The Forgiveness of the Servant King

Sixth in a series on the Gospel of Mark by Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

Scripture: Mark 2:1-12

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As Mark begins chapter two, Jesus’ ministry is in full swing. His words were commanding and persuasive. Not only is He a great teacher, but He ministers in power. He casts out demons and heals the sick. The result is, His fame grows almost overnight. Where ever Jesus goes large crowds gather. Jesus is committed to preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom. The miracles were wonderful, but Jesus came to offer something even greater, the forgiveness of our sins.

Forgiveness ls God’s greatest gift.

• When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” (Mark 2:5 NKJV)
• If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. (Psalm 130:3-4 NKJV)

Forgiveness is God’s deeper work.
Jesus is also helping this man get in touch with his deepest desires and longings by driving him deep. Jesus is saying; By coming to Me and asking for only your body to be healed, you’re not going deep enough. You have to understand the depths of your longings, the longings of your heart. Jesus says, When I heal your body, and if that’s all I do, I know you think that is all you need and everything will be right again. But trust me, within two months, the euphoria will be lost. The roots of discontentment of the human heart will surface again and so we must go deeper.

Forgiveness is a team effort.
Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. (Mark 2:3-4)

Forgiveness is a very costly work.
But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” (Mark 2:9-11)

Jesus Died To Cause Our Enemy To Stumble

Message by Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

Scripture: Psalm 27

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Psalm 27 is an amazing psalm. It is a Psalm of worship, faith, commitment, trouble, pain, beauty, hope and patience. Most believe David wrote this Psalm during the early part of his time as a fugitive. He is being chased  enemies, shut out of the house of God and separated from family and all that is comfortable. Just as we see in so many of the Psalms, it is the wilderness struggles of David’s life that become the occasion of deep intimacy with God. David responds to the hardship and adversity of the wilderness turning to God. And so the Psalms are prayers of lament and songs of worship.

David gets it right!

He realized we live in a terribly broken world filled with sin, danger, calamity and enemies on every side.

Psalm 27:2 – When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when  enemies and my foes attack me they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.

The Psalms are prophetic and they point forward to the coming of the Messiah. Many of the words which David wrote in the Psalms are echoed in the life and sufferings of Jesus Christ the Psalms we see Christ and His Cross!

Compare Psalm 27:2 and Colossians 2:14-15

“When my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall” (Psalm 27:2)
“He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:14-15)

The Cross became the ultimate place of the enemy’s stumbling!

He stumbled:

• an Heaven (Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28)
• in the Garden (Genesis 3:15)
• at Bethlehem (Matthew 2:12)
• in the Wilderness (Luke 4:1-13)
• throughout Christ’s ministry (Luke 10:9)
• at the Cross (Colossians 2:14-15)

Because Jesus has defeated our enemy

We can choose faith and not fear!
We can offer forgiveness rather than revenge or despair!
We can tum tragedy into triumph!
We can find God’s presence anywhere at anytime!

What Kind Of People Forgive?

Message by Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

Fourth of a series: “Jesus, on Relationships”

Scripture: Genesis 45:1-5 and Genesis 50:15-21

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One of the most powerful stories in the Bible is the story of Joseph.  When he encounters his brothers for the first time in 15 years  after they had been the cause of such enormous pain and suffering in his life, Joseph finds the grace of God to extend forgiveness to them. What is it that causes some people to find forgiveness while others never do? Our lesson today studies six aspects of Joseph’s life that helped him come to forgiveness. We learn the most forgiving people in the world have an exceedingly high view of God.

1. Forgiving people trust that God is all powerful, all loving and always working for His glory and our good! Genesis 50:20 – But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
2. Forgiving people trust God’s promise! Romans 12:19 – Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. Genesis 50:19 – Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?
3. Forgiving people see their sin against God and His forgiveness of them as infinitely great! Matthew 18:24 – And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
4. Forgiving People see God as the true treasure of forgives and they will do anything to have God. Genesis 39:2 – The Lord was with Him.
5. Forgiving people see others through the eyes of Christ. Genesis 50:21 – Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
6. Forgiving people realize how utterly powerless they are to forgive without God’s help. Genesis 44-45

The Forgiven Should Always Forgive!

