New Testament Studies: Mark (4): Chapter 3 v7 to v35 -- David Pawson

Summary

This detailed script explores varied perspectives on Jesus Christ through a vivid reimagining of events from the Gospels. It delves into Jesus' ministry, his strategic withdrawal from crowds, his healing powers, and confrontations with demonic possessions, illustrating how different groups perceived him—from the masses seeking miracles to skeptics accusing him of demonic affiliations. The narrative also covers the strategic appointment of his twelve disciples, underscoring Jesus' balanced approach to ministry and life. It further reflects on the broader implications of labeling good as evil and vice versa, highlighting the eternal consequences of such distortions and concluding with a powerful call to recognize and align with the true essence of Jesus.

Takeaways

• 🌊 Jesus managed large crowds by using practical solutions like having a boat ready, illustrating his balanced approach to using his powers.
• 👨‍🔬 Jesus's healing abilities caused tension as people prioritized physical healing over spiritual messages, highlighting a common human tendency to prioritize immediate physical needs.
• 👹 The presence of demonic possessions in crowds illustrates the spiritual battles Jesus faced, emphasizing the real, palpable presence of evil during his ministry.
• 🤔 The script explores how different people perceive Jesus differently, reflecting personal biases and backgrounds that color their understanding of his actions and teachings.
• 🚶‍♂️ The appointment of the twelve disciples underscores Jesus's strategic planning for the continuity of his ministry, emphasizing the importance of training others.
• 👥 The mixed backgrounds of the disciples show that Jesus valued diversity and potential over social or economic status, promoting inclusivity.
• 🏠 Friends and foes of Jesus had starkly different reactions to his actions; friends worried about his mental health while foes accused him of demonic alliances.
• ⚖️ Accusations of Jesus using demonic powers to perform miracles introduced the concept of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, a sin described as unforgivable because it represents a total inversion of moral truth.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Jesus redefined family not by biological ties but by spiritual obedience and connection, elevating spiritual kinship over traditional familial bonds.
• 🔍 Ultimately, the way individuals respond to Jesus's identity and mission is pivotal, determining their spiritual alignment and their acceptance or rejection of his teachings.

Q & A

What was the main reason Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea?

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea to avoid being crushed by the crowds, as his healing miracles attracted large numbers of people who pressed upon him.

Why did Jesus command his disciples to have a boat ready for him?

Jesus told his disciples to have a boat ready to manage the crowds effectively and to prevent the possibility of being overwhelmed by the people flocking to him for healing.

What was the significance of the unclean spirits recognizing Jesus as the Son of God?

The recognition of Jesus as the Son of God by the unclean spirits signifies their awareness of his divine authority, which contrasts with the general public's understanding of his identity.

Why did Jesus appoint twelve disciples?

Jesus appointed twelve disciples to extend his ministry beyond his physical presence, ensuring his teachings and works would continue through them, symbolizing the formation of a new spiritual community.

What does the response of Jesus' friends, who thought he was out of his mind, reveal about their understanding of his actions?

His friends' belief that Jesus was out of his mind reflects their inability to comprehend the spiritual significance of his actions, interpreting his intense dedication to his mission as irrational behavior.

What did Jesus mean by the parable of a kingdom divided against itself?

In the parable, Jesus explains that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, using this to argue against the accusations that he was casting out demons by the power of Satan, highlighting the illogical nature of such claims.

Why did Jesus use natural means like a boat instead of supernatural means to escape the crowd?

Jesus used a boat instead of walking on water to show his preference for natural, practical solutions over supernatural displays of power, emphasizing his balanced approach to handling situations.

How did Jesus address the accusations of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub?

Jesus confronted the accusations logically in his parables, illustrating the absurdity of Satan fighting against himself, and warned of the dangers of attributing God's works to Satan.

What is the unforgivable sin according to the narrative, and why is it considered unforgivable?

The unforgivable sin, as explained in the narrative, is attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan. It's considered unforgivable because it represents a deliberate and irreversible blindness to spiritual truth.

What did Jesus imply about true family relationships in his response to being told that his family was seeking him?

Jesus redefined family relationships by stating that whoever does the will of God is his brother, sister, and mother, emphasizing spiritual bonds over biological connections.

Outlines

00:00

🌊 Jesus Withdraws with His Disciples

Jesus retreats to the Sea with His disciples to avoid the pressing crowds, who follow Him from various regions, drawn by His healing miracles and the power He demonstrated over unclean spirits. Jesus's popularity leads Him to take practical steps, like having a boat ready to escape the crowd. He selects twelve disciples, empowering them to preach and cast out demons, emphasizing the urgency of His mission despite knowing His time was limited.

05:04

👥 Diverse Reactions to Jesus's Ministry

This segment reflects on Jesus's ministry's impact, noting that despite His impending death, Jesus maintained a calm and deliberate approach to His tasks. He encountered different groups with varying perceptions, from those who sought Him out for miracles to those who misinterpreted His actions. Jesus used practical solutions like securing a boat to manage the overwhelming attention and maintain focus on His spiritual mission.

10:04

👹 Confronting Demonic Possession

Jesus deals with complex challenges, including demonic possessions, distinguishing them from mental illnesses. He is depicted as a spiritual warrior contesting Satan's territory. The narrative includes a detailed account of a modern-day exorcism related by a preacher, highlighting the stark realities of demonic influences and the powerful confrontations that ensue between good and evil forces.

