He Is The Christ

The Person Of God's Servant

"He Is The Christ"

Book of Mark Chapter 8:22-38

Last week when we left Jesus, He had presented this question to the disciples:

Mar 8:21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

Today we are going to find out what they thought.

The word "Christ" comes from the Greek word "Christos" which means "anointed" as the "Anointed One of God".

In context Peter said that Jesus was the "Anointed One" of God or the "Messiah"!

Although Abraham lived 2000 years before Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary, Jesus had these words for the Jews:

Joh 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

The Lord had told Moses these words:

Exo 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

The Lord went on to say this:

Exo 6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

The "One" that was known to the Jews as "Jehovah" is the same "One" we know of as Jesus the "Christ"!

Jehovah means the "self existing One" or the "Eternal One".

This name was so sacred to the Jews that it was never pronounced except by the High Priest and then only one the day of "Atonement"!

Now let's remember the verse we ended on last week:

Mar 8:21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

Let's begin:

*****Mar 8:22 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.

We can believe that Mark just happened to have this passage next by accident but we know that all scripture is inspired by the Holy Ghost:

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

In other words "How is it you do not understand" is about to become "Why are you so blind that you cannot see this"!

We absolutely must have a clear understanding of just who the Lord Jesus truly was!

That’s why it is called "Faith"!

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Now it seems that everyone that came to Jesus this day had already made up their own mind how they should be healed, they wanted Jesus to "touch" them.

But Jesus, as God, will do things His Way because it is His Way that works and there is always a lesson in what Our Savior does!

*****Mar 8:23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.

The Lord Jesus Christ will always honor "Faith" but when we mix that "faith" with weakness it can cause some problems.

But the Lord must also always honor "faith" because this is His "Promise"!

Those that have "faith" will always be able to see spiritually and sometimes even physically.

BUT, those that require a sign or a certain way, or a certain touch will not see clearly what Jesus is about!

We harm our own selves when we make demands of Our Savior!

The Lord will always do things His own way, God does not need our advice in order to heal us or to save us!

It's God's plan and we must become a part of His plan!

*****Mar 8:24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.

Now instead of just seeing a blind man, lost in his own ways, let's just imagine a disciple of God who just does not have a clear understanding of the "Gospel" as "why do you not yet understand".

1.) We must first come to Jesus.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

2.) This must be a personal relationship. (Jesus led this man alone out of town)

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

3.) To spit on someone brought reproach and shame, but we must come to Jesus, unashamed of Him.

Luk 9:26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.

After all we are no better than Our Lord:

Isa 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: "I hid not my face from shame and spitting".

This is part of taking up our own cross which we will see shortly.

4.) Then comes the first stage of salvation.

Do we see clearly?

This once blind man did not yet see clearly.

In fact not one of the 12 chosen disciples were able to see clearly!

They did not yet understand just who Christ Jesus truly was!

The very moment we are saved, we are only one step from where we were.

We must then grow in Christ Jesus!

1Pe 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, [through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience] and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

This sanctification takes some time, to some, more than others!

Thank goodness, God is still working on me!

*****Mar 8:25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

This was a Gentile, who had been led to the Lord by others that cared enough for him to do this.

This man was so blind to the things of God that he would have never found Jesus alone!

It was those that had brought him that had petitioned the Lord for this healing!

The Bible teaches us:

Jas 5:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
Jas 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

How does he now see clearly?

Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

There will never be a day until we join the Lord in the rapture, that we will not need Him:

Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus "the author and finisher" of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

These are some things we must also learn and these are some of the things that these 12 chosen of Jesus did not yet understand.

*****Mar 8:26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.

Jesus had said all that He had to say to those of Bethsaida, there had not been much faith there and there was no need for this once blind to go tell them how he was healed.

They refused to believe and repent!

Mat 11:21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

We will see shortly that Jesus was taking aim at the cross.

This once blind man had been brought to Jesus, probably from some other location and did not live in Bethsaida.

And So, Jesus moved on to Caesarea Philippi. It is from this location that Jesus will soon set His sights on Jerusalem.

*****Mar 8:27 And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?

This area is the location of the source of the River Jordan and near the base of Mount Hermon.

Jordan means "watering place" and this is the place the Lord Jesus Christ chose to ask this certain question of His chosen disciples.

Whom do men say that I am?

Jesus has these words for the woman at the well and for us all:

Joh 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Just as the River Jordan has its beginning from the melted snow of Mount Hermon and the fountains near its base, Jesus Christ is the true source of "living water"!

Humans, animals and plants are alive because they have been infused with life.

But the Lord Jesus Christ "is life"!

Jesus Christ has life in Himself, he is not derived from life as is all His creation!

Jesus Christ is the source of all life as we know it!

Just to the north of this city, at the foot of a steep crag, the fountain of Jordan rises to it's beginning and brings life to this region.

But, Jesus Christ is the fountain of all life!

Psa 36:9 For with thee is "the fountain of life": in thy light shall we see light.

What is wrong with this world today?

Jer 2:13 For my people have committed two evils; "they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters", and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

And how did these 12 answer?

*****Mar 8:28 And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.

It is not be very important what people say about or think about us BUT "it is very important that they think right about the Lord Jesus Christ"!

Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the only means of salvation in this lost world!

Jesus Christ must be the Lord of our lives!

That cannot happen until we have accepted The Lord as Our Savior and filled with His Holy Sprit!

1Co 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, "but by the Holy Ghost".

Jesus called John the Baptist the greatest man born of a woman:

Mat 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

John was now dead but there were many that felt this same way about the Lord Jesus Christ!

Many of them knew the prophecy of Elijah:

Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
Mal 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

But Jesus responded to this thought like this:

Mat 17:11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
Mat 17:12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.

Others said that Jesus was just one of the prophets that had already died such as Moses, Daniel, Jeremiah or Ezekiel.

These all would have only one thing in common if it were any of them.

They were all dead and "would have had to been resurrected" from the dead.

So, it teaches us all these people agreed that the things that Jesus did required "resurrection power"!

They just did not realize how true this was.

But we know that God spoke through the prophets to mankind and God established this standard for Himself:

Deu 18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
Deu 18:16 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
Deu 18:17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.
Deu 18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
Deu 18:19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

No sinner can stand before the Father!

Only those that have been washed in the blood of Jesus, "that prophet raised from among their brethren" can stand before the Father.

Jesus was Jew of the tribe of Judah and household of David.

