<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pastor Don Carpenter \/ General<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Uncomfortable: The Awkward and Essential Challenge of\nChristian Community \/ Pride; Humility; Church: Fellowship and Unity \/ Mark 8:34<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often when we\nsee children acting childish in church, sometimes the thought crosses our\nminds, \u201csomeone should teach those children how to behave in church.\u201d But wait a minute\u2026 has anyone taught us how\nwe are to behave in church? Sure, we\ndutifully sit quietly, keep to ourselves, speak when spoken to, smile and then\nleave. Any interaction is with our\ncircle of friends and acquaintances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we continue\nmeditating on our series: \u201cUncomfortable: The Awkward and Essential Challenge\nof Christian Community\u201d, we should ask ourselves how Jesus wants us to behave\nin church. Our passage this morning\ngives a simple outline of how we as His disciples are to behave, and certainly\nit applies to how we are to behave in church. \nIf we apply these simple life principles in church, we will thrive as a\ngroup, and become less disgruntled as individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whosoever will come after Me.<\/em><\/strong> \u201cWill\u201d is thel? (????)\n\u201cto desire.\u201d It is \u201cWhosoever desires to come after Me.\u201d \u201cCome\u201d is erchomai (???????).\nThe word is used in John 5:40 where our Lord speaks of the fact that certain\nwill not come to Him that they might have life. The word is used here in the\nsense of becoming a disciple of Jesus, one who follows His instruction and\nenters into His fellowship. Likewise, to come after Jesus means to become His\ndisciple, follow His teachings, and enter into His fellowship.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest\u2019s word studies from\nthe Greek New Testament: for the English reader<\/em> Mark 8:34 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n And when he had called the people unto him<\/em> with his\ndisciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny\nhimself, and take up his cross, and follow me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let him\ndeny himself.<\/strong> The\nword is aparneomai<\/em> (??????????). When used with the reflexive pronoun as\nit is here, it means \u201cto forget one\u2019s self, lose sight of one\u2019s self and one\u2019s\ninterests.\u201d The verb is ingressive aorist, speaking of entrance into a new\nstate or condition. It is \u201cLet him at once begin to lose sight of himself and\nhis own interests.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Negatively,\none must deny himself<\/strong> decisively (\u201cdeny\u201d is an aorist imper.) saying no\nto selfish interests and earthly securities. Self-denial is not to deny\none\u2019s personality, to die as a martyr, or to deny \u201cthings\u201d (as in asceticism).\nRather it is the denial of \u201cself,\u201d turning away from the idolatry of\nself-centeredness and every attempt to orient one\u2019s life by the dictates of\nself-interest (cf. tdnt, s.v. \u201carneomai,\u201d<\/em> 1:469\u201371). Self-denial,\nhowever, is only the negative side of the picture and is not done for its own\nsake alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grassmick, J.\nD. (1985). Mark. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible\nKnowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures<\/em> (Vol. 2, p. 141).\nWheaton, IL: Victor Books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Romans 15:1 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak,\nand not to please ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Romans 15:2 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let every one of us please his<\/em> neighbour for his<\/em>\ngood to edification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Romans 15:3 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written,\nThe reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Philippians 2:3 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let<\/em>\nnothing be done<\/em> through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind\nlet each esteem other better than themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Philippians 2:4 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on\nthe things of others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1000 Illustrations for Preaching\n& Teaching Beyond Self<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n During the early days of the Confederacy, Robert E. Lee was\nseverely criticized by General W. H. C. Whiting. Most persons would have\nretaliated. One day, President Jefferson Davis invited General Lee to share\nwith him his appraisal of General Whiting. The noble Virginian commended\nWhiting in highest terms. Whereupon, an officer took General Lee aside to\nremind him of General Whiting\u2019s verbiage against him. To which Lee replied: \u201cI\nunderstood that the President desired to know my opinion of Whiting, not\nWhiting\u2019s opinion of me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark 8:34 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n And when he had called the people unto him<\/em> with his\ndisciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny\nhimself, and take up his cross, and follow me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cross-bearing\nwas not an established Jewish metaphor. But the figure was appropriate in\nRoman-occupied Palestine. It brought to mind the sight of a condemned man who\nwas forced to demonstrate his submission to Rome by carrying part of his cross\nthrough the city to his place of execution. Thus \u201cto take up one\u2019s cross\u201d\nwas to demonstrate publicly one\u2019s submission\/obedience to the authority against\nwhich he had previously rebelled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus\u2019\nsubmission to God\u2019s will is the proper response to God\u2019s claims over self\u2019s\nclaims. For Him it meant death on the cross. Those who follow Him must take up their<\/em>\n(not His) cross, whatever comes to them in God\u2019s will as a follower of Jesus.