Morning. All right, brethren, we're going
to be in Mark chapter 3. Mark chapter 3, verses 1 through 6. Mark 3, verses
1 through 6. Now, our Lord had just declared
himself to be... I don't think I'm on anymore.
Okay, yeah, they're right. Okay, so Mark 3 verses 1 through
6. Our Lord had declared himself
to be, that's really loud, Lord of the Sabbath, and he was entering
into the synagogue, and he provided himself, or rather he, well,
Oh, I'm really distracted. Let's just... There we go. All
right. Thank you, brother. That's good.
All right. So, he comes into the synagogue, and he had a...
It's still really, like, echoing back pretty... Yeah. Okay. And he... It's better now. Yeah? I'm doing it now. All right.
Yeah, I think that's pretty good. There you go. So, he has one there,
which we know the Lord does everything according to purpose. So, he
had one there, that needed his mercy, and this man had a withered
hand, and the Lord demonstrates with this miracle for that man,
he demonstrates that he indeed is Lord of the Sabbath, right,
and the healing of this man. Is it still going pretty bad?
Yeah, I don't know why it's, we'll have to test that earlier
next time. So he showed that he's Lord of the Sabbath and
the healing of this man, and we read in another place, we
know that he is the Christ because of this miracle, because we read
in another place when Nicodemus came to him, and Nicodemus was
a Pharisee, he came to him by night and he said this, he said,
we know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can
do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Our title
now is Stand Forth. Stand Forth. And we'll have three
divisions. Withered Hands, then we'll see
They Watched Him, speaking of the Pharisees, and then Bidding
with Power, or Given a Command with Power. So first, let's notice
the condition of this man. It says there in Mark 3 verse
1, And he entered again into the synagogue, and there was
a man there which had a withered hand. And the scriptures don't
tell us why this man with the withered hand, why he was even
there. We don't know if he was there every Sabbath day, that
he came very regularly and consistently, and so that he was already there
when Christ came in. We don't know if it was just
some fluke visit where he stopped in, he didn't know why, he just
had this... leading to go there that day and then Christ came
in or it seems like this was in Capernaum. So Christ was there
and so he may indeed have known that Christ is in the area and
therefore it would be the Sabbath day and so he would go there
hoping that Christ would see him and have mercy on him because
it's the Sabbath day and so Christ will be there at the place of
public worship where the Lord is going to attend it and be
there himself. So we're not told exactly why
this man was there, but we know that our Lord was there on purpose. He was there according to purpose. Romans 8.28 says, We know that
all things were together for good to them that love God. to
them who are the called according to purpose. So this is our Lord
of whom it said that he must needs go through Samaria. And so he's in another place,
he said, other sheep I have. So he's out seeking and finding
those that are lost. He's out looking for his sheep. And just think about that brethren,
this is the place where the Lord meets. we'll meet his people. And when we come here, when you
come here, when I come here, we're looking for and hoping
that the Lord will attend his service, that he's gathered us
to hear together, to hear the word that he's provided for his
people that day. Because we don't know the day
or the hour when the Lord's going to attend and meet with us in
that day. So, you know, some come, because
they were invited and encouraged to come. Others come, they don't
necessarily know why, and others come very regularly. But always
we're hoping that the Lord will attend the meeting and attend
the preaching of the word and feed his sheep. You know, because
this is where the Lord's going to meet his people, and he calls
his people according to purpose. And as I mentioned, this is where
the Lord meets his people, as he said in Matthew 18, 20, for
where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am
I in the midst of them. So this is where he provides
his word. It's the word that declares what
Christ has done for his people, how that He reveals to us what
we are in our hearts, that we're sinners. And He reveals to us
our need of Christ. He shows us, He reminds us of
that which is most important and most needful for us to hear.
