Limitation

Revolves with Dr. North if you would gospel mark and were chapter 6 will be looking at verses one through six. He went away from there came to his hometown and his disciples following on the Sabbath, he began to teach in the synagogue menu heard him were astonished, saying, what is this man get these things.

What is this wisdom given to him. How are such mighty works done by his hands. Is not this the carpenter son of Marion brother James and Josephson and Judas and Simon are not his sisters here with us. They took offense at him. Jesus said to them, a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his relatives in his own household he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed William and he marveled because of their unbelief and went about teaching among the villages teaching spray heavenly father. Pray for Fran really see this morning is fighting esophageal cancer. Help her through the chemo and the radiation. I pray Lord for Nicole Lohse thank you for the progress that she's making in defeating vertigo and asked that you help complete that process. Pray for Karen Simpson who suffered lung and liver cancer. We pray for peace for her and for healing father were focusing on a first today that just blows our minds to verse it teaches us about a limitation that the son of God experienced. We are used to talk about limitations on God. We reformed Christians.

We believe in God's sovereignty sounds demeaning to say that Jesus had a limitation.

It was not demeaning.

In fact, it is a statement of exultation. We are being taught of the unchangeable character and integrity of our Lord, Lord, help us to be wild by this truth. May this truth bring us to our knees with admiration for our Savior or keep my lips from air this morning and use your word to convict us to challenge us in the comfort us what is in the precious name of Jesus that we pray.

A man may be sated in Mark chapter 5 we saw Jesus do miracles that an express power that had Israel's head spinning. They went to the town a good dear I and when he got there there was a man. It was demon possessed, and nobody could control this guy they would a Cheney Buckley break the chains and put them in prison. They break out of prison whole town was afraid of the men would not approaching the women would run from me and the children would hide from him. He was also suicidally live down in the in the graveyard and he would take sharp stones and cut himself and bleed and he would just sit there in the graveyard all day crying and weeping Jesus came upon this Manny Solomon's dilemma in the Scripture says that Jesus cast a legion of demons out of this man and completely setting free. He was a new creation.

All things are passed away behold all things become new and went from there to the capless. There he met a woman who been sick with the ailment for 12 years she gone to one doctor after another after another. Nobody been able to help. She spent all of her money. She had an issue of blood and because of that she was not allowed to go to the synagogue. She was not allowed to go to the temple and worship.

She had to stay away from people not allowed to touch anybody along with the physical ailment is a horrible thing for her. Finally she just gave up. She saw Jesus, she went to the crowd. She reached down between two people and she grabbed on to the hem of his garment, the symbol of his authority and I am just like that she is my completely and totally whale because they are to the house of Gerace and Gerace's daughter 12 years old had died and he reaches over takes her by the hand pulls her up and resurrects her from the dead after all this his fame is just just exploding. The crowds are multiplying so he decides to just get away from everything for a while and he goes back down to his hometown of Nazareth that Jesus was born in Bethlehem a few days after his birth. King Herod the great put out a decree that he was to be killed, and so they ran down to and fled to Egypt. Joseph and Mary and Jesus like stay there for two years and after two years I King Herod the great died then they went back to Nazareth. Nazareth is where Joseph and Mary had been living in a small place it in the Atlanta area is about 60 acres. Most of our communities are much bigger than 60 acres. So it's a small little place 500 people populated that town and they they knew everybody. Everybody knew everybody else. Everybody knew Jesus. This was the that the will man that that was being trained to be a carpenter by his earthly father Joseph also background to the story that we are looking at today. I got four points that I want to share with you before we get on with the SI will not read one verse to you. Once again, and I want you just to think about this verses were going through this passage. Let it roll through your mind over and over, and its first verse five says, and he that is, Jesus could do no mighty miracles they are, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and heal them to keep that person mine. I point one is hometown wonder verses one into one away from there and came to his hometown, his disciples followed him on the Sabbath, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished and putting this man get these things. What is the wisdom given to him. How are such mighty works done by his hands when the Sabbath arise. The whole town went to the ruler of the synagogue and they asking him if Jesus could teach the ruler of the synagogue wanted it so he wouldn't ask him why did they want Jesus to teach because they heard about all these things that Jesus had been doing. He had been peeling the, the blind given them side, peeling the death and given them hearing peeling the layman giving them the ability to wall. Raising Danny and cast out demons and what they had heard about his preaching was this his preaching was phenomenal. It was passionate.

