RTS Charlotte: Women's Bible Study w/ Dr. Mike Kruger- The Gospel of Mark, Episode 12

Summary

In this thought-provoking transcript, the speaker discusses the theme of persecution and the cost of following Christ, as illustrated through the Gospel of Mark. The narrative focuses on three key stories: Jesus facing disdain in his hometown, the disciples experiencing vulnerability and rejection, and the tragic end of John the Baptist. The message emphasizes the importance of enduring hardships for faith, understanding the risks involved in spreading the Gospel, and the necessity of community support in facing such challenges.

Takeaways

• 📖 The passage from Mark 6:1-29 discusses three levels of persecution related to sharing the Gospel: Jesus in His hometown, the disciples on their mission, and John the Baptist's tragic end.
• 🗣️ Jesus faced disdain and contempt in His hometown of Nazareth, showing that even in familiar places, there can be rejection and mockery for His teachings.
• 🚶‍♂️ The disciples were sent out two by two, symbolizing the importance of community and partnership in facing the challenges of spreading the Gospel.
• 🎒 The disciples were instructed to take minimal belongings, emphasizing reliance on God's provision and the hospitality of fellow believers.
• 🚫 Rejection is a part of sharing the Gospel, as not everyone will receive the message with open arms; believers must learn to 'shake off the dust' and move on.
• 👥 The persecution faced by believers can range from disdain and rejection to hatred and violence, as seen in the story of John the Baptist's execution.
• 🔊 Speaking the truth is often the catalyst for persecution, as it challenges the status quo and confronts wrongdoing, even within the religious community.
• 💔 The story of John the Baptist highlights the tragic reality that even those who are faithful can face extreme persecution and martyrdom for their stand for righteousness.
• 🙏 Persecution and rejection should not deter believers from their mission; instead, they should press on, knowing that their ultimate security comes from God.
• 🌟 The perseverance of believers in the face of persecution can serve as a powerful testimony to the transformative power of the Gospel.
• 🌍 The Gospel's reception varies widely; some who seem least likely to believe may come to faith, while those closest to the message may reject it.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the passage discussed in the transcript?

The main theme of the passage is the concept of persecution and the cost of following Christ, as illustrated through the experiences of Jesus, his disciples, and John the Baptist.

How does the passage relate to the challenges faced by believers in a secular culture?

The passage highlights that even in a religious culture, believers faced significant persecution, suggesting that the challenges believers face in a secular culture may be even greater.

What was Jesus' reaction to the disbelief and contempt he faced in his hometown?

Jesus expressed amazement at their unbelief and stated that a prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own household.

What instructions did Jesus give to his disciples before sending them out on their mission?

Jesus instructed them to travel light, taking only a staff, wearing sandals, and not carrying extra clothing or money. He also told them to stay in a house where they were welcomed and to shake off the dust from their feet as a testimony against those who did not receive them.

How did King Herod react to John the Baptist's condemnation of his marriage?

Herod, although initially perplexed and intrigued by John's righteousness, eventually had John beheaded due to the influence of Herodias and her daughter's request for John's head on a platter.

What is the significance of the Geneva Academy in the context of this passage?

The Geneva Academy, founded by John Calvin, is presented as an example of a historical institution that trained ministers who faced extreme persecution, with many not returning from their missions. This serves as a comparison to the challenges faced by believers today.

What does the passage suggest about the nature of persecution believers may face?

The passage suggests that persecution can take various forms, from disdain and contempt to physical violence and even death, and that believers should be prepared to endure these costs for their faith.

How does the passage encourage believers to handle rejection in their witness for Christ?

The passage encourages believers to shake off the dust from their feet as a symbol of moving on from rejection, focusing on those who will listen to the message of Christ, and to remember that ultimate rejection is of Christ himself, not the individual believer.

What is the importance of community in enduring persecution as highlighted in the passage?

The importance of community is emphasized by Jesus sending out the disciples in pairs, indicating that believers should not face persecution alone but rather in fellowship with others who can provide support, encouragement, and prayer.

What does the passage imply about the response of religious leaders to truth?

The passage implies that religious leaders may sometimes react with greater hostility to truth than secular individuals, as seen in the intense hatred and eventual violence against John the Baptist by Herod and Herodias.

Outlines

00:00

📖 Introduction to Mark Chapter 6 and Persecution

The speaker introduces the focus on Mark Chapter 6, emphasizing the progress made through the Gospel of Mark. The chapter discusses three movements related to persecution, counting the cost, and the challenges faced by Jesus, the disciples, and John the Baptist in spreading the gospel within their religious culture. The speaker reflects on the secular culture's challenges and the importance of understanding the costs of following Christ.

05:02

🙏 Reflecting on Persecution and Ministry

The speaker prays for encouragement and recognition of the sacrifices made by those before us. The discussion shifts to Reform Theological Seminary's approach to training ministers, drawing parallels with the Geneva Academy founded by John Calvin. The speaker highlights the extreme persecution faced by ministers in the past, known as the 'school of death,' and contrasts this with the current challenges in ministry today.

10:02

🗣️ Jesus Faces Contempt in His Hometown

The passage focuses on Jesus's experience of disdain and contempt in His hometown of Nazareth. Despite His teachings and miracles, the people question His wisdom and authority, unable to reconcile His humble beginnings with His divine mission. The speaker emphasizes the importance of speaking the truth in love, even when it is met with rejection or hostility.

15:03

🚶‍♂️ The Disciples' Vulnerability and Rejection

The disciples are sent out by Jesus, facing vulnerability and rejection as they follow His command. The speaker discusses the practical dangers of travel in the ancient world and the spiritual significance of relying on God's provision. The disciples' mission is not a vacation but a risky endeavor, highlighting the importance of trust and the willingness to endure personal rejection for the sake of the gospel.

