Following Jesus (Mark 3:7-35)

Sunday, March 28, 2021: Mark 3:7-35

Pastoral Prayer:

Church: Grace Baptist Church Sheboygon, WI (Phillip Lane)

NAMB: Jeremy & Sarah Proemsey (SanMateo, CA at Refuge Community Church

IMB: Mixtecs of Guerrero, Mexico (2 recent opportunities to share)

Introduction

Today is Palm Sunday, a day in which we have already read from our Scripture Reading in Matthew 21:1-11 where Jesus entered Jerusalem and was praised with shouts of Hosanna. They praised the Messiah King, who they thought was coming to overthrow Rome. And yet, 4 days later, the same crowd would shout for Pilate to crucify him. And while we are not pausing from our study in Mark to have a Palm Sunday type service, we are going to point to who Jesus is and how he indeed is the Messiah King. So the question then for us today, who is this Jesus we say we worship? Who is he really? Then, what does it actually mean to be a follower of this Jesus?

Recap of Mark so far:

Mark’s gospel has been fast moving from the beginning showing the business and fast paced ministry of Jesus with the constant use of immediately. Jesus has revealed that he is one with great authority, but he has begun to have some opposition and antagonists rising from the scribes and Pharisees. And that continues in our text this morning. (Invitation to follow as read).

(Read Mark 3:7-35)

Main Point: True disciples of Jesus are with Jesus and follow him in doing the will of God. False disciples aim to halt that mission.

Points

Point #1: The mission of Jesus

Point #2: The views of Jesus

Point #3: The family of Jesus

Point #1: The Mission of Jesus

Even in the midst of the religious leaders of the day opposing and antagonizing Jesus, it doesn’t stop the fame of Jesus from continuing to spread. The crowds come racing again to find him. They hear of his healing the sick, casting out demons and they sought him and were about to swarm him in order to touch him. For we read in verses 9 and 10… (READ).

The crowds were seeking to mob Jesus and crush him, kind of like a baseball team does when a player hits a game winning walk off homerun to win the pennant or World Series. Jesus says no thanks to being crushed by the mob. For Jesus had come for a set mission. And yes, he performed many miracles, he did much to alleviate the suffering of people. However, Jesus came for a specific purpose, he came to call people to himself. And nothing was going to hinder this mission, not the crowds or the demons revealing who he fully was before the appointed time.

It is this unhindered mission that Jesus is protecting as he orders the unclean spirits from making him known as the Son of God. In the end, it will be clear who Jesus is. But for the moment, it is not the demons who are to reveal him just yet to the masses. For Jesus still has much to teach his followers, prior to his eventual arrest and death. In verse 13 we read…

To teach those he desired, Jesus got away to spend time alone with them to teach them and equip them to send out. Jesus appoints these twelve who he has called and gives them the name apostles. John Frame, a systematic theologian states, “The highest office was the apostle, those who had seen the risen Christ and were appointed by him to be the official witnesses to his resurrection.” These are the ones Jesus chose for this purpose.

And in verses 16-19 we meet all twelve for the first time in Mark. We have already met Simon (who is called Peter), James and John the Sons of Zebedee, and Andrew back in Mark 1:16-20. Then we also met Matthew, that is Levi in Mark 2:13-14. But now, we learn that James and John are called the sons of Thunder. We meet for the first time Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon, and Judas. Of course Judas being the one who betrayed Jesus.

It is these twelve apostles who Jesus spent more time with than any others. He poured into them as a teacher, a discipler. For he walked life on life with these twelve. For in Mark 3:14 and 15 we learn the reason for this, (READ).

It wasn’t enough for Jesus to come and simply reveal who he was and go to the cross. Jesus came to teach others who he was and to understand how all of the scriptures had pointed to him and then what it means to follow him. He came to teach these twelve so that they could go and teach others, showing that they are his disciples. To prove this, he even gives them the authority to cast out demons as a sign that they belonged to him.

Discipleship defined by Mark Dever in his book, Discipling, is helping others follow Jesus. Therefore, Jesus in his days of teaching his disciples, is about him helping them to follow him. And as we will see as we continue our study in Mark over the next two months and even into the fall when we pick it back up, discipleship is a slow process. And while Jesus could have spent his time with millions here, he chose to spend it with these 12 so that they could learn from him and so that he could equip them.

It was this intentional discipleship that was Jesus’s mission so that the gospel could be advanced after his death and resurrection that Jesus was concerned with. It all centered around this gospel continuing on. And Jesus allowed nothing to hinder this mission. He didn’t allow the pressing crowds to keep him tied up for days and weeks with healing every disease. He didn’t allow the antagonist to consume his time where he wasn’t able to teach his disciples. Jesus taught his disciples and they in return have gone and taught others the hope of the gospel. For even this very gospel we are reading is a result of Peter sharing these stories with John Mark who then turned and recorded them in the Gospel of Mark that we are reading. Jesus made disciples who then went out and made other disciples of Jesus.

