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Growing Up With Jesus | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Bible Study Series) · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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  Mark chapter 6, Our brother prayed with thankful for that.
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  But let's pray again, shall we? Heavenly Father.
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  You are our refuge our Shield, our strength.
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  Well, we ask that you would show Yourself Strong through this
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  passage, help us see the glories and the infinite beauty of your
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  son Jesus. Soften our hearts Lord you
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  alone, know the hearts of all men, you know, exactly what is
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  happening though, man. May not perceive it.
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  We pray that you would help us be the very people.
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  You have redeemed us to be law. We submit to you in reverence
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  and in awe of who you are and we trust Lord, that you will speak
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  to us, we hunger and thirst for righteousness.
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  And you promise that, for those who hunger for such things will
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  be filled and we ask that we would be filled today in Jesus
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  name, amen? Then Mark 6, are you there verse
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  1? Follow with me as we read the
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  words of almighty God. He went away from there and came
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  to his hometown and his disciples followed him and on
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  the Sabbath. He began to teach in the
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  synagogue and many who heard him were astonished saying.
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  Where did this man? Get these things.
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  What is the wisdom given to him? How are such Mighty Works done
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  by his hands is not this. The carpenter the son of Mary,
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  and brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon.
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  And are not his sister's here with us, and they took offense
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  at him and Jesus said to them, a prophet is not without honor,
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  except in his hometown and among his relatives, and in his own
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  household, and he could do no Mighty work there, except that
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  he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.
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  And he marveled because of their unbelief and He went about Among
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  The Villages teaching. This new chapter in our journey
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  through the gospel of Mark, opens up to us with the
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  announcement that Jesus arrived at his home town and that is no
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  small detail concerning the Lord's itinerary.
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  The fact that we see that this is taking place in the setting
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  of Nazareth adds, a critical element to the dimension of the
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  exchange that Jesus will have with this particular audience
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  and it's also going to be the frame.
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  I work where you and I were are going to discover unique truths
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  that will indeed challenge us to disconnect Nazareth.
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  Jesus Hometown from this context would be a great disservice to
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  what it is that the Holy Spirit intends to teach us.
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  And so we must understand the geographical location of Jesus.
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  At this particular time. He is there visiting where he
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  grew up and you would expect that as Jesus arrives to his
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  friendly neighborhood that he Would be welcomed with unusual
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  Hospitality or extravagant warmth, but that is not the case
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  that will not be the case. Instead what you and I are going
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  to see is that the Holy Spirit testifies that the residents of
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  Nazareth are actually going to be among some of the most
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  hostile communities and people to resist the message and the
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  ministry of Jesus Christ. You are going to see something
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  that perhaps will also make you Marvel, maybe not but in deed
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  and made Jesus Marvel. We are not unfamiliar with the
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  concept that Christ during his days on Earth was this honor in
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  that Christ. Today is continually being
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  Dishonored. But what makes this hard
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  heartedness especially grieving, is that this kind of rejection
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  is coming from those who are the most familiar with him.
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  The most familiar with him. There is a danger with
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  familiarity. and I thought about how to title this message
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  because sometimes it helps to get a message within the title,
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  The Message. Growing up with Jesus.
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  Growing up with Jesus. It can be a blessing.
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  Sometimes it can be dangerous. When we examine this particular
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  case of rejection, unfortunately, one of many
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  during the Life of Christ, I want us to consider three simple
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  things. I want us to First, consider the
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  region of the rejection you. And I read it in verse 1.
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  He went away from there and came to his hometown.
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  Now this is important because it says here and his disciples
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  followed him. The fact that we were told the
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  disciples follow Jesus to his hometown.
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  Suggests and prepares us to know that this is not some private
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  visit, but it is for the purpose of public Ministry.
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  Jesus coming to Nazareth to preach and to teach.
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  And the fact that the Lord, our Lord is willing to go to a town
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  like this says, much about him as of servant of God, which Mark
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  wants to highlight. That's the theme of The Gospel
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  of Mark the perfect servant of God and I want your heart to be
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  ministered to as you realize what kind of Minister Jesus was
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  When Nathaniel heard from his friend Philip that apparently
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  the Messiah had been identified. We are told in John 146, can
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  anything good? Come out of Nazareth.
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  That question of content. Already tells us that Nazareth
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  was not a town of good repute. It was obscure, it was a poor
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  reputation. And though there isn't much said
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  about Nazareth, The Silence of the Old Testament concerning it
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  again. Might suggest that this was a
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  small irrelevant. Something on the Wayside, a
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  place held in low esteem. And when you add to that
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  silence, Nathaniel's comment, you get the impression that it
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  probably wasn't a very pleasant place to be either.
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  So, Jesus is going there. We are not told plainly why?
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  Nazareth was such a place. We don't know why exactly why I
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  was held in derision but it's enough for us to know from
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  whatever is told about Nazareth that it's not a place that you
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  would willingly want to be But Jesus goes there.
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  Jesus willingly takes the time to come to this community and to
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  preach the gospel to them. You see, when you look at the
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  Lord. You know, that our master was
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  the most captivating preacher, the most profound teacher, who
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  had unmatched Authority, concerning miracles.
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  But the same teacher, the same Minister, the same traveling
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  rabbi did not shun insignificant and meager places to serve.
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  We see here that this Jesus did not determine where he would be
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  based on how many people would be present.
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  He didn't look at opportunities to serve as a potential stepping
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  stone for a greater promotion or opportunity.
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  He loved people and when he saw that there was a need, he was
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  willing to be there. When he saw that.
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  They were Souls, that could be potentially saved, he would be
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  there. He did not disqualify, even
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  though of a place that was disqualified, he was not moved
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  by popularity. He was not moved by the
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  platform. He was not motivated by the
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  honorarium, He saw the value of a human soul and that was enough
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  for him to go where men would not go.
