Jesus in Action (Part A)

The pastor wants to come and encourage the flock to serve the Lord, which got them from the Scripture, God is looking for from us, but in pointing out what God wants you have to also point out what offends God that has a way of offending people who are not ready to see what God has to say, no matter how nicely you say it no matter how you handed to them if their heart is adamant if they are hard against God will turn on you for preaching these things.

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 gospel of Mark chapter 1 with a brand-new study called Jesus in action are in the gospel according to Mark chapter 1, we will take versus 35 through 45.

Knowing the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, he went out and did it to a solitary place in their grade. Simon and those who were with him searched for him when they found him they said to him, everyone is looking for you, but he said to them let us go into the next towns that I may preach there also because for this purpose I have come forth and he was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee and casting out demons. A leper came to him, imploring him, kneeling down to him and saying to him.

If you are willing, you can make me clean.

Then Jesus moved with compassion, stretched out his hand touched him and said to him, I am willing to cleanse as soon as he had spoken immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed and he strictly warned him and sent him away at once and said to him see that you say nothing to anyone but go your way, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them. However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the matter so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in a deserted place, and they came to him from every direction.

We are seeing Jesus in action and that is always exciting and informative for our own walk in Christ.

I don't. I think a pastor wants to come and encourage the flock to serve the Lord to instruct them from the Scripture would God is looking for from us, but in pointing out what God wants you have to also point out what offends God and that has a way of offending people who are not ready to receive what God has to say, no matter how nicely you say it no matter how you handed to them if their heart is adamant if they are hard against God. It will turn on you for preaching these things know that's true whether it is from a pulpit to an assembly that there are some that will be offended and and not receive oral on an individual level were warned about.

Even this in the Scripture Paul writing to the Corinthians said, but the natural man does not receive the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because there's virtually turn so we should not be surprised, but that doesn't make the work any easier. In fact, it can just still sometimes causes perplexity, but it is the word of God that has to go forth and that's what will looking Aaron, Jesus, and actually going to see that in the emphasis with him is God's word what God has to say.

How did preaching the word of God becomes secondary in churches of God.

It is very said it so would some Christians did not interested in this verse by verse and not interested in what the word says they want to experience feelings. I don't know what's going on but may we be mindful of these things and see if we can turn them into something useful for the kingdom that God would not only minister to us in his great patience and mercy that he has for sinners, but that it would also flow through us towards others that we would learn how to preach the word firmly without backing down, but not maliciously, sometimes to reach someone you have to be sarcastic. The prophets did Christ did the apostles did.

And we do to sometimes. So to be in tune with the Holy Spirit allows us to discern the spiritual things. It is a mark of our salvation that God speaks to his people. Jesus and my sheep know my voice and time as you serve Christ you also learn the voice of the devil. You also learned that when he speaks he condemns. He strikes he looks to hurt and to wound. Christ is always looking to move forward to press towards the mark of holiness through encouragement through sometimes rebuke, but even in his rebukes. There is power and it is the power of love. So looking now in verse 35 now in the morning have been having risen a long while before daylight, he went out and departed to a solitary place and there he prayed, this is Sunday morning. Peter is telling the story to a man named John Mark and he is telling him many years after decades.

A couple of decades at least. After the events and so is he is telling the story. He's remembering that Jesus stayed in my house in Capernaum at the day after he preached in and cast out demons and healed people. The crown of the town was just a star with Christ. But that morning before any of us got up and were fishermen we rise early to get to work keeping us up by a long shot. We interrupted him.

That's what's coming out the story we got up looking for Jesus, expecting him. You know to be ready to sit down at the table and talk with us first before the multitudes with comedy was gone.

It is very human part of the story.

He never forgot how it was having Jesus Christ in his home and he never forgot how we interrupted the devotional time of Jesus Christ to it's almost comical says, having risen a long while before daylight summer quick to say we all need to do this quick to chasten believers for not rising up early. In doing this, Jesus did not rebuke them into committing it with me. You need to do this tomorrow. Imagine a mom that all of the responsibility she has in her home as little children around and all the things he thinks he's going to get up before everybody like this and spent all these hours and management maybe some of you can do it. Not everyone I tried years ago found out fall asleep in me to get up too early.

It is important that I again repeat myself.

Having risen a long while before daylight prayed to have his devotional time. He does not rebuke others for not doing what I do also believe that following Jesus excites in us a desire to do this and if you can't meet them in the morning meet them at some other point in the day but have that devotional time and only anyone take that from you. Now, in the days we live in. Their are you know you can say bookworms and tapeworms.

