Easter Preparations

Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant” Mark 10:42

INTRO: Have you ever heard someone say their pastor teaches the Bible verse-by-verse?

It sounds like they’re getting at every morsel of truth
– but verse-by-verse is not necessarily the best way to go thru the Scriptures
• the Bible wasn’t written verse-by-verse — chapters and verses were added much later to make for easy reference
• also, verse-by-verse suggests each verse contains its own message–a tiny capsule of truth
○ but most verses in the Bible are only a fragment of a larger thought — sometimes a phrase within a sentence
– I’ve noticed that those who teach verse-by-verse tend to read a verse or two and then preach a mini-sermon
• we are not really learning from them what the Bible teaches

When we study the Scriptures, we look at an entire thought
– this means, we have to figure out where each thought begins and ends
• sometimes the biblical writers help us – they leave markers
• we have a good example in this passage, which begins and ends with the words “on the road” (vv. 32 & 52)
○ like bookends, this phrase creates an envelope around the text (the literary term is inclusio)

When the markers are this obvious, they reflect something from the message that lies between them
– for example, people didn’t connect with Jesus only in public meetings
• they received training on the road
○ in a synagogue, on a hillside, or by the sea, Jesus delivered his message regarding the kingdom of God
○ on the road, he addressed issues and gave warnings that were practical and of the moment
– this particular road was taking the Lord and his followers to Easter

Jesus was in a mood Continue reading →

Easter Preparations

As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Mark 10:17

INTRO: Easter is only three weeks away and it is much too important a day to let it sneak up on us

So we find chapter 10 in the Gospel of  Mark and catch up with Jesus a few weeks before the cross

If we look close at these six stories, we can discern a pattern in this chapter
– in the first half, two dialogues precede a dramatic, personal encounter with Jesus
• then, the second half repeats the first half — two dialogues followed by a dramatic, personal encounter
• for both individuals, the encounter with Jesus proved to be a moment of crisis – a crucial turning point

The two men could not be more unrelated
– one is healthy, rich, and mobile, while the other is blind, poor, and “stuck”
– Jesus invited the mobile one to follow him, but he did not go
• Jesus did not invite the stuck one to follow him, but he did anyway
– the first one had much to lose – the second had nothing to lose
• but the one thing they shared in common: they both had everything to gain

A brief look at the first two dialogues

Vv. 1-12, People were abusing the divorce clause found in the law
– they used the letter of the law to violate its intent
– Jesus’ explanation to the disciples regarding “divorce and marries another” (vv. 11-12) contains a conditional clause
• one action is undertaken in order to perform a second action
○ in this case, a person divorces a spouse, because he or she wants to be with, and marry, someone else
○ to Jesus, this amounts to legalized adultery
– the point being: Jesus does not put up with our nonsense
• he calls our actions by their real name
○ the people who exploited this loophole in the law were, technically, righteous people, but they were not good people Continue reading →

A Spiritual Mentor encourages to meet God in the Scriptures

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Hebrews 4:12-13

INTRO: In the New Testament, there are three books that are difficult to follow:

1. Romans, because Paul’s logic is so tricky
2. Hebrews, because it is so deep and relies so heavily on the Old Testament
3. Revelation, because of its obscure symbolism

There are some scary passages in the book of Hebrews
– notice how this chapter begins, “Therefore, let us fear . . .”
• fear what? Missing out on the life God calls us to enjoy with Him
– we’re given an example of people who missed out – Israel (3:16-19)

A Christian might argue, “Well, we have the Scriptures”
– but the writer says, “They had God’s word! At least as much as they needed to reach their destination”

The key word of this passage is “Today”
– Hebrews 3:7 quotes Psalm 95

Today if you hear His voice
Do not harden your hearts . . . (Ps. 95:7)

• the psalm was written 1,000 years earlier prior to this letter and it refers to an event that took place 400 years before the psalm was written
○ so how are we to interpret the word “Today”? Answer: Continue reading →

A Spiritual Mentor helps us reconcile ourselves to life

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. Genesis 3:1

INTRO: There is a subtle but important detail in this story we might easily overlook

