THE BLESSED NATION
The title of the message today on this memorial day weekend is "The Blessed Nation." In Psalms 33:12-22 King David wrote these words about a blessed nation. I'll give you a simple outline as I read them:
I - HE ADDRESS THE PEOPLE OF THE NATION 12-15
12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
13The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.
14From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.
15He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.
II - HE ADDRESS THE KING OF THE NATION 16-17
16There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.
17An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.
III - HE ADDRESS THE GOD OF THE NATION 18-19
18Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
19To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
IV - HE ADDRESS THE SPIRIT OF THE NATION 20-21
20Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.
21For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
22Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.
The world "blessed" means to be joyful and happy. A nation, a church, a people that truly is blessed will cause others to desire to have what they have and to become what they are.
In this message we will look at three thoughts taken from verse twelve.
I - A Blessed Nation -Ps 33:12a
II - A Blessed God -Ps 33:12b
III - A Blessed People -Ps 33:12c
I - A Blessed Nation -Ps 33:12a
The Lord promised to bless the nation who would make Him their God.
In the begging of our nation Benjamin Franklin challenged our forefathers to build this nation on the principles of the Word of God.
It seemed to be an unusual proposal but nearly everyone present in the founding meetings of this country were Christians, not by word but by life style.
Franklin said, "The nation that would do so, would become the greatest nation in the world."
Our Christian forefathers chose to base our constitutional principles upon God's holy word and the rest is history. No country was so blessed, so quickly as America.
Our country was blessed because it was built on three eternal building blocks:
1. The Prayers of Christians
2. The Principles of God's Word
3. The Person of Jesus Christ
1. We have a blessed nation because of... The Prayers of Christians
Let me give you some examples:
a. George Washington would often write his prayers in a prayer book and then meditate on them as he communed with God. When he was a young man in 1752, he prayed, “O most glorious God, in Jesus Christ…let me live according to those holy rules which Thou hast this day prescribed in Thy holy Word… direct me to the true object of worship, Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life."
b. Before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, upon which there were hundreds of meetings between 1774 and 1776, all of those meetings began in prayer. All 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence were professing Christians. They spent three hours in prayer alone, just before the signing.
c. Eleven years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence in in 1787, representatives met in Philadelphia to write the Constitution of the United States. After several weeks of no progress, Benjamin Franklin, now, 81-years-old, arose and addressed those who were weary and confused.
He said this, “In the beginning of the contest with Britain (he was referring to the Declaration of Independence), when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection.”
“Our prayers, Sir, were heard and they were graciously answered.”
“All of us who were engaged in the struggle remember the frequent instances of God’s providence and power through prayer.”
“Have we forgotten this powerful friend?”
“Or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?”
“I have lived, Sir, a long time and the longer I live, the more convincing proof I see of this truth: that God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable than an empire can rise without His aid?
We have been assured in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this.”
“I therefore beg leave to move that henceforth, prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven and its blessing on our deliberation be held in this assembly every morning.”
These, our forefathers, who wrote the Constitution of the United States, bowed in prayer to Almighty Jehovah God in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ.
-They did not have a prayer meeting inviting all religions of this world.
-They rejected the Hindu faith. They rejected the Muslim faith.
-They even rejected the Church of England which our forefathers left because of the traditions of the church that imprisoned them. Our forefathers wanted freedom to worship Jesus Christ.
1- Our nation was a blessed nation because of the prayers of Christians
2 - Our nation was a blessed nation because of... The Principles of God's Word
Here are a handful of examples out of thousands of what our forefathers thought of the Holy Bible.
a. In 1620 when the Pilgrims sailed for America, they sailed for the purpose of establishing a government based on the Bible. The New England charger signed by King James stated their purpose, “..to advance the Christian religion for the glory of God Almighty…
b. When the Pilgrims landed Governor Bradford wrote, “being thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, we fell upon our knees and blessed the God of heaven…”
c. The Rhode Island Charter of 1683 states, "We submit our persons, lives and estates unto our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords and all those perfect and most absolute laws He has given us in His Holy Word."
d. In 1777 England ceased shipping Bibles to America due to the Revolution. The Congress of the United States was notified and recommended that 20,000 Bibles be ordered from Holland, Scotland and elsewhere in the world.
Each year new Bibles were sought for. Finally, in 1781 Robert Aitken, a publisher, petition congress to let him print the Bibles in America. And in 1781, 20,000 copies of the "Bible of the Revolution” came off the press. It was a small Bible that would fit in the pocket of a soldier. It was 4X6.
e. From 1620 till 1870's the main textbook of our country was the Bible.
1 - Our country was a blessed nation because of prayers of Christians,
2 - Our country was a blessed nation because of the principles of the Bible and lastly...
3 - Our nation was a blessed nation because of... The Person of Jesus Christ.
George Washington, John Adams, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and all who signed the Constitution of the United States did not pray to Allah. They did not worship Confucius. They did not bow to Mohammed. They did not pray to Mary or a saint. They prayed to God the Father through Jesus Christ.
We were a diverse nation but we had one God. America was a Christian nation, founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ.
If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will become a nation without God.
Many of our forefathers spoke of Jesus Christ in their writings. They worshipped Jesus Christ. They wrote gospel tracks about the Lord Jesus Christ and they died for the freedom of this country so the Gospel of Jesus Christ could be shared with the generations to be born in America.
And so they were willing to sacrifice their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor for a cause greater than life, freedom.
Erwin Lutzer tells this story in one of his books: In the first 300 years of Christianity, Christians suffered greatly for their faith. A Roman leader by the name of Alexander declared it was a time to put to rest the persecution of the Christians. He vowed to the Christian people that he would take Jesus Christ and make an image of him and put him in the Pantheon and make him a god like all the other great gods of Rome and the Christians cried, "No way." Thus ,the Christians continued to suffer and die under the whip of Rome.
One day, the antichrist will offer the same idea to this world.
Why did these earlier Christians not take the compromise? They knew our Lord has no equal. He sits above all gods. Jesus Christ sits alone as God. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. There is none but Him.
He is higher, greater, more glorious than man's futile image of some Greek or Roman god. He is One God to be worshipped.
--What made America a blessed nation? We had Christian leaders that feared and loved and reverenced the God of heaven, Jesus Christ and built our country on Bible principles and the teachings of Jesus Christ.
--We were a Christian nation that prayed to one God and worshipped one God. We believed in one book and we worshipped one Savior.
Listen: Many of you will ask, "Then why are we so far from God today? There has been many wars fought and many lives taken, but the greatest war waged, that has destroyed not just lives but the souls of men is a war called "the propaganda war."
Propaganda is a means of persuasion, in an attempt to influence a people by emotions (fear or pity), attitudes (bias or unbias), opinions or actions of a ideological, political or religious belief by using one-sided messages. Those who use propaganda leave out facts, tell half truths and justify lying.
Though America was a country founded on Jesus Christ, the people of our country has fallen to believe the propaganda of the unsaved.
Let me give you a few examples:
a. One great propaganda lie today that is destroying America is "diversify and be tolerant of everybody and everything. Accept everybody's belief, accept everyone's lifestyle, and let's all united and get along." That is not taught in the Bible.
Jesus did not teach that. Jesus said, "Come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean things and then I will receive you." He did not say join up. He said separate.
b. Another deadly misconception is "all religious roads will take you to heaven, so unite together."
The Bible teaches there is one God and one way to Heaven and that way is through Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh to the Father but by me."
This may shock you but had I been invited to go to the National Day of Prayer in Washington DC this past April, I would not have gone. Why?
For one reason, there were 220 religions represented from Jews to Muslims and Hindu to Catholics to Protestants.
Pope Benedict XVI told a gathering of Jewish, Muslim and other religious leaders, "Followers of all religions must "stand together in defending and promoting life and religious freedom everywhere."
Jesus did not tell the religions of His day, you stand for your religious beliefs and I'll stand for mind and we will all strive to live in religious freedom. He said to the religious people of the world in John 8:44, "Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do."
That doesn’t sound to tolerant to me.
If you listen to the media today, you would think that the Muslim religion is just another religion and the terrorist are just a few fanatics within.
I want you to know that the Koran is the Muslims Bible. It states that those who will not convert to the Muslim religion are infidels.
Jews and Christians are classified as unbelievers and infidels.
The propaganda media tells you that is not so. Let me read to you from the Koran:
Allah is an enemy to unbelievers. - Sura 2:98
On unbelievers is the curse of Allah. - Sura 2:161
Slay them wherever ye find them... - Sura - 2:191
Allah has cursed the unbelievers and proposed for them a blazing hell. - Sura 33:60
Now listen to what Jesus says about unbelievers in Matt 5:39, ""..whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also."
He said, “They that live by the sword shall die by the sword.”
He said, “Forgive and you shall be forgiven.”
II - A Blessed God -Ps 33:12b
Psalms 33: 12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
Look at the word, “God.” A person’s “god” is an object, a hobby, or a deity that, that person depends upon, desires, and is dedicated too.
A person looks to his "god" for protection, provisions and peace.
A person’s “god” is the entity a person’s bows before, weeps before, loves and adores.
A person gives most of their time, attention, talents and treasures to his god. A person lives to please and serve his "god."
Therefore, blessed is the person whose God is Jehovah.
"Blessed be the Lord thy God" is used often in the Bible and refers to God being holy and righteous and sacred and virtuous.
Jehovah God of the Old Testament is the Lord Jesus Christ of the New Testament.
The Bible does not say "Blessed is the nation who accepts all gods of all religions. It doesn't say, "Blessed is the nation that is tolerant of sin and evil and wickedness.
For God to be Lord of a nation, a nation must accept the God of the bible who is holy and just and righteous and virtuous.
George Washington said, "It is substantially true that virtue and morality is necessary for our government to succeed."
Samuel Adams said, "It is not possible that any state can remain free, where virtue is not supremely honored."
John Adams said, "Virtue must be the underlay beliefs of our democracy we will be destroyed as human nature is corrupted."
Of the 1st 46 charters established in the United States of America, including North Carolina we find in each of its contents these words, “We establish this colony for the spreading of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
America is suffering today because most of the people have lost virtue. Virtue is honesty, morality, integrity, truthfulness. Isaiah 5:20 says, "Woe to those who call good evil and evil good."
We are living in a day from our President to our politicians to the press, to most people in our country, statistics shows corruption and deceit.
These, our leaders to not "bless God." They do not see Him as holy and virtuous. Sadly, most of our leaders in our country today are unsaved, building our nations on the sands of time.
The bias Media will not to print the truth. So, you ask, "How do we know truth?"
Jesus said, we must know the Bible, for it is truth.
He said to know people, inspect their fruit, not their words.
Over the past fifty years in America, there has been an all out assault against Christianity. There has been an all out assault against prayer and the Bible principles and righteousness.
-- In 1962 prayer was deemed unconstitutional.
--Then, Bible teachings was completely thrown out of education.
-- And the Ten Commandments were removed from the walls of the public educational buildings of America.
It was not the vote of public opinion but the corruption in the press and political leadership of this country.
America was founded as a Republic. That means America was a system of self-government by the consent of the governed.
Our country, founded on God, was slowly becoming a humanistic country bent on the whims of the minority and not the majority. Thus, as far back as the fifties and sixties, America ceased to be a Republic.
With Bible principles no longer being taught to our children, Marxism, humanism and evolution became the main teachings in our schools.
The main reason for these teachings was to encourage the youth of America to turn away from Bible principles. Now, that that has happened. The next step is to socialize America. We are there!
The youth of the sixties cried "freedom from God and government." Today, that cry is costing America their freedom.
You see the Bible was a measuring stick for American children and adults for 200 years. It brought God's blessings to America.
When it was removed from the lives of our children, man's heart became his own measuring stick.
The great danger is the eternal God of the universe declares that the "heart is deceptive above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it."
John Jay, the first Supreme Court Justice in American history was a Christian. He said, "A man who was not a believer had no business making decisions in the political affairs of this country."
The statesman and the godly founders of America have died off. We have mostly politicians running our country. It is no secret that most of them lie. And the clique today is, "I misspoke." No friend, to misspeak is to tell a lie.
These politicians have no knowledge of what this country was built upon. They do not want the Bible, prayer or Christ to be exalted in America.
I have agreed and disagreed with many presidents. But, President Obama, really troubles me. What I am about to say is my opinion based on the fruit of his life, not the words he speaks.
His words are propaganda.
His fruits reveal he is anti-Christian, anti-American, anti-constitution and anti-Israel.
His fruit reveals he does not believe in America as a Republic. He is a socialist who hopes to socialize America with his Totalitarianism form of government.
An example of anti-America took place, when our Senator Obama, in 2008 would not cross his heart when the National Anthem was sung when everyone else on the platform did. That told me he was anti-American.
An example of anti-Constitution is what has happened the past months with Arizona.
Over the last few weeks, President Obama and many of his followers have refused to honor their oaths of office, which involves keeping the constitution of the United States of America. It is their constitutional requirement is to enforce existing laws.
America's existing immigration laws states that a person cannot be in America without proper documentation. Our President says that he doesn't like the Arizona law and calls it misguided and wants our justice department to review it. Our President is anti-constitution.
Right before the mid-term election, a movie, that was made a year ago, is coming out in theaters called, "Machete." It pictures a brutal war against those in Arizona that will not give a free pass to illegal immigrants.
I don't mind people coming to America from any country in the world. But, they need to come legally.
Another vivid memory I have of Obama is a book he was carrying when a photo was taken of him. It was entitled, “The Post America World.” It was written by a fellow Muslim. It tells of the world after America crumbles.
When he says we are not a Christian nation but more like a Muslim nation, 100 years ago he would have been called a traitor., and rejected by the media, the politicians and the people of this great country. The reason today, he is accepted is because he is part of the propaganda machine to make America part of the one world government one day.
Americans are faced with an unresponsive and unaccountable one-party political system that rules all three branches of government. They have voted into law the Health Bill against the will of the people. That is anti-American.
The governing party has established a propaganda machine posing as a free press.
They run an educational program that teachers their socialistic and humanistic, anti-God views.
They hate Christianity, the Bible and righteousness.
They have been seduced by their hearts to worship materialistic gods.
1- They vote themselves raises.
2- They give themselves a paycheck for life.
3- They give to themselves a healthcare plan paid for by you and me, but feel they are too good to live by the healthcare plan the voted for the rest of America.
We got slack as Christians. We quit praying. We quit living by Bible principles and America began to roll in its luxuries. She has rollick in pleasures. She has revolted in morals and she is rotting in her sin.
We were once a blessed nation, but to stay blessed we must bless God. We must turn back to God with all our hearts.
The last point in Psalms 33:1 is...
III - A Blessed People -Ps 33:12c
Psalms 33: 12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
God chose Israel to be His people. They were to love Him, live for Him and be a light for Him in this world of evil.
Israel was to be faithful to God, but, they forsook God. God, then called His Church to be His faithful witness in these last days.
You that are saved, were not an afterthought of God. The Bible says in Ephesians 1 that God chose you before the foundation of the world.
God formed and allegiance with us. As He has been loyal and committed to us, we need to be loyal and committed to Him.
In 1892, Francis Bellamy wrote the Pledge of the Allegiance. Words were added and in 1954 we had this pledge, “"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all."
Two thoughts in our Salute to Flag:
1) Republic
He was reminding Americans that America was to be a Republic.
That means America was a system of self-government by the consent of the governed.
A Republic came with individual liberty, elected representatives and limited government.
A Republic was a government checked by balanced devices designed to stop tyranny, the three sections of government.
Today, we don't have a balance and check system in America. Today, one party controls all three branches.
In America our forefathers believed that after God, the individual came first. They believed that only by the consent of the governed, could government govern.
And then the purpose of a Republic was to protect man's life, liberty and property, not take it away.
2) Pledge
As a blessed people our pledge was not to a "flag" but the idea of what America was built upon, 1) The Prayers of the people 2) The Principles of God’s word 3) the Person of Jesus Christ.
America and Americans have been blessed from shore to shining shore with bounty and wealth and freedom and liberty, with prosperity and blessings because those who knew God blessed God..
I still love America because of what it was build upon and what it stood for.
If the people of America are to be blessed, they cannot go down the path of our present political leaders, the propaganda of the press or the direction of the president.
They must turn back to being a people of prayer, a people of principle and a people that worships the person of Jesus Christ.
******************
Proverbs 13;34, "Righteousness exalteth a nation but sin is a reproach to any people."
We must return to the Faith of our forefathers.
We must knee in humility and prayer.
We must go back to the cross.
The crisis is acute.
The danger is imminent.
Time is running out.
The choice is clear: Repent or perish, revival or ruin, Christ or chaos.
As your pastor, I ask from you this: I ask that you give to God and His Church, what our founding fathers gave to America.
They dedicated their lives to defend the Declaration of Independence.
They wrote and sign their names to a pledge that cost some of them their lives, all of them heartache and sorrow and many of them everything they owned.
They said, "with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our Sacred Honor. The word sacred means blessed, or holy.
SO FREEDOM IS NOT FREE. WAKEUP AMERICA!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
FEEDING THE 5,000
DINNER WITH THE LORD
Mark 6:30-44
Jesus Christ performed many miracles. He did so to prove to the world that He was the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Thus far in the book of Mark Jesus healed a possessed man in Capernaum (1:23-28). He healed Peter's mother-in-law (1:29-31). He healed a paralytic in 2:1-12 and cure a man with a withered hand 3:1-6, He calmed the storm at sea in 4:35-41, cure the woman with a hemorrhage (5:23-34) and raised Jairus' daughter from death (5:35-43).
All four Gospel writers record many miracles Jesus performed. But, the only one that is recorded in all four Gospels is the feeding of the 5,000.
This is one of the greatest miracles of our Lord, but there is much, much more to this story than the feeding of the 5,000. Everybody knows what goes on in the kitchen before the meal is what makes the meal so good.
In the story we see the might, mercy and multiplication.
Most people make a big-to-do out Jesus feeding the 5,000, that took him maybe 2 or 3 hours. But, few people think of the fact that Jesus at taught them truths all day long. It shows that people are often more amazed with the signs then the Savior.
In this message today, the first important thought we see is:
I - JESUS CONCERN FOR HIS MEN, THE DISCIPLES (v 30-32).
Mark 6: 30And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.
31And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
32And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.
Two things are clear in these verses:
1 - The excitement of the disciples: (v 30)
-They were excited because Jesus gave them power over the devils.
-They were excited for they had power to heal the lame and the sick.
-They were excited over their spirit's boldness to teach God's word.
The reason Jesus gave the disciples these special powers was for a witness to who He was. Soon, Jesus would die and rise again. Thus, His powers and the powers he gives the disciples were signs for the Jews, so they would believe that Jesus was the Christ the Son of God, the Savior.
After Jesus' resurrection His power is given to His Church. John tells us in First John 4:4, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. "
The believer is given special power today also, but not to tread on serpents and raise the dead. After Jesus rose again, His new command was and has been for 2,000 years to go and witness to the world.
Matthew 28:18-20 reads, 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
What do we teach people? Well, before you baptize them, they must first be saved. So, evidently we tell them that Jesus Saves. 1) We tell them, Jesus loves them and died for them. He was buried and rose again.
2) We tell them all have sinned and come short of God's glory.
3) When they see themselves as lost and God's Spirit convicts them, if they will humbly come to Jesus and believe on Him, they may be saved.
Yes, we need to love people, help people and care for people, but our first priority should be to pray for people and proclaim Jesus.
So, the disciples were excited about Jesus.
2. The exhortation of the Lord is the second thing we see (31-32). Jesus saw beyond the disciples emotions, He saw their need. Do you know what they needed? They needed to rest physically and mentally.
So, they boarded their boat and left Capernaum and headed up the northeastern side of the Sea of Galilee to Bethsaida.
If you give yourself to the service of the Lord, you must have time alone with Jesus to regain your strength. But that is true in any work.
Your body both physically and spiritually needs refreshing.
A great theologian, once sat down with Martin Luther, the reformer and said, “I have come by today so you and I might discuss how God governs the universe.” Luther looked at him and said, “Today you and I will go fishing and leave the governing of the universe to God.” There are sometimes God's people need to go fishing, go on a picnic and just rest. There are times, you need to turn your cell phone off, lock your doors or get in a car and go off for a few days and just rest.
In the third century BC there lived an ancient Greek philosopher named Aesop. He was known for his wise stories. Aesop told stories about nature, plants, or animals that illustrates a moral or even a divine truth.
One day as he was talking with a stressed out fellow Athenian, he picked up a bow, loosened its string, and placed it on the ground., Aesop said, “Answer the riddle, if you can. Tell me what the unstrung bows implies.”
The man looked at it for several moments but had no idea what point Aesop was trying to make. Aesop explained, “If you keep a bow always bent, it will eventually break; but if you let it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it.”
Jesus knew that people needed rest. He knew His children needed rest. That’s why we all need to take time to rest.
In today’s Scripture, Jesus prescribed time off for His wearied disciples after they had returned from a prolonged period of ministry.
The second important thought we see is:
II - JESUS COMPASSION FOR THE MULTITUDES, THE LOST (v 33-34).
33And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.
34And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
In our Lord's stay on earth, His heart was stretched between His concern for His disciples and His compassion for the multitudes. But that should be the heart of every preacher and every Christian.
When the multitudes saw the direction which the Lord left Capernaum by ship, they began to run around the northern corner of the Sea of Galilee until they came to where He was in Bethsaida.
Jesus saw them running around the lake to meet Him. After watching them run for a while, Jesus said in verse 34, "They were like sheep not having a shepherd." The Lord was not irritated because the multitude came to Him. He embraced them with love. Why? He saw deep down in their hearts that they were lost. How do we know that?
1 - They had no shepherd. They had no spiritual leaders to tell them the truth.
-The rabbis' in this day rejected John's preaching to repent from Judaism and accept the Christ. They rejected Jesus' teaching though they claimed to keep the word of God.
-The scribes also rejected Jesus' teaching, though they were to be the wise men who interpreted the Scriptures, they misinterpreted them.
-And the Pharisees were so wrapped up their religious traditions, they could not see beyond their noses.
Jesus said to these three groups in Matthew 23:15, Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
The reason Jesus was moved with compassion upon these folks was nobody would tell them the truth. Thank God Jesus is Truth.
Not, only did they not have a shepherd but...
2. They had no Scriptures.
To hear the Scriptures, the people had to go to the synagogue. Then they trusted the reading and interpretation of those Scriptures to the Pharisees and Scribes.
Listen: when the disciples ask the Lord to give them signs of when He would return, the first thing Jesus said was, "Take heed that not man deceive you." (Matt 24:4)
I want to make something very clear today folks. Maybe I haven't been clear in the past, but the greatest deception of Satan today is false religious teaching. Any doctrine not backed up by the Scriptures is a lie.
God gave commands to preachers in II Timothy 4:1-3: 1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts (fleshly desires) shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
I have had many people visit this church and when I visited them, they said, I'm looking for a church with a ball team or a singles ministry. I'm looking for a contemporary church with contemporary music, or some other personal reason. That is fleshly. You are here because you were looking for a church that teaches and preaches the Bible.
I talked to a Methodist man this past week. I told him, I believe a ballpark is for baseball and a amusement park is for entertainment, but Church is a place to go and worship God. And he said, "I agree."
Therefore let me say this:
It matters not what a school of theology or Christian college or seminary tells you, if it contradicts God's word, you and I are to preach and proclaim God's word. Amen. There are a few good colleges and a few good seminaries in America, but mind you, only a few.
They give knowledge and they give degrees, but few train preachers to preach the whole council of God. I don't know if this will shock you or not but most professors in most Seminaries across this land don't believe that the Bible is God's inspired word.
Remember, the Bible says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable..." not part of it, but the whole.
Jesus called religious organization that were fake, fake. He called the Pharisees, hypocrites and children of hell.
Now, that poses a major problem in the culture of America, today.
Why? Most of our country's educational institutes and media has brained washed most people and even Christians to believe humanism over God's divine teachings.
Let me give you about 5 examples:
1) The book by Dale Carnegie, "How to Win Friends and Influence People" written in 1937, sold 15 million copies worldwide. It was a good book filled with great ideas on how to treat people and how to listen and show compassion. It was a good book on how husbands and wives should treat each other.
An old preacher in his nineties told me that the religious organization he belonged to and worked in all his life, built their entire religious teaching around one quote from Dale Carnegie and that was, "Don't criticize, condemn or complain."
Now, if you have read the book, you know that was just one point and overall it is a good book. If you are dealing with a person in sales, that is a great code to live by. If you want to make people like you, you must do this.
The book goes on to say that you should show interest in people, smile, be a good listener, show respect, be friendly with people you meet and much more.
That is all good, but God didn't call preachers to win friends and influence people to themselves. He called preachers to reprove, rebuke and exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
Many preachers are taught today, never to condemn anyone or anything. They are told, "Don't say anything that might offend someone."
Listen to Jesus. He said to the Pharisees in Matthew 23:33,Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Does that sound a little condemning?
I believe we need to be compassionate and loving to the lost world, but, to false teachers whither they are religious or not, that are taking people to hell, we need to call them what they are, serpents, vipers and candidates of hell.
Where is the balance? It is really simple. A dad takes his son out into the woods. He says, son, God gave us animals for food. We raise our beef, we kill deer, we shout turkey's, we catch fish. This is good. We till the soil and plant crops. This is good. We eat strawberries, blackberries and the like. But, son, Be cautious of poison ivy and oak. Watch out for the snakes, the bears, the wolves. They'll kill you. Stay away from them and if they are causing trouble, warn people or kill them.
2) Now, seconnldy, let me say this, the apostle Paul called people's name who were leading people astray. He said, "Demos hath forsaken me." He said, "Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil."
This brings us to another area of thought that is killing true Christianity in America and that is the Possibility thinkers.
Born in 1926 was a man named Robert Schuller. When Schuller began in California, he went door to door and ask the people what kind of church they would like. They said we want a church that makes us feel good about ourselves. So, Schuler changed his message, and vowed never to preach negative again, only positive.
He would never tell a person that they were sinners in need of a Savior. His church grew to over 9,000. His TV program was broadcast in 180 different countries. He had an audience of 20 million people and he left out over 50% of God' Word.
Friend, my Jesus preached hell hot and heaven sweet. He told people to repent or perish.
He exposed to the woman at the well that she was living in adultery.
He told Nicodemus, "He that believeth on me is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed on the name of the Son of God."
I think I will preach like Jesus. It could make the difference in heaven and hell for one lost soul.
I want to tell you about another Robert Shuler. He was nicknamed "Fighting Bob" Shuler.
He was born in 1880 and died in 1965. He was an American Methodist evangelist and political figure. He was born in Tennessee but pastored in Los Angeles, California during the 1920s and 1930s. He attracted large audiences of over 5,000 and was heard on the radio by over 600,000.
In his sermons and broadcast, he weekly, "thundered negatively against civic and moral evils, including gamblers, bootleggers, the dishonesty of the government, corrupt politicians and corrupt police officials.
Shuler would have kept his radio broadcast open many more years, but the Federal Radio Commission revoked Shuler's license. They shut him down in 1937. So, much for "freedom of speech." Folks, we are fighting against the same corruption in our government today.
3) There are the positive thinkers like Norman Vincent Peal who said, "Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities."
My Bible says, don't trust the flesh. Don't trust your heart. Don't trust man. Psalms 118:8, "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man."
4) Then there is the teaching of the Happy thinking people. They say things like: "Happiness is within you. When you stop the chatter of the mind and expel your worries and fears you find out that happiness surfaces from within you.
Do you know what I feel when I stop all chatter of my mind. I see a world going to hell. I see the soon return of the Lord and the need to tell people about Jesus.
Happiness is not a goal you seek, it is an outflow from the heart of a person abiding in Christ.
5) Then we have today, the political correctness crowd. This world's education system, government and media, is crying that you must speak politically correct.
They are doing everything they can to brainwash the people of this nation to accept a socialized, Marxist government that will eventually accept a One World Government. That contradicts the words of my Savior.
The politically correct crowd says don't say negative things. Don't say anything that my make another feel bad. So, you must call drunkenness a disease. And adultery is called an extramarital affair and homosexuality is called an alternate life style.
Friend, Jesus said the drunkard is a sinners and he won't enter the kingdom of heaven. The adulterer will face God's judgment and the homosexual crowd is an abomination. He said they are worthy of death and bound for hell. Does that sound politically correct?
Have you heard of ADHD, (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)? My kids had that. All three of them. I had it also when I was growing up. So did my brothers and sister. So did my mom and dad.
Don't laugh. All of you had it. Not only that, my kids had ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder. When I talked to them, they didn't listen or obey me, at first.
Well, before I read Dr Spock or a modern day Psychologist or psychiatrist or talked to a governmental social worker I read the Bible.
And God gave me a cure for ADD and ADHD.
I want to show you the cure in the Bible: Look in Proverbs 23: 12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge. First, children should be taught the word of God. When? You should read the Bible to them before they are ever born. Then raised them on the Scriptures. Know, this, though you give them the pill of truth, they are still going to lapse into ADHD and ADD.
So God, gives us some great wisdom in verse 13: Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Did you see that? The remedy isn't in a bottle, it is in a rod.
The old remedy to get a child's attention or to stop a child's over activity was called in modern terms, a spanking. If you are from the mountains it is called a good old fashion whooping.
Well, says, mom or dad, "Can I whoop them to much? God says, "NO." 14: Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
I'm not making fun of anyone, I'm telling you, our nation has to find another way to help you raise your kids because they threw the Bible out. So they say, drug them.
So you have a choice today: Put your child on governmental regulated drugs which will affect them mentally and physically as they get older. That is proven. Or, do it God's way.
Folks, the whole world is not crazy and God's word is always true: In 1992 Philip Atkinson in Australia wrote this article, " Uncontrolled Children Become Uncontrollable Citizens. The Australian community's failure to discipline its children has resulted in uncontrollable citizens—monsters.
He says, we have ignored the wisdom of the ages. The public schools phased out corporal punishment and today we are left with uncontrollable violent pupils.
Jesus did not call behavior a disease? He called it sin.
Jesus said, "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.
The third though we see is:
III - JESUS' CONSUMMATION OF A MIRACLE (v 35-44).
I am not going to read verses 35-44, for most of you know the story. Jesus had preached all day and the multitudes of 5,000 men plus women and children were hungry. The sun would soon set and the question arises, "What should we do with this crowd."
1. First, We see the disciple's logic: The disciples looked at the conditions and the clock. And concluded with this logic:
"This is a desert place, and the time is far passed." 36, "Send them away and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. We don't have the time or the treasures or the to feed a crowd like this.
This spoke of the time of day. You see there were two evenings to the Jewish people. The first was from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and the second was a period of thirty to forty minutes after sunset. Here Jesus was speaking of the first evening.
The disciples were concerned that they could not feed the multitudes. Why? Their eyes were on the clock, but Jesus' eyes were on the crowd.
They had looked in their purse and didn't have enough money.
They had looked out among the crowd and there was no food.
They had considered the lateness of the hour and thought they had no time, but no one was looking to Jesus, who had all power.
2. Now we see Jesus' love (38-44)
A. First we see the Blessed Supply:
So Jesus says, "Give them to eat." The disciples say, we don't have enough money in the treasury to buy enough bread for them. Jesus says, in verse 38, How many loaves do we have. They come back and say, "This small boy has two fishes and five loaves of bread, but what is that for this great multitude?"
He tells them to sit down by fifties and by hundreds. He is organized. Learn this truth: Your little is enough, if you give it to Jesus and let Him organize it.
B. Then we see Jesus' Bountiful Supply
Jesus first stopped and blessed the two fish and five loaves.
41And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
How many times have I give this principle: "Learn to truly be thankful for what you have. That gives God the opportunity to give you more."
God knows the gratefulness of our hearts. Praise the Lord for what He has done for you. Quit asking for more and just praise Him!
What is the application for us today?
Be concern for your own family first, then your brothers and sisters in Christ, the. Reach out to them to one another and give a restful, peaceful time.
Be compassionate to a lost world. They are running to and fro because they don't know the peace you have. They don't know Jesus.
So, take the bread of life that God gave you and share Him with your family and friends.
Mark 6:30-44
Jesus Christ performed many miracles. He did so to prove to the world that He was the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Thus far in the book of Mark Jesus healed a possessed man in Capernaum (1:23-28). He healed Peter's mother-in-law (1:29-31). He healed a paralytic in 2:1-12 and cure a man with a withered hand 3:1-6, He calmed the storm at sea in 4:35-41, cure the woman with a hemorrhage (5:23-34) and raised Jairus' daughter from death (5:35-43).
All four Gospel writers record many miracles Jesus performed. But, the only one that is recorded in all four Gospels is the feeding of the 5,000.
This is one of the greatest miracles of our Lord, but there is much, much more to this story than the feeding of the 5,000. Everybody knows what goes on in the kitchen before the meal is what makes the meal so good.
In the story we see the might, mercy and multiplication.
