Mark 3:31-35

Mark 3:31–35 CSB

His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.” He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

Following Jesus changes everything.

(CSB)

32 A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.”

33 He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”

When you become a follower of Jesus, a christian, you no longer belong to yourself.

(CSB)

32 A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.”

33 He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”

Illus: We often look at life as if we are free to live as we want. We are the masters of our our own destiny.

In many ways, we live meaningless lives chassing after money, experience and other things never really accomplishing much in this world.

The bible paints a very different picture of life. It communicates that following Jesus will give us a life that transcends the trivialness of what we find here.

When you trust Christ as both your boss and saviour, you are surrendering your purpose in life to Him as well.

Living for Christ means you live for God’s eternal purposes first and for most. It means that you no longer live for your own comfort, stability, pleasure. You live for Jesus Christ.

(CSB) 20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

(CSB) 20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

When you become a follower of Jesus, you reprioritize your life.

(CSB)

32 A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.”

33 He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”

Illus: Priorities reveal what matters to us.

For example, there is nothing wrong with being an avid fisherman. Fishing is fun… but when when you spend more time fishing than say, going to work, spending time with your family then your priorities reveal that you care more about fish than work or family… and in the end you will lose both your job and your family.

Lets look at another thing. There is nothing wrong with cheerleading, football, baseball or any of the other activities we get our kids involved in… but when we give them priority over faith, your kids will learn from you that ball matters more than Jesus. When ball takes priority over church and faith, your kids will end up walking away from faith.

Jesus demands that he is priority over all things. He is first. Nothing comes before Him.

Illus: 12 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.

12 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.

Following Jesus redefines the way we see one another.

(CSB)

32 A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.”

33 He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!

When we follow Jesus, we see others through spiritual eyes.

(CSB)

32 A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.”

33 He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!

Illus: I believe most days we view the world through very earthly eyes. What do I need, what will please me, what would make me happy. Even in relationships we views others through earthly eyes. How does this person make me feel, what will they do for me, how can I get along with them.

God wants us to see the world through spiritual eyes. HE wants us to see your family, friends and coworkers as souls for whom Jesus died. He wants us to care enough about others to give a rip about their salvation.

How often do we know the spiritual condition of others around us and we do nothing.

9(CSB) 16 From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective. Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective, yet now we no longer know him in this way. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! 18 Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.

18 Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.

Following Jesus doesn’t make our human relationships less important, it shows how much more important our eternal relationships are.

(CSB)

32 A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.”

33 He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!

Illus: Jesus is not teaching us to disrespect our families and friends here. In fact, Jesus cared enough for his mother that one of the last things he did on the earth was to ensure her care from the cross.

What Jesus is doing here is redefining family. He is elevating his flowers to see themselves as a greater family.

This is not a minimizing of family, but instead a defining of spiritual family.

BTW, the way we treat one another matters to God. If we are saved, then we should treat one another with the same grace at all times that Jesus has shown us.

(CSB) 25 Now great crowds were traveling with him. So he turned and said to them: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

THE COST OF FOLLOWING JESUS

25 Now great crowds were traveling with him. So he turned and said to them: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Following Jesus is a calling.

(CSB)

32 A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.”

33 He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

If Jesus has saved you, then you will follow him. You will live out His mission.

(CSB)

32 A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.”

33 He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

Illus: What purpose do you live life with? What do you live for? With most of your life do you live just to pass another day, or do you live with real purpose.

What if we began to invest in relationships for the sake of reaching people for Jesus.

What if where you are was less about what you are and more about loving a waiter/waitress?

What if we viewed the world through spiritual eyes.

Vidalia and Natchez desperately need the gospel. Are you willing to see that need?

Illus:

(CSB) 36 When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”

2 He told them, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.