Participants:
Series Code: THI
Program Code: THI000028S
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00:23 Welcome to
00:23 Timeless Healing Insights. 00:24 In our ongoing 00:25 current series, 00:27 Healing Insights 00:28 from the Gospel of Mark. 00:29 I'm Dr. David DeRose. 00:31 And as always, 00:32 we long for the Lord Himself 00:33 to be our guide 00:34 as we study together. 00:35 Let's pray together. 00:37 Father in Heaven, 00:38 I want to thank you so much 00:39 that we can come together 00:42 and seek you 00:42 and seek your guidance. 00:44 Please speak to our hearts 00:45 as we open your word. 00:46 Please help us to learn 00:47 practical things 00:48 that can help our health 00:50 and the health 00:50 of those that we love. 00:52 We thank you. 00:52 In Jesus name, Amen. 00:55 Now join me 00:56 as we go to Fort Wayne, 00:57 Indiana, where I presented 00:59 this message live. 01:01 May the Lord bless you 01:02 as you engage 01:03 with healing insights 01:04 from the Gospel of Mark. 01:08 For Mark, 01:08 what is the beginning 01:11 of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? 01:12 Just what is the beginning? 01:14 Turn with me to Mark 1. 01:17 Because his beginning, 01:19 as we've observed 01:20 already, is different 01:21 than Matthew's 01:22 beginning and Luke's 01:23 beginning and John's beginning. 01:26 Mark begins just simply, 01:28 This is the beginning 01:29 of the good news, the gospel. 01:31 That's what gospel means. 01:33 It means good news. 01:34 And as Mark is painting 01:36 this picture, 01:37 he immediately 01:38 brings us in contact 01:40 with the Old Testament. 01:42 As you read from 01:43 Mark 1, we read this. 01:44 The beginning of the gospel 01:46 of Jesus Christ, 01:46 the Son of God. 01:47 As it is 01:48 written in the Prophets: 01:50 Behold, I send My Messenger 01:52 before Your face, 01:53 Who will prepare Your way 01:55 before You. 01:56 The voice of one 01:57 crying in the wilderness: 01:58 Prepare the way of the Lord, 02:01 make His paths straight. 02:03 So Mark at the outset is saying 02:05 this is not something 02:07 that just happened in a vacuum. 02:08 It looks like it. 02:09 Jesus just appears 02:10 in the wilderness. 02:11 John just appears 02:12 in the wilderness. 02:12 That's how the Gentiles saw it. 02:14 But this is part 02:15 of a divine plan that connects 02:17 with God's prophetic Word 02:19 going back hundreds of years. 02:21 The reference is 02:22 not only to the 02:23 Prophet Isaiah, 02:24 but also to the Prophet 02:26 Malachi. 02:26 Notice the words of Malachi. 02:28 By the way, 02:29 these words of Malachi 02:31 formed the closing pages 02:34 of the only Bible 02:36 that the New Testament 02:37 Church originally had. 02:38 You all realize 02:39 when Jesus 02:40 was walking on this earth, 02:41 the only Bible was 02:42 what we call the Old Testament. 02:44 Right? 02:45 So how does the Old 02:46 Testament end? 02:46 It ends 02:47 with the Book of Malachi. 02:48 And here is the second 02:50 to the last chapter of Malachi, 02:51 how it begins. 02:53 Behold, I do what? 02:55 I send my messenger 02:57 and he will prepare the way 02:59 before me. 03:01 What is this a reference to? 03:03 Well, if you don't pick it 03:04 up, in Malachi 03:05 3, just read 03:07 one chapter further. 03:08 As Malachi is closing 03:10 the Old Testament, 03:12 he says, Behold, 03:13 I will send you Elijah 03:15 the Prophet 03:16 before the great 03:17 and awesome 03:17 day of the Lord comes 03:19 and He will turn the hearts 03:20 of the fathers 03:21 to their children 03:22 and the hearts of the children 03:23 to their fathers, 03:24 lest I come 03:24 and strike the land 03:26 with a decree 03:27 of utter destruction. 03:29 So what is this pointing us to? 03:30 Itointing us 03:31 to the return of Elijah. 03:33 Now, some 03:34 no doubt thought that Elijah 03:35 would physically return. 03:36 After all, 03:37 Elijah was one of 03:38 the few people, few people 03:41 in history 03:42 that did not see death. 