a group of women who traveled with him who apparently had financial means.
And they supported him, it tells us, I think it's in verse 3 of Luke chapter 8,
they supported him out of those means.
So the Bible highlights for us that women played a special role in Jesus' ministry.
One of their roles was supporting him financially.
That, by the way, is part of the reason we believe it's appropriate for missionaries
when they're going out to ask for support.
So Jesus was a real man. He needed money just like you need money.
Things didn't appear for him out of thin air during his ministry,
but instead he had people who support him,
just like we continue now 2,000 years later to support those who go out in ministry.
With that, we're going to turn to our passage today.
We're in Mark chapter 1, verses 21 through 28,
and we're going to continue to ask our two questions that we've been looking at,
which is, who is Jesus and how do we respond to him?
You'll notice in this passage, again, that these are not questions
that I pulled out of thin air,
but they are actually the questions that the gospel of Mark itself is asking.
In this passage, we're going to hear people say or ask,
who is this?
And so the questions that the audience of Mark is asking
are the same ones that we're asking.
With that, we're going to jump right in here.
We're in Mark chapter 1, starting at verse 21.
You can turn with me in your Bible.
You can turn on your phone.
You can turn in your worship guide near the inn.
No matter where you go, remember that this is God's word.
God tells us that his word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path,
which means that God has not left us to stumble alone in the dark,
but instead he's given us his word to show us the way to go.
And so that's why we read now, starting at verse 21.
And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath,
he entered the synagogue and was teaching.
And they were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one who had authority and not as the scribes.
And immediately was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit.
And he cried out,
What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are, the Holy One of God.
But Jesus rebuked him, saying,
Be silent and come out of him.
And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice,
came out of him.
And they were all amazed,
so that they questioned among themselves, saying,
What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits,
and they obey him.
And at once, his fame spread everywhere,
throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
I invite you to pray with me as we come to this portion of God's word.
Let's pray.
Our Father in heaven, we thank you that you haven't left us alone,
but you have given us your Son in the flesh,
and you've given us this gospel that we would learn about him,
that we would know him, and that we would respond to him.
We ask that you would help us do that this morning,
that you would show us more clearly who Jesus is,
in his glory and his beauty,
and you would also show us more clearly how we can love him,
and follow him, and serve him.
We thank you that that love and that service
doesn't earn anything from you,
and it doesn't prove anything to you,
but instead, it is only by your grace.
And so we ask these things in Jesus' name.
Amen.
When we began our journey in the Gospel of Mark,
you may remember we were in the desert for quite some time.
For verses 1 through 13,
there was John the Baptist who was out in the desert,
and then there was Jesus who was out in the desert,
and we made this transition from the desert to Galilee,
which would have been in the northwest of Israel,
in verses 14 and 15,
when Jesus begins his earthly ministry.
So Jesus begins preaching in Galilee,
and then we saw,
last time we were in Mark,
verses 16 through 20,
he continues calling his disciples to him,
also, remember, by the Sea of Galilee,
which is this body of water in the north of Israel.
That's why we have the region of Galilee.
It's next to the Sea of Galilee.
Jesus is continuing that here in this passage.
We see in verse 21,
it tells us,
they went into Capernaum.
So Jesus has called these men to himself,
and now they're traveling as a group.
I mentioned last time that Jesus is with us.
He's calling these people,
and he remains with them.
He's not calling them to do it alone.
That's the pattern we see here.
Jesus is traveling with them into Capernaum,
and he's in the same area that he was before.
So if you think about the Sea of Galilee,
Capernaum would be,
well, the way I'm looking at it,
northwest for you would be right here.
So he's right along the sea.
Capernaum would have been and is still a sea town.
It is right on the water.
If you go there today,
you can see the 4th century synagogue,
and you can walk from there right to the seashore.
It's right there.
It's a port town.
It doesn't surprise us then that Jesus calls fishermen
and immediately goes to this area,
and we see the first thing he's doing here
is he's going in to the synagogue.
It tells us immediately on the Sabbath,
he entered the synagogue and was teaching.
Now the tradition then would not have been
that someone barged into a synagogue
and just started giving a lecture.
In the same way,
you would not expect someone
to simply walk into Cheyenne Mountain
on a Sunday morning
and just take over the pulpit.
So our assumption here is,
most likely,
Jesus had been working in Capernaum for some time.
He was well known,
and he was invited to speak in this synagogue.
