Mark 8 (tactical teaching)

Up to this point in Mark we have seen mostly the events of Jesus' early ministry.  Now, in Mark 8, we begin to see a bigger chunk of His teaching.

For the purposes of this CMS (Chapter Memory Study) I am following an acronym outline; I have a phrase for the book of Mark and I'm fitting all of the chapter outlines under that phrase.  The phrase is "Jesus is the Ransom" and we're all the way to the 'T' of 'the' for chapter 8. 

The chapter title is "Tactical Teaching", and the chapter outline is;

• The four thousand fed
• The Pharisee's yeast
• The blind man touched
• The identity of Christ
• The call of discipleship

The key verse of chapter 8 is;
Mark 8:29 (ESV)
And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”



Brief Commentary


The Thousands Fed
Having already fed 'the 5000' in Mark 6, Jesus is now faced with another hungry crowd.  Jesus sets up His disciples with what we call in softball, a 'meatball'.  A nice easy pitch that He is sure they will be able to hit.  Whiff.  'We can't feed all these people, we only have 7 loaves of bread!'  Jesus' response is once again proof that He lived a sinless life because He responded with grace instead of indignation toward His men.  They had just seen Him feed more people with less to start with, and they had already forgotten.

But Jesus, giving us an image of the invisible God, blesses the crowd with food, the disciples with mercy, and gave glory to God by the work of His hand.

The Pharisee's Yeast
Here we see the Pharisees continuing to antagonize Jesus.  Now they came to Him seeking a (another) sign.  The record of Jesus' response is, to me, a wonderful gift from Mark.  He writes that Jesus 'sighed deeply in His spirit'. 

I don't think I've ever crossed the official line of heresy about the nature of Jesus, but I sure went many years without thinking about His humanity.  I know that the perfect and complete union of God and Man as seen in Jesus is a brain-smoker, but I don't think that means we don't let the brain smoke a little bit (smoke because of how hard it's working...)  Jesus, being fully God and fully Man, gave a visible, perceptible heavy sigh when confronted by the Pharisees once again.  Mark doesn't explain exactly what the sigh was about, and many commentators have speculated about such.

The mind-blower for me is that He sighed, but didn't sin.  He didn't sin in thought and then have to repent, He didn't blow up and say something He'd regret, He didn't sin period.  But He sighed.

Hebrews 2:17 (ESV)
Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Thank You, Jesus.

The Blind Man Touched
This story is at once perplexing and comforting.  Perplexing because it appears to take Jesus 2 tries to get this guy healed.  He spits in the man's eyes first which causes him to be able to see some.  But then Jesus lays His hands on the man's eyes again, and his sight is restored.  Mark does not comment on this story.  He doesn't tell us why Jesus had to try to heal this guy twice.  I read three different commentators who said three different things.  It is perplexing.

But it is also comforting, and this is why.  God is God.  If we could understand every mystery about who He is and how He works, then He wouldn't be God.  There is mystery in this story, which forces us to believe by faith.  It's also a reminder that (like Elijah) even when you're perfectly in God's will, it still may not be easy.  God told Elijah to pray and that it was going to rain.  But it still took him seven times (1 Kings 18).  Sometimes God gives us a glimpse of the bigger story if it's in our greater good, but sometimes He doesn't...for our greater good.  I have a working axiom on God's will (meaning I'm in the process of seeing if it truly represents the Bible; it still could be established or discarded);  even if God told us exactly where we are supposed to be in the future, or who we are supposed to become in the future, we would botch up the 'getting there'.  We would take over, do it our way, and miss the point.  I think that He can't tell us somethings because He actually wants us to get there.  Thank You, loving Father, for saving us from ourselves.

The Identity of Christ
If you knew nothing of Christ and just flipped a Bible open to this passage, you might think that Jesus was taking giving a popularity poll to His disciples.  Given His character and behavior in Scripture we can be confident that this question was truly not about what others thought but about what His disciples thought.   And they bit;

Mark 8:28 (ESV)
And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”

It would have been interesting to hear all of the responses (assuming there could have been several 'crazy' ones that Mark leaves out) and the conversation that this question started.  But after the first responses, Jesus changes the question to reveal His real purpose;

Mark 8:29 (ESV)
And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”

Whether or not Peter's (or the other disciples' for that matter) words or actions in the rest of the account always validate this confession, at least they were making progress.  Peter probably spoke here as the appointed leader of the disciples.  But also being the most impetuous of the crew, he might have just blurted out the answer without raising his hand.

