Faithful In Priorities and Values

Mark 12:28-34

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Good morning Harvest, it is a blessing to see all of you here this morning! Also welcome to a traditional Iowa winter - it has been a few years since we started off December with a thick blanket of snow!

My name is Mark Davis, I serve as one of the members of the pastor team here and I have the privilege of sharing God’s word with you this morning, wrapping up our November stewardship series on living A Faithful Life. If you are visiting with us today – welcome, I am thankful that you have joined us.

A brief note on my speech today, as in how I speak. For those of you who do not know me or have not talked with me in a while please know that I experienced an attack of Bells Palsy in early September this year. It has affected the facial muscles on the left side and slightly impacts my speech, plus I can only deliver half a smile. I also cannot blink or close my left eye fully – so while I look like I have a frown and are staring at you I apologize – I promise it is nothing personal. If my face is tough to look at, I have an alternative to suggest, I am wearing some socks that have adorable headshot pictures of our youngest granddaughter Hazel – this gives you a much cuter picture to think of. My loving wife suggested I tuck my pantlegs into my socks this morning; to enhance your ability to have something else to look at - she really does love me you know.

At this time I am going to invite the ushers forward with bibles, if you need one this morning just raise your hand and they will be happy to give you a copy.

Before we turn to the scriptures I would like to begin with a reminder of the four stewardship principles for this series, they will be up on the screen behind me:

Let us open in a word of prayer. (Prayer)

The title of our message today in this stewardship series is Faithful in Priorities and Values, the subtitle I have chosen is Measuring the priorities of Christ against our own – which we will talk about extensively today.

Our main passage this morning will be out of the Gospel of Mark, chapter 12, verses 28-34. I would like to provide some context on this portion of scripture before we begin reading it, starting with the time it would have happened in.

The events in Mark 12, and the parallel passages in Matthew 21 and 22, as well as Luke 20 occurred in the last week of Jesus’ life on earth, what the church calls the Passion week. The event we will look at today specifically occurred on Wednesday of that week – just two days before Jesus’ crucifixion.

Now the religious elites hatred for Jesus was approaching its climax at this time, and on this particular day when Jesus was in Jerusalem they had conspired together to ask him questions to try to trap him by his own words – making attempts to show the people he was not the Messiah nor anyone to be followed.  The first group recorded to come with a question were the Pharisees and the Herodians, asking him about paying taxes to Caesar. The second group to come were the Sadducees, a group that did not believe in the resurrection. They fabricated a very strange hypothetical question regarding the resurrection and presented that to Jesus. Jesus answered both questions with an astonishing wisdom that they could not argue with or find fault in. These two attempts having failed they gave it one last try through a third group – the scribes.

The Scribes, also referred to as lawyers in those days, were highly regarded as some of the most knowledgeable of the Hebrew scriptures, spending their lives copying, editing the copies to ensure accuracy, and teaching from them. If anyone could deliver a question that might be able to trip up Jesus on the Hebrew scriptures it should have been them.

Let us now read the passage in Mark 12, you will find it on page _________ of the bible the ushers handed out if you have one of those.

Jesus response to the scribe’s question gives us our first bulletin point today:

1) Jesus clearly tells us what is of the greatest importance

The religious elites were blinded to who Jesus truly was, they could not accept that he was from God and that he was doing all that he did at the leading and instruction of the Father. There was no way in most of their minds that he was able to support what he was doing from the scriptures they had been carefully preserving since the days of Moses. If you were to ask them who they would pick as a “hero” or ultimate authority figure from the all the people in Jewish history it would have been Moses – the one who lead the people out of Egypt, delivered to them the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, and had seen and talked with God as a man talks to another man.

Yet Jesus responds to the Scribes question quoting the very words recorded by Moses – beginning with what is called the “Shema” from Deuteronomy chapter 6, verses 4-9:

Jesus finishes the question-and-answer session that day by quoting the most important figure up to that time in Jewish history, Moses, and in doing so attributes all that he (Jesus) was doing and saying to the same foundation that Moses and his writings stood on.  The religious leaders could not argue or dispute his answer without calling their own faith and history into question – as a result the end of the verse in Mark 12:34 tells us this silenced them from asking anymore questions.

