Standing Firm in Jesus in Today’s Culture (Mark 6:1–13)

CPT: Jesus was rejected by his hometown because of his beliefs and instructed his disciples to expect the same. Yet, they were to separate themselves as holy and uphold the truth of God’s Word and authority.

Purpose: To solidify the church’s resolve to uphold the truth of God’s Word and call people to faith.

CPS: Stand firm in God in a culture that rejects your beliefs.

Stand firm in God in a culture that is offended by you. (Mark 6:1-6)

Stand firm in God in today’s culture by separating yourself as surrendered to Christ. (Mark 6:7-11)

Stand firm in God in today’s culture by holding to his Word and authority. (Mark 6:12-13)

Introduction

How do we stand firm in Jesus in today's culture? We live in a culture that affirms and champions any lifestyle as long as that lifestyle is not Christian.

It's not a culture that is just minutely apart from Jesus. They are not just off to the sides a little. We live in a culture speeding as fast as possible down the highway to escape a lifestyle that glorifies Jesus.

It's speeding as fast as it can away from the Bible, away from prayer, away from any lifestyle that has morals and ethics rooted in Christ.

When I was younger, I thought I wouldn't sound like the old folks when I got older. The older folks would often comment about how much the culture has changed and how the things that are acceptable today would never have been fine when they were younger.

My dad remembers that there was prayer in public school when he was younger. To this day, he remembers the morning prayer that they would recite in the public school. He tells me about the change that, just in his lifetime, has become something that would be shocking in a public school today.

Growing up, I would think, "Well, that's something old people say." Now, I'm the old person saying that! Now, I turn on the television and am shocked by what's okay today.

You observe and hear a reflection of the culture when watching television, movies, music, or whatever media. Sometimes the media drives culture. Other times culture drives the media. But either way, it's a reflection of the culture that we live in and is around us.

I'm 45 now, and even within my time, I can see a culture going as fast as it can away from Jesus. There isn't space for faith in Jesus in today's culture.

We often face today a Christianity that is intimidated by the culture. We need to be Christians who are not intimidated by today's culture. We serve a God whose authority is more powerful than any cancel culture.

How do we stand firm in Jesus in today's culture? How do we handle the rejection of our beliefs? We'll look today at how Jesus dealt with rejection.

The Jews rejected Jesus because of his beliefs. Jesus believed he was the Son of God. He told the people of Israel that he was one with the Father and the only way to the Father. Jesus believed he was God in the flesh. Jesus was someone who faced rejection because of his beliefs.

Today's text will show us how Jesus handled the rejection of his beliefs, and it will also be informative in telling us how to live today in a culture that rejects Christian beliefs. If you have your Bibles, please turn to Mark 6:1-13.

Scripture Reading

Mark 6:1–13 CSB

1 He left there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. “Where did this man get these things?” they said. “What is this wisdom that has been given to him, and how are these miracles performed by his hands? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they were offended by him. 4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household.” 5 He was not able to do a miracle there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief. He was going around the villages teaching. 7 He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits. 8 He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts, 9 but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt. 10 He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. 11 If any place does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons, anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

Pray

There is a lot we learn in this text about standing firm in God amidst rejection.

First,

Stand firm in Jesus in a culture offended by your belief in him. (Mark 6:1-6)

It says,

Mark 6:1 CSB

1 He left there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.

In Mark 5, Jesus has been by the Sea of Galilee. He traveled to the eastern side of the sea, where he cast out a legion of demons from a man. Then he left there and traveled back to the western side of the sea, probably back to an area named Capernaum.

That’s where he had been earlier in Mark. There are a number of villages in that area where Jesus ministered. It’s in that area where he likely met Jairus and the woman he healed with the issue of blood. Jesus goes with Jairus to his home and heals a little girl by raising her from the dead.

He then leaves Jairus’ home and heads up to Nazareth. Nazareth is about 20 miles from Capernaum, within about a half-day’s journey walking distance from the Sea of Galilee. If you were to walk it today, it would take a little over 9 hours.

Jesus gets to his hometown of Nazareth and, as far as we know, this is likely the last time in his ministry that he goes to Nazareth. The disciples follow him there, which is at least the Twelve, because he will send out the Twelve from here.

Mark 6:2 CSB

2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. “Where did this man get these things?” they said. “What is this wisdom that has been given to him, and how are these miracles performed by his hands?

