Drawing Closer: The Journey to the Kingdom

Devotional

Day 1: The Importance of Proximity to Jesus

Proximity to Jesus is crucial for a thriving spiritual life. Just as in personal relationships, dangerous things happen when the gap between us and Jesus grows. There is no arrival point in our walk with Jesus; it's a continuous journey of drawing closer to Him until we meet Him in heaven. The closer we are to Jesus, the more we can experience His love, guidance, and transformation in our lives. This proximity helps us to navigate life's challenges with faith and resilience, ensuring that we remain steadfast in our spiritual journey.

In Mark 12, Jesus emphasizes the greatest commandments: to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. This teaching underscores the importance of maintaining a close relationship with Jesus, as it directly impacts our ability to love others and live out our faith authentically. By prioritizing our relationship with Jesus, we can avoid the pitfalls of spiritual complacency and ensure that our faith remains vibrant and dynamic. [05:17]

James 4:8 (ESV): "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

Reflection: Think about your current relationship with Jesus. What practical steps can you take today to draw closer to Him and ensure that your faith remains vibrant and dynamic?

Day 2: God’s Commandments Lead to Abundant Life

God’s commandments are not arbitrary rules but are given for our well-being and prosperity. They guide us towards a life that is full and flourishing, much like a parent setting boundaries for a child's safety and growth. When we follow God's commandments, we align ourselves with His perfect will, which leads to a life of abundance and fulfillment. This obedience is not about legalism but about experiencing the fullness of life that God intends for us.

In Mark 12, Jesus highlights the greatest commandments, which are designed to lead us into a deeper relationship with God and others. By loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves, we can experience the abundant life that Jesus promises. These commandments are not burdensome but are meant to bring us joy, peace, and a sense of purpose. [12:42]

Deuteronomy 30:16 (ESV): "If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it."

Reflection: Reflect on how you view God's commandments. Do you see them as restrictive rules or as guidelines for a flourishing life? How can you align your actions with God's commandments to experience the abundant life He promises?

Day 3: Holistic Devotion

Jesus calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This means every aspect of our being—emotions, spirit, intelligence, and will—should be oriented towards God. Holistic devotion requires us to integrate our faith into every part of our lives, ensuring that no area is left untouched by God's transformative power. This balanced approach to devotion helps us to grow spiritually and become more like Christ in all aspects of our lives.

Depending on our church traditions, we might excel in some areas while neglecting others. The challenge is to seek balance and full devotion in all aspects. By doing so, we can avoid the pitfalls of divided loyalty and ensure that our faith remains stable and unwavering. Holistic devotion is not about perfection but about striving to love God fully and completely in every area of our lives. [14:14]

Colossians 3:17 (ESV): "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Reflection: Examine your life and identify areas where you might be neglecting your devotion to God. How can you bring those areas into alignment with your love for God, ensuring a holistic and balanced approach to your faith?

Day 4: Incremental Growth

While dramatic life changes are inspiring, true and lasting transformation often happens in small, consistent steps. Incremental growth is crucial for a stable faith journey, as it allows us to build a strong foundation over time. By being attentive to minor deviations in our spiritual walk, we can prevent significant consequences and ensure that we remain on the right path.

Healthy life change often happens in steps rather than dramatic leaps. While mountaintop moments are significant, consistent, incremental growth is crucial for a stable faith journey. We must be vigilant about small deviations in our spiritual walk, as they can lead to significant consequences over time. This approach to growth helps us to develop resilience and perseverance, enabling us to navigate life's challenges with faith and confidence. [20:37]

2 Peter 1:5-8 (ESV): "For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Reflection: Consider the small, consistent steps you can take to grow in your faith. What are some practical habits or practices you can implement today to ensure steady and incremental growth in your spiritual journey?

Day 5: Faith as the Constant

Being close to the kingdom but not fully in it is a sobering reality. Intellectual understanding alone is not enough; transformative faith is required. Faith must be the constant in our walk with Jesus, guiding us through uncertainties and challenges. This faith is not just about knowing the right things but about living out our beliefs in a way that transforms our lives and the lives of those around us.

