Emory Baptist Church

The Oxymoron of All Oxymoron's...

In the recent Sunday’s we have seen five acts of Jesus that caused Him to be at odds and in conflict with the Jewish Religious Leaders of His day.

 

First, Jesus forgave the paralytic’s sins, and the scribes and Pharisees accused him of blasphemy, which was punishable by death.

 

Second, Jesus called Matthew to be one of his disciples and then joined the party in his home with the scum of Capernaum.

 

Third, Jesus and His disciples didn’t fast when the Pharisees and their disciples fasted.

 

Fourth, Jesus and His disciples picked grain on the Sabbath to eat because they were hungry and were accused of breaking the laws of the Sabbath.

 

Fifth, Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath restoring his withered hand.

 

I start with these acts to set the stage for this text’s oxymoron of all oxymoron’s.  What is an oxymoron?  It is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms are used together.  Here are some examples: jumbo shrimp, civil war, and only choice. 

 

Believe it or not, the Bible contains oxymoronic ideas or thinking.  For example, does salvation include grace or works?  Yes.  Are you saved by predestination or man’s choice?  Yes. 

 

However, the oxymoron of all oxymoron’s is this.  Was Jesus a man or God?  Yes.  He was fully man and fully God.  He was the God-man.  God and man are contradictory and mutually exclusive terms that come together in Jesus.

 

The main purpose of today’s text is to summarize Jesus earthly ministry up until now in Mark’s gospel.  However, the truth of Him being fully God and fully man also has great application for us this morning.

 

 

1. The Charisma of Jesus, Mark 3:7-8

7 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea 8 and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.

 

Remember that we ended last week in Mark 3:6 with the Pharisees, the Jewish Religious Leaders of the day, plotting to end Jesus’ life.  Consequently, He withdrew with His disciples from Capernaum and to the Sea of Galilee.

 

However, they were not alone.  On two occasions in these two verses, you will see the phrase “great multitude.”  This could have been thousands of people that were informally drawn to people because of Jesus charisma.  In many respects, Jesus had a very winsome personality, and people were drawn to Him. 

 

Notice also the vast regions of people that followed Jesus.  They were from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan.  They were also from Tyre and Sidon. 

 

In other words, people from south of Galilee and from north of Galilee followed Jesus. Again, this is informally.  They weren’t following Jesus because they had surrendered their lives to Him.  They were following Him because of His Charisma, but also because of His curing.

 

 

2. The Curing of Jesus, Mark 3:9-10

9 So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. 10 For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.

 

When I say the curing of Jesus, do I mean that Jesus sick and was cured?  No, Jesus was the one who did the curing or healing.

 

However, notice this unique fact that only Mark includes and not Matthew or Jesus.  The multitudes were so big and so volatile that Jesus lined up a “get a away car” for lack of a better term. 

 

This people didn’t just want to hear Jesus, they wanted to touch Jesus, and there was the possibility of crushing Him.  That is what verse nine says.  Therefore, Jesus told His disciples to keep a boat ready so that He could get away if the situation got out of control, and it would have been really easy for Peter or Andrew or James or John to do just that. 

 

Verse ten says that He healed many.  Again, the great multitude of people weren’t just wanting to hear from Jesus, they wanted to touch Him, and Matthew 12:15 tells us that Jesus healed them all.

 

Matthew 12:15, 15 But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.

 

 

3. The Concern of Jesus, Mark 3:11-12

11 And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.” 12 But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

 

Not only included in the multitudes were sick individuals, but there was also satanic individuals or the demon possessed.  Verse eleven says the unclean spirits fell down at Jesus’ feet and cried out who Jesus was, and they were right.

 

However, notice Jesus’ response in verse 12.  He warned them that they should not make Him known.  Why not?

 

There are several possibilities.   First, He didn’t want to invite more opposition.  People were already out to murder Him.  Second, He never had a desire to be a rock star or a three-ring circus.  He wanted to save lives.  He wanted to heal hurts. He wasn’t looking for fame.

 

However, the most likely reason for Jesus’ actions is that the timing wasn’t right.  Jesus lived His life on His Father’s time table, and He was always aware of it.   See John 7:6.

 

John 7:6, 6 Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come.”

 

 

Conclusion and Applications

As we started this morning, you need to know without a shadow of doubt regardless of what you mind may tell, Jesus is both God and man.

 

He is fully man.  We know that from this text because He felt the pressures of people, a lot of people.  He also felt the pressure to perform. 

 

And so do we.  We go and go and go and go.  We feel the pressures of family and work and friends and school and teams.  We feel the pressure to perform.  We live in this glass bowl world of social media, and we feel the pressure to be the next internet sensation whatever that may mean. 

 

But what did Jesus do?  He had a plan to get away, and Luke 6:12 is very revealing. 

 

Luke 6:12, 12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

 

This text is Luke’s version of what Jesus did after feeling the pressure of the Pharisees. 

 

Brother and Sisters, when the going gets tough, take time to step away and commune with God.  Jesus knows your pressures and has felt similar pressures and offers for us a great picture.  Be willing to step away and rest and commune with God.

 

Not only was Jesus fully man, but He was fully God.  The demons knew that.  Their statement was right, and it is only through Jesus that you can be at peace this morning with God.  See Romans 5:1.

 

Romans 5:1, Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Can You Do That on the Sabbath?

Legalism

• Let me begin this morning by reminding you of what legalism is and of the kinds of legalism. Legalism is a belief system or mindset that has application in both salvation and sanctification. 
• There was a legalism of Acts 15 regarding salvation that said for a person to be saved, he need not only to know Christ as Lord and Savior but also to be circumcised. That is legalism.  When you add anything to the gospel of Jesus Christ, that is legalism.  Jesus doesn’t need any help in saving anyone.  Therefore, the good news of the gospel is that Jesus plus nothing saves…not circumcision, not baptism, not church membership.
• Another type of legalism is regarding sanctification. Sanctification is the process of being made holy like Jesus.  In our not so distant past, many Baptists were guilty of legalism when we said that a Christian who danced or played cards was sinning and not holy.  This same legalism also said a good Christian woman should not wear make-up or pants.  It was sinful.  That is legalism.  The same legalism says that the only acceptable Bible translation is the KJV.  That is legalism. 
• The reason this is legalism is evil is because it puts man’s preferences on the same authority level as Scripture. It adds to Scripture. 
• Last week, I asked Chris if anyone had said anything to him about not wearing a tie on Sunday mornings. He said, “No.”  I was so thankful to hear that because to question his ability to lead worship because he doesn’t wear a tie is legalism and should have no part at EBC.
• This morning in Mark 2 and 3, we find Jesus encountering some legalists, and this legalism relates to sanctification and the issue of the Sabbath.

