Talk 1: Gary Koo – An Encounter with Royalty

(Mark 8:1-13)

 Have you ever come face to face with royalty?  Australians are fascinated by royalty, but we actually just treat them merely as celebrities.   

In Mark, we encounter royalty – the whole gospel is about coming face to face with royalty.   

Mark 1:1 – ‘Christ’ is a title, not a surname.  ‘Son of God’ is also a title.  Jesus was the king of the known world.  ‘Gospel’ = a royal proclamation of good news marking a momentous occasion. 

Mark makes it clear that Jesus is no ordinary man through the miracles that he performs.  The disciples were astounded when Jesus calms a storm with a word.  Mark addresses in the first section of his gospel, who is the Christ?  Mark gives us proof that Jesus is the Christ by recording what he does.  What we find in the gospels are carefully selected episodes of Jesus’s acts.   

Mark 7:37 – we see that these witnesses were JEWISH (v34).  Since they were Jewish, they would know the scriptures since Is 35:5-6 prophesises Jesus.  These miracles show us who Jesus is: he is the Christ because he has done everything well (v37).  Therefore, Jesus is the Christ. 

In Mark 8, we can ask, why does Mark record another miracle if he’s already by this point in Mark’s gospel, established that Jesus is the Christ?  The answer is because Mark has recorded every event in the gospel for particular reasons.  In 8:14, the disciples didn’t get the point of the yeast parable.  In 8:17-21, the disciples still did not understand when Jesus asks.  So…1) are we like the disciples with eyes that don’t see, or ears that don’t hear?  That’s the reason why Mark puts this story in here, sandwiched between two miracles.  “Do you still not understand that Jesus is royalty?!” 

What does it take to be convinced that Jesus is the Christ?  It isn’t just a matter of seeing Jesus, it’s a matter of spiritual blindness – that’s why Jesus asks, do you still not understand? 

This has implications for ministry – for example, those methods that assure you that people will become Christian etc.  We mustn’t fool ourselves into thinking that our strategy, style of worship, the way we do our bible studies will make people understand Jesus.  It’s the HOLY SPIRIT.  We teach the bible clearly, and boldly, because it’s in the pages of the gospel that people face the king. 

So…What does it mean for Jesus to be our King?

-          don’t let today’s monarchy affect the way we view Jesus as King.

-          The bible’s model of kingship is a king who rules all; there is NO choice!

-          Therefore Jesus expects total unyielding allegiance to Him, submitting to his rule. 

Talk 2: Gary Koo – The World is Not Enough

(Mark 8:27-9:1)

We all love a bargain and telling others of that bargain.  Why do we do this?  It’s all about winning and losing – playing the game of life.   

Are we getting a good deal when we follow Jesus?  Is it a bargain? 

Mark 8:27-9:1 is the bridge/pivot between the two halves of Mark’s gospel.  In v29, Jesus asks them “who do you think I am?”.  “The Christ” Peter finally answers and understands.  BUT in v30, Jesus told them not to tell others about him.  Why?  It all comes down to what the Christ must do.  The disciples thought that the Christ would come to kick out the Romans, but instead in v31, he would suffer and die in Jerusalem.  He MUST suffer and BE KILLED (v31).  Peter must have been astounded at this point – he asks Jesus what are you talking about?! (v32).  He is even more astounded in v33, where he becomes the mouthpiece of the devil.   

Christ was to liberate not through military power and strength, but through suffering and death that the devil may be defeated.  Therefore that’s why Jesus instructed them not to tell anyone about it, because if they knew he was the Christ, people would try to stop him from going to the cross.  Nothing could stand in the way of God’s plan and purpose for the King.   

Why are YOU a Christian?

-          because the DEATH of CHRIST

-          If we subject Christianity to a cost-benefit analysis, you must ask what emphasis and importance you put on Christ’s death.   

What does it mean to be a disciple of a king who must suffer and die?  What does it mean to follow Christ the King?

-          v34, deny oneself – self-denial for God’s sake; no to one’s self and yes to God

-          willing to take up one’s cross – ie. Walk the green mile [was Jesus speaking literally or metaphorically at this point?  Why does Jesus repeat himself?]

-          Jesus was talking about the real possibility of martyrdom here (it fits into vv35-37).   

The Point is that following Jesus is costly, it may even cost you your life, but according to Jesus, it’s worth it, because v35, whoever loses his life for Christ gains it, v36-37, what’s the point of gaining the whole world but losing your soul? And v38, if we turn our backs to Jesus, he will on the last day turn his back on us. 

In the end, there is nothing more valuable than following Him.  Following Christ may cost us in the here and now, but it’s WORTH IT because you know that Jesus is the only way to eternity!   

The model of Christian discipleship is given here in following Christ. 

-          Would you be a Christian if it weren’t so easy here in Australia?  If you were persecuted?

-          What would make you unwilling to give up following Jesus?  Money? Status?

-          We live in Sydney – it is a privilege to meet publicly with our own bibles in the mountains, where there are people persecuted elsewhere in the world, without even their own bibles. 