03:45 Some of you say, 03:46 you're scratching 03:46 your head, you're saying, 03:47 I don't know even few 03:49 is taking some liberty with it 03:50 Pastor DeRose. 03:51 Because I know Elijah was taken 03:53 to heaven in a fiery chariot, 03:55 and I know that Enoch 03:57 was taken to heaven. 03:58 That's what 03:58 the record indicates. 03:59 But I don't know of any others 04:02 before Jesus ministry 04:05 that found themselves in heaven 04:07 after walking on this earth. 04:10 And I would agree with you. 04:12 It's a good point 04:13 of study, though, 04:14 because many are confused 04:15 on that question. 04:16 Anyway, even in Jesus day, 04:20 those who understood 04:21 what the Bible taught about 04:22 what happens 04:23 when a person dies, that 04:24 they're sleeping in the grave 04:25 and just read Ecclesiastes 9 04:27 if you haven't read it lately. 04:29 But even those 04:30 that understood that, 04:31 they said, Well, 04:31 Elijah is still alive, 04:34 he could come back. 04:36 By the way, many of 04:37 you know 04:37 that Moses 04:38 was resurrected as well. 04:40 So there were individuals 04:42 who had walked on planet Earth 04:44 who were in heaven 04:45 during Jesus ministry. 04:46 And that may provide a clue 04:48 when we come to the Mount 04:49 of Transfiguration 04:51 why it was 04:51 Elijah and Moses 04:53 who met Jesus there. 04:56 But don't miss the connection. 04:59 Don't miss the connection 05:00 with where we're going, 05:00 because it is 05:02 in the very context 05:03 of the transfiguration 05:05 that these dots are connected 05:07 about just who Elijah was. 05:10 You see, the disciples 05:11 ask Jesus. 05:14 We thought 05:15 the teacher said that 05:16 Elijah would come first, 05:18 and then Jesus says this 05:19 to be sure. 05:20 And I'm reading from Mark 05:22 9:11 - 13. 05:24 To be sure, 05:25 Elijah does come first 05:26 and restores all things. 05:28 But I tell you, 05:29 Elijah has come, 05:31 and they have done to him 05:33 everything they wished, 05:34 just as it is 05:35 written about him. 05:36 Now, if you just read 05:37 Mark's account, 05:38 you may not get the 05:39 full significance 05:40 of what Jesus is saying. 05:41 So Matthew, 05:42 when he wrote his gospel, 05:44 clarified it just a little bit 05:46 and he made it 05:47 very plain, 05:48 Then the disciples understood 05:51 that Jesus 05:52 was speaking to them of who? 05:54 John the Baptist. 05:56 When John came back, 05:58 he was fulfilling 05:59 that Elijah message 06:01 He was giving the 06:01 Elijah message. 06:02 And what was that message? 06:04 What was it? 06:06 Well, 06:08 that message 06:10 is basically 06:10 what we're reading about 06:12 in Mark 1. 06:13 And everything in 06:14 that chapter is saying 06:15 this is a faithful message. 06:18 It's the same message 06:19 God gave in the Old Testament. 06:20 It is a message 06:21 that you can trust. 06:22 Now, why am I belaboring 06:23 this concept of trust 06:25 when we're speaking 06:25 about a book 06:26 that I believe has powerful 06:28 healing insights? 06:29 I would like to suggest to you 06:31 as a physician 06:32 that there are some powerful 06:34 things 06:34 that happen in your brain 06:36 when you are more trusting. 06:39 There's an amazing hormone. 06:40 It is known as oxytocin. 06:43 Some of us who are older, 06:44 when we went through 06:45 medical school, 06:45 they mainly told us 06:46 about oxytocin in relation to? 06:50 That's right, 06:51 some of you said it, 06:52 nursing mothers. Okay. 06:53 And bonding 06:54 with their children. 06:56 Oxytocin actually 06:57 has some profound implications. 07:00 If we were to give you 07:02 a nasal spray 07:03 with oxytocin, 07:04 it would make you 07:05 more trusting. 07:07 Now, some of you could 07:07 say, well, 07:08 this would be unfair 07:09 if you were being interrogated, 07:11 right? 07:12 Make you more trusting. 07:14 Oxytocin. 07:15 But oxytocin does 07:16 some other things. 07:17 If you look at oxytocin 07:19 levels, people 07:20 that are more trusting 07:22 are more outgoing, 07:24 they have higher oxytocin 07:25 levels. 