1 Corinthians 15.12-34

Title: The Focus of a Healthy Church: Our Future

Text: 1 Corinthians 15

Introduction: Ps 119.18

I found this in my clippings of illustrations. I have no idea where it came from, so I can’t cite who wrote it here…

On Tuesday, August 27, 1996, 26 years ago, yesterday, Shawn Hagwood began a journey of learning that would turn his life around. Earlier that week, 19-year-old Shawn made a cross-country trip to visit a friend in Rochester, Minnesota, a quiet, conservative community known for the famous Mayo Clinic. One night, he and his friend accompanied a group of local guys to an apartment complex inhabited mostly by Somalian residents. They were headed there with bats to settle a score with some of the residents for beating up one of their friends the night before. When they arrived at the complex, a group of guys came out to meet them with golf clubs. Things got out of control and a young Somalian kid from the apartments was seriously injured when someone in Shawn’s group swung a baseball bat. By the time the police got there, everyone involved had disappeared and the episode was classified as a racial gang crime of white guys against the ethnic residents …

Shawn was definitely part of the fight that summer night, but he never held a bat and was not the person who injured the kid. Still, when the authorities came knocking, the local guys Shawn had hung out with that night used him as an easy scapegoat, since he was from out of town. When the police brought Shawn in for questioning a few days later, it would be his last day as a free man for the next eight years …

Even though Shawn was basically on the fringe of the crime, and the only one put on trial at this time (two were brought to trial three years later and given a much lighter sentence), the jury came back with the verdict: Guilty …

Shortly after entering prison life, Shawn got his first visitor—one of the men from the jury. He thought maybe the man was there to help him get a new trial, but soon discovered he was simply there to be a friend. Though he initially put up a tough exterior, Shawn was happy to have company.

Shawn remembers, “He introduced himself as Dave Stensland, a clinical psychologist. He had driven four hours just to see me and to find out how I was doing. When he stood up to leave, I felt disappointed, but Dave promised to come again soon.”

Dave began regular monthly visits. They talked about everything from Shawn’s life goals after prison, to Dave’s evident faith in God, to how Shawn could cope with the sometimes paralyzing stresses of prison life and his bitterness over the injustice of his sentence.

For seven years, Dave visited Shawn faithfully …

By far Dave’s most important influence on Shawn was his faith. “He showed me the peace of someone who is close to God, but in everything he did and said, he was gentle. Because he shared Christ’s love with me consistently through the years, I began to open up more to the Lord.”

As Shawn studied the Bible with Dave, his life began to change. Through Dave’s example and guidance, Shawn finally found peace and purpose. He prayed to receive Jesus Christ into his life.

Question: What makes a man, like Dave, do something like that? To travel 4 hours one way, to a prison, nonetheless, and spend valuable time with a prisoner?  Could it be his faith? Could it be he lived out what he believed?

Last week we opened up to 1 Corinthians 15 and we looked at the Gospel. Paul gave a simple outline of the Gospel presentation. At first glance, chapter 15 feels out of place. It seems to be a turn in direction and not in line with where Paul’s been heading over the last 14 chapters. But don’t you believe it? He’s still answering questions and keeping the overall context of the focus of a healthy church: relationships.

There must have been a question in their letter to Paul, asking about what will happen to those who’ve already died. It seems like they understood the rapture, but that came from a living viewpoint. What about those already dead, their bodies decayed – only the bones remained. Maybe some were beginning to doubt. What will it look like? How will it occur? What will happen to my loved one who has already died?

But really, that opening introduction simply gives us the context for the whole chapter. The context is about the Resurrection Hope you and I have as believers and the charge to stand firm in the faith in light of that hope.

Let me repeat that!

The Charge (Big Idea) in Chapter 15 is to “Stand” and “Hold Fast” and “Be Steadfast, immovable” (1f; 34; 58; ill.: Master and Commander of the Far Side of the Sea) just as the faithful who’ve gone before us had done. Be strong and stand firm in the face of strong opposition just as those who have gone before us have done.

The Reasoning behind this charge: is found in the Resurrection. Without it, there is no story here!

So here is a simplified outline of what Paul says in the 1^st half of 15: The Gospel finds its foundation in the resurrection:

1. The Gospel – Everything about your current life is built upon this foundation called The Gospel. He died, He was buried, He was raised (1-4).
   1. This one element, His Resurrection, is vital to the whole story. Indeed, without it, there is no Good News. It was established and validated by many witnesses (5-11).
   2. Furthermore, this one element is foundational in the hope of those who had died and have gone before them (12-29). Without the resurrection, there are huge gaps in their or our faith (we’ll look closer at that in a moment)(12-19). The hope of the Resurrection caused those believers to remain steadfast in their faith in light of apparent persecution and death. And as a result, their witness led others to faith in Christ (20-29).
   3. Furthermore, it is also what drives us, Paul says, to continue to preach this message in light of the real danger of future persecution and death (29-32).

Let’s look at this Theological Truth and weigh its importance for our faith.

1. Our Future Resurrection is founded upon one essential element of the Gospel Message: Christ is Risen (12)

exp.: Rd v 3-4; you received (1) that which I also received (3); Namely, that Christ died (and more specifically – for our sins), 2ndly, that he was buried, and 3rd, bringing out this essential element now, he was raised on the 3rd day!

app.: Paul is establishing a point here: without the resurrection, there is no gospel! It is an essential element of the Gospel message. But then, he takes it to another logical progression: rd v 12; Ah-ha! Here we find the information from their letter – some had said that there is no resurrection in the future for believers. By the way, this is a doctrine of the Sadducees that had made its way into Christianity. Paul clarifies here. Rd v13f;

Without the resurrection, there is so much wrong with Christianity: 1. Our faith is futile. 2. We’re still in our sins. 3. Those who have perished have no hope. 4. We as Christian are then, pitiful! Read through v19

But, that ain’t the way it is. Because Christ is raised. And, His resurrection is the first of many to come. Beginning with those who’ve gone before.

Check out this structure of his teaching in v 12-32:

1. The Foundational Element: Christ’s Resurrection; The Gospel is Established in the Fact of the Resurrection; without it, there is no hope. (12-17)
2. The Faithful’s Example: Their hope in their own future resurrection caused them to live faithfully for Christ – even to the point of death. That witness brought others to faith and faithfulness (18-20; 29). Added to this, is Paul’s personal example (30-34).

Let’s walk through these verses and see the way Paul presents them in what appears to be a Chiasm. Without the Resurrection of Christ, then

1. Our preaching is in Vain.

2. Your faith is futile.

3. We’ve been found to be misrepresenting God (our testimony is a lie).

4. You are still in your sins (hopeless and hell-bound).

5. And those who’ve died, they have perished and there is no hope for them (18)

6. We are to be pitied above all people. (19)

6. But Christ is raised (20)!

5. The “firstfruits” of those who are asleep and will one day be resurrected! (20)

4. Death came by Adam, But the hope of the resurrection comes through Christ who has removed the stain of sin.

3. We haven’t misrepresented God. He will be proven true when all things are subjected to him.

2. Your faith isn’t futile, because people believe and are baptized when they see the faith of those who’ve been martyred. (29)

1. Our preaching isn’t in vain. Indeed, we’re willing to face death to preach this message to the world (30-32).

Based on this, Paul issues a command: rd 33f; Wake up from your drunken stupor! Here is that call again, that charge to steadfastness and stability, to holding on to the faith, remaining unmovable, unshakable.

t.s.: As Jesus said to Martha in Jn 11.25: ²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Conclusion: And I ask you, “Do you believe this?”

In the summer of 2003, after seven years of monthly visits to the prison, Dave’s wife Sandy called Shawn with the sudden and shocking news—Dave was dying of cancer.

The man who had mentored and loved Shawn like one of his own sons had only a short time left on this earth. Shawn recalls, “Although I didn’t want to live without Dave, I was so thankful that I had a chance to have him in my life for so long.”

A few weeks later, Shawn called Dave to see how he was doing. Sandy told him he was just in time to say goodbye. Dave was so weak that Sandy had to hold the phone up to his ear.

“He couldn’t respond much, but I knew he could hear me,” Shawn says. “It would be the last time I talked to him and it was a very hard conversation, but I was so glad that I was able to have it. I thanked him for everything that he had done and for being such a good friend to me. I told him, ‘I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for you.’ And then we said goodbye.”

A year later, Shawn was released from prison three years early for good behavior, and Sandy Stensland was there to give him a big sendoff. With tears of happiness, she hugged him tightly.

“Shawn, I know Dave would be so proud of you—and I’m proud of you, too,” she said. “Your life is going to be different now. Just remember that God has great things in store for you, and He’s giving you another chance.”

And who is Shawn Hagwood today? Besides being a happily employed software developer, he also uses his story to encourage others who are struggling with life, especially young people …

Because Dave Stensland took his faith seriously and he shared it with another person in need, a young man’s life was changed.

1 Corinthians 15.1-11

Title: The Gospel: An Old Rugged Cross and An Empty Tomb

Text: 1 Corinthians 15.1-11

CIT: Paul reminds the Corinthians of the great salvation they have in Christ and just how they got it!

CIS: to remind the church of the gospel story.

Introduction: Ps 119.18;

In the life of politics, we see some wins and we see some losses. I saw one report that 8 of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump are now out of office. Liz Cheney was the most recent casualty.

As Christians, I firmly believe that we should be involved with politics. But here’s the problem with putting our hope in politics: We can’t legislate morality into a people. Morality will only be the practice of Americans when God’s Word takes root in the hearts of people. The only hope we have is a sweeping Great Awakening in the US.

So where is the hope? Is our hope in clean, fair, transparent elections? Is our hope in who governs us? Is our hope for a conservative Supreme Court? What hope do we have to share with a lost and dying world? Is it in the field of politics?

No, our hope is found only in the transformation of the hearts of individuals. It is the power of the Gospel transforming lives. Transformed people will vote a moral agenda into place. Only then will life be valued. Only then will we see less government oversight in our lives. Only then will people begin to care for the widow, the orphan, and the foreigner in the land – and stop expecting the government to do everything for us.

Point blank: it is the power of the Gospel… at work in the lives of people.

Paul reminds us of this hope we have through the Power of the Gospel in 1 Cor 15.1-11:

• The Process by which these people were saved
• The Proclamation that brings this salvation to them
• The Proof of Christ’s resurrection through eyewitnesses
• The Product of a saved soul…

Transition: let’s look 1^st at…

I. The Process by which these people were saved (1-2)

exp.: rd v 1-2; They are reminded of how they came to Christ; Look at these very clear steps:

1. The Word of God is Preached; Ladies & Gentlemen, we must communicate the Gospel with Words! The days of just being good have failed! We must now speak, too. I’ll never forget Jonathan Falwell, pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va. Saying: You can’t live good enough to save yourself, what makes you think you can live good enough to save others? Actions only validate words; actions can’t replace words. Romans 10.14 – 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? Romans 10.17: Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ. The Gospel was designed to be communicated through words.
2. The Word of God is Received; rd v 1; The Gospel is heard and has its effect! It is received by faith! I’ve been criticized for not offering an invitation every week. We’ve grown accustomed to people getting saved only here and only by me. No! People come to Christ the same way they have for 2000 years – when you tell them, and you invite them to receive Christ. They make that public – just as Richard did last Sunday!

Once that is done, a person begins to live a life worthy of this Gospel! Rd v1c; in which you stand…v2 … hold fast

• The Word of God is Established, and we see how one stands in v 2; rd v 2;
  • Perseverance: and by which you are being saved;
  • Evidence: if you hold fast to the Word I preached to you; top & the tail (v1&v58)

ill.: There is an interesting article that came out this week in the Baptist Press: 10-year-old new believer helps mission team lead dozens of others to Christ; FBC, Jonesboro, Ga. Traveled to Montana to serve at an Indian Reservation. There is a yearly ‘Pow-Wow’ – a gathering of some sort, where thousands of Native Americans converge at this particular place. Anyway, this 10-year-old saw an Evangelcube on the table, heard the gospel, and got saved. He spent the week with this team. He would go and find some children and bring them back to the table to hear the gospel. He did this over and over. He heard the gospel presentation so many times, that he was then able to share with others – and did so.

