Jesus (2)

Jesus • Sermon • Submitted a year ago

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A town in Northern Ireland spent a lot of time, effort, and money sprucing up its image for the arrival of some special guests. On June 17-18, 2013 the world's eight most powerful leaders gathered in the town of Enniskillen, Ireland for the G8 summit. In preparation for the special guests, which included President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the town put up fake storefronts on shuttered businesses.

Dan Keenan, a reporter for the Irish Times, reports that the image-conscious village leaders "filled the shop front window with a picture of what was the business before it went bankrupt or closed." In other words, grocery shops, butcher shops, pharmacies, etc. placed large photographs in the windows so that if you drove past and glanced at the window, it would look like a thriving business.

Keenan continues, It looks as if the door is open and inside you can see a well-stocked shop. It's nothing of the sort. That door has been locked shut for well over a year because that particular business went bust this time last year, and that is an image to make it look as if everything is normal in the town and in the county, but unfortunately it's not. [In reality, the entire county] has suffered terribly as a result of the credit crisis and the resulting recession.

Interestingly, Keenan also claims that the ordinary citizens of Enniskillen are skeptical of these shallow attempts to make everything look rosy. They'd rather present the town in its most positive light without attempting to mask its current financial problems.

We hear this story this morning, And perhaps think, “how sad”? Has anyone ever been to Ireland? Most of us would love to go. In fact, I looked online and found just a few pictures of this town (which we’ll show). But here’s the point, if you were to go to this beautiful, town in northern Ireland. You would want to encounter It, just the way it is. (you would want to eat the foods, to take in the local sights, to take to the residents even, and appreciate this town for what it truly is)

You wouldn’t want to have a fake experience given to you. You would want the real thing to appreciate it how it truly is.

And here’s where we make it personal….

How many times have you come to church, and someone says “good morning fill in your name. how are you? And the answer is: “what?” (I’m good.) Or “I’m great!” but seldom, “oh, I’m horrible today”. Maybe for some of us... but many of us, if we were honest, can sometimes, put on a façade of our own. A mask of sorts, to hide the actual problems underneath.

You see this morning, when Jesus deals with us. He wants just as we are… Not the person we pretend to be, but our true, authentic version of ourselves.

And so there is a shift in thinking of ourselves, that we don’t have to put on a façade with God. But at the same time… we also need to extend an open door to others. And allow them to feel, that whenever they come to church, it doesn't matter what their past was, we all need Jesus. There’s no one righteous, no not one.

You see it comes down to a shift in how we view our relationship with God. For some of us, in time, we’ve lost sight of our first love… Maybe our walk has become more of a checking of a box and less of the joy that we had at first.

This morning, God wants to do a breakthrough in your life. He wants to challenge the way you think.

If have your bibles, turn with me to Mark 2. And if you were here last week, you’ll recall that we looked at Mark 4 as Jesus is with the disciples on the water. And he is sleeping in the back of the boat. We discussed this idea of when God is silent, what do we do.

But this morning, we’re going to continue in the book of Mark. Only this time, instead of looking at this concept of silence, we’re going to look at when Jesus spoke. What did he say, what did he address? Now of course, there are many verses and many scriptures that we could look at to study this topic. But for this morning, God has directed me to bring us to Mark 2.

And as we turn there this morning, I want us to see 3 things. 1. When Jesus Speaks, he calls us to Follow. 2. When Jesus Speaks, he addresses the heart (motive).

So, beginning with point 1. 1. When Jesus Speaks, he calls us to Follow.

If you’re not there already, turn with me to Mark 2:13-14. We’re told 13 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.

Just to explain the scene that we encounter this morning, you’ll recall from last week that Jesus is in what we call his Galilean ministry. and Jesus has just healed a paralytic and went out again by the seashore. Which you’ll notice, throughout scripture, much of Jesus’s ministry takes place outdoors, because it wasn’t possible to contain all the people inside 1 building. So much of his ministry is outside.

And he’s out next to the Lake, or the sea of galilee. And as he’s walking along. He sees Levi, who is a tax collector, and he’s sitting at his booth working. And Jesus calls to Levi and says “follow me.”

