Participants:
Series Code: THI
Program Code: THI000038S
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00:27 Welcome to
00:28 Timeless Healing Insights. 00:29 I'm Dr. David DeRose. 00:31 We are on a journey 00:33 through the gospel of Mark, 00:34 and I know 00:35 you could pick up that gospel 00:36 and read through it 00:36 very quickly. 00:37 But there's a depth, 00:39 there's a power there 00:40 that I believe 00:41 God wants to continue 00:42 to use to heal us 00:44 as we go on this journey. 00:45 Let's pray together. 00:47 Father in Heaven, 00:48 we long for Your healing power 00:50 to be poured out 00:51 through Your Holy Spirit. 00:52 Please, as we open Your word, 00:54 honor 00:55 Your promise 00:56 that Your word 00:57 never returns to You void. 00:59 But it always accomplishes 01:00 Your purpose. 01:01 May it do that in our lives. 01:03 As we engage 01:04 with the Scriptures today 01:06 we ask, In Jesus name, Amen. 01:10 We're walking 01:12 through the Gospel of Mark 01:14 and we're looking at 01:15 an amazing setting. 01:17 Jesus is reestablishing 01:20 His church. 01:21 He's building it on 12 fallible 01:24 creatures. 01:25 In fact, 01:26 if you looked at these 12 01:28 and you read through the list, 01:29 and that's where 01:30 I'm turning in my Bible to Mark 01:31 3, and you look at this 01:33 list of 12 disciples, 01:35 you would realize that there's 01:37 some real problems 01:38 with this group. Okay? 01:40 As you read 01:41 through the Gospels, 01:42 you see that 01:42 one of the problems they had 01:44 is they were arguing 01:46 about who was greatest. 01:47 Mark records it in his gospel, 01:49 and he speaks about it 01:50 in terms of all of them 01:52 being involved. 01:53 So we could say 01:54 it seems that 01:54 on a certain level 01:55 they were all ambitious. 01:57 They're all arguing about who's 01:58 going to be the greatest, 01:59 but it's worse than that. 02:00 Look at this list. 02:02 I know 02:02 this is not a new observation 02:04 for many of you, 02:04 but every time I read 02:06 this list of disciples, 02:07 my mind is kind of swimming. 02:09 Look at this. 02:10 On this list, 02:11 let me just highlight 02:12 two of them. 02:13 Verse 18 of Mark 02:14 3 mentions Matthew by name. 02:17 We know 02:17 Matthew or Levi was a what? 02:21 He was a former tax 02:22 collector, a publican. 02:24 And then you see there's 02:26 a Simon identified there, 02:27 not Simon Peter, 02:29 but at the end of verse 18. 02:30 Simon 02:31 some translations say 02:33 the Canaanite, others 02:34 render it Simon 02:36 more accurately many believe, 02:37 the zealot. 02:39 What was a zealot? 02:42 They were individuals 02:43 that were pledged 02:45 to overthrow 02:46 the occupying Roman power. 02:49 They were killing people like 02:51 soldiers of Rome and publicans. 02:56 How well do you think 02:57 this is sounding like a fit 03:00 in this group of 12? 03:01 I mean, if you just 03:02 look at the, 03:03 we're not going to 03:04 take time to do it. 03:05 But this is a prescription, 03:07 not for unity, 03:10 but for division, it seems. 03:12 But look, look at what 03:13 Jesus is calling them 03:14 to notice the progression 03:15 in Mark 3:14. 03:17 He first calls them 03:19 to be with Him. 03:23 If they're going to all be 03:24 with Jesus, 03:25 they're going to 03:26 all be together. 03:27 And only then 03:28 will they go out healing. 03:30 They must first spend time 03:32 with Jesus 03:33 and spend time together. 03:37 We're talking 03:37 about requirements for healing. 03:39 One of those requirements 03:41 is to come close to Jesus 03:42 to respond to His call. 03:44 But no one responds 03:45 to that call 03:46 unless they recognize 03:47 their own need. Right? 03:49 Lest we realize there's a 03:50 there's a place in our heart 03:51 for Jesus. 03:52 Jesus is inviting us all 03:53 to come to Him. 03:55 And then as we see 03:56 with the disciples, 03:57 He gives them an education 03:59 by being with Him. 04:01 And we'll see later 04:01 as we go through Mark's gospel. 