The scribe in Mark 12 had an intellectual understanding but lacked the transformative faith to enter the kingdom. This serves as a warning and an invitation to fully commit to Jesus, ensuring that our faith is the constant in our walk with Him. By making faith the foundation of our lives, we can navigate uncertainties and challenges with confidence, knowing that we are anchored in Christ. [27:47]

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV): "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."

Reflection: Reflect on the role of faith in your life. Is your faith merely intellectual, or is it transformative? How can you ensure that your faith remains the constant guiding force in your walk with Jesus, especially during times of uncertainty and challenge?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today, we delved into Mark chapter 12, focusing on the theme "This Close to the Kingdom." We began by reflecting on the importance of proximity in relationships, using my own journey with my wife Natalie as an illustration. This led us to the core message: the dangers of allowing distance to grow between us and Jesus. We explored how Jesus, in Mark 12, confronts the religious leaders of His time, emphasizing the greatest commandments: to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Jesus' teaching challenges us to understand that loving God isn't just an internal affair but must extend outwardly to others. This radical love is not merely about following rules but about experiencing abundant life. We discussed how God's commandments are designed for our well-being, much like a parent setting boundaries for a child. The essence of Jesus' message is that every aspect of our being—emotions, spirit, intelligence, and will—should be oriented towards God.

We also examined the pitfalls of divided loyalty, as highlighted in James 1, and how it leads to instability. Jesus calls us to a holistic devotion, integrating heart, soul, mind, and strength. Depending on our church traditions, we might excel in some areas while neglecting others. The challenge is to seek balance and full devotion in all aspects.

Healthy life change, we noted, often happens in steps rather than dramatic leaps. While mountaintop moments are significant, consistent, incremental growth is crucial for a stable faith journey. We must be vigilant about small deviations in our spiritual walk, as they can lead to significant consequences over time.

Finally, we reflected on the sobering reality of being "close to the kingdom" but not fully in it. The scribe in Mark 12 had an intellectual understanding but lacked the transformative faith to enter the kingdom. This serves as a warning and an invitation to fully commit to Jesus, ensuring that our faith is the constant in our walk with Him.

###

Key Takeaways

1. being and prosperity. They guide us towards a life that is full and flourishing, much like a parent setting boundaries for a child's safety and growth. [12:42]
3. Holistic Devotion: Jesus calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This means every aspect of our being—emotions, spirit, intelligence, and will—should be oriented towards God. We must strive for balance and full devotion in all these areas.

4. Incremental Growth: While dramatic life changes are inspiring, true and lasting transformation often happens in small, consistent steps. We must be attentive to minor deviations in our spiritual walk, as they can lead to significant consequences over time.

5. Faith as the Constant: Being close to the kingdom but not fully in it is a sobering reality. Intellectual understanding alone is not enough; transformative faith is required. Faith must be the constant in our walk with Jesus, guiding us through uncertainties and challenges.

### [12:42]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:07] - Introduction and Prayer
[01:54] - Personal Story: Meeting Natalie
[05:17] - Importance of Proximity to Jesus
[06:13] - Context of Mark Chapter 12
[07:58] - The Greatest Commandments
[09:44] - Love for God Must Extend to Others
[12:42] - God’s Commandments for Abundant Life
[14:14] - Holistic Devotion: Heart, Soul, Mind, Strength
[17:10] - Challenges in Different Church Traditions
[20:37] - Incremental Growth in Faith
[23:43] - Vigilance Against Small Deviations
[27:47] - Being Close to the Kingdom
[30:03] - Personal Story: Faith Journey
[32:23] - Invitation to Full Commitment
[33:25] - Call to Salvation
[35:38] - Closing Prayer and Reflection

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What are the two greatest commandments according to Jesus in Mark 12:28-34?
How does James describe a person with divided loyalty in James 1:5-8?
What is the purpose of God's commandments as stated in Deuteronomy 5:32-33?
In the sermon, what personal story did the pastor use to illustrate the importance of proximity in relationships? [02:21]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Jesus emphasize loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength in Mark 12:30? How does this holistic devotion impact a believer's life?
How can divided loyalty, as described in James 1:5-8, lead to instability in a believer's faith journey? [15:08]
What does it mean to be "close to the kingdom" but not fully in it, as mentioned in Mark 12:34? How can intellectual understanding differ from transformative faith? [27:47]
How do God's commandments, as described in Deuteronomy 5:32-33, lead to a prosperous and abundant life? How does this compare to the pastor's analogy of a parent setting boundaries for a child? [12:42]