15:07

📜 Jesus Prepares His Disciples

Jesus carefully selects twelve disciples to ensure the continuation and expansion of His ministry. This preparation reflects a strategic approach, balancing communion with commission. Jesus aims to train His disciples not only to be close followers but also to empower them to spread His teachings and extend His work beyond His earthly presence, emphasizing the importance of discipleship and apostolic mission in spreading the Christian faith.

20:08

🔍 Examining Jesus's Choice of Disciples

Jesus's selection of the twelve disciples is analyzed, highlighting the symbolic importance of the number twelve and its historical significance to the Jewish people. The diversity among the disciples—ranging from their temperaments to their socioeconomic backgrounds—illustrates that Jesus's choices transcended ordinary qualifications, focusing instead on their potential to fulfill God's work, irrespective of their previous life circumstances.

25:09

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family and Friends Misunderstand Jesus

Jesus faces misunderstanding from His friends and family, who think He has succumbed to madness due to His unconventional lifestyle and the risks He takes. This segment explores the conflict between religious fervor and societal norms, where profound religious commitment is often mislabeled as madness. Jesus's radical departure from traditional life paths is seen as insanity by those closest to Him, demonstrating the tension between divine mission and earthly expectations.

30:11

⚖️ Accusations and Parables: Addressing Jesus's Detractors

Jesus confronts accusations of collaborating with demons, countering with parables to expose the logical flaws in His detractors' arguments. He warns of the grave spiritual danger in misattributing His divine acts to demonic influence, discussing the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This serious confrontation highlights the stark division between those who recognize Jesus's divine nature and those who see His actions as malevolent.

35:11

🤝 Redefining Family and Legacy

In a poignant moment, Jesus redefines familial bonds not by blood but by spiritual kinship through obedience to God's will. He dismisses traditional familial ties in favor of a deeper, spiritual connection that transcends biological relationships. This redefinition emphasizes the eternal and universal family of believers that Jesus seeks to establish, underlining the spiritual bonds that outlast earthly ones.

Keywords

💡Ministry

In the context of the script, 'ministry' refers to the public service and religious work of Jesus, focusing on preaching, healing, and teaching. It encompasses the activities Jesus undertook to fulfill his religious mission and purpose on Earth, as seen when the speaker mentions that Jesus had only three years to complete all that God wanted him to do. The term is crucial for understanding Jesus's role and the urgency with which he approached his tasks, despite knowing his time was limited.

💡Miracle

A 'miracle' in the script is described as an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs, specifically through Jesus's actions, like healing the sick. Miracles serve as a demonstration of Jesus's divine power, attracting large crowds who sought physical healing over spiritual teachings. The script emphasizes the tension between people's desire for physical miracles and Jesus's mission to address deeper spiritual needs.

💡Disciples

Disciples are followers of Jesus, specifically chosen to learn from him and continue his work. In the script, Jesus selects twelve disciples, ensuring the future of his teachings through them. This selection underscores a strategy to extend his ministry beyond his own life, illustrating the importance of mentorship and succession in religious movements. The disciples' role is pivotal in spreading Jesus's teachings and establishing the early Christian church.

💡Kingdom of God

The 'Kingdom of God' is a central theological concept in the script, representing the realm of spiritual sovereignty where divine will is fulfilled. Jesus's preaching often contrasts this kingdom with the earthly realm ruled by spiritual adversaries, symbolized by Satan. The script describes Jesus's ministry as an invasion into Satan's territory, signifying a cosmic struggle between good and evil, with the Kingdom of God bringing liberation from sin and darkness.

💡Demonic possession

Demonic possession in the script refers to individuals being controlled by evil spirits, contrasting with mental illness, which requires different treatment. The script highlights encounters where Jesus exorcises demons, asserting his authority over evil forces. This phenomenon illustrates the spiritual battles Jesus faced and his power over the supernatural, reinforcing his divine mission to set captives free from malevolent influences.

💡Pharisees

Pharisees in the script are depicted as religious leaders who oppose Jesus, accusing him of performing miracles through demonic powers. Their skepticism and accusations are used to illustrate the conflict between established religious authorities and new spiritual teachings that Jesus introduced. This tension is pivotal in understanding the scriptural narratives where Jesus challenges traditional interpretations of religious law and authority.

💡Blasphemy

Blasphemy is described in the script as speaking against the Holy Spirit, which is considered an eternal sin. This term is significant in the context of the accusations made by the Pharisees, who claim Jesus's powers are demonic. Jesus warns that misattributing the work of the Holy Spirit to demonic forces is not just incorrect but dangerously irredeemable, emphasizing the gravity of understanding and respecting the divine source of his miracles.

💡Forgiveness

Forgiveness is a recurring theme in the script, highlighted as a fundamental need of humanity, transcending even physical or material needs like food or freedom. Jesus's ministry emphasizes forgiveness as essential for spiritual health and reconciliation with God, which he offers universally except in cases of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This concept underscores the script's message of redemption and the transformative power of divine forgiveness.

💡Exorcism

Exorcism in the script involves Jesus casting out demons from possessed individuals, demonstrating his authority over evil spirits. This act confirms his divine power and mission to liberate humanity from spiritual bondage. Exorcisms are portrayed not only as physical healings but as spiritual victories in the broader cosmic conflict between good and evil depicted throughout Jesus's ministry.

