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.”