 

Sabbath

• Remember what the Sabbath is. It literally means to cease from activity.  It means to rest.
• In the OT, the Sabbath was sundown Friday night until sundown on Saturday night. However, remember that in the NT, Paul told the Colossian Church not to be legalistic in when you observe your Sabbath as long as you do observe it.  See Colossians 2:16.
• Colossians 2:16, 16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths.
• The Sabbath was created by God in Genesis 2:1-3 and was created for our benefit. The Sabbath was created for us.  We were not created for the Sabbath.
• Genesis 2:1-3, Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
• In Exodus 20:8-11, God gave Israel a command to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. Consequently, there are also passages of Scriptures in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy that tell us what to do and not to on the Sabbath.
• Exodus 20:8-11, 8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
• However, the Pharisees added to this list and put their interpretation of the Law on the same authority level as the Law itself.
• The primary prohibition regarding the Sabbath was not to work but to rest. See Exodus 23:12, Exodus 31:12-17, and Exodus 35:1-3.
• Exodus 23:12, 12 Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed.
• Exodus 31:12-17, 12 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. 14 You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’”
• Exodus 35:1-3, Then Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said to them, “These are the words which the Lord has commanded you to do: 2 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3 You shall kindle no fire throughout your dwellings on the Sabbath day.”

 

 

Scene 1: Involves Meeting Necessity on the Sabbath, Mark 2:23-28.

 

In this first scene, Jesus and His disciples were walking through a grain field on the Sabbath, and because they were hungry, they picked some grain and ate it.  Mark doesn’t include that fact, but Matthew did in 12:1.

The necessity here was hunger.  The disciples were hungry so they ate.  However, when the Pharisees saw this, they interpreted this as work.  This would be no different than picking up a pecan and shelling it and eating it.  Because the Pharisees saw this as work, they indicted Jesus and His disciples as violating the Sabbath by working.

 

Exodus 34:21 said this activity was illegal.

 

Exodus 34:21, 21 “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest.

 

However, the Pharisees seem to have forgotten about Deuteronomy 23:25.

 

Deuteronomy 23:25, 25 When you come into your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the heads with your hand, but you shall not use a sickle on your neighbor’s standing grain.

 

To justify His actions, Jesus took the Pharisees back to the Scriptures and referenced an event with David and his men.  This took place in 1 Samuel 21:1-6.  They were fleeing from King Saul.  While close to the temple, they were hungry, but the only thing to eat was showbread reserved for the priest.  However, the priest gave the bread to David and his men and didn’t condemn them.

 

1 Samuel 21:1-6, Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was afraid when he met David, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one is with you?”  2 So David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has ordered me on some business, and said to me, ‘Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or what I have commanded you.’ And I have directed my young men to such and such a place. 3 Now therefore, what have you on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever can be found.”  4 And the priest answered David and said, “There is no common bread on hand; but there is holy bread, if the young men have at least kept themselves from women.”  5 Then David answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us about three days since I came out. And the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in effect common, even though it was consecrated in the vessel this day.”  6 So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread which had been taken from before the Lord, in order to put hot bread in its place on the day when it was taken away.

 

The first scene ends with a summary statement in verses 27 and 28 that struck at the heart of the Pharisees’ legalism.  Jesus said the Sabbath was made for rest.  It was not made so as to keep 1000 different nit-picking rules. 

 

Furthermore, the Son of Man, another name for the Messiah, is the one that can decide what is acceptable and not acceptable for the Sabbath.  Therefore, what was Jesus doing?  Who was He saying was the Son of Man?

 

 

Scene 2: Involves Ministering Mercy on the Sabbath, Mark 3:1-6.

 

Scene 2 also happened on the Sabbath and in the synagogue.  Verse 1 says there was a man with a withered hand.  This wasn’t a life-threatening situation, but it was a man in need.  He was a man who needed mercy.

 

Verse 2 says they watched Him closely.  Who was they?  It was the Pharisees.  Here is how you can know if you’re a legalist…if you are watching others closely to see if they mess up rather than making sure you’re not messing up.  Notice they were trying to accuse Him or trap Him. 

 

As He often did, Jesus answered the question they were thinking with a question of his own.  Verse 4 says, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?”

 

They didn’t answer, and their silence made Jesus mad because their silence indicated their hardness of heart.  They were neglecting the spirit of the entire Law which was to love your neighbor as yourself. 

 

Jesus believed it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath, and in verse 5, He did just that by restoring this man’s hand.  He was healed. 

 

 

Conclusions

1. Jesus is God. He is the Son of the Man, the promised Messiah, as He said in verse 28, and He performed an act of God in verse 5.  Mark was intentional in following up Jesus’ invitation to come to Him and get rest with these Sabbath controversies.  You will never have ultimate rest in this life apart from a personal relationship with Jesus, God’s Son.  Will you come to Him today?
2. Legalism is of the devil. The reason I say it is of the devil is because it adds to God’s Word.  Whether you are requiring more than faith in Jesus to be saved or requiring more than what the Bible says to be sanctified, that is legalism.  You can have preferences.  Everyone does, but don’t put your preferences for appearance or music or anything else on the same authority level as Scripture. 
3. The Sabbath is for your good. Learn to rest workaholic husbands and dads.  Learn to rest busybody wives and moms.  How arrogant are you to think the world can’t continue to turn without you for one day!  God made the Sabbath for your good.  Don’t think you know better than God.  And, if you don’t rest, when God tells you to rest, He may cause you to rest by allowing your health to deteriorate so that you cannot work.

 

 

New Wine for Any Who Are Thirsty...

You have probably heard in a sermon or a Bible study that there is a big difference between religion and Christianity.  If you have, that is correct. 

 

However, many of you might be thinking, “I thought Christianity was a religion.”  In a sociological sense, yes, it is, but in another regard, Christianity is not a religion in any way, shape, form or fashion.

 

Consider these differences.  Religion is all about works.  Christianity is all about grace.

 

Religion is about what man can do in seeking out God.  Christianity is about what Jesus has done on man’s behalf.

 

Religion is external. Christianity is internal.

 

Religion offers zero security and or peace of mind because it is all about man’s performance.  Christianity offers 100% security of the believer in the work of Jesus.

 

Religion is about dead men.  Christianity is about a living God.

 

Today’s text is contrasting Christianity with Judaism. 

 

 

I.                  A Cynical Interrogation, 2:18

18 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 

 

John’s disciples and the Pharisees and their disciples were fasting.  The only required fast according to OT was on the Day of Atonement.  See Leviticus 16:24.

 

Leviticus 16:24, 24 And he shall wash his body with water in a holy place, put on his garments, come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.

 

However, the Pharisees had created their own tradition of voluntary fasting twice a week, Monday and Thursday.  This was supposed to be an indicator of their increased spiritual maturity. 

 

On the other hand, as evidenced by Jesus and his disciples feasting at Matthew’s house, His disciples did not fast, and the cynics asked Jesus why not.  The implication was that Jesus’ disciples were less spiritual and less godly because they didn’t fast.

