0:01 Mark chapter six. Our brother prayed. We're thankful for that, but let's pray again, shall we? Heavenly father, you are our refuge, our shield, our strength. Lord, we ask that you would show yourself strong through this passage.
0:28 Help us see the glories and the infinite beauty of your son, Jesus. Soften our hearts, Lord. You alone know the hearts of all men. You know exactly what is happening, though man may not perceive it. We pray that you would help us be the very people you have redeemed us to be.
0:47 Lord, we submit to you in reverence and in awe of who you are, and we trust, Lord, that you will speak to us. We hunger and thirst for righteousness, and you promise that for those who hunger for such things will be filled. And we ask that we would be filled today. In Jesus' name, amen. Mark six.
1:06 Are you there? Verse one. Follow with me as we read the words of almighty God. He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. And on the Sabbath, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished saying, where did this man get these things?
1:28 What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us? And they took offense at him.
1:47 And Jesus said to them, a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household. And he could do no mighty work there except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. This new chapter in our journey through the gospel of Mark opens up to us with the announcement that Jesus arrived at his hometown, and that is no small detail concerning the Lord's itinerary.
2:31 The fact that we see that this is taking place in the setting of Nazareth adds a critical element to the dimension of the exchange that Jesus will have with this particular audience. And it's also going to be the framework where you and I are going to discover unique truths that will indeed challenge us. To disconnect Nazareth, Jesus' hometown, from this context would be a great disservice to what it is that the Holy Spirit intends to teach us. And so we must understand the geographical location of Jesus at this particular time. He is there visiting where he grew up.
3:10 And you would expect that as Jesus arrives to his friendly neighborhood that he would be welcomed with unusual hospitality or extravagant warmth. But that is not the case. That will not be the case. Instead, what you and I are going to see is that the Holy Spirit testifies that the residents of Nazareth are actually gonna be among some of the most hostile communities and people to resist the message and the ministry of Jesus Christ. You are going to see something that perhaps will also make you marvel.
3:51 Maybe not. But indeed, it made Jesus marvel. We are not unfamiliar with the concept that Christ, during his days on earth, was dishonored and that Christ today is continually being dishonored. But what makes this hardheartedness especially grieving is that this kind of rejection is coming from those who are the most familiar with him. The most familiar with him.
4:22 There is a danger with familiarity. And I thought about how to title this message because sometimes it helps to get a message within the title of the message. Growing up with Jesus. Growing up with Jesus. It can be a blessing.
4:44 Sometimes it can be dangerous. When we examine this particular case of rejection, unfortunately, one of many during the life of Christ, I want us to consider three simple things. I want us to first consider the region of the rejection. You and I read it in verse one. He went away from there and came to his hometown.
5:08 Now this is important because it says here, and his disciples followed him. The fact that we are told that the disciples follow Jesus to his hometown suggests and prepares us to know that this is not some private visit, but it is for the purpose of public ministry. Jesus is coming to Nazareth to preach and to teach. And the fact that the Lord, our Lord, is willing to go to a town like this says much about him as a servant of God, which Mark wants to highlight. That's the theme of the gospel of Mark, the perfect servant of God.
5:40 And I want your heart to be ministered to you as you realize what kind of minister Jesus was. When Nathaniel heard from his friend Philip that apparently the Messiah had been identified, we are told in John one forty six, can anything good come out of Nazareth? That question of contempt already tells us that Nazareth was not a town of good repute. It was obscure. It was of poor reputation.
6:16 And though there isn't much said about Nazareth, the silence of the Old Testament concerning it, again might suggest that this was a small irrelevant, something on the wayside, a place held in low esteem. And when you add to that silence Nathaniel's comment, you get the impression that it probably wasn't a very pleasant place to be either. So Jesus is going there. We're not told plainly why Nazareth was such a place. We don't know why exactly why it was held in derision, but it's enough for us to know from whatever is told about Nazareth that it's not a place that you would willingly want to be.
7:03 But Jesus goes there. Jesus willingly takes the time to come to this community and to preach the gospel to them. You see, when you look at the Lord, you know that our master was the most captivating preacher, the most profound teacher who had unmatched authority concerning miracles, but the same teacher, the same minister, the same traveling rabbi did not shun insignificant and meager places to serve. We see here that this Jesus did not determine where he would be based on how many people would be present. He didn't look at opportunities to serve as a potential stepping stone for a greater promotion or opportunity.
