Jesus in Galilee (Part A)

It is up to us last plow through it plowed through the Dalles. They have no right to take over. They have every right to challenge us. We have every right in Christ fight back, believing him to resist the devil to trust in the Lord. Without faith it is impossible to please God were told those of the kind of verses that we hold onto to help us get us over these things that come at us. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the gospel of Mark. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of Mark chapter 1 with the new study called Jesus in Galilee during the gospel according to Mark chapter 1 verses 14 through 20. Now after John was put in prison. Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe in the gospel and as he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, follow me and I will make you become fishers of men. They immediately left their nets and followed him when he had gone a little father. From there, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets and immediately he called them, they left their father Zebedee and the boat hired servants and went after him. Jesus in Galilee. We've been tracking his ministry in the first 13 verses of this chapter from the Jordan Waters where he was baptized to the wilderness Sands where he was tempted by Satan and now to the shores of Galilee ministry awaits him. There's a lot of people in this area and that is why he is targeting he is already been ministering in Judea and Jerusalem, but now he's moving to Galilee and we look at verse 14. Now after John was put in prison. Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God were about six months to a year from verse 13 between verse 13 verse 14 Mark he leaves out a lot of the details. John fills it in for us in the first three chapters of John even into the fourth a little bit. He he gives us some background. What was going on.

Then he was working miracles he was giving his first sermons and markers skipping over the Judean Ministry begins to the north of Israel in Galilee says now after John was put in prison. Wellhead prison was a deathtrap, usually a one-way ticket and while he was there in that jail. John began to doubt that Jesus was indeed the Messiah had good reason to doubt he also had better reasons to believe in you see a man like John doubt then you feel we feel a little bit more comfortable in the presence of the Lord when we struggle with our doubts. Even though John saw the anointing which was of course unmistakable Matthews gospel chapter 11 we read it this way. And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to him, are you the coming one or do we look for another, and so there it is in print John again began to wonder. Are you the Messiah of the coming one will not. Jesus answered that question by pointing to facts did not give them a direct answer is yes or no that we would've looked for Jesus said in Matthew 11 the blind season.

Go tell John the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up in the poor have the gospel preached to them Jesus, which was saying John figure this out. He will connect the dots and know what this means, and John of course did do that but John anticipated the kingdom with the arrival of the Messiah, but he did not factor in his own imprisonment and soon to be death didn't get that far in his thinking. He saw himself the forerunner of Messiah.

According to the Scriptures. He was very bold about that.

I am not him. I am the voice in the wilderness and this Messiah that he announced why wasn't he doing something after all. John had long for him. John had prayed for him toiled and suffered denied himself pleasant things. He ate locusts waiting for this Messiah was he, Jesus, the one what was he doing, why was he having meals with tax collectors and sinners.

While John himself suffered in prison with an uncertain future.

After all, if he was bringing the kingdom and to place the wood springing from jail. Was I the forerunner for the right man. If you preach a lot of Christ to others and not talking about an informal environment such as this, I mean out in the world in the workplace in the family if you do this over the years Satan is going target.

You can try to get you to doubt know that you're in good company. The Old Testament prophets were heavy-handed in their description of Messiah coming as king.

They did not hold back which is long for this prophets said that the king would smite Israel's foes raise up a kingdom like David's, the kingdom would be better than that of Solomon with such peace and prosperity. The desert would bloom the wolf and the lamb would lie down together, and the Lamb would not be part of the meal, the Lions would eat eat straw like oxen and the longer eating the oxen in the Hebrew people would reign with Messiah or as his ambassadors not only ambassadors but governors, administrators, which is expanded.

Of course, to the church to believers will be part of that process in the kingdom age but with all of this prophecy that they were given the oracles of God, they failed to remember that they would be two appearances of the Messiah, or at least two ministries of the Messiah. One tool, the other to suffer to die for the people for sinners to reign over death to return to creation and reign over it yet again, the prophets, they spoke very clearly about his suffering, especially in the Psalms, especially in Isaiah too much for us to read now.

But Jesus violated their expectations. We have to be on guard in our own lives. We do not set expectations that are right looking for others to conform to what we expect things should be like their expectations were violated because they cherry pick the word. They took out they extracted only those parts of Scripture that dealt with oppressors such as the Roman Empire, who were now of course subjugating Israel to Caesar so they look for those they long for those verses that spoke about the Messiah coming. While not looking at why he was coming. We pick it up in Luke's gospel in chapter 24. This is of course after right after Jesus had rose from the dead are Luke 24, but we were hoping that it was he was going to redeem Israel.

Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happen.

Their lamentation as we thought he was the Messiah. This is three years later after John. After all the miracles is so much doubt surrounding God and what he is doing in this life and it is up to us to blast through it to plow through it to plow through the doubt they have no right to take us over. They have every right to challenge us and we have every right in Christ's to fight back, to believe in him to resist the devil to trust in the Lord.

