Yes here before this morning if you'd like to go ahead and take your seats we begin service by turning over the song number 75
We'll start the service this morning by going to song number 75 on the Jordan stormy banks
number 75
Oh
Your word
Number 208
Oh
We brought you
We'll be back this evening at 5 30 p.m. And Thursday at 7
Genesis chapter by chapter
So we'll be back this Thursday at 7 for that
Well that you also have a church wide soul in the regional soul in times as well as the salvation's and the baptisms for both
A month a year and then a couple of notes about our church there and family integrated
The nursery is available in the back also the men's
Bathroom is located outside and requires key if you need any have any questions about any of that
Please feel free to grab one of the men or ladies our church
And we'll be more happy to assist you over on the right-hand side. Don't forget next Sunday, March 3rd at 10 a.m
We'll be having our monthly birthday donuts in honor of everybody celebrating their birthday in the month of March
And then we have one more Eastside glitz so we've been doing this over the last month or so
Going over a little farther east side of town where we normally don't get to
And just spending the day over there a couple hours in the morning in the afternoon
So we're going to be knocking on the doors out there. So we have the itinerary there. We'll be leaving the building at 930
Drive into our soul in spot during a couple hours of soul in it. Of course
We have lunch and then some more soul in the afternoon
And then we'll return back to the building
So if you'd like to join us for that more than welcome to do so
What encourage you to just go ahead and sign up on the back planning it coming again
You don't have to sign up if you decide last-minute you want to come
More than welcome to do that as well. Just gives us an idea of who might be joining us on the back
We have the new memory verse Genesis 9 6 this might be kind of a heavy one
Some people might say for a child memorize
But nonetheless, it is the Word of God every word of God is pure
He's a shield on them that trust in you. You're not ashamed of the Bible in members in it
All Scripture is profitable for doctrine for proof for correction for instruction righteousness at the man of God may be perfect
Clearly furnished into all good works. So even a verse like Genesis 9 6 is a great verse to memorize
There's some politicians that could stand to refer back to this one, but that's about as political as I'll get this morning
Children recite this word perfect. We're not relative in adult with a non-relative adult in the church. You'll get a prize this week
We have some cookies but we'll be switching up soon and we're gonna get some chips in here
Okay, so I know the chips are what's popular
so you have that next week, but
There's also last week's verse that can be cited before the end of today today
Continue to pray for the expect ladies in our church course. These are ladies are from Tempe Church
But in the last thing I'm sure appreciate the prayers speaking of Tempe
There are several small-town facility trips coming up in the month of March
One of the note here that I've been asked to promote is the one to York, Arizona. That's an overnight trip. So
This always includes all your transportation food lodging. That's always provided
There's always a time of recreation these trips this one's going to include a visit to the Coolidge camp
So if you want to go see that that's something that's worth noting there that's going to do it for announcements
Let's go ahead sing more song
Preaching this morning
Oh
One of the battle
Nothing showing myself patterned good works in doctors showing up
Bradley said Sarah sound speech that not be condemned that he doesn't the contrary part could be ashamed
I mean no able thing to say
Absorbed service to be obedient to their own masters and please them
Well, no, that actually again not for loin to an open fidelity, but they may adorn doctor
That our Savior and all for the grace of God and bring it salvation appear to all
Oh
Later really at the end of the sermon, but if you want to go back to mark three
We are going to continue on through the book of Mark. We've been going through the last
Several Sundays now and just going through these not necessarily chapter by chapter more passage by
passage verse by verse more so and we'll be wrapping up chapter number three this morning and
I just want to look at Jesus's family this morning what it means to be a part of Jesus's family for us spiritually and
Specifically about some of the people that were considered by his immediate relatives
In when he was on this earth, so we're gonna look at verses 31 through 35 and just for a reminder
We'll read them very quickly. It says in verse 31
There came then his brethren and his mother and standing without sent unto him calling him and the multitude sat about him and they said
And behold thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee
And he answered them saying saying who is my mother of my brethren and he looked around about on them
Which sat about him and said behold my mother and my brethren
So Jesus is in this house and as we've seen in the book of Mark, he's often being just thronged by people
There's great multitudes that are gathering so much that he can't get anything else done
Often he has to depart into a private place just to get some
Respite from all the work that he's doing and if you remember last week
we talked about how his friends came to him and said that he is beside himself and
My opinion is that's why his mother and brethren are also there that the words kind of gone around that Jesus is just doing
All this work and some of the people that know him best are concerned for him concerned
What's what the some that may be about some of the things he's saying and they're coming to kind of try and talk him
Down a reason with him if you read earlier on the chapter
that's why his friends come to him and say he is beside himself meaning he's out of his mind and
Though the scripture doesn't explicitly say it that I do believe that is why his his parents or rather his mother and brethren have
Also come and we'll see here in a little bit that you know, his brethren weren't believers at the first
They didn't immediately believe on Christ and I'm not even 100% certain that Mary herself did either
There's not a lot of clear scripture on that but it's it's definitely up for speculation
So I think that's the motive here of why his mother and brethren are coming and seeking to speak with him
They want to kind of get a sense of where he's at and say hey is everything okay? Are you doing?
