DO NOT LIMIT THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL (PART 2) JESUS COULD DO NOT MUCH MIRACLES IN HIS OWN HOMETOWN EXCEPT...
1. Mark 6:1 Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.
2. Psalm 78: 41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
INTRODUCTION
Chief Questions This Series Will Project Are: In What Ways Do We Limit God? In What Do We Limit God? Why Do We Limit God? How Do We Take Off The Limits? The Results Of A Life Without Limiting God. Some Examples From The Bible & Our Own Lives.
WHAT IS A LIMIT?
What Does It Mean To Limit Someone? A limit is a point or level beyond which something does not or may not extend or pass. The terminal point or boundary of an area or movement; the furthest extent of one's physical or mental endurance, a restriction on the size or amount of something permissible or possible, etc. E.g. The limits of presidential power; the city limits, trying someone’s patience to the limit, etc. In Psalm 78, It Was Israel. Today, It Is The Church –- Christians. God’s problem is not with the atheist, the agnostic, the infidel, the devotees of modern godless & political movements – it is with His own people who limit Him. We Are Limiting God The Creator, Sustainer & Redeemer Of Mankind. Jeremiah 32:17 I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me? Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. Genesis 18:14 Sarah laughs – Is there anything too hard for the Lord? Hebrews 13:8 He is the same today as it was yesterday.
EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE GOD USES AND ENABLES
The Bible Harbors Records Of God Using Ordinary People: David, Joseph, Little Maid of Israel (2 Kings 5 – Naaman), Daniel & His Friends, Boy with His Lunch (John 6), Peter, Paul, Gideon, Jepthath, Moses, Esther, Elisha, Jacob, Samuel, Elijah, Mary, etc. We See These Great Examples But Still Maintain: “I am a failure so God can never use me.” “This other problem God cannot solve.” 1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you. Daniel 11:32 But the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits.
HOW WE LIMIT GOD: FROM PSALM 78 ALONE, ISRAEL LIMITED GOD BY THEIR:
1. Disobedience: Psalm 78:10 They refused to live by His laws..
2. Forgetfulness: Psalm 78:11 They forgot his miracles in Egypt & the Wilderness.
3. Unbelief: Psalm 78:19,20,22,32: Questioned God’s ability to provide for them.
4. Constant Murmuring: Psalm 78:40 Grieved God by their murmurs.
5. Worldliness & Sin: Psalm 78:33 So he ended their days in futility (worldliness)”
6. Insincerity: Psalm 78:36-37 They flattered God with their lips, but were insincere.
7. Ingratitude: Psalm 78:42-72 unappreciative of His Hand, Signs, Interventions, Guidance, Provision, Chastenings.
8. Idolatry. Psalm 78:58 They angered God with their idols worship.
9. Familiarity: Psalm 78:20 They saw miracles but doubted - Can he supply meat for his people?
ABOUT JESUS AND HIS HOMETOWN – AND WHY NO MIRACLES.
This Trip To Nazareth Was Jesus’ Second where He was raised after His family moved back from Egypt. There, Joseph set up his business, working with wood - not a home builder, but a carpenter. Jesus’ 1st trip there in Luke 4 did not go well. He entered the temple and declared himself the Messiah. They rejected him, took him to a cliff to throw him over, but he walked among them. He now comes back a 2nd time – this time with disciples. A local boy leaves town and makes it big in the world - left as a carpenter and comes back as a traveling rabbi with great following. He has shaken the Jewish religious establishment & nation as well as the Roman world. He is a household name. You would expect his own to applaud him. No. Just Watch And See…
1. They Were Confused About His Doctrines. Matt. 13:54 “Where did this man get these things?” They were amazed that He didn't teach as the other Rabbis but as one having authority. They, who should have understood him, did not. For God’s sake, He grew up among you guys. You should present Him to the world. Today. Even the church is still confused about who Jesus is. How can He work among us when we cannot even agree on what His Word teaches? Now, more than ever, our perception of sin, godly men and women are conflicting. Our double standards make the witness of Christ more challenging than ever. We want to choose and select from God’s Word - cannot add to and subtract from His Word . Hebrews 4:12: The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper… cutting asunder bones and marrows and emotions… Revelation 22: 21 If anyone adds to God’s Word, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone takes away from the words of this Book o God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this book.
2. They Were Confused By His Wisdom. Matthew 13:53 “What is the wisdom...” The indication is that they had issues with His intellect - so they questioned Him. His answers were swift, clear and reasonable, not something they could easily argue with. He could not be pulled around with falsified wisdom. Many people like to gather around people who don’t have the ability to make sound judgments. They like to rule over people and so when you begin to think for yourself, they don’t like you. John 6:38 Jesus was an independent thinker - “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” and not men.