I know when we're out there in the world, this flesh is very
crafty and very good at convincing us of that which is just as important
or just as good for us or it's not going to be so bad, but it's
here under the Word where He reminds us and shows us this
is the best place for us to be because this is where the Lord
is going to attend and feed His people. The Lord In the preaching
of the gospel, he answers the thoughts that are in our hearts.
Those things that we're thinking about, that have been brewing
around there for maybe a couple weeks, and we're wondering and
thinking about them when we're laying on our bed or just wondering
what we should do. The Lord is kind and he reveals
his will to us through the preaching of the word. So this is where
we're going to be. We don't always come here expecting that he's
going to answer it, but how often he does answer that thought that's
in our heart and that thing that we desire to know. And he destroys
and knocks down all the works of darkness that we build up
in sin and iniquity. He knocks those things down and
destroys those idols and those other things that are taking
us away from the Lord. And I get it. We're all very,
very busy people. We all have desires and cares
and things that we want to get done. But even though they seem
like good and valid excuses of why It's not important for us
to hear the word of why it won't be that big of a deal. Just think
about how rare it is to have the gospel. Now that you've heard
the gospel, think of how rare it is to have the gospel and
to hear it preached and to be fed because so few have it. There's still many people meeting
in homes and listening in over the internet just to hear a word,
just to hear a crumb. And you know how the Lord blesses
it even more so in particular when you're here in person and
you hear that word. It's just such an encouragement
for us. And so consider this man who
came to the synagogue that day rather than going and doing something
else. Because maybe he could have done other things, but he
was there where the Lord was meeting with his people, where
the Lord would be. That's where that man was on that day, on
the day when the Lord would come in. So in Matthew 6 31, Christ
said, therefore take no thought saying, what shall we eat? Because,
you know, there's lots of things, there's lots of excuses that
we find not to come here and hear the word. But he says, don't
take thought saying, what shall we eat or what shall we drink
or wherewithal shall we be clothed? Right? Those are very needful
things. We're trying to live another day." And these are important
things that he's saying. After all these things, he said,
do the Gentiles seek? Do those nations that know not
God, that's what the people in the world are seeking out. That's
what they're looking for and pursuing. And he says, your Heavenly
Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. But
seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and
all these things shall be added unto you." He promises that He's
going to provide. He's going to take care of His
own. He says, you just seek the kingdom of God. You seek the
righteousness that God has provided in His Son, Jesus Christ, and
all these other things, He'll provide for you. He'll take care
of you. He's not going to let you fall. He's not going to let
you drown. Yea, you might not have all the things that the
flesh desires. but he's going to ensure that
you have everything needful and necessary to be fed and to receive
those greater riches in the life to come. Remember the word of
our Lord, he said in Luke 12, for where your treasure is, there
will your heart be also. So make sure that your heart,
the treasure that you desire most is Christ, because that's
what we need. The flesh tells you it's lots
of other things. I get it. I know exactly what you think
and the temptations that we have, but the true treasure is Christ,
and that's what we want to pursue. Turn over there to Luke 12. Turn
to Luke 12. We don't know when our Lord is
going to attend his word with power, right? We don't know when
he's going to visit and have mercy on some dead sinner and
cause them to hear that word and cause them to be awakened
out of their their death by nature. We just don't know. But he says
in Luke 12, 35, to us, he says, let your loins be girded about
and your lights burning. Right? He's saying, be diligent,
be diligent to hear the word, be diligent to encourage those
who you have influence over, like your family members, encourage
them. You can't, you know, make, you
know, especially, you know, your adult children things, you can't
make them do it, and people are going to be people, but you have
friends, you have families, you have neighbors, you have ones
that you love. Encourage them. Encourage them
to be here and hear that word because that team ministers to
you, and when it's needful to you, it'll be needful to them.
