Cambria Pulpit

What is a Christian? How would you answer that question if you were asked? Perhaps you would say something like, “Someone who believes in God.” Or maybe you would say, “Someone who has been saved.” Perhaps even simply, “Someone who goes to church.” For some time now, American churches and therefore the rest of culture has gotten the answer to this question wrong. The view has been one of moral people who do some God stuff, just not the uncomfortable God stuff. They go to church, they stay out of trouble, they don’t do drugs, they vote republican, and they love America. As long as one stayed in this lane, they could engage in extra-marital sex, drink all they wanted, live for pleasure, and still be good. But as we will see today, this is far from the Biblical definition of a Christian.

The following statement was made today by Pastor Dave regarding the COVID-19 pandemic

We have all had those moments in life when the light bulb goes on for us. You know what I am talking about. Times like when a baby figures out that they can walk. Or when they try ice cream for the first time. Times like when you learned to ride a bike without training wheels. We have all had those time. Something happens and now what didn’t make sense before, what seemed impossible before, now makes sense. 

Over the last two weeks we discussed the reality that our view of God dictates our view of life. As a result, we need to open our eyes and see Jesus for who he is. We noted that the disciples didn’t see Jesus for who he is. They were busy worrying about food while he was teaching them. But these texts set the table for the text today. The text today serve as the centerpiece of the Gospel of Mark. Everything in the book has been leading to this point. And in this text, the light bulb goes on for the disciples. Throughout the book, the question has been, “Who is Jesus?” and in this text, the disciples finally have the answer. Yet, as we saw with the healing of the blind man last week, this comes in stages. In this text, Mark reminds us that Jesus is the Christ, who died for us, that we should follow. And encourages us to acknowledge Jesus as Christ and follow Him. And through this text, we discover what it means to follow Christ. We will read through verses 27-38. However, as with the last text, this will take us a couple of weeks to work through. 

Are you struggling right now in life? Are you burdened by worry? Why is it that we are not marked by joy? Your view of God dictates your view of life. The answer comes back to the fact that we are blind in our view of God. In the narratives we began last week, Mark challenges us to open our eyes and see Jesus for who he really is, God the Creator the Sufficient Savior. 

In this section there appear to be four different narratives. The feeding of the 4,000, the conflict with the Pharisees, the discussion with the disciples, and the healing of the blind man. However, as we saw last week, Mark is driving home the lesson that we must open our eyes and see Jesus. Through the narratives as well, he gives us insight into how this is accomplished. Last week we looked at the two first narratives ...

Why don’t people see Jesus for who he is? Why don’t I often see Jesus working in my life? Why is it that sometimes it just feels as though this is all just a show? The reality is that often we share the Gospel and the ones with whom we share it fail to grasp the significance of Jesus. Sometimes we walk through the course of our lives and it feels as though Jesus isn’t real at all. If God is so great and Jesus is so marvelous, why doesn’t everyone run to God? 

Mark 8 serves a pivotal text in the Gospel of Mark. The book began with the statement that Jesus is the Son of God. Over the past seven chapters, Jesus has been proving this reality in a variety of ways. But the disciples keep seeming to miss the fact. Later in chapter 8, the disciples finally grasp the reality the Jesus is the Son of God. And the Gospel of Mark ends with the soldier at Jesus’ crucifixion declaring that Jesus is the Son of God and Jesus proving it through his resurrection.

This pivotal section begins however with the explanation as to why we and others don’t see Jesus. Through the first 26 verses, Mark establishes beyond doubt that Jesus is God the Creator, the Sufficient Savior. But demonstrates that we often miss this reality. Through this section, Mark challenges us to recognize and trust Jesus with our lives. 

We will read the first 26 verses because each of these narratives build on one another towards this one theme. However, we will be honest with the fact that we will not make it through all 26 verses this morning. 

In this section there appear to be four different narratives. The feeding of the 4,000, the conflict with the Pharisees, the discussion with the disciples, and the healing of the blind man. However, as we get into these narratives and see the way they build on one another, we will discover that through them, Mark is driving home the lesson that we must open our eyes and see Jesus. Through the narratives as well, he gives us insight into how this is accomplished. 

What happens when we have been cleansed by Christ? What are the marks of a person who has a relationship with God? Are there things that should happen when we have confessed Christ as our Lord? Ephesians 2:8-9 inform us that salvation is by grace through faith. But then verse 10 informs us that we have been predestined to good works. So what are these works? In the narrative this morning, we discover that one of the works that mark a true believer is the desire to share the good news of Christ with others. When we see Jesus for who he is, we cannot help but proclaim it. 

Over the past few weeks we have been examining the glorious cleansing form sin found in Christ. We learned from the Pharisees that this cleansing does not come through religious traditions. We learned from the Syrophoenician woman that this cleansing comes through Christ and is available to all. In our text today, we learn that Christ grants sight and hearing so we are to use it to proclaim him. ...

What must be true about a person in order for them to enter into a relationship with God? While we would hopefully quickly say something to the effect that all that is needed is repentance and faith, often we act as if there is more. We act as though a person needs to get their life cleaned up in order for God to accept them. We act as though there are certain people that are too far gone so that God cannot accept them. We measure these people by our own standards and find them coming up short.

As we saw last week, the Pharisees fell into this category. They measured people not by the commands of Scripture, but by their own traditions. They stated that people needed to follow a set of rules in order to be acceptable to God. If the rules were not followed, then the individual was defiled. Jesus quickly and harshly confronted them about this heresy and demonstrated that the Word provides the way to cleansing. In today’s text, Mark uses the next incident in Christ’s life to demonstrate that this cleansing found in God’s Word comes only through Christ and that it is available to all who come in faith.

The Pharisees hated Jesus because he did not keep their traditions. In our text this morning, this frustration reaches a boiling point, and results in a classic confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees. While the Pharisees believed that their tradition kept them in communion with God. Jesus countered that, since sin proceeds from the heart, human tradition cannot make us clean. And so, he challenged them and us to make the Word the priority

There is a pandemic sweeping the nation. Do you fear it? No, I am not talking about this new super virus people are scared is going to come from China. No, this pandemic is far worse. It is a pandemic of murder. This murder has nothing to do with gangs and guns. This murder is not confined to a large metropolitan area. This murder takes place all over the country, and even in our own county. Last year, this pandemic resulted in over 300,000 lost lives. This pandemic is the sin of abortion. 

Last year Planned Parenthood reported 332,000 abortions (their highest number in a year to date). They did this receiving $500 million dollars from the government. Since the Roe v Wade decision, 60,000,000 babies have been murdered through abortion. 60,000,000 innocent lives have been snuffed out. Compared to deaths by gun violence in that same period (1.5 million) we find the ratio to be 1/60. And yet our society screams to end gun violence but screams for the right to snuff out the lives of innocent babies at a 6000% greater rate.

We understand what it means to worship in truth, but what does it mean to worship in spirit? We need to understand three important factors to worship in spirit.

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