Alright, let's turn back to Mark
chapter 6. Mark 6. The way that our Lord has worded
this portion of scripture is so interesting to me. Isn't that
interesting? Verse one here in Mark chapter
six says, and he went out from thence and came into his own
country. That was Nazareth. He was born
in Bethlehem, but he grew up and he lived in Nazareth. He
was called Jesus of Nazareth. So verse one, he went out from
thence and came into his own country. And His disciples follow
Him. I love how it doesn't say followed. They follow Him. This large group
of people had been following Him. They followed Him to Jairus'
house. And they're still following Him.
That's what disciples do. We follow Him. That's what we
do, we follow our Lord. Verse 2 says, and when the Sabbath
day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue. He stood up
and he preached. And many hearing him were astonished,
saying, from whence hath this man these things? And what wisdom
is this which is given unto him? that even such mighty works are
wrought by his hands. The end of verse one says that
they follow him, his disciples follow him. But look at verse
three, they ask, is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary,
the brother of James and Josie and of Judah and Simon, and are
not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. As soon as they realized who
this man was, they were actually offended.
They just said they followed him. But now it says they're
offended at him. His disciples follow him. That's
what they do. Those who are not his disciples
are offended at him. Offended at the truth of his
word. And you know, that would be a pretty good assessment for
us to make concerning ourselves. The scripture says, examine yourself,
doesn't it? Examine yourself. When we hear
the truth of who Jesus Christ really is, when he's lifted up
high and glorious, and then when we hear the truth of what we
really are, what our condition really is, how low it really
is, Are we offended by it? Or does that make us run to him? What does that cause us to do?
Does that cause us to become greatly offended by what this
word says? Or does that cause us to run,
crying, Lord, save me. Don't let me perish. I need you,
Lord. I need to be with you. Our Lord
right here came to His own, and His own received Him not. And
we're going to see in a minute that it's by the grace of God
that any sinner would want to have anything to do with the
Lord Jesus Christ. It's by grace. Well, they were
offended at Him, and verse 4 says, But Jesus said unto them, A prophet
is not without honor, but in his own country, and among his
own kin, and in his own house. And it is true, the more that
the flesh is known, the more a person's flesh is known, the
greater the hindrance is. The greater the hindrance is.
But familiarity is not the problem. That's not the problem. Verse
5 says, and he could dare do no mighty works. Couldn't do
any mighty works there. save that he laid his hands upon
a few sick folk and healed them. And I love the fact that our
Lord, in his goodness, he never turned anyone away. A few sick
people came, not for a spiritual healing, they just wanted to
be healed from their earthly sickness. And he healed them.
He healed them all. He's good and he's kind, but
he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon
a few sick folk and healed them. And he marveled because of their
unbelief. That's amazing. He marveled because
of their unbelief and he went round about the villages teaching. The problem was not familiarity.
The problem was this. They had not been given saving
faith. That was a problem. They hadn't
been given saving faith. He marveled because of their
unbelief. Now let me tell you how sinners
are saved. This is how sinners are saved. If a person is wondering whether
or not he or she is saved. If a person is wondering, how
does a sinner become saved? Here's how. By grace. Are you saved? Period. It deserves a CLA. Let's just
stop and think about that for a while. By grace are you saved. Grace means gift. It means a
present. Somebody, a young person comes
up and they're really good at something. They really excel
at something and people say he has a gift. Well, they're glorifying
that, you know, he can do something I can't do. That's not what that
word gift means. It's a kind gift. We sing the song Amazing Grace,
don't we? What we're singing is, what an
amazing gift. What an amazing gift. What an
amazing present from God that saved a wretch like me. By grace are you saved through
faith, right? Through faith. By grace are you
saved through faith. Faith is the ability to believe
God. We open up this word and we show
people what it says in black and white. It's been this way
for thousands of years. I didn't just make this up. And
they go, I don't believe that. They can't. Bless their hearts. They just can't. Faith is the
ability to believe God. It's the ability to believe what
he has written in his word and trust it as absolute truth. That's
faith. All right, so I'll just believe
him then and then that'll be it. I'm saved. That's simple
enough. Well, not so fast. By grace are
you saved through faith and that not of yourself. It is the gift
of God. It is the gift of God. Human
beings are not capable of producing faith. not capable of producing
faith. It must be given by God. It has
to be. God only gives it to those that
he chose to save from the foundation of the world, doesn't he? This
puts all of the work in God's hands, doesn't it? A person might
hear that and say, well, I don't like that. And the only thing I can say
in response lovingly is, I can't help that. I can't do anything
about it. That's what God chose to do and
God is God. God is God. All I can do is declare
to us the truth of what He's purposed to do. That's all I
can do. Verse 5 says, He could do no mighty work there. No mighty work. The reason is
because God hadn't sent faith there. He had not chosen them
to salvation. Now, let's not get it in our
minds that there's something Christ can't do. He wanted to
save them, but he just couldn't do it because they wouldn't believe. Go with me over to John 5. John 5, look at verse 19. Then answered Jesus and said
unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, the son can do nothing
of himself, but what he seeth the father do. For what things
soever he doeth, these also doeth the son likewise. For the father
loveth the son and showeth him all things that himself doeth,
and he will show him greater works than these that you may
marvel. For as the father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them,
even so the son quickeneth whom he will. For the father judgeth
no man but hath committed all judgment unto the son. that all
men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He
that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent
him." It's not that our Lord couldn't save them in Nazareth.
