Sermons

Ministry can happen anywhere

One of the striking things about these early passages in Mark is the word “immediately” – appeals to us – will like things to happen quickly! Mark is jumping straight in to tell about this astonishing Jesus – the Son of God – his words and his actions.

God's kingdom is near and you need to respond. Boom! Boom! Boom!

4x in the passage for today, so we had better get stuck in immediately.

Read Mark 1:21-34

The other thing that is striking are the words amazed and astonished!

Amazed – we often used that to talk about something better than what you can do. Omadachi's sermon last week was amazing, or to talk about the amazing box set we just binge watched.

Astonished is when we are floored by something that is impossible! We are Gob smacked

V22 the people were astonished by Jesus' teaching – they were gobsmacked by Jesus teaching because it has authority, unlike the scribes.

Authority is another word that jumps out of this passage

Authority is an uncomfortable word –Western culture teaches us to be suspicious of authority and to question authority – actually most of us only like authority when it is ours. Western culture also typically rejects the supernatural.

Radical then and radical now – Jesus teaching is astonishing, because it has an attractive authority.

Yet the people in Capernaum were astonished by authoritative teaching – floored by it, gobsmacked! It was not like the scribes.

The scribes were like the academics of the day and their authority is “borrowed” authority. Bit like if you ever have to write an essay you are meant to quote and reference other scholars. Their preaching would have been filled with quotes and opinions of others as they had nothing of their own to say.

Preachers do it all the time, As Tim Keller says… As CS Lewis says… As Bill Johnson says…

It's just a borrowed authority.

But Jesus has his own authority and taught with authority.

The scribes might quote scripture, Jesus spoke Scripture.

The scribes would be like…As it says in er, um Mark 1:22 where is it know? Jesus would be like  “As the Scripture says …” so they were astonished at his teaching.

Authoritative teaching has power and makes people uncomfortable.

People generally prefer  “Jesus lite” – encouraging, self help thoughts, nice vibes. Noddable pithy statements.

Not the Lord we have to obey and follow.

 

Jesus' teaching was a punchy, radical message. Take the sermon on the mount, the Beatitudes – the greatest teaching ever!

Scholars often dismiss the Beatitudes as impossible to follow – they call it hyperbole. But actually Jesus taught things that were hard, but doable if you walk in power of the Spirit He has sent.

He's not just a self-help guru, not just a soundbite instagrammable, Tik Tok 7 second video, not even just a great moral teacher. He's the author of life.

When it comes to his teaching…

You can't just take the good bits and call him a great teacher with a helpful philosophy. He made some astonishing claims and backed them up with miracles.

He doesn't just tickle our ears, he grabs our hearts. He knows the depths of your heart and he still loves you and wants to transform you!

So his Teaching had an authority that was astonishing!

Who was the first to respond? – a demon! Bet the scribes didn't get demon's kicking off when they were teachings!

“What have you to do with us? I know who you are!”

That's a scary statement.

If someone says “I know who you are Andy Moyle” Uh oh! What do they know? What have I done?

 

It's making a claim, trying to assert authority.

Nothing lurking in Jesus. No skeletons in the cupboard.

So Jesus sets the man free with authority.

“Be quiet, come out of him”

There's an immediate authority – like a father correcting a child, a police man ordering compliance, a judge sentencing the guilty.

Not like the seven sons of Sciva who got the reply – Jesus I know, Paul I know, who are you?

There's no more mention of the person, but think about it. He has been healed, set free, saved – the Greek word mostly used in the New Testament sozo covers the whole package.

 

Jesus has the authority to save, to heal, to set free. How's  your life? Do you need his authority?

• When you can't seem to get any better, Jesus has authority to save you from yourself.
• When you fall into the trap of the enemy's temptation, Jesus has authority to set you free from darkness.
• When your heart is broken, he has the authority to bind it up again.
• When you feel hopeless and in despair, he has authority to put hope deep in your heart
• He has authority to make your restless soul still.
• He has authority to restore your fortunes.
• He has authority to turn your ashes into beauty.
• And when you fall into the sleep of death someday in the future, he has authority to raise you up again.
• Jesus has the authority to fix everything in the deepest part of your being and no one can stop him.

Right at the start of Jesus public ministry he is demonstrating his authority to teach and to heal, set people free and save. At the end of his earthly ministry, he will delegate that authority to his followers, to us!

Matt 28 puts it best All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptising in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you.

We get that authority given to us to do the stuff.

Mark explicitly puts healing the sick and casting out demons on the list of things we have authority to do to.

 

It's astonishing! The people are amazed at his teaching and his authority over the demonic. And at once his fame begins to spread. Jesus' strategy is to not bask in the limelight. He withdraws. He's not yet wanting the attention of the authorities.

So ,he goes to Simon's house immediately – there's that word again.

The mother-in-law is sick and so they tell Jesus immediately – they have just seen him cast out a demon, so surely he can heal mother-in-laws!

He does – takes her by the hand – no spitting on the floor this time, Omadachi. We need to be gentle with those mother in laws, they can be scary!

He lifts her up and she's a good ‘un! She immediately starts serving.

When Jesus comes into your life – he becomes our Lord, our new master. We love Him, we follow Him, we enjoy his presence in the Spirit and we serve Him – we get stuck in and serve like he does. Don't just be a bottom on a seat. Start serving him. Help out! Do the things he does.

Notice here ministry can happen anywhere – healings are not just for Sundays. The gospels record more signs and wonders out and about than in the service. Healings can happen in the home, in the garden, in your workplace, at the shops, wherever.

At this starting point of Jesus' ministry, he is trying to keep things reasonably quiet, not starting a massive confrontation with the religious leaders. But as soon as you start doing life-changing teaching, that has an authority and setting people free and healing mother-in-laws, word gets out. People start bringing the sick and the oppressed so they can be sozo'd too. The whole city comes!

Notice in v34 Jesus healed many, he didn't heal them all, but he healed man

There is a danger of compartmentalising your faith – Jesus is for my quiet time in the morning and Sunday and maybe life group. Ministry can happen anywhere. Don't put God in a box. There's a hurting world that needs saving, healing and delivering.

In a few chapters time Jesus sends the 12 out for the first time and they healed many too!

As we saw last week Jesus said come follow me and I will make you fishers of men.

We follow him and he empowers us with authority and anointing to do the stuff.

The key for us ordinary people is being with jesus – Acts 4:13 people were astonished, that word again, seeing what they had done as uneducated common men.

The Lord has got some amazing things for us to do in his power as we follow him.

We need to

• Abiding in him – following him, enjoying Him
• Listening to the Spirit as we go about our day to day
• Doing what He tells us to do.

Authority and Anointing.

We have been given authority as followers of Christ

Anointing comes from being baptised in the Spirit and our ongoing walking in the Spirit.