Mushrooms or Maple Trees:
Spiritual Growth as God Intended
Sermon #4
Sermon Objective: A life that pleases God is characterized by an intimate a close connection to Jesus.
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, on the other hand, 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. 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:
A life that pleases God is:
1. A life that follows Him Personally (8:27-33)
2. A life that follows Him in Full Surrender (8:34-38)
3. A life that follows Him in Obedience (9:1-8)
Today we will discover that a life that pleases God is a LIFE THAT FOLLOWS HIM IN CLOSE CONNECTION (9:14-29, NIV)
Mk 9:14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them.
Mk 9:15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
Mk 9:16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
Mk 9:17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.
Mk 9:18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
Mk 9:19 “O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
Mk 9:20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
Mk 9:21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered.
Mk 9:22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
Mk 9:23 “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”
Mk 9:24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
Mk 9:25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil 31 spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
Mk 9:26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.”
Mk 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
Mk 9:28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
Mk 9:29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer. ’”
SERMON INTRODUCTION
(Special thanks to Larry Brincefield of Belleview Church of the Nazarene for the sermon and intro idea)
This news story snippet will be familiar to you:
August 15, 2003
“Power outage hits Northeast”
The largest power blackout in U.S. history rolled across a vast swath of the northern United States as well as southern Canada on Thursday, driving millions of people outdoors into stifling rush hour streets — then darkness. New Yorkers escaped silenced subways. Nuclear power plants in four states shut down.
The blackouts started shortly after 4 p.m. EDT, engulfing most of New York State and nearby parts of New England, and spreading west to Ohio and Michigan. In Toronto, Canada’s largest city, workers fled their buildings when the power went off. There also were widespread outages in Ottawa, the capital.
Outages ranged over an area with roughly 50 million people.
Nine nuclear power reactors — six in New York and one each in New Jersey, Ohio and Michigan — reported they were shut down because of the loss of offsite power, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Bethesda, Md.
You lived through that blackout. You know its impact personally.
As we think today about a life that pleases God and how to become “Spiritual Maple Trees” we must not neglect the source of our power for life and ministry. This story from Mark’s gospel illustrates it well. It was a lesson the first century disciples had to learn … and one modern day disciples need to learn as well.
Nine of the disciples were left at the bottom of the mountain. While there, an opportunity for ministry made itself available. This was not an opportunity they were unfamiliar with. Jesus had given them power to cast out demons before (Chapter 6) and they had successfully ministered in his name. But something happened here – they found themselves powerless to help the boy and his father.
Why?
It is important to answer this question. It is important to see this as one of the lessons Jesus is teaching his disciples. Power for life and ministry is at the core of the identity of a Christ-follower.
1. POWER FAILURE COMES FROM PRAYER FAILURE
But power for life and ministry cannot be taken for granted. It is not something you gain and never lose. It is a conditional gift – it is determined by relationship with Jesus.
The disciples had surely picked up on the importance of prayer by now. They have seen how Jesus frequently model prayer by spending time with His father and, he had taught/encouraged them to pray as well.
But … perhaps … they had gotten too busy ministering to others. Or maybe they assumed that since they were with Jesus often, they didn’t need to pray.
Unfortunately, they learned at a very awkward and, yet essential time, that such assumptions were naïve.
2. POWER FAILURE COMES WITH A COST
The disciples remind us that power failures come at a cost.
The power failure in 2003 that affected eight states and Canada wasn’t as simple as it seemed ... one thing that they talked about in the power failure this week was the "CASCADE EFFECT." In other words, when one power station gave out, it put more drain on the others, causing them to give out. So they experienced "cascade failure"
The Christian can experience cascade failure as well.
• When our prayer life fails... That affects our Scripture reading
• When our Scripture reading fails ... That affects our spiritual wisdom and our ability to combat temptation
• And when our spiritual life becomes weakened … We don’t seem to care about worshipping with God’s people.
• Failing to worship and fellowship causes us to become critical and hard towards people.
• Becoming hardened to human need means we fail to see the opportunities that God brings our way to minister in His name.
Before very long, there is a blackout and we are living in spiritual darkness.
We have become disconnected from the power source.
Whatever the reason, the disciples had been neglecting their prayer life. They were disconnected from Jesus – and I am not talking about just geographically either. As a result, they failed to meet a human need God had brought their way.
It cascaded.
You see, not only did this power failure affect their own spiritual lives... but it obviously affected those that had gathered around them.
> The doubters were validated
> The father’s childlike faith was shaken
> The son was left to suffer
Fortunately for everyone, Jesus came and brought healing and restoration.
3. POWER FOR LIFE & MINISTRY CAN BE RESTORED
That’s a good point to stop on too. Spiritual power for life and ministry can be restored.
When the disciples got Jesus off by Himself, they asked Him why they had trouble. Jesus told them candidly, "This kind can come out only by prayer." (v. 29) some versions say, "prayer & fasting" but all versions and the best manuscripts say “prayer.”
• Jesus DIDN’T say, "I am the only one who can cast out this kind".
• Jesus DIDN’T say, "If only you had said the right words"
• Jesus DID that their power failure was a direct result of their prayer failure.
So, let me ask you.:
• Do you ever feel like you have a power failure in your Christian life?
• Do you ever feel like you struggle spiritually with different "demons"?
• Do you ever feel powerless against temptation?
• Do you ever feel like you just aren’t as successful in your spiritual life and you should be?
If so, perhaps your power failure is due to PRAYER failure.
• Have you been spending time with the Lord in prayer EACH DAY?
• Have you made it a point to pray BEFORE you face difficult situations in your life?
• When you take the time and energy to pray, you will find that you WILL have power for living!
CONCLUSION
You can restore power for life and ministry by restoring the relationship with Jesus.
Becoming a spiritual maple tree requires you to weather the storms and forces that attack. Depth and strength to do this can only be found in an intimate connection to Jesus. Superficial living produces superficial Christians … a.k.a. mushrooms.
Mushroom living doesn’t please God.
Maybe you need to upgrade your power grid. Give it proper, on-going, maintenance of prayer, faith, focus, Scriptural study, and worship.
The Bible makes us promises when we do. Promises like these:
• You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)
• Come near to God and he will come near to you. (James 4:8a)
I have a video I want you to watch with me. <
Let’s Pray.
