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good morning welcome to Baptist Church a warm welcome to any visitors that are out there and nice to nice to have you with us worshiping this day just a few announcements and then we will begin worship we will have word supper next Sunday night usually always have the first Sunday the first Sunday of the month but Pastor Mike Kirkpatrick there he is he's with us today and pastor Jim Butler is in Surrey so they switched pulpits so therefore we will have our Lord's Supper next Sunday evening Lord William also announcement announcement wise we'll have a luncheon on March the 22nd the it'll be a farewell for Frank and Melanie meals we asked him ahead of time although technically last Sunday was their last Sunday with us we said we asked you know we'd like to build to recognize them in some way and they said they preferred to not weeks ago rather they'll come back in March for a luncheon a bit of a farewell to to the Neels they've moved out to Vernon they've purchased the place in Vernon so that's where they will now be living but they will come back for the luncheon which is March the 22nd so it'll be a special a special luncheon in the sense it will be saying farewell to them also there will be a baptism and membership Jordana van works pronounced and announced a couple of times but also added to that we're pleased that will and Tara de rova are going to also be baptized and joined the church which is a wonderful thing to to see so there would be three baptisms and probably will be towards the end of them at the end of the month a date has not been established yet but it probably will be the last of the last week in in March so so we certainly get to know will and and Tara and also we can happily say that Tara is expecting a baby so for that we also congratulate we'll end Terra and pray the Lord's blessing so I believe that's all the announcements let's turn in our Bibles please to Psalm 128 to begin worship Psalm 128 Psalm 128 a song of a sense blessed is everyone who fears the Lord who walks in his ways when you eat the labor of your hands you shall be happy and it shall be well with you your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house your children like all the plants all around your table behold thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord the Lord bless you out of Zion and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life yes may you see your children's children amen well please turn with me in your hymn books to him number 1 5 to 152 and I'll ask you to please stand [Music] [Music] [Music] our gracious and our loving Heavenly Father we come into your holy presence now through your son the Lord Jesus Christ we are grateful Father for the fact that we do possess the Holy Spirit with us here this day that is able to make us wise unto salvation how we praise you for that gift of the Holy Spirit that one who has promised to come after the Lord Jesus Christ to make the things of Christ known and clear to the people of God to the to the world and how we praise you father for the gift that you have given to us and the spirit of Living God and pray that spirit might be in attendance here this morning Lord we desire not to meet absent from the Spirit of God we pray that your spirit might be with us my bless this time cause the Word of God to fall upon upon soil that has that is fertile that's been tilled tilled and by the Holy Spirit to receive that word that good seed father how we praise you for your Holy Word for these sixty-six books that we have that that contain all that debt all that would make us wise unto salvation Lord truly we are grateful for the fact that you blessed us with the Word of God and we praise you you've also blessed us with with ministers with those who are able to to take that word and open it up and make it clear and and and make the way of salvation clearer as well we thank you Lord for having blessed us with with elders and teachers and Lord we just gave you our grateful thanks for the good gifts that you bless your church with in the New Testament age how we praise you that as you saw you saw fit to to guide Israel in the Old Testament probably you still see fit to guide the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and now in the New Testament agent we praise you Father for these after these good gifts and we pray that you would continue to build your church all around this world continue to build your church here in the Lower Mainland and and throughout British Columbia and and throughout Canada Lord we do pray that you would be pleased to to bless bless the Word of God as it's opened up in many pulpits across this nation of ours today and we pray Lord that would not return to you void you would be pleased to bless it and own it and cause it to be for the salvation of sinners and for the sanctification of saints we do pray Lord we do praise you and thank you for that justification that we have in your son - Lord Jesus Christ and how gratefully our Father for the fact that salvation is in and through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ how grateful we are that we have such a savior as the Lord Jesus as Christ has lifted up here in this place we pray Lord that all glory would be to him this day and that you'd be pleased to to cause us to to be worshippers of that land that was whose blood was spilt on our behalf how we praise you the Lord Jesus the Lord Jesus Christ took upon himself our sins that he died for our sins that we might be made right with you Lord how we praise you - thank you for that I'm afraid you might live it help us to live and according live out our Christian lives in accordance to the Word of God we pray Lord that you would be pleased to bless the words open up here in this pulpit bless our pastor director for Patrick this day as he opens the word invaded strength and function and health from on high would be given to him and that father he would declare your truth from this place and that the Lord Jesus Christ be lifted up and and glorified in the preaching Lord we thank you for pastor buffer as well we thank you Lord that he is able to had to go to Syria we pray your blessing to be upon him this day as he opens up the word there will not be in vain but that you would bless that word cause it to be for for salvation that Congregation for those who are unsaved and that would be on to edification for those who are saved how we praise you for that you have that you that you've blessed that that congregation in the past year we do pray for them as they seek to attune attune to install office-bearers dish this year this coming year Lord really one might give them give the wisdom as they appoint deacons and prepare blow that in due time who'd be pleased to add add other elders to that church as well and Pastor Mike would be given aid and help in this area cause that'd be a biblically ordered Church in every way Lord will be craved for them we pray also for the church in Vernon we thank you for that group believers that has faithfully met together over the last a couple of years and prayed Lord your rich blessing upon them this day as they gather together to open up your