There are those that read books or in the devotional time, there goes and listen to CDs or online messages of mine only you laugh so he went out and departed to a solitary place it says, and there he prayed, not that he is inferior to the father not always equal with the father but is equal is also eager to be alone with the father.

That's what comes glaring off the page Christ, the son of God, wanting to be alone with God the father. This is also prophetic Isaiah called this oh I don't know 900 years earlier. Isaiah 50 verse four the Lord Yahweh has given me.

Speaking of misses the messianic versus speaking of Messiah, the Lord Yahweh has given me.

That's the Messiah, Christ the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary.

He awakens me morning by morning, he awakens my ear to hear the learned, and of course Isaiah continues to develop the prophecy of the Messiah, but here we see Christ waking up early in the morning to be with the father now looking at verse 36 and Simon and those who work with him searched for him. It reads as though it was frantic with prayer Izzy.

I really couldn't.

They were so excited. I'm sure they went to bed and will looking forward to waking up this word searched in the Greek is an emphatic word.

In fact, another Greek writer in classical Greek uses the same word to signify troops in close pursuit of the enemy. You just hunting them down so it's an emphatic word is my point.

That's not the meaning that there is no conflict here, but what is emphasized is that this was a serious search. They were looking everywhere while he was praying and having time with the father of Cora Simon Peter always where the action is. Others always seem to join his initiative. He was that kind of a man.

He is the one telling us the story through Mark I have to say in reading this that they search for him everywhere.

There are times in the Christian life where you feel that it is impossible to find Jesus that you are frantic for him.

You want a word for him. You want some sensation from the throne of God to come across your heart and fortify you for whatever it is you're facing court take it away completely and it doesn't seem to come. Others join you. They pray with you, they pray for you or they share the same experience. That's what faith does. It continues its desire for Christ. Whether we lay our eyesight on him or not we search for him in our heart and he knows that he's not gone anywhere. He is right there faith knows that verse 37 when they found him they said to him, everyone is looking for you. It could've say will not everyone again, Peter. Looking back when he tells this to Mark repeating myself on purpose. He saying I interrupted him I started the search.

There he was praying with his father near I come with everybody's looking for you conversation with God prepares us for conversation with others.

That's what we're learning by watching Jesus in action. If I talk to God in earnest. According to the Scriptures on God's terms. I will learn to talk to people on God's terms is called ministry not just pastoral ministry, Christian ministry, as Christians, as a believer and I said Peter learned this lesson. Acts chapter 10 God separated people Peter was going to give him a vision. Peter was interrupted X 10 verse nine Peter went up on the house top to pray wanted to be alone with the father just like his master taught him while Peter thought about the vision. The spirit said to him. Acts chapter 10 verse 19 behold, three men are seeking.

You. Everyone was seeking Christ that day.

That morning, this afternoon, these men are seeking out Peter and there we read again in acts God speaking to him. Arise therefore go down and go with them doubting nothing for. I have sent them so Christ is in percent what are you doing interrupting attorney can have a moment here with my father does not do that engages them lays out no guilt just moves forward into fellowship with God is willing to be interrupted if people need something like a parent, like a loving parent. How many times of the kids interrupt you.

You can't count it with when God made up the word infinity. He had children in mind their questions. Everyone is looking for you that would be John and Andrew James and others that were moved by the miracles in Capernaum because they embrace the miracles the benefit of his miracles, and so much to learn. His followers, but many of the people they would not learn any more than seeing the miracles. That's as far as their faith would go was a hunger for more miracles. They rejected his call to repentance and that's why I started off saying that preaching looks to reach people at tell folks what offends God.

Many people are doing those things and they don't want to stop and so they turn on the one that pointed out, and we should be ready for that and not slow down by that one of my prayers for myself is Lord help me to just think the way you think, to feel the way you feel, because my feelings get in the way of everything when they don't line up with what I've learned from you these in Capernaum, many of them were saying, Lord, heal me, help me, but whatever you do don't preach to me. I don't want to hear the religion you meet people like this is a whatever you good. I don't get this Christ stuff sometimes maybe a Christian is gone before you, and have so messed up the field of ministry that that person is want to hear Christ anymore and you're going to have to switch gears at one of the lessons from the book of Nehemiah before the ruins war before the construction begins, the ruins have to be removed and sometimes those ruins are caused by Christians who may mean well, but have just made the other side angry by trying to jam the gospel down their throat is not a good idea to put a tracking someone sandwich, hoping that they'll take a bite and get saved.

Not that I know of anybody who's ever done that but it's it paints the picture that I wanted to paint how many again turn on the preacher, pastor, the individual Christian for preaching the same thing that Jesus preached I don't get it.

People come to church churchgoers.