We know that the early church was in agreement that these things were fulfilled in Jesus Christ:

Act 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Act 3:20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
Act 3:21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
Act 3:22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
Act 3:23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

No prophet throughout the Bible fulfilled the will of the Father except Jesus Christ!

Joh 1:16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Joh 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, "but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ".
Joh 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

It is Jesus Christ that is Head of the House of God!

Heb 3:6 But Christ "as a son over his own house"; [whose house are we], if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

But the importance lies in this response of those that know the Lord as Savior.

*****Mar 8:29 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.

We began our lesson explaining that "Christ" means the " Anointed One" sent from God.

Makes me think of these words the Lord told to Abraham.

Gen 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, "God will provide himself" a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Explained well in the Book of Philippians:

Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Mark skips over another thing that should be mentioned from Peter's response.

Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, "but my Father which is in heaven".
Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

We can only know the truth, if it is revealed to us by the Holy Ghost!

The foundation of the Church must be based on the fact the Jesus Christ was the Jewish Messiah and also Savior to the Church!

The Church has only one foundation that is essential and it is the fact that Jesus Christ was and is God in the flesh!

1Jn 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. "This is the true God, and eternal life".

It is only after the disciples understand this that Jesus began to explain that He would have to die to fulfill the will of His Father in Heaven.

*****Mar 8:30 And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.
Mar 8:31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

You see God has this plan and we must be part of His plan!

We cannot ever change God's plan!

We should be able see that it was only after these chosen disciples of God had made an open confession that Jesus was truly the Messiah, that Jesus could speak of His sufferings and the cross.

AND, It is only after we have that same understanding that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, that we are open to the rewards of Heaven.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

There is no other plan of salvation that can lead us into the throne room of God!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Satan has done his job of deception very well and most of our world are caught up in his snare!

So what was this part of God's plan?

1.) Jesus would suffer many things of this world.

2.) Jesus would be rejected by the government.

3.) Jesus would be rejected by the established religions.

4.) Jesus would be rejected by those that wrote their own versions of the Bible.

5.) Jesus would be killed.

6.) But praise God after 3 days Jesus would rise from that death!

God says that this, His own plan, is the only plan that can bring victory after His death.

Jesus did not die as a Martyr!

Jesus Christ died as the perfect sacrificial Lamb of God!

You see Jesus did all the work and the only work we have to do to get to Heaven is "to believe" and then repent and go toward God and not against Him!

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

But there are always those that just do not like God's plan and seek to make changes in God's plan!

*****Mar 8:32 And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.

How did Jesus respond to Peter?

Jesus spoke to Peter boldly and with confidence.

Jesus did not use a parable.

Jesus made this very clear to Peter and then to all the others.

*****Mar 8:33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.

1) Peter did not realize what he was saying.

Peter had suggested that he would try to stop this plan of Christ Jesus.

Peter did not like God's plan!

This is the very act that Satan was and is trying to accomplish!

Satan will use everything within his own power to keep Jesus from fulfilling the plan of God!

So what does Our Lord do?

1Ti 5:20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

Jesus just turned away from Peter and rebuked him before the other disciples.

Was Jesus being spiteful or hateful in doing this?

Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

The Apostle Peter learned an awful lot of things through hard experience!

I must say, I have also learned many things from hard experience!

Jesus was saying to His disciples, "Don't Stand In My Way"?

When we look at things through human eyes we will sometimes miss what God is trying to accomplish!

Anything and anyone that tries to deter or change the plan of God then become the adversary of God!

Peter learned this lesson very well and it influenced him.

1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
1Pe 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

We are to deliver God's message, if we want to be a part of God's plan!

Anyone that tries to alter the plan of God then becomes the enemy of God!

So what are the conditions for following Jesus Christ?

Jesus lays those conditions out in our next verse!

*****Mar 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Every Christian should expect these things:

1.) There will be hardships.
2) There must be self denial. (Die to self)
3) We must bear our own cross.
4) There will be scorn from this world.
5) We must have patience sown in love!
6) We must follow! (Jesus will lead)

In order to be a follower there must be a leader!

The key to repentance is the acknowledgement that we all have a sinful nature!

Not one human being is a good person that sometimes does bad things!

Every human being is a sinful creature who sometimes does some good things!

It is only based on this truth that we can be led to salvation!

Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Rom 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

When we are unwilling to bear this cross we will never know real life here on Earth, and then eternal life.

That eternal life in Heaven can only be found when we die to our own self and live for Jesus Christ!

*****Mar 8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

The Atheist teach that this life we have now is all there is.

So their motto is live this life by your own standards while you are alive and then you die and that's it.

Even if all we see were an accident, as the Evolutionists believe, this would still be a sad thing!

God says it this way:

Eph 2:12 That at that time "ye were without Christ",[ being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, "having no hope, and without God in the world"]:

But to "having hope" for life after this physical life rest in the hands of God and cannot happen by accident.

So it's a matter of perspective.!

If this life is all that there is, then certainly to live the life of a suffering saint of God does not seem worthwhile.

BUT, if there is a greater and grandeur life ahead then that changes everything!

AND THERE IS!

The Apostle Paul said it this way:

Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time "are not worthy to be compared" with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

No one can deny that every human being will have pains, troubles, and anxieties in their life time.

Many of these things we bring on ourselves, but to the Christian we can add to this, the ridicule of this world because we have a relationship with Jesus!

When I was a soldier, I sold my life for base pay,(really a very small amount of money) and to serve my country which I love but even this was not much value for my life had I lost my life in a battle.

Now as a soldier in God's army, I love my Captain of salvation and I honor His profession.

I can endure the fears and perils of this life because there is a greater payday coming and then there will be life eternal!

You can deny God if you want to, but I choose to believe the truth!

I can love myself more, by not loving the things of this world!

For what is my profit in this life?

*****Mar 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Mar 8:37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

It is a poor exchange to trade a soul for money or pleasure, or any other "temporary" thing.

If I know my life is but a whisper of time, then the things I can possess in this world, I truly will not be able to
hold to for very long!

1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, "and pierced themselves through with many sorrows".

In most every case, the riches of this world will bring with those riches even more sorrows!

True riches comes only when I trust my God.

1Ti 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
1Ti 6:18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
1Ti 6:19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

So the real truth is still the facts of God, and He has written those facts down for us!

*****Mar 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

We can only deny our selves when we surrender ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ!

When we live for Christ Jesus we will become more like Him!

To be a disciple of Jesus Christ is our only true investment in this world and the world to come!

We can either invest in our lives or lose our lives!

