And these signs will follow
Mark 16:15-20
Good morning everyone, glad that you have joined us in worship. Please turn to Mark 16:15-20
It is the passage of the “Great Commission” and it goes along side the message we looked at last week. Last week looked at not being ashamed of the gospel and living it out in our lives and being sensitive that we share the gospel with others the Lord has brought into our paths as we journey in life.
Today we look at the recorded passage of the great commission in the book of Mark and then Jesus ascending to heaven and leaving us instructions on how we can live that out in our lives.
This passage gives believers instructions of what that life should look like if we desire to make an impact on others.
Mark 16:15-20 read from Bible
Jesus gave the church its marching orders… preach the gospel and teach in all the nations. To take the saving message of Jesus Christ into all of the world.
Now does that mean that every believer must leave home and family and go to another country?
Do we all…have to leave to fulfill this command?
“Go therefore, and teach all nations”- Matthew 28:19
“Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature”- text Mark 16:15
One verse says the nations and one verse says the world- when we study these two different Greek words, we find that we do not have to go far from home to fulfill the great commission and that all believers are to be involved in the process.
Nations is the Greek word “ethnos”-
it describes all different customs
Cultures and civilizations.
It means the gospel is to be taken to all people from around the world.
One translation of Matthew 28:15- Go, therefore and teach all ethnic groups, invading every race, every skin color, and every nation that has different customs and culture.
One day to take it around the world.
Because of travel and people coming from different countries and moving here, we do not have to go far from home to find someone with different cultures and customs.
Just leave your house and go to a different neighborhood.
We can find those different from us and build a relationship with them and can bring them a message of Jesus Christ- they become our mission field!
Our text in Mark targets the great commission different- “Go ye into all the world”
world is the Greek word “kosmos”- it denotes a particular system, system of fashion, a circle of friends, any sphere where you live and have influence.
According to Renner, Apostle Paul used the word kosmos when he wrote that Satan was the “god of this world”. Paul wasn’t speaking of this physical earth, he was saying that Satan is the god of the systems of the earth…the god of some leadership, the god of most people’s influence…AND WE ARE TO INVADE THAT WORLD AND BRING THE GOSPEL TO THOSE THAT NEED TO HEAR IT.
world system where you work- bring the gospel
fellow workers
the school that you attend…bring the gospel.
your circle of friends where you have influence
Special clubs that you belong- they don’t influence you away from God, you are to influence them toward the things of God.
The place where you live, function and have influence!
Where is your closest mission field? Right next door
Where are you called?- every person you have influence with- you don’t have to go to another country- just go with a heart of missions to the grocery store and see who needs to hear the gospel and be open.
Jesus told us the fields are ready for harvest- John 4:35 people right near you are hurting and struggling through life. Just hoping someone could give them some answers to questions they don’t even know to ask.
You are the missionary they have been waiting for and Jesus sends you because you already have a relationship with them and have influence.
Jesus said we are to be the salt of the earth- Matthew 5:13
Adrian Rodgers says that salt
Preserves
Heals
Purifies
Penetrates
He says that we are to salt not pepper, we are not sugar- he says that we are not to become worthless and lost our savor.
What does it mean to preach His word? Not everyone is meant to be behind a pulpit, but all of us who profess Christ are meant to share the gospel.
Preach comes from the Greek word “kerusso”- it means to proclaim, to declare, to announce or to herald a message of Jesus.
kerux- K-E-R-U-X- was a representative of the king and his job was to announce with clear voice the desires,orders, events, news, or message of that king without changing the message.
To the king that kerux was a noble, privileged position of the king.
When the king had a message, he summoned the kerux and he came to the king’s throne room with writing instrument and paper in hand and he carefully and accurately penned the message that the king desired. After the king dictated the message, the kerux was given freedom to express freely what was talked about so that he completely understood what was being asked of him so that there would be no mistakes in delivering the message.
He was to say it with the emotion of the king and the clarity of the king and get the message right.
He was to represent the king in public and private life and bring honor to his king.
If you are a believer- do you see yourself as a representative of the king?
The kerux went with paper and pen to make sure he got it right what the king had said-
you can’t remember what was said last Sunday- you can’t remember what you read Tuesday night, maybe bring a paper and pen and write down things important for your walk with the Lord.
Some things to remember
Do you see yourself as a representative of Jesus Christ? Do you want to get His words right when you speak?
Do you spend enough time in the presence of the Lord to get the message He wants you to get?
Does your life honor Jesus?
Your private life and your public life are important on how others see you profess Jesus.
As a believer, you must not make comments that are not Christ-like.
So let’s look at the instructions
“And these signs will follow them that believe”
According to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, we are to have supernatural signs follow us as believers.
The word signs comes from the Greek word “semion”, which describes the official written notice that announced the final verdict of the court. The signature or seal applied to a document to guarantee its authenticity.
