“Faith In Action”

[Preached January 13, 2008; Based on Mark 6:1-13]

 

This morning’s text is only in the 6th Chapter of Mark, but Jesus has calmed the storming sea, healed the Gerasene demoniac, healed a woman with a 12-year hemorrhage and restored Jairus’ daughter to life.  Jesus proved that not even nature, supernatural forces, disease, or death could limit His ministry. However, in today’s reading we see that Jesus’ power could be limited. We see Jesus “fail” for the first time – we... well, not accomplish what he had been doing in other places.

                             

Jesus returned home to Nazareth and could do no mighty work because of the unbelief of the people.  He marveled at their unbelief! “Without faith, it is impossible to please God” (Romans 11:6) and based on this occurrence in the Gospel, we could say with assurance… Without faith, it is impossible for God to answer our requests.

 

Let me suggest several reasons the people of Nazareth did not believe.  Some of the people were:

 

A.     Fact finders – they knew all the facts regarding Jesus’ birth, upbringing, family, and occupation.  They knew all about him… or, at least they thought they did but they didn’t know him. “I know about President Bush, but I don’t know him personally.” They did not establish a relationship with him.

 

B.     Cynics – Merely because they knew his origins, they thought they knew everything there was to know about him.  They left no room for growth or change.  They remembered what he was like!  Perhaps, they just saw him as a carpenter, a fix-it-man, and were a bit snobbish. “He’s not a Rabbi – Would God really use a carpenter?”

 

C.     Those who stumbled over the familiar. “We know him, but this teaching is different!” Sometimes a new message cannot get through… or even, the same message packaged a new way. 

 

Regardless, the Nazarenes did not recognize God at work in Jesus… perhaps we do the same with those around us---we miss God working through the ones nearest us.

 

So, what was Jesus’ response?  This may be the strongest statement of this message… Jesus marveled at their unbelief… their unbelief was so great – their hearts were so closed that not even God could help them!!!  Let that sink in a bit! We can limit God!

 

Unless we have faith, we limit God’s being able to help us.  What power we have!  In order to receive the redemption/reconciliation/answers to prayer for which we plead… we simply must believe.

 

So, Jesus failed to bring about God’s redemption because of the Nazarenes’ lack of faith.  So what did he do?  Did he give up?  Was he unprepared for it or paralyzed by failure?  Did Jesus take this rejection personally?  No, he didn’t say, “I am a failure.”  Rather, he marveled at the lack of faith of the Nazarenes.  It wasn’t like he blamed them in an unhealthy way to avoid personal responsibility [You’re the reason I failed!], but rather he took responsibility as he used this event as an opportunity to commission the disciples to go out!   The Messenger extended the message further!  Wow, what a response!

 

Grantland Rice is credited with saying, “Failure isn’t so bad if it doesn’t attack the heart.  Success is all right if it doesn’t go to the head.”

 

Jesus was able to maintain perspective and realize this was an isolated instance that said more about the Nazarenes than it did about him.  It was a temporary situation. 

 

I love the illustration about baseball’s opening day in 1954: 

 

“The Milwaukee Braves and the Cincinnati Reds played each other, and a rookie for each team made his major-league debut during that game.  The rookie who played for the Reds hit four doubles and helped his team win with a score of 9-8.  The Reds player was Jim Greengrass, a name you probably haven’t heard.  The other guy, who didn’t get a hit, might be more familiar to you.  His name was Hank Aaron, the player who (for a while anyway) was the best home-run hitter in the history of baseball.” (Failing Forward, 29)

 

Hank Aaron was resilient! He didn’t quit after his first game!  Jesus was resilient!  He didn’t quit when he met failure.  Rather, he:

·         Maintained a clear perspective;

·         Saw this as an isolated instance that was only temporary, and

·         Trusted God with long-term results.

   

Up to this point, the operative verb of Jesus for the disciples was “Come… come follow me!”   But now he adds, “Go.”   He gave them authority to represent him and power to preach and heal… and He prepared them for inevitable failure---because not everyone would respond positively to them.  Everyone didn’t respond positively to Jesus!

 

Jesus tells them to shake off the dust from their feet.  Historically, this is a sign of releasing responsibility for the rejection of the message… and also, it meant, “Don’t even carry the dust with you.” Leave it all behind - don’t allow bitterness to develop.

 

Jesus had been clearly rejected in his hometown and He knew his disciples would fail at times… and so will we.  How do we respond?

