Pastor's Bible Study

The overarching purpose of these opening verses of Mark’s Gospel is to reaffirm the divine authority of Jesus Christ. Disciples preparing to face the cruel authority of Roman persecutors needed this reminder: Do not fear Rome; our authority comes from God, who will hold Rome accountable and will minister to those who faithfully endure temptation.

The author of Hebrews closes his letter to the Hebrews with personal words of requests for prayer, exhortations to apply and book, and a farewell of grace.

Jesus never changes, and God has given us some truths that can allow us hold tightly to the unchanging grace of our Savior.

Chapter 13 is filled with lots of practical teaching on a variety of subjects that deal with love for people and love for God. The author in verses 1-7 shows us how we are to love others with our commitment and contentment.

We need God's grace everyday to stick to the race track of life. We must look to Jesus, God's love, and God's grace. If we turn our eyes and lives to worldliness, we will get off track and perhaps not even get back into the race.

In this fallen world, everyone experiences a mixture of both triumphs and tragedies. However, neither astonishing victories nor demoralizing defeats represent the end of the story.
As the author closes out chapter 11, he summarizes this truth: And all these, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
We too can do as they did: look into the future by faith and live faithful lives in the present.

Sometimes we have to wait before God fulfills what He has promised. In the waiting we exercise our faith and grow it stronger. We don't give up in despair. We have to long for those things that are not of this world. Get our eyes on the spiritual, eternal, and heavenly. Like Abraham, we must look for a city whose building and maker is God.

The way to follow Jesus is faith. He is superior in person and ministry. The way we please God in following Jesus is through and by the superior principle of faith.

Because of Jesus' superior sacrifice, a way has been opened for us to have a relationship with God. It also established Jesus as our Great High Priest. In light of Jesus superior sacrifice and ministry, we have a responsibility to draw near to God, hold fast our confession of hope, and stir one another up unto love and good works.

Because the OT sacrifices could never provide for cleansing and removal of guilt, there was a need for a greater sacrifice. Jesus is that greater sacrifice. He is the Lamb that taketh away the sins of the world. By His sacrifice, the OT ended and the NT began. The sacrifice of Jesus was a one for, once for all, and free for all sacrifice that brings the removal of guilt and the purging of the heart from sin.