04:03 Then they get an experience 04:05 as guided by Jesus. 04:07 So let's apply this 04:09 now to our personal healing. 04:10 We've talked about 04:11 healing ministry. 04:12 How does this apply to us? 04:14 You're dealing 04:14 with a physical problem. 04:16 You're dealing 04:16 with a spiritual problem. 04:17 It starts the same way. 04:19 First, you have to 04:19 recognize your need. 04:22 I've shared this principle 04:23 with you before, 04:23 but one of the things 04:24 that was drilled into me 04:25 as a young physician 04:26 is when it comes to treatment, 04:29 there is one step 04:32 that has to precede treatment. 04:34 And that step is diagnosis. 04:37 Diagnosis always has to occur 04:40 before treatment. 04:41 Now you might have 04:42 a working diagnosis 04:44 and we say we're treating 04:44 empirically thinking 04:46 maybe that's the problem, 04:47 but you have to 04:48 have a diagnosis 04:49 before you treat. 04:51 If you don't have that, 04:52 you're liable 04:53 to make some terrible mistakes. 04:54 And I've seen it 04:55 as a physician. 04:57 They're often the patients 04:58 that diagnose themselves. 05:00 Okay? 05:02 You know, 05:03 they're having a sense 05:03 of heaviness in their chest 05:06 and they say, 05:06 well this must 05:07 have been something I ate. 05:09 And so they look up heartburn, 05:11 you know, online. 05:12 But they're not 05:13 having heartburn. 05:13 They're having what? 05:15 A heart attack. Okay? 05:17 How many of you think there's 05:18 a different treatment 05:19 for heartburn 05:20 than for a heart attack? 05:21 Yeah. 05:22 You don't need a medical degree 05:23 to figure this out, right? 05:25 So here's the point. 05:26 Diagnosis comes first, 05:27 but you say, 05:27 wait a minute, though. 05:29 Personal healing. 05:29 Yes, yes, yes. 05:30 If I've got a problem, 05:31 I need to be diagnosed. 05:32 But what if I don't 05:33 have a problem yet? 05:35 How many of you think 05:35 it's better 05:36 to avoid problems 05:37 altogether than to have them 05:39 and diagnose them early. 05:41 Which is better, 05:41 to avoid it completely? 05:44 Of course. 05:45 Right? 05:45 By the way, 05:46 if you don't know this 05:48 terminology that we use 05:49 in the preventive medicine 05:50 community, 05:51 I'll share it with you. 05:52 We talk about primary versus 05:54 secondary prevention. 05:56 A lot of the 05:57 preventive activities 05:58 that we talk about 05:59 are really secondary 06:00 prevention. 06:01 Let me tell you about one. 06:03 Just this week 06:04 I was talking with a patient 06:06 and she was telling me, 06:07 I always have a fear 06:09 when I'm recommending 06:10 secondary prevention. 06:11 These are screening tests. 06:12 I always have this fear 06:13 that someone's 06:14 not going to do it. 06:15 And one of the screening tests 06:17 that I often recommend 06:18 that I would say there's 06:18 a high rate of people 06:20 don't follow through with 06:21 is something called 06:22 a colonoscopy. 06:24 Okay? 06:24 I see some of you smiling, 06:26 others of you 06:26 nodding your heads. 06:27 You understand why 06:28 people may not comply 06:29 with that. 06:30 Well, this particular woman 06:31 who I was visiting with 06:32 this week 06:33 had complied 06:34 with the recommendation, 06:35 and I was telling her 06:36 how excited I was 06:37 because on that colonoscopy, 06:39 they removed 06:40 five adenomatous polyps, 06:43 five pre-cancerous polyps. 06:46 And I told her, 06:47 if you hadn't 06:48 had that colonoscopy 06:49 and you just kept 06:49 going on with your life, 06:51 those would over time 06:53 likely have become cancer. 06:55 So that's secondary prevention. 06:57 She already had a problem, 06:59 but they took care of it 07:00 during the screening, okay? 07:02 Primary prevention 07:04 is you prevent the problem 07:05 from ever occurring. 07:06 You never get the polyps 07:07 even in the first place. 