They'll see it. You just keep being faithful,
doing what you're doing, and remind them and encourage them
in these things. And the Lord, one of these days,
we pray, we hope, right, that He will bring them here and give
them a heart and a hunger and a thirst for His Word. And it
says there in verse 36, Luke 12, 36, And ye yourselves, like
unto men, that wait for their Lord, when He will return from
the wedding, that when He cometh and knocketh, they may open unto
Him immediately. All right, now listen to verse
37. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh
shall find watching. Verily I say unto you that he,
this is the Lord, shall gird himself and make them to sit
down to meet and will come forth and serve them. Isn't that a
sweet thought? First, that word comes to your
pastor, who's to be faithful and diligent to be seeking the
Lord for a word for his people. In the season that he lives in,
and for what the people are going through, to seek a word from
the Lord for his people, and to be ready and waiting when
the Lord comes with that meal and gives it to me. If I, just
because I don't feel like being somewhere or think, hey, I'd
like to do this instead or do that instead, then I'm not going
to be there when the Lord comes to provide that meal, right?
I'm going to, I may miss that meal and you're going to get,
you know, who knows what you're going to get or what you're going
to hear. But I'm trying to, you know, so first that word comes
to me to be diligent, to be seeking the Lord and studying His word,
waiting for the Lord to show me. Because when I sit down,
I don't know what I'm going to say. I really don't. I get nervous,
I look at it and a lot of times it's hard and just like solid
and I can't see the gospel. So I keep praying, I keep breathing,
I keep asking the Lord, please open it up to me that I have
something to give the brethren. He comes and He gives me a word,
and then I have something to give to you. So it's to your
pastor first, but it's also to you, brethren, that you would
be encouraged to show up and to hear. Lord, what do you have
for me today? Lord, I'm coming because I got
to hear what you have for me, right? I need to be fed and hear
this word." So, you know, he'll bless it to your heart. We just
want to be faithful to be where the Lord says, where he promises
that he's going to meet his people and feed them. And he says, and
if ye shall come in the second watch or come in the third watch
and find them so, blessed are those servants. So, you know,
if we were all fit men and women, if we could produce a righteousness
for ourselves and we could work this, you know, work the ground
of this flesh and the dust of the earth here and bring forth
crops and fruit that are pleasing to God, that might be another
story. But we know we can't. We're sinners. We're dead sinners.
We're corrupt. We're vile. and we're in need
of his mercy and grace. So we want to be where the Lord
is going to feed his people. So this is why we're encouraged. Now we're all like that man in
the text there in Mark 3.1. It says there was a man there
which had a withered hand. withered hand, and that's us.
We're withered. When it comes to producing something
profitable to the Lord, for producing something from this flesh, it's
not going to happen. We've got withered hands and
we can't, we only bring forth that which is corrupt unproductive
and that which the Lord won't receive of this flesh because
it's of the flesh and the flesh doesn't please the Lord only
that which he creates is pleasing to him so our Lord came that
day to heal that man by his omnipotent grace and we're here and you're
here and I'm encouraged that you're here because we're here
to hear that word of the Lord for his people in this day all
right Now the next one says that they watched him. They watched
him. So in addition to our Lord being
there and in addition to that man with the withered hand being
there, there were some really mighty fine fellows there that
day as well, right? Some really super wonderful people
that were just so righteous in themselves. They were there that
day as well, and they thought that they were the protectors,
right? The protectors of the truth,
but they weren't protecting the people. They weren't looking
out for the people. They were only interested in
their status and what they had gained, and they didn't want
that to be taken away from them, so they were there, but not to
hear truth and not to be fed. They were there that they might
watch Him and see what Christ did, that they might accuse Him.
It says in verse 2, Mark 3, 2, and they watched Him. watched
our Lord whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day that they
might accuse him. How dare the Lord have mercy
and heal a man on the Sabbath day and show him mercy and kindness. It says in Matthew 12, 10, they
asked him, saying, is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days?
As if they were setting them up, setting the whole thing up.
