Who do You Think You Are?!

Who Tells You What to Do?

As adults, there aren’t many people in our lives who can tell us what to do.

Tell you what to do and you have to do it.

It depends on the situation

Parents used to.

Spouse? Probably not. Encourage, suggest, ask, etc.

Boss? At work.

Doctor? If you’re sick

Deputy Sheriff? If you’re speeding

Pastor? No

In situations where there is someone in authority over you who is telling you what to do there are consequences if you don’t.

Boss? You get fired.

Doctor? You die

Deputy? You go to jail.

Some of these are more serious than others.

Nothing is more serious than the authority that Jesus has.

Jesus has the authority to tell us to go to Heaven, or go to Hell. And, we have to go, forever.

He has the authority to give life or leave us in death.

He has the authority to tell us what to do w/ our lives and if we don’t do it, there are consequences.

We don’t have the authority to push back.

This is the message of his 3rd miracle recorded in the Bible. It’s written about by 2 authors, Mark and Luke.

We’re going to look at both passages, but spend most of our time in .

Context

Every miracle has a context. A bigger picture.

Last week: Every miracles has a point, it isn’t the main point, but it points to the main point. Sign.

Mark

Mark 1:14–15 NIV

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Mark 1:

Repent: Own you sin. Apologize to God for it. Stop it.

Believe the good news: The Messiah is here.

How easy is it for anyone to get you to admit your mistakes. Admit them much less make things right for them.

Who does that. And, w/ any success?

It worked for Jesus.

Mark 1:16–18 NIV

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

Mark 1:

Simon (Peter), Andrew, James & John right after.

At once they quit their jobs, left their families, and went w/ Jesus.

Some people are getting the message and following Him.

Luke

Jesus grew up in the town of Nazareth in the state of Galilee. They would remember Him as a boy, Joseph’s son.

Now, grown up, on the Sabbath before the miracle:

Luke 4:16–21 NIV

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

In the worship service, all the qualified men would take their turn reading a passage and teaching from it.

They knew Him as a teenager, now a Rabbi, on His turn He turned in the O.T. (all they had) to .

This is a passage where Isaiah is predicting the Messiah.

Then, He sat down and all He said was, “I AM here.”

Who are you! By what authority? Blasphemy! They ran Him out of town. A prophet isn’t welcome in his own town.

Context: The Kingdom of God is at hand, repent to get there. He’s recruited followers. And, claimed t/b the Messiah.

So He left Nazareth w/ his first 4 disciples and they went to the next town, Capernaum, also in Galilee. On the next Sabbath, He went to the local synagogue to worship.

Jesus Taught with Authority

Mark 1:21–22 NIV

They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.

They were amazed

Astonished, captivated, completely enraptured w/ what He said. He hadn’t done anything yet.

This is the reaction to His words. He had them in the palm of His hand.

He taught with authority

It was refreshing, not like the other men who taught.

The typical speaker would be very technical. It was competition of sorts. Each would read his passage then quote what other experts had said about the text.

Who could look the smartest by finding and quoting most accurately the best teachers in history on this text.

They would present why they believed one ancient teacher was better than another and why they chose them.

Then, their application amounted to splitting the hairs of the law to determine what rule to follow which would allow them obey this passage.

They would present all the arguments, then present their own.

Jesus didn’t play their games. “Thus sayeth Me...”

Jesus was different. He didn’t quote anybody. He read the passage and explained. And, they knew He was right.

He was God. He knew this stuff.

He knew each one of them. Imagine the illustrations He brought, parables. He could look each one in the eye and know what they were thinking, struggling with, what was going on at home. Then, address it in His message.

He could get personal, even meddlesome.

Telling them they needed to repent. Primarily, not b/c they broke any rules, but b/c they needed a relationship.

His applications would be clear and to the point. More about relationships and grace than rules and laws.

Just like in Nazareth, he spoke w/ authority. And, the people were beginning to respond. He made them think.

But, one of their thoughts was, “What authority do you have?”

“Who do you think you are? And, what makes you think you have the authority to tell us how to live our lives?”

“We’re experts in the law! Who are you?”

Then, this happened

Jesus Healed with Authority

Mark 1:

Mark 1:23–28 NIV

Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

A demon?!

What was a demon doing in a place where people worshiped God? Apparently, he’d been there for a while.

4 things about demons.

They only go where they are welcome. Not just actively welcomed in, but passively, too. Where the people just let them w/out much care. Why not! Didn’t realize the ramifications.

Demons cannot stay in the presence of God. So, if God were in that synagogue, or if any of the people there had a relationship w/ God, there would have been a conflict long before now.