It is this same mission the disciples were reminded of and sent out on right before Jesus ascended into heaven after his resurrection. It is the Great Commission that we are given in Matthew 28:16-20 which says:

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Brothers and sisters, as disciples of Jesus we too are called to go and make other disciples of Jesus. This process starts with evangelism, but it doesn’t end once they have come to faith in Jesus. It ends once we depart to be with Christ. The call to making disciples is a lifelong process.

The main area where discipleship happens though is right here in the local church, especially as we sit under God’s word together each week. It is here in the preaching of the word that we are pointed together back to Jesus and taught how that is to look in our lives as the word is applied to us. But, it also happens as we gather together to sing, to pray together, to talk with one another. It is in these moments where we are pointing each other back to the hope of the gospel. For instance, when we sing our new song, He Will Hold Me Fast, think about what that does for someone who is discouraged in their faith, who is wondering how they can hang on? It reminds them of the reality that Christ has a hold of them, that they can rest in him. And that he will not let them go. That encourages and strengthens that fellow church member as we belt that truth out as we sing. Our singing to one another can cause these rich Christological truths to embed in the hearts of others to strengthen their faith.

The next biggest area for discipling others is within our homes. As parents, we are called to be the primary disciple makers for our children. We are to teach them the things of God. Yes, we love children’s ministries, but that is to come alongside as a secondary means of discipling children. We need to disciple our children by first modeling a love for God’s word. Brothers and sisters, we cannot expect our children to have a love for God’s word if they see us neglecting it. They should know by our disciplines and attitudes that we love the word of God. Second, we disciple our children by reading Christ-centered gospel stories to them. And I add in Christ-centred because there are many that try and teach morals, which are not the point of the Bible. They need to see all of God’s yeses and amens are found in Jesus. That Jesus is the hero of the whole Bible.

Along the same lines though as discipling our children in the home, is us discipling one another in our marriages. We as husbands and wives have a responsibility to our spouses in being a part of each other's discipleship. We have the responsibility to find ways to encourage the other in their walk with Christ through ongoing conversations, discussing what the Lord is teaching one another, to how each is struggling in certain areas in the fight for faith.

But, discipleship can also be pouring into a younger believer. And the younger isn’t just someone who is younger age wise. It can mean someone who is a newer Christian than you or someone who has not advanced as quickly in their faith as you and more immature in the faith. For discipleship is again, helping others follow Jesus.

There are many methods to attempt to grow the church. However, apart from us being intentional in investing in discipleship, the church will not grow in a healthy means. To quote Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert from their book, What is the Mission of the Church, “So here it is again: the mission of the church—as seen in the Great Commissions, the early church in Acts, and the life of the apostle Paul—is to win people to Christ and build them up in Christ. Making disciples—that’s our task.”

Making disciples isn’t something we can program into our church. It doesn’t accidently happen. To be about making disciples, it means we must be growing in our own walks with Christ. It means we have to be intentional in inviting people into our lives on a regular basis. Even if you are super busy, discipleship can take place as you invite someone to the dinner table and the real conversation happens at the sink cleaning up after the meal while your spouse has the kids getting ready for bed. Or maybe the discipleship happens as you invite someone to run errands with you. It merely takes being intentional with our time.

The mission of Jesus was to come and save sinners, but in doing so, he called to himself the twelve to teach them and equip them to send out to the rest of the world. These eleven, as Judas betrayed him, were foundational in the message of the gospel going out as they told others. It was this mission of making disciples that Jesus was unhindered from, for he focused on equipping the apostles. The question for us, will we be hindered from the task of making disciples by focusing on the wrong things? Or will we begin to shift the culture of Central City Baptist Church to have a DNA of disciple makers? Where helping others follow Jesus flows through everything we do from our Sunday Schools, to the various small groups that meet for Bible Studies, to our corporate prayer on Wednesday nights, to life throughout the week. May this mark our church.

Point #2: The views of Jesus

Moving on from the mission of Jesus and the church though, we need to backtrack a moment and make sure we rightly understand who Jesus is. And that is what we look at in our second point this morning, the views of Jesus. Here in our text we see the crowds, the unclean spirits, the apostles, the scribes, and Jesus’s family. In these groups, there are some different thoughts about who Jesus is. And this isn’t something that can be ignored. When it comes to viewing Jesus, we either understand who he is or we don’t. There is no middle ground.