And the bible tells us that Jesus calls out to Levi and says just 2 words: “Follow Me.” And the bible tells us, that Levi got up and followed him. In other words, there was no hesitation, there was no delay. No Levi, Got up… and he followed Jesus.

Now for another time, we’ll talk about the significance of following Jesus. And the cost of being a disciple.

But this morning, I want to talk about Jesus, and the type of people he was associating with. And this whole scene explains it perfectly. You see Tax collectors were greatly despised in the first century Palestinian culture. They were hated, they were viewed as thieves, they were not able to testify in court because they were seen as dishonest.

Yet here’s this tax collector, Levi, also known as Matthew. Sitting at the tax collector’s booth. And the booth is situated in Capernaum, the largest city on the sea of galilee. And so naturally, Levi (or Matthew) is well-known by all the people, and well hated. You see, for the Jewish culture of the time, tax collectors were viewed as the worst of sinners. And so, for Jesus, this rabi, to call out to Levi, to follow him, would be seen as an abomination.

“and you can hear in their voices, their frustration… Getting agitated, at Jesus. Questioning what he’s doing.

Of all the students you could have, You’re going to start with Him? You’re going to take this low-life, thug, this traitor, and let him be one of your students? How could you do such a thing? What sort of teacher are you anyways?”

And yet, these were the exact type of people that Jesus sought.

As we continue in the scripture, we see in Mark 2:15-17 15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

So here in the scripture, we see that after Matthew’s transformation, there is a fest that is held.

By the way, we glean this sort of understanding that Jesus has been with Matthew and the other disciples for some time. Some of your translations may say that he was reclining at the table, in other words, he there, he’s spending time with those present, he’s being intentional about conversation. And he’s absolutely flooring the pharisees.

I mean, no respectable rabbi would ever break bread with such a group of misfits as these. The tax collectors, the sinners, the misfits, the thugs… and yet, that’s exactly where Jesus is. And here’s the key, when he’s questioned by the religious leaders, by the pharisees. He says: ““It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Here’s the point, Jesus has called Matthew to follow him, he has called the sinners, and today… he calls us.

You see, I’m reminded of the Japanese Pottery Repair known as Kintsugi (or in English, Golden Joinery). kintsugi , is the centuries-old Japanese art of fixing broken pottery. But, here’s what’s interesting, Rather than rejoining ceramic pieces with a camouflaged adhesive, the kintsugi technique employs a special tree sap lacquer dusted with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. Once completed, beautiful seams of gold glint in the conspicuous cracks of ceramic wares, giving a one-of-a-kind appearance to each (quote) “repaired” piece.

This unique method celebrates each artifact's unique history by emphasizing its fractures and breaks instead of hiding or disguising them. In fact, kintsugi often makes the repaired piece even more beautiful than the original, revitalizing it with a new look and giving it a second life.

Jesus, talked with the sinners, he spoke with the most hated and despised in society, the leprosy, the criminals, those caught in sin, the despised and the tax collectors.

And he took a mess, and made it a masterpiece. He did extraordinary things, through ordinary people. Church, this morning, he calls sinners, and he desires that everyone would come to repentance.

But here’s the key, he wants us to welcome others, just as he welcomed us.

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”[d]

Here’s the point, 1. He wants you where you are… You may be here this morning and think You can’t go to Jesus with your impactions. And I would remind you, that there is no one righteous no not one. And Jesus is in the business of restoration. Of reforming our lives into his image, and he hasn’t given up on you.

2. The second application is we have to guard ourselves against the thinking of the pharisees. Yes, everyone may not seem as “put together as we are.” But we don’t have to pretend to be something we’re not with other people… but that starts here, that starts by being authentic with one another… That starts by opening our hearts to others.

You see, in a world which will tell others, no vacancy… we have to put a window up, of course as a church, but in our own lives, and in our interactions with others… where there is always a vacancy sign on… where we always make room for others? Would we call to others this morning? Would we invite them in?