word here you were talking duck that you blessed that word Lord when you pray that you would be pleased to give to them and elder amongst them and shepherd the sheep there in Boerne we pray Lord that you would add to that number as well as many's are to be saved cause it to be a church set upon a hill is a word that they would be a gospel light in that part of the world so blessed we do pray and give to them the good gift that we enjoy in our own church Lord we do pray for any and all who were sick amongst us we know there are number who are sick who are ill who perhaps can't be with us this day perhaps others who have the ailment you know they are with us yet father perhaps there there are things that are concerned too that we do pray Lord that you bless each and every one cause them to know your health and your aid to stay strengthen them in the inner band to create the spirit of living god bless them they cause them to rejoice in you even though they're the outer man maybe decane yet father in the interview you are continued to give strength and great to your blessing to that in do bless them we do pray we pray that in due time they might be feeling better they might be feeling well or you would return them to us here in this place they might to be in the house of God once again or we just we pray for those who are persecuted around the world we remind in the last hour that there are many in this world who do face persecution Lord do you know which one we were named in the last hour we do pray for each and all for that we know of it certainly you know a minute of many others who are suffering from the gospel say Lord how we prayed you would strengthen them caused them to to bear up afraid they would bear that that that persecution would with great joy we pray that they would have boldness as they declare the Gospels they can continue to meet together even though it's under threat or under persecution or it gives them that strength that is required to be emboldened in the face of opposition to remain faithful to the Word of God and to the Lord Jesus Christ or we do pray that you would bring down nations those governments of those systems those religions that have hatred towards you you crave lo that they would not always be but that rather your will will be done on earth as it is in heaven where there is not hatred where there is not murder eating and they're seeking to to snuff out the Church of Christ we do pray Lord that in some of these places that it would be truly by the blood of martyrs that you would plant the church and cause the church to move forward thank you and praise you for the fact that we can read up these things in the New Testament how in the days of Paul and Peter and through the book of the Acts of the Apostles father as much persecution upon the people of God and you preserve them you caused that church to be strengthened from from day to day and here we are today although we continue to exist by your good grades your that that that same mighty right arm would would therefore that fruit even in this season fun that she would cause that the Word of God to run swiftly all over this world we do pray to Juliet all many to a knowledge of the Savior probably do pray for the situation my heart as well where we our hearts do Nate for the circumstances that those children find themselves in who are in desperate need of someone to love them to care for them to bring them into the orphanages and Lord we do pray that that all the obstacles that lie in the way of getting those children to the orphanage that they will be they would be overcome or dude bless me bless the hands less than two feet bless thee actrix of those who are seeking to to bring Aiden and health and comfort to these children create you preserve those children and allow them to to be safely of the orphanage there your goodness your kindness and say upon setting in the hearts of individuals there in that nation to bring the little ones in and to protect them and to teach them the things of God to teach them the gospel and see that gospel life go throughout that nation a very dark nation that desperately needs the light of the gospel less than we do pray and bless all the efforts that are applied so let me just thank you crazy that we can gather together in this place this day to worship you bless us in our worship father and created again you forgive us of all of our sins and cleanse depression that precious blood your son Lord Jesus Christ well please stir with me your him books to the second one 4646 [Music] after these things all depart from Athens and went to court and he found a certain Jew bored and pointless who had recently with his wife Priscilla because and he came to the so Weston was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked for by occupation they work ten dollars and he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath and persuaded both Jews and agrees when Silas of the committee had come from Macedonia all and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ but when they have posted and blasphemy he shook his garments and said to them your blood be upon your own heads I believe from now on I will go to the Gentiles and he Justice one who worship God whose house was next door then Christmas the ruler of the synagogue believed him double wards do not be afraid but to hurt reiben in the city and he continued there for years six months teaching when Leo was proconsul the Jews with one Accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat saying this fella persuades men to worship God contrary to the law and when Paul was both no no Leo said to the Jews if it were a matter of wrongfully or wicked - o Jews there would be reason why I shouldn't bear with you but if it is a question of words and names in your law look to it yourselves I do not want to be a judge of such matters he drove them from the judgment see that all the Greeks took so sick so sick so then he's the ruler of the synagogue and persecution [Music] a graciously follow to the are critical for the fact that we have the Word of God that you've given to a space with men reach that word just as they just as Paul stopped to preach faithfully the Lord Jesus Christ and in Christ crucified how we praise you that since the same message that saves today we pray Lord that you power that the best this day blessed you're serving the husband's be the salvation of sanctification thank the fact that you are adding to our church those desire to be baptized and join us at the amongst that's the crane which blessing them as well or how in creating these you are driving to YouTube you are building your tirtir locally across all levels whether it is through the proclamation [Music] good morning brethren it's good to be with you this Lord's Day morning you can turn with me in your Bibles to the Gospel of Mark chapter 3 the Gospel of Mark chapter three we're gonna look at verses 31 to 35 this morning if I will begin reading at verse 20 to set the context or look at the family of Christ in verses 31 through 35 we will begin reading at verse 20 then the multitude came together again so they could not so much as eat bread but when his own people heard about this