Unintimidated Ministry (Part A)

There was nothing they could say battlefield of exchange ideas.

We lost every time with them at their challenges even provoked their provocations provoke them as is doing everything that was in the synagogue you can see there looking at the handicap man they know he's going to heal them. He sees this and he says I'll take this was not intimidated by them like everyone else was.

This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Mark, please stay with us after today's message here. More information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in Mark chapter 3 with a brand-new study called on intimidated ministry enter the synagogue again man was there who had a withered hand.

So they watched him closely whether he would heal him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand step forward. Then he said to them, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill, but they kept silent when he looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, he said to the man stretch out your hand and he stretched it out in his hand was restored as whole as the other, then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodian's against him, how they might destroy him. But Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and I knew Mia and beyond the Jordan, and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things he was doing, came to him so he told his disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for him because of the multitude, lest they should crush him, for he healed many so that as many as had afflictions pressed about him to touch him and us and the unclean spirits whenever they saw him fell down before him and cried out, saying you are the son of God, but he sternly warned them that they should not make him known. His ministry is on intimidated by the clerics of his day, who held great sway in power over the culture over the Jewish people and even with the Romans who of course were the occupying force. The world Empire.

At that time what we know about these clerics during the days of Christ is troubling because repeatedly we find them resistant to fact resistant to truth resistant things are right there in front of them that really they should of embraced champion but the opposite was the case they were stubborn in their unbelief. Not only that they were mean they were dishonest and they were deadly.

All in the name of their religion.

In other words, they justified it through their interpretation of what religion should be Jesus. He did not contradict the Scripture, but he did trample their traditions. He did travel there may at man-made rules that oppress the people because again he was not intimidated by the he was focused on what he was supposed to do and he was not going to be moved off of that infer that there is a lesson for us to be focused on what our calling is also our Lord when sofar as to provoke them publicly in order to expose them and give them an opportunity but sin has a way of making us resistant to fact or truth that has a way of clouding our judgment. So the only way to deal with that is to take it to the Lord honestly tell you honestly take it before the Lord facts refused to go away and we who fear the Lord know that and that's why we try to obey. I think the most desired thing in a Christian heart is to be obedient to God that I think we want that more than anything and I think God wants us to want that more than anything.

Looking at the first verse as we consider this on intimidated ministry of Christ. We read and he entered the synagogue again and a man was there who had a withered hand. Routinely we taught at the synagogue because people need to be instructed in righteousness does not come natural. It has to be instructed. Jeremiah said this in the 10th chapter of his prophecies all Yahweh. I know that the way of man is not in himself. It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps think that because we can walk up right.

We can therefore live up right, we cannot without God is so to disentangle again with the rabbis head sewn into the society. Christ was counter teaching by just teaching the truth. This of course caused him to lock horns with them repeatedly because he could not be controlled by the all they had to do was to listen and watch and receive and what he was teaching and what he was doing was worth listening to was worth watching was worth submitting to was now Messiah verse the clerics of Israel on behalf of the people. Of course the apostles would have to follow this especially the apostle Paul. He continued to disentangle Christianity from everything else that was wrong especially in these clerics course in the end, well throughout caused him much grief and he was persecuted stone was chased. He writes this to the Romans. Paul does in this effort of his to spread the gospel without having his ministry intimidated by those who didn't care for. He says in mighty signs and wonders by the power of the spirit of God so that from Jerusalem and roundabout out a lot a little ripple of I look real. That's the 100 I don't say that every day and neither do you mean continues.

I fully preach the gospel of Christ. So I have made it my aim to preach the gospel if you're reading that if you're in the church at Rome at the time that that letter was received and read aloud to the congregation or if you got a published copy of it and you're reading this was nothing they could say battlefield of exchange ideas. They lost every time with them at their challenges even provoked their provocations provoke them as he is doing everything that was in the synagogue, they can see their looking at the handicap man they know he's going to heal them.

He sees this and he says I'll take this was not intimidated by them like everyone else was. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Mark, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in Mark chapter 3 with a brand-new study called on intimidated ministry enter the synagogue again. A man was there who had a withered hand.

So they watched him closely whether he would heal him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand step forward. Then he said to them, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill, but they kept silent when he looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, he said to the man stretch out your hand and he stretched it out in his hand was restored as whole as the other, then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodian's against him, how they might destroy him. But Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and I knew Mia and beyond the Jordan, and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things he was doing, came to him so he told his disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for him because of the multitude, lest they should crush him, for he healed many so that as many as had afflictions pressed about him to touch him and us and the unclean spirits whenever they saw him fell down before him and cried out, saying you are the son of God, but he sternly warned them that they should not make him known.