Jesus' command of them to NOT tell anyone this truth is perplexing to people.  'Why wouldn't He want everyone to know so they would come and hear the Gospel and be saved?'  Pastor Jason acutely observed that in our modern 'information at an instant' age, the thought of Jesus trying to remain anonymous (given His identity, nature and mission) is absurd.  But Jesus understood the bigger picture and the implications that this profession would bring to bear on His mission.  Given the misunderstandings of His own disciples (just wait a few verses), not to mention the obvious misunderstandings of the people (see the response to His previous question), the addition of the weighty title 'Christ' may make the waters murkier.   There was so much nationalistic baggage attached to the title 'Christ' because the Christ, Messiah, was thought to be a military and political hero sent to liberate the Jews from oppression.  Jesus, in full cooperation with the Spirit and in submission to His Father, knew full well who He was and what His mission was but also knew that an undefined title (Christ) proclaimed by undiscerning sources (His guys) could potentially undermine His mission (to seek and save the lost).  And He fully knew the importance of His mission.

The Call of Discipleship
I think this section is astounding.  Jesus clearly and plainly told them that He would suffer, die, and rise again.  He warned them.  He spelled it out.  And yet they still didn't seem to understand.  Peter pulls Jesus aside and says something in the category of 'rebuke' which forces Jesus to address and rebuke the whole crew.  Based on what Jesus tells them, it appears that His guys were getting comfortable and selfish having Him there all the time.  The thought of Him being taken away like that disrupted their lives a bit.  So Jesus spell it out so they would understand:

Mark 8:34-38 (ESV)
³⁴ And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. ³⁶ For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? ³⁷ For what can a man give in return for his soul? ³⁸ For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

The gift of salvation is absolutely free; the work of God's grace alone received by faith alone in Jesus Christ.  It cannot be earned, purchased or lost by us. 

The life of discipleship is costly.  Following Jesus will cost you the old selfish will and way of the flesh (deny yourself), will require you to submit to the will and way of Jesus (take up your cross), and will cause you to identify yourself with a new Teacher, King, Lord and Savior (follow Jesus).  This is the call and the cost of discipleship.  There is no room for self-preservation; following Jesus means that your life will reflect more and more of Jesus and less and less of the world. 

We must be prepared to follow Him to the end (lose his life for Jesus and the Gospel), give up our unhealthy and idolatrous desire for wealth and possessions (gain the whole world), and proclaim boldly the Gospel of Jesus Christ (not be ashamed of Him). 

This He spoke tactically to His disciples.  This He speaks tactically to us. 

Mark 6 (inexorable in mission)

So, this particular Chapter Memory Study is stretching the boundaries of my vocabulary.  In the past, I have given up to quickly with some outlines.  That is what led me to 'inexorable' for this chapter.  I don't mind expanding my (or my readers') vocabularies if it is appropriate.

The 'I' for Chapter 6 of Mark (based on the acronym "JESUS IS THE RANSOM") is Inexorable.  It means:

Not to be persuaded, moved, or stopped: relentless

Jesus and His followers are faced with obstacles and opposition in their ministry, but they remain steadfast and unmovable. Jesus models this character, and His men are learning to walk like Him.

The Thematic Outline for Mark 6 is:

• In His hometown
• In His discipleship
• In John's death
• In feeding the 5000
• In walking on water
• In healing at Gennesaret
  

(by the way, I adjusted the outline for chapter 1; see the sidebar for the update)

"Brief" Commentary  (you know you're in trouble when "brief" has quotes around it :)

In His Hometown
Jesus was not persuaded, moved or stopped from His mission even after being rejected in His hometown of Nazareth.  Even though some were amazed at His teaching, still others mocked Him openly about His 'questionable' birth, His family and His occupation.  So His ministry to His hometown was limited to some teaching and a little bit of healing.  "and He marveled at their unbelief".