The Sabbath came, and the Sabbath was the time the Jews would get together in the synagogue for teaching from the Scriptures. Jesus is teaching in the synagogue. Jesus is acknowledged amongst the Jews as a rabbi, and teaches in the synagogues. They are astonished at his teaching.

If you can imagine, in this synagogue in Nazareth, there are people sitting in this synagogue who likely knew of Jesus as a young boy. They knew his family. Nazareth is a small town, and like a lot of small towns, people knew each other. There may have been people in this synagogue who watched Jesus grow up. They knew his father Joseph and his mother Mary. They knew his siblings.

Jesus has a number of siblings. These are children from Mary and Joseph after Jesus was born. Jesus would be the oldest among these siblings, brothers and sisters. The names of the brothers are mentioned in verse 3.

It says listening to Jesus, they were astonished. The word “astonished” has the idea of being beside oneself. They were thoroughly and utterly struck by what they were seeing in Jesus.

What did they say about him? There are two things that they point to about him. It’s always interesting to hear what those who rejected Jesus admit about him.

1. THEY ADMIT THAT JESUS HAS EXTRAORDINARY WISDOM

They can’t get their mind around it. It is a wisdom beyond their understanding, beyond their comprehension. How did this happen? How did he get such wisdom? How did this man, this boy who we saw grow up here, how did he become Jesus, this rabbi full of wisdom? How was this wisdom given to him? Jesus had incredible wisdom.

2. THEY ADMIT JESUS PERFORMED MIRACLES.

What are these miracles performed by his hands? Now only is there incredible wisdom in Jesus, there is incredible AUTHORITY in Jesus. It’s takes authority to tell a blind man to see. It takes authority to tell a lame man to walk. It takes authority to raise a girl from the dead. It takes authority to drive demons out of people.

WHERE DOES JESUS GET THIS WISDOM? WHERE DOES JESUS GET THIS AUTHORITY?

Mark 6:3 CSB

3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they were offended by him.

It says in verse 3 that they were “offended” by him. The term “offended” refers to a stumbling block. Their offense caused them to fall back from faith in him.

It’s interesting that sometimes the people that are most familiar with you will reject your faith in Jesus. They don’t understand this transformation.

Growing up, Jesus lived a perfect life. But during the three years of his ministry, Jesus was exposing the fact that he was the Messiah, the Savior of Israel. That was too much for those who were familiar with him to handle. They couldn’t believe it.

When there is a transformation from God in your life, it may be too much for people to handle. They see the power of God working in your life, and they don’t believe it. Stand firm in Jesus! The culture may be offended by your faith. Stand firm in Jesus.

Mark 6:4–6 CSB

4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household.” 5 He was not able to do a miracle there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief. He was going around the villages teaching.

Jesus responds with saying that a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown. He equates himself to one of the Old Testament prophets. A lot of times, the prophets would go into Israel, bring a message from God, and they would be rejected. Israel was continuing this pattern with Jesus.

It’s interesting to read that Jesus was not able to do a miracle there, except heal a few sick people. That is something consistent with Scripture. Whenever you read the Bible,

GOD RESPONDS TO BELIEF, FAITH, WITH GRACE.

GOD RESPONDS TO UNBELIEF WITH JUDGMENT.

Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. God responded to his belief with grace. The grace of God was evident in his life. Moses believed that God would save his people from Egypt, and God led the people of Israel out of Egypt. God responded to belief with grace.

During the days of Noah, God saved Noah because of his belief. At the same time, there was an unbelieving world that rejected God. God responded to unbelief with judgment. Or the rebellious city of Sodom and Gomorrah, God responded in judgment.

God consistently responds to faith with grace, and unbelief with judgment.

But amidst the rejection, it’s interesting that amidst the mix in Nazareth, there was still an authority in Jesus. He still laid his hands on people and healed them. It’s like he was saying, “Even in the midst of a place of severe unbelief, I still reign. I am still in control.”

And he was amazed at their unbelief.

How can we be people that stand firm in Jesus amidst rejection? Jesus stands firm in God in a culture that is offended by him.

He doesn’t capitulate to it.

He doesn’t try to reason with it.

He doesn’t try to argue with it.

He just states a fact. A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his people. What is he saying? I am who I am. Whether you believe that or not doesn’t change that fact. If you are insistent on going down this path of unbelief, it doesn’t change who I am. I stand firm in who I am.

We need to be Christians who stand firm in Jesus. We say, “If you’re hell-bent on going this particular way, believing these particular things, then you do you. It’s not going to change my beliefs. It’s not going to change the authority of the one I follow, the one I believe in.

