Pastor Shaun Marksbury

“ Does God Condemn LGBTQ+ Lifestyles? Part 3” ( Various Texts) Series:               “LGBTQ+ Issues” #4                   Text:                 Various Texts By:                    Shaun Marksbury                         Date:                June 16, 2024 Venue:              Living Water Baptist Church             Occasion:          PM Service ...

  New Testament Overview Part 4 : Christ’s Final Week & Work I. Introduction Last time, we considered the harmony of the life of Christ We didn’t have time to get into the final week. This Session: The Passion Week and the Work of Christ (Dr. Keith Essex, TMS) II. The Passion Week Sunday Arrival in Bethany (John 11:55-12:1) Supper and Crowds (Matt. 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:2-11) Monday The Triumphal Entry (Matt. 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-44; John 12:12-19)  The Visit to the Temple (Matt. 21:14-17; Mark 11:11) Tuesday The Cursing of the Fig Tree (Matt. 21:18-19; Mark 11:12-14) The Cleansing of the Temple (Matt. 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-48) The Request of the Greeks (John 12:20-36a) The Return to Bethany (Mark 11:19) Wednesday The Lesson of the Fig Tree (Matt. 21:20-22; Mark 11:20-26) The Temple Controversy (Matt. 21:23-23:39; Mark 11:27-12:44; Luke 20:1-21:4) The Final Temple Departure (John 12:36b-50) The Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24:1-25:46; Mar...

New Testament Overview Part 2 : T he Messiah and the Gospels I. Introduction Last time, we began considering the world of the New Testament and what was happening in between the two testaments. This week, we begin to consider the beginning of the NT: the four Gospels. This Session: The Anticipation of the Messiah The Presentation of the Messiah II. The Anticipation of the Messiah Several OT texts anticipate the Messiah: Micah 5:2 — Where He would be born (“Bethlehem Ephrathah”) Zechariah 9:9 — How He would be presented Zechariah 11:12–13 — The price of His betrayal and who receives the money Psalm 22:16 — Pierced hands, feet. Isaiah 53:7, 9 — Won’t defend Himself of capital crime, buried with rich Over 300 prophecies Some He could choose to fulfill (Triumphal Entry).   Others, if He were ordinary man, He could not choose (lineage, birthplace, means of death) His anticipation: The “Seed of the Woman” Genesis 3:15 Son of Abraham Genesis 22:18 Through Jacob/Judah Ge...

Good Christians disagree on this, so don't make it a test of orthodoxy.  The point is that we have the evidence to examine and debate, meaning that the text is trustworthy (a lack of debatable evidence would imply collusion and tampering).  Still, the evidence seems to point to Mark's Gospel ending on v. 8.  Here are a few resources I used in preparation for this topic.  They may help you to better understand the issue.  The first is a section from the MacArthur Study Bible: The external evidence strongly suggests these verses were not originally part of Mark’s gospel. While the majority of Gr. manuscripts contain these verses, the earliest and most reliable do not. A shorter ending also existed, but it is not included in the text. Further, some that include the passage note that it was missing from older Gr. manuscripts, while others have scribal marks indicating the passage was considered spurious. The fourth-century church fathers Eusebius and Jerome note...

In Mark 14:36, Jesus prays, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” But, if Jesus is God, then isn't His will God's will?  Why does it appear that His will has to conform to God's? Remember that, in the incarnation, Jesus became like us in every way.  That includes developing a human will.  As such, while He never sinned in His flesh, His will had to learn submission by facing temptation and overcoming it. In fact, the teaching that Jesus only has a single will (divine) rather than two wills (human and divine) is heretical.  Calvin explains, This passage shows plainly enough the gross folly of those ancient heretics, who were called Monothelites , because they imagined that the will of Christ was but one and simple; for Christ, as he was God, willed nothing different from the Father; and therefore it follows, that his human soul had affections distinct from the secret purpose of God. ...