They come to church. They hear what Christ says and they get angry at the pastor for saying what Christ says as though the message were negative and yet you have others that come in they love everywhere. It's the same thing that happened on the cross to Christ. One thief heard everything Christ said and so did the other only one received him no pastor is without sin. He too has to hear what's being preached.

He too has to hear the condemnation of sin, and he deals with, and so do all other believers. Truth does not change because we'd all I get it demands conformity every single time the truth of God does not back down the standards a high but also with that truth is the immense love and patience of God's willingness to stoop down and work with us say when I hear these messages on repentance when you single out the sins that I'm guilty of all. I don't want to hear about what should I do if I feel that way, you go to the Lord, you tell him, Lord, I'm having a hard time accepting the truth. I want this to change. I want to love what you have to say want to receive everything you have for me and to work through me, save me from my rejection of you that's what you do.

Maybe you're a safe soul with a lost life.

Your life is lost because of your lifestyle, your lifestyle disagrees with Christ and he doesn't have sites that does not back down. Or maybe you're just a lost soul you've never given your life to Christ and you lost because God's truth doesn't appeal to you.

You missing out selling is Satan is selling you damaged goods. He selling you parachutist don't work and you will find out until you make impact it be too late. That is the message that we get from our Scripture to the lost souls who hates being told you are a sinner, though they can't deny it. I want to come up. I would love to come up to the pulpit and say now I know there are those of you that are sinning. Don't worry about it, you'll be all right. God died for nothing. It doesn't matter. Sin like you want in fact recite this prayer. The Internet is my shepherd, I shall not want. It makes me to lie down warm and cozy with lies and things that would destroy my soul. How do you reach the lost if we could come up with a simple answer.

We put it in a bottle and would give it away for free, but it's not that simple. It's no surprise that we have save souls with lost lives, we have lost souls would lost lives. It is a real battle and Christ came to deal with these things he says. The first step is personal so we see him praying.

The second step is to act to do something on her based on that time with the father at that time with God to have time with people and then third step is that he's going to preach after he left the hidden gauges that they engage him and find him and say where have you been we've been searching for you people put great effort into hiding their send redefining this into ignoring their center excusing their sender attacking those that preach against sin. This is what we also preach repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. Acts chapter 3 verse 19, my sins blotted out, that is the greatest thing about me. The best thing about me is that my sins are blotted out the blood of Jesus Christ through what he has done on his cross and his resurrection and return, and who years and so much more would you rather believe fellow sinners or those were trying to tell you what God says so.

The fight goes on and we look now in verse 38, I'm skipping sarcasm. I should tell you and it's hard because there's that belief that sometimes sarcasm is very effective but too much sarcasm is over. Does it so I'm going to move to verse 38 and he said to them let us go into the next towns that I may preach there also because for this reason, I have come forth. Luke adds they tried Luke chapter 4 verse 42, talking about the same incident.

They tried to keep him from leaving them so he says I must have to go to Galilee and preach and stay in Capernaum. This is the place oceanfront seafront lakefront property.

All the fish you can eat. I must preach. He said not notice what he did not say I must go do miracles. I must wow people. I must sing songs nothing wrong with those things in their place but they are not secondary or other, they are secondary. Preaching is not secondary preaching is primary because what you have. If you do not have what God said what he left with this in the Mormon Tabernacle choir can sing beautiful songs as they renounce who Jesus says he is as they tell you the Scriptures are not enough. Some guy would sunglasses had a vision special sunglasses and he wrote it all down and you supposed to just swallow it whole not enough to have songs to see wonders.

One was preach, they could not comprehend this apparent indifference on his part, when they put everybody's been looking for. You stay here and he said I got a go other places to preach. Much of that went over their heads, miracles on which these Copernican people of Capernaum place so much importance that he doesn't even mention. In fact, too many miracles creates an appetite for more miracles until it drowns out what God is trying to say which is a miracle in itself. The preaching of God is a miracle. How many believers of Jesus Christ have gone to their graves and never really saw what these people saw on the terms of miracles. Almost all of us when I see the lepers cleansed love Jesus walking the streets as the healing people like the numbers of John and his gospel lives of so many could fill the libraries of the world wouldn't even enough space so evidently the emphasis in Scripture is not on the miraculous things with the miraculous truth. That's what he is emphasizing here when he says that I may preach verse 38 there also because for this purpose I came forth to preach the gospel that's there is emphasis is on getting the word out what you have. If you have a group of people who have wonders and miracles but no word of God. What you have and you have a group of people who have the word of God and no miracles just have the miracles in the word of God.

What is a proper manner to gain the world, your health, whatever it is, and still usually you lose your soul because you Ned never got your life to line up with what God wants. 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're there you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast.

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