Sunday – January 13, 2013

Posted on January 16, 2013 by PastorAndy

January 13, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

The Triumphal Entry from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

But have we gathered to welcome Jesus on our terms, in order to bow to a king who will give us what we want? Many in churches this day welcome a Jesus who will bring them wealth, health, success and the tokens of pleasure recognized by the world. Like the crowds at gates of Jerusalem, they will loudly acclaim Jesus as King as long as they believe He will satisfy their desires. Is that why you are here this morning? Is it to prepare for the return of the King, or just a hollow and empty pretense? The words of the multitude were right as Jesus entered Jerusalem, but their hearts were not. How does your worship this morning differ from the worship of the crowds at the triumphal entry?
Join us this Sunday as we look at Jesus entry into the city of Jerusalem before Passover from Mark 11 verses 1 to 11 and look at “The Triumphal Entry”

Word On Worship – January 13, 2013 Download / Print

Mark 11:9-10
“Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting: “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!”

As Jesus is entering Jerusalem, He is completely surrounded by a throng of humanity cheering His arrival. Some in the multitude spread their garments in the roadway as Jesus approached. Others were cutting palm branches, the symbolic picture of joy and salvation, and spreading them in the road before the Lord. There was such great excitement and ecstasy as this multitude gave praise to the Rabbi from Galilee who taught with such authority and healed the people from every illness and even raised the dead. Their expectation that the Messiah would bring deliverance was so great, even strangers were caught up in the euphoria.

The praise that comes from their mouths is the fulfillment of prophecy. The Hebrew word HOSANNA means “save now.” They acknowledge Jesus as the Son of David. They were crying out for the Messiah’s deliverance today, to save them now. They were celebrating that their King, the Son of David, had arrived to remove the Roman oppressors and establish His Kingdom. Now at last, they thought, Jesus will manifest Himself as Conqueror on the very week of Passover where Israel commemorated the Lord’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage. What better occasion could there be for the Lord’s anointed to deliver His people from Roman tyranny.

Now fast forward almost 2,000 years. Is what is taking place in this building on this Sunday morning any different from the throngs did as Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem? The words of our songs are entirely appropriate for the occasion. We lovingly speak about the reigning Messiah to come; who will lift the yoke of injustice and usher in the rule of the Son of David today. And we acknowledge His authority as a teacher, a great healer and one who casts out demons. Listen to the words that are spoken calling Jesus Lord and Savior and feel the enthusiasm that comes when people with a common desire feed each other’s passion for the coming of a new heaven and a new earth.

But have we gathered to welcome Jesus on our terms, to bow to a king who will give us what we want? Many in churches this day welcome a Jesus who will bring them wealth, health, success and the tokens of pleasure recognized by the world. Like the crowds at gates of Jerusalem, they will loudly acclaim Jesus as King as long as they believe He will satisfy their desires. Is that why you are here this morning? Is it to prepare for the return of the King, or just a hollow and empty pretense? The words of the multitude were right as Jesus entered Jerusalem, but their hearts were not. How does your worship this morning differ from the worship of the crowds at the triumphal entry?

Sunday – January 6, 2013

Posted on January 10, 2013 by PastorAndy

January 6, 2012 – Read the Word on Worship

James & John Make Their Pitch and Strike Out from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Jesus did not choose His disciples because they were more qualified or more compassionate than others. Human nature has not changed over the years and the gospel has not eliminated pride and selfish ambition from the people of God. You will still find people in the church put meeting their ego needs before meeting their obligations as a disciple. Somewhere along the way, we have taken the cross out of discipleship and replaced it with a purpose that meets material and egotistical needs and thus produces fruit of selfishness and materialism in the church.
The church cannot thrive when the people in the pews are competing with one another for positions of power. Too often we look to the world of business for role models when we should be looking to Jesus. The life and teaching of Jesus Christ turns the world’s understanding of what is great on its head. The greatest work ever done was accomplished by One who gave His life for others. It is not as the world judges great things but through self-dying service that greatness is recognized by God. Only those who give of themselves for others will be recognized by God as great in His Kingdom.
Join us tomorrow as we explore Mark 10 verses 32-52 and See”James & John Make Their Pitch and Strike Out”.

Word On Worship – January 6, 2012 Download / Print

Mark 10:35-38
“James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, “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?” They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.”

