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Lessons From Mark

Mark 1 (2/22/15)

February 22, 2015 • Benham Brothers

Baptism - Mark 1:4-8. Disciple - Matthew 28:19. Parable - Mark 4:10-11. The word "baptism" in the Greek means "immersion." John preached an immersion by way of repentance. He preached that if you wanted the kingdom of God you needed to be immersed in His nature through repentance. John painted the picture of this immersian through dunking people in the water. When you immerse yourself in the water EVERY part of your body gets wet. When you immerse yourself in the nature of God every part of you gets touched. In Mark 1:8 John reveals that we are to be immersed in the Holy Spirit, which washes away your internal dirt. Matthew 28:19 - Jesus gives us a key on how a disciple is made: Immersion into the very nature of God - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For our spirits this is a one-time event - new identity through justification. For our souls (mind, will, emotions) it's a continual process - transformation through sanctification. The only way our brain catches up with our new identity is through immersion! Mark 4:11 - only disciples are the ones who "get it!" The devil doesn't want you to be a disciple because he doesn't want you to "get it!" The mystery of the kingdom were given only to disciples. For everyone else Jesus had to paint pictures. Our lives as disciples become His pictures - His living parables.

Mark 1:4 (2/20/20)

February 20, 2020 • Benham Brothers

* Faithful in little leads to faithful in BIG. * Jesus could’ve come at any time in history. * But He came before books, newspapers, telephones, internet, media, etc. * He came at a time when word about Him would spread slowly - very slowly. * Vs 4 - John was stationed in an “uninhabited region.” * This would be like God’s main spokesman for what He’s doing in the world having a Twitter following of 17 people. * But if that person was simply faithful, as John was, then he would fulfill God’s role for his life. * Just about the time John’s audience began to grow, he was removed from the picture. * Now, 2k+ years later we’re still talking about his faithfulness. * Testimony of Bible study - at the height of our business I started doing it with hardly anyone there….

Mark 1:6 (2/18/21)

February 18, 2021 • Benham Brothers

* Live below their means. * Live next to people with a fraction of their wealth. * Own their own business or start a business. * Invest in assets. * Marry one person and stay married.

Mark 1:11 (2/16/17)

February 16, 2017 • Benham Brothers

* When God told Jesus He was pleased with Him, what was He referring to? * Jesus had no public ministry at this point in His life. * God was referring to the previous 30 years of His life when He was in the workplace. * Jesus was faithful when nobody else knew who He was. * He was faithful as a carpenter, doing good work, not cutting corners, charging a fair price, etc. * He was faithful in the little, in a blue collar world, and Jesus proved faithful in the BIG.

Mark 1:12-13 (2/19/15)

February 19, 2015 • Benham Brothers

Look at the process God took Jesus through before He launched Him out: He was trained in a blue-collar world for 30 years, being faithful when nobody was watching. Just about the time Jesus' public ministry was starting God yanked Him from the spotlight. He lived in a wilderness and didn't eat anything - imagine how hard of a time this was for Him. He was faithful to His Father and then it launched Him into the public eye again - this time for good. Think about a dream or goal you've had - maybe you had a quick flash of what it could be. But now you're doing what's seems to be the opposite. It's at this time that you prove faithful to the Lord whatever the cost. He may bring it back, and if He does then He's battered you into the person who can handle the vision! Oswald Chambers - "watch where God puts you into darkness, and when you are there keep your mouth shut. Are you in the dark just now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? Then remain quiet. If you open your mouth in the dark, you will talk in the wrong mood: darkness is the time to listen. Don't talk to other people about it; don't read books to find out the reason of the darkness, but listen and heed. If you talk to other people, you cannot hear what God is saying. When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else when you get into the light."

Mark 1:14-15 (2/21/19)

February 21, 2019 • Benham Brothers

* John came preaching a message of repentance and the crowds flocked to him. * Then Jesus comes along and John points to Jesus. * John then rebukes a political leader for his immoral lifestyle and was thrown in prison. * Jesus never went to visit him. * Actually, Jesus went the opposite direction when He found out John was in prison. * Jesus preached the same message John preached. * You could say it this way - “After John was removed from the picture, Jesus stole his message.” * Our goal should be to live like John. * We are here to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom and then get out of the way!