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  Your call to follow. Jesus.
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  Are you not? I'm called to follow Jesus and
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  this will minister to the ones who want to minister in any
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  capacity. Can I ask you this afternoon?
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  What is it, my brother? What is it?
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  My sister that motivates you to serve God's people or God's
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  purpose is on the Earth? What is it?
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  That inspires you? You have some people who will
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  not give their gifts. If the thing is too small, if
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  there isn't promised promotion, if there isn't recognition.
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  If there isn't potential. Fame, or any kind of
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  recognition. And yet Jesus could care less
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  about those things. If there is, anyone who should
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  have been very selective where where he would Minister it was
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  Jesus and yet you find him in neighborhoods like Nazareth.
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  I want to be like Jesus. I don't want to automatically
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  dismiss opportunities just because they're not flashy or
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  attractive or impressive. I don't want to come to a place
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  and see it barely attended but knowing that God had called me
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  there. Be discouraged because a fleshly
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  reasonings. If Jesus could have a following
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  of 12 and Jesus could come to a place like Nazareth to preach.
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  Then you and I should be more than willing to go where he
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  calls us to go though. You live and die, and no one
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  mentions your name as a man or a woman of God.
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  If you think that's inspiring, it only gets more inspiring why?
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  Because this is not the only time Jesus went to Nazareth.
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  This is, in fact, the second recorded time that Jesus made
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  his way to his hometown and you might be thinking.
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  Why is that important to know? Because we've been given the
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  detailed account when Jesus initially went to Nazareth.
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  And it's found in Luke chapter 4 shortly after his 40-day
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  Wilderness experience. And when you see what happened
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  to Jesus, when he went to Nazareth the first time, it will
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  make you wonder why he would ever go back again.
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  Can I show that to you will meet me in Luke chapter 4 quickly?
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  Matthew Mark, Luke. The right side of your book.
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  Luke 4. And notice this with me as we
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  just skip over some of these verses.
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  Verse 16. At the beginning of his
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  preaching Ministry, we were told and he came to Nazareth where he
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  had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went
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  to the synagogue on the Sabbath day and he stood up to read and
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  he reads out of Isaiah 61. And then you look at the initial
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  response of the people verse 22 and all spoke well of him and
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  marveled. At the gracious words that were
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  coming from his mouth and they said is not this Joseph's son.
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  One. So the people were impressed,
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  they were moved their hearts were ministered to but whatever
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  endearment that they enjoyed and that they shared to Jesus and
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  with Jesus was quickly intercepted by disdain It didn't
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  take very long for these people to have difficulty to reconcile
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  this. How can little Jesus Son of
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  Joseph. How can this Carpenter?
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  Claimed to be the Messiah that we've been waiting for.
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  And they couldn't grasp it. They couldn't fathom.
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  And they couldn't solve that equation.
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  And we don't have time to read how Jesus responds to their
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  unbelief, but let's summarize it with this.
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  He rebukes them. He rebukes them friends and
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  family that have known him since he was a little boy.
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  He was not afraid to confront them for their sin.
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  And when he does call them out for their lack of faith.
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  Despite so much evidence. What do you think they did to
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  him? We don't have to guess look down
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  at verse 29. And they rose up and drove him
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  out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which
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  their town was built so that they could throw him down the
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  cliff. But passing through their midst,
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  he went away, you know, the people Jesus read their minds.
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  They wanted some kind of a show of a miracle and in some
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  indirect way he did, I would love to have known what that
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  look like for a crowd to push Jesus to the edge of a cliff.
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  And then we are told that he passed through their midst.
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  Perhaps they were just paralyzed in that place and he just
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  casually walked by with a grin on his face.
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  They wanted to kill him. The same Jesus that would be
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  playing and running around in their streets and be called home
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  for dinner from Mary, the same Jesus that was being trained by.
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  Joseph to know how to cut wood and fashion Stone.
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  That same Jesus was ready to be launched off a hill because of
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  his message. And according to Mark, despite
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  such deadly aggression, despite such Evil.
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  Jesus later on in his ministry, makes his way back to Nazareth.
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  To teach again. You might be thinking why that's
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  Unthinkable to me? Why would Jesus do such a thing?
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  And I could not get past one simple truth.
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  Perhaps it's the same truth that your Listening to in your own
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  heart. Concerning who Jesus is.
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  He's gracious. That's why he is Grace.
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  Doesn't make sense. It's abundant, it's overflowing,
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  it's scandalous. Yes, this Jesus is willing to go
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  back to the same place and give these people a second chance.
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  I think to myself Lord not only do I want to be like you in
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  terms of where I go and who I minister to but oh Lord this
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  kind of this kind of Mercy. This kind of Grace and
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  forgiveness and willingness this kind of throbbing of the heart
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  that's willing to continue to extend the hand, to those who
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  swatted away and not just want to swat it away.
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  Want to cut it off. I feel so small.
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  I feel so weak. I feel so powerless.
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  And that's what happens when you come to the gospels and you face
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  this Jesus, he humbles you. Any kind of boats that you would
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  have in your character, your consistency always just smashed
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  as it is under the weight of his glory.
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  Jesus, going back to Nazareth. You have some people who won't
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  come back to church of the pastor forgets to shake their
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  hand. And yet Jesus is willing to go
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  back to the people who wanted to kill him.
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  This is our Jesus, the region of the rejection says something
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  about the redeeming love. Of this rabbi.
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  But we go from the region of the rejection to the reason for the
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  rejection. Come back to Mark six and let's
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  read their questioning. Well, you would think maybe
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  something would change in the hearts of these nazarenes.
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  Since the first time Jesus came, you would think that between the
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  first and second visit that because Jesus message and power
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  spread like wildfire to the farthest parts of Israel that
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  the nazarenes would have heard the headlines.
