Oct. 9, 2016 Mark 1 - How to Engage in the Spiritual Battle

With every shoebox, a child hears the gospel.

Christmas is not far away… - less than two months to the beginning of Advent. I’m going to be going through stories in the Gospel of Mark –
I’d like to give a bit of an introduction today.
Mark 1: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus. This is the story of the life and death and resurrection of Jesus. It is also the fulfillment of the story of the Jewish people’s story.
When missionaries go into countries where people know nothing of the gospel – they have discovered that they have to tell the story differently – they have to lay out the entire story of God – to give a foundation and a sense of knowledge – what they need to GET the gospel. Where this is important for us today – more and more, we have people who don’t know this story.
Back when I was in college - Back in the early 2000s – ha – Back in the 70s, when I was a student on the campus of Ohio State – we could say – did you know that Jesus loves you and died for you – there was a basic understanding of what you were saying. It is not like that anymore. More and more – fewer and fewer know this story – so we need to get better and better at giving an understanding.
Mark is a great place to start – it is short and quick. This fits our culture! All the stories have been condensed – it was almost like he was writing to Americans! There is no Sermon on the Mount in Mark. There are many SHORT stories. He leaves whole parts out – so it is easy to transfer and communicate to others. In the gospel communication booklet that Samaritan’s Purse hands out with the shoeboxes – there are 11 stories. It is not just a simple gospel presentation – it lays out some of the background. We need to do the same.
People need to hear about Jesus – what He was like and what He said. The gospel itself – many scholars agree that Mark’s was the first written and that Matthew and Luke used Mark’s gospel. It was written during persecution – most likely written to Roman Christians near Rome – One reason they believe this: Mark uses Latin words to explain Greek words – So it had to be written to Roman people.
Certain THEMES in the gospel of Mark:
Jesus and His authority over evil – there are 4 passages in the first chapter alone where Jesus is addressing and dealing with evil forces.
Self-sacrificial suffering
Cost of discipleship
Failure of the disciples in Mark – most the stories are about the disciples failing!
God’s faithfulness in spite of our failure. This should be an encouragement to us. In our desire and need to be faithful to Christ – especially as people go through difficult times – it would have been easy to fail in those times. When we are being tried – it is easy to fail – and Mark teaches us that God is faithful even when we aren’t and that love is not going to end. It is a reality of who we are – we will fail in our relationships with others – in our character – in our thought life – and the original disciples failed over and over
And lastly – the power of Prayer.
Mark 1: 9 Now in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River. 10 And just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my one dear Son; in you I take great delight.”
The heavens were tore open – how cool would that have been?
You know the “open the windows of heaven” – back in Malachi 3:10 – bring the whole tithe into the storehouse – and I will open the windows of heaven until there is no more need. This is not the same concept. It is a different word. In the Old Testament – you could open a window – but it could also be closed. This is different. This is torn. Permanently torn.
When the Spirit descended on Him – heaven was torn – so there was this permanent tear between heaven and earth – to think of it in the Star Trek or Dr. Who terms – God opened a permanent portal in the space time continuum between heaven and earth! When Jesus came to earth – and at the Baptism of Jesus – we see Jesus, The Spirit, and The Father. God has come to live with us permanently – because this involves Jesus, and God, and the Holy Spirit. This isn’t just a picture or metaphor. God remained here with us – there is always access to His presence in a real way! We don’t always feel that but it is available to us. Not just in a mystical way – He tangibly is available and living on this earth through His Spirit. This tells us that we can really know God. Not that we just know Him by faith – but we can know and experience Him in our lives in a real way. If this is true – and I believe it is – that REALLY should change things for us.
12 The Spirit immediately drove him into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness forty days, enduring temptations from Satan. He was with wild animals, and angels were ministering to his needs.
The Spirit enters the world – in verse 10 – and in verse 12, immediately – Mark uses that phrase over and over again – as the Spirit enters the world, the battle begins.
One of the themes – Jesus battling evil – and though Jesus came to be with us and restore us and redeem us – He also came into the world to do battle and win a great victory over the enemy. He could not restore and redeem unless He defeated the enemy once and for all.
Jesus came – and what Mark teaches – in just the first chapter – there are four passages of Jesus or his people engaging in battle with the enemy. This is huge – the name Jesus Christ – that is not his last name, Christ – but His title – meaning Messiah. They would understand that the Messiah – the Anointed One – and in looking for Him – they were looking for a specific person anointed by God to carry out God’s liberation from Israel’s enemies.
But what Mark shows – yes, He was an Anointed One – but he went to battle with the spiritual enemy – not the physical enemy. He placed priority on the spiritual realm – not liberating from Rome, but from SIN – Jesus liberated souls. We have a lot of great evil in our world today – whether it is ISIS and terrorism or senseless violence or racism or racial divides – or drug addiction – there are battles to be fought today and there are people to liberate. In OUR day – there are battles to fight and people to be liberated. We have the same calling as Jesus. Yes, there need to be political and social solutions – and we can be working for that – but our primary focus is to be on the spiritual battle. These things have a spiritual cause underneath and behind them. In our culture, we shy away from the spiritual battle and the spiritual aspect of things – the dark forces behind things simply because we don’t want to be weird.
