Mushrooms or Maple Trees: Spiritual Growth as God Intended
Sermon #3
Sermon Objective: A life that pleases God is focused on the person and words of Jesus Christ.
PRE-SERVICE INTRO
We are in a sermon series called Mushrooms and Maple Trees. Mushrooms sprout up overnight and then wither away in a matter of days. Maple trees grow gradually while learning to withstand the forces of nature that threaten their existence. They result in a majestic fruit bearing entity that lasts for generations.
So it is with people who follow Christ too. Unfortunately some, wither away very rapidly; but others grow deep and strong and produce the fruit of life that God designed for them.
In chapter 8 and 9 of Mark we are discovering elements of a Christ-follower that produce this depth and substance to life.
Just as Jesus was preparing and grooming the first disciples to be Maple Trees so we will discover that as we apply the lessons to our lives we too will grow in kind. Maple Tree style followers live lives that please God.
In past weeks we discovered that a life that pleases God is:
1. A LIFE THAT FOLLOWS HIM PERSONALLY (8:27-33)
We cannot follow just any image of Jesus … the journey begins with:
(i) an accurate understand of Jesus as the suffering servant who died for our sins and
(ii) our willingness to accept Him as Savior
To begin anywhere else circumvents the process. It nullifies all other attempts to please God because we are still at odds with Him … we are not yet His children apart from a born-again experience.
The true disciple will follow Jesus because He is the Son of God.
And as we will see today … true disciples will follow Jesus regardless of what this life offers.
A life that pleases God is:
2. A LIFE THAT FOLLOWS HIM IN FULL SURRENDER (8:34-38)
Such a life has taken Jesus’ instruction to heart and has yielded to the hard sayings of:
#1. DENY YOURSELF –Wave Your Sovereignty
#2: TAKE UP YOUR CROSS – Welcome the Shame
#3: FOLLOW ME – Walk in His Steps
Today, we will move into chapter 9. We will look at a third component of a life that pleases God.
3. A LIFE THAT FOLLOWS HIM IN OBEDIENCE (9:1-8)
Read Mark 8:27 –9:8
INTRODUCTION
Comments I have heard from Christians:
• “I know I wasn’t in church Sunday, Pastor. But God told me to stay home and mow the lawn”
• “God has told me to divorce my wife. He told me I would be more effective in my youth ministry when I do.”
• “God told me a disaster was certain on January 1, 2000 (Y2K). God told me he wants you to tell the congregation to sell their stocks so they don’t go bankrupt.”
• “God has told me he is returning in 1988. I have done the math, I know this is true.”
• “God wants us to kill the abortionists. It is a proper defense of innocent life.”
Have you ever heard comments like these? I hope not; but I suspect you have. Sometimes even well-meaning people get wrapped up in the moment or energized by emotion and say / do rash things.
Sometimes it is harmless … sometimes.
Religion is a dangerous, powerful, and unique thing.
• It can highlight neurosis or make a man whole.
• It can evoke unrest and anxiety or it can instill peace.
• It can set one on a path to destruction or it can point one towards Heaven.
Observing a concoction of religious fervor, human rationale, and a little bit of truth is a scary thing!
• It can make someone strap a bomb to their chest or blow up a building
• Or it can make them run into the desert and establish an isolated commune.
God understands the power of religion. God understands what can happen when someone makes decisions about truth while acting outside the boundaries of truth’s instructions. That is why God has, throughout human history left nothing for granted. Today’s story gives us some insight into this.
Religious fervor was at a high for the disciples and it was going to get even more so after the resurrection. If there were not clearly understood parameters for life and mission then the sure-to-come claims of Christ’s disciples being nutcases would be justifiable!
Peter learned a lesson or two here about what a life that pleases God look like. I trust we will too.
He gets a further glimpse at how to become a Maple Tree instead of a Mushroom.
You see, PETER’S VOICE GIVES US WORDS OF RELIGION (VV. 5-6). He recognizes the supernatural element when he sees it. This moment is unlike any other he has experienced. He speaks the voice of “experiential enthusiasm.” He is dedicated, sincere ... and wrong.
Peter wants to “capture the holy moment;” to enshrine it ... from now on. “Let’s do this again next year!” seems to be his best idea. He was gonna make this moment last and use it as a rallying point for days and years to come. Peter was going to make it a norm in his movement.
Now Peter’s actions are more than just comic relief … they are, unfortunately, way too indicative of the human condition. We, too, are prone to make yesterday’s experience today’s norm. We too want to be able to define and enshrine our experiences.
We want them to be the norm for everyone.
Peter makes decisions on emotion and human rationale. They were sincere and loving decisions … but they were WRONG too.
But while Peter is still articulating his grand idea another word is heard. The Father’s voice is heard. THE FATHER’S VOICE GIVES US WORDS OF TRUTH (V. 7).
Can you hear the Father telling Peter to hush? God seems to interrupt Peter and suggest “You want three booths? Why? I have only one son!”
Do you know what happens whenever we start mixing our ideas with God’s ideas? We get disoriented.
• We come up with clever doctrines and cute rationale that leaves us empty and confused and conquered.
• We turn relationship into rules and regulations and judge people by our pet agendas.
• We fashion the faith in our own image and our own expense.
The Father doesn’t need our input. He has already figured out how to bridge the gap between us and Him. God already knows what is needed to equip a human to live a life pleasing to him.
You see, the Father offers us more than static religion -- he offers us relationship! He offers us Jesus, His son, appearing in human flesh. Because JESUS IS THE FINAL WORD (V. 8).
Life’s focus belongs on Jesus; and the words of the Heavenly Father are clear to the saint “Listen to HIM!”
When the experience was over only Jesus was standing in their presence. If your visions and experiences do not leave you gazing at Jesus then you’ve missed the point.
• You’ll just end up enshrining the moment instead of living in history.
• You’ll end up canonizing it and making it the measuring stick for everyone else’s encounter with God.
When the focus of life is on JESUS IS THE FINAL WORD then life has indeed come into focus.
• You’ll set aside your sin
• You’ll set aside your self
• You’ll follow him in humility while seeking His voice and His will.
WRAP-UP
Peter later refers explicitly to this event in his writings.
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye witnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," we heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. {2 Pet 1:16-18 RSV}
Maple tree Christians look to Jesus for guidance and in obedience.
Mushroom type Christians get caught up in the periphery stuff.
Maple Tree Christians are defined by the Christ … they let Christ and His words order their lives.
If you have ever flown into LAX airport (Los Angeles Int’l) then you may have heard your pilot make an interesting comment after landing. Your pilot might have said something like “This landing was made without any human help.”
What does this mean?
LAX has some interesting technology. When a commercial pilot enters its airspace and prepares to land the pilot will be told by the control tower to direct the plane in certain ways (i.e. 20 degrees right) until the control tower tells him “you are now connected to the “true beam.”
What is this “true beam?” It is a laser beam and part of the “laser guided landing system.” Once a plane is “connected” the true beam will take control of the landing procedure and bring the plane in for a “perfect landing.”
God the Father tells Peter to hush, make some course adjustments, and get connected to the true beam that will bring Him for a “perfect” landing.
He tells you to do that too.
Listening to the words of Jesus and following them is certain to help you live a life that pleases God.
He who has ears to hear
Let him hear