Therefore, when it comes to following this king, the world is not a substitute.  The world is not enough.

Talk 3: Gary Koo – The Majestic Son

(Mark 9:2-10)

Talk is cheap.  Many times people say things they don’t mean or mean to keep.  BUT: sometimes the things people say can be a matter of life or death. – we see this here in Mark. 

The disciples they see now have just realised that Jesus IS the Christ, but it wasn’t exactly what they had expected.  Jesus was going to expect suffering and death, and Jesus expected this from his followers as well. 

But why should we listen to Jesus?  We find this out in Mark 9:2-10, in the Transfiguration.  It gives us further reasons why when we come to Jesus, talk ain’t cheap!

In Mark 9:2-3 the presence of only three disciples should clue to us that something big was going to happen.  Jesus’ transfiguration was something that communicated Jesus’ true nature – Christ as supernatural and divine.  His clothes were dazzling white, conjuring images of radiance and glory – clothes that only heavenly beings would wear.  Therefore he was more than just a man, he was a heavenly being that reflected God’s glory.

John 3:32, because Jesus testifies that he comes from heaven, he testifies what he’s seen and heard – he is FROM heaven, so Jesus knows what he’s talking about because Jesus came from heaven. 

Mark 9:4 – why were Elijah and Moses there?  We don’t know.  But we can say that everything on the mountain top was for the disciple’s eyes only.  Also, Jesus communicates to his disciples, who are Jews.  To the Jews, Moses was the lawgiver, and Elijah was the prophet – the great heroes of the Jewish faith.  Jesus, at the transfiguration is talking in side by side, in solidarity with the heroes of the Jewish faith.  Therefore, he shows to the disciples that he, like them, is from God! 

When it comes to listening to the word of God, we need to listen because he stands side by side with the great Jewish heroes, and he knows what he’s talking about! 

Mark 9:5 – is a very human portrayal of the disciples.  Peter was soooo frightened by what he say that he probably didn’t know what he was talking about – he was blabbering!   

Mark 9:7 – if the disciples were frightened by seeing Moses and Elijah, imagine how much more frightened they would have been when God spoke to them!  How do we know that it was God?  It was symbolised by the cloud (as in the OT) and it is similar in the way that God speaks in Mark 1.  There are differences though between when God speaks here and when God speaks in Mark 1.   

In Mark 1:1, God says “YOU are my SON, with you I am well pleased.”  In Mark 9:7, God says “THIS is my SON, listen to Him.”  On the surface, the transfiguration may seem obscure, but it tells the disciples why they must listen to him!  That Jesus’ talk ain’t cheap.   

Do you treat Jesus the way he deserves?  Do you have a clear picture of Jesus?  It’s in God’s word that we too can be there witnessing all these things, having a clear picture of Jesus. 

Who will you listen to when we have our doubts?  The voice of the devil whispering to us, or Jesus, the Christ, the majestic Son of God.  It all comes down to whether WE have a CLEAR PICTURE of who Jesus really is!

Talk 4: Gary Koo – The Paradox of the Kingdom

(Mark 10:17-31)

How do you measure greatness?  In this world, it is the first man to <insert achievement here>.  What about coming second?  We don’t know who came second, the world tells us the greatest is that who came FIRST. 

But Jesus says different – whoever wants to come first MUST come last. 

1. The Kingdom of God and Status.

Mark 9:33-37, we see the disciples arguing about who was the greatest. 

v34 – the moment is like a mother asking her child ‘is there something that you want to tell me?’

v35 – Jesus uses it as an opportunity to teach the disciples, that the desire for greatness and following Jesus is INCOMPATIBLE

v37 – what’s so hard about welcoming a child?  In Jesus’ time, it was different – children were at the lowest rung of the Jewish social ladder, they were unimportant.  Greatness is about being a servant to the least, being LAST. 

BUT – this in reality isn’t greatness in our world.  Status in society is measured by jobs, house, wealth, uni etc…  Greatness isn’t measured in the kingdom of God by these, or your biblical knowledge etc, it is measured by our attitude to take on the role of a servant in a world that is obsessed about coming first.   

2. The Kingdom of God and Wealth

Mark 10:17-31, it is HARD for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, NOT impossible – all things are possible with God. 

v17, cf v26, this episode is about how a person can enter the kingdom of God.  BUT, his wealth gets in the way of him following Jesus. 

v31, it is those willing to be last (willing to give up even wealth to follow him) who will be first.  Gary talks about one time at his church where he told his congregation that if they took out their chequebooks and donated half their account balance to mission, they wouldn’t even notice that it’d gone.  They were shocked because it was true, but they didn’t want to do it.   

There’s nothing wrong with being wealth, it’s as long as we DON’T let wealth get in the way of us following God.  It’s whether that the love of money gets in the way of God.  How is money stopping you from doing things for God?  Are you willing to give up everything?  ‘Everything’ that gives up status, money, wealth for Jesus?  Will we let money dictate how we serve Jesus?  Will WE let JESUS dictate how we use our money?   