You see once we have spent our lives, we cannot buy it back.

Rom 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death"; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We can be like the world or we can strive to be like Jesus, these are the only two choices we have.

1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1Jn 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

We cannot purify our selves after death, we must do this while we live!

Next week we will see the glory of God.

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Pain Of Jesus

The Pain Of God's Servant

"Enduring Unbelief"

Book of Mark Chapter 8:1-21

It takes great patience on the part of the Lord in order for Him to teach us the truth of the Gospel!

So He asks us all, "How is it we do not understand" the simple "gift" of God?

In our last lesson we learned that Jesus was ministering in Decapolis. Remember, when Jesus had saved that one time Demoniac, and He had left him to be a missionary in this same region.

We should understand that in this area of Decapolis there lived some Jews BUT this region was the home to Gentiles much more than the Jew.

Matthew tells us bit more about this time period:

Mat 15:31 Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and "they glorified the God of Israel".

These Gentiles recognized that all these things were happening because the God of Israel had compassion on them.

The God of Israel meant that this was the God that the nation Israel worshiped and not some other false deity.

This area of Decapolis was a center for Roman and Greek culture at this time of Jesus, but there were also some Arabians living in this area!

The Greeks worshiped Zeus as king of their many gods.

The Romans worshiped Jupiter as king of their many gods.

The locales, the Arabs, worshiped Dushara as king of their many gods.

When they glorified the God of Israel, it was a very big thing to these people but most of them still just honored Jehovah God as one amongst their many gods.

This same area eventually became a hot bed of Islam as it is today.

But in these days, of the Lord Jesus Christ, large crowds gathered to Him even in this land of Gentiles!

Let's begin:

*****Mar 8:1 In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them,

Before we get into this miracle let's look at a few things. We know that there are many who try to find contradictions in the Bible.

The feeding of the 5000 appears in all four of the Gospels but only Matthew and Mark record the feeding of the 4000.

But it is not difficult to show that these were two separate events.

The feeding of the 5000 happened near Bethsaida and involved for the most part Jews.

The feeding of the 4000 happened in the area of Decapolis and involved for the most part Gentiles.

Jesus Christ, Himself says that these were two separate events:

Mat 16:8 Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?
Mat 16:9 Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
Mat 16:10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
Mat 16:11 "How is it that ye do not understand" that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?

What can we learn from this event?

Mal 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not;

We should learn that the Lord Jesus Christ is unchangeable!

His nature will not ever change.
His purpose will not ever change.
His promises will not ever change.
And His plan of salvation will never change!

Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

In fact when we call on the Lord Jesus Christ we are saved, that very day, we are being saved everyday we live, and we are eternally saved!

So the moral laws of God, the Ten Commandments, apply equally to the saved and to the lost, everyone on this planet!

These are still our schoolmaster to teach us what God expects while we are still alive.

*****Mar 8:2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:
Mar 8:3 And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.

This multitude of Gentiles had spent three days with the Lord Jesus and He had taught them the Word of God, along with healing all their sick.

We can see that no matter the makeup or the different cultures of the multitudes, Jesus always showed His love and His compassion for them!

To Jesus there was no such word as "race" in describing the different peoples!

This verse does not say that these people had not eaten in 3 days, it just states that they had nothing to eat and if they tried to go home many of them had a great distance to travel.

Christ Jesus shows His compassion, not only for the souls of men, but also these bodies of flesh of all mankind.

He had taught them His "Doctrine", the Gospel!
He had healed them of their diseases.
He showed His concern for them, even when they were about go back home.

The Bible says:

Heb 5:2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

You see God knows how we feel every single moment in our lives.

He has felt all our pain.
He understands all our circumstances.
He knows everything that we are going through, every moment we live in this flesh we call humanity!

Another thing that the Lord knows is from "how far we have come"!

Some of these people had come a long way just to see Jesus!

The greatest thing we can learn from this passage and those 12 chosen disciples should have learned, is this.

I have already said that those more than 5000 were Jews. These that will number more than 4000 are Gentiles.

We should come away from this lesson knowing that the Jesus Christ came to save "whosoever" will call on His name and He always will!

Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that "whosoever" shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

*****Mar 8:4 And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?

We will soon see that there were only 4000 men old enough to be in this count, but this great multitude could have been nearly as large as when the Lord fed the 5000, when we add women, wives and children.

We could ask ourselves, "why would Peter and these others ask this question"?

A great lesson for us all is, this fact.

The world we live in is a "desert place", where nothing can be found to satisfy the soul of man!

It is only the salvation, the free gift of Jesus Christ, that can lead to all our fulfillment!

On this occasion it would not have mattered how much money that Judas Iscariot had in the bag, there was no place available to buy such a large quantity of food to feed this great multitude.

Jesus was not about to send this crowd away unfulfilled!

Every Pastor or Preacher, that prepares a sermon, should remember this lesson.

Psa 22:26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.

Every message preached in the pulpits should centered on seeking the Lord Jesus Christ because He is still our only fulfillment!

It is this message that brings fulfillment to the multitudes!

AND, Jesus never sent a multitude away empty, spiritually nor physically!

Our Lord had great patience with these 12 and we need to thank Him for that, because these 12 were to begin the Church, the Bride of Christ.

Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

We know that Israel had a relationship with the Lord, as sheep to a shepherd.

Jer 13:17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD'S flock is carried away captive.

But we also should know that Gentiles are also part of that flock!

Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, "which are not of this fold": them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Jesus died for His Church and the Church is separate from Israel!

It took awhile for these 12 to get all this right, but praise God they did, and praise God for the patience He has with all of us, as He did with them.

The lesson here is that Christ Jesus has control over every situation that arises, period!

*****Mar 8:5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven.

We should know that it is important "for us" to know how many loaves were available. There were 5 in the other miracle and 7 in this one.

It is very possible that these 7 loaves came from what these disciples had brought for themselves and for Jesus.
They probably did not look forward to sharing them with these Gentiles!

Remember Gentiles were no more than dogs, in the eyes of the Jews.

Another lesson for the Church is to, make all our sacrifices worthy of the Lord!

*****Mar 8:6 And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.
Mar 8:7 And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.

What we should notice are these things.

1) God knows how to control a crowd. Jesus was methodical in resolving this need as He still does today.

2) Then the miracle of blessing. 7 loaves and a few fishes become a banquet for thousands.

3) Jesus made arrangements to deliver the food to this flock.

As disciples of Christ Jesus, we cannot control the crowd, that's the job of the Holy Spirit.