His ministry is on intimidated by the clerics of his day, who held great sway in power over the culture over the Jewish people and even with the Romans who of course were the occupying force.

The world Empire. At that time what we know about these clerics during the days of Christ is troubling because repeatedly we find them resistant to fact resistant to truth resistant things are right there in front of them that really they should of embraced champion but the opposite was the case they were stubborn in their unbelief. Not only that they were mean they were dishonest and they were deadly.

All in the name of their religion. In other words, they justified it through their interpretation of what religion should be Jesus. He did not contradict the Scripture, but he did trample their traditions. He did travel there may at man-made rules that oppress the people because again he was not intimidated by the he was focused on what he was supposed to do and he was not going to be moved off of that infer that there is a lesson for us to focus on what our calling is also our Lord when sofar as to provoke them publicly in order to expose them and give them an opportunity but sin has a way of making us resistant to fact or truth that has a way of clouding our judgment. So the only way to deal with that is to take it to the Lord honestly tell you honestly take it before the Lord. Fax refused to go away and we who fear the Lord know that and that's why we try to obey. I think the most desired thing in a Christian heart is to be obedient to God.

I think I think we want that more than anything and I think God wants us to want that more than anything. Looking at the first verse as we consider this on intimidated ministry of Christ. We read and he entered the synagogue again and a man was there who had a withered hand. Routinely we taught at the synagogue because people need to be instructed in righteousness does not come natural.

It has to be instructed. Jeremiah said this in the 10th chapter of his prophecies all Yahweh. I know that the way of man is not in himself. It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps think that because we can walk up right. We can therefore live up right, we cannot without God. So to disentangle again with the rabbis head sewn into the society. Christ was counter teaching by just teaching the truth. This of course caused him to lock horns with them repeatedly because he could not be controlled by the all they had to do was to listen and watch and receive and what he was teaching and what he was doing was worth listening to was worth watching was worth submitting to was now Messiah verse the clerics of Israel on behalf of the people. Of course the apostles would have to follow this especially the apostle Paul. He continued to disentangle Christianity from everything else that was wrong especially in these clerics course in the end, well throughout caused him much grief and he was persecuted stone was chased.

He writes this to the Romans.

Paul does in this effort of his to spread the gospel without having his ministry intimidated by those who didn't care for. He says in mighty signs and wonders by the power of the spirit of God so that from Jerusalem and roundabout out a lot a little ripple of kallikrein. That's the 100 I don't say that every day and neither do you mean continues. I fully preach the gospel of Christ. So I have made it my aim to preach the gospel if you're reading that if you're in the church at Rome at the time that that letter was received and read aloud to the congregation or if you got a published copy of it in your reading this you're saying this is from the hand of Paul will follow the life of Jesus Christ and wherever he could he would go and he would teach the word of God, and he was on intimidated in his ministry because he was focused on the value of what he had to minister to people. It was worth getting beat up for it was worth not being liked because there would be those who would be saved by so was Christ against the clerics but then it was the apostles versus the antichrist and they suffered for the faith and they were the only ones became part of church history. Christian suffering to uphold what the Scripture says against what men say the Christian faith is exclusive in its character, it's exclusive. It does not make deals, it will not accept another faith, it will not accept another religion as being equal or superior, but it condemns them as being inferior, and for that we are hated, but if that is the truth and we must decide, are we running a popularity contest or are we being obedient to our directive from the Lord the commandments from the Lord. The commission from the Lord to go out and preach the gospel as a going preach the gospel and some other stuff.

He says preach the gospel, which is the word of God found in the Scripture truth does not have feelings and therefore is not interested in feelings. It is what it is and we are ready to receive a truth presses forward regardless of the human response to it again. This can get one killed here again in verse one. He says a man was there who had a withered hand and there is there we find here a handicapped man in church, but this was the church where Jesus was present. Of course, Christ is not work this way. As a rule today. Today he often leaves the handicap handicap physically still uses them spiritually because we are in the age of faith New Testament word is true is the message that changes lives, not the signs and the wonders, but what God has said it is about faith. Do you trust that or not. Or do you need to see something spectacular. And if you do, how many times do you need to see that whenever you're in trouble. You need to see a sign and wanted to believe that God is there that he loves you that he says I will never leave you nor forsake you know the apostles heard him say I will never leave you nor forsake you when they were being persecuted to death. They know Jesus was with them. That's why Stephen stood up and said, Lord, forgive them, they don't know what they're doing. Following his Lord's example because it wasn't necessary that God rescue Stephen from the stones what was necessary that Stephen died obediently and he went out of this world preaching the word of God. And that's that's our faith that's Christianity that so much truth is bundled into what we believe and we watch their example we said these men. They saw the risen Christ.

