(by Aaron Sellars)

This is part three in a series titled, What Does It Mean to Follow Jesus. You can also read part one and part two.

John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
(Mark 9:38-41)

Jesus wants hospitable disciples, not standoffish disciples (Mark 9:38-41)

We need to be humble as the Christian life is about Jesus, not us. We need to receive and be received as a child. And what about people who aren’t like us? What about people a bit different? The disciple John tries his hand at this one. He thinks he can stump and get Jesus to agree with him.  He questions Jesus about someone who is not following the disciples, who might not be doing the things they are accustomed to doing.  Jesus doesn’t put up with John’s inquiry though.

The Master, Jesus, is shown to be more inclusive than his disciples. On top of being humble disciples, a disciple of Jesus is to be hospitable and not standoffish.

Jesus’ point is we should not only receive a child as Jesus, but we should receive all that are on Jesus’ team. Anyone doing something for, or on behalf of, Jesus were to be recognized as allies. I could just mention a church or two in OC and you could think of reasons why they are not good. You probably already did. A denomination, a pastor could lead you to the same conclusions. We are more concerned about ourselves and how we do things and what we believe than what Jesus thinks about these churches, denominations, and pastors.

The disciples were more concerned about protecting their exclusiveness, than being open and welcome to those who were still proclaiming and following Jesus. A key phrase in this passage is “we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” (9:38). Notice there is no mention as to whether or not he followed Jesus; rather, the concern was whether or not he followed “us.”

Once again, as Jesus was the greatest example of humility, he is also the greatest example of hospitality. ^“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die” (John 12:32-33). God did not have to come. He didn’t have to die. He chose to, however, in order that he might gather together a people. He died so he could reconcile to himself men and women from every tongue, tribe and nation. If we cannot be hospitable today, heaven is going to be pretty uncomfortable. Heaven will be made of people that will be different than us, with different skin colors, different languages, and different tastes and ways of doing things. Are you prepared for this?

How do we respond to Jesus’ call to come with him—in hospitality? We respond by looking to Jesus. We look to Jesus, remembering who he is, what he has done, who we are, and what he is calling us to do in light of this. Jesus sets the example for us to follow. He will not ask of us anything he is not willing to do himself. He was and is hospitable. And he welcomes all to join his mission. Does that mean if we have a coworker who is a believer we can join him on mission? Yes.  Does that mean if we have believing neighbors, we can include them and join them on mission for Jesus? Yes, even if they are not a part of our particular tribe, group, or generation. We can also include the people in our community groups, or small groups, in what God is using us for. God is not after religious groups or tribes, he is after a Church—a people for himself! If we embrace an attitude of humility, then we can hardly have feelings of jealousy for someone else through whom God is at work.  We are all on the same team.  We aren’t lone rangers.

Fore more info on this course click here.

(by Aaron Sellars)

This is part two in a series titled, What Does It Mean to Follow Jesus. Click here for part one.

And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
(Mark 9:33-37 ESV)

Jesus wants humble disciples not arrogant disciples. (Mark 9:33-37)

As we saw last time, Jesus is on a mission, and he calls us as believers to join him on his mission.  In Mark 9:30-50, we see Jesus not talking to the crowds, but to the disciples.  These next three sections happen sequentially. They are not disconnected, but meant to be looked at together as a whole.

Who Is the Greatest in the Kingdom?

Jesus knows what the disciples are thinking and talking about.  He asks them, but they kept silent because they were arguing about who was the greatest.

So the question they ask Jesus is who is the greatest in the kingdom?  We’ve all asked that ourselves right? It would be the people we wish would run for president in November right? Are the disciples really arguing about who is the greatest? Have they forgotten about all the things that Jesus did and taught?  How easy is it for us to do the same? Have you had prayers answered only to forget and doubt he can answer again?  Have you had God provide for finances in mysterious ways and then forget he can do it again?

Jesus uses a child to illustrate a role reversal in God’s kingdom. The first must be last and a servant. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me” (Mark 9:35). In Jesus’ kingdom humility is key. It is more about defeat than victory.

Childlike Humility

Jesus uses an example of a child. In the mindset of first-century disciples, children represent the lowest order in social scale. Jesus calls us to not only be like them, but to receive and serve like them. The one who follows Jesus in the way of the cross must live a life of sacrifice and service.

Think about Jesus – he was the most humble man to ever walk the earth. He came from heaven as God and took on human flesh. Philippians says “he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on the cross” (Phil 2:8).  The God of the universe shows us what humility is. The all-knowing and all-powerful God of the universe is the example of perfect humility.

How do we respond to Jesus’ call to come with him to Jerusalem? How do we respond in humility? Answer: we look to none other than Jesus himself as our example. We respond with the worship of Jesus and pointing people to him. He is the greatest. We look to Jesus, not ourselves. Jesus wants disciples who will follow him on his mission to Jerusalem, and to the ends of the earth—disciples that are humble and child-like, not arrogant and haughty.

