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Prayer Requests to be shared during Sunday’s service

On Sunday, October 6, Sligo Presbyterian Church will lift to God the following needs:

• Amy 
• Arnold Bowser
• Barbara Yarchuk
• Betty Milanovich
• Betty Phillips
• Betty Terwint
• Bill Wingard
• Bob Varner
• Bus Clark
• Butch, Betsy's brother
• Butch, Cass's brother
• Charles Truitt
• Chris Sibert
• Corbin
• Dan Kemp
• David Glatt
• Deb Showers & Family
• Denny Myers
• Diane Conaway
• Duane Quinn
• Eddy Connor
• Elaine Shadiow
• Erik
• Gabe
• Jane
• Jason
• Jeb Rapp
• Jerry Shook
• Jim Mahle
• Jim Mason
• Joann Klamer
• Joanne Over
• Joe Amato
• Jordan Myers
• Justi Smith
• Lana Todd
• Landon & Ezra
• Levi Jack
• Lori Myers
• Margie Henry
• Mary Lou McCormack
• Mason Martin
• Matt
• Michael Curran
• Nancy Wilson
• Nick Shoup
• Patty Divins
• Rick Shadiow
• Robb Summerville
• Robbie Burns
• Ron & Shelly Haines
• Ron Lerch
• Rose
• Rowan Pinson
• Ryan Cornecki & Family
• Tadd French
• Van Watkins
• Velma Stewart
• Wes Summerville
• Zach Schieberl

The Bulletin for the SPC Worship Service - Sunday, October 6, 2024

During the months of September, October and November, we'll discuss the following parables found in the Gospel of Mark:

• September 22 - New Wine and Old Clothes (Mark 2:21-22)
• September 29 - A Strong Man (Mark 3:23-27)
• October 6 - The Sower (Mark 4:1-20)
• October 13 - Lamps and Baskets (Mark 4:21-25)
• October 20 - A Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29)
• October 27 - The Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30-32)
• November 3 - Clean and Unclean (Mark 7:14-23)
• November 10 - The Wicked Tenants (Mark 12:1-11)
• November 17 - The Fig Tree (Mark 13:28-31)

During the service on Sunday, October 6, we'll use Mark 4:1-20 to better understand the parable of the sower. Below is the bulletin for the service. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page. 

Roaming through Romans - Back to the Jews (Romans 9:1-29)

During the next few months, the SPC Thursday Evening Bible Study will be looking at Paul's Letter to the Romans, the single work that may best offer his theology and ethic. You see, in this letter, he explained to the church in Rome his understanding of human nature, faith, righteousness, and God's intention for everybody. He also offered practical ways we can live as Christians within the world and the church. And as we'll see during the seventeen sessions, what he had to say to the Romans is just as applicable today as it was almost 2,000 years ago. We'll following the schedule below:

• Session 1 - The Reason for the Letter (Romans 1:1-17)
• Session 2 - Human Guilt (Romans 1:18 – 2:11)
• Session 3 - Including the Jews and Everyone Else (Romans 2:17 – 3:20)
• Session 4 - But There's Faith (Romans 3:21 – 4:25)
• Session 5 - Faith and Righteousness (Romans 5:1-21)
• Session 6 - The Living Dead (Romans 6:1-14)
• Session 7 - Sin, Slaves and Spouses (Romans 6:15 – 7:6)
• Session 8 - Sin Remains (Romans 7:7-25)
• Session 9 - New Life (Romans 8:1-39)
• Session 10 - Back to the Jews (Romans 9:1-29)
• Session 11 - But They Rejected Jesus (Romans 9:30 – 10:21)
• Session 12 - God's Ultimate Plan (Romans 11:1-36)
• Session 13 - Now What We Should Do (Romans 12:1-21)
• Session 14 - Obedience and Love (Romans 13:1-14)
• Session 15 - Concern for Brothers and Sisters (Romans 14:1 – 15:6)
• Session 16 - Tying It Up (Romans 15:7-33)
• Session 17 - Personal Greetings (Romans 16:1-27)

During our ninth session, we looked at Romans 9:1-29 and discussed the relationship between God and his people. The recording of our discussion and the passage we discussed is below.

