The Story of Jesus According to Mark, Pt 13: Uncork Your Faith!

 

August 4, 2024             NOTES NOT EDITED
The Story of Jesus According to Mark
 “Uncork Your Faith”
Mark 6:1-6

SIS – Every person has some faith, but Jesus does miracles in, for, and through those who have great faith.

When I say the word, “governor,” most of you will think of the elected official that lives in the fancy house owned by the people of the state.  But, there is another kind of governor – a centrifugal governor or a flyball governor.  It is also sometimes called a “Watt’s governor.”

A centrifugal governor is a device that “limits” the speed of an engine, particularly a car engine.  A governor prevents the motor of a vehicle from exceeding a certain preset speed.  Most U-Haul Trucks have a governor set at about 65 miles an hour.  No matter how far you press down the gas pedal, the engine is going to max out at about 65 miles an hour. It is for both passenger safety and to protect the engine.

Today, BMW, Audi, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz and others, limit all but a few of their production cars to 155 miles per hour. The BMW Rolls-Royces are limited to 149 mph. Jaguars, also have a limiter, as do the Swedish Saab and Volvo on cars where it is necessary. Oh, and in England, Mopeds have governors to keep speeds under 30 MPH.

Cars are capable of much greater speeds, but are intentionally limited for personal safety and the well-being of the engine. Such “limiters” on vehicles are a very good thing. Sadly, Christians are capable of much more power, but allow unbelief to limit that power.

In our text today, we see a different kind of “governor” or “limiter.”  We are going to learn today that the lack of “great faith” limits the flow of God’s blessings into and through our lives.  Before we read our text today, let me make reference to verse 5.  Jesus is in His own town, and the people who knew Him best rejected Him.  The Bible says in verse 5:

⁵ So He was not able to do any miracles  ^q there, except that He laid His hands on  a few sick  people and healed  them. ⁶ And He was amazed  at their unbelief.

Our “unbelief” or lack of great faith limits the amount of blessings that Jesus can bring into our lives.

Today, I hope to get us to “Uncork our Faith and Let the Blessings Flow.”  I want to examine the idea of “faith” from three different angles to show that what God wants us to have is “great faith that results in a great flow of His blessings.”

Everybody has some faith, but Jesus does miracles in, for, and through those who have great faith..  Let’s read our text together:

6 He  went away from there and came to His hometown,  and His disciples  followed Him. ² When the Sabbath  came, He began to teach  in the synagogue,  and many who heard Him were astonished. “Where did this man get these things?” they said. “What is this wisdom  given to Him, and how are these miracles  performed by His hands? ³ Isn’t this the carpenter,  the son of Mary,  and the brother of James,  Joses, Judas,  and Simon? And aren’t His sisters here with us?” So they were offended  by Him.  ⁴ Then Jesus said to them, “A prophet  is not without honor  except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household.” ⁵ So He was not able to do any miracles  ^q there, except that He laid His hands on  a few sick  people and healed  them. ⁶ And He was amazed  at their unbelief.

It is extremely sad to me that most people will die without ever experiencing saving faith; but it is almost as equally heart-breaking for me to realize that most Christians will die and go to heaven without ever exercising “great faith” while here on earth.  I want to address both of those needs as we look at faith FROM THREE DIFFERENT ANGLES.

1.  First, Everybody has SOME faith (1-3b)

If we define faith broadly as, “what person believes in,” then everybody has “some” faith.  Even an atheist is exercising faith when he or she says, “I don’t believe in God.”  The only difference between an “a” theist (not theistic) and a “theist” (believes in some god) is that the atheist states his or her faith in the negative, rather than the affirmative. 

If we define faith further as what someone believes about “ultimate reality” again we see that everyone has faith in something or someone.  Everybody has an opinion about this world and how it came into being, even an atheist.

Almost all atheists will rely on “science” to prove the validity of their position—including philosophical positivism.  The argument usually goes something like this:  there is no scientific proof for the existence of God.  That is a partially true statement, but it is not a “scientific” statement.  Science cannot “prove or disprove” anything outside of what can be experienced by the five senses.  Science makes OBSERVATIONS, about reality, not CONCLUSIONS. Scientists may make “conclusions” but science only makes observations. Another name for science is “empiricism” which means “observed,” or observed from the senses.

Therefore, it is correct to say that in general, atheists have faith in science and reason, as opposed to religious faith that forms a conclusion about “ultimate” reality.  Put it this way:  ATHEISTS STOP AT SCIENCE AND REASON AND BIBLICAL FAITH USES SCIENCE AND REASON TO ARRIVE AT BROADER CONCLUSIONS. An atheist is someone with a LIMITED belief system stopping at science. For most people in our nation, the ultimate object of faith is science.  The highest justification for any product or idea is to say, “It is scientifically proven.”

Everybody has faith in something.  Everybody knows they are going to die and everyone that expresses an opinion about what happens after one dies is making a “statement of faith.”