In fact, if you're familiar with Jesus' ministry,
you'll know that Capernaum
was the city that was called
his base of operations
during his ministry in Galilee.
So Jesus is constantly coming to Capernaum,
returning there.
We'll find out next week,
this is where Andrew and Simon live.
So this is part of his home base here in Capernaum.
And apparently he's become well known enough
that he's invited to teach in the synagogue.
And this is where we find out
that there's something different about Jesus.
By the way,
I forgot to tell you at the beginning,
the two things we're looking at,
you'll see the word authority
is repeated in this passage.
We're gonna see Jesus' authority in teaching,
and we're gonna see Jesus' authority over evil.
Jesus' authority in teaching,
Jesus' authority over evil.
The first thing we see in this scene in the synagogue
as Jesus is invited to teach
is his authority in teaching.
By the way, Capernaum was a large city,
and so we would expect this
to most likely be a large crowd.
There would have been a lot more people
listening to Jesus
than we have right here
in this sanctuary this morning.
And we're told the very first thing
that's important as Jesus is teaching,
verse 22,
they were astonished,
for he taught them as one who had authority
and not as the scribes.
In other words,
Jesus is teaching in a way
that's different than anything
they've ever experienced before,
and this power,
this authority,
is something that comes across
probably in Jesus' content
and also in Jesus' call.
It comes across his authority
in the content and the call.
We would expect that
when the scribes were teaching,
they may have been quoting this person
or that person,
giving different ideas or theories
about what the texts mean.
Jesus has no need to do that.
He can teach directly from the scriptures
without referring to anyone else,
knowing that he himself is the authority,
giving the most direct
and true application
and preaching of these texts.
Jesus is able to speak
as someone who knows
what he's talking about,
not because he studied it,
but because he knows it
intimately and deeply and personally.
He is not referring to other authorities
because he is the authority.
Jesus is not standing up
in front of them and saying,
well, on the one hand,
this passage might mean this.
On the other hand,
it might mean that.
You know, scholars disagree,
but you know,
isn't it interesting
that we see this here in this text?
No, Jesus is speaking clearly
and directly to these people
in a way that hits them back
on their heels,
a way they're not expected,
a way they're not used to,
accustomed to
from listening to the scribes teach.
Jesus is his own source.
He doesn't need to quote anyone else.
And so there's this freshness,
there's this directness
that comes with his teaching
that they're not used to.
We're not told the content
of his teaching here,
but we can guess
because remember in verses 14 and 15,
we're told the general summary
of what Jesus was teaching.
He's teaching that the kingdom of God
has come near
and he's calling people
to repent and believe.
And so that's likely also
what Jesus is teaching here
as he's talking in the synagogue.
He's likely telling them
the kingdom of God is near,
it's at hand,
repent and believe.
That would have been
the other part of this
that would have astonished them.
And Jesus' teaching with authority
would have included
his call here to repentance.
And that's what makes sense, right?
When we think of authorities,
they're people who have power,
who have control.
They're people who are going
to tell us what to do.
And so it's not just here
that Jesus is speaking
as his own source.
He is speaking as someone
who is calling people
to act and respond.
Going along, right,
with our questions.
Who is Jesus?
How do we respond to him?
And so when it tells us
in verse 22
that they were astonished
at his teaching,
what it is not saying
is that they were so impressed
with Jesus
because he gave
such a fascinating TED talk.
Okay?
They were not astonished
in the sense that
Jesus was just telling them
things that were so interesting
and so fascinating,
although he may have.
They were astonished
in, as I mentioned,
a being pushed back
on their heels
sort of way
that this is a man
who's impressive
and scary
and unnerving
and unsettling.
He is speaking to them.
He's probably speaking
directly to their hearts
and their consciences.
He's exposing
what's going on
in their lives.
He's calling them
to change
and repent
and believe.
And we also,
of course,
know not just the fact
that that might be scary
and unnerving.
We know the joy, right,
of watching someone
who can speak authoritatively
about something.
There's a reason
that there are some
videos on YouTube
that have millions
of views
because the speaker
is able to speak
so clearly
and directly
to that situation.
Same is true of Jesus.
He is speaking here
with authority.
And that gets to
our challenge
as people living today
because we live
in a culture now
where we have
a fundamental loss
of trust
in people
who have authority.
And if we didn't
have it before,
we most likely
have it now, right?
We've lived
over the last couple
years with COVID.
We've heard
so-called experts
after the fact
telling us
that they lied
to us about certain things.
We've had new facts
come out.
