Having begun His earthly ministry, and having performed several miracles along the way, Jesus called Levi to follow Him.
Levi was a publican, a Jewish man who had taken on the role of tax collector for the Roman government. For most Jews in Israel at the time, there was no lower life form. To the Pharisees, if a man became a publican, he had sold out his portion of Israel’s inheritance and his stake in the Kingdom of God. To the Pharisees, publicans could never be saved and would never go to Heaven.
Being cast out of Jewish society, many publicans took to self-indulgence and sinful lifestyles, which is why you often see sinners and publicans mentioned in the same sentences in the New Testament.
So, here you have Levi. Named after the son of Jacob who became the father of the Levitical tribe. Levi’s tribal namesake was responsible for the upkeep of the Tabernacle in the Old Testament, and for the upkeep of the Temple in Jesus’ day. The Levites were given six cities in which to live, cities that became “cities of refuge” for those trying to escape retribution from accusations over fatal accidents.
But, even with all this heritage, Levi sits at the receipt of custom, alienated from his countrymen, and a friend to sinners and other publicans.
And it was in that state that Jesus called Him to be a disciple, and Levi happily followed. He would later be renamed “Matthew,” which is a variation of the Greek word for “disciple.”
Having been called to be a disciple of Jesus, Levi holds a dinner for his sinner and publican friends. And in this passage, we see the mission of Christ on full display.
Levi’s plight reminds us of who we are, sinners who are irredeemable without the grace and mercy of God. We see what God did, in sending Jesus Christ to redeem us from sin. And, we see the proper response to the Gospel, which is repentance and faith.
You’ve probably heard the saying, “To err is human, to forgive is divine.”
That saying is not exactly scripture, but the truth is that man sins, and God forgives.
So, when it comes to the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well, you see the Lord’s divine nature as He confronts her sin, then discusses worship while calling her and her entire community to faith. In that series of events, we see the Lord’s commitment to salvation, His divine knowledge, and His declaration that He is the Christ.
The interesting thing about this account in scripture is Jesus “must needs go through Samaria (John 4:4).” The fact that the Lord not only went through Samaria, but that He had an intense purpose for going through Samaria bucked every convention of that day.
When traveling between Judea and Galilee, most Jews crossed the Jordan river and traveled on the East Side of the river to avoid the Samaritans. There was a deep divide between the Samaritans and Jews that was as much ethnical as it was cultural. This division dated back to the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, as the Israelites were returning to the Holy Land following the Babylonian captivity.
But, Jesus “must needs go through Samaria.” He needed to go. He was compelled to go.
When He meets the woman at the well, we find out why. He was there because there were lost souls in Samaria, completely written off by the Jewish society at the time, who were seeking salvation.
In His desire to go to Samaria, we see the Lord’s commitment to salvation.
Then, we see His divine knowledge. He knew the woman would be there. He knew everything about her. Further, He knew that this visit would lead to the salvation of many souls in Samaria.
Then, the Lord declared plainly to the woman that He was the Christ. When the woman said, “I know that when Messiah comes He will tell us all things,” Jesus replied, “I that speak to thee am He.”
While most sermons focus on the lost condition of the woman and her journey to faith, in this episode of Ancient Scrolling, we examine how this divinely appointed meeting demonstrates the deity of Christ.
One of the most forgotten attributes of Christ is His healing power.
As Christians, we love to discuss salvation, family, work ethic, and morals. However, many times people enter the doors of our churches carrying the pain that life too often brings.
Whether that pain is grief over a lost loved one, the emotional damage brought on by divorce, the fear that ensues losing a job, or the literal pain of a chronic illness.
Many live resigned to the idea that the pain will never go away, and that the scars will remain indefinitely. This resignation, however, completely overlooks the fact that Christ is the Great Physician. He heals, calms and restores.
In Mark 1, we see the power of Christ to heal physical disease on full display as the Lord heals Peter’s mother-in-law from a fever. While we at Life Point completely support the use of modern medicine and accessing the healthcare system, we have not forgotten that the Lord can, and often does, heal us of physical disease. And when He chooses not to heal, we find peace in His plan, knowing that He brings all things into our lives for good.
For the most part, the Lord has blessed us to live in a time when medicine has advanced far beyond anything it has accomplished in human history. Those living today have unparalleled opportunity to be healed of viruses, infections, heart disease and organ failure, and even cancer in many situations. Diseases that were once terminal just a few decades ago can be managed with the patient living a meaningful life.