💡Apostles

Apostles are the disciples specifically sent out by Jesus to preach and expand his teachings. The script discusses Jesus's strategic choice of the twelve apostles as a means to ensure the continuation of his work beyond his earthly life, highlighting the importance of delegation and mentorship in sustaining religious movements. The apostles are fundamental to the growth and establishment of the early Christian church, tasked with spreading Jesus's message across diverse communities.

Highlights

Jesus withdraws to the Sea with his disciples, facing immense crowds from various regions, illustrating his widespread influence and popularity early in his ministry.

The multitude follows Jesus due to his healing powers, highlighting their desperation for physical healing over spiritual messages.

Unclean spirits recognize Jesus as the Son of God, pointing to a spiritual acknowledgment of his divinity that contrasts with the crowd's focus on his miracles.

Jesus appoints twelve disciples, ensuring the continuation of his teachings and the spread of his ministry beyond his own life.

The varied backgrounds and characteristics of the twelve disciples emphasize that Jesus' call transcends social, political, and personal differences.

Critics argue Jesus is possessed by Beelzebul, leading to a teaching moment where Jesus addresses the illogical nature of such claims and the spiritual risks of attributing God's work to Satan.

Jesus challenges conventional familial bonds, redefining his family as those who do God's will, thus extending family beyond biological ties.

His friends think he has succumbed to madness due to his unconventional lifestyle and choices, reflecting societal expectations of normalcy.

Jesus uses parables to explain that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, a metaphor for the illogicality of the claim that he is empowered by Satan.

The notion of the unforgivable sin is introduced, explaining it as the eternal consequence of attributing God's work to evil.

Jesus emphasizes the importance of spiritual needs over physical ones, confronting the crowd's misplaced priorities.

The role of disciples is framed as a balance between learning from Jesus and actively spreading his teachings, highlighting the dynamic nature of discipleship.

Jesus' approach to power and miracles is restrained; he opts for practical solutions over miraculous ones, demonstrating a responsible use of his abilities.

The passage underscores the tension between Jesus' spiritual mission and the public's expectations, illustrating the challenges of his ministry.

It ends with a call to personal faith, urging a personal connection with Jesus and a true understanding of his nature and mission.

Transcripts

Mark's gospel chapter 3 verse 7.