The chief priests and the rest may have physically departed (v. 12), but they aren’t done with Jesus.   We read in v. 13 “they sent” Pharisees and Herodians “to trap Him in a statement.”   The compliments of verse fourteen were mere flatteries attempting to snare Him.   They ask Him about taxes.   Some zealots advocated withholding all taxes, knowing that it would invite the wrath of the Romans.   If Jesus sided with them, He would be branded a dissident.   If, however, He flatly affirmed taxes, then He risked alienating His followers—a lose/lose scenario.   Far from falling for their trap, His answer chastens both groups. Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.   The very coins that they use to engage in commerce bear the image and inscription of Caesar.   Rome did more than mint this currency: it provided the benefits of pax romana (Roman peace) through good roads and soldiers who would stop those bent on evil.   Tax...

The chief priests and the rest may have physically departed (v. 12), but they aren’t done with Jesus.   We read in v. 13 “they sent” Pharisees and Herodians “to trap Him in a statement.”   They plan to ensnare Jesus with His own words (just like many of the skeptics of Scripture today). The Pharisees and the Herodians disdained one another, but their hatred for Christ has united them since Mark 3:6.   This unlikely duo flatter Jesus, intending to lay a net for His feet (cf. Pv 29:5).   Even so, for the flattery to be effective, their compliments must be true.   What do they say of our Lord? First, our Lord is true.   They say, “we know that You are truthful.”   He deals with people honesty , reflecting the character of God; they reflect the father of lies (Jn 8:44). Second, our Lord doesn’t defer to anyone.   No effort can be God-honoring if it seeks the favor of men (cf. Gal 1:10).   The fear of man ensnares, contrasting plac...

The chief priests, scribes, and elders have challenged Jesus regarding His authority.   He turns the challenge back on them with this parable, the parable of the two sons (cf. Mt 21:28–32), and the prophecy chief cornerstone.   Here, He depicts their stunning wickedness and contrasts it with the intentions of God. First, consider the patience of the landowner.   Unlike some landowners, he provided them everything they needed for the work and left them alone until harvest time.   When they violently refused to pay, he tried again and again.   His patience might even be considered foolish , but he gives the farmers every opportunity to make it right. Second, consider the impenitence of the farmers.   They escalate their violence, beating the first slave, mortally wounding the second, and killing the third.   They then contrive a plan to kill the landowner’s son to take the vineyard.   As their commitment to sin grows, so does their rebel...

What we’ve seen until this point is fruitless faith, which Jesus demonstrates by cursing the fig tree and then cleansing the temple (vv. 12–18).   Now evening, He and His disciples leave the city (v. 19).   They apparently came back the way they came, because the next morning, they pass by the same fig tree.   Jesus uses its withered state an opportunity to teach on faith in prayer. The picture of faithless prayer (vv. 20–22).   Jesus cursed this fig tree because it was in full leaf that lacked fruit (vv. 12–14), and He cleansed the temple because it was busy with everything but prayer (vv. 15–17).   People can be “spiritual,” engaged with religious activities, but still not have the fruit of true faith.   Jesus’s disciples need their faith to be in God (v. 22), because faith isn’t dependent on the faithfulness and deeds of the one praying, but on God. The promise of faith-filled prayer (vv. 23–24).   Jesus uses an old-world image of the i...

And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!”   The disciples were amazed at His words.   But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!   It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”             They were even more astonished and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?” Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.” We sometimes assume that Jesus is only there for our comfort and happiness.   However, as we saw with the rich young ruler, Jesus gave him the law (vv. 19, 21) and then allowed the man to walk away sad (v. 22).   It’s not that Jesus didn’t feel compassion for him (cf. v. 21a), but this man needed to know the harsh truth.  ...

And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.” Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property. Like in the parable of the soils (Mk 4:3–20), the rich young ruler indicates initial growth, but his heart is stony underneath.   He loved something more than God.   Specifically, he bowed before the altar of money. The commandments reveal his idolatrous state .   As we discussed last time, Jesus used the Law to reveal this man’s heart—even altering the command, “Thou shalt not covet,” to highlight his sin of fraud.   Jesus wants to demonstrate the full weight of the Law, which includes the intents of the heart and demands entire perfection (cf. 5:21–48).   However, Jesus’s words fall...