Download Jan 22, 2017 - Remarkable Unbelief

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MARK 6a
REMARKABLE UNBELIEF
Intro:
Mark 6:1 Then He went out from there (Capernaum) and came to His own
country, (Nazareth) and His disciples followed Him.
 Chuck Smith – Do not picture just 12 disciples… There were
hundreds…Jesus chose 12 to be Apostles from among the many
disciples…
 How many of you have decided to be followers of Jesus Christ?
o Me too!
2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the
synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did
this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him,
that such mighty works are performed by His hands!
 Luke 4:16 records another incident when Jesus was in the
Synagogue where they honored Him by asking Him to do the
reading… Jesus read the prophecy of His own coming in Isaiah 61.
 THAT… Does not happen in His hometown of Nazareth…
 They realize that miraculous things are taking place… BUT… They DO
NOT accept Jesus as the Son of God…
o AS GOD…
o Listen as they begin to question His authority…
3 Is this not the carpenter, (They are familiar with Him) the Son of Mary,
(Apparently, Joseph has died – OR these were rumor mongers who did not believe in the virgin
birth) and
brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His
sisters here with us?" (They knew the family of Jesus) So they were offended
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(entrapped in scandal) at
Him.
 He’s NOT God… They murmured… Many of the cults who knock on
your door DO NOT believe that Jesus is the Son of God… That He too
was present at creation… That He is one of the three members of
the Trinity…
o WE DO! We believe this because we believe the Bible!
o We believe that Jesus was more than just a good man – HE IS
GOD!
o We believe that Jesus is more than a prophet - HE IS GOD!
o We do not believe that Jesus BECAME a God like the Mormons
believe… We believe that Jesus always was God and that HE IS
GOD!
HE IS GOD!
 In the home town of Jesus Christ… They sadly did not believe this.
4 But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own
country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."
 Jesus’ own family did not believe at this point… His customers did not
believe in Him… His hometown was unimpressed with His ministry so
far… But… That will change for many of them.
5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands
on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of
their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
 Unbelief DID NOT hinder the power of God… Unbelief just shortened
the line of people to be healed.
 I am encouraged by the fact that God can do whatever He
desires…
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o AND… I take heart that it is His desire that all people are
saved…
o All people who come to Him will be saved… My prayer is NOT
that God can do this or that… I KNOW HE CAN!
o My prayer is that my loved ones will WANT to get in line for Him
to touch them.
 I want each of my grandkids to WANT to be saved.
 I desire a long line of people in Simi Valley to come to
Jesus for His touch…
 The line in Nazareth was short…
 THAT… Is sad!
 Even Jesus marveled at the remarkable unbelief in His hometown.
o What was there to gain from rejecting Him?
 Think of the eternal regret that people will have to live
with because they submitted to Satan, rather than to
Jesus…
 No man is excluded from calling upon God, the gate of
salvation is set open unto all men: neither is there any
other thing which keeps us back from entering in, save
only our own unbelief. John Calvin
 "Unbelief is never cheap; it costs more than it pays." - Woodrow Kroll
 Be courageous! BELIEVE!
Jesus moves on…
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
TWO BY TWO…
7 And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two
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by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.
 There is great wisdom in having a partner in ministry… I am very
blessed to have a wife who is also a minister… A teacher… A prayer
warrior…. AND… Who listens carefully to hear the guidance of the
Holy Spirit.
 To those of you, half of you, who are single believers… You are NOT
without a partner in ministry… The Holy Spirit IS your willing partner in
life. He is with you… He is in you whether you are listening or not.
 BTW – The power over unclean spirits is also the presence of the Holy
Spirit.
WHAT TO BRING…
8 He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff (The word for staff here can mean a club, a scepter, and a walking
stick)
 Think of all that Moses did with his shepherd’s staff…
o He led people…
o He struck the rock…
o And he raised it to demonstrate the power and the presence
of God…
o The disciples were to be ready to lead people as well – And
indeed they were used to begin the church we are today!
8b no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts—
 Asking for and amassing money was never a part of Jesus’ ministry –
Nor was it to be a part of His church…
 When did it become OK to do this? We receive requests for money
from rich ministries all week long – Everyday – It is embarrassing to
have to pick them up from our rented mailbox every day. I hope the
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people at the UPS store don’t think that we too are in the money
raising ministry…
 The message to His Disciples was a famous Calvary Chapel Mantra:
Where God guides, God provides.
He tells them to live simply…
9 but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.
 I am amazed at how simply Calvary Chapel missionaries live on the
mission field.
 Please help them by giving to the missions fund, won’t you?
 THE PRINCIPLE IS NOT that missionaries should live by faith, but the rest
of us get a guarantee!
 Listen:
Habakkuk_2:4 "Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just
shall live by his faith.
Romans_1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to
faith; as it is written, "THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."
Galatians_2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live,
but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith
in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians_3:11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is
evident, for "THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."
Hebrews_10:38 NOW THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; BUT IF ANYONE DRAWS
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BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM."
Let’s all complete this sentence: 2017 will be different for in three ways
because I will live it by faith: (Today’s homework)
I will ____________________________
I will ____________________________
I will ____________________________
HOW LONG TO STAY…
10 Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there
till you depart from that place. 11 And whoever will not receive you nor
hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet
as a testimony against them.
 IE – Don’t pick up the sins of the people you are witnessing too…
o It is NOT that we believers don’t have enough of our own sin to
deal with, right?
o Don’t go unto every nation and sin like they do… We need to
be different…
 Simple… Righteous… Reflectors of our Heavenly Father…
Forgiving people… Sober people… Kind people…
 Who will be the judge of people? (NOT us…)
What will be the punishment for rejecting Jesus?
Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah
in the day of judgment than for that city!"
WHAT TO PREACH…
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12 So they went out and preached that people should repent.
RESULTS OF PREACHING…
13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who
were sick, and healed them.
NEXT WEEK - THE PRICE OF GREATNESS…
The Death of John the Baptist
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