Monday, January 16, 2006

Matt's Messages - True Disciples

“True Disciples”
January 15, 2006
Mark 3:7-35

So far, we’ve seen week after week in the Gospel of Mark that Mark is dead-set on introducing Jesus to the world. Introducing Jesus’ startling authority and incredible person to the world.

That introduction is for a purpose. Mark is setting forth Jesus to gain followers for Jesus. True followers. “True Disciples.”

Mark wants to gain adherents, converts, students, learners, followers, true disciples of Jesus Christ. That’s why he’s writing this gospel.

And in Mark chapter 3, we encounter several stories which highlight what true discipleship looks like (and what it doesn’t look like). What true disciples do. (And what they don’t do.)

I’ve got three major things that I want to point out in today’s message.

Let’s pray, and then we’ll read the passage together, and I’ll show you what I see about true disciples.

[prayer]

Let’s read the first six verses. Starting in chapter 3, verse 7.

“Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. [The crowd again.] When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’ But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.” Stop there.

Does the name “Michael Jordan” still ring a bell?

I would assume that it would, but you don’t hear all that much about Michael Jordan anymore. However, I lived in Chicago during almost all 6 of his NBA championships. We heard a lot about Michael Jordan in those days. In fact, I used to drive by his “house” every day on my way to seminary at Trinity. There was this long drive with a big stone “23”on the gate.

I remember reading a book called Hang Time by Chicago Tribune columnist Bob Greene on conversations that he had had with Jordan. And it revealed to me what a superstar celebrity goes through. Jordan couldn’t go anywhere without attracting a crowd. If he stopped in the park to play a game of pick-up basketball, a crowd of several thousands [!] would form. He was, for a time, more recognizable than anyone else on Earth. Little African, Asian, and South American children could pick out his name and jersey and familiar face.

I can’t imagine the press of the crowd for Michael Jordan.

But Jesus knew exactly how Jordan felt. He was, in Mark 3, a mega-superstar himself.

He withdrew with his disciples whom He’s been gathering to the lake, away from town, but the crowd followed Him.

Remind me. Are crowds good or bad? It’s a trick question isn’t it? Good things and bad things can come out of crowds. But just because there are a lot of people, doesn’t mean that there are a lot of true followers, true disciples. In fact, a lot of the time, crowds are just plain problems.

Verse 8 says when the news spread of what Jesus was doing, the crowd got bigger! People came from 150 miles south in Jerusalem and Idumea and across the Jordan and 50 miles north from Tyre and Sidon. That’s a wide geography! Check it out on a map sometime in the back of your Bible. People were coming from all over the place to get a piece of Jesus.

It was so bad that Jesus had to have an escape boat ready so that the crowd did not crush Him. Because He was healing people. V.10

“For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.”

This crowd doesn’t want to follow Him, they want Him to perform miracles. They are pushing forward, not even asking, just demanding.

And Jesus’ authority is very clear. V.11

“Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’ But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.”

It wasn’t time for that. And you don’t want demons doing your evangelism!

They knew Who He was. And they shuddered (James 2:19)! No faith there. They were not true disciples.

However, Jesus did call to Himself twelve.

Point #1. TRUE DISCIPLES ARE CALLED BY JESUS. V.13

“Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve–designating them apostles–that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder); Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.”

With the exception of the tragic last name, these men were true disciples.

And Jesus called them. Literally, He summoned them.

There was a group of disciples. And out of that group (after much prayer, the other gospels tell us that Jesus prayed all night about this decision), Jesus chose twelve to be His special representatives, His apostles. He commissioned them to share His message and to exorcize demons in His authority. To do ministry in Jesus’ name.

Notice, however, that they were not just chosen to do ministry but to be (v.14) “be with Him.”

Their ministry, as should ours, flowed out of their relationship with Jesus.

He wanted them, not just to do ministry in His name, but to be with Him in relationship.

Our ministry, as well, should flow out of our relationship with Jesus.

Jesus calls us to be “with Him” and to serve Him out of that relationship.

Now, of course, that being “with Him” is not always a warm-fuzzy thing! Being with Jesus meant homelessness and crowds and opposition from scribes and Pharisees, and watching Him die, and drinking the bitter cup, too.

Discipleship is serious business. But it is, fundamentally, relationship with Jesus.

True Disciples are called by Jesus to relationship and ministry.

Look at the names of these men. Some are familiar. Others are really not. V.16

“These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter) [Peter always comes first in these lists. He is the most famous disciple with a foot almost perpetually stuck in His mouth until the day of Pentecost!]; James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder) [Here are two hot-heads. One will lose his hot-head in service of Christ. The other will be known as the disciple of love.]; Andrew [Peter’s brother, famous for bringing people to Jesus], Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, [and] Thomas [four names that are less familiar with less in the Bible about them], James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, [and] Simon the Zealot [about whom we know almost nothing else!], and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.”

These are the men that Jesus called to Himself. They are an unlikely bunch of followers. Simon the Zealot would have wanted to kill Matthew the tax-collector! They were natural enemies. But Jesus’ call overrides their natural aggression.

And Jesus’ call goes out today for us as well. Whether or not we are well known and up-front or unseen and unnamed backstage. Jesus is calling for true disciples.


Some look like true disciples, but turn out not to be. Judas Iscariot.

Jesus is calling true disciples.

Have you heard His call? Have you responded in faith?

Point #2. Illustrates what that faith looks like. It looks like believing the Holy Spirit.