The “Shema,” which means both “hear” and “listen,” as in listen intently, is the most important prayer in traditional Judaism. This is what Jesus began his answer with. It is based on Deuteronomy 6 and includes verses four through nine, it was, and is, spoken daily in the Jewish tradition. Later tradition added verses from Deuteronomy 11 and Numbers 15 to this prayer, viewing the three parts as covering all aspects of the Ten Commandments.

This prayer would be written on scrolls that would be placed in small black leather boxes called phylacteries – these were worn by observant Jewish men. The boxes would be tied with leather straps to specific locations on their head and left arm. Another scroll with the prayer would also be placed in a special receptacle on their doorposts or gates.

This was done to act as a reminder to them to be obedient to the word of God and proclaim their faith, the prayer was to be recited twice a day. An additional reminder of this call to obedience was to place blue tassels – called “tzitzit” in Hebrew - on the four corners of an outer garment or prayer shawl. In Matthew 23:5 Jesus pointed out that these outer displays of religion could lead to a faith that was more concerned with outward appearances and honoring yourself than in true heart felt love of God – and he chastised those priests and scribes that made their “phylacteries broad and tassels long” to be seen of men.

The importance the Jews placed on these outward symbols, along with hundreds of additional “laws” that became part of their tradition did in fact undermine what should have been profoundly important – and that was the greatest commandment, loving God and others.

In his reply to the scribe’s question Jesus tells us what our priorities and values are to be based on, and it was not to be on appearances or works but on genuine heartfelt action flowing out of love for the father and others. Here are some examples of Jesus obedience to this:

In John 8:29 Jesus said “And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”

Jesus did not allow Satan, his own disciples, the religious leaders, the people, or the world to change his priorities to do the will of his Father, perfectly living out what he called the greatest commandment - and with it the royal law as it is called in the New Testament book of James - that of loving your neighbor as yourself.

With the priority and values of Jesus firmly established we now move to the second point on your bulletins:

2) Our priorities and values have eternal consequences and eternal rewards

Jesus further demonstrated his love for us by warning us that there were eternal consequences of not living our lives loving God to the fullest and loving others sacrificially. He makes this clear in Matthew 7 where he says in verses 21-23:

Matthew 7:21-23

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

This verse should give every one of us pause, as he is not talking about those who openly deny and reject him – he is talking about some of those who call him Lord. Simply believing in Jesus is not enough, for the scriptures tell us in James 2:19 that even the demons believe, and shudder. There must be tangible fruit in our lives that shows repentance and our love of God and others.

Jesus repeats this hard warning in Matthew 25 when talking about the final judgement:

Matthew 25:41

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’

This event will happen when Christ returns in his glory, and all the angels with him. He will take his seat on his glorious throne, and all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will sort the people to his right and left. As we read it will not be good for those on his left, and even though they call him Lord here they will plead ignorance in not seeing him in the lives of those that were the strangers, the naked, the sick, or in prison.

There will be no fruit in their lives showing they observed and lived by the greatest commandment, or the royal law of loving others as yourself. Again, it is not believing in Jesus that enables you to be on his right hand in this day, it is having and keeping his priorities and values – not our own, no matter how “good” we think they may be.

For those that do seek to live their lives with the same priorities as Christ there will be eternal rewards, as Jesus himself states in an earlier verse in Matthew 25, verse 34:

Matthew 25:34

34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

Hallelujah!

The Apostle Paul also talks about what will happen to those who love God in Romans 8, where he writes in verses 28-30:

Romans 8:28-30

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[h] for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

What an exciting and hope filled future for those that have the same priorities and values as our Lord Jesus!

Now I ask you, can we live out the greatest commandment and royal law as perfectly as Christ? After all, that is the standard he set, that is the high bar we must attain. As the Lord says we must be holy as he is holy.