Romans 9:1-29 [New Revised Standard Version] 

I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

It is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all Israelites truly belong to Israel, and not all of Abraham’s children are his true descendants; but “It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.” This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants. For this is what the promise said, “About this time I will return and Sarah shall have a son.” Nor is that all; something similar happened to Rebecca when she had conceived children by one husband, our ancestor Isaac. Even before they had been born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s purpose of election might continue, not by works but by his call) she was told, “The elder shall serve the younger.” As it is written, “I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.”

What then are we to say? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh, “I have raised you up for the very purpose of showing my power in you, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he chooses, and he hardens the heart of whomever he chooses. You will say to me then, “Why then does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? Will what is molded say to the one who molds it, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one object for special use and another for ordinary use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath that are made for destruction; and what if he has done so in order to make known the riches of his glory for the objects of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— including us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?

As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they shall be called children of the living God.” And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the children of Israel were like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved; for the Lord will execute his sentence on the earth quickly and decisively.” And as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of hosts had not left survivors to us, we would have fared like Sodom and been made like Gomorrah.”

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The Scripture for Sunday - The Sower (Mark 4:1-20)

During the months of September, October and November, we'll discuss the following parables found in the Gospel of Mark:

• September 22 - Shrunk and Old (Mark 2:21-22)
• September 29 - A Strong Man (Mark 3:23-27)
• October 6 - The Sower (Mark 4:1-20)
• October 13 - Lamps and Baskets (Mark 4:21-25)
• October 20 - A Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29)
• October 27 - The Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30-32)
• November 3 - Clean and Unclean (Mark 7:14-23)
• November 10 - The Wicked Tenants (Mark 12:1-11)
• November 17 - The Fig Tree (Mark 13:28-31)

During the service on Sunday, October 6, we'll use Mark 4:1-20 to better understand that parable of the sower. Below is the passage in three different translations. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page. 

Mark 4:1-20 [Contemporary English Version]

A Story about a Farmer

(Matthew 13.1-9; Luke 8.4-8)

4  The next time Jesus taught beside Lake Galilee, a big crowd gathered. It was so large that he had to sit in a boat out on the lake, while the people stood on the shore. 2 He used stories to teach them many things, and this is part of what he taught:

3 Now listen! A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. 4 While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds. 5 Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn't very deep. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried up, because they did not have deep roots. 7 Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and choked out the plants. So they did not produce any grain. 8 But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants grew and produced 30 or 60 or even 100 times as much as was scattered.

9 Then Jesus said, “If you have ears, pay attention.”

Why Jesus Used Stories

(Matthew 13.10-17; Luke 8.9,10)

10 When Jesus was alone with the twelve apostles and some others, they asked him about these stories. 11 He answered:

I have explained the secret about God's kingdom to you, but for others I can use only stories. 12  The reason is,

“These people will look

    and look, but never see.

They will listen and listen,

    but never understand.

If they did,

they would turn to God

    and be forgiven.”

Jesus Explains the Story about the Farmer

(Matthew 13.18-23; Luke 8.11-15)

13 Jesus then told them:

If you don't understand this story, you won't understand any others. 14 What the farmer is spreading is really the message about the kingdom. 15 The seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message. But Satan soon comes and snatches it away from them. 16 The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it at once. 17 But they don't have roots, and they don't last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up.

18 The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. 19 But they start worrying about the needs of this life. They are fooled by the desire to get rich and to have all kinds of other things. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything. 20 The seeds that fell on good ground are the people who hear and welcome the message. They produce 30 or 60 or even 100 times as much as was planted.

Mark 4:1-20 [New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition]

The Parable of the Sower

4 Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2 He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on a path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “If you have ears to hear, then hear!”

The Purpose of the Parables

10 When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret[a] of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything comes in parables, 12 in order that

‘they may indeed look but not perceive,

    and may indeed hear but not understand;

so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.’ ”

13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. 17 But they have no root and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.[b] 18 And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the age and the lure of wealth and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. 20 And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

Footnotes

[a] 4.11 Or mystery

[b] 4.17 Or stumble

Mark 4:1-20 [Amplified Bible]

Parable of the Sower and Soils

4 Again Jesus began to teach beside the sea [of Galilee]. And a very large crowd gathered around Him, so He got into a boat [anchoring it a short distance out] on the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the shore. 2 And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said to them, 3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow seed; 4 and as he was sowing, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocks where there was not much soil; and immediately a plant sprang up [a]because the soil had no depth. 6 And when the sun came up, the plant was scorched; and because it had no root, it dried up and withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seed fell into good soil, and as the plants grew and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundred times [as much as had been sown].” 9 And He said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear and heed My words.”

10 As soon as He was alone, those who were around Him, together with the twelve [disciples], began asking Him about [the interpretation of] the parables. 11 He said to them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you [who have teachable hearts], but those who are outside [the unbelievers, the spiritually blind] get everything in parables, 12 so that they will continually look but not see, and they will continually hear but not understand, otherwise they might turn [from their rejection of the truth] and be forgiven.”

Explanation

13 Then He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand and grasp the meaning of all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word [of God, the good news regarding the way of salvation]. 15 These [in the first group] are the ones along the road where the word is sown; but when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16 In a similar way these [in the second group] are the ones on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy [but accept it only superficially]; 17 and they have no real root in themselves, so they endure only for a little while; then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they [are offended and displeased at being associated with Me and] stumble and fall away. 18 And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19 but the worries and cares of the world [the distractions of this age with its worldly pleasures], and the deceitfulness [and the false security or glamour] of wealth [or fame], and the passionate desires for all the other things creep in and choke out the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 And those [in the last group] are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word [of God, the good news regarding the way of salvation] and accept it and bear fruit—thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much [as was sown].”

Footnotes

[a] Mark 4:5 In many parts of Israel a layer of limestone lies an inch or so beneath the surface of the ground. This layer traps the moisture, and for a brief period of time a plant growing there may appear to flourish. But as soon as a dry spell comes, the moisture quickly dissipates. Due to the layer of limestone, the plant cannot sink roots and soon withers and dies (v 6).

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God and His Rebellious Children: A Study of First and Second Kings (The End - 2 Kings 23:31–25:30)

As we enter the narrative offered in the books of the Kings, the nation of Israel is at the peak of its power and influence. By the end of the story, the children of God have become a captive people, living far from the land promised to Abraham, conquered by Joshua and ruled by David. Join us as we explore Israel’s decline and fall and God’s relationship with his rebellious children. During this series, we’ll consider the following:

• Session 1 - Solomon Takes Charge (1 Kings 1:1–2:46)
• Session 2 - Solomon the King (1 Kings 3:1–5:18)
• Session 3 - The Temple (1 Kings 6:1–8:66)
• Session 4 - The Glory and the Demise (1 Kings 9:1–11:43)
• Session 5 - A Hostile Divorce (1 Kings 12:1–14:20)
• Session 6 - Kings of Judah and Israel (1 Kings 14:21–16:34)
• Session 7 -  Elijah and the Living God (1 Kings 17:1–19:21)
• Session 8 - The End of Ahab (1 Kings 20:1–22:40)
• Session 9 - Jehoshaphat, Ahaziah and Elisha (1 Kings 22:41–2 Kings 2:25)
• Session 10 - Elisha’s Life and Ministry (2 Kings 3:1–5:27)
• Session 11 - Elisha and the King (2 Kings 6:1–8:29)
• Session 12 - Jehu and Joash (2 Kings 9:1–12:21)
• Session 13 - The Dynasty of Jehu (2 Kings 13:1–15:7)
• Session 14 - The Fall of Israel (2 Kings 15:8–17:41)
• Session 15 - Hezekiah and Manasseh (2 Kings 18:1–21:26)
• Session 16 - The Josianic Reformation (2 Kings 22:1–23:30)
• Session 17 - The End (2 Kings 23:31–25:30)

During our  last session, we discussed the fall Judah (2 Kings 23:31–25:30). Below is a recording of our discussion and the passage we discussed.

2 Kings 23:31–25:30 [New Revised Standard Version]

Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign; he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his ancestors had done. Pharaoh Neco confined him at Riblah in the land of Hamath, so that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and imposed tribute on the land of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away; he came to Egypt, and died there. Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land in order to meet Pharaoh’s demand for money. He exacted the silver and the gold from the people of the land, from all according to their assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as all his ancestors had done.

In his days King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came up; Jehoiakim became his servant for three years; then he turned and rebelled against him. The Lord sent against him bands of the Chaldeans, bands of the Arameans, bands of the Moabites, and bands of the Ammonites; he sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by his servants the prophets. Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the Lord, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, for all that he had committed, and also for the innocent blood that he had shed; for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord was not willing to pardon. Now the rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah? So Jehoiakim slept with his ancestors; then his son Jehoiachin succeeded him. The king of Egypt did not come again out of his land, for the king of Babylon had taken over all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the Wadi of Egypt to the River Euphrates.

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign; he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his father had done. At that time the servants of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to the city, while his servants were besieging it; King Jehoiachin of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon, himself, his mother, his servants, his officers, and his palace officials. The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign. He carried off all the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house; he cut in pieces all the vessels of gold in the temple of the Lord, which King Solomon of Israel had made, all this as the Lord had foretold. He carried away all Jerusalem, all the officials, all the warriors, ten thousand captives, all the artisans and the smiths; no one remained, except the poorest people of the land. He carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon; the king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officials, and the elite of the land, he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. The king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, seven thousand, the artisans and the smiths, one thousand, all of them strong and fit for war. The king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign; he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done. Indeed, Jerusalem and Judah so angered the Lord that he expelled them from his presence. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem, and laid siege to it; they built siegeworks against it all around. So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine became so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. Then a breach was made in the city wall; the king with all the soldiers fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, by the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. They went in the direction of the Arabah. But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho; all his army was scattered, deserting him. Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, who passed sentence on him. They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then put out the eyes of Zedekiah; they bound him in fetters and took him to Babylon.

In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month—which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He burned the house of the Lord, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. All the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon—all the rest of the population. But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest people of the land to be vinedressers and tillers of the soil. The bronze pillars that were in the house of the Lord, as well as the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried the bronze to Babylon. They took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the dishes for incense, and all the bronze vessels used in the temple service, as well as the firepans and the basins. What was made of gold the captain of the guard took away for the gold, and what was made of silver, for the silver. As for the two pillars, the one sea, and the stands, which Solomon had made for the house of the Lord, the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weighing. The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and on it was a bronze capital; the height of the capital was three cubits; latticework and pomegranates, all of bronze, were on the capital all around. The second pillar had the same, with the latticework. The captain of the guard took the chief priest Seraiah, the second priest Zephaniah, and the three guardians of the threshold; from the city he took an officer who had been in command of the soldiers, and five men of the king’s council who were found in the city; the secretary who was the commander of the army who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the city. Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. The king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah went into exile out of its land.

He appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan as governor over the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had left. Now when all the captains of the forces and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came with their men to Gedaliah at Mizpah, namely, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite. Gedaliah swore to them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid because of the Chaldean officials; live in the land, serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.” But in the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men; they struck down Gedaliah so that he died, along with the Judeans and Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. Then all the people, high and low and the captains of the forces set out and went to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans. In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, King Evil-merodach of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, released King Jehoiachin of Judah from prison; he spoke kindly to him, and gave him a seat above the other seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes. Every day of his life he dined regularly in the king’s presence. For his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, a portion every day, as long as he lived.