Most people make a big-to-do out Jesus feeding the 5,000, that took him maybe 2 or 3 hours. But, few people think of the fact that Jesus at taught them truths all day long. It shows that people are often more amazed with the signs then the Savior.
In this message today, the first important thought we see is:
I - JESUS CONCERN FOR HIS MEN, THE DISCIPLES (v 30-32).
Mark 6: 30And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.
31And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
32And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.
Two things are clear in these verses:
1 - The excitement of the disciples: (v 30)
-They were excited because Jesus gave them power over the devils.
-They were excited for they had power to heal the lame and the sick.
-They were excited over their spirit's boldness to teach God's word.
The reason Jesus gave the disciples these special powers was for a witness to who He was. Soon, Jesus would die and rise again. Thus, His powers and the powers he gives the disciples were signs for the Jews, so they would believe that Jesus was the Christ the Son of God, the Savior.
After Jesus' resurrection His power is given to His Church. John tells us in First John 4:4, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. "
The believer is given special power today also, but not to tread on serpents and raise the dead. After Jesus rose again, His new command was and has been for 2,000 years to go and witness to the world.
Matthew 28:18-20 reads, 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
What do we teach people? Well, before you baptize them, they must first be saved. So, evidently we tell them that Jesus Saves. 1) We tell them, Jesus loves them and died for them. He was buried and rose again.
2) We tell them all have sinned and come short of God's glory.
3) When they see themselves as lost and God's Spirit convicts them, if they will humbly come to Jesus and believe on Him, they may be saved.
Yes, we need to love people, help people and care for people, but our first priority should be to pray for people and proclaim Jesus.
So, the disciples were excited about Jesus.
2. The exhortation of the Lord is the second thing we see (31-32). Jesus saw beyond the disciples emotions, He saw their need. Do you know what they needed? They needed to rest physically and mentally.
So, they boarded their boat and left Capernaum and headed up the northeastern side of the Sea of Galilee to Bethsaida.
If you give yourself to the service of the Lord, you must have time alone with Jesus to regain your strength. But that is true in any work.
Your body both physically and spiritually needs refreshing.
A great theologian, once sat down with Martin Luther, the reformer and said, “I have come by today so you and I might discuss how God governs the universe.” Luther looked at him and said, “Today you and I will go fishing and leave the governing of the universe to God.” There are sometimes God's people need to go fishing, go on a picnic and just rest. There are times, you need to turn your cell phone off, lock your doors or get in a car and go off for a few days and just rest.
In the third century BC there lived an ancient Greek philosopher named Aesop. He was known for his wise stories. Aesop told stories about nature, plants, or animals that illustrates a moral or even a divine truth.
One day as he was talking with a stressed out fellow Athenian, he picked up a bow, loosened its string, and placed it on the ground., Aesop said, “Answer the riddle, if you can. Tell me what the unstrung bows implies.”
The man looked at it for several moments but had no idea what point Aesop was trying to make. Aesop explained, “If you keep a bow always bent, it will eventually break; but if you let it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it.”
Jesus knew that people needed rest. He knew His children needed rest. That’s why we all need to take time to rest.
In today’s Scripture, Jesus prescribed time off for His wearied disciples after they had returned from a prolonged period of ministry.
The second important thought we see is:
II - JESUS COMPASSION FOR THE MULTITUDES, THE LOST (v 33-34).
33And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.
34And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
In our Lord's stay on earth, His heart was stretched between His concern for His disciples and His compassion for the multitudes. But that should be the heart of every preacher and every Christian.
When the multitudes saw the direction which the Lord left Capernaum by ship, they began to run around the northern corner of the Sea of Galilee until they came to where He was in Bethsaida.
Jesus saw them running around the lake to meet Him. After watching them run for a while, Jesus said in verse 34, "They were like sheep not having a shepherd." The Lord was not irritated because the multitude came to Him. He embraced them with love. Why? He saw deep down in their hearts that they were lost. How do we know that?
1 - They had no shepherd. They had no spiritual leaders to tell them the truth.
-The rabbis' in this day rejected John's preaching to repent from Judaism and accept the Christ. They rejected Jesus' teaching though they claimed to keep the word of God.
-The scribes also rejected Jesus' teaching, though they were to be the wise men who interpreted the Scriptures, they misinterpreted them.
-And the Pharisees were so wrapped up their religious traditions, they could not see beyond their noses.
Jesus said to these three groups in Matthew 23:15, Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
The reason Jesus was moved with compassion upon these folks was nobody would tell them the truth. Thank God Jesus is Truth.
Not, only did they not have a shepherd but...
2. They had no Scriptures.
To hear the Scriptures, the people had to go to the synagogue. Then they trusted the reading and interpretation of those Scriptures to the Pharisees and Scribes.
Listen: when the disciples ask the Lord to give them signs of when He would return, the first thing Jesus said was, "Take heed that not man deceive you." (Matt 24:4)
I want to make something very clear today folks. Maybe I haven't been clear in the past, but the greatest deception of Satan today is false religious teaching. Any doctrine not backed up by the Scriptures is a lie.
God gave commands to preachers in II Timothy 4:1-3: 1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts (fleshly desires) shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
I have had many people visit this church and when I visited them, they said, I'm looking for a church with a ball team or a singles ministry. I'm looking for a contemporary church with contemporary music, or some other personal reason. That is fleshly. You are here because you were looking for a church that teaches and preaches the Bible.
I talked to a Methodist man this past week. I told him, I believe a ballpark is for baseball and a amusement park is for entertainment, but Church is a place to go and worship God. And he said, "I agree."
Therefore let me say this:
It matters not what a school of theology or Christian college or seminary tells you, if it contradicts God's word, you and I are to preach and proclaim God's word. Amen. There are a few good colleges and a few good seminaries in America, but mind you, only a few.
They give knowledge and they give degrees, but few train preachers to preach the whole council of God. I don't know if this will shock you or not but most professors in most Seminaries across this land don't believe that the Bible is God's inspired word.
Remember, the Bible says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable..." not part of it, but the whole.
Jesus called religious organization that were fake, fake. He called the Pharisees, hypocrites and children of hell.
Now, that poses a major problem in the culture of America, today.
Why? Most of our country's educational institutes and media has brained washed most people and even Christians to believe humanism over God's divine teachings.
Let me give you about 5 examples:
1) The book by Dale Carnegie, "How to Win Friends and Influence People" written in 1937, sold 15 million copies worldwide. It was a good book filled with great ideas on how to treat people and how to listen and show compassion. It was a good book on how husbands and wives should treat each other.
An old preacher in his nineties told me that the religious organization he belonged to and worked in all his life, built their entire religious teaching around one quote from Dale Carnegie and that was, "Don't criticize, condemn or complain."
Now, if you have read the book, you know that was just one point and overall it is a good book. If you are dealing with a person in sales, that is a great code to live by. If you want to make people like you, you must do this.
The book goes on to say that you should show interest in people, smile, be a good listener, show respect, be friendly with people you meet and much more.
That is all good, but God didn't call preachers to win friends and influence people to themselves. He called preachers to reprove, rebuke and exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
Many preachers are taught today, never to condemn anyone or anything. They are told, "Don't say anything that might offend someone."
Listen to Jesus. He said to the Pharisees in Matthew 23:33,Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Does that sound a little condemning?
I believe we need to be compassionate and loving to the lost world, but, to false teachers whither they are religious or not, that are taking people to hell, we need to call them what they are, serpents, vipers and candidates of hell.
Where is the balance? It is really simple. A dad takes his son out into the woods. He says, son, God gave us animals for food. We raise our beef, we kill deer, we shout turkey's, we catch fish. This is good. We till the soil and plant crops. This is good. We eat strawberries, blackberries and the like. But, son, Be cautious of poison ivy and oak. Watch out for the snakes, the bears, the wolves. They'll kill you. Stay away from them and if they are causing trouble, warn people or kill them.
2) Now, seconnldy, let me say this, the apostle Paul called people's name who were leading people astray. He said, "Demos hath forsaken me." He said, "Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil."
This brings us to another area of thought that is killing true Christianity in America and that is the Possibility thinkers.
Born in 1926 was a man named Robert Schuller. When Schuller began in California, he went door to door and ask the people what kind of church they would like. They said we want a church that makes us feel good about ourselves. So, Schuler changed his message, and vowed never to preach negative again, only positive.
He would never tell a person that they were sinners in need of a Savior. His church grew to over 9,000. His TV program was broadcast in 180 different countries. He had an audience of 20 million people and he left out over 50% of God' Word.
Friend, my Jesus preached hell hot and heaven sweet. He told people to repent or perish.
He exposed to the woman at the well that she was living in adultery.
He told Nicodemus, "He that believeth on me is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed on the name of the Son of God."
I think I will preach like Jesus. It could make the difference in heaven and hell for one lost soul.
I want to tell you about another Robert Shuler. He was nicknamed "Fighting Bob" Shuler.
He was born in 1880 and died in 1965. He was an American Methodist evangelist and political figure. He was born in Tennessee but pastored in Los Angeles, California during the 1920s and 1930s. He attracted large audiences of over 5,000 and was heard on the radio by over 600,000.
In his sermons and broadcast, he weekly, "thundered negatively against civic and moral evils, including gamblers, bootleggers, the dishonesty of the government, corrupt politicians and corrupt police officials.
Shuler would have kept his radio broadcast open many more years, but the Federal Radio Commission revoked Shuler's license. They shut him down in 1937. So, much for "freedom of speech." Folks, we are fighting against the same corruption in our government today.
3) There are the positive thinkers like Norman Vincent Peal who said, "Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities."
My Bible says, don't trust the flesh. Don't trust your heart. Don't trust man. Psalms 118:8, "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man."
4) Then there is the teaching of the Happy thinking people. They say things like: "Happiness is within you. When you stop the chatter of the mind and expel your worries and fears you find out that happiness surfaces from within you.
Do you know what I feel when I stop all chatter of my mind. I see a world going to hell. I see the soon return of the Lord and the need to tell people about Jesus.
Happiness is not a goal you seek, it is an outflow from the heart of a person abiding in Christ.
5) Then we have today, the political correctness crowd. This world's education system, government and media, is crying that you must speak politically correct.
They are doing everything they can to brainwash the people of this nation to accept a socialized, Marxist government that will eventually accept a One World Government. That contradicts the words of my Savior.
The politically correct crowd says don't say negative things. Don't say anything that my make another feel bad. So, you must call drunkenness a disease. And adultery is called an extramarital affair and homosexuality is called an alternate life style.
Friend, Jesus said the drunkard is a sinners and he won't enter the kingdom of heaven. The adulterer will face God's judgment and the homosexual crowd is an abomination. He said they are worthy of death and bound for hell. Does that sound politically correct?
Have you heard of ADHD, (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)? My kids had that. All three of them. I had it also when I was growing up. So did my brothers and sister. So did my mom and dad.
Don't laugh. All of you had it. Not only that, my kids had ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder. When I talked to them, they didn't listen or obey me, at first.
Well, before I read Dr Spock or a modern day Psychologist or psychiatrist or talked to a governmental social worker I read the Bible.
And God gave me a cure for ADD and ADHD.
I want to show you the cure in the Bible: Look in Proverbs 23: 12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge. First, children should be taught the word of God. When? You should read the Bible to them before they are ever born. Then raised them on the Scriptures. Know, this, though you give them the pill of truth, they are still going to lapse into ADHD and ADD.
So God, gives us some great wisdom in verse 13: Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Did you see that? The remedy isn't in a bottle, it is in a rod.
The old remedy to get a child's attention or to stop a child's over activity was called in modern terms, a spanking. If you are from the mountains it is called a good old fashion whooping.
Well, says, mom or dad, "Can I whoop them to much? God says, "NO." 14: Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
I'm not making fun of anyone, I'm telling you, our nation has to find another way to help you raise your kids because they threw the Bible out. So they say, drug them.
So you have a choice today: Put your child on governmental regulated drugs which will affect them mentally and physically as they get older. That is proven. Or, do it God's way.
Folks, the whole world is not crazy and God's word is always true: In 1992 Philip Atkinson in Australia wrote this article, " Uncontrolled Children Become Uncontrollable Citizens. The Australian community's failure to discipline its children has resulted in uncontrollable citizens—monsters.
He says, we have ignored the wisdom of the ages. The public schools phased out corporal punishment and today we are left with uncontrollable violent pupils.
Jesus did not call behavior a disease? He called it sin.
Jesus said, "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.
The third though we see is:
III - JESUS' CONSUMMATION OF A MIRACLE (v 35-44).
I am not going to read verses 35-44, for most of you know the story. Jesus had preached all day and the multitudes of 5,000 men plus women and children were hungry. The sun would soon set and the question arises, "What should we do with this crowd."
1. First, We see the disciple's logic: The disciples looked at the conditions and the clock. And concluded with this logic:
"This is a desert place, and the time is far passed." 36, "Send them away and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. We don't have the time or the treasures or the to feed a crowd like this.
This spoke of the time of day. You see there were two evenings to the Jewish people. The first was from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and the second was a period of thirty to forty minutes after sunset. Here Jesus was speaking of the first evening.
The disciples were concerned that they could not feed the multitudes. Why? Their eyes were on the clock, but Jesus' eyes were on the crowd.
They had looked in their purse and didn't have enough money.
They had looked out among the crowd and there was no food.
They had considered the lateness of the hour and thought they had no time, but no one was looking to Jesus, who had all power.
2. Now we see Jesus' love (38-44)
A. First we see the Blessed Supply:
So Jesus says, "Give them to eat." The disciples say, we don't have enough money in the treasury to buy enough bread for them. Jesus says, in verse 38, How many loaves do we have. They come back and say, "This small boy has two fishes and five loaves of bread, but what is that for this great multitude?"
He tells them to sit down by fifties and by hundreds. He is organized. Learn this truth: Your little is enough, if you give it to Jesus and let Him organize it.
B. Then we see Jesus' Bountiful Supply
Jesus first stopped and blessed the two fish and five loaves.
41And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
How many times have I give this principle: "Learn to truly be thankful for what you have. That gives God the opportunity to give you more."
God knows the gratefulness of our hearts. Praise the Lord for what He has done for you. Quit asking for more and just praise Him!
What is the application for us today?
Be concern for your own family first, then your brothers and sisters in Christ, the. Reach out to them to one another and give a restful, peaceful time.
Be compassionate to a lost world. They are running to and fro because they don't know the peace you have. They don't know Jesus.
So, take the bread of life that God gave you and share Him with your family and friends.
MOTHER'S DAY 2010
THE SAGA OF TWO FAMILIES
Would you want someone to write a book on your family? Even the best of families would probably say, I prefer that you don't. However, God writes more than history and prophecy about families. He writes truth. In the two families we will look at this morning, we see a family with a son and a family with a daughter and how each family was affected by their mother.
Luke 1:5 reads, "There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth."
Elisabeth means, "The sense of God." Elisabeth and Zacharias had lived many years and they had no child.
Matthew 14:6 reads, "But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod."
Herodias means heroic. The name of his wife, Herodias, is derived from Herod. Herodias' desire was not to be a wife or a mother, but her desire was to be a Herod.
She wanted to control her life, her husband, her daughters and everyone else's. (Josephus tells us that Herodias' daughter's name was Salome. Her name means peace.)
In this story we will compare the lives of two women, their families, but mainly their hearts.
One woman has a righteous heart before God and one woman has a rotten heart before God.
Most of this message is taken from Mark 6:13-29. That text reveals the heart of Herodias, whereas the heart of Elisabeth is revealed in Luke 1.
This message reveals three thoughts:
I - THE PREACHER: (Mark 6:14)
Mark 6:14 And king Herod heard of him (Jesus); (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in him.
Soon, after Jesus sent the disciples out to witness and do miracles for Him. His fame spread everywhere. One man of great power and position heard of Jesus' fame and the news frightened him greatly, though he had never met Jesus Christ. This man's name was Herod, the husband of Herodias.
Why would Herod fear Jesus so, though he had never met Him?
That is where our message begins, but not with Jesus, but John.
And even before John. It begins with his mother, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth's was from the bloodline of Aaron. It is said, and is very much true, "behind every good man there is a good woman." That woman may be his mother. It may be his wife or it may be his grandmother. But, there is a lot of truth in that saying.
John's Father was Zacharias, a priest of God. Luke tells us that John and Elizabeth faithfully served the Lord all their lives.
The Bible says in Luke 1:6, "And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless."
In that verse we see what made Elisabeth a godly woman. She walk her talk. She knew her role as a wife and a believer and she lived it.
The phrase, she was “righteous before God,” (v 6) tells us she knew the Salvation of the Lord. There are two types of righteousness in the Bible. There is imputed righteousness and imparted righteousness.