The answer is that out of our own strength - absolutely not, it is impossible for us to do so because of sin. The Apostle Paul describes the struggle we have in Romans 7 where he writes in verses 14-25:

Romans 7:14-25

14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold into bondage to sin. 15 For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 However, if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, that the Law is good. 17 But now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I do the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.

21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully agree with the law of God in the inner person, 23 but I see a different law in the parts of my body waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin, the law which is in my body’s parts. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

Paul continues immediately after in Romans 8 with this encouragement from verses 1-4:

Romans 8:1-4

Therefore, there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Praise God that those of us in Christ are covered by his blood, his work on the cross, his perfect fulfillment on this earth of the greatest commandment and the royal law.

However, we do have a responsibility as followers of Christ to produce good fruit, to live a life that shows that we also have the great commandment and the royal law as our priorities. And while we cannot do this perfectly as Paul just reminded us, we do need to strive to do so.

The apostle Paul talks about this in Philippians chapter 2, verse 12 where he says: “12 …work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,”

And in the gospel of Matthew, chapter 3 John the Baptist when warning the religious leaders that were coming to his baptism, warns us as well in saying “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.”

So, what should we do in response to these instructions, and the many others throughout the scriptures? I am glad you asked – as that now brings us to the third and last point for today:

3) We should always be examining ourselves and our priorities

The bible tells us in a number of places that we are to be checking our hearts, our priorities, to be sure that our faith in Christ is real and true.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 5: “5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

And in his second letter to Timothy Paul tells believers to “present yourselves approved to God”

And from the Old Testament we have Psalm 139, verses 23-24 that say:

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting!

So, our responsibility is also clear, but why is this necessary? If I believe Jesus did what he did, and I am a nice person that does not easily anger, and I give to charity, and I come to church, and I faithfully do my job in the workplace – why do I also need to examine my faith and test it?

Short answer: Because Jesus and his word tell us to. Remember from our first point today – just believing is not enough. In addition to the verses in Matthew talking about those at the judgement who called Jesus Lord, but were not his, there is this sobering verse given by Christ in Matthew chapter 7 verses 13-14:

Matthew 7:13-14

13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy[a] that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Jesus himself warns that many enter by the wide gate – that way is easy. Few enter by the narrow gate – as that way is hard. Which gate did you come through - have you examined yourself on this?

In the parable of the soils in Mark chapter 4, Jesus talks about the seed of the word that is cast on four different types of soils, or hearts. Only one out of the four produces a crop, three do not. Only one is the good soil, which could represent those that entered by the narrow gate. The remaining three-quarters of all who the word was cast on could be considered as those that did not did not enter by the narrow gate.

Specifically, I would like to focus on one of the three unfruitful soils – the one Jesus called “rocky ground.”  Listen to the interpretation Jesus gave his disciples of this soil from Mark 4, verses 16 – 17:

“16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.

Could it be this type of soil represents those that Jesus also talked about that call him “Lord, Lord” at the judgement, yet he never knew them? Could this soil represent people that live their lives believing, yet did not have the same priorities as Christ? The test Jesus says they receive that shows their faith is not genuine is that of tribulation or persecution on account of the word, or faith in Christ.

Have you been tried by this type of fire? I would say that in this country few followers of Christ have been tried this way, I know I have not. How would your faith withstand such a trial – would you hold firm to Christ to the end?

We all have, and will continue to have, trials of various kinds just from life itself and not specifically due faith in Christ. And these are tests of our faith as well, but the acid test in this scripture passage would be losing your job, your home, your way of life, your reputation in the world, the life of a loved one, or your own life on account of Christ.

This is a good point to give us all a reminder that there are believers under persecution today in several parts of the world, and we need to remember them and pray for them. One story I recently read was of a pastor that at first had the church building they met at torn down, then the people in the town tied him to a post for several days in a public place. Then they tore down his home, and he and his family were forced to live under a lean-to in public view so the townspeople could keep an eye on them. Persecution for Christ is very real. The Voice of The Martyrs organization serves persecuted Christians in the most difficult and dangerous places to follow Christ, you can find resources and prayer needs on their website, I encourage you to check it out and support their work as you feel led to do so.