“LORD God” translates God’s name, Yahweh, and who he is, Elohim
– that God has a name is critical to the story developing in these first three chapters
• he is not merely a Creator manipulating his creatures
○ e.g., creating a set and then manipulating his “action figures” on it
• he is Person, and confers personhood on humans
– because God is person and humans are persons – relationship exists between them
• so throughout chapter 2, from verse 4 through 22, God is mentioned by name

But when the serpent speaks, he does not refer to Yahweh
– God’s name is left out of this conversation
• but it is picked up again when the narrative resumes in verse 8
• this is a good example of what we’re told about the serpent, he’s “crafty”

This subtle move does two things:

1. it depersonalizes God – Eve forgets that he is loving provider of all that is good
2. it creates a sense of distance between God and the woman
   – she is manipulated into seeing God as over against her
   – for a moment, “God” appears to be far away and unconcerned

I remember, years ago, my mother saying, “Eve’s temptation was discontent”
– from now on, how could Eve be satisfied knowing there was more? Continue reading →

A Spiritual Mentor would encourage a heart examination

You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. Deuteronomy 8 (2)

INTRO: Deuteronomy was Moses’ final gift to Israel

In it, he summarizes their forty years in the desert and all that God revealed to them
– chapter 8 answers the question, “Why were we in desert so long?”
– in his answer, Moses repeats several important words, using them strategically

• Remember – begins and ends this message – it’s the central theme of the chapter
  – in 2, it’s “the journey” they were to remember
  – in v. 18, it is “Yahweh your God” whom they were to remember
  • not merely recall, but constantly be conscious of the LORD
  • remembering the spiritual journey leads to remembering the LORD
• Know (occurs 6 times) – they received an education in the wilderness
• Forget – “Don’t” (11), why they would (14), consequences of (19)
• Heart – there are four concerns in the chapter regarding their hearts
  – let’s take a close look at these Continue reading →

A Spiritual Mentors Helps Us Make the Most of Solitude

In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. Simon and his companions searched for Him; they found Him and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” Mark 1:35-37
And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest awhile.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) Mark 6:31

INTRO: Last week I asked you to sent me questions you might want to ask a spiritual mentor, if you had one

I appreciate the responses I received
– I’ll walk through one of them the way I think a mentor might approach it

After greetings and exchanging pleasantries, the mentor and disciple settle into silent prayer
– they do this to still their hearts and minds and turn their whole attention to God
– then the mentor requests the help of God’s Spirit and prays they will be sensitive to his voice

Disciple: I’ve been applying myself to discovering what lies in the depth of the moment, but I also want to know what God intends for the years of my life
Mentor: Interesting. Could you fill that out a little for me?
Disciple: While I’ve been learning to be more aware of how God is present to me in the present moment, I also want to be able to see the horizon.
Mentor: You mean, the big picture of your life? Your purpose?
Disciple: Yes, sort of.
Mentor: You know, God rarely gives us the details.
Disciple: I understand. But what’s his overall design? How can I become a better partner in the process?
Mentor: Think of what you’re asking. You want to know how the clay can assist the potter. Well, be as compliant as possible–be plastic, flexible.
Disciple: Okay, let me put it this way: I can see God’s will up close, but I want to improve my distance eyesight.
Mentor: What does your heart tell you? Listen to it. What is its spiritual longing?
Disciple: It’s longing, right now, is to have a better grasp on the remainder of my life and what God wants to do with it. How can I devote it most fully to a life in the Spirit?
Mentor: Well, you don’t need to know what the divine Artist has in mind to live fully or love fully. But a primary ingredient to a full spiritual life is learning to trust. Trust that God knows what he wants for you, that he is working on it in the everyday circumstances of your life, and that he will get you there. God rarely lays out his whole will for us in advance. Rather, he works it out in our life day by day and we come to know his will by living it. We say Yes to his big plan that spans our entire life in faith, but we say Yes to his will today in obedience.
Disciple: But how can I say Yes to his future if I don’t know what it is? If I don’t know what he is inviting me to?
Mentor: I have three recommendations for you. First, look for God’s invitation in the present moment. You will find that it usually comes with an RSVP. Second, you ask yourself, “Am I looking for the subtle movements of the Spirit in my everyday activities?” God’s grace is at work even in our worst situations. Can you discern a pattern? Third, ask, “What do I love with a pure love? What am I passionate about with a pure passion?” Continue reading →