Maybe it wasn't happening fast enough for them. So they kind
of made sure that these two ran into each other and asked him,
is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days that they might accuse him? So the intent of their heart
was made known. It was revealed what their real
interest was. It wasn't that they would know
whether he was the Christ or not, they just wanted to find
some reason to accuse him. And I don't think there's any
of you brethren that are here like that, and I'm thankful for
that, but there are people that all they want to do is just find
something and accuse them. Even so though, our Lord still
stood for his sheep. He wasn't worried about them. He didn't withdraw himself and
say, you know, I really wish that these people would hear
me. Let me pull back and make them happy and then I'll come
back at it another time and heal this guy on a day that's more
convenient and lines up with their thoughts. He didn't do
that. He stood for that man that very day and healed him in spite
of what the wicked were thinking. He didn't worry. He didn't let
that move him. or change him or alter what he was there to
do. And it teaches us a lot because
we see how nothing he did changed their opinion of him. Nothing
he did moved them or convinced them to think differently. They were so hard in their hearts
and that's what we see. There's nothing you can do that's
going to please those who are enemies of the truth. So don't,
I mean we're not looking to do that which is sinful, just because
we want to do that which is sinful, but rather just know though that
you're never going to be able to please anybody. You're not
going to be able to change your appearance or change your pattern
of things and do things to make them happy because they're still
not going to be happy with you. The seed of woman and the children
of the wicked one never agree. They never agree, they're never
going to see eye to eye, there's never going to be any fellowship
or agreement between the two. They're just always going to
persecute the Lord's people and they're always going to find
fault with the Lord's people. So we want to do what the Lord
reveals in his word. We want to be faithful to our
Lord though. Be faithful to Him, not faithful to those who think
that we should be doing it this way or we should be doing it
that way or whatever. Just seek what the Lord has for you to
hear. Seek what the Lord is revealing to you in His gospel and content
yourself with that because Haters are going to hate, they're just
never going to be satisfied with what we do. And in Matthew 12
verses 11 and 12, Matthew 12 is the parallel to Mark 3, but
our Lord shows how they themselves were guilty of the very trespass
that they were accusing Him of. are about to accuse him of. They
were guilty of that same thing. It's in Matthew 12 if you want
to read it, but make sure you hold your place in Mark 3. But
in Matthew 12, 11 it says, And he said unto them, What man shall
there be among you that shall have one sheep, and if it fall
into a pit on the sabbath day, Will he not lay hold on it and
lift it out? How much then is a man better
than a sheep? Wherefore, it is lawful to do
well on the Sabbath days." So he's there in the midst of ravenous
wolves that wanted him to leave that poor sheep there, maimed
and helpless, that they may continue to just tear him to shreds and
treat him like dirt in their eyes and just be awful to that
guy, but there's Christ standing in the midst as a faithful shepherd
to that sheep to protect them and to care, to protect him and
to care for him and to heal him and to provide for him that very
day. He said in John 10, 27, my sheep
hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. These men
that were there, they could not and they would not hear what
Christ was saying. And he said in John 8, 43 and
47, he said, why do you not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot
hear my word. He that is of God heareth God's
words, ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God. All right, and then Mark is a
summary in Mark 3 verses 3 and 4. He says, he said unto the
man which had the withered hand, stand forth. And then he said
unto them, is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days or to
do evil, to save life or to kill? But they held their peace. And
he gave them a relevant example that they all knew was true.
I wouldn't be surprised if there were some there that did that
very thing that day, that providentially the Lord worked it so that they
knew exactly what he was saying. And they knew that they would
do the same thing and did do the same thing for an animal,
for a sheep. And he's there to heal and lift
up one of his people, a man, like a man, not an animal. but
a human, a man, and it's so sweet when you see the Lord's mercy.
And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being
grieved for the hardness of their hearts, so that our Lord was
angry and grieved by the deadness of their hearts, because there's
such a thick veil over it. It's so thick, that veil, that
they won't even hear that perfect example. It's so true and so
relevant to them, and they wouldn't even hear it. They refused to
hear what he was saying. But there's, you know, so there's
always going to be that enmity between the two. There's no interest.