07:26 Individuals 07:27 who are more withdrawn, 07:29 they have lower 07:30 oxytocin levels. 07:32 If you look at couples, 07:34 if you find couples 07:35 that are very close 07:36 to each other, 07:36 they'll tend to have 07:37 higher oxytocin levels 07:39 when they're around each other. 07:40 If you look at couples 07:41 who are not so connected, 07:43 their oxytocin 07:44 levels will be lower. 07:45 Now, some of 07:46 you might say, well, 07:47 I don't know, 07:47 is this good or bad? 07:48 Well, 07:48 just let me tell you 07:49 a little bit 07:50 more about the story. 07:51 There's this what we call 07:52 feed-forward relationship. 07:53 That means as you're trusting, 07:55 as you engage in 07:56 trusting relationships. 07:57 Oxytocin levels 07:58 go up and helps you 07:59 to be more trusting. 08:01 By the way, 08:02 how many of you think 08:02 this would be useful 08:03 in family relationships? 08:06 Definitely. 08:07 How many of you think 08:07 it would be really 08:08 useful in churches? 08:10 Yeah. 08:11 When you cultivate distrust, 08:12 it undermines 08:13 these relationships. 08:15 And so what Mark is doing 08:16 is he's cultivating trust. 08:17 He's showing these things 08:19 that show Jesus in the Bible 08:20 are trustworthy. 08:21 It's actually 08:22 helping oxytocin levels. 08:23 And here's the really good news 08:25 for some of you, 08:26 because some of you 08:27 are concerned 08:28 about things 08:29 like stress and anxiety. 08:31 And if you look at 08:32 the list of things 08:33 that oxytocin impacts, 08:34 it impacts everything 08:35 from social relationships 08:37 to trust, 08:38 to attachment to cooperation. 08:41 But it does more than that. 08:44 It reduces fear. 08:46 It reduces anxiety. 08:48 It reduces stress responses. 08:51 So when we're reading something 08:52 that's connecting us 08:53 with the God of heaven 08:55 and showing 08:55 that He's trustworthy, 08:56 that what God said in the past 08:58 happens in the future 09:00 and happens today. 09:01 What is this doing for us? 09:03 You say, 09:04 But I don't see 09:04 God asking today. 09:05 It sounds like He's 09:06 not answering my prayers. 09:07 The Bible is saying 09:09 Keep trusting Jesus, 09:10 keep trusting Him. 09:11 Mark is saying 09:12 that in his gospel. 09:13 So back to the narrative. 09:15 I want you to see this 09:16 because John is preaching 09:18 a message that fulfills 09:21 the Old Testament prophecies. 09:22 Listen what he's saying. 09:24 John comes baptizing, 09:25 Mark records in his gospel. 09:27 He's baptizing where? 09:29 In the wilderness. 09:31 This is really interesting 09:32 because one of the recurring 09:33 themes in Mark 1 09:35 is the wilderness. 09:37 Now, the reason I emphasize 09:39 that is because a lot of times 09:40 we think in society today, 09:42 if something's 09:42 going to happen, it's 09:43 going to happen 09:44 in the big city. 09:45 You know, it's going to happen 09:46 where everyone 09:46 is going to happen. 09:48 Very interesting. 09:49 Yes. 09:50 Jesus ministered in Jerusalem, 09:52 but Mark starts his gospel 09:54 where he's 09:54 speaking to Gentiles, 09:55 a people 09:56 that may have felt disconnected 09:57 from God 09:58 by reminding us 10:00 that God speaks 10:01 in the wilderness. 10:03 You might be feeling 10:04 that you're going through 10:04 a wilderness experience 10:06 right now. 10:06 You might feel that 10:07 God's forgotten you. 10:08 You might feel disconnected. 10:10 But Mark's 10:11 gospel is saying you're not, 10:13 okay? 10:13 God speaks in the wilderness. 10:16 And what does he speak? 10:18 John the Baptist 10:19 is calling people To what? 10:22 To repentance 10:24 so that their sins 10:25 will be forgiven. 10:25 And it says 10:26 that all Judea and Jerusalem, 10:29 they're all flocking to him 10:30 to be baptized in the Jordan. 10:34 I will point out to you 10:35 just a little while later 10:37 in Mark 10:38 1, the first words that Mark 10:41 records, the first words 10:43 that Mark records coming from 10:45 the lips of Jesus are these. 