Once again the disciples are competing for first place, looking for ways to outmaneuver their brothers for power and advantage. They are interested in dominion not humility and service. They want a Messiah who is beyond suffering and will offer them their heart’s desires. But no one can understand Jesus Christ without understanding His suffering and the cross. It is the cross that distinguishes Jesus as Messiah and ours as disciples. To know Jesus as Messiah is to accept Him as One who dies for others and accept that destiny for ourselves.

The church cannot thrive when the people in the pews are competing with one another for positions of power. Too often we look to the world of business for role models when we should be looking to Jesus. The life and teaching of Jesus Christ turns the world’s understanding of what is great on its head. The greatest work ever done was accomplished by One who gave His life for others. It is not as the world judges great things but through self-dying service that greatness is recognized by God. Only those who give of themselves for others will be recognized by God as great in His Kingdom.

We cannot forget that Jesus holds Himself up as the example to be followed. He does not explain atonement as much as He shows the disciples the way of atoning life. The only way the disciples, and ourselves as well, can live up to the demands of Jesus is to realize He has gone before us, broken through and cleared the way for others to follow. We can either look to Jesus as our example, or James and John. Hopefully, looking at James and John in this passage will be like looking in a mirror where we see the reflection of our own selfish and foolish thoughts.

Sunrise – December 30, 2012

Posted on January 1, 2013 by PastorAndy

December 30, 2012 – Read the Word on Worship

What Does Not Get You to Heaven? from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Who rules over your life? Is it God or money? Jesus is calling this rich young man to join a community of believers who will take care of others material needs. And the challenge given to this man should be a warning to all of us who live in a materialistic culture that possessions, even when they are few, can be a hazard. Wealth possesses many dangers because so many people crave it. No Christian is immune to its seductive lure. Covetousness is a virus which takes residence in the soul and then slowly begins its work of destruction. Once the anesthetic of self-gratification is applied to our heart, the call for self-sacrifice deadens into numbness the things of eternity.
Join us this Sunday as we continue our study on the Gospel of Mark chapter 10 verses 13 to 31 and we look at “What Doesn’t Get You to Heaven?”

Word On Worship – December 30, 2012 Download / Print

Mark 10:23-25
“And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

It is easy for many in our culture to dismiss the command by Jesus to sell all we own and give it away as a statement of hyperbole because it appears so unreasonable. The central point of the passage is not Jesus denouncing the having of possessions, but rather one’s ultimate loyalty. Jesus did not insist Zacchaeus sell all of his goods and give them to the poor before He would agree to eat in his home. Zaccheaus voluntarily offers to give half of his possessions and restore fourfold whatever he gained from his treachery. Very few are willing to divest themselves of whatever provides them security in this life to enter a new life under God’s rule.

Who rules over your life? Is it God or money? Jesus is calling this rich young man to join a community of believers who will take care of others’ material needs. And the challenge given to this man should be a warning to all of us who live in a materialistic culture that possessions, even when they are few, can be a hazard. Wealth possesses many dangers because so many people crave it. No Christian is immune to its seductive lure. Covetousness is a virus that takes residence in the soul and then slowly begins its work of destruction. Once the anesthetic of self-gratification is applied to our heart, the call for self-sacrifice deadens into numbness the things of eternity.

Jesus told the man he lacked one thing, yet in human terms he lacked for nothing. He had plenty to live on, but nothing to live for (a sad truth of our culture today). Money brings us many things, but neither holiness nor eternal life. Yet for all the rich young ruler had, the emptiness became a gnawing hunger. What must I do to have life beyond this life? Yet when confronted by Jesus with the invitation to sell all and follow Him, he counted possessions dearer than the hope of eternal life with God and a meaningful life on earth.

Possessions can easily deceive us into thinking that they offer security and the abundant life. Having money leads us to the false conclusion that anything can be had for a price – even salvation when it is given to the right charity. We must sound the alarm to our generation about the dangers of committing ourselves to possessions and share with those who are looking for eternal life to look to Jesus Christ alone. Eternal life will only be found by people who are willing to lose their lives and their possessions for the sake of Jesus and the gospel.

Sunday – December 16, 2012

Posted on December 22, 2012 by PastorAndy

December 16, 2012 – Read the Word on Worship

Are We Following the Pharisees Off the Fiscal Cliff? from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Divorce has become so common in our culture that hardly a person can be found who has not been affected by it directly or indirectly. Each year in the United States there are over 1 million divorces, which involves over 2 million adults and beneath that rubble are the lives of millions more children who are the secondary casualties on the battleground between spouses. None of them escape unscathed, no matter how amicable the divorce may be.
Sadly, many are so caught up in the emotion and fail to connect any biblical truth to apply to the situation they find themselves or their loved ones in. We will take a second look at Mark 10 verses 1 to 12 and see if we can connect the dots in the passages where Jesus deals with the divorce issue to see the broad context He places it in- adultery, forgiveness, vows, money, and the church’s response to families in crisis. Join us this Sunday as see “Are We Following the Pharisees Off the Fiscal Cliff?” as we continue our study in the Gospel of Mark.