Mark 1:16 (2/27/20)

February 20, 2020 • Benham Brothers

* The workplace reveals your character as much as anything else in your life. * Character - doing what’s right, as God defines right, even when nobody is watching. * In work, it’s easy to cut corners when nobody is watching. * Do you? * Vs 16 - notice how Jesus “watched them as they were casting their nets into the sea.” * They didn’t know they were being watched. * Jesus saw something about the way they worked that intrigued Him. * He may have thought, “If they fish for fish like that, they’ll fish for men like that - and that’s what I’m looking for!” * Vs 19 - He saw two brothers “mending their nets.” * They were making the most of their tools for catching fish. * The very instrument they used to be good at their job, they took good care of it. * The goal of the net is to hold firm to catch as many fish as possible. * Our net for catching souls is the net of LOVE. * And we have to be careful to mend our hearts so we always stay in the position of love toward others. * Jesus saw them doing this and He knew these were His kind of guys. * None of these guys knew they were being watched - but their character landed them positions that we’re still talking about 2k years later!

Mark 1:16-20 (2/18/16)

February 18, 2016 • Benham Brothers

• So many of God's men in the Bible were taken from the marketplace - the work force. • Peter had to know how to fish for fish before he could fish for men. • David had to shepherd sheep before he could shepherd people. • Two things the marketplace does for people: • 1) It separates - it's the great "winnower" of men. • The marketplace naturally separates the wheat from the chaff. • If you're not good at what you do you don't make it. • 2) It prepares - it is God's training ground. • It teaches you how to be valuable. • Customer always comes first, little things matter, etc. • When these men were in the way of their duty, they were in the path of their calling. • God plucked them all out and put them on a different course.

Mark 1:23-26 (2/23/17)

February 23, 2017 • Benham Brothers

* Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, which is like Him preaching in church on a Sunday. * In the crowd was a man filled with a demonic spirit blending in. * When Jesus spoke with authority and power the man was exposed for what he truly was. * What was inside him was revealed when Truth (Jesus) showed up and was proclaimed. * He knew who Jesus was, but he didn’t KNOW Jesus. * He probably could recite verses and nobody knew he was a son of darkness. * Matthew 13:24-30 - Jesus said in this age there will be good seed and bad seed growing together. * The enemy is always among us, but when the real Jesus inside us comes in contact with the real devil inside them there will be conflict.

Mark 1:31 / Luke 10:40 (2/19/13)

February 19, 2013 • Benham Brothers

Receiving is the secret to Giving Mary FED on Jesus, Martha did not The Priests were to FEED on the sacrifice and not the Sin

Mark 1:34 & 3:12 (2/21/19)

February 21, 2019 • Benham Brothers

* Truth spoken in the wrong spirit is not truth. * These demons didn’t speak truth so others would come to know Jesus as Lord. * They didn’t want to see people set free from sin. * If we speak truth but in the wrong spirit people will miss the truth that sets them free. * The right spirit is that of restoration. * We see people the way God sees them (as disconnected from Him). * They need mercy just like we do. * Speaking truth in love is the right spirit.

Mark 1:35-38 (2/25/18)