When a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior, he or she is given "imputed righteousness." That means one stand righteous before God because of our blood-bought relationship with Jesus Christ.
But, imparted righteousness is the life we live before others, because we realize our position with God and our place in society.
We impart to others the righteousness we have in our hearts.
Thus, Elisabeth's walk was as beautiful as her talk. Thus, she was blameless before God and man.
Elisabeth was very old. She had passed the flower of her youth. She was of the age when women no longer conceived.
Zacharias never quit praying, though he doubted that God would answer his prayer. One day while he was ministering to the Lord, burning incense in the Temple he prayed many prayers.
One of those prayers was "Lord, would you give me a son." Suddenly, the angel, Gabriel appeared to Zacharias and told him that the Lord heard his prayer and would do just that... give him a son.
He told Zacharias that his son would be like Elijah. He would be righteous. He would preach truth. He would turn many to God.
Isn't that great? There was only one problem, Zacharias didn't believe Gabriel. So, Gabriel says, Zacharias, you will not be able to speak a word until your son is born and yes, you will name him, John. (God is gracious)
Now, why do you think Zacharias prayed this prayer? Well, Zacharias and especially his wife had suffered much rebuke because they were childless. In ancient days, the belief was if God opens your womb, He has blessed you and if not, then there must be sin in your life.
Elisabeth was mocked and looked down upon by her friends. I can hear friends and foes alike, "Why has God not opened your womb, Elisabeth?" "Is there some unconfessed sin in your life?"
So, when Elizabeth did conceive, she hid herself for five months.
A month later, a young girl, named Mary, came to Elisabeth and told her that she was carrying, the Messiah.
Mary was but a teenager. Elisabeth well up in her age. Elisabeth was the wife of a priest, Mary a simple peasant girl.
Yet Elisabeth praised Mary and gave glory to God. Elizabeth was so thankful for Mary's blessings that her emotions caused John, who was six months along in her womb, to jump for joy.
John was a great man for God, because his mother had a heart right with God. She walked and talked with God. She kept her role as a mother and believer. And she was blameless. I see that she was content with where she was in life.
Soon she gave life to a godly son, John the Baptist. Jesus said that there has never been one born of woman as great as John the Baptist.
II - THE PROBLEM
That brings us to the problem. The problem's name was Herodias. When Herod heard about all the miracles that Jesus Christ was doing, as well as his disciples, though John did no miracles, Herod feared that John had risen from the dead. Why? Well, here is where this family story begins.
Herod's name was Antipas. He ruled Galilee on the east, what we would call the East Bank. And his brother Herod Philip ruled northeast of Galilee in the land of Trachonitus or what we would call the Golan Heights today.
On a trip while Antipas was visiting his brother Philip, Antipas’ eyes fell upon Philip's beautiful wife, Herodias, and with lust in his soul, he stole her from his brother.
Why would Herodias give herself to Antipas, her brother-in-law? Herod Antipas was called a king, while Philip was only a governor. And Herodias was all about herself. She only wanted to promote herself and be the center of attention. She wanted to be a queen.
She was a spoiled, selfish and self-centered woman. All her life she was pampered and given everything she wanted and if she didn’t get her way, she pouted, she got mad and she got even.
She never knew what the word content meant. Her life made, her first husband's, Philip, life miserable and her life made Herod's life miserable. And if she didn't like someone, she made their life miserable.
Though Herodias was as beautiful as a butterfly outwardly, she was as ugly as a buzzard inwardly.
When she took flight with Antipas, she came with luggage. A heart was full of hate and her daughter was full of hell.
Lust last for but a short time, love last forever. Thus, it was not long before whatever relationship there was between Antipas and Herodias, it was gone.
HERE we have two women that will greatly impact the life of John. One would give John life and one would take John's life.
In those days, inside of Antipas' kingdom, yea, inside his own house was debauchery, dishonesty and deception.
Evil gets old after awhile and a man begins to look for someone or something that is real.
That is when John came on the scene. No doubt a convert of John's must have witnessed to Antipas and said, "Have you heard of the Baptist?" Great crowds from all over Galilee are going to hear this man speak. He is telling of a coming Messiah. He is calling the people to repent and prepare for the Messiah.
Curiosity got to Herod so, he decided to go and listen to John. John moved Antipas emotionally. Antipas enjoyed hearing someone tell the truth for once. He was somewhat tired of the deception, lies and evil within Rome... and within his own family.
Though Antipas did not live right, he knew John was holy and spoke truth.
The Bible says, that Antipas enjoyed hearing John preach.
--Maybe Antipas longed for the peace John preached about, for he had none in his home.
--Or maybe, he enjoyed John because John was telling the Jews that they needed to change their life style, for Antipas was an Edomite.
I can see Antipas as he returns home from hearing John preach. He comes to his wife, Herodias and says, "Herodias, you must go with me to hear the Baptist. He is the most amazing speaker I have ever heard. You just must come with me tomorrow to hear him."
As tomorrow arrives, Antipas and Herodias arrive in their chariot, along with many soldiers and guards.
They make their way to the desert place where John is speaking. John declares to the crowds with his booming voice, "Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. Soon the Messiah will come, prepare ye the way of the Lord." John was the greatest orator of the day.
Suddenly, the unexpected happened. John, under the inspiration of the Spirit looks towards Antipas' chariot where Antipas and Herodias are sitting within.
John speaks with his booming baritone voice, "Antipas, it is not right for you to have your brother's wife."
Antipas is stricken with guilt and shame.
-He knows he did wrong when he stole Herodias from his brother.
-He probably wished he could return her but it was too late for that.
-Herod cannot speak. He is humbled.
But, Herodias is burning mad. Venom is dripping from her lips. I can hear her say, "How dare, that man speak truth about me. How dare he reveal my dirty laundry for all the world to see."
Isn't it amazing how God's Spirit works. Antipas was humbled, Herodias was hardened. The same sun that melts the snow, hardens the clay. Antipas is ashamed but Herodias is angered.
Antipas still held great respect for John. Herodias only desires to see him dead. Herod and Herodias argued over John life.
Herodias demands that Herod kill John. Herod reminded her, that he was the king and he would do no such a thing. So that Herod will not have to live in torment on earth, he compromises and throws John in prison.
But, Herodias is not content. You see, she didn't get her selfish way. She had never been forgiven by God and therefore she knew not how to forgive. Burning within her heart is a devious plan to get even.
III - THE PLOT
Herodias was pampered and spoiled as a child. She got everything she wanted and pouted if she did not get what she wanted.
This spoiled child that manipulated her parents with her wining, will now use even her own child for her profit.
Herodias was as pretty as a sunrise on the outside but inside she was full of sewage.
She thought, soon, it will be my husband's birthday. I will set a trap for him. Herodias knew Herod was a lustful man, so she goes to her daughter, Salome, and says, "Salome I want you to dance at the king's birthday party.
I want you to dance as seductively as you can, but don't tell anyone what you are going to do. It is your step-father's birthday present and I want it to be a suprise.
I will see to it that Herod is filled with drink. You just fill his heart with lust. I have something very special for Antipas on this birthday.
Herodias' daughter play the harlot that night. She dressed like a harlot, danced like a harlot and defrauded her step-father, to the command of her mother.
When the king could no longer contain his lustful thoughts, he says, "Ask of me and I will give you whatever you ask up to half my kingdom."
The daughter, though seductive, was ignorant of her mother's game. She goes to her mother and says, "Mother what do I ask for?"
Herodias with evil in her eyes and a sadistic grin on her lips says, go and tell the king you want the head of John the Baptist on a platter."
A stake was driven in Herod's heart. He knew that was wrong. How he regretted his pledge. But, so many people heard his drunken oath.
In shame Herod sent for the executioner. John's head was removed from his body, placed on a charger and given to Herodias' daughter.
Salome carries it to Herod. The Bible does not say this, but maybe Herodias' daughter said, "Mom says, "Happy birthday."
Now, Herodias was content. She got her way again.
I want to stop and look at two mothers:
1 - Elizabeth (Luke 1:6) "And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless."
a. Elisabeth was righteous. That means she was honest and honorable. Think of the words honest and honorable. Honest means truthful, sincere, trustworthy, upright, law-abiding. Honorable means admirable, moral, praiseworthy and good. The Christian life is all about character, God's character. Thank God for godly mothers that are honest and honorable!
b. Elisabeth kept God's commandments. I enjoy studying the Bible for it reminds me of the things that I forget. I loved to read over my role of a husband and father, for I see where I have let things slip and I try to make things right. I enjoy studying love for every time I do I see where I can improve my love towards God, my wife and family.
Elisabeth reminds us, a wise man, a wise woman will live in God's word.
c. Elisabeth lived a blameless life. That means she was impeccable. She was innocent. Her heart was clean. She loved her God, her husband and she loved her son. She was trustworthy and dependable.
I thank the world of someone that is dependable and trustworthy. It is what makes a church, a family, and even a business successful.
d. Elizabeth was a selfless woman. She lived for others. She did not have a selfish bone in her body. She did not have to be served, she lived to serve. She lived for God. She lived for others.
You may ask, "How do you know that? When Mary came to Elisabeth and told her she was going to have the Christ. Elizabeth praised Mary. She didn't get jealous. She didn't say, "Why not me, Lord." Elizabeth was a selfless woman. How beautiful is the aroma of a selfless, submissive, spiritual woman.
2 -Look at Herodias
a. Herodias was miserable and she wanted everyone around her miserable. She only wanted her way and Herodias did not care who she hurt or who she stepped on to get what she wanted.
b. Herodias was a self-centered woman. Life was all about her. It was never about being a good wife or a good mother. It was about getting what she wanted. She had to have the best. She had to have her way. Why was she like that? Herodias was a spoiled little girl that grew up to be a spoiled old wife.
Many of you remember Scott Peterson, the man convicted of murdering his wife, whose was carrying his child. She was 27. The Baby was due within a few weeks to be born.
Why and how could a man kill his wife and baby, yet to be born. One piece of evidence was this presented in court was this: Scott's feet never touched the ground till he was one year old." That means, he was spoiled rotten.
Moms and dads, love your children, but rule your children. Don't let them pout. Don't let them have their way. Please, train them up in the ways of the Lord.
c. Herodias was a proud woman. She thought her beauty was all she needed to attract the world. But, she was blinded by her pride. Her pride made her bitter and ugly. She wanted position and fame, even if it meant breaking God's law by leaving her husband for his brother.
She manipulated her daughter into degrading herself and she manipulated her husband into an act of murder.
When John spoke truth and told the world that Herodias was an adulterous, rather than saying, "God forgive me," she said, "I will get vengeance."
d. Herodias did not know how to forgive because she was never forgiven by God.
Why were these two woman so different.
1 - One knew God and one did not.
2 - One spent time with God daily and one did not.
3 - One knew her Biblical role and one did not.
Every mother should want to be like Elisabeth. A woman in love with God, her husband and her family, a woman content and innocent.
On the other hand, no woman should want to be like Herodias. She was all about herself. She wanted her way or she pouted. She was envious, jealous and unforgiving.
The Jewish rabbis had a saying, A good woman might marry a bad man, because she hoped to make him as good as herself; but a good man can never marry a bad woman, for she will eventually drag him down to her own level.
Herod was not a good man to start with, but his wife made him worse.
There is a lesson here for wives and mothers. Women, you are going to influence your husband and you are going to influence your children. The question is whether you are going to influence them for good or for evil.
The love and submissiveness of my wife makes me a better man.
The more she loves God, the more loving she is to me. She is submissive. She is easy to talk to. She doesn't have to get her way. She serves me and others.
She is compassionate and kind to me because or her relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. I love her more for she desires to honor God.
In the end of this saga, John lost his head. But, one moment John was on earth the next moment he was in Paradise with his godly mother, Elizabeth, and his godly father, Zacharias.
Herodias in the end, urged Herod to travel to Rome and seek the kingship of all of Palestine. Her greedy request was Herod's undoing. Emperor Caligula accused Herod of conspiring against Rome and banished him and Herodias to Gaul where he died a penniless pauper.
May I make this challenge: If a truthful story was written of your life what would your story tell your children?
I hope it would say that you were righteous, that you kept God's word and that you were blameless and innocent.
If you say, but preacher I've made some bad mistakes.
Tell it to Jesus. He will save all who will surrender to Him. And he will forgive all who will ask forgiveness.
If you will give your time to God's word and God's house, He will make you like Elisabeth. There's room at the cross for you.
Would you want someone to write a book on your family? Even the best of families would probably say, I prefer that you don't. However, God writes more than history and prophecy about families. He writes truth. In the two families we will look at this morning, we see a family with a son and a family with a daughter and how each family was affected by their mother.
Luke 1:5 reads, "There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth."
Elisabeth means, "The sense of God." Elisabeth and Zacharias had lived many years and they had no child.
Matthew 14:6 reads, "But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod."
Herodias means heroic. The name of his wife, Herodias, is derived from Herod. Herodias' desire was not to be a wife or a mother, but her desire was to be a Herod.
She wanted to control her life, her husband, her daughters and everyone else's. (Josephus tells us that Herodias' daughter's name was Salome. Her name means peace.)
In this story we will compare the lives of two women, their families, but mainly their hearts.
One woman has a righteous heart before God and one woman has a rotten heart before God.
Most of this message is taken from Mark 6:13-29. That text reveals the heart of Herodias, whereas the heart of Elisabeth is revealed in Luke 1.
This message reveals three thoughts:
I - THE PREACHER: (Mark 6:14)
Mark 6:14 And king Herod heard of him (Jesus); (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in him.
Soon, after Jesus sent the disciples out to witness and do miracles for Him. His fame spread everywhere. One man of great power and position heard of Jesus' fame and the news frightened him greatly, though he had never met Jesus Christ. This man's name was Herod, the husband of Herodias.
Why would Herod fear Jesus so, though he had never met Him?
That is where our message begins, but not with Jesus, but John.
And even before John. It begins with his mother, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth's was from the bloodline of Aaron. It is said, and is very much true, "behind every good man there is a good woman." That woman may be his mother. It may be his wife or it may be his grandmother. But, there is a lot of truth in that saying.
John's Father was Zacharias, a priest of God. Luke tells us that John and Elizabeth faithfully served the Lord all their lives.
The Bible says in Luke 1:6, "And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless."
In that verse we see what made Elisabeth a godly woman. She walk her talk. She knew her role as a wife and a believer and she lived it.
The phrase, she was “righteous before God,” (v 6) tells us she knew the Salvation of the Lord. There are two types of righteousness in the Bible. There is imputed righteousness and imparted righteousness.
When a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior, he or she is given "imputed righteousness." That means one stand righteous before God because of our blood-bought relationship with Jesus Christ.
But, imparted righteousness is the life we live before others, because we realize our position with God and our place in society.
We impart to others the righteousness we have in our hearts.
Thus, Elisabeth's walk was as beautiful as her talk. Thus, she was blameless before God and man.
Elisabeth was very old. She had passed the flower of her youth. She was of the age when women no longer conceived.
Zacharias never quit praying, though he doubted that God would answer his prayer. One day while he was ministering to the Lord, burning incense in the Temple he prayed many prayers.
One of those prayers was "Lord, would you give me a son." Suddenly, the angel, Gabriel appeared to Zacharias and told him that the Lord heard his prayer and would do just that... give him a son.
He told Zacharias that his son would be like Elijah. He would be righteous. He would preach truth. He would turn many to God.
Isn't that great? There was only one problem, Zacharias didn't believe Gabriel. So, Gabriel says, Zacharias, you will not be able to speak a word until your son is born and yes, you will name him, John. (God is gracious)
Now, why do you think Zacharias prayed this prayer? Well, Zacharias and especially his wife had suffered much rebuke because they were childless. In ancient days, the belief was if God opens your womb, He has blessed you and if not, then there must be sin in your life.
Elisabeth was mocked and looked down upon by her friends. I can hear friends and foes alike, "Why has God not opened your womb, Elisabeth?" "Is there some unconfessed sin in your life?"
So, when Elizabeth did conceive, she hid herself for five months.
A month later, a young girl, named Mary, came to Elisabeth and told her that she was carrying, the Messiah.
Mary was but a teenager. Elisabeth well up in her age. Elisabeth was the wife of a priest, Mary a simple peasant girl.
Yet Elisabeth praised Mary and gave glory to God. Elizabeth was so thankful for Mary's blessings that her emotions caused John, who was six months along in her womb, to jump for joy.
John was a great man for God, because his mother had a heart right with God. She walked and talked with God. She kept her role as a mother and believer. And she was blameless. I see that she was content with where she was in life.
Soon she gave life to a godly son, John the Baptist. Jesus said that there has never been one born of woman as great as John the Baptist.
II - THE PROBLEM
That brings us to the problem. The problem's name was Herodias. When Herod heard about all the miracles that Jesus Christ was doing, as well as his disciples, though John did no miracles, Herod feared that John had risen from the dead. Why? Well, here is where this family story begins.
Herod's name was Antipas. He ruled Galilee on the east, what we would call the East Bank. And his brother Herod Philip ruled northeast of Galilee in the land of Trachonitus or what we would call the Golan Heights today.
On a trip while Antipas was visiting his brother Philip, Antipas’ eyes fell upon Philip's beautiful wife, Herodias, and with lust in his soul, he stole her from his brother.
Why would Herodias give herself to Antipas, her brother-in-law? Herod Antipas was called a king, while Philip was only a governor. And Herodias was all about herself. She only wanted to promote herself and be the center of attention. She wanted to be a queen.
She was a spoiled, selfish and self-centered woman. All her life she was pampered and given everything she wanted and if she didn’t get her way, she pouted, she got mad and she got even.
She never knew what the word content meant. Her life made, her first husband's, Philip, life miserable and her life made Herod's life miserable. And if she didn't like someone, she made their life miserable.
Though Herodias was as beautiful as a butterfly outwardly, she was as ugly as a buzzard inwardly.
When she took flight with Antipas, she came with luggage. A heart was full of hate and her daughter was full of hell.
Lust last for but a short time, love last forever. Thus, it was not long before whatever relationship there was between Antipas and Herodias, it was gone.
HERE we have two women that will greatly impact the life of John. One would give John life and one would take John's life.
In those days, inside of Antipas' kingdom, yea, inside his own house was debauchery, dishonesty and deception.
Evil gets old after awhile and a man begins to look for someone or something that is real.
That is when John came on the scene. No doubt a convert of John's must have witnessed to Antipas and said, "Have you heard of the Baptist?" Great crowds from all over Galilee are going to hear this man speak. He is telling of a coming Messiah. He is calling the people to repent and prepare for the Messiah.
Curiosity got to Herod so, he decided to go and listen to John. John moved Antipas emotionally. Antipas enjoyed hearing someone tell the truth for once. He was somewhat tired of the deception, lies and evil within Rome... and within his own family.
Though Antipas did not live right, he knew John was holy and spoke truth.
The Bible says, that Antipas enjoyed hearing John preach.
--Maybe Antipas longed for the peace John preached about, for he had none in his home.
--Or maybe, he enjoyed John because John was telling the Jews that they needed to change their life style, for Antipas was an Edomite.
I can see Antipas as he returns home from hearing John preach. He comes to his wife, Herodias and says, "Herodias, you must go with me to hear the Baptist. He is the most amazing speaker I have ever heard. You just must come with me tomorrow to hear him."
As tomorrow arrives, Antipas and Herodias arrive in their chariot, along with many soldiers and guards.
They make their way to the desert place where John is speaking. John declares to the crowds with his booming voice, "Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. Soon the Messiah will come, prepare ye the way of the Lord." John was the greatest orator of the day.
Suddenly, the unexpected happened. John, under the inspiration of the Spirit looks towards Antipas' chariot where Antipas and Herodias are sitting within.
John speaks with his booming baritone voice, "Antipas, it is not right for you to have your brother's wife."
Antipas is stricken with guilt and shame.
-He knows he did wrong when he stole Herodias from his brother.
-He probably wished he could return her but it was too late for that.
-Herod cannot speak. He is humbled.
But, Herodias is burning mad. Venom is dripping from her lips. I can hear her say, "How dare, that man speak truth about me. How dare he reveal my dirty laundry for all the world to see."
Isn't it amazing how God's Spirit works. Antipas was humbled, Herodias was hardened. The same sun that melts the snow, hardens the clay. Antipas is ashamed but Herodias is angered.
Antipas still held great respect for John. Herodias only desires to see him dead. Herod and Herodias argued over John life.
Herodias demands that Herod kill John. Herod reminded her, that he was the king and he would do no such a thing. So that Herod will not have to live in torment on earth, he compromises and throws John in prison.
But, Herodias is not content. You see, she didn't get her selfish way. She had never been forgiven by God and therefore she knew not how to forgive. Burning within her heart is a devious plan to get even.
III - THE PLOT
Herodias was pampered and spoiled as a child. She got everything she wanted and pouted if she did not get what she wanted.
This spoiled child that manipulated her parents with her wining, will now use even her own child for her profit.
Herodias was as pretty as a sunrise on the outside but inside she was full of sewage.
She thought, soon, it will be my husband's birthday. I will set a trap for him. Herodias knew Herod was a lustful man, so she goes to her daughter, Salome, and says, "Salome I want you to dance at the king's birthday party.
I want you to dance as seductively as you can, but don't tell anyone what you are going to do. It is your step-father's birthday present and I want it to be a suprise.
I will see to it that Herod is filled with drink. You just fill his heart with lust. I have something very special for Antipas on this birthday.
Herodias' daughter play the harlot that night. She dressed like a harlot, danced like a harlot and defrauded her step-father, to the command of her mother.
When the king could no longer contain his lustful thoughts, he says, "Ask of me and I will give you whatever you ask up to half my kingdom."
The daughter, though seductive, was ignorant of her mother's game. She goes to her mother and says, "Mother what do I ask for?"
Herodias with evil in her eyes and a sadistic grin on her lips says, go and tell the king you want the head of John the Baptist on a platter."
A stake was driven in Herod's heart. He knew that was wrong. How he regretted his pledge. But, so many people heard his drunken oath.
In shame Herod sent for the executioner. John's head was removed from his body, placed on a charger and given to Herodias' daughter.
Salome carries it to Herod. The Bible does not say this, but maybe Herodias' daughter said, "Mom says, "Happy birthday."
Now, Herodias was content. She got her way again.
I want to stop and look at two mothers:
1 - Elizabeth (Luke 1:6) "And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless."
a. Elisabeth was righteous. That means she was honest and honorable. Think of the words honest and honorable. Honest means truthful, sincere, trustworthy, upright, law-abiding. Honorable means admirable, moral, praiseworthy and good. The Christian life is all about character, God's character. Thank God for godly mothers that are honest and honorable!
b. Elisabeth kept God's commandments. I enjoy studying the Bible for it reminds me of the things that I forget. I loved to read over my role of a husband and father, for I see where I have let things slip and I try to make things right. I enjoy studying love for every time I do I see where I can improve my love towards God, my wife and family.
Elisabeth reminds us, a wise man, a wise woman will live in God's word.
c. Elisabeth lived a blameless life. That means she was impeccable. She was innocent. Her heart was clean. She loved her God, her husband and she loved her son. She was trustworthy and dependable.
I thank the world of someone that is dependable and trustworthy. It is what makes a church, a family, and even a business successful.
d. Elizabeth was a selfless woman. She lived for others. She did not have a selfish bone in her body. She did not have to be served, she lived to serve. She lived for God. She lived for others.
You may ask, "How do you know that? When Mary came to Elisabeth and told her she was going to have the Christ. Elizabeth praised Mary. She didn't get jealous. She didn't say, "Why not me, Lord." Elizabeth was a selfless woman. How beautiful is the aroma of a selfless, submissive, spiritual woman.
2 -Look at Herodias
a. Herodias was miserable and she wanted everyone around her miserable. She only wanted her way and Herodias did not care who she hurt or who she stepped on to get what she wanted.
b. Herodias was a self-centered woman. Life was all about her. It was never about being a good wife or a good mother. It was about getting what she wanted. She had to have the best. She had to have her way. Why was she like that? Herodias was a spoiled little girl that grew up to be a spoiled old wife.
Many of you remember Scott Peterson, the man convicted of murdering his wife, whose was carrying his child. She was 27. The Baby was due within a few weeks to be born.
Why and how could a man kill his wife and baby, yet to be born. One piece of evidence was this presented in court was this: Scott's feet never touched the ground till he was one year old." That means, he was spoiled rotten.
Moms and dads, love your children, but rule your children. Don't let them pout. Don't let them have their way. Please, train them up in the ways of the Lord.
c. Herodias was a proud woman. She thought her beauty was all she needed to attract the world. But, she was blinded by her pride. Her pride made her bitter and ugly. She wanted position and fame, even if it meant breaking God's law by leaving her husband for his brother.
She manipulated her daughter into degrading herself and she manipulated her husband into an act of murder.
When John spoke truth and told the world that Herodias was an adulterous, rather than saying, "God forgive me," she said, "I will get vengeance."
d. Herodias did not know how to forgive because she was never forgiven by God.
Why were these two woman so different.
1 - One knew God and one did not.
2 - One spent time with God daily and one did not.
3 - One knew her Biblical role and one did not.
Every mother should want to be like Elisabeth. A woman in love with God, her husband and her family, a woman content and innocent.
On the other hand, no woman should want to be like Herodias. She was all about herself. She wanted her way or she pouted. She was envious, jealous and unforgiving.
The Jewish rabbis had a saying, A good woman might marry a bad man, because she hoped to make him as good as herself; but a good man can never marry a bad woman, for she will eventually drag him down to her own level.
Herod was not a good man to start with, but his wife made him worse.
There is a lesson here for wives and mothers. Women, you are going to influence your husband and you are going to influence your children. The question is whether you are going to influence them for good or for evil.
The love and submissiveness of my wife makes me a better man.
The more she loves God, the more loving she is to me. She is submissive. She is easy to talk to. She doesn't have to get her way. She serves me and others.
She is compassionate and kind to me because or her relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. I love her more for she desires to honor God.
In the end of this saga, John lost his head. But, one moment John was on earth the next moment he was in Paradise with his godly mother, Elizabeth, and his godly father, Zacharias.
Herodias in the end, urged Herod to travel to Rome and seek the kingship of all of Palestine. Her greedy request was Herod's undoing. Emperor Caligula accused Herod of conspiring against Rome and banished him and Herodias to Gaul where he died a penniless pauper.
May I make this challenge: If a truthful story was written of your life what would your story tell your children?
I hope it would say that you were righteous, that you kept God's word and that you were blameless and innocent.
If you say, but preacher I've made some bad mistakes.
Tell it to Jesus. He will save all who will surrender to Him. And he will forgive all who will ask forgiveness.
If you will give your time to God's word and God's house, He will make you like Elisabeth. There's room at the cross for you.
The True Missionary
THE MISSION
Mark 6:7-13
Mark 6:7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:
9 But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.
10 And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.
11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
Born September 3, 1934 was a man who would soon hear God's calling to salvation. God would send him on a mission. This man would preach the gospel for 61 years. He would pastor churches that ran less than 100, but would be used greatly to influence preachers across America. His name was Walter Burrell.
On April 24, 2010, Dr. Burrell's mission was on earth was complete and God called him home. His life in eternity was just beginning. As he walked before the Lord and bowed at His feet, I believed Jesus said, "Walter, well done, welcome home, my good and faithful servant." His last words to me on April 9, 2010 were, "I just want to preach one more time."
Did you know that God has a mission for all His children?
If we are to obey our Lord's mission, there are four things He wants us to know.
I – IT TAKES POWER v7
Mark 6:7, And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
When God calls you to salvation, He also provides the powers to live for Him.
1. Called - The word "called" means appointed.
Paul said in Romans 1:1, He was called to be an apostle.
Romans 1:7 says that Christians are called to be saints.
Romans 8:28 says we are "the called according to His purpose."
Romans 9:26 says we are called "children of the living God."
Romans 8:29-30 reads, 29 "For whom he did foreknow, (to have knowledge of before hand) he also did predestinate (to determine in advance) to be conformed (fashion like unto) to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."
30 "Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: (to make innocent and righteous) and whom he justified, them he also glorified (to give honor). You have been honored by God to be called to salvation."
Let me sum up the calling of a believer. God choose you before the foundation of the world and determined that when you accepted His invitation to Salvation, you would be fashioned like Jesus. He would make you righteous and your life would be honorable for Him.
Do you understand what happened to you when you got saved? You were like a P.O.W. You were destined to rot in Satan's jail and spend eternity in hell. Then Jesus knocked down the prison wall and chose you to be one of His own. Some of those prisoners are still behind bars, but you were chosen to walk with Him.
God said, "I picked you to be my child." It was not because of your looks, money, righteousness or bloodline. God chose you because of His grace and mercy.
Paul is so excited about that teaching that he says in Ephesians 1:3-5, 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
A true believer is called to salvation by the good pleasure of God's will.
A true believer is called and honored by God.
That is your main calling.
Then, there is your ministry calling.
We are called to service.
Our wages are: God shall supply all our needs.
Our Retirement is eternal life.
Our work is to serve with all our heart.
I remember Richard Thornburg's mom, Jane. She loved the nursery. That was her calling. She loved to take care of the children. She told me one time, "Preacher just put me in the nursery every service."
We are called to live for God. We are called to die for God.
God doesn't call everyone to be a pastor or a teacher or to sing in the choir, but he does call us to be saints. He does call us to do His will. He does call us to be like Jesus Christ. (Amen)
2. Send (v 7) - As the disciples are sent on a mission from the Lord, so we that are His children are also sent on a mission. When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, He told the disciples in Matthew 28:19-20, "Go ye into all the world and preach or proclaim the Gospel, teaching them to observe all things..."
Two is the number of unity. Let me give you three great witnesses for the Lord: 1) A husband and wife: When a husband and wife are in unity with God and each other, they are a picture of Jesus Christ and the Church. They are a great light to family and friends.
2) When a congregation of people is in love with Jesus Christ and walking in unity, they are a great witness in their community and those who attend the church.
3) When people go out and visit two by two and invite people to church and share Jesus with them they are a witness of two obeying God's mission to the world. You folks ought to pair up two by two and pray and go and visit your neighbors and friends because you have been called and you have been sent. Selah! Just invite them to church and tell them what Jesus did for you.
Some folks have asked where is my world? Your world is your family, your neighborhood, those people you meet every week. That's your mission.
May I encourage you to be a witness for Christ? His only way of winning the lost world to Him, is for you and me to go and tell others.
Last week, John's wife, Sherry came down to visit for a week. She will be moving down in two or three months. She came to church every service at the witness of her husband.
After John got saved, John gave his testimony to Sherry, and she saw the change in John's life. On this past Monday morning after reading my Bible and praying, I couldn't get Sherry off my mind. I thought Karen and I need to go and see her. So about 2:30 we went by to talk with her. She told us that all night she was waking up thinking about the Church services. As a youth she grew up in a Baptist church but never heard any one talk about being saved.
She had ask John question after question about the Bible. After answering questions and sharing God's plan of Salvation with Sherry, she bowed her head and gave her heart to Jesus.
That is what Mark 6:7 is talking about. Our mission is; we are called and sent and given power from God to tell the world about Jesus Christ.
3. Power - Jesus said, He would give you power. The word for power is the Greek word, exousia. It means delegated authority. This word is important to know because; the authority of God is greater than the authority of man. You and I face “unclean spirits.” Paul called them devils, principalities, powers, rulers of darkness. God says, I’ve given you power of them. These spirits control governments, religions and people.
In China today, the government says, you cannot worship, unless you get a license from the state and then you must worship as we tell you to. Millions of Christians formed hundreds of thousands of underground churches to worship the Lord. They are going against their government because there is a power greater than man-made government and that is God's authority.
When a government says, you can no longer pray and worship according to the Bible, but you must now pray and worship the way we tell you to; that is when true Christians says, "My authority comes from God. I shall pray and I shall worship in spirit and truth."
When the government passes laws and says, you can't say what the Bible says, that is when God's children say, I fear my God more than I fear big government.
When the government says, "If you don't stop we will take away your job, that is when you say, I won't stop. I had a friend in Winder, Georgia, 28 years ago, who had taught at a public school for twenty years. He had always read the Bible and prayed before every class. The authorities said, you can't do that anymore or we will remove you from your job." He said, "I've always done this, why must I stop now." He would not stop and they fired him.
When the government says if you don't stop, we will put you in jail. That is when God's children says, "You can put by body in chains but you can't put my soul in chains. I have freedom in Jesus."
When big government says, "We will kill your body." that is when we quote Jesus who said, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt 10:28).
In ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN, the US-based Christian charity World Vision said on March 10, it has suspended operations in Pakistan after militants stormed its offices, killing six staff members and injuring several others.
On the internet site, "Worldwide Persecution of Christians, they state, "In the past 100 years (during the 20th Century) 26,000,000 Christians were killed for their faith (martyred). It does not count the untold numbers who were persecuted in other ways, imprisoned, tortured, and enslaved."
