“Demons Tremble…Hearts Awaken”

 The Book of Mark:

“Encountering the Miracles and Mission of Jesus Christ”

Opening Illustration:

Good morning brothers and sisters. I am so excited to start a new 20 week sermon series that will take us all the way through the summer months and into the fall. In fact, this series won’t end until August 18th. The name of this series is creatively entitled “The Book of Mark”. My hope as we study Mark’s Gospel is that we will encounter the miracles and the mission of Jesus Christ. You know, there are a lot of things that set Mark’s account of Jesus’ life apart from Matthew, Luke, and John. 

First off, the spotlight of Mark’s Gospel is almost always on the idea of discipleship. Mark’s Gospel is the shortest of the four Gospel. It is also deemed the earliest written among the other Gospel narratives. Mark’s Gospel was also written to a Gentile community, specifically written for a Roman audience. Mark is thought to have been an early disciple of Peter. He aims, successfully I might add, to show Jesus as the suffering servant as prophesied about in the Old Testament book of Isaiah. If you are a new Christian, you might really enjoy Mark’s account because it get’s straight to the point, straight to the story of Jesus’ life, His ministry, His miracles, and His mission of loving people. 

Now, what do I love about Mark? In preparation for this series, I have read the Gospel of Mark probably 40 times. Just reading, praying, highlighting, underlining, and reading commentaries. Here is the one thing that I truly love about his account. I love the fact that Mark captures Jesus’ unwillingness to be put in a man made box. The disciples wanted Jesus to be their Teacher and Master, but Jesus would be more. The Pharisees wanted Him to relinquish to them His power and authority, but Jesus wouldn’t comply. The people wanted Jesus to be their triumphant earthly King, but Jesus had His own agenda. The priests just wanted Jesus to rubber stamp their money making operation within the temple, but Jesus beat them with whips and flipped their tables. The Roman government just wanted Jesus to shut up and go away, but Jesus refused to stay silent and He certainly wouldn’t stay dead. 

Today’s Message:

“Demons Tremble…Hearts Awaken”

This morning, we will dive into our first message in Mark entitled “Demons Tremble…Hearts Awaken”. 

Background and Context:

In just a moment we will read from God’s Word but I want to take just a second and set the scene for you. After all, we are going to skip down about 20 verses. So, let me share with you what happened for this incident in the city of Capernaum. Jesus has called His first disciples, Simon, Andrew, James, and John, right by the shores of the Sea of Galilee. These are the first of Jesus’ disciples. They leave everything to follow Him. Pretty amazing when you stop to think about it. 

Now, as we move to the passage at hand, Jesus and His newly chosen disciples enter Capernaum. And what unfolds next is simply extraordinary!

As they enter the synagogue on the Sabbath day, Jesus begins to teach with such authority and power that the people were amazed. Picture the scene: Jesus, filled with the Spirit of God, speaking words of truth and life that captivate the hearts of everyone present.

But suddenly, amidst this atmosphere of awe, a man possessed by an unclean spirit cries out, disrupting the tranquility of the moment. Now, let me tell you, when darkness encounters the light, there's bound to be a clash!

Yet, Jesus, undeterred and unafraid, rebukes the unclean spirit with authority, commanding it to come out of the man. And just like that, the unclean spirit obeys, leaving the man astonished and the crowd amazed!

Can you imagine witnessing such a miraculous display of God's power right before your eyes? It's truly awe-inspiring!

You know friends, people are still amazed, they are still astonished at Jesus’ authority even today. Do me a favor, fill in the blanks under today’s thought. People are still amazed and astonished at Jesus’ authority. 

Today’s Thought:

People Are Still Amazed And Astonished At Jesus’ Authority!

Did you know that last week, our church gathered with some 2.3 billion other Christians around the world to worship a risen Savior? We did. It amazes me how people have tried to erase Jesus, cancel Him, bury Him not just in dirt but underneath progressive talking points and liberal left leaning perverted sexual holidays but guess what, Jesus keeps rising. People have hated Him, questioned not only His motives but also His historicity but do you know what, Jesus just keeps moving forward. Scholars have tried to disprove Him, poke holes in His teachings, and do you know what folks, Jesus just keeps on advancing. Philosophers have tried to tear Him down, tear Him apart, and encouraged others to give up on Him, but do you know what friends, Jesus remains ever right, ever true, ever faithful, and always good. Ive been amazed myself as the ardent atheist relents and gives to Jesus their life. Ive been amazed myself when I see the addict trade their addiction for Christ’s holiness and righteousness. 