Word On Worship – December 16, 2012 Download / Print

Mark 10:5-9
“But 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. “FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH; so they are no longer two, but one flesh. “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

Divorce has become so common in our culture that hardly a person can be found who has not been affected by it, directly or indirectly. Each year in the United States there are more than 1 million divorces, which involves more than 2 million adults. Beneath that rubble are the lives of millions more children who are the secondary casualties on the battleground between spouses. None of them escape unscathed, no matter how amicable the divorce may be.

Many decades ago, the vast majority of marriages held together and divorce was the rare exception. There are many reasons for this stability. The family was a moral force which held marriages together in hard times. This was not the case just in the immediate family, but the extended family as well, as the example of grandparents, aunts and uncles re-enforced the covenant of marriage. This moral force was reflected back by the community. Society recognized the value of a strong family unit and the legal system protected the biblical model of the family. All of this was tied together by teaching from the pulpits of churches across every branch of Christianity. The church strongly supported family life and just as strongly opposed divorce.

Sadly today, in the name of Christian love, many not only condone divorce, but insist that sometimes it is God’s will. Even when Christians go to Scripture for guidance concerning divorce, they come with so many preconceptions and predispositions which make responsible interpretation impossible. A human standard may be more lenient or more restrictive than Scripture, but it can never be better. When God’s Word is ignored or twisted in any area, tragedy is always the consequence. This is most evident in the standards God has set for marriage and when divorce is permitted.

God has not changed His standard just because society has changed its standards. The prophet Hosea was a picture of the power of godly marital love, a living illustration of God’s undying love for His people, Israel. Hosea’s love for his wife Gomer and his commitment to her as his wife, like God’s covenant love with Israel, was exceedingly gracious and forgiving. By the power of the Holy Spirit, God expects His redeemed people in Christ to reflect the original beauty of the marriage covenant as well as the grace of forgiveness. The husband and wife who are walking in the Spirit will be walking in unselfish humility and forgiving, restoring love that always puts the other first.

Sunday – December 09, 2012

Posted on December 12, 2012 by PastorAndy

December 09, 2012 – Read the Word on Worship

The Great Divorce Debate from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

The construction of a good marriage is very similar to a quilt. We begin with a dream of a relationship far more successful than the imperfect one we may think our parents had. We make our plans, far underestimating the amount of work it will take to blend two lives into one pattern. In our distraction, we miss-stitch our lives day by day, causing painful pricks. We get discouraged because not all the pieces fit together conveniently as we thought they should. Compromises and patching up have to take place as the original design is altered, lest we give up and throw it all away. But if we persevere, allowing God to love and work in us and through us, the marriage takes on a unique beauty as love and grace turn flaws into redemption. It is the example of Christ that shapes our hurts, as ugly as they are, into pictures for the world to see the healing power of God. Join us this Sunday as we look at “The Great Divorce Debate” in Mark 10 verses 1 to 12 this Sunday.

Word On Worship – December 09, 2012 Download / Print

Mark 10:4-8
They said, “Moses permitted a man TO WRITE A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND her AWAY.” But 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. “FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH; so they are no longer two, but one flesh. “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

It does not take married couples long to learn marriage is not a fairy tale in happily-ever-after land. The hardness of the human heart has not softened since the days of Moses. The divorce rate in our society reflects most people’s belief that marriage is disposable at will. Every year since 1973, more first-time marriages have ended by divorce than by the death of a spouse. And sadly, this trend parallels the experience of married couples in the church.

Rather than focus on the changes in our society that have contributed to marriage of convenience, the people of God need to take a stand and remember our calling is to be distinct. We are not to be conformed to this world, and this includes its indifference toward the marriage vow. Jesus made radical demands upon those who follow Him and requires His disciples to trust God to empower them to live up to those demands. This requires the church to be proactive in society and seek ways to strengthen marriages and instruct the youth on the sanctity of the marriage vows to counterbalance the message we receive from our culture.