In fact, when you sat down in a chair for the first time, you made a statement of faith.  You had faith that the chair would support your weight.  Now, the second time you sat in the chair, you were using science.  You had experienced, or tested, the chair before and you observed that nothing seems to have changed so based upon you previous testing you now do not require faith in the chair. It’s reliability has been “scientifically proven.”

Everybody has some opinion about “ultimate reality.”  That is a simple statement of faith.  Notice that the family and friends of Jesus in His hometown of Nazareth, testified regarding what they “had faith in.”

Look again at verse 2: 

Where did this man get these things?” they said. “What is this wisdom  given to Him, and how are these miracles  performed by His hands?

The key word in this verse that establishes the “faith” of these people, and most people in the world is the word, “wisdom.”  The Greek word is “sophia” from which we get the word, “philosophy.”  Everyone has a philosophy of life.  Everyone has faith.  If you don’t believe me, just bring up any subject, particularly religion or politics, and see if you get an “opinion.”  Opinions are statements of faith.

Now, notice that human wisdom is woefully inadequate as a tool to fully comprehend ultimate reality—or what is really, “real.”  Notice that human “wisdom” or philosophy is very good at asking questions, but very weak when it comes to answers.

“WHERE did He get these teachings (2a)?  WHAT is this wisdom given to Him (2b)? HOW are these miracles performed (2c)?”

“Where, what, how.” These are the questions of “science.” Notice, what they did NOT ASK:  “Why” this is a question for philosophy or theology. Human wisdom always leads to more questions than answers.  Then, the humanistic reasoning of man will begin to try to use “science” (empiricism, or observation) to answer the questions raised by their humanistic philosophy.  Look at verse 3:

Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary,  and the brother of James,  Joses, Judas,  and Simon? And aren’t His sisters here with us?”

These people “observed” Jesus His entire life growing up in Nazareth.  They saw Him in town.  They heard Him speak as He went about His business.  They may have smelled the sweat on his clothes after a long day in the carpenter shop. They may have even tasted food He had prepared.  Some of them touched the fine furniture His skilled hands had manufactured.  All of that is “science”.  It is “observation.”  Yet, after all their so-called science, they were completely at a loss to explain the depth of His teaching or the power of His miracles.

Nothing has changed after over 2000 years.  Science still cannot give an answer for ultimate questions.  Science cannot even answer the question of “how did this universe come into existence.” 

Everybody has SOME faith.  Everybody has a philosophy of life.  But, this leads me to look at faith from another angle:

2.  Not All Faith is not Saving Faith (3c)

Notice verse three, the last sentence:  “So they were offended by Him.”

What is the result of all their so-called “scientific” knowledge regarding the identity of this man called, “Jesus?”  They were “offended.”  That’s the key word that describes this “angle” on faith.

Isn’t being offended an odd response to what they observed scientifically? How can you get offended at scientific observations like steam is hot and ice is cold—what is there to be offended by?

Notice the words, “at Him.” (3c). They weren’t offended by what He taught or did . . . they were offended by Who he was.  Once again, as we have seen many times thus far in Mark, Jesus showed Himself to be Almighty God—the Messiah. THAT’S OFFENSIVE to people who want to live as their own gods and masters.

Some see Who Jesus is and put their faith in Him.  They are saved.  Others learn of Jesus and it causes an “offense.”  These people do NOT have saving faith. In fact—they have DAMNING KNOWLEDGE!  They knew Who He was and rejected Him.

From the Greek word translated, “offense,” we get the word, “scandal, or scandalized.”  The word means an “offense deserving harsh punishment.”  The original word was full of “drama” and action (or reaction).  It could mean to “slam forward.”  One Greek writer used it to describe an “acrobat” (Chrysomtom). They literally “flip out”.  They did not merely misunderstand Jesus, but they reacted violently to His very presence. Recall the first time Jesus was in Nazareth, perhaps a year or so before:

^{LUKE 4:28} When they heard this, everyone in the synagogue was enraged. ²⁹ They got up, drove Him out of town, and brought Him to the edge  of the hill that their town was built on, intending to hurl Him over the cliff. ³⁰ But He passed right through the crowd and went on His way.

People without “saving faith” in Jesus Christ do not merely “ignore” Him, but they take great “offense” to Him.  The Bible talks about people who feel “scandalized” by the very mention of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ:

1COR 1:23 we preach Christ crucified,  a stumbling block [scandal, offense] to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.  ²⁴ Yet to those who are called,  both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom,

Everybody has SOME faith.  But, not all FAITH is saving faith.  In fact, among the people that rejected Jesus were members of His own family.  I think this is true also of the Family of God, today.  There are many people who have “some kind of belief” in Jesus—even in the church—but who don’t have SAVING faith.

SAVING FAITH means more than simply walking down an aisle and shaking the preacher’s hand; or saying a religious prayer; or, raising your hand during a revival; or even crying a bucket full of tears at the altar.  All those things may be evidence of a true saving faith—or they may not be. True saving faith is evidenced by living a life fully devoted to Jesus Christ as the Absolute, Sovereign King of Your existence. Jesus’s own family initially rejected Him as Messiah, but would come to believe later. James would become a major leader in the early church and would write the book that bares his name. Judas also became a devout follower writing the Book of Jude.

