WHO BELONGS TO JESUS’ FAMILY? (Outline)
MARK 3:20-35 - June 5, 2005 - PENTECOST 3
INTRO: Man has a deep-seated need of belonging. Our society has numerous groups and organizations that people can join so they can belong. Each of us knows the special joy of belonging to a family. There is no greater joy than belonging to a loving, Christian family. Today we are going to examine what it means to belong to Jesus’ family. We do not have to wait until we reach heaven to experience that sense of belonging to the Lord. Today we are part of God’s family and members of God’s kingdom. "If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord"(ROMANS 14:8). Jesus asks in our text: Who are my mother and my brothers? Our theme ex-pands that question –
WHO BELONGS TO JESUS’ FAMILY?
I. Not those who divide
II. Those who do God’s will.
I. NOT THOSE WHO DIVIDE
A. In verse 20 Jesus returns to his adopted hometown of Capernaum. He was rejected in Nazareth.
1. It is so crowded there is not even room to eat. Jesus’ own family does not think this is right.
2. His family comes to get Jesus and take him because they think his is insane. Verse 21.
B. As if that were not enough verse 22 describes the church leaders making accusations against Jesus.
1. The church leaders declare that Jesus’ power comes from Beelzebub -- Satan. How absurd.
2. In verse 23 Jesus simply asks, how can Satan drive out Satan? This doesn’t make any sense.
C. Jesus explains with two very simple parables in verses 24, 25.
1. Neither a kingdom nor a household can stand if it is divided. The same is true of Satan, v. 26.
2. Jesus was warning his family and church leaders not to continue with false beliefs.
3. Verse 29 warns how continued blasphemy leads to unbelief ending in eternal condemnation.
D. The crowd recognized Jesus as Savior. Jesus family and church leaders were still not so sure. Their uncertainties lead to divisive opinions. Satan was trying to drive a wedge into the church. This is still Satan’s powerful weapon of delusion that he uses today. Churches are made up of many people from many and varied backgrounds. Satan tries to use divisiveness to bring down his church. When there is agreement in doctrine, Satan will use attacks on personalities. We look at others and see only their faults, their shortcomings and forget we are not better. We may even be moved to bring false charges against one another. How evil is the working of Satan amidst God’s family! "The entire law is summed up in a single command: ’Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other"(GALATIANS 5:14,15).
E. Satan doesn’t stop trying to disrupt the believers’ life inside the church. Satan has the whole world at his disposal to try and divide the believer from his faith. The world and everything in it are mighty big temptations that each of us face every day. Even the world gets us to be overly concerned with the bot-tom-line. How often don’t we consider what the cost of every little item in this world is and grumble about how everything costs so much. News stories and reports constantly remind us of the cost of disas-ters, war, social security, etc. At times we might forget that God has promised to take care of his family. "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money"(LUKE 16:13). Satan would love to see us so concerned about money that we trust in money more than God.
F. Our battle does not only include all those things that we see and feel and touch. From time to time we might battle with another because of disagreements and differences of opinions. From time to time we might battle with our own sinful nature as distracted by the attractions of this world. Our real spiritual battle is not always to so visible and obvious. Satan is deceitful with his hidden agenda of divisiveness. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms"(EPH. 6:12).
TRANS: WHO BELONGS TO JESUS’ FAMILY? It is not those who are divisive, but:
II. THOSE WHO DO GOD’S WILL
A. Jesus told another parable following the two (kingdom, house) concerning being divided.
1. In verse 27 Jesus reminds the people that the strong man needs to be tied up to be robbed.
2. Jesus wanted these people to realize how deceptive Satan was, how he tried to tie them up.
B. Verse 31 continues with the account of Jesus’ family who came to see him.
1. Jesus’ family came not just to see him but also to save Jesus from himself.
2. The crowd was great and they send a messenger to call Jesus to come to them. Verse 32.
C. In verse 33 Jesus asks who really belongs to his family. Jesus looks at the crowd gathered around.
1. Jesus’ conclusion in verses 34, 35 are that those who do God’s will belong to his family.
2. Verse 28 tells of divine forgiveness that makes sinners members of Jesus’ family.
D. Doing God’s will is what makes one a member of Jesus’ family. The mystery is to discover what really is the will of God for us in this world. That is not always easy to do. We are used to getting our own way and doing our own wills so much that we may not often consider what is the will of God. Our Lord, first and foremost, wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Our gracious God wants us to be so concerned about his kingdom and his righteousness that we do not worry about the things of this world. Getting past our willfulness and sinfulness takes faithfulness and prayer. "Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground"(PSALM 143:10).
E. Being a member of Jesus’ family does not guarantee that our lives will be on level ground. The real-ity is that it is through much tribulation that we enter into the kingdom of God. How many of us have been thankful for the fact that we have suffered sorrow, sickness, or heartache in our living? This is God’s will for our lives that all things will work out for our good. Yet, it is not always easy. The exam-ple of Jesus reminds us, again, of turning to God for guidance. "He (Jesus) went away a second time and prayed, ’My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done’"(MATTHEW 26:42). Just as Jesus needed reassurance so we, too, seek divine comfort from our Father in heaven that we are beloved members of God’s family.
F. We belong to the Lord. What a comfort that statement is for every believer. This moves us to consider what God has done to make us his own. By birth and by nature we are God’s enemies born in sin and born sinful. Thankfully our loving Lord changes all of that. God reaches out and makes us his own through the power of his word and sacraments. At baptism God washes away our sins. In the Lord’s Supper the Savior reminds us of the sacrifice he made on our behalf – his very own body and blood. Now our lives are changed forever. In this sin-darkened world we are the lights of sinners forgiven. This, too, is doing God’s will for those who still sit in darkness. "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin"(1 JOHN 1:7).
CONC.: We do not lose our sense of belonging during this life. In fact, the sense of belonging increases as we realize what it means to be alone and/or lonely. As Christians each one of us have been made members of God’s family. What joy is ours! What comfort is ours knowing that nothing can separate us from the love of God. What encouragement is ours knowing that as God is for us who can stand against us? True there are many distractions that try to divide our attention away from God. But it is our loving Father who reaches out and brings us back to himself. We do belong to Jesus’ family. "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light"(1 PETER 2:9). Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
PENTECOST 3 Readings (ILCW – A) = HOSEA 5:15-6:6; ROMANS 4:18-25; MATTHEW 9:9-13