In His Discipleship
Jesus was not persuaded, moved or stopped from His discipleship of His guys.  The training continued.  Now it was time for a test.  Jesus paired off the disciples and sent them out, with His authority, to teach, heal, and cast out demons.  For this particular mission, Jesus gave them specific instructions about what to bring, what to wear, and how to interact with people along the way (who either receive or reject them).  And off they went.  They preached repentance and the Gospel, they cast out demons and healed sick people.  Just as Jesus said they would.  If training was going to stick, there needed to be some 'field time'.  They had watched Jesus, they had heard Him preach, and they had seen Him minister to people.  With His power and authority, now it was their turn.  To be continued...

In John's Death
Jesus was not persuaded, moved or stopped by the tragedy of John the Baptist's death.  In this section,  Mark takes an opportunity to finish the story about John the Baptist.  Mark writes that Herod (not the same Herod that ruled when Jesus was born) heard about Jesus' name and activities and feared that John the Baptist had come back to life and was operating under immense spiritual power.  Then verse 17 begins a sort of 'flashback' to what happened to John.

Apparently Herod knew of John and feared/respected him because he was righteous and holy (even though John was speaking against Herod's marriage to his brother's former wife....)  The soap opera continues.  Herod's new wife hated John.  When her daughter was given the chance to dance for Herod, she did so in a very provocative way so that Herod promised her a great reward.  By her mother's counsel, she requested John's head on a platter.  It was granted, though Herod seemed to regret it.

This is the unglorious ending to a man who was indeed 'great before the Lord' (Luke 1:15).  Jesus Himself testified that John 'was a burning and shining lamb, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light' (John 5:35).  But, in accordance with his own stated mission, John had to decrease so that Jesus could increase (John 3:30).

In Feeding the 5000
Jesus was not persuaded, moved or stopped when He and His disciples were tired from ministry.  When His disciples returned from their mission, they reported all they had done.  But it appears that there was weariness in their eyes, for Jesus guided them to a desolate place because there had been people around all the time and 'they had no leisure, even to eat' (31). 

But it was not to be.  They were a conspicuous group now that they had taught, healed, and cast demons out of people.  People saw them and pursued them to their landing.  Jesus again leads His men.  Instead of being selfish and disappointed, He 'had compassion on them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd' (34).  And so He gave them all a big hug, right!?!  Nope.  'And He began to teach them many things' (34).  He starts with what is most important; their souls and their eternity.  He stays on mission by preaching repentance and the Gospel.  That, whether they realize it or not, was their greatest need.

When it got late, the disciples started fidgeting about logistics.  'Um, Jesus.  It's getting late and the nearest Culvers is a long way away.  We should let people go so they can get some chow' (translation mine:).  Jesus' response was not what they expected; 'you give them something to eat'.  Ok, so we don't know how much later in the day this was, but let's not forget from where the disciples just returned; from preaching, healing and casting out demons in Jesus' name!  They had no doubt seen and performed many miraculous things under the authority of Jesus that very morning!  And yet when it comes time to think about doing something miraculous for people, they clammed up.

Please don't hear that I'm mocking the disciples.  I have even preached a sermon (called Philip and Me) in which I stated confidently that I would have been the first to count the people, get on Googlemaps to find the nearest restaurants, calculated the average cost of feeding that many people, and shouted out from my abacus 'we can't do it, it would be too expensive!!!'  It's me.  I would have said the same thing.  So I cast no stones toward the disciples here.  My incredulity is at us; we who follow Jesus, see His mighty work, and then forget about it when something new comes up.  It's me.  It's us.

Jesus finds out how much food they have, miraculously multiplies it, and feeds all 5000 men (plus the women and children) with a full basket left over for each of His guys.  He had compassion on those who had no shepherd, and patience with the ones for whom He was their shepherd.  He was inexorable by tall odds and doubting friends.

In Walking on the Water
Jesus was not persuaded, moved or stopped by fatigue, weather, or His own disciples density.  After feeding thousands of people, Jesus was tired.  He sent His disciples across the lake and He went up the mountain to pray.  Apparently He could see very well from His spot, because He saw the disciples rowing very hard against the wind and waves.  Now this is astounding.  Jesus didn't go take a nap, He prayed...well past midnight until 'the fourth watch' (which is between 3am and 6am).  That's when He walked out (in very choppy water, remember) to meet and help His men.  They were freaked out and thought He was a ghost.  This imagery superimposed onto modern thought has probably helped picture Jesus as always wearing a long white robe all of the time.

