Mark - Lesson 9...Continued from page 5

Thomas Klock

DAY SIX: Following Christ

1. It wasn’t that Jesus was incapable of doing ministry successfully in Nazareth, but it was the lack of their opening themselves up to His touch that kept them from experiencing what He could have done for them. We also saw that Jesus was amazed at the unbelief of those from whom the most belief would be expected. As Warren Wiersbe well said, “The contempt shown by the Nazarenes said nothing about Jesus Christ, but it said a great deal about them!”[xxii] How open have you been to what Jesus seeks to do in your life these days? Do you think He is pleased with your faith, or is it something that would cause Him to shake His head in amazement, and take His blessings elsewhere? How can you make changes away from a hardened heart and conscience to a more softened one, allowing Him to work in you and change you?

2. Jesus’ disciples got a crash course in faith when He sent them off with basically nothing?except He gave them everything they would need by sharing His authority and power with them to effectively serve, and a great message of repentance and salvation. As Jesus had said to them in Matthew 6:33, “and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern” (nlt). What are some things you can gather from the disciples’ experiences that can help you live less complicated and less materialistic of a life, yet with a much more powerful infilling of His Holy Spirit to help you carry out the tasks God has set before you? Please record your thoughts and share them with your group.

3. For men especially we can learn about the dangers of living a life that will lead us to compromise. Two of the biggest enemies out there are alcohol and sexual sin, and both of these can destroy our lives, our relationships, and our ability to follow and serve Christ. Did you catch the downward spiral that Herod experienced that led him to compromise? First, he placed himself in a place and condition that allowed him to be tempted and susceptible to sin. Second, he allowed the temptation that entered through the eye gate to build into sexual desire. Thirdly, he was blinded by both alcohol and hormones and made an attempt to act upon it (by telling Salome he’d give her anything, sadly we men know exactly what he hoped from her!). Yet as he did, this temptation turned on him, trapped him, and led to the destruction of one he feared and respected.[xxiii] Sins such as these will always hurt someone?yourself, the other person involved, and third parties: God, a spouse, a child, co-workers, etc. Please read below these two straightforward passages from Proverbs, and record how you can take steps to derail these types of sins if they are already present in your life, or how to prevent them from entering into your life. Then share with each other; pray for each other; hold each other accountable!

Sexual Sin: Proverbs 4:23-27; 5:15-23; 6:23-29; 7:21-27:

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil...Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well. Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, streams of water in the streets? Let them be only your own, and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of your youth. As a loving deer and a graceful doe, let her breasts satisfy you at all times; and always be enraptured with her love. For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, and be embraced in the arms of a seductress...For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He ponders all his paths. His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, and he is caught in the cords of his sin. He shall die for lack of instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray. ..For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life, to keep you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a seductress. Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor let her allure you with her eyelids. For by means of a harlot a man is reduced to a crust of bread; and an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be seared? So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent...With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, with her flattering lips she seduced him. Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, he did not know it would cost his life. Now therefore, listen to me, my children; pay attention to the words of my mouth: Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, do not stray into her paths; for she has cast down many wounded, and all who were slain by her were strong men. Her house is the way to hell, descending to the chambers of death. (nkjv)

Alcohol: Proverbs 20:1; 23:29-35

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise...Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, those who go in search of mixed wine. Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse things. Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying: "They have struck me, but I was not hurt; they have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?" (nkjv)

Scripture Memory: Hopefully you now can write out this week’s passage completely by memory. Do so now, and keep on reviewing it so you will be ready to share it with others in your group time.

Mark 6:26:

[i] John D. Grassmick, Mark. In John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament (Wheaton: Victor Books/SP Publications, 1983), p. 126.

[ii] John D. Grassmick, Mark. In John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck eds., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, p. 126.

[iii] Unless elsewhere noted, all Greek word/phrase translations are based on the following: A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention). In Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1932, 1933, 1997; James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible: Showing Every Word of the Text of the Common English Version of the Canonical Books, and Every Occurrence of Each Word in Regular Order, Electronic Edition (Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship; in Bellingham: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1996); M.R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (Bellingham: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2002); Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Studies in the New Testament: For the English Reader (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, Co; in Bellingham ,WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1984, 1997); and Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, Electronic Edition (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, in Bellingham: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1992, 1993, 2000).

[iv] A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention). In Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1932, 1933, 1997; also Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Vol. 1 (Wheaton: Victor Books/SP Publications Inc., 1989), p. 130.

[v] John D. Grassmick, Mark, p. 127; Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Vol. 1, p. 130.

[vi] For more on this, please see James A. Brooks, Mark. In David S. Dockery, The New American Commentary V. 23 (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1991), p. 102; Walter C. Kaiser, Peter H. Davids, F.F. Bruce, and Manfred T. Baruch, Hard Sayings of the Bible (Downer’s Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1996), pp. 422-424.

[vii] John D. Grassmick, Mark, p. 128.

[viii] J.I. Packer, Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1993), p. 162.

[ix] John D. Grassmick, Mark, p. 128.

[x] James A. Brooks, Mark. In David S. Dockery, The New American Commentary V. 23, p. 105.

[xi] Joel F. Williams, Mark. In Darrell L. Bock ed., The Bible Knowledge Key Word Study: The Gospels (Colorado Springs: Cook Communications Ministries, 2002), p. 133.

[xii] James A. Brooks, Mark., p. 105.

[xiii] John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2005), p. 1216.

[xiv] A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament.

[xv] M.R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (Bellingham: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2002).

[xvi] Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Studies in the New Testament: For the English Reader (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, Co; in Bellingham: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1984, 1997).

[xvii] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Vol. 1 (Wheaton: Victor Books/SP Publications Inc., 1989), p. 131.

[xviii] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary (Downer’s Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993), p. 150, 151,

[xix] John Phillips, Exploring the Gospel of Mark (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2004), p. 141.

[xx] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary, p. 151.

[xxi] James A. Brooks, Mark., p. 105, 106.

[xxii] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Vol. 1, p. 129.

[xxiii] Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Studies in the New Testament: For the English Reader.

My BST

My BST

Mark - Lesson 9...Continued from page 5