 

 

II.               A Sincere Explanation, 2:19-20

19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.

 

In verses 19-20, Jesus answered the cynics with an honest, a sincere explanation about fasting.

 

At a wedding ceremony, the friends don’t fast when the bridegroom is present.  Why not?  The wedding ceremony was a time of joy and celebration not sorrow.  It was not a time for the friends to be sorrowful with the bridegroom still present.

 

However, there would come a time when the bridegroom was forcefully taken away.  This is a prophecy of Jesus fulfilled when He was arrested and persecuted and crucified.

 

In case it isn’t clear, Jesus is the bridegroom.  If Jesus is the bridegroom, and the church is the bride, and we are awaiting His return, the natural disposition of every Christian should be joy!

 

If you say, “Yes, that’s me,” make sure to tell you face because some of you have the natural disposition of being weaned on a dill pickle. 

 

 

III.           A Sewing and Skins Illustration, 2:21-22

21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”

 

Today’s text ends with two parables.  The first is about sewing, and the second is about skins or wineskins. 

 

In verse 21, you don’t sew a new, unshrunk patch on an old piece of clothing.  Why not?  The new patch has not been washed and has not shrunk.  If it is sewn to an old patch, when it is washed, it will shrink pulling away at the seem resulting in a worse tear.

 

In verse 22, you don’t put new wine into old wineskins.  Goats were skinned and tanned and used to store wine.  When new wine or juice ferments, it expands.  Old wineskins are stretched out and become brittle.  If you put new wine into old wineskins, when the new wine ferments and expands, the old wineskin will burst.  The wine and wineskins will be lost.  Only put new wine into new wineskins.

 

 

Conclusion

What in the world does all of this mean for us?  How does this text contrast Christianity and Judaism? 

 

In these parables, the unshrunk or new cloth is Jesus.  The old garment is Judaism. 

 

Jesus is the new wine, and Christianity is the new wineskins.  Judaism is the old wineskins.   

 

Here’s the point of today’s text.  Jesus didn’t come to reform or remake or improve Judaism. 

 

He came to make peace with God and eternal life possible for those who receive Him as Lord and Savior.  He wasn’t reorganizing a religion.  He was beginning or originating Christianity. 

 

Turn to one last text.  See 2 Corinthians 5:17. 

 

2 Corinthians 5:17, 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

 

In Christ, you are a new creature.  The old things are gone.  Old words should be gone.  Old thoughts should be gone.  Old habits should be gone.  Old relationships should be gone. 

 

All things have become new.  We should have new words and new thoughts and new habits and new friends, and our prevailing demeanor and countenance should be joy and not sorrow.

 

If you haven’t drunk the new wine of Christ, I invite you to do so today.

 

Jerry and Ashley Miller are great examples of joy and not sorrow.

Dirty Dining

In 1987, a romance movie called “Dirty Dancing” starred relatively unknowns at that time Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.  Jennifer or Baby became attracted to Swayze or Johnny and his “dirty dancing.”  This was dancing that was up close and personal.  It was not the stiff and formal style of dancing that people from older generations were accustomed to doing.

 

The film ends with the formal ballroom at the resort being essentially transformed into a nightclub where the snobby, upper-class patrons and the working-class kids bring together all their own styles of dance, proving that dance and music and above all love do not know social barriers.

 

Here in Mark 2, Jesus proved that Christianity and especially sharing the Gospel should also not know any social barriers when it comes to lost people.  Jesus was not guilty of dirty dancing but dirty dining.  Allow me to make three observations for us.

 

 

1. An Awful Crook, Mark 2:13-14

13 Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. 14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.”

In verse 13, we see that Jesus went out again from Peter’s house in Capernaum along the Sea of Galilee.  Because word was getting out quickly about removing demons and authoritative teaching and healing the paralytic and many others, multitudes of people came to Him, and Jesus took advantage of their presence in that He taught them.

 

By the way, did you know with your life, you are always teaching something to someone.  Are you teaching gratitude or ingratitude?  Are you teaching surrender to Jesus or rebellion to Jesus?  Are you teaching there will be a judgement or there is no such thing as heaven or hell?  Are you teaching trust in God or trust in self?  We are always teaching. 

 

In verse 14, we are introduced to Levi or Matthew.  Matthew was an awful crook.  He was a tax collector or a publican.  Matthew was a Jew who had purchased a tax franchise from the Roman government and Herod Antipas.  He then would tax his fellow countrymen on their possessions such as wheat and wine and oil.  However, he would also charge them as they traveled between Damascus and the Mediterranean Sea, and anything he collected above what Rome required was his to keep.  He was despised and shamed because he was seen as a traitor.  Matthew and men like him became very wealthy at the expense of his own people.

 

Matthew was Jew who acted like a Gentile but who surrendered his life completely to Jesus.  Luke 5:28 says that Matthew left all and followed Jesus.  He left his job.  He left his money.  He left his comfortable future in saying yes to Jesus.

 

 

2. An Attractive Christ, Mark 2:15-16

15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” 

 

In verse 15, virtually no time had passed, and we know see Saint Matthew, and he is serious about witnessing.  He wanted all of his friends and associates to experience the same thing that happened to him.  He wanted all of his friends to follow Jesus too. 

 

So what did he do?  Luke says that Matthew or Levi gave a “big reception” for Jesus in his own house.

Jesus was dirty dining with many or a great crowd of tax collectors and sinners.  Because Jesus was attractive, they were following him.  Jesus not only witnessed with His lips.  He also witnessed with His life.

 

Brothers and sisters, witnessing is not an issue of personality as much as it a willingness of the heart.  Notice just a few truths about Matthew’s witnessing.  First, Matthew began witnessing immediately.  He didn’t take a class or learn a presentation.  The reality is that if you are saved, you know enough to lead someone else to Christ.  It is not essential that you have been through this or that evangelism training. 

 

Secondly, Matthew began witnessing to those closest to him.  He began with those at work.  He began with other tax collectors.  If you work and work outside the home, a great place for you to start witnessing is with the people at work.  Again, don’t assume just because someone goes to church that they are saved.  If not work, consider those in your classes at school.  If not school, consider those that you fish with or golf with or hunt with or are on your team. 

 

Thirdly, don’t be afraid to use your home and or a meal as a starting point.  Gathering around food is what we do and do often.  Use food to your advantage. 

 

In verse 16, the Pharisees were experts in the law and erred in their efforts to be completely holy.  They were grumbling among themselves and to Jesus’ disciples.  They couldn’t imagine what Jesus saw in these sinners and why he would eat with them.

 

Brothers and sisters, we have to be willing to invest in sinners.  We can’t be content with attending Bible studies that are 100% Christian and Sunday schools that are 100% Christian and prayer meetings that are 100% Christian and playing golf with all Christians and eating dinner with all Christians, and our doctor is a Christian and our dentist is a Christian and our landscape people and our plumbers and our vets and our dogs are all Christians.

