Never-Ending Adventure Sermon Ii: Jesus Teaches Us Series

THE CHRISTIAN’S NEVER-ENDING ADVENTURE

Jesus Teaches Us – Mark 4:1-9

Heard about a fella who thought his wife had a hearing problem, so he asked his doctor how to convince her of it. The doctor suggested a simple test: “When you get home, open the front door and ask real loud, ‘Honey, what’s for dinner?’; if she doesn’t answer, go to the kitchen door and ask again, ‘Honey, what’s for dinner?’ but not quite as loud; if she still doesn’t answer, go whisper in her ear, ‘Honey, what’s for dinner?’ In this way she will have to admit she has a problem.”

When the guy gets home, he follows the plan to a tee: Opens front door, asks loudly, ‘Honey, what’s for dinner?’ but no response; goes to kitchen door, asks, “Honey, what’s for dinner?’, still no response; goes over to the kitchen counter where she’s busy finishing dinner, whispers in her ear, ‘Honey, what’s for dinner?’ whereupon she turns to him and yells at him in an aggravated tone of voice, “For the third time, I said, we’re having roast beef!”

The key to becoming the disciple our Lord wants His followers to become is a listening ear! The Awesome Power of the Listening Ear! We must hear with our inner ear what our Lord says if we would do what He wills.

Hearing is not just about audible sounds but of understanding what is being said. In His teaching of His disciples, Jesus recognized their need for hearing His words as He spoke them, but also understanding what He meant by what He said.

Thus, Jesus got into a boat by the shore so the folks gathered in that nature-made Amphitheatre could both see Him and hear Him . . . He employed the method of telling stories to help them understand. When He finished teaching a specific lesson, Jesus asked them if they had really and truly heard what He taught them. – Mark 4:1-9 . . .

Aren’t we glad that Bible teaching can occur any time any place people get together - in a synagogue or out by the sea . . . in a cathedral or stadium . . . in a stained-glass sanctuary or in a strip mall concrete block enclosure . . . in a living room or a brush arbor . . . you name a place, there the Word can be taught.

Wherever the Word is taught, small groups are best, as it was with our Lord’s inner circle of learners who stayed close to Jesus to make sure they heard every word He spoke.

However, crowds can be expected to assemble anytime a famous preacher of the Gospel is in town. It had not taken long for our Lord’s fame to spread . . . so it’s not surprising that, on this particular occasion, the crowd is described as a “multitude”.

Aren’t we glad that Jesus has a word for multitudes of people! Children as well as grownups . . . city slickers as well as country bumpkins . . . female as well as male . . . Gentile as well as Jew . . . Indian, African, and Asian as well as Caucasian . . . rich and famous as well as the poor and unrecognized . . . the educated as well as uneducated . . . You name a category of people . . . All need to be introduced to Jesus and taught His Word!

Aren’t we glad someone introduced us to Jesus . . . and aren’t we glad that a dedicated teacher taught us the great doctrines taught by Jesus, as recorded in God’s Word by divinely inspired servants of God! Great Doctrines:

The Holy Bible, the LORD God revealed in the Bible, Creation, Satan, Sin, God’s Unconditional Love, God’s Son Jesus Christ, Redemption through the blood of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Church of Jesus Christ, Resurrection, Hell, Heaven!

Considering all the doctrines in the Bible, to which would you assign top priority - which one, or two, or maybe three would you say all people must hear with their inner ear . . . really pay attention to? Pertinent question:

Which doctrine did God the Father, at the baptism of Jesus, tell people to listen to? God said: “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”

God’s designation of that to which highest priority must be given? His Son, Jesus Christ: what the Bible teaches about Jesus as the Christ . . . redemption by His blood . . . who Jesus is, why He came, how to be saved, how to be one of His.

After all, as Luke put it, “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”