February 22
Lev 13:1-59 | PS 39:1-13 | Prov 10:10 | Mark 6:1-29
So often people state their unbelief in God based on something that happened tragically in their lives: a death of a loved one, an illness that won’t go away, a nation in which evil seems to have the upper hand, etc. It’s an interesting concept because those making such comments often have no real relationship with God. It would be like someone else’s child being angry at me for not providing or helping them though they not really knowing me. God is sovereign and will decide whom He heals, etc. But for our part of the equation faith is necessary. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1), or put another way is “trusting in something you cannot explicitly prove”. Faith requires two components: intellectual assent and trust. Many use the example of a chair. You need to believe that the chair is indeed designed to support your weight, but trust is required to actually put your full weight in that chair. Many know the facts about Father God and Jesus, intellectually able to recite facts they have been taught, but have never really placed their trust in Him. Our trust must be based on Who He is, not what He may or may not do for us. With true trust will come repentance as we change our minds and release our sins to Him knowing that His ways are always correct and our ways when they contradict His are always wrong.
So we read the event of Jesus returning to Nazareth, the town which He grew up in. They certainly knew who He was intellectually. He grew up in their midst. But they failed to step out in faith and accept Him as Lord. We read this in Mark 6:2-3, “The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?” Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.” And we see that this lack of faith had a direct correlation with what Jesus did in that town, as we read in 6:4-6, “Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.”Jesus instructed the same with His disciples whom He sent out with the ability to heal and cast out demons, as we read in 6:11, “But if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.”
Don’t miss the presence or absence of faith in the previous miracles we have witnessed. The woman bleeding for twelve years reached out in faith trusting Jesus could heal her in Mark 5:25-34. Jairus continued on his journey to heal his daughter who had already died in 5:35-43. Notice the mourners had no faith, even mocked Him, and were told to leave prior to the miracle of bringing Jairus’ daughter back to life. So, we need to all honestly assess ourselves. Do you completely lack faith? Do you agree intellectually based on what you were taught, but don’t really trust Him? Realize religion often provides enough to innoculate an individual. Provide enough facts and prevent one from truly embarking on a life saving relationship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is real and He can be trusted. Please step out in faith and trust Him. You never know how your life might look and change unless you are willing to step out in faith and truly experience a new birth.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: