Hey Harvesters!
Here are the notes from last Sunday’s sermon! It’s my hope that, while many of us have been believers for a long time, that we continue to push forward with a proactive faith in God’s power and goodness!
Byron
Harvest South Bay September 21st, 2008
Don’t Stop Believing
Great Expectations: The Gospel of Mark
Mark 5:21-43
Context and Narrative: Jesus returns to the western shore of the Sea of Galilee and is greeted by crowds. Mark recounts a narrative here concerning persevering in faith in order to encourage his 1st century readers who will endure intense persecution under the reign of Nero.
Jesus’ One Lesson:
Keep On Believing: do not cease to believe in the power and goodness of God when circumstances urge you to give up, lay down, or cease being proactive.
2 Applications
1. Don’t Look Back: Do not base your expectations of God’s work solely on what He has done in the past. Jesus was known to only have power to heal, exorcise and control the weather. Here He demonstrates His power over life and death.
2. Don’t Give Up: Do not become frustrated and give up faith. Jairus was tempted to “not bother the teacher anymore.” However Jesus bade him to continue to believe in God’s goodness and strength.
Weekly Application Exercises
1. Recall a prayer request that you may have abandoned praying for or a prayer that you should be praying but have neglected. Purpose to continue to pray for that request with faith that God will answer.
2. Remember the prayers that God has answered in surprising ways: perhaps by denying a request or by changing your own heart through redirecting your desires. How does that history inform how you should continue to have faith?
More Questions to ponder!
1. What new thing would God have you do or believe in which might stretch your faith?
2. Often getting into a rut in life is a symptom of acquiescing to an onslaught of demands: we do a routine because if we break out of it we think that we will break under the strain. How might God be calling us to get out of our rut? What kind of faith would it take and what would be at risk if we lived life differently?
3. Jesus was laughed at in the exercise of His power: Jairus must have felt even deeper ridicule for continuing to bring this preacher to the bedside of the corpse of his daughter. Who’s ridicule do you fear? How does seeking the approval of others figure into the lack of the exercise of our faith?