10:46 Jesus is preaching, 10:48 it says, 10:49 the gospel of the kingdom, 10:50 the good news 10:51 about His kingdom. 10:52 And he says 10:52 the time is fulfilled, 10:55 and the Kingdom of God 10:56 is at hand. 10:57 Repent, 10:58 and believe in the gospel. 10:59 You're going to see 11:00 something remarkable 11:01 as we go 11:01 through the gospel of Mark. 11:03 The Gospel of Mark 11:04 especially connects us 11:05 with Bible time prophecies, 11:07 and we see the first glimpse 11:09 here in Mark 1. 11:10 The time is fulfilled. 11:12 What time is Jesus 11:14 referring to? 11:16 Bible students have said 11:17 this could refer to 11:19 nothing else but but 11:24 Daniel 9 for in Daniel 9 11:25 it actually pinpoints 11:26 the very time of Jesus baptism. 11:31 And so John preaching, 11:34 Jesus preaching, 11:36 the time is fulfilled. 11:37 And then Jesus says, what? 11:39 Repent. 11:40 Just like John said 11:41 and believe in the Gospel. 11:42 Now, some of you 11:43 might think, well, 11:44 you know, 11:44 you're talking about trusting, 11:45 you're talking about 11:46 God coming close to us. 11:47 But this kind of a 11:48 this sounds 11:49 pretty austere 11:50 when you start talking 11:51 about repenting. 11:53 Right. 11:55 Well, 11:57 some of you notice 11:57 the title of this message. 11:59 What is the 11:59 title of this message? 12:02 The first step in treatment. 12:06 What is the first step 12:07 in treatment? 12:10 Well, one of my 12:12 mentors in residency 12:15 engrained this 12:17 in his mentees. 12:20 Never forget 12:21 the first step in treatment 12:24 is diagnosis. 12:27 Diagnosis. 12:28 Now, I will tell you, 12:29 as a physician, 12:30 I've met many patients 12:32 who felt 12:32 they were fully competent 12:33 to treat themselves. 12:34 And by the way, 12:35 I have nothing against 12:36 self treatment. 12:36 I try to educate people 12:38 on appropriate self treatment. 12:39 We want 12:41 people to be caring 12:42 for their own health. 12:43 But the problem is 12:44 there's a lot of people 12:45 that I've met over the years 12:46 who thought they were competent 12:47 to diagnose themselves as well 12:50 when they didn't 12:50 have the ability 12:51 to do that effectively. 12:53 I can think of people I've met. 12:54 One of them 12:55 comes to mind 12:56 where he diagnosed himself 12:58 as having heartburn. 12:59 And he was using the perhaps 13:01 even the appropriate 13:02 natural remedies for heartburn. 13:04 But he did not have heartburn. 13:06 He had misdiagnosed himself. 13:08 You may have guessed, 13:09 he was having a heart attack. 13:11 How well do you think 13:13 that treatment worked 13:14 for his heart attack? 13:15 No, this was not 13:16 a good scenario. 13:17 You're following along, right? 13:18 So the first step in treatment 13:20 is what? Is diagnosis. 13:23 So what does God 13:24 the great physician, Jesus, 13:26 the Divine Physician, 13:27 what does He want 13:28 to do for you? 13:29 He wants to heal you. 13:30 He wants to give you, 13:31 we're talking 13:32 about healing insights 13:33 from the gospel of Mark. 13:34 And we're going to see 13:35 how Jesus 13:36 and this gospel 13:37 that tells His story tells us 13:38 good news is designed 13:39 for your healing. 13:40 So with that in mind, 13:41 don't 13:42 you think it would be important 13:43 then, that 13:43 from the beginning 13:44 of the gospel 13:45 you would know what you need 13:46 to treat? 13:48 Part of what we need to treat 13:50 is the fact that the Bible says 13:52 all have sinned 13:53 and come short 13:54 of the glory of God. 13:56 And so Mark gives us 13:58 a clear diagnosis 13:59 from the very beginning. 14:00 We need to come to Jesus 14:03 for healing. We need to repent. 14:05 We need to turn around. 14:07 It's interesting, 14:09 in Luke's gospel, 14:11 Mary is speaking. 14:12 She's rejoicing in God, 14:13 and she says something 14:14 very telling. 