It reminds me of the song…

I stand amazed in the presence

Of Jesus the Nazarene

And wonder how He could love me

A sinner condemned, unclean

How marvelous, how wonderful

And my song will ever be

How marvelous, how wonderful

Is my Saviour's love for me

He took my sins and my sorrows

He made them his very own

He bore the burden to Calvary

He suffered and died for me

Oh, how marvelous, how wonderful

And my song shall ever be

How marvelous, how wonderful

Is my Saviour's love

Forever I will sing Your praise

Jesus, Risen King

Oh my God I stand amazed that You loved me

When with ransomed in glory

His face I at last shall see

It will be my joy through the ages

To sing of His love for me

How marvelous, how wonderful

And my song shall ever be

How marvelous, how wonderful

Is my Saviour's love

How marvelous, how wonderful

And my song shall ever be

How marvelous, how wonderful

Is my Saviour's love for me

People may have been amazed then but I want you to hear me loud and clear friends, people are still amazed at Jesus today. Don’t kid or fool yourselves, even those that doubt Him, hate Him, or those who try to deter Him, they too are also amazed at Jesus. 

You know, I don’t know who said this but I just love this quote that I read online the other day. I thought that I would share it with you this morning. It is our “Today’s Quote”. Check it out as I read it for you this morning. 

"The authority of Jesus Christ transcends time and space, reaching into every corner of existence and every dimension of reality. His word is the final word, His will the ultimate purpose, and His love the supreme force that governs all things. In Him, we find not only the answer to our deepest questions but also the fulfillment of our greatest longings. To acknowledge His lordship is to embrace the truth that He alone holds the keys to life, death, and eternity." 

Statement of Belief:

We believe the Bible to be inspired, God breathed, infallible, and authoritative. We believe the Bible is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training believer’s in righteousness. God’s Word gives life. It provides peace in trouble and protection in tribulation. It is alive, active, and cuts to the core of the human soul. Since there is no other book like it, let us stand to show our reverence and respect.

  

Today’s Quote:

"The authority of Jesus Christ transcends time and space, reaching into every corner of existence and every dimension of reality. His word is the final word, His will the ultimate purpose, and His love the supreme force that governs all things. In Him, we find not only the answer to our deepest questions but also the fulfillment of our greatest longings. To acknowledge His lordship is to embrace the truth that He alone holds the keys to life, death, and eternity." 

- Unknown

Today’s Scripture:

Mark 1:21-28 ESV

And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. [22] And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. [23] And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, [24] "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." [25] But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" [26] And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. [27] 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." [28] And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

Pastor: “This Is The Word of the Lord.”

Congregation: “Praise His Name. Praise His Holy Name.”

Three Lessons Revealed In Mark 1:21-28…

Lesson One: The Revelation of Christ’s Authority vs. 22

This morning I want to try to look at three lessons that at least I think are revealed in Mark 1:21-28. Our first lesson is the revelation of Christ’s authority. Let’s go back and reread verse 22. 

Mark 1:22 ESV

And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

So, what exactly is happening here? Why were the people so amazed and taken aback by Jesus’ “teachings”. After all, these people had been to the temple before. They had been to the synagogue. They had heard other rabbis, listened to other scribes, taken notes from the Pharisees. What made Jesus’ words so captivating? What made Him so special? 

Let’s talk about the “how”. How did Jesus teach? Jesus was an excellent, exceptionally powerful communicator. He was engaging. Commanding. He spoke with great passion and enthusiasm. There was nothing boring about His style, nothing normal about His delivery, nothing ordinary about His skill. Time and time again, throughout the pages of Scripture, we see people being utterly amazed, unbelievably astonished at Jesus’ teachings and at Jesus’ words. 

Matthew 12:33 the crowds were amazed…

Matthew 7:28 states “When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching…”

Matthew 9:8 uses a different word. It says that people were “awestruck” with Jesus words. Matthew 9:33 captures a story about a demon being removed, a mute man being made able to speak, the crowds were amazed and they said “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel”.

Again in Matthew 22:33, it says “when the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teachings.”

Jump to Mark. Mark 11:18 says that the entire “crowd was astonished at His teaching.”

Two times in Luke’s Gospel, Luke 13:17 and Luke 23:48, people being blown away by the words of Christ. 