They saw the crucified Christ, he saw the risen Christ. They weren't dying for nothing men don't die for such for fantasies die for truth. Sometimes they die for truth that is wrong with the believe is the truth. In this case they were witnesses in verse two he continue so they watched him closely whether he would heal him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him how you feel when police cars driving in back of you is a how great I pull over 11 cohort I try to get this letter I am not having you follow me, I think it was someone I don't care for a figure I won't say his name Y, but what he did say that you know if a policeman follows you for 500 miles 500 miles you're going to get a ticket and visits. Truth those are you going to make a mistake anyway.

They were watching him. These boys were malicious ministers. Here they are staking out a good man waiting for him to just mess up so they can pin their law on him. Matthew chapter 9 verse 35. There we read Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Why would you want to start a man like this what you want to learn from him. Submit. Find out what what's going on with this. No, they were trying to vilify him in just the first three chapters of Mark we see the Lord dealing with offending the clerics, those who had religious power and he did this by helping people. He had performed an exorcism. Here it is a a a a handicapped man in church earlier was a paralyzed man. He set them free from what enslaved them.

They didn't see that what they saw.

They couldn't control him in the world sees us the same way they can't control lots.

They can't get us to send the way they want us to sin. They are offended by that many of them, but we should not lose courage because many can save that way by us just preaching the gospel and sticking to our faith and these men set free because that's what Christ does again.

He was vilified for it because it was on the Sabbath. They hijacked the Sabbath day they stole it from what it was supposed to be and turn it into something else was supposed to be a day of rest to begin a day of paranoia for the Jew who will not breaking the law by doing this, says here in verse two whether he would heal him on the Sabbath again. Jesus did not profane the Sabbath he did profane their interpretation of the Sabbath. The Jews remained as a distinct people from everybody else because of three distinctives that separated the Jew from the Gentile.

To this day.

The first one, the rite of circumcision.

The second is their dietary law and the third is the Sabbath. All three distinctives have been abolished in Christ, we do not have to do any of these to approach God, we have to come to him by faith, we come to the cross of Christ by faith, by faith.

You are saved and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God and this is the what the they were willing to our group to receive will get to get to the fairness of this in a moment about.this is how the Jews fended off assimilation into the Gentile world but as Christians. The way we fend off assimilation into the world as we adhere to Christ, we are buying. As I started out in the beginning. Obedience is everything to us to please God to hear him say well done.

So it says here in verse two, so that they might accuse him determined to trap a good man determined to remove someone that convicted them simply by the way he lived in what he preached and what he did put them in their place and they had not come back for him when he went to the Scripture to refute their charges. They had no comebacker and there was nothing they could say battlefield of exchange ideas, they lewdly lost every time with him. He met their challenges even provoked their provocations to provoke them as is doing irritated it was in the synagogue, they can see their looking at the handicapped man. They know he's going to heal them.

He sees this and he says I'll take this fight was not intimidated by them like everyone else was ever come across a hostile unbeliever that is just waiting for you to preach Christ so they can snarl at shoes so they can pounce on you. Maybe it's a family member who is not accepted Christ. Maybe it's a coworker. It doesn't matter.

There are out there those unbelievers that are hoping you going to bring up Jesus so they can attack you.

This is the same situation we have here is clerics they could do nothing to help this man and they didn't want anybody else to help them either stealing their funders what Jesus was doing again because he would not be one of them because he swore and the again did not care for and so upholding their self-made traditions which was more meaningful to them and relieving a man of ministry religion will do that if you let her get away from you. If your faith turns into that kind of religion that hijacks truth you will be an oppressor of others, you will go around as a critic not as a Christlike individual verse three and he said to the man who had the withered hand stepped forward.

He again, he's not bothered by their snarls. He doesn't really care what they think he would love to see them submit, but they refuses giving them opportunity to submit the again what determined to not give into him battle of the will. We also know of that may be in our own lives. Maybe in someone other some other life could have said to this man. Okay look it's the Sabbath I can heal this. How about you meet me at Peter's house after after the synagogue or come back tomorrow. What course he doesn't do does no such thing as the again he is not intimidated in ministry. He tells the man instead stepped forward where everyone can get a good look at what's going on. It is