Jesus is sending his disciples (you and I) that God’s signature would be on our ministries.
That He is working through His people.
To the unbeliever, it was a sign that the message was from God not a manmade message.
Just like the street sign points us in the right direction, we are to point the unbeliever to Jesus.
He specifically mentions
Casting out Devils
Speaking a new tongue
Taking up serpents drinking deadly poison and not hurting us.
laying hands on the sick
Charles Spurgeon
“The church does not determine what the bible teaches, the bile determines what the church must teach”
“Follow” is the Greek word Parakoloutheo,(para-ko-lou-theo) it means alongside or in close proximity.
I would not recommend casting out devils if you are not walking close to the Lord. You are not wanting to do these things in your own strength and your own power.
Disciples follow closely with Jesus and then do what Jesus instructs them to do.
Signs and wonder follow a person walking close to the Lord and speaking the gospel message.
These signs as God’s signature as we follow the Lord-whether we are at church, on a mission field, in a large crusade, in a bus, at work, or in the grocery store. You should expect to see God use you in a way more powerful than yourself.
Draw your attention to the word believe- “and these signs shall follow them that believe.”
The signs of the Lord’s presence doesn’t come automatic- these signs follow those who are constantly believing. They are living it out in their lives. Signs and wonders are activated by faith- active faith!
If you don’t believe that the Lord will use you in these areas of your life, they probably won’t happen.
Expect things to happen-
When you pray for the sick- expect them to be healed.
When you confront someone who is demonized, expect them to be set free.
When in a situation for a miracle- expect a miracle-
When you need protection, expect God’s hand in your life.
“In my name shall they cast out demons”
Illustration-
In a church many years ago, we had a time of prayer and the altar was full of people wanting to see the Lord do something amazing. I had prayed with someone after they told me their request and they had been doing things not lining up with God’s word and desiring that they have the strength to stop and begin walking with the Lord. As I prayed with him, he began to shake and fall to the floor. As I laid my hands on him he was calm and when I stopped he would shake again. It drew the attention of another pastor and we both prayed for him. After time at the altar, he was exhausted and sat in the first row pews.
“In my name, they shall cast out devils”…cast out is the Greek Word ekballo, means to throw out, to evict someone from one place to another. To drive out, to expel something.
Sometimes the Lord uses us by His power to expel or throw out things in a person’s life.
Why do you think it important for believers to not be involved with magic, spells, ouija boards, contacting of spirits from the dead.
Today, we tend to think of casting demons out as ordering a demon out of someone body and that is certainly something that happens at times.
Most of the time we need to know that when we are doing things contrary to God’s word and inviting spirits not of God that we invite trouble into our lives.
Acts 19:18,19 apostle Paul and the disciples made such an impact in a town that they repented and turned from their wicked ways-
“Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.”
There was a public declaration that they were removing these objects from their lives. they were announcing by burning the books they would not return to past activities. it meant that evil was cast out of their lives.
Those bridges are to be destroyed so that we do not return from what the Lord has delivered us from.
The last part of this verse we will have time for this morning is…“They shall take up serpents.”
One commentary tells of remote places in some states that religious groups literally take up serpents. These extremist groups have taken Mark 16 literal. Based upon their wrongful interpretation of the scripture, they believe it is a way of demonstrating the strength of their faith.
At a predetermined time in the service they would let these snakes loose and those who had faith would retrieve them and put them back in their cages.
I can think of several scriptures that we are not to tempt God by putting ourselves in harms way to prove our faith.
The right way to interpret scripture is to understand its context given.
Luke 10:19- Jesus himself said “Behold, I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
Jesus gave these word right after he instructed his disciples to go into the harvest field and reach people for the gospel.
He was giving them assurance that as they were going to preach, they would have divine protection against anything the enemy use to stop them or hurt them.
Again context-
As they were going town to town, snakes on the side of the road hidden in the grass was a problem for men to lose their lives.
Scorpions in the Middle East are a problem- one sting and they could lose their life. sit on the wrong rock, step on the wrong spot.
Jesus promise to them… “They would tread upon serpents (snakes) and scorpions.”
As I close-
“These signs will follow them that believe”
For the disciples, they would expand the gospel and explode into new territories.
What does it mean for you and me?
Most of us do not have to worry about snakes and scorpions- but we do have to know and recognize the dangers that are around us- we have a responsibility to share the gospel…each and everyone of us.
We have to do it with the wisdom of the Lord and the sensitivity of seeing hurting people need the Lord.
We cannot be foolish and put ourselves in unnecessary danger but we cannot be afraid to put ourselves out there when the Lord is leading us and guiding us.
Those that passed around the snakes in a service may have been sincere…but they are sincerely wrong to put themselves in deliberate danger.
That certainly is not what the Lord is asking us to do.
A time of prayer-
