Sunday Sermon
sunday morning 18th July 2010
Mark 16v1-8
Marks account of the Good News of Jesus Christ finishes with the Resurrection story!
· He was crucified but he has risen!
The Resurrection is the end of Marks account but it is only the end of the beginning!
Mark 1v1 tells us that he is just writing about the beginning of the Good News of Jesus!
So all we have seen in this gospel is just the beginning!! But what a beginning!
“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. ....” Churchill “the end of the beginning Nov10 1942”
How are we to respond to this end of the beginning of the good news?
1)Jesus has risen therefore seek him!
a) we are to seek after Jesus without delay!
In v1-2 we read of the women who go to the tomb as early as possible.
They could not go on the Sabbath because that was the day of rest.
But as soon as the new week begun they got out there to the tomb!
The ladies were going to the tomb to take care of His body, because they loved him!
· Seeking God is one of the great needs of our faith Deu 4v29, Mat 7v7
App: We are to seek Jesus!
How? by starting each day with the simple question: what can I do for you today?
Why? because we love Him too, just like those women did!!
As they arrive the sun in the sky is rising!
A great symbolic picture of what they are about to learn concerning the Son of God.
Every new day, every sun rise might be used by us as a reminder to seek Jesus the risen Son.
b) seek him as we are!
we are to take any problems or issues that we may have to Jesus
In v3-4 the woman as they go to the tomb realise the problem of the stone in the way!
But they do not turn back! They keep heading towards the tomb.
We may have issues and questions and doubts, but we are not to give up, we are to take all these things to Jesus!
It is in practical obedience that our questions are often answered.
Just as I am - without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee, -O Lamb of God, I come!
Just as I am - though toss'd about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without, -O Lamb of God, I come!
2) Jesus has risen therefore fear not!
We are to lay aside fear because Jesus has risen! V5-6
The women were afraid when they entered the tomb, there was a strange man there!
We live in a world that for most people is terrifying!
The news is full of all kinds of evil that make people fear.
We have worries that can make us afraid.
· What is fear? a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.
Fear then is not a nice thing!!
What is the answer to all our fears?
· Jesus who was crucified has risen!!
Jesus is alive there is nothing to be afraid of!
The fear of death is one of the strongest fears that we have.
But as followers of Jesus, there is no need to fear death, Jesus has defeated it.
There is no need to fear at all – Jesus is alive!!
· God wants us to live fearless lives! Did you know that?
The bible is full of people who were afraid and often the first thing that God says to them is FEAR NOT!!
· See : Gen 15v1, 21v17, 26v24, Isaiah 41v10, 43v1, Mat10v30-31, Rev1v17.......
3) Jesus has risen therefore obey!
We are to obey His instructions! V7-8
The women are given work to do! They had to go and tell the message.
This is the first time that any of Jesus’ followers are told to say anything directly about Jesus!! Before the Message was secret, the message was about the Kingdom of Heaven being near, but now following the resurrection all can be fully disclosed!!
The message is the same for us today. Jesus is alive – this is the ongoing good news.
We are to tell the world Jesus is alive!
· This is the amazing news! How can we keep it to ourselves!
But notice the women went off and to begin with said nothing!!
They were afraid!!
We to can be so afraid that we don’t tell people the good news.
But we no longer need to fear! There is nothing to be afraid of!
· Not telling is a serious problem: Why?
Because it hinders our own growth and development, but more, it hurts others!
Unbelievers will never believe if they don’t hear the message!
· Note the call to tell Peter:
Without the word that Jesus wanted him to go to Galilee, he would have been left broken and feeling guilty. He had to know Jesus wanted him, and the women had to tell him!!
So we too have to tell the news.
The Gospel narrative is just the beginning, we need to add to the story of the Good News in today’s world by telling others all it.
sunday evening 18th July 2010
Story so far:
Moses is dead: Joshua to take over. He is commissioned. Sends spies to check land.