14:15 She says He referring to God, 14:17 has filled the hungry 14:19 with good things and the rich 14:21 He has sent empty away. 14:22 Now, do you think God is 14:23 just being mean to the rich? 14:26 No, just read 14:27 Revelation 3, 14:28 the Laodicean church. 14:30 They really weren't rich, 14:31 but they thought they were. 14:34 So can you give 14:35 a person 14:36 who thinks they're rich? 14:37 Can you help them financially? 14:41 It's pretty difficult, right? 14:43 If they think they've got 14:44 all they need. 14:44 You know what? 14:45 How are you going to help them? 14:47 That's the problem. 14:48 God wants us 14:49 to recognize their need. 14:50 So here's my challenge for you. 14:52 As we're going 14:52 through the gospel of Mark, 14:53 I want to challenge you 14:54 to do this. 14:55 As we're reading 14:56 through the account, 14:57 as you're reading through it, 14:58 and I challenge you to do that, 15:00 ask God 15:01 to show you 15:02 the disease 15:03 areas in your own life. 15:05 You know what needs to change? 15:06 What needs to be different? 15:07 Where am I hungry? 15:08 Where am I needy? 15:09 And I don't recognize it. 15:11 And if you pray that prayer, 15:12 I believe 15:12 God will open your eyes 15:14 and then 15:15 you'll be able to accept 15:16 God's remedies. 15:18 What do you think? 15:21 Well, there's more 15:22 healing insights from chapter 15:24 one of the Gospel of Mark. 15:26 In Mark 1:6, 15:28 we read this of John. 15:30 Very short description, 15:31 but very telling. 15:33 John was clothed 15:34 with camel's 15:35 hair and a leather 15:36 belt around his waist, 15:38 and he ate locusts 15:40 and wild honey. 15:41 How many of you would say that 15:43 in the vernacular 15:44 John was living 15:46 high on the hog? 15:47 How many of you would say that? 15:49 Now you would say he's a pretty 15:51 austere life, right? 15:54 How many of you think 15:55 this sounds like a good diet? 15:57 Locusts and wild honey. 16:00 But there's a more 16:00 probing question 16:01 I have for you. 16:02 You may have never 16:03 asked this one. 16:09 How does it relate to us today? 16:11 John's example? 16:13 Because 16:14 Paul made it really clear in 16:16 1 Corinthians 10, 16:18 he said, 16:19 whether you eat or drink, 16:21 or whatever 16:22 you do, 16:22 do all to the glory of God. 16:25 Do you think John 16:26 had that in mind? 16:27 Is that why 16:28 his diet was so simple? 16:30 I think it's a pretty 16:31 good conjecture that that's 16:32 why he was found, 16:34 that the Holy Spirit had said, 16:35 You need to be on this 16:36 very simple diet. 16:39 And it's an example to 16:40 us, especially in this day 16:42 and age, isn't it? 16:43 And you could tell me story 16:44 after story 16:45 about people you've met. 16:46 As a physician 16:46 I've heard so many stories. 16:48 It seems like whenever 16:49 I deal with patients, 16:50 I'm hearing someone's 16:51 telling me about their diet. 16:52 Someone just the other day 16:55 was telling me 16:56 how good they were doing in 16:57 so many areas 16:58 of their lifestyle. 16:59 But they said, 17:00 But I just love 17:01 my sugar doctor. 17:02 And they were telling me 17:03 about all these things 17:05 and then 17:05 I think they had diabetes, 17:06 if I'm remembering 17:07 the patient right. 17:08 So they were 17:09 this was not doing themselves 17:10 favors. 17:12 Whatever you do, 17:13 whether you eat or drink, 17:15 do all to the glory of God. 17:16 But here's one other question 17:17 you probably haven't asked 17:19 about John's example, 17:20 and it's this one. 17:21 Was John the Baptist a 17:26 vegetarian? 17:26 A vegetarian? 17:27 Now, some of you are thinking, 17:28 come on, a vegetarian. 17:30 Why would you ask 17:30 such a silly question? 17:32 We just read what 17:33 he was eating. 17:35 Well, 17:37 very interesting book. 17:38 If you've never read it, 17:39 it is definitely worth a read. 17:41 It will change your life. 17:42 If you read this book 17:43 and start putting into practice 17:45 the things that it recommends. 17:46 It's a little book 17:47 called Counsels on Diet 17:48 and Foods. 