Other posts in this series:

• Introduction: What does it mean to follow Jesus?

Make it a date night. Make it a family night. You can even make it a small group activity. Whichever you choose, you can be certain of one thing: this will be a worship night.

Page CXVI (a side project of The Autumn Film) is a talented and gifted band from Colorado. They arrange old hymns to new tunes—and they do it well. If you were at their show in Irvine last year, you know what we’re talking about. It was a phenomenal worship experience.

This is why we are excited to announce that Page CXVI will be returning to Orange County on Thursday, April 19.

Join us at Reverence Bible Church for a worshipful night of hymns and song. It starts at 7pm. The price of admission is $10 ($5 for kids). All proceeds go to the band.

You can download free tracks from the band here or visit their blog to download an entire album and learn more.

From the band’s website:

Page CXVI is a project started with the idea of making hymns accessible and known again. They are some of the richest, most meaningful, and moving pieces of music ever written.

The name comes from a reference to page 116 (CXVI is the Roman numeral) in our copy of The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis. It is a poignant passage where Aslan begins to sing Narnia into creation out of a black void.

It starts, “In the darkness something was happening at last. A voice had begun to sing. It was very far away and Digory found it hard to decide from what direction is was coming. Sometimes it seemed to come from all directions at once. Sometimes he almost thought it was coming out of the earth beneath them. Its lower notes were deep enough to be the voice of the earth herself. There were no words. There was hardly even a tune. But it was, beyond comparison, the most beautiful noise he had ever heard. It was so beautiful he could hardly bear it.”
~ C.S. Lewis

Be sure to visit our Facebook event page and invite your friends. See you there!

(PHOTO CREDIT: Cami Jane Photography 2011)

Want a first-rate, university-level, gospel-saturated theology education, but don’t have the time or thousands of dollars to put into it?

Of course, you do.

Well, The Gospel for OC is excited to announce a brand new opportunity just for you!

We’re teaming up with Dr. Thaddeus Williams for the launch of TerraNova University right here in Orange County. Dr. Williams currently teaches Theology and Biblical Studies at Biola University. He has lectured internationally at seminaries in Nepal and Francis Schaeffer’s L’Abri Fellowships in Holland and Switzerland, has written God-centered books in philosophy and theology, and has been our guest for many TG4OC interviews. The young Dr. Williams is driven by a passion to help Christians raise their biblical IQ and make a big gospel impact on Orange County.

Terra Nova University courses are open to anyone who wants to grow theologically—and that means you! It kicks off Monday night April 23^rd from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Hub in Lake Forest (for directions click here). The first course—“Theology 1: Knowing and Enjoying God”—runs four consecutive Monday nights and will explore such questions as:

Can we know God is there?

If God is sovereign over His universe, is there any room left for human freedom?

How can we integrate biblical realities about God into our everyday lives so that our walk matches our talk?

For more info and to register for TNU simply click here or visit: http://www.ourterranova.com/tnu/

We hope to see you there!

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
(Luke 23:34)

Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
(Matthew 27:46)

Today, Good Friday, we celebrate God’s wrath appeased.

Christ was put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith (Romans 3:25). In this propitiation, he did not merely deflect the righteous wrath of God… he absorbed it— and absorbed it fully—on our behalf. And “it was to show hisrighteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:26)

This is what he did for us. And this is what we remember and celebrate today on Good Friday.

Oh, how deep the Father’s love for us!

(written by Aaron Sellars)

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
(Mark 9:30-32)

What sort of disciples does Jesus want following him? (Mark 9:30-32)

Every year my wife and I pray about whether now is the time God is calling us to move overseas. In the process, we consider where we’d go and all of the things we would give up to be full-time missionaries. There is much to give up if we were to ever leave. We have’t left yet, but we remember that if God is calling us to stay, we are still on full-time mission here in Orange County. Many count the cost of only leaving the place they currently dwell, rather than counting the cost of staying.

It is clear throughout the Gospel narratives that Jesus is on a mission. And he was on a mission like no other; Jesus’ ultimate purpose was to die on the cross. His disciples must then know that following Jesus might end in death.

We see in Mark 9:32, Jesus predicts his death and resurrection again. It says, “But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him”. The disciples followed Jesus for 3 years and were not usually reluctant to ask Jesus to explain difficult saying. They knew enough to be afraid to ask so they could understand more. They had a holy terror for the things that Jesus told them. He is going to eventually ask them, “Are you with me? Are you willing to suffer with me? Are you willing to follow me and my example?”

A new blog series: What does it mean to follow Jesus?