Jesus says, I will have given you POWER over those spirits.
II - IT TAKES PREPARATION v 8-9
Mark 6:8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: 9 But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.
The disciples were on a mission. A mission is an undertaking, an operation, a duty, a purpose.
In a military mission, a group of well trained men will lay down their lives to fulfill the orders giving them from their commanding officer.
Jesus told the disciples go and be a witness for me and don't worry about how YOU are going to live. Don't worry about your script. That was a leather pouch where they kept their food. Jesus said, I'll feed you.
Don't worry about where your bread or where your money is coming from. If you are in my will, I'll take care of you.
Jesus said, "Just secure your sandals, we have work to do.
These men had spent many months with the Lord. They had heard his teaching. She said "Follow Me." Now He says, "Go."
I believe these men rose early in the morning and prayed and went out all day long, eight and ten hours a day serving the Lord and witnessing.
The whole idea is this: Satan will tell you, you are not ready to witness. You are not knowledgeable to witness. Wait till you are more established. Wait till you are secure in this world and then witness for Jesus Christ.
Let me give you two thoughts:
1) If God's Spirit is precious to you and you want to truly become a soldier on a mission for Jesus Christ before he returns you can be a witness almost immediately. John was to his wife.
But as the disciples sat at Jesus feet, God's child needs discipleship. When the disciples were called of Jesus Christ, He taught them daily, hour after hour. When they were ready. He sent them out.
I learned more in a 32 hour discipleship course after I graduated from college, than what I learned in college. You just have to find someone who knows how to disciple. I've had the privilege of disciplining three preachers.
But, let me say this, if you will claim 2 Timothy 2:15, God's Spirit can be your teacher. The reason Jesus discipled his men is because 99% of believers need to be discipled.
2) Secondly, "If God has called you into full time service, it may take you eight to ten years to prepare." Why? It is one thing to witness to a lost person, that you work with or a neighbor. It is totally different in dealing with those demons that fight against the Church of Jesus Christ.
Because of a lack of personal Bible study in homes and individual's lives today, most people called of God in full time service need the discipline of hard work and a college education.
Stephen Anderson will graduate from college Monday night. His life of learning is just beginning. It hasn't ended.
I've heard many stories of Christians called of God that tried to save their money for college but couldn't ever save enough. Then, they went by faith and God took care of them. I had an aunt that was called of God to be a missionary. She tried to work and save money and could never make enough. She then went off to college by faith, got her a job at college and worked and put herself through.
Faith is believing God. But, it is believing God's word that says, man shall live by the sweat of his brow.
As I planned to go to college, the first thing I did was to get two jobs. I discipline my life when I was a teenager by my life style at home. I lived on $25.00 a week and saved $100.00 a week to take care of my first semester's bill.
The day I got to college, I registered in the morning, paid for my first semester and went out and found me a job that afternoon.
I worked 40 to 48 hours a week till I graduated. Then I worked sixty to eighty hours a week for the next five years. That is called, living by faith. You see, God was getting me ready to pastor.
These disciples walk with Jesus, served Jesus and sat at His feet 12, 16, hours a day for 3 1/2 years. When Jesus rose to heaven, their ministry was just beginning.
Do you know what God was doing for me when I was young, by working in chicken houses and taking care of cattle and pigs and fence lines, hauling hay and taking care of pasture land ten to sixteen hours a day? He was preparing me for the ministry.
Then, when I went off to college and worked for Dupont eight hours at night, after being at college five hours. God was teaching me to live by faith and preparing me for the ministry.
Now, most of you say, "But, God hasn't called me into full time service." No but you are called to be a saint and a disciple. God wants us to spend time getting disciplined so we can be a witness for Him.
Church, I love you. Do you remember when dad ask you to do a chore and you didn't? When he came home and call your hand on it, you were ashamed and embarrassed.
You don't want to stand before God empty handed, having never brought one soul to Jesus, do you? God says, I will give you power but your part must be, preparation.
III - IT TAKES PEOPLE v 10-11
10 And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.
11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
Folks, listen, life is about people. Life is not about you or me. It is about others. It is about training our children and witnessing to the lost.
Jesus said, I came not to do my will but the will of my Father."
Jesus did not come to be served. He came to serve.
He did not come to live. He came to die.
In Luke 4:18-19, when Jesus told his friends his mission, they wanted to kill him. Don't expect everybody you share Jesus with to say, "Thank you." Some will, but most will not. Know that people shall react to you as the world reacted to Jesus.
Jesus said in John 15:18-19, "18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
When I was young in the ministry, it seemed most houses that I would visit, the people were friendly and would have respect for the pastor.
Today, we are living in a time where people don't really want to talk about Jesus Christ or heaven. Most people will say, I have my own beliefs or I'm not interested. Why? Let me give you two reasons:
1) A person's education has turned many folks away for the Lord. Many folks are taught that religion has called all the wars in this world. The truth of the matter is they are right. Religious leaders have been fighting against God and truth since the beginning of time. If you stand for truth, religious people will be your biggest enemy.
2) A lot of people are living in open sin and they don't want the preacher to come into their abode. They feel guilty or ashamed to have the preacher visit.
So, Jesus says, if you go to offer the greatest story in the world, the story of Salvation and eternal life and people reject you; kindly, and sadly, shake the dust off your shoes and walk away.
Then notice what he says in verse 11. When Judgment day comes, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for those who lived in Jesus' day. But, how much more today?
Sodom and Gomorrah were cities were the morality of men dropped to an all time low. The lowest state a nation can come to his the acceptance of homosexuality as legal. That happened in Sodom and Gomorrah.
Men desired men more than they desired women and the same with women. God told Abraham that He was going to destroy the city because his nephew, Lot was living there.
Abraham prayed and ask God if he would spare the city of there were fifty righteous people there. Then Abraham got to thinking and thought maybe there isn't fifty righteous people there. So he ask got to save it for 45, 40, 35... all the way down to 10 people. God agreed with Abraham. If there were 10 righteous people, He would spare the city.
Two angels went into the city to warn Lot and his family. Lot tried to witness to his family that was married and not in his house. But, they rejected Lot's witness. Why? Because Lot had not lived a godly life.
Finally, the angels led Lot and his wife and two daughters away from the city and God sent down fire from heaven and burned the city and its inhabitants to the ground.
There was a two-fold problem in Sodom. 1) Homosexuality was legal.
2) The believers had no power in their witness.
So, why will it be more tolerable to have lived in Sodom than America. Let me give you four reasons:
1. Sodom had no preacher. There are over 500,000 in America
2. Sodom had no churches. There are over 300,000 in America
3. Sodom had no Bible. There are over 300 million in America.
4. Sodom had not witness, except backslid or Lot. America has 40 million people who say they are born again.
Why is our country where it is and where is our witness?
I had a number of families on my heart this past week. I went by to see some. One man I went by to see I've always notice a light in his eye, but I never asked him personally if he had been saved.
When I did, he gave me his testimony and said, "Thank you for caring enough to ask." What a difference in a believer who is asked if he is saved and a non believer, who professes but is not.
Some time back I had another man on my mind who didn't have God's light in his eye. (Larry Kallum) I went by and asked him if he was saved. He got a little defensive and said kind of huffy, "Well, yes, I'm saved." I said, "Would you tell me how you got saved?" He growled and in anger said, "The same way you got saved."
Our mission involves having God's power, preparing to serve and witnessing to people.
But, there is one more and vital part to our mission.
IV - THE PROCLAMATION v 12-13
12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
I bought a chainsaw a few months back. I looked at the parts and pretty much knew what to do, but I thought I would still read the instructions.
It said, first, read all this information before using the chainsaw.
Then it said examine and make sure you have all these parts.
Then it said, assemble the chain saw. Then it said put the oil in the chainsaw. Then it said put the gas in the chainsaw. Then it told me how to choke it, turn it on and finally it said, pull the cord to crank the chainsaw.
So, why do you tell us that, preacher? Because, salvation has some steps to it.
1 - A person must hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Romans 10:17)
2 - A person must realized they have sinned and are therefore destined to hell. No religion or good life will save anyone. (Romans 3:10, 23)
3 - A person must hear God's spirit within their heart calling them to salvation. (John 3:8)
4 - A person must surrender to that call. A person must surrender their life to Jesus Christ. (Repent and believe)
5 - Then, that person must take Romans 10:13 and make it the most important prayer they have ever prayed. "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved."
I heard Billy Graham preaching last night. It was an old rerun. He quoted this verse and said, "When you call upon the Lord you must mean it with all your heart." Amen!
I remember, Dr. Lee Robertson, use to stand everybody up in front of the church when they made a profession of faith and he would ask them:
1. Do you believe that Jesus Christ died for you was buried and rose again.
2. Have you asked him to be your Savior and are you trusting Jesus with all your heart?
3. Do you want to be baptized and join this church. That means, when you accept Jesus, you accept His bride, His church.
If you know beyond a shadow of a doubt you are saved, give me a hearty, Amen. Great!
Now let me ask you, have you prepared your life for God's mission for you and do you care about people?
Mark 6:7-13
Mark 6:7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:
9 But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.
10 And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.
11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
Born September 3, 1934 was a man who would soon hear God's calling to salvation. God would send him on a mission. This man would preach the gospel for 61 years. He would pastor churches that ran less than 100, but would be used greatly to influence preachers across America. His name was Walter Burrell.
On April 24, 2010, Dr. Burrell's mission was on earth was complete and God called him home. His life in eternity was just beginning. As he walked before the Lord and bowed at His feet, I believed Jesus said, "Walter, well done, welcome home, my good and faithful servant." His last words to me on April 9, 2010 were, "I just want to preach one more time."
Did you know that God has a mission for all His children?
If we are to obey our Lord's mission, there are four things He wants us to know.
I – IT TAKES POWER v7
Mark 6:7, And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
When God calls you to salvation, He also provides the powers to live for Him.
1. Called - The word "called" means appointed.
Paul said in Romans 1:1, He was called to be an apostle.
Romans 1:7 says that Christians are called to be saints.
Romans 8:28 says we are "the called according to His purpose."
Romans 9:26 says we are called "children of the living God."
Romans 8:29-30 reads, 29 "For whom he did foreknow, (to have knowledge of before hand) he also did predestinate (to determine in advance) to be conformed (fashion like unto) to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."
30 "Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: (to make innocent and righteous) and whom he justified, them he also glorified (to give honor). You have been honored by God to be called to salvation."
Let me sum up the calling of a believer. God choose you before the foundation of the world and determined that when you accepted His invitation to Salvation, you would be fashioned like Jesus. He would make you righteous and your life would be honorable for Him.
Do you understand what happened to you when you got saved? You were like a P.O.W. You were destined to rot in Satan's jail and spend eternity in hell. Then Jesus knocked down the prison wall and chose you to be one of His own. Some of those prisoners are still behind bars, but you were chosen to walk with Him.
God said, "I picked you to be my child." It was not because of your looks, money, righteousness or bloodline. God chose you because of His grace and mercy.
Paul is so excited about that teaching that he says in Ephesians 1:3-5, 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
A true believer is called to salvation by the good pleasure of God's will.
A true believer is called and honored by God.
That is your main calling.
Then, there is your ministry calling.
We are called to service.
Our wages are: God shall supply all our needs.
Our Retirement is eternal life.
Our work is to serve with all our heart.
I remember Richard Thornburg's mom, Jane. She loved the nursery. That was her calling. She loved to take care of the children. She told me one time, "Preacher just put me in the nursery every service."
We are called to live for God. We are called to die for God.
God doesn't call everyone to be a pastor or a teacher or to sing in the choir, but he does call us to be saints. He does call us to do His will. He does call us to be like Jesus Christ. (Amen)
2. Send (v 7) - As the disciples are sent on a mission from the Lord, so we that are His children are also sent on a mission. When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, He told the disciples in Matthew 28:19-20, "Go ye into all the world and preach or proclaim the Gospel, teaching them to observe all things..."
Two is the number of unity. Let me give you three great witnesses for the Lord: 1) A husband and wife: When a husband and wife are in unity with God and each other, they are a picture of Jesus Christ and the Church. They are a great light to family and friends.
2) When a congregation of people is in love with Jesus Christ and walking in unity, they are a great witness in their community and those who attend the church.
3) When people go out and visit two by two and invite people to church and share Jesus with them they are a witness of two obeying God's mission to the world. You folks ought to pair up two by two and pray and go and visit your neighbors and friends because you have been called and you have been sent. Selah! Just invite them to church and tell them what Jesus did for you.
Some folks have asked where is my world? Your world is your family, your neighborhood, those people you meet every week. That's your mission.
May I encourage you to be a witness for Christ? His only way of winning the lost world to Him, is for you and me to go and tell others.
Last week, John's wife, Sherry came down to visit for a week. She will be moving down in two or three months. She came to church every service at the witness of her husband.
After John got saved, John gave his testimony to Sherry, and she saw the change in John's life. On this past Monday morning after reading my Bible and praying, I couldn't get Sherry off my mind. I thought Karen and I need to go and see her. So about 2:30 we went by to talk with her. She told us that all night she was waking up thinking about the Church services. As a youth she grew up in a Baptist church but never heard any one talk about being saved.
She had ask John question after question about the Bible. After answering questions and sharing God's plan of Salvation with Sherry, she bowed her head and gave her heart to Jesus.
That is what Mark 6:7 is talking about. Our mission is; we are called and sent and given power from God to tell the world about Jesus Christ.
3. Power - Jesus said, He would give you power. The word for power is the Greek word, exousia. It means delegated authority. This word is important to know because; the authority of God is greater than the authority of man. You and I face “unclean spirits.” Paul called them devils, principalities, powers, rulers of darkness. God says, I’ve given you power of them. These spirits control governments, religions and people.
In China today, the government says, you cannot worship, unless you get a license from the state and then you must worship as we tell you to. Millions of Christians formed hundreds of thousands of underground churches to worship the Lord. They are going against their government because there is a power greater than man-made government and that is God's authority.
When a government says, you can no longer pray and worship according to the Bible, but you must now pray and worship the way we tell you to; that is when true Christians says, "My authority comes from God. I shall pray and I shall worship in spirit and truth."
When the government passes laws and says, you can't say what the Bible says, that is when God's children say, I fear my God more than I fear big government.
When the government says, "If you don't stop we will take away your job, that is when you say, I won't stop. I had a friend in Winder, Georgia, 28 years ago, who had taught at a public school for twenty years. He had always read the Bible and prayed before every class. The authorities said, you can't do that anymore or we will remove you from your job." He said, "I've always done this, why must I stop now." He would not stop and they fired him.
When the government says if you don't stop, we will put you in jail. That is when God's children says, "You can put by body in chains but you can't put my soul in chains. I have freedom in Jesus."
When big government says, "We will kill your body." that is when we quote Jesus who said, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt 10:28).
In ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN, the US-based Christian charity World Vision said on March 10, it has suspended operations in Pakistan after militants stormed its offices, killing six staff members and injuring several others.
On the internet site, "Worldwide Persecution of Christians, they state, "In the past 100 years (during the 20th Century) 26,000,000 Christians were killed for their faith (martyred). It does not count the untold numbers who were persecuted in other ways, imprisoned, tortured, and enslaved."
Jesus says, I will have given you POWER over those spirits.
II - IT TAKES PREPARATION v 8-9
Mark 6:8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: 9 But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.
The disciples were on a mission. A mission is an undertaking, an operation, a duty, a purpose.
In a military mission, a group of well trained men will lay down their lives to fulfill the orders giving them from their commanding officer.
Jesus told the disciples go and be a witness for me and don't worry about how YOU are going to live. Don't worry about your script. That was a leather pouch where they kept their food. Jesus said, I'll feed you.
Don't worry about where your bread or where your money is coming from. If you are in my will, I'll take care of you.
Jesus said, "Just secure your sandals, we have work to do.
These men had spent many months with the Lord. They had heard his teaching. She said "Follow Me." Now He says, "Go."
I believe these men rose early in the morning and prayed and went out all day long, eight and ten hours a day serving the Lord and witnessing.
The whole idea is this: Satan will tell you, you are not ready to witness. You are not knowledgeable to witness. Wait till you are more established. Wait till you are secure in this world and then witness for Jesus Christ.
Let me give you two thoughts:
1) If God's Spirit is precious to you and you want to truly become a soldier on a mission for Jesus Christ before he returns you can be a witness almost immediately. John was to his wife.
But as the disciples sat at Jesus feet, God's child needs discipleship. When the disciples were called of Jesus Christ, He taught them daily, hour after hour. When they were ready. He sent them out.
