Let the Shepherd Lead

Originally Proclaimed: 01/20/19

Intro:

• One of my friends and deacons in Enoree was a paramedic with Regional.
• He and I talked often about his job, and about people with whom he had come into contact.
• In one of our conversations he said to me, “You know my job lets me see the worst side of Spartanburg County” to which he quickly added “and the only way I can do my job is with Jesus.”
• In those moments I did not realize how often I would reflect upon those words, or my friend’s profound statement.

Hook:

• Friends, consider your own life. How often do you see the worst side of life?
  • There are words said in haste or with a tone that has an edge.
  • There are situations that expose our frailty and the ugliness of our humanity that we thought we had overcome.
  • There are relationships that seem so broken that no one can repair them.
  • Sometimes healthy people, like the athlete at Spartan High or the trainer for the team, unexpectedly pass away.
• It is because of that worst side of life that Jesus came. And over the next fourteen weeks, we will allow the Gospel of Mark to show us how the only way we can face this life is with Jesus.
• Today as we begin that journey, Mark shows us that EMS is the reason that Jesus came when and how he did.

Message Points:

• As you read the first 39 verses of Mark, you should notice that his gospel wastes no time. He communicates a level of urgency to the gospel that no other evangelist records.
• This type of urgency should surprise us as we reflect upon the author, John Mark.
  • Known by his full name, John Mark, this evangelist’s family included Barnabas, and his mother was well known as leading a house church in Jerusalem.
  • Some believe that Mark’s reference in Mark 14:51-52 must be the evangelist’s retelling of his own experience. There he alone among the gospels tells of a young man who fled the scene of Jesus’ arrest naked, leaving his garment in the hands of the temple guards.
  • On his first missionary journey with Paul and Barnabas, John Mark abandoned them and returned to Jerusalem according to Acts 13:13.
  • Paul and Barnabas so sharply disagree over taking Mark on their next journey in Acts 15:36-41 that they form two teams. Barnabas over those next years must have discipled and encouraged Mark.
  • By the time the apostle Peter needed an amanuensis or secretary, Mark was ready. Peter so closely works with Mark that he calls him his son in 1 Pet. 5:13 in the same way that Paul speaks of Timothy as his son.
    • For this and many other reasons, I follow the theories of Dr. David Allen Black in Why Four Gospels? Which places Mark’s gospel as the third gospel written, not the first. Black follows an earlier NT scholar named Griesbach to form his theory.
    • According to this theory, Matthew was the official gospel from the Jewish perspective and Luke, an associate of Paul, was the official gospel from the Gentile perspective.
    • Through Peter’s preaching, recorded by Mark, the two camps within Christianity were united. He preached using source texts from both Matthew and Luke which explains the reason that so little unique content exists in Mark.
    • Peter and Mark saw the gospel of Jesus Christ as the only hope for both Jews and Gentiles. This was the message that they urgently desired to spread.
• So urgent was this message that Mark decided as he wrote not to include any kind of narrative about Jesus’ birth.
  • Instead he jumps right in, showing how Jesus, the Messiah and Son of God fulfills the writings of Isaiah.
  • Jesus did not come as a baby to immediately begin performing miracles or speaking the Word of God.
  • No he came so that at just the right time He could begin his ministry that would give people the hope they needed for life and eternity.
• You might notice that the passage from Isaiah speaks about how the way was prepared for the Messiah by the messenger of the Lord.
  • That messenger was John the Baptist. He went into the wilderness and began preaching about repentance and the forgiveness of sins.
  • So effective was his ministry according to verse 5 that the whole of Judea when out to him.
  • When they confessed their sins, John would baptize them in the Jordan River.
  • Mikvah was a Jewish bath or immersion in a pool of water that was intended to ritually cleanse people in preparation for temple worship. Priests had to do this often, but anytime a convert to Judaism came to the faith they had to be immersed in that same manner.
  • John’s gospel asserted that everyone, not just priests and new converts, needed to repent and receive baptism to symbolize the forgiveness or washing away of sin, and new connection to God.
  • Presumably this baptism was temporary and required that people return when they recognized new sin to receive another baptism.
  • As a part of this message as we read in Mark 1:7-8, John told people to expect a greater one to come after him who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit that this one would bring would be greater and not require repeat baptisms.
