Tuesday, July 12, 2011

A Year With the King

Almost 12 months ago we embark on a Journey through the gospel of Mark. In two week we will finish that journey. I feel like I can speak for the group of guys on our teaching team when I say it has been life changing to be up-close and personal with Jesus for one year. I hope that if you've been with us for the journey that you have had your faith strengthened and your heart expanded by the radical love and grace of our great King.

I want to say a huge thank to the guys who have served us well as part of the team who taught through Mark’s Gospel. Fred Schuller, Josh Bloodworth, Aaron Yankey, Mark McAndrew, and David Holt, you guys are amazing and gifted and I am thankful that I get to serve alongside our King with you.

One of the things that I have loved about our time in Mark is that I have been reminded over and over again of this truth: Jesus is the King! But he is a different kind of king. Jesus is king who comes in a way that reverses the values of the world and creates a "new normal". He comes in meekness and service, not strength and force - to die as a ransom for us. I love how Tim Keller puts it, "We enter this Kingdom through the 'upside-down' pattern of the King who went to the cross." You and I, as his followers, are called to live in this world as ambassadors of our King and to participate in the ministry of restoration and reconciliation.

Along the way we have encouraged you to remember the big picture of who Jesus is, why he came, how we should respond. I want to wrap up our time in Mark by reminding you of those three things.

Who Jesus is: He is the:

  • Suffering Servant
  • Ransom
  • Passover Lamb
  • Son of Man
  • Son of God

Why Jesus came:

  • To judge all men for fruitlessness, man-centered religion, and rebellion.
  • To save both Jew and Gentile, including blasphemers/rebels/his killers from hell for eternal life.
  • To serve by dying as ransom. He is the Lamb who accepted God’s wrath and takes away the sin of the world.

How should I respond?

  • Be unashamed of Jesus
  • Take up your cross
  • Deny self
  • Serve
  • Witness
  • Have faith in God
  • Watch for His Return
  • Give All

I hope that as we move on from our study of Mark that we will remember that we are called to love and to serve because that is the nature of the Kingdom of God. My prayer is that we will all live out these words from the mouth of Jesus:

"But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43-45 ESV)