I know where that path will take you, and I know who Jesus is. I STAND FIRM IN MY CONVICTION AND MY CONFIDENCE IN THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS CHRIST. We need to be Christians who stand firm in a culture that is offended by us.

Suppose you are in a courtroom. You got mad and punched someone in the face. You got arrested and are charged with assault. They have you on video punching this person in the face. But you tell them that you are offended by the law of assault. That law is offensive to you. What is the judge going to do? The law is what it is. It doesn’t matter if you like it or not. A good judge will stand on the authority of the law.

We need to be Christians who stand on the authority of Jesus Christ. The world may be offended by the Jesus we serve. They can be offended. The world may want to put labels on you. They may want to call you names. That doesn’t change the authority of Jesus. There is one label that matters to me: Follower of Jesus. I am in Christ, so help me God.

Jesus outlines two different ways for us to stand firm in a culture that is offended by him.

The first way,

Stand firm in Jesus in today's culture by separating yourself as surrendered to him. (Mark 6:7-11)

Take a look at verse 7.

Mark 6:7 CSB

7 He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits.

He gets the Twelve disciples together and tells them, “Listen, I’m going to teach you how to handle rejection. You’ve watched me handle rejection in Nazareth. Now, I’m sending you out on your own, and you will face rejection.”

This is how Jesus does discipleship. First, he models for them how to handle rejection. He says, “Follow me. Do what I do. Watch how I handle this, and then I’m going to send you out with instructions based on how I modeled it for you.”

He sends them out in pairs, and he sends them out with authority. Never forget the authority you have in Jesus. If you are a Christian, if the Word of God is true that when you put your faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit is a real presence in your life, then you have a real authority in Jesus. Never forget the authority you have in Jesus Christ.

He sends them out in pairs and with his authority over demons. Take a look at what he says to them.

Mark 6:7–9 CSB

7 He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits. 8 He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts, 9 but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt.

He basically says to them, “Trust me to provide. Don’t go out in the way that you’re used to. The world is going to tell you that you need certain things. You don’t need them. Trust me to provide.”

Sometimes when you’re at the end of your rope, that’s when you see God provide in some incredible ways. Trust me. God says, “I’m about to do some incredible things, but you’ve got too much on. You have too many belts, too many shirts, too much stuff, too many provisions. You’re planning far too much. You go along this path and you have success, you might think it was because of your own planning or your own provisions. You need to get rid of some things and trust God to provide.”

Jesus tells them in verse 10,

Mark 6:10–11 CSB

10 He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. 11 If any place does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

What is this about? It doesn’t sound very kind. He tells them, “Stay in a place, but if they reject you, shake the dust off your feet as you leave.” You have to understand what this meant in first-century Israel. This was a common practice for Jews.

Sometimes they would have to enter a Gentile land. The Jews saw themselves as holy and righteous and set apart from the rest of the cultures in the world. What happened was, when Jews would travel through a Gentile land, as they exited that land, they would shake the dust off their feet as a way of saying, “We are separate, we are set apart from the uncleanness of all this.

What Jesus is saying, “When you go to a place and you share the good news of Jesus, when you are surrendered to Christ in a place and they reject you, don’t capitulate. Don’t try to change your views because of the culture. No, be surrendered to Christ. Separate yourselves as holy and set apart to him.”

We need to stand firm in God by separating ourselves as fully surrendered and fully committed to Christ. Paul called it being a living sacrifice. He says in Romans 12:1-2:

Romans 12:1–2 CSB

1 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

In view of the mercy of God, set yourself apart as holy and pleasing to God. What are we to separate ourselves from? In verse 2, do not be conformed to the pattern of this age. Don’t be conformed to this culture that is rebellious, that is pushing God away. See yourself as someone transformed in his image, separate and set apart for God, surrendered to Jesus Christ.

Jesus says in Luke 9:23 to take up your cross daily. What does that mean? It means my life is a living sacrifice. I am constantly daily dying to myself and living in Jesus. The only way to get through a culture dead set against your morality, dead set against your beliefs, is to stand firm in Jesus as someone fully devoted to him.

What does it mean to be surrendered to Jesus?

It means that:

My agenda is surrendered to Jesus.

My plans are surrendered to Jesus.

My marriage is surrendered to Jesus.

The things I see with my eyes are surrendered to Jesus.

The things I say with my mouth are surrendered to Jesus.

If you are not fully surrendered to Christ, this culture will eat you alive. We need to fully surrender every part of our life to Jesus.

