My name is Matthew Capone, and I'm the pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church,
and it's my joy to bring God's Word to you today.
Special welcome if you are new or you're visiting with us.
We're glad that you're here, and we're glad that you're here not because we're trying to fill seats,
but because we're following Jesus together as one community.
And as we follow Jesus together, we become convinced that there's no one so good.
They don't need God's grace, and no one so bad that they can't have it,
which is why we come back week after week to hear what God has to say to us in His Word.
We're continuing our series in the Gospel of Mark.
Today we're ending Mark chapter 3, and next week we'll begin Mark chapter 4.
You'll remember that the Gospels tell the story of Jesus in His life and His death and His resurrection.
And as we come to Mark, there are two questions particular to this Gospel,
which are first, who is Jesus?
And two, how do we respond to Him?
This morning as we look at the end of chapter 3,
we're going to continue to see what Jesus' call to follow Him actually means.
We're going to see how far that call actually goes.
You'll remember from chapter 1, Jesus walking along, picking His disciples,
He calls them to Himself, and He says, for example, in chapter 1, verse 20,
follow Me.
Well, in 1.20 it says He called them.
And earlier in this chapter, He goes up on a mountain to pick His disciples,
and it tells us that He called them.
And so we're continuing to look at this call to see how radical it is and how deep it is.
We're going to see two things in this passage.
First of all, the priority of the kingdom, and second, the mark of the kingdom.
First, the priority of the kingdom, and second, the mark of the kingdom.
And so with that, we're going to read now.
I invite you to turn with me.
You can turn in your worship guide.
You can turn in your Bible.
You can turn on your phone.
No matter where you turn, remember that this is God's Word.
And God tells us that His Word is more precious than gold, even the finest gold.
And it's sweeter than honey, even the honey that comes straight from the honeycomb,
which is why we read now, starting at verse 31.
And His mother and His brothers came, and standing outside, they sent to Him and called Him.
And a crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him,
Your mother and your brothers are outside seeking You.
And He answered them, Who are my mother and my brothers?
And looking about at those who sat around Him, He said,
Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.
I invite you to pray with me as we come to this portion of God's Word.
Our Father in Heaven, we simply thank You that You have given us Your Word
and that You speak to us now.
But we also confess that it is hard for us.
We come as people who are distracted, people are hurting,
people who are burdened, people who are confused.
And so we ask that You would clear those things up for us by Your Spirit this morning,
that You would focus us, that You'd comfort us, that You'd clarify for us.
Most of all, You'd show us Jesus Christ, that we would see Him as beautiful and glorious,
that You would use Your Word to encourage us and to challenge us as we follow Him.
And we thank You that we can have determined His confidence as we ask these things
because we ask them in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
So I don't know how many of you have been involved in some sort of family intervention.
You know what I'm talking about.
You finally meet with a member of your family and you confront them,
whether it's confronting them about their addiction or their behavior,
or maybe it's about an unhealthy relationship.
Now, I've never participated in a family intervention,
but as a pastor, I've certainly heard about them.
And in this passage before us this morning,
we get to witness a family intervention from Jesus and His immediate family.
Jesus here has become the crazy family member
who finally needs to be brought back from the brink.
Now, his family maybe has known there's always been something a little bit off about Jesus.
It was sort of cute when He stayed in Jerusalem as a child
and Mary and Joseph couldn't find Him because He was hanging out with the teachers.
The unfortunate fact is that there are some things that are only cute when you're little.
And Jesus has come to an age.
Jesus is not little anymore, and what He's doing is not cute anymore.
Maybe His family should have intervened sooner,
but as they say, better late than never.
It has finally come time for them to do something.
Jesus, you've had a good run,
and it's time for you to finally pack it up and come home.
And so that's what we see here in verse 31.
His mother and his brothers came,
and standing outside, they sent to Him and called Him.
Jesus has gone too far,
and it's time to finally bring it to an end.
We're picking up a story that we began earlier in verses 20 and 21.
You may remember all the way back before Advent in November
when we finished or paused in the Gospel of Mark.
