Mark

[0:00] The End The End The End

[1:30] The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End As an edge falls to the Lord.

[2:31] I ask your attention this evening to the last two verses in the third of Mark. Mark's Gospel, chapter 3, verses 34 and 35.

[2:46] And he looked round about on them which sat about him and said, Behold my mother and my brethren, for whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother and my sister and mother.

[3:05] Amen. This record is found in three of the Gospels.

[3:20] Matthew, chapter 12, here in Mark 3 and again in Luke 8. I do not want to place too much importance on the reiteration, but I do feel that where a record is reiterated in each of the Gospels, there is carried with that fact a sense of importance.

[3:50] And we would give this subject due regard as the Holy Spirit has caused each of those three, Matthew, Mark and Luke, to bear testimony to this incident in the life of Jesus Christ.

[4:16] I would put this as a general principle to you that has been on my mind today. The experience of Jesus Christ, although it glorified him, the benefit of the record of it is for you and for me.

[4:37] The Lord has caused his Holy Spirit to inspire these records.

[4:50] Not everything that happened in the day of Jesus Christ is recorded. But those things that are useful to the Church, those things that are decreed by God to be advantageous to the generations to come.

[5:06] These, the Holy Spirit caused to be written. And my friends, all Scripture is profitable.

[5:18] Therefore, it is not good for us to treat any part of Scripture as useless, because all Scripture has its use as the Holy Spirit may sanctify and apply it.

[5:40] But I want to come from the general principles to the particular subject. The Lord Jesus Christ, obviously, had had a tremendous day.

[5:56] And those that were concerned for him seem somewhat critical of the amount of attention he is paying to the crowd.

[6:10] When he had called his twelve disciples, they went into a house.

[6:25] And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him, for they said, He is beside himself.

[6:38] They seemed to charge the Lord Jesus Christ with being overzealous. But my friends, the Lord Jesus Christ was busy doing the will of his Father, and at the same time he was giving an example.

[7:01] And the example is that when necessity is upon us to attend to the will and work of God, that we should treat that as a precedent over the very necessary food.

[7:19] You see, when his friends heard of it, sorry, so that they could not so much as eat bread. Well, he goes on, teaching, performing his miracles, and eventually this comes to pass.

[7:48] verse 1. There came then his brethren and his mother, and standing without, sent unto him, calling him.

[8:00] And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold thy mother and thy brethren without, seek for thee.

[8:12] I've heard and read various comments on the spirit of Mary and the brethren in their approach to the Lord Jesus at this point.

[8:31] some feel that it was an error of judgment on Mary's part to associate with the brethren, calling as it were Jesus away from what he was doing and to pay attention to them.

[8:52] And this is given by some as an indication of Mary's imperfection which disqualifies her to intercede for the church as is practiced and taught by the Roman Catholics.

[9:13] My friends, this incident is not the only incident which shows us Mary's weakness, but whatever we may hear concerning the intercession of Mary, we would ever remember that the scripture completely rules that out of court because there's one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

[9:47] There's not room for the intercession of Mary, although she was greatly honored in being chosen of God to be the mother of Jesus Christ and his right, that all generations should call her blessed for the unique calling and honor that God placed upon that daughter of the first Adam in the motherhood of our precious Lord.

[10:16] But she was a sinner. She was a sinner, a favored sinner.

[10:29] God's grace to her was abundant, and Mary without question is now in heaven. But she wasn't perfect.

[10:43] But the Lord Jesus Christ here seems to me to set before us a sense of relative attachment or relative connection.

[11:04] He shows here that spiritual union transcends natural union. That to be one in the things of God is of greater consequence than all blood relationships whatsoever.

[11:31] And this is a principle of scripture, not only here taught by the Lord Jesus Christ himself, but brought to us in other instances, especially in the teaching of our precious Lord.

[11:48] This doesn't mean to say that Christ neglected his responsibility as a son to his mother. We're never qualified to treat our natural relationships with indifference because they are the favour of God to us.

