A NEEDED INGREDIENT
Mark – God’s Message for Today - # 30 of
Jerry Watts
Mark 6:53-56
* I painfully remember the first time I prepared “hamburgers” on grill. My recollections of half-way watching dad do it and how good those grilled burgers were. I knew about the fire, the color of the meat, and the smell; and I was pumped the burgers got ready to eat. Man, this was going to be good! Then I took my first bite (it only takes one!) In one word I can describe this: “YUK!!” While everything looked & smelled good, I forgot the seasoning.
* That day I the Biblical principle of “a little leaven” was burned into my heart because a “little salt” was not cooked into my meat. By the way, no salt & pepper spoils the whole bunch.
* Our text tells us that, once again, Jesus crossed over. He was always doing this because there was (and is) so much work to be done for the Father.
* Jesus was sent to a culture (that’s still us) that walked in “darkness” and He came as the light for that darkness, He came to a culture that is “bland” in taste as the needed salt to add flavor, to preserve, and to heal. While He was on earth, He was the salt and the light for the world and then in Matt 5:13 & 14 He passed that mantle to us, His followers. As the risk of being ultimately offensive, we need to look around today & see how we are doing.
* Our culture today is sick. The reason this is so is because, in large measure, the church today in this culture is also sick. As the church goes, so goes the culture.
* The last time I preached on this text was close to 10 years ago and I was amazed at some of the characteristics which back then which are worse today. They were: lying, immorality, bitterness, brawling, anger, slander, stealing, gossip, arrogance, and many more.
* Yet our culture (seemingly) has more salt & light now than ever before. Why do I say this? It is because more people than ever “claim” to be “born-again.” However, this larger group makes less impact. Why is that? Think about this: Twelve disciples grew into a 120 followers. Don’t forget Jesus always had large multitudes, but when the dust settled, when the miracles weren’t so prevalent, & when the free food no longer flowed, only 120 stayed.
* For our culture, consider a couple of things: when house is dark, you get a lamp. But it’s not good if it isn’t plugged into the power or the bulb is blown. In the matter of cooking hamburgers, without salt it taste horrible. If the salt gets bad, the Bible says “You cast it out” and use it to walk on. I submit to you that there is a missing ingredient in this culture.
* There is an old song which says “What the world needs now is love sweet love.” I say that the only love which will help this world is the authentic divine love from the Father. His love to this world is found in the person of Jesus. What this world needs is what we need: Jesus.
* From our text and this story, embrace three simply thoughts.
1) RECOGNITION OF JESUS – One of the great issues of today is confusion about who Jesus is, what Jesus does, and even what Jesus wants. The modern day caricature of Jesus is so often and so badly skewed that the world has difficulty recognizing Jesus. We’ll get to that in a sec.
* Verse 54 is clear & the people were clear, “When Jesus got out of the boat, the people recognized Him.” Life would be much simpler today ‘if’ people recognized Jesus. However this day they did recognize Him, but the question is, “HOW?” How did they know it was Jesus? Was it by the boat He was in, by the people He was traveling with, or had the regional hotline of gossip preceded His arrival? Some suggest, He had previously been there.
* One thing is for sure, one way or another they had heard much about this carpenter turned rabbi. They heard about His words, His works, & obviously they heard about His willingness to touch, heal, & salvage lives. We don’t know how, but we know they recognized Him.
* Some will say, “We don’t recognize Jesus because we don’t see Jesus in human form today.” It is true that Jesus does not walk the earth in human form today like He did back then, it is equally true that Jesus should be visible today. The only view the world gets of Jesus is US!!
* In the Baptist Hymnal of the 50’s was a song, “Let Others See Jesus in You.” If you are a follower/disciple of Christ, “Who or what do people see in you?” Children act like their Father, can people see your Heavenly Father & His Son reflected in you? Do they recognize Him, because they’ve seen Him you? Do you remember the words of the song Bro. Johnny used to sing, “You’re the only Jesus?” That is what this is all about.
* Last Monday, the office was closed for the Holiday. I knew when I woke that morning that I had to come to the office for a few things. I think only ‘song-writers’ appreciate a fact that sometimes you are awakened & compelled to write, such was the case on that morning. Finishing what I had to do, I spent some time writing a song called, “There is more.” Already in that spirit of prayer, I returned to my office where my notes & Bible was turned for this message and I begin right here at this point. The truth of that old rushed in. (VIDEO)
You're the only Jesus some will ever see
You're the only words of life some will ever read
So let them see in you the one
In whom is all things they'd ever need
Cause you're the only Jesus some will ever see
* I end this thought with a pointed, personal, & powerful question: If all that the world ever saw or knew about Jesus came from you, would they know who He is? Would they see His heart that was always moved with compassion? Would they encounter someone who spent private, personal, & consistent time with the Father in prayer? Could we be (is it possible) the reason so many are so confused about who Jesus is? In verse 54, they recognized Him.