3. They Marveled About His Sudden Gifts Of Miracles. Mark 6:2 “How are such mighty works done....” Jesus had lived with them 25 plus years and they didn't recall Him doing miracles. He lived a quiet life. This passage answers questions whether Jesus went about as a youth doing miracles. No, He was just a hometown boy no one expected to rise above the carpentry shop. “Isn't this the carpenter?” they ask? They didn't ask if He was the carpenter's son. He had assumed the occupation of His earthly dad. They should have been drawn to the authority of His ministry by the miracles He did. He had just healed the woman with The Issue Of Blood; Raised Jarius’ Daughter. People always feel miracles will settle the matter. No, Jesus will settle the matter. Where there is doubt and unbelief, Salvation and deliverance is hard.
4. They Were Amazed By His Heritage (Background). Mark 6:3 “Isn't this Mary's son, and we know His brothers and sisters?” This was said in a derogatory way. People were not referred to by their mothers in those days. To do so may have indicated that they always suspected something fishy about His birth. No doubt, He probably didn't look a bit like Joseph. They recalled the scandals around his birth and how Joseph wanted to put Mary away. The people of Nazareth just couldn’t believe that Jesus could be anybody, because look where he came from - from a single-parent home. He came from what they considered an incomplete home - a sick situation.
5. His Good For Nothing Hometown: Jesus also came from a sick community. John 6:3: "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary ... we have his brothers and his sisters right here in Nazareth." First, the people did not think of themselves as anyone. in John 1:46, when Nathaniel was asked to come follow Jesus, he said, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Nazareth was known as a dusty, nowhere place. Second, other people did not think of Nazareth as anything worth. Nicodemus, who secretly went to see Jesus & was a Pharisee, asked them in John 7:51 “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.” So the people of Nazareth are sick communities. That’s why the church must be different in the community. The church can exist in a sick community and be a model of health. The church can be in the combat zone and be an tower of peace. We have heard it said that it takes a whole village to raise a child. But what if the village itself is sick? Then the church needs to be another kind of village.
6. The People Took Offense At Him: Taking Offense Means annoyance or resentment brought about by a perceived insult to or disregard for oneself. They Disrespected Jesus. They felt Jesus was an embarrassment to them. We do the same. We want Him to work in our lives, but we are embarrassed to talk about Him at work or with our friends. We laugh along with those who mock him. We refuse to make him a priority in our home and the lives of our family and friends. We do things that bring Him shame and disgrace. Isn’t it fascinating? You might have thought that the people among whom Jesus grew up would have been his most ardent fans and proud of him. But not at all. They were astounded, but not pleased. They were offended at Him. They mocked Him. If you do not respect the child, you actually reduce his potential.
7. They Were Too Familiar With Him: Familiarity Is Knowing Someone So Well That You Lose Your Admiration And Respect For Them. You become presumptuous around them and stop respecting them. Familiarity can dampen our worship and our appreciation. Familiarity can weaken our faith. Familiarity can stop the work of God. Too often we come to church and that same spirit of familiarity kills the potential for what the Lord might do. It is true that familiarity breeds contempt. Their bias hindered them.
Familiarity Is Very Dangerous: Examples: First, In Luke 7:44-46, Jesus enters into the house of a Pharisee called Simon. A woman burst a perfume and washed his feet with her hair. Simon did none of that but complained. Jesus responds: "I entered into your house, and you gave Me no water for My feet... No kiss of greeting... No oil for My head". The presence of Jesus was taken for granted! Was it just a case of forgetfulness on the part of His host, or something else? Second, in 2 Samuel 6, David brought up the Ark of God to Jerusalem with disrespect and God killed Uzziah who touched it as it started to fall. David got angry.
Familiarity Is What Made Michal Barren, And It Still Makes Christians Barren Today. Jesus was a mighty man and came from Nazareth, but their familiarity caused them to see only a few little miracles (Mark 6.5-6). First, Family May Suffer From Familiarity – how can you be the great healer when we saw you in diapers? Second, Close Friends Also Suffer From Familiarity – familiarity created Judas. Third, Familiarity Causes People To Cross Lines They Should Not Cross! It makes people say things they should never say.
Some Tell-Tale Signs That Familiarity Is Happening: First, Talking while service is going on. Second, too familiar with the pastor that his preaching won’t set you on fire anymore! Third, discussing the background of your pastor. We find fault with pastors and other church members and magnify their faults. Listen, every man of God is a man. No one has a perfect life, family, marriage, children, etc. We all have the same challenges. When a visiting speaker comes to town, we don’t think of their faults. We just receive. Fourth, Familiarity will do that and steal blessings from you. Fourth, familiarity weaken and destroys family bonds.