The darkness has no interest in what the Lord reveals to the
children of light. There's just no fellowship there
between the two. And then it says that right after
that, they went out and the Pharisees went forth and straightway took
counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. All right, but before he healed
that man, He commanded that man with power, and he gave that
man power. Basically, he worked that in
him. He worked that obedience in that man. So it says, this
is our third point, bidding with power. Christ was rightfully
angry with them, with these wicked men. He was rightfully angry
with them. It wasn't like a revengeful kind
of anger. He knew what they were going
to do to him. He knew what was coming, but it wasn't that type
of anger. But they're just so dead and hard in their hearts. But it says in verse 5, And when
he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved
for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch
forth thine hand. And he stretched it out, and
his hand was restored whole as the other. And one of the comforts
to us, brethren, is that we see that power that the Lord attended,
that word that he spoke to that man when he commanded him, stretch
forth thine hand, and he stretched it out, and his hand was restored
whole as the other. All right, so let's look just
very quickly, I just got three points to say to you in regards
to this, because it shows the mercy that our Lord had for this
man and it shows that faithful work, that faithful work of salvation
that he performs in each one of us as well. In 1 Peter 1 23
it tells us, being born again not of corruptible seed but of
incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth
forever. And that's The truth, brethren,
that we have is that Christ has given us life from the dead.
And he goes on to say, for all flesh is grass. So it's not our
flesh that's doing this. It's not our wisdom. It's not
our intelligence. It's not our strength and the
might of our flesh that has brought us to this place. All flesh is
grass. It's all enmity against God. But when Christ by the Spirit
comes in and gives us life, where there was death, then we have
the power, because he attends that word with power. He doesn't
just say, hey, follow me, and then now it's up to our flesh
to do it. That's what the world teaches, that it's man's decision,
and now he has to make a good decision and choose whether or
not God's going to save him or not. But it doesn't work that
way. But when he commands that word for his people, he attends
that word with power and glory and grace by his authority that
he has from the Father to give his people life. It says, so
all flesh is grass, and all the glory of man is the flower of
grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away,
but the word of the Lord, that commanding word of the Lord,
endureth forever, and this is the word which by the gospel
is preached unto you. So, so powerful was our Lord's
word to this man that he gave him life and brought him to obedience
in Christ. Mark 3, 3 says, And he saith
unto the man which hath the withered hand, Stand forth. So, whatever it was that brought
that man there that day, he now knows that Christ is in the house
there and he hears his word and he's given that obedience, worked
in his heart to stand forth and obey his word. So that, brethren,
we're to to just stand in awe of what the Lord did for this
man and what he does for his people, that he's got him standing
there in the midst of all his enemies. And by standing there,
he knows that these people hate Christ. And I don't know what
brought that man there, but here he is And the Lord says, stand
forth. And that man comes before in
the midst of all those people who are silent, who have shown
in the past their hatred of Christ. And you can just imagine the
hope that is rising in this man, that indeed the Lord is going
to show me mercy today. He's going to have mercy on my
soul. He's going to show himself kind
to me. I heard about all the healing
that he did for other people, and now He calls me to stand
forth. And you can just, the hope that
had to be in that man knowing that the Lord was gonna heal
that crippled hand of his and restore it whole like the other. So second though, we see, well,
it says in verse five, when he looked round about on them with
anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts. And
I have to wonder if to some degree, the grieving that he felt He
knew what they were going to do to him. He knew exactly what
they were going to do to him, that they were going to, the
Jews were going to reject their Christ, that they were going
to turn him over to the Gentiles to do to him whatever pleased
them, that he might be crucified before them. And you have to,
you know, so he knows the hatred that's against him, but he also
knows that that same hatred is going to be turned against you,
his people. He knows what the world thinks
of us. He knows what they think of him,
and so he knows what hatred they have for us, because we're not
above our master, we're not above our Lord. If they persecuted
him, they'll persecute us. If they treated him shamefully,
they'll treat us shamefully. And the Lord told us, he said
in Matthew 10, 16, Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst
of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents
and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will
deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in
their synagogues. And ye shall be brought before governors and
kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles."