As disciples of Christ Jesus, we cannot perform the miracle or provide the blessing, that's the job of Our Father in Heaven.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we can deliver the "Bread of Life" to those of the multitude, this is why we were left behind after our salvation!

Jesus will put all His disciples to work!

And, the Lord Jesus will never do for us what we can do for ourselves!

Ministering the Word of God is the job of the Church!

*****Mar 8:8 So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.

Earlier, Jesus had started with 5 loaves and two fishes and fed a great multitude of more than 5000 of the Jews.

Here with 7 loaves and a few fishes, Jesus has fed a great multitude of more than 4000 of the Gentiles.

Earlier there had been 12 baskets of leftovers.

The Greek word for "basket" here was "kophinos" or small baskets.

This is the basket that each disciple can take with them.

In typology, the 12 disciples had their baskets prepared by the Lord, to begin the Church.

Here the Greek word for "basket" is "spuris" or a much larger basket.

How can we prove that?

Luke wrote of the Apostle Paul's escape:

Act 9:25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.

This basket was a "spuris" and this basket in typology represents the New Testament Church.

In each of these baskets, the fragments are the same, The Bread of Life, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!

What does Jesus ask of all those that love Him?

Luk 24:41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, "Have ye here any meat"?

God expects, through the Church and through each disciple, that in every multitude, there should never be anyone leave His presence unfulfilled so they do not faint on their way home.

This is the challenge for the Church and therefore every house of God!

And once again, the Lord Jesus has shown compassion on those that are poor and hungry.

We should be hungry for the Word of God and we will be poor until we are filled with God's Word!

The Jews were in a "desert place" where there was very little life and the Jews are still in that desert place without the Lord even though they claim Jehovah as there God.

The Gentiles were in "the wilderness".

A wilderness is not the same as a desert place but a wilderness is a place suitable for pasturing sheep.

This "wilderness" is a type of the Church!

God intends that His Church to be a place to pasture His sheep until He returns!

And together, Jew and Gentile, we will all cross Jordan one day to get to the promised land!

Notice also there are "seven baskets" here and there are "seven Church Ages", spoken of in the Book of Revelation.

And there should be no doubt that we are in that last Church Age!

The Laodicean Church Age is a time of the "people pleasers".

2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Those that are aware of the signs of our times, cannot miss this fact!

There are no more signs to be completed before the "Rapture" of the Church!

The only sign that remains is the blowing of the trumpet!

There are only signs that remain before The Second Coming of the Lord but they are few!

*****Mar 8:9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.
Mar 8:10 And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha.

When Jesus fed the 5000, He left them in the "desert place" and joined His disciples on the Sea of life but the Jews are still in that "desert place"!

But these Gentiles were sent away!

It is the Gentiles that God has sent to spread the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ in this world!

We can be sure that the Lord Jesus watched as they headed off in all directions, and He is still watching today to see if we are doing what He ask us to do!.

Jesus had already said that many of them had to travel a great distance and we know that the Word of God is still spreading throughout the entire world.

Psa 98:2 The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.

We know that the Church will be "sent away" until the time of the "Rapture" when the Church will be gathered and Jesus will then resume His work with the Jew:

Psa 98:3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Dalmanutha was a place on the west side of the Sea of Galilee.

Matthew called this Magdala but these both are the place of the Migdols or a place of "watch towers".

Mat 15:39 And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.

This is also the birthplace of Mary Magdalene or Mary from Magdala.

Jesus did not go to see Mary this day, He went to show Himself to a group that He had earlier called hypocrites!

*****Mar 8:11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.
Mar 8:12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.

Many a church in our day are trying to reach out to the lost with worldly things, such as worldly music and many other such things.

Many reach out pacifying some, by saying God used evolution in His creation, which is a lie straight from Hell.

Many are accepting the gay life style in an attempt to be friends with this world we live in, but they are also wrong.

We can accept the gays, "as lost" and in need of redemption just as any other sinner, but that lifestyle goes against the Word of God and must be rejected just as the drunk, the murderer and the thief and any other sinful lifestyle that is described by the 10 commandments.

And, it is a fact that "religious curiosity" will rarely lead to salvation!

It is also a fact that "religious confidence" cannot come from stubborn refusal of any part of the Word of God!

It is a fact that "faith" must come from the heart!

God had given that generation the Doctrine of Jesus Christ!

God was about to give "His life" in propitiation for all our sin!

God was not about to become "some circus side show star" in front of these hypocrites and He will not do this in our day!

We cannot tempt God and nor should we ever try!

Jas 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

AND GOD WILL NOT EVER USE ANY SORT OF TEMPTATION TO GET US TO BELIEVE AND BE PART OF HIS CHURCH!

GOD WILL NEVER USE TEMPTATION TO GET US TO ENTER ANY HOUSE OF GOD!

Those that use any sort of worldly temptation to get people in the House of God go against the character of God!

Any that think this way may find themselves to be left behind!

What will God do?

Psa 81:12 "So I gave them up" unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

*****Mar 8:13 And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side.

What's going on in a world that is getting farther and farther away from God and the Lord Jesus Christ?

Zec 11:9 Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.

We may have turned blind eyes to what Satan, the prince of this world, is doing to our world, but Jehovah God has not!

God says:

Mat 15:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Our job is to reach out "to those that do not know and have never heard of the Lord Jesus Christ"!

They can be found on "the other side", away from these that teach a false doctrine!

We are not to argue with those that make their own selves righteous.

1Ti 6:3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
1Ti 6:4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
1Ti 6:5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: "from such withdraw thyself".

So, Now God has to straighten these 12 disciples out just as He does us all some times!

*****Mar 8:14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.
Mar 8:15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.

Jesus always knows what is own our mind!

These 12 had witnessed Jesus as He had dealt with those Pharisees.

And they had not even thought to prepare for the next journey.

We must always be prepared in our work for the Lord!

This loaf they had, would not be a loaf as we think of that could be cut into many slices, but was only the round pocket bread of the Middle East, not even enough for one man.

So, while they were thinking about this small piece of bread, Jesus told them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.

Leaven is sour dough which, when mixed with a larger quantity of dough, makes heavy dough rise to form a softer bread.

But leaven, spiritually, can also mean anything evil, anything that goes against the Word of God!

In the Bible leaven sometimes means "something which corrupts or depraves that with which it is mixed".

This is the meaning of leaven that Jesus was using this day!