I learned more in a 32 hour discipleship course after I graduated from college, than what I learned in college. You just have to find someone who knows how to disciple. I've had the privilege of disciplining three preachers.
But, let me say this, if you will claim 2 Timothy 2:15, God's Spirit can be your teacher. The reason Jesus discipled his men is because 99% of believers need to be discipled.
2) Secondly, "If God has called you into full time service, it may take you eight to ten years to prepare." Why? It is one thing to witness to a lost person, that you work with or a neighbor. It is totally different in dealing with those demons that fight against the Church of Jesus Christ.
Because of a lack of personal Bible study in homes and individual's lives today, most people called of God in full time service need the discipline of hard work and a college education.
Stephen Anderson will graduate from college Monday night. His life of learning is just beginning. It hasn't ended.
I've heard many stories of Christians called of God that tried to save their money for college but couldn't ever save enough. Then, they went by faith and God took care of them. I had an aunt that was called of God to be a missionary. She tried to work and save money and could never make enough. She then went off to college by faith, got her a job at college and worked and put herself through.
Faith is believing God. But, it is believing God's word that says, man shall live by the sweat of his brow.
As I planned to go to college, the first thing I did was to get two jobs. I discipline my life when I was a teenager by my life style at home. I lived on $25.00 a week and saved $100.00 a week to take care of my first semester's bill.
The day I got to college, I registered in the morning, paid for my first semester and went out and found me a job that afternoon.
I worked 40 to 48 hours a week till I graduated. Then I worked sixty to eighty hours a week for the next five years. That is called, living by faith. You see, God was getting me ready to pastor.
These disciples walk with Jesus, served Jesus and sat at His feet 12, 16, hours a day for 3 1/2 years. When Jesus rose to heaven, their ministry was just beginning.
Do you know what God was doing for me when I was young, by working in chicken houses and taking care of cattle and pigs and fence lines, hauling hay and taking care of pasture land ten to sixteen hours a day? He was preparing me for the ministry.
Then, when I went off to college and worked for Dupont eight hours at night, after being at college five hours. God was teaching me to live by faith and preparing me for the ministry.
Now, most of you say, "But, God hasn't called me into full time service." No but you are called to be a saint and a disciple. God wants us to spend time getting disciplined so we can be a witness for Him.
Church, I love you. Do you remember when dad ask you to do a chore and you didn't? When he came home and call your hand on it, you were ashamed and embarrassed.
You don't want to stand before God empty handed, having never brought one soul to Jesus, do you? God says, I will give you power but your part must be, preparation.
III - IT TAKES PEOPLE v 10-11
10 And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.
11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
Folks, listen, life is about people. Life is not about you or me. It is about others. It is about training our children and witnessing to the lost.
Jesus said, I came not to do my will but the will of my Father."
Jesus did not come to be served. He came to serve.
He did not come to live. He came to die.
In Luke 4:18-19, when Jesus told his friends his mission, they wanted to kill him. Don't expect everybody you share Jesus with to say, "Thank you." Some will, but most will not. Know that people shall react to you as the world reacted to Jesus.
Jesus said in John 15:18-19, "18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
When I was young in the ministry, it seemed most houses that I would visit, the people were friendly and would have respect for the pastor.
Today, we are living in a time where people don't really want to talk about Jesus Christ or heaven. Most people will say, I have my own beliefs or I'm not interested. Why? Let me give you two reasons:
1) A person's education has turned many folks away for the Lord. Many folks are taught that religion has called all the wars in this world. The truth of the matter is they are right. Religious leaders have been fighting against God and truth since the beginning of time. If you stand for truth, religious people will be your biggest enemy.
2) A lot of people are living in open sin and they don't want the preacher to come into their abode. They feel guilty or ashamed to have the preacher visit.
So, Jesus says, if you go to offer the greatest story in the world, the story of Salvation and eternal life and people reject you; kindly, and sadly, shake the dust off your shoes and walk away.
Then notice what he says in verse 11. When Judgment day comes, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for those who lived in Jesus' day. But, how much more today?
Sodom and Gomorrah were cities were the morality of men dropped to an all time low. The lowest state a nation can come to his the acceptance of homosexuality as legal. That happened in Sodom and Gomorrah.
Men desired men more than they desired women and the same with women. God told Abraham that He was going to destroy the city because his nephew, Lot was living there.
Abraham prayed and ask God if he would spare the city of there were fifty righteous people there. Then Abraham got to thinking and thought maybe there isn't fifty righteous people there. So he ask got to save it for 45, 40, 35... all the way down to 10 people. God agreed with Abraham. If there were 10 righteous people, He would spare the city.
Two angels went into the city to warn Lot and his family. Lot tried to witness to his family that was married and not in his house. But, they rejected Lot's witness. Why? Because Lot had not lived a godly life.
Finally, the angels led Lot and his wife and two daughters away from the city and God sent down fire from heaven and burned the city and its inhabitants to the ground.
There was a two-fold problem in Sodom. 1) Homosexuality was legal.
2) The believers had no power in their witness.
So, why will it be more tolerable to have lived in Sodom than America. Let me give you four reasons:
1. Sodom had no preacher. There are over 500,000 in America
2. Sodom had no churches. There are over 300,000 in America
3. Sodom had no Bible. There are over 300 million in America.
4. Sodom had not witness, except backslid or Lot. America has 40 million people who say they are born again.
Why is our country where it is and where is our witness?
I had a number of families on my heart this past week. I went by to see some. One man I went by to see I've always notice a light in his eye, but I never asked him personally if he had been saved.
When I did, he gave me his testimony and said, "Thank you for caring enough to ask." What a difference in a believer who is asked if he is saved and a non believer, who professes but is not.
Some time back I had another man on my mind who didn't have God's light in his eye. (Larry Kallum) I went by and asked him if he was saved. He got a little defensive and said kind of huffy, "Well, yes, I'm saved." I said, "Would you tell me how you got saved?" He growled and in anger said, "The same way you got saved."
Our mission involves having God's power, preparing to serve and witnessing to people.
But, there is one more and vital part to our mission.
IV - THE PROCLAMATION v 12-13
12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
I bought a chainsaw a few months back. I looked at the parts and pretty much knew what to do, but I thought I would still read the instructions.
It said, first, read all this information before using the chainsaw.
Then it said examine and make sure you have all these parts.
Then it said, assemble the chain saw. Then it said put the oil in the chainsaw. Then it said put the gas in the chainsaw. Then it told me how to choke it, turn it on and finally it said, pull the cord to crank the chainsaw.
So, why do you tell us that, preacher? Because, salvation has some steps to it.
1 - A person must hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Romans 10:17)
2 - A person must realized they have sinned and are therefore destined to hell. No religion or good life will save anyone. (Romans 3:10, 23)
3 - A person must hear God's spirit within their heart calling them to salvation. (John 3:8)
4 - A person must surrender to that call. A person must surrender their life to Jesus Christ. (Repent and believe)
5 - Then, that person must take Romans 10:13 and make it the most important prayer they have ever prayed. "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved."
I heard Billy Graham preaching last night. It was an old rerun. He quoted this verse and said, "When you call upon the Lord you must mean it with all your heart." Amen!
I remember, Dr. Lee Robertson, use to stand everybody up in front of the church when they made a profession of faith and he would ask them:
1. Do you believe that Jesus Christ died for you was buried and rose again.
2. Have you asked him to be your Savior and are you trusting Jesus with all your heart?
3. Do you want to be baptized and join this church. That means, when you accept Jesus, you accept His bride, His church.
If you know beyond a shadow of a doubt you are saved, give me a hearty, Amen. Great!
Now let me ask you, have you prepared your life for God's mission for you and do you care about people?
A Homecoming Welcome
HOME SWEET HOME
I - THE HOME SCENE (Mark 6:1-2)
1 And he (Jesus) went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
"There's no place like home" use to be a popular saying and more important, it use to be a true saying. Years ago in America, dad worked ad brought home the bacon, mom took care of the house made breakfast, lunch and supper and took care of the kids. When dad came home the family would all sit around the supper table and eat and talk and fellowship about what happened that day.
Many families would read the Bible and have prayer. God was the center of the home, dad was the head of the home, mom was the heart of the home and the children was the joy of the home.
Let me paint you a picture of a Christian Home. Dad and mom love the Lord and spend time with Him. Joy fills their hearts. They are in love with God and each other. The family have devotionals and they enjoy time together. Dad goes off on a business trip now and then, but every time he returns home, mom and the children plan a special welcome for dad. They prepare banners and streamers and a nice supper and a comfortable evening when dad comes home.
Dad is the authority of this home. On this evening that dad comes home and the family sits around the supper table, dad says, "I have something special to tell you today." Everyone is excited and the children smile and say, "Tell us dad, what is it, what is it?"
Dad, says, Well, you remember years ago when we had to leave grandma and grandpa and your uncles and aunts and all your family and friends to come to America?" Well, when I went overseas on this trip, I bought a beautiful house for us to live in. Everything is paid for and we will be moving home soon. I just have a little more business to take care of here.
The family is overjoyed. They jump and down and dance around the table, because they are going home.
Alvin York was born December 13, 1887 in a two-room log cabin near Pall Mall, Tennessee. He was the third of eleven children. The family was dirt poor. He joined the United States Army and fought in World War I. During the course of an engagement with the Germans when most of the men in York's company were killed, York took over. It is said that he single handed, overtook a German machine gun nest. He preceded to take out 32 machine guns. He killed 28 Germans and capture 132 others. This hometown boy from Pall Mall, Tennessee came home to the cheers of the crowds, an American Hero. There's no place like home.
a - The Surroundings v 1
Well, Jesus left Capernaum, Simon Peter's hometown, and headed for Nazareth, His boyhood home. His disciples of course followed Him.
Jesus is going home, to the place he was raised. He had great and glorious news to tell everyone when he got there. He was going to reveal to them that He was the Messiah and their eternal hope was in Him.
Nazareth would have never been heard of by you or me had it not been for one name Jesus. The reason I say that is:
1) Nazareth is not mentioned in the Old Testament.
2) Nazareth was not mentioned by Josephus, the great Jewish historian who lived in Israel during the first century. He named over 244 towns and cities, yet never mentioned Nazareth.
3) Nazareth is not mentioned in the Jewish Talmud.
Thus, Nazareth is only known because of the man named Jesus. Nazareth was like the little town of Winder, Georgia, where I grew up. What put Winder on the map was the President Pro tempore of the Senate, Richard B. Russell. He died under President Lyndon Johnsons administration in 1971 and President Johnson came to Winder to attend his funeral. Winder had the attention of the nation.
Can I make an application here? When we stand before God one day, only if we know Jesus Christ as our Savior will we be known in Heaven. He is the way, the truth and the life.
But, the truth about knowing Christ, isn't that we know Him. Billions of people know about Jesus. They know he died was buried and rose again. The question is does Jesus know you?
In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus says, not everyone that says Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of Heaven but he that doeth the will of my father.
In verse 23, those who know Jesus but had not surrender their lives to him will hear Jesus say, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
In John 10:27 Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."
Thus, the most important question is "Does Jesus know you?" Was there a day He visited your heart and change your life? Was there a day you surrendered your life to Him and asked forgiveness for your sin?
Illustration: I know a Jeff Meiser and Brother Jeff knows me. I've never been out to eat with Jeff and Lenore before. But, the other night we went out to a restaurant. There were six of us. The manager of this fancy restaurant comes by. He knows Jeff. He says, "I'm going to bring you something special tonight." Well, we all ordered one plate of food. This manager had to have brought 12 different plates of food. We had chicken, shrimp, pork, beef, lamb and all in different vanities. (We ate so much, we had to find a Catholic Church and go and confess our sins. Ha) I got to enjoy all that food not because I knew Jeff, but because he knew me.
Well, Jesus had been away from home and now, He has returned and He had great news for everyone. He would announce His Messiah ship.
When Jesus got to Nazareth, he did what he always did on the Sabbath. He went to the Synagogue. Today, we go to church.
b. The Synagogue v 2
2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? (or where did he learn all of this) and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
Jesus taught with great authority and power in Capernaum and all over Galilee. His majestic name and his mighty works had preceded Him.
Now the celebrity has come home.
The short time Jesus was in Nazareth, he taught great truths. I believed He spoke of Heaven and its beauty. I believe He spoke of Hell and its horror.
He expounded on the history of the Jewish people and their future.
He talked about the Kingdom of God and Salvation.
Jesus had healed a few folks in Nazareth and many were astonished at his teaching.
Luke tells us about this occasion when Jesus entered the synagogue. Jesus stood up and took the scroll of Isaiah and read chapter 61:1. You will find those words in Luke 4:18-19. here is what is says:
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Now, any leader of the Synagogue knew this Scripture spoke of the coming Messiah. They knew this spoke of the one who would be the King of the Jews.
When Jesus finished reading this, he handed the scroll back to the minister of the synagogue and sat down.
Whenever someone read the Scriptures, they were suppose to expound upon them. All eyes were locked on Jesus. They wondered what He would say. They wondered how He would interpret this verse.
Then Jesus said, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears (21).
Wow, here was the Messiah. Here was He who would fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament. Here was the very one who created the universe. Here was the Son of God.
You would think these folks would clap and shout and dance. It should have been a day of great celebration, but...The "Home Scene" turns into a "Hostile Setting."
II - THE HOSTILE SETTING 3--4
1 - Why was the reason for their hostility:
a. There was a Small town reasoning v 3
The spiritual leaders in the synagogue who did not know the Scriptures said, 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
Let me say the reason most people reject surrendering their lives to Jesus Christ is because they simply do not know Him.
These religious leaders said, "Who does Jesus think He is? He is just the son of a carpenter. He is just another son of Mary, like Joses or Juda or Simon. Question: Why were they offended or so upset with Jesus?
Among ancient Jews, every father was bound to do four things for his son.
1) He was bound to circumcise Him.
2) He was responsible to teach him the word of God, the law.
3) He was responsible to teach him a trade.
4) His dad was to redeem him. Every day was to teach his son how to be saved (as we would say in our terminology).
So, these religious leaders and all those in the synagogue rejected Jesus because, they were saying to Him, you were suppose to honor your father. You were suppose to follow his steps. You were suppose to be a carpenter, and you didn't do that.
Ah, but, Jesus did honor His Father. You see, Jesus' father was God. God sent Jesus to fulfill all Scripture. Jesus came to make a way for man to go to Heaven. Jesus was on a mission from God.
Look at Luke 4:18. He was anointed to preach the gospel to the poor; Hey! Are you poor..spiritually? Jesus will make you rich one day.
"... to heal the brokenhearted, Is your heart broke? Jesus will give you all the love you need.
"...to preach salvation to sinners, Are you a sinner? We are all. Jesus will give you salvation if you will come to Him and ask Him with all your heart.
"...to give sight to the blind, to set free all who were bound by sin. Are you blind to truth? Are you confused? Are you bound by sin? Jesus came to take care of all of that. But, you must come to Him.
Because He claimed to be the Christ by word and deed, these religious frauds were upset, troubled and indignant that Jesus was so popular with the crowd.
They rejected His words and they rejected His worth. Their hope for heaven stood before them and they could not see beyond their noses.
Why was there hostility? Not only was there a small town reason but...
b. There was a Small town Resentment v 3
Sadly, the Greek word for offended is the word skandalizo. The "unspiritual elders" of the town were offended by Jesus greatness.
Rather than following His love, they "stumble" over His life.
Sadly, these folks would in up in hell because they would not believe that Jesus was the Christ.
Jesus just told them, that He was the Christ, the Messiah. What was their response.
In Luke 4:28-29, we find these religious people were filled with wrath. Nazareth sat on a high hill. On one side there was a steep cliff. They grabbed Jesus and forced him to the cliff. Their intentions were to throw him head first down the hill to his death, but Jesus simply walk away.
Why were they so angry? I'll give you two reasons:
1) They did not know the Scriptures. Had they known the Scriptures they would have known by Jesus' power, He was the Christ.
2) They did not know the Savior. They had their beliefs and they lived by their traditions and their lifestyle and did not want to change.
2. What was the result to their Hostility v Mark 6:4-6
4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
Many have proved this statement in verse 4 to be true. Many folks have joyfully given their lives to the Lord, only to go home and be rejected.
Illustration 2: I remember going to my hometown for four years. Though God blessed and we saw folks saved, I witnessed to many of my friends and none of them came to Christ.
But, I can't understand why Jesus, who was God of God, would be rejected, other than, some people are too proud to humble their hearts.
Verse 6 says that Jesus marveled at their unbelief. Why? These folks saw God in the flesh. They saw His miracles. They heard the voice of He who created the world, and these people in His home town rejected Him.
