Author: David Worcester

Lead Pastor of Compass Church http://CompassChurchSD.com #Jesus, #Family #ChurchPlanting #CollegeMinistry. #Missions http://GospelAppointments.com @collegiatecoll

Set Healthy Boundaries Like Jesus – Mark 1:23-45

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Reflection from my reading in Mark 1:23-45 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Jesus was one of the most busy people on the planet, yet he still set boundaries. Jesus’ example shows us that the more busy you become, the more intentional you have to be with your time.

Jesus Made Prayer A Priority

“That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons… And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1:32, 35

Notice that it was at sunset when Jesus started a session of healing people and many were brought to him. Instead of sleeping in after a hard day of work, he got up early before it was still dark and prayed.

Jesus didn’t let the fact that he was tired keep him from praying. Jesus knew that the more tired he was, the more he needed connection with the Father.

I am guilty of slacking in my prayer life with I have a busy schedule, but that is precisely the time when I need to pray the most.

Jesus Kept His Priorities 

“And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” Mark 1:36–38

I picture Simon running up breathing heavy saying “everyone is looking for you, look at all these people that love you and want you.”

Jesus was not controlled by the desires of others but was committed to his purpose. 

Jesus was able to say no to the crowds so that he could say yes to his missions.  Jesus said no for a bigger yes. 

Jesus knew that becoming a local hero was not his mission. There were many other towns that needed his message and healing.

What Jesus’ Boundaries Allowed Him To Do

By traveling around, he was able to impact far more people and set an example to his apostles and us on how to saturate a community.

I believe that Jesus’ goal was not just to impact one community but to reach as many people as possible with his message and love. My campus ministry has adopted this multi-site model and it does help us impact more people.

My father John Worcester has great material on the strategic nature of traveling from place to place preaching and other “Plant Like Jesus” strategies.  You can access some of his materials on his website.

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The Gospel Jesus Preached – Mark 1:1-22

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Reflection from my reading in Mark 1:1-22 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Jesus Son of God

The Gospel of Mark is the most fast paced of the gospels. Mark makes it clear what his book is about from the first verse.

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Mark 1:1

Mark made it clear that Jesus was the Son of God. I want to focus today on the content of Jesus message. Jesus told many parables and gave many speeches, but what was the core of this message? Here it is in a nutshell.

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15

The Time is Fulfilled

Jesus is basically saying, “I’m here! The Messiah you have been waiting for is here. No more wondering! It’s me! Over here!”

The Kingdom of God is At Hand

Jesus is telling them that he is brining the kingdom to earth. Jesus often spoke of the kingdom of God and illustrated it in many different ways.

The best explanation I’ve heard of what the kingdom of God is “The kingdom of God is wherever Jesus is king.”

Jesus is the king and he came to earth. He brought his presence and usher in a new era of relating to God.

Repent

Repent is one of the most powerful words in the Bible. The greek word “metanoeo” means to “change ones mind or purpose”. Jesus asks us to repent of our flawed ways of thinking and living, and adopt his purposes.

Jesus asks us to change our mind about our sin and choose to follow him. For true saving faith to have it’s effect repentance must always be coupled with the next part of this “double command.” First we must repent then…

Believe in the Gospel

To believe the gospel literally means  to believe the “good news”.  Intellectual belief that Jesus was God and died for us is not enough.

True Biblical believe entails believing enough to trust Jesus with your life. It means to give your life to following him the best you know how.

Now at this time the term “gospel” was not clearly defined as it is today for us. In fact, the term gospel is still a term we use for the overall story of Jesus, that’s why we call the four written accounts for Jesus life gospels.

Basically to believe the good news is the believe in Jesus as the promised Messiah.

The gospel in a nutshell is those of us who repent of our sin and believe in Christ will receive eternal life and entrance into heaven.

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3 Reasons You Can Trust the Resurrection – Matthew 28

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Reflection from my reading in Matthew 28 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Above is a picture of my visit to the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem (a tomb similar to the one Jesus was buried in). The resurrection is perhaps the most important doctrine of the Christian faith; in this article I’ll share 3 reasons you can trust the resurrection.