All right, we've heard some things about you're saying, you know, you're upsetting the Pharisees
It just seems like everything we're hearing you're doing all this work and and we're a little concerned
Right, and this is obviously something that you know
If we get serious about the things of God if we start to serve the Lord
You know, we might experience this a little bit in our own lives, you know
If we have relatives maybe that aren't believers or aren't zealous after the things of God, you know
We might kind of stick out like a sore thumb as they say and we might even experience a little bit of this
Hey, are you okay kind of a thing, right?
But that's what I believe going on here and there's a couple things we can learn about this
The first thing I want to point out here is that Mary is an ordinary person in the scripture
You know Mary is ordinary and I take the time to point that out because obviously, you know, the Catholic Church
Really lifts Mary up and exalts her above measure
And in fact, they say that she is a mediator a mediatrix. They have many different
You know false doctrines concerning here
I'm not going to go deep on that this morning
But I do want to point out that you know
You kind of see Jesus that the attitude that he had towards Mary and his brother and his brethren
It wasn't dismissive. It wasn't rude. It wasn't disrespectful, but he's he kind of knows why they're there
Obviously he understands perhaps their motives and kind of says, you know
I am busy about the work that I have to do and he's saying you know
The people that are here listening to my word and believing on me. These are my mother and brethren and sisters
These are the people that are considered by family now
So again, the story is they're coming to him and they're trying to they're seeking for him people come to him and kind of
interrupt what's going on and trying to get him out of there to stop what he's doing and
Jesus shows us in this passage that Mary, you know
isn't somebody that Jesus is gonna stop everything that he's doing and just go, you know and grovel or or
You know placate or you know, figure it out, you know, try to please her in some way
She's just an ordinary person in the scripture
And if you would go back to Luke chapter number one Luke chapter number one
Can take the time to point this out because it's an important doctrine that we understand that Mary was ordinary
There's nothing extraordinary about Mary that that we need to lift her up beyond measure, obviously
The Bible does say that she was that she will she said rather that all that all generations shall call her blessed
Right, and that's something that came out of her own mouth. That's not something that the scripture said and
Truly that that is true. It's it's a blessed thing to be
The vessel that God used to bring the Christ into the world. Okay, we're not and obviously she was a humble
Servant of God she was somebody that glorified God
I'm not trying to rob her of anything this morning
But what I am trying to do is get us to understand that we don't want to go overboard with things and lift up
Mary beyond measure
To the point where even in places like the Catholic Church where they're they're worshiping her and now they'll never say that they'll never say
Oh, we're not we're worshiping her. We're just we're venerating her. We're respecting her
Well, you know
I know we have pictures of the Pope bowing down and kissing the feet of a statue that's supposedly made in her likeness
But don't confuse that with worship it's like well if that's not worship, I don't know what is okay that looks like worship to me
Okay, let's not forget the fact that the Bible commands us not to bow down and to worship graven images even bowing down to them
Okay, you call it whatever you want then, you know venerating
revering
Worshipping, you know, it's all condemned in the scripture
So I do want to take that's kind of why I'm going here this morning again
We're just going through the text and we're just letting the Bible speak when we're going through
These chapters and these verses and we see here that Jesus's reaction when Mary shows up
Isn't that he drops everything and goes out there and tells everybody this is the queen of heaven
This is you know, this is the you know, a mediatrix between you and God, you know
You should worship her. He doesn't tell her everybody to you know
Get beads and and and say a certain recite a certain prayer and everything in her name
No, he says he looks about on everyone. It's wrong says well, these are my mother. These are my brethren
These are my sisters. This is my family here and we see that Mary is just an ordinary person
You look there in Luke chapter 1 verse 38 in verse 38 of Luke chapter 1
It says and Mary said behold the handmaid of the Lord be it unto me according to thy word and the angel departed from her
so obviously this is when the angels coming and telling her about the virgin birth about the fact that she's going to
Be overshadowed by the Holy One and she's going to give birth to Christ
Okay, and she says behold the handmaid of the Lord. So obviously, you know, Mary has some good attributes. She's a very humble person and
She's somebody that God chose to do this, you know miraculous to perform this miraculous event. Okay now go on to verse 46
When Mary later encounters her cousin Elizabeth who was also with child
And also a miracle not in the same way
But it says in verse 46 and Mary said my soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior
Now isn't it interesting that Mary is calling God her Savior. Okay, and this is an important doctrine
This is why we want to base everything that we believe on the scripture. Okay, not the decrees of man
Not what somebody else says not some extra biblical teaching. We base it on the scripture alone
And this is what a great verse to debunk this idea of immaculate conception
This is a doctrine that is taught about Mary now
When you first hear that doctrine immaculate conception
You might think that it's talking about the virgin birth of Christ that Christ was born sinless
Which is true, right? He came unto his own. Excuse me, rather that he
He became sin who who knew no sin, right? Christ was without sin
However, the doctrine of immaculate conception is taught by the Catholic Church is in reference to Mary's conception
Okay, they believe that she was conceived and born without original sin that she was without sin
Okay. Now there's only one person that was ever born in the world without sin and his name is Jesus Christ
Okay, so I'm not gonna you know
You could see it's kind of a wicked doctrine to take something that's attributed to Christ alone and try to scribe it to Mary
Who is just an ordinary woman as she said the handmaid of the Lord?
She's just an ordinary woman. There's nothing special unique about her and it's certainly she is not without sin
Okay
This doctrine of immaculate conception is false and what we what we see in the scripture is that Jesus never exalts Mary
In fact, I won't say that he you know takes her down a notch
But it's like it's like the scripture gives us enough about Mary to see that Jesus is not exalting her beyond
Really at all when you think about it if you would go over to Luke chapter 11
Luke chapter number 11
Jesus did not exalt Mary on this earth
So neither should we and if we base everything we believe upon the scripture, you know, we won't
Will actually, you know put Mary in her proper place
You know and she is blessed, right?