7:58 He loved people. And when he saw that there was a need, he was willing to be there. When he saw that there were souls that could be potentially saved, he would be there. He did not disqualify even though of a place that was disqualified. He was not moved by popularity.
8:15 He was not moved by the platform. He was not motivated by the honorarium. He saw the value of a human soul, and that was enough for him to go where men would not go. You're called to follow Jesus, are you not? I'm called to follow Jesus.
8:32 And this will minister to the ones who want to minister in any capacity. Can I ask you this afternoon, what is it my brother? What is it my sister that motivates you to serve God's people or God's purposes on the earth? What is it that inspires you? You have some people who will not give their gifts if the thing is too small.
8:56 If there isn't promised promotion, if there isn't recognition, if there isn't potential, fame, or any kind of recognition. And yet Jesus could care less about those things. If there was anyone who should have been very selective where where he would minister, it was Jesus, and yet you find him in neighborhoods like Nazareth. I wanna be like Jesus. I don't wanna automatically dismiss opportunities just because they're not flashy or attractive or impressive.
9:38 I don't wanna come to a place and see it barely attended, but knowing that God had called me there be discouraged because of fleshly reasonings. If Jesus could have a following of 12 and Jesus could come to a place like Nazareth to preach, then you and I should be more than willing to go where he calls us to go, though you live and die and no one mentions your name as a man or a woman of God. If you think that's inspiring, it only gets more inspiring. Why? Because this is not the only time Jesus went to Nazareth.
10:16 This is in fact the second recorded time that Jesus made his way to his hometown. And you might be thinking, well, why is that important to know? Because we've been given the detailed account when Jesus initially went to Nazareth. And it's found in Luke chapter four shortly after his forty day wilderness experience. And when you see what happened to Jesus when he went to Nazareth the first time, it will make you wonder why he would ever go back again.
10:49 Can I show that to you? Well, meet me in Luke chapter four quickly. Matthew, Mark, Luke. The right side of your book. Luke four.
11:03 And notice this with me as we just skip over some of these verses. Verse 16. At the beginning of his preaching ministry, we are told, and he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day and he stood up to read. And he reads out of Isaiah 61.
11:27 And then you look at the initial response of the people. Verse 22, and all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, is not this Joseph's son? So the people were impressed. They were moved.
11:47 Their hearts were ministered to, but whatever endearment that they enjoyed and that they shared to Jesus and with Jesus was quickly intercepted by disdain. It didn't take very long for these people to have difficulty to reconcile this. How can little Jesus, son of Joseph, how can this carpenter claim to be the Messiah that we've been waiting for? And they couldn't grasp it. They couldn't fathom it.
12:19 They they couldn't solve that equation, and we don't have time to read how Jesus responds to their unbelief, but let's summarize it with this. He rebukes them. He rebukes them. Friends and family that have known him since he was a little boy, he was not afraid to confront them for their sin. And when he does call them out for their lack of faith despite so much evidence, what do you think they did to him?
12:48 Well, you don't have to guess. Look down at verse 29. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away. You know, the people, Jesus read their minds, they wanted some kind of a show of a miracle.
13:13 And in some indirect way, he did. I I would love to have known what that looked like for a crowd to push Jesus to the edge of a cliff, and and then we are told that he passed through their midst. Perhaps they were just paralyzed in that place and he just casually walked by with a grin on his face. They wanted to kill him. The same Jesus that would be playing and running around in their streets and be called home for dinner from Mary.
13:40 The same Jesus that was being trained by Joseph to know how to cut wood and fashion stone. That same Jesus was ready to be launched off a hill because of his message. And according to Mark, despite such deadly aggression, despite such evil, Jesus later on in his ministry makes his way back to Nazareth to teach again. And you might be thinking, why? That's unthinkable to me.
14:19 Why would Jesus do such a thing? And I could not get past one simple truth, perhaps it's the same truth that you're listening to in your own heart concerning who Jesus is. He's gracious. That's why. He his grace doesn't make sense.
14:37 It's abundant. It's overflowing. It's scandalous. Yes. This Jesus is willing to go back to the same place and give these people a second chance.
14:50 I think to myself, Lord, not only do I wanna be like you in terms of where I go and who I minister to, but oh Lord, this kind of this kind of mercy, this kind of grace and forgiveness and willingness, this kind of throbbing of the heart that's willing to continue to extend the hand to those who swatted away, and not just wanna swatted away, wanna cut it off. I feel so small. I feel so weak. I feel so powerless. And that's what happens when you come to the gospels and you face this Jesus.