The Apostle Paul cautioned the Corinthians with these words:

1Co 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

We must beware of the leaven of this world and not allow in into the house of God. It becomes spoiled bread and mold and we all know how hard it is to get rid of mold!

The use of leaven was strictly forbidden in all offerings made to the Lord by fire!

Lev 2:11 No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire.

And, God still expects us all to be a living sacrifice.

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

What was the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees?

"Leaven" as used here is a symbol of "evil doctrine".

Paul said:

Rom 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

This "evil leaven" has been used to remove the basic fundamentals of the Church which are:

1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

God came down from the Glory World, to be born of the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ died to pay a debt we could not pay!

Jesus Christ arose from that grave in a glorified body!

Jesus Christ has returned to Heaven to prepare a place for His children!

These are basic fundamentals of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and of the Church!

These people had a complete Old Testament at this time but they were just picking it apart.

The enemies of the Church today are still trying to pick apart the Word of God!

We also know the Bible as "the water of life" but these Pharisees had converted "this water of life" into "fermented wine" and then began adding extra spice every chance they got!

Herod represents the government.

The followers of Herod, called Herodians, brought worldly compromise to the Word of God!

The government of our nation today is trying to bring worldly compromise to the Word of God!

We cannot allow this to happen!

No matter what we think, most governments are evil in the sense that they have rejected the Laws of Jehovah God!

John the Baptist was a dangerous man in the eyes of this government and the Lord Jesus Christ and those that follow after Him are even more dangerous than John who was murdered for preaching the truth of the Word of God.

Today, in our world, the Bible is criticized more than it ever has been it has been perverted through an untold amount of new versions, which are simply "perversions" of the Word of God!

But are the disciples of Christ paying attention, to what Jesus was saying?

*****Mar 8:16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.
Mar 8:17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?
Mar 8:18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?
Mar 8:19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.
Mar 8:20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.
Mar 8:21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

These 12, who would begin the New Testament Church, had missed this valuable lesson but the Lord would not allow that to continue.

When Christ Jesus mentioned the leaven, they could only think of "man made" bread.

In every lesson we learn from the Word of God, we need to see "the spiritual side" before we get caught up in "the material side"!

Yes, God has promised that He will provide all our needs while we are still living but this life on this earth is just to short for us to dwell on these things!

The disciples should have known that the amount of bread they had with them was not important!

Jesus had already proved He could feed any multitude, at any location, at any time He chose to do so.

They knew this, so why were they lingering on the thought of food?

Jesus said: "why can you not understand about the danger of false doctrine"?

We see that the Lord can get upset with us when we are "so blind" that we cannot see how the danger that "self interpretation", and "a world view" of Word of God can affect the Church.

The Laodicean Church Age is the time of the people pleasers!

Jesus says this age makes Him sick!

Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

This is the same doctrine of the Nicolaitan which He hates!

Rev 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

This is what evil doctrine brings to the Church so Jesus asks us all:

How Is It That You Do Not Understand?

If the Church is that ship that is sailing in this lost world, it is a fact that when we allow the world into the ship "It Will Sink"!

All these things proceed the healing of a blind man which we will see next week!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Persistence of Jesus Christ

The Persistence Of God's Servant

Tolerating His Enemies and His Disciples

Book of Mark Chapter 7

As we have been seeing Jesus has been drawing a huge multitude of followers. He was not allowed to teach in the synagogues so they were basically empty on the Sabbath.

The Lord Jesus Christ had gotten the attention of the religious leaders in Jerusalem.

We should ask ourselves, What was the oral law or we could say "tradition"?

A tradition is any kind of teaching, whether written or spoken, that was handed down from generation to generation.

"Traditions", are not inspired by God!

God gave certain ordinances that were to be kept by all generations of the Jew but these "traditions" were laws of man!

Most of these traditions were arbitrary interpretations of the written Word of God.

God gave us one rule for these things:

2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

No true prophesy can come from private reasoning of man, oral or written!

We may not understand the meaning or the intent of God's Word in regard to our own situation but it's ultimate meaning involves far more than that.

This would be especially true of prophecy concerning the Messiah but this also applies to all scripture!

2Ti 3:16 "All scripture" is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

We simply cannot allow self interpretation to over rule the written Word of God.

*****Mar 7:1 Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.

Satan now begins this assault that will end with his defeat at the cross!

The religious establishment begins an all out assault on the Lord Jesus Christ.

There are wars and there are rumors of wars but there is still an unending all out assault on the Lord Jesus Christ going on still today. This I cannot understand from so-called non-believers.

They knew of His teachings.

They knew of the large crowds.

They knew that some wanted to make Him king.

They had heard of His miracles.

They did not come for the truth, they came to put and end to this One Called Jesus of Nazareth!

They had traveled 80 miles in an attempt, to ridicule and destroy the "Truth"!

*****Mar 7:2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.
Mar 7:3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
Mar 7:4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.

The Pharisees believed that the written law had been given of God to Moses!

But they also believed that "the traditions" passed down by the elders were also given by God Himself!

They allowed these traditions to box in the Word of God, making the written Word of God to have no effect.

It was "these traditions" that grew to control human actions to the Word of God.

We could look at this as just common sense. "It is" proper for our own health to wash before we eat but this was not the intent of these Pharisees.

Traditional washings had very little to do with dirty hands!

The sole purpose of ritual washings was because, as these super religious men went about their daily routine they may have come in contact with a Gentile at the market or some other ritually unclean person or thing.

Under these conditions they were required "by tradition" to wash away the profane and purify themselves and they made a great show of it!

This not a soap and water thing, this more just a dipping of the hands in water. (Baptizing the hands)

That word "defiled" meant "common" or in other words "unholy"!

What we should realize is, that these of false religion could not find fault in any thing Jesus did except for violating their traditions!

Job had a clear understanding that these ritual washings could never make a man clean in the eyes of God.

Job 9:30 If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;
Job 9:31 Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

Nor could these ritual washings actually clean cups, pots, brass vessels, nor tables!

We can only be cleaned by the "Living Water" as Jesus told that poor woman at the well!

Joh 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Joh 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

*****Mar 7:5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

These hypocrites believed they finally had something important to bring down the Son of God.

He allowed His disciples to eat with dirty hands!

Never mind Jesus was "that" Prophet, spoken of by Moses.

Never mind Jesus had spoken with the Authority from on High.

Never mind Jesus had shown the Power of God.

Never mind Jesus had fulfilled the written Word of God.

Never mind Jesus went about doing good.

Never mind no one could find faults in Him.