The construction of a good marriage is very similar to a quilt. We begin with a dream of a relationship far more successful than the imperfect one we may think our parents had. We make our plans, far underestimating the amount of work it will take to blend two lives into one pattern. In our distraction, we miss-stitch our lives day by day, causing painful pricks. We get discouraged because not all the pieces fit together as conveniently as we thought they should. Compromises and patching up have to take place as the original design is altered, lest we give up and throw it all away. But if we persevere, allowing God to love and work in us and through us, the marriage takes on a unique beauty as love and grace turn flaws into redemption. It is the example of Christ that shapes our hurts, as ugly as they are, into pictures for the world to see the healing power of God.

Sunday – December 2, 2012

Posted on December 3, 2012 by PastorAndy

December 2, 2012 – Read the Word on Worship

Leading Jesus Style from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Christ’s humility was evident from His perfect obedience to authority and will of His Father. Anyone can claim to be a servant, but Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was treated as one and never complained about it. Jesus Christ, the most powerful man to ever walk the face of the earth, was also the most humble man who ever lived. His agenda was never to promote Himself, but to please His Father by loving and serving others. For all who seek to follow in His example, our first call is to imitate His humility. In order to do that we are going to need to learn to lead Jesus way. Join us this Sunday as we return to Mark 9 verses 30 to 50 and find application for Jesus leadership style in our lives today.

Word On Worship – December 2, 2012 Download / Print

Mark 9:35-37
“Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, “Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.”

Woody Allen once said, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.” The corollary to that statement would be, “If you want to make God laugh louder, tell Him what you know.” Just because it is true does not make it any easier to accept. It is hard to admit we do not know as much as we think we know and we certainly are not in control as much as we would like to think. It is humbling to recognize God is more responsible for the achievements in our lives than we are. Our achievements are not our possession; they are gifts from God for which we will give an account for what we have been given.

Everything in us strains against this because to accept this as fact is to be humbled. And humility leads to submission. We don’t want to admit God is the giver of every good gift because that would mean that we have to yield to his agenda. Humility and submission are two sides of the same coin. Humility is certainly not natural, so this is another reason we need to learn from the Scriptures. It is only from the Word of God that we gain insight to become the kind of leaders God desires and our world so desperately needs.

The best example of humility is our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus never clung to the outer manifestation of His divinity. Instead, He took the form of a servant. A servant is often taken for granted, overlooked and unnoticed. Our culture has trained us well in the art of assertiveness. On the contrary, humility comes from a disciplined strength which gives us the ability to serve others rather than manipulate them to have our needs met. Because of our identify in Christ, we can serve without being noticed by human eyes, knowing the One we serve always sees and has promised our reward in eternity.

Christ’s humility was evident from His perfect obedience to the authority and will of His Father. Anyone can claim to be a servant, but Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was treated as a servant and never complained about it. Jesus Christ, the most powerful man to ever walk the face of the earth, was also the most humble man who ever lived. His agenda was never to promote Himself, but to please His Father by loving and serving others. For all who seek to follow in His example, our first call is to imitate His humility.

Sunday – November 25, 2012

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Bernie

November 25, 2012 – Read the Word on Worship

Can We Franchise the Church? from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

The disciples, as do many church leaders today, have an over inflated view of leadership. They want to lead so others will serve them. So as the disciples argue with the teachers of the law over their failure to cast out a demon earlier, they have no problem chastising another who is successfully casting out demons in Jesus name because he was not one of them. They want to control the rights to Jesus name, as if they held exclusive rights to the franchise. This elitist worldview has continued down the centuries and infected generation after generation with pettiness and politics. If Jesus were to ask the leaders of the Church today the same question about which we are arguing, would the silence be any louder than it was with the twelve? Join this week as we continue our study in the Gospel of Mark in the first part of Mark 9 verses 30 to 50.

Word On Worship – November 25, 2012 Download / Print

Mark 9:30-31
“From there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know about it. For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.”

The ministry of Jesus at this point in Mark’s gospel now shifts from public ministry to a time of intensive training of the twelve. Jesus was never swayed by the adoration of the masses, but now as He turns to Jerusalem one final time, His focus is on these few who will carry the gospel forward to the world. Jesus tells them again His destiny is to be rejected by men who will kill Him but he will be resurrected on the third day. It is here Jesus adds a new detail to His previous statement of suffering: He will be betrayed by one of His own into the hands of men.

They should have been worried about who it will be among them who will betray the Lord of Glory, but instead it becomes a catalyst to debate about who is the greatest. It will continue as they argue with the successful exorcist because he does not follow them. Their need for recognition will also be an issue at the Last Supper as Peter will argue that he will be more faithful than the rest. The picture we are given by Mark is showing Jesus walking ahead to Jerusalem to be sacrificed as the disciples push and shove to establish the order of the procession behind Him.