Jesus' family at that point goes out to look for Him.
So if you have your Bible with you,
you can see this in verses 20 and 21.
Especially 21, it says,
And when His family heard it, they went out to seize Him,
for they were saying,
He is out of His mind.
Now, after His family says this,
look, Jesus is crazy.
He's gone too far.
We immediately switch scenes,
and we go to what we talked about last week
when the scribes come and oppose Jesus,
and they credit His power to demons.
Now, this is something we can't overlook
because when we read the Bible,
really when you read any good literature,
if a story is broken up like that,
it means something.
Especially in the Gospels,
if we have an interruption where we start a story,
we go to another story,
and we come back,
the author is doing that with a clear intention.
It's called a bookend,
and it's meant to highlight some sort of connection
between these two stories.
Either there's a contrast to be made,
one character is to be emulated,
other is not,
or there's a similarity
that's being drawn between the two.
And so what is the connection here
between the scribes,
on the one hand,
who are hostile to Jesus,
and His family,
on the other hand,
who are the ones who are closest to Him,
perhaps the ones who love Jesus
more than anything else?
Well, the connection is this.
Both Jesus' family and the scribes
miss what is actually going on.
Both Jesus' family and the scribes
miss what is actually going on.
Both, at some level,
are opposing Jesus and His mission.
Now, one is out of active hostility, right?
The scribes do not like Jesus,
and we're gonna ultimately see
they're part of the plot to kill Him.
So one is hostility.
His family here, of course,
we can assume the best,
perhaps out of misunderstanding or ignorance.
Regardless of the motive,
both misunderstand Jesus' mission,
both oppose it.
And so as we, at Chine Mountain,
look to follow Jesus together,
the point for us is this.
It is not just those on the outside
who thwart following God's mission.
It is not just those on the outside
who misunderstand what God's kingdom is about
and what He is calling us to.
It is sometimes those on the inside as well.
In fact, sometimes it is not just those on the inside.
It is those who are the very closest to us.
It is those with the very best intentions
who misunderstand Jesus' call.
Of course, misunderstanding is better
than all-out hostility.
What His family does here is better
than accusing Jesus of being in league with the devil.
And it is still misunderstanding, missing,
not realizing what it is that Jesus is here for.
And so it's within this conflict
that Jesus clarifies His priorities.
Verse 32.
So 31, His mother and His brothers come.
They're calling Him.
Verse 32, there's a crowd who's sitting around Him.
And they said to Him,
Your mother and your brothers are outside seeking you.
Now the expectation of His family
is that His response is obvious.
Of course, Jesus is going to stop teaching
and He's going to go out and talk to His family
because what could be more important?
We're in a culture, as we read here,
where family is more important than anything else.
It is a core commitment, a core value.
And so Jesus, being a good Jewish boy,
is going to respect His mother and honor His brothers
by leaving, stopping to teach,
and dealing with whatever the emergency is in that moment.
And so that's what makes Jesus' response here so surprising.
Verse 33, He asks them this rhetorical question,
Who are my mother and my brothers?
And then He tells them,
Here are my mother and my brothers.
In other words, you all are actually my family.
For whoever does the will of God,
he is my brother and sister and mother.
Jesus, in a culture that puts family
as one of, if not the top priority here,
is doing something radical,
something shocking, something disruptive.
He is upsetting and violating
what the Jews would have loved and valued at great cost,
perhaps more than anything else.
Now, this is hard for us as Western people to understand
because family is not our number one value.
And so when we hear Jesus saying,
Okay, my family is going to have to wait.
I have a higher priority.
That doesn't strike us as offensive
and as upsetting as it would have the original audience.
That makes a little bit more sense to us.
We don't live in a culture that says family oriented.
And so I want for us to feel how disruptive this is as Americans.
It would probably be something like this.
For us, our core value is not loyalty to family.
One of our greatest core values is freedom and choice.
We love freedom and choice.
That's our loyalty, perhaps above almost anything else.
So I want you to imagine this.
Someone says to you,
The only way that you can get married
is to have an arranged marriage.
Yeah.