She goes on and says for he hath regard to the lowest state of his handmaiden for behold from henceforth all generations
Shall call me blessed
But you know, it's a big difference between calling somebody blessed and literally worshiping in their feet
worshiping their image and you know saying prayers to her and
You know
You know exalting her above measure right and teaching doctrines that she's born without sin
Okay, that's a big stretch from blessed. Isn't it? That's quite the leap
And again, that's Mary saying that all generations shall call me blessed
It's not the scripture. It's not the narrator. No, do I think it's wrong that say that Mary it was blessed
No, obviously she was blessed
You know, God obviously blessed her. Okay
It's a very blessed thing to be able to be that vessel that God used. Okay, she was blessed
But let's not get carried away with it and start teaching things like immaculate conception
Look at a Luke chapter 11 verse 27 a great example of Jesus
You know not exalting Mary but kind of just you know, saying it like it is kind of putting her
Where they belong and it came to pass as he spake these things, of course
He's giving a parable here in Luke 11. This is right after he you know
He's talking about the man
he's giving the parable about the man that was possessed with seven spirits and it was cast out and they went out into a
desert place and
later came
cast out one spirit and returned
With seven more spirits even more wicked than himself and found the place swept and garnished remember that
Parable so has not he's just giving this parable. This is a parable about Israel
Okay, and then all of a sudden, you know, somebody a certain woman just pipes up and says this, you know
He's like teaching doctrine and then it's kind of it's kind of funny how it plays out
Because this has nothing to do with anything that he's teaching
She just says just pipes up and says verse 27 and it came to pass as he spake these things a
Certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said unto him blessed is the woman that bear thee the paps
Which thou has sucked?
It's like well, that's kind of a hard right turn there. You're kind of jerking the wheel there, you know on the discourse, you know
it's like
It's like being in a class and you know in a math class and then asking an English question
It's like it's not related. You're in the wrong classroom. Okay, so he's giving this parable about Israel then all of a sudden
It's you know blessed is Mary, you know blessed are the paths which thou has sucked
It's a reference to Mary right and the womb that bear thee and verse 28. Jesus doesn't go. Yes. You're right blessed
She is blessed. In fact, you should venerate her
You should worship her make images of her say prayers to her and and teach doctrines about how she was born without sin
That's not what he says
He says in verse 28, but he said yea rather
Actually instead blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it
More blessed is the person that hears the Word of God and does those things which are written in it
It's Mary blessed, of course
But you know who's more blessed the person who hears the Word of God obeys it and keeps
The commandments that are written there in that's the more blessed person, okay
So it doesn't sound to me like Jesus is trying to lift up Mary
More than we ought to look at if you would go to Luke chapter
number two Luke chapter two
I'll look at John 3
You probably are familiar with this passage when he goes into the marriage at Canaan and it says in verse 3
And when they wanted wine the mother of Jesus saith unto him they have no wine
Jesus saith unto her woman. What have I to do with thee? Okay, and this is a grown man. This is the Christ
Responding to you know, the woman that bear him. Okay. I don't suggest
Children that you speak to your mother in a way. I'm not suggesting Christ is being disrespectful here either. Okay
But he is kind of you know, letting us know that you know in the grand scheme of things
He's the Messiah. He is the Christ. He's the Savior. Okay, there's a difference between you and him
By a long shot, all right
So he but he's is saying, you know woman what have I to do with thee mine hours not yet come
You know, you don't you don't get to just make demands of me or what do you want me to do exactly?
What is it to me that there's no wine?
And you know, there's more of that story and I want to take a lot of time to go into but I'll just say
You know don't don't well you heard deacon this morning. Don't do that kids, you know
And when your mom tells you to eat vegetables eat your vegetables go woman. What have I to do with thee?
She got a lot to do with you
Okay, and she's gonna have a lot more to do with you if you get an attitude and again
I'm not saying that Christ was being irreverent or disrespectful his mother here
Okay, but I don't want us to misunderstand that scripture and you know children. I hate to see anybody
You know get one when they didn't need to
Alright Luke chapter 2 look at verse 48 and when they saw him they were amazed and his mother said unto him son
Why hast thou dealt with us?
Of course
This is when Jesus early on in his young life at 12 year of age
Went down to the temple with his family and then Mary and Joseph assuming that he was with relatives
Left and then boss track of Jesus. Okay, so I don't know how you lose track of your children let alone the Christ
okay, but she did and
and and she's going back and they find him disputing asking questions with the Pharisees and those in the temple and
They she brings them and says son. Why hast thou dealt with us behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing
He said unto them
How is it that you sought me wish you not that I must be about my father's business now again notice the use of the
word father there right because she says my father your father and I have sought thee sorrowing and
He corrects Mary and he says, you know, cuz Joseph is not his father
Okay
And we all understand that and he may corrects her very mildly and says
What's not that I must be about my father's business and it goes on it says in verse 50 and they understood not the saying
Which he spake unto them and he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them
But his mother kept all these sayings in her heart and Jesus increased to wisdom stature in favor of God and man
So again, here's another you know example of Jesus. No, not not
You know saying I'm sorry or groveling or whatever, but he kind of corrects Mary and says well actually I'm about my father's business
That's why I'm here doing what I'm doing
So it's a very light mild
Rebuff and when you're the when you're Christ when you're in the Son of God you can you can do this type of thing
Or you have that authority, okay?