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the

Sea and a great multitude From Galilee

followed also from Judea and Jerusalem

and edumia and from Beyond the Jordan

and from about Tire inside and a great

multitude hearing all that he did came

to him

and he told his disciples to have a boat

ready

for him because of the crowd lest they

should crush him

for he had healed many so that all who

had diseases pressed upon him to touch

him

and whenever the unclean spirits beheld

him they fell down before him and cried

out you are the son of God

and he strictly ordered them not to make

him known

and he went up into the hills and called

to him Those whom he desired and they

came to him and he appointed twelve to

be with him and to be sent out to preach

and have authority to cast out demons

Simon whom he surnamed Peter James the

son of Zebedee and John the brother of

James whom he surnamed bowenergis the

sons of thunder

Andrew and Philip and Bartholomew and

Matthew and Thomas and James the son of

alphaeus and Thaddeus and Simon the

canaanian

and judas's scariest who betrayed him

then he went home and the crowd came

together again so that they could not

even eat

and when his friends heard it they went

out to seize him for they said he is

beside himself

and the scribes who came down from

Jerusalem said

he is possessed by the elzibol and by

the prince of demons he casts out demons

and he called them to him and said to

them in Parables how can Satan cast out

Satan

if a kingdom is divided against itself

that Kingdom cannot stand and if a house

is divided against itself that house

will not be able to stand

and if Satan has risen up against

himself and is divided he cannot stand

but is coming to an end

but no one can enter a strong man's

house and plunder his Goods unless he

first binds the strong men

then indeed he may plunder his house

truly I say to you all sins will be

forgiven the sons of men

and whatever blasphemies they utter

but whoever blasphemes against the Holy

Spirit

never has forgiveness but is guilty of

an eternal sin for they had said he has

an unclean spirit

and his mother and his brothers came and

standing outside they sent to him and

called him

and a crowd was sitting about him and

they said to him your mother and your

brothers are outside asking for you

and he replied

who are my mother and my brothers

and looking around on those who sat

about him he said here are my mother and

my brothers

whoever does the will of God is my

brother and sister and mother

I have sometimes found myself wandering

from time to time

what difference it would make to my

daily life and to the kind of things I

plan to do if a doctor told me I had one

year to live

it's a very healthy exercise to ask

yourself this from time to time

because if that news were given to you

and you knew that your time was very

limited

it should be a very revealing thing as

to whether you would change your plans

or carry on doing what you were already

doing

if you are already doing what is right

and what God intended you to do you will

make very little change

well now last Sunday Night we realized

that within months of beginning his

public Ministry at the age of 30. people

began to plot the death of Jesus and he

knew it

and he knew perfectly well that his days

were numbered

and he was in fact only going to have

just under three years in which to do

all that God wanted him to do

did this alter him in any way well the

answer is yes and no

he certainly took certain steps and

changed his plans somewhat mainly to

gain time

enough time to do God's will but on the

other hand it impresses me very deeply

that though Jesus died at the age of 33

and knew that he was going to die there

is an unhurried

quiet approach to all his tasks

there is no Panic

there is no feverish activity

there is no sense oh I must get on with

this and I must hurry to do that before

it's too late

but with deliberate and quiet decision

he moves among people to do what he has

been sent to do

now in the short reading that we took

tonight there are five groups of people

with whom he comes in contact and each

one of them sees Jesus in quite a

different way

some of them are right and some of them

are wrong

some of them are part of the truth some

of them are the whole truth and some of

them are not true at all

but it's very interesting that when

Jesus strides among men

they look at him through their own eyes

not through his

and so they see different things

now the first group is a vast crowd that

we're traveling on foot up to 100 miles

to see Jesus

and there is no doubt about it that at

the beginning of his ministry our Lord

was terribly popular

it just had to be whispered that Jesus

was coming to a certain place and people

would set off three four five days

before

and they would hike and Trek to this

Village to meet him

and at the air

first stage of his ministry he had

literally to take practical steps to

avoid being crushed by the mobs

and what he did was to arrange for one

of his fishermen followers to have a

boat standing by

now I don't know if it ever struck you

it only struck me at tea time today as I

thought over this

that Jesus could have walked on the

water

but he preferred to have a boat

he did Walk On The Water later

we know that he could do this he had

amazing powers and if the crowd on the

seashore were going to crush him all he

would need to do would be to walk out on

the water

but he chose a natural a sensible and

normal way of avoiding this danger this

tells me a great deal about Jesus he

didn't abuse his power he didn't use it

as a substitute for practical sensible

action like the man praying for rain

because his house was on fire

he was a very balanced person and it

comes out so clearly in this arrangement

to have a boat handy

but there are two groups of people who

came in this crowd who were an

embarrassment to him

and a problem to him and I want to look

at both these groups the first problem

group were those who came with diseases

now why was this a problem

he had the power to heal he had the

compassion for sick people why should it

be a problem that sick people came in

such numbers

well apart from the fact that they were

desperate and so desperate that they

wanted to touch him before he touched

them and therefore were in danger of

killing him just by sheer numbers

apart from that it was the old old

problem

that people put physical needs before

anything else

we say in popular proverbial speech

health

is the most important thing in life it

is not

there are some things even more

important than that

we have heard it said so frequently

recently and it is a half truth and

there is a real element of Truth in it

but it's not the whole truth

that you must not preach to a starving

man until you fed him

that the greatest need of the world is

for food

others would say the greatest need of

the world is for freedom

but as I've said before and I underline

it again the greatest need in the world

of 1969 is forgiveness whether the world

realizes it or not

and the great tension in our Lord's

early Ministry was that people wanted

him for the physical blessings he could

bring

and not for the spiritual

and he knew perfectly well that if he