The only way you can get married is to have an arranged marriage.
Western people, we'd say what?
Better to not get married than to risk limiting my options.
If that's what we're talking about,
if that's my only option,
I am definitely remaining single forever.
Right?
If giving up family is my only option,
I'm definitely not following Jesus.
That is a step too far.
Okay?
Sacrificing family would have been a nightmare for them
in the way that having limited options,
having our decisions made for us,
is a nightmare for us.
The American nightmare.
And so that's how we come to our first point from this passage,
the priority of the kingdom.
Jesus is making a point here for us
that there is a hierarchy,
a priority of loyalties in this life.
Our ultimate priority,
our ultimate loyalty is with him.
The kingdom of God,
for these people,
comes before family.
We could say the kingdom of God
comes before anyone and anything else.
In fact, to bring this point home for us,
Mark actually draws us a picture in this passage.
The Bible is God's word
in which he instructs us and guides us.
It is also a phenomenal piece of literature.
And so watch what's happening here.
There are literally two circles
in this story.
There's an inner circle
and an outer circle.
Verse 31,
his mother and his brothers came
and standing outside.
Okay?
They're on the outer circle.
Verse 32,
a crowd was sitting around him.
There's an inner circle.
In this story,
Mark is literally illustrating for us
by geography,
Jesus' order of priorities.
Yes, family matters.
It does not matter as much
as his mission for the kingdom of God
as he sits,
teaching and discipling
those who are or will become
his disciples
who are eager to sit at his feet
and learn what he has to say.
They are quite literally
the inner circle.
They are literally
his first priority.
There's another literary device here
going on with some word play.
So we have the visual illustration
of Jesus' priorities.
We also have a demonstration
of the conflict that's going on.
There's an important word
that we've seen
throughout the gospel in Mark,
and it's the word call
or called or calling.
Mark chapter 1, verse 20,
Jesus finds James and John.
It tells us,
and immediately he called them.
Earlier in this chapter,
we saw Jesus pick
the 12 who follow him.
Verse 13,
he went up on the mountain
and called to him
those he desired,
and they came to him.
Did you notice
what Jesus' family does
in this passage?
Verse 31,
standing outside,
they sent to him
and called him.
The point is this.
Jesus calls people
to follow him,
and there are always
other voices calling.
Jesus calls people
to follow him,
and there are always
many other voices
calling us to follow.
There is always
competition
for our attention.
There is always
competition
for our loves
and our loyalty.
And so part of the reason
that we are gathered here
together this morning
as the family of God
at Cheyenne Mountain
Presbyterian Church
is so that we could
be reminded
this morning
as we are
every Sunday
of the ultimate call
of Jesus
that he gives to us
and on our lives.
When we come
and we hear the call
to worship,
that is our reminder
again that Jesus'
calling matters
more than any other.
It is the reminder
that we belong to him
as family
that have been adopted,
and so we come
and worship him,
directing our worship
towards him
and with other people
around us
who are our brothers
and sisters.
There is only
one ultimate call,
and there are
many other voices
looking to pull us
and direct us.
Jesus is the one
who is ultimately calling.
His mother and his brothers
remind us
there are other calls
calls as well.
Calls that are tuned out
when and if
they conflict
with Jesus' call.
It is his call
that is most important.
Jesus, in other words,
upends and directs
the budget of our lives.
It is almost a cliche
to say that
how you budget
your life,
how you budget
your money,
reveals what you
believe is essential
and what you believe
is discretionary.
In fact,
some people would say
if you show me
your budget,
I will show you
what is important to you.
It reveals
what you consider
to be wants
and what you consider
to be needs.
So I want you
to imagine
for a second
someone saying this.
I've spent
so much
on new clothes
this month,
it's actually
not going to work
for me to pay
my mortgage.
That's going to have
to wait until next month.
No.
Everyone knows
you don't budget
like that.
You do not spend
and then see
if you have money
left over
to pay your mortgage.
No,
you pay your mortgage
and you see
what's left over
for other things.
You pay
what's essential.
You pay
for your needs
and then you see
what's left over
for your wants.