He quickens whom he will. Right? He quickens whom he will. What he's saying is the exact
same thing he said in John 10. I and my Father are one. I can't do anything other than
what the Father does. And the reason is because I and
my Father are one. We're one. And if God did not
purpose it, I can't do it because I'm God. Now let me show you
something back in our text. Go back over to Mark 6. When God gives faith to a sinner,
That faith opens the sinner's eyes to see Christ. It has one job. That faith opens
the sinner's eyes to see Christ as He is. Our Lord preached to
these people in His own country and this was their response.
Who is this? What's He talking about? Isn't
this the carpenter? Our Lord worked as a carpenter
for 30 years. We know him, he built that house
right there. Isn't this the carpenter? When
they said that, here's what they exposed. They exposed the fact
that God hadn't given them saving faith yet. The issue of eternal
life and eternal death hinges on this right here. What think
ye of Christ? It all hinges on that. What think
ye of Christ? What has God revealed to you
about this man, Jesus Christ? When you think of him, do you
think of him as a little baby in a manger? Oh, so many do. Turn with me
to Isaiah 9. Isaiah 9, verse 6. It says, For unto us a child
is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon
his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,
The Mighty God. The mighty God. That little baby
who was laying in that manger was the mighty God. When heaven came down, crying
glory to God in the highest. Why? Because peace has come to
earth. That's the mighty God. The mighty
God. You know, children don't choose
the parents they're born to. This one did. How do you do that? He's the mighty God. It was announced
to Mary. You will be with child. God has
chosen you. He's the mighty God. He's the
word in the beginning was the word. The word was with God because
the word was God. And the word was made flesh and
dwelt among us. It says right here in Isaiah
9 verse 6, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given,
and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall
be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting
Father. That little baby laying in that
manger, was the everlasting Father. And I don't understand that.
I truly don't understand that, but He was. Somebody hears that
and says, no, no, no. He was the Son. The Father is
the Father. He's just the Son. Over in John 14, you can turn
or listen. John 14, verse 8 says, Philip saith unto him, Lord,
show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Just show us the Father. Jesus saith unto him, have I
been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? Isn't that amazing? He that hath seen me hath seen
the Father. And how sayest thou then, show
us, why do you keep saying, show us the Father? You're looking
at him. That's amazing. Wait a minute.
Who is this man? Who is this man? They said, isn't
this the carpenter? Yes. Yes. This is the carpenter. What did
he build? Turn with me over to job 38. Job 38 verse one says, then the
Lord, who is the Lord? Jesus Christ. The one who was
in the beginning, the mighty God. Then the Lord answered Job
out of the whirlwind and said, who is this that darken of counsel
by words without knowledge, gird up now thy loins like a man,
for I will demand of thee and answer thou me. Where was thou
when I laid the foundations of the earth? What's he built? He laid the foundations of the
earth. Declare if thou hast understanding. Who laid the measures thereof
if thou knowest? You know, a person's going to
build a foundation. They start measuring stuff out, don't they?
It all has to be perfect. He said in verse 5, Who hath
laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched
the line upon it? We're going to pull a line on
this. Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? How does it
all stay together? How come everything doesn't just
go flying out? If I left the atmosphere, I would
go flying out. How come a big, huge planet doesn't
just go flying out? Oh, that's gravity. Yeah. Well, who made gravity? He said in verse six, whereupon
are the foundations thereof fastened or who laid the cornerstone thereof
when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted
for joy. Can you imagine the shouts of
joy at, at all of heaven watching the Lord work everything he created?
Verse 8, Or who shut up the sea with the doors when it break
forth as if it had issued out of the womb? When I made the
cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddling band
for it, and break up for it my decreed place, and set bars and
doors, and said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further, and
here shall thy proud waves be stayed. He said, Whenever the
water broke out of the dry land, and it was gushing out like you
cannot imagine, who said, Stop? You're coming to that line no
more. Who said that? Look at verse 34. Canst thou
lift up thy voice to the clouds that the abundance of waters
may cover thee? Can you say rain? And then it starts raining. Canst
thou send lightnings that they may go and say unto thee, here
we are. Can you say lightning strike?
And then they present themselves. Here we are. Verse 41, who provideth for the
raven his food when his young ones cry unto God? They wander
for, I love the thought of that. Seeing all those little birds
in a nest, they all got their mouths open. And they're crying. Who are they crying to? Their
mother. No, they're crying unto God. He said, who feeds them? Who feeds them? Who hears all
their cries? Verse chapter 39, he continued
to ask Job these questions. And then chapter 40, verse 3,
then Job answered the Lord and said, behold, I am vile. What shall I answer thee? I will
lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken, but I will
not answer. Yea, twice, but I'll proceed
no further. Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't
he the carpenter? What has he made? I'll tell you
what he made. He made me. Job realized this is the one
who formed man from the dust of the ground. What did he make?