People maybe
were very sincere
and earnest.
They weren't trying
to lie to anyone.
But we found out later
that what we were told
was wrong, right?
I'm not saying
everything was wrong,
but I am saying
that when it comes
to our leaders
and our politicians,
whether on the right
or the left,
we as people
are increasingly
losing trust
and confidence.
We are losing
the ability
to look at someone
and say,
man, I really believe
that person
is telling me
the truth.
There's one pastor
a couple weeks ago
who wrote this.
Authority is linked
to the control
of information
and no one
is in control
of information anymore.
There is a vacuum
of leadership
and the difficulty
is that nothing
has arisen
to fill the vacuum.
The temptation
for American Christians
is to think
that our country
is falling apart.
Actually, no.
It is the world
that is falling apart.
This is a global
crisis of authority.
Brothers and sisters,
I do not blame you
for losing trust
in the people
who speak
in the world around us.
I don't blame you,
as many of you
have told me,
for stopping
to watch the news,
stopping listening
and watching
because you don't
believe any of it anymore.
Or you know
some of it's true,
you just don't know
what to believe
and what not to believe.
As we come
to this passage,
the point is this.
You may stop
watching the news.
Don't stop
listening to Jesus.
You may stop
listening to the news.
Don't stop
listening to Jesus.
Jesus.
He is still
the one
who tells us
words that are true
in a world
filled with words
that are not true.
Jesus is still
the one
that we can trust.
Jesus doesn't lie
to us.
Jesus doesn't change
his story
from year to year.
Jesus doesn't
gaslight us.
He doesn't say
one thing
and then say
another thing
a month later
and pretends
he never said
the first thing.
and if you think
about the people
that lead
our world today
for many of them
the story
is always changing.
It doesn't take long
before the narrative
shifts.
It doesn't take long
before there's new data
and new information.
When we look
at our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ
we can look back
at 2,000 years
of the testing
of his words
and know even more
than the people
who received these
for the first time
that he is true
and reliable.
He is a real
and true
and trustworthy
authority.
The audience here
knew that Jesus
was telling them
the truth.
How much more
for us
2,000 years later?
And so the point
is this
Jesus
still speaks
with authority
on September
the 12th
2021.
He is still
the one
in control
and in charge.
And that authority
is not just
his trustworthiness
and his reliableness.
It's also the fact
that he is calling here
for a response.
Authority demands
a response.
That's part
of the definition
that someone
who has authority
is someone
who's in control.
There's someone
who's able to tell us
what to do.
In other words
as we look at
Mark chapter 1
we are not engaging
together in a book club.
We're not going to make
just fascinating
observations
and talk
and then walk away
as if nothing
had happened.
No, this is a book
that's meant to be
believed
and understood
and obeyed.
Jesus' authority
is not just
in his reliableness
and his trustworthiness
but also
that he calls us
to do
what he's commanded
us to do.
That his commands
are good
and right
and true.
His teaching
requires
a response.
Jesus is not
sharing
interesting ideas
here.
He is proclaiming
and calling
and telling
and commanding.
That's what it means
for him to speak
and teach
with an authority.
And so we have to
answer and listen
to him.
We have to hear him
and respond to him.
Kids,
you know
the difference
between
your parents
and other adults.
You need to obey
your parents.
That does not mean
you're required
to obey
all adults
everywhere,
right?
That's ridiculous.
When I was growing up,
my mom spent
a lot of time
training us
to correctly
respond to
stranger danger
and one of the
things she taught us
is that if we were
ever at a store
and some adult
separated us
from our parents
and was giving us
a hard time,
what we needed to do
was to make a scene
and here's how
we were supposed
to make a scene.
We would say
very loudly,
he is not
my dad
or she
is not
my mom
which is our
way of letting
everyone know
this person
actually has
no authority
over me,
right?
This person
might be an adult,
they might look
like someone
who is my parent,
I want to make
sure all of you
know that they
are not.
And at that point
the idea was
that people would
realize that
something wrong
was going on
and other adults
would come
to help us,
right?
There's this
distinction
between those
who have
true authority
and false
authority.
Now I want you
to imagine
for a second
that I decided
I didn't do
this by the way
but I want you
to imagine
that I was
a devious kid
and I decided
to flip the tables.
What if I decided
in front of everyone
to yell at my mom
this is not my mother
or to yell
at my dad
he is not my father?
Chaos,
right?
The tables
would be turned
in the worst
sort of way.