February 25, 2018 • Benham Brothers

LIVING A LIFE OF "YES!" (Mark 1:35-38) •If we want to accomplish God’s call on our lives we need the margin to do it. •Margin is the space between our current pace and our limits. •Limits are defined by God, pace is defined by you. •Margin gives us the opportunity for disruption (happened to Jesus all the time). •The closer you get to your limits the more you lose focus on what you’re doing. •Thin margin is created by an inability to say “no.” •PROBLEM - Saying YES when we should have said NO leads to Exhaustion (burnout & boredom). •Why? Because we’re operating out of GUILT. •When you operate out of guilt you have no grace to do the thing you said “yes” to. •SOLUTION - Saying YES when we should say YES leads to Energy. •Why? Because you’re operating out of GRATITUDE. •When you operate out of gratitude you have the grace to do the thing you said “yes” to. •Why don’t we say “no?” •1) We want to help them - this is a matter of TRUST. •We don’t truly trust God to provide another way. •God created the church to handle those who are not a part of our “yes.” •Your “no” to them is God’s “yes” to open up another opportunity for them. •DANGER - If you say “yes” when you should have said “no,” that person will keep coming back. •You become miniature providences to them, which leads us and them into idolatry. •Don’t stand in the way of someone else’s “yes.” •2) We don’t want to hurt them - this is a matter of FEAR. •We don’t want them to think negatively of us. •We want their acceptance and approval. •Jesus shows us a better way. •He lived a life of “yes” to His Heavenly Father. How can we do that: •1) Prioritize what’s urgent over what’s vital. •Urgent things are about accomplishing tasks - checklist-type stuff. •Vital things are about sustaining life - being healthy, having a good marriage, mature kids, etc. •Relationships are never urgent - they are vital. •2) Know your circles - Christ’s was God, John, the 3, the 12, the 70, the Jews in His area….. •My circles - God, Tori, kids, family, friends / co-workers, etc. •3) Start Early (vs 35A) - proactivity makes you productive / procrastination makes you poor. This isn't just about waking up early. •A reactive person will always live someone else’s “yes.” •Starting early gives us margin to be disrupted by those in our circles. •** A dad who spends an hour reading the Bible after work while the kids have to wait for him is not good. •4) Get alone (vs 35b)- this helps you focus with no outside distraction. •Learn to enjoy time alone. “Come apart with God or you’ll come apart.” •5) Pray (vs 35) - two-way communication - be in the habit of actively listening. •6) Don’t be easily found (vs 36) - the disciples had to “search” for Him. •When you’re doing something vital, don’t be easily disturbed. •7) Be lead by the call of God, not the needs of people (vs 37-38) - this is the key! •The power of vision - lid on the jigsaw puzzle. •ex: Nehemiah - “I am carrying on a great work and I cannot come down.” •BALANCING TRUTH: •8) Accept your assignment (Mark 6:31-34) - When you have margin you can be impositioned because you're operating out of gratitude. •ex: plane ride to Arizona - I needed a nap but got none. I felt more energetic than ever.

Mark 1:37-44 (2/20/14)

February 20, 2014 • Benham Brothers

* Jesus was catapulted into the public eye and now people were flocking to Him. * His disciples were loving the newly found attention, as just a few months prior they were no-name blue-collar workers. * Jesus didn't set up shop and stay in one place since so many people wanted Him. * He wasn't concerned with building His own brand - He was all about His Father! * Now we should be all about Him! * When He healed the paralyzed man He told him to go and do the one thing that would reveal to everyone that God healed the man. * Jesus wanted His Father to get the credit - He was all about building God's brand and not His own.

Mark 1:40-45 (2/22/22)

February 23, 2022 • Benham Brothers • Mark 1:40–45

* Did you know that you can move the heart of God? * Vs 41 - He was “moved with compassion.” * We can give Him an emotion (which means we have an element of control). * So what did this man do? * Vs 40 - there are three things he DID and three things about what he SAID. * Here’s what he DID: * 1) He came to Jesus - he didn’t simply consult doctors. * 2) He begged - God listens to those who have nothing to offer. * 3) He fell on his knees - he had the posture of reverence for a king. * Here are three things about what he SAID: * 1) Recognize God’s power to do whatever He wants (You can…). * 2) Request what you want done (…make me clean…). * 3) Release the results to Him (…if you’re willing). * This got Jesus all in His “feels!” * Vs 42 - immediate results. * Now let’s flip the script - let’s look at the scenario through Christ’s eyes: * Jesus didn’t move into the leper colony - He simply allowed the power of God to flow through Him as He went about His work. * Vs 43-44 - why this command? * Two reasons: * So the priests would know the Messiah was here. * Nobody in Israel had been healed of leprosy since Miriam a thousand years prior. * So Jesus wouldn’t become a rock-star. * His time had not yet come.

Mark 2:1-5 (2/22/18)

February 22, 2018 • Benham Brothers

* Four friends lived outside themselves and had great faith for their paralyzed buddy to be healed. * They were so desperate they removed the roof to get their friend in. * Think about the host - the cost of having Jesus in your house messed some things up. * You can have a nice orderly house without the presence of God, but you can’t have a house full of life without Him (life gets messy). * When Jesus saw “their” faith He healed the man. * When they stood in the gap for their friend not only was the man healed but also forgiven. * His physical and spiritual ailments were wiped away because of the faithfulness of his friends.

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