 

Jesus never condoned, sin but He constantly was befriending sinners.  Jesus was never worried about being infected with their sin.  He was always trying to infect sinners with His grace and mercy and love.

 

 

3. An Assumed Calling, Mark 2:17

17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

 

Jesus stated His purpose or calling plainly and clearly.  He came to save the lost.  Consequently, if that is Jesus’ calling and we are His followers, then it should be our assumed calling as well.  Our lives ought to be on mission to share the life-changing Gospel of Jesus with whoever would give us the time of day.

 

However, remember, if we are going to be fishers of men, then we must fish where men are.

 

 

Conclusion

I want to ask you this morning, “Who’s your one?”  I want you to identify, invest, and invite your one to Friend Day, April 7, 2019.

 

Four of a Kind Beats a Full House!

I want to share a message with you entitled, “Four of a Kind Beats a Full House!”  I wish I could take credit for that sermon title, but I actually heard it from Steve Stroop, pastor of Lakepointe Church in Rockwall.

 

I must confess to you that I don’t know much about poker.  I have probably only played five or ten times in my life and then only for fun or goldfish crackers or Oreo’s. 

 

However, I do know a little about how certain hands rank.  I know that the best hand possible is a Royal Flush.  That is a ten, a jack, a queen, a king, and an ace all in the same suit.  The next best hand is the Straight Flush.  That is something like 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 in the same suit. 

 

Just under a Straight Flush is four of a kind.  That could be four 2’s or four 7’s or four 10’s.  And just under four of a kind is a full house, which is three of a kind and one pair.  Four of a kind beats a full house.  Four of a kind beats a full house in poker and in today’s story from Mark 2.

 

This story of Jesus healing a paralytic is found here in Mark 2 but also in Matthew 9 and Luke 5. 

 

In the recent weeks, we have seen Jesus demonstrate His authority in doctrine as He taught, over demons and disease, and today, we will see that Jesus had authority over death, and that is spiritual death.  Make three observations with me.

 

 

1. A Unified Minority, Mark 2:1-4

1 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. 

 

In verse 1, you see that this story took place in Capernaum, and Jesus was in a local house preaching to the people.  More than likely, this was Peter’s house.

 

By the way, this is the way it should always be.  When there is preaching, the house should always be full, and that should be true regardless of the preacher.  Why?  Because the preaching of God’s Word is more important than your day off.  The preaching of God’s Word is more important than your “honey-do’s.”  The preaching of God’s Word is more important than your hunting, fishing, or golfing, and the preaching of God’s Word is more important than your child’s extracurricular activities.

 

The house was full for Jesus’ preaching.  It was so full that the crowd began to spill over outside the house.   You couldn’t get anywhere near Jesus because of the full house. 

 

In verse 3, we see the unified minority.  We think there were four because it stands to reason that these four men brought their friend or loved one to be healed by Jesus, and each carried a corner of his bed.

First, they were unified in their initiation.  They came to Jesus.  They brought him to Jesus.  They didn’t wait for Jesus to come to them.  The picked up their friend on his bed and took him to Jesus.

 

Second, they were unified in their cooperation.  When was the last time you picked up 175 pounds of dead weight?  It’s not easy. The cooperated together and carried this man who was otherwise helpless.

 

Third, they were unified in their determination.  They couldn’t get him into the house.  Did they give up?  Did they wait?  Did ask Jesus to come outside?  No, they made their way to the roof, dug a hole, and lowered him down and placed him at the feet of Jesus. 

 

Brothers and Sisters, Emory and Rains County needs a unified minority to bring their friends to Jesus. 

 

 

1. An Unmistakable Message, Mark 2:5-11

5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”  6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”  8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

 

What is the unmistakable message that these four friends believed?  They believed that only Jesus could heal or save their friend.

 

Why was that true?  That was true because Jesus is God.  Only God can forgive sins, and Jesus proved that He was God and could forgive sins by healing this paralytic and enabling him to walk again. 

 

What does it mean when God forgives your sin?  Forgive means to send away your sin or drive your sin away.  Here are some word pictures regarding forgiveness that I want you to see.

 

Psalm 103:12, As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

 

Isaiah 38:17, Indeed it was for my own peace That I had great bitterness; But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.

 

Jeremiah 31:34, No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

 

Micah 7:19, He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities.  You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.

 

Colossians 2:13-14, And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

 

Brothers and sisters, a unified minority needs an unmistakable message, and that is only Jesus saves.

 

 

• Unimaginable Ministry, Mark 2:12

12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

 

What happens when you put a unified minority together with an unmistakable message?  There is the potential for unimaginable ministry here at EBC.

 

I long for the day when people say, “Have you heard what’s going on at EBC?”  Jesus is doing miraculous things there.”

 

 

Conclusion

So allow me to wrap up like this.  This story teaches that undoubtedly that Jesus is God, and only God can save.  Only Jesus can forgive sins and save souls.

However, it also teaches us that God rewards our work.  Remember in verse 5 that Jesus saw their faith.  Whose faith?  It was the faith of the four friends.  Don’t get me wrong, each individual will be held accountable by God for what he or she has done with Jesus, but let’s get busy bringing our sick or lost family and friends to Jesus.

 

On April 7, we are going to have Friend Day at EBC, and I am going to challenge you to invite one person to come with you to Sunday School and church that day.  Who will be your one?

 

On April 14, we will celebrate Palm Sunday, and our choir will be sharing their Easter Music Presentation.

 

Easter Sunday will be April 21.  In 2015, we had 360 on Easter Sunday.  In 2016, we had 446 on Easter Sunday.  In 2017, we had 483 on Easter Sunday. In 2018, we had 566 on Easter Sunday. 

 

In 2019, I am challenging you know to have 600 at EBC divided in two morning services on Easter Sunday.  We will have one at 8 AM, and the second at 10:30 with Sunday School in the middle. 

 

A unified minority with an unmistakable message will translate into unimaginable ministry, and don’t forget, “Four of a kind beats a full house every time.”

Is Jesus Willing to Touch You?

This morning, I invite you to take your Bible and find Mark 1:40-45.  I want to share a message with you entitled, “Is Jesus Willing to Touch You?”  If you are visiting with us this morning, we are in a verse-by-verse study of the Gospel of Mark. 

 

In 1998, I went on my very first international mission trip to Romania, and the goal of our mission team was to hand out gospel tracts and share our personal testimonies to Romanians who waited in line to see the American doctor who was a part of our team.  For that week, our team was in at least two different Romanian villages offering simple medical services and sharing the message of Christ with anyone who would listen. 

 

One of the more common conditions that Romanian women suffered from was Varicose ulcers.  You say, “Don’t you mean Varicose veins?”   No, I mean Varicose ulcers.  Most of have seen Varicose veins or “spider veins” on a woman’s or man’s leg.  The condition I am speaking about is when the Varicose veins get so bad that they bust and become ulcers or open sores filled with pus and blood. 

