Missional mark
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Slides to accompany the audio of the sharp point of discipleship to Christ in Mark's Gospel from Simon Bowkett to be found on Archive.org under 'Missional Mark'
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Missional mark
- 1. Missional Living learned from Mark Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people.” 18 They left their nets immediately and followed him. Mark 1:17-18
- 2. Mark 1:14-19 Now after John was imprisoned,Jesus went into Galilee and He said, and As he went along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were and I will turn you into fishers of people.” their nets immediately and followed him. Going on a little farther, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and John his brother in their boat mending nets. Immediately , and their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and
- 3. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ Mark 1:14-15 – Something COSMIC has fundamentally changed “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is near”
- 4. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ – Something COSMIC has fundamentally changed – There are CONSEQUENCES! • Repent
- 5. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ – Something COSMIC has fundamentally changed – There are CONSEQUENCES! • Repent • Believe v. 15 “Repent and believe the gospel!”
- 6. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ – Something COSMIC has fundamentally changed – There are CONSEQUENCES! • Repent • Believe • Follow ME! 1:17
- 7. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ – Something COSMIC has fundamentally changed – There are CONSEQUENCES! • Repent • Believe • Follow ME! 1:17 – Meaning
- 8. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ – Something COSMIC has fundamentally changed – There are CONSEQUENCES! • Repent • Believe • Follow ME! 1:17 – Meaning – Consequence: “Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people.” 18 They left their nets immediately and followed him.”
- 9. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ 1:15-17 • Jesus Christ is God the Son, 1:21-8:28
- 10. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ 1:15-17 • Jesus Christ is God the Son, 1:21-8:28 – Authority over the forces of darkness, 1:21-28
- 11. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ 1:15-17 • Jesus Christ is God the Son, 1:21-8:28 – Authority over the forces of darkness, 1:21-28 – Authority over sickness, 1:29-34
- 12. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ 1:15-17 • Jesus Christ is God the Son, 1:21-8:28 – Authority over the forces of darkness, 1:21-28 – Authority over sickness, 1:29-34 – Priorities for Him: Prayer & Preaching, 1:35-39
- 13. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ 1:15-17 • Jesus Christ is God the Son, 1:21-8:28 – Authority over the forces of darkness, 1:21-28 – Authority over sickness, 1:29-34 – Priorities for Him: Prayer & Preaching, 1:35-39 – Authority over LEPROSY, 1:40-45
- 14. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ 1:15-17 • Jesus Christ is God the Son, 1:21-8:28 – Authority over the forces of darkness, 1:21-28 – Authority over sickness, 1:29-34 – Priorities for Him: Prayer & Preaching, 1:35-39 – Authority over LEPROSY, 1:40-45 – Authority to restore rebels to His Kingdom, 2:1-12
- 15. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ 1:15-17 • Jesus Christ is God the Son, 1:21-8:28 over the forces of 1:21-28 over 1:29-34 – Priorities for Him: 1:35-39 over 1:40-45 to restore to His Kingdom, 2:1-12 – Realisation dawns about Who Jesus is, 8:28-30
- 16. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ 1:15-17 • Jesus Christ is God the Son, 1:21-8:28 • The sort of God the Son His people must follow, 8:29-10:52
- 17. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ 1:15-17 • Jesus Christ is God the Son, 1:21-8:28 • The sort of God the Son His people must follow, 8:29-10:52 … – Mark 8:31 Then Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
- 18. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ 1:15-17 • Jesus Christ is God the Son, 1:21-8:28 • The sort of God the Son His people must follow, 8:29-10:52 … three predictions – Mark 8:31 – Mark 9:31-32 He said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.’ 32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
- 19. Mark 10:32-34 32 They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. 33 ‘We are going up to Jerusalem,’ he said, ‘and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.’
- 20. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ 1:15-17 • Jesus Christ is God the Son, 1:21-8:28 • The sort of God the Son His people must follow, 8:29- 10:52 … three predictions – Mark 8:31 – Mark 9:31-32 – Mark 10:32-34 “They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem. Jesus was going ahead of them, and they were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was going to happen to him.33 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and experts in the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles. 34 They will mock him, spit on him, flog him severely, and kill him. Yet after three days, he will rise again.”
- 21. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ 1:15-17 • Jesus Christ is God the Son, 1:21-8:28 • The sort of God the Son His people must follow, 8:29-10:52 • The life of God the Son laid down at Jerusalem, 11:1-16:8
- 22. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ 1:15-17 • Jesus Christ is God the Son, 1:21-8:28 • The sort of God the Son His people must follow, 8:29-10:52 • The life of God the Son laid down at Jerusalem, 11:1-16:8 The proclamation of the Kingdom 1:15 ff. – in the wilderness 3:1 ff – in the synagogue 3:7 ff – at the beach
- 23. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ 1:15-17 • Jesus Christ is God the Son, 1:21-8:28 • The sort of God the Son His people must follow, 8:29-10:52 • The life of God the Son laid down at Jerusalem, 11:1-16:8 The proclamation of the Kingdom, 1:15 ff. The communication of the Kingdom, 2:1 ff.
- 24. Missional Mark 2:1-2 • Now after some days, when he returned to Capernaum, the news spread that he was at home. 2 So many gathered that there was no longer any room, not even by the door, and he preached the word to them. • Καὶ εἰσελθὼν πάλιν εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ δι᾿ ἡμερ ῶν ἠκούσθη ὅτι ἐν οἴκῳ ἐστίν. 2καὶ συνήχθησαν πολλοὶ ὥστε μηκέτι χωρεῖν μη δὲ τὰ πρὸς τὴν θύραν, καὶ ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον.
- 25. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ 1:15-17 • Jesus Christ is God the Son, 1:21-8:28 • The sort of God the Son His people must follow, 8:29-10:52 • The life of God the Son laid down at Jerusalem, 11:1-16:8 The proclamation of the Kingdom, 1:15 ff. The communication of the Kingdom, 2:1 ff. The conduct of the Kingdom, 2:16-17
- 26. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ 1:15-17 • Jesus Christ is God the Son, 1:21-8:28 • The sort of God the Son His people must follow, 8:29-10:52 • The life of God the Son laid down at Jerusalem, 11:1-16:8 The proclamation of the Kingdom, 1:15 ff. The communication of the Kingdom, 2:1 ff. The conduct of the Kingdom, 2:16-17 The conflict of the Kingdom, 2:23-28
- 27. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ 1:15-17 • Jesus Christ is God the Son, 1:21-8:28 • The sort of God the Son His people must follow, 8:29-10:52 • The life of God the Son laid down at Jerusalem, 11:1-16:8 The proclamation of the Kingdom, 1:15 ff. The communication of the Kingdom, 2:1 ff. The conduct of the Kingdom, 2:16-17 The conflict of the Kingdom, 2:23-28 The conversation of the Kingdom, 8:14-21
- 28. Missional Mark • The Jesus ‘Manifesto’ 1:15-17 • Jesus Christ is God the Son, 1:21-8:28 • The sort of God the Son His people must follow, 8:29-10:52 • The life of God the Son laid down at Jerusalem, 11:1-16:8 The proclamation of the Kingdom, 1:15 ff. The communication of the Kingdom, 2:1 ff. The conduct of the Kingdom, 2:16-17 The conflict of the Kingdom, 2:23-28 The conversation of the Kingdom, 8:14-21 • Conclusion
Editor's Notes
- Here’s the point of Mark’s Gospel … it sets out the big cosmic change that’s taken place and identifies Jesus as God come in the flesh to be the sort of Messiah Who will be rejected, suffer, die and rise for His people’s salvation. The time is fulfilled … that’s what the John the Baptist – prophet like Elijah stuff is about. The Kingdom of God is … what? Root: ἐγγίζω 1) to bring near, to join one thing to another 2) to draw or come near to, to approach The present evil age is being broken into and overlapped with the incoming Kingdom (reign, rule, authority RESTORED) of God. Now – that is HUGE! Massive changes have taken place in the entire Created order at a COSMIC level! Something has hugely and fundamentally changed … the future is breaking into the NOW! And Jesus’ coming is what’s done it. It is GOD Who has come … as the Son of Man language that really kicks in from ch 8 onwards indicates. And the ‘He’ Who has come IS ON A MISSION! The Bible’s God is a MISSIONAL God, and he’s about to be heard to call us to follow Him! Still on the first point and here’s a book plug – ready? George Verwer used to stand up and give out paperback books when I was a student. Times have changed! I have a book for you (check) it is FREE (check) and I can blue tooth it to you now as a .pdf! It’s called The Mission of God by Ed Stetzer & Philip Nation and it comes in really nice short chapters! So here’s the Bible’s God Who is FUNDAMENTALLY a MISSIONAL God. And here is His Name – His Name is Jesus. Now, Mark comes as a play to be read in roughly three acts. I used to think that the first section