Week 6 All Things Are Possible
We claim God can do anything, but do we believe it in the midst of the storm?
“If all things are possible with God, then all things are possible to him who believes in Him.”
Corrie ten Boom
Passage
23And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!”
24The 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!
25“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.”
26They were even more astonished and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?”
27Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”
Mark 10:23–27 (NASB95)
"With God all things are possible" by Novemberdelta is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Background
Quote-Cornelia Arnolda Johanna "Corrie" ten Boom (15 April 1892 – 15 April 1983) was a Dutch watchmaker and later a Christian writer and public speaker, who worked with her father, Casper ten Boom, her sister Betsie ten Boom and other family members to help many Jewish people escape from the Nazis during the Holocaust in World War II by hiding them in her home. They were caught, and she was arrested and sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp. Her most famous book, The Hiding Place, is a biography that recounts the story of her family's efforts and how she found and shared hope in God while she was imprisoned at the concentration camp.
Passage-The book of Mark is a Gospel that contains Narrative History, Sermons, Parables, and some Prophetic Oracles. This Gospel has somewhat of an emphasis in miracles (27 total) which is significantly more than any of the other Gospels. The key word in Mark is "Immediately" which is used 34 times causing the reader to move from one account to the next rapidly. Mark is the shortest of the synoptic gospels and was written about 64 A.D.
It was written by John Mark who was one of the missionaries who accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their mission trips. It is possible that Mark wrote this Gospel at the urging of Peter (his companion in Rome) since he had firsthand knowledge of the things that Mark wrote about.
The purpose of the Gospel of Mark is to show that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God who was sent to suffer and to serve in order to rescue and restore mankind.
Lesson Notes
Opening Statement
Heaven is the goal at the end of life. It is the target we shoot for. It is the carrot hanging on the end of the stick driving us forward. How does Heaven as a goal help us manage the storm in the midst of this life? It is the way in which we handle the storm from a worldly or heavenly perspective that shapes our future.
Ask: Does today’s passage mean people who have money can’t go to Heaven? Why or why not?
Point: The more focused on our material goods we are, the less focused on God we become. However, God can do anything including shifting our own selfish desires to Him. It doesn’t mean wealthy people can’t go to Heaven. It means people cannot get to Heaven on their own. We need God to get to Heaven.
Ask: Why do we need God to get to Heaven?
Point: Please read the following:
5Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?”
6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
7“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
John 14:5–7 (NASB95)
Ask: So why weren’t we headed to Heaven before?
Point: We were not walking in ways pleasing to God prior to our faith in Jesus. Please read the following:
2in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
3Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
Ephesians 2:2–3 (NASB95)
Ask: Who are “…even as the rest.” In the previous passage?
Point: All the people who do not have faith in Jesus, those who do not claim the title, Christian.
Ask: If we are all “…formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh…” is it all we need to just have faith in Jesus and believe but can keep on “living in the lusts of our flesh?”
Point: No.
Ask: But it’s not of works it is of faith so why not?
Point: Please read the following:
16But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
17For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
Galatians 5:16–18 (NASB95)
Ask: If we aren’t following the flesh anymore but the spirit we can do what we feel is right and we’re okay, right?
Point: Please read the following:
5For each one will bear his own load.
6The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.
7Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
8For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Galatians 6:5–8 (NASB95)
Ask: So it is about what we do just so long as we do it with the right motivations in our heart?
Point: Please read the following:
4But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:4–9 (NASB95)
Ask: This is confusing. How can it be about the motivations behind the works in our heart but not about the works at all?
Point: Please re-read verse 9 above
Ask: Why is the second half the important part that can clear up the confusion?
Point: “…So that no one may boast.” Because none of this is about us. It was all done for us, but it is not about us. It is not for us to pridefully wave our arms and say, “Look at me! Look at what I have done!”
Ask: If it isn’t about us, then who is it about?
Point: Please read the following:
1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1–2 (NASB95)
Ask: How does having a mind aimed at the spiritual goals rather than the fleshly pleasures help us manage the storm around us now?
Point: Please read the following:
11Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.
12Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
1 Peter 2:11–12 (NASB95)
Closing Statement
The Kingdom of Heaven is not of this world. It is not of flesh and blood. It is not of the things we buy, build, or acquire on earth. The Kingdom of Heaven is about the spiritual things, about looking at each other as wonderfully and fearfully made children of God. We carry each other’s burdens, help each other in times of need, and keep each other company when we are lonely. Not because we must, but because it is how we would want to be treated if we had that same storm around us.
Questions for the Week
Question 1 Re-read this week’s lesson in private. Then, read all of 1 Peter 2 (included at the end of this lesson.)
Question 2 Spend time in prayer asking God to help you put into concrete terms an immediate next step you can take this week to grow in the direction of the Spiritual Kingdom of Heaven.
Question 3 Write in your journal a plan to enact and take that next step.
Pursuit of the Spiritual in the Midst of the Storm
1Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,
2like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
3if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
4And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
5you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
7This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very corner stone,”
8and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.
9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.
12Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
13Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,
14or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.
15For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.
16Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.
17Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.
18Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.
19For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.
20For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.
21For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
22who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;
23and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;
24and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
25For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
1 Peter 2:1–25 (NASB95)