15:28 He humbles you. Any kind of boast that you would have in your character, your consistency, oh, is just smashed as it is under the weight of his glory. Jesus going back to Nazareth? You You have some people who won't come back to church if the pastor forgets to shake their hand, and yet Jesus is willing to go back to the people who wanted to kill him. This is our Jesus.
15:58 The region of the rejection says something about the redeeming love of this rabbi. But we go from the region of the rejection to the reason for the rejection. Come back to Mark six, and let's read their questioning. Oh, you would think maybe something would change in the hearts of these Nazarenes since the first time Jesus came. You would think that between the first and second visit, that because Jesus's message and power spread like wildfire to the furthest parts of Israel, that the Nazarenes would have heard the headlines.
16:38 This man is doing miracles. He's cleansing lepers. He's delivering from demons. He just he just raised the little girl from the dead. You would think that after all of that, how they treated him and the reports about him that they would be regretful.
16:55 They would be humbled. Maybe you would think that they would hope to God that there would be a second chance for Jesus to come back and to offer himself again and we would we would be different in how we hear him. And the fact that again, Jesus is willing to go back should inspire us. In what way? That it's possible.
17:16 It's possible. I'm not saying it happened, but it's possible for people to change. It's possible, and we should be open to the prospect that people who were once hardened soil can become over time fertile ground. That people who once rejected Christ and were indifferent to Christ and were unmoved by the gospel can at some point be fervent for Christ, faithful, obedient, loving, surrendered to him. And if you need biblical evidence of that, you know the different examples of the Bible that tell us of how even cities and the most unlikely candidates can become the most glorious trophies of his grace.
18:03 Remember those Samaritans when Jesus wanted to go to Jerusalem and he wanted to pass through so he sends a couple of disciples and they reject him. You're not even allowed to come through these doors. And they wanted to call fire down from heaven. And Jesus rebuked them because Jesus had something else in mind. He wanted to send something else from heaven on the Samaritans.
18:22 And you find that in Acts chapter eight when Philip the evangelist goes and he preaches. And when he preaches there's revival in Samaria. Or you think about the classic example of Saul of Tarsus who became the great Apostle Paul. Yes, people can change and I know that sounds like a cliche. I know that's something that we always hear, but let it let it bless you and let it inspire you to to believe that people who have once resented the truth can accept the savior at some point.
18:54 Is that the case for this story? Is that's gonna happen with the Nazarenes? Unfortunately not. The rejection will be the same. And listen, the rejection will be the same.
19:04 The only difference is they're not gonna try to kill him because they realize it didn't work the first time. Why did they reject him again? Why did they reject him at all? Pay attention to this. It comes down to one reason.
19:21 Familiarity. Familiarity. They were familiar with Jesus. Bewildered by his unmatched delivery, they were astonished by how he was preaching and what he was preaching. But again, just like the first time, something of an obstacle arose in their hearts.
19:44 And the rhetorical questions are clear and it's worth visiting again. Where did this man get these things? They're not actually wondering, they're kind of criticizing. What is the wisdom given to him? How were such mighty works done by his hands?
20:01 Here's what they're essentially saying. We know that Jesus was a carpenter from for many years of his life. And so how is it that this man with no theological training or background can come and teach in such a way and claim to have truths to give to us? And then they continue by saying, how is it that he is the son of Mary? So they went from, we can't understand how our local handyman can be the claimed Messiah.
20:37 To them, that that just bothered them. They could not accept that, That this is the anointed one. But then they said here, is not this in verse three, the carpenter, the son of Mary. The son of Mary. That's not just to identify Jesus among different Jesus'.
20:55 This is a derogatory term. This is a slur. This is them resurfacing and retelling the scandal around Jesus's birth. The Jews, even the religious leaders believed he was an illegitimate son. You read that in the gospel of John.
21:15 And so by bringing up Jesus being the son of Mary, they are trying to refer to his strange history and background. And then they go on to say, after naming his siblings, are not his sisters with us? Again, this is not just to identify who he is, they're trying to make a statement. And this statement is this, if if this is really the prophet, if this is really the God sent, then how is it that even his own siblings don't believe in him? Are not his sisters they say, are not his sisters with us?
21:55 Why aren't they with him? And so they think of all these reasons to disqualify Jesus's claims and identification. And here is the main crux of the matter. This is really the the heart behind what they're saying. Jesus, you can't fool us.