from 1:14-8:28/ 30 was all about Jesus proving that the Kingdom of God had come by doing the things that were prophesied to happen when God’s Kingdom came … blind see, deaf hear, lame walk etc. But I’ve had to revise that view. It’s actually all about showing that Jesus is the King Who’s come to reign over His Kingdom … He fulfils OT prophecy, He speaks and controls cosmic chaos (delivering from demons), creational chaos (storms on lakes etc.) and the effect on human bodies of the Fall (heals the sick and raises the dead). He is the King Who’s come and exercises authority in the cosmos by His Word of command turning back the darkness and establishing the Kingdom of God. He has come into the sin-sunk and shattered Creation to save it, which He does by re-establishing His Sovereignty and supremacy. It was sunk by rebellion and sin which brought suffering and brokenness into earthly experience. And He now begins to banish that pain by inaugurating the re-establishment of His Sovereignty. Stop right there! What do we call overthrowing the legitimate government? That’s called treason. What does the returning Sovereign do with traitors and rebels. Mark’s account of Jesus moves STRAIGHT on to that …
- Here come the Conquering Hero … entering His Kingdom in triumph to the waving of flags and the cheers of the crowd! Long live the King! Just a minute. Long live this King might mean short life for you … if you are a rebel and a traitor. Jesus says the appropriate response to Christ, returning to re-establish His rule, must be first and foremost to repent of your rebellion … can you find the verse there? The first thing Jesus says and the thing to prioritise is the desperate need to repent! That means radically breaking with your past and decisively changing sides to welcome and rejoice in the Kingdom of the coming King! Have you? What does repentance look like in you? What does it look like when it’s got YOUR clothes on? It is a turning from living life in rejection of and rebellion against Christ as King, authoritative ruler of YOU … affecting every single aspect of your life that you don’t want the person sitting next to you to know about … as well as the bits that you do. Repentance needs to be real or you are not a Christian, because this is where you begin to be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. And with it come its regular partner …
- Repentance means you turn away from trusting yourself more than you trust God. Again … Stop right there. If you haven’t done this we’re going no further. Stop a minute and make sure … ask yourself. Did you ever get to a point in your life where you put this in ink with your God … You’ve seen His Kingdom coming in, that you need to repent of all your rebellion against Him and put your trust in Him, believing the Gospel? There is absolutely no point going ahead talking about you living missionally if you are not a beneficiary of the main mission of God. (Cite Eph. 1:10) Have you trusted your life to live for Christ? His way, His agenda, risking it all, staking it all on Him? Mark writes to the Christians in Rome, believers pressurised by Nero, and through Peter he still puts this matter first and foremost. Did you repent and believe Jesus’s Gospel? Have we cleared that one? Then the next part of the package inexorably follows …
- You say you trust me? Then take Me at my Word and trust me enough to walk in my ways. It looks risky. It seems dangerous. It gives the clear impression this could hurt. It probably will. But it’s right. You express genuine repentance and faith by following Jesus. Following Him inevitably flows from the two earlier things. If you actually repent and you actually trust Him, then the effect of all that is that you follow Jesus. Now this is where the missional living thing happens, because Jesus is God on mission, and if you follow Him you will be part of that mission.
- Discipleship – following – literal as well as metaphorical. These guys on the beach in Mark 1 left their boats, their nets, their families, their mates … walked away from them on the beach … and followed Jesus. Did they bankrupt their businesses? No. Because we know they just pulled the boats up and hung up the nets, as they went back to them sporadically later. That wasn’t the point! They put those legitimate things to have to one side to BE with Jesus. To FOLLOW Him. And He went off around Galilee, then the Decapolis, then ultimately to Perea and on into Judea and Jerusalem, demonstrating and communicating and PROCLAIMING the Kingdom of God.