went on healing people all his ministry

he would not have done the thing that

God sent him to do for them

and while it was part of his service

to heal those who were sick it was not

the first or the prime thing

and so his problem was that they were so

Keen to have the Miracles of healing

that they came for little else you

notice they walked a hundred miles from

edumia from Taran sidon not because of

what they heard that he had said but

because of what he had done

and they didn't come to listen to him

they came to see him

and they came to be healed physically

but our Lord had fought this battle out

alone he had been six weeks without food

he was desperately hungry and the devil

said well turn these stones into bread

use your power to meet physical need

and his answer to the devil was man is

not an animal

man shall not live by bread alone

and if we say that the greatest need of

the human race tonight is food then we

are saying that human beings are no more

than animals

naked Apes

but men are more than animals and they

live longer than animals they live for

eternity

and this world is not the limit of there

being birth may be the beginning of

their life but death is not the end

and they have needs beyond the grave

that must be met this side of the grave

and they have greater needs even than

food

and so our Lord was in this tension

looking round the crowd that had come to

see him so many of them were sick who

were not interested in the preaching

they wanted healing

and they were pressing him to the edge

of the sea to get it

the other side of the problem was that

in the crowd he he also spotted certain

people suffering

from demonic possession

now I want to get it across to that

demonic possession and mental illness

are two completely different and

separate things and must never be

confused

they need separate diagnosis and

separate treatment

and you will never understand the gospel

story until you realize that when Jesus

came preaching the kingdom of God he was

invading the territory of another

kingdom

and that the real battle in our Lord's

life was not between Jesus and the

Pharisees it was between Jesus and Satan

now you may laugh at this preacher this

poor obscurantist in the Pulpit who

still believes in a personal devil

and you may have accepted so many modern

interpretations that says that they

called mental illness demon possession

in those days because they had no

psychiatrists but I still say we're not

discussing mental illness at all

we are now discussing demonic possession

call them Fallen Angels call them evil

spirits call them what you like but I

just hope and pray you never come in

contact with this

because it's the most terrifying and

horrible thing

and you would be no match for this

now it's not surprising that in the

crowd that Jesus preached to there were

people who were possessed by demons

whose body was no longer their own whose

mouth was no longer their own whose mind

was no longer their own

they were just the shell and inhabiting

that shell was an evil spirit

and it's no coincidence that they came

in the crowd because Jesus threatened

their very existence

I wonder if I may bring this home to you

by telling you of a gentleman I know who

is a minister who was called to a farm

in Switzerland

where the farmer's son was in a terrible

state

and the poor farmer was nearly beside

himself and the farmer had tried doctors

first and then psychiatrists but nothing

could help

the minister went and as soon as the

minister entered and began to pray the

boy went berserk the minister recognized

that this was not physical illness nor

mental

he was fighting not the boy

but a spirit inside the boy

and for some hours they fought with that

evil spirit who addressed them through

the boy's mouth using all kinds of

language

and saying all kinds of things and they

fought together

until finally the victory was won

the demons pleaded with the minister

send us into someone else send us into

someone else let us go into someone else

but the minister would not

and he said you go where the Lord Jesus

tells you to go and in his name I tell

you to get out

and the boy fell as one dead and then

recovered and sat up and has been normal

ever since and is now a pastor of a

church and a very fine minister in

Switzerland but

as the boy recovered there was a noise

outside in the farmyard such as you

they'd never heard before and they went

out

and the farmer's herd of 20 or 30 pigs

were killing each other out in the yard

and finally the farmer had to get his

gun and shoot the lot

that's not the gospel story now that's

not the Gospel According to Saint Mark

but it'll remind you of something in

that story

for this was just a few years ago not

many years ago

this is real and this is what Jesus was

up against

and the evil spirits knew long before

men who he was of course they did they

recognized here the one who could turn

them out of their Kingdom Jesus always

said that this world was not the kingdom

of God but the kingdom of Satan that

Satan was the prince who reigned over it

if you want to know why there is evil in

the world if you want to know why there

is disease in the world if you want to

know why there's death if you want to

know why your weekly newspapers are full

of these things

the answer is this world is not the

kingdom of God and when Jesus came

preaching the kingdom of God he was

saying we've invaded the territory we've

come to let you loose we've come to

challenge these enemies

I have come to bring the power of God to

liberate the victims it was D-Day when

Jesus came

and so the demons fought back and there

they were in the crowd and they shouted

out using the mouths of their victims

you are the Son of God you are the Son

of God and that was not only a personal

danger to Jesus because he could have

finished him there and then it was a

distraction it was the wrong time for it

to be said it could have ruined his

ministry if this had come out of this

stage and certainly these things must

not come from demons they must be

realized within men there must come a

day when Jesus would have to say to men

without evil spirits around who do you

say that I am

and then by the Holy Ghost by the Holy

Spirit a man was going to say you are

the son of the Living God

and so Jesus rebuked these demons and he

wouldn't let them speak and they shut up

as soon as he said it

for Jesus has power over such things

well now here is Jesus famous popular

crowds hundreds coming from all over the

place

and yet within that crowd are two groups

of people

who have the wrong idea of him

there are the diseased and the demon

possessed and the tension is there very

clearly

they see Jesus both of them as

Supernatural

they see him on the one hand as a

miracle worker and only that someone you

can get health from by miraculous power

and the demon possess see him as the

supernatural Son of God but Jesus must

be human before they realize his

divinity

Jesus must come to them as the man

before they say he's the son of God

so he must have time

the second group we meet in this passage

his followers

he is now taking steps to ensure the

future and to extend his own Ministry in

time and space now how do you do that