Mark just brings it to the forefront. We can deal with the spiritual battle and not be weird.
Drug Addiction – a group of pastors gets together to talk about things monthly – to support and pray for one another. Every once in a while, we have a guest speaker. We listened to the Chief of Police last month. They are overburdened with these programs. People can volunteer – there are ways to help out the police.
In Ohio – someone dies of a heroin overdose every three hours. That was last year. This year it is worse. We think it is a certain type of person – The chief went through story after story – but it has come to the football player that has an injury – and gets Percocet – and he gets addicted. After they are in recovery – that is what kills them.
There are psychological and physiological reasons. We emphasize the importance of counseling and support groups and medical help – but we cannot ignore or deny the underlying spiritual forces behind all these things. We must understand that. There are forces working in our society creating the environment for all of this stuff that is going on - and it will take people of courage and faith to address these things.
We like to think we can solve this politically or technologically – but we forget the real battle. The church, as Christians – we are the only ones who can engage in that battle. There are plenty who can enter into the rest of that battle.
Race – we tend to think it is an individual thing – that there are individual racists. That is not the issue – it is the symptom. There are systemic, institutional issues that create this racial problem and there are dark forces working that in our culture – keeping it going. There are so many ways of dealing with this culturally – but we have the opportunity to go to the underlying cause –the spiritual battle – and we must.
Mark 1: 23 Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, 24 “Leave us alone, Jesus the Nazarene! Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 25 But Jesus rebuked him: “Silence! Come out of him!” 26 After throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. 27 They were all amazed so that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He even commands the unclean spirits and they obey him.” 28 So the news about him spread quickly throughout all the region around Galilee.
For us – the battle has been won! It was won on Good Friday and at Easter.
Many believe that Mark wrote the gospel in such a way – that when Jesus met Satan in the wilderness – the devil was defeated. The rest is Jesus liberating prisoners. Like the Allied Forces liberating prisoners as they moved through Germany.
That is where we are – our job is to liberate people.
What are ways we can engage in this battle? Each of us has things we need to be liberated from. The first question – what do you need to be liberated from? What is the area you need liberation? Where are you trapped or enslaved or held captive? If you don’t come up with anything, you need to do some soul searching – anger, lust, fear, bitterness, greed, addiction – we all have things we are enslaved to. It starts by identifying it. What is broken in our souls? That starts the battle. As Christians, we should know what is broken. Don’t be afraid of that. It is nothing to be afraid of. It is okay to ask – what is wrong with me?! I often ask that when I do something stupid, but that is different.
2 Cor. 2:11 …so that we may not be exploited by Satan (for we are not ignorant of his schemes).
– We need to know our enemy. We are not ignorant of his schemes.
Let’s say you have a problem with anxiety. Knowing Satan’s schemes is knowing what the triggers are that cause you to be anxious – that cause your fears – that cause your addiction. How does he work on you? The lies and deceit – it takes some searching to understand.
Second - Romans 13:14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to arouse its desires
Make no provision for the flesh – avoid circumstances, situations, people – who lead you into that. There are sometimes people you can’t avoid – because you work with them or live with them – but there is so much that cause us to sin – where we need to avoid to eliminate. Alcoholism – stay away from alcohol! Others are not as clear – what leads me into sin?
Third – be prepared for the battle –
Eph. 6: 10 Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. 13 For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm therefore, by fastening the belt of truth around your waist, by putting on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 by fitting your feet with the preparation that comes from the good news of peace, 16 and in all of this, by taking up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
14- all the different armor we can put on – it is an issue of being prepared.
The sword of the Spirit – God’s Word is so important for us – engaged in the battle. It is not just reading the Bible or carrying it with you and swatting at things with it – but it is getting the word into you in such an extent – that when you are at work – and becoming fearful and blowing up or lusting or whatever – God’s word comes into you and speaks to you – informs you in that moment – how you ought to behave.
I remember as an 18 year old – trying to learn to deal with lust – you walk through in the springtime – it is not good – I won’t describe it – and God gave me this simple verse – Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. This came back to me and came back to me – and we need to do this in whatever our circumstances. God is able to take His word and speak into us.
Prayer – v 18 – this only comes out by prayer and fasting – And prayer – again – is not just hear my requests – it is learning to live in the presence of God – constantly connecting and communicating with Him. For me –t he best way to do this is to pray scripture – pray the Bible. Have short verses or phrases of Scripture – that bubble up. Jesus, son of David – have mercy on me! It turns my attention to the battle. That is how the people of the Bible prayed. Look at the prayers of Paul – He is praying Scripture! All of these are important –
Let’s pray.
Lord, thank You – we do pray – help us to recognize what is really going on in our world and how we are people of faith can be part of great victories! In Your name we pray!