- They left their nets IMMEDIATELY & followed Him. Instant. Decisive. All forsaking. Commitment to following Jesus. Period. Why? He was their fascination. He was their DELIGHT. They were gripped, they were CAPTIVATED with Him. Therefore they immediately LEFT IT ALL. For HIM. To be WITH Him. To LEARN from Him. To WALK with Him. And becoming ‘missional’ became HIS problem. See how it works? Follow me … that bit lies with us. “and I will turn you into fishers of people” Two things: It’s not optional, it’s a discipleship issue. If you follow Jesus, people-fishing is part of the package because people fishing is what He is about. Secondly, you don’t need to focus on living missionally, you need to focus on living as a follower of Jesus and when you do that He takes care of the other thing. Am I making sense? He is God on a mission so following Him inevitably puts you on His Mission, to fish people OUT of their impending crisis on account of the fact that the Kingdom of God is at hand and He (the King) has come to deal with rebellion and sin. If you are telling me you are a Christian, a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, but you are NOT actively engaged in fishing for people, I have to tell you … what you are is a back-slider. It’s a feature of following Jesus, and pretty much a primary one given the way Jesus puts this here! Following Jesus? Then you will be fishing for mankind – because that’s the big thing He Himself did throughout His earthly life. When that’s the equation, whatever you’re doing pales into insignificance and unattractiveness beside the things that you do as you follow Him! Now He DOESN’T say I’ll make you an apostle, prophet evangelist or Pastor-teacher … but He may. Yet He DOES say: “I will turn you into fishers of people”. It is NOT the preserve of those called to be ‘the professionals’. It is the consequence of being a follower of Jesus. So what’s gone wrong if this isn’t happening? That’ll be our following, our discipleship to Jesus. Make no mistake. I’ve met plenty of fishermen who are not catching huge lots of fish … but they’re there at the bankside with their bait in the water so when the fish are rising and could take bait they’re into them. This isn’t a success orientated thing – as I see it – because it is the One we follow Who takes responsibility for the catch. He will turn His followers into fisher folk.
- The first part of Mark is like a Prologue in those Greek Epic Plays. It opens things up so you know where this is all going, and the First Act of the Play then brings us to the conclusion that Jesus is the King in Whom the Kingdom has come … here we go!
- “Then they went to Capernaum. When the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people there were amazed by his teaching, because he taught them like one who had authority, not like the experts in the law. 23 Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, 24 “Leave us alone, Jesus the Nazarene! Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 25 But Jesus rebuked him: “Silence! Come out of him!” 26 After throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him.27 They were all amazed so that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He even commands the unclean spirits and they obey him.”
- “Now as soon as they left the synagogue, they entered Simon and Andrew’s house, with James and John. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was lying down, sick with a fever, so they spoke to Jesus at once about her. 31 He came and raised her up by gently taking her hand. Then the fever left her and she began to serve them. 32 When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered by the door. 34 So he healed many who were sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. But he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.”
- “Then Jesus got up early in the morning when it was still very dark, departed, and went out to a deserted place, and there he spent time in prayer. 36 Simon and his companions searched for him. 37 When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 He replied, “Let us go elsewhere, into the surrounding villages, so that I can preach there too. For that is what I came out here to do.” 39 So he went into all of Galilee preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.” This Gospel progresses by the verbal proclamation of the Word of God! THAT is what we are part of, THAT is the pattern, He is the One we are following … He did this with His life so we DO this with ours!