The week came to an end and the people all had to go back to Georgia. This is a major downside to short-term mission trips. This little boy was so sad to watch them leave. I asked myself – who is going to disciple this little boy – or any of the other 28 children and 4 adults who got saved?

We preach the gospel to bring Salvation, and then, too often, we never disciple those we’ve evangelized.

I know what some of you are thinking, because it is what I’ve been taught, too. If this kid is truly saved, then we can trust the Lord to disciple him (and the others). That has been our biggest problem in Evangelism in the last 70 years. We make fishers of men who catch lots of fish and then leave them up on the shore without cleaning them! Leaving them there to die.

When you catch a fish, the job isn’t done. And it is the same when you are a fisher of men! When someone surrenders to Christ, the job is just beginning. That’s why in the vision I presented last week, evangelism isn’t in a circle all its own. It is encompassed in discipleship.

app.: Now, maybe, just maybe, there is a ministry there at the Reservation, and this child will be assimilated into a local church. The Word of God is preached and received, but it must also be established!

t.s.: 1^st, The Process: God’s Word is preached, received, and established; 2ndly, the Proclamation… the 2^nd reminder:

II. The Proclamation of this Gospel which makes salvation possible (3-4)

exp.: Sure, there are supernatural stories where people got saved without someone telling them. They picked up a Gideon Bible in a hotel room. I have a friend who started reading Galatians and saw that Scripture went against the Cult he was in. He arrived early to pick up his girlfriend and her roommate. He sat at the table and just opened up the Bible and started reading. When the girls were ready, he asked them to listen and he re-read the passage in Galatians. So, yes, there are really cool stories where God’s Word did its thing. Or a Muslim overseas had a supernatural vision of Jesus. But those are rare. The main pathway to salvation for many is that they hear the Gospel proclaimed. They all were able to receive Christ because of what he did.

Look with me at the Three Aspects of the Gospel proclaimed in v 3-4:

1. Christ Died
   1. For our sins: God is holy and we are not; We could never remove our sins from before God; So, God acted on our behalf.
   2. According to the Scriptures
      1. By what the law prescribed
      2. By what the law foretold!
      3. I’m sometimes asked how people in the OT were saved. Answer: the same way we are saved – the only difference is they looked forward to the Cross in faith.
2. Christ was Buried; In a Borrowed Tomb: In the belly of the earth; he would borrow it because he didn’t need it for long; his body wouldn’t see corruption.  
3. Christ was Raised
   1. Time: on the third day; the timing is important because of what the Jews believed;
   2. Prophecy: According to Scripture; Jesus also predicted this about himself; Hebrews 11 points to Gen 22.4; Jonah, in the belly of the fish (Mt 12.39f); Luke 22.46; three days is a prominent theme of activity in the OT. I mean, it is repeated over and over again.

Ill.: in our Bible Study on Revelation, I taught about numbers and what they mean. Does anyone remember what the #3 represents? The significance of the numbers:

• 1 is uniqueness
• 2 is unity, disciples, animals on the ark
• 3 is power, on the 3^rd day – Jonah, Resurrection, trinity, a cord of three strands.
• 4 symbolized the whole of creation: 4 corners, 4 winds

Three days were so important – three days declared someone to be dead – really dead. For Jesus to be raised on the 3^rd day meant that he had Power over Death.

app.: The Bible teaches us that the wages of sin is death – the payment due to us for our rebellion against God is death. We could never pay the penalty because we’re ineligible. We needed a sinless sacrifice for us. And so Christ died for sins, once for all. That’s what we proclaim when we proclaim the Gospel.

t.s.: But there is more here from Paul. The third element adding to the Power of the Gospel…

III. The Proof of the gospel was established through eyewitnesses (5-8)

exp.: rd v 5-8; after rising from the dead, Christ Appeared to many. The women aren’t mentioned here, but they were amongst the first to witness Christ’s resurrection.

1. Cephas; rd v 5;
2. The Twelve; ill.: 100 years war (116 years); Sue’s Piano; rd v 6;
3. 500; most of who are still alive; Tell me if you know this story: on an LA Freeway, there was a white bronco being chased by Law Enforcement. Do any of you remember that?
4. His brother, James, is the senior pastor at the Church in Jerusalem.
5. All the apostles (Mt 28); There are more than 12 Apostles, by the way – Paul being one of them; Barnabas, etc.
6. Paul

ill.: Quote from Charles Colson; You can read this for yourself in the book Loving God by Chuck Colson, chapter 6, starting on page 61: “Watergate & the Resurrection”. I’ve been asked by young men over the past 20 years or so, what books had the greatest influence on my life. To this day, Loving God remains in my top 5. (Loving God, Amazing Grace, 24/6, Charles Spurgeon, Dangerous Call, Growing up to God, The Deliberate Church, Amillennialism) – read the blog post

app.: The resurrection is an amazing story, validated by those who were willing to die for what they knew to be true.

t.s.: We see this in the Result in their lives, and in the lives of people today. That’s #4;

IV. The Power of the Gospel Produces very specific Results in a saved soul (58)

exp.: just what is this product? We see it in v 58;

1. The hope of our resurrection! v 12-57
2. They are reminded of their life in Christ.
3. Be Steadfast (1 other time in 1 Cor.; 7.37, in ref. to marriage); most of us know what this means: standing fast in your place or standing your ground in the faith, showing strength in the face of adversity.
4. Be Immoveable (only time here); άμετακίνεητος΄ – α -without; κινέω – eng.: kinetic – motion, to move away; without movement.
5. Always Abounding in the Work: you might say ‘at all times’; abounding in the work of the Lord.
6. Knowing this work is not empty! Κενός, Kenosis is the process of emptying out something completely. This is the word used to describe Christ in Philippians 2, where he left heaven and ‘emptied’ himself of his divine qualities, becoming a man.

app.: your work should be abounding (this is what gives credibility to your proclamation), but also filled with the knowledge that all you do isn’t in vain – it’s not empty! There is a good return for your work, even if you don’t see it now.

Conclusion: Invitation to come to Christ

1. Will you receive this gospel? You’ve heard the preaching of the Word today.
   1. Christ was killed
   2. He was buried
   3. He was raised
   4. He was seen

2. Will you become established in it? Deeply rooted, growing up in Him? This is your opportunity. Don’t let it pass you by.

Pray & we’ll be dismissed.

¹⁶ May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, ¹⁷ encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17May the power of the Cross and the Victory of the Empty Tomb fill your lives this week as you live out your life for Christ’s Glory!

1 Corinthians 8-10

Title: Living in Obedience: A focus on our behavior

Text: 1 Cor 8-10.23

Introduction: Were’ in chapters 8-10 in 1 Corinthians.

Let’s begin 1^st: Ps 119.18; ¹⁸ Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.

How we got here: healthy church – her blessings, her relationships

Preface: I don’t know why, but when I say what I’m about to say, it makes some people mad – angry. Usually, those folks are the very ones suffering from what I’m talking about. So, let me be very careful in how I present my finding. You ready?

I connect depression with sin. What I mean by that is this: from my experience on a personal level and from a professional level – people I’ve encountered in life who suffer from depression can trace that depression back to a time of rebellion in their life. So, I want you to contemplate, without sitting here being angry at me, sin with depression. This might very well be that moment in life right now for some folks. Hence, the anger. When you tell someone the reason behind their depression is their sin, their rebellion, it makes them angry.

With that being said, we might need to talk some more, because I’ve just opened a can of worms that I can completely deal with in one sermon. But, with that being said, once we’ve had a chance to work through some of those issues, people begin to find their way out.

That was my experience. I’ll just tell you: I used to suffer from severe depression. So much so, that I planned on three different occasions to take my life. I’m so glad God intervened in a way that has me standing alive and well here before you today.

I want to share two books with you. (1) Twelve Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson. (2) Happiness is a Choice. It is by Dr. Frank Minirth and Dr. Paul Meier. In this book, these men teach about behaviors and the effect proper behavior has on one’s Psyche, as well as, the effect wrong behavior has on a person. They say, “Make better choices.” Here is the list narrowed down in this 2^nd book.

1. Be Kind. (read from pg 19) this reminds me of a message from Robert Garland some months ago that has stuck with me – mainly because of Lisa: Never pass up an opportunity to be kind! Being Kind is simply showing a Christlike love toward others.
2. Focus on healthy behavior. this is getting harder to identify in our society. The current woke culture would like to eliminate what you and I understand to be healthy behavior because sin makes people feel bad about themselves. I discuss this in more detail at WEBS.
3. Challenge inaccurate thinking with the Word of God. Put bluntly, this is false teaching. But the reality is that many folks just don’t understand what the Word of God says. There are a lot of bad ideas out there related to Christianity and the Word of God.
4. Share hurts. Each of us has experienced our feelings of being hurt. It helps us when we talk about those feelings with others with whom we are in relationships. It is a part of growing up. It’s a part of maturing in our lives. Bottled-up feelings of betrayal, anger, disappointment, etc. lead to stronger relationships.
5. Meet dependent needs through Christ and the local church. This is huge! Enter into healthy relationships! End relationships with folks that hurt you! Too many of us put our hope in relationships that can only be fulfilled in Christ. Too many women look for that fulfillment in a man. That man doesn’t exist on this earth! The same goes for men. Some people look for it in a bottle – pill bottle, alcohol bottle, smoking weed, and the list goes on.
6. Consider the Medical. The truth of the matter is that some folks have a chemical imbalance and need the assistance of a physician. But, the percentage of these folks is probably a lot lower than you would think.
7. Emphasize Christ.

Their premise, which is backed by years of study and validation, states that good behaviors cause connections to happen in the brain and result in good mental health; on the other hand, poor behaviors result in depression; These guys have latched on to an idea that Paul presented to the Corinthian Christians 1960 years ago.

This is what we’ll see in the next few chapters of 1 Corinthians: our behavior affects our emotional stability. Bad behavior leads to depression and good behavior leads to joy.

To begin look with me in 8.1; Rd 1a; so, the issue appears to be about eating meat that was sacrificed to idols; rd v 1b; I think, we can surmise right away that Paul is saying that doing and acting out of knowledge is one thing, but doing and acting out of love – that’s a whole different animal.

Transition: Though the issue is about the meat of animals sacrificed to idols – and the consumption thereof, Paul’s concern for them is first and foremost…

I. A Mandate for Obedience (8)

exp.: rd 1b again; So now we have a thesis dealing w/ knowledge and love; knowing is one thing, but doing is another; Jesus said, If you love me, keep my commandments (Jn 14.15);

ill.: Colossians 1.9-10.

exp.: Back in 1 Cor… There is a sense of pride concerning their knowledge; they’re missing what Paul’s been teaching, what Jesus has said; rd 2-3; So he’s saying, In your knowledge:

1. Let love be your guide. Note: the 2 ‘we know’ v1; v4; Illustration: May I share your story about ‘Amy’?
   1. Remember there is One God (capital G) and many gods (little g); rd v 4-5; this is important! Their sacrifices are nothing; those ‘things’ are just wood or stone; the meat is just meat, fit to eat; it’ll taste just like the meat from any other animal; rd v 6-7;
   1. Don’t let your freedom become a stumbling block to others. Love them enough to abstain. Although they may know that there is only One God, they don’t grasp the full idea that those ‘little ‘g’ gods’ are nothing. They have too much history in this…

ill.: I see this principle applies to so many ‘things’ in the Christian life. 1^st and foremost, beer and wine; you have a woman who struggled with alcohol, and she goes on a rampage about how evil it is. No one can have a beer or a glass of wine at dinner! Or, you have a man who struggled with secular music and how it was so harmful to him – causing him to think bad thoughts and act on them. Then, wah-la, no one can listen to Country Music because it is evil!

exp.: rd v 12-13.

app.: So, what, if you have knowledge! If you destroy your brother through your freedom, you’ve failed. That’s why it is so important to have love with your knowledge.

t.s.: Paul offers this mandate for Obedience to love, but then offers himself as a model…

II. A Model of Surrender (9)

exp.: Let’s look at Paul’s Work; rd v 1-3 and let’s look for the personal pronouns in the 1^st person sg; And so he does this self-examination, and the 1^st thing he does is establish…

1. Paul’s rights; rd v 4-12a; but then…
2. Paul’s Decision to surrender his rights; rd 12b; 15-18;
3. Paul’s Obedience; rd 19; v 23;
4. Paul’s Exhortation for them to do the same; rd v 24;

app.: So Paul offers this positive illustration – himself; My rights, set aside, and through my love for people – the gospel becomes real! Would you do the same? Listen, you have rights also. However, when you chose to do something right, for the wrong reason – relationships are destroyed; brothers and sisters in Christ are damaged;

t.s.: Now, Paul is thinking that his example isn’t enough -so he offers a negative illustration – Israel, and he does this through the bk of Exodus…

III. A Manual for Failure (10)

exp.: Exodus; Chapters 12-17; and what Paul says here is that these people were blessed, but they blew it! look in 10.1a;

1. Their Blessings: Look at what they were:
   1. Protection – the cloud; rd v 1a
   2. Promise: Deliverance; rd v 1b-2
   3. Provision: rd v 3-4;
   4. Problem: God was not pleased! Rd v 5

But then Paul says, look at how they responded;

2. Their Response: examples for us; Rd v 6-7
   1. Idolaters; rd v 8;
   2. Immoral; rd v 9
   3. Instigators; putting Christ to the Test; rd v 10
   4. Ingrates: whiners and complainers.

exp.: but Paul says they were that way to be an example for us on how NOT to behave! rd v 11;

app.: I don’t worry too much about you having statutes of Buddha in your living rooms, But I do worry about the other three; and in my own life – when have I been selfish, though right to do so and hurt the Body through my ‘putting Christ to the Test’ or whining and complaining!