20:04

🔪 The Tragic End of John the Baptist

The narrative turns to the story of John the Baptist, illustrating the escalation of persecution to hatred and violence. John's truth-telling leads to his imprisonment and eventual beheading by order of Herod, driven by the hatred of Herodias. The speaker reflects on the sobering reality of persecution, emphasizing the need to be prepared for any form of persecution and the importance of community in enduring such challenges.

25:06

🙏 Closing Prayer and Call to Action

The speaker leads a closing prayer, acknowledging the discomfort with risk, difficulties, and rejection, and asking for strength to step out of comfort zones for the sake of the Gospel. The prayer emphasizes the need for encouragement and the willingness to endure for Christ, ending with a call to reflect on personal sacrifices for the gospel.

Keywords

💡Persecution

Persecution refers to the suffering, hardship, or hostility experienced by individuals or groups due to their religious beliefs or practices. In the video, it is discussed in the context of Jesus and his disciples facing various forms of persecution, including disdain, rejection, and violence, as they spread the gospel.

💡Discipleship

Discipleship involves the process of learning and following the teachings and example of a spiritual leader, in this case, Jesus Christ. The video discusses the disciples' experiences and challenges as they learn to spread the gospel and endure persecution.

💡Cost

In the context of the video, 'cost' refers to the sacrifices and risks associated with following Jesus and spreading the gospel. It emphasizes the personal losses and challenges one might face in their spiritual journey.

💡Vulnerability

Vulnerability here denotes the state of being open to attack or harm, both physically and emotionally. In the video, the disciples' mission makes them vulnerable to the dangers of travel and the potential rejection by those they attempt to reach with the gospel message.

💡Rejection

Rejection refers to the act of refusing to accept or consider something or someone. In the video, it is discussed as a form of persecution that Jesus and his disciples faced when their message was not welcomed or was met with hostility.

💡John the Baptist

John the Baptist is a significant figure in Christianity, known for baptizing Jesus and prophesying his coming. The video discusses his execution as a tragic example of the persecution faced by those who speak truth to power.

💡Truth-telling

Truth-telling is the act of conveying or expressing the truth, especially in difficult or challenging situations. In the video, it is presented as a crucial aspect of discipleship and a key factor in facing persecution.

💡Risk

Risk refers to the possibility of harm, loss, or danger. In the context of the video, it is associated with the potential dangers and challenges that believers may face when living out their faith and spreading the gospel.

💡Humility

Humility is the quality of being humble, especially in the face of authority or power. In the video, Jesus's humility is highlighted by his astonishment at the unbelief of his hometown, despite his teachings and miracles.

💡Hospitality

Hospitality is the act of receiving guests or strangers with warmth and generosity. In the ancient world context of the video, it was crucial for missionaries who depended on the kindness of others for shelter and sustenance during their travels.

Highlights

The passage discusses the theme of persecution and counting the cost in the context of sharing the Gospel.

The story is divided into three parts: Jesus' story, the disciples' story, and John the Baptist's story, all dealing with challenges in spreading the Gospel.

In Jesus' hometown, he faced disdain and contempt from those who knew him, illustrating the challenge of being rejected in familiar environments.

The disciples were sent out by Jesus two by two, symbolizing the importance of community and partnership in ministry.

The disciples were instructed to take nothing for their journey, emphasizing dependence on God and trust in His provision.

Jesus warned the disciples about the potential for rejection and advised them to shake off the dust as a testimony against those who do not receive them.

King Herod's story illustrates the violent consequences of speaking truth to power and the hatred that can arise from it.

John the Baptist's execution by Herod shows the extreme lengths to which some may go to silence truth-tellers.

The passage serves as a reminder of the cost of discipleship and the importance of enduring persecution for the sake of the Gospel.

The seminary's approach to training ministers is compared to historical models, such as the Geneva Academy started by John Calvin.

The Geneva Academy was known as the 'school of death' due to the high risk of persecution and death faced by its graduates.

The story of John the Baptist highlights the importance of speaking truth, even when it leads to personal danger.

The passage encourages believers to consider what they are risking for Jesus and to reflect on their willingness to endure hardship for the Gospel.

The importance of speaking the truth in love is emphasized, balancing boldness with compassion in sharing the Gospel.

The passage challenges the assumption that familiarity with spiritual truths guarantees belief, as even those closest to Jesus initially rejected him.

The story of Jesus in his hometown underscores the challenge of being dismissed due to one's background, even by those who know you well.

The call to mission and the risks involved are highlighted, urging believers to consider the sacrifices they are willing to make for the sake of the Gospel.

Transcripts

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foreign

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let's turn our attention Mark chapter

