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Leave Everything (Mark 3:7-35)

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MOTIVATE

  • You have been praying for a change: college / vocation / family… Finally circumstances align for you to move and you leave behind a home and life that has defined everything for you, but you’re ready. You leave everything to start something new.

OR

  • It’s the middle of the night and you hear strange noises. You wake up and the floor beneath you is warmer than usual. You open your bedroom door and hear a mix of whirling sounds, loud pops, and crashing items. One of your worst fears is true: your house is on fire and it’s too late to stop it. The only action you can take is save your family and leave everything.

Leaving everything is a decision based upon the reality that it would be more dangerous to stay or attempt to stockpile. The same is true spiritually. Once we encounter the real Jesus, we face a decision to leave and follow Him, or face the dangerous consequences of staying the same.

EXAMINE     Leave Everything (Mark 3:7-35)

MARK 3:6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

Jesus is going around teaching about God’s kingdom and healing in God’s name. Sadly, the religious leaders did not value an ordinary preacher drawing attention away from them.

à Be careful at attempting middle ground with Jesus. The Gospels portray people either as foes, fans, or followers, and fans are always left disappointed because Jesus never settles for being a mascot for your preferences. Jesus is either Lord of all or none at all.

The Gospels portray people either as foes, fans, or followers of Jesus. And fans are always left disappointed because Jesus never settles for being a mascot for your preferences.

MARK 3:7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8 When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. 9 Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10 For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. 11 Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.

The crowds were mixed with Jew & Gentile, and traveled from over 100-200 miles away. Jesus was trying to avoid riots or revolution, so he tasked the disciples with a quick exit strategy. Yet, Jesus’ fame was spreading rapidly bc people could not keep quiet about how Jesus was making a difference in their life. /// We’ll talk about Jesus & Demons in a future message; but note Jesus’ healing power over struggles.

à Many talk about Jesus when they’re struggling, but when things are going well they don’t view Him as their source. These individuals were telling others of Jesus’ healing. But Jesus wanted people to view Him not just as useful but beautiful. Jesus is not a means to our desired aim; He is the goal of life.

MARK 3:13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder); 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

  • Up a mountain recalls God’s important work / Do you have a mt top experience?
  • Jesus calls (προσκαλέω) individuals and then appoints/creates (ποιέω) them twelve and names them apostles.
    • προσκαλέω to Jesus = a formal summons / each of us need a faith DTR

    • ποιέω twelve = English word “poem” relating to art, while the word also can relate to construction or agriculture.

    • ὀνομάζω them apostles = English word “nomenclature.” Biblical naming indicated authority or transformation from a life incident.
      • Names are personal & protectedNames & branding express identity & purpose.

        • Naming creates responsibility – like Adam with Eve, Animals… We name pets to bond; except farmers… so they don’t starve 🙂 /// We name cars & vacation homes, but when these turn out disappointment, it reveals how ineffective and powerless we are – – – BUT GOD isn’t!

        • Our naming describes something, God’s naming determines reality (light, land, sky… “My child.” His naming has creative power.[1]

    • ἀποστέλλω to preach & heal = sent one – on a mission, like a formal ambassador / Ac 1:19-22 office defined by a witness of the resurrection

Jesus makes disciples in 4 ways

  1. Twelving: V. 14 Jesus ποιέω twelve indicates more about Jesus’ identity than the disciples. They didn’t have what it took to be disciples, but Jesus gave them what it took. Jesus has divine power to impart strength, skill, and value.
    Ultimately, we discover identity and purpose with others. Twelving recalls 12 tribes of Israel. Jesus isn’t promoting nationalism but spiritual community. He’s showing His followers they are called to a body, where all the parts are interdependent. We are incomplete until we are connected to a spiritual community. And while solitude is valuable, it is meant to prepare you to love and serve others. Thus, Christians need a twelve – a faith community.

    Illus: Crafts/Legos… need all the pieces to function / Or meals need all ingredients…

    This goes against Western mindset of independence. We think we can do most things on our own and avoid asking for help, or relating vulnerability. We never want to appear weak or incompetent. BUT notice that the way Jesus creates disciples is not through insulating or separating them, but involving them with others.  