they went out to lay hold of him for they said he is out of his mind and the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said he has Beelzebub and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons so he called them to himself and said to them in parables how can Satan cast out Satan if a kingdom is divided against itself that Kingdom cannot stand if a house is divided against itself that house cannot stand and if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided he cannot stand but has an end no one can enter a strong Mans house and plunder his goods thus he first binds the strong man and then he will plunder his house surely I say to you all sins will be forgiven the sons of men whatever blasphemies they may utter but hew blasphemes against the holy spirit never has forgiveness but is subject to eternal condemnation because they said he has an unclean spirit then his brothers and his mother came and standing outside they said to him calling him and a multitude was sitting around him and they said to him look your mother and your brothers are outside seeking you but he answered them saying who is my mother and who are my brothers he looked around in a circle those who sat about him and said here are my mother and my brothers for whoever does the will of God is my brother and my sister and mother amen well let us pray our great God we are thankful for the work of the Lord Jesus Christ and we are thankful God for the work of our elder brother we're thankful that he was perfect in every way he was righteous in any way every way and he came to die on behalf of his people to save his family from their sins we're thankful God for the family of faith we're thankful O God that people can be part of the family of Christ be part of the people of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we're thankful this gift that you do give we're thankful O God that people from every tribe tongue and nation could be brought into the family we're thankful o gathered in Christ there's neither Jew or Greek slave nor free male nor female we're thankful o God that your gospel does not discriminate that there is salvation for whoever believes and looks to the Lord Jesus Christ and whoever believes on him can be part of that blessed family of Christ we can fast so God that even as we are put know that we are we have assurance we are part of your family for those that have believed we can fast so God that we still need your spirit confessed Oh God that we still need reminders we confess so God that sometimes we do not love the family of Christ as we ought we confess Oh God that we do not love our elder brother as we ought as well so we ask Oh God that you would send forth your spirit that your spirit would works amongst us that your spirit would be pleased to convict your family that you be pleased to have your family knit together all the more we're thankful Oh God our Father that we can call upon you as our Father and we ask that you would do so that you would knit us together in the in the blood of Christ and this together in the truth knit us together in what your word says we ask o God that you give us illumination by your spirit help us to better understand the things found in your word help us to understand the difficult thing is found in your word we pray O God that your word would be edifying for us we pray O God that you would strengthen your Saints this day that you convict your Saints this day you'd cause us to die to sin and be conformed to the image of our elder brother but o God if there any here today who don't know you we pray that you would change them that you would save them that you would work in them that they would see the blessedness of Christ that they can be part of the family of God through faith in this perfect one we know God that he is the only perfect one the only righteous one who lived this life and we're thankful God that he did so to save his family from their sins so god we pray that today would be the day of salvation they'd be pleased to save sinner this sinners this day we pray in all things O God you would be glorified we pray these things in the name of Christ amen well as Mark takes us through his gospel takes us through the life of Jesus he's answering a very important question who is jesus he drives to the point where Peter confesses in mark chapter 8 you are the Christ the Son of God but as we're making our way to mark chapter 8 little by little mark is revealing to us who Jesus is in the Gospel of Mark now mark sets apart his gospel really it well with with places Galilee on the way to Jerusalem then Jerusalem itself so we're in the Galilean ministry here in mark chapter three in the subsection focusing on insiders and outsiders with respect to the Lord Jesus Christ that is Jesus has demonstrated his might Jesus has demonstrated his power Jesus shown forth his authority how would people respond to that and there are insiders the 12 and verses 13 through 19 and then there are Outsiders unexpected with his family as well as perhaps unexpected with the religious leaders as well I guess expected based on mark 2 but if you were part of that time you might wow the religious leaders don't seem to like this one so insiders and Outsiders and specifically verses 20 through 35 is set apart with the outsiders with this with what's called a chiasm namely bookends you have the family on one end which sets apart the Pharisees and this hostile confrontation with the Pharisees calling him Beelzebub but we nonetheless we have to return to the family in verses 31 through 35 and the problem we do see here is as I've said already unexpected Outsiders you see there is spiritual opposition Jesus notices it Jesus obviously is engaging in it you see one of the blessed things about Marcus he has more exorcisms than any other gospel that we see he has many demonstrations of Christ's power over the spiritual world the battle has already been won Jesus has crushed the strongman there is no battle really Jesus has won yet the scribes and Pharisees confess that jesus has Beelzebub with this important confrontation we see in verses 25 23 through 27 there's spiritual opposition going on but Jesus is already one but you see that spiritual opposition manifest itself in physical ways yes with the scribes and Pharisees but also perhaps in an unexpected place namely with blood families see brethren if you believe on Christ and your family does not there's going to be tension there's going to be ridicule there's going to be difficulty there's going to be division amongst families over religion those close to us by blood most likely will not support us in our love for Christ most likely they will ridicule us for it that still is a reality today and so Jesus right sir Jesus says or Mark writes for us Jesus words concerning the family of faith and that's what we see in verses 31 through 35 mark is emphasizing those who have Christ's true family namely those who do the will of God who is part of the family of Christ but those who do the will of God now what does it mean to do the will of God that's the question we'll unpack as we go through but what keep that in mind as we go through what does that mean to do the will