six we're continuing to make our way

through it

um you know that Mark has 16 chapters

when we're done in the spring here just

you know early March you will be halfway

through

the gospel of Mark so good for you this

is we're making quick progress and today

we have a long passage chapter 6 verses

1 through 29 and what you'll learn In

this passage today is a little bit like

last week's passage and there's there's

three movements to the story okay and

all of them at some level have to do

with persecution

all of them at some level have to do

with counting the cost all right so

there's a story of Jesus there's the

story of the disciples and there's a

story of John the Baptist very simple

three right Jesus disciples John the

Baptist Each of which face their own

challenges as they bring the gospel to

their world now let this sink in for a

moment you guys and I we're dealing with

counting the costs in arguably a secular

culture

which should be sobering today and I'm

sure it will be when you leave is that

they endure this cost in a religious

culture

they endured these costs inside Israel

so think about it if you're going to get

this kind of persecution for following

Christ inside even God's people what is

it going to be like outside

of God's people

um and so this is where part of the

message today is why are we so shocked

why are we so surprised when the message

we bring isn't necessarily received

instantaneously in fact often rejected

with hostility all right so let's listen

and just read this passage as we get

going so starting in verse one

he went away from there and came to his

hometown

and his disciples followed him

and on the Sabbath he began to teach in

the synagogue and many of you heard him

were astonished saying where did this

man get these things

what is the wisdom given to him are such

Mighty Works done by his hands

is not this the carpenter the son of

Mary and brother of James and Joseph and

Judas and Simon

and are not his sisters here with us

and they took offense at him

and Jesus said to them a prophet is not

without honor except in his hometown and

among his relatives and in his own

household

and he could do no Mighty work there

except that he laid hands on a few sick

people and healed them

and he marveled because of their

unbelief

and we went about the villages teaching

and he called The Twelve when he began

to send them out two by two and gave

them authority over the unclean spirits

he charged them to take nothing for

their Journey except the staff no bread

no bag no money in their belts but to

wear sandals and not put on two tunics

and he said to them whenever you enter a

house stay there until you depart from

there and if any place will not receive

you and they will not listen to you when

you leave shake off the dust that is on

your feet as a testimony against them

so they went out and proclaimed that

people should repent and they cast out

many demons Anointed with oil many who

were sick and healed them

King Herod heard of it for Jesus name

had become known some said John the

Baptist has been raised from the dead

that is why these miraculous powers that

work in him but others said he's Elijah

another said he's a prophet like one of

the prophets of old but when Herod heard

of it he said John whom I beheaded has

been raised

for it was Herod who had sent and seized

John and bound him in prison for the

sake of herodias his brother Philip's

wife because he had married her for John

had been saying to Herod it is not

lawful for you to have your brother's

wife

and a rhodius had a grudge against him

and wanted him to be put to death but

she could not for Herod feared John

knowing that he was a righteous and holy

man and kept him safe when he heard him

he was greatly perplexed and yet he

heard him gladly

but an opportunity came when Herod on

his birthday gave it banquet for his

Nobles and Military commanders and the

Leading Men of Galilee from herodius's

daughter came in and danced she pleased

Herod and his guests and the King said

to the girl ask me for whatever you wish

and I will give it to you

and he vowed to her whatever you asked

me I will give up to half my kingdom

and she went out and said to her mother

for what should I ask and she said the

head of John the Baptist

and she came in immediately with haste

to the king and asked saying I want to

give I want you to give me at once the

head of John the Baptist on a platter

and the King was exceedingly sorry but

because of his Oaths and his gas he did

not want to break his word to her and

immediately the king sent an executioner

with orders to bring John's head

he went out and beheaded him in the

prison and brought his head on a platter

and gave it to the girl and the girl

gave it to her mother

when the disciples heard of it they came

and took his body and laid it in a tomb

well not the happiest story of our time

in the gospel of Mark

but I think you can see that these three

hang together and have different levels

of of sort of interaction with those who

don't believe and so we're just going to

unpack this together today and I think

there's going to be some great lessons

for us as we think about our life in the

midst of a hostile culture so let me

pray as we get get rolling on this Lord

this is a sobering passage we think and

recognize how many before us have

suffered for you

Lord help encourage us today to not be

so

hesitant in our lives if we are called

to take risks for we know that you

ultimately protect us and use those

things even when we do suffer For Your

Glory so we pray this in Christ's name

amen

so here at reform Theological Seminary

one of the things we do is often try to

model ourselves on historical seminaries

that have been in existence for a long

time so what we try to do here and we

train people for Ministry is like well

who's done a good job of training people

for Ministry in the past and one of the

one of the examples that comes up

regularly in our conversations

internally here is the Geneva academy

that was started by John Calvin in the

1500s so of course you know Calvin he

was one of the leaders of the Protestant

Reformation

um and he started an academy in Geneva

and it was a little bit like a seminary

of course not exactly in that day like

ours now but they did a lot of what we

do they trained theologically and

biblically and historically and to help

you think about how you do what you do

and then they send you out

to do ministry and that's what we're all

about here of course at reform

Theological Seminary so there's this

interesting parallels between what they

did in Geneva and what we do here but

there's one big difference

for stretch in Calvin's Geneva as they

sent out ministers that graduated into

France there was a time when about half

of them never came back

it's a stunning stat when you look at it

there was a time where the persecution

of France was so significant that most

of the graduates expected they would be

killed within the first year or two of

their Ministry

in fact it had become such a well-known

thing for Calvin's Academy it sort of

had a nickname

it's called the school of death

I said well maybe that's how we should

rename RTS the school of death you know

that'll bring in some students

but of course that's the difference

isn't it we send our students out and

you know there's challenges in Ministry

make no mistake about it ministry's hard

and some of our students do go to

countries that are hostile but I don't

know of any stats yet where it even

comes close to the kind of persecution

that

Calvin's Geneva academy experienced they

went into France which at that time was

largely Roman Catholic and of course

this just captures the spirit of the age

is that if they found you as a

Protestant preaching in France they

killed you

mostly burned you at the stake but then

there's other ways they killed you too

it's always remarkable to me about that

story is that people

signed up for that

it's not like they didn't know

it's not like well we gave you the

degree and hey here's a little piece of

news you didn't know you're gonna go die

no that wasn't it they knew coming in

because it was well known it's the

school had the reputation of the school

of death

it's humbling is it not to think about

people like that and then I look at my

life and we all suffer suffer levels of

persecution but I realize the kind of

persecution I Endure so minimal

comparatively but yet it does bother us

