Intro: Illustration about “God is watching you.”
My first thought was an old angry man in the sky pointing His finger at me saying look out I’m going to get you. My second thought was of the heavenly father I know. Jesus is the only one capable of watching over me, you, every one of his creations.
• Mark wrote to gentile readers
• Mark presents Jesus as the ultimate servant
• Mark emphasizes what Jesus did over what he said. The word immediately is used over forty times. This emphasizes the activity of Jesus in the lives of people both lost and saved.
• Eighteen miracles are recorded in Marks gospel that is over half of the 35 recorded in the Gospels.
• Mark is the earliest and shortest of the gospels.
• Chapters 1-8 focus on Jesus’ ministry to the masses. Chapter’s 8-10 ministry to his disciples. Chapters 11-16 focus on his passion saving the lost.
Matthew presents Jesus as King of the Jews, Luke presents Jesus as the compassionate savior of all people, John presents Jesus as God, Mark presents Jesus as the suffering servant rejected by the religious serving and suffering for the lost.
Matthew 28.19 “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” It was as the Servant that His authority is seen.
I. Jesus has authority over death
Genesis 1.17 “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Sin and the separation it causes between God and man are the only clear and complete explanation of death for us as human beings.
God spoke with authority about mans rebellion before it ever happened. God speaks as a loving father if you disobey my authority it will result in a separation between us.
The soul that sins shall surely die. Read Ezekiel 18.19-31. (pay close attention to what God wants.)
He takes pleasure when people repent. When you repent you turn away from things that cause separation from God.
Jesus shows us in the Gospel of Mark that He has authority over death, demons, disease.
Mark 1.23-26
When you see the recognition of this authority by those he taught in the synagogue and the demons he expelled from those they possessed what do you think?
There is amazement and argument about him but not belief in Him. The demon declared Jesus Humanity Jesus of Nazareth and His deity, the Holy One of God. Yet it did not result in the belief of the people. It caused Him to be famous but not followed. The people were interested in His power not His presence, His fame as a healer, exorcist, miracle worker.
No matter what form of death that shadows your life Jesus has authority over it.
Remember the demons stated that Jesus was the Christ, the Holy One of God but that does not mean they were morally or spiritually transformed. We move from death to life by agreeing with and surrendering to our need for the saving, finished work of Jesus on the cross.
II. Jesus has authority over life
John 10.10 “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.”
In this wonderful Gospel of mark Jesus shows us a picture of the real and eternal life. We so often look to church, family, and even God for the things we can get. What is in it for me? What can I get out of this? But Jesus is saying in our family, job, church, and the kingdom of God it is what we give that shows that we have responded to Jesus authority with obedience.
Listen to the powerful truth found in 1 Peter 2:11-19, 3.1 (read)
Submission applies to every point of life. Real and eternal life is found in our response to the authority of Jesus and the authorities He places over us. To governments Peter tells us to fear God honor the emperor (king) (1 Peter 2.17). In our jobs he tells us “Household slaves, submit with all fear to your masters, not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel.” (1 Peter 2.18) In the home, wives are to, “In the same way, wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the Christian message, they may be won over without a message by the way their wives live.” (1 Peter 3.1)
1 Peter 2.15 says, “15 For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.” How do we silence foolish people that reject Jesus? Submission.
The Greek word here means to muzzle like you would an annoying dog who barks at night.
Act in a way that makes their jaws drop then shuts their mouths. Without a word there should be something in our lives that shines a light that is not of this world. We don’t silence them with rebellion but submission. There is an exception as Peter said in acts we must obey God rather than man. If we find ourselves having to obey mans requirements or follow God’s righteous will we always follow God’s will. However many of us break laws and ignore rules to and neglect the restraining power of the Holy Spirit.
The Message translation brings a wonderful clarity to this passage.
1Peter 2.13-20 “Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God's emissaries for keeping order. It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you're a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.