But also I'd point out here that you know, Mary was just an ordinary person
That's we're looking at at Mark chapter 3, of course
But and I don't know that how much Mary, you know
This is an interesting passage here in Luke
Where it says that she kept these sayings in her heart that they didn't understand the saying that was
Spoken unto him and it makes me wonder if you know, obviously Mary had to believe
That Jesus was to Christ by faith just like everybody else. That's the only way she got saved
So it kind of makes you wonder when that happened when exactly did Mary
Understand that her son was to Christ the Son of the Living God and put her faith in him at for salvation
You know, I don't know that the Bible makes that explicitly clear
And I don't know that Luke chapter 2 is a great proof text of that
But it does kind of suggest that they didn't understand everything at the first right because they did understood not the same
which he spake unto them and
Her mother kept these sayings in her heart
What is clear is that whether it includes Mary or not that Jesus's family did doubt him?
They did not fully understand that he was the Christ until later on in their lives
Okay, so it wasn't like Jesus as he was growing up
Everyone just understood that he was the Messiah everyone understood that he was the Christ and believed on him
That's something that you know came later, you know, he had to show himself under the world
He had to preach those things and everyone had to choose to believe or to reject
what he taught
That would include his family. Okay, and if you would go over to John chapter 7 John chapter number 7
So we see that Jesus's family doubted him
and again
I believe perhaps that's why they're coming to him in Mark chapter 3 and desiring to speak with him
because they just are treating him like
You know, this is his Mary son. This is the brother of her other children
you know their half-brother and
They're just they they don't fully understand yet. Okay, and they're trying to
Talk him down a little bit or talk some sense into him or just express some concern. Okay
And we say well, how do you know Jesus's family doubted him?
Well, it's very clear in John chapter 7 that his brethren did not believe on him
If you look at verse 1 it says after these things Jesus walked in Galilee for he would not walk in Jewry
Because the Jews sought to kill him now the Jews feast of tabernacles was at hand his brethren therefore said unto him
Depart hence and go into Judea that the disciples may see the works that thou doest
So his brethren come to him and they kind of challenging him
They're saying basically, you know, if you're the Christ, why don't you go show yourself to your disciples?
Why don't you go up to the feast?
verse 4 for there is no man that do with anything in secret and
He's himself seek it to be known openly if thou do these things show thyself to the world
They're basically saying prove it, you know back up what you're saying what you've been claiming verse 5
Why did they say that for neither did his brethren believe in him?
Okay, so the Bible is real clear there that his brethren did not believe on him in the sense that he was the Christ
Okay
now later they would and we have very clear scripture on that if you want to go over to
1st Corinthians chapter number 15 1st Corinthians chapter number 15
James the brother of John or excuse me
The brother of Jesus the half-brother is very explicitly shown up shown to have eventually believed on Christ. Okay
Now in the midst of Jesus's ministry, what we're seeing is that his family is not believing on him. They're doubting him
They might are even in some sense trying to whether they mean to or not are kind of getting in the way
They're showing up in mark 3 and say yeah, whatever he's doing. Tell him we're here
He needs to stop and come talk to us
You know, we're seeking for him, you know, we're his family where his immediate family
He needs to come talk to us. We we have some concerns about some of the things we're hearing about Jesus
We have some current concerns about some of the things he's been preaching and believing and doing and we want to you know
Check in on it. Okay
They doubted him, but we know that later they would believe
Okay, if you look at 1st Corinthians chapter number 15 begin looking at verse 3
it says for I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received how that Christ died for our sins according to the
Scriptures and then he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures and that he was seen of
CFS right or CFS. Excuse me. That's Peter
Then of the 12 after that he was seen of about 500 brethren at once
Of whom the greater part remained out of this present, but some are falling asleep
So the 12 CFS that's the Apostles right the 12 Apostles. That's who we're referring to there
Okay, so we're not referring to James the brother of John who would be included in that number when we look at verse 7
Okay, that's not the James. It's referring to because Paul has already said he's been seen of the 12
Okay, which would include James in that number right though. He's one of the 12 disciples
Verse 7 after that after he was seen of the 12 he was seen of James then of all the Apostles
Okay
So there were other Apostles as well and last of all you've seen of me being Paul also as one born out of due
Time so the James there in verse 7 is referring to
James the brother of the Lord the half brother of the Lord. Okay, who would later
You know be leading the church in Jerusalem. Okay, and who was the author of the book of James?