I understand that in children's books and Bible stories that they need to somehow identify Jesus.  But it has taken (and will take) a lifetime for me to get the 'Sunday School poster' Jesus out of my brain.  I don't think that guessing what Jesus looked like is idolatry.  He lived as a man with a body, face, nose and ear hair.  We don't have a picture of Him, but an honest attempt to visualize a Jewish man from that time seems reasonable.  He still has a glorified body and will be recognizable when we see Him.  But many people have in their minds a humble, marginalized, Galilean peasant with long hippy-hair, sheep in one arm, child in another, walking around piously spouting off catch phrases like a fortune cookie writer.  That's not Jesus.  It wasn't Jesus.  It won't be the Jesus we see when He comes back (see Rev 19 for the Jesus whose side you want to be on).

Back to the study.  So the disciples saw Him and were freaked out.  Look what He does; 'take heart; it is I.  Do not be afraid'.  What He actually said was 'I AM'.  This echos the covenant name of God given to Moses.  And the storm stops.  And the disciples were astounded, again.  He simply speaks with the power and authority of God, and things happen.  I think He also wanted to remind them who He is.  And Mark points out that even Jesus' closest friends and followers still didn't totally get it.  But He didn't give up on them.

Healing at Gennesaret
Jesus was not persuaded, moved or stopped from His continued commitment to loving people and proclaiming the Gospel.  This is a short pericope at the end of Mark 6 that describes another instance of Jesus' healing ministry.  When Jesus and the disciples finally reached land at Gennesaret people recognized them immediately.  They flocked to Jesus to be  healed.  The astounding healing of the woman with bleeding (Mark 5) may have spread very quickly through the region because they sought to touch 'even the fringe of His garment' (36).  Jesus honored this act of faith and, by His own will, chose to heal people by that means.

I find it interesting in the account of Jesus' ministry that I don't read things like 'and after He healed many, they repented of their sin and believed in Jesus as the Savior', or '...and after He healed them, He preached a killer message and thousands came forward for the altar call'.

It is clear that He taught people.  A lot.  Just a few verses up, after He 'saw the crowd and had compassion on them' He didn't turn all the water into wine and the trees into disco-balls so people could have a party and feel better about themselves.  "And He began to teach them many things".  How many times, by word and action, did He come back to this primary mission; '...that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out' (1:38).

But He loved people and cared for their needs.  He healed them and gave them the Gospel.  He constantly sowed seeds of His message for those who would hear.  And He gave His guys a beautiful model of ministering to people and proclaiming the Gospel.

Hebrews 5

Grace and peace in the Lord!

This week we continue with the Chapter Memory Study through Hebrews with chapter 5.  This chapter is an interesting transition between chapter 4 and chapter 6.  The first part of Hebrews 5 picks up where ch4 leaves off.  Then the second theme of ch5 continues into ch6.  But for the purposes of this study (the Chapter Memory Study) I will stay with the established chapter demarcations. 

So, the thematic section of Hebrews 5 (built on the 'S' of Son i(S) Superior) are:

• Source of eternal salvation (1-10)
• Solid Food (11-14)
  

The memory passaged from each section are;

• Source of eternal salvation
  Hebrews 5:8-10
  
  ⁸Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. ⁹And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, ¹⁰being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
   
• Solid Food
  Hebrews 5:14
  
  ¹⁴But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
  
  

Within the first thematic passage of this chapter (vv1-10), the writer continues the ongoing description of Jesus as High Priest.  But now, the discussion centers around Jesus being the One and Only Source of eternal salvation. His Priesthood was not appointed by men (5) nor descended from men (implied in vv 6,10) but was appointed by God as a special Son-King-Priest.  Only Christ is qualified to hold such a position.  The writer goes out of his way again to say that Jesus, while He was in the flesh, became our perfect High Priest through obedience, suffering, submission to the Father's will, and reverence.  He is the Son of God by nature (1:3), the King of all by position (1:3), and Priest of God for all men by His complete identification with men (4:15). 

The 'perfection' talked about here and elsewhere concerning Christ is more about the completion or fulfillment of His mission than a perfecting of His person (He was and always has been holy). 