 

Leprosy has similar effects.  Leprosy is an infectious skin disease that can result in the loss of feeling in your extremities and the paralysis or loss of hands and feet.  There is no cure for leprosy.  Therefore, it certainly and always ends in death.  Lepers often suffer from a loss of feeling in their fingers and hands which might result in not feeling a burn or a cut.  Those who are infected with leprosy die a slow and painful death.

 

I say all that this morning to magnify the extraordinary event here in Mark 1:40-45.  In God’s Word, which covers approximately 6,000-10,000 years, there are only three times when leprosy is cured. 

 

Moses’ sister Miriam contracted leprosy and was cured in Numbers 12.  Namaan contracted leprosy and was cured in 2 Kings 5, and here in Mark 1, we see this leper cured from this terrible disease.  Leprosy was a serious condition.

 

In today’s text, we are going to make three observations and then concluded with one major application from this story that is included also in Matthew and Luke and has only two characters: the leper and Jesus.

 

 

40. Notice the Leper’s Request for Cleanness, Mark 1:40.

40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 

 

In verse 40, this leper came to Jesus.  For this man to make his way to Jesus is saying a lot.  Luke’s gospel (5:12) tells us that he was full or covered with leprosy.  His body was covered with these ulcer-like open sores oozing with bodily fluids. 

 

Leprosy was so disgusting that the Mosaic Law of the OT required lepers to live alone.  See Leviticus 13:45-46.

 

Leviticus 13:45-46, 45 “Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.

 

So you can see that not only were the lepers to live alone, they were to wear certain cloths and have certain grooming habits.  When they got close to any healthy person, they were to cry out “Unclean!  Unclean!” 

 

Lepers were physical and social outcasts.  Therefore, again, this leper coming to Jesus, fighting his way through crowds, was demonstrating resolve and extreme courage indicative of his desperate need and desire for healing.  Certainly, he had heard about Jesus healing others, and now he wanted the same. 

 

Not only was he resolved, but his request was repeated.  He was imploring of Jesus again and again and again.  He requested and didn’t stop.

 

Thirdly, he came to Jesus and fell on his knees, possibly lying prostrate before him demonstrating his respect for Jesus, and notice what he said.  He never had any doubt of Jesus’ power, but he was concerned about Jesus’ willingness, and said to him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”  If you are willing Jesus, you can heal this most dreadful disease that has ruined my life.  What would you expect Jesus to do?  This leper made a request for cleanness, and we will come back to this idea of cleanness at the end of our time together.  Some form of that word is used four times in our text: 40, 41, 42, and 44.

 

 

42. Notice the Lord’s Response of Compassion, Mark 1:41-42.

41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.

 

That first phrase in verse 41 deserves much of our attention.  It says, “moved with compassion.”  It could also be translated “gripped with compassion,” and it has the idea of having a feeling deep in your gut.  In other words, Jesus was overwhelmed with compassion seeing the need and hurt of this man.  The fact of the matter is that Jesus hated to see human suffering.  As a result, he did something about it.

 

Notice that Jesus did the unthinkable.  He did that which was out of the ordinary.  He touched the leper.  The crowded undoubtedly gasped.  He did that which was forbidden.  No Jew ever touched a leper.  Otherwise, he would be unclean as well.  Jesus defied culture.  Jesus defied tradition.  Jesus defied the norm.  He reached out and touched that which was supposed to be untouchable.  Certainly, this is the first time in a very, very long time that this leper had someone normal and healthy touch him. 

 

When Jesus stretched out His hand and touched the raw, open flesh and oozing sores and said, “I am willing; be cleansed,” this man was cured and it wasn’t just for the moment but for the rest of his life.  His healing was ongoing.  Jesus’ words deserve just a moment’s notice. 

When Jesus said He was willing, He was literally saying, “I am willing, have been willing, and always will be willing to heal those who are sick.”  Therefore, be cleansed!

 

Notice what happened.  Immediately, the leprosy was gone.  No more sores.  No more rotting flesh.  No more oozing pus.  No more “hell on earth.”  This man was instantaneously and completely and fully healed at the touch of the Master’s hand.

 

 

• Notice a Lesson about Rebellion against Commands, Mark 1:43-45.

43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”  45 However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

 

In the final verses of today’s text, we see a lesson about rebellion or disobedience against commands, and in this instance, it was the Lord’s command. 

 

Verse 43 says that Jesus warned the leper about saying anything to anyone else but to show himself to the priest.  This was to be a testimony to the priest of Jesus’ authority over disease.

 

However, even though the text isn’t clear as to whether he went to the priest, it is clear that he didn’t keep quiet about what Jesus had done.  So here’s the lesson.  We may not always understand Jesus’ ways or timing, but His commands are expected to be followed if He is Lord of your life.

 

Because the leper was rebellious or disobedient in verse 45, we see that the circus had begun as Jesus wasn’t even able to go into the city because of all of the people coming to Him from every direction to be healed.

 

 

Conclusion and Application

Let me conclude this morning with the one major application of this story.  In the OT, leprosy was seen as an outward sign of sin.  Even though you and I know that is not always true, that was the Jewish mindset.  They thought leprosy was a sign of sin.  However, Jesus healed this man of an awful, dreadful, physical disease, and He did it by touching him and his leprosy.

 

Sin is our spiritual leprosy, and all of us have been infected at one time or another.  Left to ourselves, we will die a slow and painful death.  However, allow me to answer my question this morning.  Yes, Jesus is willing to touch you and your sin and cure your spiritual leprosy.  See 2 Corinthians 5:21.

 

2 Corinthians 5:21, 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

 

When Jesus touches you and your sin by becoming our sin on the cross, He cures you completely.  It matters not what your past includes. 

 

He cures you immediately.  No conditions are necessary on your part except belief and repentance. 

 

He cures you eternally.  That is forever. 

 

Will you come this morning to be cured or saved like this leper because Jesus is willing to touch you today? 

His Purpose...Our Purpose

I want you to take your Bibles and find Mark 1.  This morning I want us to look closely at verses 29-39, and I invite you to stand in honor of God’s Word as I read beginning in verse 29.  God bless you, and you may be seated.

 

I want to share with you a message entitled, “His Purpose…Our Purpose.”  Last Sunday, Bro. Ronnie showed us in Mark 1:21-28 how Jesus had gone to Capernaum and was preaching and teaching with authority like no one that these first-century hearers had ever heard.  He was different, and not only was He preaching and teaching with authority, but He was also casting out demons with authority.

 

In verse 29, it is still Saturday, and Jesus and His first disciples are still in Capernaum. They are now headed to eat after church.

 

 

 

1. The Pressures that Jesus Encountered, Mark 1:29-34

29 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. 31 So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.  32 At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. 