Without faith it is impossible to please God were told those of the kind of verses that we hold onto to help us get us over these things that come at us. These monsters continues here in verse 14 Jesus came to Galilee well will get back to John were not done with him this morning. Nor are we done with him in the book of Mark, he such a large figure John the Baptist is and yet he's not worthy to Canada to Toulouse to send the straps of our Lord and and and John of course the first to tell us that we we listen to John say that we say amen brother John. But Jesus of Galilee, Jesus, John John sought the wilderness. That's where the people would come to him so he could preach to them was necessary.

They needed to be have a hunger and thirst for righteousness and come and get it. And as he is the forerunner of Christ. He was preparing their hearts. He was stirring the people to turn to God and he did a good job at that. But Jesus now that John is in prison expanding his ministry into the region of Galilee. Jesus seeks out the multitude he goes with the interstates are in that region of Israel. There were no less than 15 cities around the shore of Galilee. The sea was really a lake not a C, but anyway, that there are no about 15,000 people in each each village, plus their suburbs looking out over 150,000 people in that area where Jesus is now bringing himself in front of the people and so John drew the people to him.

But Jesus is looking for the people to different approaches to ministry. Both of them are correct.

It is true.

John was put in prison. Jesus comes in the Galilee, preaching Satan may have at first thought that when John was arrested that that was a victory for him but it was really a setback because now God in human form, the humanity of Jesus Christ is now unleashed in this area or wall of these people are to hear the gospel. Now the son of God is ministry cannot be stopped until he says so their goal needs on the cross. He says don't open for the cross. No one takes my life. I give it up than on the cross is his father, into your hands I commend my spirit. No one kills me all say when it's over. We love them for this sovereignty over creation, preaching the gospel of the kingdom.

That's what Jesus was doing so, Johnson prison, Jesus enters into this densely populated area and he's preaching the gospel of the kingdom, Christians have no right to devalue preaching.

Not true preaching. It was Jesus's hooves quoting the Old Testament did mention I live by bread alone, but by every word of that proceeds from the mouth of God that requires listening to what God has to say and repeating what God has to say because Satan doesn't want you to do it. So God says his message is good. That's why it's called the gospel is a good message that we bring.

It is not what the world says it isn't what God says it is an event like it because it puts restrictions on their sin. That's their problem. However, we are supposed to be part of this. That's how people get say that's all we got say world needs.

What we have, did not need of a a diluted brand.

They do that they didn't don't need a dumbed down gospel need the gospel as as it is. John was put in prison for being unlike the world, not conforming to it.

Mark's gospel chapter 6 verse 18 because John had said to Herr Rod. It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.

He stood up for righteousness. No matter what it cost him she Campbell Morgan that British preacher from long ago, said the church did the most for the world when the church was leased like the world that was true in the early part of last century, when Morgan preached those words as it is now as it always has been. John 17 verse 14.

This is the authority from things that we say and believe. That's why the pastors of public servant cross-references in the sermons as a lesson.

This is what God's word says this is the authority I have given them your word said Jesus to his father in the world has hated them because they're not of the world. Just as I am not of the world. Listen the world hates itself, so don't expect don't expect them to just love us.

They are at war with each other all the time. I heard a comedian years ago said say he was going to he was going to box whether true or not, who cares, he makes the point and he says his opponent comes out in East you know swing his gloves and to be bitten along his own self reason all of you if you think that way about him was a good maybe, and that's the world.

The world is heading there that are themselves with their wars and civil wars in riots and protests course when we can expect them to love us.

However, some of those in the world will love very much what we have to say and that's how people get say. Unfortunately, many churches and churchgoers suppose that mimicking the world is somehow helpful to the world that churches that conform to the image of the unbelievers is somehow going to attract the unbelievers like rock stars will always out attract us were not after the crowds were after souls. That's the work of the Holy Spirit in setting up a bait and switch that turns out only to be bait is not honorable.

It's not what we are supposed to do Bible disagrees with that approach, we are to preach the gospel and we see Christ with John in prison. Nothing.

Well me know. Maybe John did it wrong.

Maybe I shouldn't preach the gospel like John did all give people is that something that makes them feel comfortable just to get them to come out to hear me and then keep giving them something comfortable to continue to come out to hear me but I will give them the gospel. Thank you Lord that that is not the case, we should not be ashamed of these things we should be eager about them excited in a rush to tell the story world can get more the world from themselves and the truth from Christians when the church becomes like the world. We only give them a defeated Christianity just what Satan wants to play into their hands. Because Christians are ashamed to be different were ashamed instead of as well do that. I don't even like that and if I do like that. I know I should like and I'm fighting now. Appreciate you trying to get me to do that when the Christian becomes like the world no longer becoming like Christ was supposed to be Christlike. And that's hard enough. It's hard enough in a sheltered environment. Returning to what Jesus has delivered us from whenever we try to be like the world when Israel adopted pagan lifestyles.