The crowds continue to swarm Jesus. Of course, in how they continue to approach Jesus, it is out of coming to him for what they can get out of him. They come to Jesus not to get Jesus himself, but what he has to offer him. They come to Jeus because they have heard of all he was doing, not because they heard Jesus came to forgive sins, not because of Jesus being the Son of God. Let the listener understand, the crowds had their place in the story of the gospel, but they are not the ones who are often coming to faith in the gospels. So their view of Jesus isn’t as much what they say of Jesus, but in their approach to Jesus and how they approach him.

Next, you have the unclean spirits in verses 11 and 12 who rightly understand who Jesus is as the Son of God, yet do not turn and worship him. They understand completely who Jesus is, but in the end do not submit willingly to him as Lord. They are forced to submit to Jesus though, in that he has authority over them. It is possible to understand who Jesus is, but miss what it means to come to him and willingly submit to him as King and Lord.

Then, you have Jesus’s family and their views of Jesus. Look with me at verses 20 and 21, it says....

The family of Jesus thinks he is out of his mind. In fact, because they think he is so out of his mind, they seek out a way to seize him to keep him from continuing on in his ministry. And then in verse 31, they come calling for him. Jesus’s opposition now is from his own blood line.

Lastly, in the account of verses 22-30, we have the scribes who also have a different view of Jesus. They come down saying that Jesus is possessed. They say he is possessed by Beelzebul and the prince of demons. Beelzebul is referring to the master of the house Satan. And this is why Jesus says can Satan cast out Satan in verse 23 and then talks about the master of the house in the parable.

But, notice how Jesus responds to the idea of him being possessed by the prince of demons. Jesus first derails the idea of Satan being divided against himself. He uses the illustrations of a kingdom divided against itself and a house being divided against itself. In both of these, Jesus makes the case that a kingdom and house divided against itself cannot stand. Therefore, for Satan to be divided against himself, the kingdom, the house is divided and it is coming to an end. Jesus shows the absurdity of this claim of him casting out demons and being possessed himself. The two cannot be against one another or the kingdom will fall.

If that wasn’t enough reason to stop the ridiculous claims the scribes were making against him, Jesus adds to this in verse 27 which says (READ).

Jesus adds here that not only is he not the one who is possessed by Satan, but that he has come in and bound the strong man, Satan himself. And in doing so, he plunders the house of Satan as he has come to fulfill all of God’s promises, as he has come to rescue sinners from the curse of the fall, as he has come to restore God’s people to himself. Jesus isn’t possessed by a demonic spirit, but Jesus has bound Satan and stripped what was under his rule, that is the rule of sin, from him. This is the Jesus who has come, and it is this Jesus whom we are called to believe in. This is what we find in verses 28-30 (READ).

Jesus ensures that all sins can be forgiven, this is the extent that he has bound Satan. Whatever sin they have committed, whatever blasphemy they have stated, they can be forgiven if they trust in him. The only thing that cannot be forgiven is the one who blasphemes the Holy Spirit. For this one never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.

To blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to continually and ultimately reject the Holy Spirit as it declares Jesus as the Christ. And by stating that the work of Jesus is the work of Satan, that is that Jesus is ultimately a liar. This is the unforgivable sin, by denying Jesus.

Friend, if you are sitting here today and you have yet to place your faith in Jesus, beware. There will come a day when your heart finally hardens and you too blaspheme the Holy Spirit in rejecting Christ, leaving you without the opportunity to repent and believe. Beware while today is still today, there is an opportunity for you to repent and believe in Jesus who came and laid down his life on the cross to save us from our sins. That by believing in him, your sins can be forgiven. For in his death and resurrection, he has insured that Satan is bound and that his kingdom is crumbling apart. Regardless of what sin you have committed, Jesus is inviting you to come to him before your heart hardens once and for all. Don’t leave today without calling out to Jesus and believing in him. Make today the day of your salvation, the day you accept Jesus as your savior and your King!

And Christian, this is glorious news for us too. This means even as we continue to struggle against sin in our Christian discipleship, there is the forgiveness of sins offered to us in Jesus. As we continue to struggle with backbiting one another, as we struggle with division, as we struggle with hate in our hearts, as we struggle with love for our neighbors, we have one who forgives us continually as we draw near to him. We have one that will always welcome us back as the lost son parable if we will but draw near to him. This is the Christ who has bound Satan and who is advancing his kingdom through the power of the gospel.

