Aren’t you glad that sermon cam isn’t permanent? I am. But what if someone followed you around with that camera for a week or a month. Would it be obvious from your thoughts, words, and actions, that you are a Christian? We’re saved by grace alone through faith alone, but your faith is true by looking at what you do. That was the basic idea behind Vince’s message yesterday: the test of obedience. What is a Christian? A Christian obeys the commands of God.

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” 1 John 2:1-6

From these verses, Vince helped us see that sin is the obstacle to obedience and Jesus Christ has shown us the way of obedience. We are now called to live as forgiven sinners.

Vince explained that there are some common excuses we give for not obeying:

• “I don’t feel like it.” This is what we say when we focus on our subjective feelings rather than the objective truth of the Word of God.
• “Everyone else is doing it.” This excuse reveals that we have the wrong standard, letting ourselves off the hook because we are looking at others rather than at Jesus.
• “It’s just too hard. I just can’t do it.” Actually, this statement is right, but it can’t be used as an excuse for sin. We need God’s grace and help to obey, so let’s cry out for it in prayer and go get that help from parents and the church.
• “I’m under grace now, I don’t have to obey.” This excuse shows that someone doesn’t understand what grace is or how it works. Through salvation, we’ve been given the power now to obey, not the freedom to disobey.
• “God loves me and wants me to be happy!” OR: “God will forgive me!” That’s only half the truth. Happiness is found in obeying. Forgiveness comes when we repent. Forgiveness is a promise God offers to us, not an excuse for sin.

Vince summed up his message with these words from Martin Luther:

“This life, therefore,
is not righteousness but growth in righteousness,
not health but healing,
not being but becoming,
not rest but exercise.
We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it;
the process is not yet finished but it is going on.
This is not the end but it is the road;
all does not yet gleam in glory but all is being purified.”

Talk to your parents about this message. Ask them:

• How am I making excuses for my sin? Where do you see me letting myself off the hook?
• Where do I need to obey the commands of God more carefully?
• Confess any areas of sin in which you have not been obeying God.

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We got a history lesson AND a sermon yesterday!  What a treat to learn about the origins of the phrase Sola Scripture from the life of Martin Luther.  Luther and the other Reformers made Sola Scriptura the rally cry of the Reformation because they knew that it was dangerous to rely on any other source of authority.  The bottom line:

The sufficiency of Scripture means that the Bible teaches all things necessary for salvation and growth in godliness.

Thre implications:

1. Resolve to resist alterations of, additions to, or rivals of Scripture.
2. Use discernment when reading.
3. Confidence to dig in to Scripture for help to grow in godliness.

Some important questions to discuss with your parents:

• Is there an area of your life where you’ve doubted Scripture could help you?  How might Psalm 19:7 help?
• How would you evaluate your current level of passion for Scripture? Compared to where it was at Chrismas, has it increased or decreased?  Why?
• If change is needed in your reading habits, how does the gospel give you hope?

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Yesterday I preached part 2 of the Sola Scriptura series on the Clarity of Scripture. Rather than recap my message here, I want to share with you some quotes about Scripture that I really like but wasn’t able to use. Enjoy:

“But it would be a mistake to think that most of Scripture or Scripture in general is difficult to understand. In fact, the Old Testament and New Testament frequently affirm that Scripture is written in such a way that its teachings are able to be understood by ordinary believers.” Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 105.

“Thus, although the New Testament authors affirm that the Bible in itself is written clearly, they also affirm that it will not be understood rightly by those who are unwilling to receive its teachings.” Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 107.

“Scripture, gathering up the otherwise confused knowledge of God in our minds, having dispersed our dullness, clearly shows us the true God.” John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, vol. 1, ed. John MacNeill, 70.

“The clarity of Scripture is that quality of the biblical text that, as God’s communicative act, ensures its meaning is accessible to all who come to it in faith.” Mark D. Thompson, A Clear and Present Word, 169-170.

“There is a restlessness in the Old Testament that keeps driving the reader forward, looking for the seed of the woman (Gen 3:15), wondering about the eternal king from David’s line (2 Samuel 7:12-13), asking who it is that will bear ‘the iniquity of us all’ (Isa. 53:6).” Mark D. Thompson, A Clear and Present Word, 102.

“What kind of God would reveal his love and redemption in terms so technical and concepts so profound that only an elite corps of professional scholars could understand them?” R. C. Sproul, Knowing Scripture, 16.

“By reading other books the heart may be warmed, but by reading this book it is transformed.” Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity, 29.

“The Bible’s message is God’s work of salvation through Jesus Christ, and it purpose is actually to bring that salvation to individuals who receive that message and believe.” Richard Phillips, Hebrews, 137.