is it not there is a sense which hard to

be rejected

it's hard to be hated

it's hard to feel disdain whatever it

might be and so what I want us to do

today is see this pattern before us of

people who've endured these costs so we

can sort of shape the way we endure

these costs

sort of as a minor example even this

morning before I came over to the Bible

study

I have a website as you some of you may

know where I post articles and I still

probably this isn't probably very smart

I still allow comments on my website

which is probably a bad decision and

I've had people tell me why you still

let people make comments on your website

this is just like you know a

free-for-all but I still do and I'm

probably going to stop it but today I

was like I got a couple new comments on

this recent post let me read one to you

this person wrote in this morning

fitting for today here's what he said

I assume it's a heat I don't know that

you can quote as many Bible passages as

you like but the objective and

unavoidable truth is that Christians are

unrepentant bigots against those who

don't conform to their narrow

perspective of what is acceptable

have a good day

so now no one's pretending that level of

persecution is remotely close to

Geneva's Academy

but it is close to some of the stories

we see today and it's also just true in

your life is it not people sometimes

don't like you and me because of what we

believe what do you do with that how do

you think about that well In this

passage as I've already indicated we're

going to look at this in three little

Snippets three sort of uh snapshots of

people who dealt with this and as you

already saw Jesus dealt with this in his

hometown

I think the safest place on the planet

would be your own Hometown not true

then the second one as you can see there

in the outline is the disciples own

experience as they get sent out and of

course thirdly uh the very tragic and

sad story of John the Baptist so let's

just take these one at a time and your

outlines there we'll jump into the first

one Roman number one there the cost and

this one I summarize as you can see

there is disdain and contempt

Jesus did not die in this scene we don't

know that he was physically assaulted in

this scene okay he's killed later as we

all know of course by the Romans and

crucified on the cross but in this scene

at least the type of persecution he

endures isn't that it's not physical

it's disdain it's contempt it's ridicule

it's mockery

and you can see that people sort of sort

of you know turn their nose up to him

who do you think you are coming here

back to your hometown and saying the

things you're saying

and what's stunning about this of course

is that this is his this is his hometown

this is where he grew up

so much so that they know his parents

they know his siblings they know they

knew him presumably as a child and

they're mesmerized by where did where

does where did he get all this knowledge

and who does he think he is we we knew

him when he was a kid

and so there's this contempt they have

for him and this is a remarkable uh

story of the reaction in Nazareth so

let's just break this down a little bit

in real number one by looking at a few

things first I want you to notice the

negative reaction begins with the

teaching

isn't this interesting and you know that

this is true for you and me too people

don't necessarily negatively react to us

just for existing although that does

feel that way sometimes but rather they

react negatively when we speak truth

right when we say something when we say

hey here's what God has said in his word

here's what he's revealed here's what I

believe that's the trigger right for

almost every instance of persecution the

trigger point is speaking

we see this not only here we see it and

but all three stories we particularly

see it in the story of John the Baptist

right because what does he do he spoke

the truth to Herod

that's pretty bold and ended up costing

him his very life look what happens in

verse two so Jesus in verse one went

away from there came to his hometown

which we know is Nazareth even though

the text doesn't tell us this the

disciples are with them and what does he

do in verse two and on this sabbath he

began to teach in the synagogue

so presumably he's you know Hometown boy

makes makes good invite him back give

him a chance to speak but they weren't

ready for what he had to say

now this particular story doesn't tell

us everything that Jesus said but we

know already in the gospel Mark the kind

of things he talks about right and he

knows that one of the main themes

throughout this entire section is the

theme of repentance you know Turn Away

From the Path you're on which is not the

path of life it's the path of death and

turn away from your sins and back to God

and that teaching astonished them

look what we see here where did this man

get these things what does the wisdom

given him and how much Mighty Works done

by his hands because he had been doing

some Miracles before this

and then they Heap on all the uh

criticisms which we'll get to in a

moment right now though I want you to

notice that the thing that kicks this

off is the truth telling

now I want to pause on this for a moment

because there's such a hobbyist

application here for us

there's sort of two extremes out there

when it comes to truth-telling and I

want you to think about this there are

some that never tell the truth at all

and if we're honest with ourselves

sometimes we fall into that cam don't we

opportunities to say something

opportunities to

sort of present the truth of the gospel

and we just stay quiet and stay silent

so one extreme is just don't necessarily

always have the courage to speak up do

we and we need to acknowledge that

but then in our culture there's another

extreme

person who feels obligated to speak up

about everything

and not to speak of about everything but

speak the truth in ways that are

probably pretty aggressive

maybe even belligerent and harsh and

always looking for a fight

and this is sadly true even in the

Christian world right uh sort of Truth

tellers usually are the kind of people

out there that think well you know

people don't like me because I'm always

telling the truth maybe or maybe they

don't like you because the way you do it

right

um I always tell my students I say if

you're not going to be liked by the

world make sure they don't like you

because of Jesus not just because you're

a jerk right

um and so there are both things that go

on and this reminded me of a verse here

you see it at the bottom of point a

there Ephesians 4 15 speak the truth in

love

notice what I say there don't just pick

one

and everybody in this room has a

proclivity to pick one some of you just

want to think about the speak the truth

side and so you maybe you're in kind of

brawls all the time with people other

you are thinking about just the love

side

and maybe so much so do you never speak

the truth

and we want to make sure that we're

doing both and this is where the rub is

right in our culture really hard to do

both Jesus we know exemplifies this he

boldly spoke the truth he always did it

in love and so what you need to realize

is that they've they they balance each

other out right for those of you who

don't like to speak up

and just want to quote love people well

we need to remember we supposed to speak

the truth and those of you love to speak

the truth you remember you should do it

lovingly and kindly and graciously

everybody's needs to take part of that

message away right some of you need to

realize your own Tendencies and like

okay I probably need to hear one half

more than the other half and this is

part of what I want us to think about as

we interact with our world we want both

things to Mark us now even if we speak

the truth in love doesn't always mean

people take it that way right and this

is what I want you to realize you can

actually be loving as you speak the

truth and still have people hate you

so we're not suggesting that whether you

did a good job or not is always dictated

by the reaction

because sometimes you could have done a

great job at it and the reaction's still

bad

so don't think that if you get a bad

reaction you necessarily

didn't do it right

although it's always worth reflecting on

how you do it but notice in Jesus's case

we know that he did it right and look at

the negative reaction look at point B

they took offense at him this is the

summary line at the end of verse 3.

