Gateway’s Core Values 2008

Discipleship

Mark 12:28-34

“My Name is Bob Marsh, and I approved this message…”

Wow! Are you as glad as me that the primary elections are over in Wisconsin?  We were in the gun sights of the presidential campaigns for about two weeks, from Super Tuesday through this last Tuesday, but, boy did they pour it on during those two weeks!  In those few days, I grew tired in a hurry of the television and radio ads that were assaulting my senses.  If you are sad to see those ads go away, don’t fret – from August to November when the general election takes place, you’ll have more than enough to satisfy you!

Do you know why politicians put those ads on the television and radio?  The answer is obvious, isn’t it – they want to get their message out!  They want people to understand what they believe, what they stand for, their vision for the future and their plan to get there.  They repeat those ads over and over because they want people to get the message!  It is critical in a campaign that as many people as possible know the passions, the values and the direction of the movement.  Imagine the effectiveness of a campaign where the candidate calls the media into their office, says, “I am announcing today that I am running for president of the United States.  Here’s what I believe, here’s where I think we should go.  I ask for your support”, and then was never heard from again - never made another speech, never toured to the states, never took out air time to review those values, plans and vision.  What do you think would happen?  He’d be irrelevant!  He’d never make a difference!  He’d be drowned out by the values and direction of everyone else.

During these days at Gateway Community Church, we are examining our Core Values.  If the church is going to make a difference, and accomplish the mission that Jesus has given us, then we must be reminded of and committed to the central ideals and principles He has laid out for us in His Word.  It’s not enough to hear it once or twice, or to assume we know it.  The fact is, we tend to drift.  We get comfortable.  We start to think that the church is about us, our comfort, and our security, instead of the true mission of the church. 

Ø         Why does the church exist?  [To make disciples!]

Our mission is to make disciples – and to make disciples, we must first be disciples!  I want to direct your attention this morning to a passage of Scripture that actually reviews the first three of our core values.  It’s found in the biography of Jesus that was written by Mark, the 12^th chapter, and verse 28.  Mark, chapter 12, verse 28.

Let me give you a little background to what we are seeing here.  Jesus has, earlier that week, made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, being hailed as the coming king of Israel.  The religious leaders – the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Teachers of the Law, were threatened by His popularity and His teachings.  Then He had come into the Temple Mount the next day and caused a ruckus – overturning the money-changers tables and the booths of the animal sellers.  It didn’t sit well with the religious leaders that Jesus had come with such popularity and disrupted their temple, and they were determined to undercut his popularity and eventually destroy Him.

Jesus made several trips to the Temple Mount during that week.  Each time great crowds gathered to hear Him speak, and each time, the religious leaders tried to trip Him up.  They asked Him about paying taxes, and ridiculously complicated and hypothetical questions to attempt to get Him to say the wrong thing, or make some error so they could accuse or embarrass Him publicly.  But each time Jesus answered their questions, and turned their tricks back on them.

When we come to verse 28 of chapter 12, we are introduced to one of those “teachers of the Law,” who, Matthew tells us, was part of their plot to trick Jesus.  But this man seems to be different.  Let’s pick it up there. 

8 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" 29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." 32 "Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

Do you see the first two values of the church here?  I know that we’ve had a couple of weeks where we were unable to get together – so let’s review.  Two weeks ago a few of us met downtown on Sunday morning and talked about worship  - do you see the value of worship in these words of Jesus?  Sure – “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.”  We said two weeks ago that worship is far more than getting together on Sunday morning – it’s giving ourselves completely to Him – offering our bodies as “living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, as a spiritual act of worship.”

Last week we were unable to meet at all – but the topic of our readings, this week, and the second core value of our church was fellowship – real fellowship.  We belong to one another, we love one another, we serve each other.  Fellowship is far more than eating a meal together – it’s loving each other sacrificially, seeking the best for each other – putting one another ahead of ourselves – see it there?  “Love you neighbor as yourself.”

Today, as we examine this passage, I want to point out something that the Holy Spirit brought to my attention a couple of weeks ago as I was studying this passage in my personal time of Bible study and meditation – and it speaks to our third core value – discipleship. 

We’ve already talked about what was going on leading up to this encounter between the teacher and the Master.  The teacher had sat back and listened as Jesus was challenged with questions about politics, and theology, and he noticed that Jesus had given good answers to the questions.  He was genuinely impressed with the insight and wisdom of this man.  He had been part of the group trying to trip Jesus us before the people, hoping to remove some of that sway He held over the people, but instead he found himself caught up in it!  He is really impressed by Jesus!

So he asks the question – the question he brought to Jesus was a favorite among the Pharisees and teaches.  They had listed out 613 laws that God had given to Moses, and one of their great pastimes was to debate which was the greatest.  Were they the laws about interacting with people, or were the laws about ceremonial cleansing more important, or the laws about offerings to God? 

After hearing Jesus give these great answers, he couldn’t wait to hear how he would answer this one!  “Which of the commandments is the most important?”

I want you to notice something about Jesus response.  If you look at the previous tests, Jesus always challenged the questioner before giving His answer.  In verse 15, Jesus said, “Why are you trying to trap me?”  In verse 24, He said, “Are you not in error because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God?”  But with this man, and this question, Jesus immediately gives his reply.  I think it is important because I believe it gives us a clue into the man’s heart – he was genuinely seeking the truth from Jesus.  So Jesus gives His reply directly.