Your savings
determine your spending,
not the other way around.
Your essentials
determine how much
is left over
for your discretionary spending,
not the other way around.
You don't pay
for house cleaning
if you can't afford
your mortgage.
You don't pay
for your car
to be repainted
if you can't buy gas.
You don't send money
to other families
if you can't
feed your own.
The same applies
to the budget
of our lives.
Our essential spending,
what is a need
and not a want
is our commitment
to God
and his kingdom
which directs
and determines
everything else.
That is the essential
from which everything else
is downstream.
and so we do this.
We prioritize
being with God's people
in worship
and we see
what time
is left over
for other things.
We don't ask
whether we can afford
to obey God's commands.
We obey God's commands
and we trust him
to provide.
We set aside money
for God
and for the poor
and we see
what is left over
for us.
We see
if someone
shares our faith
commitment first
and then we determine
whether they're
a candidate
for dating
or for marriage.
We honor
our commitments
as parents
and spouses
first
and then we see
what's left over
for extracurriculars.
And in this passage
particularly
we know
God's will
first
and then we evaluate
the expectations
of our families.
We have clarity
about our priorities
and our hierarchies
about what's essential
and what's discretionary
in other parts
of life.
But somehow
when it comes
to our spiritual life
things quickly
get muddled.
Jesus here
cuts through
all of that
and provides us
with tremendous
clarity.
We are tempted
to think
that Christianity
is a hobby
that we pick up
and put down
when we want.
Jesus says
follow me.
Jesus says
everything else
can be
a hobby
but not me.
I am not
the priority
that's juggled
along with many others.
I am the
priority
that determines
what else can fit
and where
it fits.
I am
the inner
circle.
In other words
our commitment
to Christ
is not an
accessory commitment
it is what we'd
call a
keystone
commitment.
It's not an
accessory commitment
it's what we'd
call a
keystone
commitment.
Everything else
is downstream
of that.
Family commitment
downstream
of faith
commitment.
We don't
abandon
it
for our
faith
we filter
it through
our faith.
We don't
abandon
other commitments
for our
faith
we filter
them
through
our
faith.
This is not
an issue
of legalism
or moralism
it's an issue
of priorities.
It's not
an issue
of obeying
rules or not
an issue
of what our
heart loves
more than
anything else.
In other
words
everyone
has an
ultimate
priority.
Everyone
has something
they love
and value
more than
anything else.
the question
is which
story do
we live
in?
Which
horizon
do we
set our
eyes on?
Everyone
has a
keystone
everyone
has a
horizon
line
everyone
has an
ultimate
loyalty.
For many
people today
their ultimate
loyalty is
freedom from
all commitments.
I want to
make sure I'm
free whatever
shows up.
For other
people their
ultimate
loyalty is
safety.
They never
buy anything
because the
larger your
bank account
the safer
you feel.
Still others
and this is
common in our
culture their
ultimate horizon
is pleasure
and peak
experiences.
Jesus here
tells us what
our horizon
line should
be and
is.
We fix
our eyes
first and
foremost more
than on
anything else
towards him
and his
kingdom.
That is the
place our
eyes set.
That is what
directs everything
else in our
lives.
That is what
sets every
other priority.
That is the
filter we
place everything
through.
Now it is
important as we
talk about
these issues
of hierarchies
especially as
Jesus is
talking about
his family
to have
clarity about
what this
passage
doesn't
mean.
Because it
would be
easy at
this point
to take
Jesus'
words and
to abuse
it.
It does
not mean
that we
abandon
our families.
It means
that we put
them in the
appropriate place.
we put them
in the
proper place.
It is not
right for us
to abuse
this passage
to neglect
our families.
In fact,
if you're
supposed to
follow the
will of
God,
if that's
what determines
his family,
remember that
the will of
God includes
caring for
your family.
The fifth
commandment,
honor your
father and
your mother.
Deuteronomy
chapter 6,
be diligent in
instructing your
children in the
way of the
Lord.
Ephesians and
Colossians teach
us about being
faithful spouses
and parents.