Demons have the authority over the people they possess to make them say and do what they wanted.

Demons live a very long time until God destroys them. Just like we can remember for our lifetime, they can, too. If it didn’t happen in our lifetime we can suspect it may not have happened the way the history books say it did. For instance, the Holocaust, the flood, WW1, Christopher Columbus, Pilgrims and Natives, Creation, etc. Our textbooks are full of revisionist history b/c we weren’t there. But, demons were there. They know. They remember.

And he recognized Jesus!

Recognition

He recognized the power Jesus had over him.

“Have you come to destroy us?” (Plural)

In the future, during the thousand-year reign of Jesus, He binds up Satan and all of his demons. At the end, Jesus lets them loose for Armegeddon and destroys all of them.

So, the demon is referring to the very end, knowing that his time is finite and wondering if this was it.

Jesus has the right to judge the spirit world.

He knows Jesus has the power to destroy him.

He also recognized Jesus’ authority.

“I know Who You are — Holy One of God”

This is a term Isaiah and Jeremiah used frequently to describe the Messiah when He comes.

Remember, in Nazareth it angered the ppl when Jesus claimed to be.

Irony!

The demon caught what the people missed.

The demon caught what the people missed.

Those in the synagogue had been taught the prophecies for years and knew what to look for.

Even Jesus’ disciples didn’t get it, yet.

If the chosen people, Israel, would have accepted Him, God would have ushered in the kingdom at that time.

They knew Isaiah backwards and forwards and still they missed it. The chosen people missed it.

But, the demon caught it.

Obedience

The demon knew he didn’t have an option. He had to obey. He couldn’t win. Though, he put up a fight, thus the shriek and shake. But he couldn’t resist.

Jesus functioned like a surgeon, not an oncologist. A surgeon cuts out the tumor w/out damaging the surrounding healthy tissue. An oncologist administers chemotherapy and kills a lot of good tissue w/ the bad.

Jesus removed the demon and left the man perfectly healthy.

He had to be quiet, too, b/c Jesus told him to.

This is the same word Jesus used to calm the storm. “Be Still.”

He did not engage him in a long conversation. There was nothing to discuss. It was time for him to go.

So, shut up and get out.

Jesus wanted to control the message. It wasn’t the demon’s story to tell. He would get it out as He wanted it out. He knew what was most appropriate.

Jesus did not want the people to get too caught up in His miraculous power. He needed more time to explain Who He is and what He had come to do.

Amazement

Once again, they were amazed.

“New teaching.” It wasn’t. It was old. But these people hadn’t heard it. The leadership had changed the message over time.

Jesus did that a lot. He returned to the teaching that had been established long before.

Still, it was new to the ppl hearing it now.

And, w/ authority. Demons obeyed.

If Jesus can make demons obey. And, demons can make people obey. Then we don’t stand a chance when Jesus commands us.

This is the point. Jesus has the power and authority to tell us where to go. He’s made His criteria clear to us, as well.

He’s going to make His decision and there’s only one factor that He needs to consider before commanding us to go.

Application

Faith

Amazement isn’t enough. Faith is essential.

All the people were amazed but few had faith.

The demons believe Jesus is Who He says He is. But they don’t believe IN Him.

They believe, but they haven’t received Him ()

Faith is the only factor that Jesus will consider before He sends us one place or the other.

He has the power and authority to make it happen.

Make sure you’re ready.

Opposition

Opposition can show up just about anywhere. The demon showed up in the synagogue.

Don’t let them. They only go where they are welcome.

Don’t be passive. Actively, intentionally, pray God’s protection around this church, your house, your family, and this community.

Demons are real. Though, not as active possessing people here as they were then or are in other places.

Put on the armour of God ()

Obedience

Today, our obedience is voluntary. God gives us a choice.

One day, it won’t be.

Still, holiness and sin are incompatible. A holy God lives inside of every believer.

Any believer who engages in sinful activity is inviting an internal conflict. You will not live in peace.

The demon had to obey. We don’t. But if we do, we live in peace w/ God and ourselves.

People say, “I don’t really believe all that stuff about Jesus.”

Well, the demons do. Don’t be one of those people. Don’t miss what the demons catch.

Jesus makes some pretty outrageous claims. He’s not the first. Nor will He be the last.

But He’s the only One who proved he can do what He says he will do.

He has the power and authority to make us go where He sends us. If He can do this to spirits, He can do it to us.

Jesus is going to destroy everything evil in time. He will protect us until, and after that time.

Have faith that not only will He save you, He will protect you until the very end.