It was authoritative and it was deeply deeply captivating. So the ruler came to Jesus asked him if he would take Jesus agreed and Jesus on the Sabbath day went into the the synagogue the same synagogue that he had been going to every Sabbath day for 25 years. He went over and he picked up the word of God in his hand and he just graveyard back and let me tell you he preached he preached with power people in Nazareth had never heard preaching like that before. I mean they were they were convicted in their heart of sin like they had never felt before Jesus preached it was a powerful thing.

When I heard others preach. It was different. Others would just come to give their own opinions or they would just kinda recapitulate things that other theologians and said not here Jesus preaching that knock their socks off. I'm a man they were say what what in the world is going on here who is this man waiting to get this stuff had to get his knowledge. How can he do miracles at all these questions why because they knew Jesus. Jesus had been built cabinets for them.

Built tables and chairs for them and they knew that he had never been to a theological seminary. I knew that he had never sat under the teaching and mentoring of a learned rabbi, and so they were field with wonder. I point to hometown skepticism.

Look at verses three through four is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother James and Joseph and Judas and Simon are not his sisters here with us. They took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, a prophet is not without honor except in his own hometown among his relatives in his own household.

They were amazed at his teaching, they were astonished at the miracles that Jesus had done and and AA but yet skepticism and unbelief were ruling the day here and they said one minute what a minute we we know who this CS this is Mary son white and they say it was Joseph, son sums think because Joseph and Artie died. By this time I think it's more than that. I think this was an attack on the virgin birth of Christ. They knew Mary from 30 years back. She is 15 years old and and they found out that she was expecting a baby out of wedlock.

Lisa good old Joseph married her anyway that they had doubts about that, and they laughed at Mary about that in they were attacking. I think once again attacking the virgin birth of Christ and the seven we know as brothers and sisters tell you just a couple weeks ago, his brothers and sisters went out to find Jesus and bring you back home because I thought he's doing crazy things.

One of his brother said he has lost his mind.

Scripture says that they took offense at Jesus to think about this, they just heard greater preaching than they've ever heard in their lives.

They have just felt deeper conviction of sin than they have ever felt before. They have heard about miracles like they had never known before the blind see in the death here in the lame heaven mobility people raising the dead people having demons cast out from them and yet they pushed Jesus away and the Scripture says they were offended at him brothers and sisters that is the insidious in this, of unbelief, intellectually, emotionally and psychologically.

They knew that Jesus was the Messiah but spiritually they put up a roadblock said no were not going to believe in Jesus were not going to repent when I get a turn to him because if we do, it's going to cost us more than we want to play so they rejected what they knew to be true, there might be people in this congregation right now who are doing the very same thing you know who Jesus is. You know he's the Messiah. You know he's the son of God, you know, there is no other hope of salvation outside of Christ, and yet your sin is so sweet to you that you're not willing to repent.

You're not willing to say no because you know if it does, it's going to cost you more than you want to play me tell you something I want you to think again. I want you to think internally. This life is like a favorites like a puff of steam it's here and before we realize it. That life is gone to compare this life to eternity is like comparing a drop of water to the Atlantic Ocean. There is no comparison.

I would encourage you to think eternally. If this is where you are today. Repent and come to Christ.

Jesus said a prophet is not honored in his own country right .3. Can an all-powerful sovereign God limit himself burst of verse five and he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed him. If you been around me for very long. You know Russ stand on the issue of God's sovereignty.

I believe that Jesus is King.

I believe that he is Lord, I believe that he is sovereign over all things. He is sovereign over nature.

He is sovereign over nations.

He is sovereign over people. He is sovereign over the devil. He is sovereign over our salvation. He is sovereign over absolutely everything is a great passage of Scripture that I love to read and in the Daniel chapter 4, where King Nebuchadnezzar had just been so field with cockiness and pride that the Lord chastened him, Lord put them out in the field and took his mind away and he was out in the field like an ox eat grass on the field and and his hair grew long in his fingernails and Ella became like claws in his toenails were were the same way.

It was just a horrible, terrible thing. After seven years of that God gave him his sanity back.

Only K he is a humble man at that point in time and listen to what he says and Daniel chapter 4 verse 3435 all the inhabitants of the earth are repeated as nothing he does. According to his wheel in the Army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.

