Marcos 11
Alexander Maclaren · Citado em PreceptAustin
Marcos 11
MacLaren commented on this: “Christ comes to us in like fashion, and brushes aside all our convenient excuses. He says, ‘I want you, and that is enough.’ ” Think of it! The Creator of the universe needs us and desires to fit us into His eternal design! Though all-powerful and not dependent on any creature, He has chosen to carry out His plans through lowly human instruments. If this were not so, He would have taken us to heaven as soon as He saved us by His grace. Someone once asked Francis of Assisi how he was able to accomplish so much. He replied, “This may be why: The Lord looked down from heaven and said, ‘Where can I find the weakest, littlest man on earth?’ Then He saw me and said, ‘I’ve found him. I will work through him, and he won’t be proud of it. He’ll see that I am only using him because of his insignificance.’ ” Yours is a mission you alone can fill, Whether it be to build or teach or till; Your goal may still be hidden from your view, But somewhere God has urgent need of you. —Thayer God is looking for ordinary people for extraordinary work. And immediately (euthus) he will send it back here - The Lord just wanted to borrow the colt for His triumphal entry! He would be kept no longer than necessary. Sinclair Ferguson “His majesty and authority began to shine through from the moment of his entry into Jerusalem” (Let’s Study Mark) Lord (master, owner)(2962)(kurios from kuros = might or power, related to kuroo = to give authority) primarily means the possessor, owner, master, the supreme one, one who is sovereign and possesses absolute authority, absolute ownership rights and uncontested power. Kurios is used some 489 times of Jesus. Jesus is referred to as Lord (Kurios) more frequently than by any other title. Therefore it behooves us to understand the truth concerning Jesus as Lord and not allow ourselves to become side-tracked in debate over so-called "Lordship salvation". The indisputable Biblical facts are that faith in Jesus saves and Jesus is Lord (Ro 10:9,10+) This confession of "Jesus is Lord" became a direct affront to the practice of Roman emperor worship. Certain cities even built temples for Caesar-worship as was the case in Smyrna where the command was to honor the emperor by confessing "Caesar is Lord". To declare "Jesus is Lord" became a crime punishable by death, resulting in the martyrdom. I think the first century believers understood "Lordship" in a way modern believers would find it difficult to comprehend! (cp Jesus' "prophetic" warning in Mt 10:22, 23, 24, 25+ where "master" is kurios)
Marcos 11
Maclaren writes that "Faith is the hand that grasps. It is the means of communication, it is the channel through which the grace which is the life, or, rather, I should say, the life which is the grace, comes to us. It is the open door by which the angel of God comes in with his gifts. It is like the petals of the flowers, opening when the sunshine kisses them, and, by opening, laying bare the depths of their calyxes to be illuminated and coloured, and made to grow by the sunshine which itself has opened them, and without the presence of which, within the cup, there would have been neither life nor beauty. So faith is the basis of everything; the first shoot from which all the others ascend...Faith works. It is the foundation of all true work; even in the lowest sense of the word we might almost say that. But in the Christian scheme it is eminently the underlying requisite for all work which God does not consider as busy idleness." It has well been said that faith is not believing in spite of evidence —that’s superstition— but obeying in spite of circumstances and consequences. Related Resources: Multiple articles (Spurgeon, J C Ryle, Thomas Watson, Thomas Brooks, et al) @ Saving Faith FAITH MARK 11:22 - James Smith in Handfuls of Purpose Consecration to God and faith in God ought to characterise every servant of God. And who can tell the limits of the possibilities of such? There are many believers in Jesus, but few consecrated to Him. Fewer still who actually prove His faithfulness in fulfilling all His promises. I. THE NATURE OF FAITH.— Faith is the substance of things hoped for, etc. (Heb. 11:1). Faith acknowledges the things unseen, and acts as if they were visible. So Noah built the ark (v. 7). So Moses forsook Egypt (v. 27). “Seeing Him who is invisible.” “Blessed is he who hath not seen and yet hath believed” (John 20:29). Through faith Jacob coveted the birthright (Gen. 25:31). And because Esau could not see its value he dispised it and sold it. “Oh, I see it” is not equivalent to “Oh, I believe it.” For with the heart man believeth (Rom. 10:10). God judgeth the heart. A clear head is no evidence of a believing heart. II. THE OBJECT OF FAITH.