Introduction - Recap of Part 1

Last week, we began to explore the question: Why did Jesus teach in parables? Jesus’ sudden change in teaching method of parables without the explanations left many people including his disciples confused. His disciples questioned Jesus’ method, which reflects how we also question God and His methods when we don’t’ understand His ways. We learned last week that we must accept that God does not owe us an answer. However, God can choose to reveal the answer to us immediately or at a later time in retrospect, or He can choose not to reveal the answer within this lift time. We must also acknowledge that there are some things God chooses not to reveal to us because we would simply not understand. Accepting this is part of submitting ourselves humbly to God. Therefore, the first reason why Jesus taught in parables was to use it as an instrument of judgement against stubborn unbelievers who refused to believe and rejected the gospel by concealing the truth from them. Jesus was giving them over to their hardened hearts that trampled over the gospel.

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Is there significance to understanding why Jesus taught in parables? Clearly there is because the Holy Spirit, through the authorship of Mark, records and preserves a conversation between Jesus and his disciples around that very question. Understanding this question will allow us to peek into the intricacies of God’s ways.

Introduction

Introduction

The biblical understanding of Holy Communion (Lord’s Supper) entails 4 parts: 1) the Historical Context of Communion; 2) Who should take the Communion? 3) What are we doing in Communion? and 4) How (with what attitude) should we take it?

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“For Christ also suffered[a] once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit (v.18).”

Today’s passage fixes our gaze to the pivotal moment in human history, the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. On Good Friday, we celebrated his selfless act of sacrifice, Jesus Christ the sinless Son of God, bore the weight of our sins and he has paved the way for our reconciliation with God. However, Easter is the ultimate triumph of love over darkness. It is the ultimate triumph of redemption over sin because Jesus emerges victorious from the tomb, opening up a new reality of hope and salvation for all humanity. Jesus’ resurrection extends beyond a mere historical event and has practical implications for us today – one of them being our baptism.

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The core message of Palm Sunday is about our inability to solve our problems. We consistently have to face the reality of our powerlessness and our inability to change our situations that bring us harm, suffering and pain. Our powerlessness becomes even more evident when it comes to global issues such as wars or cultural and political agendas that attempt to sexualize and indoctrinate our children. In our powerlessness, our only response is anger and grief and despair. Another thing Palm Sunday does is to help us recognize our tendency to seek control of the world around us.

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A leper, a paralytic, and Jewish scribes encountered Jesus, but what was their response to their encounter with Jesus? The leper and the paralytic responded with happiness, but the Jewish scribes and Pharisees with anger. As modern readers, this is a reasonable response, but for the first century readers, the encounter with the leper and the paralytic was scandalous. These were the outcasts of the community, and you were not to touch nor be around them (especially the leper). It was the scribes and Pharisees who were highly honoured and respected and the elite of Jewish society. What’s surprising is that it was not the so-called elite religious leaders, but the outcasts and marginalized who responded to the kingdom of God with happiness. Why is it so?

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“​The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” This opening statement of the gospel of Mark sets the tone for what we will discover in the book of Mark. The authorship of this gospel is credited to Mark, who is called John Mark in the book of Acts. This book is dated to around 65AD where severe Christian persecution took place under the rule of the Roman Emperor Nero. The Apostle Peter was martyred during this period which may have prompted Mark to write this gospel. Mark wrote this gospel in Roman, in the epicenter of Christian persecution, which challenges believers to stand firm in the face of persecution and difficulty.

Mark was not an apostle, one of Jesus’ 12 disciples. Mark is best known for abandoning Paul and Barnabas during their mission trip for unknown reasons, which became the source of sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas that led to them going separate ways; Barnabas took Mark and Paul took Silas. What led to this person to write one of the greatest books of the Bible?

Introduction

“​The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” This opening statement of the gospel of Mark sets the tone for what we will discover in the book of Mark. The authorship of this gospel is credited to Mark, who is called John Mark in the book of Acts. This book is dated to around 65AD where severe Christian persecution took place under the rule of the Roman Emperor Nero. The Apostle Peter was martyred during this period which may have prompted Mark to write this gospel. Mark wrote this gospel in Roman, in the epicenter of Christian persecution, which challenges believers to stand firm in the face of persecution and difficulty.

Mark was not an apostle, one of Jesus’ 12 disciples. Mark is best known for abandoning Paul and Barnabas during their mission trip for unknown reasons, which became the source of sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas that led to them going separate ways; Barnabas took Mark and Paul took Silas. What led to this person to write one of the greatest books of the Bible?

Introduction - Discipleship as the mission of the Church

The word “commission" refers to a special assignment or mission tasked to a person or group on behalf of another. The Great Commission is a special assignment given to the church on behalf of Jesus. It is the very purpose for the Church’s existence. The gospel writers emphasize the work of the cross and the resurrection to magnify God’s plan to redeem mankind, which was put into motion from the very beginning, and all of biblical history culminates in Jesus Christ who came to redeem us and restore our relationship with God. For many Christians, this is a familiar to you, but one thing many Christians fail to realize is that God’s redemptive plan continues on through the Church beyond the cross and resurrection. It continues with our transformation to be Christlike for our benefit and for the people of all nations. This is what discipleship is about.