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The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, September 29, 2024

During the months of September, October and November, we'll discuss the following parables found in the Gospel of Mark:

• September 22 - New Wine and Old Clothes (Mark 2:21-22)
• September 29 - A Strong Man (Mark 3:23-27)
• October 6 - The Sower (Mark 4:1-20)
• October 13 - Lamps and Baskets (Mark 4:21-25)
• October 20 - A Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29)
• October 27 - The Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30-32)
• November 3 - Clean and Unclean (Mark 7:14-23)
• November 10 - The Wicked Tenants (Mark 12:1-11)
• November 17 - The Fig Tree (Mark 13:28-31)

During the service on Sunday, September 29, we used Mark 3:23-27 to better understand that parable of a strong man. Below is a recording of the service, a recording of the sermon and a copy of the bulletin. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page. 

Sunday's Message: The Parables of Jesus - A Strong Man (Mark 3:23-27)

During the months of September, October and November, we'll discuss the following parables found in the Gospel of Mark:

• September 22 - New Wine and Old Clothes (Mark 2:21-22)
• September 29 - A Strong Man (Mark 3:23-27)
• October 6 - The Sower (Mark 4:1-20)
• October 13 - Lamps and Baskets (Mark 4:21-25)
• October 20 - A Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29)
• October 27 - The Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30-32)
• November 3 - Clean and Unclean (Mark 7:14-23)
• November 10 - The Wicked Tenants (Mark 12:1-11)
• November 17 - The Fig Tree (Mark 13:28-31)

During the service on Sunday, September 29, we used Mark 3:23-27 to better understand that parable of a strong man. Below is the text and a recording of the sermon. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page. 

Well, this morning we’re moving on the second message in our series The Parables of Jesus: The Parables in the Gospel of Mark. You see, last week we kicked it off by talking about the old clothes and the new wine skins. And as y’all may remember, we looked at how Jesus brought something new and radical and revolutionary and how this might demand that we change a little bit while remembering that the old and the comfortable and the reliable still have value. Now, that’s what we did last week.

And this morning we’re going to move on to the next story in our list, the parable of a strong man. And you know, it’s kind of  interesting, this whole idea of relative strength is particularly significant today and I’m talking for both you and me. Let me explain by asking a couple of questions. What’s going to happen at 1:00 this afternoon? The Pittsburgh Steelers will be playing the Indianapolis Colts in Lucas Oil Stadium. And for my own curiosity, how many of y’all will be cheering for the Colts? Disappointing, but expected. Now, in the most simple terms, what’s going to determine the outcome of the game? Will it be the color of the uniforms, the size of the field, the skill of the cheerleaders? No, of course not, it’ll be the relative strength of the two teams. I mean, will the Colt defense do a better job with Justin Fields and George Pickens than the Steeler defense with Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor? This ain’t rocket science. Now I recognize that unexpected injuries and bad officiating and just plain luck can certainly influence the outcome. Still, the team that better controls the other will probably win.

And I’ll tell you, I think this idea of comparative strength really lies behind the story we’re looking at this morning, the parable of a strong man. And to understand what I’m talking about, we’re going to approach this story in the same way we did the one last week. You see, first, we’ll answer the question, what did Jesus actually say? And then, second, we’ll consider, what does the parable mean? And then, third, we’ll try to figure out, what are we going to do about it? 

But, of course, to answer this last one, we really have to start with the first question, don’t we: what did Jesus actually say? And I’ll tell you, as it is with most of the parables we’ll be looking at, the context is really important. In other words, to understand what he said, I think we need to have a sense of why he said it. And to understand why he said it, we need to know what was going on. I mean, that just makes sense, right? And so, before Jesus spoke a single word, according to the Evangelist Mark, this was what happened:

Jesus went back home, and once again such a large crowd gathered that there was no chance even to eat. When Jesus’ family heard what he was doing, they thought he was crazy and went to get him under control.