- Leprosy: sin People kept coming to Him from everywhere … the triumphant returning King is gathering His Kingdom “Now a leper came to him and fell to his knees, asking for help. “If you are willing, you can make me clean,” he said. 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing. Be clean!” 42 The leprosy left him at once, and he was clean”
- Man. Hole in roof. Son your sins are forgiven. Scribal objection … they’re mainly Pharisees so don’t mind miracles per se but object to the conclusions these lead to about Jesus! V. 7 … 7 “Why does this man speak this way? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Now immediately, when Jesus realized in his spirit that they were contemplating such thoughts, he said to them, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up, take your stretcher, and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I tell you, stand up, take your stretcher, and go home.” 12 And immediately the man stood up, took his stretcher, and went out in front of them all.” Jesus acts like God, Who alone can control the Cosmos by His Word of command, healing sick (the effect on humans of the Fall in the physical world), driving out demons (the effect on humans of the Fall in the spiritual realm) and FORGIVE SIN … the prerogative of God … evidencing that by physical healing of a human being in time and space. That’s the way it goes on up until 8:28
- Here’s the hinge at the heart of Mark’s Gospel … here at the end of Act 2 as the penny drops for Christ’s followers … “Then Jesus and his disciples went to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 They said, “John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30 Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.” Why does Jesus forbid that they speak about this? That doesn’t sound terribly missional, does it?! They’ve realised He is God in the flesh come as the anointed rightful King … and from way back in Samuel’s days when Israel (wrongly) sought a human King, we know God had told them they should have no King but Him. It is Who He is that draws people to Him and into His Kingdom. We communicate HIM, He is the magnet, Who He is … His person, His character and MEETING HIM is what draws people … the character of the King, the PERSON of the King draws sinners and broken people to follow Him – into His Kingdom! Only God is the King of His people – and Jesus has come as that King. That’s the point of proclamation … Christ is KING! But because of all their cultural and historical baggage, these people and everyone around them have a lot to learn yet about what sort of King Christ will be, and what sort of Jesus it is that they His people will need to follow!
- The second act of Mark begins when the disciples have recognised that He is the Christ – the anointed King over God’s coming Kingdom, but then His teaching changes tack, to highlight the SORT of King this Christ’s going to be. Now remember this: Mark is writing for suffering Christians in Rome … today’s equivalent might be believers in Tehran, or Kinshasa, or Pyongyang. He is encouraging THEM to follow the missional God they’ve discovered called Jesus. He’s letting them see what Jesus knew would happen to Him as He established His Kingdom on earth, and Mark is encouraging them to live sacrificially as followers of THIS Jesus …
- Son of Man – Daniel 7 That same One must Suffer Be rejected – by WHOM?! Be KILLED? Rise again. It is so utterly unthinkable that Peter can’t hack it and rebukes Him. Jesus turns roundly on Peter in response. Why? “You are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.” A lot of ‘cool Christianity’ does.
- Again – Son of Man – hands of men – Killed – rise. WHAT sort of Saviour do missional people follow? A lot of the things you read about being a missional Christian are like a lot of the books you read about church planting. They make it sound sexy, but it is costly to be a disciple of Jesus. It’s GLORIOUS, but you’re following a rejected, suffering, tortured to death and risen Saviour when you start following Jesus. And Jesus spends a large part of Mark’s Gospel spelling that out to us.
- What a mental picture that is …
- Three predictions of His suffering and death to save His people provide the skeleton for this journey up to Jerusalem. The three ‘acts’ of Mark’s Gospel are basically Galilee et environs – Jesus is the King come to restore His Kingdom, the road trip up to Jerusalem – Jesus is Isaiah’s suffering servant Messiah, then 11:1-16:8 are about what the religious and political leaders do in their attempt to oppose God and the outcome for His people’s salvation.
- Do you know, now, why people say that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church? It’s because when you follow Jesus you follow the suffering servant of the Lord described long ago by Isaiah, and when you follow Him He makes you a fisher of people. People are NOT going to believe you about following Jesus unless you are authentic in FOLLOWING Him … and He is the rejected, suffering, CRUCIFIED, resurrected Son of Man. Yes. He is the ruler of the universe. He sits on the throne of the cosmos alongside the Ancient of Days. And He, though He was rich, yet became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. And people are looking at YOU to decide if that’s true. Are you authentic? Are you a follower of this MISSIONAL Jesus? They’ll soon work it out if you’re pretending. And if you are, they’ll come to fallacious conclusions about Jesus. This isn’t a game. I have a number of ‘Islamic Researchers’ who follow me on Twitter. I am on the death lists of a number of extremist political groups. Our business is to be authentic followers of the Lord – the Son of Man – King Jesus. He will turn lives offered up from gratitude as a living sacrifice – I’m thinking Romans 12:1 here – into fishing factories for the souls of lost people. And that’s what He did with these disciples. I guess, then, NONE of that is what you wanted me to tell you when you this morning ? Surely you winced inwardly when I said I was going to speak about being missional? You see, the problem with Jesus is that He calls us to GO! But not once does He promise you’ll be coming back … So WHAT EXACTLY is He calling us to do? The call of the incoming Kingdom is to follow Him … So what He calls us to do is NOTHING that He hasn’t done first. So let me quickly give a clue as to how these lives laid down to follow Him communicated the Kingdom for Jesus.