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Fasting is not a spiritual gift but a spiritual discipline that invites us to offer our full dependence upon God. Fasting is not about depriving yourself of something as a means of pleasing God, nor is it a practice reserved for “super” Christians. A simple definition of fasting is: the practice of fasting is the practice of abstaining from food or something else for spiritual purposes. We are called to fast in order to intentionally feast on God. In other words, fasting is about God. The secular world has reduced fasting to a healthy lifestyle, but fasting is about relying and depending upon God. In Zechariah 7:5, God scrutinizes this situation: “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted?’ In today’s Bible passage, Jesus addresses our motivation behind fasting.

Introduction

Today, the word “Spirituality” correlates with some kind of inner reflection and meditation, dabbling in crystals and new age practices, living a certain lifestyle or principle, or simply being open to explore different religious experiences. In the Christian context, true spirituality (as it pertains to our vision statement) is relational aspect of our existence as sons and daughters of the Living God. True spirituality is about our relationship with God and with the people of God. Spiritual disciplines like prayer, daily devotional meditation and reflection on Scripture are all for the purpose of building intimacy with God as we grow in Christlikeness.

One of troubling concerns for churches all over the world is that many people are drifting away from the life of the church. It’s not simply about church attendance but the drifting of spiritual companionship, which is the drifting away from the nature of having relationships that keep us bonded to God and one another as a family in Christ. Not all respond enthusiastically to the idea of a family of God. Family can be a source of pain, trauma, and conflict for some. However, we cannot understand Scripture unless we recognize the truth that we are the family of God.

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What is a church and what is the identity and the mission of the church? How we answer this question will determine the purpose and direction of all that we do as a church. Contrary to what many Christians may think, the church is not an event, a location, a product, or an experience. Yes, we have events; we gather at a location; we offer religious and spiritual products such as Bible studies, workshops, Life Groups, and so forth; we have experiences. However, the church is not these things. Then, what is the church?

The Bible speaks of the Church as: the family of God (Rom. 8:14-17); the body of Christ (Eph. 4:15-16); the citizens of God’s Kingdom (Eph. 2:19); the flock of God (Acts 20:28); a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9). These metaphors offer us different perspectives on the identity and mission of the church. What unites the diverse aspects of the church is what Jesus said about the church, and his words powerfully echo in our individual lives, our congregation, and the church.

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When was the last time you spent at least 30 minutes reflecting on your life? When was the last time you reflected on your actions and reactions, on the stories you believed, the shame you carry, on the time to listen closely to God’s word and how it intersects with seasons of your life, and discernment of God’s will for your life? It is wise to take time to reflect to make adjustments for our future, but many of us have difficulty doing so, especially when it comes to God’s will and His word. We live in a fast-paced society, so reflection is not a common practice when we are caught up in the frenzy and busyness of life. Reflection causes us to slow ourselves down, but many of us believe that slowing down leads to trouble and chaos in our lives. The irony is that we try to save ourselves by keeping up the pace, but this is what actually causes havoc in and around our lives. The deeper truth is that it is not a fast pace that we keep up but a violent pace. This violent pace causes violence against ourselves, others, and our relationship with God.

God invites us to a life of examination, a life of reflection to look inwards and look around us to see where we stand before the Lord. Nouwen once said, "We would do well to spend 50% of our lives reflecting on the other 50% that's lived." This quote points out that we do not take enough time to reflect on our lives. Through the book of Lamentations, God offers us a life that is more reflective and contemplative.

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Paul reminds us of a profound truth that lies at the heart of Christmas. He says, “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared… (Titus 3:4).” The heart of Christmas, the reason why we celebrate this day is because God has manifested His goodness and loving kindness to us , in the person of Jesus. Jesus, who is the Word of God, became flesh and dwelt among us. In that moment, the world witnessed the embodiment of divine love. Christmas is not merely the celebration of a historical event that took place in ancient Israel 2000 years ago, but it is the recognition that God's divine goodness and loving kindness has drawn near to us. In a lowly stable in Bethlehem, God’s goodness and loving kindness came in the form of a newborn baby, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. The is the good news that we celebrate and rejoice in this season.

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Philippians is called the letter of joy because it is the most upbeat and joyful of all his letters to the churches. We see Paul’s affection for this church that has demonstrated such love and generosity towards him in various ways such as financial support, especially when he was in prison. Ancient Roman prisons did not feed their prisoners and the care of the prisoner was the responsibility of family and friends. Paul expresses his gratitude in his letter and at the same time, he wants them to know something about his life in Christ and what it means for them.

“Bigger is better and having more is a must.” This is the belief that most people in the world live by. People live in pursuit of a bigger house, more luxuries, bigger paycheck, more power and status, and a bigger portion of everything. In the pursuit of something bigger and better, we become endlessly fixated on what we don’t have rather than what we do have. This endless pursuit exhausts our souls and compromises our joy. The truth is that we all have this temptation to be discontent, but the Lord shows us in today’s passage that the level of our joy is determined by how we nurture our contentment. Contentment is NOT about complacency, laziness, refusing to try new things. Contentment is about resisting the lie that something more will make you happy and having more of something makes you something more. Discontentment is a never-ending search of something bigger and better, but contentment is being free of this cycle.

Three simple but powerful questions can help us determine whether our lives are marked by discontentment: (1) How much time do you spend complaining about what you have? (2) How much time do you spend coveting what others have? (3) How much time do you spend comparing your life to others?

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We often find ourselves drifting away from our original goals as we are distracted by many things – money, ideas, opportunities, and whatnot – although we began with a clear purpose and focus. The well-known marriage vows reflect that clear purpose of commitment to each other, but it may not be so clear in daily life. The same can be said with professions where you began with passion and aspirations of making a difference, but now you may be questioning why you’re even there. For the church, a lack of purpose and focus can have devastating consequences to its mission and the teachings of the church. We are to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ by making disciples of Jesus Christ, but we drift from passion to apathy, from sacrifice to comfort, from service to selfishness. And so, Paul warns us against losing clarity of what it means to be a true Christian whose righteousness comes only through faith in Christ.

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Paul says, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing (v.14),” or, “Do everything without complaining or arguing (NLT).” Complaining can damage/destroy your relationship with God, others, and yourself. We are prone to complain, such that we don’t realize how much. It is a challenge for us, but simultaneously, God commands us clearly to do all things without complaining. There is power in our words, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue... (Prov. 18:21)”, and we can speak life or speak death. Complaining is death speech that suffocates the life out of both the speaker and the hearer(s). Complaining is Satan’s language that opens the door and invites Satan to run amok. But praise and thanksgiving is God’s language that opens the door for God’s blessings to pour in. Often, the things we complain about are not worth complaining about. Unpleasant situations, which we can do nothing about, can arise any time, but we do have control over how we respond. And how we respond demonstrates the attitude of our heart. Complaining reveals an entitled, ungrateful, and prideful heart.

Introduction – The Importance of Unity among Believers

Paul highlights Jesus’ power and glory brought forth from his humility (v.6-11) to address an issue of disunity within the members of the Philippian church. Despite being a healthy church with no major problems, Paul is concerned about division and disunity taking root. This is apparent in vv.1-2 where Paul uses words of unity 6 times: being United with Christ (v.1), common sharing in the Spirit (v.1), being like-minded (v.2), having the same love (v.2), being one in spirit(v.2), being one in mind (v.2).

Paul warns us today to be vigilant because division and disunity disarms the power of the church to be an effective channel of God’s goodness to the world and we lose the power to be effective representatives of Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven. No matter the good works we do, how holy our worship may appear, how sincere our prayers and praises may sound, a church that is divided cannot stand and function and respond to God’s calling. Unity is not about uniformity (same opinion, same views, agreement with everything), nor was this the way of the early Church in Paul’s days. Our unity comes from one thing, that our eyes and hearts are set on Jesus Christ! Our unity comes from a desire for Christ to shape us, so that we may ‘have the mind of Christ (v.5; cf. 1 Cor. 2:16)’ which is a mind that is set on humility.

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The late Pastor Tim Keller once said, “Because the gospel is endlessly rich, it can handle the burden of being the one ‘main thing’ of a church.”  This is exactly what we find in Paul’s letter to the Philippian church. Every aspect of Paul’s life is for the gospel, of the gospel, in the gospel, and due to the gospel. The endlessly rich gospel is to be the center of everything in the church.

Staking our life on Jesus is not easy. We are busy, distracted, faced with opposition, persecution, and suffering. A gospel-centered church needs gospel-centered courage and Paul teaches us how in three ways by being a church that: (1) Stands Together as Citizens of Heaven; (2) Strives Together for the Faith of the Gospel; (3) Suffers Together for the Sake of Christ.

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Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, now turns to his own situation in prison. Though under house arrest, he rejoices triumphantly in the Lord. The church in Philippi were worried because they had heard reports how their beloved Paul had been arrested and sent to Rome, how he suffered shipwreck along the way, was now confined in prison, and they feared for his life. Paul writes that the reports of his situation and his chains are true, but something else is true – that all these things have worked to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ! Despite suffering defeats, persecution by Jews and Gentiles, beaten, tortured, facing injustice, and chained to imperial guards 24/7, Paul rejoices because of the spread of the Gospel. The gospel advances most in times of adversity, not prosperity. The Gospel is invincible, unstoppable, and indomitable.

There are three points to highlight in how God uses Paul’s obstacles to advance the gospel from our text today: (1) Paul’s confidence, (2) Paul’s confinement, and (3) Paul’s challenge.