Conclusion:

There is a movement by many godless people in the world who want to make bad behavior to be considered good. Implement gay marriage or remove marriage altogether. Get rid of sin. Sin makes people feel bad! Change long-standing laws to no longer make it wrong to steal or destroy property, etc.

ill.: Did you see the article in the New York Times by Steve Descano this past week? He is the District Attorney for the Commonwealth of Virginia. His article is entitled, “My Governor may pass bad abortion laws, but I don’t have to enforce them.” He has made a public vow to not prosecute laws he doesn’t agree with. We’re already seeing that in California, where people just walk into a store with large bags and empty the shelves and just walk out the door!  

This evil theory and this is my take on it all, is to change the laws so that people are no longer wrong. If they’re no longer wrong, then they don’t have to feel bad about it! They want to ‘help’ people who suffer from mental illness to feel good about themselves. Make it ok for a man to dress like a woman by removing gender stereotypes. If you can remove the stigma, then folks who have problems won’t feel bad about feeling the way they do.

Here is the problem: (1) it doesn’t work. I watch Daily Wire videos. In one video I heard Ben Shapiro say that if changing laws and removing the idea of wrongness worked, then why are just as many transgendered people committing suicide today as there were a generation ago. (2) Sin is a very important part of the Gospel. Our rebellion is why we’re in the mess we’re in. Sin is what we’re saved from!

As believers, we have a mandate for obedience that stems from love.  Eat what you want to eat. Drink what you want to drink. However, we have an example in Paul, but we also have the perfect example in Jesus, to show us how our freedom isn’t to be used selfishly. We act in love! And we have bad examples of the Hebrew Children who wandered in the desert because of their rebellion and selfishness.

If you’re interested, we’ll come back to this idea at WEBS of where our rebellion leads us (into depression) and how we can overcome the cloud of depression through surrendering to Christ.

Observations & Implications:

1. Are you blessed? Would you say God has blessed you? If so, how do you respond to those blessings?
   1. Idolatry?
   2. Immorality?
   3. Instigators?
   4. Ingratitude?
   5. How do you express your attitude of gratitude? Through obedience? Is it evident in your behavior?
2. As an example to others – do you line up under Paul or the Israelites? Do a self-exam; Can you say, ‘be like me’? or Do what I say, not what I do…
3. As you look at your rights, which ones would you hold on to, even to the destruction of another brother or sister? Is your behavior toward others a contributing factor?

Preparation for the Lord’s Supper: Chapter 11:23

Mark 15.37-47

Title: The Son of God Part 2

Text: Mark 15.21-39

Introduction: We continue our message from last week in Mark 15.37. You can see from the PP that the message is entitled “The Son of God” Part 2

I’ve outlined the message this way:

1. The Crucifixion of the Son of God
2. The Rejection of the Son of God
3. The Death of the Son of God
4. The Burial of the Son of God

Transition: I think Mark’s story is simple, brief, and restrained. He doesn’t try to move us to sympathy for Christ as he is tortured and punished; Nor, does he try to make us angry at those who we consider Christ’s enemies. So, let’s pick up in Mark 15, v21 Where we see…

I. The Crucifixion of the Son of God (21-28)

exp.: The crucifixion is a process of execution. An agonizingly slow process of execution.

ill.: Dr. Mark Kubala, Outreach Magazine, April 13, 2017: To envision the pain and emotional stress Jesus endured, it may be helpful to share an analogy.

Imagine your family has allowed you to go by yourself to see some old friends you haven’t seen in many years. They live in a remote, desolate area of the Texas desert. You want to surprise your friends, so you don’t tell them you’re coming.

You turn off the main highway and travel for miles on a dusty dirt road, then fail to negotiate an unexpected sharp turn. Because of the heat, you neglect to buckle your seat belt. The car rolls over, and you are thrown out of the car. As you fall out of the car, your scalp is cut by the edge of the door.

You land on your back in a bed of prickly cacti. You suffer multiple cuts to your back. The back of your leg lands on a sharp rock which cuts the artery behind your knee. You cannot get up because the door of the overturned car has your legs pinned. You can’t find or reach your cell phone. Your suitcase has fallen on your chest, and you can’t move it. You have trouble breathing. Every time you try to move, the pain becomes excruciating. You are literally abandoned. You see your blood seep out of your body and over the next few hours you become faint, as you slowly go into shock. You know you are dying, and there’s nothing you can do.

exp.: Pilate commissions his Roman soldiers to carry out that execution. Mark is very matter-of-fact about his storytelling. He almost lists these moments and actions as bullets.

So physically taxing was this process for Christ, that he failed to carry his own cross to Golgotha. The Soldiers are tasked with the action to keep the process going. Jesus has been so mistreated that he can’t keep going. So, (rd v 21) they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.

Consider what Mark has done in our text:

1. He’s dropped a name they would know, a witness to what had happened. This is probably someone they knew.
2. He’s told them where it happened. A place that would have been familiar to them. They probably knew what he was talking about.
3. He’s quoted to them or referenced to them Old Testament Scripture, demonstrating that this was foretold in times past.   

t.s.: First, The Son of God is Crucified, and 2^nd, he is rejected.

II. The Rejection of the Son of God (29-36)

exp.: Jesus is rejected while hanging on the cross. There are people who pass by and mock him on the cross. The religious leaders also continue mocking him (29-32). This mocking continues until the end. Rd v35f; then in v 37, we read that Jesus died… That’s point #3, where we pick up this morning.

t.s.:

III. The Death of the Son of God (37-39)

exp.: Jesus cries out and breathes his last breath. Rd v 37; Two of his 7 Statements come to mind: Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. And, It is finished. He is dead. The penalty for sins has been satisfied. But something absolutely incredible happens at this moment. Rd v 38: the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

Many have asked if this could be true. Well, for the believer, we have God’s word. But as for secular history, the answer is yes. Listen to Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah:

“And now a shudder ran through Nature, as its Sun had set. We dare not do more than follow the rapid outlines of the Evangelistic narrative. As the first token, it records the rending of the Temple-Veil in two from the top downward to the bottom; as the second, the quaking of the earth, the rending of the rocks, and the opening of the graves… while the rending of the Veil is recorded first, as being the most significant token to Israel, it may have been connected with the earthquake, although this alone might scarcely account for the tearing of so heavy a Veil from the top to the bottom. Even the latter circumstance has its significance. That some great catastrophe, betokening the impending destruction of the Temple, had occurred in the Sanctuary about this very time, is confirmed by not less than four mutually independent testimonies: those of Tacitus, of Josephus, of the Talmud, and of earliest Christian tradition. The most important of these are, of course, the Talmud and Josephus. The latter speaks of the mysterious extinction of the middle and chief light in the Golden Candlestick, forty years before the destruction of the Temple; and both he and the Talmud refer to a supernatural opening by themselves of the great Temple-gates that had been previously closed, which was regarded as a portent of the coming destruction of the Temple”

I think it is wonderful when we have external evidence of Biblical recorded history. But we shouldn’t need it, but it sure does feel nice when we do! Well, all of these miraculous, supernatural events take place as bulleted notes by Mark. Rd v 39; Then, the centurion, who has charge over the detail, stood facing Jesus. As he witnesses the death of Jesus he remarks, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”(37-39).

app.: this statement is in line with what we’ve been reading in Mark for a year now. In chapter 1 Mark tells us this in the first verse. Then, in v 13, God says, this is my son! The demons recognize him as the chapters roll by. In Chapter 9, on the Mt. of Transfiguration, God once again declares the identity of who this is: His Son! Not once does a human acknowledge this, until now. And Mark closes out his book with this revelation. Theologians call this a melodic line. There is a phrase that echoes through the book called a melodic line.

t.s.: And for Mark, it is this: Jesus Christ is the Son of God. So, we have the Crucifixion, the Rejection, the Death, and now, the burial of the Son of God.

IV. The Burial of the Son of God (40-47)

exp.: more witnesses; rd v 40;

1. Women: the men have abandoned him. At this point, only the women who were a part of his ministry remain. John records that he himself was there and was given the responsibility to care for Mary from now on. It turns out that these women had been faithfully serving Christ for some time. Look at verse 41; I’d like to note that Mary of Magdala, is always mentioned first when listing the women. She takes some prominence. Salome is listed, as well. Matthew identifies her as the mother of James and John. Likewise in Matthew, we see that she is the source of the request that one of her sons sit on the right hand of Jesus and the other, on the left. Mark lists these three and uses them as representative of a group of women who serve the Master (rd v 41).

These women serve an important role, in that, not only are they witnesses to his death, but they’ll also serve as witnesses of his burial and the location of that burial plot. The role of women in the first century was considered insignificant. We really haven’t seen too much of them throughout this book. It is only now that we find out about their significant role in Christ’s ministry. In other gospels, we learn that some were wealthy or prominent women.

• The evening hours are upon them and Jewish custom required that a dead body be buried before nightfall. Read v 42f; Added to this stress, Mark tells us it is the day of Preparation. The Sabbath is upon them. They wouldn’t be able to work on the Sabbath. All preparations for his burial must be completed before sundown (I have found conflicting information here).

Joseph of Arimathea steps forward and requests the body of Jesus – to bury him properly. I can’t stress to you how important Joseph turns out to be. Their customs, practices, mores, and understandings would have made this situation difficult for the family. If they were from Nazareth, what would they do with his body? It should have been dumped outside of Jerusalem in the Valley of Hinnom or the City Dump. This action by Joseph would work so nicely, and it would serve the family well. It is really a remarkable gesture.

His body would then be hastily prepared because of the late hour. The women could return to this tomb first thing Sunday morning and finish the task of properly burying Jesus’ body. It could remain in the tomb for a year. And then after that year, the bones could be collected and placed in an ossuary. Then, they would be transported back to the family plot – wherever that might be. Joseph has a tomb nearby and volunteers it. Again, incredible.

A Couple of thoughts:

1. Joseph’s actions are evidence that not all the Sanhedrin were allied against Christ. Added to this, John tells us in his Gospel that Nicodemus also participated in burying Jesus. So, more evidence that not all the Sanhedrin were against Jesus. Furthermore, the text says that Joseph had to gather up his courage to go to Pilate and ask for the body. It’s like he was counting the cost of making public his decision to follow Christ publicly. Other Gospels tell us that he was a secret follower and that he was wealthy. I’m guessing from this point forward, that it isn’t much of a secret! And it doesn’t look like Joseph wanted it to be a secret.
2. Rd v 44f; Pilate is surprised by the death of Jesus – that is, that he died so quickly. He needs confirmation from the Centurion and gets it.
3. Some have argued that this brevity and concern of Pilate offers evidence that Jesus wasn’t ‘really’ dead. There are a couple of stories in history that tell of crucified individuals who lived. One is a fictional satire written by Petronius. The story goes that the family brings their own member down off the cross while the Roman guard is away. But again, it is fiction. The second story is from Josephus, who finds out that three of his friends are being crucified. Josephus petitions Titus for their release and is granted his petition. Two of the men died, but one recovered from his injuries. But again, these stories aren’t anything like ours, where it was erroneously assumed by some that the Roman Centurion misdiagnosed the victim! BTW: there is no record of a Roman Guard ever misdiagnosing the death of an executed criminal.