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  This man is doing Miracles. He's cleansing lepers.
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  He's delivering from demons. He just he just raise little
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  girl from the dead. You would think that after all
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  of that, how they treated him and the reports about him that
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  they would be regretful, they would be humbled, maybe you
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  would think that they would hope to God that there would be a
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  second chance for Jesus to come back and to offer himself again
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  and we would be different in how we hear him.
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  And the fact that again, Jesus is willing to go back should
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  Inspire us and what way that it's possible, it's possible.
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  I'm not saying it happened but it's possible for people to
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  change. It's possible and we should be
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  open to the prospect that people who were once hardened soil can
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  become over time, fertile, ground.
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  That people who once rejected Christ and were indifferent to
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  Christ and were unmoved by the gospel.
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  Can at some point be fervent for Christ.
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  Faithful obedient loving surrendered to him.
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  And if you need biblical evidence of that, you know, the
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  different examples of the Bible that tell us of how even cities
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  and the most unlikely candidates can become the most glorious
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  trophies of his grace. Remember those Samaritans?
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  When Jesus wanted to go to Jerusalem and he wanted to pass
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  through. So he sends a couple of
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  disciples and they reject them, you're not even allowed to come
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  through these doors and they wanted to call fire down from
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  heaven and Jesus rebuked them because Jesus had something else
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  in mind, he want to send something else.
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  Us from Heaven on the Samaritans and you find that in Acts
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  chapter 8, when Philip the Evangelist goes and he preaches.
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  And when he preaches, there's Revival in Samaria.
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  What do you think about the classic example of Saul of
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  Tarsus who became the great Apostle Paul?
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  Yes, people can change. And I know that sounds like a
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  cliche. I know that's something that we
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  always here, but let it let it bless you and let it inspire you
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  to believe that people who have once resented.
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  The truth can accept the Savior at some point.
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  Is that the case for this story is that's going to happen with
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  the nazarenes. Unfortunately not.
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  The rejection will be the same and listen, the rejection will
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  be the same. The only difference is they're
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  not going to try to kill him because I realized I didn't work
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  the first time. Why did they reject him again?
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  Why did they reject them at all? Pay attention to this?
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  It comes down to one reason. Familiarity.
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  Familiarity. They were familiar with Jesus.
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  Bewildered by his unmatched delivery, they were astonished
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  by how he was preaching and what he was preaching.
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  But again, just like the first time something of an obstacle
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  arose in their hearts, And the rhetorical questions are clear.
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  And it's worth visiting again. Where did this man?
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  Get these things? They're not actually wondering,
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  they're kind of criticizing. What is the wisdom given to him?
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  How are such Mighty Works done by his hands.
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  Here's what they're essentially saying.
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  We know that Jesus was a carpenter from for many years of
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  his life. And so how is it that this man
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  with no theological training or background can come and teach in
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  such a way? And claimed to have truths to
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  give to us. And then they continued by
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  saying How is it that he is the son of Mary?
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  So they went from, we can't understand how our local
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  handyman can be the claim, the Messiah to them that I just
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  bothered them. They could not accept that.
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  That this is the anointed one. But then they said, here is not
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  this in verse 3, the carpenter the son of Mary, the son of Mary
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  That's not just to identify Jesus among different.
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  Jesus. This is a derogatory term.
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  This is a slur. This is them resurfacing and
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  retelling the Scandal Around Jesus birth.
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  The Jews even, the religious leaders, believe, he was an
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  illegitimate son. You read that in the Gospel of
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  John and so by bringing up Jesus, being the son of Mary.
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  they are trying to refer to his Strange history, and background.
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  And then they go on to say after naming his siblings are not his
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  sister's with us. Again, this is not just to
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  identify who he is, they're trying to make a statement.
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  And the statement is this, if this is really the profit, if
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  this is really the God sent then how is it that even his own
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  siblings? Don't believe in him.
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  Are not his sister's. They say our Nia sisters with
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  us. Why aren't they with him?
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  And so they think of all these reasons to disqualify Jesus
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  claims and identification. And here is the main Crux of the
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  matter. This is really the heart behind
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  what they're saying. Jesus, you can't fool us.
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  You can't fool us. Oh sure.
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  You can say what you're saying, and sure it's powerful, and
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  sure. There's some kind of evidence
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  behind your Miracles, but we know who you really are, we've
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  watched you with our own eyes. We've seen you grow up and so
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  don't don't pretend to be like you are something that came from
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  heaven and that you are the one that we've been awaiting.
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  You can fool the ones in Capernaum but not us from
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  Nazareth. There's no way.
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  You are who you say you are. What foolishness?
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  This confidence will be there condemnation and do you know why
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  they can be? So sure of their biographical
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  assessment of who Jesus is? You ready for this?
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  It's because the nazarenes had some history with Jesus.
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  They grew up around him, they observed him, they were over the
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  years, able to accumulate some database about his person and
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  they thought that they you ready for this.
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  They thought that they really knew him They didn't.
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  And here's the point for us to consider this Sunday, afternoon
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  and light of this having history growing up around.
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  Jesus does not mean you really know Jesus.
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  Having history growing up around?
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  Jesus does not mean sorry to sting you with this truth.
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  Does not mean you really know Jesus.
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  And I'm sure some of you can relate to that.
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  I'm sure many of you can recall, what it was like to have Jesus
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  in your home. I'm sure some of, you know, what
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  it's like to have Jesus in your car.
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  When your mother, or your father played songs about the savior
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  I'm sure some of you remember, visiting Jesus.
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  Like a distant relative once a week for a couple of hours.
