Yeargin- More Than a Missionary

More Than a Missionary ()()

Read Luke 4:16-30

Why is God going back to his home country after how they treated him in at his sending out?

Analytical Bible Expositor: Mark 1. The Coming for the Malice (Mark 6:1)

After ministering in Capernaum, Christ traveled the twenty or so miles southwest of Capernaum to Nazareth to once again give them a chance to profit from His ministry.

God is going to teach his disciples and us a principle about prophets

He was a prophet and more than a prophet

He was a missionary or one sent but he was far more than a missionary

Matthew 10:41 KJV 1900

He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.

God deeply cares how we receive and respond to the messengers he sends are way

What happened to Jesus will happen to the prophets

Vs 1- The Lord took a break from reaching Galilee to report and stir faith in his home country

Went out- is not that he went out in the sense of ministry or Lordship or authority, but he left the strange and was coming home to the familiar

The Lord is interested in his utmost parts of the earth as well as his jerusalem and judea ()

Either by word of mouth, news, or directly from the preaching of Jesus Christ these Nazarite Synagogue going Jews heard the report of all Jesus Christ’s Message and his Mission Work or Mighty Works that he was doing in Capernaum

Why is God going back to his home country after how they treated him in at his sending out?

So tonight let’s look at Nazareth as a warning

Because as we receive these men; yes they are men and ladies and snotty children just like you, me and ours; but to God they are here for more than just a conference a service...

to teach his disciples and through John Mark recording it us a principle

ILLUSTRATION; Ram Olanday- Hotel- used bar of soap

Prophet’s Chamber- dirty room in the church

1) Missed the Man (vs 1-3)

vs 2 “this man”

Here despite the fact that they attempted to kill him a year ago he gives them another chance- missed the man

God is teaching us here; how we receive his messengers is critical to are reward- the man

The people were astonished (vs 2)

-At his wisdom

-At his might works

-At his claims ()

-At who he was to them ()

-This Led to their offense

ASTONISHED, participle passive Amazed; confounded with fear, surprise, or admiration.

-Astonished that he taught with authority and not as the scribes-

-When confounded the conventional wisdom, when uprooted the man made authority, when he spoke as God with all certainty and truth -

-When in Capernaum he raised the dead daughter of Jairus the ruler of the synagogue those who mocked and laughed at him were put to silence, and could not believe and were also brought to shame for their unbelief ()

*Matthew uses this word three times, and times

Talked themselves out of a blessing and obedience- missed the man

Rather than asking God what they should do they told God who he was

Man looks to many different reasons to explain away, argue and justify their offense or anger in rejecting God’s authority.

They missed His Real Station

God you are the carpenter- why don’t you stay within your lane, your knowledge and ability is limited to carpentry

All this wisdom, and all these mighty works, shall be of no account, because he had a home-education, had never travelled, nor been at any university, or bred up at the feet of any of their doctors (v. 3); Is not this the Carpenter?

They missed his Real Standing

God you are the son of Mary- the one who had scandal surrounding her name and your birth

As we know (Jn. 7:5), even Jesus’ brothers did not believe in Him during His earthly ministry, and the immediate family had made one unsuccessful effort to draw Jesus away from His work (Mk. 3:31–35).

The brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? -those who are very familiar with you do not believe in you, if you were God more would believe, you are in the minority.

He came back after they attempted to Stone Him

He had been in danger of his life among them (), and yet he came among them again; so strangely doth he wait to be gracious, and seek the salvation of his enemies. Whither he went, though it was into danger, his disciples followed him (v. 1); for they had left all, to follow him whithersoever he went.

who knows who His father really is?

I AM THE SON OF MAN, THE SON OF GOD, THE ANOINTED ONE, THE BRANCH, THE PROPHET LIKE UNTO MOSES

ILLUSTRATION Negative: There is no preaching like that, so strong on the Word of God, so applicable, but my wife was friends with so and so, and so and so left and said such and such, and so we don’t go

They missed his Real Support

As we know (), even Jesus’ brothers did not believe in Him during His earthly ministry, and the immediate family had made one unsuccessful effort to draw Jesus away from His work ().

The brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? -those who are very familiar with you do not believe in you, if you were God more would believe, you are in the minority.

He brought the disciples; men forever changed

They were offended, not at what Jesus said or what he did—as was the case with the Pharisees and scribes—but at who he was. They began mocking him. These people had known Jesus for thirty years. They knew his earthly family. Some of them had perhaps hired him to do work for them.

And they were offended at him. -does God dictate to me or do I dictate to God

Being offended is usually the term to picture rejection of faith

Matthew 11:6 KJV 1900

And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

Romans 9:33 KJV 1900

As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

1 Corinthians 1:23 KJV 1900

But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

Galatians 5:11 KJV 1900

And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.

Man’s view of God determines God’s work in his heart and life and eternity

When familiar we can miss some of the most amazing things about God, that others grasp immediately who encounter him for the first time.

The woman at the well within minutes of a conversation recognized he was a prophet

Here at Nazareth the disciples received a strong warning from the example of the Nazarenes to not become so familiar with the man Christ Jesus that you forget he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

We are called to continually follow Jesus-Did not miss the man

Do not be deceived that you have arrived, you have been used to do something great for God, and that now I can take a break, I can go into cruise control, I can take a rest from the spiritual activity and seeking of God. No God calls us daily and moment by moment to follow him. To seek his leading from his word, from his spirit and allow Him to guide us.

It is dangerous to stop following the leading of God

Notice that the Lord tests their fellowship here in his home town of Nazareth immediately prior to his apostolic commission and sending of the twelve in

Where we follow Christ and it seemingly brings no fruit is often critical to the next mission God has for us

Mike Andressen- Unorganized prison sermon; men came forward and got saved

BIBLE: Jona

We have to follow without fruit to be sent into the harvest

We must be faithful to follow in Nazareth to gain the power (vs 7) and principles (vs 4 & vs 11) we need for the mission ahead of us

They saw in practice how Jesus Christ responded to rejection in Nazareth; They heard him teach the principle in Nazareth, They heard their Savior ridiculed in Nazareth (vs 3), yet they also saw the work and mission continue in Nazareth (5-6) so that they were prepared to do the same as he sent them out in vs 12-13

Bez- sometimes we categorize people; and if were are not careful we can categorize preacher, teachers, or even missionaries; that one speaks to me, I don’t quite like that one though he is weird

We forget that it is the Word of God

How I receive and treat the prophets or messengers that God sends my way is critical

The Missionaries that email me, that we as a church support; do I pray for them? Do I support them, do I open their prayer letters or ask of their needs? Or do I treat them as insignificant, and criticize them? Or just treat them as any old regular joe and show them know concern or care.

-If the Nazarenes found faults in Jesus none of us stand a chance

2) Missed the Message (vs 2-4)()

vs 4 “A prophet is not without honor...”

Elijah- Salvation of the Widow of Sidon from Famine

She gave up what was precious to support the work of the man God had called to be his prophet

Elisha- Cleansing of the Leprosy of Naman the Syrian

He took the worse and hardest message from a man who did not pay him the time of day

They recognized this was truth and wisdom come from God but did not want it

What wisdom- the parables, the preaching, the gracious words- -missed the message

Marvel- A wonder; that which arrests the attention and causes a person to stand or gaze, or to pause.

What made Jesus stop and marvel?; two times the greatest faith; those who had the greatest unbelief

The greatest faith he found in Israel- the centurion who said he was not worthy but requested he speak the word only and his servant would be healed -

-missing the message

The man who had the power and authority to command the waves and wind of the storm and that they obeyed his voice -

not interested in his words

The Lord hides the message you need to hear in a message that’s hard to hear

The missionaries and preachers that come in to speak at our church, do I give them special attention? Do I give them my undivided attention and seek the message God has given them through his Word to me?

The missionaries and preachers that come to visit and deliver their message and show their work; do I get astonished and amazed at all God is doing, and even talk to others and say wow that is amazing, only for it to stop there; no prayer, no financial or physical offering or change?