[12:11] They are part of the providential care and blessing and comfort that God exercises toward us in the wilderness and we should praise our relationships.

[12:24] But my friends, our relationships, all natural relationships, must always be subject to the things of God. Now, the subject runs on and he answered them saying, who is my mother or my brethren?

[12:48] And he looked round about on them which sat about him and said, behold, my mother and my brethren, for whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother and my sister and mother.

[13:06] Now, the hallmark of the relationship to which the Lord attracts our attention is this, whosoever shall do the will of God.

[13:20] Obedience to God's will is the hallmark of the family as the Lord here presents it to us. We're back close to the ground upon which we were on Sunday evening, aren't we?

[13:38] The will of God. The will of God. And whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother and my sister and mother.

[13:53] That that relationship in subjection to the will of God is a greater moment to the Lord Jesus Christ than the relationships to which he was called when they said to him, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.

[14:20] This is his answer to that call. Well now, to show that the Lord Jesus Christ in no way neglected his responsibility to his mother, I ask your attention to the question of his crucifixion.

[14:51] Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother and his mother sister Mary the wife of Cleophas and Mary Magdalene.

[15:03] When Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciple standing by whom he loved, he saith unto his mother woman, behold thy son.

[15:16] Then saith he to the disciple, behold thy mother. And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

[15:33] Jesus gave to John a responsibility to care for his mother and John realising that responsibility took her to his own home.

[15:48] That is the care that Jesus exercised toward his mother Mary and we have in that an example.

[16:02] But the same Lord teaches other things concerning the relationship of his people with their parents and in no way are we to permit natural relationships to interfere with our discipleship.

[16:47] In Luke 14 at verse 26 it is written saying if any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my disciple.

[17:15] Now that doesn't mean by interpretation that we've got to show an antagonistic spirit to all our dear ones that we may in consequence prove ourselves to be a true disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[17:37] What it means is this that our own selves and all that are near and dear to us must be subject to our attention to the will and why of the Lord for us.

[17:59] And when it comes to a conflict we must follow the Lord. We must follow the Lord. And my friends sometimes it's like tearing flesh from bones when the Lord may call us to separate from some that are near and dear to us.

[18:31] I remember going years ago now when our friend Mr. Ed Knight had that call to the United States where he served in the gospel the church at Grand Rapids for 16 years.

[18:49] I was very friendly with him just prior to his call overseas and I knew there was correspondence passing between the church at Grand Rapids and himself and I began to get very fearful that the will of God was that he should go overseas I felt I was going to lose a very dear friend at that point of time I walked into his kitchen at Cullen one day and he fell on my neck and he said Harold I've got to go to the United States I've got to go to the United States he said I've received clearly a call from God and I've got to go he said

[19:50] I've got to leave my family and it's like tearing the flesh from my bones that was his very remark to the States he went and served God the Lord gave him a promise under the ministry of our late friend William Hope that he would in due season return and he's returned but what an experience what an experience my friends sometimes we're brought to the point where two ways meet and we are called to make a decision a choice so to speak which way which way the flesh calls us one way and the spirit calls us another who are we going to follow the flesh or the spirit the Lord

[20:58] Jesus Christ says whosoever shall do the will of God the same is my brother and my sister and my mother this is the choice and you see it's not just leaving father mother children brethren sisters his own life also his own life also sometimes we've got to lay ourselves at Jesus feet thy will be done there's a beautiful word and it means so much to me as the Lord many years ago now thirty years ago I believe spoke this very word to my soul verily I say unto you there is no man that hath left house or parents or brethren or wife or children for the kingdom of God's sake who shall not receive manifold more in this present time and in the world to come life everlasting

[22:23] I put this to you'll never lose from following the Lord you say ah but you don't know my circumstances I know this principle I leave the relative circumstances because they can vary from person to person from experience to experience but the principle I do not move one inch on the principle the principle is that if you make sacrifice for the Lord you'll never lose finally you'll always gain in the issue who shall not receive manifold more in this present time and in the world to come life everlasting for whosoever shall do the will of God the same is my brother and my sister and mother what a wonderful thing it is to be related to