The disciples, as do many church leaders today, have an over-inflated view of leadership. They want to lead so others will serve them. So as the disciples argue with the teachers of the law over their failure to cast out a demon earlier, they have no problem chastising another who is successfully casting out demons in the name of Jesus because he was not one of them. They want to control the rights to His name, as if they held exclusive rights to the franchise. This elitist worldview has continued down the centuries and infected generation after generation with pettiness and politics. If Jesus were to ask the leaders of the Church today the same question about which we are arguing, would the silence be any louder than it was with the twelve?

The “cult of personality” is alive and well in the church today as it was with the twelve on the road to Jerusalem. How often is the pastor given top billing above Jesus, just as members of the local body seek for their name in the bulletin or church newsletter for their service? Yet our Lord demonstrated His definition of leadership by the cross of Calvary. When leadership is defined by sacrifice, the cross makes sense. The cross is God’s view of leadership. This is the definition of leadership established by Jesus, which He followed to His death. Therefore, any who seek to be leaders must follow Him to the cross to die themselves.

Sunday – October 28, 2012

Posted on October 31, 2012 by PastorAndy

October 28, 2012 – Read the Word on Worship

Why Is Jesus So Cranky? from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Does Jesus ever get grumpy? Just wake up on the wrong side of the bed after dealing with the disciples with yet another problem? Maybe if we saw Jesus in His full glory on the Mount of Transfiguration we would understand what Jesus sacrificed to come to earth to redeem mankind. Join us this Sunday for our continuing study of the Gospel of Mark in Mark 9 verses 1 to 29 as we look at “Why Is Jesus So Cranky?”

Word On Worship – October 28, 2012 Download / Print

Mark 9:18-20
“I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.” And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!”

The pandemonium that greets Jesus and the three disciples when they come off the mountain might give Peter new incentive to return to the place of glory to build those shelters, far removed from the noise down below. Coming back from the glory of the Transfiguration and into collapse of the disciples’ failure to cast out the demon was not what anyone expected. How many times have we desired to retreat from life’s failures or from a faithless generation? I am sure the disciples would understand the commercial that asks, “Want to get away?”

This episode is different from the other exorcisms we have already seen in the Gospel of Mark. The earlier encounters demonstrate the authority of Jesus over the demons but here Mark turns our attention to the failure of the disciples to cast out the demon and the father’s need for faith. The disciples are just like us – beset by failure, eager to engage in arguments, undisciplined in our prayer lives, and more interested in learning technique instead of taking the time needed to walk closely with God. This incident shows us how feeble we all are when we are running on our own steam.

To their credit, the disciples want to learn from their failure. Their question to Jesus reveals their assumption that it is all about their technique. They thought it was all about their skills and power, so the only reason why something went awry had to be the result of poor technique. Power in our spiritual lives has nothing to do with the right combination of words or actions. There is no lamp to rub to get our magical three wishes. The answer Jesus gives His disciples makes it clear that spiritual power has nothing to do with secret lore, techniques or incantations. They had trusted in themselves and their power rather than in God.

Only when we, like the disciples, come up short in failure do we realize that we posses no power in ourselves. Those who belong to the faithless generation do not cast out evil. God does. The power belongs entirely to God and must be received afresh from Him through a life of prayer and self sacrifice. We cannot take a course to learn the ins and outs of spiritual effectiveness, as if the power of God is earned like a merit badge. Our attitude must be like the father in Mark 9:24: “I do believe; help my unbelief.” It is only then we will be useful as healers and agents of comfort for those who suffer.

Sunday – October 21, 2012

Posted on October 21, 2012 by PastorAndy

October 21, 2012 – Read the Word on Worship

The Most Important Question from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

There are a lot of questions we ask ourselves about our lives. What will do to earn a living, how should we raise our families, how can we define success in our lives. But the most important question any one can ask themselves is who is Jesus of Nazareth? Who Jesus is and what you are going to do with that answer is the single most defining issue you have to make with eternity. Join us this Sunday as we look at "The Most Important Question" from Mark 8 verses 27 to 38.

Word On Worship – October 21, 2012 Download / Print

Mark 8:34-35
“And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

If ever there was a man who could be right and yet simultaneously wrong at the same time, Peter must be him. In our passage, Peter makes his stunning confession of faith in Jesus being the Messiah. But then Jesus tells the disciples His path will lead to suffering, humiliation and ultimately death on the cross and Peter’s reaction is to tell Jesus no way! One can hardly blame Peter for missing the point since the cross was contrary to every interest in Peter’s life at this time. Are we any different than Peter today?

