Pastor Joel continues his series in the book of Mark.----Sermon outline-----A. Prediction of Judas' betrayal -14-18-21---B. Prediction of Disciples' abandonment -14-26-27---C. Prediction of Peter's 3-fold denial -14-30---D. Gethsemane -14-32-42---A. Fulfillment of Judas' betrayal -14-43-45---B. Fulfillment of Disciples' abandonment -14-50---C. Fulfillment of Peter's 3-fold denial -14-66-72-

Pastor Joel Irvin continues his series in the book of Mark.----Sermon outline-----The 6 Concluding -Trulys- of Mark ----Widow -12-43, 44---Fig Tree -13-28-30---Woman -14-9---Judas -14-18---Fruit of Vine -14-23-25---Peter -14-30--- --1- Jesus' Double Prophecy -v. 27---2- Peter's Double Protest -vv. 29, 31---3- Jesus' Double Promise -v. 28-

-Sung Psalm- 79-----The structure of the seven seals and the seven trumpets shows us the parallels. The interlude of the Seven Seals told us about the sealing of God's people. The interlude of the Seven Trumpets tells us that Jesus will protect his people - and bring them - even through death - to himself-----In both cases there is a delay in between the announcement of final judgment -in the sixth seal and trumpet-, and the actual coming of the final judgment in the seventh seal and trumpet.----These interludes serve to remind us that there is a delay in between when judgment should come and when judgment will come-----When should God's judgment come- How about now---- Aren't things bad enough yet- When I think about the awful things that we see on the news - and, for that matter, the awful things that we see in our own lives- - I have to ask, -How long, O LORD, faithful and true, until you avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth-------But God is patient - slow to anger and abundant in steadfast love and kindness. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance - and for those who refuse to repent, he wants to demonstrate what sin really deserves.-- ----And judgment will only come through the prayers of God's people...

The last oracle -chapters 9-11- was about the nations - and Israel. This oracle -chapters 12-14- is about Israel - and the nations-----But it starts with who God is. Thus declares the LORD, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth... The Lord, who is the Creator of all things. But not only is he the creator of heaven and earth - he is also the one who formed the spirit of man within him. This should get us thinking back to Genesis 1-2, where God breathed the breath of life into Adam.-- --Zechariah just said that this oracle is -concerning Israel-. But now he says that the LORD is the one who formed the 'spirit of man'. In other words, the point of this oracle will focus on Israel's distinctive role within humanity as a whole.----And Israel's distinctive role is to suffer. Jerusalem will be a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. How- Through -the siege of Jerusalem-. Jerusalem will be under attack yet again.----The phrase -On that day- structures the passage as a whole. There were too many of them to include in the outline, but there are 10 of them in our passage- Three in point one, two in point two, and five in point three-----Outline- The Oracle Concerning Israel -ch 12-14-----1. The Creator of the Heavens and the Earth - the One Who Formed the Spirit of Man - Is about to Make Jerusalem a Cup of Staggering to All Peoples -12-1-6-----2. The LORD Will Save Judah and Jerusalem and David -12-7-9-----3. The LORD Will Pour Out His Spirit on the House of David and Jerusalem -12-10-13-6-----4. The Key to the Whole Story- Strike the Shepherd and the Sheep Will Be Mine -v7-9-

-Sung Psalm- 105-----The first five trumpets are patterned after the plagues of Egypt. -God's overall intention in the plagues was to harden Pharaoh's heart so that he would not release Israel -Exodus 4-21- and to give himself the opportunity to perform his plague signs -7-3- 10-1-2-. These signs were not intended to coerce Pharaoh into releasing Israel but functioned primarily to demonstrate Yahweh's incomparable omnipotence to the Egyptians- -Beale, 465-----People sometimes object that if God hardened Pharaoh's heart, then somehow it wasn't fair for God to bring these judgments on Pharaoh. But Pharaoh deserved this. ----Remember that Pharaoh had murdered all of the Hebrew boys that he could find- Pharaoh had enslaved Israel. Pharaoh had cursed the seed of Abraham. And God had promised Abraham - -those who bless you I will bless, and those who curse you, I will curse.- So the purpose of the plagues was not so much to call Egypt to repentance, but to bring judgment against those who were already opposed to God....