True Disciples not only are called by Jesus, but TRUE DISCIPLES BELIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT. V.20

“Then Jesus entered a house [perhaps Peter’s house again], and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. [Can you imagine? They are pressed in like sardines, one on top of another, and they can’t even put food to mouth.] When his family heard about this [his growing stardom], they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’”

Notice what different ones think of Jesus! Demons think He’s the Son of God. Sick people think He’s a great super-star healer. His own family (including, it appears, his dear faithful mother) think He’s a crazy man! And what do the teachers of the law think? They think He’s satanic. V.22

“And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.’”

Notice that they don’t deny the miracles. They just are re-defining the source of the miracles! Notice also, how miracles don’t produce faith. These people are seeing genuine miracles with their own eyes. And they attribute it to Satan!

So Jesus answers back. V.23

“So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables [comparisons, analogies]: ‘How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.”

Jesus is saying that if He’s doing this from Satan, then Satan is working against his best interests, which Satan would never think of doing (no matter how often he really does!).

Jesus is saying that it’s not Satan’s power that is doing exorcisms! No. There is another power at work. More powerful than John the Baptist (1:7) and more powerful than Satan, too. V.27

“In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house.”

Who is the “strong man?” Satan is. And someone has come to defeat the works of the devil. Jesus! The Mighty One.

He is binding the strong man in his own house and plundering his possessions!

What a mighty, mighty Savior we have!

And that has consistently been the message of the Holy Spirit.

If you don’t believe that. There is no hope for you. V.28

“I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.’ He said this because they were saying, ‘He has an evil spirit.’”

This is what has been called “The Unpardonable Sin.”

Jesus says here that “all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them.” That is great news! There is a Savior Who has come that will forgive all kinds of sins and blasphemies (which are terrible slanders) that people do.

That is great news. But there is one kind of sin (and eternal sin). One kind of blasphemy that will never be forgiven. It’s called the “Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit.”

What is it?

It’s important to note what it is not.

It is not homosexuality. It is not murder. It is not genocide!

It is not abortion. It is not unbiblical divorce. It is not gossip. It is not sinful anger. It is not lust.

All of those are sins. And they should not be done. But they are all forgivable.

But there is one sin that will not, cannot, be forgiven.

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit.

What is it?

According to this story, Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit is persistently disbelieving what the Holy Spirit says about Who Jesus is in such a way that Jesus is believed to be “of the devil.” V.29 again.

“[W]hoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.’ He said this because they were saying, ‘He has an evil spirit.’”

The Holy Spirit says that Jesus is the Son of God come in the flesh. They were saying that Jesus had an evil spirit! If they persisted in believing that, there was no hope for them.

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit is persistently disbelieving what the Holy Spirit says about Who Jesus is in such a way that Jesus is believed to be “of the devil.”

Now, if you are worried that you have committed the unpardonable sin, don’t worry.

If you are worried about it, that means that you never have!

Those who are committing this sin, are not worried. They are confident that Jesus is not Who the Holy Spirit is saying that He is.

That’s why true disciples believe the Holy Spirit.

True disciples believe that Jesus is the Mighty Mighty Savior Who is ransacking the house of the Strong Man and robbing Satan’s house.

True Disciples Believe the Holy Spirit.

Have you come to believe what Holy Spirit is saying about Who Jesus is?

You can become a Christian right now by professing your faith in Who Jesus is and what He has done on the Cross. You can put your trust in Jesus as your Mighty Savior defeating the devil in your life. Believe right now that Jesus is Who the Spirit says He is and you will be saved.

True disciples believe the Holy Spirit.

But those who blaspheme Him and attribute His work to Satan never will be forgiven.

True disciples believe the Holy Spirit.

And #3. TRUE DISCIPLES OBEY THE FATHER. V.31

“Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived [remember them?]. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.’ ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother.’”

This was a radical thing to say in this family-centered culture.

Jesus’ family was trying to use their blood-relationship with Him to control Him.

But Jesus re-defined what was most important in relationship with Him. It wasn’t kinship, it was obedience.

“Who are my mother and my brothers?” This is not amnesia. This is a bold statement.

He looked at the circle of disciples that were submissive to His teaching. And He said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

The True Disciples (the true Family of God!) is not based on blood-relationship, family ties, or kinship. It is based on obedience to God’s will.

True Discipleship always includes obedience.

Following means obeying. It sounds obvious. But very often, we have said that obedience to God is not necessary for being a Christian.

Being a good person, praying a prayer, giving charity, going to church, having a godly grandmother–these things have all been seen as substitutes for faith-filled obedience to God.

But true disciples (true believers, true members of Jesus’ family) OBEY God’s will.

Jesus’ question call us to examine our lives, does it not?

Not, are we perfect, but are we truly followers of Christ?

Are we obeying?

Are we showing that we are truly Jesus’ family?

Eventually, Mary and some of Jesus’ family (at least His half-brother James) changed their minds about Jesus and began to do God’s will.

They were true disciples. Mary to the end of Jesus’ life and then her life. James wrote the book called James at the end of the Bible.

They turned out to be the family of Jesus that truly was the family of God.

How about you? How about me?

Have we decided to follow Jesus? No turning back, no turning back.

“Whoever does God’s will [and that’s by faith!] is my brother and sister and mother.”

True Disciples Are Called by Jesus To Relationship and Ministry

True Disciples Believe the Holy Spirit. They Believe that Jesus is the Mighty Mighty Savior that the Spirit Says He Is

And True Disciples Obey the Father. Showing the Family Likeness of the Son.

By God's Grace, Let's be True Disciples.

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