I'm Standing

The captain on the bridge of a large naval vessel saw a light ahead on a collision course. He signaled, “Alter your course ten degrees south.” The reply came back, “Alter your course ten degrees north.”

The captain then signaled, “Alter your course ten degrees south. I am a captain.” The reply: “Alter your course 10 degrees north. I am a seaman third-class.”

The furious captain signaled, “Alter your course ten degrees south. I am a battleship.” The reply: “Alter your course ten degrees north. I am a lighthouse.”

Prayer

Blessed Lord, You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning. Grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and take them to heart that, by the patience and comfort of Your holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life. … through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Eerdmans Bible Dictionary AUTHORITY

AUTHORITY. †The possession of and right to use power

In the story above, the naval officer knew that he had authority. 1st, because he was in command; 2nd, because of his rank; 3rd because of the size of his command. By contrast, the person on the other end of the conversation had only one basis of authority - his state of being, that of being in a lighthouse.

Our Gospel text continues with Mark’s introduction to us of Jesus the Messiah. Previously we saw Jesus’ validation by the Father, His conquest over satan in the wilderness, followed by His return and launching forth into His Mission. The way that Mark lays things out, it is clear that Jesus does not play. When He called the four fishermen, Andrew, Peter, James and John, they didn’t even try to argue. They dropped whatever they were doing and responded to His summons.

The first thing He does is take them right back home...

Mark 1:21–22 ESV

And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

The ordinary way of teaching in the synagogue involved presenting your subject as being supported by previous rabbis, and ultimately supported by Moses. Unlike the American church scene, which is perpetually seeking out the newest theory, the hot new revelation, and such like, they prized tradition. Even John the Baptizer, aside from his demand for washing in the Jordan, called for nothing that had not been declared by the Prophets going back to Elijah: repentance and obedience to God’s Holy Commandments.

When Jesus enters Capernaum, He comes with no pedigree that anyone would have respected, He has no title or official status, even John’s recommend would not have been known except to his disciples.

None of that stopped Jesus from entering that Synagogue and declaring that the Kingdom of God was at hand. Like John, He calls for repentance, but unlike John, he isn’t dressed in the rough clothing of an ascetic, drawing and yet terrifying by the sternness of his appearance. No - the Word itself pulsed with authority, and they recognized it.

Do you hear what they heard?

Romans 10:9–11 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

If you believe those words, turn to somebody, grab them by the hand and say, “I know that’s right!”

Now point that same hand to heaven and say, “Thank you, Jesus!”

That’s right, I know that Word is true because I heard it as the Word of Christ

Romans 10:17 ESV

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

As a LCMS Mission Field: USA, I see myself as the tip of a long, powerful spear. Behind me stands, though our synodical organizations, RSOs and congregations, the prayers, encouragement, and finances of countless Confessional Evangelical believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen?

On paper, we would be a juggernaut - sweeping away idolatry and enthusiast pietism through the faithful service of Word and Sacrament.

On paper, we are a force Satan cannot comprehend. On paper, we are invincible.

All those things that I just said are EXACTLY how the Bible describes the Church of Christ.

Romans 12:3–5 ESV

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Romans 8:35–37 ESV

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

When we take our eyes out of the Book, out of God’s Strong Word, and look at either our fellow-believers, or at those to whom we witness, serve, or disciple, sometimes, it gets hard. When I look in the Book, I see

Philippians 4:19 ESV

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

When I look at my Mission Account back in St. Louis... I see a deficit. When I look at my boss, Rev. Dr. Schave, I see frustration with my lack of a strong network of supporters. When Mission Advance contacts me, it’s to tell me that I need to do more presentations, come see people like you.

The Bible tells me about “principalities,” about “strongholds,” about “spiritual forces of wickedness.” When I read those words, I think about the next part of our text.

Mark 1:23–28 ESV

And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, “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.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 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.” And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

If I told you that I have seen demons in action, and cast them out, would you think I was crazy or putting on a show? But I have. I have looked into the eyes of a demonized person who, but for the grace of God, wanted to take my life where I stood. No, it wasn’t in the jungles of central America or some part of Africa - it was in downtown Las Vegas, NV (not much difference, I guess). The devil doesn’t bother me - I know what he will do - because the Word tells me

1 Peter 5:8–9 ESV

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

James 4:6–8 ESV

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

I can stop the devil in his tracks - Sigurd Grindheim,, author of Introducing Biblical Theology, wrote about the Kingdom of God that, “When God’s kingly rule was established, the most important thing that would happen was that his enemies would no longer be able to oppose him. When Jesus came, this was exactly what happened. The evil spirits knew who Jesus was, and they knew that he had come to destroy them (). Jesus himself explains why he could cast out the demons: “But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

There is a curious little fact, however, that we don’t talk about. It’s found in the Gospel of John.

John 1:11 ESV

He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

It wasn’t the devils that gave Jesus trouble. It wasn’t Satan who withstood Jesus’ Word. It was people!

Look at your neighbor, say “neighbor, is it you?”

If we end up shutting down this mission. If I end up having to take a call somewhere to take care of my family. If I have to walk away from this charge, it won’t be because of demons. It will be because somewhere, some folks said that they didn’t care about ministry at home. They would rather cross land and sea to win a soul and watch a city just down the road go to into ruin.

Like I said, I;m just the tip of the spear. I can call and come out, but I can only reach so many when it comes to support. If you all will help me, I know that we can do better. IF you talk to the people whom you know, your cousins in California, your sorors in Florida, your LinkedIn colleagues wherever they are, and tell them what we’re doing here, how the homeless are getting a new lease on life, how the ones who didn’t know God have heard the pure Gospel and are walking away from their bottles and needles, drinking only from the cup of the New Covenant. Tell them how kids that had no good options for an education are getting a good Lutheran Education, since I came here.

Maybe they’ll add to your monthly contribution, maybe they’ll do a special fund-raiser. Maybe they will become part of the solution instead of part of the crowd. Maybe they’ll join this great mission that you and I are a part of in Gary.

In closing

A letter from a missionary out in the jungles of New Guinea writing to his friends at home caught the nature of spiritual warfare:

“Man, it is great to be in the thick of the fight, to draw the old devil’s heaviest guns, to have him at you with depression and discouragement, slander, disease. He doesn’t waste time on a lukewarm bunch. He hits good and hard when a fellow is hitting him. You can always measure the weight of your blow by the one you get back. When you’re on your back with fever and at your last ounce of strength, when some of your converts backslide, when you learn that your most promising inquirers are only fooling, when your mail gets held up, and some don’t bother to answer your letters, is that the time to put on mourning? No, sir. That’s the time to pull out the stops and shout Hallelujah! The old fellow’s getting it in the neck and hitting back. Heaven is leaning over the battlements and watching. ‘Will he stick with it?’ And as they see who is with us, as they see the unlimited reserves, the boundless resources, as they see the impossibility of failure, how disgusted and sad they must be when we run away. Glory to God! We’re not going to run away. We’re going to stand.”

Do you see what Heaven sees? If you see the victory - if you see the power - the authority that has been handed to us, you will stand with me, with NW #2, with Indiana District, with Mission Field: USA. With the people of Gary.

Michael P. Green, ed., Illustrations for Biblical Preaching: Over 1500 Sermon Illustrations Arranged by Topic and Indexed Exhaustively, Revised edition of: The expositor’s illustration file. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1989).

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