22:15 You can't fool us. Oh sure, you can say what you're saying and sure it's powerful and sure there's some kind of evidence behind your miracles, but we know who you really are. We've watched you with our own eyes. We've seen you grow up. And so don't don't pretend to be like you are something that came from heaven and that you are the one that we've been awaiting.
22:39 You you can fool the ones in Capernaum, but not us from Nazareth. There's no way you are who you say you are. What foolishness. This confidence will be their condemnation. And do you know why they can be so sure of their biographical assessment of who Jesus is?
23:00 You ready for this? It's because the Nazarenes had some history with Jesus. They grew up around him. They observed him. They were over the years able to accumulate some database about his person.
23:18 And they thought that they You ready for this? They thought that they really knew him. They didn't. And here's the point for us to consider this Sunday afternoon in light of this, having history growing up around Jesus does not mean you really know Jesus. Having history growing up around Jesus does not mean, sorry to sting you with this truth, does not mean you really know Jesus.
23:48 And I'm sure some of you can relate to that. I'm sure many of you can recall what it was like to have Jesus in your home. I'm sure some of you know what it's like to have Jesus in your car when your mother or your father played songs about the savior. I'm sure some of you remember visiting Jesus like a distant relative once a week for a couple of hours, not because you were excited to see him, but because he did some good things for you and your family, you just want to pay some respect. Some of you might be doing that this very afternoon.
24:29 And because of that kind of environment, people develop a false sense of confidence that they know all that they need to know about this Jesus when in fact, they don't really know him? In reality, he was everywhere around you except in your heart. Isn't that the testimony of so many in this place today? I grew up around Jesus. I saw him from a distance.
24:59 I'm familiar with his words. I'm familiar with what he has done. But that doesn't mean you know him. And I remember that being my testimony. And I remember where it all changed.
25:15 If you were to ask me at 18, do you know Jesus? I wouldn't bat an eye and say, I know Jesus. And all of that was altered when my limited profile of his person was challenged by the true and full presentation of who he really was and what he truly demanded of me. And it could be very well that some who are listening today are under that accursed confidence. Accursed confidence.
25:48 Why? Because it all feels right. It feels right because Jesus was a neighbor to you for so long. He lived in and through your mommy, and your granddaddy, and maybe your older brother, your younger sister, or you just happen to be in a Christian household, so you have naturally believing friends. And so you're familiar with the events that you had to go to on some weekends, and the conferences that you went to kicking and screaming, and the only comfort you had was that there would be some games or food.
26:29 And so you feel like you know him because you've been around him. You're accustomed to his name, you're accustomed to his word, you're accustomed maybe even with some of his works. But like the Nazarenes of Jesus's day, you did not wholly embrace him. You did not embrace him. He's something but he's not everything.
26:53 He exists to you but he's not extravagant to you. You don't have this perception of his holiness and his other worldliness, and his wonder, and his power, and his presence in your life daily. He's just ordinary Jesus. You need to be saved. Young person, listen to me.
27:27 I can speak boldly to you because I know what it's like to be in that pew and have the fragrance of Jesus around me, but not on me. You don't have to wait till you get to college and mess up more before you realize that the world is lying to you and that what you did hear from a distance was actually true all along. Give up now. You'll never regret it. These people had a strange comfort in their analysis of Jesus and they can judge him though it was judged wrongly because they were familiar with him.
28:13 And I wanna encourage parents not to be afraid for your children to be accustomed to Jesus from a young age. All I ask you to do is give them the whole Jesus. Make sure that they are plugged into a church that preaches the whole Jesus. Remind them and sit with them and tell them the truth of what it means to really follow Jesus. I think a lot of the mistakes that people make concerning their children is that they are confident in a little prayer that they prayed at one point and there's no discipleship following.
28:48 Disciple them. Sit with them. Have honest conversations with them. And more importantly, by the grace of God and through his Holy Spirit, live it before them. Live it before them.
29:01 And trust that their familiarity with Jesus can actually be their rescue. These people were familiar with Jesus but a limited Jesus. Not the deified Jesus. Not the Son of God. So they got themselves in trouble.
29:23 So we look at here the reason for their rejection. And now we look at finally, the response. We looked at the region of the rejection. We looked at the reason for the direct rejection. Now we come to the response of the rejection or to the rejection.
29:39 Verse four, and Jesus said to them, a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household. This is a this is a proverbial expression. It's sad. It's it's something that we know, but you can imagine Jesus saying this with some level of pain in his heart. A prophet is not without honor except in three places according to Jesus.