of God and will seek to answer that under two headings this morning first of all Jesus his earthly family verses 31 and 32 secondly Jesus's spiritual family in verses 33 through 35 so Jesus's earthly family and then Jesus's spiritual family so its first look at Jesus's earthly family in verses 31 and 32 as I said it gets a chiasm it's a bookend it goes with verses 20 and 21 now mark is the only one who gives us this 20 and 21 section compared to the other Gospels and notice we see in verses 20 and 21 Jesus has called the twelve he's come back to his house famous spread everybody wants to see this wonder-worker everybody wants to see Jesus so you see the scene it says in verse 20 then the multitude came together again so they could not so much as eat bread it was so tight everybody's arms were be jumbled up and mixed up that they can't even eat a piece of bread there are too many people there's nothing they could do they all want to come and see Jesus his famous spread they seen his power at work they seen this wonder worker and so his famous spread and even has spread to his family as well and says in verse 21 but when his own people referring to his family heard about this they went out to lay hold of him for they said he is out of his mind our brother is nuts sorry scribes and Pharisees were embarrassed by him will take him away right now they want to come lay hold of him take him away it's not a good laying hold up they're embarrassed of their idiot brother they want to take him away they want to remove him maybe it was for some well-meaning they want to take him away so that you didn't look like an idiot or maybe they perhaps they thought he was exhausted and said hey we're gonna take you away from everything going on nonetheless that the words do indicate it was not for a good reason they came to lay hold of him and as it says in verse 33 Oh 32 they were seeking of him or seeking him to take him away and so in verse 21 they're coming verse 31 they finally arrived at the house they can't get in there's too many people the windows the doors everything's crowded everybody's crowding around because they wish to hear Jesus Christ and so they come verse 31 then his brothers and his mother came now Jesus does have an earthly family doesn't he now doesn't mention Joseph here most likely because Joseph was already dead but we know in mark chapter 6 there's names given with respect to who his family is mark 6:3 is this not the carpenter the son of Mary and the brother of James Joseph's Judas and Simon so Jesus has an earthly family Jesus has brothers that he played with growing up Jesus had brothers he probably did work woodworking with growing up and so then they hear about what's going on with their brother they wanted to take him away again they're embarrassed of him perhaps or perhaps they do want to take make sure he's taken care of he's too tired they want to remove him so they come his brothers and his mother came and notice standing outside mark is perhaps the most detailed of all the Gospel writers what's interesting is we don't get a lot of information verses 31 through 35 even well with what the families necessarily thinking we get some indication in implication and even - we don't necessarily get what the family says due to Jesus response but mark gives us that the the the the some interesting spatial recognition he's emphasizing theological points with these spatial words standing outside mentions it twice they also mentioned as well the multitude sitting around him twice outsiders and insiders those outside the house and those sitting amongst the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ it's as the family the one who were supposed to be the closest with him are standing out side contrasting with those sitting with him standing outside they sent to him calling to him they can't they can't send a text at this time we're here come out now they can't give him a call they can't honk their horn so what do they have to do they have to tap on the shoulder of the guy in front of them and play a big game of telephone let's hope that the message doesn't get mixed up as they get there but they tap on the phone of the one guy hey I'm Jesus mom these are his brothers were here next guy taps on the other guy's shoulders as hey Jesus mom and brothers are here so on and so forth till finally it does get to the Lord Jesus Christ verse 32 and a multitude was sitting around him family outside multitude in sight family outside standing multitude inside sitting around him and they said to him look your mother and your brothers are outside seeking you here comes here's the message your mother's and your brothers are here to take you away seeking as I said is not a positive thing here verse 21 they came to lay hold of him for they said he is out of his mind the family believes that they have certain rights that Jesus must honor now perhaps even Jesus responds we kind of are puzzled by it is Jesus violating the fifth commandment you see Jesus is demonstrating here that he must do what God says over what his family says he must do what God his the Father says versus what his earthly mother says and when their coming to lay hold of him when their coming to seek him what they're doing with that is taking him away from his mission his mission was to come and preach the kingdom of God his mission was to come and go they said his face like a flint to go towards that cross and his family however well-meaning came to stop him from doing that very thing he must do what his God the Father says and not what his family says and so they come to take him away from the mission and what's interesting as we as mark contrasts his families well-meaning desire to perhaps take him away to preserve him its contrasted with the Pharisees and their hostility the Pharisees engaged in the unforgivable sin their hostile we hate him we want to take him out chapter 3 verses 1 through 6 they wish to destroy him and now here come the ones from Jerusalem in chapter 3 verse 22 all the way down they send in the big guns time to take this guy out he's got Beelzebub they playing games anymore they want to take this guy out and there's this hostility against the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ but opposition from the Mich to the mission can come in subtle ways as well and it is a subtle way with the family because even though they mean well they're still seeking to take him away from his mission brethren just because we mean well doesn't give us the right to engage in something just because we have someone's best interests at heart doesn't always mean it's the best thing to do we sometimes justify our stupid actions by saying well we meant well brethren sometimes I wish people didn't mean well sometimes I really wish people who actually were out to get me because I know where they stood you hate me that's fine wonderful but then when someone is meeting well they like but we meant it for your good that's nice I appreciate that it still doesn't help the situation whatsoever and so the family was very much acting like that they meant well well but that wasn't the right thing to do Ryle says the slanderous suggestions of enemies and the well meant