And so we
have found
ourselves in a
bad place if
we confuse
this passage
and find
ourselves so
busy with
Christian activity
that we can't
be present with
our families.
Something is
wrong at that
point.
You don't get
to use, as
many do,
service to
God as an
excuse for
being a poor
and absent
wife, husband,
mother, father,
son, daughter.
But in
places where
there's a
conflict between
the demands
and priorities
and expectations
of family or
anything else
and the will
of God, you
choose and
always choose
the will of
God.
And part of
God's will
involves caring
for your family.
Now if this
is confusing
for you,
thankfully,
Jesus models
this for us
perfectly.
Jesus cares
for his
family and
puts them in
the right
place.
On the one
hand, in
this passage,
we see that
his family is
not able to
pull him away
from his
mission, his
direction, and
his purpose.
Right?
If he had, he
would have left,
stopped teaching,
scaled down his
ministry, returned
back to Nazareth.
Jesus doesn't
do that.
On the other
hand, Jesus
cares faithfully
for his
family.
You'll remember
John chapter
19, Jesus
is dying on
the cross in
agony.
And what does
he make sure
happens?
He makes sure
his mother is
cared for.
Okay?
Jesus shows
us how to
balance it.
On the one
hand, he keeps
his mission
first.
On the other
hand, he is
faithful to
his family.
He doesn't
cut them off.
He's not
estranged from
them.
Jesus cares
about them.
They are just
not his
fundamental
orientation.
Instead, Jesus
is oriented
around a
mission and a
direction and
a purpose.
In fact, many
have pointed
out that putting
God first is
what actually
allows us to
love our
families rather
than neglecting
them on the
one hand or
idolizing them
on the other.
And when we
idolize them, we
put pressure on
those around us
that they are
impossible to
bear up under.
And so it's in
putting God
first that we're
able to be
faithful to our
families.
That then is
the priority of
the kingdom, that
it comes first, it
comes before
anything else.
We also see in
this passage not
just the priority of
the kingdom, but
the mark of the
kingdom.
I've told you that
when you read the
Bible, bookends are
extremely important
when a story is
broken up as it is
here.
Another element to
watch out for as you
read scripture is
final statements.
Closing statements in
stories often, especially
when they're stated by
Jesus, give us the
main point.
They give us the
conclusion.
They explain what's
going on.
And here we have
such a final statement
in verse 35.
For whoever does the
will of God, he is my
brother and sister and
mother.
This gives us two
things, both an
encouragement and a
challenge.
First, the
encouragement is the
inclusion that Jesus
has here.
Jesus includes anyone
and everyone who
follows after him in
his family.
God makes these
people his family.
That's why we
confessed this morning
about the doctrine
of adoption.
And so people might
come and say, hey, you
should visit our
church.
It is like a
family.
There's a sense in
which that's true.
There's also a sense in
which it's not true.
It's not like a
family.
It is a family.
God has set this as
the greatest priority
for us socially and
relationally.
You, if you follow
after him, are part of
his family, not just in
your relationship to
him, but in your
relationship with
others.
And so that's why I
say every Sunday that
we are following Jesus
together as one
community.
If you've seen or
read any story or
movie about someone
who's adopted or in
an orphanage, you
know there are some
orphans who are more
attractive to be
adopted than others.
You know that there's
discussion about, oh,
I'm too old enough to
be, I'm too old to be
adopted.
I'm not young enough.
I'm not cute enough.
I'm not sweet enough.
Only certain types of
people get chosen.
The good news of this
passage as Jesus tells
us that those who obey
his will are part of
his family is that
there is no such thing
as too old or too
young or too cute or
too hard.
Jesus will adopt anyone
and everyone who
follows after him in
his will.
His invitation to
follow him is for
anyone who receives
it.
Jesus will adopt you.
That's the good news of
the mark of the kingdom.
There's also some bad
news.
The bad news is you do
not belong to Jesus
because of familiar or
social ties.
Church membership and
attendance does not
guarantee that you are
with Jesus.
The people who are with
him have a mark and a
sign and it's this.
They do the will of
God.