No one can restrain his hand or to say to him what have you done some hundred 15 verse three Paul it was David said said this, he said, but our God is in heaven. He does whatsoever he pleases. In Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 11.

The Scripture says he works all things according to the to the counsel of his wheel. Isaiah chapter 46 verse nine a T and it was God who said they us remember the former things of old Brian God and there is no other. I am God and there is none like me, declaring the EM from the beginning and from ancient times the things that have not yet been done and say in my counsel will stand, and I will accomplish my purposes. The Bible is replete with passage of Scripture that leave us with no doubt that our God is a holy mission of Nipper that the ruler of this world ruler of all that there was all that there is and all that there will be to not read a passage like Mark 65 was it say that Jesus could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people in healing. What son of God.

This is the creator of heaven and earth. This is the one who put the stars in the sky. This is the one who made you and me. John chapter 1 John said in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him without him was nothing made that was made but how could it be that a sovereign Lord with unlimited power could be limited could be held back that he could only do certain things. How could that possibly be in the Scripture does not say anyone do no mighty works to seek no mighty works to know. Mark wrote this gospel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Every word of its infallible and truly said he didn't mean to write what he just wrote could they wrote he wrote could because exactly what the Holy Spirit inspired him to write. So the question has to be, how can a sovereign God is in total control of all things be limited is the answer. He limited himself by what by his word by his character and by his integrity. We give an example before I became a Christian I used to question why Jesus had to go to the cross for it seemed to me that a if God was a God of love and if he had all power, if he wanted to forgive somebody they could just snap his fingers and forgive him what was wrong with my thinking.

My thinking was I was only considering one of the attributes of God and that was the got the attribute of love, but I was not considering the attribute of God's holiness. The attribute of God's holiness tells us that God can even look upon sin that all sin must be punished. That God can't just snap his fingers and forgive us that justice must be served that sin must be punished. That's the only way it can can happen. The only possible way possible answer for that is the sinless sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Second Corinthians 521 says for God made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Atonement had to be made so God limited himself by his impeccable character one attribute would not overrule another attribute attributes of God are never working at cross purposes against each other.

Another attribute of God's truth. Jesus said in John 14 six I am the way the truth and the life that may come from the father but by me. Hebrews chapter 6 verse 18 says that it is impossible for God to lie, and then a second Corinthians chapter 1 verse 20 the Scripture says all the promises of God in Christ Jesus our yes and amen. So God gives a promise.

Rest assured of this is going to keep it. God limits himself what he promises in his word. So how can a person be saved we must come to God in true radical repentance and faith. So the only way believing that Jesus is his only hope and trusting that God will take the payment that Jesus made on the cross and then credited to our account.

What is faith, writer of Hebrews says that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For without faith it is impossible to please God, for you comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. This can express faith in anybody just express fyke none.

It doesn't come from down inside of us were dead in our trespasses and sins. Ephesians chapter 2 verse eight Nate nine explains it. For by grace are ye saved through faith that not of yourself. It's a gift of God not of works lest any man should boast or take just a minute and read you something that Thomas Manton cradle Puritan said and to me this is just absolutely glorious. Listen carefully. He said the work of conversion is completely of God.

God alone frames our hearts to the obedience of his wheel. This must be so, as we consider the nature of man. Man is stark blind in the things of God. Every man has a heart of stone insensible and inflexible. How many times is awarded God work upon him, to no purpose see it as an overruling master and man a willing servant. Sin never stops commanding and we are at his beck and call man is blonde with a hard heart. He is an enemy to the law of God and cannot please God. He does not even desire God is someone directs them in the right way becomes angry he is dead in trespasses and sins, he is worse than dead. His life is alive to resist and rebel against God. What a miserable, wretched creature. Man is there is nothing in man's nature to carry him to grace and conversion. God must work.

He can never be renewed to Rimini, so great and evil requires almighty power, God must open our understanding in our hearts.

God is not only knock it are at the heart by his word, he also opens the heart and interest to take possession. God uses different keys to unlock the door of our heart uses one cross another affliction, a sermon one message after another. It is not, however, and listen to this until God puts his finger upon the whole of the lock that we open. Salvation is expressed by regeneration, resurrection, creation, and lying out of darkness we are called new creatures and overcome by God's power. What a mystery is grace the power of God that works in us. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus. Amen. A great example of this is the apostle Paul. Paul was filled with unbelief.