Brothers and sisters
when we say
that Jesus
is our authority
we are saying
that we have
to answer to him.
He is
actually
our father.
He is
actually
the one
we have to
listen to
and answer
and obey.
When I was
growing up
one of the big
questions
that preachers
like to ask
was this
when was
the last
time
you stopped
doing something
or you
started doing
something
because Jesus
said so?
When was
the last
time you
started doing
something
or stopped
doing something
because Jesus
said so?
Because the
Bible told you
to.
In other
words
is Jesus
actually an
authority
in your life?
When you
read his
words
do you
read them
do you
treat them
as words
of authority?
Another
way of
asking it
would be
this.
What do
you wish
that Jesus
had never
said?
What do
you wish
that Jesus
had never
said?
What are
you tempted
to explain
away or
talk your
way around?
There's
people who
have made
their careers
out of
explaining away
Jesus'
words.
People who
have made
entire
ministries
out of
talking
around
what Jesus
has said
clearly.
Maybe
it's what
Jesus
has taught
us about
rich
entering
the
kingdom.
Remember
Jesus
says it's
easier for
a camel
to pass
through the
eye of
a needle
than for
a rich
man to
enter the
kingdom
of heaven.
Maybe
that's
what you
wish
Jesus
had never
said.
Maybe
it's
Jesus
teaching
on
divorce.
Maybe
it's
what Jesus
tells us
about caring
for the
poor.
Maybe
it's
Jesus'
words
about turning
the other
cheek.
For
all of
us
there are
our hits
list,
our favorite
things that
Jesus has
said that
we want
to repeat
over and
over.
And for
all of
us I
believe if
we're honest
there's our
ignore list.
The things
that Jesus
has said
that we'd
rather not
think about.
That we'd
like to find
neat and
easy explanations
for that
Jesus really
didn't mean
it.
But if
Jesus is
the one
who speaks
with authority,
if he's the
one that we
can trust,
and the one
that we can
believe,
then we
respond to
him by
obeying him.
We
respond to
him by
listening to
him.
We
respond to
him by
seeing our
lives and
our hearts
changed in
their direction.
We want to
be like
Jesus'
followers.
In John
chapter 6,
Jesus is
asking the
twelve.
It says
here in
verse 67,
verse 66,
it tells us,
many of
Jesus'
disciples turned
back and no
longer walked
with him.
So Jesus
said to
the twelve,
do you
want to
go away
as well?
Simon
Peter answered
him,
Lord,
to whom
shall we
go?
You
have the
words of
eternal
life,
and we
have
believed
and have
come to
know that
you are
the holy
one of
God.
Brothers
and sisters,
that's the
response of
the Christian.
We look at
Jesus and
we say,
no matter
what you
command us
to do,
we know
that you
alone have
the words
of life.
you're the
only one
who tells
us what's
true and
only tells
us what's
true.
You're the
one we
answer to
and we
obey.
Who is
Jesus?
He's the
one who
speaks with
authority.
How do we
respond to
him?
We follow
him and
listen to
him and
obey him.
Now,
as we only
read the
beginning of
this passage,
we might be
tempted to
believe that
Jesus'
authority was
only expressed
in his
words and
his rhetorical
skill.
Thankfully,
Mark doesn't
leave us
there.
As we turn
to the next
section,
we see
Jesus'
authority not
just represented
by words,
but what he's
able to do
and change.
I don't want
you to lose
the story
here.
If you're
an engaged
reader,
there's an
anxiety that's
meant to come
with this next
part of the
story.
If you're
really in it,
you should
feel something
maybe in the
pit of your
stomach.
What's
happening here
is similar
to what would
happen if I
was preaching
here on a
Sunday morning
and I want
you to
imagine that
while I'm
preaching,
someone walks
into the
sanctuary,
right, and
they just
start screaming
and yelling.
What would you
be feeling in
that instance?
Maybe you've
been to an
event where
there's a
speaker and
someone interrupts,
just walks into
the auditorium and
starts giving
their own speech.
This actually
happened to me
when I was in
college.
I was listening
to a man
give a lecture
in a very large
auditorium.
It was a special
lecture.
He was a
special guest
who had been
flown in to
speak to us
and someone
just wandered
in and started
yelling.
Now what I was
feeling in that
moment, you
might feel a
variety of
things.
Some of you
might just
feel anxious.
Some of you
might be angry.
Some of you
might be
checking to
see if you
truly were
exercising your
Second Amendment
rights this
morning.