I don't throw around Greek words very

often but I put it here in your notes

transliterated at least you could read

it in English letters that took offense

is a is actually a verb and it comes up

a lot in the New Testaments the verb

scandalizo in the Greek sounds like what

English word

scandal

this is scandalous for them what the

idea that the guy they grew up with

and all his humility could be

the Divine Son of God the idea that the

guy they grew up with could be this

powerful teacher they just can't get

there this is the contempt of the

familiar right is that if you're

familiar with somebody you just can't

get in your head that they could have

authority over you or that they could be

in this sort of position so notice they

list out all the things about them well

I mean we were there when we we I

changed your diaper in the nursery Jesus

is effectively the argument here why are

you so hot stuff now

by the way some of you experienced this

in your own Christian life particularly

if you became a Christian later in your

life and you go back to your families or

back to your hometown and you realize

that that's the who do you think you are

now speech

and you're trying your best to follow

Jesus and people you think you're you

know hoity-toity high and mighty now

you're not necessarily but you're but

you realize there's this contempt of the

familiar there that takes place

and this is a good reminder of the

humility that Jesus's life was

notice that they don't see Jesus later

in this new light and say oh we saw this

coming

you're always you know so different from

everybody that we saw this coming no

they're a little bit shocked here which

shows you that Jesus grew up very humbly

very normally

he was a carpenter okay Carpenter in

that day is probably not that different

than a carpenter in our day probably you

know middle class Blue Collar lower end

of the scale could work with his hands

it was a decent trade no one significant

or special

I want you to notice also they know all

siblings there's this intimacy with

Jesus there that brings that contempt

you've noticed this because you'll find

out that one of the toughest places to

speak truth is to your family

is it not true

and I know this is true because we just

finished the holidays isn't that just

the greatest time ever

we go home for the holidays and

everyone's gathered together and it's

like what are you you're cringing in the

car on the way there you're like oh no

you know it's gonna be one of these

awkward conversations and then you know

my crazy uncle's gonna say something

about this and then I don't know whether

I should speak up and we're going to

disagree yeah and then this is where the

adage is you never talk about religion

or politics with anybody right who's a

family if you're going to keep the peace

and there's there's some wisdom there

but at the same time you struggle and I

struggle with them how do we deal with

those close Intimate Relationships it's

a lot easier to talk to strangers isn't

it

and you're like you get rejected by

strangers it stings a little you get

rejected by your family

ooh that hurts okay so put yourself in

Jesus issues for a moment he knows how

you feel in your life he relates to you

by getting contempt by his own home town

so he utters this line in verse 4. a

prophet is not without honor meaning

he's always honored everywhere well

except in one place

Among Us Hometown and look at this line

and among his relatives and in his own

house

notice he shrunk it down here he's got

your hometown then your relatives and

even in your own household especially is

where the contempt is

and uh what you realize then is that

Nazareth here is a remarkably

hard-hearted place

for having grown up or have or for

rather having had the Messiah grow up in

your hometown

and this brings us to uh the third

little Point here under the first

heading you can see it there sometimes

it takes a lot of effort not to believe

here's what I want to make plain to you

about this passage this passage reminds

us of a truth we've seen in other texts

which is sometimes the people you think

will become Christians don't

and sometimes these the people you think

will never become Christians do

or to say another way sometimes the

people you think will believe in God

surely are the ones who don't believe in

God and the ones that would never

believe in God in your mind are the ones

that eventually do there's no life like

Jesus to exemplify that that God Saves

the unexpected God Saves those who we

don't think will be saved and often

people that we think are predictably

going to be saved or not

anybody would have been rolling the the

Vegas odds on which town would have been

the most favorable to Jesus would have

picked Nazareth

if any place would believe if any place

would repent if any place would

acknowledge that he's the Divine Son of

God surely it's his own people

and they're the exact ones that say no

thank you

and this tells you something people

don't believe or don't believe because

of the evidence they don't believe or

don't believe because of whether there's

good reason sometimes they just have

hard hearts and don't believe

sometimes it takes a lot of effort not

to believe

think about all the things they had to

overlook

to not believe

they know his character they know his

background they've seen him do Miracles

they've heard his teaching and yet

they're like

want nothing to do with you

realize how many people never have the

chance to to meet Jesus do you ever have

a chance to know Jesus never have a

chance to see all those things and yet

they believe

and then the people who saw it all are

the ones who don't believe

here's what I want you to realize today

you and I both I include myself in those

are amazingly privileged by what we get

to see

and I don't just mean this Bible study

but just the the the the ability to

study God's word in general the ability

to have a Bible in your own language the

ability to go to a good church the

ability to grow up in a country that

doesn't necessarily cart you off the

jail if he had you

um all of these things are incredible

privileges you've seen God at work on

the world you have the history you have

the testimony of the scriptures and then

when someone says no no thanks I'm like

that takes a lot of effort not to

believe

so one of the scary things here okay is

that last key point I want you to

realize we are prone to take things for

granted when they are familiar to us

don't take your spiritual privileges for

granted

don't assume they save you because they

don't

being a member of a church growing up in

a Christian family never that doesn't

save you but it's also don't forget at

the same time it's still a great

privilege

here's the scariest thing about this

first story

and I want you to I want this is the

last thing I'll say about the story if

we move on but notice this line

um verse 6 which you never want to have

Jesus say this about you

and he marveled because of their

unbelief

wow do you know how many stories there

are in the gospels where Jesus Marvels

that belief tons of them

he's amazed but it was just last week

the woman comes up and grabs His Garment

right in his heel and he's your faith

has saved you I'm in one sense that

impressed Jesus

what you want in your life is to impress

Jesus by your faith but Jesus in this

story is amazed

at their unbelief

this is a scary thing there are people

that have heard the gospel maybe even

some of us that have heard the gospel

seen many many things and yet don't

believe don't don't you don't ever want

to have Jesus be amazed how hard our

hearts are

all right and this is the thing that's

the danger of familiarity go to church

every week have Christian friends grow

up in a Christian home and you're like

take it for granted don't take it for

granted it's an amazing privilege make

sure you respond to that privilege and

we don't end up like Nazareth okay

that's the first cost to staying in

contempt let's look at the second one

Roman numeral two vulnerability and

rejection and here's where we come to

the story of

the disciples they after Jesus

exemplified the kind of persecution you

get what's Jesus do well I'm going to

send you out to do the same how's that

disciples are in Nazareth and saw Jesus

rejected his hometown Jesus like I got a

plan for you I'm going to send you out

to towns you can imagine disciples going

man if Jesus isn't always fearing very

well how am I gonna do by the way that's

another encouraging thing to take away

today if you ever think man you know I

can't believe people don't like me or

persecute me or hate me I'm like Jesus

was

did everything perfectly

and if and he was hated so you can feel

a little better right that if they if

they're going to hate him they're

definitely going to not like us right

and because we don't do everything

perfectly but he says I'm not the only

one that's going to do this I'm going to

send you out and so in verses 7 through

13 we have this sending moment of the

disciples and he's sending them into

their own level of persecution now in