remonstrances of ignorant friends were alike powerless to turn him from his course he had set his face as a flit towards the cross in the crown he knew the work he had come into the world to do he had a baptism to be baptized and he was straightened until it was accomplished any sort of opposition to this Methodist this this mission Jesus very much a vehement Lee opposed even mark after he confesses you're the Christ the Son of God and then Jesus says I have to go die mark Peter says no that shouldn't be the case what does Jesus say get behind me Satan Jesus knew his mission Jesus knew his task Jesus knew where he was supposed to go and no familial bloodlines could stop him from doing that very thing he was had a specific task and he was making his way especially in Mark's Gospel towards Jerusalem toward that towards that cross to die for his family now with respect to the overarching section insiders Outsiders we must understand brethren that we are going to interact with outsiders I know that offends everybody today insiders outsiders we all got to be inclusive and love one another fine but the Bible speaks about insiders and outsiders and you how do you determine whether one's an insider or outsider it is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and sometimes Outsiders might be the very family we have dinner with might be a father or a mother might be a wife might be a child might be a sibling that is most that is the reality that we have that we face in this life not everybody in our families comes to faith in Christ that's difficult and hard and we desired that they would be saved but nonetheless before they are saved we still should interact with them and even if we interact with them we must deal with the reality that they might ridicule us for it they might even mean well they might even be like I don't know about this God thing this Christ thing it seems a little odd a book written 2,000 years ago they might have our so-called best interest at heart they might not they might hate us and ridiculous and belittle us and bring us down but nonetheless we still must interact with them we live in the world we are not of the world will become Christians we don't go out into the bush into the boonies and live by ourselves Senta nobody finds us so that no sin enters in that never works brethren sins like a weed it always finds away sin always finds away doesn't matter if you're in the bush by yourself you still have the wheat you me we all still have the flesh that we think with we still all have the remaining corruption that we battle with it is always there and so we must interact with unbelievers you wanna know why so hopefully we can share the gospel with them so hopefully that they can be saved so hopefully that they can come to the saving knowledge in the Lord Jesus Christ it is good for us to have non-christian friends don't sin with them don't sin with your non-christian friends but nonetheless we still should interact with them this passage does not teach that we get to neglect our earthly families whatsoever the fifth commandment still applies brethren and if you live in that if you're a Christian believe on Christ and what we teach you is we teach that the law still does abide the fifth commandment brethren still abides and it doesn't just talk about father children to parents it talks about every sort of relationship inferior to superior superior to inferior equals now it might not be sound offensive in our day and age again I'm talking about bosses and it our employers and employees that's the context as well fathers and children that's the context as well equals how chill I know it's not just what children ought to do or inferiors ought to do but how it superiors ought to act as well and that includes all of our families all of our earthly families everyone we engage in and interact with we ought to treat them all with dignity and respect this isn't get out of a bad family situation card this isn't get out of a bad marriage card Jesus says these are my mother these ones are my mother and my brothers who are my that's not how that works he's making an important distinction which we'll see as we continue to go through but it does not mean we necessarily neglect earthly families as the Westminster Divine's say in the Westminster larger catechism lawful commands Jesus had a command from the father that he must engage in so he they were taking away in an unlawful way he must lawfully do what his father says but the golden rule still applies the fifth commandment still applies that is part of God's will for the Christian life the fifth commandment loving our families and the golden rule you know what's interesting about the golden rule I remember pastor but lurex posited this when we first started coming here I still remember it if the golden rule says do unto others as you would have them do unto you not how they actually treat you right do unto others as you would have them do unto you and that includes your families as well your families might not like everything you say but you ought to love them anyway that's very hard isn't it we're very very prideful selfish self-serving people we don't like to admit we're wrong we don't like to be ridiculed but nonetheless the Bible says we must endure it for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ so that's Jesus's earthly family let's then look secondly at Jesus's spiritual family in verses 33 through 35 as I said he is not violating the fifth commandment it's a teaching point he's taking a quest she's taking a situation reasoning using question we are using a rhetorical question to drive the point home verse 33 but he answered them saying who is my mother or my brothers he cease talking about the reality of the kingdom of God and yes there is an allegiance type focus here allegiance to the kingdom of God must come first and that might require difficult situations with respect to our earthly families doesn't necessarily say we have to neglect earthly families but of our family ever says to us us or Christ you always pick the Lord Jesus Christ we always choose Christ there is an allegiance we must have that trumps even bloodlines that Trump's even family situations that might seem harsh for us and it's harsh for us it was ten times harsher for the world in which my mark is writing you see at that time there two people typically didn't necessarily leave the home so to speak there wasn't a lot of housing there wasn't a lot of job situations you know jobs weren't a plethora of multitude of things you could do you typically did what your family business was and typically what happened is you probably had many many people living under one roof he had the great granddad the ruler of everything his wife the queen the situation then they probably had all their kids that lived with them their spouses then the grandkids everybody lived under one sort of place that's how it operated in that world now in our day and age that's tough you know we love our few in-laws we love our families but once we leave we're like we're gone we don't want to go back if we have to for certain situations we will but typically we were like we love you we'll see you for five days