30:05 Number one, his hometown, which can speak of his companions and close friends. Number two, among his relatives, we can speak primarily about distant relatives. And lastly, in his own household, your immediate loved ones. And though these are different spheres, they all have one thing in common. They are accustomed to you.
30:27 And so Jesus is is really confirming what we just finished explaining. The way we can translate what Jesus is saying here is with the common adage that we know familiarity breeds contempt. That the more familiar you become with something or someone, the tendency there is for you to become relaxed and more than just relaxed, dishonoring. And Jesus is saying, that's what happens to messengers of God. That's what happens generally with messengers of God.
30:58 That the ones who are closest to him tend to not appreciate and value them or see them for who they really are over time. And when Jesus says this, we have to understand that it applies beyond the unbeliever not believing in the true Jesus because they grew up being familiar with Jesus. No. There are those who are saved, and I pray that's all of you. There are those who are saved who have to understand that we as Christians who have made confession in Christ, are not immune to the fatal danger of familiarity.
31:33 I don't have Do I I don't really have to spend the next ten minutes explaining how that could be true. I think you and I are fully convinced that our hearts are susceptible of becoming indifferent and casual and distracted concerning who Jesus is. Right? But I wanna offer you a solution that you can hold on to for the rest of your days. One of the best and most effective things that you can do to assure that your feelings for Christ and your pursuit of Christ does not grow stale and crusty and sits on some shelf in your mind where it just gathers dust while you're playing with other things in life that are significantly less important than Christ, is to do this.
32:17 Can I tell you what to do? Would you ever keep this truth before you for the rest of your life? That no matter what kind of exposure you've had to the glories of Jesus, there is yet more beauty, more wisdom, more power yet to be discovered. If you have that conviction before you, you allow it to rest on your heart day and night. It will be like dew that will keep your faith fresh and alive.
32:50 Everything that you have seen, everything that you have heard, everything that you think you have mastered is nothing in comparison to all that Christ is. I I shared this on Friday, so forgive me Friday Bible students if I repeat this reference. But I read it earlier this week and I can't shake it off because it it it inspired me in a new way. It woke me up in a new way. And the book of Job will do that to you in many ways.
33:22 And the reference that I'm speaking of is in Job twenty six fourteen. Job finishes in that chapter rehearsing the absolute power and majesty of God, the grandeur of who he is and all of creation, how he and his power sustains the universe and all the details therein. And at the end of the matter, when he gives this wonderful speech of just how sovereign God is, he ends up saying this, behold these are but the outskirt of his ways. And how small a whisper do we hear of him. But the thunder of his power, who can understand?
34:00 This is what Job is saying after describing the glories of God in all of creation, and all of his acts. All of the things that you've perceived. All of the things that have taken your breath away. All of the things that we get updates on the news about concerning the universe and pictures and discoveries, all of those things, listen carefully, are but a sigh of his might. They're just a whisper of his wisdom.
34:27 It's just a peek at his power. And and if if we have just entertained the edges of his natural revelation, What awaits you and I when we come into the power of God unto salvation? What is ready to blow our minds when we dig deeper concerning his incarnation? Concerning his death, his burial, his resurrection, his ascension, his high priestly ministry right now in heaven, his return, and his restoration of all things, his life as you and I are looking through through the gospel of Mark. What is it that awaits us to know if we just but pursue it?
35:13 Someone massively said this, that one of the paradoxes of Christian growth is that the more you grow in your knowledge of God and his word, the more you realize of how little grasp you have of it. And so when I when I thought about that, this is what I realized. That your wonder of who God is will cease the moment you stop pursuing it. So what do you mean brother? What I'm saying is this, if that paradox is true that the more I discover who Christ is, the more I see his promises, the more I see his acts, the more I see what he is capable of, what he has done, what he will do, what he can do today, the more I learn these things, if it's true, the the more I realize, man, I don't even know.
36:05 It will humble you, it will cause you to worship, it will cause you realize you're a creature and that he's the creator. That kind of amazement will stop due to one thing, you stopped pursuing him. That's the power of this thing. This is why this is supernatural. It's amazing.
36:25 The more I eat physically, the more full I get. Is that not true? But that's not true spiritually. What happens spiritually more you eat spiritually, the hungrier you get. And so if you've come to a place where you're just stale and cool and Yeah.