    Illus: When you listen to a recording of your own voice, you wonder a) who is that? b) why do I sound so nasal? The only way we can know our own voice is by asking others. Likewise, our identity is best shaped by asking others to hold us accountable.
         *As a pastor for almost 30 years, I love (sarcasm) the many times I’ve heard,
            “I believe in Jesus but I don’t fit the church mold.”
                    They might as well say, “I don’t trust Jesus enough to commit to a church.”
           *– Imagine after a wedding never living&sleeping w/ spouse. It’s dismembering…

     
  2. Withing: Discipleship is relationship before a role. Being a disciple of Jesus is different than any other religion because it doesn’t just specify your beliefs and behaviors, but it demands your focused attention and heart affections.
        – People can attend a class or follow a system but it’s another level to retrain how
         you spend your down time, or where you turn in stress or celebration.
    The /

relationships that matter the most to us aren’t merely out of duty but delight.
     We cannot wait to spend time listening and talking with them; sharing life’s highs
     and lows. It’s called E> LOVE <3! Disciples of Jesus love God with all their heart,
     soul, mind, and strength, and obeying God’s commands are not burdensome
     (1Jn 5:3), bc the boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places (Ps 16:6).
 – This also means that you cannot serve in ministry well if you are not also   
     spending time w/ Jesus and in worship. One of the primary reasons people
     burnout & quit in ministry is because they substitute time with Jesus vs
     working for Jesus.


à Divert Daily / Withdraw Weekly / Respite Regularly
à Holy Week reading plan on YouVersion
à Read Scripture in advance of the “Sermon Current” tab
 

3) Sending: There comes a moment in the life of disciples/students/apprentices where they move from watching to doing. In this case, Jesus sends the disciples to two actions:

a) preaching. Like Jesus, they were to preach good news of the kingdom. Preaching doesn’t always include a pulpit. Sometimes your platform might be over an office table, a locker room, an athletic field, a recital hall, across a neighboring fence, or perhaps on social media. The idea is that you are opening your mouth and talking about Jesus. To whom and where are you sent; because there is no such thing as an unsent Christian. Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (Jn 20:21).

When disciples preached, they
– Wanted Jesus to promote them to sit at God’s right or left throne side
– Sought to exclude Gentiles from the church… but Jesus was for all people.

 b) have authority to drive out demons. Again, we’ll address this topic 5/3. But the idea is that the healing and hope that Jesus offers, disciples are to bring. Jesus said, “whoever believes in me will also do works that I do; and greater works than these because I am going to the Father” (Jn 14:12).

Moments the disciples attempted to serve Jesus
– Send people who listened to his teaching away to find their own food. But Jesus fed 5K
– Laughed when Jesus told a dead girl was gonna wake up. But Jesus resurrected her.
– Tried to stop others from casting out demons. But Jesus said, “they’re with me”
– Cut a person’s ear off to stop Jesus from making atonement on cross!
 

    à We think Jesus’ sending us means we have it all together. We don’t, and never will.
      Living sent means living in submission to the Holy Spirit. It means we’re regularly asking
      the Spirit to send us someone who needs encouragement or evangelism.
          1Pet 3:15 “always be prepared to give a reason for the hope in Christ”

4) Naming: Jesus names 12 disciples.
Simon = Peter (little rock)
James & John = sons of thunder
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew (tax collector), Thomas, James, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot
Judas = betrayer

The disciples had their given name, but it seems some (all?) received nicknames from Jesus. Jesus had a special bond with each disciple. Jesus viewed himself as the shepherd of the sheep, knowing each sheep by name (Jn 10:3). And Revelation 2:17 hints that Jesus is going to give followers a white stone with a new name written on it that no one knows except the one who receives it! You have a name that you don’t even know yet! But the point is, that your identity in anything else apart from Jesus is inferior. We must be named in Christ. – – // – – Stones were used for admission into certain feasts or games[2], and sometimes in civil trials or gladiator games, votes were done with stones[3], with black indicating death but white stones declaring innocent/pardon/freedom/life.

Illus[4]:

  • In baseball, the Cleveland Indians were first team to have #’s on uniform in 1916. Most of the jersey #’s related to their batting order, but not always.
  • By 1932 all MLB teams had #’s on their uniforms
  • Not until 1960 did names appear on the uniform
  • But two teams do not display names: Yankees & Red Sox. The reason is to display a team first mentality.
In a parallel Gospel, Jesus sent the disciples and they lost their team first mindset. They gloated at their preaching and healing ministry. Jesus rebuked them saying, “Don’t rejoice in your supposed power. Rejoice that your names are written in the book of life” (Lk 10:17-20).

You don’t get a name based on your performance, but instead based upon your posture towards Jesus.

APPLY/TAKEAWAY

Twelving (participate)     Withing (pause)     Sending (people/place)              Naming (posture)

[1] Thought inspired from Tim Keller sermon on Mark 3, Feb 26, 2006, “With Jesus.”

[2] Grant Osbourne, Revelation, Baker Exegetical Commentary, p.149.

[3] Craig Keener, IVP Bible Background Commentary, Rev 2:17.

[4] Info from https://markkolier.medium.com/when-there-were-no-names-on-baseball-jerseys-9643173998b0

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