Some teachers of the Law of Moses came from Jerusalem and said, “This man is under the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons! He is even forcing out demons with the help of Beelzebul.” [Mark 3:20-22, CEV]

Now, that’s what it says. And I’ll tell you, even though I think it’s really interesting that Jesus’s family thought he was nuts and came to get him under control, I believe the parable Jesus offered has everything to do with what the teachers of the Law said and not what his family came to do. You see, these fine, up-standing guardians of order and structure had seen that, "...whenever any evil spirits saw Jesus, they would fall to the ground and shout, ‘You are the Son of God!’” [Mark 3:11, CEV] Now they’d seen that. And since, in their opinion, some of the other stuff that Jesus had been doing wasn’t exactly kosher, you know, like doing things on the Sabbath he shouldn’t have been doing, they were sure that he wasn’t playing for God’s team. And so they accused Jesus of two things: One, that his power came from Beelzebul, another name for Satan, and two, that the only way Jesus could bring demons to ground was because he was getting help from his Satanic friend. Now, based on what these guys said, that would seem to reflect the assumptions they had. 

And so, when Jesus responded, I think it was directly answering these accusations, starting with the second and then going to the first. You see, according to Mark, 

Jesus told the people to gather around him. Then he spoke to them in riddles and said:

How can Satan force himself out? A nation whose people fight each other won’t last very long. And a family that fights won’t last long either. So if Satan fights against himself, that will be the end of him.

How can anyone break into the house of a strong man and steal his things, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can take everything. [Mark 3:23-27, CEV]

Now that’s what Mark wrote, and like I said, I believe these words were directed squarely at those teachers of the Law. I mean, just think about what he was saying. To the accusation that he was being helped by Satan to cast out his own demons, well, that’s just plain stupid, and Satan’s no fool. Why would Beelzebul, the ruler of demons, help Jesus destroy demons? Man, he’d be hurting himself, right? Good night nurse, that what be like Mike Tomlin emailing his game plan to Shane Steichen last Monday afternoon. If you’re fighting against yourself, you’re going to lose. And Satan isn’t playing this game with us to lose. And as to the charge that Jesus was under Satan’s power, not only was that baloney, but in actual fact Satan was under Jesus’s power. You see, Satan was like this strong man who could fight off any threat to his stuff unless he’d been tied up by someone stronger. Therefore, the fact that Jesus was able to cower and cast out demons right under Satan’s nose and Satan could do nothing about it, well you tell me, which one has the most power? It’s Jesus, right? And I’ll tell you, I think that’s exactly what Jesus was saying, the answer to the first question.

And as to the second one, you know, what does it mean, well, just like we saw in Jesus’s answer, I think we can break it into two parts. I mean, first, I think he was offering a principle, and I’m talking about a rule that’s just as true today as it was back in the day. Simply put, unity just makes sense and choosing to be divided is stupid and counterproductive, and I think that applies to congregations and communities and countries. My gosh, just think about it, if we’re all running around, doing our own thing and undercutting everyone else, what’s going to happen? Man, we’re going to fall, because, using the words of Jesus, “A nation whose people fight each other won’t last very long. And a family that fights won’t last long either.” [Mark 3:24-25, CEV] I mean, duh. And you know, maybe that’s why the Apostle Paul wrote this to the Ephesians:

As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. Try your best to let God’s Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace. All of you are part of the same body. There is only one Spirit of God, just as you were given one hope when you were chosen to be God’s people. We have only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. [Ephesians 4:1-5, CEV]

Unity just makes sense. And I think that principle is the first thing Jesus offers us in this parable.

And second, I think he was also stating a reality, you know, something that’s true regardless of what we might think or assume or want. You see, whether we accept it or not, God has authority, he always has and he always will. As a matter of fact, Satan is nothing more than a strong man who’s been bound, you know a tiger that has no teeth or a team that has no quarterback. And because of that, his clock isn’t the only thing Jesus has cleaned. That’s the way it is. And for that reason, it might be worth our while remembering these words written by the author of the letter to the Hebrews:

Long ago in many ways and at many times God’s prophets spoke his message to our ancestors. But now at last, God sent his Son to bring his message to us. God created the universe by his Son, and everything will someday belong to the Son. God’s Son has all the brightness of God’s own glory and is like him in every way. By his own mighty word, he holds the universe together.

After the Son had washed away our sins, he sat down at the right side of the glorious God in heaven. He had become much greater than the angels, and the name he was given is far greater than any of theirs. [Hebrews 1:1-4, CEV]

You see, I think through his words, Jesus offered a principle and stated a reality. And that’s the answer to the second question: what does the parable mean?