36:43 Jesus. Ordinary Jesus. Yeah. I think I figured him out. Can I tell you something?
36:47 You obviously at some point stop pursuing him. Because that is not the attitude of someone who's tilling the ground of the word of God and seeing greater gems and jewels of his glory. But the person who is coming and does discipline themselves, whether they feel like it or not, knowing what truth is. Oh, the more they are stimulated and kept alive concerning their praise and their astonishment of who he is. So listen, God is not going to put on a show from you for you from time to time to get you to understand how good he is.
37:25 It's the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to search them out. God is too precious and valuable. He has given us enough for us to be invited to seek him and know him, and when you do, he promises to give you samples of who he is that will keep you alive more than you can imagine. And unfortunately for these Nazarenes, they could not see past the carpenter Jesus. They could not see past teenager Jesus.
37:59 They could not see past the son of Mary, the son of Joseph. So they stayed exactly where they were in unbelief and spiritual death. And Jesus has a response more than what he had just said because of that. There are three things that happen with Jesus after this. One has to do with miracles.
38:22 The other one has to do with marvel. The last thing has to do with him moving about. Look at the miracle aspect here in verse five. And he could not do mighty work there. He could not do no mighty work there except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.
38:39 He could not do? Don't think for a moment that unbelief of people can limit Jesus from exercising his power. Do not believe for a moment that Christ cannot move about in full capacity because there is a lack of currency of faith. Nothing nor anyone can tie Jesus's hands down. He's sovereign.
39:06 He can do whatever he pleases at any time at any point. What this infers the context suggests this though, that Jesus chose not to do miracles. Jesus chose not to do miracles because the miracles of Jesus have a purpose. They are not vain stunts. They are not empty presentations of his power.
39:28 The miracles of Jesus seek to validate his message and his identity. But what do you have here? You have a people who have already written off his message, and have already written off his identity. So here's the natural equation. Why do miracles?
39:42 What's the point? The verdict has already been made. And so he refrains from doing the very thing that they have already concluded in their minds. We don't believe in you. We don't want anything to do with you.
39:54 Then fine. There will be no miracles for you. And if that is the case, it's good to understand that Jesus chose not to, but here's the broader meaning for this for us. When we put the pieces together, here's what we conclude. That Christ's choice not to manifest his power and might was in correlation to what?
40:18 The people's lack of humility and hunger for him. Jesus chose not to do these things for one main reason. They didn't want it. They didn't honor him. They didn't see their desperate need of him.
40:34 And so he reserved it. And if that is true, then let me say this, Christ then and Christ today, he observes and he looks and he considers the honor that men give him or refuse to give him and that can in some way determine how we experience him. That can in some way determine how we experience him. So, yeah. Let let the world be the world, but let the church be the church.
41:04 And here's what I have to say to you. May we never lose our wonder or our awe of who he is. I I hope that every single time you and I gather as Christians, as the church, that we would be absolutely stunned of who we are singing to, of who we are hearing from, of who it is that is demanding and commanding and revealing. And that there would be this trembling within because he's worthy of such honor and God looks at the honor that we give him. I'm sure you reminded of Malachi chapter one.
41:37 If you call me this, where is this? If you refer to me as father, if you where is my honor then? So the Lord wants to see where is my honor And based on that, it's clearly lacking here. He says, well then, you're not gonna have what I can give you because he's worthy. And so here's what you and I have to do, Be aware of offending the Lord of hosts and realize that you need him moment by moment, second by second, and he will bless you for recognizing him as such.
42:12 Everything you need. So he did not do miracles there. But we see here the marveling. Verse six, and he marveled because of their unbelief. There's a lot of marveling in the gospels, but not much from Jesus.
42:29 You see a lot of marveling from people. You see a lot of marveling from miracles and teachings. But for Jesus to marvel, as someone said, is a marvel in itself. In all of the gospels, we are explicitly told twice, only twice in all of the gospels where Jesus marveled. Marveled to me, to wonder at.
42:53 The first is what we see here, but in the other place is with the faith of the centurion in Luke chapter seven verse nine. When the centurion said, you don't need to come to my house. All you need to do is say the word and my servant will be healed. It says there that Jesus marveled at him. He marveled at him and he turned and he said to the rest that in all of Israel he has not seen such faith.
43:16 And so, the two places where we are told that Jesus marveled, both of them had to do with the response of man concerning who he was. And according to these two references, we learn something about the Lord. Don't hear Jesus marveling as though Jesus can be surprised by something and taken aback by something he did not expect necessarily. Understand that it reveals that man's response to the revelation of who he is can stir the heart of Christ in a sincere and striking way is to reveal his personhood. And here's what I see.
