Practical Consecration
ss=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'>1) 3-1-09…AM…SBC 2)“Practical Consecration”
Mark 3:31-35
Introduction: Source: Found—God’s will (Macarthur)
Ø Unfortunately a lot of people are afraid of God’s will and its implications for their life
Ø An athlete once said, “I’m afraid of surrendering my life to Christ because of what he might make me do.”
Ø He had an idea that God wants to take manly athletes, break both their legs and make them play the flute
Ø Many see God as one who wants to take all the joy out of life
Ø Some see God’s will as hidden and God as saying, “you’re getting warmer.”
Ø Some see God’s will as a traumatic experience – slip on a banana peel and land on the map of Iraq
Ø
Proposition: A true disciple of Christ—a born again believer—will deepen their relationship with Christ by seeking after God’s will for their life.
Ø Scripture teaches that God has a will for our lives—therefore He must want us to know it
Ø If He wants us to know it then we must expect that he would communicate it to us—the Bible
Ø I believe that everything we have to know about God’s will is found explicitly in the Bible
Transition: To form the entire setting of this section of Mark’s Gospel we have to begin in v20-21
v20-21
1. connection to v21 – upon hearing of his acts and ministry his family set out to find him and seize him
2. “his family” (ESV – an idiom that can’t be connected to a single word – contextually we can connect it to v31
· literally “the ones with him” - there is a connection to the ones going out in v21 and the ones coming in v31
i. some believe that this is his friends and acquaintances and not his blood relatives
ii. some believe that his family was sincerely concerned for Jesus well being
iii. some believe that his family were more concerned about the negative reputation he was bringing to the family
· “they” went out to find him and “seize him” (κρατῆσαι) – to take him by force and most likely return to Nazareth
· the reason they went to find him is because people were reporting that “he was out of his mind”
Exegetical Word – not for sermon delivery
1- the issue lies in the ambiguous idiom used - οἱ παρʼ αὐτοῦ
2- there is no blatant antecedent to connect the 2nd “they” of v21 (“went out”)
3- there is not antecedent matching in person, number and gender because of the ambiguous idiom used
4- the 1st “they” is explained by the “sandwiched” connection of v31 (“came”)
5- the 2nd they is best seen as a impersonal or ambiguous they – ex) “they” found a cure for cancer
6- because of the lack of a direct grammatical antecedent for the 2nd “they” it should be seen as impersonal
7- the impersonal “they” is not uncommon in Mark
Ø episode of the unpardonable sin which gives the family time to travel most likely to Capernaum
- seen by scholars as a literary device used to indicate the progression of time
- emphasizes that there were events going on while they were on their way to him
v31
1. οἱ ἀδελφοὶ
· the natural understanding is that this word refers to blood relatives – brothers (virgin birth = 1/2brothers)
· semantic range: blood relative; spiritual brother; Jewish countryman; neighbor;
· those that believe in the perpetual virginity of Mary must define οἱ ἀδελφοὶ as Jesus’ cousins in order to support Mariolotry
· the best reading is the prima fascia reading – don’t overlook the contextually obvious answer in favor of our theology – allow the text to shape our theology
· we are told in other places in scripture of Jesus familial relationships (Matt. 12:46, 47; Mark 6:3; Luke 8:19, 20; John 2:12; 7:3, 5, 10; Acts 1:14).[1]
2. Because of the crowd (verse 20; cf. Luke 8:19) it was impossible for the new arrivals to get through to Jesus—the house was that full—someone is sent to call him.[2]
· they were requesting a private conversation in order to seize or restrain Jesus’ ministry and activity
· Both his family and the crowd would have assumed that Jesus would stop his teaching at once and come out to see them, as respect for parents was one of the Ten Commandments.[3]
Transition: Once again, as we have seen before, Christ does not give the answer that all there that were expecting
v33-35
1- Jesus asks the messenger and indirectly the crowd this questions…Who is my brothers and sisters?