then get out because I don't want to see you again because I want to go back to my own house that wasn't like that at that time so it was even more of a taboo thing for Jesus to say this at this time who is my mother or who our MA or or my brothers verse 34 and he looked around Jesus looks around in verse five as well it's an authoritative type look converse five he says and when he looked around at that with anger being grieved by the hardness of their hearts he said to the man stretch out your hand an authoritative look over the scribes and Pharisees wickedness regarding their scruples on the Sabbath and then in verse 34 it's a positive authoritative look and he looked around in a circle at those who sat about him those who are near to Christ those who are close to Christ those who are sitting with the Lord Jesus Christ what's interesting is in mark 3:14 he appoints the Apostles only mark includes this little word that they might be with him that they might be with him same thing here in verse 34 he looked around in a circle those who sat with him namely those who were with him those who are considered the family of God those who are considered part of the family of Christ are those as they'll say who do the will of God but even here it's those who sit amongst the master's feet I surmise brethren sometimes we don't always sit at the Masters feet do we as Christians sometimes we we stand we're moving around or perhaps like Martha doing everything rather than like Mary sitting at the Masters feet we're standing or standing rather than sitting and communing and praying and being with the Lord God Almighty and he looked around in a circle those who sat about him and he points to all those around him probably includes the Apostles but it probably includes more as well those who are with him the 12 certainly from verses 13 through 20 but many as well and again the context is what insiders and outsiders with respond with respect to the mission of Christ who do they say that he is who do they say that Jesus is those are the ones who are part of his family now some wise guy might say what about Judas Iscariot it's a teaching time the pointed emphasis here is that family is not based on bloodlines but based on faith that's where the true and proper family of Christ is it's based on faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and when we come to believe we are wrought what brought into the family of God that's why we say brethren it's not easier to say that rather than brothers and sisters Brethren's just I know it's old-school but it's easier to say we call a fellow Christian a brother or a sister why because we are part of that family the church is the family of faith and churches ought to act like families together ways of faith now that doesn't mean everybody's happy doesn't mean everybody's everybody's best friend what it does mean though is like families when there are bats with your family your sibling you go and say you're sorry I mean that's pretty standard when it comes to you the light of nature families mom and dad's mom and dad grabbed the two kids and say they're sorry brethren if somebody says something against you you know first of all go tell them Matthew 18 or Matthew five I'm getting them mixed up but they're both there if you've wronged someone you go tell that person now you brought them say you're sorry if you feel wronged by someone you go to that person say you've wronged me because maybe they don't realize that they've wronged you maybe they haven't thought about it maybe they're like oh I didn't mean to hurt you I'm really sorry but usually it airs things out does that usually happen in the family of faith typically if someone looks as funny we're bent out of shape for the rest of the week aren't we somebody had a twitch in their eye they're like wow that guy was mean-mugging me jim's word right jim says mean-mugging a lot you know we do that we take things so seriously we get so offended so easily the Bible prescribes what we're supposed to do clear the air clear the air with one another that we might still operate as the family of faith the family of faith doesn't mean everybody's holding hands all the time it does require some the taking of removing our pride saying we're sorry asking for forgiveness that's part of the family of faith it requires interacting with one another caring for one another loving one another as part of the family of God here are my mother's and my brothers and then verse 35 he gives the familial rules of the spiritual family for whoever does the will of God is my brother and my sister and my mother now just as these outsiders are unexpected the insiders are also unexpected see the reality of Jesus teaching here is one great joy and inclusion for whoever does the will of God is my brother and my sister he adds that in whoever does the will of God is my brother my sister and my mother yes it's an exclusive allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ but it's also an inclusive allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ who ever Mark's audience here are Gentiles they're not Jews in fact one of the things mark makes pains to show as he goes through is to engage in what's called covenant lawsuit Israel the ethnic people of God are no longer the people of God the Pharisees thought that they were the people of God they probably thought that they were doing the will of God but in reality they were very much against God himself they were Outsiders they engaged in the unforgivable sin but Jesus here is breaking down that barrier whoever whoever whoever does the will of God John 3:16 for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son for whoever believes in Me shall not perish but have eternal life I know his Calvinists you're probably thinking he said whoever brethren whoever is a just is a fine way to describe what's going on whoever we can use with respect to the gospel call not every single person without exception but every single person without distinction you don't have to be a Jew to be part of the people of God and the family of God you don't have to be a male to be part of the family of God you have to be rich to be part of the family of God how are you part of the family of God whoever does the will of God whoever believes in me yes all the ones who believe will evidence they're the elect I get all that when it comes to the gospel call we believe as Calvinists that we believe in a gospel call and we God does not discriminate whoever believes on him whoever believes on him and the beauty is even earthly families can certainly be part of the same spiritual family nothing is said about how Jesus family or what they said about him thanks Jesus thanks we I raised you and helped you if you want a jerk that's not what we see here or maybe they thought that but we don't get that but nonetheless Jesus's earthly family is still part of the family of faith are they not Mary James the bro one who wrote James Judas the one who probably wrote Jude they do become part of the spiritual family and we do pray to this end for our earthly families I've seen many situations many parents especially grieving over their unbelieving children many children