Jesus in Action (Part B)

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 to go to the Lord, you tell him what I'm having a hard time accepting your 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.

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 today.

Pastor Rick will continue teaching through his message called Jesus in action.

In Mark chapter 1.

Everyone is looking for you that would be John and Andrew James and others that were moved by the miracles in Capernaum because they embraced the miracles the benefit of his miracles, that so much to learn his followers with 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. It tells 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 points it 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. So whatever you can and 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 going to have to switch gears. That's 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 every word.

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 to 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 you 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 your 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. 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 sitting. Don't worry about it, you'll be all right 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 loss 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 with 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 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 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 about our 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 you 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's 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 in the numbers of John and his gospel that is so many could fill the libraries of the world wouldn't be 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.

If you have a group of people who have the word of God and no miracles. If you just have the miracles in the word of God. What is a property manager to gain the world, your health, whatever it is, and still you your you lose your soul because you Ned never got your life to line up with what God wants, but the other group we never saw the miracles will believe. Anyway, Blessed are you, Thomas more Blessed are those who don't see yet you have folks out there touting the wrong thing in Jesus name.

I'm not saying that the criminals ring like that. I'm seeing the missing the point of Scripture we don't go by Scripture. What do we go by what makes a man stand up and say I feel called to the ministry to serve God's words that were a God that grips us that changes us and makes all the difference is you not find this anywhere else. Verse 39 Peter continues to tell Mark and he was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, casting out demons, you know, when a person is saved, you cast out the work of a demon does have to be a demon present so I can be evil without a demon present souls are lost. Demon present but demon demonic influence. Yes, you don't have to cast out a demon for someone to go to hell my pointers in his preaching. He was, not only preaching to those who held demons, but they were there to mark makes it sound so routine is preaching in synagogues throughout Galilee. All any flood demons because it was routine for him with all the demons he cast out of the synagogues, how many would he throw out of many churches today, especially the liberal one when I say liberal, I mean the ones who say God's word is not God's word will say will take some of it out, but that's the definition of politics down the definition of a liberal theologian is one who has decided he has the right or she has the right to edit God's word. So I guess they edit outward God pronounces judgment on those for editing. God's word out convenient.

The believer others more comfortable so you know I'll take it as it is all accepted as is, so he was preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons consider those churches in the Bible who were rebuked by him or predominance by attire by attire in Laodicea.

They did not have to have demons to do the evil that they were doing and all you have to do is read those two chapters in Revelation Revelation 2 and three and you can get a good look real quick at what Christ of what God is looking for from his people as an assembly and as individuals. Verse 40 continues and pause here what it what we doing what is the purpose of all this to build us up to fight to build us up to not be panic stricken Christians were going to now meet a leper. Leprosy was a horrific disease is still exist there is no cure, but there is a treatment for it in the treatment is as good as acute and here we find in those days Christians who are not panic stricken in the face of such threats remain focused on what their calling was the simplicity of God's word. I don't know what you're facing. I know you will face things, God will face them with you. I know you may think the clock is running down that you are suffering great losses that are irreversible. God is not moved by that nor is he limited by that you could be. You don't have to be. We endure we continue no matter what comes our way. Because we believe the things that the Holy Spirit has preserved for us in his Scripture and points out as often as he can and as you hear God's word. May you digested me as you eat as you consume God's word as you take it and may you digest it lets you just be a bloated Christian walking around knowing about these things, but never really entering in, it gets ugly sometime being a Christian. Sometimes it's just downright human you fighting resentment toward God. You're just tired of God's delays in his methods and his ways and then you default though he slay me, I will trust him anyway. What can Satan do you just punch them out. You just took from him.

His biggest weapon. The weapon that will destroy your trust in God. Now a leper. Verse 40 came to him, imploring him, kneeling down to him and say to him if you are willing, you can make me clean.

Remember, God the son knows this is going to be put in print. He knows countless Christians going to read this over the ages. He knows Christians are going to be looking to be healed from all sorts of things and not get it, and still trust him, but right now he is showing everyone that he is indeed God the son same yesterday today and forever. And while his methods change heart never does one person that never has to apologize is God. We got to learn is not easy. How much can be preached from that single statement, a leper came to him how much is in that if anyone and if anyone wanted to walk down the street and they wondered into the space of the leper. What is a leper have to do to get the sick unclean unclean. Don't come near me. I may contaminate you.

