Snapshot Series: "Jesus is Displeased"

Snapshot32 Mark 11:12-25 Community Group Questions 1. What are some areas in which you bare fruit? 2. What are some areas in which you have not witness fruit in your life? 3. Have you ever oct direction in following the Lord? 4. We learned about the three things that will help us not displease Jesus, Faith, Prayer and Forgiveness. Which of these is your strongest areas? Which of these are your weakest areas? 5. What do you need to change so you are no longer weak in that area? In life we may find ourselves displeased with other people and rightfully so... Maybe you are a parent who has an adult child that has made a mess of their life, or a parent with a little child that will not change the error of their ways... and you are displeased. Maybe you have a parent that has dropped the ball on parenting or being there for you or is unfair to you... and you are displeased. Maybe you have a spouse that has made decisions that has or is negatively affecting your life and the life or your family and you are displeased. Maybe you have a friend that has betrayed you or has been an uncommitted friend...and you are displeased with them. Maybe you are looking at the Christians around you and they are not living for the Lord...and you are displeased with them. If you have ever been displeased with the actions of another person you have experienced a small glimpse of how Jesus often feels about us. Today in this passage we are going to look at two things that Jesus is displeased with and then we will look at what we can do to avoid being displeasing to Jesus. The two things Un-Fruitful lives Vrs 12-14 Jesus judgment on fruitless lives The promising but unproductive fig tree symbolized Israel’s spiritual barrenness despite divine favor and the impressive outward appearance of their religion BKC The illustration of the fruitless fig tree helps us to understand the uselessness of this tree. This tree had green leaves and evidently was alive but had no figs...and Jesus wanted figs because he was hungry and that is what is expected from the fig tree. So we see a live tree, green leaves not figs. What does being unfruitful look like? It could look like this tree. A healthy life that appears to be very alive but not making any eternal difference whatsoever. Many times as Christians we look at other Christians and try to judge whether or not they are in fact Christians because Jesus said "you will know them by their fruits" Here is what Dr. Charles Ryrie says to that point. 1. Every Christian will bear fruit. 2. That does not mean they will always be fruitful. Titus 3:4 and 2 Peter 1:8 encourage believers to be fruitful. 3. This does not mean their fruit will always be outwardly evident. What should we look for in ourselves? Gal. 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.(Galatians 5:22-23 ESV) Loss of direction Vrs 15-19 Jesus discovers that the temple courtyard has been turned into a market. Dealers are exchanging everyday money for temple coins, while others are selling animals and birds for sacrifices. Business and commerce have taken over the place of prayer. Visiting pilgrims are being harassed and exploited. The Bible Guide In His indictment against the leaders (v. 17), Jesus quoted Isaiah (56:7) and Jeremiah (7:11), both of whom had condemned the nation for its sins in the temple (Isa. 1; Jer. 7). A “den of thieves” is the place thieves go to hide when they have committed a crime. The religious leaders were using the worship of God as a cover for their sins! Wiersbe, W. W. They were using the temple as a place for profit and causing the people to not follow the Lord's commands. They lost true direction and where following sinful ways. What does that mean for our church today? 1. The church is not a business and should not be run like a business. There will be principles resources that the church uses that may be used by the business world but the church does not exist as a business. 2. The church is for worshipping Jesus. In our modern day people think worship is singing songs, that is only a small expression of worship. 3. Leaders need to direct others to follow the Lord. We proclaim the Gospel, make disciples and help people. As we move forward I want us to have this mindset. Is what I am doing...proclaiming the gospel? Making disciples? Or helping people? If the answers are no then what am I doing? (Illustrate this with some examples) 4. We all need to be sensitive to staying on focus. The church is the body of Christ with many members. When each member does his or her part we remain focused on following Jesus If Jesus is displeased with un-fruitful lives and a loss of direction... How do we avoid displeasing Jesus? Vrs 20-25 answers that. Vrs 20-21 the fig tree Faith Vrs 22-23 Move mountains is a metaphor for the impossible is possible with the Lord. Many times we become unfruitful or lose direction because something bad happens or is happening. So Jesus tells us to have faith in Him, He will take care of the details. Because the object of our faith is Jesus He is powerful and can see us through those situations. He displays His power through the GOSPEL Prayer Vrs 24 we avoid being unfruitful and losing direction by being people of prayer. This means we go to Jesus. Not only in times of need but is times of thanksgiving. If you are not praying you will not bare much fruit and you will have a hard time staying focused "nothing significant can happen without prayer" Forgiveness Vrs 25 If we are not willing to forgive those who have wronged us we often time render ourselves unfruitful and we lose our direction. When don't forgive we get bitter. This morning we remember the forgiveness the Lord Jesus offers by celebrating communion.