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  Not because you were excited to see him but because he did some
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  good things for you and your family, you just want to pay
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  some respect. Some of you might be doing that
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  this very afternoon. And because of that kind of
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  environment, people develop a false sense of confidence, that
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  they know all that they need to know about this.
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  Jesus, when in fact, they don't really know him In reality, he
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  was everywhere around you, except in your heart.
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  Isn't that the testimony of so many in this place today?
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  I grew up around Jesus. I saw him from a distance.
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  I'm familiar with his words. I'm familiar what he has done.
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  But that doesn't mean, you know, him.
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  And I remember that being my testimony.
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  And I remember where it all changed, if you were to ask me
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  at 18, do you know Jesus, I wouldn't bat an eye and say, I
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  know Jesus. And all of that was altered when
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  my limited profile of his person was challenged by the true and
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  full presentation of who he really was and what he truly
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  demanded of me. And it could be very well that
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  some who are listening. Today, are under that accursed
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  confidence. Accursed confidence.
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  Why? Because it all feels right.
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  It feels right because Jesus was a neighbor to you for so long.
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  He lived in and through your mommy.
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  And your granddaddy. And maybe your older brother
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  your younger sister or you just happen to be in a Christian
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  household. So you have naturally believing
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  friends. And so, you're familiar with the
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  events that you have to go to on some weekends and the
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  conference's that you went to kicking and screaming and the
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  only comfort you had was that there would be some games or
• 26:25
  food. And so you feel like you know,
• 26:30
  him because you've been around him, you're accustomed to his
• 26:34
  name, you're accustomed to his word, your custom maybe even
• 26:37
  with some of his works but like the nazarenes of Jesus day, you
• 26:41
  did not wholly Embrace him. You did not Embrace him.
• 26:50
  He's something, but he's not everything.
• 26:53
  He exists to you but he's not extravagant to you.
• 26:59
  You don't have this perception of his Holiness and his other
• 27:04
  worldliness, and his wonder and his power and his presence in
• 27:08
  your life. Daily.
• 27:10
  He's just ordinary. Jesus.
• 27:23
  You need to be saved. Young person.
• 27:26
  Listen to me. I can speak boldly to you
• 27:30
  because I know what it's like to be in that pew.
• 27:34
  And have the fragrance of Jesus around me, but not on me.
• 27:40
  You don't have to wait till you get to college and mess up more
• 27:44
  before you realize that the world is lying to you.
• 27:48
  And that what you did hear from a distance was actually true all
• 27:52
  along. Give up now.
• 27:56
  You'll never regret it. These people had a strange
• 28:03
  comfort in their analysis of Jesus, and they can judge him
• 28:08
  though, it was Judge wrongly because they were familiar with
• 28:11
  him. And I want to encourage parents
• 28:15
  not to be afraid for your children to be accustomed to
• 28:19
  Jesus from a young age. All I asked you to do is give
• 28:23
  them the whole Jesus. Make sure that they are plugged
• 28:28
  into a church. That preaches, the whole Jesus.
• 28:32
  Remind them in sit with them and tell them the truth of what it
• 28:36
  means to really follow Jesus. I think a lot of the mistakes
• 28:40
  that people make concerning their children is that they are
• 28:43
  confident in a little prayer that they prayed at one point
• 28:46
  and there's no discipleship following disciple them.
• 28:50
  Sit with them, have honest conversations with them and more
• 28:54
  importantly by the grace of God through his holy spirit, live it
• 28:57
  before them live it before them, and trust that their familiarity
• 29:03
  with Jesus can actually be their rescue.
• 29:10
  These people were familiar with Jesus but a limited Jesus.
• 29:14
  Not the deified, Jesus. Not the son of God.
• 29:20
  So they got themselves in trouble. and so we look at here,
• 29:24
  the reason for The rejection and now we look at finally the
• 29:30
  response. We looked at the region of the
• 29:32
  rejection. We look that the reason for the
• 29:34
  direct projection. Now, we come to the response of
• 29:37
  the rejection or to the rejection verse 4.
• 29:40
  And Jesus said to them, a prophet is not without honor,
• 29:44
  except in his hometown and among his relatives, and in his own
• 29:48
  household. This is a this is a proverbial
• 29:52
  expression, it's sad. It's something that we know.
• 29:55
  But you can imagine Jesus saying this with some level of pain in
• 29:59
  his heart. A prophet is not without honor,
• 30:03
  except in three places, According To Jesus.
• 30:05
  Number one, his hometown which can speak of his companions and
• 30:09
  close friends. Number two, among his relatives,
• 30:12
  with can speak primarily about distant relatives and lastly, in
• 30:17
  his own household, your immediate loved ones and though
• 30:21
  these are different spheres. They all have one thing in
• 30:24
  common. They are accustomed to you.
• 30:27
  And so Jesus is really confirming what we just finished
• 30:30
  explaining. The way we can translate.
• 30:34
  What Jesus is saying here is with the common adage that we
• 30:36
  know familiarity breeds contempt that the more familiar you
• 30:41
  become with something or someone.
• 30:43
  The tendency there is for you to become relaxed and more than
• 30:46
  just relax dishonoring. And Jesus saying that's what
• 30:51
  happens to messengers of God. That's what happens generally
• 30:56
  with messengers of God, that the ones who are closest to him,
• 31:00
  tend to not appreciate and value them, or see them for who they
• 31:04
  really are overtime. And when Jesus says this, we
• 31:10
  have to understand that it applies beyond the unbeliever
• 31:13
  not believing in the true Jesus because they grew up being
• 31:17
  familiar with. Jesus know, there are those who
• 31:19
  are saved and I pray that's all of you.
• 31:22
  There are those who are saved who have to understand that we
• 31:24
  as Christians who have made confession in Christ are not
• 31:28
  immune to the Fatal danger of familiarity.