To say that Jesus was perfect does not suggest that he was imperfect before he suffered. During his human life Jesus’ perfection endured severe testing. None of this testing blackened a single feature of his perfection. Jesus’ perfection was the completion of someone who had faced trials, endured them, and learned to trust God through them. Jesus’ perfection developed in an atmosphere in which he had his obedience tested and strengthened by the trials he faced.

Lea, T. D. (1999). Vol. 10: Hebrews, James. Holman New Testament Commentary; Holman Reference (94). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

The writer will continue to expound on the issue of 'the order of Melchizedek' in contrast to the order of Aaron later in the book, but since he mentions it here, I will include a brief introduction.

Several features of this order differed from the order of Aaron. First, the order of Melchizedek had no hereditary succession. This feature stood in contrast to the Aaronic order, which saw wave after wave of priests succeeding one another.

Second, it was a unique order because only Christ belonged to it. It was an order which was fit for Christ because it placed him in an entirely different order from that of Aaron.

Lea, T. D. (1999). Vol. 10: Hebrews, James. Holman New Testament Commentary; Holman Reference (94). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

The second main theme of Hebrews 5 addresses the issue of maturity among the readers.  The writer chastises and then exhorts the readers using the metaphor of food.  So we call this section Solid food (remember, the thematic titles do two things; 1) starts with the corresponding letter from the chapter outline, and 2) serves to remind us of what the thematic content is in the section). 

The writer wishes to say more on this issue, but criticizes the readers for being 'dull of hearing' and in need of remedial training.  By this time, these believers should have been teaching these principles, but for some reason they still needed the 'milk' of basic training instead of the 'solid food' of mature teaching.  He actually calls them unskilled and children.  Their goal should be to mature in Christ so that they can process the 'solid food' of His truth.  A sign of this growth is the maturing of their powers of discernment; distinguishing between good and evil.  There will be more on this issue as the writer continues in Chapter 6. 


How does this affect my worship?
Verse 7 is difficult for me.  Jesus offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to God, and He was heard 'because of His reverence'.  He fully submitted Himself to God in His prayer.  He approached His Father with reverence.  In my casual, conversational relationship with God (which I think He encourages), I sometimes find myself stepping out of reverence.  We can confidently draw near to the throne of God because of the work of Christ, but He's still God and I'm still not.  You can swing too far either direction.  Christ's example here reminds me to approach God, while confident, in humility. 

How does this affect my discipleship?
The whole milk vs solid food thing speaks to me about my own disciple-becoming and my disciple-making.  While I think grace and patience are absolutely critical in the discipleship process, there does seem to come a time for some exhortation toward maturity.  I don't know how I could know this unless I actually have a relationship with the person I'm discipling.  If they are being diligent in their study and I see the transformation in their walk with God I have a pretty good idea that they are on the right track.  But when you see them 'stuck' in certain elementary patterns or thoughts for a long time without a real zeal for growth, I could feel the need to 'nudge' them a bit.  I want them to grow.  Just like I want my kids to grow.  I don't want those who walk with me in discipleship to continue to need (or desire) the 'milk'.  Although, as a caveat, there has been tremendous value and growth in my life during times when I 'review' a basic truth that the Lord reminds me of.  I guess, nothing goes better with steak than a big glass of milk. 

Thank You, gracious Heavenly Father, for being my Bread of Life.  Thank You for growing me up on milk, and letting me begin to chew on steak.  Grow me and train me in discernment so that I can feast on Your solid food; for Your glory and for Your kingdom.  

Ethan

Hebrews 4

Greetings in Christ!

We continue our Chapter Memory Study today in Hebrews 4. In many ways this chapter is a continuation of the thought pattern of chapter 3 (as we will see in the discussion of 'rest'). The outline is based on the 'I' of 'Son is Mediator'.

• Into His rest (1-13)
• Into His throne-room (14-16)

The memory passage is:

• Into His rest
  
  
  • Hebrews 4:11-12
  • ¹¹Let us therefore strive [be diligent] to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. ¹²For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
• Into His throne-room
  
  
  • Hebrews 4:15-16
  • ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.¹⁶Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need

While this first section has been titled 'Into His Rest', this issue of God's rest first appears back in 3:11,18 amidst the discussion of the punishment of unbelief and rebellion. The people of Israel were prevented from entering 'rest' (the promised land) because of their rebellion against God in the desert following the exodus. While 3:12 planted the idea in our minds that this idea of rest has not been put to rest (so to speak), the first verse of chapter 4 lays it out lucidly; the promise of rest still stands. You can still receive it, and you can still miss it. For the good news (not necessarily only the Gospel, but including the general good news of from God in the OT) came to them as it comes to us. The key to gaining the benefit of the good news depends upon whether or not we believe ('united by faith' 4:2).

