Never Before (Part C)

What a lesson for us as we come to the Scripture. Just because we want to believe something is not enough.

We have a foundation something very real behind the reasons that we have faith and so we are taught this Peter you know Peter says give them a reason for the whole that is in you is not this just you know mindless rush to believe something that we want to believe, however, just because we want to believe. Doesn't mean is not true.

To be very true. Embracing 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 book 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 never before, is the title of pastor Rex message and today you'll be teaching in the Gospel of Mark chapter 60 and maybe you've been going through some struggle in your life you not looking up and fighting this thing the right looking straight ahead, horizontal view, not vertical and then this verse can strike you and say but they looked up then you begin to look up I'm looking up to the Lord as you roll forward in your faith and develop and mature. Don't forget what Paul told the Galatians, having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect in the flesh.

Having looked up to God and depending upon him are you now developing in your walk without him by looking at each other or something else. Absolutely not having begun in the spirit we continue forward in our faith dependent upon the Holy Spirit in this relationship we have with Christ and it is so easy to become, you know, sort of get Christian savvy when you know you I know how to do this. I'm a Christian and you lose that sense of looking up and dependency and what is that puts you well for one place, it puts at least me is I can say sometimes about trouble in front of me. I don't care I care.

God's got this whatever he's going to do is going to love and I believe that, and I'm not going to let me or anybody else take that away. I will trust the Lord is having begun in the spirit. I will be perfected in the spirit to me as I read this struck me, but when they looked up they saw that the stone had been rolled away, problem solve, still no thought of the resurrection attend is not now.

This is not a lesson in that for us. They're coming to anoint a dead body in the tomb as open as they rub solving one problem in the still not thinking that maybe he is alive, the angel who roll the stone away. He did so not to let Jesus out with to let witnesses. It is endless. Well, this is because I just left that shot Jesus could appear today and on his wall and while he's alive. You really have to have an open tomb, but he did.

I prefer this way because he preferred this way and so not to let Jesus out, but to let witnesses and that's why the stone is rolled back and wiseguy angel sitting on top of it right there from the Roman guards its comical.

Now the earth shook. When the angel roll the stone away. Matthew 28 verse two there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat on well did the ladies feel the earthquake know what had happened was likely local to that spot.

We so how could anybody have known well maybe others did knowingly put the pieces together or the Roman soldiers. They told the story you think that was the end of it. You just don't sell if you've ever experienced something phenomenal. You talk about it for the rest your life from time to time. It just doesn't go away I still I remember seeing a cardigan broadsided at a stoplight and do it. The complete 360 in the air and land on its tires and it just just below the elevated train. I mean inches away from hitting it in and everybody was fine of 50 minutes. It was all gone everybody to just swap insurance. God's got back in a car is a rollaway as it which had to see it this crazy. I don't think the Roman soldiers. This had this experience and then forgot about it over and over cheeseburger something later on in life. I think that they spoke about these things and I think sensitive ears of Christians pick them up and outlook. Of course when he does his gospel. It opens up that he really investigated what he had to write before he wrote it down for us. Verse five now and entering the tomb, they saw a young man, clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side and they were alarmed that the angelic messenger from another dimension. The spiritual realm.

Of course too occupied with this. How could you be it would be taking away from the centerpiece of Jesus Christ to be too caught up with what the Angels doing what Luke he mentions that there were two but Mark concentrates her concerns itself only with the one who spoke and they were alarmed at the presence of the angel this this whole thing.

The Greek word there for alarmed X Pham Beale which you won't hear every day, greatly amazed.

Sort of the maze like never before and that is the Greek word used therefore alarmed verse six and that comes back into the story. That's why pointed out what he said to them, do not be alarmed, not be blown away.

That's what Mrs. casual describes you not hear was the big deal he's God. But anyway, says do not be X Pham Beale.

You see, Jesus of Nazareth was crucified.

He is risen is not here see the place where they laid him so he says of them don't be utterly amazed at something that is utterly amazing*honest utter wonder what Mark at our Matthew adds this, they said this is out of fear or terror fear is a fear involved, but it is a fear with joy. Matthew chapter 28 verse eight. So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word now. Matthew uses the word fear and it is where we get our English word phobia from an is a sphere, but it is a fear that has a joy attached to it.

They know something's going on. They know this is spiritual. They don't know what interested to know where to go with this is so exciting where on the scale of excitement with the needle read with these women at this point the angel says you see Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified was make no mistake, he saying let's get the identity right. This is the Christ that you saw on the cross days ago. He's up is risen is not here, and this angel as well.

Angels announce the birth of Christ. They announced the resurrection of Christ and accept one they will say that this same Jesus that you see taken up will return in like manner announces return prophetically see the place where they laid him so he invites the women to come in to the tomb, which they do look in and there were this the evidence of the grave closing the headpiece in a separate place which impressed John the apostle very much, and he writes about that in his account of the story of role John looked and also and no doubt about it. The Lord is risen right through those spice so close he just came right through the mistress of spiritual deal Mary again.