Remember friends, just before this story happened, Jesus told a bunch of fisherman to leave their boats, to come follow Him. Jesus’ words were so powerful, so weighty, they dropped everything they were doing and ran…not walked, and chased Him down. They did not consult their families. They did not ask for outside opinions. They did not go to their local pastor and ask him to pray about their decision to change careers. They did it all because of how Jesus spoke. Remember this is the same Jesus who spoke everything  into existence by the power of His Word. 

John 1:1-4 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was in the beginning with God. [3] All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. [4] In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 

Now, let’s answer the other part. The “what”. What did Jesus speak? Jesus message was radically different from the Pharisees, the religious leaders, and the scribes. The Pharisees taught that in order to gain favor with God, you must keep the rules, follow the commandments, and obey the law. It is what we call today a “works centered” or a “works based” theology. Simply put, we must work our way into God’s favor. If we follow the rules, God might show favor upon us. If we follow the commands, God may reward us with wealth, power, fame, glory, and honor. The Pharisees were men to prided themselves on their public holiness, and their personal piety. Jesus delivering a new message. It was a message of grace, mercy, and salvation. It was a message of repentance. Jesus would tell people that they must turn from their wicked ways, they must give their lives to God. Jesus told the people that one final sacrifice would be made and that if they were to put their faith in that sacrifice they would be saved. It was not about the rules, the commands, the old ways or the man made traditions. 

This message may seem ordinary and everyday to Christians today but it was revolutionary then. Frankly it is still revolutionary. We still have people, people in this very room, who are still trying to earn God’s favor. They may say that they believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior, but their lives don’t prove that out. They feel that they have to do this, say that, show up here, and give this much in order for God to love them. That is the same mentality of the Pharisees. It is the same mentality that Jesus wants to set us free from today. 

Oh friends, the how and the why of Jesus’ message will absolutely impact the why of your life…if you let it. Let me remind you of Luke’s words captured in Luke 4:32. 

 

Luke 4:32 NIV

They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority.

Three Lessons Revealed In Mark 1:21-28…

Lesson One: The Revelation of Christ’s Authority vs. 22

Lesson Two: The Confrontation With Evil vs. 25

So our first lesson is the revelation of Christ’s authority. So, what’s our second lesson? Our second lesson is the confrontation with evil. We see this illustrated in verses 23-26. Let’s go back and reread to see what happened. 

Mark 1:23-26 ESV

And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, [24] "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." [25] But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" [26] And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.

So again, let me set up the scene for you here. Jesus is in Capernaum. Capernaum was a thriving town with great wealth as well as great sin and decadence. Because it was the headquarters for many Roman troops, pagan influences from all over the Roman Empire were pervasive. This was an ideal place for Jesus to challenge both Jews and non-Jews with the Good News of God’s Kingdom. Friends, let me tell you a little secret, wherever there is great sin, there will always be a strong demonic presence. Jesus is at what we would call church. He is teaching, preaching, worshipping, and reading Holy Scripture. While in the middle of His teaching, a man who is possessed by demons begins to become a distraction. Notice that I did not say demon. I said demons. This man was possessed by numerous demonic presences. 

Evil spirits, or demons, are ruled by Satan. They work to deceive and destroy people by tempting them to sin and to become enslaved to sin. We know that evil spirits were not created by Satan, because God is the creator of all. Rather, they are fallen angels who joined Satan in his rebellion. Though not all disease comes from Satan, demons can cause a person to become mute, deaf, blind, or out of control. They desire to distort the image of God in us, placed in us from Creation. But in every case where demons confronted Jesus, they lost their power. Thus, God limits what evil spirits can do; they can do nothing without his permission.

Here is something to remember, just because you are in a place that some people find holy does not mean that Satan cannot have an influence. Sadly there are churches all around the world that are impacted by demonic spirits. Demonic spirits influences pastors to falsely teach, they influence church leaders to abuse the weak, they compel church members to lose sight of the mission of Christ and instead get focused on trivial matters. We have to guard ourselves and the church from demons and from Satan. 

Jesus teaches us how to deal with Satanic attack in a church setting or a religious setting. He dealt with it head on, fearless, and with faith. He recognized the presence of the demon. He realized its potential to damage the man and its potential to damage the congregation, and He rid the man and the church of the demon on His command and challenge. Friends, we must do the same. Anytime we see the presence of evil, it must be addressed. It cannot be hidden, shielded, pushed under the rug and forgotten about. The only way for evil to remain in us and in the church is for it to go unnoticed and unaddressed. 

Jesus confronted these evil demons, command them to exit, and they obeyed. 