Jesus allowed His disciples to eat with dirty hands so there was no way Jesus could be the Messiah!

And Jesus said these words.

*****Mar 7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Mar 7:7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mar 7:8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

What is a hypocrite?

2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Notice the Bible says we will see this more and more as we come to the last days.

2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

This cannot be denied!

As religious circles give over to accepting the gay lifestyle, accepting abortion, accepting the women behind the pulpits, removing prayer in the name of Jesus and allowing the world to come inside the Church, and so many other things and then saying they love God, they are hypocrites and liars.

God has these words for all these so-called Christians:

Mat 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

I suggest to you these that do these things get them a new copy of the KJV Bible and read it again!

God says to stay away from these sort!

These people are in the hands of the Holy Ghost.

The Bible says:

2Ti 2:23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
2Ti 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
2Ti 2:25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
2Ti 2:26 And "that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil", who are taken captive by him at his will.

God does not stop there but adds these words:

1Ti 6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
1Ti 6:21 "Which some professing have erred concerning the faith". Grace be with thee. Amen

And these words:

Rom 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences "contrary to the doctrine" which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Rom 16:18 "For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ", but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

These hypocrites have an agenda that goes against the Word of God!

And Jesus added these words.

*****Mar 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

These are so called religious men reject the Word of God and make up there own version of commandments for all people!

How can we dare to sin against Our Savior by accepting His Words of Salvation and then reject His teaching?

How can we go to God in prayer and then refuse to serve Him?

God's Law amounted to nothing to these men when compared to their own man made laws.

We should totally understand what God says about this matter because this is another sign of the end times!

Isa 24:5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.

This is the "spirit of the Anti-Christ at work in our world:

1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; "and even now already is it in the world".

What is the spirit of the Anti-Christ?

Dan 7:25 And "he shall speak great words against the most High", and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

2Th 2:4 "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God", or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

When will the Lord return to this Earth?

Psa 119:126 It is time for thee, LORD, to work: "for they have made void thy law".

There are so many perverted, versions of God's Word today and most everyone of them do exactly what these Pharisees and scribes were doing this day of Jesus!

They lay aside the commandment of God to hold onto the traditions of men!

When God's Law ceases to become our standard to live by, it becomes a system that man can manipulate and control!

And Jesus gives them an example.

*****Mar 7:10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
Mar 7:11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
Mar 7:12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
Mar 7:13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

What had Moses said?

What was the 5th commandment?

Exo 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

What is "honor"? To revere, to respect, and perform relative duties to!

This commandment comes with an added blessing. "That thy days may be long"

This law was as clear as could be, so there would be no misunderstanding!

Moses made this law even clearer:

Lev 20:9 For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

Every child could read the Word of God and understand what was said about their parents!

A choice could be made.

There was the prospect of long life or the prospect of swift and sudden death!

But God's law had been rejected for a new man made law.

"If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free"

What is Corban? This is a gift or an offering devoted or dedicated for God's use.

In this day of Jesus, when an offering was given to the Temple, by pronouncing that gift as "Corban" the gift then belonged to the Temple, "but only in word".

That offering or that gift remained in the possession of the person who made the vow!

A son would say to his parents that he had dedicated his abundance to God and had no extra to help them in their old age.

Remember this was the duty of the first born son and passed on to any other son at his death.

So, a tradition takes no commitment from the heart and is therefore not true worship!

What does God expect from us?

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

When a tradition is not true worship, then it becomes a precept of man and it is "Worship That Is Vain"!

This was only one example as Jesus ended here by saying that they had many such things as this that they did!

This tendency to distort or negate or even augment Scripture by our own self interpretation happens more today than this day of the Pharisee!

God sends us many warnings against tampering with His Inspired Word!

In fact God has given us His completed Word and He gives us this warning:

Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

A child can also read this and find it very clear.

God is serious about any changes to His Inspired Word!

Then Jesus warned all who were within the sound of His voice this day.

*****Mar 7:14 And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:
Mar 7:15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
Mar 7:16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

There was very little hope that the religious leaders of Israel would change their ways so Jesus spoke directly to the people.

We should also consider that the Jews also had a special dietary plan but Jesus still said this to them:

"There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him"

Jesus had just literally set aside the whole Mosaic idea of clean and unclean foods!

Jesus said to "Hearken" or "hear" and "understand".

Jesus was not talking about poisoned or tainted food.

Jesus was speaking of ritual defilement which comes from the heart!

There is nothing that comes from an external source that can separate us from God!

Only what comes from our inner being can prevent us from true worship of the Lord God Almighty!

Uncleanness comes from within and it cannot be washed away with ritual washing!

Uncleanness can only be washed away by the Blood of Our Lord!

Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood",
Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

And again Jesus cautions all within the sound of His voice to hear what He was saying.

*****Mar 7:17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.
Mar 7:18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;
Mar 7:19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

When we do not clearly understand what God is saying we need to ask for help.

The number one best place to look for the answers we need is the Word of God!

The Bible is it's own best commentary!

Observing some ritual does not affect nor change the moral state or the character of any man!

Only the body of flesh can be affected by rituals, Not the soul!

It is what is in a man's heart where we can find the true character of any man!

Matthew tells us that this was Peter who asked Jesus to explain this better but we should know that the other 11 would encourage Peter to be the spokesman for them all.

God expects us to think through what He says and not just act on impulse.

After all, "it is the truth that makes us free" and not "traditions"!

Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

The "draught" is only a toilet or the sewer system of that day.

*****Mar 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mar 7:22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
Mar 7:23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

What is the true source of defilement?

The world we live today cannot seem to grasp what Jesus is saying because, the world does not want to hear these things that prove our guilt before a Holy God!

We live in a time of growing immorality and this shows the character of the world during these last days!

The source of all evil is the heart!

It is in the heart where sin develops before it is exposed by sight to the world.

1.) The first thing Jesus mentions is evil thoughts.

The mind is the intellectual part of man. When man's mind is continuously on evil, then that man is in a sad state. It is this state of mind that leads to this list of defilements.

What is the state of the world we live in?

2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Jesus had these words:

Mat 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
Mat 5:28 But I say unto you, "That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her" hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

2.) Adulteries happen between the married. Our divorce rate in America is over 60% and this is the main cause.

3.) Fornications happen between the unmarried. Sexual immorality rules our young people. In fact according to the Greek word used here "porneia", this would also include adulteries and incest.

People refuse to get married and just live together. Separations from these unions are also more than 60%.