Exp.: Mark then gets back to his story. Rd v46; Jewish custom would require him to wash the body and add ointments and spices. This was a temporary fix and would be remedied come Sunday morning when the women returned to the burial site.

Many such tombs have been discovered through the years and are available for tourists to visit. I visited one such site, the site not too far from the Golgatha, considered to be the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, the tomb Jesus will borrow for three days.

Well, we kind of have a Markan Sandwich again, as Mark circles back around to the women in v 47; you see them in v 40f and then again here; rd v 47’ – identifying them as witnesses to this event. We’ll pick up with this on Easter Sunday morning.

Conclusion: so, let me wrap this up.  Let me leave you with a couple of thoughts to take home with you.

Application:

1. What are we to make of the foreigners in our story? Most of the Jews hated the Romans and their presence in Israel. The reality is most of them detested all foreigners. That was never their calling, though. They were supposed to be a light to the Gentiles. Interestingly, now, God uses foreigners in our story – and Mark reminds us. Simon from Cyrene – probably a Jew by birth, but from the African continent. More importantly, a 2^nd foreigner, the Centurion was used to make the declaration Mark has been impressing on his readers since Chapter one. “Surely this was the Son of God.” This is a reminder to me that when I detest certain people – I’m not likely to share Christ with them. I want the foreigner out. He’s making things harder on me. Whether it is an illegal immigrant or a transgendered militant, Jesus died for their sins, too. Just as he did for me. Am I no different than the Jewish leadership who I rail on? Am I evangelistic, as I’ve been called to be to everyone? And, if I don’t share this incredible message of hope with those who are different than me, who will share with them? Or, should I say, if WE don’t share this incredible story, who will?
2. What are we to make of the darkness in our story? And also, What about the torn Veil? In Genesis 15, there is a beautiful story about God’s faithfulness. He promises Abraham a heritage. And then, God cuts a covenant with Abraham. The animal is killed and cut into two pieces. God then passes between the two pieces of the sacrifice. This is huge. God invokes a curse upon himself should He ever fail in this regard, (which He won’t ever do because it isn’t in his nature,) then that death is what should happen to Him. So, in this story in Genesis, there is beauty and tragedy. Gen 15.12ff.

There is this darkness that is ‘dreadful and great’. I think about this moment when I consider our text, and how darkness covered the land for 3 hours. I think also of the plague of darkness in Exodus. I think there is a connection here for us. Darkness is a theme of judgment – Jesus refers to Hell as being ‘cast into outer darkness. There is beauty and hope and fear and tragedy all at the same time!

What hope is there for us? It is only through Christ and what he has accomplished on the Cross. That was all put on him at that moment. Without Christ – that is the judgment waiting for you. I would be remiss if I failed to tell you that.

Added to this, the veil being torn in two demonstrates that the separation between God and man has been removed. We now have access to God through Christ.

• There is a planned baptism next Sunday. Wednesday night, I’m going to talk about baptism and why we do it. Why is our baptism different than that of say, Catholics or the Church of Christ? Why do we call new believers to baptism? Is it really that important? This Wednesday night.

Mark 10.17-43

Title: Markers of the Followers

Text: Mark 10.17-43

Introduction: Paul said in 2 Corinthians 13.5: ⁵ Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.

Mark is saying something similar to us, here in our text this morning: – he’s outlining for us certain markers to identify – to test ourselves to see if we are in the faith. I think a lot of people assume they’re in the faith. Let’s look to see what markers he shares with us about Christ. Mark 10 is where we are, beginning in v 17; ¹⁷ And as he was setting out on his journey…

It appears Jesus is just now turning toward Jerusalem. And, in fact, if you consider how he’s traveled around northern Israel as of late in these figure 8 outlines, you’d probably agree. I don’t, but I can see why some scholars do. I think he’s just packing up from where he is and headed toward where he’s been heading all along – to Jerusalem – to the cross. Rd 17; a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

This is a good sign that someone is searching and possibly open to the Gospel. In Acts 2, they ask Peter a similar question as they are cut to the heart: Brothers, what must we do? As in, in light of what you’ve just told us, what must we do?

ill.: There is an evangelism class I like to teach. One of the lessons in that study is about discernment. It is noted in this study, that just such a question is a clue that someone is open to the Gospel. However, just because someone is open, doesn’t mean they’re ready. We’ll see that in this passage because v 22 tells us he departed disheartened. But at least there is a sign that the Holy Spirit is at work in this person’s life.

But for now, as an evangelist – and that is what you are. Say it with me: I am an evangelist! Oh, some of you were already asleep. Say that with me: I am an evangelist!

A few years ago, I heard a preacher say: The lowest requirement of any disciple is to share his/her faith with others.

I don’t know if it is true or not, I’ve not seen some scale that marks that as the lowest. I think loving each other would rank up there with the minimum amount required. However, I think that preacher was on to something. Jesus commissioned us all to share the gospel. You don’t hire someone to do that for you. You can call a youth pastor or a worship pastor, and the list goes on. You can hire someone to mow your yard and clean the facilities. But you cannot hire someone to witness for you.

That makes you an evangelist.

So, mister and misses evangelist, what are these markers Mark is listing for us?

Markers:

1. A life that is totally devoted to Christ. There is no one or no thing that rises above him. Period.
2. A heart that recognizes: you still have a long way to go. This is piety. Comparing yourself to someone else may make you feel like you’ve arrived, but comparing yourself to Christ leaves you way short of the intended goal.
3. A mind that has a clear understanding of the Gospel: the suffering death, burial and resurrection of Christ.
4. A purpose that identifies your place in the economy of God: I am a slave.

Transition: we’ll look for these markers as we make our way through this passage. They appear in this storyline of position and pride. Right? That is what all of these stories deal with: position and pride.

1^st, we have a young man who thinks he’ll get into heaven because he has kept the law since he was young (20).

2^nd, Peter thinks he has attained some level of recognition because, as he puts it: we have left everything and followed you (20). I suppose, he makes this statement in comparison to this rich, young man.

3^rd, James and John begin bucking for position in the new Kingdom. Namely, these two wish to sit at Christ’s right and left – the two highest positions of recognition to Christ. It makes sense. I mean, other than Peter, who would you think belonged there? These three have been the closest to Jesus throughout this journey. And in case you don’t know it, it’s about to end. The triumphal entry is in Chapter 11.1.

Jesus and the disciples are coming near to the end. After the Triumphal entry, there is one week left. And, for Jesus, three of those days will be spent in the tomb!

So let’s look at these stories.

I.  A young man who thinks he’s kept the law.

exp.: rd v 18; Hold on to this question and the thoughts you’re having. I think the point Jesus is for this man not to think more highly of himself than he ought. You can see this in the next couple of verses: rd v 19-21; this 1^st part covers the last 6 commandments. He ends with the 1^st command in the 2^nd level – honor your father and mother; and, he changes do not covet with do not defraud. My guess is that because this guy is rich, he doesn’t necessarily covet what his neighbors have; all of these commandments are concrete except coveting. And defrauding someone is the concrete form Jesus uses with this man. Many of the rich got that way by defrauding others. I wonder if this young man responds quickly and without thinking about what Christ has said. That’s the 1^st part of the commandments. The young man responds: “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” Really? All of it? Well,…

The 2^nd part covers the 1^st 4 commandments! i.e.: go, sell all you have, give it to the poor, and follow me. And that is the problem this young man has is that he thinks being good will get him into heaven.

ill.: If you’re sitting here this morning and you think you’re good enough to get into heaven – you’d better think again. You can obey the last 6 commandments perfectly and still wind up in hell. Do you hear me? Being good doesn’t get you into heaven!

app.: Jesus basically says here – you’ve obeyed the last 6 commandments pretty well. But, unless I’m 1^st in your life, you’ll never have eternal life.

t.s.: Just like the young man here, you’ll depart disheartened. Storyline #2:

II.  A zealous disciple who thinks he’s sacrificed everything to follow Christ.

exp.: In our story, the young man departs with his head down. His money, his idols, his possession mean more to him than eternal life. The disciples are blown away when they watch this young man walk away. Rd v 23-27; Peter must be inspired with this speech of Jesus. Rd v 28; I think you just missed something. Go back. Do you see it? Man, this is great staging, great drama: Peter began…to say. The NIV misses this. Peter began to brag and Jesus speaks up over him: rd v 29ff; highlight with persecutions;

ill.: Then, Jesus illustrates this with a third reminder: the coming passion.

app.: ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” “Look at me, I’m the example,” Jesus says.

t.s.: Now, We’ve seen the 1^st marker missed by the young man: Markers:

1. A life that is totally devoted to Christ. And, we’ve seen that Peter is lacking humility and piety, which is marker #2.
2. A heart that recognizes: you still have a long way to go. We’ve seen marker #3 in Christ, who will demonstrate perfect humility and piety in the gospel.
3. A mind that has a clear understanding of the Gospel: the suffering death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

Transition: You’d think at this moment the disciples would be on it. Remember, this isn’t the 1^st time he’s said this. We’re in the midst of the 3^rd cycle where Jesus has told them plainly that he will go to Jerusalem and die. You would think that they’ve got this by now. But this leads us to the two brothers vying for position and power.

III.  Two zealous brothers who think they’re able to drink the cup of Christ and experience his baptism.

exp.: rd v 35-37; rd v 38a; That should be a real attention grabber for them. You do not know what you are asking. Rd 38b; and boldly they say, yes: rd v 39a; they don’t know that his cup is suffering and persecution; they don’t know that his baptism is by fire!

ill.: Do you ever figure when you’re praying that you have no idea what you’re asking? Do you ever wonder if when you ask God to do this or to do that – you have no idea what you are asking for?

This should get our attention. Jesus identifies this last marker for us:

4. A purpose that identifies your place in the economy of God: I am a slave.

app.: your purpose is His glory! That might be through death. That’s exactly what happens here. James will be the 1^st one of these disciples to die.

t.s.: Here’s the catch – here is what Mark is driving home story by story…

1. Jesus lays out the Law for the young ruler: All these I have kept from my youth; Jesus basically says: no, you haven’t
2. Peter says: We left everything – we’ve sacrificed everything to follow you. Jesus says: no, you haven’t
3. The brothers ask: Let us sit on your right and on your left; Are you able to drink and be baptized … They say, “we are.” And Jesus says: No, No, No… you don’t even know what you’re asking for…

 Conclusion: So, we have these Markers…markers that help us examine ourselves, to test ourselves to see if we are indeed in the faith.

So now, let us examine ourselves. Look for these markers in your life: Do you have…

1. A life that is totally devoted to Christ? Or, could Jesus peg you and cause you to drop your head, turn away and leave disheartened?
2. A heart that recognizes: you still have a long way to go? This is piety. Comparing yourself to someone else may make you feel like you’ve arrived, but comparing yourself to Christ leaves you way short of the intended goal.
3. A mind that has a clear understanding of the Gospel: the suffering death, burial and resurrection of Christ?
4. A purpose that identifies your place in the economy of God? That you are a slave.

Prayer; Invitation;

Mark 6.34-56

This message can be viewed on our YouTube Channel

Title: Jesus, the Shepherd of His People

Text: Mark 6.31-56

Introduction: One of my favorite Psalms is the 95^th Psalm:

95 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

²    Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

³    For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

⁴    In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.

⁵    The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

⁶    Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!

⁷    For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

Where does such praise come from? It comes from a clear understanding of who God is and who we are. When you situate yourself properly in comparison to God, who is perfect in every way – and you see you are human, desperately flawed in every way – you can’t help but praise him.

Let me ask you this morning: have you been there? Have you gained a proper perspective of where you are situated in relation to him? Wow! It is so moving! It causes us to worship – even if we remain silent with our mouths, our spirits cry out: Praise the Lord!