17:49 It little book is pretty 17:50 extensive actually, 17:51 if I'm going to be honest 17:52 with you. 17:52 On page 71, we read this. 17:55 John separated himself 17:56 from friends 17:58 and from the luxuries of life. 17:59 His diet, 18:01 purely vegetable of locusts 18:05 and wild 18:05 honey, was a rebuke 18:07 to the indulgence of appetite 18:09 and the gluttony 18:10 that everywhere prevailed. 18:12 Now, some of you are saying, 18:13 well, a lot of this 18:13 is straightforward, 18:14 but I'm confused. 18:15 I see this 18:17 phrase purely vegetable, 18:18 and the next word 18:19 I read is, well, 18:21 but then it's locusts. 18:24 How could that 18:24 be considered vegetarian? 18:27 Well, 18:27 if you study this out 18:28 in commentaries, 18:29 you'll read things like this 18:31 that I actually have read 18:33 in the Andrews 18:34 University study Bible. 18:36 Locusts. 18:37 There is a long history 18:39 of scholarly 18:40 debate over 18:41 whether this term 18:42 refers to an insect 18:44 listed as a clean insect 18:46 in the Book of Leviticus, 18:48 or whether it refers to what? 18:51 The carob bean. 18:53 Even in our 18:54 language today, 18:55 don't we have locusts trees? 18:58 And have you ever seen 18:59 a locust tree? 18:59 We've got them here 19:00 in Fort Wayne. 19:02 And how many of you know that 19:03 we call them locust trees 19:04 because they're covered 19:05 with insects called locust? 19:06 Is that why? 19:08 No, no. 19:10 They have these pods, right. 19:12 And these beans. 19:13 And apparently 19:13 some of the locust trees have 19:18 those beans. 19:19 They're called carob beans. 19:22 And they're made into what 19:23 some of you have used 19:24 as a chocolate substitute. 19:27 So chocolate without the, 19:30 if I were to give you 19:30 the chemical term, 19:31 without the methylxanthines. 19:34 Okay. 19:34 Without the caffeine family 19:36 compounds in it. Okay. 19:38 And so you say, well, that's 19:39 why I love carob beans Dr. 19:41 DeRose. 19:42 Well, I can understand that. 19:43 Was that, 19:43 was that what John was eating 19:45 or was it the grasshoppers? 19:47 It's just an 19:47 interesting question. 19:50 Bottom line 19:51 is his food and beverage 19:52 choices were simple. 19:54 However you decide 19:55 that question, 19:56 and I would encourage you, 19:57 as you're reading through 19:59 not just the gospel of Mark, 20:00 but as you're living your life, 20:01 one of the keys to healing 20:02 we see from the very beginning, 20:04 one of the healing insights 20:05 is live a simple lifestyle. 20:08 You know, right now 20:09 I could give you a whole hour, 20:10 two hour, three hour 20:11 medical lecture. 20:12 Some of you're getting 20:13 really worried. 20:14 But I'm just going to show you 20:15 one study, okay? 20:16 I could have chosen 20:16 many studies. 20:17 I'm just going to give you one 20:18 right here. 20:19 This is a Canadian study. 20:20 I know we have folks 20:22 in our midst 20:22 who have connections with 20:24 with that nation 20:25 to the north of us. 20:27 And this was a study 20:28 of nearly 300,000 Canadians, 20:31 a huge study. 20:33 And they looked 20:34 at how frequently they ate 20:35 fruits and vegetables. 20:38 So here's 20:39 the application question 20:40 before I tell you 20:41 the results of the study. 20:42 Where should you spend 20:43 most of your time in 20:44 the grocery store? 20:46 That's right. 20:47 The produce aisles. 20:48 Okay, you're 20:49 connecting the dots. 20:50 But they looked at fruit 20:52 and vegetable intake 20:52 and they were looking here 20:53 at mental health factors, 20:55 we螁been speaking 20:56 a lot about social 20:56 and mental health 20:58 in this series so far. 20:59 You'll get more 20:59 about physical health 21:00 as we go along. 21:01 But as they looked, 21:03 the more fruits, 21:04 the more vegetables you ate, 21:06 the less depression, 21:07 the less anxiety, 21:09 the better you did 21:10 when you were facing stress. 