18-20You who are servants, be good servants to your masters—not just to good masters, but
also to bad ones. What counts is that you put up with it for God's sake when you're treated badly for no good reason. There's no particular virtue in accepting punishment that you well deserve. But if you're treated badly for good behavior and continue in spite of it to be a good servant, that is what counts with God. This is the kind of life you've been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step.
III. Jesus has authority over living (decisions, etc)
A) He has authority over our thinking – Mark 1.22
Proverbs 23.7 Thought life equals personal life. there is a direct relationship between our beliefs, worldview, and behavior.
Romans 12.1-2 Transformation in our thought life (Learn to think biblically)
2 Corinthian's 10.5 Take every thought captive to Jesus
Philippians 4.8-9 If there is anything good think on these things
Think on things above
We are in a constant war for our minds. Satan and his demons attack our way of thinking about God and his truth. We counterattack by obediently bringing our thought life to Jesus. We obey the commands of the apostles and think on things that are good and things above. This is more important than celebrate recover, VBS, Sunday School, or food pantry. If we do not get our thought life right we give multiple doorways and access to this body to the Devil. What do you allow in your thought life? What shows, books, music, etc has become part of the way you think? Reading the Bible is drinking from the well of God’s truth, satisfying your thirst from the cup of Jesus’ person, and inviting the living waters of the Holy Spirits power.
B) He has authority over our speaking (Jesus spoke authoritatively for the father while on earth. If we surrender our tongues to His Spirit He will speak authoritatively through each of us as saints to speak life to people.) – (Mark 1.25)
Matthew 12.36-37 Careless words reveal the true nature of the heart.
If you prepare what you say you can guard what is in the depths of your heart. What we say when we are frustrated, angry, etc are often the clearest line of communication from our hearts. It is these words that Jesus says will either condemn us or justify us. The tongue is the bucket that brings up what is hidden in the heart.
You shall give an account for every idle word, sarcastic, mean, bitter, destructive, divisive, angry etc.
James 3.6 – The tongue is a fire (powerful and destructive, or encouraging and constructive)
We must surrender it to the authority and direction of Jesus so that our words will give life and not death.
C) He has authority over our living -- Even a child is known by his actions Proverbs 20.11
The woman at the well – neither do I condemn u go and sin no more.
Jesus spoke with authority to her actions. He told Peter to feed His sheep. He tells us to make disciples
We all shall appear before the judgment seat of Christ to give and account but for what? Our deeds, what we actually did was if for Jesus, for His Glory and for His Kingdom. If we believed Jesus and received Him as Savior and Lord our sins were already judged on the cross.
This is a judgment of our actions in order to reward us.
Revelation 21 the great white throne those outside of relationship with God will not be rewarded but judged according to their what? Their deeds, or works Jesus has ultimate authority over every area of living!
Oswald Chambers
“The weakest saint can experience the power of the Deity of the son of God if once he is willing to let go. Any strand of our energy will blur the life of Jesus. We have to keep letting go, and slowly and surely the great full life of God will invade us in every part, and men will take knowledge of us that we have been with Jesus.”
How? In the way we live. What is the most important part of the Spirit filled life? What is the most important thing to teach your child when you are teaching them to drive? Is it the gas pedal or the brake? If they have no interest in the brake then there is no way you want to introduce them to the accelerator. You will also never know the release of the Spirit until you yield to the restraint of the Spirit. Why do we struggle so much as followers of Christ? We do not surrender to the restraining power of the Holy Spirit. Until the flesh nature is restrained and crucified it resists the life of God.
Conclusion:
What does Mark teach us about Jesus and ourselves?
1) He is the supreme authority for our life
2) He established His authority by serving His heavenly Father
3) His authority directs us to serve
4) When we submit to His authority we find real and eternal (abundant life)
5) Rejecting authority is a sure sign we are not under Jesus’ authority
6) Not serving others is a sure sign we are not under Jesus’ authority
7) Our thought life will determine our living