• 31:33
  I don't have to do, I don't really have to spend the next 10
• 31:35
  minutes explaining how that could be true.
• 31:38
  I think you and I are fully convinced that our hearts are
• 31:40
  susceptible of becoming indifferent and casual and
• 31:44
  distracted concerning who Jesus is right?
• 31:48
  But I want to offer you a solution that you can hold on to
• 31:51
  for the rest of your days, one of the best, and most effective
• 31:55
  things that you can do to assure that your feelings for Christ,
• 32:01
  and your pursuit of Christ does not grow, stale and crusty and
• 32:05
  sits on some shelf in your mind. We're just gathers dust while
• 32:09
  you're playing with other things in life that are significantly
• 32:13
  less important than Christ is to do this.
• 32:17
  Can I tell you what to do? Would you ever keep this truth
• 32:21
  before you for the rest of your life?
• 32:24
  That no matter what kind of exposure you've had to the
• 32:26
  glories of Jesus? There is yet more Beauty, more
• 32:30
  wisdom, more power yet to be discovered.
• 32:34
  If you have that conviction before you, you allow it to rest
• 32:40
  on your heart day and night. It will be like, do that will
• 32:44
  keep your faith fresh and alive. Everything that you have seen
• 32:51
  everything that you've heard, everything that you think you
• 32:54
  have mastered. is nothing in comparison to all that Christ is
• 33:02
  I shared this on Friday. So forgive me.
• 33:04
  Friday Bible students. If I repeat this reference.
• 33:09
  But I read it earlier this week and I can't shake it off because
• 33:13
  it inspired me in a new way. It woke me up in a new way and
• 33:19
  the Book of Job will do that to you in many ways.
• 33:22
  And the reference that I'm speaking of is in job 26, 14 job
• 33:26
  finishes in that chapter rehearsing, the absolute power
• 33:30
  and Majesty of God, the Grandeur of who he is and all of
• 33:33
  creation, how he and his power, sustains the universe and all
• 33:37
  the details there in At the end of the matter, when he gives
• 33:40
  this wonderful speech of just, how Sovereign God is he ends up
• 33:44
  saying this behold. These are, but the outskirt of
• 33:48
  his ways, And how small a whisper, do we hear of him?
• 33:57
  But the Thunder of his power who can understand.
• 34:00
  This is what job is saying, after describing the glories of
• 34:03
  God in all of creation, and all of his acts, all of the things
• 34:07
  that you've perceived, all of the things that have taken your
• 34:10
  breath away. All of the things that we get
• 34:12
  updates on the news, about concerning the universe and
• 34:14
  pictures and discoveries. All of those things, listen
• 34:17
  carefully are, but a sigh of his might They're just a whisper.
• 34:26
  His wisdom. It's just a peek at his power
• 34:32
  and if we have just entertained the edges of his natural
• 34:36
  Revelation, what awaits you and I, when we come into the power
• 34:42
  of God unto salvation, what is ready to blow our minds when we
• 34:47
  dig deeper concerning his incarnation?
• 34:51
  Concerning his death, his burial, his resurrection, his
• 34:55
  Ascension, his high Priestly ministry, right now, in heaven,
• 34:59
  his return, and his restoration of all things his life as you.
• 35:03
  And I are looking through, through the gospel of Mark, what
• 35:06
  is it? That awaits us to know.
• 35:10
  If we just, but pursue it. Someone massively said this that
• 35:15
  one of the paradoxes of Christian growth is that the
• 35:19
  more you grow in your knowledge of God and his word, the more
• 35:22
  you realize how little grass you have of it. and so, when I, when
• 35:30
  I thought about that, this is what I realized that your Wonder
• 35:37
  of who God is, will cease the moment you stop pursuing it.
• 35:43
  So what do you mean, brother? What I'm saying is this, if that
• 35:46
  Paradox is true, that the more I discover, who Christ is the more
• 35:50
  I see his promises, the more I see his acts, the more, I see
• 35:53
  what he is capable of what he has done, what he will do, what
• 35:55
  he can do today. The more I learned these things,
• 35:59
  if it's true that the more I realized man, I don't even know.
• 36:06
  It will humble you will cause you to worship it will cause you
• 36:08
  realize your creature and that he's the Creator.
• 36:11
  That kind of Amazement will stop due to one thing you stopped.
• 36:18
  Pursuing him. That's the power of this thing.
• 36:23
  This is why this is Supernatural.
• 36:24
  It's amazing. The more I eat physically, the
• 36:27
  more full I get is that not true?
• 36:32
  But it's not true. Spiritually, what happened?
• 36:34
  Spiritually is the more you eat spiritually, the hungrier you
• 36:36
  get, And so if you've come to a place where you're just stale
• 36:41
  and cool, and yeah, Jesus ordinary Jesus.
• 36:45
  Yeah. I think I figured him out.
• 36:46
  Can I tell you something? You obviously, at some point
• 36:49
  stop pursuing him. Because that is not the attitude
• 36:52
  of someone. Who's tilling, the ground of the
• 36:55
  word of God and seeing greater gems and jewels of his glory.
• 37:00
  But the person who is coming and does discipline themselves,
• 37:03
  whether they feel like it or not, knowing what truth is, oh
• 37:07
  the more they are stimulated and kept alive concerning their
• 37:10
  praise and their astonishment of who he is.
• 37:15
  So listen, God is not going to put on a show from you for you,
• 37:20
  from time to time to get you to understand how good he is.
• 37:25
  It's the glory of God to conceal a matter and the Glory of Kings
• 37:30
  to search them out. God is too precious and
• 37:35
  valuable. He has given us enough for us to
• 37:40
  be invited to seek Him and know him.
• 37:42
  And when you do he promises to give you samples of who he is.
• 37:48
  That will keep you alive more than you can imagine.
