On Saturday, June 20, 2020 we celebrated the life of Hank Cates and the hope of eternal life. An audio recording of the entire service is available. There is also a video recording, but unfortunately the video recording cut off about 15 minutes before the conclusion of the service, just before the funeral message from the Scriptures. Please take advantage of the video, but also take time to listen to the final part of the service on the audio recording starting at 43 minutes and 55 seconds.

Throughout the Bible we find the use of the imagery of light and darkness. God and the things of God are called light, while the ways of the world and those separated from God are called darkness. As those who are in a relationship with God through Christ, not only are we identified as light (Ephesians 5:8), but we are called to shine as lights so the world can see the work of God and give Him glory (Matthew 5:14-16). Last week we started considering a section of commands in Romans 12 with this in mind: that God intends to use His church, and our presence in this world, as a means of revealing His character and the power of the Gospel. We must speak the Gospel, but we also have the opportunity to live in a way that makes the power of the Gospel visible to a watching world.

After eleven weeks of not gathering together in person, we are starting to come back together. It is a sweet time. And yet, it is also a somber time as we consider the disunity and division that is plaguing our nation. This morning as we turn to God’s Word we are going to consider how God intends to use His church, and our presence in this world, as a means of revealing His character and the power of the Gospel. All around us people are searching for peace and justice and hope

The Parable of the Soils (and Ears) - Mark 4:1-20

This is a portion of Scripture that has troubled many people. It has been debated and discussed by scholars and it has even led some to despair over whether or not they can ever be saved. While the climax of the passage is a warning from Jesus about the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (often called the unforgivable or unpardonable sin) there is more to the story than the warning. During this interaction with the scribes Jesus also provides some great comforts for Christians as He emphasizes His strength and also the forgiveness of God.

The Bible doesn’t tell us much about Jesus’ earthly family. Of course we know about Mary and Joseph, but Jesus also had siblings. It can be easy to forget that these are probably people whom He was close to and whom He loved. With that in mind we may wonder how they responded when Jesus, at age thirty, began teaching, performing miracles and drawing crowds. In Mark 3 we get a small glimpse into the family of Jesus and their reaction to His ministry. But the most significant aspect of the passage is what Jesus says about His family, and whom He identifies as His family.

As we move through the Gospel of Mark Jesus continues to grow in popularity. While the Pharisees and others are trying to silence Him, crowds of people continue to flock to Jesus and follow Him wherever He goes. Jesus is getting a lot of attention, but we are also beginning to see that while many are attracted to Jesus for what He is doing, far fewer are coming to Him as true followers. This is a something that is true today, especially in America. There are many people who are attracted to Jesus and who believe true things about Him, but who have never truly trusted Him, they have never submitted to Him as Lord. In this section of the Gospel, Mark helps us see that Jesus didn’t come simply to draw crowds; He didn’t come to attract fans, He came to call disciples.

While descriptions of Jesus often emphasize His humility, compassion and meekness, all of which Jesus exemplified, He was by no means soft-spoken or passive, and Mark 2 makes that abundantly clear. As we move through Mark chapters 2 and 3 Mark records a series of five events in which religious leaders are confronting and questioning Jesus. As they seek to shame and discredit Him, Jesus is anything but passive or reserved. He is quick to answer the Pharisees in ways that show both His authority and their error. They may be known as experts on the Sabbath, but He is the Lord of the Sabbath.

As more and more people continued to hear and respond to the teaching of Jesus there was a growing concern among the religious leaders of the day. As we move through Mark chapters 2 and 3 Mark records a series of five events in which these religious leaders are confronting and questioning Jesus. While we know their desire is to discredit Jesus we can still be thankful for their questions, because as Jesus responds we get a greater insight into who Jesus is and what He came to accomplish.

Last week, on Easter Sunday, we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus by remembering and proclaiming that He is risen, that He is alive. But now, the week after Easter perhaps the appropriate question is, what now? If we know and believe that Christ has been raised from the dead, what’s next? As we return to Luke 24 we return to a gathering of the disciples of Jesus who are about to see and hear from the risen Lord Himself. As Jesus appears to His followers on the evening of that resurrection Sunday He teaches them and gives them instructions regarding their calling and commission in light of His resurrection and the salvation that He has accomplished.