44:00 Okay. Lord, if if you marveled at someone's faith and the second and only places where you marveled is at someone or some people's unbelief, then what makes the Lord marvel is one of two things. First, is the absolute trust that someone places in Jesus during very challenging times, or two, the indifference that someone will show Jesus despite all the exposure they had to him. Let me say it this way. When there was present faith where it was least expected, Jesus was amazed.
44:45 And when there was the absence of faith where there should have been faith, Jesus was equally amazed. Wow. That's faith. The other time, wow. You can't believe?
45:10 And I thought to myself, if it's possible for the Lord to wonder at something from those that he created in his own image, may it never be said of anyone here, look at all the Bible teaching they receive. Look at the wonderful, loving fellowship that I've provided him. Look at all the daily graces that I shower on his life, and yet still with all of these things, he still wants nothing to do with me. That's amazing. That's amazing.
45:46 Instead, may it be said of us despite the temptations all around, despite the corruption and the lukewarmness that surrounds, despite the personal challenges that might exhaust and buffet the soul, he believes. He believes. And like Job who testified of his faithfulness to God despite losing everything within a minute, God could say before the sons of God and the host of heaven and even demons, he still holds fast his integrity. He still holds fast to his integrity. And so, in some way, we can amaze Jesus in one of two ways.
46:42 And I think what we're in danger of more than anything else here in the West is having so much before us, and yet giving so little of what Christ deserves to potentially cause him to look down in 2023 on a specific population that has more truth access than any time of history. More Bible teaching, more Bible preaching, more local churches on streets than any part of the world to say, wow. After all of that, still wants nothing to do with me. Does not prioritize me. It's a scary truth.
47:20 And I hope to move the heart of Christ not to gain his favor, but to bless him, but that is not the way that I want him to be marveled. For sure. Lord, help us. Lastly, we see Jesus moving on. The second part of verse six, and he marveled because of their unbelief and he went about among the villages teaching.
47:40 Like many times, the people said, we want nothing to do with you. They scorned him. They belittled him. And so the Lord said, okay, I'm not welcome here so I'm moving on. So he does move on to other towns that were more receptive to his message and his power and he moved there.
47:53 And there were some in Nazareth, as we were told, that were humble enough, that weren't part of the majority. He says, oh, Lord, please. I believe in you. Can you heal me? Can you touch me?
48:03 And he did. He's just so gracious. But he moves on. And when he moves on from his hometown, I praise God that the Holy Spirit included that statement before moving on to the next scene. You know why?
48:15 Because it presents a model for those who really wanna serve the Lord. And for those who experience the discouraging events and seasons of serving the Lord. Here's what happens. Your own friends and your own family want nothing to do with you. And it can be discouraging to stand alone in your family.
48:41 To be the only person in your family who loves the Lord where they all actually stand against the Lord and for the world and and you you want it so badly where where maybe just one sibling, just one, like one one of my brothers. Okay. I'll I'll settle for a cousin. To just when I go to Thanksgiving, at least we can talk of the Lord and they don't have to awkwardly ask me to pray, only to laugh at me when I pray. Some kind of fellowship in Christ with someone from my family and yet, Jesus at this point did not have such things.
49:18 You can argue Mary did, sure, but his brothers and his sisters, his relatives, his school friends that he studied with, such people stood against him. And that can be a very overwhelming thing to live through. And it can also be disheartening when you see unbelief and familiarity in a place where you would think there would be passion and devotion and seriousness for God. I can't tell you the amount of messages I've gotten from people in different local churches across the nation, Talking about how miserable it is to go to church because of the worldliness. Because people have settled to barely make it through a sermon and call that Christianity when there is no evidence of worshiping him, serving him, and loving him apart from the hour and a half on a Sunday.
50:13 I can't tell you the grief that Christians feel because of so many in their context that are overly familiar with Jesus. And they're fighting for their life for a fervent faith. Jesus knows what that's like. To expect a certain acknowledgement of God, of worship of God when it actually isn't there. And how painful is it that when no matter what kind of example of Christ likeness you demonstrate before people, No matter what kind of character and by God's grace, the consistency of your convictions being lived out before others, love and service and compassion, gentleness, kindness, they can still find a way to despise you and mock you and be offended at you like Jesus was offended or offensive to to them.
