Mark 11:

Palm Sunday – Celebration With A Purpose

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zech. 9:9).

Luke 24:21 - but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel
Being Disappointed By God

Grieve the Loss

Psalm 131 - “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?”







Ask What Disappointed You

Be honest about what you expected.







Realize God Hasn’t Walked Away


[Luke 24 – 13-27, 30-32]




[Acts 2:22-24, 37-38] Three thousand were there that day!

He’s the kind of God who welcomes our questions, who can wrestle with us through the confusion and still bless us in the process … He is the kind of God who delights in the plea, ‘Help my unbelief’ and then holds on to us because we can’t hold on to Him anymore. He is the kind of God who can handle all our doubt, all our fear, all our questions if we will simply commit to letting Him. And that is what faith does. Faith does not pretend that it is easy to believe what God reveals about Himself. Faith simply commits to taking the questions back to Him and believes that He will have the answers. – Author Hannah Anderson

There is much for us to model and learn within the chapter, but first, I’d like to situate the chapter:
1 Corinthians 12 outlines the spiritual gifts and the need for unity. In this chapter we find the significance of the unity of the spirit in vs. 4-7 and then a listing of the gifts:
The word of wisdom, the word of knowledge,
faith, healing, miracles,
prophecy, discernment, tongues and
interpretation of tongues.
We find in vs. 12 the importance of understanding that although we are each members of the Body of Christ, "For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many are one body, so also is Christ."
Chapter 14 is about the operationalizing of the gifts and the order of the church in its conduct.

Chapter 13, then, is the bridge
between receiving Spiritual gifts and using them.
In other words, Spiritual gifts used without love
are not useful to us and don’t edify God.

Perhaps this is why Paul begins the chapter with such a strong voice. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”

He goes on to mention prophecy, faith, knowledge, and by implication the rest of the gifts, and even socially responsible good deeds like “bestow all my goods to feed the poor,” but “have not love, it profits me nothing.”

To say we belong to Christ and yet act without love is to act outside,
or better said, in contradiction to the way God acts.

Thus, we cannot use the gifts of the spirit and do so outside of love.
Love is the bridge we need to put our gifts in motion in the world and not have our efforts sound like a clanging cymbal;
in other words, if we want to make love, not noise, act out of love!!!

Love is what God wants from us.
To love Him and to love one another.
So, in this time of COVID-19 let us remember some of the hallmarks of
1 Corinthians 13.

Love is patient.
Love is kind.
Love “does not rejoice in inequity but rejoices in truth.”
Love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
LOVE NEVER FAILS!!!

Let us remember that as we find our footing in this current moment that we have much to believe in and hope for. And yes, we must endure this change, but in doing so we have an opportunity to give God glory and honor by being love…
by being kind to those we are cooped up in the house with!!
By reaching out often to family and friends.
By being patient with others and ourselves.

The chapter ends with one of the most powerful axioms of the Bible:
“Now abide faith, hope, love these three;
but the greatest of these is love.”

With the love of God in our hearts
With the words of God on our lips
With the wisdom of God in our acts
We shine forth in the love that endures all things and
brings light to a shattered, darkened world.
Let your love shine!!!

James 5:13-20 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Prayer of Faith

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

The Lord's Prayer

11 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread,
4 and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”

5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

“Is There a Mission in the Mess ?”

2/23/2020

Mark 4:35-5:20

Core Belief: Trinity- I believe the God of the Bible is the only true God-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Scripture: Mark 4:35-5:20

Jesus Calms a Storm

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon

5 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.

14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

NOTES:

#1 Storms Happen- MK 4:34-37

#2- Storms reveal who Jesus is and who we are-MK 4:38-41

#3-The storm prepares us for our Mission-MK5:1-20

#4 A challenge to the Church

4 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

Exhortation, Encouragement, and Prayer

2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness 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.

God's Provision

10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 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.

14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.