Yes, Jesus takes us as
we are and he never
leaves us there.
Yes, Jesus saves us
apart from anything we
have ever done and
those he saves, he
sanctifies.
Our holiness as we
follow after the will of
God is the sign that he
has chosen us as his
sons and his daughters.
And so there's a
radical offense here
and a radical love.
And the radical love is
this, adoption is
always available.
Adoption is always
an option.
Jesus is always willing
to adopt.
He doesn't rule people
out based on age or
desirability.
Instead, his call to
follow him is a call
that's extended even
now to you right here
in this place.
Jesus is still calling
people to follow after
him and those who do,
do it because they are
his family, because he's
adopted them and received
them.
Amen.
Now we've looked this
morning at some heavy
things.
The heavy call to make
Jesus the ultimate, the
greatest priority in our
lives.
And the sobering reminder
that the mark of that
family is one of
obedience.
And it would be easy in
the face of those things
to feel a weight that's
impossible for us to
carry by ourselves.
A call that's impossible
for us to answer alone.
Thankfully, the good news
of the gospel is that God
always enables and
empowers what he
commands.
It is impossible, in
other words, for us to
fix our eyes on the right
horizon line by
ourselves.
And thankfully, God has
not left us to do that.
We see a similar
sentiment to this passage
in John chapter 14.
If you have your Bible
with you, I invite you to
turn there with me.
And John says this of
Jesus' words in verse
15, if you love me, you
will keep my commandments.
Thankfully, that's not
all John says.
God's grace always comes
before obedience or
commands.
And if you're familiar with
John chapter 14, you know
before Jesus ever says that,
he says this,
let not your hearts be
troubled.
Believe in God.
Believe also in me.
In my Father's house are
many rooms.
If it were not so, would I
have told you that I go to
prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come
again and I will take you to
myself that where I am, you
may be also.
Horizon lines are what we
believe about the future.
Jesus here, before he tells
his people that if they love
him, they will keep his
commandments, gives them a
picture and a vision of the
future that he has for them.
It's one of a family.
What does a family have?
It has a home.
Jesus reminds his people that
he is preparing a place for
them.
It is not up to us, brothers
and sisters, to pull
ourselves up by our
bootstraps to try to figure
out how we can make Jesus
our number one priority and
follow after his will.
No, Jesus comes first with
his grace, reminding his
people that he is a father
who prepares a home for
them.
He presents that vision and
that picture to us that we
would fix our eyes on it and
see it as our future that is
more beautiful and more
glorious than anything else.
He shows us his promises and
his provision before he ever
gives a command.
Even more than that, Jesus
doesn't just tell his people
here that he has a home for
them.
He reminds them of perhaps
what is more important than
that, that a family is a place
where there is presence and
access and fellowship and love.
And so immediately after he
tells them that love equals
obedience, he reminds them in
verses 16 and 17, and I will
ask the father and he will give
you another helper to be with
you forever.
Even the spirit of truth whom
the world cannot receive because
it neither sees him, you nor
knows him.
You know him for he dwells with
you and will be with you.
Jesus, hard reminder and
command in this passage that he
comes before anything and
everything else that he's calling
his people to obedience and that
is their mark and sign, rests and
only rest on God's grace and
provision as he reminds us of what
he has prepared for us in the
future and the way he by his
spirit meets us now, today, in
the present.
And so it's as we embrace and
receive that grace, as we look to
what God has prepared, is
preparing and has given to us that
we are able to follow after him.
Brothers and sisters, Jesus calls
you to follow him.
He offers to make you his
family.
He offers you more than anyone or
anything else can give you.
Will you?
For whoever does the will of God, he
is my brother and sister and mother.
Let's pray.
Our Father in heaven, we thank you
for this family that you've given
us.
We thank you that you always enable
and empower what you command and
that you meet us first with your
grace.
We thank you most of all that you do
that in your son and our savior,
Jesus Christ.
And so we ask that you would set our
eyes on the right horizon.
That we would love you and follow you
more than anything else.
We ask these things in the mighty name
of Jesus Christ.
Amen.