this passage we don't yet have talk of

you're probably going to get killed or

martyred that's coming in a later speech

at the end of The Gospel Mark Jesus

tells the disciples plainly you're going

to get drug before authorities you're

going to be arrested and some of you are

going to die

it doesn't say that yet

but he does give them hints at the

dangers and I want you to see a couple

things here and I've used these words

very intentional vulnerability and

rejection let's start with the first one

the mission of the disciples made them

vulnerable

what would it look like in the ancient

world to follow Jesus's command to go

out

we need to leave our modern world for a

moment and remember what it was like to

live in that world because in that world

to go out in two by twos was by no means

an easy thing

several things come into mind here about

how vulnerable that would make you first

the danger and inconvenience of travel

some of you love to travel

some of you hate to travel

I happen to be in the latter category

which is not good for my job because I

travel a lot

in fact this year the you know sometimes

when you travel you try to keep track of

your you know mile status on the airline

right so that you can basically uh you

know uh figure out whether you can

travel a little more ease and

convenience I'm this close to being

executive platinum on American Airlines

um an executive Platinum is the highest

travel status you can get you can't get

any higher so I'm like conniving and

planning and working points and

everything why so I can make my travel a

little easier what I don't realize if I

think about in the modern world is my

travel already compared to most of

history is amazingly easy

I get on planes I still have all the

modern conveniences it's safe and the

Ancient World Travel was incredibly

dangerous Not only was it hard and

exhausting in in excruciating in terms

of the inconvenience of it I mean you're

usually most of it on foot

okay occasionally you would take a ship

or maybe you'd ride a donkey at certain

points but generally most of this is on

foot and the danger is abandons and

thieves and weather and animals I mean

those are all real things don't forget

remember the parable of the Good

Samaritan right when you talk about the

Good Samaritan on the way from Jericho

to Jerusalem and what happened thieves

grab him Rob him and beat him on the

edge of death Jesus doesn't tell that

story and people think wow I've never

thought of that no when he tells that

story he tells a story because that's

exactly what they know can happen

when you travel it is dangerous it is

risky so you have to realize that right

out of the gate here

um he's already asked him to do

something that is not going to be like

our modern day travel and the ancient

world to travel is to risk your life

here's another thing he says

verse 8 he charged him to take nothing

for their Journey

very minimal packing here staff yes but

no bread no bag no money in their belts

to wear sandals and not put on two

tunics

what's going on here

Jesus is basically giving them an a

sense that look when you go on a mission

for me you know you're not you're not

dragging you know a couple crates of

luggage with you you know this is this

is not a vacation this is not a trip

where you change your wardrobe and look

nice this is efficient Slim Without

those resources you're gonna have to

trust me to provide these things for you

now some of you are over Packers let's

just be honest okay let me get that on

the table I could do a show of hands

here how many of you are over Packers

you go on a trip and your spouse is like

what are you moving there or are you I

mean how much luggage do you need

um I mean can you imagine Jesus sent out

the 12 and you know James and John show

up and they're pulling like four of the

Roll bags suitcases you know and like

all right Jesus let's go do this Jesus

like what do you need all this for right

my daughter Emma she won't mind me

making fun of her we can take it out of

the video later she is an over packer

she came home for the holidays and I'm

like her car is full I'm like are you

moving home or are you just coming home

for the holidays well I didn't know what

to bring and I thought I'd bring this to

and just like unbelievable amounts of

stuff so I'm like okay we gotta thin

this thing down right well if you're

going on a mission for Jesus you've got

to think okay I'm not here to be wealthy

I'm not here to be you know uh

convenient I'm not bringing everything

that would make my life better

I'm thinning it down for the mission

okay this was risky they didn't even

take any food

do you realize that you don't just go to

Chick-fil-A at the next town

to to not know what you're going to eat

means that you're you're putting a lot

of risk on the table

do you realize that that most of the

exhortations in the early church towards

Hospitality we talk about this a lot

um are different than what you think

we usually hear Hospitality I think I

need to have more people over for dinner

and um and and there's a dimension in

which that's true okay I'm not

discounting that there is a dimension

which hospitalities is maybe primarily

about Fellowship but not in the ancient

world the education is the hospital in

the ancient world where housing people

as they pass through

and had a place to stay and eat and

recover and rest on their missionary

Journeys

Christians in the early centuries were

big Travelers and there was not hotels

like we have today and most of the

hotels in the angel were sketchy and

dangerous and often not available just

think about the story of Mary and Joseph

and so there was no in that in every

town no place to eat what were you

dependent on other believers

who would take you into their home

and let you stay there Jesus hints at

this that you pick it up in the story

look what he says whenever you enter a

house

oikas and the Greek he doesn't go when

you get to the hotel

when you stay at the resort

when you get there stay there until you

depart from that other words the

implication here is is you're going to

use them as your staging ground

you're going to be on the Move no

resources no money no luggage totally

dependent on God's mercy and dependent

on the goodness of those that are there

here's the point I want you to see and

you can see at the bottom of the first

page

following Jesus is risky

so here's a question for you today and

I'm not going to ask you to answer it

but I will ask you to think about it in

your small group time what are you

risking today for Jesus

and I want you to really think about

that today before you leave

we tend to in myself included live

fairly risk-free lives

and if we're honest we actually do most

things in our life to minimize risk

all right we we do everything we can to

lower it where we live where we go the

the safety of our homes you know alarm

systems we got we got make sure we're in

the right part of town everything we do

you have insurance on everything

everything is risk averse and I'm not

saying it's bad to have some of those

things but I am saying though when Jesus

calls us to live for him it's going to

be risky are you willing to leave that

comfort

and do something like the disciples are

doing here and be risking things for

Jesus that doesn't mean that you're

going to go out and you know be a

missionary in the formal sense although

some of you may be

but certainly

um is it not sort of a a humbling sober

question to always ask what am I really

giving up

am I giving up my time am I giving up my

money am I giving up anything

and this is this is something we all

need to reckon with all right flip your

notes over here's the second thing

they didn't just face risk in danger

they faced rejection

by the way some of you do better at one

than the other some of you are fine with

risk okay I'll I'll go somewhere bad

part of town I'll travel and scary I'll

you know some of you are fine with that

but rejection personally that's your

thing you can't handle

some of you are in the reverse some of

you can handle personal rejection fine

just don't give me risk

what I want you to realize your

disciples had both to deal with there's

the Practical dangers

but then there's the personal door

slammed in your face

and you need to analyze which of those

things you struggle with the most

okay some of you are people Pleasers

okay

you don't want me to do a show hands on

this one right show hands on this one

would be like yeah I spend most of my

life thinking about what other people

think about me and I really lose a lot

of sleep over it and I wrestle over it

and it bothers me and if someone doesn't

like me it really wrecks me and I spend

most of my time trying to make that

right and I'm not saying there's not a

place for for dealing with those things

but if that's you

then that's your hard part is going to

be the the personal rejection

but some of you are more of the safety

conscience it doesn't matter notice the

disciples here dealt with both Look what

Jesus says they're going to face verse

11.