She's already telling the apostles. This she suppose robbers proceeded look in the first time she had first thought right even later she thought robbers where they taken him they taken the body of the Lord.

She says to the supposed garden. If you tell me where he is. I'll go get him and he also man what a morning verse seven but go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you into Galilee. There you will see him as he said to you in verses six and seven announce the crucifixion and the rest the resurrection together and we must, I think, be careful to do that, but the Lord does not forget to start rebuilding Peter and he's going to finish that job and Jesus knew that in the best of men are molded by failure. I'm pretty molding myself, but that is true failure. It can mold us if you let it, or you can you cannot let it you can waste it or you can get back means that you failings that that I quit then then that's it. But if you get back in there that's where work gets done. He is going before you into Galilee. There you will see him as he said to you and so these you know he's telling the disciples that he wants them to go to Galilee but they going to be slow in doing that surprise they going to be almost reluctant to get back up to Galilee and it's a week later he still appearing to them. When Thomas was with them in in the vicinity of the cross that was ground zero and so he's he's trying to nudge them back up where there are more followers there and there's less combatants in Galilee than there was in Jerusalem's was a practical thing first Corinthians tells us in chapter 15 that heap appeared to 500 at one time and that would more than likely be majority people from Galilee, verse eight. So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed the said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid that the didn't have cars. Could you imagine without excitement be like demolition derby anyway. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid the Greek were there for Beale from where we get phobia from a means fear and that's what they were. But Matthews told us yet. With this fear included joy.

Mark just doesn't put that in and there has been a lot of effort by Bible scholars to insist that verse eight engines. The gospel of Mark.

It's a frenzy defense, I think, which is a condemnation of their argument. When you get all excited about something you trying to insist upon without facts. I do not believe them. Thank God it's not all the scholars but there are many that are otherwise good scholars and they'll say the gospel of Mark closes with chapter 8 talk about that just a little bit but not too much. They do this because they think that older manuscripts from E ancient Egypt or Egypt in the days are not long after the apostles about 300 years after the birth of Christ. They think that because those manuscripts are the oldest manuscripts that there therefore the best manuscripts, but that is not the case. I think because they're older. There therefore trustworthy. They think that because these older manuscripts don't carry Mark chapter of 16 verses 9 to 20 unit that therefore somebody added them later, but there's a great amount of evidence to disprove that Irenaeus in early church leader who wrote before those old manuscripts were written. He quotes Mark's gospel chapter 16 verse 19. So he is who came before he came before those older manuscripts and he's quoting this section that they said Martin right as being written from Mark and me that you want to do some research and Irenaeus, against heresies, three verse 10, section 5, and he's not the only one there other church fathers that Justin Martyr, for example, we came even before Irenaeus and and and then there are others, so I don't believe the Holy Spirit concluded the gospel of good news of Mark with the disciples in fear that they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid and the story I don't believe that it doesn't make any sense.

I conclude that Mark's gospel concludes with verse 20 which says and they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.

Amen. So again, I strongly disagree.

I don't care how much formal training.

They have no scholars can indoctrinate other scholars that happens in seminaries and universities, not just the liberals do this and that's why you bring your Bibles to church so you can say boy, he's right again. But to slow down indoctrination you have your Bibles open to students yourself, your scholars, yourself and the only thing this doctrine is not even a doctrine's position that Margate is the end and everything else was added by somebody else. The only thing that is brought to Christianity is doubt is not improved anything. This is one reason why I don't care for the night as well as lotteries want to give the NIV translation on the NASB is a lot of those that use this Alexandrian source from Alexandria, Egypt. These ancient manuscripts and some other ones I don't like this source. I rather go with those who use the source material from Syria where Irenaeus and Justin Martyr and others were then there was less far less of a Gnostic influence in that part of the world and early Christianity. And I think that the protest comes from scholars hoping to lose you on this. This is important stuff because you read your Bible, you get this little footnote you know older manuscripts stop here.

Does that mean where we found better stuff and it doesn't have the rest which go to read does not, you lucky I don't know where you live your PC. Put down the chart for what now know no great doctrine is lost by either view but still they are wrong. Why is this like I strongly feel that the protests against these verses largely stems from the mention of the sign gifts in verses 17 and 18 scholars don't want the sign gifts they don't want to believe the people but still speak in tongues that they can be healings, they don't want to believe this stuff and you can almost fall them because of the abuses of these things. I mean, you think those are the sprinkler head. You think there for fire suppression shut down anybody's stance of speaking total on preaching before I can get to you that this is nonbiblical to interrupt the teaching of the word of God because you feel you got something to say nobody else can understand. Look at me that's abusive and is rampant in Christianity has been for some time, but that's no reason to say okay let's get rid of all the sign gifts which is what I think many of the scholars do. I am not a cessation us.