• 37:51
  And unfortunately for these nazarenes they could not see
• 37:54
  past the carpenter Jesus. They could not see past teenager
• 37:58
  Jesus. They could not see past the son
• 38:01
  of Mary son of Joseph. So, they stayed exactly where
• 38:05
  they were and unbelief and spiritual death.
• 38:11
  And Jesus has a response more than what he had just said
• 38:16
  because of that. There are three things that
• 38:19
  happened would Jesus after this one has to do with Miracles.
• 38:23
  The other one has to do with Marvel.
• 38:24
  The last thing has to do with him moving about.
• 38:27
  Look at the miracle aspect here in verse 5 and he could not do
• 38:31
  Mighty work there. He could not do no Mighty work
• 38:34
  there except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and
• 38:37
  healed them. He could not do. don't think for
• 38:42
  a moment that unbelief of people can limit Jesus from exercising,
• 38:47
  his power Do not believe for a moment that Christ cannot move
• 38:52
  about in full capacity because there is a lack of currency of
• 38:56
  faith. Nothing nor anyone can tie Jesus
• 39:03
  hands down. He Sovereign, he can do whatever
• 39:07
  he pleases at any time, at any point with this, infers, the
• 39:11
  context suggest this, though, that Jesus chose not to do
• 39:16
  miracles, Jesus chose not to do Miracles because the miracles of
• 39:21
  Jesus have a purpose, they are not vain stunts, they're not
• 39:26
  empty presentations of his power.
• 39:28
  The miracles of Jesus seek to validate his message and his
• 39:32
  identity. But what do you have here?
• 39:34
  You have a people who have already written off his message
• 39:38
  and I've already written off his identity.
• 39:39
  So here's the natural equation. Why do Miracles what's the
• 39:42
  point? The verdict has already been
• 39:44
  made and so, he refrains from doing the very thing.
• 39:48
  That they have already concluded in their minds, we don't believe
• 39:52
  in you. We don't want anything to do
• 39:53
  with you then, fine. There will be no miracles for
• 39:57
  you and if that is the case, it's good to understand that
• 40:02
  Jesus chose not to. But here's the broader.
• 40:05
  Meaning for this for us. When we put the pieces together,
• 40:08
  here's what we conclude that Christ choice not to manifest
• 40:13
  his power and might was in correlation to what the people's
• 40:18
  lack of humility and hunger for him.
• 40:22
  Jesus chose not to do these things.
• 40:25
  For one main reason they didn't want it.
• 40:29
  They didn't honor him, they didn't see their desperate need
• 40:31
  of him. And so, he reserved it.
• 40:37
  And if that is true, then let me say this Christ, then and Christ
• 40:40
  today. He observes.
• 40:44
  And he looks and he considers the honor that men give him or
• 40:48
  refused to give him and that can in some way determine how we
• 40:52
  experience him. Back in some way, determine how
• 40:58
  we experience him. So, yeah, let the world be the
• 41:02
  world, but let the church to be the church.
• 41:04
  And here's what I have to say to you may we never lose our Wonder
• 41:07
  or of who he is. I hope that every single time
• 41:11
  you and I gather as Christians as the church, that we would be
• 41:16
  absolutely stunned of who we are singing too.
• 41:22
  Of who we are hearing from of who it is that is demanding a
• 41:26
  commanding and revealing and that there would be this
• 41:29
  trembling within because he's worthy of such honour and God
• 41:32
  looks at the honor that we give him.
• 41:34
  I'm sure you remind of Malachi chapter 1.
• 41:37
  You call me this. Where is this?
• 41:40
  If you refer to me as father if you where's my honor then.
• 41:44
  So the Lord wants to see where is my honor and based on that
• 41:48
  it's clearly lacking here. He says, well then you're not
• 41:51
  going to have what I can give you.
• 41:54
  Because he is worthy. And so here's what you and I
• 41:57
  have to do, be aware of offending, the Lord of hosts.
• 42:03
  And realize that you need him Moment by moment.
• 42:05
  Second by second. And he will bless you for
• 42:10
  recognizing him as such everything you need.
• 42:16
  So he did not do Miracles there. But we see here, the marveling
• 42:21
  verse six, and he marveled because of their unbelief.
• 42:25
  there's a lot of marbling in the gospels, the, not much from
• 42:28
  Jesus, you see a lot of marveling from people, you see a
• 42:31
  lot of marveling from Miracles and teachings, But for Jesus to
• 42:37
  Marvel, as someone said is a Marvel in itself.
• 42:41
  In all of the gospels. We are explicitly told twice
• 42:45
  only twice in all of the gospels were Jesus marveled.
• 42:49
  Marvel to me to wonder at, The first is what we see here, but
• 42:56
  in the other place is with the faith of the Centurion.
• 42:58
  And Luke chapter 7 verse 9. When the Centurion said, you
• 43:02
  don't need to come to my house. All you need to do is say the
• 43:04
  word and my servant will be healed.
• 43:06
  As says they, that Jesus marveled at him.
• 43:09
  He marveled at him and he turned.
• 43:10
  And he said to the rest that in all of Israel, he has not seen
• 43:13
  such faith. And so the two places where we
• 43:18
  are told that Jesus marveled both of them had to do with the
• 43:21
  response of man concerning who he was. and according to these
• 43:29
  two references, we learned something about the Lord.
• 43:34
  Don't hear Jesus marveling. As though Jesus can be surprised
• 43:39
  by something and taking it back by something.
• 43:42
  He did not expect necessarily understand that it reveals that
• 43:46
  man's response to the revelation of who he is, can stir the heart
• 43:50
  of Christ and his sincere and striking way.
• 43:55
  It's to reveal his personhood. And here's what I see.
• 44:00
  Okay, Lord, if you marveled at someone's faith.