8. They Were Filled With Disbelief: The result of the disbelief of the people of Nazareth is recorded in Mark 6:5-6: “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And He Was Amazed at their lack of faith.” That had to hurt! Jesus had stepped outside of the role his hometown people had assigned to him. Instead, they took offense at Him. They could not get past the image they had of Jesus. Imagine! God in the flesh, standing right there in front of them and they rejected him. That is why we do not see miracles often – because we limit God when He stands in front of us but in the image of someone we know all too well. Remember the saying was that, “no good thing could come out of Nazareth.” No one in that town had ever made a name for themselves, and now they have one whose Name would ultimately be above every name, and they couldn’t handle that. Every one of their questions was designed to bring Him down. John 6:3: “From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?” This was disbelief at its best.
9. They Rejected Him: Rejection is one of the devil’s favorite tools against people. He’s always planting seeds of rejection, but the devil is a liar because he really has no power over us when we know who we are in Christ. Jesus goes back to teach in his own hometown, and the people there - his own neighbors - refuse to accept his teaching. They acknowledge that He is speaking with wisdom and acting with power, but they reject him anyway! They got hung up over His social status. They were no different than today’s church. We do not receive from God or people because deep down in our heart, we reject them. It may not be a strong rejection but a subtle one. How many times do we fail to see the potential in a fellow human being because they are pre-judged. It could be based on race, gender, nationality, social status, religion, or just about anything else. "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house." This is the only place in Mark’s Gospel where amazement is ascribed to Jesus. This must have been a very low point for Jesus.
CONCLUSION
Jesus Pulls Out An Old Proverb To Emphasize The Point. Mark 6:4 And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household." Jesus begins with the home town, then extended family (relatives), and the household. The closer one gets back home, the less serious He is taken. Mark 6:5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. One of the saddest verses in the Bible. The issue isn't that Jesus did not have the power to do mighty works - “All power is given to me in heaven and earth.” The shocking reality is that God honors our right to choose.
From Their Lack Of Trust, We See: First, No mighty works were performed, but just some healings. We tend to look at healings as the highest manifestation of God's power. Interesting that God, in His Holy Word, refers to healings as though they were minor miracles? Jesus wants to do something bigger in your life than physical healing. This body is temporary. However, our souls are eternal. Any work God does in our souls is much bigger than any healing He would do in our bodies. Second, Mark 6:6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. The word used for MARVEL does not suggest anger, disappointment, or shame. It portrays amazement. So Jesus was amazed and moved on. The term Village means neighborhoods. The Church and family members were offended, so He went to the neighborhood. He couldn't do mighty works in the Church, so He went to the people. Third, Jesus had no difficulty healing the few sick people who did seek Him. It is clear that He healed those that came to Him. Note: Many read this passage to say their lack of faith in Him weakened His ability to heal. That is not what the verse is saying. First, they were not healed because they did not come to him for healing. Second, the majority of them simply did not come to Him for lack of belief or faith.
SEVEN REASON WE HAVE UNBELIEF IN GOD
1. Unbelief Comes From Being Confined To The Natural: Mark 6: 1-6 The people were confined to the natural in Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth and could not benefit from his Godhood.
2. Unbelief Comes From Being Unprepared Spiritually: Matthew 17:14-21: The man whose son had an epileptic spirit. The disciples could not cast it out because they had not spiritually prepared – no fasting and prayer.
3. Unbelief Comes From Refusing To Receive A Credible Witness Consistent With The Word: Mark 16:9-14: Jesus appears to Mary and she told the disciples but they did not believe her. The rest of the disciples told Thomas but he would not believe them. He appeared to two on the Road to Emmaus but they did not believe them.
4. Unbelief Comes From Departing From God: Heb. 3:7-16 Therefore, the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years.
5. Unbelief Comes From Ignoring Or Misinterpreting The Scripture: Romans 10: 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
6. Unbelief Comes From Denying The Power Of God: 2 Timothy 3: 1-5 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money… 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
7. Unbelief Comes From Being Double-Minded: James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally… 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
INTERCESSORY PRAYERS
We Must Pray To Take Away Our Limits On God.
1. Healing: Jesus healed all who came to Him in faith. The apostle Peter healed individuals and the multitudes. The apostle Paul had a remarkable record of ministering divine healing. Philip had great healings in Samaria. God through a disciple named Ananias healed Paul’s blindness.
2. The Miraculous: Do you think of miracles as only for “Bible days”, or do you believe that miracles are for you today? Remember: “I am the Lord; I change not!” (Malachi 3:6).
3. God’s Provision: Remember Jesus miraculously multiplying the loaves and fish and feeding thousands. He’s the “same yesterday and today...” (Hebrews 13:8).
4. God’s Protection: The bible has examples of God’s sovereign, supernatural protection and deliverance of His people. Three Hebrew men in the fiery furnace. Daniel in the lion’s den. Peter freed from jail by an angel. The angel of Lord encamping around and delivering those who fear God. Thousands falling all around you, but it will not come near you, the believer.
5. Other Areas: Don’t Limit God through Doubt, Unbelief, Ignorance. Don’t Limit God By Your Mind, Finances Or Job. Don’t Limit God By Your Circumstances. Don’t Limit God By Your Medical Report.