There would be
a lot of
different things
that would go
through your
mind.
For me in
that moment,
I was thinking,
do I need to
leave this
auditorium?
Am I
about to
die?
What's going
to happen
here?
This is a
very strange
situation.
That is what
is going on
in this
passage.
There's a
complete
disruption of
Jesus'
teaching.
Let's not
downplay this.
This man is
screaming out,
verse 23,
in their
synagogue,
a man with
an unclean
spirit,
and he
cried out,
what have
you to do
with us,
Jesus of
Nazareth?
Have you
come to
destroy us?
I know
who you
are,
the Holy
One of
God.
In other
words,
he's saying,
why are
you here?
What do
you want?
One person
translates it
this way,
go away
and leave
me alone.
Jesus,
why are
you here?
We were
doing fine
before you
were the
guest preacher.
Everything
was good
before that.
But now
you are
here
disrupting
things.
What happens
next year,
it's easy
for us
to miss
as modern
readers,
but those
who were
the original
audience would
have understood
that this
demon begins
a power play
with Jesus
because there
is common
ideas about
the practice
of exorcism
during this
time.
One of the
techniques
that you
would use
if you
wanted to
gain control
over someone,
especially over
a demon,
is you would
speak their
name.
It was
really important
to know
the name
of the demon
here.
The demon
is trying
to turn
the tables
on Jesus.
He begins
a power
struggle
by saying
his name.
What do
you have
to do
with us,
Jesus of
Nazareth?
I know
who you
are.
In other
words,
I think
I may
actually be
able to
exercise
authority
and power
over you.
I'm going
to test
and see
if your
speaking
with authority
has any
match of
being able
to act
and perform
with authority.
So there's
an inversion
here.
The naming
is supposed
to come
from the
exorcist,
not from
the demon.
And bringing
in the name
is a way
of power.
And so what
comes next
is even
more surprising.
This demon
throws out
Jesus' name,
right?
What do we
expect to
happen in
reverse?
If Jesus
is a good
exorcist,
what is he
going to
do?
Jesus is
going to
say,
oh,
you think
that's a
big deal?
I know
your name.
Jesus
doesn't
say his
name.
Why?
Because
he doesn't
need to.
Jesus
doesn't
call on
any higher
power.
We're going
to see
demons
cast out
later in
the Gospel
of Mark.
By those
who follow
Jesus,
they're going
to do
it in
Jesus'
name.
Jesus
doesn't
call on
any name.
Jesus
doesn't
use,
as we
might expect
if some
people have
pointed out,
any incantation
or spell.
In other
words,
Jesus ignores
all the
rules.
He does
nothing that's
supposed to
give him
an advantage.
Jesus does
nothing that's
supposed to
work because
Jesus doesn't
need to.
That is how
powerful Jesus
is in this
moment.
Jesus doesn't
appeal or
call to a
higher power
because Jesus
is the
higher power.
Jesus doesn't
need to use
anyone's name
because it is
his name that
they need to
tremble at.
Jesus instead
simply speaks
with and by
his own
authority.
Be quiet
and leave.
This is in the
same vein of
what I've told
you before.
I used to say
to some of my
students,
it's time for
you to shut
up and sit
down.
So verse 25,
Jesus rebuked
him.
Be silent
and come
out of
him.
What does
this spirit
do?
Well, 26,
he's silent
and comes
out of
him.
No matter
what you've
seen, no
matter what
these people
in this
passage have
seen, they
have not
seen power
like this.
They have
not known
about power
like this.
Maybe they've
heard of
great exorcists
who have the
right incantation
or spell
or name.
They're able
to get the
knowledge.
They're able
to find out
the identity
of the demons
so they can
gain power.
Jesus skips
all of those
things because
Jesus has a
power and
authority over
evil and
demonic forces
that has never
been seen
before.
Jesus has a
power over
evil and
demonic forces
like nothing
else.
Brothers
and sisters,
the same is
true even
now today.
Jesus is
the one
with the
great and
greatest
power over
evil.
He is the
one and
the only
one who
is able
to put
an end
to death
and evil
forever,
once and
for all.
The king
is on
the move.
We are
beginning to
finally see
how powerful
this king
is, how
much he
is actually
able to
do.
One man
says this,
the coming
of the king
and the
inauguration
of his
kingdom
implied the
destruction
and end
of the
kingdom
of darkness.
Jesus here
is showing
that he
has come
to bring
evil to
an end
once and
for all.