51:13 Christ knows. That's that's what I take from this. He understands. He he invites us to fellowship in that kind of a suffering. He is fully aware.
51:23 But look at his example, as much as you can take those burdens to the Lord and say, Lord, this is where I'm at with my family. Lord, this is where I'm at with my ministry. It's like pulling teeth to get people to serve the Lord. Lord, this is where I'm at with my witness to the world. It's like no matter what I do, no matter what I say, no matter how much I give, people still can't see what you have done in me and how worthy you are.
51:53 Jesus knows it. Jesus experienced it. But Jesus didn't sulk. Yeah. They don't love me.
52:04 He didn't sit down with the disciples and have 10 counseling sessions about why the family didn't receive him and why ministry is really really really difficult in in his hometown. None of that. You know what he does? Alright. Fine.
52:16 We're going over here. See you. He continued to serve the father. He did not skip a beat. I'm not downplaying opening your heart and brokenness and in difficult times.
52:29 I'm not saying that. But you can't stay there. You can't afford to give up. You can't hang up the towel. Why?
52:38 Because when everything fails before you, when so many disappointments are there despite your efforts, Remember why you're doing this. It's for his glory. It's for his pleasure. It's for his delight. It's for his honor.
52:52 And if you will be a flower that glistens in a swamp just for God the father to be pleased by that sight, so be it. So be it. Jesus moves on and he continues to serve his father. He stays the course. And I'm sure this was a lesson for the disciples.
53:16 I'm sure Jesus was coming to Nazareth anticipating what was going to happen, and we heard from verse one that the disciples followed him because he wants his disciples to understand that lesson in preparation for ministry. Saying, really? Yeah, really. Because look what happens in verse seven quickly. And he called the 12 and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
53:42 In other words, he's about to commission his disciples to preach and teach in different areas. And I think it is purposely done that before commissioning them, he gives them a firsthand experience of what you can expect if you're gonna serve God. And one of the things you might experience is rejection. Disdain, mockery, indifference, familiarity. So the disciples needed to hear and see, alright.
54:19 This is real. It's not always applause and big crowds. It's not always praise and awesome testimonies. There will be some kind of rejection. And the Lord brings them to get an example of that, and oftentimes that rejection can come from those that you least expect it from.
54:40 Okay, disciples. Did you just see what happened to me? I'm from Nazareth. Did you did you understand all of that? Yeah, we saw it.
54:45 I can't believe it happened. Alright. Now go. Believer, I'm talking to the true believer. I'm talking to the servant of God.
54:54 Talking to the person who's serious about living their life for his glory. Do not give up. Don't throw in the towel. Your master, as JC Ryle said, drank from the same cup that you're drinking from. Don't throw your ministry away.
55:10 Don't stop praying. Don't stop serving. Honor him. Love him. And when it gets really difficult to do so because of so much that's happening before you that you don't wanna see, Remember that you can come to him and fellowship with him in this suffering.
55:28 I end with this. If you're familiar with Jesus, do you really know him? You can name off stats about Jesus like the Nazarenes did, and at the same time be offended by him when you hear the true gospel, when you hear what it means to follow him. Oh, I pray that this message would have comforted the servant of God and would have shaken those who have grown up with Jesus, but don't really know Jesus. You can know him today, because just like he gave Nazareth a second chance, he'll give you one.
56:04 He'll give you one and maybe today is that chance. Can we prepare our hearts as we partake today? Lord, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts that you humbled yourself as not just Jesus, the God man, but Jesus of Nazareth. You were willing to identify with such a lowly place and even minister to such a lowly people. Lord, we are humbled because with all the lessons that we've learned, we are reminded now of what you have done on the cross for us.
56:55 That our performance has no value to our salvation. Lord, we thank you that you came into this world to live perfection on our behalf and then to transfer that perfection. And you died a death that we deserve so that you can transfer that substitution and you set us free. Lord, we come to your table today to be reminded that we are saved by your grace and to be also reminded that we are members of this body. And so, Lord, we just pray that you would help us reflect if we are really living under that lordship that you call us to live for.
57:44 And we ask that you would help us analyze if our relationships truly testify of the oneness of your church. Lord, we do not wanna come in formality or familiarity to your table. We wanna give you the honor and the reverence that you deserve. And so, Lord, open our eyes, open our hearts and help us again see the glories of your table for this is your institution for us, and we are glad that you invite us to it. In Jesus' name we pray.