What does that look like? What happens when you get on an airplane? You get in the plane, you strap yourself in, and in essence you are surrendering yourself to this plane. You don’t have control of the plane. You trust that when you get in this plane, it will get you up in the air, fly in the air, and will land safely. You are confident in the plane because you’ve been in planes before. You know that planes fly everyday and get people where they want to go. You know that the plane will get you where you want to go. So you get on board, take your seat, and surrender your life to that plane.

Being in Christ is like being in that plane. You get in, you take your seat, and he takes control. When you are surrendering your life to Jesus, you are fully in, you’re on board. He is in control. You know that he raises the dead, that he is God in the flesh, that he has full authority, that he is greater than anything else. You trust that he is going to get you to the place where you need to go, because he has full authority and control.

Stand firm in Jesus in today's culture by separating yourself as surrendered to him.

Last,

Stand firm in Jesus in today's culture by holding to his Word and authority. (Mark 6:12-13)

We see this in verses 12-13.

Mark 6:12–13 CSB

12 So they went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons, anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

The disciples are finally out there in the authority of Jesus. He says, “Trust me in my provision.” They get out there in verse 12 and preach that people should repent. They should turn away from their sins and trust God.

In verse 13, they drive out many demons, anoint people, and heal them. Jesus sends them out, and they preach a message that comes with the authority of Jesus. They would say, “Repent, believe the good news of Jesus, that in the name of Jesus, there is authority and there is power.”

They went out as people surrendered to Christ and trusting in his provision. As they go out and preach, what do they do?

They are standing firm in God’s Word. They are standing firm in the Word that says Jesus is the only way to God, that he is the way, the truth, and the life. They are standing firm in the authority of Jesus.

When they are confronted with demons, they cast them out.

When they are confronted with sickness, they follow what they saw their Master do.

We need people who are willing to go out in today’s culture and do what the Master says to do, under his authority and power.

As Christians, we go out ready to engage the world. We go out ready to take on the battle. Never forget that it is a battle. Ephesians 6:11-12 says,

Ephesians 6:11–12 CSB

11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.

We are engaged in a battle that is bigger than the voices we hear. It is a battle against a world under the control of the evil one. 1 John 5:19 says,

1 John 5:19 CSB

19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one.

We live in a world that is full of demonic influence. The world wants you to be enraged at something. The world wants you distracted. Have you noticed that there is constantly something to be enraged about?

If you’re not careful as a Christian, you can find yourself playing religious whack-a-mole. Some Christians go out, and they get enraged at every issue. With all of the sexual stuff, the gender stuff, all of the craziness, and you can get into a whack-a-mole, where you hit this, and another thing pops up, and you hit that, and something else.

But the Lord puts us on a singular mission, a single focus. The world wants you to do the whack-a-mole thing because it wants you distracted. The world wants you to be outraged about something. Our culture is built on rage. It wants you to be angry.

All these things you’re getting angry about? It’s all sin! Sum it up in one word: sin. Whether someone is dealing with homosexuality, or transgenderism, whether they’re dealing with adultery, pornography, stealing, hatred, lust, greed, whatever it is, it’s all sin. The homosexual is not more sinful than the heterosexual. It’s all sin.

We all sin. We all fall short of the glory of God. We all have a singular problem, sin, and that problem is not just on one group of people.

When you stand firm on God’s Word and his authority, whatever sin you’re dealing with, addiction, pornography, whatever, it may be a shock to some people but its not a shock to God. Jesus died for that sin.

Under the authority of the Word of God, God says that sin is something Jesus died for. Maybe you have a judgment in your mind against someone. The authority of God’s Word says that person can be transformed. The Word of God says you can be transformed through faith in Jesus.

We can stand firm in Jesus in an culture that is outraged. We stand firm in love. We stand firm in compassion. We stand firm in God’s grace, love, and compassion for us. Based on his authority, I know he can transform your life.

God is calling Christians today to stand firm in Jesus no matter what. No matter what the culture says, there is only one way to God, and that is through Jesus Christ. Trust him, and he will change your life.

Conclusion

Stand firm in God in a culture that is offended by you. (Mark 6:1-6)

Stand firm in God in today’s culture by separating yourself as surrendered to Christ. (Mark 6:7-11)

Stand firm in God in today’s culture by holding to his Word and authority. (Mark 6:12-13)

Conclude

Prayer

Last Song

Doxology

Numbers 6:24–26 CSB

24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’

Jude 24–25 CSB

24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

You are dismissed. Have a great week in the Lord!