Still, the Lord has been known to heal supernaturally. In cases when He doesn’t heal, we are often reminded that the Lord often uses disease to transition us from this life into the next, where we will be in His presence and there will be no more pain or suffering.
What most people struggle with, however, is emotional and Spiritual pain. While modern medicine is making advancements against cancer and diabetes, it has very little to offer in terms of healing emotional and Spiritual pain.
There are medications that can numb the pain and manage mood swings, but no medication can heal grief or regret. No medication can resolve an ongoing conflict or secure victory in a Spiritual battle.
However, the Lord can.
We see His power to do this on full display as He cleansed the leper in Mark 1. Now, on the surface, it may appear that healing leprosy would fall under the heading of physical healing, and on the surface, you would be correct.
But leprosy presents a far deeper symbolism in scripture. Leprosy is very similar to sin, in that it infects, scars and disfigures, and can have an affect not only on the leper himself, but on those who come into contact with him.
This is why the Old Testament law went into such detail as to how lepers were to behave, how lepers were to be treated, and if cleansed, how their cleansing was to be made official via temple rituals.
When Jesus cleansed the lepers, He not only demonstrated His power over physical disease, but He demonstrated His power to cleanse and restore us from the devastation of sin, and from the pain of grief and regret.
Last, but certainly not least, the Lord demonstrated His power to forgive sin.
In Mark 2:1-13, we see Jesus in a house, surrounded by the “press,” when four friends broke a hole open in the roof and lowered their disabled friend to Jesus to be healed. Jesus first response was to tell the man that his sins were forgiven.
The Pharisees balked, saying to themselves that only God had the power to forgive sin. When Jesus perceived their thoughts, He healed the man’s disease to prove His divine power, and His power to forgive sin.
In the above posted edition of The Point, we go into greater detail about the Lord’s power to heal. He heals us on multiple levels. That fact should bring us relief, joy and peace.
Mark wrote his account of the Gospel to demonstrate to us Who Christ is, not only by recording His actions, but also by giving us a written account of His death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The ultimate goal of Mark’s writings, and the writings of any New Testament author, is to build our faith.
By recording His actions, Mark paints a vivid picture of Who Jesus of Nazareth was, makes the case that He is the Christ, the Messiah, moreover the Savior of all mankind.
He opened His Gospel by showing how Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the messenger that would go before the Lord. While this prophesied messenger was indeed John the Baptist, Mark pointed out how John the Baptist clearly identified Jesus as being the Christ.
As he continues his opening statement, Mark demonstrates the authority of Christ by showing His authority to call the disciples into apostleship, His authority to teach, and His authority over demons.
In Mark 1:16-20, Mark writes:
Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. 18 And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him. 19 And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets. 20 And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.
Here, Mark records how Jesus called Simon (Peter) and Andrew, as well as James and John, to follow Him. When the Lord called them, He called them to follow Him, to learn from Him, and to help Him fulfill His mission. Likewise, when the Lord calls us, He calls us to salvation, to learn from Him, and to join His mission of spreading the Gospel.
Now, when He called them, He told them He would make them fishers of men. To them, fishing was a labor intense occupation where teams of men would drag nets throughout the sea to gather as many fish as they could. To be a fisher of men means to drag the net of the Gospel through the sea of humanity to bring as many to Christ as possible. This was a team effort.
Throughout the early years of Christianity, we see that it was always a team effort. The apostles always worked together in groups, whether they were sent out two-by-two by Christ into the villages of Galilee, or whether they were working together in the church of Jerusalem to preach the Gospel in the Temple court.
The Apostle Paul only traveled alone when he had to flee violence. However, during his missionary journeys, he always had people with him. Barnabas and Mark accompanied him on the first missionary journey. Other teammates to Paul included Luke, Silas, Timothy and Titus. Read any of Paul’s epistles, and you will see when he signs off that he lists the individuals who were with him who also sent their greetings to the church addressed in the letter.
Like the apostles, we are called to work as a team to spread, promote, propagate, publish and share the Gospel. We promote things all the time. We share funny posts on social media, we talk about our favorite TV shows and music, and we praise the restaurants that deliver amazing meals to our table. I’ll be sharing a link to this post as soon as I finish writing it.
Why don’t we share the Gospel more?
Social media is your story to the world. Through your posts and your comments, you tell the world Who you are and what you stand for. That story needs to center on the Gospel.
Like the Apostles were called to work together as a team in the ministry of Christ, we, too, are called to work as a team. There are no lone rangers in God’s work. We are to work as a team to spread the Gospel.
