Good morning and welcome in today today we’re going to look at some scripture from Mark chapter 12. But before we do that….
Every day out in the world there are children who are adopted. Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of some one else, usually a child, from that person’s biological parent or parents.
Did you know that most of the teachings that we have in the New Testament we’re written by the hand of the Apostle Paul. Although the Apostle Peter was married the Apostle Paul Was a Bachelor. But even though he was a bachelor he basically adopted a son in the faith. His name was Timothy.
Timothy was not Paul’s relative or related to him by blood. Paul spent a lot of time educating and teaching Timothy about the things that he believed from Holy Scripture.
Timothy became a spiritual son unto Paul, as much a son as a blood relative could ever be and more because Timothy believed everything that Paul taught from the scriptures. They both believed in the teachings of Jesus Christ together.
How can life be any better than to find a brother who believes the truth in Christ the same way that you do! It’s like a gift from heaven!
Ps 133 :1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
In the church God adopts us as his very own children.
Eph 1:5 having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Timothy was more to Paul then just an earthly son, he was a spiritual son who believed everything that Paul did.
Mark 12:46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
There is a great lesson to be learned in this passage. Who truly is a mother a brother or a sister in your life?
When we become Christians we become a part of a new family. We become a part of the family of God guided by the teachings of Jesus Christ.
I love my own earthly relatives, God knows. Paul did too, but I love Christ more. Jesus offers me something that my earthly relatives can’t. Jesus offers me salvation and eternal life and that does not reside in my relatives but In Christ alone.
It wasn’t your mom or dad who took the nails at the cross for you. It wasn’t your brothers or your sisters who bled and died for your salvation. It wasn’t your wife, niece and nephews or even your uncles and aunts that God sent to die for your sins, Jesus did that. He wants all sinners to repent and obey Him and what he taught.
Christianity is about choosing Jesus over your family. Everybody will have to answer at judgment day before him. Everything is going to be exposed in your life. It will show if you really did repent and if you were really sorry for your sin and made an attempt to obey the teachings that Jesus taught while He was here upon the Earth.
Remember our God is not mocked, nor does he show partiality.
Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
I believe that we are in the end times right now. I believe in my heart that we are very close to the return of Jesus Christ because of what’s going on in the world right now. Many people are claiming that they are Christian and that they are children of the Lord Jesus Christ but like a father who disobeys a child, they rebel against him. I’m not saying this to condemn anyone but people had better listen and turn from their sins.
Did you know that certain Jews said the same thing? Jesus told them….
John 8:39 “They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.”
Many people today claim Christianity and Jesus as their Lord but they’re not going to get to heaven unless they do the will of God. Doing God’s will means that you accept him as a Father in your life.
Doing God’s will means that you accept his perfect only begotten son who taught and commanded the way that God wants us to live our lives. Blood relatives can’t save you because only Jesus can.
Was it your mother or relatives who were born in a stable in Bethlehem?
(Some of them would probably like you to believe that…) Jesus taught his disciples you had better learn to fear God because he can cast you into Hell Fire.
In all my life I finally realized that no matter how much you care for your blood relatives unless they come to Christ and repent and believe the truth, they will not be spared at judgement day. What happens if your mother doesn’t serve Christ and she’s cast into hell at the judgement. Are you really going to jump in there with her? What if your uncle did that,…are you going to hold his hand as he gets cast into the Lake of Fire? You need to make a decision today what’s most important to you; your family or Jesus.
The first commandment is to love God with your whole heart and soul and mind not your relatives.
Remember that the Jews were all related by blood. Think about how many people must have hated Paul when he became a Christian because before that he was a Jewish Pharisee.
Thee Lord Jesus teaches that family is more than just blood relationships. The true family of God will do God’s will.
The Lord Jesus teaches us today what is truly defined as family and it goes far beyond blood relatives.
Mark 3:35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
The true family in Christ will have a desire to obey the Commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we make a mistake along the way we can come boldly to the throne of grace in time of need in order to reconcile with God and others that we have sinned against. Remember that grace is given so that we can learn to obey and do God’s will.
Luke 8:21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.
The family of Jesus Christ will do the will of the Heavenly Father and obey his Son Jesus . Remember the Lord Jesus was preaching God’s Word and fame followed him. Some people only show up when you become famous!
Matt 9:26 And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
This verse teaches what a lot of people do out in the world today. They worship Mary instead of Christ Jesus. They put a woman in front of the man. This is the essence of Mariolitry. Even the Lord Jesus didn’t refer to her as his mother unless she was going to do God’s will. Sadly even today people pray to her. She didn’t die on the cross and should never be worshipped. She is not God. It’s the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit in the scriptures not Mary.
Luke 9:59. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
Jesus is the way the truth and the life and he was telling people to follow Him so he could save them. The person who said this was more concerned about taking care of his own dad then preaching the kingdom of God.
We learn that his dad wasn’t even spiritual or a believer in Christ, otherwise Jesus would have never made the statement, Let the dead bury their dead. He loved an unbelieving relative more than the teachings of Jesus Christ. That my friends is a misplaced love.
61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
This is the warning to all people who profess Christianity who turn away from the faith and return to their relatives.
In the Christian faith there’s no turning back, no turning back. To turn back is to become like Lot’s wife. It is to become unworthy of the Lord Jesus Christ because you are turning away from his friendship. You are turning away from the one who bled and died and took the nails in his arms for you at the cross. Who is your best friend? It better be Jesus!
Matt 10:34 think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Peace is defined as freedom from disturbance. It is a quiet and calm state of mind. It also says agreement and harmony among people.
Harmony is Defined as an agreement of ideas, feelings, or actions. Or an agreement; accord; and harmonious relations.
On the other hand an agreement is the harmony of opinion action or character: concord.
Other people who don’t share what you believe from scripture are definitely going to take issue with that. It begins among your own families.
A sword is a weapon. It’s defined in the scriptures as the Word of God. Like an axe divides a piece of wood, a sword divides two pieces of meat Like a knife.
Eph 6:17 “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”
Matt 10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Variance is the state or fact of disagreeing or quarreling. There should never be variance within the church because we are united under the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Variance is the fact or state of being in disagreement dissension or dispute.
It’s the teachings of the Christian faith that keeps families together. We forgive each other, we confess our sins and we are tender-hearted and show one another the love of Christ in a unified effort. We are joined together by the teachings of Jesus. Paul didn’t want any divisions in the church at all.
36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
A person who makes themselves your foe feels enmity or hatred or malice towards you. They’re filled with bitterness. They don’t love you as Christ commanded.
A household consists of one or several persons who live in the same dwelling and share meals together, or who dwell under the same roof and compose a family.
Not everybody is going to get along when it comes to your blood relatives. The division happens because of the lack of belief in scriptural truth. But don’t forget the family of God we’ll be together forever in eternity as long as they’re repentant and desire to obey the commands of Christ. If you love Christ you wIll attempt to do his will. That’s how to know if you are truly in the faith.
Are you worshipping your parents or your relatives, or are you worshipping Christ and serving him? Are you serving Jesus by obeying those who have the rule over you and educated you in God’s word?
That’s it for today. Lord willing we’ll talk to you some more tomorrow. Till then bye bye everybody.
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 