The Book Of Mark #11a

• Sometimes it is because of business

• Sometimes it is because we want to relax in a different environment

• Sometimes it is to visit relatives

• Sometimes it is because we want to see the beauty of other places

Illus: A man and his wife were driving their Recreational Vehicle in Florida, and they came near a town spelled Kissimee.

They noted the strange spelling and tried to figure how to pronounce it –

• KISS’-a-me

• Kis-A’-me

They grew more perplexed as they drove into the town.

Since they were hungry, they pulled into a place to get something to eat. At the counter, the man said to the waitress, "My wife and I can't seem to figure out how to pronounce this place. Will you tell me where we are and say it very slowly so that I can understand?"

The waitress looked at him and said: "Buuurrrgerrr Kiiiinnnng."

We all have traveled to some unusual places with some unusual names.

Illus: For example, these are real names of towns in the U.S:

• Caress, West Virginia

• Flirtation, Colorado

• Kiss Me Quick, South Dakota

• Deception Creek, Arkansas

• Yum Yum, TN

• Ding Dong, TX

• Do Stop, KY

• Goon Dip Mountain, Alaska

• Grasshopper Junction, Arizona

• Monkey's Eyebrow, Arizona

• Santa Claus, Ga.

It is a lot of fun traveling and visiting these places. We go to these places for many reasons. When the Lord went to a place, He had a purpose in going there.

Jesus had a very specific purpose in coming to the earth on which we live.

The Word of God let’s us know why he came here. He came to SEEK AND TO SAVE THE LOST!

In John 4:4, when the Lord Jesus had the encounter with the woman at the well, the Word of God says, “And he must needs go through Samaria.”

Notice the word “needs” go through Samaria.

WHY DID THE LORD SAY THIS? Because there was a woman there that needed to be saved, so he said, “I NEED TO GO THERE!”

Wherever the Lord Jesus went, He went to seek out the lost.

In Mark 2, this particular passage makes this amply clear. In this passage we see why the Lord Jesus came to this earth to live.

Let’s look at the ministry of Christ in this passage of scripture. We see a number of things to consider, such as:

I. THE LORD’S FAME

Look at verse 13, we read, “And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, he taught them.”

While we look at FAME as something that everyone desires; there are those who will tell you that FAME can ruin your life.

Illus: Before he died, Elvis Pressley said that he never had a life to live and enjoy like the normal person. He could not:

• Go shopping

• Go to community activities

• Go and get a haircut

When he did go out in public, he had to disguise himself in fear of the flock of young women who would run up to him and literally begin to tear his clothes off so they could have a souvenir.

(Humor: Pick out someone that can take a joke and say, “Bill Brown says he has the same problem!”)

Elvis said he had to live like a prisoner under house arrest because of his fame.

The Lord Jesus’ fame had begun to spread, and it was causing some problems for Him.

Because the Lord knew that FAME could be a problem, he gave specific instructions to the leper He had healed in chapter one. We read in Mark 1:44, “And saith unto him, See thou SAY NOTHING TO ANY MAN: but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.”

The Lord Jesus had given specific orders that he was not to tell anyone what Jesus had done for him, knowing it would increase His fame and limit His ministry.

BUT DID THE MAN OBEY HIM? No, look at verse 45. We read, “But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.”

The Lord had to leave town and begin to minister in desert places, and still the Bible says, “They came to him from every quarter.”

Everyone knew who he was! Everyone!

Illus: A once-popular singer goes to a retirement home to give a concert for the residents. When he enters he expects applause and requests for his autograph, but no one seems to remember him.