Sermons
Coming To See More Clearly
COMING TO SEE MORE CLEARLY
Sermon By Terry Siverd
Cortland Church of Christ / August 19, 2018
Please open your Bible to Mark chapter eight.
Mk.8:22-26 reads as follows - - They came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind mind to (Jesus), and they entreated Him to touch him.
And taking the blind man by the hand, (Jesus) brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes, and laying His hands upon
him, He asked him, 'Do you see anything? And he looked up and said, 'I see men, for I am seeing them like trees, walking about.'
Then again (Jesus) laid His hands upon his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly.
And He sent him home, saying, 'Do not even enter the village.'
In the NFL, rookies often struggle with the speed of the game.
This is probably true in most professional sports, but it is especially true of the NFL.
Transitioning from college football to the NFL can sometimes be overwhelming.
It's not just the actual speed on the field, it includes everything that comes with it - -
the weight room … viewing hours of film … the press … the fans … the level of excellence all around you …
the money and the temptations that come with the money … etc.
I graduated from Edgewood High School in 1971.
It was one of the better academic schools in NE Ohio and I took a lot of college prep courses.
I had most of my ducks in a row and I was able to cruise through my senior year.
But when I arrived at Harding University, I struggled a bit with this “increase-in-speed element”.
It wasn't just the intensity of the studies, it was the whirlwind of activities offered to those living on campus.
As a Bible major, it was a real challenge to keep my priorities properly aligned.
So many options: Bible … Books … Babes … Ballgames … And Buffoonery.
Many of my professors were the best of the bests, which usually meant you could forget “cruising”.
I remember classes like Ray Muncy's, “Ancient And Medieval History”;
Bob Helston's, “The History Of Christian Thought”; “The Book of Romans” taught by Jimmy Allen;
Dr. David Burke's course on “American Studies”; and Dr. Walter Porter's dreadful Psych class on “Statistics”
I was fortunate to CLEP (College Level Exemption Program) out of a number of required courses.
I was also fortunate to take a Music Appreciation course with Mona Moore.
It provided a respite from the whirlwind. It was an easy class.
Mrs. Moore was unintentionally entertaining. In some respects it was like being in grade school.
“Who would like to close the door today? Have you done it yet?” “Would you like to erase the board?”
We would listen to longhair music over and over again - - famous composers the likes of
Johannes Brahms & Ludwig Beethoven and Wolfgang Mozart & Franz Litz.
Our listening was almost always accompanied by a steady stream of small tissues fluttering into a waste basket.
Professor Moore was lovingly referred to by many of the students as “Mad Mona”.
As Christians, followers of Jesus, we often struggle in coming to see things clearly.
We frequently begin our walk with the Lord with very high expectations.
We arise from the waters of baptism eager to slay every sin in sight.
We want so badly to be like our Lord Jesus. We openly pledge ourselves to be on of His disciples.
Invariably we soon find ourselves discouraged by “the learning curve”. Our discipleship can quickly go from
being a joy-filled walk with the Lord to a steep ascent up a mountain that often seems beyond our reach.
I find The Gospel According to Mark to be exceptionally encouraging in many ways.
Specifically, as it relates to our opening comments, Mark's Gospel reminds us that
just like with the apostles of Jesus, our discipleship is A WORK IN PROGRESS.
I wish that I could tell us all that following Jesus is a “cake walk”, but it isn't.
I wish we could snap our fingers the day we're baptized and find ourselves fully matured in Jesus, but we can't.
I don't know how to fully explain the double-take miracle that we read about in Mk.8:22f.
It's almost as if Mark inserted this miracle to remind all of us would-be disciples that
sometimes our “shaping” takes a second touch. In many instances, a number of “touch ups”.
I want to take us on three quick boat rides this morning. These are found in Mk.4, 6 & 8.
These lessons learned in a boat provide a framework for the first half of Mark's gospel.
Before we embark upon the boat rides, let's go back to the beginning, Mk.1:16-20 - -
As (Jesus) was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net into the sea;for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.' And they immediately left the nets and
followed Him. And going a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets.
And immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him.
Their discipleship begins. It seemed so easy. Just leave your work behind and follow Jesus.
Perhaps it might be correct to note that they had no real idea as to what they were getting themselves into.