 

1.       We can sit and let our whole world grind to a stop, or

2.       We can become more like Christ… and move on to other opportunities

 

Now listen – There are some things worth sticking it out… I’m not saying that if at first you don’t succeed, quit… but there are times when rejection is certain and failure is inevitable.  There is a decision that must be made and it’s not “Will I fail?” …But, “Will I fail like Jesus taught?”  

 

When we pattern our failures after Christ… failure can become an open door for later success.  When all is saturated with darkness and death, we make room for resurrection.

 

To illustrate the point that we must leave both the good and the bad in God’s hands, Anthony de Mello tells this ancient Chinese story of an old farmer who had an old horse for tilling his fields.

 

One day the horse escaped into the hills and when all the farmer’s neighbors sympathized with the old man over his bad luck, the farmer replied, “Bad luck? Good Luck? Who knows?”

 

A week later the horse returned with a herd of wild horses from the hills and this time the neighbors congratulated the farmer on his good luck. His reply was, “Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?” 

 

Then, when the farmer’s son was attempting to tame one of the wild horses, he fell off its back and broke his leg. Everyone thought this very bad luck. Not the farmer, whose only reaction was, “Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?”

 

Some weeks later the army marched into the village and conscripted every able-bodied youth they found there.  When they saw the farmer’s son with his broken leg they let him off.  Now was that good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?  Success? Failure?  Who knows?

 

Let me remind you that in our relationship with God, we have freedom to say yes/no... to quit or keep going.

 

On this second Sunday of the year --- I want to encourage you to bring your hurts, rejection, failures, weaknesses to Christ and give it all to Him. There may be a delay before the healing, acceptance, victory, and strength comes but placing our faith in Him makes it all possible for – without faith, not even God can help us!

 

  1. Does anyone like to fail – I doubt it!  But remember: We don’t become great sailors by sailing calm seas! 

 

  1. Will everyone fail multiple times in life – almost certainly!  Jim Stovall once said, “Don’t wait for all the lights to be green before you leave the house.”  There is no perfect way or perfect time.  We all have stops and failures… but please, let us face our future with faith so Christ will not marvel because of our lack of faith, but rather Christ will do great things in us and through us.

 

So, think about the challenges you face.  Are they as significant as:

 

 

And yet, until we place our faith into action… and are willing to say yes to God and not turn back, our spiritual fruit will be undernourished and few in number.

 

Of course we don’t see how things will turn out! That’s why we need faith! As Charles L. Allen said, “Faith makes its plea and then leaves the how and the when of the answer in God’s hand.” This great man of faith was joined by Dwight L. Moody on the obstacle course of developing faith. Moody put it this way:  "I prayed for faith and thought that some day faith would come down and strike me like lightning. But faith did not seem to come. One day I read in the tenth chapter of Romans, 'Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.' I had (up to this time) closed my Bible and prayed for faith. I now opened my Bible and began to study, and faith has been growing ever since." (Dwight L. Moody)

 

How’s your faith? Have you been praying for faith – expecting it to somehow come like a bolt of lightning? I want to urge you to open your Bible and study... and watch your faith grow!

 

Whether you choose a Sunday School class or a small group: Put your Faith in Action.

 

 

Jesus may not have had early success in Nazareth, but look at how the disciples did!  Who would have thought that they could have driven demons out of some people and anointed others with oil - and they were healed? Who knows what Christ has in store for us in 2008?

 

Prayer – Some of us are fact-finders, others are cynics, and still others stumble over the familiar, but we want to put our faith into action – we really don’t want Jesus to marvel at our unbelief!  Maybe no one will recognize our names in this world, but in the world to come may our faith bring you glory! Jesus, we have heard your call to “come;” now let us hear your call to “go!”  We don’t want to stay in the calm harbor when you’ve built us for sailing the oceans of the world! We may feel inadequate, but all we need is an active relationship with you – you are our captain!  We’re willing to leave home before all the lights turn green – to step out in faith! We don’t know what you have in store for us, but we trust you will build our faith as we open your Word individually and in Sunday School classes and small groups! Have your way in us this very year as we trust you to help us put our faith in action!

 

Bened­iction - Andrew Murray wrote, “Just as we have our senses, through which we hold communication with the physical universe, so faith is the spiritual sense or organ through which the soul comes into contact with and is affected by the spiritual world.” Have you ever thought that... without light – eyesight would be useless... without sound, hearing would be non-existent?  In the same way, when our faith lies dormant, we are out of communication with God. 

 

Why can’t 2008 be our greatest year thus far?  The only reason I can think of is – that we choose not to put our Faith in Action.