Mark 6 tell us more about Jesus than it does about his followers? Discuss

Study on Mark 6 this morning: what does this passage tell us about Jesus?

• M6: his teaching is amazing.... Many people wanted to listen.
• M6: he can be AMAZED at our lack of faith!!!
• M6: he sends people out, and he was totally interested in every person- what they had Said and done?
• M6: Do we believe that Jesus is totally interested in what we are doing?
• M6 Sometimes it can be tiring living- God wants us to rest! (Come to me and I will give you rest/ be still) however be wary of too much rest.
• M6: value rest but serve people. Jesus had compassion on the people... He calls the crowd sheep without a shepherd.
• M6: without a shepherd the crowd was in danger- Jesus is the shepherd.
• M6: JESUS WANTS US TO BE MORE THAN SATISFIED!
• M6: Jesus always values time in prayer. -he could have gone with the crowd but he stepped away to be with God. Is the crowd always right?
• M6: in a crowd emotions and thoughts can be powerful but we need to go back to the father and say it is you father that I want to hear.
• M6: Jesus sees our needs and he wants to help. He has the authority to help.
• M6: what Jesus does is amazing!

M6: what does this passage tells about followers of Jesus???

• M6: Many dismissed Jesus- be careful of envy and jealousy. Value others gifts! Allow others to shine with how God has blessed them.
• M6: let's not be people who stand in the way of God working in other people's lives.
• M6: When we go out trusting God; amazing things can happen... And bad stuff too.
• M6: it is easy to make stupid and hasty promises (Herod)
• M6: we don't want to be people who make stupid promises- it is better to make no promise at all. Make promises you know you can keep.
• M6: you need to have the right attitude about resources.
• M6: The resources we have we can use for people in need not just for those were responsible for.
• M6: miracles can happen that we don't know about... Imagine being man 2397 in the 5000 crowd. How do you know when a miracle is happening?
• M6: it is ok to fear God and to cry out to him.
• M6: we can be amazed by God. Don't have a hard heart... Put everything you have into Jesus.
• M6: ITS ALL ABOUT JESUS! Recognise him in every situation.

M6: Jesus totally values and cares about every one. He invites every person to follow him and to experience his love for us.
M6: Jesus invites everyone of us to be his disciple.

Crossing the line

Last Sunday whilst speaking on Joshua 7, I thought more about what it means to transgress, or to 'cross the line'.

Within the service I thought about the idea that the line for many of us is like a cliff edge, that we really don't want to fall over. But thankfully as we travel down the road there is usually a barrier to stop us falling, and that barrier is usually a few feet from the drop.

With the comfort and knowledge of the barrier it is tempting to travel as close to the barrier as possible. But the problem with this practice is that just one stumble across the barrier and down we go... how much better would it be to seek to travel in the middle of the road... giving ourselves a barrier before the barrier. This means that if I wobble or stumble, I am still safely well away from actually falling or crossing the line or transgressing.

Let's take an example. Having an affair would be the transgression. Jesus suggests that desiring an affair is also over the line. So that is the cliff face. The barrier might be choosing to spend long periods of time on my own with members of the opposite sex. But the sensible place to travel might be further away from this barrier... perhaps, not spending any social time on my own with a member of the opposite sex...

But what about when we have to spend time with someone. For example, one friend, was travelling to a conference, 2 hours away, with a younger, attractive, female colleague. He was now cycling much closer to the barrier than he would have liked to. But, in his wisdom, he told a friend of this situation he would be in before it happened. In making himself accountable to someone else, his friend effectively made the barrier much higher whilst he was travelling close to it.

Jesus often went to the houses or attractive (and provocative women) but we never read that the disciples were surprised that he was there. They might have been shocked, but they knew where he was, he was always open with them, he made sure the barrier was high. When did the disciples not know where Jesus was? When did Jesus allow the barrier to go low? When he went off to pray and spend time with his Father!

But what about if we are not cycling, or under our own power and we are travelling with someone else? Another friend was telling me about this situation this week. He described how whilst watching an 'innocent' programme, the victims of the murderer were all attractive young women and the programme showed pictures of these women when alive. My friend felt he was being taken closer to the barrier, and this was not his choice. He did have a choice though. He could keep watching and allow the programme and his mind to wander wherever the programme makers wanted to take him, or he could get out of the car! This is what he did, he got up and turned off the TV. He made a choice to get back into the middle of the road. When Potiphar's wife tried to drive Joseph close to the barrier (and hopefully way past the barrier!), he got out of the car - he ran away... and didn't stop running until he was well and truly back in the safety of the middle of the road.

Do you have friends who you can be accountable to? Those who will build the barrier when necessary, those who will cycle down the hill with you, encouraging and supporting each other to walk in the middle of the road. I have been meeting with a few friends to chat and pray each Wednesday morning for a few years - but now it is time to step it up a mark... please be my fellow middle road travelers. Allow me to build up the barriers for you, as you do the same for me.

Please don't read this wrong! Middle road living is not boring, it is the place where the most risky and bold things can be attempted for God...For why do I want to cross the line? Or even get close to crossing the line?