29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

Now, notice what happens next:  the teacher replies, “Well said, teacher, you are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but Him.  To love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all the burn offerings and sacrifices.”

Now, try to get inside this passage.  Try to envision it as it happened.  I can see the teacher, pondering what Jesus has said.  He’s thinking it through as Jesus replies.  He thinks on every phrase – so much so that he repeats it back to Jesus almost word for word.

My wife and I have taken little coaching classes on good communication.  We learned this technique where one person holds an object in their hand, and as long as they have the object, they get to speak.  They make one point at a time, and the other person is not permitted to respond right away.  All they can do is repeat back to the first person what they said.  For example, Carol might say, “I think we should get another cat.”  To which I would say, “I hear you saying that you want to get another cat.”  She would then say, “Yes.  I think that kittens are soft and fluffy and fun around the house, and I want to get one.”  Then I would repeat that back to her.  She would then say, “I think our other cats will be better behaved if we have another cat to spend time with them while we are out of the house,” and so on.  The point is, I can’t reply to her, or bring up my side of the issue, until she is comfortable that I have understood her by my repeating it back to her.  Then I get to make my case, and she has to do the same for me.  The reason it works is because without those guidelines, when she brings up the idea, I immediately begin to form my comebacks, my reasons for not getting another cat, and I stop listening to her.  I’m too busy responding mentally to her to be really listening. It’s a good communication technique.

My point here is that this guy has been really listening to Jesus – he is able to recite back what he has just heard – and he recognizes the profound truth of what Jesus has said – “loving the Lord the way that verse commands, and loving my neighbor is more important to God than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices I can bring.”

Now here’s the thing.  Verse 34: “When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him…you are not far from the kingdom of God.”

At the beginning of this encounter, in verse 28, we saw the man impressed with Jesus’ answers, but here we see Jesus impressed with his answer!  That was what got me to thinking…

You know, I wonder what Jesus face looked like at that moment.  The verse says, “When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely…”  That word “to see” there means that there was a moment of recognition – there was an instant where Jesus “saw” in the man that he had thought it through and that he got it.  Again, I wonder what Jesus face looked like in that instant.  Can you see it in your imagination?  The man is almost thinking our loud… “Yes, there is one God…Yes, to love Him with all the heart, soul, mind and strength…Yes, love my neighbor as myself…This is the greatest!  Nothing else comes close!  He’s right”  As he’s thinking it through, and weighing each line, I can almost see Jesus watching him, maybe nodding as the teacher reviews each line, until finally it dawns on him. 

And Jesus is pleased with it! He sees that the man has answered wisely, and He gives Him a word of encouragement – “you are not far from the kingdom of God!”  In affect, Jesus is saying, “you are on the right path…keep going, you’re getting close!”

Now, here’s where it gets practical and personal.  As I was reading this, and pondering it, the Holy Spirit prompted me to ask, “When was the last time that I pondered and reflected on the words of Jesus, and really listened to Him, and applied what He said so faithfully, that I got that same approving look from Him that this teacher got?”

“When did I last pour over the word of God and wrestle with it – and dig into it so diligently that I got an approving nod from the Master?”

As I thought about it, I was reminded of Paul’s instruction to his young apprentice, Timothy, to “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.”  (2 Tim. 2:15)

When Jesus “sees” us – is that what He sees?  Or is it more like the picture described in Hebrews 5:11-14:

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

I don’t want to stay in elementary school!  I don’t want to be fed on baby formula!  I want to have solid food, I want meat, I want to be mature, not an infant!  But if that is going to happen, then I have to be willing to do the work of listening to the Lord, and studying His word, allowing them to ruminate in my mind.  I need to wrestle with the truths of God, and to allow them to build character in me. 

You know, sometimes Jesus let the disciples struggle.  Sometimes they were struggling with physical obstacles, like trying to control the boat in a stormy sea.  Sometimes He gave them teachings that they simply did not comprehend right away, and He didn’t explain it to them – He left them in that place of confusion so that they would have to just struggle with it. They were forced to weigh it out.  The Bible tells us that sometimes they didn’t get it until after the resurrection – there were some issues that they pondered for months.

The same is true with God-followers throughout Scripture – Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Job, David, Jeremiah – they all “wrestled” with God in some way or another.  They all had their moments of struggle – and in each case God used that struggle to produce character in them, to shape them into His faithful disciples.  And in the final analysis, they received the approving look of the Master.

Jesus brings us to those places because He wants disciples who will be able to think though the issues, who will recognize that we are called to discipline our minds as well as our sacrifice bodies to Him.

Is He doing that for you?  When was the last time that you studied the word of God for yourself?  Really got into the “meat” of it?  Struggled with some tough passage?  I’m not talking about reading what somebody else said, or listening to some other guys thoughts on the topic – but YOU wrestling with the truth of God?  That’s what disciples do! We will never be a church that fulfills our mission of “making disciples,” until we are being made into disciples ourselves!

Disciples aren’t people who sit back and let other people chew their food for them, like some scene from “March of the Penguins,” where the mother penguin brings up some months-old partially digested food and gives it to her newborn – no! disciples are people who go after the meat themselves!

We must be students of Jesus – we must listen to Him – really listen – wrestle with His word.  We need to allow His teaching and His word to impact us so much that we are drawn closer and closer to the Kingdom, and closer and closer to His likeness.  That’s what it means to be a disciple!  That’s what we are to be, and that is what we are to be reproducing as a church