2) REACTION TO JESUS – I must confess to you, that in my study last Monday, I was overwhelmed with the desire to end this message right NOW! However, to do so would be to abuse God’s word & not rightly divide it because this is only the starting point. V55-56
* Here is our motivation to living lives where people recognized Jesus. Once He is recognized people always react, ALWAYS. Some folks try to be so cool that they don’t react, they’re not impressed, & they are not bothered. It’s interesting to see people like this because they are so cool, that many times they miss the world. This is another message. People react one way or another when they recognize the authentic Jesus.
* In our text, they knew that Jesus was able to offer help even if they didn’t understand all He was and was capable of doing. What they did know was that He could cast out demons, feed multitudes, heal the sick, and raise the dead. How did they react? When He was in the area, wherever He was, people came. They ran to Him, brought their sick to Him, and implored Him to simply be available. To know who Jesus is, evokes action. Do you know why? It’s because they want what He has. Please notice that people want what “HE has”, not necessarily what the church has or some committee or some group. In fact, many are walk away from the church today because the church hasn’t or doesn’t point them to Him.
* Today we identify two Classes of people, (not what you think); 1) those who know 2) those who need to know Jesus. Which one are you? Do you know about Him or know Him?
* When it comes to the authentic Jesus, people have done & do one of three things with Him;
1. Reject – The Bible tells us that only a few will follow Jesus. This means that many will reject Him. The Rich Young Ruler walked away from Jesus because he loved his money more than he loved Jesus. I sure there were other things, but his wealth was a stumbling block. He would never part with his money. Most of the time, there is something that we hold on to (or would like to) which gets in the way of us ‘following Jesus’ so we either reject Him or we
2. Replace – To some, Jesus’ way is too narrow. They want the benefits but not the beliefs He has so conveniently they rewrite what they don’t like. Don’t you wish it worked that way? You may not like His teaching on immorality – well, I don’t really like that Jesus had to die a bloody death on the cross for my soul’s salvation, so if you get to change YOURS, can I change mine? The obvious answer is no. He sets the rules, writes the rules, & enforces the rules. To replace Him is to break the first commandment & reject His offer of life.
3. Receive – This person simply receives what Jesus offers. They recognize their own inability to make themselves right before God so Jesus makes them the offer to save them from their sins and they say, “YES.” An authentic follower of Jesus receive Jesus, is changed by Jesus, and seeks to let other see & meet Jesus through them.
* If people are to meet & follow Jesus which will, in effect change this culture, they will need to be able to see & recognize Jesus in Us. This brings us to the last thought in this text.
3) RESPONSE BY JESUS – We find this in the last phrase of verse 56. It says, “As many as touched it were made well.” This is a picture of a past healing. In 5:34, Jesus told the woman who had a bleeding disease, “Go in peace, be healed of your disease, YOU FAITH has made you well.” This is Jesus’ standard response. People come to Him in faith & are healed by their faith in Him. People don’t have faith in Him (like Nazareth) there is no healing.
* Could it be that the reason there is so little divine healing today is that there is so little authentic faith today. Personally, I submit there is divine healing, just not the kind was want.
* What is bigger miracle? The healing of body or soul? The Bible says that “by His stripes we are healed.” Some want to say this is “physical healing” & perhaps this is somewhat true, but the purpose for which Jesus died is the spiritual healing which heals your relationship with the Father. At the cross where Jesus shed His precious, innocent blood, that in His dying, He developed a medicine which “heals” your soul. It’s YOURS FOR THE ASKING.
* 2 Pe 3:8-9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
* Jn 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out .
* Jn 3:17 - For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
* Revelation 3:20 - Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
* Your life is the greatest casserole you have ever prepared. I call it a casserole because it is made up of so many ingredients. You can change the taste of most casseroles by simply leaving out ONE INGREDIENT. Years ago, my entire family sat down to a Special Dinner & about half-was through our chicken & dumplings dinner when Dad said, “Honey, you were skimpy on the chicken, where is it?” Mom would always get tickled at herself at times like them. She started to speak but then went to the refrigerator, came back carrying a plate, & (laughing) said, “Here’s it is.” The Dumplings that year were – different. They were indeed missing something, an important ingredient.
* A life without Jesus, is missing something. “Jesus stand at the door today, knocking. Loudly. For Some, He wants to get INTO your Heart and life. For others, He seeks to get “Back IN.”
* Here’s the prayer: “Into my heart, Into my heart, come into my heart Lord Jesus.”