The pagans that were around them.

They lost that's the Old Testament owes us up to us time and time again between the books of Kings and Chronicles read the prophets major and minor alike. When Israel turned to idols.

God stop blessing them. The doctrine of balance was to mingle in the world with those who claim to believe in God's word and in so doing, he corrupted individuals and if it had not been resisted and stopped there would be no Israel today they would've gone the way of the Amalekites and the Philistines and the Canaanites and all the others, but Israel is still here because God's word is not return void and she is proof of that Israel, whether they believe or not is not the point.

The point is, God said that nation that people as a nation will not be removed from the earth and if you take them out of the promised land.

They will retain their identity as my people and I will come back to them in the guilty Jewish people will be treated like guilty Jewish people before the throne of God and the righteous Jewish people will be treated like righteous Jewish people before the throne of God. And so it is with the Gentiles also, but Israel is this blinking light in the face of the planet throughout all history.

God is real and is nothing you can do about you can come up with theories you can come up with your arguments you can write books, you can do movies you can slaughter Christians, but the light keeps blinking verse 15. This is of course still speaking of Christ, marketers, and saying this is what the preaching and Volvo included in saying the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe in the gospel. The time is for Phil, it has arrive it is a distinct action of God. It is a fulfillment of prophecy that makes it spiritual is a spiritual feature now is not just a man standing up and say I got a good idea. I am the one, and everybody should listen to me and if you listen to me were going to kill you there other religions that do that not Christianity.

Christianity has this long record this unbroken witness of prophecy that is being fulfilled. To this day John's gospel chapter 1 and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, and as the glory of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. O Lord, may we have grace and truth. May we hold onto it tightly.

May we treated as though it is gold and more. A new era begins with the coming of Christ and to his preaching and his God's dealing with human beings. Paul writes about it in Galatians 2 those churches in that region. He says when the fullness of the time it come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, the virgin birth. That's what Paul is saying, continues in verse 15 and the kingdom of God is at hand. Christ visible. That is walking on the earth. The kingdom of God personified in him is more to it. Just don't never have enough time ticket to go in depth in death. We do go in depth here routinely with them. We don't go to the next level because it really takes up a lot of time and and the will of the good that the surface lessons of the Scripture powerful in themselves is touching lives and he's being touched. We know that because the crowds pushed and shoved and came to him and he touched them, and they touched him. Remember the woman in Christ said, who touched me. Is that you kidding right you your irritable mob at at it if you glasses like getting on a New York City subway at rush hour and say don't touch me, which I have seen and the fistfights that followed, well the kingdom of God is at hand Luke's gospel chapter 10 when he was sending out the 70, Jesus said this, among other things with them. He says Satan them, the kingdom of God has come near you in Christ preach to them about the Messiah coming specific and imperative for directive to believers to this day. Say to them the kingdom of God is near to you. Luke 10 nine then he says repent and believe in the gospel so John is in jail but he still alive. And Jesus continues to preach this this same message as John was preaching rather than kindness into shoving him out of the way. Okay that's my time, he will not shove him out of the way, he will develop he will develop the message but right now while John is still on earth. Christ preaches the message of repentance. Repentance is an attitude with action. That's what repentance is not just lip service. It's not just you know not of the head. There's a determination that goes with it, took control to fight to stop to to slow down the progression of sin in my own life in my own heart. You are the salt of the earth. That's what that means you slow it down resisted. Don't give in salt is that which not only taste good and raises your blood pressure but it also slows down corruption and the Lord reinforcing John's message saying people have to face their sin their personal sin of the good have contact with God. Nero would not, for example, Paul preached to Nero, Nero, is the season when Paul was arrested, and God said to Paul, you will stand before Caesar needed.

We don't have Babbitt verbalize we have that promise that's good enough. Nero would not repent that he got worse, way worse. Simon Peter will come to in a moment he would repent, depart from me, for I am a sinful man. He said to Jesus, and Jesus said no I don't depart from centers I've come here to seek and to save them impenitent fake believers will not repent, plus they will cause trouble amongst believers to bring the vision with Paul writes the dude to the church in Rome. He says avoid the divisive. They just come in and the cut date then impenitent they want repent. They want face their sin and they want you to entertain their sin and all put a little finger foods and little cups of this and that and just everybody sit down and be happy in the face of sin.

Peter preached at Pentecost. He said, and remember to remember this point Peter's preaching because were going to get back to that repent. Acts chapter 3 verse 19. Therefore, and being converted change team continues to sins may be blotted out. Who wouldn't want that, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord who, thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com what you there you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick.

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