This is how they had to live wanting people to keep away from them. They were excommunicated from their religion, and from their society, their only companions were other lepers. Other people were as pitiful as them.

Where no hope.

Just like them.

He could not work who would hire him would want to touch anything that they touched would want to be anywhere near what they had their hands on the endure the living death until death. That was the life of a leper and here he is coming to Christ. The crowd was moving out of the way as he is making his approach. No one wanted to catch whatever it is that he had imploring him, kneeling down to him. This man was desperate. He was not arrogant is not greedy right at this moment he's humble in the presence of God the son. There's more to the story of the band were getting to it in a moment, but contrary to the devils in the church that we read about in verse 34 and were implied and just I think verse 39. Contrary to the devils and said let us alone. Let's read that if you have your Bibles open Mark chapter 1 verse 24, started verse 23 now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, saying, let us alone.

What have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth.

Did you come to destroy us. I know who you are, the holy one of God. People are still saying that with their behavior, their attitudes against Christ. To this day.

Will this man. He does not have that attitude is not saying Jesus leave me alone is coming to Christ now a leper came to him, imploring him, kneeling down in this desperate state you knew Jesus had cast out demons and that he had cleansed lepers. He knew that Christ had overcome obstacles to both holiness and health. That is the cleansing of the lepers understanding of Jesus Christ and he came for healing and Jesus made time for him and saying to him. If you are willing, you can make me clean. Notice he did not ask for things, except that cleansing that he wanted so much.

He didn't give a long drawn out prayer, he simply said I want you to make me clean and know you can do it. I feel sometimes when I read about these lepers that it's me and my unclean state, especially before salvation that I'm the leper that come that had come to Christ asking to be made clean and just like that the snap of a finger. He cleansed me and it keeps me even when I fall that recurrent grace. It just flows right through my life.

It flows over my life. It allows me to keep pressing forward.

Paul said not that I've already attained, or imperfective, but one thing I do I press towards the mark for the prize for the high calling in Christ Jesus is almost as though pulse is time to cry over spilled milk about what I did wrong yesterday. Today is another shot and I'm taking it and if I fall today.

Today becomes yesterday and I keep moving forward toward tomorrow wicked. That's what Christianity is supposed to be doing, causing us to press towards the mark.

This leper was no fool.

He knew where to go.

Those ready for the touch of Christ upon their leprosy come to him without terms admitting that they need to be cleansed, admitting that they are unclean and there is the disconnect again. I started out again saying the carnal man cannot receive the things of God. They are foolishness to him many times because they don't want no one to be made clean. They like the dirt and it is heartbreaking to us and it is heartbreaking to God. But the fight is on and that's what it is and is nothing other than a fight. It is not a play is not a ballet. It is not a sport I look at how rough the sport may be, it is not sport it is a fight for souls and you are part of the fight.

Whatever hardship you are going through in your life as a Christian is part of the fight in Christ expect you to win because he's not going let you go so verse 41 then Jesus moved with compassion, stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, I am willing be cleansed.

Jesus moved with compassion.

See, when I became a Christian that goes of things it got me those are the things that move me to repentance, saying who he wasn't seeing his compassion.

But why does life so often include events that shaped my confidence in a compassionate God.

Why do events cause me to doubt his compassion.

It is because this life is the one battlefield upon which everything is settled everything of eternal importance is settled on the battlefield of this life.

It is called a fact of faith in your eye. The fighting it.

We are running from it and losing on the battlefield.

That answer is true, but it's not enough to take away the problems, but it softens the blows it helps us to endure, to understand that God is doing something and it is by faith we can finish the fight you younger Christians.

Hopefully you got a long road ahead of you and hopefully you will going a little of that role with altars of worship as Abraham did follow Abraham in the Old Testament.

See how many altars he made walk away from made another one see that wherever Abraham when he worship God no matter what was going on. In fact, when God was ready to judge the sodomites. It was Abraham praying for them, trying to find a way to keep the judgment back but it had reached a tipping point about us.

We look at sodomites when we look at other sites other people that are just the wretched of the earth.

Is there any love left in our hearts them there souls hundreds of other way they do. I mean you just you know excuse a serial killer. For example, what if you let your heart get hard, who's doing, who hardens the heart move. 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 once you're there you will find additional teachings from Pastor Rick. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast. When you subscribe will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio you could search for cross reference radio on your favorite podcast app that's all we have time for today, but we hope you'll join us next time. As Pastor Rick continues to teach through the book of Mark Reiki on cross reference radio