The word 'rest' appears 8 different times in this first section (vv1-13). So, what is meant by 'rest'? In the context of the historical reference to Israel, 'rest' seems to mean the fulfillment of God's promise. They still had to fight for the land and work the land, so 'rest' does not mean vacation or retirement. Verses 4-10 bring in two different approaches to 'rest'.

1. God's 'rest' on the 7th day of creation is meant as a model for us to follow. But in the same way that God did not cease to do any work from then on, we are not to merely fall idle and lazy. God's rest signifies completion, not exhaustion.
2. If this promised 'rest' was ONLY the promised land, then Joshua would have delivered that to the people after the conquering of the promised land. But David, many years later, warns us not to harden our hearts lest we are not allowed into His rest. So there must remain a Sabbath rest for God's people (9).
   

In addition to these, verse 11 says we are to strive (I prefer 'be diligent') to enter that rest. The ideas of working hard and resting would appear to be contradictory. But our diligence in seeking the completion and fulfillment of God's promise to us keeps us from falling 'by the same sort of disobedience' as Israel did.

So what is our Guide in this striving? God's Word. It is living, active, discerning, and illuminating. He only can divide to the deepest parts of our being. He only can know our hearts and motives. Nothing is hidden from Him, and all will be judged by Him. He is our Guide. He can lead us, by His Word, into His rest.

To conclude, there seems to be 4 different 'rests' discussed in 3:11-4:13:

1. Canaan rest; the rest Israel was promised but forsook by the sin of disbelief.
2. Sabbath rest; the rest God exemplified on day 7 of creation and directs us to observe
3. Present rest; in Christ's strength we can have a rest from weariness and heavy yokes (Matt 11:28-30)
4. Eternal rest; the rest believers taste now, but will fully experience in the presence of Christ for eternity.
   

The second section of this chapter, 'Into His Throne-room', is short but potent. The writer brings back the description of Christ as our High Priest. Having proven His worthiness as our High Priest (3:17), the writer now reminds us that Christ is the only one who is able to give us access to the rest of God. Our great High Priest passed through the heavens (after dying and resurrecting) after a life on earth that consisted of every temptation and trial that we have or ever will experience; yet He did not once give in or sin. He alone can advocate for us because He lived the full human life and beat it. For this reason only can we draw near to the throne of God, with confidence in Christ alone, to find the mercy and grace we need to follow Him faithfully to the end. This boldness and confidence is not, cannot, be prideful or flippant. It is not any of our own doing, but that of Christ.

How does this affect my worship?

How often do we sing 'draw near to God' or 'God, please draw near to me'? How can that even happen? It goes back again to what I am finding is a critical verse about worship; Romans 11:36. "For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things". True worship of God is only possible by His work through us. We are saved by the free gift of grace that we cannot earn. Only then can we offer our lives as a living sacrifice. But we only have access to God (His throne of grace) because Jesus has made the way. So our worship is from Him (because of His work) and through Him (sustained by His work) and to Him (in honor of His work). There are many ways to express ourselves to God; praise, adoration, submission, exaltation, thanksgiving..... But let us never forget to draw near, with confidence yet utter humility, to the throne of God for not just what we get, but Who we meet.

How does this affect my discipleship?

My 5 main foundations of discipleship are that it is:

1. Biblical
2. Relational
3. Intentional
4. Sustainable
5. Reproducible
   

(some day, I'll get the rights words together so that it spells something, or so they all start with the same letter :)
There's a reason Biblical is first. The Word of God is the key to our growth. We must let it 'dwell in us richly' (Col 3:16). We must hear it (Rom 10:17), hide it (Ps 119:11), and heed it (Jam 1:22). I must be the foundation upon which followers of Christ follow Christ. It is living and active; alive and well.

May you draw near to Him, and He to you,

Ethan