So Jesus family they doubted him at first, but eventually they did come around James is very specifically pointed out here
If you want to go over to James chapter number one James chapter number one. I'll make some application here with all this
But the Bible goes also says in Galatians chapter 1 verse 19
But other of the Apostles saw I not saw I none saved James the Lord's brother. So in Galatians 3 1 Paul again
Explicitly calls James the brother of the Lord an apostle. Okay, and you can't be an apostle without having believed on Christ, obviously and
James was present in the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 1 verse 14 and these all continued one accord and prayer and supplication
With the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brethren, okay, so that's a great verse that shows us that eventually
Mary had believed and
Also all of his brethren
Okay
the same people in Mark chapter 3 who I believe are coming to him out of concern and
Maybe haven't fully believed on Christ John 7 makes it very clear that his brethren at the very least did not believe on him
Now in Acts 1 they're all there in the upper room with 120. They're being numbered among the Apostles and
Obviously that means they have believed on Christ
Okay, and you know another application we can make from this is that we shouldn't give up on family
Okay, you know family members who don't believe on Christ often are the hardest ones to win. Okay
Why because they know us they know if we've got especially we got saved later on in life
You know, they might just say things like oh you're on some kick
You're just on some bandwagon, you know, our immediate family members are often the hardest ones to win to the Lord
I know this is the case in my life. This is the case in many other people's lives
This is something that's expressed to me often
You know, we can go out and preach the gospel to a stranger and they'll get saved just like that
but then we try to turn and preach that same gospel to somebody else that we really care about and really want to
See you get saved and and they resist right they fight back. They don't want to go along
This is especially true when it's the dynamic that we see here in the scripture when it's you know child to parent
That's an especially difficult one that I've seen over the years when a believer is trying to get their adult
You know when an adult believer is trying to get their parents to believe because let's you know, and you have to understand
That and I'm gonna take the time point this out because sometimes I've heard people
Just dismiss their parents or dismiss their family members and say well, you know, I've preached to them
I've preached to them and they don't want to believe you know, they must be a reprobate or something like that
Okay, let's not again be on a hair trigger to you know to to label somebody that you have to understand the dynamic
That's at play there. Okay, we're talking about, you know life's greatest question. Okay, what's gonna happen when you die?
What's the meaning of life? You know, who is God? Okay. These are deep questions, right and
When a when a parent has their child coming to them and trying to explain them the greatest, you know
Mysteries of the world the universe, you know, you could see how their pride might get involved a little bit, right?
You're like wait a minute
I'm the one who you know wiped your butt and fed you and tied your shoes and everything else and carried you around and
Taught you everything, you know, and now you're gonna come tell me about who God is and what it takes to go to heaven
So you have to understand and that can be a hurdle to get over and and that you know
It requires a lot of humility to receive instruction from your children, doesn't it?
Okay, now if your children are right they're right and if they got the Bible backing them up they're right, okay
But I'm just pointing out that even Jesus dealt with this
Where his own immediate family members are resisting him. They're concerned from him. They're not believing on him
But eventually they came around now it took a lot didn't it? It took a lot of miracles
It took a lot of preaching it took a lot of persecution
I mean it might have been after the resurrection that they finally came around
Well now that my my brother who I saw die on the cross and was crucified is alive again and walking around
I believe he is the Christ and and I'm and obviously that's not going to be something that we do
But it might take something dramatic like that to finally get our loved ones to come around
Okay, it might take something beyond the ordinary to get them to start to see things
The way you see them and understand that the scripture is true
But again, let's let's look at James specifically here for a second. Okay, James the brother of the Lord
Who is the author of the book of James?
You know he obviously
You know could have maybe tried to use that relationship to get some clout, right?
He could have said well, you know, I am I am the half brother of Jesus
Right, but the great thing about that is that he never does that we never see that in Scripture
In fact in James, we'll just look at verse 1 of James 1 and then we'll just look at verse 2
Look how he refers to himself. He says James a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ
You know, he could have said hey, I'm gonna write this epistle and just so you understand who it's coming from
It's coming from the half brother of the Lord
All right
And maybe at this point he understands that even if he wanted to use that as clout he couldn't because he's kind of already
Been outed by John right John's already telling us in chapter 7
Neither did his brother in belief, right? You know that they all knew the truth that it took him some time to come around
Okay
But eventually James does believe he does come around and he becomes a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ
And what I want to point out here is that you know, James has a good attitude
I really I really appreciate this about James because he he teaches us something and that's this is that God is not a respecter of persons
And that's what we see in in Jesus's life
He's not saying well, let me just stop everything. I mean after all it's Mary. Let me just stop everything off
Obviously, it's my immediate family. I have to go and just you know, uh and just do you know
I'm just available with their beck and call. I just have to answer whenever they
They call for me, right? He's not a respecter of persons
And James understands that that's why he refers to himself as a servant and not as the brother of the Lord
He's not trying to stand on some
you know, uh
You know some status that he has by being a blood relation to Christ for having been one
He's not a respect of persons and what we need to do and understand is that
We as God's people must stand upon our own merits
We must stand upon our own merits and not our associations. Okay, and this is true in our in our lives individuals
This is true for a church
We can't just say well, you know
we're we're we're a church that associates with with this church and that church and this pastor and that pastor and therefore
Just expect people to flock to this church or this church to just thrive and grow because of who we're associated with. Okay
You can't uh, you we have to stand as a church on our own merits our own work our own labor
We have to be servants
You know, we can't just say well, you know, we're faithful word baptist church tucson
And you know, we're associated with faithful word baptist church in tempe
And you know and by default just we should just expect people to flock through the doors
And to just flood this place out
You know, we have to as a church understand that we have to stand on our own merits our own work our own labor
And praise god, we've done that over the years. I'm not saying that's something we're lacking on
I'm just saying that's something we have to keep in mind
Is that we have to continue to preach the word of god to preach the gospel
And to stand on our own two feet as it were as a church body
And and do the work that we've been called to do here
And continue doing that and god will bless that. Okay, and that is how this church has grown
You know, obviously, you know, we did glean a lot from from that association at the beginning
There were people that knew pastor anderson knew a faithful word tempe
And were eager for a church like this to be started and praise god we have it and it's here
It's been here five years now
And but if it's going to extend beyond that, you know, we have to do the work that we're called to do
You know, that's why we're doing things like the east side blitz. That's why we have the soul winning times
That's why we reach out into the community and and preach the gospel, okay to let people know we're here and if people want it
You know, we're here
They want something else you got options. Okay, so
We're here doing the work, but you know, that's that's true of a church. That's true as an individual, too
You know young people you can't ride the coattails of your of your parents christianity
You can't you can't you know say well i'm going to heaven because my daddy was a preacher
I'm going to heaven because my parents believe in christ. No you have to
You have to decide for yourself whether or not you believe on christ
You have to decide for yourself whether the things that you were taught in your youth
Are something you're going to embrace and something you're going to put into practice in your own life for yourself or not
You have to decide for yourself whether you believe the bible to be the word of god or you don't okay
We all have to stand on our own merits and not our associations. That's a great
Example of james james didn't use his
Association with christ being his half brother. He said, you know, i'm a servant i'm a believer in christ for myself
I'm, somebody that has accepted christ as savior. I am a servant of god the father and of the lord. Jesus christ
Okay, i'm just like everybody else
That's kind of how jesus ends mark chapter three if you look there again
I should have had you keep something there. I know you got something in titus, too
Eventually, we're going to end up back there saying why did we read titus? All right, we'll end there
But jesus is kind of making this point in mark chapter three verse 35
He said for whosoever will shall do the will of god
The same as my brother and my sister and mother and again, it's interesting. He doesn't say father, right?