07:10 So we all agree 07:11 primary prevention is best. 07:14 With that in mind, 07:14 I want to tell you a story, 07:17 and the story has to do 07:19 with Jesus Himself, 07:20 because this is 07:21 the big challenge for us. 07:22 If you don't have 07:23 a problem already, 07:24 why would you change anything? 07:26 I've even had physicians 07:27 tell me. 07:27 Well, I know 07:28 that's a better way to live, 07:30 but if I have a problem, 07:31 then I'll change my lifestyle. 07:33 Well, sometimes 07:33 thatoo late. Okay? 07:36 So here's the thing. 07:37 Jesus promises 07:38 to show you all that 07:40 you need to do 07:41 to be in the happiest, 07:42 healthiest position. 07:44 Are you aware of that? 07:45 There's all kinds 07:46 of Bible promises. 07:47 One of my favorites 07:48 is in Jeremiah 33:3. 07:51 And yes, it's 07:51 not speaking directly 07:52 about lifestyle and healing, 07:54 but the principle is there. 07:56 Jesus is saying there, 07:58 call to Me and I will what? 08:00 I will answer 08:01 you and show 08:02 you great and mighty things 08:03 which you do not know. 08:05 We could just as well 08:06 have quoted James 1 08:07 right where he promises 08:08 what wisdom if we ask in faith. 08:12 So God promises to 08:14 give you light 08:15 on the healthiest way to live. 08:17 With that in mind, 08:18 let me tell you another story. 08:22 And this 08:22 story was inspired 08:23 by something else 08:24 that took place this week. 08:26 I had the privilege of 08:27 interviewing a gentleman 08:28 by the name of Doug Zegel 08:30 for our weekly radio show. 08:32 Doug's stepson. 08:36 His name, Patrick Risha. 08:38 I learned that 08:39 Patrick was featured 08:40 in The New York Times, 08:42 and he was the inspiration 08:43 behind a foundation 08:45 that's been set up 08:45 that bears his name. 08:48 Patrick, as I learned about 08:50 his story, is as Doug 08:51 shared it on air. 08:53 And then I read more about it 08:54 afterward. 08:55 Is just an amazing young man, 08:57 warm, cheerful personality, 08:59 was a gifted musician, 09:00 talented writer, 09:02 honor roll student. 09:04 He also grew up 09:05 in a football home. 09:06 His biological father 09:07 was a football coach, 09:09 and you may have guessed it 09:10 growing up 09:11 in that kind of environment. 09:13 Well, 09:14 some of you 09:15 can see the picture right? 09:17 From an early age, 09:18 what did Patrick 09:19 have in his hands? 09:20 A football. You got it. 09:23 He grew up in 09:24 the Pittsburgh area. 09:27 They tell me 09:27 that's called Steeler country 09:29 and he was a successful 09:32 athlete. 09:33 Now, I don't know 09:34 how to evaluate high school 09:36 statistics well, 09:36 that's 09:37 not an area of expertise, 09:38 but just reading 09:38 it sounded impressive to me. 09:40 He gained nearly 4000 yards 09:42 throughout his high school 09:43 career. 09:44 He set school records 09:46 for the most career 09:47 yards, most touchdowns, 09:48 most rushing attempts 09:51 and a set season, 09:52 a single season records 09:54 in those categories as well. 09:56 So he was this 09:57 excellent athlete. 09:59 But it wasn't 10:00 just his athletic prowess, 10:01 it was his character, 10:03 as you read about him. 10:04 He was a hard worker, 10:06 he encouraged people 10:07 to be good sports. 10:08 He was called the horse 10:11 by his coach. 10:13 Listen, listen to this. 10:14 He became known 10:15 for never letting the first hit 10:18 take him down. 10:20 So you might think 10:21 that's very admirable. 10:23 All kinds of awards. 10:24 I read about them online. 10:26 Successful young man. 10:28 He goes on 10:29 to college playing football. 10:31 Goes to the Ivy League. 10:32 He's at Dartmouth, Dartmouth 10:33 College there in New England. 10:35 And 10:37 quote, 10:38 Although so much of Patrick's 10:39 life focused on football, 10:41 he was much more than 10:42 a football player. 10:44 He was a man of character. 