Preparing to Fill the Kingdom by John

PREPARING TO FILL THE KINGDOM
Mk 3:1-15

1. Have you gotten the message of these first chapters of Mark?
(1) John said, "He is the Messiah."
(2) God said, "This is My beloved Son."
(3) Demons said, "You are the son of God."
(4) He has power over diseases.
a. Peter's mother-in-law was healed.
b. A leper was healed.
c. The paralytic was healed.
(5) Jesus had the power to forgive sins.
(6) He said, "I am Lord of the Sabbath."
2. Let's step ahead of the text for a minute.
(1) If you see oceans, mountains, storms and all natural wonders, and you don't say, "My Lord controls it all!" you've missed the point. HE IS LORD OF ALL!!!
(2) Only one place in all of creation is not under His dominion.
a. That one place is the heart of mankind!
aa. He has the power to control our hearts, but...
bb. He chose to make us and keep us free.
cc. We believe He does that so that when we turn to Him, it will be a supremely real experience.
b. Don't misunderstand what I'm saying. God is in control of everything, including the future, whether we realize it or not.
c. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess Jesus as Lord! That's coming! The demons and Satan already are acknowledging the greatness of God! Look at how the evil spirits in the Scripture obeyed Jesus!
d. But woe unto you! If you wait for that final day to proclaim Him Lord! That will be too late for you to be saved from eternal destruction!
3. In Mark, Jesus steadily advances to the cross. He was preparing to fill the kingdom! ill. My son was trying to play basketball while in High School in Weiner, AR. He could shoot well, and had some good moves, but he reacted hesitantly, and that kept him third string. The coach talked to both of us about it. He said to make that team, a kid had to start in grade school. He had to be so well coached that he didn't have to think before he acted. His players had to react. If they didn't, the play was over while they were thinking about what to do next. Jesus was prepared. He had planned every step He would take to the cross, and He did it just as He planned.

I. Jesus Worked With Individuals, But Never Forgot The Multitudes. 3:1-5.

1. Pharisees accused the disciples of picking grain on the Sabbath, and Jesus answered their accusation with Scripture.
(1) From that point on, the Pharisees watched His every move.
(2) Jesus habitually went to the temple on the Sabbath day to worship.
(3) Pharisees attended not to worship God, but to find fault.
(4) Even those of us who are closest to the Lord sometimes do this. (It results from bitter experiences.)
2. Jesus displayed command, knowledge, wrath, and grief as He acted in compassion.
(1) He told the man to stand.
(2) He asked the Pharisees a question.
(3) He showed anger. "Orgas," is the strongest word for in the New Testament for anger. It refers to the kind of feeling we should have for all sin.
(4) He showed grief for their spiritual obtuseness.
3. He healed the man with a command, and demonstrated again that He is Lord of all!!!
4. The Pharisees again said "no" to Jesus! They hated the Herodians, but they united with them to destroy Jesus!

II. JESUS WORKED WITH THE MULTITUDE, BUT NEVER FORGOT THE TWELVE.

1. He looked ahead to their coming, and planned to receive them. ill. In Wellington, KS, First Southern, we had 78 seats in the auditorium. We built the S.S. up to 128, and people had to sit on the platform, and stand. The next Sunday, the attendance would drop. We could take in a porch and add about 30 more seats. It would cost only $100.00, but the people would not do it! They didn't want to spend the money! I thought that was absurd, don't you?
(1) Mark almost sounds worn out as he says in vv. 7,8, "they came from everywhere!"
(2) A small boat stood by to receive Jesus if the crowd pressed too hard.
2. Picture the scene.
(1) Pushing, shoving, grasping, clawing people.
(2) Demoniacs crying out.
(3) Jesus healing, commanding, being buffeted.
3. He could have worked right there indefinitely, but he had other work to do. There were multitudes not yet born who also had to be saved!
4. Jesus did not forget the twelve, they were learning on the job.
(1) They saw the need of the people.
(2) They saw the desire of the people to know God.
(3) The disciples saw the pressure, and they thought Jesus was being endangered.
(4) They also saw the power and authority of the Son of God!
5. Jesus worked with multitudes, but His Akpostles were always on His mind.

III. JESUS DIRECTED HIS ATTENTION TO THE TWELVE, BUT NEVER LOST SIGHT OF THE CROWD.

1. He climbed a mountain. Not many crowds will follow a spiritual leader up a mountain (unless they can drive).
2. He "made" twelve disciples for four primary purposes.
(1) They would continue with Him.
(2) They would preach the Good News.
(3) They would perform healings.
(4) They would cast out demons by the power and the authority of God.
3. Though His attention was on them, He was still conscious of the crowd and each and every individual in it.
4. The Second calling of each apostle was to become another Jesus to the world! All did become like Jesus except for Judas Iscariot.

conclusion:

1. Only God can focus His attention on every human being at once. Jesus is God!
2. How wonderfully Jesus patterned His life and work to reach each person ever born, or to be born!!!
2. Oh, that every pastor could work with individuals and multitudes without neglecting His staff!
3. Oh, that we could stop acting like egocentric crowds clawing to get a goodie from Jesus!
4. Oh, that we would begin to be more like Jesus to the world! Each one of us! ill. Peter Lord, Titusville, FL, Jack Taylor, TX, Herbert Hodges, NC, W.O. Voight, Little Rock, AR all said, "I was successful by the world's standard, but I could not go on! Now I rest in Jesus, and He works through me. I am His child. I just obey!"
5. Joy in Jesus comes when you let Him prepare you for His kingdom.
6. While we pray, will you commit yourself to Jesus, and ask Him to prepare you to live as He wants you to live?
7. If you are already saved, have you ever asked the Father to make you like Jesus? This is a good time to do it!
8. Believers were first called Christians at Antioch, and they referred to believers being "little Christs." Do you dare ask God to make you a little Christ? I do, and I urge you to do the same. We need to be like Jesus!


EmmanuelComunityChurch 10/29/2006