I think that is what happens in Mark 6.30: ³⁰ The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. This one verse expresses what has to be an incredible time of joy – of thanksgiving. These guys go out to serve – their last experience was watching their master be rejected in Nazareth. They’ve probably now learned of John’s demise. But what they experienced! Whew! That must have been incredible! Can you imagine how it started as they caught up with each other – as each pair started talking about what God did! Would you believe… You’re not going to believe this, but… “Wow”, repeated over and over. What a joy, what excitement is stirred when you celebrate the glory of God – when you’re overcome with the glory and majesty and goodness of God. They’ve got to be tired but still filled with such joy – such contentment.

Then, Jesus calls them away to rest. Verse 31 tells us, they’ve been so busy, they’ve not even been able to eat.

As we look at what then happens in 6.30-56, here is the flow of the passage:

• In v. 30-33, Jesus receives his disciples back from their missionary journey. He then takes them away to retreat from ministry for some rest, renewal and refreshment.
• In v. 34-44, Jesus feeds the 5,000 men and their families with just 5 loaves of bread and two fish. They’ve gone to a desolate place to get away the people and rest, but the people follow. Jesus, filled with compassion, shepherds these sheep without a shepherd (34). As the hour gets late, the disciples tell Jesus to send the people away so they can get something to eat. But, Jesus tasks his disciples with feeding them; but they don’t really see how that can be done. Then Jesus performs the miracle.
• In v 45-52, Jesus sends the disciples away; he puts his men on a boat and tells them to go ahead of him to Bethsaida; early that next morning, Jesus comes walking on the water. Another miracle
• In v 52-56, Mark gives us a summary of Christ’s ministry as he shepherds so many people across the region.

So, with this movement in mind, I’ll use the following outline:

1. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, feeds the 5,000 men
2. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, cares for his disciples
3. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, ministers to the people of the region

Transition: We’re in the midst of a series with a focus on Ministry and Mission. I hope it is obvious from last week and this week that our theme is Ministry; Last week we looked at the Ministries of Jesus, The Apostles, and John the Baptist. We continue with our focus this morning on Jesus, The Good Shepherd. So, let’s begin with his ministry in feeding the 5,000.

I. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, feeds the 5,000 men (34-44)

exp.: we pick up in v 34; rd 34; Sheep without a shepherd…; what does that look like?

ill.: I saw this report in World Magazine: Sleepyhead Shepherd – 1,000 sheep came wandering into this town in Spain – Huesca, Spain after their shepherd fell asleep. I guess counting sheep does make you sleepy! The report said the police actually had rounded up the entire herd before the shepherd even knew they were gone!

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, shepherds his flock in a way that is very discernable. His concern for them goes way beyond just feeding them. His 1^st action when moved with compassion, because they are like sheep without a shepherd is to … what does v 34 say? Teach them. Let that sink in. When we read this story, we usually miss this gem. You see my point written out on the screen. The Compassion of Jesus leads him to feed the 5,000. But that isn’t what the Scripture says, is it? Really, if I were being accurate here, I’d have written out: The Compassion of Jesus leads him to teach the 5,000. It is only after the hour gets late and his disciples tell him to send them away in order that Jesus performs the miracle of the fish and loaves of bread.

I don’t know how to say this softly – it sounds so harsh. But, here is what is on my mind. I’m concerned about a ministry that only feeds people or only clothes people or simply meets their needs. Don’t get me wrong – that is important. People won’t listen if their stomachs are rumbling or if they’re cold. But if you feed them, and you don’t teach them – really, what good have you done.

ill.: I have been encouraging you to hone your ministry – whatever that ministry might be. Service alone isn’t the call – there must be a higher purpose in ministry. Might I encourage you to consider that in your planning? Wednesday night in our Bible Study we mentioned teaching English as a second language. How could one do more than to simply learn the English language? How about using Scripture to teach the language?

app.: We give, we go, we meet needs, but not for those purposes alone – we do it all with the purpose of telling them about Jesus, the one who sent us. The Compassion of Jesus is demonstrated in how he cares for those he sees as Sheep without a Shepherd. He began to teach them.

exp.: The disciples then see a need: rd v 35-36; I love the realness about this story. They see the need and they then tell Jesus what he needs to do! Do you ever do that? See a need and then tell Jesus what he needs to do. I wonder if we don’t hear him say to us: You do what you just told me to do! Lord, it would take 7 or 8 months’ wages to buy them bread to eat. You see that in v 37;

Then, Jesus does what only he can do. “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” ³⁹ Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. ⁴¹ And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. ⁴² And they all ate and were satisfied.

app.: Here’s another application: get organized. They sat them down in groups… The Compassion of Jesus is demonstrated in how he cares for those he sees as Sheep without a Shepherd. He began to teach them. And he fed them.

One last application before we leave this story: We see something that will begin to repeat itself, and if we’re not careful, it can happen to us, too: The disciples come back from this incredible mission trip, but they quickly lose their sense of awe. They’ve done this sort of stuff when they were out on the mission field – as Jesus had sent them. They saw and did some incredible ministry! Bu now that they’re back home, they’re just casual observers.

t.s.: Father, please don’t let us lose our sense of awe and wonder at your greatness in our midst. Oh, to be more like Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who feeds the hungry and teaches them the Truth. and Oh, to be like Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who cares… as we see in v 30-34; and 45-52 – who cares for his disciples.

II. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, cares for his disciples (30-34; 45-52)

exp.: He’s tried to get them out to a desolate place where they can rest – but there is no rest for the weary. Now that this is done – and the people are satisfied, Jesus puts his disciples in a boat. He puts his men on a boat and tells them to go ahead of him to Bethsaida (rd v45; cf.:53). Now if you’ve been studying this and find a discrepancy in the gospels – I’d say you’re right. I think there is a simple explanation and this is how I see it.

We can only assume that they were to wait for Jesus who was to meet them there. And, Mark doesn’t tell us this, but Matthew and John help us out here, when Jesus didn’t show up at a certain time, they were to make their way in the other direction to Gennesaret. Well, Jesus doesn’t show up, because he’s gone up on a mountain to pray and be alone with his father (46). What must happen then is the disciples then make their way back westward, where they run into Jesus walking on the water. And I love Mark’s take here: rd 48; He meant to pass by them!

ill.: you ever been skiing? That’s me, skiing – tearin’ it up! Is there anything more excruciating to endure than skiing your heart out, only to have a senior adult woman – like in her 80’s pass you up? Hey wait, that’s not a senior adult woman – that’s Lisa. Yeah, she passes me up, too. That’s humbling. That’s when she was passing me by and stopped for a picture! Listen, I’ve been passed up by women in their 80’s; I’ve been passed up by kids who aren’t even in school yet – that were so little I don’t think they could walk, but were better skiers than me. Probably the most humbling experience for me was being passed by a blind man on skis. I’m not kidding. I’m glad we don’t have any pictures of those!

These guys in the boat – they must be having a tough time as they are fighting this headwind. Evidently, it’s easier for Jesus to walk past them, than it is for them to row their boat. Now that has to be embarrassing. Experienced fishermen can’t even row as fast on the water as Jesus can walk on by! But that isn’t their problem – no, they’re afraid because they’re thinking they’re seeing a ghost.

But Jesus, says there in v 49-50: “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” The Hebrew would be, “Take heart; I am he. Do not be afraid.” I am he translated into Hebrew is ani-hu, Say it: ani-hu; now you know some Hebrew. That’s probably, horribly said with a southern drawl. But here is the beauty. This is how God identifies himself. Moses asks, “When they ask me who sent you, who do I say you are? What is your name?” God says, tell ‘em: “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ” ¹⁵ God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

And so it is, Isaiah 41.4

⁴  Who has performed and done this,

calling the generations from the beginning?

       I, the Lord, the first,

and with the last; I am he.

Isaiah 43.10:

¹⁰    “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,

“and my servant whom I have chosen,

       that you may know and believe me

and understand that I am he.

       Before me no god was formed,

nor shall there be any after me.

¹¹    I, I am the Lord,

and besides me there is no savior.

¹²    I declared and saved and proclaimed,

when there was no strange god among you;

and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.

¹³    Also henceforth I am he;

there is none who can deliver from my hand;

I work, and who can turn it back?”

Jesus is saying – it’s ok guys, it’s me, God. ani-hu – Don’t be afraid.

Rd 51a;

app.: Jesus is concerned for his disciples as he desires to teach them more about how to function without him. You see this as he teaches them about the loaves and the fish and this comes out in 51b-52; rd 51b-52; Ok. That verse just doesn’t seem to fit. Does it? But I think Mark is just saying that these guys didn’t get that moment and they didn’t get the loaves and the fish and they’re just not getting it – their hearts are becoming harder toward what Christ is doing.

Christ isn’t just meeting needs! He’s teaching them about who he is! We miss so very much when all we do is give people stuff and wow them with our talent! Our eloquence! Our money! Our facilities!

Don’t lose the wow factor of who Christ is – don’t focus on what he does, focus on who he is!

t.s: Finally, #3

III. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, ministers to the people of the region (53-56)

exp.: rd v 53-56; the Good Shepherd, Jesus – he loves, he cares, he has compassion and tenderness toward those who are lost – like sheep without a shepherd.

app.: His compassion extends throughout the region as many come seeking his help and healing.

It isn’t like they didn’t have religious leaders. To put it in modern-day terms – it ain’t like there’s not a church on every corner!

Conclusion: You know, there is so much for us to learn from Jesus. We want to be like him, but too often we miss just what he’s trying to teach us. For those of you who follow Christ, I would like to encourage you to follow closely. Note:

1. The importance of teaching the gospel to people and not just meeting their needs – although that is important, too. Tell them why you’re doing what you’re doing.
2. And, how about the next time you see a need – how about trying to meet that need instead of telling Jesus what he needs to do to fix that need? Maybe you’ll hear him say – you take care of it!
3. And about hard hearts…man, I worry about my own understanding of circumstances and situations. I worry that my heart might become hard to his leadership – that I won’t get what he’s doing. Maybe your prayer is like mine: Lord, teach me to Trust in you with all my heart, and to not lean on my own understanding. Help to acknowledge you in all my ways and trust that you’re making my paths straight.
4. But listen, if you’re not a believer – a follower of Christ – then I encourage you to place your trust in him today. He is the Good Shepherd and he cares for you infinitely more than you can imagine. His compassion toward you this morning is indescribable. Won’t you trust your life to him? I’ll close with the rest of Psalm 95…     Today, if you hear his voice,

⁸        do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,

as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,

⁹    when your fathers put me to the test

and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.

¹⁰    For forty years I loathed that generation

and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,

and they have not known my ways.”

¹¹    Therefore I swore in my wrath,

“They shall not enter my rest.”

Won’t you enter today… let’s pray.

Mark 4.26-34

Title: A Word of Encouragement

Text: Mark 4.21-34

Introduction: Farmers have always amazed me. I must say Farmers and Ranchers. My grandpa was a farmer – a sharecropper. Mr. Wade owned the property and my grandpa would farm his land. The produce paid his rent, helped him make a living. As far as I know, my grandpa worked the land until he died at the age of 75 in 1978. Farmers are hard working people. They rise early and work all day. I suppose there might be lazy farmers out there, but I’m guessing they don’t remain farmers for very long.

Ill.: If you haven’t seen this video from Cindy, I highly recommend it!

I think it is the work ethic that amazes me. Usually there is always something to be done. When that work is done, attention is put somewhere else. Something needs tending. Something else needs repair. There are errands to run, equipment to maintain, etc. etc. etc.

The life of a farmer is hard. He must work like it all depends on him, but in the end, he must pray like everything depends on God. The farmer has no power or control over the weather. He can’t make it rain; He can’t cool off the hot summer days; he can’t stop a freeze from hitting. He works, He prays, He waits.

I think often times the Christian life compares to the life of a farmer. For sure, the life of a pastor compares. He works the soil of the soul, but he cannot produce a single convert. There are so many adversities he faces – and he has no power or control over them. We both simply work like it all depends on us and pray like it all depends on God.

We’re in Mark 4 this morning and our topic comes from the agricultural theme of planting and harvesting. Mark 4 contains three parables concerning the Kingdom of God. The three parables have the same subject of seeds but are about large harvests. In the 1^st parable, this seed is the Word of God as brought by Jesus, the sower. And, when the seeds are sown, the receptive soil results with large numbers (30, 60, 100-fold). These next two parables deal with the nature of the Kingdom of God and the abundant harvest it yielded. Having covered the 1^st parable already, we’ll cover the next two in this section.