- Firstly we are going to be prepared to look men and women who seem far from God full in the face and in all honesty, seriousness and humility – man t man and woman to woman – proclaim to them the Kingdom of God. God is coming back – looking busy won’t be good enough. Buddy – the big thing in life is we’re all gonna die … the important thing is knowing where you’re going. ‘Oh, sorry for my language … I didn’t see you were there’? It’s not me you want to worry about, it’s my Boss, and the bad news on that one is He’s ALWAYS listening! Learn ways that fit your place, time and culture to proclaim Christ in ways that will stick to the inside of men’s minds without any inappropriate awkwardness or apology.
- Jesus returns to Capernaum and is at home. So many gathered there was no room – not even at the door V. 2 “ … and He preached the Word to them.” καὶ ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον He’s just speaking the Word to them
- This is clearly what we call ‘hospitality evangelism’ – Jesus isn’t making the teas, but at home, in a home, where hospitality IS being given (couldn’t be otherwise in that time and context) … Jesus is SPEAKING the Word to them. See, interestingly Jesus doesn’t preach here according to Mark at all. λαλέω 1) to utter a voice or emit a sound 2) to speak 2a) to use the tongue or the faculty of speech 2b) to utter articulate sounds 3) to talk 4) to utter, tell 5) to use words in order to declare one's mind and disclose one's thoughts 5a) to speak He simply uses the faculty of speech. People come around. We talk. Simple. Get used to being able to talk to people about Jesus. Be a chatty person. Be a consistent Christian. Mission living will result. You have people round? Fine. Talk. Speak about your life and your experience and your news and your Saviour and if they’re awkward – don’t feel awkward – simply go back to the football results! I was at a burger van North of our home in Cwmdu a couple of weeks ago and the Gospel arose in conversation with its owner out of a conversation where she challenged me – in a public place I hasten to add - on the sexual temptations of the ministry. Listen to me: Every conversation is a Gospel conversation. It’s about a part of our life and our whole life is permeated with following Christ. Don’t give people nonsense - be HONEST about it, and the sufficiency of Christ and His grace as you struggle with what everyone else struggles with … but you’re doing you’re struggling with God’s help.
- Whenever our conduct questioned, that delivers the opportunity to teach truth … It is EMBODYING grace that raises highly productive questions about it! Do you know Sean Stillman from Swansea?
- It is particularly in the third act of Mark’s Gospel as Jesus arrives in Jerusalem before the Passover that Jesus enters a phase of His ministry CHARACTERISED by conflict teaching. I’m just giving this example because you may be at Mark 2 in your Bibles and it saves a lot of page turning … but as we may well see tonight in Mark 11- 16 Jesus uses occasions of conflict with the religious to teach Gospel truth, and doesn’t shrink back from engaging in conflict-evangelism WITH THE RELIGIOUS.
- In Mark 8 Jesus feeds the 4,000, then the Pharisees come along demanding a sign, then as they move on from there it is discovered the disciples have forgotten to bring bread … and as they engage in mutual recriminations (v. 16) Jesus engages them in conversation about Himself, refocussing the conversation on eternally important things. It’s a great gift to be able to do that! (Nurture it!)
- The key to being missional is to ACTUALLY be a follower of Jesus Christ. Once we are following Him we are on a lifestyle track that takes us naturally into situations where we share Him just as He Himself shared the Good News of His Kingdom … which goes like this: Something has decisively changed in the world with the arrival of Jesus. The Kingdom of God is at hand. The consequence of that is that we all urgently need to repent and believe, which we express in our following of Jesus. Following Jesus in itself makes you a fisher for people, because that is EXACTLY what He was. And His message – which you proclaim, communicate informally express in your conduct, conflicts and conversations - is authenticated by the authenticity of your following of the rejected, suffering, crucified and raised Son of Man. And that’s the message of missional Mark to the pressurised, persecuted and persevering Christians living in Nero’s Rome.