Why we don't get it...

Hey friends…
 
Do you ever feel like you just don’t get it? Like the spiritual life is hard and complex, and you aren’t sure you’ve got it all figured out? Why can’t God make this more plain? Let’s talk about it in Deeper Thoughts below.
 
But first… there is a LOT going on the next couple of weeks:
 
·      Major update on our facility expansion with a “3-D renderings reveal,” THIS Sunday, March 2 during service. We will also update you on the timeline of major decisions we need to make over the next few weeks!
 
·      Teens: Youth Group THIS Sunday, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. will be upstairs. Kristie Zoller will be sharing how she has seen God at work in her life. Lunch and games too! Contact Jess if your teen needs a ride home.
 
·      NEWCOMERS Lunch, THIS Sunday, March 2, 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Get to know Mt. Hope as we get to know you… Click here to email Sherri to RSVP!
 
·      Memorial service for our beloved Frank Finnern is THIS Sunday, March 2—viewing at 3:30 p.m., memorial at 4:00 p.m. All are welcome.
 
·      Memorial service for Mary Ellen Motz, the mother of Pastor Chris, will be NEXT Saturday, March 8, at 3:30 p.m. All are welcome.
 
·      Covenant Partners orientation class and luncheon, NEXT Sunday, March 9, 11:45 – 1:00 p.m. Learn about how to become an official member of our church partnership team!
 
·      Don’t forget our “Daily Six” video series, six-minutes every weekday to read along with me as we study through the Gospel of Mark. Click here to jump in! And if you’d like to receive daily email reminders, click here for a link to The Daily Six each morning!
 
OK…that’s it today for you email skimmers and those who simply don’t care to “get it.” BUT…
 
 
Some Deeper Thoughts…
 
Do you ever feel like you just don’t understand? Like there is really no way you’ll ever get it all figured out?
 
You’re not alone.
 
Like really not alone.
 
Mark 8 is all about perception—seeing who Jesus is and what he is up to. And more generally, it is about everyone—including the good guys—completely missing it.
 
It was exhausting to Jesus that no matter how many miracles he performed, the Pharisees demanded more before they would put their faith in him (Mark 8:11). He was amazed that his disciples continued to doubt how he could provide the resources they needed even though he had performed multiple miracles of provision (Mark 8:17-21). When Jesus plainly shared the coming crucifixion, Peter would have none of it (Mark 8:32).
 
That last biff got Peter labeled as Satan himself. Ouch. Not exactly the affirmation from God-incarnate I would be looking for.
 
The problem Jesus exposed for each of these doubters was their minds being set in the natural realms, not the spiritual realms--not having “in mind the things of God, but [rather] the things of man” (Mark 8:33).
 
We need to learn how to see and think through spiritual eyes and not natural, to see things how God sees them and not how we naturally do.
 
Our natural minds are… well… natural. It comes very naturally to us to think along these lines. We assess reality through our natural impulses and instincts. We follow our natural desires towards what we think is the ultimate goal: Natural happiness.
 
But the spiritual mind is different. It understands reality on the basis of faith, not sight. It believes reality, not sees reality.
 
The spiritual mind believes in a reality based on God’s revelation where spiritual realms and supernatural realities exist beyond our frame of reference. The spiritual mind will even set aside the supposed goal of natural happiness to achieve something far greater—a deep-seated joy and hope transcendent of personal circumstances that settles into the soul of the one who will live by faith and not by the flesh.
 
Have you noticed all the trauma and confusion in our society these days? People by the millions are struggling with identity crises, depression, despair, suicidal ideation, anger, divisiveness, political anxiety, the vilification and demonization of people with different ideas, fear, hatred, jealousy, and worry. And in many cases--if not most—the people suffering these things are the same people demanding we abandon God and embrace, affirm, and celebrate ideologies that are contrary to God’s Word. Those in the deepest despair in our world are often the same people who have decided that God’s revelation is outdated and oppressive to truly abundant life.
 
It is an irony, isn’t it? And one that Jesus promised we would experience if we cling to life through the lens of the natural mind.
 
“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:35).
 
In context, of course, Jesus was preparing his disciples for coming physical persecution where many of them would indeed lose their physical lives. But there is a broader truth that extends into our everyday lives:
 
“The mind of sinful man [Greek wording here: “the natural mind”] is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful [“natural”] mind is hostile towards God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so” (Romans 8:6-7).
 
The irony of our society is that many believe they have found true life by demanding the normalcy of whatever fleshly, natural impulse occurs to them. Unbeknownst to them, a subtle death has set in upon their souls as they simply cannot be satisfied by the happiness of the flesh. The ups and downs of the natural realm still define their enjoyment of life because it is the only realm in which they live.
 
But the person who will choose to shift their mind away from the flesh will discover a life filled with the Holy Spirit that transcends our circumstances. Hope, joy, peace, and love blossom outside of the weight of natural situations because we know that the natural realm is not the only place in which we presently exist.
 
Does this sound really foreign to you? Way too lofty? Too abstract? Unachievable? Do you feel like you really don’t get this?
 
You’re not alone. Like really not alone.
 
Take a moment of solace that Peter, James, and John were just like you. They even had Jesus right in front of them in the natural realm. And they still didn’t get it.
 
SO… instead of beating yourself up on this one, how about we meet on Sunday and look carefully at how these fellas learned to break free of their natural minds. It didn’t come quickly, and it didn’t come easily. But as their eyes began to open, their entire lives were made different. I wonder if the same could happen to us?
 
Can’t wait to see you all… let’s get Jesus for who he really is!!
 
Chris Eads
Mt. Hope Pastor
Friend