— Have faith in GOD” (Mark 11:22). Means must be used, but means must not be the object of trust. They are but the ditches we dig. God must fill them (2 Kings 3:16). God can be trusted to fulfil every promise He hath made, for “God is faithful” (1 Cor. 10:13). He says, “I will not suffer My faithfulness to fail” (Ps 89:33). And again, “My covenant I will not break. Nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips” (Ps. 89:34). How, then, can His power be doubted. Nothing shall be impossible with God. “Is anything too hard for Me?” (Jer. 32:27). The object of our faith is “One who cannot lie,” One who cannot change, One who cannot fail. III. THE GROUND OF FAITH.— The WORD OF GOD which liveth and abideth for ever (1 Peter 1:23). “He that believeth as the Scriptures hath said” (John 7:38). Every word of God is purified (Prov. 30:5). There is no dross, nothing to be put away. To be received just as it is given. We are to desire the sincere milk of the Word. Many seek to boil it down before receiving it. They attempt to refine what God has already purified. The Word is not only pure, but “sure.” “Sure Word of prophecy.” The Word of the Lord shall stand for ever (Isa. 40:8). Because it is already “settled in heaven” (Ps. 119:89). Then the ground of our faith is as faithful and true as the Object of it. IV. THE EXERCISE OF FAITH.— Abraham believed God (Rom. 4:5), and went out, not knowing whither he went (Heb. 11:8). He had but “His Word,” as we have. Caleb believed God when he said “Let us go up at once and possess it” (Num. 13:30). God had promised to give them the land, and he believed although the difficulties were great and numberless Peter believed when he said, “Nevertheless (although there seemed nothing but failure), at Thy word I will let down the net” (Luke 5:5). His word was all he had, but it was enough. And he even ventured to walk on the sea with a “Come” from Jesus. Paul exercised faith when he said, “I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me” (Acts 27:25). Do you? V. THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF FAITH.— Believe and thou shalt see (John 11:40). Did Abraham not believe and see when made rich? And Caleb? Peter believed and saw a great draught. What was Joshua’s testimony? “There failed not aught which the Lord had spoken. All came to pass” (Josh. 21:45). What was Solomon’s testimony 400 years after? “Blessed be the Lord, there hath not failed one word of all which He promised” (1 Kings 8:56). Again, in Mark 14:16, we read, the disciples went forth and found, as He had said unto them. If they had not gone forth they could not have proved the truthfulness of His word. Is there a single case where faith has been disappointed in all the Revelation of God? And if not, will there ever be one? VI. THE NEED OF FAITH.— Have faith in God. He cannot do many mighty works through us, because of our unbelief. “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matt. 17:20). All things whatsoever ye ask, believing, ye shall receive (Matt. 21:22). “All things are yours, for ye are Christ’s.” This is either true or it is not true. If it is not true, we can have no confidence in God If it is true, then why is it not our experience? Might Jesus not say to us: “O fools and slow of heart to believe all that I have spoken. Let the question be faced. “Believe ye that I am able to do this?” (Matt. 9:28). If He can say to you, “Great is thy faith,” you may also expect that it shall be unto you, “even as thou wilt.” (Matt. 15:28). VII. THE RESULT OF FAITH.— Many wonderful results are recorded in Heb. 11. It would be impossible to mention all the possibilities of faith, since it is written, “according to your faith it shall be done unto you.” There is no limit given. We are straightened in ourselves. “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). Elias prayed, and it rained not by the space of three years and a half. He prayed again, and the heaven gave rain (James 5:17–18). Hezekiah trusted in the Lord God, and there was none like him (2 Kings 18:5). There are none to-day like those who trust God. HAVE FAITH IN GOD MARK 11:22 - James Smith in Handfuls of Purpose This is a word of encouragement for the— 1. Seeking Sinner (Acts 16:31). 2. Trembling Believer (Psalm 73:23). 3. Tempted Follower (Gen. 15:1). 4. Bereaved Sufferer (Gen. 45:26). 5. Penitent Backslider (Isaiah 55:7). 6. Discouraged Worker (Isaiah 59:19). 7. Dying Christian (Psalm 23:4). FAITH MARK 11:22 - James Smith in Handfuls of Purpose The Nature of Faith, Heb. 11:1 The Object of Faith, “God.” The Ground of Faith. What the “Scriptures hath said,”John 7:38 The Need of Faith, Heb. 11:6 The Example of Faith, Mark 14:16 The Results of Faith, Heb. 11. C H