What Are You Afraid Of (Mark 10:39-45)
Gary McManus, 02/05/2023Part of the Life With Jesus is Better series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
February 5, 2023 Mark 10:39-45
Pastor wants to be helpful. . .like Jesus (Mark 10:45)
In Luke (at the Last Supper!), the disciples are arguing about who is number ONE. (Typical Americans?) (See Luke 22:26, John 13:14)
Jesus, in the first recorded sermon in Luke (4:18 )
spoke of being sent to heal, to mend, to give sight,
to open eyes, to declare the Heavenly Father’s blessing.
Pastor can tell you from my reading and from police reports that a number of American Pastors never read this part of their Bibles. Or, if they read it, they thought that they were somehow exempted from Jesus’ clear proclamations.
What are Americans afraid of?
“The Top Ten Fears of America” from Chapman University in Orange, California.
Americans cannot agree on what they are afraid of. Surprised? The number one fear of America only gets 62%. And the six are worried about different politicians!
Pastor McManus gives perspective:
--from the Bible
Good King (5) vs. Evil King (33); one thing makes the difference. God. Good kings looked to God. Evil kings did not look to God. Read 2 Chronicles.
Perspective number two: the Russian Federation officials (and many other countries of the world)
Another survey. NOT conducted by Chapman University.
A 2020 survey of 2,000 U.S. residents:
81 percent say they believe that humankind is inherently good.
[!] Three out of four of them believe they themselves are fundamentally a good person.
That is NOT what the Bible states. See Genesis 3:6 and by chapter four, people are murdering each other (their own brother).
Pastor has told you where he stands:
“I am not good. Jesus makes me do good things.”
Fear of corrupt politicians?
There is plenty of blame to go around:
Muncie, Indiana Mayors
The worst part? He said he didn’t think he did
anything wrong. (!)
Voters bear some responsibility, they elected him.
But let’s talk about Christian trust.
American Christian laundry is also very dirty:
Ravi Zecharias d. 2020 at the age of 74,
Ravi Zecharias assured the ministry leadership and staff that he did nothing wrong and there was no need to investigate. Strangest of all, Zecharias did not believe that he was wrong to receive sexual favors.
Maybe Christians should just be afraid of trusted leaders?
Just as troubling? The people who fought for Zecharias and resisted any outside verification to the women’s accusations.
Also, as mentioned before, Pastor John Lowe of Warsaw, Indiana. Adultery he confessed. But that wasn’t even half of the truth. John Lowe began abusing a 16 year old girl that went on for nine years.
Pastor John Lowe knew that he did something wrong—he just had no idea how wrong he was.
The worst part? The Sunday of Pastor Lowe’s “confession”, a circle of prayer surrounded Pastor John Lowe. No circle of prayer was seen surrounding his victim.
Jesus did call the disciples to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. (Matthew 10:16)
Americans and American Christians have yet to demonstrate that they are either as wise as serpents or harmless as doves.
The number one fear of Americans, although only 62% of Americans.
From God’s Word. . .since we are talking about fears: 23rd Psalm (23:4), Matthew 28:20, John 14:1. Amen
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