He made me. He made you. He owns us. We belong to him. We're his property. He can do with us whatever he
wants to do with us. And the question is, how can
we be so blind? That's the question. He marveled
at their unbelief. How can we be so blind? The heavens declare the glory
of God and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Isn't this the
carpenter? Yes, look up. His handiwork. How can we be
so blind? Do we not marvel with the Lord?
right along with him, at our unbelief. Now let's ask this
question. If faith is not of myself, right? I'm not capable of producing
faith. If faith is not of myself, what is my hope? What is my hope? What is my hope? John 3.36 says,
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he
that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of
God abideth on him. So what is my hope? If you want
to get right down to it, if somebody's hearing all this and they're
saying, this doesn't make any sense, what are you saying? It
seems impossible. If you don't believe, you shall
not have eternal life. It's impossible for you to believe. If salvation is not in my hands,
if laying hold of eternal life is not in my power, if it's not
in my decision, if it's not in my will at all, what is my hope? I'll show it to you in Ephesians
2. Here's my hope right here. My
hope is in His Word. My hope is in His will and my
hope is in His work. This is all I have. This is all
I have. I have His Word, I have His will,
and I have His work. Verse 1 in Ephesians chapter
2 says, And you hath He quickened. And you hath he quickened, because
I believed? No. And you hath he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and sins. The reason that we cannot
believe, the reason that we cannot make a decision, the reason that
we cannot do anything is because we're born into this world spiritually
dead in trespasses and sins. Absolutely dead. But verse one
says, you hath he quickened. Why? We're about to find out. You hath he quickened who were
dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in time past you walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience. Is that describing any of us
in here? Is any or any of us, is that
any of us in here? Of course it is. Verse three
says, among whom also we all had our conversation in times
past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the
flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath,
even as others, but God. But God, what's my hope? What's
my salvation? Right there. But God, who is
rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us. Today
is Valentine's Day. You want to talk about love? I thought about that. I thought,
well, I need to have a message on love. Everybody else is going
to. You want to talk about love?
Greater love hath no man than this, that he laid down his life
for his friends. Buddy, that's love. That's love. You know, somebody
asks the question and you'll hear, you know, would you lay
down your life for someone else? I have always said no until I
got married and had children. I wish I could have said yes,
but I couldn't. Greater love hath no man than
this, that he laid down his life for his friends. You want to
talk about love? Herein is love. Herein is love. Not that we love God. People talk about, oh, he loves
God. That's great. That's great. But here's the
question I'm concerned with. Does God love me? Herein is love, not that we loved
God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation,
the bloody sacrifice, the bloody victim for our sin. That's love. That is love. Behold what manner of love the
Father has bestowed upon us. What's my hope? What is my salvation? Here it is right here. Verse
four, but God, who is rich in mercy for his great love, wherewith
he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened
us together with Christ by grace, by a present. by a gift, you
are saved. What was that gift? His son,
the blood of his son. Verse six, and hath raised us
up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus, that in the ages to come And I thought about that. You
think about the ages to come. You know, we had the dark age
and we had the in the ages and the ages and the ages after billions
of ages have passed. In the ages and in the ages and
in the ages and in the ages and in the ages to come. He might
show the exceeding riches of his You know what that means? He will never through all eternity
ever stop showing us the riches of His grace. Wouldn't you think
if we were sinless at some point we would get it all? Nothing
else to learn. Throughout all eternity we are
going to be. He'll never stop showing us the
riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Never stop showing us that. For
by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves
is the gift of God. God gets all the glory in salvation,
every ounce of it. He did every bit of this while
we were still dead in trespasses and sins. And this declaration,
that was good news to me. This declaration of good news
is not a call to do anything. Don't come down to the front.
Don't make a decision and definitely do not accept Him as your personal
Savior. This declaration of good news
is not a call to do anything. It is a notification of what
he's already done. That's all it is. Now turn one
more time back to the text. Mark chapter six, verse one. Mark 6 verse 1, and he went out
from thence and came into his own country and his disciples
follow him. How do you know when God quickens
a sinner with saving faith? How do you know? That sinner
follows Christ. You don't have to beg him. You
don't have to drag him. You don't have to bribe him.
You don't have to do anything. That sinner starts following
Christ. He hears his word. He believes his word. And he
runs to the one that saved him. That's what he does. Our Lord
told Martha the truth. And then he asked her this question.
Believest thou this? Yea, Lord. Thank God I believe. Thank God I believe. If you believe
this word right here, every single word of it. If you believe that
this man right here, Jesus, is the Christ, God manifest in the
flesh. If you believe that salvation
is not in your power at all, It is only by His gracious gift,
then it sounds to me like God has given you saving faith. That's what it sounds like to
me. If you believe that, it sounds like God has given you saving
faith. Through that faith, look to the
Lord Jesus Christ. Through that faith, trust Him,
follow Him. All right, let's stand together.