\nThis does not mean suffering as He did or being crucified as He was. Nor does\nit mean stoically bearing life\u2019s troubles. Rather, it is obedience to God\u2019s\nwill as revealed in His Word, accepting the consequences without reservations\nfor Jesus\u2019 sake and the gospel (cf. 8:35). For some this includes physical\nsuffering and even death, as history has demonstrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Corinthians 9:16 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of:\nfor necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Timothy 1:15 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is<\/em> a faithful saying, and worthy of all\nacceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I\nam chief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n John 9:25 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no<\/em>, I\nknow not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1000 Illustrations for Preaching\n& Teaching Call Me Eccentric<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark 8:34 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n And when he had called the people unto him<\/em> with his\ndisciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny\nhimself, and take up his cross, and follow me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Jesus\u2019\nwords, Follow Me<\/strong>, \u201cfollow\u201d is a present imperative: \u201c(So) let him keep\nfollowing Me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luke 9:23 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n And he said to them<\/em> all, If any man<\/em> will come\nafter me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Follow Me.<\/strong> The word \u201cfollow\u201d is akolouthe?<\/em>\n(?????????) \u201cto take the same road as another does.\u201d It is used with the\nassociative instrumental case. It is, \u201cLet him follow with Me.\u201d The idea is not\nthat of following behind another, but that of accompanying the other person,\ntaking the same road that he takes and fellowshipping with him along that road.\nThe first two imperatives are aorist, giving a summary command to be obeyed at\nonce. The \u201ccoming after\u201d and the \u201ctaking up\u201d are to be obeyed at once and are\nto be a once-for-all act. That is, these acts are to be looked upon as a\npermanent attitude and practice of life. The whole life is to be characterized\nby an habitual coming after and taking up of the cross. After having once for\nall given over the life to the Lord, the believer must hence-forward count it\never so given over. He is not his own anymore. He belongs to the Lord. He is\nthe Lord\u2019s property. The word \u201cfollow\u201d however, is in the present imperative,\nwhich commands the doing of an action and its habitual, moment by moment\ncontinuance. The first two imperatives give direction to the life. The last\nspeaks of the actual living of that which has been given direction by two\nonce-for-all acts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wuest, K. S.\n(1997). Wuest\u2019s word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English\nreader<\/em> (Mk 8:34). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 John 3:16 KJV<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hereby perceive we the love of God<\/em>, because he laid\ndown his life for us: and we ought to lay down our<\/em> lives for the\nbrethren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 750 Engaging Illustrations for\nPreachers, Teachers and Writers 698: Surrender<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Pastor Don Carpenter \/ General Uncomfortable: The Awkward and Essential Challenge of Christian Community \/ Pride; Humility; Church: Fellowship and Unity \/ Mark 8:34 Often when we see children acting childish in church, sometimes the thought crosses our minds, \u201csomeone should teach those children how to behave in church.\u201d But wait a minute\u2026 has anyone … Continue reading How To Behave In Church<\/span>
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\n<\/p>\n\n\n\nDeny Yourself<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Take Up Your Cross<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\nWhen narcotic detectives raided a loft apartment in a depressed neighborhood in\nNew York City, their eyes and hearts were shockingly opened. The dark corridors\nand dingy rooms were crowded with twisted, ill-fed, and ill-clothed derelicts.\nOut of this human scrap heap, the police arrested six men for carrying\nhypodermic needles and heroin. Apprehensive of the host of this heterogenous\ncompany, the detectives charged him with harboring drug addicts.
\nAt police headquarters, the meek-looking and mild-mannered man claimed that he\nhad chosen to live among these people to provide them with food, shelter, and\nclothing. His door was open to all. He did not realize he was breaking the law\nin extending compassion. Investigation revealed that the operator of this\nstrange hostel was neither a vagrant nor a drug habitue. The dedicated man\nturned out to be John Sargent Cram, a millionaire, who had been educated at\nPrinceton and Oxford. To avoid the \u201crigmarole\u201d of organized charity, he had\nmoved into the undesirable neighborhood and had gone to work.
\nAfter his trial and acquittal, Cram was admonished not to take in drug addicts.\nLater he said to a reporter, \u201cI don\u2019t know if my work does any good, but I\ndon\u2019t think it does any harm.\u2026 I\u2019m quite happy, you know. I am anything but a\ndespondent person. Call me eccentric. Call it my reason for being. I have no\nother!\u201d
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\n<\/p>\n\n\n\nFollow Jesus<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\nIn The Wonderful Spirit Filled Life, Charles Stanley writes:
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\n In water-safety courses a cardinal rule\nis never to swim out to a drowning man and try to help him as long as he is\nthrashing about. To do so is to commit suicide. As long as a drowning man\nthinks he can help himself, he is dangerous to anyone who tries to help him.\nHis tendency is to grab the one trying to aid him and take them both down in\nthe process. The correct procedure is to stay just far enough away so that he\ncan\u2019t grab you. Then you wait. And when he finally gives up, you make your\nmove. At that point the one drowning is pliable. He won\u2019t work against you. He\nwill let you help.
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\nThe same principle holds true in our relationship with the Holy Spirit. Until\nwe give up, we aren\u2019t really in a position to be helped. We will work against\nhim rather than with him.
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