Because he only has one father
Whosoever shall do the will of god
That's the same as my brother and my sister and my mother whosoever is going to do the will of god
That's the person that i'm going to hold dear that's the person that i'm going to draw close to that's the person
That i'm going to hold in esteem is the person that does the will of god, okay
And when we apply this to salvation, you know, it's it's it's interesting
Because obviously the the the relation that he's referring to there is brother sister mother, right? That's a
That's a kinship. That's a that's a familial relationship, right?
That's a blood bond, okay
Now when we do the will of god, we also have not a blood bond in the sense that you know
We share the same genetics, but we have a blood bond and that we're through the blood of christ
Okay, we're brought into god's family. We're born again when we do the will of god
Okay. Now if you would
Go over to john chapter six john chapter number six
Let me be explicitly clear what jesus means by doing the will of god to become a part of his family
He's not saying if you do works that you're going to be a part of my family
So wait a minute. He says if you do the will of god now, what is will?
You know a will would be I I this is meaning I want you to do something, right?
A will is something that you want. What is your will regarding this manner?
You might think of the last will and testament, you know when a person dies they'll read that here's what I want done
This is my will this is how I want things divided up. Okay, and sometimes they'll even put things stipulations in there, right?
So and so doesn't get anything until they clean up their act, right?
They're wanting their will to be done. Okay
So what he's saying here in mark chapter three is that whosoever shall do the will of god the same shall be a part of
God's family. Okay, and this is important to understand this doctrine
Some people will twist this and say see you have to do things in order to be a part of god's family
You have to work your way into god's family. You have to live a good life
You have to repent of your sin
You have to be baptized you have to keep the sacraments you have to join a church
You have to do x y and z you have to do the will of god in order to be a part of god's family
But that's not what is taught in the context of scripture. Okay
Jesus in john chapter six look at verse 27
He said labor not for the meat which perisheth but for the that which endureth unto everlasting life
Which the son of man shall give unto you for him hath the father sealed. So the the
the meat that is that
Endureth unto everlasting life is something that the son gives unto you. Okay, and he's saying don't labor for this
Verse 28 they said unto him. What shall we do?
That mean we might work the works of god
They say well, we want this bread that endures unto everlasting life everlasting life sounds like a pretty good deal
We want that what and then they ask the question what shall we do
What is your will what is it that we might work the works of god? Okay
Jesus answered and said to them. This is the work of god another way that we could say that it that is this
This is the will of god. Okay
So he's clarifying for us in mark what's said in mark chapter three when he said whosoever shall do the will of god
Whosoever shall do the work of god. This is that work that god wants us to do in order to have everlasting
life to have that
meat that endureth and
Forever this is the work of god that you believe on him whom he hath sent
period
That's it
What do I have to have do to have everlasting life to have eternal life believe on christ? That's it
And this is such a simple truth
But it's the one that so many people choke on it's the one that we see so many people tripping over
We I mean it's constant if you go out we knock these doors and we ask people to their face
What do you believe it takes to go to heaven be a good person? I mean, that's probably the most common answer
Just be a good person
Which I you say you say don't be a good person. Of course not
Of course, we should love our neighbor. Of course, we should do those things
But we have to understand is those things will never merit us
Salvation we cannot that is not the work of god that is going to get us into heaven
Because we're all sinners. I mean imagine getting before a holy god and saying why should I let you into heaven?
Well, i'm a good person. Oh, so then what I guess jesus christ didn't need to do anything
What did he need to come down here and live a perfect and sinless life for why did he have to take upon himself?
Our punishment and our sin if being a good person is good enough
And then we can ask the question. Well, how good do you have to be who makes that decision?