and if any place will not receive you

and they will not even listen to you

you leave shake off the dust that is on

your feet as a testimony against them in

other words Jesus is basically saying

you're gonna go out there and get the

door slammed in your face

proverbially

now chances are in your ministry you're

not going to get a literal door slammed

in your face although you might I've

actually had that happen to me

um but you're probably going to have

relational doors slammed in your face

you probably have people who think

you're Looney and crazy

people who don't want to talk to you

people that you reject or that reject

you and disdain you

um and so you're going to get a lot of

proverbial doors slammed uh in your face

what is the exhortation Jesus has here

and it's going to be a big takeaway for

some of you

Jesus quotes Taylor Swift did you catch

that

Shake It Off

yes I quoted Taylor Swift in a Bible

study make that clear

shake off the dust

so this was a ancient world this was a

proverbial act by which you are moving

on okay I've presented the gospel to you

I've tried to give the message to you

you've effectively slammed the door in

our face and don't want to hear it and

and by shaking the dust off your feet

you're moving you're saying okay I'm

moving on now to the next thing it's not

that you don't love them or care about

them or still have compassion on them

it's not a well heck with you in a

negative that's not what's going on here

what's going on here is a is a moving on

to to people who will listen

okay and that's part of Missions is when

you you try to give the message

everybody some won't listen to you but

here's the good news some will

and the shake off the dust is an example

of okay I'm going to go I'm not going to

let that bother me I'm going to go to

the people who will listen

some of you when it comes to relational

persecution and relational uh rejection

need to learn to Shake It Off okay and

by Shake It Off means that you've got to

get be willing to endure that for Jesus

and move on to the people who will

listen to you not in a way that's

dismissive to those formal relationships

not in a way that's like well you know

well fine and be all huffy that's not

what's going on in this passage but

rather a recognition that I'm not going

to let a door slide on my face derail my

Ministry

I'm not going to stop speaking the truth

about Jesus because some reject me

so look at the key question under be

there

how well do you handle rejection

but maybe the better question

what can help us press on in the midst

of it and this I will ask you

what are some things that can help us do

better getting the proverbial door

relational door slammed in our face

and I want to hear your thoughts on this

some of these probably come from the

passage

some of these probably come just from

other biblical texts but what are some

things that can help us

be more willing to endure those

relational

sort of rejections

and all you people Pleasers out there

want to hear from you

you're going to have some good ideas

yeah

okay

right

there is there's a sense which you need

to remember that what when they see

Christ in us and say I want nothing to

do with that there is a sense in which

they're rejecting Jesus right now I

understand what some of you say well but

they're rejecting me too okay fine but

the ultimate reason is because they're

rejecting Christ and realize it's

because of him and I think that will

help move along I think that's an

excellent point good yep

game okay what say more about that

what's the end game

okay

okay very good

um yes

excellent so when you get a relational

door slam in your face realize keep the

big picture in mind here we're talking

about

eternal matters

does my personal rejection weigh

significantly in light of Eternity

no and there's more people who need to

hear the message of Jesus so that they

are secure in eternity and so don't let

your personal rejection derail you from

the big picture which I think is an

excellent point yep

yes

no this is a great point so one of the

things that's going to help you deal

with the rejection of the door slam

you're facing realizing that you don't

have the ability to open someone's heart

okay and you know that you can't change

a heart you can't even change your own

heart

how are you going to change someone

else's heart so when you realize someone

rejects the gospel when you present it

to them and then in a sense rejects you

realize that it does take the work of

the Holy Spirit to change them and

realize okay

I'm going to wait on God's timing for

that I can't do it I'm not going to Bear

the burden of doing it because you're

not in the position to do it right but

you can wait patiently on What the Lord

Has there so I hand over here yep

excellent and this comes right from our

passage go back to verse 7. look what

verse 7 says and he called The Twelve

out and he sent them out two by two

if you're going to endure the rejection

and the relational uh disdain and all

the things ahead of you you can't do it

alone

okay you need to be doing missions doing

gospel spreading in community with

people who are praying for you

encouraging you you're praying for them

and encouraging them and you're in it

together

notice Jesus didn't say well I'm sending

you all out individually

by yourselves no they would they would

collapse Jesus knows their weakness

Jesus knows our weakness you need a

buddy right it's like when you're a kid

and your mom says you need a swim buddy

right you go out you can't swim Alone by