1. Women We’re the First Eyewitnesses

“Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb…9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.” Matthew 28:1, 9

Women were not as well respected or trusted as men in that culture. If Matthew was making the story up in order to appeal to the Jewish audience he would have written the story with an important man as the first eyewitness.

Instead, Matthew told us what really happened. He first appeared to women and trusted them to send the message of his resurrection!

2. Even His Enemies Acknowledged He Wasn’t In The The Tomb

“Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ ” Matthew 28:13

This shows us that even among non-believers there was no sign of the body! Jesus was gone and that was no question.

In an attempt to cover up Jesus’ resurrection, the religious leaders actually provide us with further evidence that he indeed was not in the tomb! In order to silence the disciples and followers, all they would have had to do was show the dead body, but no body has been found because HE IS RISEN!

3. The Great Commitment of The Apostles and the Church To The Great Commission

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18–20

All eleven of Jesus’ disciples went from fearfully hiding to boldly proclaiming the good news after Jesus appeared to them and the Holy Spirit empowered them. Jesus gave the eleven and, through them, the entire church a mission to “make disciples of all nations.”

Ten out of the eleven disciples died seeking to fulfill this commission. Think about this…

Who do you know who would die for what they know to be lie?

The disciples were willing to die because they knew that Jesus had risen from the dead. They saw him with their own eyes.

The other proof that Jesus is alive is that the church has been fulfilling this great commission ever since. We haven’t done it perfectly but people all over the world worship Jesus as God because Jesus has kept his promise, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The fact that the church is still growing and thriving in many parts of the world is a testimony that Jesus is alive and helping us fulfill his great commission.

Jesus really did rise from the dead. If you believe that then you have two options….

1. You decide to give your life to Jesus and play your role in the great commission.

2. You can waste your life.

The choice is yours.

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“The Walking Dead” In The Bible? – Matthew 27:51-66

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Reflection from my reading in Matthew 27:51-66 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Dead Men Made Alive

Technically there are no zombies in the Bible, but after Jesus’ death there were several dramatic things that happened, including some people who came back to life out of tombs. Check it out…

“The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.” Matthew 27:52–53

When Jesus, died there was great power that was released and people who were dead came out of their tombs!

It is not clear why this happened, but I think it highlights the significance of the moment and is a foreshadowing of how Jesus will resurrect those who believe in him in the next life.

Crucified with Christ

Paul shared a powerful verse that relates to this story.

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

When we receive Christ, we die to our old life and we are given a new life in Christ. Those who were raised from the dead the day of Jesus’ death can be an illustration of what happens to followers of Jesus spiritually in this life and literally after we die.

Are you spiritually dead? Or are you alive in Christ? 

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Why Do I Post What I Post on Social Media?

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Disclaimer:  I admit that I have struggled in how I use social media myself and many of these insights have come from my personal mistakes and experiences. Please don’t be paranoid about every post you make after reading this article (as if I’m the posting police).  Instead, let it stimulate you to pursue wisdom in this important area.

The Bible does not specifically talk about social media, but it does have a lot  to say about our words. One verse gives us some very important things to think about before we post.

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29

Is This Inappropriate? 

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth.” Just because there is a computer between you and the other person does not mean you can say whatever vulgar thing you want.

Cussing, sexual jokes, gossip, or general negativity for the sake of negativity does not help anyone. Even things that are borderline can easily be miscommunicated over social media, so it is best to be conservative as to not cause anyone to stumble.

Will This Post Benefit Others? 

Here are some topics of questions for you to ask yourself.

#MyLifeIsBetterThanYours

Am I posting this to brag about my life?

Will people be tempted to be jealous or misunderstand my post?

#NobodyCares

Does this really need to be shared with the world, or is it something I can enjoy with my close friends and family?

Is this a picture of my feet, a coffee cup, or my laptop?

Is this the 5th “selfie” that I have posted today?

#EpicFail

Will this get a cheap laugh at the expense of another?

Is it gossiping about someone? Even a celebrity?

It it unnecessarily negative?

Am I using the hashtag #Fail?

#ImRightYourWrong

Will this start an unnecessary argument over a controversial issue?

Am I posting something publicly that could better be talked about privately?

Am I venting?

Ultimately it comes down to this question…

Am I posting to benefit others or myself?

It really comes down to love.  Someone who posts with a purpose will use social media for the good of others instead of promoting or entertaining themselves.

