Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | Understanding Worship

Mark 14 is a weighty chapter. The beginning of the chapter builds the foundations of Christian worship when a woman lavishly anoints Jesus with a years’ wages worth of expensive perfume. Jesus was the centre of her worship experience and He is also the centre of our worship.

Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | The Last Days

The destruction of the temple in AD70 was, to those in Jerusalem, an apocalyptic event that effectively marked the end of the Old Testament sacrificial system.  All this took place within 40 years of the death and resurrection of Christ. As with most apocalyptic prophecies, there is often a relatively short term fulfilment as well as a long term recurring fulfilment until ‘The End’. 

Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | Apocalyptic Patterns

Biblical apocalyptic literature has been the subject of intense interest for centuries. We all want to know ‘what will be’ and ‘what the signs are’, of the end of the world.

Mark 13 and its parallel gospel texts Matthew 24 and Luke 21 are apocalyptic texts and are best understood when we take the time to understand how this unique kind of prophetic writing works.

Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | Confrontations & Conflict

But the message of the kingdom of God is a confrontational message that will often bring us into conflict with the worldviews, practices and values of others. So if our message is confrontational we had better learn how to do conflict.

Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | A Fruitful Tree

The first century rabbinical paradigm is one of experience, illustration and story-telling. In this paradigm, truths were learned by watching and listening to a Rabbi, who through life experiences, stories, and explanations, would unpack greater truths of life and ministry.  The illustration of the fig tree and subsequent cleansing of the temple is typical of how a Rabbi would convey truth to a first century Hebrew mind.

Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | The Performance Trap

We live in a culture that rewards according to performance. This is not wrong in-and-of itself.  The performance trap is set when our identity is found in our ability to perform to a high level of excellence. This is what Jesus encountered when he met a rich young man in Mark 10:17.

Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | This Way Up!

The Kingdom of God has an upside-down authority structure. What does this mean?

Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | A Kingdom Paradigm in 2021

Often, the answer to the question ‘why don’t we see more healings and deliverances today?’ is connected to the fact that we don’t have a spiritual paradigm in the 21st century and therefore we don’t utilize spiritual treatments.

Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | Who (and What) is Christ?

The disciples certainly knew Jesus as a Rabbi who had authority from God. As they followed Him the evidence became overwhelming that He was more than a Rabbi.

Healing the sick, casting out demons, miracles of nature (walking on water) and miracles of multiplication, are all signs the kingdom of God has come. Jesus performed these miracles, thus establish His credentials as King over all of His creation.

Not only must we resolve the question ‘who is Jesus?’, we must also understand ‘what is Jesus?’.

Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | Authorized & Sent

The strategy employed by Jesus to reach the world with the Gospel seems to be –

I minister
I minister while you observe
You minister
You minister while someone else observes …, etc.

This method of discipleship doesn’t require clever programs, tent crusades or revival conferences. It is organic, simple, and unaffected by top-down organizational issues.

Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | Tokens Of The Kingdom

Mark 4:35 – Mark 5:43 details a three-point plan blueprint for an effective kingdom offensive – eviction of demons, healing of the sick and raising the dead.

Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | Frontline Spiritual Warfare

The post-enlightenment, western mind, has learned to filter out the spiritual realm from our awareness because we no longer have a supernatural worldview.  We become conditioned to seeing things in a particular way.  We actually do see a whole lot more demonic activity than our minds are willing to accept!

Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | The Cost Of Discipleship

Being a true follower of Jesus sets us apart from the World. Not only are we set apart, but we are also alienated. Jesus knew this fact experientially.

Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | An ‘earthy’ Gospel

One of the signatures of Mark’s Gospel is its rawness or earthiness. The are some very earthy aspects of this Gospel account that can easily be missed if we don’t take time to understand what is written.

Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | Kingdom & Authority

Authority comes as an active order. In war, when an order is given, it must be followed until it is superseded by another order, or the original order is withdrawn. To use kingdom authority effectively we must hear from the king!

Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | Calling & Discipleship

As disciples of Jesus, we must always remember that ministry might have some unusual parameters for measuring success. Calling is disruptive and divisive, this is the way of the cross.

Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | Prepare The Way

Isaiah says ‘prepare ye the way of Yahweh’… This is not just any God, not even an angel. Isaiah foretold the coming of Yahweh. Yahweh is the same God who created the heavens and earth, who rescued the Israelites from Egypt and led them through the waters of The Red Sea. This is the same Yahweh who spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, who destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and humiliated the prophets of Baal and Asherah on mount Carmel, – ‘prepare ye the way of Yahweh’

Rob Norman: The Gospel Of Mark | Introduction

In many respects Mark was a failed follower of Jesus. He was the subject of a major disagreement, and separation, between Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15 because he deserted the Apostles and abandoned the ministry.  All followers of Christ are failures who have been given access to the kingdom of God by grace.