“In a nutshell, connect one bit of Scripture to one bit of life. In other words, always ask two questions of yourself and others: What is your current struggle? What about God in Christ connects to this?” David Powlison, “Think Globally, Act Locally”, Journal of Biblical Counseling, Vol. 22, No. 1, p. 3.

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What authority governs how you live your life? Mark explained yesterday that there are many possible authorities that a person may seek to follow: the church, the self, the culture, or Holy Scripture. I suspect that for most of us, if we’re not careful, the self and the culture will be our first stop, followed more distantly by Scripture.

Mark showed us from Isaiah 66:2 that for the Christian, Scripture must be our only authoritative standard for all we think, say, and do. This means submitting every area of life to Scripture. As Wayne Grudem explains,

“The authority of Scripture means that all the words in Scripture are God’s words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.” Systematic Theology, p. 73.

And here’s the benefit: If you tremble at God’s Word, you won’t be troubled when the shaking comes. So let’s hear the Word and obey the Word.

Some questions for discussion between parents and teens:

• How do you respond to a friend who says, “We know this is true becuase thats what’s always been taught in our church?”
• How do you know if you’re trembling at God’s Word or not?
• What questions do you have about Scripture’s authority? What causes you to doubt whether it’s true? What situations tempt you to lack confidence in the Bible’s usefulness?

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WATCH OUT!

Mark rocked the house (that is to say, really served us) by pointing us to the truth of justification yesterday. Mark showed us from Mark 7:24-8:21 that legalism is like leaven (leaven is a fancy word for yeast). A little bit of yeast goes a long way. You work some into a batch of dough, and it makes the whole loaf start to rise. The point is that leaven works quietly but thoroughly. Legalism works the same way.

At it’s core, legalism is seeking to relate to God apart from Christ. It is depending on the law or good works to earn acceptance from God. Sometimes this happens when we confuse justification with sanctification. A refresher:

• “Justification is a judicial act of God pardoning sinners, accepting them as just ad so putting permanently right their previously estranged relationship with himself.” J. I. Packer, Concise Theology, 165.
• “Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace by which our whole person made new in the image of God, and we are made more and more able to become dead to sin and alive to righteousness.” Westminster Catchism, Q. 35.

There are some important differences between justification and sanctification:

• Justification is instantaneous, sanctification is a process.
• Justification is a decision God makes about you, sanctification is making decisions with God.
• In justification, the Christian is declared righteous, in sanctification, the Christian begins to become righteous.
• Justification is based entirely on Christ’s righteousness, sanctification is Christ’s righteousness being worked out in the Christian’s life.

We must never forget how we got where we are. If you get confused, you will seek to justify yourself. We need to be constantly reminded of the truth of justification. Martin Luther sees this so clearly:

“There are few of us who know and understand this article [of justification] and I treat it again because I greatly fear that after we have laid our head to rest, it will soon be forgotten and will again disappear… And indeed we cannot grasp or exhaust Christ, the eternal Righteousness, with one sermon or thought; for to appreciate Him is an everlasting lesson which we shall not be able to finish either in this or in yonder life.” Ewald Plass, What Luther Said, II:715.

We cannot grasp or exhaust Christ… this is why we are committed to preaching over and over again about justification, the gospel, and the glory of Christ. Which is why I’m going to keep hitting it on this blog as well. Luther again:

“The article of justification, which is our only protection, not only against all the powers and plottings of men but also against the gates of hell, is this: by faith alone in Christ, without works, we are declared just and saved.” Ewald Plass, What Luther Said, II:701.

Important questions on this important topic for parents and teens:

• What is justification?  How does it differ from justification?
• How does legalism tend to creep into your life through a misunderstanding of justification and sanctification?
• Right now, are you more aware of your sin han you are of the cross?
• Do you often lack joy?  Why?  What does this say to God abot your view of justification?
• Do you live with a vague sense of God’s disapproval?  Why?  Are you often more aware of what you haven’t done for God than what Christ finished for you?

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Purell may clean your hands, but it won’t clean your heart. Not even the giant bottle that Mark had on stage yesterday. Mark talked to us about “Jesus on Dirt” from Mark 7:1-23. Our problem is that we have 1) Dirty Hands, 2) Dirty Hearts, and 3) Dirty Lives.

The reason dirtiness is about more than germs is that what defiles a person comes from within — from hearts that are tainted and ruined by sin. It may seem to some peple that we are always talking about sin. True. We are. We do because God is holy. Sin is our biggest problem: God is opposed to everything that is unclean. He is not neutral. God is dangerous because he is holy and we are not. Theologian David Wells explains:

“The reason that God is separate, high, and lifted up is his consuming, burning purity. This is what makes him dangerous, and this is what the Israelites had to learn by hard experience, because this holiness was foundational to God’s entire working with them.” Wells, God in the Wasteland, 141.