Let me repeat, everyone has SOME faith, but not all faith—even religious faith—is SAVING faith unless a person is absolutely, one hundred percent, devoted to following Jesus Christ as the Lord of Life.

Are you sure that the faith you have is SAVING faith?

There is another angle that this text gives us regarding faith.  I am not talking about something the text says explicitly, but by something that almost “screams” for our attention from between the lines of the text.  From verse 5 I see this angle on faith:

3.  Not even all SAVING faith is GREAT faith (v 5-6)

⁵ So He was not able to do any miracles  ^q there, except that He laid His hands on  a few sick  people and healed  them.  ⁶ And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

I think the fact that Jesus did a “few” miracles—that’s the key word in this verse, “few”—says more to us in the church than if He had never done “any.”

The word, “few,” stabs my heart like an assassin’s dagger. I know that I have “SAVING” faith in Jesus Christ.  I absolutely accept Him as the Only Sovereign Lord of my life.  I’ve repented of my sins and received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  I know as surely as it is possible for a human being to know that when I die I am going to go to heaven.

But, according to verse 5:  SAVING faith is not enough.  Being saved should not be the end of our journey of faith, but the glorious beginning. However, sadly, it is NOT.  Sure, I’ve seen Jesus do a “few” miracles!  Sure, I’ve seen Jesus move a “few” times in a church service that it was so unmistakably evident that He was present.

Why are we satisfied with just a “few” miracles, or a “few” movings of the Spirit of God in our lives? 

Why are we content to have the faucet turned on full by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, only to be “corked shut” by our “faithlessness and unbelief?”

You see, I believe with all my heart that there are church members—myself included—who have SAVING faith, but who do not have GREAT faith—living faith, miracle faith.

Jesus once met a man, a Roman Centurion who had a sick servant. Jesus agreed to come to his house to heal his servant. The man humbly protested saying he was too unworthy to entertain Jesus in his house. The Centurion said Jesus need only speak the word and the man would be healed.  This is what Jesus said about that man,

Mt. 8:10ff  Jesus was amazed and said to those following Him, “I assure you: I have not found anyone in Israel with so great a faith!

When you think about it, it is rather ODD that we as believers live such ineffective, inconsequential lives. In church while we are singing, praising and preaching we are like Superman: faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap tall buildings at a single bound, stronger than a speeding locomotive.” Then, we leave church and we cringe and duck the first time life looks sideways at us.

As a young boy, Superman would come on T.V. just as I would get home from school. I remember the intro to the program:  Superman would confidently posture himself, legs spread, fists on his hips, chest pushed forward, while he stared down the barrel of a gun.  As the bullets bounced off his chest, Superman would smile, with no thought of retreat.  Then something would happen that defies explanation.  Once the rounds were spent, the bad guy, in desperation, would throw the empty gun at Superman, and the caped super hero would duck!!!  Superman, the man who was fearless in the face of oncoming bullets, would cower to avoid being hit by an empty gun! It is actually silly.

Let me say this: PEOPLE WITH GREAT FAITH DON’T DUCK WHEN THE DEVIL THROWS AN EMPTY GUN AT US!

The same Jesus that SAVES us is more than adequate to PROTECT us and BLESS us. We limit the power of Jesus that flows through us because of our “unbelief” (v6).

In a scene from C. S. Lewis’ spiritual allegory, The Chronicles of Narnia, a young girl named Lucy is sent on a GREAT mission by the Christ figure, Aslan, the lion.  As she travels by night, she notices the GREAT beast sitting on a hill, illumined by a full moon.  Excitedly, Lucy runs to him and throws herself into his soft, silky mane.  Aslan rolls over, and Lucy finds herself laying between his paws, looking up into his large face. “Aslan, you’re bigger,” says Lucy. The majestic creature answers, “That is because you are older, little one.” Lucy, confused by this remark, asks, “Not because you are?” Aslan assures her, “I am not.  But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.” 

The problem with seeing so “few miracles” in our lives is not because Jesus is not great enough but because our “faith is not great enough.” And, really, great faith is not a matter of quantity—we don’t need MORE faith—but quality. We need DEEPER, MORE DEVOTED faith.

Everybody has SOME faith.  Some people have SAVING faith.  Then, there are those few--those fully devoted, spirit-filled, mission-driven few—who have GREAT faith.  These saints with great faith are not content to see Jesus do a “few” miracles here or there, or to have a “few” experiences every now and then with the Lord. People with GREAT faith desire more than anything at all—more than life itself—to see Jesus do GREAT things.

If we will climb into the bosom of Jesus and nestle our lives in the mane of the Lion of Judah, we will experience the power of Great faith. 

Everybody has SOME faith. Not all faith is SAVING faith. Jesus wants us to exercise, GREAT faith.