He is
not an
exorcist,
he is
the
exorcist.
He is
not a
power,
he is
the power.
power.
He is
the power
that doesn't
need any
tricks in
his bag
because his
word is
enough.
And so
that is why
these people
are able to
say,
what is
this,
a new
teaching
with
authority?
For us,
we respond
to Jesus
by recognizing
how powerful
he is.
We recognize
that as we
submit to
him and
obey him.
we recognize
that as we
take comfort
and joy
and hope
in knowing
that there
is no
force that
can stand
against him.
It's this
same power
that he's
going to
use to
bring freedom
to us from
the bondage
of evil.
It's this
same power
that he's
going to
use one
day to
bring full
and final
freedom in
this world.
And so we
trust and
we hope in
him.
He is the
only one who
can put
death to
death.
Jesus is
the only
one who
can defeat
and end
the kingdom
of darkness.
And that's
what we're
going to see
later on
in the
Gospel of
Mark.
When Jesus
dies on
the cross
and raises
again from
the dead,
he also
shows a
power that
no one
else has.
He shows
the power
to defeat
death.
And so
that's why
the Apostle
Paul tells
us in
1 Corinthians
15,
then comes
the end
when he,
that is
Jesus,
delivers the
kingdom to
God the
Father after
destroying
every rule
and every
authority and
power.
For he must
reign until
he has put
all his
enemies under
his feet.
The last
enemy to
be destroyed
is death.
Jesus has
ultimate power
over evil
in this
world.
He will
show it
by ending
even death
itself.
Who is
Jesus?
Jesus.
He is the
one with
the greatest
power.
Power like
we have
never seen
before.
How do we
respond to
him?
We love
him.
We obey
him.
We trust
in him.
We take
hope in
him.
In his
first book,
in the
Chronicles of
Narnia series,
The Lion,
the Witch,
and the
Wardrobe,
C.S.
Lewis tells
us the story
of the
Pivensey
children who
have to move
away from
their home
because of
the bombing
during the
World War.
They enter
the world
of Narnia
and they
quickly meet
the Beaver
family.
When they
meet the
Beaver
family,
they have
dinner with
them.
After they
have dinner
with them,
they sit
down to
talk and
they find
out about
this lion
named Aslan
who, of
course,
they've never
heard of
before because
they've never
been in
Narnia before.
They have
to ask,
who is
this person?
Who is
Aslan?
Asked
Susan.
They begin
to explain.
Aslan is
this great
king.
He's going
to come
back and
he's going
to make
everything
right.
There's
this poem,
wrong will
be right
when Aslan
comes in
sight.
At the
sound of
his roar,
sorrows
will be
no more.
Lucy wants
to know
if Aslan's
a man.
She's
surprised to
find out
that he's
a lion.
And so
Susan has
this final
question.
Oh, said
Susan, I
thought he
was a
man.
Is he
quite safe?
I shall
feel rather
nervous about
meeting a
lion.
That you
will, dearie,
and no
mistake, said
Mrs.
Beaver.
If there's
anyone who
can appear
before Aslan
without their
knees knocking,
they're either
braver than
most or else
just silly.
Then he
isn't safe,
said Lucy.
Safe, said
Mr.
Beaver.
Don't you hear
what Mrs.
Beaver tells
you?
Who said
anything about
safe?
Of course
he isn't
safe, but
he's good.
He is the
king, I
tell you.
Brothers and
sisters, Jesus
is not
safe.
He is the
one who
comes with
authority.
He comes
with authority
in his
teaching.
He comes
with authority
in his
power over
evil and
darkness and
sin.
But he
is good.
Will you
listen to
him?
Will you
obey him?
Will you
follow him?
Let's pray.
Our Father
in heaven,
we thank
you that
you aren't
safe, that
you are
dangerous and
powerful enough
to protect
us from
evil.
We ask
that you
would give
us the
confidence and
the hope
that comes
from that,
and you
would give
us the
trust and
obedience and
submission to
you that
comes from
knowing that
you are the
authority in
this world and
you are more
powerful than
anyone else.
We thank
you that you
showed your
power, not
in strength but
in weakness,
when Jesus
died for us on
the cross,
taking the
punishment that
we deserved
and raised from
the dead so
that we could
live with him
in new life.
We ask these
things, thankful
that we haven't
done anything to
earn them, but
instead we ask
them in Jesus'
name.
Amen.
For our
closing hymn,
спасибо.
Amen.
,
amen.