The Great Commission
Part 5 – A Prophet without Honor
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith – www.PS127.org : www.TruthDigest.org
WELCOME
† The Sermon on the Mount.
† He and his Disciples and Apostles begin to travel from Galilee to Capernaum.
† Jesus heals the Centurion’s servant.
† He then has dinner in a Pharisees home where He was anointed by a sinful woman who had repented.
† Jesus then returns to Galilee preaching along the way.
† Jesus Calms the Storm.
† Jesus send out the 12
SCRIPTURE READING
Mark 6:1 – 6 A prophet without honor
1 Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.
"Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.
4 Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor." 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 And he was amazed at their lack of faith.
† A PROPHET IN HIS HOMETOWN
Jesus, upon returning to His hometown wants to do the same there that He has done in so many other towns.
Preach the Good News and heal.
The scriptures make it clear, “For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God” – Romans 3:23
And for this reason, Christ has come, so that through Him, all may be saved!
“Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” – Romans 5:18 & 19
Why does Jesus go to all the world?
Because, it is God’s will that ALL come to a knowledge of the Truth!
“This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” – 1 Timothy 2:3 – 5
And how does the world hear this truth?
Through the body of Christ…Christ followers!
“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” – Romans 10:14 & 15
So Jesus went into all the world, preaching and teaching and healing.
o They heard the Truth
When you read this scripture, you can plainly see that they are not questioning the Truth of God’s Word that Jesus was giving.
The Truth was never in question.
o They Saw the Miracles
The scriptures are clear that the miracles of Jesus and His ministry were known around the land at this time. They followed and even preceded Him.
From reading this scripture we see that they did not question whether what was happening were truly miracles or not.
They plainly acknowledge that Jesus was teaching the Truth, AND He was performing miracles!
o They did not question the Wisdom, only the man
The problem wasn’t the Truth Jesus was teaching, nor the Miracles that were taking place, nor the Wisdom Jesus had displayed in His teachings and parables.
The problem was Jesus Himself.
The preconceptions in the minds of the people of what a prophet was to look like, and come from.
They were stuck on appearance, lineage, schooling.
But here in lies the problem.
John the Baptist is an example of how God cares not about appearance.
We are also told in scriptures that lineage has no bearing, and that we should not be worried about it.
WHY, because, your family tree makes no difference on whether or not you are right with God.
Now that Christ has come, it is personal.
You can not have a relationship with God because your father does.
You can not go to heaven because your wife is a devout Christ follower.
That works both ways as well.
You are not going to go to hell because your father is an atheist.
And you are not going to go to hell because your husband loves porno.
Our relationship with God is personal. And only YOU and GOD can work that out.
“my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” – Philippians 2:12 & 13
Therefore, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
Why fear and trembling?
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For through me your days will be many,
and years will be added to your life.” – Proverbs 9:10 & 11
You want to live longer? Here is the answer, serve the Lord.
Give God a reason to allow you years. Serve Him.
If you are not going to serve Christ on earth, then you have no purpose to be here. And it does not matter if you live or die.
You are not making a difference for the Kingdom of God.
Why do we tremble?
“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and tremble.” – James 2:19
“27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.” – Matthew 10:27 – 29
What Jesus taught to the Disciples when they were alone, they were to teach to the world.
This is the Will of the Father in Heaven!
Do not be afraid of man when doing the Will of the Father.
For they can only kill your body, and your soul will be with the Lord.
Rather be afraid of the one who will destroy body and soul of those who do not do His Will.
2 Sparrows only cost a penny.
Hardly worth a dime. Literally!
Yet, not one of them shall die without God’s knowledge or Will…(allowing it)
When Jesus stood before man and was told…”Answer! Do you not understand I can have you killed!” and Jesus answered, “You can do nothing to me, my Father in heaven does not allow.”
Jesus’ Wisdom, Truth in teaching and Miracles were not in question…Only who Jesus was, and where He came from.
To them, He was not worthy.
† THEY WERE OFFENDED BY HIM
o He was a carpenter
This was no scholar of the word, no Pharisee or Sadducee. He was not from a notable family line or a Levite.
He was a carpenter.
o Son of a carpenter
He was a son of a carpenter.
o From a family of regular people
This scripture here mentioning Jesus’ Brothers and Sisters by people who did not like Jesus proves that the teaching by some institutions that Jesus had no brothers and sisters is FALSE.
He had brothers and sisters, they just had a different father than He did!
So they were half-brothers and sisters. Same mother, different father.
† A PROPHET WITHOUT HONOR
Jesus was a prophet without honor.
Because He did not fit what they believed a prophet should look like, and what background He should come from.
o Jesus answers them
A prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, among his own kin, and in his own house.
How about you?
† Are you sharing the Gospel with the world?
† Are you accepted as worthy to tell the Good News?
† Does your own accept you?
o AND He could do no mighty work
Because they would not accept Jesus as a prophet of God, He could do no mighty work!
It’s not that He ‘couldn’t’, because He was ABLE, but He couldn’t because they would not come to Him for forgiveness, and healing.
Their lack of belief that this carpenter, son of a carpenter, from a normal family, with normal siblings, could be anything of God prevented Him from performing any mighty works.
So what could He accomplish there?
He laid hands on a few sick people and healed them.
o He marveled at their un-belief
There are only two times in the scriptures where Jesus marveled.
Jesus marveled once at the faith of the Centurion, and once here at the lack of faith in His own people.
CONCLUSION
We know the mission that the Lord has called us to as His people.
Jesus gave us, not only the commission, but an example true to life for us to follow.
As we read about Jesus, we see that He had trouble reaching people just as we will in our lives.
But that in no way slowed Jesus down. And it shouldn’t slow us down either.
We have a Truth to share with others. A Truth that will plant a seed of hope in a hopeless age.
There are going to be two types of people we witness to.
Those who will have faith, and those who will not.
For those with faith, great things will happen in their lives in the Name of Jesus.
For those with no faith, they will continue living their lives as they have.
And on that great day when we stand before Christ Jesus, Lord of all, and He looks into your eyes, will His words be, “Well done!”?