Which leaves us with the third question: What are we going to do about it? In other words, how can we apply the principle and the reality we’ve been talking about;  how can we apply them to our congregations and communities and even country? Now for me, that’s an excellent question, and even though there may be many specific applications, I think we can apply both the principle offered and the reality stated in two very specific ways. 

For example, in the principle that Jesus offered, I believe there’s a definite challenge for us to accept. In other words, since we know that it just makes sense, we can work to forge as much unity as we can. Of course, I think we all know, that’s not going to be easy. I’ll tell you, in my 67 years, I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen our country more divided. And let’s get real, it’s no longer enough to disagree, we’re told to hate and demonize those who aren’t in our tribe. They’re Un-American and probably Satanic; therefore, they must be crushed and eliminated. That’s what we’re told. And this attitude is filtering down into our communities and congregations and even families. My gosh, regardless of the outcome, can you imagine Democrats and Republicans being thankful to share turkey and stuffing on November 28th, especially if they’ve been forced to sit at the same table? That’s what we’ve become. But we don’t have to be. And what’s really exciting is that you and I can be involved in making the change. You see, by keeping things together, by finding common ground on which we can stand and by putting aside all the juvenile and often false rhetoric we hear all the time, we can change the narrative. Of course, it ain’t going to be easy; the animosity is too deep. But since we know that “a nation whose people fight each other won’t last very long. And a family that fights won’t last long either “ [Mark 3:24-25, CEV], isn’t it worth our best effort? Well, I’ll tell you, I think Paul thought so, because just listen to what he wrote to the Ephesians:

We must stop acting like children. We must not let deceitful people trick us by their false teachings, which are like winds that toss us around from place to place. Love should always make us tell the truth. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head of the body. Christ holds it together and makes all of its parts work perfectly, as it grows and becomes strong because of love. [Ephesians 4:14-16, CEV]

You see, because Jesus offered a principle, right now, we can decide to accept the challenge.

But that’s not all we can do, because, remember, he also stated a reality, and I’m talking about the reality that God is in control, he always was and always will be; therefore, we can claim the hope, a hope that’s grounded in the authority of God himself. You see, no matter how difficult life becomes, we know the strong man has been bound. And no matter how discouraged or scared we might feel, we know that God and his people have the power to plunder the strong man’s house and take his stuff. And I’ll tell you, and this might be best of all, no matter how miserably we might fail in being the kind of people and congregation and community and country we’ve been called and empowered to be, we know that doesn’t change the power and authority and control of the one who knotted the rope. You see, whether we succeed or fail, the whistle has blown, the game is over and God has won, but then it was a victory that was never in doubt. Now that’s the basis for our hope, something that Peter wrote we should be sharing with everyone:

Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope. Give a kind and respectful answer and keep your conscience clear. This way you will make people ashamed for saying bad things about your good conduct as a follower of Christ. You are better off to obey God and suffer for doing right than to suffer for doing wrong. [1 Peter 3:15b-17, CEV]

You see, along with accepting the challenge, we can claim the hope. And I’ll tell you, that’s what we can do with this story that Jesus taught.

And you know, it’s interesting; as it relates to the Indianapolis Colts who are playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in a couple of hours, well, it also comes down to a very definite challenge. I mean, can a defense that ranked 31st in the NFL control an offense that stands at 24th? But maybe even more challenging, can an offense that’s 17th in the league move the ball against the defense that, based on statistics, is number one. Now that’s the challenge. But maybe, if they play together as a single unit and unite as a team, maybe, just maybe... Well, a guy can always hope.

And I’ll tell you, that’s exactly what I think we can do as we move forward with this parable in our back pockets. You see, based on what Jesus said in response to the accusations made by those teachers of the Law and based on the principle he offered and the reality he stated, right here and now, as the one body of Christ, we can accept the challenge and claim the hope. You see, in my opinion, this is exactly what we can take from this parable about a strong man. And next week, we’ll look at a sower, sowing seed.