grieving over their unbelieving parents that is a reality and we ought to pray to that end that they would hear the gospel that they would be saved that they would come to Christ that they would be part of the family of faith the point is that Jesus is making is full Allegiance must be to me and if our earthly family says us or Christ we say Christ there's an Old Testament counterpart to this a little harsher than what Jesus does but Exodus 32 Golden Calf scenario Golden Calf incident as Moses or God purges the people purges evil from amongst them verses 25 to 29 now when Moses sought the people were unrestrained for Aaron had not restrained them to their shame among their enemies then Moses stood in the entrance to the camp and said whoever is on the Lord's side come to me and all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him and he said to them thus says the Lord God of Israel that every man put his sword on his side and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp but every man kill his brother every man his companion every man his neighbor so the sons of Levi did according to the words of Moses in about 3,000 men that the people felt that day then Moses said consecrate yourself today to the Lord that he may bestow on you a blessing this day for every man as opposed to son and his brother so there is that old testament illusion back there in mark chapter 3 verse 35 whoever does the will of God is my brother and my sister and my mother now what is the will of God there's a massive Vegas is not that big of a misunderstanding today regarding the will of God you see the modern focus does seem to be with respect to the will of God how's my life going to play out Who am I going to marry what job am I gonna have what kind of Christian service will I engage in it typically with jobs people are in a job they don't like they want to be in the ministry and so they're apathetic and if nobody recognizes them they then and go engage in something they shouldn't by appointing themselves anyway the point is it's all about what God is doing in my life what is God's will for my life am i doing God's will that is what theologians call the providential will of God yes brethren you are in the will of God everything that comes to pass in this light is part of the will of God God doesn't give us a wonderful thought or a wonderful word from him right into our mind that says you're gonna be a lawyer you're gonna have 15 kids you're gonna you know grow old till you're done diet eighty-five that's not how this works you see it unfolds in history and unfolds in time and space we don't just sit back and let go and let God if you want to do something you want it you want to be a lawyer find out what it means to be a lawyer and pursue it and if you find out you're not very good at that that's okay and you can do something else God opens and shuts doors in his providential will so yes you're always in the will of God you can never not be in the will of God with respect the providential will of God or the secret will of God Ephesians 1 but the second way thelo does distinguish with the will of God it's that first that providential the second is what's called the revealed will of God or namely how we ought to live by faith this is where we might not be doing of God Romans 12:1 first Thessalonians 4:3 first Peter 2:15 look at first Thessalonians 4:3 explicit conspicuous as we see in first FS even Romans 12:1 is conspicuous as well but first Thessalonians 4:3 for this is the will of God your sanctification that you should abstain from sexual immorality that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel Angele in sanctification and honor not in passion the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God will of God not engaging in sexual morality Romans 12:1 will of God it's setting up the application section loving kindness caring the will of God is basically doing what God says not to be saved but because we have been saved and we do it by faith we do by faith in Jesus Christ roman Hebrews 12:1 Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith that is God's will for our life that we honor him and we honor man that is God's will for your life that we worship Him aright that we care for others that we don't kill other people that we don't look at others with lustful intent that we work hard in our own jobs that were not liars that were content that is God's will for your life as far as the other things know with the providential will yeah that will unfold but God is very clear about what his will is now the important emphasis I want to say with respect to that is live by faith live by faith and I think that's what Jesus is getting at in verse 35 with respect to the context you see I don't really think this is necessarily a try harder passage nor is it a passage about how we live in community I've heard that one before brother and sister and mother and how we all get to live together and eat a meal but whatever that's not what it's talking about faith in is what he's talking about notice the context notice with respect to what the Pharisees say notice with respect to what his family says notice in respect to the response to who he is the Pharisees say that he has Satan his family says that he is nuts or whoever does the will of God is my brother and my sister and my mother whoever believes in Me the other clear exhortation in Mark's Gospel is mark 1:15 and saying the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe in the gospel that is God's will brethren repent and believe in the gospel yes in the Christian life we still live by faith now that doesn't mean we do we still to some degree seek to put away sin but nonetheless we do it by faith I think we sometimes get that mixed up in the Christian life I think sometimes we go we're in by faith we remain and by works I got a try harder without the power of God that's not how the Christian life works sanctification brethren is received by faith I believe God that you have died for me that you're cleansing me but you're causing me to die to sin help me O God to die to that sin and then by his power go out and kill that sin that's how it works together there's this working with that but it's primarily by faith but even here how do we enter in we enter in by faith not by our own doing how do we stay in brethren so to speak I don't even like saying it like that but we stay in by the power of God through faith and even to as Mark leads into the what the kingdom parables all about the kingdom of God and what that means and what that looks like how do we enter in to be Kingdom citizens how do we act as Kingdom citizens that is the will of God France calls the pinna the the parables the paradox of the kingdom of God because it's unlike anything the world has ever thought of family is no longer by blood but family is by faith and family is by faith in our elder brother to bring that familial imagery home once again often or mark chapter sorry Romans 8 Hebrews 2 especially Romans 8:29 Jesus is called our elder brother we believe on our elder brother we believe that he was the one who was perfect in every way for whom he foreknew he pre also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren Jesus is the only perfect family member it's in this perfect family member that we are parts of the family of God the will of God is by faith Kingdom citizenship is by faith physical traditional descent is irrelevant that gives great hope for people who aren't Jews right gives great hope for people who think that they cannot be part of the family of God or perhaps who've never had a family to begin with there is the family of God that if you believe you can be brought in and cared for as such and especially cared for by God our Father and by a brother who loves us unlike any other brother Ryle says again but all true Christians drink comfort out of these words let them know that there is one at least who knows them loves them cares for them and reckons them as his own family what though they may be poor in this world they have no cause to be ashamed when they remember that they are the brethren and sisters of the son of God although they may be persecuted and ill treated in their own homes because of their religion they may remember the words of David they apply them to their own case when my father and mother forsake me then the Lord will take me how is one brought into the family of God who is a mother and a brother and a sister it is by faith the marks of an insider are is by faith the marks of an insider is the one who does the will of God by faith and int we should bring home the fact that we do obey by faith and one of the beautiful things that we see in this section is that they were neared to him rather than are you near to Christ are you close to him one of the ways that we get to draw near to him is in worship in a corporate setting that's why we should not absent ourselves from the means of grace rather we can maybe we need to be here to hear the Word of God to be with the Brethren to be with our family to hear the word of God preached to sing with one another that we might be part of the family of God by faith that we might be with him but as well are we with him throughout the week now I know we have jobs that we have to engage in you glorify God by doing your job but aren't you are you neglecting prayer aren't you think are you neglecting Bible reading see brethren if we neglect those things though it's gonna be hard very hard for us sometimes to draw near to our God God says draw near to me and I will draw near to you there's this blessedness of being near the Lord Jesus Christ we should fight always to be near the Lord Jesus Christ now I confess that doesn't always happen does it many things come up we don't always want to be near Jesus asked God to forgive us for that soften our hearts cleanse us all the more convict us of it and cause us to be near him once again this is how we are near him in his word privately this is how we're near to him when we pray the word privately this is how we're near to him when we gathered together and hear the word this is how we're near to him when we sing and pray with one another the Word of God we ought to want to be near to our brother just like a little child a little sibling wants to do everything his older brother does his older brother plays hockey he goes and puts on his jersey and goes out and smacks a few balls with his brother his brother one wants to work on his car the younger brother goes and wants to sit there to help his elder brother work on the car the same thing is true in a spiritual sense we ought to do the Jesus was perfect in every way we ought to be near to him that we might love him care for him and what he says who then is Jesus he is the elder brother who does God's will and came to save his family from their sins the most important thing today is that idea of faith not works most important thing today is believing on Jesus Christ who do you say that he is what do you say about him is the most important question you can ever be asked in this life and it is the key distinguisher between an outsider and an insider do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God do you believe that he came to die for your sins to be that he came to save his people from their sins do you believe that he is perfect in every way do you believe that he is the only one who can take away your sins in him you will find forgiveness of sins in a perfect loving kind elder brother and you can be part of the family of God but again there's insiders and outsiders the insiders are those who are sinners who are redeemed outsiders are those who are sinners who perish what you say about Jesus has eternal and familial ramifications believe on this elder brother and you shall be saved well let's pray our God we are thankful for Christ our Lord and Christ are perfect one we're thankful of God that we can call you as our father we are thankful O God that we have that blessed connection with you based on the merits of Christ that we can pray to you through the son by your spirit we confess father God that we take this for granted we confess oh god that calling you father is something that we do not always consider its significance but God help us to do so that you are our Father and you love us in a way that no father on this earth could Oh God we're also thankful for our elder brother who is that perfect one in every way we know God that we could not do your will and he came to do your will perfectly and rightly and righteously and nothing stopped him from going to that cross for which we are thankful you know God we confess that as your people we still even your family still has sin even your family still has remaining corruption o God we confess Oh God that we have sinned against you even this past week but we're thankful o God that our sins are forgiven in our elder brother we ask o God that you would conform us to its image you caused us to die to sin we know God that your word is true we believe by faith that you can help us die to sin we believe by faith that you can you will lead us along the way along the pilgrim's passage to that celestial city or a thankful God that you will do so and that your word is true and you are faithful to do it so God we ask that you would encourage us this day we're thankful God for that reality that we are part of the family of God we are thankful for the gift of faith that you do give to us we pray O God that this would be encouragement to our souls so we are part of the family of God that you wouldn't spur us on to do what a family ought to do help us to love you help us to love one another help us to be near to you help us to sit at your feet often O God we confess we do not do do as we ought but pray that you'd help us and soften our hearts to this and we might be near you all the more thank you for your love with an eternal love that we see in the cross of Christ the Christ came live died and rose again for wretches like us so watch over us protect us keep us we pray we pray that you be glorified the name of Christ amen well we're gonna close by singing hymn 563 so you can turn with me and the Psalter hymnal Deum 563 we'll stand and sing together 563 [Music] the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you amen we'll close with a brief time meditation of the pianos finished you are dismissed you