But we must take a moment to ask ourselves, which of these views of Jesus are we holding to? Are we seeking Jesus like the crowds? Seeking a Jesus that simply brings ease, comfort, and relief to us? Or maybe we look at Jesus’s teachings and think he is a little crazy like his family did. Maybe we only want to hold to part of what Jesus said and not all of his teachings? Or do we say Jesus was demon possessed? My guess is no one in here thinks the last one. But even with that last one, there is the danger of rightly recognizing Jesus verbally, but not bowing one’s knee to his kingship, submitting to his teachings. Jesus isn’t crazy and he didn’t come to provide us with whatever we wish and desire. Jesus came as the suffering servant to rescue us from our sin. It is this Jesus who we need to seek and worship. Let us know this Jesus and take up our cross and follow him. For this is the Jesus who is the beloved Son of God who the Bible points us too.

Point #3: The Family of Jesus

And that brings us to our third point this morning, the family of Jesus. In verse 21 we have already seen that Jesus’s family had thought he was crazy and sought to seize him to keep him from continuing his ministry. Then down in verse 31 they have come to where Jesus is and begin calling him. And as they are calling for him, the crowd begins to tell Jesus that they are calling for him and looking for him. Again, they are looking to stop Jesus from the mission that he has come on. But Jesus doesn’t stop, instead, look at verses 33-35 (READ). Jesus redefines his family as those who do the will of God his Father. Those who do the will of God are his brothers and sisters and mother.

The will of God is often over spiritualized with an overemphasis being on the secret will of God. For example, Christians will often try to overthink what is God’s will for my life in the areas of career, place to live, church, family, spouse, and the list goes on. And while these are all practical things to think through, one cannot consider God’s will in these apart from discerning God’s revealed will in the given Word, the Bible. God has revealed his will for our lives summed up in the greatest command and one like it. We are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind. And to love our neighbor as ourselves. The whole of God’s will for our lives is met right in these two things.

To do the will of God then is to be about first loving God in the ways he teaches us throughout the Bible. We are to love God by not having other gods or idols in our hearts. God’s will calls us to humble ourselves before him, confessing our sins. It is also revealed in God’s given will that we are to gather with other believers and worship him through song, prayer, and the teaching of his word.

Second, God’s revealed will for us is to care for the sojourner and stranger among us in loving our neighbor as ourselves. We are called to not covet our neighbor’s property, allowing jealousy and envy to creep into our hearts. The revealed will of God calls us to not steal or murder, taking what is not ours from our neighbor.

Of course this isn’t the whole of the revealed will of God, but it is the basis. And it is this revealed will then that will shape the rest of our lives and how we think through the other parts of life, such as career, family, spouse, where to live, church, etc. The revealed will helps us process through how the options before us honor God’s given will for us. For instance, for my family and I in considering to come be the Senior Pastor here at Central City Baptist Church, there wasn’t a writing on the wall to come or not. Far from it. But what we did know, from James 3:1, the office of teacher/pastor was a noble office, I met the qualifications for an elder (that is pastor) from 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 and it was affirmed by others around us and you in voting me in. And there was a need here to come and labor to shepherd this particular flock as laid out in 1 Peter 5. God’s revealed will allowed us to think thought the other stuff to honor God in it. And the same should apply to each of your lives. Even in your retirement, how are you using God’s revealed will in how you use it? It is to sit around and gossip? Or is it to use the extra time you have for the things of God?

It is those who do this will of God who are being redefined as the family of Jesus. Jesus said there in verse 35, “For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” Jesus redefines the family unit by those who are united ultimately in him. This is why you often hear me use the phrase brothers and sisters in my preaching. We who are in Christ are united as a family. We have one Father and one elder brother, Jesus.

In this family unit being redefined by Jesus though, I want each of us to look into our hearts and ask ourselves how we are loving our brothers and sisters in Christ? How are we caring for one another? (PAUSE).

It is crucial for us to grasp the family unit of the local church. For if we are divided against ourselves, we too will fall. If we have factions of groups, we will not stand strong against the enemy. Division and disunity in the church will cause us to crumble and decay. And for some of you, maybe you don’t even realize you are doing this. Heck, I have to guard my heart strongly in this too. But each time we talk poorly of a fellow member of this church, there is a bit of division. We cannot bite and devour one another. We are family, a family who is united in Christ. Therefore, if there is tension and stress between you and another member of this church, I encourage you to go and talk with that person or persons and work on reconciling your relationship. We are the family of God who has covenanted together as members of this local church. We need to consider how we would treat our grandma and grandpa and then treat one another in the same manner.

Conclusion

We have been given much in the one who came to rescue us from the power of the enemy. He has come and bound Satan and grants forgiveness to all sins, except that of ultimately denying him. And it is this confession of faith that we each make that is to unite us together as one body. Let us rest in this grace to us in Jesus and go out praising His name!

Let’s pray...