Who Belongs To Jesus' Family?

WHO BELONGS TO JESUS’ FAMILY? (Outline)

MARK 3:20-35 - June 5, 2005 - PENTECOST 3

INTRO: Man has a deep-seated need of belonging. Our society has numerous groups and organizations that people can join so they can belong. Each of us knows the special joy of belonging to a family. There is no greater joy than belonging to a loving, Christian family. Today we are going to examine what it means to belong to Jesus’ family. We do not have to wait until we reach heaven to experience that sense of belonging to the Lord. Today we are part of God’s family and members of God’s kingdom. "If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord"(ROMANS 14:8). Jesus asks in our text: Who are my mother and my brothers? Our theme ex-pands that question –

WHO BELONGS TO JESUS’ FAMILY?

I. Not those who divide

II. Those who do God’s will.

I. NOT THOSE WHO DIVIDE

A. In verse 20 Jesus returns to his adopted hometown of Capernaum. He was rejected in Nazareth.

1. It is so crowded there is not even room to eat. Jesus’ own family does not think this is right.

2. His family comes to get Jesus and take him because they think his is insane. Verse 21.

B. As if that were not enough verse 22 describes the church leaders making accusations against Jesus.

1. The church leaders declare that Jesus’ power comes from Beelzebub -- Satan. How absurd.

2. In verse 23 Jesus simply asks, how can Satan drive out Satan? This doesn’t make any sense.

C. Jesus explains with two very simple parables in verses 24, 25.

1. Neither a kingdom nor a household can stand if it is divided. The same is true of Satan, v. 26.

2. Jesus was warning his family and church leaders not to continue with false beliefs.

3. Verse 29 warns how continued blasphemy leads to unbelief ending in eternal condemnation.

D. The crowd recognized Jesus as Savior. Jesus family and church leaders were still not so sure. Their uncertainties lead to divisive opinions. Satan was trying to drive a wedge into the church. This is still Satan’s powerful weapon of delusion that he uses today. Churches are made up of many people from many and varied backgrounds. Satan tries to use divisiveness to bring down his church. When there is agreement in doctrine, Satan will use attacks on personalities. We look at others and see only their faults, their shortcomings and forget we are not better. We may even be moved to bring false charges against one another. How evil is the working of Satan amidst God’s family! "The entire law is summed up in a single command: ’Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other"(GALATIANS 5:14,15).

E. Satan doesn’t stop trying to disrupt the believers’ life inside the church. Satan has the whole world at his disposal to try and divide the believer from his faith. The world and everything in it are mighty big temptations that each of us face every day. Even the world gets us to be overly concerned with the bot-tom-line. How often don’t we consider what the cost of every little item in this world is and grumble about how everything costs so much. News stories and reports constantly remind us of the cost of disas-ters, war, social security, etc. At times we might forget that God has promised to take care of his family. "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money"(LUKE 16:13). Satan would love to see us so concerned about money that we trust in money more than God.

F. Our battle does not only include all those things that we see and feel and touch. From time to time we might battle with another because of disagreements and differences of opinions. From time to time we might battle with our own sinful nature as distracted by the attractions of this world. Our real spiritual battle is not always to so visible and obvious. Satan is deceitful with his hidden agenda of divisiveness. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms"(EPH. 6:12).

TRANS: WHO BELONGS TO JESUS’ FAMILY? It is not those who are divisive, but:

II. THOSE WHO DO GOD’S WILL

A. Jesus told another parable following the two (kingdom, house) concerning being divided.