10:45 Here's statements 10:46 from people about him. 10:47 He was kind to every person 10:49 he encountered. 10:50 He was extremely generous 10:52 and loyal. 10:52 He could make anyone 10:54 feel important. 10:54 Are these great qualities? 10:56 Sure. 10:57 I wish we had more 10:57 people around like that. 11:00 But then something happened 11:01 after he graduated from school, 11:03 he went back to Pittsburgh. 11:06 And this is how the New York 11:07 Times wrote about him. 11:09 A once 11:10 gregarious guy 11:12 was now reclusive. 11:14 He had been a student 11:15 who could write a lengthy paper 11:17 with ease. 11:18 Now he struggled 11:19 to jot down notes. 11:21 He started taking medications 11:23 for attention deficit disorder, 11:26 but nothing was helping 11:28 his focus. 11:30 He started gambling. 11:32 He started spending money 11:33 that he didn't have. 11:34 This this was all 11:35 totally out of character. 11:37 As I talked with Doug, 11:38 he said his son's personality 11:40 completely changed. 11:41 He had fits of anger, 11:44 and most 11:45 of all, he was 11:45 just overwhelmed 11:47 by little things. 11:49 What was going on? 11:51 The new York Times story 11:54 actually chronicled his last 11:56 phone call to his mother. 12:01 Patrick is 32 at the time, 12:04 and as his mother 12:05 hears him 12:06 talking, his his affect, 12:08 his communication 12:10 is totally flat. 12:11 There's no emotion there. 12:13 And he says, I'm 12:14 standing on a ladder 12:17 with his dog's 12:18 leash around his neck 12:21 and his mother's, you know, 12:23 pleading with him. 12:24 You know, 12:24 think about all the 12:25 good things in life. 12:26 I mean, she was I mean, what is 12:27 is he really 12:28 I mean, he just 12:29 kind of like 12:30 matter of fact saying 12:31 this is he really talking about 12:33 taking his life? 12:34 Is this is he just bluffing? 12:35 Is he just saying 12:36 a bunch of nonsense? 12:39 And that was the last 12:40 she heard from him. 12:43 Patrick had taken his own life, 12:47 and when they 12:48 did autopsy 12:49 studies on his brain, 12:51 they found he had chronic 12:53 traumatic encephalopathy. 12:54 Many of you've heard of 12:55 it, CTE. 12:57 It's a degenerative disease 12:58 caused by repeated 13:00 blows to the head. 13:02 You've heard this covered a lot 13:03 among certain athletes. 13:05 But it's true in other realms 13:07 where people are taking 13:08 a lot of head trauma. 13:10 It's been linked to depression, 13:11 impulsive actions, short 13:13 short term memory loss 13:15 and other symptoms. 13:16 Now, here's 13:17 the question for you. 13:18 Would Patrick 13:19 Risha ever have played football 13:21 if he knew he 13:22 would develop CTE? 13:24 Now, now, before you jump to 13:26 do an answer, 13:26 I will tell you, 13:27 I've read a lot of 13:28 medical studies on this 13:30 looking at athletes. 13:31 And years ago, they asked elite 13:34 athletes, would you take a drug 13:37 if you knew 13:37 it would not be detected 13:39 and it would help 13:40 you win the Olympics 13:41 even if it killed you 13:42 in like five years? 13:44 And a shocking, 13:45 shockingly high 13:46 percentage of athletes 13:48 said they would do it. 13:49 Okay? 13:50 I'm just letting you know 13:50 some of your athletes 13:51 who say, I can relate to that. 13:53 I'm just telling you 13:55 so. 13:56 So and this is not to pass 13:58 judgment on Patrick 13:59 or on his family. 14:00 Okay? 14:01 But I'm just saying, 14:03 prevention is better than cure. 14:04 But once 14:05 Patrick has the condition, it's 14:08 not something that's 14:08 felt to be reversible. 14:11 Now, let me ask the 14:12 question another way. 14:14 There are literally millions 14:15 of people 14:16 who've walked on planet Earth 14:17 who have died from lung cancer 14:19 because of cigarette smoking. 14:21 How many people do you think 14:22 start smoking 14:23 saying, well, I'm smoking 14:24 because I want to die of lung 14:25 cancer one day. 14:27 What are they thinking? 