3. The Kingdom of God and Power

Mark 10:35-45, the disciples cared about themselves and their power.

Vv42-45, if you are to be a ruler/great in God’s kingdom, you must become a servant too.   

In society there is a hierarchy, a pecking order where the lower serve the higher, but NOT SO IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.  Christian leadership is servant/slave leadership.  How do you view Christian leadership?  It’s all about service, NOT power or influence or lording it over people.  That’s what we look for in a leader – a good leader is someone who serves and goes out of their way to serve wholeheartedly, because that’s the model that Jesus sets for us.  Gary tells us a story of a guy who was bitter because he thought he should be a leader.  Why? Gary asked.  He replied – because I want to, it’s my turn now, I’ve waited long enough to be one.  Gary felt sorry for the guy because it was himself who had disqualified himself for leadership.  PRIDE is a disqualification to Christian leadership.   

The Paradox of the Kingdom is the notion that the first is last, and the last is first.  In the same way that Jesus, the Christ, who is King and royalty, was last, mocked and jeered and suffered.  That’s OUR king, and that’s OUR measure of greatness.  

When it comes to following Jesus and leading others to him, only three things count – humility, sacrifice and service. 

Talk 5: Gary Koo – The Coming of the King

(Mark 11:1-21)

What would you do if you knew royalty was coming to visit you?  The arrival of royalty will affect every part of your life if you let it, or you can just simply say no.  But would you want to get on the wrong side of royalty?  It’s not Queen Elizabeth’s royalty that we’re talking about here, because what can the Queen do to you?  It’s not as if she can send one of Princess Anne’s corgies after you. 

How do you prepare for the arrival of royalty?  How will you react to the arrival of royalty?   

Mark 11:1-10 – Jesus begins to make preparations for his arrival.  Mark describes this in great detail.  What Jesus says in vv2-3 is exactly what happens in vv4-6.  It’s a deliberate action.  There are only two places in the OT where a colt is mentioned.  In Gen 49:10-11 where it talks about Judah, and Zech 9:9 where the colt is prophesised.  Jesus, from the tribe of Judah, rode in on the back of a colt.  Jesus was declaring that he WAS THE CHRIST.  Ps118, that’s why they laid cloaks before Jesus, and they got so caught up in the moment that the crowd started laying branches as well (v7).  The KING had come to the city, and the Kingdom was near.  

But in v11, we find that the crowd had gone, and Jesus was left with only his 12 disciples around him.  Crowds one minute, gone the next.  The crowd had dispersed, they had left and turned their back on the Kingdom of God.   

We can be like that too – excited for God one minute, and not the next.  And this will happen if your faith is based on feeling and not on fact.  That is not to say that fact isn’t connected with feeling, because unless you truly feel appreciative for what Jesus has done for you, it’s unlikely that you truly understand the fact of your salvation.  But your faith needs to be based on FACT. 

Truth faith is faith that perseveres, even in the face of busy-ness and suffering and when you’re feeling low and distant.  Or is your faith like that of the crowd? 

V15-17, by driving out the money changers, he showed his concern for the gentiles.  The problem was that the gentiles were only allowed to worship in the temple courts, and now they had used the temple courts to set up their market.  Jesus alludes here to salvation for all gentiles (v17).  He attacks the notion that safety was found in the temple.  The temple was corrupt, the leaders turned their back on Jesus and plotted to kill him when rebuked.   

A fig tree on the way to Jerusalem: Mark 11:12-14, 20-21

Jesus comments about the fig tree is actually directed at the temple.  Two things we can note here:

1)     it wasn’t the season for figs (v13), therefore this is an enacted parable

2)     the fig tree was used in the OT as Israel’s status before God and judgment when he died.

Therefore it was used as a parable/metaphor for the judgment of the temple.   

Jesus looks for fruit – John 15, the fruit of being intimately connected with the king. 

Jesus isn’t only God’s KING, but God’s JUDGE as well – he curses the fig tree, showing his judgment upon Israel.  That’s what makes the plot to kill Jesus so foolish! 

2 Thess 1:7-10, shows us the consequence of getting on the wrong side of royalty!  The King WILL RETURN one day, ARE YOU READY TO FACE YOUR KING?  Because this KING is ALSO the JUDGE.  This King demands total allegiance.  You need to prepare for his coming by embracing him, and then you will come under his royal protection.  

Do you believe that you could be facing your King later today?  Are you ready?  Are others ready?  Those around you, those you love and cherish?  Gary gives us the story of a Moore student (I think I’ve heard this before..) who had cancer.  As he was dying in hospital, he used every opportunity to talk to people about Jesus.  He gave away copies of A Fresh Start, and he invited everyone, from nurses to doctors to anyone who he saw, to come to his funeral, because John Chapman was going to be preaching there.   

Are you ready to face the King?  What are your priorities?  Jesus is God’s King, Jesus is God’s Judge, of all people.  So, are you ready?  Are people you know ready?  He could come any moment.  ARE YOU READY TO FACE YOUR KING?