Going To Church With Jesus Series

GOING TO CHURCH WITH JESUS—Mark 1:21-28

We live in a time of declining church attendance. One reason is busyness; Sunday mornings are consumed with youth sports, catching up on the laundry or the lawn, or just chilling out after a busy week. Another reason might be that going to church is not as much of a thing people do these days; I’m guessing not too many people on your street go to church every week.

I think the biggest reason for many people, however, is that church doesn’t seem relevant. They don’t feel worship and meeting together makes much difference in their lives, and they don’t see much impact from church involvement.

Churches try all sorts of things to be relevant. We hear of cowboy churches with boots and rodeos, and churches whose hipster pastors and worship leaders wear ridiculously expensive shoes. Some put in an expresso bar, play to politics or patriotism, or bring in celebrities to draw a crowd.

Most churches—ours included—try to improve the quality of their music and video, grow their presence on social media, and create more inviting environments for gathering. Those things aren’t all bad! But they don’t get to the core issue: How does church—especially worship and teaching—become relevant, even life-changing?

After Jesus called Simon and Andrew, James and John to leave their fishing nets and fish for people, they all went to church. Well, not church like we know it, but the synagogue in Capernaum, where Simon Peter lived. Simon and his friends had gone to the synagogue for years, but going with Jesus was unforgettable and life-changing.

As we follow them to the synagogue, we are looking for answers to our question:

HOW DOES CHURCH BECOME RELEVANT?

-GO TO CHURCH WITH JESUS. (verses 21-22)

Isn’t that obvious? Well, to be honest, you can do church without Jesus. You will hear his name mentioned in most churches, but that doesn’t mean people are personally encountering Jesus at church.

I imagine synagogue worship in Capernaum was pretty routine. People nodded hello to their neighbors, and then sat down, trying to focus on God or living a good life. They heard the traditional rhythmic prayers, and joined in repeating familiar psalms. Someone read from the Torah (the law) and the Haftorah (the prophets), with comments or discussion. The comments often reflected the teachings of the great rabbis: “Rabbi Shimei said…,” or Rabbi Hillel said…,” or “It has been said by the elders…” On a good day, there would be some delightful rabbinical stories to maintain interest. Then everyone went home—good for another week.

Change some details, liven up the music, and put a “professional” up front, and it is not too much different from how many people experience church today.

***I had been retired for a short time, when I showed up for a men’s breakfast with more than a dozen guys from a church we had just started to attend. They didn’t know I had been a pastor, and they were talking about their church experience, when one of them said, “Who wants to listen to a guy up front?” My first thought was, “I resemble that.” I didn’t resent it, though. Newly retired and church shopping, I sometimes felt the same way.**

If all we have to offer is the quality of the music, the cleverness of the message, or the practical wisdom they hear, why should anyone bother going to church? They can find all of that on their phones, customized to their preferences.

I all we have to offer is the quality of the music, the cleverness of the teaching pastor, or the practical ideas people can take home with them, why should people bother to go to church? They can find all of that on their phones, customized to their preferences. It might be more to their liking as well.

The synagogue was set up for yet another routine meeting, when Jesus showed up. It seems that he was invited to speak that day, and something was different:

Mark 1:21-22 “They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.”

What was there about Jesus? He didn’t appeal to the rabbis or the traditions of the elders; he spoke on his own authority. From the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s gospel, we know that Jesus sometimes said, “You have heard that it was said…but I say to you…” He spoke on his own authority.

The message of Jesus was unprecedented and breathtaking. Mark 1:15 summarizes Jesus’ message as, “The time has come, the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Jesus’ message was that the messiah was coming, and the kingdom of God—the rule of God that brings righteousness, health, and hope—was already coming in his words and deeds.