The truth is is that the work of god the will of god in order to have everlasting life
Is just as jesus said believe on him whom he has sent
That's it
Whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life. He that believeth not is is
Is condemned already because he hath not believed the only difference between a person who is condemned
And not condemned as whether or not they have believed i'm a son of god
That's why it says whosoever meaning anybody good bad
It doesn't matter what kind of life they're living if they've lived believed on christ
They have done the will of god to have that everlasting life
Jump down to verse 40. This is the will of him that sent me
That everyone would seeth the son and believeth on him. It may have everlasting son everlasting life
And I will raise him up the last day
Meaning that everyone that notice everyone that sees the son and believeth on him
May have everlasting life now, obviously we haven't physically seen him
But what did jesus tell thomas blessed are they which having not seen have believed?
We look by faith in the word of god
And believe
Jesus is obvious saying this to people that could literally see him. Okay
I don't believe that's what he's saying. You have to have that stipulation, you know, like, you know
Well, we haven't seen him physically so we can't you know, we can't get saved
That's silly. Okay, we could see by faith through the scripture. Okay, but what we can do is believe on him
You can still believe on him. That's the definition of faith
You know that it's the evidence of things not yet seen
You know
We believe on those things that we haven't seen that's faith
And if we do that believe on him, we may have everlasting life
so if we have somebody that has believed on christ and has
Believed that he he died according to scriptures was buried rose again if they've done that
It doesn't matter what kind of life they've lived
They've done everything that jesus said you have to do to have everlasting life
They've done it I mean that's what we're looking at the scripture you say well, I don't know about that. Well
If then jesus would be a liar wouldn't he if I were to go to go to die and stand before god
He said why I should let you into heaven and I said, well, I I believed on you
I put my faith and my trust in you. Well, I know I said that when I was on earth
That whosoever believeth on me may have everlasting life
But what did you do on top of that? Did you do any work?
You know that that's not that's not how that dialogue is going to go
You say why why is god going to let you into heaven deacon because of the blood of christ
That's it
Because jesus blood and nothing else
The only reason i'm going to heaven it's not because of how good I am because
You know quite frankly my wife could tell you i'm not that good
It's not because of the things i've done or haven't done it's because of this one fact that christ came
Died for my sins and I and was buried in roads again and I put my faith in him alone for salvation
That's the only reason i'm going
And when we do that when we do the will of god
Which is to believe on him the same are his brethren sisters and mother. We are a part of the family of god
And there's so much scripture on this
Let's just look at a few. I know i've got to wrap up
But if you would go to galatians chapter number three galatians chapter number three
Galatians chapter number three
the bible says in romans 4
That therefore it is a faith that I mean by maybe by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed
Not to that which is of the law
But to that which is of the faith of abraham who is the father of us all
If we have the faith of abraham
Which is what does it say about him or abraham that abraham believed god and it was counted to him for righteousness
Romans chapter 8 the spirit bear itself
Its spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of god
And if children then heirs heirs of god and joint heirs with christ
You know, it's a big deal to be saved
It's it's a big deal to be a believer in christ
You know, it's it's a big deal
Yes to know that you're not going to go to hell when you die that your sins are forgiven
That that your your sins have been washed away by the blood of christ that you have
That promise of everlasting life that you've been
Bought with with the precious blood of christ that you've been sealed on the day of your redemption. That's a great thing
But you know beyond even that the bible tells us that we're joint heirs with christ
That we're going to be uh, we're going to inherit even as he is inherited that we will rule and reign with him
In in the millennium that we will be rewarded for the works that we do
It's not just you know getting our ticket punched and having some kind of a fire escape out of hell
It's much it's that yes, of course and that alone is great
But you know if it's like that late night advertisement, but wait, there's more right?
There's even more with salvation
God gives us the opportunity to serve him and to earn rewards and to be heirs with christ
Are you in galatians three look at verse 26 for a year all the children of god by faith in christ, jesus
By faith if you've done the will of god if you believed in christ
You've done the will of god and you are the child of god in christ
For as many as you have been baptized into christ have put on christ for there is neither jew nor greek
There's neither bond nor free. There's neither male nor female for you're all one in christ. Jesus and if you be christ's
And if you be christ's then are you abraham's seed what an important verse
Today, especially in light of everything that's going on in the world
And airs according to the promise
If you have christ's then are your abraham's seed
That's what makes you abraham's seed is whether or not you have christ meaning if you do not have christ you are not abraham's seed
Ephesians chapter 3 look at verse, uh, actually no go to titus. I told you i'd wrap it up
So i'm going to make good
Bible says in ephesians chapter 3 for this cause that bow my knees unto the father of the lord, jesus christ
of whom the whole family in heaven
And earth is named
He bowed his knees unto the father of our lord, jesus christ
Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named
That's what it means to be born again. That's what it has happened
When you believed on christ and been born again, you have been brought into god's family
And I love how it describes the believers the saints as a family in heaven and earth
It's here and on earth. We're family through christ
and in heaven
So if you think that, you know, there's somebody down here that you don't like
Some other believer it's like well, you better get used to it
Because it's family and on earth and in heaven
Might as well start getting along folks because it's eternity
And then we're gonna have to put up with each other. Okay?