21:11 So you would say, Oh, 21:13 instead of going to my doctor 21:14 and getting more Valium 21:17 or Klonopin, 21:18 I'm going to go to the produce 21:20 section and eat more fruits 21:21 and vegetables. 21:22 No, I'm not saying 21:23 there isn't a place 21:24 in certain situations 21:25 for medications 21:27 and severe anxiety. 21:28 I'm not trying to make 21:30 any of you feel ashamed. 21:31 But I'm just saying 21:32 we underestimate the power 21:34 of the things 21:35 that God has provided. 21:37 Let us hasten on 21:38 because there's another health 21:40 giving key 21:41 in the first chapter of Mark 21:43 that I don't want you to miss. 21:45 Jesus, it says in Mark 1:9, 21:47 it says, 21:48 It came to pass in those days 21:49 that Jesus came 21:50 from Nazareth of Galilee, 21:52 He's baptized 21:53 by John in the Jordan. 21:54 This is the context 21:55 we've been talking about. 21:56 But I want to remind you 21:57 what happens. 21:58 It says immediately. 22:01 Some version 22:01 say the 22:02 heavens were torn asunder. 22:05 The heavens part 22:07 and the Spirit, remember 22:09 I said, You're going 22:09 to see the Holy Spirit 22:10 prominently in chapter one. 22:12 The Holy Spirit 22:13 descends upon Jesus, 22:14 and what happens? 22:15 A voice is heard. 22:18 You are my beloved Son 22:20 in whom I am well pleased. 22:22 What do we see here 22:23 at the very 22:23 outset of Mark's Gospel? 22:26 That when someone, in this case 22:27 Jesus, when Jesus follows God's 22:31 guiding in His life, 22:32 God places 22:33 His seal of approval on Him. 22:35 You are My Son, 22:36 in whom I am well pleased. 22:38 When you make that decision 22:39 to be baptized. Okay? 22:42 If you've not made 22:43 that decision, 22:44 that opportunity is available. 22:47 When you make that decision 22:48 to be baptized, 22:49 when you say, I'm 22:49 going to follow you, 22:50 Jesus, I'm 22:51 going to follow your example, 22:52 Jesus, and be baptized, God, 22:55 the Bible says, you are sealed 22:57 with the Holy 22:58 Spirit of promise. 22:59 So God puts His spirit on you. 23:02 So what do we see 23:03 happening here? 23:04 God is affirming Jesus. 23:05 Now you say, Well, you know, 23:06 I thought I was affirmed, Dr. 23:07 DeRose. I thought God loved me. 23:09 I thought God cared for me. 23:10 I thought all those things 23:11 about God being trustworthy, 23:12 but it just hasn't played out 23:13 that way in my life. 23:15 Look where I'm at right now. 23:17 Well, let me remind you 23:18 of something. 23:20 First, I want to remind you 23:21 of the power of affirmation 23:23 and then I want to remind you 23:24 that it is not a guarantee 23:26 that you'll never 23:26 have difficulties. 23:28 Now, some of you are looking 23:29 at this graphic that I have, 23:31 and you see stacks of money. 23:33 I've noticed in some places 23:34 where I 23:36 sometimes frequent, 23:37 such as hotels 23:38 and restaurants, places 23:40 like that, 23:41 that you can tell your server 23:43 what a wonderful job they did. 23:45 But if you don't leave any 23:47 tangible expression 23:48 of affirmation, 23:49 they take your words 23:50 as being very shallow. 23:51 Have you noticed that? Yeah. 23:53 I don't recommend you do it. 23:55 Same with hotel staff. 23:57 You're understanding 23:58 where I'm going with this. 23:59 But the most 24:00 powerful affirmation is not 24:04 things that you can 24:05 measure tangibly. 24:06 And I'm telling you that 24:07 because sometimes 24:08 even in the Christian life 24:09 we say, Well, God 24:09 didn't give me this, 24:10 He didn't give me that. 24:11 He gave this person that car 24:13 and he gave him that job, 24:14 but I don't, 24:15 no, the most 24:15 powerful affirmation 24:16 God gives is actually Him 24:19 affirming you as His son 24:20 and His daughter. 24:21 And you can have 24:22 that assurance today. 24:24 Medical research shows 24:25 something interesting happens 24:26 when you affirm. 24:27 This is just one example of it. 24:28 When people are affirmed. 24:30 This is an interesting study. 