14:29 Not going to happen 14:30 to me, right? 14:31 I mean, it doesn't happen 14:32 to everyone. 14:32 You know, 14:33 grandpa lived to be 99 14:34 and he smoked 14:35 the whole time and, 14:36 you know, got hit by a car 14:37 while he was jogging. 14:38 Okay, that's not my grandpa. 14:40 But, you know, 14:40 you've heard those stories, 14:41 right? Okay? 14:42 So it doesn't matter what I do. 14:45 What about 14:46 the millions of people 14:48 who've had cirrhosis 14:49 of the liver? 14:50 By the way, 14:51 you can't live without a liver 14:53 and cirrhosis a bad disease. 14:56 I've had a lot of patients 14:56 who've dealt with it. 14:57 It can go on to 14:58 to liver cancer. 14:59 You die 15:00 just from the cirrhosis. 15:01 You get something called 15:02 hepatic encephalopathy. 15:03 The liver isn't cleansing 15:05 the blood appropriately and 15:07 it's bad. 15:08 Okay? 15:09 But how 15:10 do you think 15:11 some of them wouldn't 15:11 have taken that first drink 15:13 if they knew 15:14 they were going to end up 15:15 with cirrhosis, 15:16 maybe even at a young age 15:17 or lung cancer in the case 15:19 of smoking at a young age. 15:21 I think the youngest patient 15:22 I've had that died from lung 15:23 cancer linked to smoking 15:24 was in his thirties. 15:26 Itot just something 15:27 that happens 15:27 when you're 60 or 70. 15:30 So 15:31 what does it mean 15:32 when we talk about 15:33 cooperating with God? 15:35 Well, my point is simply this. 15:36 I don't know what 15:37 any of these individuals 15:38 should do. 15:39 I don't know 15:39 what would Patrick's 15:40 life would have been like. 15:41 And for all I know, he was a 15:44 asking God to guide his life. 15:46 So it's not to judge 15:47 any of these people, 15:48 but it's just to say 15:50 that I believe 15:51 God wants 15:51 to individually guide you. 15:54 And the way it starts, 15:56 the way it starts 15:57 is He convicts you about things 15:59 and He asks you to respond 16:00 to that conviction. 16:02 Now, having said that, 16:04 Mark 3 16:06 continues 16:06 with two additional stories. 16:08 And they're very interesting 16:10 in the context 16:10 that we're looking at. 16:11 Remember, 16:12 Jesus has just called 16:14 the 12 disciples. 16:15 What happens right after that? 16:17 Right 16:18 after the calling of the 12. 16:19 We read this vignette. 16:22 It says The multitude 16:23 comes together again. 16:25 They're flocking around Jesus. 16:27 So many 16:28 that Jesus couldn't even eat. 16:32 And when His own 16:33 people heard about it, 16:35 they're determined to grab 16:36 Jesus 16:37 and get Him out of 16:37 the environment, for 16:38 they say He's out of His mind. 16:41 Now, who are His own people? 16:42 We're going to answer 16:42 that question in just a moment. 16:44 But I've got to tell you, 16:44 this hits close to home. 16:46 Years ago, 16:47 as a young college student, 16:49 the Holy Spirit was getting 16:50 my attention 16:51 and I was reading the Bible 16:52 and I was learning about 16:54 what God wanted me to do 16:55 as far as my own health. 16:57 And I believe that 16:58 God was asking me 16:58 to get away from 17:00 a lot of the foods 17:01 that I was eating, 17:02 you know, 17:02 heavy sugar diet and heavy 17:04 animal product diet. 17:06 And I was going to become 17:08 a vegetarian. In fact, I had. 17:10 And I noticed something 17:11 interesting happen with 17:12 my mother's recipes. 17:15 Her recipes changed. 17:18 At the time, 17:18 at first 17:19 I was a lacto ovo vegetarian. 17:20 She used to make something 17:21 called french toast 17:23 and she would put some egg 17:24 in this. 17:25 Well, 17:26 I noticed the french toast 17:27 recipe changed. 17:28 And now 17:29 maybe instead of one egg 17:30 in the batch, 17:31 it seemed like there were four. 17:31 It was more like 17:32 a bread omelet. 17:33 Okay? 17:33 Because she was so worried 17:35 I wasn't getting enough 17:36 nutrition. 