Why Did God The Father Abandon Jesus? – Matthew 27:27-50

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Reflection from my reading in Matthew 27:27-50 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

My God, My God Why Have You Forsaken Me? 

 “Now from the sixth hour [noon] there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. [3pm] And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, (ē’lī ē’lī lah-mah sa-bok-ta-nigh) “ that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:45–46

This is the darkest moment in the history of the world. In the middle of the day, God caused the sky to blacken as a symbol of despair of what was taking place. Already on this day Jesus was mocked, beaten, spat upon, his beard was pulled out, he was whipped 39 times, he was nailed to a cross and was slowly suffocating to death.

Even amidst all this physical pain, Jesus’ greatest suffering was his spiritual separation from the Father.  Even the best human relationship between a husband and wife does not come anywhere close to the relationship Jesus had enjoyed with his Father for all eternity.

Jesus never new life apart from the Father’s presence. The first moment without the Father’s presence caused him to shout in anguish!  In this moment, he was forsaken or “abandoned” by his Father! The same one who said, “this is my beloved son whom I am well pleased.” By saying this, Jesus is also associating himself with yet another messianic prophesy from Psalms 22:1.

Imagine the pain of being abandoned by the person you love most in your moment of greatest need!

Why Did God Abandon Jesus? 

The simple answer. So He would never have to abandon us!

You see, when Jesus was on the cross all of our sins were placed upon him.  Every murderous thought, every lie, every act of adultery was placed on Jesus.

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

God, in his absolute holiness, could not look upon our sin; so he was forced to turn his back on his own Son. This moment illustrates how SIN separates us from God. Jesus himself experienced this separation when he took our sin upon himself. Here’s the truth I want to you get.

Jesus was forsaken so that we would never have to be! 

Out of the darkest moment in history comes one of the greatest truths of Christianity. Because Jesus took our sin, we no longer have to pay the penalty for our sin.

In the same way that our sins were put upon Jesus, His righteousness was placed upon us. Bible scholars call this “the great exchange.”  Our sin for His righteousness!  That’s a great deal!

If you have made this exchange with Jesus and given your life to him, God promises this.

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

Jesus was forsaken so that we would never have to be! 

I hope that any time you are tempted to think that maybe God has abandoned you, remember that Jesus died and experienced the greatest abandonment so that we would never have to experience abandonment again! Even if you have abandoned God by running away from Him, He will still never abandon you and is waiting for your return.

Jesus was forsaken so that we would never have to be!

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Listen To Your Wife! – Matthew 27:1-26

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Reflection from my reading in Matthew 27:1-26 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Guys this will only take a minute! On Valentines Day I will do you a favor and write one of my shortest articles yet on listening to your wife! In a passage that has so much other significance there is one verse that I will highlight today!

Here’s the scene. Jesus was handed over to Pilate but pilate was trying to find a way to release Jesus because he knew that he was innocent. So Pilate set up a plan that he thought would get him out of the situation. He offered them a choice to release Barabbas (a convicted criminal) or Jesus (who was completely innocent).

Meanwhile during all of this Pilate’s wife received a dream.  She told her husband,

“Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” Matthew 27:19

Wise words! Sometimes women are more intuitive and sensitive to spiritual things. In this situation Pilate’s wife was given a dream that caused her to suffer.  She wisely warned him to let Jesus go, but Pilate didn’t listen to his wife and ultimately allowed Jesus to be crucified.

We don’t know what would have happened if Pilate had listened to his wife, but we do know that God used Pilate’s lack of wisdom as a part of God’s bigger plan to save us through Jesus’ death on the cross.

Men, your wife could be God’s way of speaking to you and could save you from hurting yourself and others.

Do your self a favor and LISTEN TO YOUR WIFE! 

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Did Jesus Really Claim To Be God? – Matthew 26:51-75

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Reflection from my reading in Matthew 26:51-75 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Jesus On Trial

One of the clear moments when Jesus had an opportunity to claim his divinity was when he was on trial with the high priest and elders. They had a lot of witnesses come up and lie about him, but Jesus would remain silent, in part to fulfill the prophesy about him,

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” Isaiah 53:7

Jesus knew this prophesy and intentionally kept his mouth shut until it was time for him to talk.