24:31 I'll just mention 24:32 the context of it. 24:33 What we know is 24:34 if you are from a family 24:36 where no one ever 24:37 went to college, 24:37 they never completed college, 24:39 and you're the first person 24:40 to go to college, 24:41 you will experience more stress 24:44 and be more likely 24:44 to do poorly academically 24:46 than someone who comes 24:47 from a family 24:48 where people have 24:49 university training. 24:51 And so researchers 24:52 looked at this 24:53 and they said, you know what? 24:54 We can change this equation 24:56 by affirming these students. 24:58 And some of that affirmation 24:59 can come from 25:00 self affirmation, 25:01 from recognizing your values, 25:03 encouraging yourself, 25:04 but it can also 25:04 come externally. 25:06 And when they study this, 25:07 they actually found 25:08 that it decreased anxiety, 25:09 it decreased stress. 25:11 So what I'm trying to help 25:12 you see is 25:12 whether we look at diet, 25:14 whether we look 25:14 at the trustworthiness of 25:16 the Bible, whether we look at 25:19 the affirmations that we see 25:20 in the very first chapter 25:22 of the gospel of Mark, 25:24 Mark is laying a foundation 25:26 where he's telling us 25:27 that this gospel is 25:28 something that speaks to you 25:30 right where you're at. 25:31 It speaks to me 25:32 right where I'm at. 25:34 And on that note, 25:35 I want to really help 25:36 you see 25:36 just one more 25:37 one more window 25:39 on Mark's gospel 25:40 that I think is 25:41 especially powerful. 25:42 And that is, 25:45 Jesus, as He experienced 25:47 that affirmation from heaven. 25:49 He goes from there 25:51 following the Spirit, 25:53 and He ends up where? 25:56 He ends up, you're right, 25:57 in the wilderness. 25:59 The Spirit, 26:00 it says, drives Him 26:01 to the wilderness. 26:02 And He's there for how long? 26:04 40 days. 26:05 We don't have 26:06 all the description 26:06 of the temptations 26:07 in Mark that we have in Matthew 26:11 and Luke. 26:13 But what's going on? 26:16 Jesus affirmed by the Father, 26:18 now the Spirit leads Him where? 26:21 Into an area 26:22 where He's tempted. 26:22 You catch the significance 26:24 of this 26:24 Don't judge 26:26 God's leading in your life 26:27 by your circumstances. 26:29 Realize 26:30 what the Gospel of Mark 26:31 is telling us 26:32 that we have a loving Father, a 26:35 Father who is trustworthy, 26:37 a Bible that's trustworthy, 26:38 Jesus who is trustworthy, 26:40 who demonstrates 26:41 His loving activity, 26:43 His intelligent, 26:44 loving activity in this gospel. 26:47 And as you engage with that, 26:48 even if you find yourself 26:50 in a place where you say, 26:50 I think God's forgotten me. 26:52 No, God may have led 26:53 you just where you're 26:54 at through His Spirit, 26:56 and He's trying to help 26:56 sustain you right now. 26:59 Connect with Mark's 27:00 healing words, 27:01 glean these healing insights 27:03 from the Gospel of Mark. 27:04 And I know you 27:05 too, will be blessed. 27:10 The first step in treatment 27:11 is indeed diagnosis. 27:13 We need the great 27:14 diagnostician Jesus himself, 27:16 to point out 27:17 what needs to be different 27:18 in our lives 27:19 because He's committed 27:20 to changing it. 27:21 Let's pray together 27:22 with that in mind. 27:23 Father in Heaven, 27:24 thank you 27:25 for allowing us to engage 27:26 with your word again today 27:28 on Timeless Healing Insights. 27:30 Father, we all stand in 27:31 need of your Holy Spirit 27:33 to guide us, to show us 27:34 what needs to be different 27:35 in our lives. 27:36 Bless each one 27:37 who is tuned in today. 27:38 Help them to see with clarity 27:40 what things 27:40 you want to heal 27:41 in their lives. 27:43 Help me and help each of us 27:45 to come to you, 27:45 to be cleansed, 27:47 to be healed, 27:47 to be equipped 27:49 to be partners 27:49 with you in healing ministry. 27:52 We thank you 27:52 that we can trust you 27:53 to do that for 27:54 we ask it in Jesus name, Amen. |
Revised 2023-03-01