a- those there would have automatically thought of the specific individuals standing outside the house
b- Matthew adds that he was stretching out his hand toward and over his disciples. It was with this meaningful look and gesture that the Master remarked, “Here are my mother and my brothers.”[4]
c- Jesus’ teaching was radical because it seemed to threaten the most important human institution.[5]
Teaching:
1- The question that Jesus asks is somewhat cryptic – it’s not like he had been gone so long that he didn’t know
2- The answer to Jesus’ question comes when we understand that Jesus emphasis on the relationship
3- For sure, Jesus is not denouncing the familial relationship with his family, but instead making a statement about the nature of a spiritual relationship one can have with Christ – where did you get that from? context
4- In v35 Jesus explains that the to do the will of the Father places an individual as close to Christ as if he was a blood relative
5- So Jesus illustrates that those that were surrounding him in the house were as close to him as his own relatives that were standing outside because of their doing of God the Father’s will
Transition: You might being saying, “I want to be that close to Christ, I really do. But what does it mean to do the
Father’s will?”
Application/Conclusion:
1- Let me first say something about God’s will
A- the will of God is found in Scripture (Ps. 139:16; Job 14:5; Acts 2:23; Eph 1:4) as being connected with God’s eternal plans by which he determined to bring about everything that happens
1- Ephesians 1:4 tells us that these decrees of God were established before the foundation of the world
2- A proper understanding of God’s decrees is important for the believer because it drives us to trust when we understand that nothing in our life/this world has ever surprised God.
· God does not make up plans suddenly as He goes along
· Everyone of our days have already been written
· God knows the end from the beginning – He will accomplish all his good purposes
3- the decrees of God in no way infringe upon our human responsibility to obey
· some say in light of God’s providence and ignorance of the Scriptures, “All you have to do to live the Christian life is just let go and let God.”
· this position is a distortion of the doctrine of sanctification and induces laziness among God’s people when they ignore their active role in sanctification
· Scripture calls us to:
Yield ourselves (Rom 6:13)—present our bodies (Rom 12:1)—put off/puton (Eph 4:22)
2- To do God’s will means implies that one is already in union with Christ through repentance and belief
· maybe you are close with your immediate family here today
· if you are then you are in a prime position to understand this text
· you can have a relationship with Christ that mirrors the closeness you share with family
· repent and come to Christ
· It is God’ will that you are saved 1 Timothy 2:3-4
3- Now we come back to the questions we entertained at the beginning—What is God’s will?
1- God’s will is that we live in the power of the Spirit Ephesians 5:18
2- Gods will is that we walk in good works Ephesians 2:10
3- God’s will is that we abstain from sin 1 Thessalonians 4:3
Ø As we progressively grow in sanctification and holiness we also grow in conformity to Jesus Christ and more and more of the beauty of his character can be seen in our own lives – this is the relationship Mk 3 speaks to
Ø Finding and doing God’s will is the real source of true joy – are you finding joy in something else?
What is a Christian? – A Christian in a born again believer that goes through the pages of Scripture in search of God’s revealed, obvious and decreed will for their life and then seeks to conform his life to it
Ø God is not playing hide and seek with his will for your life
Ø Go to the Bible and begin to apply God will for your life today!
----
[1]William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, vol. 10, New Testament Commentary : Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark, Accompanying Biblical Text Is Author's Translation., New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-2001), 140.
[2]William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, vol. 10, New Testament Commentary : Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark, Accompanying Biblical Text Is Author's Translation., New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-2001), 141.
[3]D. A. Carson, New Bible Commentary : 21st Century Edition, Rev. Ed. of: The New Bible Commentary. 3rd Ed. / Edited by D. Guthrie, J.A. Motyer. 1970., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), Mk 3:31.
[4]William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, vol. 10, New Testament Commentary : Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark, Accompanying Biblical Text Is Author's Translation., New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-2001), 141.
[5]James A. Brooks, vol. 23, Mark, electronic e., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1991), 74.