Now ready to cross over Jordan.
what can we learn today about following Jesus, from the Israelites as they followed God?
1) following after Jesus: a great adventure
waiting on the Lord v1-4.
(summary: A few nights sitting before the river! Watching its fast flow v1
Then the move orders come v2-4 when the ark moves follow it but keep a distance. )
· Following Jesus in obedience is the greatest adventure we are called to.
But that does not mean that all will go smoothly!
There will be problems, difficulties, trials and temptations.
Just like for the Israelites here:
At last the people have mobilised and are now at the river ready to cross over into the promised land!! But still there is this river in the way!! And it’s in flood! It’s impossible to cross over!! They have been told to go, they have begun to go, but now there is this river to cross! And they sit before it for 3 days wondering what will happen!
· So what are we to do in such times?
We are to wait on the Lord in prayer, looking for his guiding.
The guidance for Israel was the Ark.
The ark was the symbol of God’s presence: so the people were to be careful to follow God.
As we wait and pray in our life circumstances what are we looking for? for God!
So the great question is: how exactly do we do that?
How do we follow the Risen Jesus today???
· Before looking at that, why do hard times come?
Why did God not chose to bring Israel across the Jordan in drought conditions? Basically so the people would know and understand that God was saving them, God was in charge.
In all our following after Jesus remember that ultimately God is the one who is following you!! Protecting you!! Calling you!! Saving you!!
2) tools for the “following Jesus” trade:
following Jesus starts with holiness and obedience which comes from listening: V5-13
What can we do to look for God?
a) Holiness and Obedience are required from us.
As we follow Jesus, if we are really seeking Him then we will do all we can to be Holy.
And that comes first of all by doing what we know we should do!
i) e.g. v5 the Israelites are told to purify themselves! - they are called to be holy.
Holiness: set your life apart for God. Become like God – He is Holy.
ii) V6 the Priests are told to get on with what they know God is telling them to do!
Obedience: if you know what God is telling you to do, do it!
For example is we need to apologise to someone do it! If we need to forgive someone forgive! ....
b) But is not holiness and obedience a hard way? Is there not an easier path to follow?
No there is not, following Jesus is the easy way:
V7-8 the Lord speaks to Joshua: promises honour and presences!!
As we follow in holiness and obedience the promise given to Joshua applies to us also:
God will exalt us, God will be with us!! Amazing.
The opposite is true also: if we abandon following Jesus, he will abandon us!! See 1Sam2v30.
c) listening is required from us:
· The need for holiness and obedience means we need to listen to the Word:
V9-13 Joshua speaks again to the people telling them what will happen
· The people are told first to listen to the Word of Yahweh v9
Listening is a skill that we need to do all we can to develop.
We need to do all we can so that we are able to listen: “come here” – the people were basically to stop what they were doing in order to listen.
“pay attention” is what we are asked to do!!
As we pay attention to God we will hear all that is good for us!! Just like the Israelites:
They will know that they are following in Gods ways when the miracle happens v10-13
As soon as the priests feet hit the water, the water will stop!!
Our basic place for listening is the bible. Go to it expecting to hear good things from God!!
We need to listen to the word in order to follow Jesus.
3) finally we come to the “Business End” of Following Jesus: the Action!!
following Jesus leads to holiness, obedience, listening and then: action!!
All that we have been talking about has to lead into action!
That is the point of the story about the wise and foolish builders in Mat 7v24-27.
· moving out in action : V14-17 all the action happens.
So the people get up and begin to move in full faith and expectation that the promise will come true v14.
Then sure enough as soon as there was a foot in the flooding waters it stopped and all the people cross over v15-17.
Listening is so important: the Israelites listened to the Word of promise about the coming miracle. But then they moved out in action.
Good Listening is always listening that moves out in action!
That means as we listen to the word we need to act on it: rely upon it, trust it, obey it.
Listen in order to follow Jesus in obedience..... then see what will happen!!
“amazing things / wonders” v5.