Boat Ride #1 / Mk.4:35-41
A serious storm arises while they are on the lake. Jesus was asleep in the stern on a cushion, and they awakened Him, saying, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Jesus arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea,
“Hush, be still”. And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And Jesus said to them,
“Why are you afraid? How is it that you have no faith?” And they became very much afraid
and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey Him?
Boat Ride #2 / Mk.6:45-52
Jesus sent His disciples onto the boat to to cross over the Sea of Galilee back to Bethsaida.
He Himself went off to a mountain to pray. Later when He saw them straining at the oars during the night,
for the wind was against the. Jesus came to them, walking on the water. They were struck with fear,
supposing they had seen a ghost. Jesus spoke to them saying, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.”
Vss.51-52 - - (Jesus) got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were greatly astonished,
for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.
Boat Ride #3 / Mk.8:13-21
Once again Jesus sent His disciples out in the boat, while He embarked by land to the other side.
They had forgotten to take enough bread (only one loaf). Jesus said to them as they departed,
“Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
When they began to discuss the bread issue, Jesus overheard them and said, “Why do you discuss the
fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart?”
Don't you remember how we fed the 5,000 with just five loaves and still had baskets of leftovers?
Vs.21 - “Do you not yet understand?”
This brings us to the focal point (the hinge) of Mark's gospel - - Mk.8:27-29
Who do people say that I am? They responded saying, some say: John the Baptist … Elijah … one of the prophets.
“But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “Thou art THE CHRIST!”
I want to conclude this two-part overview of Mark's gospel next Sunday.
Next Sunday we'll look at some really heavy words that Jesus spoke to His disciples in the second half (chps.9-16).
But before we close this sermon, I want us to think about our own discipleship.
Indeed, I want us to contemplate our own developing discipleship.
Some of us get frustrated because we're not progressing at the pace we'd like to.
HOW CAN WE FIX THIS?
We all need to be patient with one another and patient with ourselves.
We can find great comfort and relief in the realization that Jesus never threw anyone overboard.
He never once told Peter or Andrew or James or John, “I'm sorry I chose you - - you're just not up to the task.”
He never told them, “You're so slow in your learning that you have disqualified yourself.”
He never sent them home to return to their former jobs as fishermen.
Listen, no one every said that following Jesus is going to be easy.
If they did, they were mistaken and you were hoodwinked.
Two or three years ago a dozen or so of us chartered a pontoon boat and took it on a cruise at Presque Isle in Erie.
About 30 years ago our family rented a boat and took it on a tour of Blackwater Creek in Milton, FL.
My brother-in-law Mark recollected that I had proven myself to be a rather pathetic mariner.
So on the way to Presque Isle he informed me that I was not going to be the captain of the boat.
I agreed. When we got to the boat rental place in Erie, they required two people to undergo training
on how to navigate the pontoon. Mark and Shan Wood agreed to watch the video and take charge.
A half-hour or so into our cruise, Mark ended up running us aground on a sand bar.
Shan whispered, “I think we were supposed to stay on the other side of the buoy.”
We finally worked our boat free, but the point I'm making is that navigating the streams of life is not always easy.
In fact, it can sometimes be quite treacherous.
This is why continuing (Christian) education is so important.
This is why Bible classes on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings can be so very helpful.
This is why occasional study with someone more knowledgeable in The Word can be so valuable.
This is why it is really important to really know The Scriptures.
This is why we don't just read the Bible once, but we keep reading and re-reading.
(It's not like learning to ridd a bike - - we must keep learning how to study).
This is why persistent, personal Bible study is non-negotiable for all of us disciples, no exceptions.
It's easy to blame our weak discipleship on a sometimes difficult-to-understand Bible or preacher or teacher.
The real problem may well be staring us in the mirror - - it's a lack of elbow grease on our part.
We all need to get a good study Bible and notebook and markers and get with it.
Some of us need to stop whining and get serious about being a student of The Word.
This is why the apostle Peter urges us to “long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow...” (1Pet.2:2).
Throughout the second half of Mark's Gospel, Jesus begins to reveal much deeper truths to them.
Mk.8:31 / He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected
by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Mk.8:32 records that Peter rebuked Jesus and he in turn was rebuked by Jesus,
“Get behind me Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's.”
If anyone wishes to come after Me, let