I believe in the gifts but I do know for a fact that since the fall of Jerusalem. The gifts have greatly diminished and they're not centralized church. This is where healing church I think is very disappointing. I mean if that was occasionally to go down and empty out the hospitals only hold it, let it go brother. I believe people can heal. I believe people speak in tongues give interpretation, but I just don't believe that the Holy Spirit hands these things out like chiclet's is not new Pez dispenser. You just push on and out pops the retreat and many have treated this way and I also think this is one reason why many churches are afraid to do the book of acts doesn't have to deal with this and I'm looking forward I can't wait to do the book of acts also add in places like I ran or I walk is got a beautifully how deeply you run before you walk anyway then a description like we have posited other possible term North Korea do I think that the Holy Spirit would have to to reach people that he would indeed give sign gifts absolutely because I don't see them doesn't mean they're not happening, but he doesn't do these things to wow us. He does these things to fight back the work of the devil and will again will come that when Jesus said, you know, you shall receive power, to be my witnesses. Not my entertainers. Not my performers.

It is the word is truth that we have been entrusted with, and we see that the disciples did not believe in the resurrection because they didn't believe the Scripture or know the Scripture well enough will, that the minute so coming back to this think it takes more effort to try to explain away, Mark, verses nine through 20 than it does to receive them. An additional purpose and it does nothing inside these verses that would make us go. I sure wish he didn't say that would benefit greatly from intelligence scholars, but many times they can go kooky and you just gotta watch is like everything else. Verse nine now when he rose early on the first day of the week he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven demons okay. She is the first one to the Holy Spirit the perfect Holy Spirit response to these verses on in there.

I know I shouldn't do that? I'm not sorry but somehow I shouldn't do it anyway.

This perfect response is that the kingdom power was fully at work, you say they they stopped in fear. I say the Holy Spirit cast out demons.

That's how he picks up verse nine. So if you read that when they were all afraid they didn't say anything anybody in this like the Holy Spirit� Yeah, but remember Mary. She had seven demons and I bloom out and and so this is how the gospel continues and I love it.

Verse 10 she went and told those who had been with him as they mourned and wept.

She wasted no time. This week's we said here it is three days later their morning and their weeping. Never before had these men felt this slow. This was different from all the sorrows in the Scripture. This was different. All his followers thought he was dead and gone and what about all of his work. What about all those years and times we spent with him his his care for us. What about all of this comes crashing down on them. He was far more than a beloved rabbi to these people. He was their Lord their God.

He was the Christ.

He was just everything that they had hoped for, and now life had been smothered out of of them to tomorrow held no appeal for these men. They were weeping and crying. They which is nothing more they could do with themselves. Verse 11 and when they heard that he was alive and he had been seen by her. They did not believe well as in verse 13 when the men come and bring the news at first and I going to believe them either. So this is not just a gender thing.

While there green on the just women dreaming they didn't believe the men here either.

This is to help devastated.

They were it's for these men. It was not possible for them to believe something just because they wanted to believe it was a lesson for us as we come to the Scripture. Just because we want to believe something is not enough.

We have a foundation there's something very real behind the reasons that we have faith and so we are taught this Peter you know Peter says a give them a reason for the whole that is in you. It is not this just you know mindless rush to believe something that we want to believe, however, just because we want to believe does a man is not true.

Could be very true. We embrace it well. Everything was lost. Fate had beaten them. That's how they felt John's gospel chapter 20 verse nine for as yet they did not know the Scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

This is that this is a point that is emphasized in the Old Testament and the new, that it is truth through revelation that forms our foundation and not truth through speculation or emotions, and those who go to churches as yet what you know. It was dull. What was the preaching right. That's the standard who cares if you think you wanted to be entertained was the truth spoken, because that's what Hell hates. Hell hates than when the truth is spoken and looks to do something about it.

May we not assist hell in doing this very thing. The only ones who seem to have remembered that Jesus said that he would rise again in three days with a very men who had him crucified Matthew's gospel chapter 27 verse 23 this the chief priests and the Pharisees saying to pilot Sir, we remember while he was still alive.

How that deceiver said after three days I will rise how come the apostles didn't get it.

How come they didn't apply this to the their life.

How can we can find. Unbelievers were more pleasant to be around than believers sometimes that shouldn't be so.

As with us. The believers then had a lot of Bible work to do and we get to the book of acts we see Peter's coven was Scripture is quoting Scripture and applying it, and he is up in the face of the devil and close this verse 24 verse 45.

This is after the resurrection of Christ, he still on earth before the ascension ministering to his men and he and Luke writes any open their understanding that they might comprehend the Scripture by Satan come along and say you doubt that was put in the Bible. Well, what else can I doubt Satan description.

I will listen to him I will know the Scripture, because the Holy Spirit guide me through 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.

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