This is a key thought here friends. Demons are not to be trivialized and they are not to be feared. They run at the name of Jesus and they obey the commands of a righteous man or woman. There is a problem with demons and Satan. Sadly, more and more Christians today do not believe in Satan, demons or hell. Did you know that 4 in 10 professing Christians do not believe that Satan is real, that Hell is a place that people are going to and even more, some 5 in 10 believe that Jesus actually sinned while He was on earth. The fact that nearly half of all professing Christians do not believe that Satan exists is actually proof that he does exist. Why? Because Satan is a liar. Let me repeat, Satan is a liar. Satan is also a larcenist. He is a thief. He steals our happiness, our joy, and our lives. He perverts God’s will for our lives. He convinces us that sin is good, that God is bad, and that we don’t need God because we can be our own god. 

Don’t like God’s direction, go your own way.

Don’t like your gender, alter it. 

Don’t like your parent’s rules, be a prodigal. 

Satan is a liar, a larcenist, this is true. Satan is also a loser. Thankfully, Satan has been defeated. He is a vanquished foe. He will not win and he cannot win. 

Romans 16:20 ESV remains us that “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”

Paul reminds us in Ephesians that we are not doing daily battle with physical forces but spiritual evil forces. 

Ephesians 6:12 NIV

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Three Lessons Revealed In Mark 1:21-28…

Lesson One: The Revelation of Christ’s Authority vs. 22

Lesson Two: The Confrontation With Evil vs. 25

Lesson Three: The Proclamation of The Gospel vs. 28   

So lesson one, the revelation of Christ’s authority. Lesson two was the confrontation with evil. Lastly, lesson three, the proclamation of the Gospel. Let’s go back to verse 28. 

Mark 1:28 ESV

And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

This is my favorite part about this story. Jesus does something fantastic and His fame spreads far and wide. Jesus teaching was enough to make Him famous, both how and what He was teaching. Then something spiritual happens, a man is set free from demon possession. This news, the power that Jesus demonstrates over the forces of evil, makes Him far more than a simple iterate preacher or traveling Rabbi. This man has power. Usual power. Unbelievable power. Unrivaled power. 

What about you friend? Do you want to make Jesus famous? Don’t get me wrong, He is famous. People know His name. People may know His name but do they know your story? Have you told them your testimony about what Jesus has done for you, how He changed your life, how He has impacted your world? You know, we often talk the most about the things we love. Ive lived in Alabama all my life. People love to talk about their favorite college team. They talk about the thing that they love. People love to talk about hunting or fishing. They talk about the thing that they love. They love to talk about technology, gadgets, and gizmos. They talk about the things that they love. Cars. Fashion, Clothing. Shopping. Working out. Whatever it is, people talk about the thing that they love the most. You can tell what you love the most by what you talk about. Think about that today. How much do you love Jesus. Do you love Him enough to talk about Him? Do you love Him enough to tell others about Him?

Closing Illustration:

I read the story of a young woman who out of curiosity entered a little Baptist  church one evening. She heard the gospel for the first time and was converted. Later she heard God’s call on her life to go to China as a missionary. She was the only daughter of a multi-millionaire. She was socially prominent and wealthy. But her parents were casual Christians, not committed followers of Christ. When she told them of her decision to go to the mission field, they sneered at the very idea. They were sure they could quickly put a stop to her passing whim.

The girl was being courted by a successful businessman who was also a casual Christian, just like her parents. When she approached him about surrendering his life to the Lord, he took a stand similar to her father and mother. Sometime later her parents gave a social function to which they invited their socially prominent, wealthy friends. The parents told these friends about their problem, and asked them to help change their daughter’s mind.

That evening the daughter listened in silence to the discouraging pleas of everyone at the party. She stood up, went to the piano, and began playing and singing: ‘Jesus, I my cross have taken. All to leave and follow Thee, Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou from hence my all shall be.’

The man who was courting her was deeply touched by her commitment. He walked over to her and said, ‘I did not know Jesus Christ could mean that much to any person. If He means that to you, go, carry your cross, and follow Him.

She did just that. She traveled to China where she became a passionate missionary. Lottie Moon started dozens of Christian schools, helped start local churches in China, and introduced thousands and thousands of Chinese people to their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She is partially responsible for the creation of the Cooperative Program and most especially the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. 

She lived her life to make Jesus famous. What about you? I will close with the words of Paul from Colossians 1:6

Colossians 1:6 NLT

This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives…

Go Make The Name of Jesus Famous!