 

Again, it is Saturday afternoon, and Jesus has gone with Peter and Andrew and James and John to Peter’s house.  When they arrived, they found out that Peter’s mother-in-law was sick with a fever.

 

Just a little side note here…why do our Catholic friends require their priests to be single if Peter was married?  We don’t know the reason for this fever, but these folks took this fever seriously as they understood that it could have been discipline for disobedience.

 

Deuteronomy 28:22, 22 The Lord will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with severe burning fever, with the sword, with scorching, and with mildew; they shall pursue you until you perish.

 

Regardless, Jesus had already demonstrated his authority earlier in the day over demons.  He now demonstrated His authority over disease.  He stood over her and took her hand, and the fever left her. 

 

Notice her response, which is actually a second miracle.  The first miracle was the fever leaving.  The second miracle was her immediate strength to serve Jesus and her family. 

 

Brother and sisters, Jesus didn’t heal you for you to sit and soak.  He healed you to serve Him by serving this body of believers.  We could always use more help in our children’s ministry.  We could always use help in Back Pack Buddies.  We can use more help as a greeter or usher or singing in the choir.  Jesus saved you for you to serve Him by serving others.

 

In verse 32, it is now Saturday night, and the Sabbath is officially over, and the people have now heard all that Jesus had been doing, and they were bringing to Him all who were sick and all who were demon-possessed. 

I believe this is a great picture of what you and I should be doing.  We should be bringing our spiritually and emotionally and socially sick friends and family to Jesus, but for whatever reason we don’t.  We’re ok with continuing to see them sick and hurting and struggling when we have the cure right here. 

 

They were bringing people to Jesus in a steady stream.  They kept coming.  Notice the two groups that were identified.  It was those who were sick and those who are demon-possessed.  It is important to notice that these are two mutually exclusive groups.  Being sick or ill didn’t automatically mean that you were demon-possessed.  These two groups represent the physically sick and the spiritually sick. 

 

Verses 33 and 34 give us more insight into the pressures Jesus encountered.  Verse 33 speaks of the whole city gathering at Peter’s door.  Even though this is hyperbole, the number was probably in the thousands.  The word had spread, and all the sick and all the demon-possessed were on a bee line straight to where Jesus was staying. 

 

We see in verse 34 that Jesus was healing them.  Mark says he healed many, but Luke says He healed all of them by laying hands on each one.  You have the picture of Jesus standing in the doorway and the people passing by in single file, and He healed them all. 

 

Maybe He touched them.  Maybe he spoke to them, but whatever He was doing, it worked.  The people were healed by the hundreds and the thousands.

 

Can you imagine the scene?  The blind could now see.  The lame could now walk.  The deaf could now hear and speak.  Those who were bleeders, were now clean.  Those who were lepers, were now clean.  There must have been singing and shouting and celebration because of all that Jesus was doing.    He was healing physical conditions, and He was healing spiritual conditions. 

 

 

1. The Prayer that Jesus Extended, Mark 1:35

35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

 

Verse 35 now takes us to Sunday morning and where do we find Jesus?  After a long day of teaching and preaching and healing person after person after person, Jesus slept in and took it easy.  No, in the early morning, He got up and left the house and found a secluded place and spent a fairly long time in prayer.

The text actually indicates that this was in the last watch of the night.  That means between 3 and 6 AM.  Jesus didn’t have an alarm clock, but the Holy Spirit woke Him up and led Him into a secluded place or a solitary place to pray.  The text also indicates that Jesus prayed for an extended period time like several hours.

 

What did he pray?  He prayed to God to give Him direction about future ministry.  All of the healing was so good, and there was so much excitement, and so many people were benefiting, but was that what God wanted from him? 

 

Incidentally, if Jesus needed to get alone to extend prayers to the Father, what does that mean for me and you?  We need to pray.  We need get alone with God on a daily basis and ask for direction.  We need to ask for guidance.  Jesus encountered pressures, and Jesus extended prayers.

 

 

• The Priorities that Jesus Embraced, Mark 1:36-39

36 And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. 37 When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.”  38 But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.”  39 And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.

 

We see in verses 36 and 37 that the disciples didn’t understand Jesus’ actions.  They came looking for Him.  They literally “were hunting Him down.”  They even rebuked Him and said, “Everyone is looking for you.”  In other words, “Jesus what are you doing here wasting time praying?  There are a lot of people to heal.” 

 

In verse 38, and we see Jesus’ response to the disciples’ plans of going back to Capernaum to do more ministry or more healing.  Jesus said in verse 38, “Let’s go somewhere else.  I want to preach more.”  Do what?  You mean Jesus would rather preach than do ministry?  You mean Jesus would rather preach than see more hundreds and thousands physically healed? 

 

Jesus even told them and us what His priority or purpose was at the end of verse 38.  Here’s what I mean.  I mean spiritual healing is more important than physical healing.  It great to minister to someone’s physical needs, but more important is his or her spiritual needs. 

 

 

Conclusion

So here are three applications.  First, there is an application for me.  If I am going to follow Jesus the best I can, my first priority must be preaching.  Don’t get me wrong.  I have other priorities that include ministering to this body and praying with my sheep and encouraging and counseling them in times of need and sickness and deaths of family members.  However, my first priority is preaching.

 

Second, there is an application for our members.  Our first priority must be to share the gospel and then minister to people.  If we give to them food and water and financial assistance, but we don’t give Jesus to them, we have made them comfortable before the spend an eternity in hell separated from God.  Evangelism must take be our first priority and ministry our second priority.

 

Finally, if you here today and you’re sick or diseased, I believe that Jesus wants to heal you.  However, before He wants to heal you, He wants to save you.

 

Finally Some Good Teaching...

Jesus is Calling; Are You Answering?

I want you to take your Bibles and turn to Mark 1.  This morning we will be looking at verses 14-20 of this first chapter and the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry.  I invite you stand for the reading of God’s Word.  God bless you, and you may be seated.

 

This morning I want to share a message with you entitled Jesus is Calling; Are You Answering?  I can’t remember when caller ID began, but it can be a great resource whether you are using it on your home phone or on your mobile phone.  You know what I mean right?  You get a call.  You wait to see who it is.  Then you decide whether or not you want to take the call.  If yes, you answer it.  If not, you wait to see if they leave a voicemail.  We all do it.  If it is Christy, I always answer.  If it is anybody else, I probably will answer, but maybe not.

 

What about when Jesus is calling?  Do you always answer?  Or, do you see if he leaves a voicemail?  Today, Jesus is calling.  He is calling some to be saved, and he is calling others to be disciples. 

 

 

Exposition

Take your Bibles and look at verse 14.  We see that after John the Baptist had been arrested and thrown in jail, Jesus went to Galilee preaching the gospel of God.  So we know that Jesus’ earthly ministry was first of all composed of preaching.  What did He preach?  He preached the gospel of God.  What does that mean?  It means He was issuing the call of salvation. 