17:37 Now, so 17:37 this is understandable, right? 17:39 If your family thinks 17:40 you're making bad decisions, 17:42 they're going to 17:42 try to intervene. 17:43 And we'll look more at this 17:45 in a moment. 17:45 But there is 17:46 something that happens after 17:47 we were introduced to the worry 17:49 about Jesus놻mily. 17:49 And what are they saying 17:50 of Jesus? 17:51 Are they saying 17:52 Jesus is the Messiah? 17:53 He's fulfilling Daniel 9. 17:54 Is that what they're saying? 17:56 They're saying He's crazy. 17:57 Okay? He's crazy. 18:01 Here's what 18:02 interrupts that story. 18:03 It 18:04 says in verse 22 18:06 The Bible tells us 18:08 the scribes 18:09 come down from Jerusalem 18:11 and they start accusing Jesus. 18:13 He has Beelzebub 18:15 by the ruler of the demons 18:18 He casts out. 18:19 He's casting out demons. 18:21 Beelzebub, 18:21 literally, is the 18:22 lord of the Flies. 18:25 It was a 18:26 derogatory name 18:28 it seems, for Satan. 18:29 They're saying 18:30 Jesus by the power of Satan 18:32 is doing these miracles. 18:34 Now, wait a minute. Wait. 18:35 We already saw 18:36 things were not looking good up 18:38 to the time 18:38 He calls His disciples. 18:39 If you had any doubts, 18:41 if Jesus needed 18:43 a new nucleus upon 18:44 which to build the church, 18:45 maybe this is removing 18:47 some doubts. 18:48 But something 18:49 very interesting happens. 18:51 Jesus, it 18:52 says, answers with parables. 18:55 And you often, as you read Mark 18:56 3, most people 18:57 don't think of this 18:58 being a parable, but 18:59 Mark says it's a parable. 19:02 Some of you 19:03 may have seen 19:03 this classic definition. 19:05 You can just put it in 19:06 Google or something. 19:07 You'll find, 19:08 you know, 19:08 hundreds of people 19:09 refer to this. 19:11 C.H. 19:11 Dodd, a 19:11 scholar of yesteryear wrote 19:13 a book called 19:14 The Parables of the Kingdom, 19:15 and this is kind of 19:15 a classic definition 19:17 of parables. 19:18 Let me read it for you. 19:19 At its simplest, 19:21 the parable is a metaphor 19:22 or simile drawn 19:24 from nature or common life, 19:26 arresting the hearer 19:27 by its vividness 19:29 or strangeness, 19:31 and leaving 19:32 the mind in sufficient doubt 19:33 to its precise application 19:36 to tease the mind 19:37 into active thought. 19:39 So what is this parable 19:41 that Jesus employs? 19:42 Well, there's 19:43 several aspects to it. 19:44 But when He's speaking 19:45 to these religious leaders, 19:46 He calls them and He says this. 19:48 How can Satan cast out Satan? 19:51 If a kingdom is divided 19:52 against itself, 19:53 that kingdom cannot stand. 19:55 And then He gives this picture, 19:56 this word picture. 19:57 No one can enter 19:59 a strong man's house 20:00 and plunder 20:02 his goods unless he does what? 20:06 That's right. 20:06 Unless he first 20:07 binds the strong man. 20:09 And then he will 20:10 plunder his house. 20:11 What is Jesus 20:11 trying to engage them with? 20:13 He's trying to help them 20:14 to see 20:15 that Satan's kingdom 20:16 can't be attacking itself. 20:18 He's not working 20:19 miracles by the power of Satan. 20:22 But then He turns 20:23 the discussion 20:24 to this very important point. 20:26 We have to touch on this 20:27 because some of you, 20:28 if you haven't 20:29 been worried about this, 20:29 you may be 20:30 and you shouldn't be. 20:33 Verses 28 and onward. 20:34 Assuredly, I say to you, 20:36 all sins 20:37 will be forgiven 20:38 the sons of men and whatever 20:40 blasphemies they may utter. 20:42 Let's just stop right there. 20:43 What kind of sin 20:46 can you commit that 20:47 God will not forgive? 20:51 I mean, it says here there are 20:53 other translations 20:54 say all manner of sin. 20:55 Okay? All sins. 20:57 There is no kind 20:58 of sin, no kind of 21:00 blasphemy even. 21:02 Whatever blasphemy 21:03 they may utter, 21:05 all sins will be forgiven. 21:08 I mean, of course 21:09 you have to repent. 