We need to remember the Jewish method of execution was stoning. When Jesus told them they would need to take up their cross to follow Him, they heard Roman execution. To be Messiah meant possessing the Wisdom of Solomon, providing bread in the Wilderness like Moses, leading in conquest like Joshua and establishing an eternal kingdom like David in the minds of the disciples. Nowhere in their job description for the Messiah was death at the hands of the same Romans they expected Jesus to overthrow. Jesus is heading to His own death and they will be following Him to the same destination.

Following Christ requires the believer to act in ways which are contrary to our basic instincts and interests. Jesus is not going the way our culture is going. That leaves us with the hard choice to follow our goals and self interests or to die to them by taking up a cross, a Roman method of execution. That certainly was no more popular in the minds of the disciples that in our minds today. The gospel is all about taking up our cross and embracing death. The result of following Jesus means our lives will turn upside down. No matter what our culture may be – American, Chinese, Islamic or even Jewish, when you come to Christ He will turn your values upside down. Following Jesus means we are going to die to the way we used to live our lives.

When I read through the Gospel of John, one of the key words is BELIEVE. But here in the Gospel of Mark the key word is FOLLOW. Many would like to apply this as a multiple choice where we can believe or follow Christ. Jesus makes it clear it is both to believe and follow. What do you believe about Jesus ? Will that compel you to follow Him? With what you know about Jesus, are you willing to get behind Him and follow His lead, even when the road He has chosen leads us to Golgotha? We must be ready to follow when Jesus leads us along the roads we would never have chosen for ourselves.

Sunday – October 14, 2012

Posted on October 18, 2012 by PastorAndy

October 14, 2012 – Read the Word on Worship

Lessons from the Leftovers from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Jesus is continuing His ministry in Gentile territory and after teaching for three days feeds the crowd of 4,000 people in attendance. But instead of seeing the sufficiency of Christ in their midst, the disciples connect all the wrong dots and worry about what they are going to do for lunch with only one loaf of bread in the boat. Let’s see if we can make the connections and learn “The Lessons of Leftovers” in our study of the Gospel of Mark chapter 8 verses 1 to 26.

Word On Worship – October 14, 2012 Download / Print

Mark 8:11-12
“The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. Sighing deeply in His spirit, He said, “Why does this generation seek for a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

“Seeing is believing” is more than a Madison Avenue marketing ploy. We want to test the merchandise ourselves to see if it lives up to the hype. Our generation is seen in the actions of the Pharisees. The Pharisees are looking to dictate to God the terms and conditions under which they will believe or not believe. They want unequivocal, irrefutable and visible evidence that removes any doubt from the decision of faith. In reality, they are really looking for something from Jesus to eliminate the need for faith. But is our generation any different?

Jesus has proved His authority throughout His ministry. He sent the healed leper to them as a testimony of His power to heal. He confirmed His authority to forgive sin by commanding the paralytic to walk. He taught with authority that the people had never seen from the religious leaders. He broke Sabbath commands with Old Testament precedent for His actions. He commands storms to be stilled and demons to be removed. But the Jewish leaders have rejected the evidence and moved forward to plot His death. The response of our Lord is to deny them any further evidence since they refuse to believe no matter what He says or does.

The Messiah they want will never come. They want a compliant superman who has the power of heaven to fulfill their own earthly program. They dream empty dreams of overthrowing tyrants so they may be installed as the new tyrants. They want Jesus to give them proof of what they want to be true, without having to believe in Jesus as their Messiah. Does this sound like the Jesus our generation wants? This was the very temptation Satan used in the Wilderness. For Jesus to resist such pressure and remain obedient to God required a clear vision of God’s will, unwavering dedication and continual prayer.

Today people still want convincing signs. If we were in the crowd when He was crucified, would we demand He come down in some dramatic show of force so we might believe He is the Christ? Each one of us must discern the truth of from the way He gave His life on the cross and the evidence of the resurrection. Scoffers will appear in every generation asking for signs only to ridicule faith in God against all evidence presented to it. Mark’s Gospel shows us the Creator does not bow to such demands from the created. We must follow the example of Jesus and demonstrate our faith by our commitment to obey God and giving ourselves as a sacrifice to others.

Sunrise Community Church

Jesus is THE Way, not only a statement of faith; the way of life.

Tag Archives: Gospel of Mark