the answer is you train someone else

if you want to double your work get hold

of someone else and train them to do it

with you and for you if you want to make

sure that your work will go on after you

have left then make sure that you train

someone else to do it alongside you

first and then without you second and so

we come to the remarkable step that

Jesus Took when he chose 12 disciples

and insured in this way that there would

be a church in commercial Road Guildford

two thousand years later

for we are now reading of the beginning

of the church

and it happened so ordinarily and so

wonderfully there are three questions I

want to ask why did Jesus choose the

twelve

why did Jesus choose 12 and why did

Jesus choose these twelve

I think that'll exhaust the topic first

of all then why did Jesus choose the

twelve

two reasons and they are reasons why he

chose you too one that they might be

with him and have communion

two that he might send them away from

him and commission them to do his work

and here is the balance of the Christian

Life and if I don't get this balance

right or if you don't get it right we

shall be very ineffective Disciples of

Christ and his work will come to an end

as far as we are concerned here is the

balance I must spend time with Jesus

I must go into him away from the world

out of the world and into Jesus and get

to know him better and better

but I must not stay there I must then

take what I've learned and what I've

received and go out and share it with

other people

now here are two caricatures of the

Christian Life neither of which is

proper Christianity

one is those who shut themselves up in

some cloistered cell who shut themselves

up in six Church meetings a week who

shut themselves up in Christian

fellowship and who have nothing but

communion

and to never get out where it's all

needed and salt is no use in the salt

cellar

and who are locked up in a private

devotional life or even in church

devotional life but never get out

and that is one-sided and unbalanced but

equally unbalanced are those who say

close down all this devotional life

close down your private devotions and

your public devotions real Christ

Christianity is getting out and helping

people that's only half the truth as

well and if they have no communion and

no quiet Fellowship together with Christ

they will not be able to help people

it is getting this balance right coming

into Christ and into fellowship and into

devotions and into the secret place

where you learn the most high

and then getting out where you belong in

the world

getting out into the factory getting out

into those other activities and

communities and taking with you the Lord

Jesus how difficult it is to get these

two right and he called these 12 why

that they should come in and go out

to put it in Bible language that they

should become disciples and then become

Apostles and the word Apostle means

someone who sent out

it passed into our language via the

Latin metamateri which means I send to

send it then became mitianary missionary

and the word mission is the same as the

word missile and missile means something

that's send out

and every Christian is called to be a

missile

that's what the Apostle word Apostle

means send out

so that's why he chose them and he said

if my work is going to be extended and

continued it demands people who will

come in and learn from me and go out and

tell someone else

one of the quickest ways of benefiting

from a service is to go straight from

that service to someone who couldn't be

at it and tell them about it

have you not proved that to be true

to come in and learn of Jesus and then

go out and tell someone else is the

surest way of keeping your blessing

but the surest way of losing it

would be to enjoy the service

and not share anything of it with anyone

and come back next Sunday for more

you can get indigestion

and I remember one day a man telling me

if if we don't get some Outlets soon our

boilers will burst

you can't go on getting steam up forever

within the church and within Fellowship

you need to keep coming in going out be

with him and that he might send them

forth

I think I've made that point why did

Jesus choose 12.

well to us it's just a convenient number

it's a nice group for training you can

manage about 12 apprentices not more but

to the Jews it would mean much much more

to them the number 12 was almost a

sacred number it was written into their

past and a way back away back there were

once there was once a man with twelve

Sons

that was the beginning of the people of

God and they became 12 families and then

12 tribes and the 12 tribes were the

nation of God

and Jesus could hardly have said in a

clearer way God needs a new people

this people has let God down and God

needs someone else and the solemn lesson

I apply to myself and to yourself is

this

lest having preached to others I should

be Cast Away God can do without me he

can call someone else

there Comes A Time When God says I can't

use this people I must have some new

ones

May that never happen to us

that God may have to choose other

disciples to do his work because we let

him down

the third question why did Jesus choose

these twelve when you look through the

names it's a mixed bag was it their

temperament now we're having quite a gay

time with temperament on Thursday

evenings you'll be off the hook after

Thursday night

we're all so different in temperament

and when you look at the 12 disciples

look at Peter and look at John and look

at Thomas you couldn't have mixed them

up more if you tried was it because you

have to be particularly spiritual or

religious in your temperament to be a

disciple ravish

a man said to me recently oh well you're

religious and I'm not that's the reason

I'm not in church and you are

he wouldn't have said that if he'd

worked with me on the farm

you don't have to have a special

temperament to be a disciple

was it a matter of politics

far from it some imply that you've got

to have a particular political Outlook

to be a Christian

rubbish do you know what you've got in

these 12 you've got Matthew a

collaborator a man who'd sold himself to

the occupying powers and you've got

Simon a leader of the underground

resistance movement and Jesus said now

come on you're going to come together

you're going to live together and eat

together you're going to follow me

together

had nothing whatever to do with their

politics had it anything to do with

their education

somebody said to me cynically I think

we're emptying the church by degrees

well now that was a dig it

ministers Maybe

do you know these 12 men were unlearned

and ignorant

it's not a matter of Education

is it a matter of occupation

the church is desperately middle class

today I know that

but look at this group some of them

worked with their hands and some of them

worked with their heads

they didn't matter a brass button

Jesus called them

there aren't any such distinctions

in his band of disciples is it a matter

of background well 11 of them came from

the north but one came from the south so

it wasn't that

is it a matter of blood relations it may

interest you to know that five out of

the twelve disciples were related by

blood to Jesus

his own relatives provided 5 out of 12.