21:10 Come to Jesus. 21:11 But you say, Wait a minute. 21:13 Wait, wait, wait. 21:14 That's not where it stops. 21:15 It says, 21:15 But he who blasphemed 21:17 against the Holy Spirit 21:18 never has forgiveness, 21:20 but is subject to 21:23 eternal condemnation - 21:24 because they said 21:27 he has an unclean spirit. 21:28 What's going on here? 21:31 The sin against the Holy Spirit 21:33 is where you attribute 21:34 the work of the Holy Spirit, 21:36 the work of God to the devil. 21:37 Okay? 21:38 The Holy Spirit 21:39 convicting you of something 21:40 could be in your lifestyle. 21:41 It could be moral things. 21:43 You're being convicted. 21:44 And what are you saying? 21:45 Oh, no, that's not God. That's. 21:46 That's. 21:47 It's Satan 21:47 that's convicting me of that. 21:49 Now, most people. 21:50 And if you come in a church, 21:51 most people, 21:53 you're at least 21:53 conscientious enough 21:55 that you're 21:56 trying to follow God. 21:57 If you're worried 21:58 about having committed 21:59 the sin 21:59 against the Holy Spirit, 22:00 the the the odds are 22:02 I have never met anyone 22:04 who I thought 22:04 had committed the sin 22:05 against the Holy Spirit 22:06 who was worried about it. 22:07 Now, that's not to say, 22:08 I suppose, that 22:08 someone couldn't be. 22:10 Um, it seems like 22:11 Judas seemed to recognize 22:13 that at some point, but. 22:14 But the point is simply this. 22:17 If you come to Jesus asking 22:19 forgiveness, He says, 22:20 Whoever comes to me, 22:22 I will in no wise cast out. 22:25 He's made provision 22:26 for every sin. Okay? 22:28 Don't say your sins are too bad 22:29 for God to forgive. 22:30 You can come to Him 22:31 just as you are. 22:33 But if God's appealing to you 22:35 to come and you say, No way. 22:39 That's where the problem is. 22:42 What does this episode 22:44 interrupt? 22:45 It interrupts 22:46 who Jesus떸n people are. 22:48 It says. 22:49 Then His brother, brothers 22:52 and His mother came 22:54 and they're standing outside 22:55 and they send to Jesus 22:56 calling Him. 22:57 And a multitude 22:58 was sitting around Jesus. Okay? 23:00 Get the picture, remember? 23:02 So 23:03 Jesus has called the 12. 23:06 Special intimate relationship. 23:08 They're going to follow Him. 23:08 They're going to be with Him. 23:09 He's going to equip them 23:10 to do healing ministry. 23:12 And He is healing them 23:13 spiritually. 23:14 He's healing them socially 23:15 as they fellowship with Him. 23:17 But now what we see, 23:18 those around Him 23:19 are not always 23:20 welcoming His ministry. 23:22 Even His family 23:23 now, they come 23:24 to try to take care of Jesus. 23:27 And the message comes to Jesus. 23:29 Look, your mother 23:31 and your brothers are outside 23:32 looking for you. 23:33 What is Jesus뛳sponse? 23:35 It is a shocking response. 23:36 I know you've read the gospel, 23:37 most of you, but it's shocking, 23:39 especially in that culture. 23:41 Your mother's here for you. 23:42 What would I do 23:43 if you said your mother's here? 23:44 She's out in the lobby Dr. 23:46 DeRose, waiting for you. 23:47 I mean, 23:47 I might be even tempted to say, 23:48 well, wait lets, 23:49 you know, 23:49 put things on hold, and, 23:50 you know, 23:51 my mom's in the lobby. 23:51 Why isn't she coming in? 23:52 Is she okay? But 23:55 hopefully I would 23:55 follow Jesus녣ample, 23:56 just for the record. 23:58 Jesus is ministering 23:59 and what He says is this. 24:02 Who is My mother 24:03 or My brothers? 24:04 And He looks around the circle 24:07 at those around Him, 24:08 presumably 24:08 not just His disciples, 24:10 but others, 24:10 not just the 12, 24:11 but other disciples, 24:12 other followers of His. 24:14 And He says 24:14 here are My mother 24:16 and My brothers. 24:18 For whoever does 24:19 the will of God 24:20 is My brother 24:21 and My sister and mother. 