 

You can see in verse 15 that the word “saying” is used in place of “preaching” that was used in the previous verse.  Jesus is preaching or saying, and His message is made up of two parts.  The first part of His message is that “the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.”  What does that mean?  It means that the promised Messiah is here.  He has arrived.  You have been waiting for Him and looking for Him, and now He is finally here.  It is also means that your opportunity to respond is now.  Time is running out, and you don’t want to be left behind.

 

As a result, the second part of Jesus’ message is repent and believe.  For simplicity sake, let’s break this message down into two parts even though they actually are one.  The only requirement for salvation is belief in Jesus Christ, but it must be a belief in Jesus Christ that changes your life.  In other words, salvation requires repentance and belief.  These two cannot be separated.  They are different sides of the same coin. 

 

When you talk about repent, many people immediately turn off their ears, because their experience with repentance has to do with a holier than thou hypocrite telling them they need to turn or burn.  How dare anyone tell you you need to change?  Well, from my lips to your ears, Jesus said you need to change!

 

Another reason we shut down when someone talks about repentance is because we have a shallow view of sin.  We don’t really believe that God hates any and every sin. 

 

Finally, we shut down when someone talks about repentance because we have a shallow view of repentance.  We have heard it so many times, we have become callused to it, and it doesn’t mean anything to us anymore.

 

I want you to understand this morning that repentance does not mean the changing of some external characteristics or actions, but it means a change of everything on the inside and outside.  It is a change of life.  Furthermore, it is essential to the gospel and essential to salvation. 

 

I want to take just a moment and remind you of prominence of repentance in the New Testament.  The following are those who preached repentance:

 

 

• John the Baptist, Matthew 3:2, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
• Jesus Christ, Luke 13:3, 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
• Twelve disciples, Mark 6:12, 12 So they went out and preached that people should repent.
• Peter, Acts 3:19, 19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.
• Paul/God, Acts 26:20, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.

 

As you can see, repentance is essential to the gospel of God and the New Testament.

 

Of what are to repent?  If you have never received Jesus Christ, you are to repent of your rejection of the Messiah.  You are to repent of your sin of trying to get to heaven on your own. 

 

If you are saved, we must repent of our materialism, and our adulteries, and our pride, and our gossip, and our envy, and our jealousy, and our lying.  We too must repent of our sin.

 

The other part of this second aspect of Jesus’ message is belief.  We usually don’t find this to be too difficult.  We must believe that we are sinners.  We must believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins.  We must believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven. 

 

Therefore, again, salvation is belief in Jesus that changes your life.  In other words, salvation is repentance and belief in the Messiah who has come. 

 

There are those of you here this morning, whose lives have never changed.  You may have believed, but it wasn’t life-changing belief.  If I were a betting man, I would bet that you don’t have a place in heaven as we speak.  Jesus is calling today with the call of salvation.  Will you answer the call?

 

 

The second call that Jesus is issuing is the call to discipleship.  We see that in verses 16-20.  In verse 16, Jesus encountered Simon or Peter and Andrew, his brother.  They were fishermen and fishing at the time.  Jesus called them to discipleship.  He said to them, “Follow Me.” 

 

Now I want you to see something very interesting.  The call to be a disciple of Christ means that you will be a fisher of men.  There are no two ways about it.  It doesn’t have anything to do with the type of personality you have or what you are comfortable with or about your amount of courage.  Inherent in the call of discipleship is the act of becoming a fisher of men.

 

Brothers and sisters, if God has saved you, He has also equipped you to share the gospel.  It may take the form of sharing a certain presentation or your salvation testimony or a gospel tract.  That process may start by you inviting someone to church or praying with a waiter or waitress as a restaurant.  Regardless, to be saved includes being fishers of men.

 

Let me now go back to the text and give you three characteristics of discipleship.  First of all, it means immediately.  Notice that Mark used that word twice to describe the reaction of these two sets of brothers.  Peter and Andrew immediately left their nets and followed him.  James and John immediately left their father and fishing and followed him. 

 

In the OT, we see this with Abraham.  Turn to Genesis 22:1-3.  God called Abraham to sacrifice his only son.  If Abraham was like Christians today, he would have told God that he needed to pray about it and get back with him.  You don’t need to pray about being obedient.  Just do it, and that is what Abraham did.  He got up first thing the next morning and off he went doing exactly what God told him to do.  It has been well said that delayed obedience is disobedience.  Discipleship means acting just as soon as Jesus calls.

 

Secondly, discipleship might mean leaving your present circumstances.  For Peter and Andrew, it meant leaving their job.  Notice that we don’t any record of them asking a lot of questions or lining up stuff for their future.  They just left.  They trusted Jesus and honored His authority in their lives and answered the call lock, stock and barrel. 

 

Some of you are saying that is not realistic and wouldn’t happen today.  You are right, and is it any wonder that our churches and our country are in the shape we are in?  I would suggest it is because all to often Christians are issued a call for discipleship and they simply look at the caller ID and let it go to voicemail. 

 

In Luke 9:57-62, we see Jesus issuing a call to discipleship, and notice His words to those who don’t come immediately leaving their present circumstances. 

 

Luke 9:57-62, 57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”  58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”  59 Then He said to another, “Follow Me.”  But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”  60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”  61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”  62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

 

Is Jesus calling you to discipleship this morning?  Is he calling you to leave your present situation?  That may mean leaving a lifestyle situation or a work situation or whatever.  When He calls, won’t you answer?

 

The final aspect of answering the call to discipleship might be the most difficult.  It involves leaving family or friends or any relationship.  You see in verse 20, James and John left their father.  They left the family business.  They left their security.

 

In your relationship with Jesus Christ, your family can so many times make you.  However, so many times they can also break you.  I’m going to make a pretty strong statement and some of you aren’t going to like, but here goes.  It is a sin to be more loyal to your family than to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Heaven help us! 

 

Listen to the words of Christ in Matthew 10:34-39:

 

Matthew 10:34-39, 34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

There is only one person who is worthy of your worship and it isn’t your spouse or your son or your daughter or your parents.  It is the Lord Jesus.  What this means is that some of husbands need to say some difficult things to your wives, and some of you parents need to say some difficult things to your children, and just remember, the call to discipleship is to the call to put your relationship with Christ above your relationship with any other human being.

 

 

Conclusion

So what about you this morning?  Is Jesus calling you to salvation?  Is He calling you to repent and believe for the very first time? 

 

Is He calling you to discipleship?  I challenge you to respond immediately to change a lifestyle situation, to change a relationship, to follow through with believer’s baptism, to join this church, to rededicate your life or whatever He is calling you to do. 

 

Jesus is calling. Are you answering?

 

 

The Temptation of Christ...

I want you to take your Bibles this morning and find two passages of Scripture.  The first is Mark 1:12-13, and the second is Matthew 4:1-11.  Our main text is this Mark passage as we continue in our new study that we began last Sunday.  However, we find a fuller version of this experience in Jesus’ life from Matthew’s gospel.  Now, I invite you to stand for the reading of God’s word.