If we take seriously the reality of remaining sin in our hearts, we’ll be wise to avoid saying, “I’ll never do that.” I think it was Calvin who said, “The seed of every known sin lies resident in my heart.”

But there is great news. Jesus Christ is a redeemer. Wherever you find sin in your heart, there is a Savior. If you have come to Christ for salvation, you can come to him again for forgiveness. And Christ is committed to transforming our motives from living for ourselves to living for Him.

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We understand how secrets work, and to what lengths people will go to keep some things secret. Before and during World War II, the German Military relied on the Enigma Machine—a system for protecting military communication that was very difficult to decipher.

Yesterday, Mark preached to us from Mark 4:1-34, explaining that these verses contain a secret to the kingdom of God. But it’s a different kind of secret: God is not trying to keep outsiders from discovering this secret. He wants the secret to be made known.

In this chapter, Jesus tells stories called parables. Parables are simple comparisons between two unlike things, usually between something that is familiar to us (like seeds) and something that isn’t (like the kingdom of God). Mark explained that there are four important things to keep in mind when you are reading parables:

1. Look for surprises or contrasts, especially at the end of the story. For instance, the parable of the sower would have been surprising to the original hearers because they didn’t expect that the kingdom of God can be rejected.
2. Look for a main point. Jesus is saying someting; what is it?
3. Don’t press the details, avoid allegorizing every details. Every analogy breaks down at some point, so don’t try to create an airtight one-to-one correspondence or every point of the parable.
4. Having heard, then respond with faith-filled obedience. The most important step. We must act on what we hear.

Keeping these lessons in mind, it’s not hard to see what these parables are about. The parable of the sower tells us that the kingdom of God advances slowly and meets with varied responses. We need to know how to measure success in the kingdom: not by first appearances, but by final fruitfulness. The parable of the growing seed tells us that Jesus will finish what he starts. While the kingdom of God is truly present now, there is much more to come. The parable of the mustard seed tells us that you can’t measure the kingdom based on what you see right now. We don’t be able to determine its true magnitude until the end.

So what is the secret of the kingdom. These parables taken together teach us that “In Jesus, the kingdom has come truly but not yet fully.” The kingdom of God is here (remember Mark 1:15), but it is not here the power and significance that it will one day have. There is more to come! Theologian George E. Ladd explains:

“This is the mystery of the Kingdom: Before the day of harvest, before the end of the age, God has entered into history in the person of Christ to work among men, to bring to them the life and blessings of His Kingdom. It comes humbly, unobtrustively. It comes to men as a Galilean carpenter went throughout the cities of Palestine preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, delivering men from their bondage to the Devil. It comes to men as his disciples went throughout Galilean villages with the same message. It comes to men today as disciples of Jesus still take the Gospel of the Kingdom into all the world. It comes quietly, humbly, without fire from heaven, without a blaze of glory, without a rending of the mountains or a cleaving of the skies. It comes like seed sown in the earth. It can be rejected by hard hearts, it can be choked out, its life may sometimes seem to wither and die. But it is the Kingdom of God. It brings the miracle of the divine life among men. It introduces them into the blessings of the divine rule. It is to them the supernatural work of God’s grace. And this same Kingdom, this same supernatural power of God will yet manifest itself at the end of the age, this time not quietly within the lives of those who receive it, but in power and great glory purging all sin and evil from the earth. Such is the Gospel of the Kingdom.” George Ladd, The Gospel of the Kingdom, p. 64.

So what do we do with this? How should it affect your week?

First, believe in Jesus and his kingdom! Even though it doesn’t always seem close at hand, it is closer than you think. For teens, I think could look like a lot of different things. Living like we are part of the kingdom means living like Jesus is the King. Ask your parents if your life is reflecting the kingdom of God. How can it better reflect the kingdom of God? What changes can you make this week to bring that about?

Second, join Jesus in sowing the word of the kingdom. Preach the gospel to unbelieving friends, relatives, neighbors, classmates. If you sow enough seed, sooner or later, there will be fruit.

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Mark taught us “How To Read A Gospel” on Sunday. Here’s how: look for the glory of Christ! Mark showed us from Mark 3:7-25 how Jesus is glorious in his authority, summons, and forgiveness. And something else he didn’t have time for.

I thought his explanation about the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit was incredibly helpful. If you are concerned that you’ve committed it, you haven’t. You know that because your conscience is still working. People blaspheme against the Holy Spirit when they allow themselves to fall into sustained, resolute hatred of Christ and the Spirit of Christ, and they actively attribute Christ’s work to Satan’s himself. This isn’t something you can do in one sentence or through a fleeting thought. It’s not synonymous with atheism. It is active and intentional hatred of the Savior.

