Austin Chinese Church

Every Sunday in church we talk about Jesus’ death. But sometimes, just like the disciples we don’t fully know why exactly Jesus had to die. Mark 9 points us to some of these reasons and how we as followers of Jesus can more fully live into his life, death, resurrection.

To follow Jesus is to have the proper understanding of his identity and mission in this world. In that way, we will pursue him purposefully and faithfully.

Anything that draws us away from walking with the Lord is not worship. It is self-righteousness. We must be careful to know the distinction in order to relate to God in worship and to others in love, rather than paying lip service to rituals that only glorify our selves.

Whenever Jesus spoke, it made a deep impact on the hearts and minds of the listeners. In Mark 6:2, it says, "And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished." They immediately asked questions among themselves that began with "where? what? and how?" Verse 3 ends with the statement, "and they took offense at him." Whenever we hear words that are deep or challenging that initially catch our attention, we have a choice in how to respond. Sometimes we respond with an inquisitive and teachable heart. Other times we take offense at what others have said, sometimes without getting more context or without any dialogue with the speaker. As we pursue the life of following Jesus, how do we respond to His impactful words?

In Scripture, we see faith being described in many ways. Faith like a child, faith that moves mountains, little faith, great faith, Hall of Faith, salvation through faith. Faith manifests itself in so many ways, but at the end of the day, it's the object of our faith that truly matters. If Jesus is the object of your faith, will you have faith to follow?

In today’s text, we read about Jesus healing a demon possessed man. Through this story, we are reminded of who Jesus really is - Jesus is not just a good teacher or a religious leader, but rather God Himself. The story ends with Jesus telling this man to share what God has done for him with his friends back home. In the same way, Jesus also calls for us to share our story with the people around us as we follow Him.

As we continue to learn what it means to follow Jesus, He continues to ask us stretching questions followed by answers to help us understand. In today's text, He uses a lamp, seeds, and a storm to teach us principles by which we can live and follow Him! Remember it's a growing process, not a destination or event.

As mentioned before, the book of Mark records Jesus' actions more than His words. In fact, 18 of Jesus' miracles are presented, but only 2 lengthy sections are devoted to His teachings. The familiar parable in today's text can sometimes be assumed to be focused on how people respond to the Gospel. However, this is really a lesson about how we respond...or don't respond...to God's words. It isn't about our ears, but our hearts.

Jesus faced a lot of opposition from others as He went about doing His Father’s work…but He did not stop or give up. Conspired against, betrayed, misunderstood and falsely accused...what a hard way to live! As we honestly evaluate our lives and how we live in the face of adversaries, opposition, and challenging circumstances, does it sometimes seem like it doesn’t take a whole lot for us to “check out,” or to be hurt and “knocked out,” from serving the Lord and FOLLOWING Him? Do we settle for a mediocre, safe, faithless version of Christianity? Yes, it is truly a challenge to live for Him and to be faithful. But in our quest to "Follow Him," what can we learn from His example?

When we follow someone, it is good to know where they are going, and what they are doing. Otherwise we are following him/her blindly. The author of Mark immediately starts to share insights about what Jesus did and also what He said, and this gives us an understanding of Jesus' mindset and heart. What was a "day in the life of Jesus" like?