A quick note about triplets: Mark seems to like them. There are three types of soil that are non-receptive and non-productive; and, there are the three results of the fertile soil. There are three parables concerning the seed. In chapter five, there are three miraculous healings. There are more, I’ll leave that for you to research and share with us on Wednesday night.

Our focal passage (4.21-34) is broken down into three parts: Part one has two sayings by Jesus, analogies, if you will (21-25) and we looked at that last week. Parts two and three contain two parables concerning the seed (4.26-34). We’ll look at these together this morning. The two parables are a continuation of what he started up in 4.1. The three parables are the seed being sown, the seed being grown and the results being shown.

In chapter 4 there are two different audiences being addressed in different locations at different times. The chapter moves between the public speaking by the sea to a huge crowd and the smaller, more intimate conversations of Christ with his disciples. By the time we get to the end of the chapter, we’re back to the larger crowd by the sea. (Note v 11, 13, 21, 24 – And he said to them. However, in v 26, it changes).

What we have when we break this passage down is a word of encouragement – an exhortation. The Light of Christ isn’t to be hidden. God himself, will bring the growth and that growth will be exponential in degree.

Transition: We looked last week at the analogies he offers his disciples in v 21 and v 24. The point being made was that… #1:

I. The Light of Christ is not to be hidden. (21-25)

Transition: So this 1^st word of encouragement Jesus shares with his disciples is The Light of Christ is not to be hidden. Now Jesus moves back to the parables. Here, Jesus offers us a 2^nd word of encouragement:

II. God Brings Growth to His Kingdom (26-29)

exp.: read vs. 26-29;

ill.: I’ll never forget traveling to the Shepherd’s Conference in California some years ago and hearing Dr. John MacArthur preach from this text (v26-29). Did you know that this parable is contained in no other gospel? You’ll find it only here in Mark. In the first parable, Jesus spoke of the different types of soil the seed is sown in, among, or upon. That parable taught of the different types of soils and their receptivity to the seed. Here, Christ teaches of the seed and its innate ability to germinate and develop on its own.

The teaching is straightforward and simple: The Word of God (seed) has the ability all on its own to bring about growth and success. The Word of God is powerful and effective. It can accomplish so much on its own. It is the Word that is heard and it, all on it’s own, brings about the change, the growth, and the fruit. Two Truths we learn about the Kingdom’s growth.

Truth #1: There is a mystery to this growth. Only God knows what he is doing.

app.: We’re told a man scatters seed. Then, he works; night and day, he sleeps, he rises, he works, he sleeps, he rises, he works – he goes about his daily life working the soil. The seed sprouts and grows – and the man knows not how. The man sows, he works – but what we learn here is that the results are not up to the man. There is a mystery surrounding the process. The results belong to God. And here we learn a 2^nd Truth.

Truth #2: There is a certainty to this growth.

The 1^st word in v 28 is the Gk word for which we get our English word automatic: αὐτομάτη. Lit.: Automatically the earth (ground) bears fruit.

Herein lies another great teaching moment: It isn’t up to you to make the seed germinate. It isn’t up to you to make it sprout. It isn’t up to you to produce a blade, a stalk, a stem, the grain. Your job is simply to sow the Word, work the soil and let the seed do what seeds do when they’ve been planted in the soil of another’s soul. And v 29 tells us that there will be a harvest: that sown seed will grow and bring about a tremendous harvest. Rd v 29;

I think there is an apocalyptic feel to this verse. V 29 sounds very much like the book of Revelation. Revelation 14.15f: ¹⁵ And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” ¹⁶ So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

I must stop here and say I believe this day is close. I also believe that many who are here will experience this in our lifetime. I know, I know, I must sound foolish to many. A couple of thousand of years have past and it hasn’t happened. This year, Israel celebrated it 71^st birthday! It was in May of 1948 that Israel became a nation…again. After nearly 2000 years of non-existence, Israel came home and declared her independence. I believe our time to do this work is short. And I believe it is going to get harder.

Now, Back to our story: In one sense, yes, this sounds singular. You sow the seed of God into a person’s heart. They hear and all on it’s own, by its own work, the person is saved. The seed reaps fruit. But in another sense, the kingdom of God is sown among a people – and all on it’s own it grows. It starts with a man from Nazareth. He is homeless and simple. He picks a few followers – a rag tag group of men: a zealot, a tax collector, a traitor, a kid, and some fishermen. It grows – and we don’t know how, but it will grow into something tremendous and huge.

t.s.: And that really is the lesson of this last parable in v 30-33; Our 1^st Word of encouragement is: To let the Light of Christ Shine. The 2^nd word of encouragement is to know w/ certainty that God will bring the growth. #3…

III. Growth of the Kingdom will be Exponentially Incomparable (30-33)

Warning: this should be our prayer – Lord, bring this growth exponentially for us! But not for… all of these wrong reasons (so our church gets bigger; so we have the finances to do what we want to do; etc.).

exp.: rd v 30; rd v 31-32; now, there are those who have said the Bible can be disclaimed at this point, the mustard seed, is not the smallest seed in the world. Let me note for you that Christ’s goal here isn’t botany. It isn’t to teach agricultural principles. Christ’s purpose here is to teach on the Kingdom and to illustrate these truths from what the people already know. Here, Christ takes a proverb that was very common to them. He takes them from where they are and what they know to where he wants them to be. That’s what every good teacher does. In their ancient sayings, in one of their own proverbs, they knew of this mustard seed and how small it was compared to the tree it would become. It was in many common gardens. It looks like shaking pepper into your hand. And yet it becomes this tree. Amazing!

I know there are questions here. I will address this issue Wednesday night. I’ll take the time to demonstrate for you why this makes sense outside of our 21^st Century, western philosophy thinking. – But don’t miss the point: a very little seed produces a tremendously huge plant. – We see that for the individual. We see that for the Kingdom.

When Christ came the 1^st time, he taught and preached and healed. It was small at first, but his 2^nd coming will be different by far. He will come in power and glory. One day, people from every tribe, tongue, nation, people group will be gathered around the throne. Myriads upon myriads of people will be worshipping around the throne of God. How small it once was. How magnificent it will be.

Conclusion: What a great word for us today. You may be struggling today in your walk, in your faith. You’ve worked long and hard and it feels like you’re not getting anywhere. It may feel like you’ve failed even. Listen, don’t give up and don’t give in. I’m reminded of how Paul encouraged the Galatian believers:

 ⁷ Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹ And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Therefore, let your light shine before men. Don’t hide it! God will use it to bring growth and an eventual magnificent harvest. Remember what William Carey said: Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.

Mark 4.21-25

Title: Expect Great Things from God; Attempt Great Things for God

Text: Mark 4.21-25

Introduction: It is William Carey who said: Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God. The father of the modern missionary movement was an amazing man. He practiced just what he preached: He expected God to do great things and he attempted to do great things for God.

I’m guessing that William Carey understood the texts we studied last week in John and the call or command to bear fruit and continue the works of Christ. He had a deep comprehension of the symbiotic relationship between obedience to Christ and love for Christ. If you love me you will…

We’re continuing our study in Mark 4 this morning. And, as we look at our text (Mark 4.21-25) we’ll see that same connection: There is something unique in the way we work as if it all depends on us, but God is the one who accomplishes the work.

Mark 4 contains three parables concerning the Kingdom of God. The three parables deal with seed in some context. In the 1^st parable, this seed represents the Word of God as brought by Jesus, the sower. More specifically though, the 1^st parable is about the responses to the Kingdom of God as seen in the soils. These next two parables in verses 26-34 deal with the nature of the Kingdom of God. Having covered the 1^st parable already, we’ll cover the next two next week.

But something interesting happens in the midst of the parables of the seeds: Jesus gives an analogy. You might see it as two, but I think it is one and the same.

You probably see it as the illustration of the lamp and the challenge to ‘measure’ it out to others. But just how do these fit together?

Let’s look a little closer at what Mark is telling us. The beauty of this passage is seen in its original language. V 21 literally reads: The lamp does not come in order that it might be put under the basket. That is odd, isn’t it? The English has been changed in order to make sense to our minds, but it isn’t so in the Gk. A lamp doesn’t come into a room; it is brought into a room. A lamp is simply passive to the will of another.

Ill.: when I arose this morning, I had to turn on the lamp in my living room so that I could see. It didn’t notice me and then turn itself on because it was dark.

 Note, though in our text:

• The lamp isn’t passive. The Lamp is active.
• The lamp has a definite article.

We often run to the conclusion that this means, we’re to let our light shine before men. And that’ll preach for this morning: Go, let your light shine! But I don’t think that is what Jesus is communicating. He’s been saying to them that he is speaking in parables because… look at v 11 “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables… and then he quotes from Isaiah.

But now he talks about a lamp set on a lampstand to give light to everyone. So, what does Jesus mean? He tells us in v 22: ²² For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. I think he is saying that what is hidden for the moment, will be revealed. This message of the Kingdom will be preached boldly.

There is something else here that I find interesting:

1^st, the word measure in verse 24 also appears in v 21. It is the word translated basket or bushel

2^nd, the word measure in v 24 actually appears 3x’s in v 24: with the measure you measure, it will be measured to you. It almost sounds negative: what goes around, comes around, Buddy! He’s not saying you reap what you sow, but rather, He who sows sparingly, reaps sparingly. He who sows abundantly reaps abundantly.

The message of the Kingdom of God – The Gospel will be clearly seen. It will be accepted and received, or it will be rejected and turned away.

Rd v 25; Be responsible with this incredible message you have.

Ill.: When I was a Youth pastor our kids had a skit they would do for whatever activity we were involved in…i.e.: youth camp, revivals, retreats, choir tour, etc. (Demonstrate the skit.)

Application – Moral: love isn’t love unless you give it away. And, if you don’t give it away, you don’t really have it. And these two analogies are teaching us that this message of light is something that isn’t to be hidden, but rather to be shared. If it isn’t shared, it isn’t really light. And, it must be shared in abundance. It matches the 1^st parable. Where it isn’t sown, it isn’t grown; however, we’re commanded to go and sow, in order that we might reap 30, 60, even 100 fold! We’ll look more at the other seed parables next week.

Conclusion: Something interesting has happened over the past few weeks in our studies together in Mark and John: Jesus is going to die. He is going to leave them. He isn’t going to be with them much longer. The work is being passed to them. Parables won’t be needed soon. The disciples will be blunt and direct. This Jesus, whom you killed they will say, has risen from the dead.

You and I have inherited this mission.

Here is where William Carey connects with us because he is preaching to us: Expect great things from God: attempt great things for God. Today, we’ll have an opportunity to mingle with people from our community. They’ll be coming in from all around for the BBQ Fundraiser for TVFD. We’ve distributed 1200 tickets to the children in Bandera and Utopia. We’ll have Bounce Houses and Snow Cone machines and other activities for children. There are so many areas of service, and we need disciples to expect great things from God; and attempt great things for God. You might just exchange hellos and introductions. Or, you may have a chance to plant some seeds. Who knows what God is doing? Let’s pray.

Mark 4.1-20: The Parable of the Sower

Title: The Parable of the Sower

Text: Mark 4.1-20; Isaiah 6.1-13

Introduction: Note – there are two chapters; bookmark them both; Mark 4.1-20; Isaiah 6.1-13

• Mark introduced us to the subject of his book in the 1^st 15 verses of chapter 1. There, we meet Jesus, the Son of God, the promised Messiah.
• Mark then tells us that Jesus calls his first 4 disciples and of his early ministry and the great success he has. By the end of chapter one, Jesus is so popular he can’t even go into a town or village because of the crowds, but his forced out into the desolate areas.
• In chapter two, he calls his 5^th disciple, Levi, and continues his ministry. However, the opposition begins to rear its ugly head by asking questions that imply their disapproval. By chapter 3.6, these religious leaders conspire with their political enemies to destroy Jesus.
• In Chapter three, the opposition becomes public as the religious leaders, and his family members, accuse him falsely. They say he is demon possessed and out of his right mind. His family comes to ‘seize’ him and take him away. But Jesus clarifies for us just who his family is.
• Mark tells us at this stage that Jesus begins to teach in parables. We see this in 3.22f: ²² And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” ²³ And he called them to him and said to them in parables… Our story picks up in Mark 4.1 with the parable of the sower. Jesus is in a boat by the shore – a natural amphitheater. Rd 4.1-2.