So, are you the good soil that would withstand persecution of your faith? The scriptures tell us to examine ourselves to see.

Now that we have looked at the important reasons why we should be examining ourselves and our priorities, let us move on to discussing how to do this.

Examining ourselves should be a purposeful, intentional, deliberate action that calls for a comparable level of effort and intentionality. While you do not need to set up a highly structured and scheduled system of doing this that could turn into a legalistic practice, it should result in some sacrifice. I encourage you to put off something that is not of eternal value and put on some time of self-examination.

An example of that would be taking a little time reflecting on your heart attitude in an area of your life you know may be out of alignment with Christ, instead of doing another round of scrolling on your phone, or watching TV?

In many ways this practice should mirror the call by Paul to be praying constantly. While he is not saying that you should be in prayer 24/7 rather than doing all the other things life needs some of our time for – he is saying we should have a prayerful mindset and be willing to do so for any time a need or timely opportunity presents itself.  In the same way we should be constantly checking our priorities and values as we move through each day – comparing our thoughts, actions, and attitudes against the priorities of Christ – loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and loving others as ourselves.

Here are some additional ways to examine yourself. These should be done in an honest evaluation of your thoughts and actions measured against spiritual beliefs, using Christs priorities as the measure. Now I have ten of these points to cover, but unfortunately no slides on the screen – I will try to measure my pace to give you time to take notes if you want to:

The following passage of scripture has impacted me as it concerns the importance and value of the Word of God, it comes from Psalm 19, verses 7 – 11:

The law of the Lord is perfect,

reviving the soul;

the testimony of the Lord is sure,

making wise the simple;

8 the precepts of the Lord are right,

rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the Lord is pure,

enlightening the eyes;

9 the fear of the Lord is clean,

enduring forever;

the rules of the Lord are true,

and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold,

even much fine gold;

sweeter also than honey

and drippings of the honeycomb.

11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

Continuing now with our second way to examine yourself:

We will wrap up the sermon today by tying in the previous messages from the series. As we go over a quick reminder on each of them, I ask that you keep the following in mind:

Filter how you steward your finances, time, health, and worldview with this question – does my stewardship reflect that I love the LORD with all my heart, all my soul, and all my strength?

On November 2nd we started the series talking about being faithful with your finances. I ask, what does your checkbook – for those that still use one – or your bank activity statement – say about both your stewardship and your priorities with where your financial resources go, or are kept? Does all your activity honor Christ?

On November 9th we went over stewardship of our Time, the most valuable resource we have. If how you spent your time each day was written down, every second, how much of it would pass the stewardship test? The priority and Value test? What in this area might be a place of reflection and re-evaluation?

November 16th our stewardship topic was our health, next to time the second most valuable resource we have. Does how you steward your diet, your stress levels, your exercise, and physical activity pass the stewardship and priorities test? What needs to change if anything?

And last week, November 23rd, we had a message on stewardship of our worldview. Does the one you hold meet the tests given in this message, do you understand the essential elements of your worldview? If you have questions there, I encourage you to go to the Harvest Bible Chapel website and watch that sermon again – there are great tools given to use in evaluating your worldview to make sure it measures up to the priorities and values of Christ.

It is possible to live your life in Christ, working out your salvation, examining yourself constantly to check that you are filtering life through the priorities of Christ, and have peace and contentment. The Apostle Paul testifies to this in Philippians 4 where he relays to us in verses 11 – 13:

11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance, and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

This contentment that Paul expresses flows from and reflects on his priorities matching those of Christ, his love of God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength – and his sacrificial love for those he brought the gospel to.

We will close with some verses of encouragement, also from Philippians 4, the same passage that one of our members shared with us recently when we opened the floor to testimonies of what you were thankful for. This passage is a great verse to use in examining ourselves as well:

Philippians 4:4-9

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness[d] be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Let us close in prayer. (Prayer)