[23:40] Christ what a wonderful thing to have shall I say an affirmation a seal of that relationship whosoever shall do the will of God the same is my brother and my sister and mother perhaps you've been praying for the spirit of adoption to be given to you you've looked as it were to that high place from your low and fearful position and you've said oh if only the Lord would assure me that he's adopted me into his family and then he brings you into the position where you've either got to go with the family or you've got to stand with Christ and in the very strength of grace you're enabling to stand with

[24:46] Christ gives you what you've been seeking for you say yes but the other is very painful ah the painful side of it is swallowed up in the witness of the word that whosoever shall do the will of God the same is my brother and my sister and mother and finally this evening in Corinthians we have a word here that I've been thinking of today and as we have borne the image of the earthy we shall also bear the image of the heavenly you know there are family likenesses aren't there family likenesses if I may introduce just an example

[26:00] I always say you can always tell a Raoul you know if it's Peter Raoul Mark Raoul Rachel Raoul or any of the Raoul family and there are quite a lot of the descendants of Mr.

[26:17] Leslie Raoul and his wife aren't there they had quite a family wherever you meet a Raoul you can tell them why there's a family likeness and the Raoul family is not unique in that there is a family likeness isn't there sometimes my own brother and I are confused and people go to him and say I heard you preach at so and so he says you never did and they look amazed because they get us confused we're so much alike people say you see there are family likenesses so in the things of God so in the family of God there are likenesses we're and my friends unless we're like Christ in the spirit of our hearts we're not qualified to say we are of the family we shall have to bear the image of the earthy if we're going to bear the image of the heavenly we shall have to be like Christ here if we're going to be with Christ hereafter except you have the spirit of

[27:31] Christ you are none of his now the spirit of Christ was this my natural relationships take second place to my spiritual relationships relationships my attachment to my spiritual brethren my spiritual sisters those of my spiritual connection they take precedence over my natural connection my friends we need to beware of family idolatry we need to beware of giving the family relationships an exalted position to the detriment of the things of God we need to keep our eye on precedence and loyalties in the perspective that Christ sets before us by example and by precept whosoever shall do the will of God the same is my brother and my sister and mother

[28:49] I feel more and more that we're only right as everything is subject to the perfect will of God everything we're only right when we can take everything and lay it at Jesus feet and say thy will be done now you're saying that's a tremendous thing to stand and say to any congregation my friends I'm certainly not going to lower the standard to accommodate my own personal weaknesses or any weaknesses that I see in my congregation oh God forbid let's acknowledge the standard and let's seek for more grace to rise to it but I do reiterate that I believe the standard of Christ by example and precinct is the prosperity of our souls when Christ says

[30:04] I do always those things that please him when our life is unidirectional and the will of God is the prime objective of our approach then we're Christ like and when we're in that spirit then we're quantified to say as we have borne the image of the earthly we hope in a short time to bear the image of the heavenly to be glorified with Christ forever Amen 690 seconds in if Solomon for wisdom cried the Lord before at night came wise

[31:44] I'll see another choice that night and ask for what the world in Christ said it's Solomon for wisdom trade the Lord before and made him wise peace be I see people still, but first it strikes them how to shoot.

[33:00] Then we stand as trust, ever again.

[33:11] As sure as he will not renew. And as thou say, I doubt thou will.

[33:35] Lord, I would see the golden hour. I pray to thee, be troubled.

[33:57] And pray for sin and say to God.

[34:09] Lord of thy presence, Lord in God.

[34:22] Lord of thy image, Lord see me. He'll raise thy truth within my heart.

[34:44] And bring me love, the rival man.

[34:56] Give me to read my father's shield.

[35:10] And from thy joy to draw my head. Turn of thy masters, love renew.

[35:32] In all his kind, and bread, and bread.

[35:44] God bless yourselves. God bless you.

[36:23] God bless you.

[36:53] God bless you. God bless you. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[37:05] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[37:17] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[37:31] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you.

[38:11] Thank you.

[38:41] Thank you.