the way that's that's good advice right

especially in the ocean don't swim alone

you swim with a friend same thing in

missions don't swim alone go out there

with a friend that's how you're going to

be able to handle this sort of thing

um as you go there's so much more that

can be said about that but let's move on

to the last Point here

and this is the story of John the

Baptist Roman numeral three

notice how the these three stories sort

of escalate

and now we get to the most sobering

instance of persecution and you can see

how I framed it there hatred and

violence

so there's disdain and rejection there's

contempt and and so forth that Jesus

endured and we're not trying to minimize

those but the story of John the Baptist

is

is tragic

and by the way notice that the two words

I chose there are are intentional it's

not just that he endured violence he

endured

rigid visible hatred let's start with

that

herodias hated John the Baptist

we know what John the Baptist did

he spoke truth

notice here we look down in verse 17

Again

for it was Herod who had sent and seized

John and bound him in prison for the

sake of herodias

look at that language his brother

Philip's wife because he had married her

okay so already out of the gate here

there's a lot of sort of uh wrong things

taking place he took his brother's wife

okay so there's

but there's there's infidelity here

there's presumably divorce wrong

wrongful divorce here

um there's uh adultery here this is a

this is a big deal

and verse 18 for John had been saying to

Herod it is not lawful for you to have

your brother's wife

so what you have here is an instance of

him sinning in this instance with his

marriage sitting sexually John calls it

out and who's the one that's the most

upset well Herod

is a little upset but he he sort of

doesn't know what to do with John

herodias is the problem here verse 19.

and a rhodius had a grudge against him

and wanted him put to death

she hated John

I want you to notice here the same point

we started with most persecution begins

when you speak truth

John the Baptist spoke truth

now one clarification here

some use John the Baptist story as

grounds for point out every sin that we

see in our culture you know some

politicians somewhere you know does

something they shouldn't do then we're

all obligated to speak out publicly

against it well I think there's totally

appropriate times to speak out publicly

against public sin that's fine but what

I want you to notice here is that this

isn't John critiquing a politician this

is John critiquing the King of Judea

which was Herod Herod was part of Israel

Herod was associated with the Jews

so what was what was John the Baptist

doing he was effectively critiquing a

leader of God's people

so this isn't just a non-believer

although he probably was an unbeliever

he represented God's church so to speak

Herod did as crazy as that sounds

and so when it comes to critique for

waywardness John the Baptist first order

of business is I start with those who

are leading God's people if they're

leading us astray and going wrong paths

I'm gonna I'm gonna speak up about that

if your mission in life is to speak up

about every sin you see in the

non-Christian world you're not gonna

have anything else left to do okay

because it's just going to be on and on

and on I'm not saying there's never a

time to do that and there may be times

to speak up and say that about you know

your non-Christian friend your neighbor

who's doing stuff and there may be times

to say something but

you know judgment starts with the house

of God

um and we speak up primarily uh when it

comes to people within the Covenant

Community Paul talks about this in First

Corinthians right he goes basically I'm

not dealing with non-christians I would

you know that's not what I'm not talking

about that we would never have anything

else to talk about I'm talking about

those in your midst who are living a way

that's completely Wayward those are the

people we want to start with that's what

John the Baptist has done here do you

realize then that it's actually the

religious leaders

that hate truth sometimes more than even

the secular ones

yes Pontius Pilate who's a secular Roman

puts Jesus to death but it's really the

religious leaders of the Jews that put

Jesus to death right

is it Dawn on you that it's not just

Jesus's Hometown that rejected him but

Jesus's own Nation

rejected him

and rejected John the Baptist

and of course we know how the story ends

he's beheaded

he's killed it's tragic we may wish God

had intervened here

why didn't God stop it

but you could say about every single

martyr in the history of the church one

of which of course is John the Baptist

the takeaway though

is that whatever you do in your life you

need to be ready for the kinds of

persecutions that come very unlikely In

Our Lifetime is this third one probably

probable

maybe maybe not

but we'll never get there if we're not

even willing to endure the others

right at least we should be able to take

risks for Christ give up thanks

lose relationships we have to uh all for

the sake of the Gospel all right lots to

talk about here in our groups let me

pray for us and we'll jump into those

let's pray

Lord we we confess that we are people

who don't like Risk don't like

difficulties don't like rejection

and uh maybe that's all very normal Lord

but do help us to step out of our

comfort zone for the sake of the Gospel

for the sake of Christ May these

passages encourage us to do that today

we pray in Christ's name amen