This is why much of the work in the Gospel is accomplished through the local church. We gather for worship, collect offerings to fund missionary endeavors, and we perform church outreach efforts. We fish together.
It is worth noting that when the Lord called us, He called us with the same authority with which He called His disciples on the shores of Galilee. This means that following the Lord’s call is not an optional feature to the Christian life. It is something the Lord calls us to, and something He expects from us.
Ephesians 2:8-9 say that it is by grace through faith that you are saved, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast. However, many Christians overlook verse 10, which says we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.
We were created to follow the Lord’s call, and to do His will, and to make an impact for the Kingdom.
Now, many Christians will object, citing work obligations, financial stress, and a busy family life. It is worth noting that the Apostles had things going on when the Lord called them as well. Simon and Andrew weren’t fishing as a hobby. Their abilities to feed their families depended on them having a successful catch.
James and John were not engaged in recreational crafting when they were mending their father’s nets. Those nets needed to be repaired in order to have another successful catch.
When Jesus called, they quickly left behind their livelihoods to follow. That requires faith.
The Lord has not necessarily called you to quit your job at 3M, the school, the state, or the phone company. However, using it as an excuse to fail to follow the Lord’s calling on your life will not work. By the authority in the Lord’s call, we have to prioritize the work of the Gospel.
Mark’s attention then turned to the Lord’s authority in how He taught.
Mark 1:21-22:
And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. 22 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.
When Jesus taught in the synagogue, He did not spend time quoting other rabbis, discussing tradition, and sharing thoughts and ideas. He boldly proclaimed what the scriptures actually said. And what astonished those in attendance was the authority and certainty in which He delivered His teaching.
Well, of course He taught with authority. Not only were the scriptures about His redemption of His people, but it was through His Spirit that the scriptures were inspired and written in the first place.
There is a scene in the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, where the white witch confronts Aslan the Lion about Edmunds betrayal, citing the deep magic’s requirement for such a one to be punished. Aslan responded by saying, “Do not cite the deep magic to me, I was there when it was written.”
In his Chronicles of Narnia series, C.S. Lewis attempted to explain the Christian faith in the form of a fantastical story involving talking animals and humans. In the Narnia universe, the deep magic was their scripture. Aslan the Lion was Lewis’ Christ-like figure, who submitted himself as a sacrifice for the betrayal of Edmund (and the sins of the creation). And in this scene, Aslan reminds everyone of His divinity and authority.
Likewise, when Christ taught in the synagogues, He was not merely another rabbi or scholar. He was the One Who inspired the scriptures, He was the subject of the scriptures, and His message, embedded in the scriptures, was redemption.
John 1 tells us that Christ was in the beginning with God, and that He was God, and that He created all things. Having created all things, then revealing Himself through scripture, we learn that Christ is the ultimate authority in the universe.
The scriptures were written by His authority and they say what He wanted said.
Therefore, when we study scripture, we are not merely reading a religious text or the works of a theological writer. We are reading the very words of God. We are in no place to reconsider, retranslate, reword, or question.
After demonstrating the Lord’s authority to call and His authority to teach, Mark showed us the Lord’s authority over demons.
Mark 1:23-26:
And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. 25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. 26 And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.
Notice that, not only did the demon fear Jesus, but had to obey what Jesus told Him to do.
God and Satan are not two divine beings who are battling each other in a struggle of similar powers. God is God, has infinite power. Satan is a created being at the mercy of God’s power. Satan, therefore, has to obey and do what God orders. The same with demons.
So, when Jesus commanded the demon to come out of the man, he was forced to comply.
Demons have no power over the Lord. Further, Satan has no power with God either. He’s not a superboss at the end of a video game. He is a glorified demon. Nothing more.
Therefore, we can quit making Satan out to be a boogeyman, and we can quit fearing His antics. Go forward in faith, trust the Lord, and trust His call on your life.
Psalm 91:1 says, “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
We will find peace when we learn to live close to the Lord, under His authority, and depend on Him for our purpose, beliefs and protection.
The Psalms are songs of praise to God, some written on certain occasions, and others written just to proclaim His glory. The context of Psalm 46 is debated. Some attribute it to King David after a battle was won. Some attribute it to the deliverance of Jerusalem from Assyria during the reign of King Hezekiah, in which the Assyrian army was miraculously wiped out by God. But, Psalm 46 is a Psalm of praise, praising God for His deliverance and the hope He gives.
