Rethinking Your Presumptions

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  • Date: Sunday, July 18, 2010
  • Speaker: Jason Smith
  • Series: Jesus in 3D: Seeing Jesus through the Gospel of Mark
  • Scripture: Mark 2:18–3:6

Over the years, there have been a great many laws introduced and enforced for various reasons, some good, some bad, and some that were just plain dumb. Some remain on the books primarily because they have been overlooked or forgotten. Others are current laws that haven't been pointed out yet as being dumb!  These are just a few example of what happens when a politician decides to micromanage the behavior of its people.    When it comes to driving: In Tennessee, it is illegal to shoot any animal from a moving vehicle...except whales.    In Utah, birds have the right of way on any public highway.   In Memphis, Tennessee, a woman is not to drive a car unless a man warns approaching motorists or pedestrians by walking in front of the car that is being driven.    When it comes to hygiene: In Kentucky, it's the law that a person must take a bath once a year.  While in Boston, it is against the law to take more than 2 baths a month. In Michigan, if a married lady plans on cutting her hair, she must ask for permission from her husband. Failure to ask her husband if she can trim her hair could result in jail time.   When it comes to animals: In Alaska, it is perfectly legal to shoot a bear, it is NOT legal to wake a sleeping bear so that you may take its picture!   In Illinois, You may not give domesticated animals a lighted cigar.  In Florida, it is against the law to put livestock on a school bus.   When it comes to relationships: It is against the law in Connecticut for a man to write love letters to a girl whose mother or father has forbidden the relationship.  In Michigan, married couples must live together or be imprisoned.   In Iowa, a man with a moustache could never kiss a woman in public, and "legal" kisses could not last for more than five minutes.   The dumb laws even extend over the church.  In Virginia, horses of more than one year old are prohibited in a place of worship.  In Idanha, Oregon, no one can eat unshelled, roasted peanuts while attending church.  In Leecreek, Arkansas, no citizen is allowed to attend church in any red-colored garment.  In Slaughter, Louisiana turtle races are not permitted within 100 yards of a local church at anytime.  Another church law in Virginia states that swinging a yo-yo in church or anywhere in public on the Sabbath is prohibited.  Finally, in Nicholas County, WV, no Clergy shall tell a joke from the pulpit.

We laugh, but when it comes to our faith we are easily tempted to develop all kinds of rules and regulations that we place not only on ourselves, but we place on others with the intent of protecting ourselves from even coming close to disobeying God’s commands.  This dates all the way back to Eve, when being tempted by Satan, adding that she was not even touch the fruit.  This desire to control ourselves and others comes from insecurity in our relationship with God and a lack of understanding of the gospel of grace.  Robert Roberts said it this way, “There’s something comfortable about reducing Christianity to a list of do’s and don’ts, whether your list comes from mindless fundamentalism or mindless liberalism: you always know where you stand, and this helps reduce anxiety.  Do’s-and-don’ts-ism has the advantage that you don’t need wisdom.  You don’t have to think subtly or make hard choices.  You don’t have to relate personally to a demanding and loving Lord.”  Over the last several weeks we have been exploring the gospel of Mark seeking to see Jesus in 3D.  Last week, we got a taste of how Jesus’ words and works were so audacious that people were asking, “Who does this guy think that He is?”  Today as we look at Mark 2:18-3:6, we are going to see Jesus challenging all sorts of presumptions and practices of the religious and moral establishment of His day.   As we look at each of these encounters with Jesus, we will see a question, a response, and the point that Jesus is driving home.  

My hope is that you will leave here today realizing that BIG IDEA:  Jesus Changes Everything!   He doesn’t simply help you with your old life.  He gives you a whole new life.  He won’t help you with your agenda.  He gives you a whole new agenda.   If you come to see Jesus in 3D, Jesus changes everything.  Our challenge is to embrace the change.  

The first change we must embrace is From Religion to Relationship –

  • THE QUESTION: Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, "Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” (Mark 2:18, ESV)   
  • THE RESPONSE: And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.   (Mark 2:19-20, ESV)
  • THE POINT: No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins. (Mark 2:21-22, ESV)

BIG IDEA:  Jesus Changes Everything!

The second change we must embrace is From Rules to Rest

  • THE QUESTION: One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees were saying to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?“            (Mark 2:23-24, ESV)
  • THE RESPONSE: And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?"            (Mark 2:25-26, ESV)
  • THE POINT: And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.“ (Mark 2:27-28, ESV)

BIG IDEA:  Jesus Changes Everything!

The third change we must embrace is From Restriction to Restoration

  • THE QUESTION: Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, "Come here." And he said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" (Mark 3:1-4, ESV)
  • THE RESPONSE: But they were silent. (Mark 3:4, ESV)
  • THE POINT: And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. (Mark 3:5-6, ESV)

BIG IDEA:  Jesus Changes Everything!

The question for each of us today is Have you be changed by JESUS?  Have you allowed Him to come into your life and set loose your presumptions and practices?  Have you allowed Him to come into your life through a personal relationship as your Savior and Lord?  Have you allowed Him to give you the rest that comes only through knowing Him as the Lord of the Sabbath?  Have you allowed Him to restore your heart and soul from its shriveled up state to all that it was created to be?