Cornerstonekaty

The Death of Jesus

Mark 15:1-39

As you may have noticed, the world we live in is increasingly divided. People are divided over politics, practices, and faith perspectives. And it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. When we look across the world we see Biblical Christianity growing. And we also see devout secularism growing. The middle is losing ground. Instead of having reasonable discussions on these opposing views of the world, whether because of hostilities or fear, the dominant approach is to mock and denounce the other side because they have “closed their eyes to the truth.”

That is not a healthy thing to do, however. It may feel good in the moment, but it doesn’t bring people together. It further divides.

The reality is your worldview isn’t just a matter of the head. It is also a matter of the heart. Facts are important, as all worldviews must fit the facts. But facts aren’t enough. There is a heart component. We are driven by that which captivates our heart. This is why the truth we find in the Bible is found in stories. The stories invite us to feel, not just to think. And the ultimate story we find in the Bible is the story of Jesus. And the ultimate action we find by Jesus is found in his death. Jesus death invites us to believe.

The Church of Dim Orthodoxy

Revelation 2:1-7

Back in 2007/2008 I had a few friends in college who were marines that had recently returned from a tour in Iraq and, naturally, they had many stories to tell. I remember one story where my friend and his squad were set up around a city that they were preparing to invade at night. The city’s power supply had been knocked out so everything was pitch black, and they had split up on opposite sides of a street, hiding behind some buildings while waiting for the command to advance. The commanding officer was using his night vision to look for threats when, from the squad across the street, a source of light was created. It brightened suddenly, then dropped down, dimmed, then came back up, then brightened again. Immediately recognizing what that was, the commanding officer darted across the street, snatched the …cigarette… out of some very surprised hands, shoved it into the dirt… “ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US ALL KILLED??? A SNIPER COULD SPOT YOU FROM A MILE AWAY WITH THAT!!!” Shining light in the darkness can be dangerous.

The church of Ephesus is no small cigarette, and neither is the church at large. Their letter opens with a reminder that they are one of the 7 lampstands among which the Lord walks, as established in Revelation 1. But what does that mean for them? How about us? What is a lampstand supposed to do when there are enemies in the darkness who hate the light? Let me suggest 3 headings for you this morning: 1. A lampstand must keep its light pure. 2. A lampstand must keep its light bright. and 3. A Lampstand must trust in the source of its light. Let’s start walking through our text.

The Lord's Supper

Mark 14:22-72

I know this is a long passage and we’re not going to explore each verse but rather make some observations of the overarching story. It begins with the institution of the Lord’s Supper, something we celebrate each week. It is the reason that Jesus endured this fateful night. I think it is grossly under-appreciated and poorly understood. This morning we will address this. Whether you realize it or not, you need spiritual food as much as physical food, that your spirit and your faith may be revived and refueled. The Lord’s supper is given to us as a means toward this.

There is a good example of this in the life of David. Before David was king he and his band of mighty men returned home one day to find that it had been raided and their wives and family had been taken. It was a devastating blow to their morale. They were already worn out from their battles and in need of rest and recovery when this took place. And now “they raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep.” David’s men were so upset they were ready to stone David. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. How did David do that? The clue is in “his God” at the end of the sentence. David had a personal faith in his covenant God. That, is where he began. The Lord’s supper points us to this covenant God and invites us to him through personal faith.

Devotion and Betrayal

Mark 14:1-21

With chapter 14 the plot to kill Jesus takes an ominous step forward and his final hours are described in great detail. It’s as if Mark has been rushing us to this moment with his familiar phrase, “and immediately…” until this moment that all of redemptive history has been preparing for, when Jesus would be put to death.

It is set in motion with the plotting of the scribes and chief priests.

It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.” (Mark 14:1–2)

In the meantime, Jesus and those close to him have their own preparation to do and that is what we see happening in this passage. In particular, we find two actions set in stark contrast to one another, one from a woman who interrupts a meal, and the other a disciple who sought an opportunity to betray Jesus. It’s such a stark contrast we can’t help but consider the actions and reflect upon the relationship each had with Jesus. And at the end of the day, it invites you consider your own relationship with Jesus. What does yours look like?

As we explore these two people, one important difference stands out, and that is the value Jesus has to them. Jesus taught about the value of the kingdom of God with parables. The first that brings this out is Matthew 13:44.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. (Matthew 13:44)

Another parable is found in Mark 10:17-21

17 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?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 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.’ ” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 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.” (Mark 10:17–21)

Why did he need to sell all that he had? It wasn’t that this would earn his way. It was to show his devotion to Jesus. That’s what it means to have eternal life. It means to be fully devoted to Jesus.

The woman in our passage was devoted to Jesus. Judas used Jesus. Which are you? What should our devotion look like?

Olivette Discourse: The Day and the Hour

Mark 13:28-37

Olivette Discourse: Coming of the Son of Man

Mark 13:24-27

Life's Big Questions - Part 3

Ephesians

Olivette Discourse: Signs of the Times

Mark 13:3-23

“Signs of the Times” is a phrase that has weaved its way into our culture. Every time we hear of some new disturbing thing taking place in the world someone asks, “is this the end? We must be seeing the signs of the times. What else could it be?” Why has this penetrated our culture so deeply? In part, it is because of this passage. In it we find Jesus describing things that will take place before “the end.”

The principle call to the disciple in relation to these things we call “the signs of the times” is to endure. We would be wise to take this exhortation to heart. When hard things happen that threaten the peace and security of our world, we are called to endure in our faith. We recall the words of Jesus,

​4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. 8 “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, 9 but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. (Luke 12:4–9)

“Signs of the time” became a popular buzzword about 50 years ago after the reemergence of Israel as a nation in 1948 and the great emphasis that the system of teaching we call Dispensationalism has placed upon this event. According to this system of teaching, it meant that we are the generation that will experience the last days and should be on the lookout for the signs of the times. As a result, it has been an area of particular interest and a major focus. Dallas Theological Seminary is the principle promotor of such system which has been the training ground for pastors. If you listen to radio teachers, this is likely the system that you will hear. It would seem to be the only viewpoint because it is the system of teaching that is hyperfocused on eschatology. There are other perspectives, but they haven’t given the attention to eschatology that dispensationalism has because modern events don’t necessarily carry the same weight.

So, are we seeing the “signs of the times”? To answer that I want to look to Scripture before we look to the newspaper. In other words, instead of getting caught up in the events going on around us and looking to see if we can find them in the Bible, we ought to look at the Bible to see where it is in history we ought to be looking for the signs.

Olivette Discourse: Introduction

Mark 13

This morning we come to the Olivette discourse. It’s called that because it takes place on the Mount of Olives between Jesus and four of his disciples. We’re going to spend 4 weeks looking at this passage for a couple of reasons. One, it is an important topic, filled with important exhortations for his listeners. Two, it has been understood in a variety of ways and therefore been the source of no small amount of controversy. So, right off the bat I want to warn you, we’re walking into a mine field.

But we must walk through the minefield. It’s part of the Bible and has been given to us for a reason. This teaching of Jesus is found in all three of the synoptic gospels. In addition to Mark 13, we also find it in Matthew 24 and Luke 21. And with so many parallels in the book of Revelation, some have called Revelation John’s way of explaining the Olivette discourse. The point is, it is something the apostles considered of vital importance. It may be a minefield for us, but it is clearly important enough for us to take the time to walk through it.

So, how ought we to walk through it? That is what we will lay out in this introduction.

Road to Humility

John 14:8