Message by Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

Third of a series: “Jesus, on Relationships”

Scripture: Luke 6:36-37 and Matthew 18:23-35

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Jesus is warning us about our tendency to make critical judgments against people, which involves looking for faults and failures in others. He is calling us to judge with “charitable judgment.” Which means when it is necessary to judge, we should judge other Christians charitably. Our judgment should never lead to condemnation, but to forgiveness.

Why should we forgive?

• Because we have been forgiven!
• Forgiveness is at the heart of our identity in Christ.
• Unforgiveness is a symptom of gospel amnesia.

The Story of the Unjust Servant (Matthew 18:23-35)

• Peter’s question: How often are we required to forgive?
• Jesus’ answer: 7 x 70 = 77 or “unlimited”

Jesus conveys two great truths in the story.

1. How great God’s forgiveness is for us!
2. And how God’s forgiveness for us is connected to our forgiveness of others.

God’s great forgiveness toward us.

• Seeing ourselves accountable to God
• Considering the enormous debt
• The debt of money represents our sin debt
• The servant represents us

We know these things theologically, but over time and the amount of
service and sacrifice we offer to God causes us to loose the reality of
someone who has been forgiven an enormous debt.

Psalm 130:3 – If you Oh Lord could mark iniquities, O Lord who could stand?

God’s forgiveness toward us is connected to how we forgive others.

• What happens when we don’t get grace!
• If our sin is a small thing, God’s forgiveness is a small thing!
• We see ourselves on probation with God and put others there as well!
• We approach Christianity as if we can repay our debt!
• We demand payment from others!
• We fail to see ourselves like the wicked servant!

The Proverbs on Addiction

Message by Pastor Craig Diestelkamp

Ninth in a 10-part series on Proverbs

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Our culture often speaks of addictions as being a disease. And while many addictions do cause both physiological and psychological affects, the Bible addresses addictions as a sin issue. By definition an addiction is a sin pattern that the persons believes is beyond their ability to control. The writer of Proverbs identifies at least six different addictions and addresses the root issue underlying them.

• The immoral (Proverbs 5:7)
• The sluggard (Proverbs 6:6)
• The greedy (Proverbs 15:27)
• The proud (Proverbs 16:5)
• The drunkard (Proverbs 23:29)
• The glutton (Proverbs 23:21)

Behind every addiction is an idol of the heart!

Idolatry is a worship issue! (Romans 1:25)

Idols become our functional gods! “To whatever we look for any good thing and for refuge in every need, that is what is meant by ‘god.’ To have a god is nothing else than to trust and believe in him from the heart… To whatever you give your heart and entrust your being, that, I say, is really your god.” – Martin Luther

“Inordinate desire” is the New Testament word for idolatry!  “If ‘idolatry’ is the characteristic and summary Old Testament word for our drift from God, then ‘desires’ (epithumiai) is the characteristic and summary New Testament word for the same drift. Both are shorthand for the problem of human beings.. .The New Testament merges the concept of idolatry and the concept of inordinate, life-ruling desires.” – David Powlison

• Idols promise but they don’t deliver
• Idols always demand a sacrifice
• Idols enslave

What’s the answer to our addiction? The Gospel of repentance unto faith, confession and forgiveness.

• Repentance is a gift from God (2 Timothy 2:24-26)
• Repentance is turning away from our sin (Isaiah 55:7)
• Repentance is coming to our senses (Luke 15:17)
• Repentance is true godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10)
• Repentance is the first step toward freedom (2 Corinthians 7:10)

1 Thessalonians 1:5-10 – For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.