Do you not sometimes marvel at folks, when you share eternal life and the joys of heaven and how to be forgiven of sin with them, and they simply reject you time and time again? Or they say, "I have my beliefs."
Why do people respond this way?
1) Some people who put off giving their lives to Jesus Christ do so because they think they are Ok like they are. But, the Bible says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Nobody gets to go to heaven because they are good.
2) Some folks truly expect to commit their lives to Christ someday. It is just sadly, many wait until it is too late.
Illustration 1: Such is the story of Jane, a sixteen year old young lady. Her parents were respectable folks in their community and they all attended church. Jane had heard of Christ and said she expected to become a Christian before she died. She knew it took a person trusting or committing their life to Christ.
She told the preacher, one day, that on a certain morning she woke up and had a great impression to commit her life to Christ that day and that her soul was in great danger if she delayed.
But, she reasoned the conviction away and in prayer told God, soon she would surrender to Him and receive His Son as her Savior. But as the day wore on, the conviction left and so she fell asleep that night as she always did, thoughtless of God.
The next day she felt the spiritual impression even deeper. She told her preacher later that she knew she needed to repent and commit her life to Christ, but this day also passed as before.
Many times she felt this deep impression to surrender to Christ and each time she reasoned that she had plenty of time.
Then she went to live with a family friend in a nearby town and the preacher did not see her for about three months. Then, a friend of hers came to the preacher and said, "Pastor, will you visit Mary, she is dying."
This story took place before doctors sedated patients. She tossed and turned with mental anguish. She kept saying, "lost, lost, lost." The preacher tried to console her and impress upon her to cry out to the Savior, but she cried but said, "God had not heard my prayer."
In her fleeing moments she ask all in the room to pray for her that she might find forgiveness for her sins for rejecting the Savior. The whole family and friends knelt and prayed for her.
The preacher again tried to direct her thoughts to the Scriptures and to Christ. Mary stopped the preacher and said to the amazement of all, "Stop, pastor, I cannot be forgiven; it is too late for me, too late!"
She then told the pastor to warn the young people, not to play games with God, not to neglect salvation, when conviction comes.
She prayed again and again and yet, she could get no peace from God. The agony of death was upon her brow and fear was in her eyes, when she breathed her last breath.
The Bible says, "Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while he is near." Mary died that night without God, without hope for all eternity.
Friend, if Jesus is knocking at your heart, if you sense He is drawing you to Him, if you sense a conviction, run to Jesus, fall at his feet and ask Him to save your soul.
Illustration 3: Henry C. Morrison was a great missionary who served the Lord in Africa for over 40 years. On the way back to United States, he began to wonder “will anyone remember me and my wife? Will anyone recall who we are? Will anyone meet us at the harbor?”
When the ship pulled into New York harbor he looked to see if anyone had come to welcome them back home. Thousands of people were there cheering. Bands were playing. There were signs, banners, and billboards everywhere saying, “Welcome Home”.
Henry and his wife were so excited about the crowds of people that were there to welcome them home and they went down to get their luggage, came back to the deck of the ship to get off and they realized that the parade of people were already gone.
Unknown to Henry Morrison and his wife, Teddy Roosevelt, President of U.S., was also on board that ship. He had gone to Africa for a hunting trip.
The crowd had come to welcome Teddy Roosevelt home. There was no one there to welcome Henry Morrison and his wife, home.
Henry Morrison went to his hotel room with a heavy heart that evening. As he sat there on the bed, he asked his wife, “Honey, I just don’t get it…for 40 years we poured our lives into ministry and service. And yet we come back to America and not a single soul comes to welcome us home!”
His wife came and sat down next to her husband, she put her hand on his shoulder, and comforted him with words that he would never forget, “Henry, you have forgotten something, we're not home yet!”
And may that be of comfort to you who are saved. Don't expect the applause of men down here. “You’re not home yet.”
I - THE HOME SCENE (Mark 6:1-2)
1 And he (Jesus) went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
"There's no place like home" use to be a popular saying and more important, it use to be a true saying. Years ago in America, dad worked ad brought home the bacon, mom took care of the house made breakfast, lunch and supper and took care of the kids. When dad came home the family would all sit around the supper table and eat and talk and fellowship about what happened that day.
Many families would read the Bible and have prayer. God was the center of the home, dad was the head of the home, mom was the heart of the home and the children was the joy of the home.
Let me paint you a picture of a Christian Home. Dad and mom love the Lord and spend time with Him. Joy fills their hearts. They are in love with God and each other. The family have devotionals and they enjoy time together. Dad goes off on a business trip now and then, but every time he returns home, mom and the children plan a special welcome for dad. They prepare banners and streamers and a nice supper and a comfortable evening when dad comes home.
Dad is the authority of this home. On this evening that dad comes home and the family sits around the supper table, dad says, "I have something special to tell you today." Everyone is excited and the children smile and say, "Tell us dad, what is it, what is it?"
Dad, says, Well, you remember years ago when we had to leave grandma and grandpa and your uncles and aunts and all your family and friends to come to America?" Well, when I went overseas on this trip, I bought a beautiful house for us to live in. Everything is paid for and we will be moving home soon. I just have a little more business to take care of here.
The family is overjoyed. They jump and down and dance around the table, because they are going home.
Alvin York was born December 13, 1887 in a two-room log cabin near Pall Mall, Tennessee. He was the third of eleven children. The family was dirt poor. He joined the United States Army and fought in World War I. During the course of an engagement with the Germans when most of the men in York's company were killed, York took over. It is said that he single handed, overtook a German machine gun nest. He preceded to take out 32 machine guns. He killed 28 Germans and capture 132 others. This hometown boy from Pall Mall, Tennessee came home to the cheers of the crowds, an American Hero. There's no place like home.
a - The Surroundings v 1
Well, Jesus left Capernaum, Simon Peter's hometown, and headed for Nazareth, His boyhood home. His disciples of course followed Him.
Jesus is going home, to the place he was raised. He had great and glorious news to tell everyone when he got there. He was going to reveal to them that He was the Messiah and their eternal hope was in Him.
Nazareth would have never been heard of by you or me had it not been for one name Jesus. The reason I say that is:
1) Nazareth is not mentioned in the Old Testament.
2) Nazareth was not mentioned by Josephus, the great Jewish historian who lived in Israel during the first century. He named over 244 towns and cities, yet never mentioned Nazareth.
3) Nazareth is not mentioned in the Jewish Talmud.
Thus, Nazareth is only known because of the man named Jesus. Nazareth was like the little town of Winder, Georgia, where I grew up. What put Winder on the map was the President Pro tempore of the Senate, Richard B. Russell. He died under President Lyndon Johnsons administration in 1971 and President Johnson came to Winder to attend his funeral. Winder had the attention of the nation.
Can I make an application here? When we stand before God one day, only if we know Jesus Christ as our Savior will we be known in Heaven. He is the way, the truth and the life.
But, the truth about knowing Christ, isn't that we know Him. Billions of people know about Jesus. They know he died was buried and rose again. The question is does Jesus know you?
In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus says, not everyone that says Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of Heaven but he that doeth the will of my father.
In verse 23, those who know Jesus but had not surrender their lives to him will hear Jesus say, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
In John 10:27 Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."
Thus, the most important question is "Does Jesus know you?" Was there a day He visited your heart and change your life? Was there a day you surrendered your life to Him and asked forgiveness for your sin?
Illustration: I know a Jeff Meiser and Brother Jeff knows me. I've never been out to eat with Jeff and Lenore before. But, the other night we went out to a restaurant. There were six of us. The manager of this fancy restaurant comes by. He knows Jeff. He says, "I'm going to bring you something special tonight." Well, we all ordered one plate of food. This manager had to have brought 12 different plates of food. We had chicken, shrimp, pork, beef, lamb and all in different vanities. (We ate so much, we had to find a Catholic Church and go and confess our sins. Ha) I got to enjoy all that food not because I knew Jeff, but because he knew me.
Well, Jesus had been away from home and now, He has returned and He had great news for everyone. He would announce His Messiah ship.
When Jesus got to Nazareth, he did what he always did on the Sabbath. He went to the Synagogue. Today, we go to church.
b. The Synagogue v 2
2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? (or where did he learn all of this) and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
Jesus taught with great authority and power in Capernaum and all over Galilee. His majestic name and his mighty works had preceded Him.
Now the celebrity has come home.
The short time Jesus was in Nazareth, he taught great truths. I believed He spoke of Heaven and its beauty. I believe He spoke of Hell and its horror.
He expounded on the history of the Jewish people and their future.
He talked about the Kingdom of God and Salvation.
Jesus had healed a few folks in Nazareth and many were astonished at his teaching.
Luke tells us about this occasion when Jesus entered the synagogue. Jesus stood up and took the scroll of Isaiah and read chapter 61:1. You will find those words in Luke 4:18-19. here is what is says:
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Now, any leader of the Synagogue knew this Scripture spoke of the coming Messiah. They knew this spoke of the one who would be the King of the Jews.
When Jesus finished reading this, he handed the scroll back to the minister of the synagogue and sat down.
Whenever someone read the Scriptures, they were suppose to expound upon them. All eyes were locked on Jesus. They wondered what He would say. They wondered how He would interpret this verse.
Then Jesus said, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears (21).
Wow, here was the Messiah. Here was He who would fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament. Here was the very one who created the universe. Here was the Son of God.
You would think these folks would clap and shout and dance. It should have been a day of great celebration, but...The "Home Scene" turns into a "Hostile Setting."
II - THE HOSTILE SETTING 3--4
1 - Why was the reason for their hostility:
a. There was a Small town reasoning v 3
The spiritual leaders in the synagogue who did not know the Scriptures said, 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
Let me say the reason most people reject surrendering their lives to Jesus Christ is because they simply do not know Him.
These religious leaders said, "Who does Jesus think He is? He is just the son of a carpenter. He is just another son of Mary, like Joses or Juda or Simon. Question: Why were they offended or so upset with Jesus?
Among ancient Jews, every father was bound to do four things for his son.
1) He was bound to circumcise Him.
2) He was responsible to teach him the word of God, the law.
3) He was responsible to teach him a trade.
4) His dad was to redeem him. Every day was to teach his son how to be saved (as we would say in our terminology).
So, these religious leaders and all those in the synagogue rejected Jesus because, they were saying to Him, you were suppose to honor your father. You were suppose to follow his steps. You were suppose to be a carpenter, and you didn't do that.
Ah, but, Jesus did honor His Father. You see, Jesus' father was God. God sent Jesus to fulfill all Scripture. Jesus came to make a way for man to go to Heaven. Jesus was on a mission from God.
Look at Luke 4:18. He was anointed to preach the gospel to the poor; Hey! Are you poor..spiritually? Jesus will make you rich one day.
"... to heal the brokenhearted, Is your heart broke? Jesus will give you all the love you need.
"...to preach salvation to sinners, Are you a sinner? We are all. Jesus will give you salvation if you will come to Him and ask Him with all your heart.
"...to give sight to the blind, to set free all who were bound by sin. Are you blind to truth? Are you confused? Are you bound by sin? Jesus came to take care of all of that. But, you must come to Him.
Because He claimed to be the Christ by word and deed, these religious frauds were upset, troubled and indignant that Jesus was so popular with the crowd.
They rejected His words and they rejected His worth. Their hope for heaven stood before them and they could not see beyond their noses.
Why was there hostility? Not only was there a small town reason but...
b. There was a Small town Resentment v 3
Sadly, the Greek word for offended is the word skandalizo. The "unspiritual elders" of the town were offended by Jesus greatness.
Rather than following His love, they "stumble" over His life.
Sadly, these folks would in up in hell because they would not believe that Jesus was the Christ.
Jesus just told them, that He was the Christ, the Messiah. What was their response.
In Luke 4:28-29, we find these religious people were filled with wrath. Nazareth sat on a high hill. On one side there was a steep cliff. They grabbed Jesus and forced him to the cliff. Their intentions were to throw him head first down the hill to his death, but Jesus simply walk away.
Why were they so angry? I'll give you two reasons:
1) They did not know the Scriptures. Had they known the Scriptures they would have known by Jesus' power, He was the Christ.
2) They did not know the Savior. They had their beliefs and they lived by their traditions and their lifestyle and did not want to change.
2. What was the result to their Hostility v Mark 6:4-6
4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
Many have proved this statement in verse 4 to be true. Many folks have joyfully given their lives to the Lord, only to go home and be rejected.
Illustration 2: I remember going to my hometown for four years. Though God blessed and we saw folks saved, I witnessed to many of my friends and none of them came to Christ.
But, I can't understand why Jesus, who was God of God, would be rejected, other than, some people are too proud to humble their hearts.
Verse 6 says that Jesus marveled at their unbelief. Why? These folks saw God in the flesh. They saw His miracles. They heard the voice of He who created the world, and these people in His home town rejected Him.
Do you not sometimes marvel at folks, when you share eternal life and the joys of heaven and how to be forgiven of sin with them, and they simply reject you time and time again? Or they say, "I have my beliefs."
Why do people respond this way?
1) Some people who put off giving their lives to Jesus Christ do so because they think they are Ok like they are. But, the Bible says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Nobody gets to go to heaven because they are good.
2) Some folks truly expect to commit their lives to Christ someday. It is just sadly, many wait until it is too late.
Illustration 1: Such is the story of Jane, a sixteen year old young lady. Her parents were respectable folks in their community and they all attended church. Jane had heard of Christ and said she expected to become a Christian before she died. She knew it took a person trusting or committing their life to Christ.
She told the preacher, one day, that on a certain morning she woke up and had a great impression to commit her life to Christ that day and that her soul was in great danger if she delayed.
But, she reasoned the conviction away and in prayer told God, soon she would surrender to Him and receive His Son as her Savior. But as the day wore on, the conviction left and so she fell asleep that night as she always did, thoughtless of God.
The next day she felt the spiritual impression even deeper. She told her preacher later that she knew she needed to repent and commit her life to Christ, but this day also passed as before.
Many times she felt this deep impression to surrender to Christ and each time she reasoned that she had plenty of time.
Then she went to live with a family friend in a nearby town and the preacher did not see her for about three months. Then, a friend of hers came to the preacher and said, "Pastor, will you visit Mary, she is dying."
This story took place before doctors sedated patients. She tossed and turned with mental anguish. She kept saying, "lost, lost, lost." The preacher tried to console her and impress upon her to cry out to the Savior, but she cried but said, "God had not heard my prayer."
In her fleeing moments she ask all in the room to pray for her that she might find forgiveness for her sins for rejecting the Savior. The whole family and friends knelt and prayed for her.
The preacher again tried to direct her thoughts to the Scriptures and to Christ. Mary stopped the preacher and said to the amazement of all, "Stop, pastor, I cannot be forgiven; it is too late for me, too late!"
She then told the pastor to warn the young people, not to play games with God, not to neglect salvation, when conviction comes.
She prayed again and again and yet, she could get no peace from God. The agony of death was upon her brow and fear was in her eyes, when she breathed her last breath.
The Bible says, "Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while he is near." Mary died that night without God, without hope for all eternity.
Friend, if Jesus is knocking at your heart, if you sense He is drawing you to Him, if you sense a conviction, run to Jesus, fall at his feet and ask Him to save your soul.
Illustration 3: Henry C. Morrison was a great missionary who served the Lord in Africa for over 40 years. On the way back to United States, he began to wonder “will anyone remember me and my wife? Will anyone recall who we are? Will anyone meet us at the harbor?”
When the ship pulled into New York harbor he looked to see if anyone had come to welcome them back home. Thousands of people were there cheering. Bands were playing. There were signs, banners, and billboards everywhere saying, “Welcome Home”.
Henry and his wife were so excited about the crowds of people that were there to welcome them home and they went down to get their luggage, came back to the deck of the ship to get off and they realized that the parade of people were already gone.
Unknown to Henry Morrison and his wife, Teddy Roosevelt, President of U.S., was also on board that ship. He had gone to Africa for a hunting trip.
The crowd had come to welcome Teddy Roosevelt home. There was no one there to welcome Henry Morrison and his wife, home.
Henry Morrison went to his hotel room with a heavy heart that evening. As he sat there on the bed, he asked his wife, “Honey, I just don’t get it…for 40 years we poured our lives into ministry and service. And yet we come back to America and not a single soul comes to welcome us home!”
His wife came and sat down next to her husband, she put her hand on his shoulder, and comforted him with words that he would never forget, “Henry, you have forgotten something, we're not home yet!”
And may that be of comfort to you who are saved. Don't expect the applause of men down here. “You’re not home yet.”
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