The man in the crowd

 

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 6 FEBRUARY 2022

MARK 12 VERSES 28 – 34 – THE MAN IN THE CROWD

Jesus is drawing this man out to himself.  The Lord still does that.  He will draw men and women to himself and save their souls “thou art not far from the kingdom of God.”  Jesus knew his heart.  Are you in that same position – just a step away but you have never taken that final step. 

 First of all notice the company he had.  Although he is religious and devoted yet he is not saved.  This man is moving in religious circles.  He jumps at the opportunity to come into Jesus’ company.  One of the scribes had respect and would have been revered.  Like Cornelius, one morning on his knees before the God of heaven.  Yet with all his good works and religiosity he wanted to be saved.  God saw and heard him.  He sent an angel to tell him to send for Peter in Joppa.  “He will show you through his words how Jesus suffered and bled and died then rose again for your sins.”  This man was like Cornelius, among the religious company of that day.  He had a great knowledge of the day.  Verse 28 “perceiving that he had answered them well”.  He was listening to the questions and answers given by Jesus, adding them up to the scriptures.  He knew Jesus was answering well.  Like the Bereans when Paul preached – they searched the scriptures to see if these things were so.  Remember Nicodemus when he came to the Lord by night.  “We know thou art a teacher come from God.”  There was no doubt he had gone through every message preached by Jesus.  He came to the conclusion that there was something special about Jesus.  Jesus is something special tonight.  He is the one who came into the world to seek and to save precious souls.  The Lord came into the world to seek and to save you.  He came into the world just for you.  He shed his blood just for you.  Remember when the wise men came searching for the newborn king.  They assumed he would be born in a palace, be a king.  They went in before Herod.  What was Herod’s reaction?  Did he call for his counsellors – no the religious people of that day. The scribes knew the word of God, knew the history of the Jewish religion.  Where is this king that is to be born?  The scribes stepped forward with the scrolls and opened them at Micah “in Bethlehem Judah for thus it is written by the prophet 600 years ago.”  It was written.  The scribes knew the word of God.  The good company they were in.  With all his learning it didn’t matter, with all his religiosity.  A good company, a knowledge of the scriptures yet Jesus said he was not far, not saved.  It is possible to be so near the kingdom and yet not in it.  Paul in Philippians tells what he was like an unconverted man, “circumcised the eighth day, he was of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching the law he was a Pharisee.  Ccncerning zeal he persecuted the church” yet not saved.  Is it possible you have been convicted of your sin?  Know what to do but never made it to the cross, never been saved?  It is possible to be an elder in the church, a Sunday School teacher, a minister in the pulpit but not saved.

The concerns this man had.  This man had concerns with the word of God.  It matters what God has to say – “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  Galatians “what saith the scriptures?”  It is not what the preacher had to say.  The Sadducees and Pharisees questioned Jesus.  This young man listened intently to what they had to say.  He knew they had answered well.  He turned and asked Jesus one question – “which is the first commandment?”  It was bothering him.  Maybe he used it as a way of tricking Jesus.  He wanted to know more.  Zacchaeus in the city of Jericho was going about his normal business, gathering in money for the Roman empire.  He had heard about the Lord, how he healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, even raised people from the dead.  Zacchaeus wanted to know more.  He heard he was coming to Jericho, his very city, his very door.  The crowd was so great.  He couldn’t see the Lord.  He was small in stature.  He decided to climb the sycamore tree for he knew the Lord would pass that way.  He was interested in the things of God.  Remember Lydia.  She set everything aside just to go down to the river.  She heard Paul preaching about God, how sin came into the world.  Maybe there is a misunderstanding of our sin.  We were born in sin and shapen in iniquity.  Are you concerned about the word of God and what it says about you?  Paul opened the word of God and Lydia’s heart was opened.  She received it into her heart.  It has nothing to do with the preacher.  He cannot save a soul.  As Paul preached about how sin came into the world, how God deals with sin, pointing to Christ who gave his life for the sin of the whole world.  Lydia was a religious woman but this was news to her.  The religious leaders of that day had rejected Christ.  This is the remedy for sin.  Lydia had never heard anything like this before.  She had the desire to be there, to hear the word.  We can be so religious, sit in church, be at the Lord’s table, put our weekly offering into the plate but there is only one way to be saved.

He was convinced of the biblical truth – verse 32.  “Master thou hast said the truth.”  Jesus says in verse 34 “thou art not far from the kingdom of God.”  He used his wits to realise that the Lord was answering so well.  He had a knowledge of what the bible says.

The challenge that came to him – verse 34.  Jesus looked at that young man, saw he answered discreetly to him “thou art not far from the kingdom of God”  Are you far from the kingdom tonight?  Abner came to the city of refuge.  He was only one step away.  The enemy called him back.  A dagger was placed in his heart and he died there.  Just one step from the city.  Did this young man ever make it?  Did he ever take that final step?  No man on earth, no angel in heaven, no demon in hell can answer this question – “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”  Are we sure tonight?  Have we come to the cross tonight?  Taken the Lord as Saviour?  Do we know our sins forgiven?  Are you forgiven tonight?  Jesus said “you are not far”.