A Spiritual Mentor and Humility

He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

INTRO: A little background

Micah lived in a society living on the brink of ruin
– the normal business practice was to rip-off customers and lie to them (10-11)
• although people were getting rich, they were already suffering the curse of discontent

You will eat, but you will not be satisfied . . . You will sow but you will not reap . . . etc. (vv. 14-5)

– and a worse fate was coming (v. 16)

Micah asks what can be done about this – for himself and his nation
– “How can I get right with God? Get back on track? What kind of sacrifice would fix this?”
– he begins with the standard sacrifices, but jumps to wild exaggerations
• “thousands of rams . . . ten thousand rivers of oil”
• and the ultimate, “my firstborn son”

The answer had been there all along – sacrifice doesn’t change anyone
– it comes down to the kind of people they are and the lives they live
• do justice – personal: the way they do business and “conduct their affairs”
• love kindness – social: the way they treat others, show mercy
○ demand justice of yourself, but show mercy to others (reverses our typical order)
• walk humbly – spiritual: the way they connect with God
○ it’s this third part I want us to think about today

A spiritual mentor helps us learn and live humility

Continue reading →

A Spiritual Mentor and Surrender to God’s Will

And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand voice of the One who was speaking to me. And I said, “What shall I do, Lord?” Acts 22:9-10

INTRO: Is Paul’s story the classic model of surrender?

He was at war with God – in Paul’s case, his religious fanaticism was the cause of their conflict
– for Paul to surrender, he had to be knocked down – broken
• for his eyes to be opened, he had to be blinded
– when he tells his story later, adds a line

Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you  to kick against the goads (Acts 26:11)

• the goad was a long pole used to prod oxen when they resisted the harness
• “What shall I do, Lord?” — at this point Paul stopped fighting Jesus
– but this isn’t God’s only strategy – it’s only one way some people are brought to surrender

A spiritual mentor helps us learn to surrender to God’s will

In fact, a mentor can greatly assist us this area of development
– we have to find our way through it individually
• surrender comes more easily for some
• there are people who panic at the idea of surrendering control — or the illusion of control Continue reading →

A spiritual mentor will help us discern the will of God

And He was giving orders to them, saying, “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” Mark 8:15

INTRO: We live too far from the times of Jesus to be shocked by this warning

Imagine I said, “Watch out! Beware the leaven of the Evangelicals”
– most people assumed the Pharisees were doing religion the way it was supposed to be done
• they were the trusted authorities on the Torah and religious issues for the common folk
– but Jesus is telling the disciples, “Their influence will not take you to the same place that I’m leading you”
• leaven in his teaching: only takes a little, permeates, and has significant effects (Mt. 13:33)

Mark doesn’t tell us what Jesus meant by “leaven”
– Matthew says it was their “teaching,” Luke says “hypocrisy”
• perhaps Mark intended for us to take the challenge and discern what Jesus meant
• a “test” to see if our eyes see and our ears hear
– the point is, there were problems that Jesus wanted his disciples to avoid

We have begun to examine the role of a spiritual mentor
– one of their most important services is to discern and to help us discern God’s will

When I decided to address spiritual mentors, I put discernment on the list

But at the time, it was only a topic – an important one and much discussed, but not something I was passionate about
– then, Tuesday night I got a phone call that turned me around Continue reading →

Spiritual Mentoring And Our Prayer Life

But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Matthew 6:6-8

INTRO: If John Howell is not here when we meet on Sunday, it’s because his church that morning is on a mountainside (or valley), usually in the Sierras, Sequoias, or a local mountain or desert

He frequently posts breath-taking photos of pristine lakes and sharp-edged mountains outlined against a blue sky background
– it is as if through his photographs you can feel his sense of awe and worship
– but his arduous hikes require proper gear, education, training and experience
• some of his challenging climbs he uses to prepare himself for more difficult ascents

There is a biblical precedent for using mountain climbing as a metaphor for spiritual growth
– both Moses and Elijah had God-encounters when they ascended Mount Sinai
• Jesus delivered his most famous sermon on a mountain, prayed on a mountain, was transfigured on a mountain, and gave his life on Mount Calvary
– God has called us to venture on a spiritual journey with him
• I’ve come to see that the point of this journey is not to reach a destination in this life
• it’s about what we learn and become along the way
– the journey is where our faith is tested and formed, hope is established, and our love is deepened Continue reading →