Are You The Son of God?

Then finally the high priest said,

“I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Matthew 26:63

The high priest was not asking this in order that he may believe in Christ; he was trying to accuse him. But at this point, Jesus finally replied with one of the most clear claims to his Godhood in all the gospels.

The Son of Man

“Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Matthew 26:64

First, Jesus didn’t argue with the fact that he was the Son of God. Instead he said, “You have said it.”

Then, he referred to himself as the “Son of Man.” Actually, this was his most popular name for himself as he used it 81 times in the gospels (some of these are repeated stories).

Perhaps the reason it was his favorite name for himself is because the term Son of Man simultaneously emphasizes his humanity and his role as fulfiller of prophesy. In Jesus’ statement he was quoting from two old testament prophesies, one from the book of Daniel and one from Psalms.

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.” Daniel 7:13

“The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” Psalm 110:1

By linking these two Messianic prophesies, it was clear that Jesus was claiming to be the Son of God. Ironically, the high priest’s response shows us how clear Jesus statement was that he claimed divinity. With what the high priest meant to condemn Jesus, it actually helps us know Jesus claimed to be God!

“Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy.” Matthew 26:65

If Jesus’ statement was clear enough to convict him of blasphemy, then it is clear enough for us to know for sure that he claimed to be God.

Liar, Lunatic, Lord 

Jesus’ claim to be God matters exceedingly because you can’t just say he was merely a good moral teacher or a good example for us to follow. C.S. Lewis puts it better than I ever could, so I will end with his quote.

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. … Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God.“

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What’s The Big Deal About Communion? – Matthew 26:26-50

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Reflection from my reading in Matthew 26:26-50  in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Communion, also known as the Lord’s Supper, is one of two primary religious traditions that Jesus himself established (the other being baptism).

A Reminder of His Body Broken For Us

“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Matthew 26:26

When Jesus said this is my body, he did not mean literally his body. He meant that his body was about to be broken for us. He gave us this practice as a physical reminder for us of how Jesus died for us.

A Reminder of His Blood Shed For Us

“And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26:27–28

Again, Jesus doesn’t mean literally the it is his blood. He means that the wine is a symbol of how his shed blood on the cross washed away our sins. The covenant refers to the promise that God made to his people for a savior. Jesus was the fulfillment of the promise.

The True Passover Lamb

It is significant that this last supper was celebrated during the Jewish festival of Passover.

During the original Passover, the Jewish people living in captivity were told to spread the blood of a lamb over the door of their home in order for the angel of death to pass over and not harm those inside.

God instructed the Israelites to celebrate this day to remember how the angel of death had passed over them because of the blood of the lamb.

Jesus is the ultimate Passover lamb. His blood shed on the cross is the sacrifice that was necessary to wash our sins clean, saving us from spiritual death!

Next time you take communion don’t just think of it as a religious ritual but use it as a time for reflection on the sacrifice that Jesus made for you on the cross by sacrificing his body and blood in our place for our sins!

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Worship Jesus Celebrates – Matthew 26:1-25

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Reflection from my reading in Matthew 26:1-25  in the One Year Bible New Testament. 

One woman was commended by Jesus for worshiping him radically. Here’s the story. Jesus was eating and a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar full of expensive perfume. She poured it over his head, to the shock of the audience.

The disciples were bothered by this because it seemed like a waste of perfectly good perfume. They could have sold it and given the money to the poor! Jesus responded.

A Beautiful Thing

“Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me.” Matthew 26:10

Jesus called it a beautiful thing. Sacrificial worship is a beautiful thing. When we come to God, we should not be afraid of giving too much. We should pour out our hearts and be generous with our money, knowing that we can never out-give God.

Celebrate Jesus’ Presence

“For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial.” Matthew 26:11–12

Jesus demonstrated over and over his care for the less fortunate. That is not the point of this verse. The point is that the woman was right in doing this because she did it out of a heart of worship.

She was right in celebrating his presence, and in a way she also prepared his body for burial!

Worship Like This

“Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” Matthew 26:13

Jesus is right; that story has been told over and over because it was included in the New Testament! This brave woman shows us that true worship can be radical, sacrificial and does not have to fit the social norms.

Her story is an example for all Christians to worship Christ with everything that we are.

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