 

 

Exposition

As I mentioned earlier, our original text comes from Mark 1.  However, Mark doesn’t provide as many details for this event or experience as Matthew or Luke does.  Therefore, we will turn to Matthew’s gospel in just a minute. 

 

In Mark’s text, I want you to see three application points from this text for our lives, and here is the first:

 

1. As with Jesus, God allows temptations in our lives to grow us.

 

Notice that verse 12 says that the Holy Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness.  However, in verse 13, we see that it was Satan who tempted Jesus. 

 

This word for “drove” means that it was “divine necessity.”  In other words, it was part of God’s plan for His Son.  The NASB uses the impelled Jesus to go into the wilderness or the desert.  The KJV says driveth.  The NIV says sent.  The NLT says compelled. 

 

How do we explain this reality that God drove Jesus by divine necessity but it was Satan who did the tempting? The best explanation that I can give you is that when it comes to temptation, God allows Satan to tempt us. 

Satan has limited power and limited control.  The devil only does what he has been given permission to do.  We see this in the book of Job when Satan came to God looking for someone to tempt.  God doesn’t tempt.  Satan tempts.

 

Also, please understand and remember that in the midst of EVERY temptation, there is an opportunity for you to grow and your faith strengthened and an opportunity for you to fail and your faith weakened. 

 

1 Corinthians 10:13, 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

 

Regardless of what your temptation is, there is always the opportunity to be obedient.  Yours maybe alcohol or food or materialism or pornography or cigarettes or gossip or whatever.  There is ALWAYS an escape.

 

 

2. Satan is a real adversary who is daily opposing every believer.

 

Another truth from this Mark text is that Satan or the devil is a real person.  Unfortunately, there are many professing Christians who don’t believe in a real, literal, personal devil.  If you say you believe the Bible, you must believe in a real devil.  And if you say you’ve never seen Satan, it might be that you are walking the same direction he is.  In Isaiah 14:12-15, we a brief OT commentary on how Satan came to be.

 

Isaiah 14:12-15, 12 “How you are fallen from heaven,

O Lucifer, son of the morning!  How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!  13 For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’  15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.

 

Now let’s go the Matthew text.  We see again from Matthew 4:1 that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness or the desert and was tempted by Satan or the devil. 

 

Matthew 4:1-11, Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”  4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”  5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”  7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”  8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

 

In verse 2, we see another dynamic to the temptation of Christ.  He fasted for forty days and forty nights.  That is almost incomprehensible, and there is no reason to believe that this was anything other than a complete fast meaning no food and no water.  Therefore, and obviously, Jesus became extremely hungry.

 

In verse 3, Satan entered the picture, and he came to tempt Jesus.  The first temptation that we see is the temptation of provision.  As I said earlier, Jesus was extremely hungry.  Therefore, Satan propositioned Him to turn some stones or rocks into bread and feed Himself.  Jesus refused.  He responded to Satan by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. 

 

Has Satan ever presented you with the temptation of provision?  Maybe he did it with food or finances or intimacy with your spouse.  Regardless, has Satan ever tempted you to satisfy your human desires rather than be obedient to God?  I want you to hear me this morning.  God’s way is always better than Satan’s way regardless of how painful it is for you at the time. 

 

God has told us that he will meet all of our needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).  You don’t ever have to give in to the temptation of provision.

 

In verses 5-7, we see the second temptation.  Satan took Jesus from the wilderness into Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle or top of the temple.  He then presented Him with the temptation of protection.  He, as the Son of God, was to throw Himself down and see if the angels wouldn’t catch and rescue Him just before He hit the ground keeping Him completely safe. 

 

In response, He responded to Satan by quoting from Deuteronomy 6:16, Do not put the Lord your God to the test. 

 

Has Satan ever tempted you with temptation of protection?  Don’t be bold with your faith.  God won’t protect you.  Don’t live according to the Bible.  God won’t protect you.  God has promised never to leave or forsake those that are His.

 

The final temptation that we see is the temptation of prestige.  Satan presented Jesus with the opportunity to have all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, but Jesus said, “Go, Satan.”  He then quoted Deuteronomy 6:13, You shall worship the Lord God, and serve him only.” 

 

Like Jesus, I know Satan has presented many of you with this third temptation as well.  You can have all this money or all this fame or all this fortune or all these luxuries if you will just sell your soul to the devil.  Hear me this morning.  Nothing the devil has to offer is worth the hell that it will cost you. 

 

The Scripture then tells us that the devil left Jesus, and the angels came to minister to him. 

 

 

3. Angels are ministers to the body of Christ.

 

They ministered to Jesus, and they will minister to us perhaps without even us knowing it. 

 

Hebrews 1:14, 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?

 

Before I close, I want you to think back just a minute in looking at these temptations in another perspective. 

 

Have you ever noticed the similarities between the temptation in the wilderness and the temptation in the garden?  Satan said to Eve that you may eat of any tree.  He said to Jesus that you may eat by changing stones to bread.  He said to Eve that you will not die.  He said to Jesus that you will not hurt your foot.  He said to Eve that you will be like God.  He said to Jesus that you will have all the world’s kingdoms.  I say all that to say that Satan is usually up to his same old tricks.

 

 

Conclusion

The main point of this text is that Jesus was victorious over temptation, and for those who are in Christ, we can be victorious as well. The keys are God’s presence, God’s Word, and God’s church. 

 

As for God’s presence, the German Reformer, Martin Luther, was asked how to overcome the devil.  “Well, when he comes knocking upon the door of my heart, and asks, ‘Who lives here?’ the dear Lord Jesus goes to the door says, ‘Martin Luther used to live here, but he has moved out. Now I live here.’”  Where God is present, Satan cannot be.

 

Second is God’s Word. On three different occasions, Satan presented Jesus with a temptation, and on three different occasions, Jesus responded by quoting the Word of God from Deuteronomy.  Do you remember what the Psalmist said in Psalm 119:11?  Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you. 

 

Know God’s Word and use it when the devil accuses and opposes you.

 

Finally, don’t divorce yourself from God’s Church.  The devil will always try to isolate you, but when you stay connected to God’s Church and your brothers and sisters in God’s Church, it is much harder for him to do.  That is why it is important to surround yourself with God’s people on Sundays and Wednesdays, but also through the week. 

 

My invitation this morning has two parts.  Make sure Jesus is living in your heart by calling on Him to save you and surrendering your life to Him. 

 

Secondly, if you are struggling with nagging sins or habitual sins like cigarettes or alcohol or pornography or cussing or anger.  the power of Jesus Christ is available to you if you know him as Lord and Savior.  My encouragement to you is to start new today.  Go to God confessing any known sin, and then take a long serious look at your life and make sure you are taking in God’s Word and connected to God’s Church.