I read an article in the paper about a guy who was driving a big semi, and he was looking at his phone and he ran off the road. That’s how I feel a lot of people are right now. We are running off the road spiritually. We’ve lost our focus. We’ve lost our purpose because were looking down all the time and really, we should be looking up.
We are barraged with information and we are unfocused people, but it’s the perfect time to focus on Jesus. So this message starts a brand-new series based on the Gospel of Mark that I’m calling “The Gospel for Busy People.”
Practical Principles
- Mark is fast-paced. Mark uses the word immediately 42 times. Mark uses the historical present tense 150 times. So it’s almost like you are there. Mark is like a breathless reporter giving us the events in real time as they are unfolding. I think this is a Gospel we can all relate to today because collectively we have a short attention span.
- Mark is action-oriented. Mark focuses more on what Jesus did than he does on what Jesus said. It’s a record of the achievements of Jesus, if you will, and its action-packed from beginning to end. It is a concise book of 16 chapters and it’s probably the first of the Gospels that was written.
- Mark knows about second chances. Mark messed up when he was a young man, but he was given a second chance. God can give you a second chance as well.
Relevant Reminders
- Maybe you’ve had a setback in life. Maybe you’ve done something you regret. Maybe you bailed on something you had committed to or you had a lapse of faith. Know this: your setback can actually turn out to be set up. Your test can be turned into a testimony.
- God is a present help in times of trouble.
- John the Baptist’s mission was to get out of the way and prepare people for Jesus. That’s our mission as well.
- Often, trials or testing or temptations come after moments of great blessing.
- Where is the best place to be when you’re being tempted? In the will of God.
Applicable Actions
Every Christian is going to be tempted. But it is not the bait that constitutes sin. It’s the bite. Just because the bait is dangled before you, that doesn’t mean you’re sinning. It’s not a sin to be tempted. As my friend Erwin Lutzer said, “Temptation is not a sin. It’s a call to battle.” If you are living a godly life, you will be tempted. Why? Because the devil does not want you to succeed. He will oppose you.
But God will not allow you to be tempted above your capacity to resist. Sometimes it’s as simple as walking out a door. Sometimes it’s as simple as hitting the “off” button. Sometimes it’s as simple as terminating a conversation. There’s always a way out, and there’s a blessing attached to the man or woman that resists temptation.