He was headed down the road to Damascus with the anger against Christ and in anger against God's people hatred for Christ and he was going to to Damascus to get permission letters to persecute more Christians as he was going the risen Lord is resurrected glorified body appeared before Paul Paul fell off his horse. Truman and shaking with fear looked up to Jesus and he called him Lord. It was there on the Damascus road that he repented of his sins.

It was there that he trusted Christ and Christ alone for his salvation, God took that man whose heart was so filled with nasty unbelief and turned it into faith and changed his heart.

Paul went on to do what he paid.

He started churches all over the Middle East PA led thousands of people to Christ the road. Over half the New Testament then he was martyred for his faith.

He was martyred for being a Christian like chopped his head off. If ever there was a man whose heart was filled with faith. It was the apostle Paul. What did God. God took that nasty unbelief in infield p.m. with faith. That's what God does. Every time a person comes to Christ how I balance my responsibility with God's sovereignty should we say will of God is sovereign, that I just sit back and do nothing. And God is sovereign, then he wants to meet her at the end he'll make me repent.

If he wants me to believe he'll make me believe know this is what God tells you to do these as you obey, you obey, and in what you have to do is you have to repent and you have to trust in him as your Lord and Savior. And when you do then you turn right around and absolute wonder and amazement said God you did this.

This was not something that I worked up. This is not something I did in my own power. This is something you did of the power of your grace, but that's a glorious thing to me yet how often in Scripture. Does God refuse to overrule the, the unbelief of groups of people. How often does God say to an unbelieving bunch, you will not enter my rest. You will not enjoy my presence in my blessing the people of Nazareth knew Jesus better than any other people in the world. They were his home to hometown folks I use this passage often when I'm witnessing to a person who was reared in a Christian home and is living in rebellion. I don't want when that person is living in a in a home where they have parents that are teaching them the word of God parents that love the Lord Jesus they're going to a church that's a Bible believing church and I have witnesses all around them at all times and yet still there repent, not repenting and still they're just living out their own life as if there is no God, to account to I will share with that person.

I want you to know that when you stand before God and the final judgment, your judgment will be greater than the murder it will be greater than the adulterer they the right fist in the pedophile message.

What would you talking about because you were more accountable. You have had greater truth, you have had more witnesses than a hollow day by day where you've heard the gospel and you need desperately to repent for it was Jesus himself who said the servant who knew to do is master's will and did not do it will be beaten with many stripes.

What is the people of Nazareth know they knew of his miracles. They knew of blind people that were CN and deaf people that were here in Lane people that were walking and you have dead people that were raising the dead and they heard Jesus preach and when they did, there was this deep, deep conviction, and so the problem in Nazareth is not stupidity then you were Jesus was born is born in Bethlehem. What is that matter. One of the prophecies of the Old Testament that the Messiah would be born.

Micah chapter 5 verse eight in Bethlehem. They also knew what Isaiah chapter 7 said, and that is of the Messiah would be the virgin born son of God, and they you that Mary claimed to be a virgin. I knew that Joseph said the very same thing in Joseph and Mary never backed off of that they mock them about it, but you have to know Dan in their hearts. There had to be some conviction there and what Joseph and Mary were saying was absolute truth say they watched Jesus grow up and they never saw Jesus sin you know why because Jesus never sinned other little kids would go out like steel and Apple are like say a curse word. Are they getting an argument with their parents and they got to be teenagers, they went and started drinking then and would look for an opportunity to be a moral Jesus never ever did that his life was perfect sinlessness.

The people of Nazareth had the facts in their head, but there was rejection in their heart you know what unbelief is just what it is, is not that you don't know the facts unbelief is that you know the facts and yet you reject those facts in your heart is not a lack of knowledge, it is heart rejection. Lord sovereignly harden the people of Nazareth, just like the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh never read that passage in Exodus where his tongue up Pharaoh's hardening.

It starts off this way since Pharaoh hardened his heart, read a little further dances and God hardened his heart real little further on this is Pharaoh hardened his heart really little further. This is God hardened his heart as was going on in Nazareth.

That's what's going own. They rejected Jesus and they missed out on the grace and the power of Christ is what Jesus could could do no miracle here it's because he he was limited by his own sovereign authority. My fourth and last point is messianic astonishment.