• 44:05
  And the second and only places where you marveled as at someone
• 44:10
  or some people's unbelief. Then what makes the Lord?
• 44:14
  Marvel is one of two things. First is the absolute trust that
• 44:18
  someone places in Jesus during very challenging times.
• 44:23
  Or to the indifference that someone will show Jesus despite
• 44:28
  all the exposure they had to him.
• 44:34
  Let me say this way. When there was present faith.
• 44:40
  Where it was least expected. Jesus was amazed And when there
• 44:46
  was the absence of Faith where there should have been Faith,
• 44:51
  Jesus was equally amazed. Wow.
• 44:59
  That's faith. The other time.
• 45:02
  Wow. You can't believe.
• 45:10
  I thought to myself if it's possible for the Lord to wonder
• 45:14
  at something from those that He created in his own image, may it
• 45:18
  never be said of anyone. Here, look at all the Bible
• 45:21
  teaching they receive. Look at the wonderful loving
• 45:27
  Fellowship that I've provided him.
• 45:30
  Look at all the Daily Grace has that I shower on his life and
• 45:34
  yet still with all of these things, he still wants nothing
• 45:39
  to do with me. That's amazing.
• 45:44
  That's amazing. Instead, may it be said of us
• 45:50
  despite the Temptations all around.
• 45:54
  Despite the corruption and the lukewarmness that surrounds
• 45:59
  despite the personal challenges that might exhaust.
• 46:04
  And buff it. The soul he believes He believes
• 46:12
  and like job who testified of his faithfulness to God despite
• 46:17
  losing everything within a minute.
• 46:20
  God could say, before the sons of God and the host of heaven,
• 46:24
  and even demons, he still holds fast his integrity.
• 46:30
  He still holds fast to his integrity.
• 46:34
  And so, in some way, We can Amaze Jesus in one of two ways.
• 46:42
  And I think what we are in danger of more than anything
• 46:44
  else here in the west is having so much before us and yet,
• 46:48
  giving so little of what Christ deserves to potentially cause
• 46:53
  him to look down in 2023 on a specific population that is more
• 46:59
  truth access than any time of History.
• 47:01
  More Bible, teaching more Bible preaching, more local churches
• 47:04
  on streets than any part of the world to say.
• 47:07
  Wow, after all of that, still wants nothing to do with me.
• 47:15
  Does not prioritize me. It's a scary truth and I hope to
• 47:21
  move the heart of Christ not to gain his favor but to bless him
• 47:24
  but that is not the way that I want him to be marveled.
• 47:28
  For sure, Lord help us. Lastly, we see.
• 47:32
  Jesus moving on the second part of verse 6 and he marveled
• 47:36
  because of their unbelief and he went about Among The Villages
• 47:39
  teaching like many times, the people said we want nothing to
• 47:43
  do with you, they scorned him they'd belittled him.
• 47:46
  And so the Lord said, okay I'm not welcome here so I'm moving
• 47:48
  on so he does move on to other towns that were more receptive
• 47:51
  to his message and his power and he moved there.
• 47:54
  And there was some in Nazareth as we were told that were humble
• 47:57
  enough. That weren't part of the
• 47:58
  majority says, oh Lord. Please I believe in you.
• 48:01
  Can you heal me? Can you touch me?
• 48:03
  And he did just so gracious. But he moves on and when he
• 48:08
  moves on from his hometown, I praise God that the Holy Spirit
• 48:11
  included that statement before, moving on to the next scene, you
• 48:15
  know why, because it presents a model for those who really want
• 48:18
  to serve the Lord. and for those who experienced, the
• 48:24
  Discouraging events and seasons of serving the lord.
• 48:30
  Here's what happens. Your own friends and your own
• 48:33
  family want. Nothing to do with you.
• 48:37
  And it can be discouraging to stand alone in your family. to
• 48:42
  be the only person in your family, who loves the Lord where
• 48:46
  they all actually stand against the Lord, and for the world and,
• 48:49
  and you, you want it so badly, were maybe just one sibling,
• 48:54
  just one like, one, one of my brother, okay, I'll settle for a
• 48:57
  cousin to just when I go to Thanksgiving, at least we can
• 49:02
  talk of the Lord and they don't have to awkwardly, ask me to
• 49:06
  pray only to laugh at me when I pray.
• 49:10
  Some kind of Fellowship in Christ with someone from my
• 49:13
  family. And yet Jesus, at this point did
• 49:16
  not have such things. Can argue Mari, did sure.
• 49:21
  But his brothers and his sisters, his relatives, his
• 49:25
  school friends that he studied with such people.
• 49:30
  Stood against him. That can be a very overwhelming
• 49:34
  thing to live through. And it can also be disheartening
• 49:38
  when you see unbelief and familiarity in a place where you
• 49:42
  would think there would be passion and devotion and
• 49:46
  seriousness for God. I can't tell you the amount of
• 49:50
  messages I've gone from people in different local churches
• 49:53
  Across the Nation. Talking about how miserable it
• 49:58
  is to go to church because of the worldliness.
• 50:03
  Because people have settled to barely make it through a sermon,
• 50:06
  and call that Christianity when there is no evidence of
• 50:10
  worshiping him serving him and loving him, apart from that hour
• 50:12
  and a half on a Sunday, I can't tell you the grief.
• 50:16
  That Christians feel because of so many in their context that
• 50:19
  are overly familiar with Jesus. And they're fighting for their
• 50:24
  life for a fervent faith. Jesus knows what that's like.
• 50:32
  To expect a certain acknowledgement of God of
• 50:36
  worship of God when it actually isn't there. and how painful is
• 50:42
  it, that way, no matter what kind of example of
• 50:45
  christlikeness you demonstrate before people, No matter what
• 50:49
  kind of character and by God's grace, the consistency of your
• 50:53
  convictions, being lived out before others, love and service,
• 50:57
  and compassion, gentleness, kindness, they can still find a
• 51:01
  way to despise you. And mock you.