In this world, we will face trouble. There’s the geo-political and economic troubles we see on the news. But then there’s our personal troubles. Jesus said in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
In Psalm 46, we are remined that God is our refuge, that He is our hope, And we are invited to remember His marvelous works.
GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH.
Verse 1 – God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
God is our refuge. He is where we can go to escape the trials and tribulations of life.We can look to Him for peace and comfort.We can lift up our concerns to Him in prayer, and know He hears and He does good for us (Romans 8:28).
God is our strength. He is the source of life.He is the force that gives us life and keeps us going.We press onward, not by our own strength, and not because we have to, but because He enables us, and powers us forward. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.
He is our refuge and strength because He has redeemed us, given us new life through Christ, and an eternal hope in His Kingdom. Everything in this life is temporary, and soon we will be rescued from the trouble of this life.
Verses 2-3 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
Therefore, since God is our refuge and strength, we will not fear. We will not be overcome with anxiety. We will not entertain the thought that our ruin and demise has come.
Though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. Though the things that we felt were unmovable moved… Though the things we relied upon have failed. Though our security blankets have unraveled, we will not fear. We will not tremble before this world. And we will not lose hope.
Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled… Though things in this life rise up and intimidate us…Though our fears become reality…
Job said in Job 3:25, “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.”
Maybe your worst fear is coming upon you… Yet, you shouldn’t fear, because God is your refuge and strength.
In remembering God as our refuge and strength, we need to remember the hope He has given us.
THE HOPE GOD HAS GIVEN US.
Verse 4- There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
The psalmist has stated that we will not fear, because God is our refuge and strength.He then lists some of the most cataclysmic things that could strike fear in our hearts (the mountains being carried into the sea…)
Then, He redirects us to the hope by painting a picture of the city of God… and He starts this picture with a river. There is just something peaceful about sitting next to a river. But for a city, a river is a source of life, provision of water, and possibly commerce. When the writer references the City of God, He isn’t talking about Jerusalem, because there is no river in Jerusalem. The writer is referencing the Heavenly City… New Jerusalem. And the river… the river of life. The writer is referencing our eternal home, God’s house with many rooms. The place Christ said He was going to prepare for us.
Heaven will be a place of eternal peace and rest. No anxiety, No trauma, no triggers, no painful memories haunting us. No problems, no turbulence, no tribulation.
Verse 5 – God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
The best part of Heaven will be the presence of God, and dwelling with our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 14:3 – And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
The most comforting words the disciples heard in Jesus’ comments in John 14… “That where I am, there ye may be also.”
If your faith and hope is in Christ, then the hope that you have in Heaven is seeing and living with Jesus. The Lord’s presence in Heaven will make it what we expect it to be.
Verses 6-7 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
The Lord will have ended sin and iniquity on earth. He will have set everything at peace. And He is with us, and will be our refuge.
BEHOLD THE WORKS OF THE LORD.
Verses 8-9 Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. 9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
Look at what God has done.
He’s ended wars and defeated the fiercest of enemies.He delivered Israel from Egypt, from the Amalekites, Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians, Hittites and others. He has brought us through the worst life has thrown at us. He has raised up our nation, and given us His word.
God, who gave His Son to redeem us, will not withhold that which is good from us.
Romans 8:32 – He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Knowing what God did for us in the Gospel, what makes us think that He won’t carry us the rest of the way through?
Psalm 46:10-11 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
Be still and know that He is God. Trust God. Trust His timing. Wait for His perfect timing. He will be exalted. He will be victorious. And, He is with us. (If God be for us, who can be against us?)
FINAL – There’s a lot of turbulence in the world today. Praise be to God that we can look to Him and find peace.
Have you ever thought about how deeply Noah must have trusted God?
God warned Noah that He would bring a flood to destroy all flesh from the earth. Up until this point, it had never even rained, let alone flooded. So, what God was describing to Noah was something that had never happened in the history of mankind up until that point.
Furthermore, to be saved from the flood, God instructed Noah to build an ark, detailing the specifications, dimensions and construction type. To our knowledge, man had yet to even build a boat.
So, God told Noah that something that had never before happened was going to happen, therefore he must build a vessel that has never been built. Unprecedented weather patterns were on the way, and Noah must employ untested technology to survive the flood.
But, Noah trusted God. So, when God warned Noah of the flood, Noah believed God. And when God told Noah to build the ark, and how to build the ark, Noah built the ark according to God’s designs. Why? Because Noah trusted God.