4.) Murders, people killing people. Some say murders are decreasing in America but sadly the incident of murder among people that know each other is on the rise.

Mat 10:21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.

5.) Thefts means stealing!

6.) Covetousness means not just wanting what other have, but also fraud and extortion and greed.

7.) Wickedness is wickedness but also depravity and malice.

8.) That word "Deceit", comes from the word decoy and it also means crafty, guile, and subtlety.

9.) Lasciviousness means filthy wantonness and lewdness. (Hint: go to a "gay rights parade" and you can see this with your own eyes)

10.) An evil eye means someone who takes a degenerative and immoral view of all things!

11.) Blasphemy is speaking evil against Jehovah God, The Lord Jesus Christ!

12.) Pride is haughtiness having contempt for others. Making yourself to be better than all others.

13.) Foolishness means senselessness, egotism, recklessness. Stupidity!

What is God's answer for the believer?

1Pe 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

Defilement in it's simplest form means spiritually unclean in the eyes of God!

*****Mar 7:24 And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.

Tyre and Sidon were located in the old nation of Phoenicia. This land is now called Lebanon.

"And Jesus could not be hid"!

Some people cannot be hid because they are birthed into royalty, or they inherit a fortune, or they possess some great talent.

But Jesus Christ was only a poor carpenter from a despised region called Nazareth!

Why could Jesus not be hid?

1.) Jesus came to save the lost.

Luk 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

2.) Jesus came to fulfill all prophecy on Him.

Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
3.) Jesus came to preach the "Gospel"!

Mar 1:38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.

4.) Jesus came to do miracles.

Joh 7:31 And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?

Jesus Christ could not be hid because of who He was!

A Christian cannot be hid if we are truly like the Lord Jesus Christ!

But, there was another reason Jesus had come to this place.

*****Mar 7:25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
Mar 7:26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
Mar 7:27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
Mar 7:28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.
Mar 7:29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
Mar 7:30 And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.

The Greek word used for this "young daughter" means that this was a little girl, certainly not yet a teenager or damsel but probably also not a toddler.

But the facts are that Satan's helpers, these evil spirits, will attack a child as well as those of any age!

This woman was a Gentile born in the Phoenician part of Syria and Jesus would simply test her "faith".

Jesus will still test our faith today!

This Gentile woman knew that Jesus had the power to help her, she just did not know if He was willing.

The world can look anywhere they want for salvation but salvation can only come through this Jew named Jesus!

We are to believe on who Jesus, in His Spirit and in His flesh!

The Atheist can say there is no God but just as the Jew, they have not realized they have a need for the real God!

Again without "faith" we can never please Our Lord!

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

There will be no reward for those that do not seek The Lord Jesus Christ!

To the Jew, all Gentiles were as dogs, fit only for the scrapes of this world!

Some will say Jesus had not come for the Gentiles but we should still be aware that Jesus was still training these 12 who would begin the Church.

It is true "faith" God is seeking!

This woman had already shown some "faith" by openly approaching the Lord.

This woman would not now be rejected, because she knew of His goodness!

Jesus had sent these 12 out strictly to the Jews already but Jesus would soon be sending them throughout all the world!

They could have no doubt that "Faith" was the key to salvation!

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

This woman would not now run off because Jesus said she was a dog, because we are all nothing in the eyes of God!

Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags"; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

The woman knew what she was and she knew to remain humble!

1Pe 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

We should not be afraid when God test our "faith"!

The Lord Jesus did not have to go to the home of this woman, her "faith" had made it unnecessary.

If the Lord said her daughter was free of the devil, then she knew that it was true and that is what she found when she got home!

This is what Jesus had come to do, and with this completed He went to see the fruit of Missionary Demoniac.

*****Mar 7:31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.

When Jesus was here last He was asked to leave:

Luk 8:37 Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.

Thank goodness for Jesus, the God of the "second chance"!

Mark leaves out some details that Matthew makes us aware of:

Mat 15:29 And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.
Mat 15:30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:
Mat 15:31 Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.

Mark singles out one certain man for us to learn from.

*****Mar 7:32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.
Mar 7:33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;
Mar 7:34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
Mar 7:35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.

These that brought this man to Jesus were anxious to see a miracle but Jesus only felt compassion for this man and wanted to heal him.

Jesus normally just spoke the the healing came.

This day He added something else!

This man could speak but was not easily understood.

The reason for that was because he could not hear!

Jesus wanted this man to understand that He knew he could not hear.

It's that personal relationship that makes Our Lord more real!

Not some idol on a shelf.

Not some prophet who no longer lives.

But our God is not afraid to come down to our level and touch our infirmities!

This man clearly understood before he was healed that the Lord knew all about him!

Here again there was no magic in the words the Lord used.

That word Ephphatha simply meant "be opened"!

Jesus sighed because these things are brought on by the Devil!

How did all healings actually occur?

Mat 8:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, "Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses".

As soon as Jesus said the word Ephphatha both ears of this man were opened. He then could hear his own voice and that of others and his tongue was also loosed!

And he spoke plainly!

*****Mar 7:36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;
Mar 7:37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

Satan's power in this man's life was broken and this is what Jesus Christ can do for everyone who believes and has "faith" on Him!

This man's healing could not be hidden but Jesus told him and these around him that no one needed to know how this happened.

Remember Jesus was seeking a rest for Himself but more so for the 12 chosen disciples.

The more the Lord urged these people to keep it quiet, the more they told how Jesus had healed those that came to Him!

Jesus Christ indeed did all things well!

This is one of the strongest evidences of His deity!

No matter how much the Word of God is studied.

No matter how much scrutiny is shown to His deeds.

No flaw can be found in the things that Jesus did!

Jesus had nothing to retract.

Jesus was never deficient but always fulfilling.

Jesus did nothing one could change to make it better.

Everything Jesus did while He walked on this Earth was exactly right for each occasion!

AND, Not one of God's Words will go unfulfilled!

Questions?

Let's pray!

What Is The Gospel Of The Lord Jesus Christ

"What Is The Gospel According To The Lord Jesus Christ"?

Text:

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

What is the "Gospel"?

To me the "Gospel" is the "good message", or the "good news" that comes from the knowledge of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ.

The "Gospel" is the truth that the Lord Jesus Christ has taken my place on that cross and paid a debt that I could have never paid!

Like the Apostle Paul, I am not ashamed of the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ. If not for God's mercy and God's grace, I would have surely been in shame, when I would have faced the Lord Jesus at the White Throne of Judgment.