• 51:06
  And be offended at you, like Jesus was offended or offensive
• 51:11
  to to them. Christ knows that's that's what
• 51:15
  I take from this. He understands he he invites us
• 51:18
  to Fellowship in that kind of a suffering.
• 51:21
  He is fully aware. But look at his example.
• 51:25
  As much as you can take those burdens to the Lord and say Lord
• 51:28
  this is where I'm at with my family Lord.
• 51:30
  This is where I'm at with my Ministry.
• 51:34
  It's like pulling teeth to get people to serve the Lord.
• 51:38
  Lord, this is where I'm at with my witness to the world, it's
• 51:41
  like no matter what I do, no matter what I say, no matter how
• 51:44
  much I give people still can't see what you have done and me
• 51:49
  and how worthy you are. Jesus knows it.
• 51:54
  Jesus experienced it, but Jesus didn't sulk.
• 51:59
  They Don't Love Me. In sit down with the disciples
• 52:06
  and have 10 counseling sessions about why the family didn't
• 52:09
  receive him, and why Ministry is really, really, really
• 52:12
  difficult. And in his hometown, none of
• 52:14
  that, you know what he does. All right, fine, we're going
• 52:16
  over here. See ya.
• 52:20
  He continued to serve the father.
• 52:23
  He did not skip a beat, I'm not downplaying opening your heart
• 52:27
  and Brokenness. And in difficult times, I'm not
• 52:30
  saying that, but you can't stay there, you can't afford to give
• 52:34
  up. You can't hang up the towel,
• 52:37
  why? Because when everything fails
• 52:39
  before you, and when so many disappointments are there.
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  Despite your efforts. Remember why you're doing this?
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  It's for his glory. It's for his pleasure, as for
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  his Delight. It's for his honor.
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  And if you will be a flower that glistens in a swamp, just for
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  God, the Father to be pleased by that site.
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  So be it. So be it.
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  Jesus moves on and he continues to serve his father.
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  He stays the course, I'm sure this was a lesson for the
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  disciples. I'm sure Jesus was coming to
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  Nazareth anticipating what was going to happen and we heard
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  from verse 1, that the disciples followed him because he wants
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  his disciples to understand that lesson.
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  In preparation for Ministry saying really.
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  Yeah, really because look what happens in verse 7 quickly.
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  And he called the twelve and began to send them out, two by
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  two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
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  In other words, he's about the commission, his disciples to
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  preach, and teach in different areas.
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  And I think it is purposefully done that before commissioning
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  them. He gives them a first-hand
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  experience of what you can expect.
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  If you're going to serve God, and one of the things you might
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  experience, it's rejection. The stain.
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  Mockery indifference. Familiarity.
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  And so, the disciples needed to hear and see.
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  All right? This is real.
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  It's not always Applause and big crowds.
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  It's not always praise and awesome testimonies.
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  There will be some kind of rejection and the Lord brings
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  them to get an example of that. And oftentimes that rejection
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  can come from those that you least expect it from.
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  Okay. Disciples.
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  Did you just see what happened to me?
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  I'm from Nazareth. The, you understand all of that?
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  Yeah, we saw it. Can't believe it happened.
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  Alright. Now go.
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  Believer. I'm talking to the True
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  Believer. I'm talking to the servant of
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  God. I'm talking to the person who's
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  serious about living their life for his glory, do not give up.
• 54:59
  Don't throw in the towel. Your master as j.c.
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  Ryle said drank from the same cup that you're drinking from.
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  Don't throw your ministry away. Don't stop praying.
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  Don't stop serving. Honor him, love him and when it
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  gets really difficult to do so because of so much that's
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  happening before you that you don't want to see.
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  Remember that you can come to him and fellowship with him in
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  this suffering. I end with this. if you're
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  familiar with Jesus, do you really know him?
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  You can name off stats about Jesus, like the nazarenes did
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  and at the same time be offended by him.
• 55:45
  When you hear the true gospel when you hear what it means to
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  follow him. Oh, I pray that this message
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  would have comforted the servant of God and would have shaken
• 55:52
  those who have grown up with Jesus, but don't really know
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  Jesus. You can know him today.
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  Because just like he gave Nazareth a second chance.
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  He'll give you one. He'll give you one and maybe
• 56:05
  today is that chance. Can we prepare our hearts as we
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  partake today? Lord, we thank you from the
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  bottom of our hearts. That you humbled yourself.
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  As not just Jesus. The God, man, but Jesus of
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  Nazareth. You were willing to identify
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  with such a lowly place and even minister to such a lowly people.
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  though, we are humbled because with all the lessons that we've
• 56:50
  learned, we are reminded now of what you have done on the cross
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  for us that our performance Has no value to our Salvation.
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  Lord, we thank you that you came into this world to live
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  Perfection on our behalf. and then, to transfer that
• 57:10
  perfection, And you die to death that we deserve, so that you can
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  transfer. That substitution.
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  And you set us free. Lord, we come to your table
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  today to be reminded that we are saved by your grace.
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  And to be also reminded that we are members of this body. and so
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  Lord we just pray that you would help us reflect if we are really
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  living under that lordship that you call us to live for And we
• 57:44
  ask that you would help us analyze if our relationships,
• 57:47
  truly testified, the Oneness of your church.
• 57:51
  Well, we do not want to come informality or familiarity to
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  your table. We want to give you the honor
• 57:57
  and the reverence that you deserve.
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  And so, Lord, open our eyes, open our hearts and help us
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  again. See the glories of your table
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  for. This is your Institution for us,
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  and we are glad that you invite us to it.
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  In Jesus name we pray. Amen.