If you look out in the crowd you see all kinds of people. I picture too many to draw. However, if you follow closely the Davidic Picture presented in 1 Samuel 22.1-2, there would be about 400 men. Double that for women and children and there are probably 800-1000 people there. But that’s just a guess and totally added in on my part.

So, you see all these people. The religious leaders are there. You can see how they stick out because of their religious garb. They stick out to me because of the look on their faces. In the crowd are the rich and the poor, young and old. They represent all in society who are in need. Money can’t buy what the rich need – so they’ve come, too. They understand the phrase: if money can fix it, it ain’t a problem. There are young men and old; children, teens, young adults, older adults, married, single… They’re all there on the shore. 1 Samuel 22.² And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.

So, there is this crowd and Jesus tells them The Parable of the Sower. Mark has told us that Jesus taught the people with many parables (3.23). We get the idea that there are many more that we don’t know about. Most of you this morning could have volunteered to retell this story for us without using your bible. It is one of the most popular parables in Scripture. Maybe it is so well known because Jesus explains it for us. It is like a key to understanding all parables.

Now, Jesus isn’t just a great storyteller and he is so much more than just another great teacher. He is different than any teacher these people have ever encountered. His stories are not just lessons to amplify a particular moral or ethic. Kim Riddlebarger says: Rather, in Jesus’ parables there are two critical perspectives. On one level (the surface), Jesus speaks of the natural order of things and of daily life in terms quite familiar to the people of that age and that culture. That is why the parables are so effective as a means of communication. We can all understand and relate to what is going on in the story. But on another level (a deeper, spiritual level), Jesus speaks of God’s redemptive purposes in these same parables. Because God is the author of both nature and redemption, these two things fit very easily together. Thus when Jesus calls attention to the one (a certain man . . .), this can easily illumine the other (the kingdom of God). This is why parables are such a profound and powerful way to teach and why those who do not believe that Jesus is the Christ have trouble grasping our Lord’s deeper meaning.

I’ve divided this passage up into its natural sections:

• The Parable of the Sower in 3-9
• The Purpose of Parables in 10-12
• The Explanation of this Parable in 13-20

Transition: let’s begin with a look at the parable itself… rd v 3-9;

I. The Parable of the Sower (3-9)

exp.: Let me highlight a couple of important features of this parable and this section:

1. The parable begins and ends w/ the same word – ἀκούω: Hear ye, Hear ye; Listen! And, Listen!The difference? When he says Listen! He is addressing everyone (2nd per. Pl.). And when he finishes with hear, he is speaking to individuals (3rd per. sg.). Remember this…More on this in a moment… BTW: ‘hear’ is repeated throughout this passage (vv. 3, 9, 15, 16, 18, 20, 23, 24, 33).
2. The same Sower sows the seed. There aren’t different sowers in this story. There is only one. And, as he sows, some seed fell here, some seed fell there, here a seed, there a seed, everywhere a seed, seed.
3. The parable is designed with two sets of three. This isn’t apparent in the English as well as it is in the Greek. This comes out in the fact that the word seed doesn’t really even appear. It is understood in the words: some, other and other. These represent the fruitless soil. What draws our attention to this is the fact that all three of these are singular, not plural. However, in v 8, the word other is plural (hence, other seeds) – which draws our attention to the 2^nd set of three’s: thirtyfold, sixtyfold, a hundredfold.

app.:

1. There is a call for all to listen, but only some can actually hear what is being said.
2. The sower represents one person, not a group of people. You don’t apply this to you and someone else and someone else. One sower.
3. There is only one type of soil where fruit can be produced. The other types of soil are fruitless.

t.s.: v 35, let’s us know that he is still in the boat as he is teaching the other parables. But, v 10 let’s us in on the private world of the disciples that happens at a later time. So, let’s go to the time when they were alone. Rd v 10

II. The Parable’s Purpose (10-12)

exp.: rd v 10 tells us they asked; not just the 12, but the others who are with them; this is quite interesting to me because they appear to be a part of those of whom the mystery is concealed. But, Jesus says…to you. Rd v 11; secret is μυστήριον. The secret has been revealed to you; but, not so for the outsiders. And then something very interesting happens in v 12; Jesus quotes from Isaiah 6. This is a tremendous blessing to us because this gives us context to understand Mark 4. If you’re not familiar w/ Isaiah 6, let me just tell you that it is Isaiah’s calling. He comes to the Temple after the death of the King. I suppose, he is seeking a new king to take over. But what he finds is the one true King of Israel. It is a holy vision.

Look with me in Isaiah 6. He sees God on his throne… I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³ And one called to another and said:

       “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

       the whole earth is full of his glory!”

⁴ And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.

Well, Isaiah is filled with woe – he is overwhelmed with his sin as he sees God in all of his…holiness: for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” The Lord then atones for his sin by sending a seraph with tongs from the altar… ⁷ And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

At this point, Isaiah volunteers to go to the people of Israel with a message from God. And the message is harsh. Rd Isaiah 6.8-10; Flip back to Mark; Rd v 12; ¹² so that

       “they may indeed see but not perceive,

and may indeed hear but not understand,

       lest they should turn and be forgiven.”

This is harsh because in this OT text, God communicates very clearly that He is going to harden them in such a way that they will be blind to seeing and deaf to hearing what Isaiah is saying. The Israelites of the Northern Kingdom will be hardened to the message of God. Isaiah asks how long this will go on and God says until they’re destroyed.  

This is a hard passage for it doesn’t say that God knows this about them, but rather that God hardens their hearts. To be fair, Matthew and Luke soften the language. But do you remember I told you we don’t want to use those guys? I want you to feel Mark’s message. I want to get what Mark is teaching us without the filters of the other Gospels. I want us to look for Mark’s emphasis, his goal, his purpose. And Mark is pretty straight-forward here.

Do you see in v 12 the first two words are so that? In Gk this is called a ἵνα clause. It is a clause of causation. You heard that right: Mark is saying God causes the hardness of heart, the spiritual blindness, the spiritual deafness. And he is quoting Jesus here. This ἵνα clause makes this passage one of the most difficult in the NT, since Jesus is saying that he teaches in parables in order to blind the eyes of those on the outside. Many scholars jump through all kinds of linguistic hoops to soften this statement – to take away the harshness of God’s actions; to remove his sovereignty. This is a good question: why would a loving God intentionally blind the eyes of some people? In order to soften this doctrine, many say that God just allows people the right to choose not to follow or see or hear or obey. The hardness of their heart comes from their own choosing. Makes sense, doesn’t it. It becomes calloused through years of rejection. That’s great. But that isn’t what this verse says.

I wish it did! I wish we could put the blame squarely on the ones who reject the Lord. That’s so much easier to preach and teach!

But, to soften this because it makes me or you uncomfortable would be wrong. That would mean I’m going to see this verse and intentionally change a character trait described of God because I’m afraid of what you’ll think. That is why I want to be very careful here. So, I’m just going to lay this out as it is in Scripture: God is totally in charge here. He is the agent by which all things happen. He is the one creating all of the action. But that still leaves the question of why God would do this unanswered. Let me try to answer that…

I think the answer lies in understanding the context of Isaiah. You see, Isaiah 5 presents the context of a judicial and final pronouncement of coming judgment on Israel. In the story of the vineyard (5:1–7), God is presented as a farmer who has a vineyard. He loved and cared for that vineyard, but it was a fruitless vineyard. Israel, of course is the vineyard and their failure to produce fruit brings judgment from the owner. That judgment is to remove their protection. Hence, Assyria will come and destroy them. God tells Isaiah that he will go to them with this message, but he is also told that his warning to them will fall on deaf ears. They are never going to listen to him.

Jesus is quoting from Isaiah to say that his purpose for teaching in parables is to blind the eyes and make deaf the ears of those who are on the “outside” – those who are identified in chapter three as having rejected Christ. The negative function of this parable must be understood within the narrative context of Isaiah.

So, in keeping with the context of Mark and Isaiah, we see that Jesus is describing a judgment that is coming and these people’s hearts will be hardened. They will be like the Israelites who… seeing see, but never perceive and hearing hear but never understanding.  

app.: Do you remember I told you that the 1^st and last word of the parable is ‘Hear’? And I told you that the 1^st word hear is to the crowd, but the last word hear is to individuals? That’s where this comes into play. So, when you put this all together now, it makes more sense:

• 1^st and last word – to everyone, but only certain insiders will see and hear.
• Insiders and outsiders, a clear delineation of the two groups.
• A quote from Isaiah declaring this to be so.

t.s.: Now with this in mind, he explains the parable to the group.

III. The Parable Explained (13-20)

exp.: rd 13f; The Sower sows the Word of God – that’s Jesus. I think the Sower can only be Jesus in this context. In the previous chapters of Mark, he is the one who has been sowing the seed – the Word of God. And, there are various receptions to his teaching of God’s word. rd v 15; We’ve seen the work of Satan already in Mark. The Demons, who Jesus instructs to keep his identity quiet:

• In 1.13 where he tempts Christ out in the wilderness;
• in 3.23 where the religious leaders accuse Jesus of being one of Satan’s cohorts. I think this group is represented by the religious leaders – probably not them alone, but they are included here for sure.  

exp.: rd v 16-17; I would think that these are represented here (that is, at this place, too); these are the people who’ve come out to have a need met – to be healed or fed, and then, face persecution from the 1^st group – the religious leaders; then, they fall away.

Rd v 18-19; this would be more of the same; people who come to Jesus and use him to meet a need, only to return to their life of lush when they get back to the real world and what they experienced gets chocked out.

This parable had me thinking this week: how many times have I used Jesus for my own needs? A healing; A need? How many times have I used Him selfishly – only to retreat back into the world once my selfishness had been slaked?

I’m guessing you’ve probably been taught to understand this parable with the following explanation:

• The sower is an evangelist – you, a preacher, someone who shares Christ.
• The Seed is the gospel
• The different soils represent the different types of people:
  • Hard hearts represented by the heavily trodden path. It just never really takes root
  • Weak roots among the rocky soil represent people who accept Christ with words, but quickly fall away.
  • Those sown among the thorns are those who fall back with their old crowds and their faith gets chocked out.
  • The last group is the real Christian – and they produces fruit as evidence that they’ve been saved.

I think you’ll find this to be true: There are those who never accept the gospel because their hearts are hard. And, there are those who do accept Christ with their words, but quickly fall away. Others who start this journey but fall back into the world. But, I’m not so sure that is what Christ is saying to these disciples. Or, to us!

You have to be careful and not take your framework and place it over the Scripture/Teaching and draw out those things you know through experience. Are you following me, here? Every one of us has a framework and we have a tendency to place it over our text (whatever text we’re reading/studying) and draw our conclusions from there.

I think he’s telling them a parable about the current situation of Mark chapter 4, in light of chapters 1-3.

Conclusion:

app.: In light of what is being taught here, I think this would be a great way to apply this message to us:

• As a Christian, where is our heart hardened toward the word Christ speaks to us? Examples…
• Where do we find our lives rooted in such a shallow way that we have no depth in Christ? The boulders of this world prevent us from digging our roots down deep. Ex.: I think of when I was younger and bold and loud. I remember being a John the Baptist personality, until persecution hit. Then I ran like Peter.
• And what about those of us who allow so many things of the world to choke out the word of God – the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things? We boldly live for Jesus until tragedy strikes – then we blame God for the trouble in our lives. The pursuit of that raise, that promotion steals our time with him.
• Maybe we need to do some work on our hearts – removing the rocks, pulling the weeds, tilling the soil and preparing ourselves to accept the Word of God. What a great illustration, because we all know how hard it is to do that work.

Mark 2.1-3.6

Title: Q & A

Text: Mark 2.13-3.6

Introduction: For our guests, let me give a general overview of how we got to our text for today. Chapter one begins (1-15) with a declaration of who Christ is (The Son of God) and then presents the beginning of his ministry. His popularity explodes as he preaches, teaches and heals those who come to see him and eventually forces him to the desolate places because he can no longer enter into the towns and villages. And yet, the people still come out to him.

      In Chapter two we have five conspiracy/conflict stories. We’ll look at them all today. This section reaches its climax with the religious leaders plotting Christ’s death in 3.6.

