. 165.
[iii] 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).
[iv] James A. Brooks, Mark. In David S. Dockery ed., The New American Commentary, Vol. 23 (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1991), p. 180.
[v] James A. Brooks, Mark, p. 180.
[vi] John D. Grassmick, Mark. In John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck eds., The Bible Knowledge Commentary New Testament (Wheaton: Victor Books/SP Publications, 1983), p. 155.
[vii] John D. Grassmick, Mark, pp. 157-158; Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary Vol. 1 (Wheaton: Victor Books/SP Publications, Inc., 1989), p. 151.
[viii] Larry W. Hurtado, Mark. In W. Ward Gasque ed., New International Biblical Commentary, New Testament Volume 2 (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1983, 1989), p. 183.
[ix] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary Vol. 1, p. 150.
[x]Warren W. Wiersbe, p. 150.
[xi] John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary, p. 1239.
[xii] James A. Brooks, p. 187.
[xiii] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary, New Testament, p. 166.
[xiv] John D. Grassmick, Mark, p.159.
[xv] John Phillips, Exploring the Gospel of Mark (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publishers, 2004), p. 236.
[xvi] Warren W. Wiersbe, p. 151.
© 2006 by Harvest Christian Fellowship. All rights reserved. Written by Thomas Klock for Men’s Bible Fellowship, 2005-2006.
www.Harvest.org