24:25 Now, if you're not catching 24:26 the profound 24:26 implications of this, 24:28 Jesus is inviting you 24:30 to be His follower 24:30 and be a part of this family. 24:32 Okay? 24:34 Just like the 12. 24:34 You say, but I don't fit in. 24:35 The 12 didn't fit in. 24:37 None of those guys 24:38 fit in together. 24:40 Note the context. 24:43 It's not to spend time 24:44 with Jesus alone. 24:46 That's important. 24:47 It's critical. 24:48 We saw that earlier 24:49 in this series. 24:50 But it's to spend time 24:51 with Jesus in community. 24:54 Jesus, yes, 24:56 called the 24:56 disciples individually. 24:58 But then He calls them 25:00 as a body of believers. 25:02 Now, I hope you realize that 25:04 social connectedness 25:06 transcends bloodlines. 25:07 Okay? 25:08 In every family though, 25:10 there are expectations. 25:12 And I hope you realize 25:13 that as well. 25:14 And I want to draw 25:15 your attention 25:16 to something again, 25:17 a medical illustration. 25:19 You know, people can go through 25:21 all the training 25:21 they want 25:22 to become a nurse or a doctor, 25:25 physical therapist, 25:27 speech pathologist, 25:30 cytotechnologist, okay? 25:33 Respiratory therapist. 25:34 So we don't have 25:35 to go down the whole list. 25:36 Okay. 25:36 Everyone that works 25:37 in the health care community. 25:39 But every place 25:40 where I've worked 25:40 is a credentialing process 25:42 and a re-credentialing process. 25:44 So it's not just enough 25:47 to have the training. 25:48 It's not just enough to 25:50 to respond to the call 25:52 to get the education, 25:54 but then you have 25:55 to be committed 25:56 to working as part of the team. 25:59 Do you know there are stories 25:59 about rogue 26:00 health professionals 26:01 that have even taken 26:03 the lives of their patients? 26:04 You've heard stories 26:04 about that, right? 26:07 How does that happen? 26:09 It happens because 26:10 what, they don't recognize, 26:12 they're part 26:13 of a healing community. 26:14 The only reason they're there 26:17 is to work together 26:18 in ministry. 26:19 I want to tell you, 26:21 Jesus is giving 26:22 a profound call in Mark 3. 26:24 He's telling you 26:27 calling you 26:28 to be one of His followers. 26:30 He offers you forgiveness 26:31 for whatever you've done. 26:32 He offers you 26:33 to be part of His family. 26:35 But then He says, Press 26:36 together, work together, 26:38 come close together, 26:40 and He will work 26:41 His Ministry of Healing, 26:43 not just through 26:44 you individually, 26:45 but through His church, 26:46 collectively. 26:50 Jesus is the great physician. 26:53 He's not only the 26:53 master healer, 26:55 but He is also 26:56 the master diagnostician. 26:58 Ask Jesus to show you 27:00 what needs to be different 27:01 in your life. 27:02 And the beautiful thing 27:03 about Jesus눾idance 27:05 is He'll never show you 27:06 anything 27:07 that needs to 27:07 change in your life 27:08 unless He is fully committed 27:11 to giving you the power 27:13 to make that change. 27:14 That's one of the things that 27:15 encourages me as a physician. 27:17 And if you haven't 27:18 checked it out yet, 27:19 visit 27:20 our website 27:21 at TimelessHealingInsights.org 27:24 There we have a full 30 day 27:26 lifestyle program, 27:27 Life changing program 27:29 in 6 minutes a day, roughly 27:31 short videos, 27:33 health videos 27:34 that give you insights 27:35 into things 27:36 that well, God 27:37 may be calling you to change 27:40 and to give you the power 27:41 to do it. Let's pray together. 27:43 Father in heaven, 27:44 we thank You for all that 27:45 You show us in Your Word 27:46 and how You work 27:47 through Your church, 27:48 how You point us to people 27:50 who can help us on our journey 27:52 to whole person health. 27:53 Father, please 27:54 help us 27:55 to see exactly 27:56 how You're leading us 27:57 to have the strength 27:58 to follow You wherever You go. 28:00 We ask it all. 28:01 In Jesus name. 28:03 Amen. |
Revised 2023-05-15