Do I look critically at inconsequential things in order to brush off the weightier things or message that the preacher or missionary has for me?

-Do I look for excuses for not to follow the messenger God has in front of me?

From whence hath this man these things?

God will speak to you through his man; through a preacher, teacher and especially coming up this week these missionaries.

When you hear something that provokes you

Do not stop at the logical conclusion; that it is from God, do not explain away into unbelief that it’s just another sermon, iv’e heard this before, he’s not very well dressed, he is old, he is young, he is white, he is hispanic; no as you hear from God’s Word God prick your heart and gently lead you to a spiritual truth; and you ask where did that thought come from, where did that truth or wisdom come from, how did he know to talk about that; follow the conclusion and say that was not the preacher, that was not the missionary- that was God.

Negative: My Friend Bryan, Young Man with bad friends, Young girl never wanted to get saved,

Positive: Ram Olanday- Luke building bigger barns; if God were writing

young man- called to preach

people were praying

STANISLAV PETROVE 26 SEP 1983

A group of satellite radar operators told him they had registered no missiles.

3) Missed the Mighty Work (vs 5-6)

vs 5 “he could there do no mighty work..”

The Lord Jesus Christ marvelled (vs 6)

-At their unbelief

-At their denial

-At their refusal ()

-At their violent rejection ()

-At their limiting God and his work (vs 6)

they knew his mighty works and did not want them

Mighty works- healing the leper, casting out the devils, healing the sick of the palsy, forgiving the sick of the palsy of his sins, casting out the legion of devils in the man of Gad, raising up the dead daughter of Jairus the ruler of the Synagogue-missed the mighty works

Presumptive, Minimize, I know what is coming

He was limited-

He was loathing-

He left-

Remember what can be done in Capernaum can be done in Nazareth it is the same God and same faith in his word and work.

When you see people coming to Christ, people being discipled, pastors being trained, churches being planted, evangelism all over; do not think that God cannot do that through you hear and now

-Me and Missions Conf- Nehemiah -rebuilding the wall

Notice that his marvel mobilized him to action ;

“he went around about the villages, teaching.”- (vs 6)

What God cannot do with you and through you he will do without you and around you-Missing the mighty work

He went round about the villages, teaching

Notice that there astonishment led to no change (vs 6) as well as anger, resentment and offense (vs 3)-

be careful when you are in a state of no growth you do not stagnate-missing the mighty work

A few sick folk- true to the prophecy at his sending out that he gave them in

-God will always be faithful to the minority despite the unbelief of the majority

Notice who it was who God ministered to

“A few sick folk”

-they were few

-they were sick

Those who did not miss the man, the message and the mighty work

-God will always use and work in the lives of those who see their need

Those who see their need often see the need of others

God true to his prophecy not only ministered to the minority but also to those who recognized their were not whole but sinners and sick and in need of him

What am I offended by? Is that preventing God’s work in my life?

Scandal- Yes just go all out for God

Unbelief- That message can’t be for me

Limited Ability- I see my need Lord, and it is great

He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.

How you receive the man Christ Jesus and often his earthly representatives and His message often in the people he uses words will determine the mighty work God is able to do

So what is the importance of this conference? Like for Nazareth so it is for us today.

it is

An opportunity for them to see the work

An opportunity for their faith to grow

An opportunity for them to ask questions

An opportunity for them to learn

An opportunity for them to repent

An opportunity for them to support his work

An opportunity for them to be encouraged by the work of God

An opportunity to receive him and receive a reward

If God knew he would be rejected why did he go?

-possibly for the few sick folk (vs 5)

He laid his hands upon a few sick folk

God is looking to heal and deliver

God has compassion for the multitude but often lays his hands upon the few that seek him

God deeply cares how we receive and respond to the messengers he sends are way

God what is the mighty work that you would have of me

ILLUSTRATION

Olanday family- moved houses to provide hospitality

whole family involved

cooked

have people over

Ram Olanday now a missionary

Berain Family