  • At this perfect moment, when the people of Judea were following John, and spiritually sensitive enough to confess sin and receive baptism, Jesus engaged his ministry.
• That is our first point about how Marks shows why Jesus came when he did: To engage at the right time (1:1-13)
  • Those next verses 9-13 confirm that Jesus engaged His ministry at the right time.
    • He was sinless and thus did not need to receive baptism for forgiveness of sin, but through his baptism Jesus connected himself to those who were seeking a new connection with God.
    • At Jesus’ baptism he receives the stamp of approval from His Father in Heaven as heaven opens, the Spirit descends as a dove and God himself speaks about the new connection between God and humanity.
    • Then Jesus also faces the temptations of Satan in the same fashion as every other human. Before he ever speaks to a crowd, Jesus knows from personal experience the ugly worst side of humanity.
    • And we finally note that angels “attended” him, again confirming that He engaged at the right time in the right way.
  • Carl F.H. Henry said “the gospel is only good new if it gets there in time.” Today we will slightly amend his statement to say “the gospel is only good news if it gets there at the right time.”
    • If you are an unbeliever here today, take some time to talk to a friend or someone here who is a believer and ask them this question. How did Jesus engage at the right time in your life?
    • Let me give you my testimony, or story of how I came to believe in Jesus.
      • As a boy, I did not like going to church, often finding myself bored and frustrated that I had to sit for so long. If anyone tried to share the gospel with me in those years, it fell on deaf ears, because I would not hear it.
      • Then somewhere when I was around twelve, my family decided to go to a nighttime revival meeting which was very unusual.
        • In that meeting, the preacher offered a message that begged us to respond to Jesus and come to the front to talk to the pastor.
        • For the first time I felt as if I should respond, but I did not.
      • My youth pastor came to my house the following summer, as I would be turning thirteen.
        • One question he asked would have had no impact had it not been for that moment months before.
        • He asked “have you ever felt like God wanted you to do something and you did not do it?”
        • With a question that simple, my memory raced back to that moment in that revival. Jesus engaged with me, having a mental conversation that let me see my sin and my need for Him to be my Savior.
      • Moreover, as I prepared to respond publicly to the gospel, the Sunday I was to tell the church my pastor resigned to become the county Director of Missions.
        • In short order my youth pastor resigned to go to the mission field, and my family made the hard decision to look for another church.
        • Thus before I ever could join a church, the Jesus engaged in my life to get me to the right church where I could be discipled by men who loved God and loved me.
    • Friends, if we are believers then, we each should be able to relay how Jesus engaged with us, in our lives at just the right time.
      • Take some time, look back, and write down the story of your conversion to Christ.
      • Even now, as Christ is still at work in your life, take a few moments and write down that story.
      • Our testimony is a powerful tool to help people see that Jesus wants to engage with them at the right time in their lives.
• As we continue to examine the beginning of Mark’s gospel we enter into the active ministry of Jesus It breaks into four distinct but interconnected scenes.
  • First, as John is imprisoned, Jesus picks up the ministry proclaiming the gospel of God.
    • Notice in this scene verse 15 where Jesus says “the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news.”
    • That characterizes Jesus’ ministry. As God he came near to offer people a new relationship. To receive it, we must turn away from all other things, and turn in belief to Him.
  • Then Jesus calls his first disciples with a simple encouragement.
    • Jesus sees Simon and Andrew, then James and John sons of Zebdee fishing as was their business in the lake.
    • We should note verse 17 in which Jesus says, “come follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people.”
    • Jesus does not want these men to cease being who they were. Rather, he wants them to devote all that they are to Him and to His purposes.
  • Next, amid his teaching of the Bible, Jesus miraculously drives out an impure spirit.
    • Verse 22 tells us that the people marveled at Jesus’ teaching because “he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.”
    • But verse 27 tells us why the people were amazed. They say “he even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.”
    • The people seeing Jesus’ good deed overlooked the message he proclaimed.
  • And finally Jesus heals many beginning with Simon’s mother-in-law.
    • Just as soon as that scene was over, Jesus comes to the home of Simon and Andrew and heals Simon’s mother-in-law.
    • He heals her so thoroughly that she gets up and begins to make them supper.
    • By the evening so many people from the village arrived who were sick or demon-possessed that Jesus ministered well after the sun set.
• These scenes show us the 2ND reason that Jesus came, To minister with word and deed. (1:14-34)
  • True gospel ministry always balances word and deed.
    • That is one of the reasons the two offices listed in the church are Pastors and Deacons.
      • Pastors minister the word to God’s people while Deacons minister in deeds to God’s people.
      • This distinction is made clear in Acts 6 when the first deacons were called for two reasons.
        • First deacons were called so that the pastors could continue to minister the Word and pray for the flock unhindered.
        • And second to make sure that the widows of the church were taken care of in deeds.
      • Brian Croft and Jim Sevastio in a recent episode of Trench Talk, the podcast of practical shepherding made it clear that even though there are two offices, ministry balances both word and deed.
        • They said that any pastor who goes to minister to a person’s soul with the Word but does not offer to move a chair or take out the trash fails to minister the gospel.
        • Further any deacon who goes to the widows house to fix her plumbing but does not offer to pray with her when he finishes fails to minister the gospel.
    • Jesus’ ministry was not all preaching, nor was it all miracles.
    • Jesus’ ministry offered people hope because it was the perfect combination of inspiring words and definitive actions.
  • Think for just a minute about an experience at a doctor’s office.
    • We go in for a normal test and the doctor comes in and says that he has some concerns.
    • He advises that we go have further more extensive testing, that takes a great deal of time.
    • Once the results are in, he calls us back to his office and gives us a horrible diagnosis and then says “I’m so sorry, there is nothing I can do.”
    • That doctor’s ministry has been all words to us, no real actions that address our problems.
  • Think for another minute about an experience at the mechanic.
    • We take our car to him and ask that he fix it.
    • He and his team labor over the vehicle for several days, fixing every little problem the vehicle has.
    • When we pick up the car we get the bill and it tells us that we now owe the mechanic more than the car is worth.
    • We do not know the difference between an oil change or a leaky radiator, and no one has told us the difference.
    • The mechanic’s ministry has been all deeds to us, no words to explain why those deeds are necessary.
  • Friends lets be like Jesus, not a doctor or mechanic, and balance our words with our deeds.
    • Notice that Jesus engages in moments of crisis.
      • He begins his ministry amid the crisis of John’s imprisonment.
      • Perhaps his arrival on the shores of Galilee occur amid a downturn the in fishing business for those he calls as disciples.
      • For the synagogue he shows up on the Sabbath when the demon-possessed man is present.
      • And for Capernaum, beginning with Simon Peter’s mother-in-law and for many others, Jesus shows up in their sickness.
    • Also notice that Jesus offers hope into every crisis.
    • For us to be more like Jesus as a church friends, we need to get better at offering hope into crisis situations.
    • Perhaps that is something that each Sunday School class should discuss and decide how they will offer hope into crisis situations.
• Finally, lets read the last few verses that we will consider today.
  • After such a crowd gathered, it would have been easy for Jesus to adopt a come and see method, establishing a strong base in Capernaum and allowing people to come to him.
  • With that temptation on his mind, Jesus rose, withdrew, and prayed.
  • His disciples were so concerned they began to search for Him, and Simon exclaimed “everyone is looking for you”
  • Take note of Jesus’ response in verse 38, “let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”
  • He then continues his ministry preaching in the local synagogues and performing miracles.
• That leads us to our 3RD reason that Jesus Came: To spread that which saves.
  • Jesus’ willingness to avoid complacency and go to where the crisis existed proves to us that He desired to spread the gospel to all who would hear it.
  • For those of us who are believers, how often do you hear about a crisis and have a burden to take the gospel to that place?
  • People in crisis are looking for hope, let us be the people who willingly go to them with the name of Jesus upon our lips.

Conclusion:

• That really points to what my friend, the paramedic meant.
• He could not go to respond to the crises of life without believing in Jesus himself and sharing that hope with those to whom he responded.
• We prove that we believe that Jesus is good news, saving news, healing news when we bring Him into the crises of our lives.
• Let us commit today to believe that Jesus provides the only hope for humanity and take that message to those who need it most.