Because of the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ, I have been pardoned and will not face that judgment!

So when did the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ begin?

God said:

Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

I believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ begins with a personal relationship with My Lord Jesus and it cannot get more personal than at our Creation as written in the Book of Genesis!

Gen 1:26 And God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness": and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

To be created in the image of God is a very special relationship that God Himself decided on before He made anything else.

In fact God decided my entire features before He made me, I was designed!

Psa 139:16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

To me, this is where my personal relationship with my Lord must begin.

Since I now know the Lord Jesus as my Savior, I want to be more like Him.

I want to be in His "image" and only by the "Gospel" can I truly know Jesus Christ!

It is by the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ that I can be saved!

It is by the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ that I can live on this Earth, no longer in misery but at peace!

It is by the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ that I can make it to my real home which I now know is in Heaven and not on this Earth where I am just a visitor!

God did not make this a hard thing for me to understand!

God made this a simple thing and all He asked me to do was believe on all the things of His Son, the "Gospel"!

And, I now realize that it is the Devil who causes the problems in this world I live in!

2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

The "Gospel" changed me and I know that whosoever calls upon the Lord Jesus Christ can also be changed!

1) So how can the "Gospel" reach those that do not know the Lord Jesus?

Preaching!

When Jesus preached He said He was God.

Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

We must accept this as fact before we can take any other step.

This is what is called "Faith".

Jesus gave these words to a grieving father whose daughter was on the death bed one day. Jesus said "be not afraid, only believe".

Mar 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

If there 1000 steps between us and the Lord Jesus, Jesus Himself will take 999 of those steps, but we must find enough "faith" to take that last step.

Without this "Faith" we cannot begin to please God and we cannot go any further.

But with 'Faith" we can please the Lord and He will reward us with His free gift of "Grace".

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

It is by God's Grace that we are saved!

It is by God's "Grace" that He sent the Lord Jesus Christ!

Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

These are free gifts and all that is needed is, to accept them, this is the "Gospel"!

It does not get any easier than that!

2) What was the "Gospel" as taught to the Apostles?

Mar 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Life is all about the choices we make. Until we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior we will never choose life.

Our God is a Tri-Une God. The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost!

Jesus told all His Apostles to teach this message:

Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

But Jesus also gave them the message they were to teach:

Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things "whatsoever I have commanded you": and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

The message that was to be taught was the Words of Jesus, the Word of God, the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ!

How can we trust the Word of God?

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Every word that is written down and preserved for our knowledge was inspired by God Himself, by His Holy Spirit!

We are created in His image and therefore also tri-une. The physical body, the spirit, and the soul.

While we are living, we must make a choice about our soul because to not choose is rejecting the truth of God.

Rejecting the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ!

It is the soul that is granted eternal life and it is the soul that is so precious to Our Lord!

It is the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ that will lead us to make the right choices!

1Ti 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

3) What was the Gospel that was taught to the Church?

Jas 5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

Just before Jesus Christ "willingly" got on that cross to pay our sin debt that we could not pay, He said He was going back to Heaven to prepare a home for those sinners that had been converted.

Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Jesus said He has given us His "Gospel" so that we would not be confused and could know the way.

Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, "and the way ye know".

And just so we can never be confused thinking that there could be other ways to get to Heaven, Jesus clears that up for us also!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus Christ made His "Gospel" simple because He will not tell us anything that will cause confusion.

1Co 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

The church that is confused, is a church that has moved away from the "Gospel of Jesus Christ"!

4) How do I make a personal application of the "Gospel of Jesus Christ?

I must use every means available to me, to spread the "Gospel Seed".

When God created our world He made this statement.

Gen 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit "after his kind", whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

When the "Gospel Seed" is spread, it will also produce fruit after "it's kind".

It is my job to be a "Sower of the Gospel Seed" after the Lord Jesus has been merciful enough to save my soul!

The parable of the "Sower" teaches me that I can only be the Sower. I must cast the seed in every direction and on every soil, realizing that the soil itself must be prepared by the Lord and it is He, and He only who controls the results.

BUT, if I will not sow the "Gospel Seed" then there can be no fruit and no results.

Hag 2:19 Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.

I must apply all these things to my own life that I may be more like Jesus Christ, who is my example!

5) What are the results of the Christian life?

Only by being like the Lord Jesus Christ can I be a Christian!

Jesus gave me this commandment:

Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

I will not be much of a witness if I cannot honor the Word of God with my life!

I certainly cannot consider myself a Christian unless I am more like Christ Jesus!

And if I walk as the world walks then I do not actually love the Lord.

I must come out from among those of this world, if I am to be in the family of God!

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

If we consider that we are in the last "Church Age", as all signs show, then this is the only way we can judge church growth.

God says that mankind will become more evil in the last days:

2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

God says the last "Church Age" is a time when people will please themselves and forget Our Creator:

Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

This the time when this world makes God sick:

Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

These are the days we live in now!

The truth of God may not bring in the great multitudes into the House of God during this time, so those that know the Lord and have a personal relationship with Him should be even more noticeable!

6) How can I know all these things are true!

I must believe in all the Word of God!

I must study the Word of God that I may not only help myself but I may be able to help others!

And I must live what I learn!

I will never be approved of God without these things!

This takes a workman like ethic.
This takes effort on my part.
This will also increase my love for the Lord.

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

I must believe that the Bible that God has given me is His truth:

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

This the only method that I have to be more like Jesus:

2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

7) So what are the facts of the "Gospel"?

Jesus Christ is God in the flesh.
Jesus Christ came to the earth that I might be saved.
Jesus Christ gave His life, (no one could take it from Him), on that cross to pay a debt that I could not pay.
Jesus Christ rose from that grave because not even death could hold Him.
Jesus Christ went back to Heaven to be my advocate before my Father in Heaven.
Jesus Christ sent me His Holy Spirit to keep me in His ways until He returns to take me home.

1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

And one day I will be like Him. Not as a God but as a part of His family!

1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

8) How can you know what I know to be the truth?

You must admit that you are a sinner!

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

You must know that sin brings death apart from God but Jesus Christ brings life eternal!

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

You must not be ashamed to confess the Lord Jesus before this evil world!

Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

You must accept the free gift of salvation and you too can be saved!

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

We cannot only believe all these things are true but we can also know all these things are true!

1Jn 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; 'that ye may know that ye have eternal life', and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Why did Jesus come to this Earth, His own creation?

Luk 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Where is Jesus now?

Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Because this is the "Gospel of Jesus Christ"!

Amen!