As we saw last week, Chapter 9 concluded with the promise that the King would come to Jerusalem, like Solomon of old, riding on a donkey. And he would speak peace -shalom- to the nations. And when the King returns to Jerusalem - when peace is established in God's holy city, then the LORD of hosts will protect his people and bless them.----So, this is God's promise - and this is Israel's future. Zechariah reminds those who are currently building the temple - that this is where they are going.----But right now-- We've got a problem- And that is where Zechariah turns in chapter 10...

-Sung Psalm- 132-----At the end of the book of Daniel, Daniel was told to seal up the book until the end. Now the seals have opened - and we hear what is about to take place.----But in chapter 5 there was a problem- Even in the heavenly liturgy there is a problem- Why is there a problem in heaven- Because there is no one who is worthy to open the scroll.----God is holding in his hand a document that contains his purposes for history. But in order for this document to be opened, someone else must open it.----But no one is found worthy.----In chapter 7, the story also comes to a screeching halt. We saw in the sixth seal that judgment day had come - but now we find that there is a whole chapter's worth of story before judgment day can actually come.----The heavenly worship came to a screeching halt because no one was worthy. Now earthly history comes to a screeching halt also because no one is worthy - and so God says that there will be a delay in the final judgment - so that salvation can come to all the earth.----Why is it taking so long for Jesus to return- Because the nations are not yet saved.----Revelation is a book about the end times - yes - but as we saw in Revelation 5, the end times began when Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father. The whole of the period between the first and second comings of Christ are the end times.----And now Jesus - the Lion of the tribe of Judah - has triumphed. he Lion who has become the Lamb who was slain...

The final three chapters of Zechariah all talk about how God will bring judgment on Israel's enemies, and how the king will return to Jerusalem -ch 9-- but the problem is that destructive leaders continue to plague Israel -ch 10- - and so those leaders will receive the same judgment as the nations -ch 11-.

-Sung Psalm- 89-----In chapter 5 there was a problem- Even in heaven there is a problem- Why is there a problem in heaven- Because there is no one who is worthy to open the scroll.----God is holding in his hand a document that contains his purposes for history. But in order for this document to be opened, someone else must open it.----Indeed, as Psalm 89 suggested, it must be the Son of David - the one who God called as his firstborn. But the problem - as Psalm 89 also showed us - is that the sons of David failed. ----There must be one among the sons of David who will be found worthy- And so John wept. Indeed, John wept loudly. If no one is worthy - then we are all doomed-----But now Jesus - the Lion of the tribe of Judah - has triumphed- The Lion who has become the Lamb who was slain...-----And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.- In other words, Jesus now has authority to implement the Father's book - to put into effect the plans and purposes of God for all of history-----Each of the sevens in the book of Revelation function as a proclamation of the Word of God. Seven seals - seven trumpets - seven bowls. And each of the sevens proclaim what will happen in between the ascension of Christ and the final judgment. In other words, in the heavenly liturgy, God's sermon consists of all of history. Your life - your sufferings - even your death - is all a part of God's purposes for history.----So - now we are ready to hear what is in this scroll. What is in God's sermon-

You could sum up these chapters very simply as---- God's sovereignty in salvation--- Our responsibility for obedience and faithfulness --- The result of salvation and blessing for the nations----And within this - we see the Spirit's use of ordinary means. God uses us to accomplish his purposes.----The reason why you fast is because things are not the way they should be and we are not the way we should be. But fasting is not the end of the story.----In the same way, death is not the end of the story for those who believe in the resurrection- While the way of the Christian life is the way of the cross - the cross is not the goal- The goal is resurrection-----Another way to summarize its-----The people are asking if they still need to keep fasting in the fifth month -do they need to continue mourning over the destruction of the temple, while they are building the new temple------God replies by saying, that's not really a yes or no answer- Start by remembering what the prophets had warned you about. Remember why you were mourning and fasting in the fifth month - you were mourning and fasting because of your sins and rebellion- But then also remember who I am - remember who your God is - -I am the one who saves my people and restores my temple. I am the one who accomplishes my own purposes - both in destroying my enemies, and in saving my people.-----Therefore love truth and peace. And the result will be that salvation will come through you to the nations- In other words, a kingdom ethic is fundamentally a resurrection ethic-