Missing Jesus Series

Intro: ATTITUDES about life really impact a great degree in which we experience life – The control on a plane that keeps the plane on track is called “attitude”.

ILUSS: It is crazy how we all can have different attitudes about the same thing – it is what makes us unique and different, but collectively if we don’t have the same attitude it divides – MOVIES AND ATTITUDES ABOUT THEM

1. Return to me – seriously, a love story heart transplant movie…really

2. Twilight – teenage love story about vampires and abstinence…ok

3. Bridge over river Kwai – c’mon can’t say anything negative about this movie.

4. Regarding Henry – one of my fav. I cry every time-

5. Somewhere in time -

TRANS: We laugh now, but let’s not miss the point – if we as a church have a divided attitude about who Jesus is and what He can do then we as a church quite possibly could miss the fullness of what Jesus can/and I believe wants to do in and through this church collectively.

READ MARK 6:1-6

Nazareth had the perfect ingredients for a miraculous experience. They had the presence of Jesus with them. Jesus came home and undoubtedly had a plan for them, and we know that Jesus certainly had the power to do something amazing.

BUT – Jesus’s fullness was missed because of the attitudes his hometown had about Him.

WE THE CHURCH ARE HIS HOME TOWN, HIS FAMILY AND WE DON’T WANT TO MISS THE FULLNESS OF JESUS TODAY.

Attitude #1 – Familiarity (Mark 6:1-4)

This attitude says – C’mon, I know Jesus we have known each other for a long time. The problem is we can get so familiar with Jesus that we miss Him all together.

• He’s the carpenter kid

• I’ve seen him grow up

• He is one of us – does he think he is better than us.

• We grew up in the same town, I remember when….

• SON of MARY – implies the crowd was questioning his birth (Who is his dad anyway?)

***The town’s physical knowledge of Jesus prohibited them from having a spiritual knowledge of him and their attitude was one of familiarity.

***As a church we can simply get to familiar with Jesus that we can miss His fullness.

Attitude #2– Offended (Mark 6:3b)

This attitude says – How dare Jesus say that to me? What right does He have? Jesus and I are cool as long as he doesn’t ask me for stuff. If he does then we have a problem.

• The town took offense to Him because of what he was teaching.

• Astonished - literally implies getting kicked in the stomach and loosing your breath.

• The Greek rendering of their questions about Jesus (vs 2-3) implies the question – “Aren’t we the same?”

• Most likely he was teaching - Mark 1:15

• Jesus was calling people to repentance, belief in the gospel, and this was too much for them.

***The town was offended because Jesus, who they treat as one of them, was calling them to a different life. They were offended because they refused to believe that Jesus was not one of them, but worthy to be praised.

***As a church we can become offended because Jesus in His word is calling us to a different life/lifestyle then what we have grown accustom to. So we grow uncomfortable and we get bent out of shape – and we can miss the fullness of what Jesus wants to do.

Attitude #3 – Unbelief (Mark 6:6)

This attitude says – I simply don’t believe or trust that Jesus will do anything supernatural. I haven’t seen it happen so I won’t risk trying. I won’t take ALL of my concerns to Him, I will focus on just doing what I can and Jesus can do what He wants as along as I don’t have to do anything.

• The town’s distrust/unbelief caused Jesus to marvel at them.

• They distrusted so much that Jesus couldn’t do anything there –

• Literally they would not bring their sick to him

• Imagine that – His fame has preceded Him and word has spread of what he can do…however they don’t believe Jesus is who He says He is or trust that he can do what people have said he can do.

Closing – What does Jesus want to do in our church? He has asked us as shepherds to point us in a direction that has 2 vital “hills to climb”.

1. – To get 3,000 people to give themselves away in service.

2. To raise $936,000

Jesus can do it, as a church our attitude in faith towards him (collectively) is essential.

***This is the worst time to do this from a human perspective – But Jesus asks and our passions as his disciples are to

1. serve others

2. Give sacrificially

What would our church be like if we simply united in an attitude of faith in Jesus?