But the really important thing Mark helped us see in this message was the forgiveness that is in Christ. The motherlode is in verse 28:

“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter…”

What an amazing statement. Mark gave us this wonderful quotation from J. C. Ryle:

“These words fall lightly on the ears of many people. They see no particular beauty in them. But to the person who is alive to his own sinfulness and is deeply aware of his need of mercy, these words are sweet and precious. “All sins will be forgiven.” The sins of youth and age—the sins of head, hand, tongue and imagination—the sins against all God’s commandments—the sins of persecutors, like Saul—the sins of idolaters, like Manasseh—the sins of open enemies of Christ, like [those] who crucified him—the sins of backsliders from Christ, like Peter—all may be forgiven. The blood of Christ can cleanse all away. The righteousness of Christ can cover all, and hide all from God’s eyes.” –J. C. Ryle, Mark, p. 40.

Here are a couple questions parents and teens can use to discuss this message together:

• Have you ever wondered is you’ve committed the unforgivable sin–blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
• What do you learn about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit from these verses?
• Are you more aware of your sins or of God’s forgiveness in Christ?
• When was the last time you confessed sin to God? What did you confess?
• How does verse 28 bring help and comfort to a guilty conscience?

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Yesterday, I had the privilege of preaching from Mark 1:1-13. We learned how Jesus is the Son of God. In particular: the expected Son of God, the beloved Son of God, and the obedient Son of God. We saw that one way to think about what it means to be a Christian is to agree with God about His Son.

Anytime I prepare to preach, I run across some great quotes that I don’t have time to use in my sermon. Here are some choice quotes that didn’t make the cut:

“The point of these opening scenes is, therefore, to let the reader know from the start who Jesus is and to stress that he comes to fulfill divine promises and his divine commission.” David Garland, The Gospel of Mark, 43.

“‘More accurate than referring to our access to God would be to speak of God’s access to us. God comes whether we choose it or not.’ The barriers are torn down and torn open, and God is now in our midst and on the loose.” David Garland, The Gospel of Mark, 48.

“In Mark’s understanding, therefore, the gospel is more than a set of truths, or even a set of beliefs. It is a person, ‘the gospel of Jesus Christ.’ The kingdom that God inaugurates is bodily present in Jesus of Nazareth.” James Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark, 25.

“Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of the original concept of sonship that was linked to Israel’s call in Exod 4:22-23: Jesus is Israel reduced to one.” James Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark, 37.

“Mark is pointing us to a double thrust in his message. It is about who Jesus is. It is also about how people should respond to Jesus. These themes run right through the Gospel of Mark. They form the basic materials for the telling of the story of Jesus.” Donald English, The Message of Mark, 16.

“But Mark here reflects the tension which runs throughout the biblical presentation of Satan as at the same time both implacably hostile to God and yet operating, despite himself, within God’s overall sovereignty.” R. T. France, The Gospel of Mark, 85-86.

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Sunday we heard Mark on Mark. We’re beginning a series of messages on the gospel of Mark that will last us about six months or so. We learned these basic facts about the Gospel of Mark:

• It was written by Mark (hence the name), most likely the John Mark of Acts 12:12, 25; Acts 15:37-39; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 1:24, and 1 Pt 5:13.
• Mark was probably written in the mid-60’s (although maybe as early as the late 50’s), making it the earliest of the gospels.
• Mark can be outlined following a simple geographic progression:

1. In Galilee (1:1-8:30)
2. To Jerusalem (8:31-10:52)
3. In Jerusalem (11:1-16:8)

Beyond these basic facts, Mark explained to us the message of the gospel of Mark:

A. Jesus teaches:

1. The kingdom of God.
2. the signs of the end.
3. In such a way that people love to hear him.

B. Jesus is…

1. Son of God
2. Son of man
3. Suffering servant

C. Jesus comes to…

1. Inaugurate the kingdom of God
2. Make disciples (and enemies)
3. Die as a ransom for sinners

So why is this important? Why study the gospel of Mark? Mark (Mullery) explained with two quotes from Puritan pastor John Owen:

“Look unto the things of this world, –wives, possessions, estates, power, friends, and honour; how amiable are they! How desirable unto the thoughts of men! But he who hath obtained a view of the glory of Christ, will, in the midst of them all, say, ‘Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is non on earth that I desire besided thee,’ Ps. 73:25.” John Owen, The Glory of Christ in The Works of John Owen, Vol 1, p. 314.

“Let us get it fixed on our souls and in our minds, that this glory of Christ in the divine consititution of his person is the best, the most noble, useful, beneficial object that we can be conversant about in our thoughts, or cleave unto in our affections.” Owen, p. 312.

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