All right, he could see Stephen. I'm sure he could see Stephen
standing there before Pharisees, just like these guys in that
council, where all Stephen's doing is preaching the truth. He's just telling them the truth
and the truth that they needed to hear. in the hope of their
salvation, they needed to hear what Stephen says, and they hated
him for it. He was like a dove or a sheep
standing in the midst of wolves. And because of that, the Lord
had given him that faith to stand there and declare that word.
And it says when there at the end, he said, I see the heavens
open and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of the throne
of God. So he calls us to stand, but
what a grace and mercy that Christ stands with us. And he'll stand
with his people on that day when we stand before the throne of
God, you'll have your advocate right there standing with you.
And he'll have you clothed in his righteousness, covered in
his blood, so God won't be angry with us like he is with the wicked. But rather, he's merciful. and
kind and rejoices over us and brings us into the glory that
he has prepared for his son. He brings us into that inheritance
and that glory. So stand for Christ. Don't be
afraid. He gives you the power. He gives you the grace for it.
And he stands with you, brethren. So you can be sure of that. And
then third, Mark 3, 5, he saith unto the man, stretch forth thine
hand. And he stretched it out. And his hand was restored. hold
as the other. So that whenever Christ gives
the command, he gives that power, that obedience, so that we can
do what he says. He gives us that power because
it's his irresistible grace. And this man had no ability,
right? He had no ability to stretch forth his hand. I'm sure he tried
it in the past, and he couldn't do it until the Lord said, stretch
forth thine hand. And he was given that power to
stretch his hand forth. Lazarus had no power to come
out of the grave. He had no power to do that. But
when he heard the voice of Christ say, Lazarus, come forth, we
read in John 11, 44, and he that was dead came forth. bound hand and foot with grave
clothes, and his face was bound about with a napkin. And Jesus
gives another command. He said unto them, Loose him,
and let him go. So that that last command is
to his pastors and his preachers to stand and declare the truth
of God, what Christ has done for sinners, how that Christ
is the salvation of sinners, that Christ himself, it's his
blood that cleanses us and redeemed us to God, and it's His death
that justifies us and reconciles us to Holy God. So we declare
what He's done, not turning to you and tell you what you need
to be doing, but we stand and declare what Christ has done
for you and how that He gives you the power to hear His word
and to stand with Him and rejoice in our Lord and our Savior. All
right, so Christ gives life and works all these things in us,
the powers of him, as it says in 2 Peter 1 3, that it's according
as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain
unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath
called us to glory and virtue. So that's his, you know, that's
his calling to us. And if he does it, if he does
the calling, then you can be sure he's going to attend it
with power, to his praise and his glory in us, so that we stand
in him in that day. I pray the Lord will bless us,
bless that word to our hearts. And I apologize for being distracted
initially, but I pray the Lord will bless that word to the hearts
of his people. Let's pray. Our gracious Lord,
we thank you, Father, for for your power, for your word, Lord,
that when you speak to us, you don't leave it to our flesh to
figure these things out and to whip up a power and work on ourselves,
but Lord, that you provide the power, that you've stated the
command and you provide the ability by your spirit in us. We thank
you, Lord, for those of us that are here this morning. Father,
we ask that you would Be merciful upon our family and our friends. Lord, stir up our hearts. Help
us to be faithful and to speak this word faithfully and to encourage
those that we love and care for to be here. And Lord, that you
would stir up the hearts of your people and bring them out, that
they would come and be in the place where the Lord, where you've
promised to meet with your people, and Lord, that you would cause
some sinner to hear that word, to have life, and to hear the
command and obey it. We pray this in Jesus' name,
our Lord and Savior. Amen.