Look at verse six and he marveled because of their unbelief anyone about among the villages teaching are not many things that Jesus marveled at a sight to the blind hearing to the deaf mobility to the line the race people from the day had cast out demons.

He never marveled at any those things. But the Scripture says, he marveled at their unbelief. Wonder how many times God marvelous in our unbelief problem comes up in our life and we wind and we worry we wring our hands and God says to us to just pray oh what, why, why don't you seek my face. Why don't you don't you let me, let me share verse with you that God brings to my mind often every time it does it brings great conviction.

Jeremiah 33 verse three it says: to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, which thou knowest not only close with this illustration after World War II ended, was a man his name is Roger Sims, who had been discharged from the Army. He was headed home and I was having to hitchhike home.

He was out on the road and he had his thumb up in this big sling Cadillac comes up at peace as well. He'll never stop, but he was shocked. Cadillac did stop in the passenger door opened up and Roger jumped in through stuff in the in the backseat and the car took off. The man that was driving was a handsome middle-aged man wearing a very expensive suit man looked over to Roger settle you home for good. Roger said yes sir I am sitting my name is Mr. Hanover set on a large company in Chicago. Roger was a Christian and Roger felt immediately compelled to talk to this man about his soul kept putting it off and put that off till there were about 30 miles from his home. Finally couldn't put it off any longer.

He turned around. Mr. Hanover said Mr. Hanover Mr. Hanover owner taught you better so cannot do that. Mr. Hanover nodded to say it.

And so he started right then he went verse by verse. The gospel presentation explained to him repentance. He explained to him, faith explained to him what Jesus did on the cross. He explained to him the substitutionary atonement. He explained him the power of the resurrection, and then finally he finished up and and Mr. Hanover pulled his car off to the side of the road and Roger thought is compelling to get out but he didn't. He put his head down on the steering wheel begin to weep like a baby and he cried out. The Lord and asked for forgiveness begged the Lord to the forgiving, and he repented right there in his car trusting Christ and Christ alone is as Lord and Savior.

Five years later, Rogers married Scott a little two-year-old boy and his company that he worked for sending all the way back to Chicago and so he grabbed the business card. Mr. Hanover said while I'm in Chicago I'm to stop by and see you went to the big Hanover building walked into the receptionist and said I'm here to see Mr. Hanover and the receptionist said you can see Mrs. Hanover.

Her office is over there and he walked in and he walked in Mrs. Hanover sitting they are in and he said Mrs. Hanover on Roger seems five years ago your husband pick me up. I was just discharged from the Army and took me all the way home and she said will owe about that.

That's great. You said you remember exactly when that happened.

He said yes ma'am I remembered to the day because it was May 7, the day that I was a I was discharged from the Army five years ago and she said will tell me why you're here and he said Mrs. Hanover said I'm a Christian and said I had the opportunity wells in the car to share the gospel with your husband and your husband wept like a baby and he repented of his sins. He trusted Christ as Lord and Savior, and he said I believe with all my heart that God did a work in your husband that what happened was real.

The wife broke down in sobs. She said when we got married we were both unbelievers said I came to Christ 15 years ago and 14 years I've been witnessing my husband and I told him enough talk to him and I've shared truth with him and I prayed for him over and over and over again and nothing has happened. I asked God to do that work in his heart that I can't do it and nothing's happened in and in and Rogerson wished Mr. with Mr. Hanover nail and she said your Mr. Hanover's dead and she said he died on May 7, five years ago said he let you out.

Evidently, and he was on his way home from there and there was a terrible automobile accident and he was keeled.

She said I had no idea because he never came home and never talk to him. I had no idea about what you just told me she said I have been angry with the Lord. For the last five years for not answering my prayer and saving my husband and now unknown, praise God. He did it praise God he did it and she quoted Jeremiah chapter 33 verse three: to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

Grace Church may Jesus never marveled at our unbelief, may we trust to him. And may we marvel at his grace and power. This pray heavenly father we close the sermon today was a wonderful promise from your word. Jeremiah 33 three calling to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know were also told by James that we have not because we asked not Lord, we don't pray like we should, we don't intercede with passion, like we all father, help us to be more faithful, more trusting, more excited about who you are what you desire to do for us through us and in us, forgive our unbelief and build our faith help us to get more serious about memorization and meditation on Scripture help us to glorify you.

What is in Jesus name I pray a man