but the other seven were not so I don't

think it's a case of that either what

did these 12 men have

that others didn't the answer is

absolutely nothing

they were ordinary folk they were mixed

folk they were folk such as I'm looking

at nouns such as you're looking at now

and yet he called them and he made them

what they were and if he can do it for

them he can do it for me

and he can do it for you and he can do

it for anyone

and so he chose people not because of

what they were but because of what they

were not and he called this mixed bag

together can I put it like this they

were neither somebody's nor nobodies

they were antibodies and everybody's

that's how the disciples were called

but you notice that the important thing

was that the choice was his not theirs

he called to him Those whom he desired

and there Comes a Day it came in my life

at 17 years of age

when the call came follow me

and if I'm anything today at all it's

because he kept his promise

follow me and I will make you

the call may come to you it could come

in a service like this and you suddenly

realize it's not just the preacher

talking somebody else is saying this

means you

he promises to make you too

now we come to a third group in this

brief passage his friends that means his

friends from his earlier life

now their opinion was different again

the crowd saw him as a miracle worker

the disciples saw him as a master one

they'd gladly surrender their life to

but his friends saw him as a maniac

now this is certainly one of the charges

that is frequently brought against those

who get over religious mania

religious mania

they actually called him a dipsomaniac

a split personality

because they said he is beside himself

and that's the word they used for a

schizophrenic condition a split

personality he's two people there's one

person here and another here so he is

beside himself and that's what the word

means and they said it it's turned his

mind

these were his friends they'd known him

as a very ordinary chap they'd seen him

in the carpenter's shop they'd take

their chairs to him to be repaired and

suddenly here he is with thousands of

people around him and doing all sorts of

strange things and they honestly thought

that the pressure of the crowds the

multitude that came had been too much

for him and they came to have him

quietly put away

thinking that it would be for his good

now why should they think he was mad

first he was neglecting his health

didn't even have time for proper meals

second he was ignoring his trade

and he just wasn't doing any work no

security no livelihood in what he was

doing

thirdly he was surely forgetting his

station he was just a carpenter

wasn't the leader of a Nation

fourth he was disturbing his people

and causing a frightful potential

situation to arise but most of all he

must be mad because he was risking his

life they knew it

and a man who would throw his job up and

turn his back on security and and risk

his future and risk his life like this a

man like this must be made

it isn't normal

I wonder if I could apply it like this I

have noticed that as soon as religion

gets as big as life other people say

Mania

provided your religion as a department

that's all right that's fine that's

normal

provided you keep your religions

strictly to Sunday or strictly to this

group that's fine

but when your religion begins to extend

a bit

one English prime minister went to hear

a preacher many years ago now and came

out muttering well I don't know what

things are coming to when religion

begins to interfere with a man's private

life

he was quite happy with that prime

minister to keep religion in a

compartment to do his duty to show

himself at the church

but when religion begins to interfere

with a man's private life when religion

begins to affect his business when

religion begins to get bigger and bigger

until everything is connected with his

religion

that's Mania

that's Madness

when a man called Saul of Tarsus threw

up a promising career and a noble

position and went off into the unknown

as a missionary it wasn't long before

someone said Paul you've been doing too

much reading

much learning has made you mad

Paul's reply was if this is madness and

I wish everybody was mad

it is madness to the world when religion

takes over life

religion in a compartment that's normal

that's natural everybody has a bit of

religion but when it begins to penetrate

your whole life when your whole life

becomes dependent on it when your future

is dependent on it when it's quite

obvious that this is the big thing in

your life that's Mania and so his

friends came for his own good to shut

him up

now quite frankly

If people really studied the Life of

Christ I think many of them would come

to the conclusion he was mad

if they really did now look at his foes

his enemies went one step further than

his friends they said it wasn't mental

illness it was Supernatural he was a

black magician

this man had evil Powers this man was

dabbling in the occult this man was only

able to control demons Spirits because

he had the power of the greatest evil

spirit in him and over them and that was

the power of Satan in other words

logically they were right the only two

people who have power over evil spirits

in the universe are God and Satan

and if you can control demons you've

either got the power of God or the power

of Satan in you they're the only two

people who can control demons

so they said it can't be God we're not

going to believe it's God it must be

Satan and they began to say well did you

see him cast that demon out did you see

him tell that demon to shut up you know

why because the boss of the Demons is in

his heart

they called him beelzebel in those days

you can call him what you like screw

tape Satan veils about call him what you

will

but they said this is devilish

and you know they wouldn't say it to

Jesus face I don't know if you studied

carefully but they were saying it to the

edge of the crowd

and they were saying well it may may be

working and it may be all very well but

you know

it's devilish power this don't have

anything to do with it Satan's in this

and it says Jesus called him to him and

said come here you

come here I heard what you were saying I

know what you're saying come here

and he then told them two Parables and

he showed them first that they were

utterly illogical and unreasonable and

he showed them second that they were in

terrible spiritual Danger

first of all logically he said

if this is right what you say that I by

the power of Satan

I'm dealing with demons

then do you realize it's Civil War in

the enemy camp you should be shouting

Hallelujah

but can you not see

that really I am doing things against

Satan are you so blind to what is good

that you can't see what's happening

you see says Jesus I'm releasing the

victims of Satan from him

I'm setting them free

what is Satan doing if Satan is letting

people loose

he's never been known to do such a thing

in all of history

Satan has never willingly let go a

single one of the people in his grip

that is why when you meet someone in the

grip of Satan's power it's a battle to

get them out

you might have to battle for months and

years and some of you have known this

battle with other people and maybe

yourself to get a man or a woman out of

Satan's clutches requires a terrific

struggle he doesn't let them go

and Jesus said it's very funny if I'm

doing Satan's work and I'm letting

people go like that Satan's in a funny

position

he'll collapse if he goes on attacking

himself like this

and then Jesus said it's not only

blindness to what is good but I warn you

and here he used a word that he rarely

used but when he did it meant something

very important I told you on a recent

Sunday that people who are constantly

saying honestly honestly

can usually be trusted not to be

and in fact if you've got to keep saying

honestly honestly every other sentence

people will be excused if they come to

the conclusion that a lot of what you