Application Questions

Reflect on your current relationship with Jesus. Are there any areas where you feel a growing distance? What steps can you take this week to draw closer to Him? [05:17]
God's commandments are designed for our well-being. Can you identify a specific commandment that you struggle with? How can you better align your life with this commandment to experience abundant life? [12:42]
Jesus calls for a holistic devotion—heart, soul, mind, and strength. Which of these areas do you find most challenging to fully devote to God? What practical steps can you take to improve in this area? [14:14]
Incremental growth is crucial for a stable faith journey. Can you identify a small, consistent step you can take to grow in your faith this week? How can you stay vigilant against small deviations in your spiritual walk? [20:37]
The sermon highlighted the danger of being "close to the kingdom" but not fully in it. Do you have an intellectual understanding of faith without transformative faith? What changes can you make to ensure your faith is transformative? [27:47]
Think about a time when you experienced a significant life change. Was it a dramatic leap or an incremental step? How can you apply the principle of incremental growth to your current spiritual journey? [20:37]
Faith is the constant in our walk with Jesus. How can you cultivate a consistent faith that guides you through uncertainties and challenges? What specific actions can you take to strengthen your faith this week? [27:47]

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "The truth is this, is that dangerous things happen in our faith when the gap between the distance between us and Jesus grows. And actually what I've learned in my life is that there is no arrival in walking closely with Jesus. I used to think that if I could just get to this place, if I could just arrive in this moment, then me and Jesus would be good. But the longer I go in life, I've realized the endeavor of my life is in the day that Jesus brings me home." [05:17] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "The reality is this, that God gives us commandments for one reason. And I'm gonna tell you, it's my first point today. The commands of God's are for abundant life, not rules for rules sake. have a daughter who's almost four right now. And my wife, who is a much better parent than me, is always telling me that this is my challenge right now, is to try to help my daughter understand we don't just have rules in our house." [11:46] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "When God gives a commandment to his people in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, or today, it's so what? That you may live. And that you may live well. That you may prosper. Because too many times we're praying for a promised land just like these people were. And the problem is you're going to enter into a promised land, but you're going to be a renter and not an owner because you don't live by the standard of the promise." [13:23] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "If my choice is life or death, I choose life today. If my choice is doubt or faith, I choose faith today. If my choice is my way or God's way, even when it hurts, even when it freaks me out, I choose his way." [32:23] (14 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "Jesus is making a statement saying, okay, this prayer that you've prayed is the summation of the entire law. And it echoes the first commandment that God gives the people of Israel. The echo of it is that you shall have no other gods before me. And when we look at this prayer, it's really important that we begin to understand that Jesus actually takes it a step further." [08:44] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "The essence of that commandment. He says, the heart, soul, the mind, and your strength. In Mark 12, 28. In this passage, what Jesus is doing is laying rightful claim to every facet of human personality. Our heart is our emotions. Our soul is our spirit. Our mind is our intelligence. And our strength is our will. In other words, what Jesus is saying is that the entirety of who I am needs to be oriented towards God." [14:14] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "So Jesus is trying to tell them this is not a fun suggestion. This is the only way you live life for God. That it has to be with my heart and my soul and my mind and my strength. And so a great encouragement for us today may be as simple as this. When it comes to this matrix of heart, soul, mind, and strength, which one is lacking in your life right now?" [19:33] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "This is another challenge for you this week would be to ask someone who really knows you, which one of these areas am I missing it in? If you have a spouse in here, ask them. They'll tell you. Because I actually believe this is one of the sneakiest tricks that the enemy has in our entire lives. Because if he can get you to think that nothing is wrong until the engine's falling out of the car, and he can get you a few degrees off." [22:23] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "The irony from this passage begins to drip off the page. See, the scribe whose life is entirely built around the pronouncement of judgment on others based on his interpretation of scripture and the law. He came with the intention of judging, yet him who comes to judge is instead judged in return. Why? Because he has spent his life studying a word, and then the living word is in front of him." [25:40] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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