The five verses presented here have been described by noted pastor John MacArthur as "a sweeping summary" of Jesus' work, describing the growing impact of the LORD'S ministry among HIs people and those outside of Judea. By now, multitudes are following Him, some out of devotion and some out of curiosity as the latest person of interest bound for eventual obscurity. The evil spirits that roam the earth and the area have been cast out with a mere word from Him. Everyone listed in these verses responded to the words and work of Jesus in one of three distinct ways, and this is what we will examine.
First, we have the committed, specifically the disciples of the Lord Jesus. At this point in His ministry He had called Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew, each of whom answered the call to follow Him (Mark 1:16-20, 2:14). They offered their services to Him, such as preparing a boat for Him (v. 9), and learning how to preach the Gospel (vv. 13, 14). There have been and still are countless and often anonymous followers of Jesus who lovingly serve Him by offering their energy and resources as they work for Him using the gifts and talents He has graciously given them (1 Peter 1:10-11; 2 Peter 1:5-11). Whether noted or obscure, all who are in Christ will be judged by Him for their service and be rewarded (2 Corinthians 5:10) in the glory of heaven.
The next group concerns the curious, some of whom need healing, and some who only want to see a miracle without surrendering their lives to Jesus. To them, He is little more than a moment's diversion and source of entertainment. They wanted to see a show, but not listen to His teachings and call for repentance.Things have not changed in two thousand years. Today's bunch are indecisive buyers, wasting time "kicking the tires", and never committing to a message or product. This is why I am opposed to "seeker sensitive" church services and messages. No one seeks after the true and living God and His demands (Romans 3:10-18).No service should ever be designed to make an unsaved individual feel "comfortable" or tailored to their "felt needs" as if their feelings dictated how Almighty God should cater to them. When faced with the demands Jesus expects of anyone who would follow Him, they will be gone and never heard from again (Matthew 10:34-39; Mark 4:16-19; Luke 14:25-33; John 2:23-25).
There are also those who come to the house of God because of genuine guilty feelings they are not able to overcome. They know that something is missing in their lives, but do not want to hear that their only hope is to turn to Jesus. They want their ears tickled and made to feel "good" (Matthew 7:26, 13:19; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; James 1:23-24). Hell will be full of these people. They were not necessarily hostile to God, but never wanted to commit to Him either. Commitment and responsibility are dirty words in these times. If you are reading this message and you know good and well that I have just described you, the time to quit playing games with your eternal soul is right now, friend. Quit being indecisive or attempt to somehow "sit on the fence" when it comes to surrendering your life to Jesus Christ. Make up your mind (1 Kings 18:21). Either Jesus is Lord and Savior or He is not. Your decision will determine your eternal destination, and once you are dead, there is no second chance, "do-over" or "reset" (Luke 16:19-31; 2 Corinthians 6:2; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:11-15).
The last group who responded to Jesus did so out of fear and trembling, fully aware that their time is coming to an end and there was no hope of reconciliation, restitution, or redemption for them. These are the evil spirits (vv.11-12), or fallen angels who had at one time enjoyed fellowship with the LORD in heaven and dedicated to giving Him all glory and worship. Lucifer, the mightiest of God's angels, became prideful, arrogant, and started a failed rebellion against God's rule in heaven (Isaiah 14:7-12) and had persuaded a third of these angelic beings to join in the rebellion. Now they were cast out of heaven permanently and doomed to an eternity of punishment in hell, created especially for them (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:1-10). These demons assist their evil master in attempting to thwart the plans of God and keep people away from the salvation He has provided through the Lord Jesus Christ. However, they are terrified of the LORD (James 2:19) and must submit to Him always (Mark 1:21-27, 3:11), begging to not be tormented before their time (Matthew 8:28; Mark 1:24). They also recognize that Jesus is Lord (Luke 4:41), but it does no good as their fate is irrevocably sealed with no hope of redemption. There have been people throughout history who have lived for the devil and have followed his evil, malicious, and destructive ways, leaving trails of carnage, suffering, murder, oppression, and fear. Twentieth century dictators such as Lenin, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Kim Il Sung, and the Ayatollahs of Iran have stained their countries red with the blood of over 100 million people (that we know of) and littered their lands with the graves of the innocent, regardless of age, gender, religion, or status. These reprobates, along with the perverse and apostates of all time (Romans 1:18-32, 3:10-18; Hebrews 6:4-6) will share hell with the demons and Satan for all eternity when God's final judgment comes down like a fire on this wicked world.
People from every walk of life fall into one of these three groups. The day of reckoning is approaching and you will either be committed to Jesus Christ, indifferent, or reject Him altogether. Where do you come in? You had better get that settled today.
donaldwhitchard@outlook.com
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