say is not honest

having said that

Jesus from time to time didn't say

honestly but he did say truly

and in his language it's the word amen

and it means absolutely certainly our

men are men means truly certainly

absolutely surely and so he said truly I

say to you when you say I am doing

Satan's work you are in danger of

committing the only sin that cannot ever

be forgiven

now we've come right up against it now

the unforgivable sin there is one thing

that a man can do that could never be

forgiven

let's get it straight it has nothing to

do with sex

though many people have felt this way it

has nothing whatever to do with any

physical desire or appetite at all

what is the sin that could never be

forgiven

tell you what it is

it is to call black white

and evil good

and light Darkness

and to brainwash yourself until you

can't see the difference

why can it never be forgiven because a

man can never admit it's wrong once he's

brainwashed himself

a man could never repent of this and

he's therefore Unforgivable

he could never receive the gift of

pardon

it's a man who can look at something

that God is doing and saying Satan's

doing that

it's a man who can look at something

Satan is doing and say God is doing that

it's a man who can look at a horrible

sin and say that's virtue and can look

at a virtue and say that's Vice

it's a man who goes on doing that until

he's so obliterated the boundary between

good and evil light and darkness that

there is no boundary in his thinking

anymore

and because the holy spirit is the only

one who can convince us of sin and

righteousness of what is bad and what is

good to say that good is bad and bad is

good is to blaspheme against the Holy

Spirit who else could ever tell you that

you've done wrong

if you shut yourself off from the only

person who can teach you these two

things by your own willful obstinacy

then who can help you

and Jesus says to these Pharisees truly

I say to take my warning

if you say that I'm of the devil

you're in danger of putting yourself in

a position where you could never find

what was good and right and true

for your comfort may I add this

that we can therefore say that if any

person is ever worried that they have

committed the unforgivable sin we can

say absolutely certainly that they have

not

because if they had they wouldn't be

worried about it

and it is a rare thing

I have only once or twice in 20 years

Ministry

come across cases where I felt a manner

a woman was getting near this point

thank God it is rare

but if you can look at something that

Jesus is doing

and say it's of Satan

you are in danger mortal Danger

they called Jesus a black magician

and it was not only not true

it was the most dangerous thing to say

finally we come to his family Joseph is

dead

Mary and his brothers or rather his

half-brothers and half-sisters come

and there's a huge crowd and they can't

get through and word passes through the

crowd is families come oh my fancy being

a brother or sister to such a famous man

as this

my fancy being his mother can't you see

the can't you hear the chatter let's see

his family just like occasionally one

sees a photograph in a newspaper of a

dear simple couple who happened to be

the mother and father of a famous pop

star and are being dragged into all the

glory and publicity

here's his family coming why did they

come I don't know to share his Fame I

don't know to see if he would still own

them I don't know to persuade him to

return to Nazareth and go back to the

carpentry business I don't know

I only know that when the word got

through to Jesus he said one of the most

extraordinary things he ever said

he said this my family

my family

you think it's special to belong to my

family

anybody can belong to my family

you think I have a special relative

special relatives on Earth my mother and

brother and sister know I go for

relationships not relatives that's what

he's saying

where is my family do you realize there

are people in this church tonight who

are Jesus brothers and sisters

who is Jesus family

people who buy an accident of birth

happen to have some similar blood or

chromosomes no

who is my family he said

whoever does the will of God is my

brother and my sister

real relationships the Deep

relationships of Life are not flesh and

blood ones deep though those are the

deepest relationships of all are with

those who know God and love him and do

his will

I'm so happy to say that Jesus did not

use this as an excuse to evade the ties

of Flesh and Blood even when he was

dying he was making provision for his

Earthly mother

but I'm more thrilled to be able to tell

you that on the day of Pentecost when

the Holy Spirit came down in tongues of

fire and the sound of wind and they

began to speak in other languages when

that happened among the 120 was Jesus

mother

and among the 120 were Jesus Brothers

his half-brothers and among the 120 were

his half-sisters too and were told this

that was when they really became his

family

that's when they really belong to him

not just for time but for eternity

that's when Mary really became his

mother that's when his brothers and

sisters really became his brothers and

sisters and one of his brothers James

became the leader of the church in

Jerusalem

may I apply that to

there are tragedies of broken families

in this church

and all over

families that are tied together with

flesh and blood

but are not yet fully related to Jesus

Christ

they'll never know what relationships

really are until they are

it's very very hard indeed it's one of

the hardest things in life

to be a believer and married to an

unbeliever

and corresponding to the awful

difficulty of that relationship is the

terrific joy and peace

of both

being together in the Lord

the only marriages that can look forward

to being continued after death

are those that do the will of God

because sex doesn't pass through death

in heaven we are neither married nor

given in marriage but a husband and wife

who've had a flesh and blood

relationship on Earth

can look forward to an even closer

brother and sister relationship in

heaven

because they've become one family in

Christ

these were the relationships that Jesus

came to bring us not just to make the

physical relationships better though he

does that

but to introduce new and deeper

relationships who is my family the

answer is we in this church are his

family

if we keep his Commandments and believe

in his name we are his brothers and

sisters and that feminist Circle can

never be broken

my time has gone let me finish like this

what a variety of attitude they had to

Jesus some of them thought he was a

magician some a miracle worker some a

maniac some just saw him as a human

being a Man from Nazareth they had so

many different attitudes and people

today have different attitudes but you

can divide them all into two those that

were right and those that were wrong

those who were for him and those who are

against were against him

and in the last analysis whatever we

think of Jesus Christ will boil down to

this issue

are we for him or against him

is he for us or against us

do we see in him the son of God

who became men that we might become sons

of God

within the family of a Heavenly Father

this is the big issue

what think ye of Christ is the test to

try both your plan and your scheme you

cannot be right in the rest unless you

think rightly of him

let us pray

oh Lord Jesus Christ when you were on

Earth in the flesh

men thought such different things about

you

now you are in heaven but your spirit is

on Earth and still men take up such

varied attitudes

we pray that every one of us in this

building

may have such personal faith in you

that we may see the truth the whole

truth and nothing but the truth the

truth that sets us free that delivers us

from the grip of Satan and from the

power of evil

and brings us into a peace that passes

understanding

so keep our hearts and Minds in your

will

for we ask it in your name

amen