Hebrews 11:7 states, “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”
Noah’s faith was the reason he believed God, and it was also the reason he moved quickly (moved with fear) to do what God instructed. Since Noah had this faith, God withheld the flood until the ark was finished.
Noah had faith, and that faith saved Noah, but that faith also motivated action. What does your faith motivate you to do?
The Lord Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God, the embodiment of God Himself, the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us, Who created all things and gave us life, took on the role of the lowest ranking servant in the household, and washed His disciples feet.
In this one act of humble service, the Lord not only demonstrated His indescribable humility, but sent a message that pride, self-centered ambition and promotion, and the establishment of rank and pecking order have no place in God’s Kingdom.
Think about it. If washing the feet of the disciples is not beneath Jesus, then nothing is beneath Jesus. And if nothing is beneath Jesus, how can we think that anything is beneath us, for the servant is not greater than the Master.
In this message, Pastor Leland Acker exhorts us to love one another, and humbly serve one another, taking time to understand each others’ needs and viewpoints. If we do so, we will find true happiness.
In Genesis 32, Jacob is following God’s direction to return to the Promised Land, however, there’s just one problem… Esau. The last time Jacob heard from Esau, Esau wanted to kill him. No doubt Esau still lived there, but the question was whether Esau was still angry. Despite God showing his favor upon Jacob in a very favorable way, Jacob still acts as if he is doomed once he sees Esau. That struggle in his faith sparked an epic wrestling match that continues to have implications today. Listen to our latest episode of The Gospel Expedition, on YouTube, or on Soundcloud.
Esau was a cunning hunter, a barbecue pitmaster, his father’s pride and joy, and a man who could get things done. He saw himself as a winner, was powerful and strong.
Jacob was a plain man, dwelt in the tents, and was an accomplished chef, administrator, and an excellent marketer.
Though they were brothers, and were very skilled in their vocations, their rivalry was one of the bitterest this world has ever seen. This rivalry would see Jacob deceiving their father Isaac, and swindling Esau in an underhanded trade agreement over lunch. And this rivalry would see Esau set out to murder Jacob in revenge for his antics.
In Genesis 25:27-34, Esau returns home after a day in the fields. Esau, the older brother, holds the birthright to his father’s estate by default. Being the holder of the birthright, the assumption is that he would also inherit the promises God made to Abraham, which had in turn been handed down to Isaac.
Jacob, the younger brother, knew that God’s promise would be handed down to him. This was a promise God made to Rebekah, his mother. Jacob understood that God’s favor and blessing was upon him, but for some reason, Jacob still felt that he had to be the one to make things happen.
So, when an exhausted Esau returns home after a tough day in the field, Jacob saw an opportunity. This occasion would see Esau denounce his birthright and God’s blessing, and would see Jacob put forth a dubious sales pitch in order to scam Esau out of the birthright.
Listen to The Gospel Expedition’s Episode 25, “Selling the Birthright,” on YouTube or Soundcloud.
Religion has so diluted Christianity that we struggle to understand a simple word like “faith.” This is nothing new. The first century Christians faced the same problem, which is why the writer of Hebrews spent the entire 11th chapter explaining what faith is.
The problem is that religion demands adherence, obedience, and loyalty. Religion demands purity in actions, and creed. In its demand for these things, the relationship between God and man, and God’s amazing grace that has been bestowed upon man, get relegated to merely being an introductory paragraph.
Attend any seminary, and you’ll learn that there is historical faith, saving faith, and true faith. Talk to some religious leaders, and you’ll learn that there is a living faith and a dead faith. Some will even define faith as a system or a doctrine to be followed.
All of this ignores the fact that God gave us His word… and words have meanings and definitions.
Language is a gift from God. We speak in language and understand each other every day, most of the time without really thinking about it. When you tell me that you believe me, I don’t parse your statement to determine if the fact that you believe me will accompany obedience to me, or whether your belief in me is living or dead. I simply understand that, when you say you believe me, you are taking me at my word.
So it is with faith. The biblical dictionary definition of faith (this is a combination of the Strongs and Thayer’s definitions) is a deep-rooted trust, or a conviction of the truth. Simply put, faith means trust.
Hebrews 11:6 describes what it means to have a deep-rooted trust in God, and a conviction of His truth. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”
Faith in God means believing that He is, and that He is Who He says He is. It also means to trust that God is good, and that He will respond to your faith. He will reward your diligent search for Him and His truth.
Faith means believing God is, and that God is good.
Faith really is that simple. And that simple faith is the faith that saves.
The Point... 