2. When Jesus Speaks, he addresses the heart (motive)

Mark 2 18-22 Continues: 18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

19 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.

21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

We learn from Luke 5, and see here that after addressing his company. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law continue to questions Jesus. In other words, this dialogue is at the same time… and here the these men are questioning Jesus about fasting.

And we’re told: 18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

In other words, John’s disciples and the pharisees are fasting, while you and all the disciples are having a feast at Matthew’s house, how do you explain that one?

and 19 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.

And here, of course, Jesus is speaking of his coming crucifixion. And the time to follow after his crucifixion, in which his disciples will fast.

But here’s what I want us to see, is that ultimately, Jesus is addressing their hearts. You see, in 1st century Palestinian culture, it was expected of each Jewish person that they would fast on the 2 and 5th days of each week. And so, on Monday and Thursday, the people didn’t eat.

And fasting, along with prayer and almsgiving were all acts that were done by the Jewish people, but here’s the problem. The pharisees were taking their own traditions and duties and combing it with the Old testament Scriptures. You see, for the jews of the day, fasting was only required once a year on the day of atonement; Moses had established it as such in Leviticus 16. But to prove their own self-righteousness the jews would fast twice a week, and would go out into the city markets to display for all that they were fasting.

Jesus would address this kind of behavior in the sermon on the mount:

Matt 6:16-18 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

And we know in today’s day and age, that fasting should be something we do.

But here’s the main point, Jesus is addressing the heart. In other words, it’s not about the legalism, or doing things for show; it’s about humility. It’s about the motive of the heart.

Mark 2: 21-22 21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

And here, Jesus would use this parable; He would discuss repairing and old garment with a new piece of cloth. Which there are 2 issues,first the colors wouldn’t match, but next it would shrink when was and pull the garment, causing it to tear. The same thinking is true with the old wineskin and new wine.

The problem here being that as new wine would begin to ferment, gas would be given off causing the leather to expand… (think of a marshmallow in a microwave). And ultimately this new wine couldn’t be contained in the old wine skin.

Jesus was not interested in mending the religion of the pharisees. The gospel, by grace alone through faith alone could simply not be combine with the works-based righteousness of Judaism. ( A shift in thinking.)

You see, the Jewish leaders had added their own rabbinic stipulations and traditions to God’s law to the point where Judaism had more to do with keeping extrabiblical stipulations, then it did with divine requirements.

And Jesus point is that the message of the gospel, this new message, was not compatible with the old way of thinking. The old judaistic legalism and works-righteousness.

In other words the people were so committed to their legalistic ways of doing things, that when Jesus presented a new gospel, there were so committed to the old ways of thinking that they weren’t open to the good news of the gospel.

Here’s the point this morning. It all comes down to relationship, not religion.

The pharisees were so stuck in their old ways. Their legalistic, self-righteousness ways, that they missed not only the new life through the gospel. But even the fact that this was Jesus, the messiah, walking with them. ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding.

What about us this morning? Of course, I realize that most of us that are here are Born again Christians…. But is it possible, that in some ways, our thinking over time has became more about what we can do for God… Then the simple truth of Grace? Have we perhaps elevated ourselves, our service to the Lord, our old way of thinking so much? That perhaps, we’ve lost sight of our relationship with God?

I’m going to call the Elders up as we prepare for a time of communion together this morning.

And if you’re here and you’ve accepted Christ as your savior. Then as the elements go by, we’ll take them, and then take them corporately as a body this morning.

But as they come forward, I go back to Jesus, who being God, did not need to come to this earth. He could have remained in paradise,he didn’t need to do miracles, he didn’t need to walk and talk with the misfits in society, and he certainly didn’t need to go to the cross.

But out of his love for us, he would willingly lay down his life. He would hang on a cross for 6 hours (in agony, in pain, in humility)….And he would make a way to the father, through his death.

So in the next few moments I would just as you to reflecton this sacrifice of Jesus…

1 cor 11:28 says: Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.

Pray 23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

I’m going to call Torrey Freshcorn up…

25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Pray

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