Titus chapter three look at verse five. He says not by works of righteousness, which we have done
But according to his mercy, he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy ghost
Which he shed on us abundantly through jesus christ our savior that being justified by his grace
We should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life
We're justified. We're made part of god's family and we are made heirs according to the hope of eternal life
Go to titus chapter number two. You're not there already
So god's will when it comes to salvation is that we believe on christ, that's it, right
We I think that's very clear in the scripture
That the only thing we have to do in order to go to heaven is to believe on christ
He says that's easy. That sounds too simple
Yes, but that's why john 3 16 says for god so loved the world
God loves us so much that he made it easy. He made it that simple
And the irony is is that that's what people struggle with the most is how simple it really is
Because man's pride gets involved
And they want to do their part you we can add nothing to salvation. What more can you add to the blood of christ?
What filthy rag would we hold up and say well this is this is what gets me heaven
You know all our works are as filthy rags before him the bible says
Even if it's a good thing
If you're going to hold that up in comparison to the blood of christ, man, it's it's nothing
It's an insult to the grace of god
Look at titus chapter 2 verse 11
So yes, god's will to be saved is that we believe but god does have a will for us after salvation that we would work
Okay
The bible says in ephesians we are as workmanship created under christ jesus
Unto good works which god hath before ordained that we should walk in them there are works that we should walk in not must
walk in in order to
Maintain our salvation but god has foreordained that there are works that we as god's workmanship in christ should walk in
Okay, that's ephesians 2 10 with all love verses eight through nine
Right, we're saved by grace your faith not of yourselves as it gives god not of works as any man should boast
Verse 10, you know, we love that first part
Where it's all salvation by grace through faith, amen
But then verse 10 it's like we are as workmanship created in christ. Jesus unto good works
Which god hath before ordained that we should walk in them
You know, and we could all just get saved and just say well
That's all i'm going to have to do with god and still go to heaven
But the fact is is that god has foreordained works for us to walk in
Okay
And and you know a lot of it's very general, right?
That just kind of applies to every believer god wants us to be in church
God wants us reading our bibles. God wants us raising our families
God wants us teaching our children and and bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the lord
God wants us to preach the gospel to all every creature
Okay
There is a work for us to do
Look at titus chapter 2 verse 11 for the grace of god that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men
The grace is there the salvation's there
And it teaches us verse 12 that deny teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust
We should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world
Why is it that we should deny ungodliness? Why is it that we should deny these worldly lusts?
Why is it that we should live soberly righteously in this present world?
Because the grace of god hath appeared unto all men
Okay
Now he's not now understand we've already gone over it at length
salvation's by grace
Okay, he's not saying deny these things so that because because of the grace of god so you can be saved
He's saying deny these things because the grace of god has appeared unto all men
And and and jesus christ is uh, the meaning between god and man, you know, and he wants all men to be saved
Okay, that's his will that that he's not willing and he should perish
You and I need to live soberly you and I need to believe righteously
We needed to deny these ungodly things so that we can be a vessel meet for the master's use and preach the gospel
Effectively and thoroughly and bring the gospel to a lost and dying world. That's what he's saying in titus
Deny these things stop doing these things
Why because the grace of god has appeared unto all men wants everyone to be saved
And that's our job
We are ambassadors for christ if our gospel is hit it is hid to them that are lost, okay
Verse 13 looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great god and our savior. Jesus christ
Who gave himself for us that he might deem us from all iniquity
and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works
So there's two things taking place there in verse 14
He gave himself for us
That he might redeem us from all iniquity he saved us from our sins
Then there's this and well, there's more to the deal right salvation's done that's taken care of
But that's just the beginning of the christian life
And purify unto himself a peculiar people
Maybe your relatives aren't going to understand this new you
Well, jesus knows something about that
And he wants us to be peculiar and do what be zealous of good works
You know, we ought to be zealous to do the works of god and that's what we're seeing in mark
You know the book of mark is just I mean, it's the book where jesus is just doing all this work
it's just verse after verse after verse of
Healing and teaching and preaching and miracles. It's just work work work work work
He's why because he's zealous of those things, you know, we ought to be the same way. You ought to be zealous of good works
Because the grace of god has appeared unto all men
and you know if if
Family relations are getting in the way. We know we have to prioritize
You know if some if friendships are getting in the way we have to prioritize
Say what's the most who is it? You're trying to please in this life
people
Paul said if I should please men then I would not should not be the servant of god
And look i'm not saying you have to go around being a rude jerk to everybody
But you know if if people are going to get in the way if like in jesus's day
They say hey, stop what you're doing. Come talk to us. We're your family
And jesus said well, wait a minute
I must be about my father's business
And the people that are here hearing the word of god and believing it and doing it. They're my family now
You know, we have to have that same mentality
That we understand that, you know, we are part of the family that is named in heaven and earth through christ
And what a wonderful thing that is but that he's also given us work to do
And we have to work those works. We have to be like james be that servant
stand in our own merit
And do the works that god has has foreordained that we should walk in let's go ahead closing the word of prayer dear lord again
Thank you for
The opportunity that you've given us, uh to work for you in this life lord
Thank you that salvation is by grace through faith that
Or that you've done everything for us when it comes to to sell for salvation that there's nothing we need to add to
The sacrifice that you made for us
And lord, I pray that you'd help us to serve you
Out of a grateful heart for that salvation that we would serve and be zealous
Because we love you because we love other people
And because you love them as well lord, and we would see great multitudes come to christ
Here in tucson and throughout the world. We ask these things in christ's name. Amen
All right. Well, we'll go ahead and sing another song before we are dismissed this morning
And we're going to sing song number 343 revive us again
Okay
Song number 343
You want to turn with me to song 343
Is
Yeah
Me
Hallelujah
You