      Chapter three is a set of stories that contrast Jesus’ new family of believers against his biological family that has rejected his claims. Jesus will pick his 12 disciples and his band of followers grows. His brothers, sisters and mom will come to get him – thinking he’s mad. This section will show them in direct contrast to his new family.

      So, let’s look at our passage today (2.1-3.6) In our text today, we find five conspiracy/conflict stories. Here’s how they’re broken up:

The 1^st conflict is in v 1-12 where the religious leaders can’t believe their ears when Jesus declares a man’s sins are forgiven him. Who does this man think he is? God? We looked closely at that passage last week and will only refer to it in passing.

The 2^nd conflict begins with the calling of Levi (Matthew), a Tax Collector. His calling inclines him to celebrate and invite all of his friends, both old and new (13-17). The religious leaders are a bit disturbed that this religious man, Jesus, eats and drinks with such sinners – outcasts. Their questioning is loud enough that Jesus hears.

In the next section (18-22) the religious leaders question Jesus as to why his disciples don’t fast, while their disciples and the disciples of John fast. He then gives them three analogies to identify his presence as the fulfillment of God’s promised salvation. What he’s communicating is that his coming isn’t just something that will reform Judaism, but will radically transform it into something new. In other words, Jesus didn’ t come to put a patch on Judaism, but to bring something new!

The last two sections (23-28; 1-6) deal with the Sabbath. I want to mention them, because they are a large part of this whole section, but I plan to cover them next week. In these two stories, Jesus teaches that the Sabbath was created for the man and not vise versa. The way Jesus confronts their hard hearts only hardens them more and more and then moves them to plot for his destruction. For me, what is most interesting to note is that their actions answer his question (3.4): Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” He chooses to save a life; however, the Religious leaders will choose to take a life – and it is here that they begin to plot and plan for his destruction.

Pause: I understand why preachers limit their texts to small groups of Scripture. There is way too much information to cover in such a large section for digging deep. My intention is to show you the genius, the organization and purpose behind Mark’s work. The question is: What is Mark doing in this passage. Are these stories meant to stand alone, or is he telling a larger story in them. Well, obviously, I think there is a larger story within the groups.

I’d love to just focus on 2.13-17 for 30 minutes. There are three great points:

1. The Calling of Matthew (13-14)
2. The Celebration of this Calling (15)
3. The Confrontation with the Religious leaders (16-17)

Added to this, each of these stories stands alone with wonderful application. But let’s pull away from them and take a bird’s eye view. Each is a destination on a map, like a town or a city. Instead of searching each city out, I’d like to look at the longer journey. So, what is Mark doing? What is he trying to communicate?

To answer this question, I’d like to highlight a couple of actions on the part of Mark. I’ve divided each section into two main parts: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

1. Questions
2. Answers

Let’s begin w/ the questions.

I. The Questions (7, 16, 18, 24, 3.2,4)

exp.: In each smaller story, the religious leaders are found questioning Jesus and his practices:

1. ⁷“Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
2. ¹⁶ “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
3. ¹⁸“Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
4. ²⁴“Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” …going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.
5. ^3.2they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And then Jesus asks the question in v4.

Take note of a couple of these stories:

• Do you notice that the three internal stories all deal with eating?

ill.: Mark Horne, in his book, The Victory According to Mark, makes note that eating socially was an important part of Israel’s history. The people practice it because it is a practice of God. Three times in the Law, Israel was commanded to celebrate with eating and drinking. We see this in Nehemiah when the people began to mourn sorrowfully for their actions. They saw their failure to keep God’s Law; however, the leadership noted the date according to the Jewish calendar and declared a celebration because God had commanded it. And celebrate they did!

Consider: Have you thought about this eating and drinking with sinners? For the most part, the church has pulled away from the world and we have isolated ourselves. We’ve created cliques and clubs to keep ourselves from having to ‘fellowship’ with tax collectors and sinners. We’ve really missed our calling in this. I’m not saying go be tainted by the world. However, I am wondering how we can be salt in light if we never go to where lost people are. It’s like that old song: I’ve got to start carrying water to the desert and stop this hauling water to the sea!

Paul confronted Peter in front of all their friends because he was behaving like Jesus – eating and drinking with Gentiles. But then, when he was around his Jewish friends, he stopped and withdrew from the Gentiles. Paul basically called him a hypocrite and rebuked him publicly (Gal. 2.11ff)

Later in Paul’s ministry, he sees that the church in Corinth was getting this all mixed up, too. Paul also encourages the church at Corinth to stop eating and drinking with Christians who were living in sin, but not to stop fellowshipping with those who were lost. In 1 Cor 5.9-13

⁹ I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— ¹⁰ not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. ¹¹ But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. ¹² For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? ¹³ God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

app.: Somehow, we’ve got it backward through the years. The church is supposed to keep itself pure. We have an identity to protect before the world. We’re to be distinct. But in doing so, we’ve pulled away from the world – the very place we’re supposed to be salt and light. Here’s what I mean:

• We’ll have a women’s fellowship and invite a lost woman to come… (Rachel Janokvic)
• We’ll have a men’s fellowship – a beast feast – a wild game cook-off and invite lost men
• We’ll have youth fellowships – bring in a big name, cool, youthful looking guest speaker; we’ll bring in a band that appeals to the younger generation and then ask the teens to invite a lost youth with the hopes that they’ll hear the gospel and get saved.

These have become the practice. And, they can be effective. Yes, people do get saved in such programs and activities. But, nowhere do we see Jesus pulling the disciples together and saying: Hey guys, we’re going to have a large fellowship. We’re going to go fishing and catch a bunch of fish and have a big fish fry. You invite a lost friend to come along and I’ll share the gospel with them after we’ve eaten.

That story isn’t in the Bible. And if you hear Paul, he says don’t fellowship with the hypocrite – the person who claims the name of Christ and lives like hell. But instead, we are to hang out with lost people. We don’t judge them. We win them over by our lifestyle. We are to be salt and light in their worlds.

Christ and his followers are eating and drinking with the lost so much, it sparks another question from the religious leaders: Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast? And I love this question at the end of the chapter: why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath? That is by plucking heads of grain and eating them as they walk through the field.

Breaking the Sabbath is bad (4^th Commandment). No doubt. So, we have to look closer to see if the accusation is correct. Actually, it isn’t. Jesus is leading his men to do exactly what was commanded in Deut. 23.24-25: ²⁴ “If you go into your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes, as many as you wish, but you shall not put any in your bag. ²⁵ If you go into your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor’s standing grain.

Where do these guys then get this ‘law’? – that what the disciples are doing is unlawful? Are you ready for this? They made it up. The Law states that no one is to reap a harvest on the Sabbath. The Pharisees are the ones who defined what reaping was. From what I can gather, the Mishnah has outlined 39 separate violations for reaping – and this is the infraction, to which they’re referring. They started with a desire to keep the Sabbath day holy, but somehow turned it into a long list of do’s and don’ts. And then, they become the judges for these violations.

Jesus responds to these guys by reminding them of a story – a story about David. I’ll cover this story next week, but for now, let me just clarify that what Christ tells them in effect is that ‘their’ laws have become…in the words of William Lane…unduly stringent and exceed the intention of the Law.

That sounds like us as Baptists. We have God’s Word, but we add so much to it that we become ineffective at reaching the lost. Instead of going out to them, we invite them here – to our purified gatherings so that they might get saved.

Here’s my fear: I wonder if as Baptists, we’re more like the Pharisees than we are Jesus and the disciples. Have we put up such strict guidelines and rules that we’re no longer effective in our witness? The only effective way as we now see it, is to invite people here with the hopes of them getting saved, when all along Mark is teaching us to go out into the fields. He is calling us to go eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners.

 …You know who these people are. They’re our neighbors and co-workers. They’re our family members who feel more judged than loved.

In our story this morning, these guys – the Pharisees, are asking questions because Jesus isn’t following their guidelines.

App.: Are the rules you’ve structured for your life from God’s Word or are they traditions that have simply been passed along? (Pause) Think about this: as Baptist, we couldn’t participate in three of the main festivals in the Old Testament. Not because of the Bible, but because of our traditions.

t.s.: Note 1^st the questions in each smaller story. Note 2^nd, the answers Jesus gives.

II. The Responses (10, 17, 20, 25, 28)

exp.: It is also interesting to note the different titles Jesus ascribes or alludes to himself throughout chapter two:

1. Son of Man (10),
2. Physician (17),
3. Bridegroom (20),
4. David (25), and
5. Son of Man again (28).

exp.: it would be fun to isolate each of these and do in depth research as to where these terms come from – I’d like to look at this a little deeper on Wednesday night, during our WEBS. For now, let me give a summation: Jesus is saying to these leaders, in response to their questions, that he has the authority to do these things because he is the Promised One of God.

We spoke of references to the Son of Man from Daniel last week. Jesus is clearly communicating his understanding that he is the promised Messiah of God. And, as the Messiah, he has been given the authority to heal and forgive. It looks at first like they’re just not getting this. But according to 3.6, I think they just might be. And for the way his family will respond in chapter 3 – they think he is out of his mind – folks must be coming to an understanding that Jesus is making this outrageous claim.

And, added to this outrageousness, for Jesus to call the unrighteous and not the righteous is offensive to the religious leaders (v 17). They would have a big problem that he isn’t submitting to them and that the people, their people are chasing after him.

Kim Riddlebarger (in reference to v17): Jesus is using the term “righteous” in a rhetorical sense–those who think themselves to be righteous and therefore unable to consider the fact that they needed to humble themselves before God, acknowledge that they are sinners, and then obey Jesus’ summons to repent and believe. In other words, Jesus is saying that he did not come to call the “self-righteous,” or those who think of themselves as better off than the sinners.

This is precisely the point Jesus makes in Luke 18:9-14.⁹ He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: ¹⁰ “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ ¹³ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Pharisees and scribes were mad that Jesus didn’t submit to them and they were jealous of the crowds that followed Jesus.

We’ve already discussed how eating and drinking and celebrating with sinners was what God did. It was characteristic of him in the OT. The very fact that Israel’s Messiah would sit and eat with sinners points us back to the OT and ahead to the end of the age where the marriage supper of the lamb takes place (Revelation 19:9). In a very real sense, when we take communion, we do so at his table.

His reference to being the Bridegroom is even more blatant. The presence of the Messiah is to be celebrated. When Jesus talks about patches and wineskins, he is saying that he has not come to simply patch up Judaism, but has come to usher in the Kingdom of God – a new creation.

These last two stories deal with the Sabbath. Again, I want to focus on these two passages next week as I talk about the Sabbath and the Sabbath rest. For now, let me just clarify that Jesus is declaring his authority over the Sabbath and his great displeasure with the religious leaders for making the Sabbath something God never intended it to be.

Conclusion: I’ve been watching a lot of Jordan Peterson’s videos this week. I’m pretty much always amazed at smart people. I saw a video where Dr. Peterson spoke of the church and the problem the church has when it makes claims of Christ and to be like Christ, but then she (the church) isn’t anything like Him. So many people walking away from the faith or tainting it by getting caught in adultery or mismanagement of funds, etc.

(Pause)

I’ve been reminded that we all are sinful and prone to chase after fruitless things. I’m reminded that leaders aren’t perfect. And neither are church members. That’s why we need each other – to encourage and exhort each other every day! And our stories this morning remind us that failure isn’t just for those whose morals are loose, but for anyone who breathes and has a heartbeat – and even the most legalistic. Failure attacks the liberal and the fundamentalist, the moderate and the conservative alike.

So in light of our struggles, we must ask ourselves:

1. Are we living by man-made traditions or Biblical mandates?
   1. Holding on to traditions over mandates is sinful and makes one no different than the Pharisee.
   1. The scary thing about traditions, is that they are so valued, one confuses it w/ commands.
2. Are we practicing our evangelism the way Christ did and commanded of us? Or, are we adopting the latest new way to evangelize?
   1. Are we unattractive to the world because they see us as a bunch of hypocrites? Do we expect lost folks to come here to hear the gospel? There must be a way to love the people of the world and not condone sinful behavior. For me, in some instances – it is very clear what I am comfortable with and what bothers me. But, in others, I’m not sure.
3. If Jesus came to Tarpley, would he hang out with us? Or, would we be critical of him because he’s hanging out with people – people we would never be seen with? Would we be mad at him because he didn’t come to our church?

Let’s Pray?