As we go through this passage in the next few blog posts, I want you to think about your response to Jesus. There are really only three options: The first is are you READY to follow Jesus wherever he goes no matter the cost? The second, are you a bit RELUCTANT to follow Jesus knowing what it is going to cost? Or lastly, are you RESISTANT to follow Jesus whether you know the cost or not—either because you don’t know what it entails or because you don’t want to listen and follow his command?

Stay tuned and look for the next post as we delve into Mark 9:33-37 to see what following Jesus looks like.

Resolution #27:

Resolved, Never willfully to omit any thing, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

In other words, fight apathy and rid yourself of all things that will hinder your labors for God’s glory.

In this resolution, we see such focus on the gospel and a life of obedience to God’s will! I want to live like this. I want to have the discipline and awareness to do things to the glory of God and, with the Lord’s helping hand, to only omit—take away—actions (whatever they may be) when it be for His glory. So many times I am apathetic to work or to try because of my own laziness, my own selfishness.

It is very easy for us to consciously omit many things each day but we should have the diligence to look back and ask why. Just this week I came home drained from work and immediately flipped on the TV. A lazy action on my part. Retrospectively, I should have given up that time to talk more with my wife and spend time in the word which would have allowed me to have fellowship with Michelle (my wife), grow closer to Christ, and thus exalt Him more in my life. Small decisions can have such an eternal impact on us. How weak and sinful we can be. May we thank the Lord for his undying grace that keeps us His child. Lord,give us a mind of sober humbleness, help us to deny ourselves daily, and help us set aside that which is a hindrance to the gospel so we can make room on our shoulders to take up the cross and follow.

And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
(Mark 10:21)

If you have not read the first post from this series, you can do so by clicking here. I ended by asking how God can both punish and pardon sin. Here’s the answer.

Our God Pardons Sin by Punishing Evil

“At the cross, all the attributes of God win.” That is how Tim Keller describes the meeting of God’s justice and mercy in the blood-drenched cross of Calvary. What’s terrible and beautiful about Jesus hanging on the tree is that the living God punished evil as a holy judge and displayed His abundant mercy by pardoning the sins of those who believe in Christ. God maintained the integrity of His justice and poured out His steadfast love when the Savior stood in our place. Christ “fell into the hands of the living God” so that we could be embraced tenderly by those same hands. Hallelujah, what wonderful news! This is the gospel of God’s grace. We are saved from His wrath by His own gracious substitution.

What’s at Stake Here?

You may be thinking to yourself: “Why is any of this important?” If so, let me affirm the validity of your question by offering three reasons grasping the tension of God’s justice and mercy is critical:

1. The Bible is at stake. As I’ve tried to briefly demonstrate, the Biblical witness puts forth a God who is both the punisher and pardoner of sin (see Rom. 3:26). If we fail to maintain both of those attributes, we are contradicting what God has said about Himself in His Word. When we throw out the Bible, we reject the very resource that He has given us to know Him truly. It is important to let our view of God be shaped by the whole of Scripture and not cultural norms, which are ever-changing.

2. God’s character is at stake. It is crucial that God cast judgment upon sinners. If He does not, then He is wicked, just as the police officer who lets the criminal get away without attempting pursuit. We cannot believe in a God who will continue to let evil flourish. There must be a day of reckoning for all of the wrongs that we observe and experience in our world. The goodness of God depends upon it.

3. The gospel is at stake. If we don’t really need to be saved from God’s righteous judgment, then why did Jesus come to earth at all? Throwing out God’s wrath makes all of Christ’s agony for us irrelevant. How tragic it would be for us to rob ourselves of God’s greatest expression of love toward us. Instead, may we embrace the wonderful reality that God would be without fault to eternally punish us for our sins, but He pardons them by punishing Jesus in our stead.

Resolution # 26:

Resolved, To cast away such things as I find do abate my assurance.

In other words, rid of anything that devalues my assurance in Christ.

Seems like a simple, straight forward resolution, right? Well, the implementation of such a simple task is difficult. To toss away that which devalues the Christian’s assurance is most likely a daily challenge for all who are found in Christ. This is one that truly wars between the spirit and the flesh. Every day Satan throws upon us things that reduce our assurance of God, and it is everyday that our spirit must be awakened to such trickery, and lean on His grace for guidance.

I believe things of this nature come to the forefront of our minds when we are in deep fellowship with Christ. I challenge you to search within yourselves this week for one thing that reduces your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I make it a large canvas on purpose. It may be something that devalues your assurance of eternal salvation, forgiveness of sins, His death and resurrection, or even perhaps the truth of the virgin birth. All of these are beautiful doctrines, which make up and define what type of faith we truly have in Him. Search one out within yourself,  and pray for strength to cast away that which abates your assurance.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one
(Ephesians 6:13 -16)