Sermon Tone Analysis

Sermon Text

Address “Long Ending”

FIRST NOTE: All Scripture is Inspired.

FROM GCC’S Statements of Faith on our website: The sixty-six canonical books of the Bible are the inspired Word of God without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of God's will for the salvation of man, and the only infallible guide for faith and living.

NOTE ABOUT THE TEXT

A final conclusion to the problem probably cannot be reached on the basis of presently known data.

A view which seems to account for the relevant evidence and to raise the least number of objections is that

(a) Mark purposely ended his Gospel with verse 8 and

(b) verses 9–20, though written or compiled by an anonymous Christian writer, are historically authentic and are part of the New Testament canon (cf.

similarly the last chapter of Deut.).

In this view, very early in the transmission of Mark’s Gospel (perhaps shortly after A.D. 100) verses 9–20 were added to verse 8 without any attempt to match Mark’s vocabulary and style.

Possibly these verses were brief extracts from the post-Resurrection accounts found in the other three Gospels and were known through oral tradition to have the approval of the Apostle John who lived till near the end of the first century.

Thus the material was included early enough in the transmission process to gain recognition and acceptance by the church as part of canonical Scripture.

These verses are consistent with the rest of Scripture.

The development of the theme of belief and unbelief unifies the passage.

(BKC)

Review Unbelief of vv 9-14

I read a post on Facebook that went something like this: “if you want a new testament resurrection service, have the women all come to church then run home and tell the men about Jesus.

Then have the men go back into hiding.”

FIRE IN A SYNAGOGUE

J. Mack Stiles writes of hearing James McPherson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, lecture on naval battles during the Civil War.

The lecture, sponsored by the local historical society, was held in a large synagogue.

The auditorium was packed.

There was a certain electricity in the air as we waited to hear from the well-known professor from Princeton.

As Dr. McPherson took the stage, he also took command.

His resonant voice, dry wit, and astounding command of the material captivated the audience.

But midway through the lecture, the fire alarm sounded.

This was a serious alarm.

It wasn't merely allowed “blat blat blat" coming from an electronic horn; there were also strobe lights that ticked blinding flashes at odd intervals.

Dr. McPherson froze.

His wide-eyed look reminded me of an owl woken suddenly from slumber.

He rotated his head from side to side, not knowing what to do.

Since no one in the audience apparently attended the synagogue, no one took charge.

We just looked around, smiling at our neighbors and wondering what to do.

For what seemed like an eternity, the alarm continued.

People in the chairs began talking in small groups while waiting for the alarm to go off.

“Maybe there really is a fire,” I thought.

But I quickly dismissed the idea: false alarms are the norm; i figured the alarm just needed to be reset.

Besides, no one else seemed to think there was a problem - except one man who stood up, calmly walked to the exit, and left the building.

I’m not sure that many noticed him.

Soon the alarm stopped and Dr. McPherson continued where he had left off.

If this parable were of true conversions, there was only one true believer…one convert in the room; the rest of us were stuck in our rationalization.

Some might have thought there was a fire, but they didn’t really believe it enough to walk out.

We aren’t persuaded in a biblical sense unless we repent, place genuine faith in Jesus, and walk with Him.

(Evangelism (9Marks) by J. Mack Stiles, pp37-38 (2014)

1. CAN YOU RELATE TO THE UNBELIEF?

Word is Apistia - refuse to put on’e trust or reliance in someone or something.

(11x in NT)

Luke uses the word Apisteo in Luke 24.41- to believe that something is not true - to not believe.

(8x in NT)

The disciples didn’t become unbelievers in that moment - but they were unbelieving....refusing to believe the report of the women, the 2 witnesses, and even struggling when Christ appeared because “for joy and marveling, they still disbelieved.”

They were acting like unbelievers.

At best they were foolish.

Psalm 14.1

The women were acting a bit foolish - as we discussed last week - coming to complete the burial ritual with the spices and perfumes…as if Christ had not been raised!

The disciples look a bit foolish, with Jesus sending word to them by honest messengers, while they still refused to believe.

We, too, can appear foolish and not distinct in any way when we constantly get entangled with the affairs of this world and live as though there is no Great Commandment for us to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves.

You may have as many degrees as a thermometer, but you, sir…you, madam are at best conflicted or lazy and at worst an unbeliever, a rebel who likes church people…you appear to be foolish, when you reject God’s clear instruction of the Great Commission.

BETTER, “REPENT OF OUR UNBELIEF”

2. RECALIBRATE TO THE GREAT COMMISSION!

Note on baptism - A superficial reading of Mark 16:15–16 would suggest that sinners must be baptized to be saved, but this misinterpretation disappears when you note that the emphasis is on believing.

If a person does not believe, he is condemned, even if he has been baptized (see John 3:16–18, 36).

It was expected in the early church that believers would be baptized (Acts 2:41; 10:44–48).

See also / Quote

It isn’t a good suggestion or one of many strategies of the church.

“THE GOSPEL CAME TO YOU ON THE WAY TO SOMEONE ELSE! “

We stand in need of recalibrating everything in our lives to the Great Commission.

We gather in worship to live out the Great Commandment in community and be equipped to work out the Great Commission while we’re gathered, as we’re apart, and until we’re reunited.

Brother, Sister, Make Disciples of all nations - and the nations have come to us in Charlotte NC for sure.

Families, add some folks to your table for dinner…make disciples.

Single adults, partner with other men and women on fire for Jesus and make disciples on your lunch breaks, coffee runs.

Grace Covenant Church, we shouldn’t have to construct a bridge from any of our endeavors or energies to connect them to the Great Commission…it should be plain.

We will partner with missionaries and organizations who are committed to making disciples of our neighbors and the nations!

3. Realize that God’s Power Accompanies God’s Work

We know these were apostolic signs and wonders for the early establishing of the church.

These types of signs that accompanied the apostles began to fade from view and practice (and necessity) even before the New Testament was finished being written.

Follow Paul’s writing to these hosts of new believers and you see a sharp decline and disappearance of these temporal signs and wonders as the Scriptures & NT Letters began to be distributed circularly.

Jesus even demonstrates the lesser signs as a means to validate the greatest sign in Mark 2. Think way back to the paralytic that was lowered down to Jesus by his friends:

Signs, Wonders, Healings - all start and stop in the temporal.

Every blinded eye opened will once again be closed in death

Every lame person made to walk, would be carried to the grave

Every deaf ear unstopped and mute tongue loosed, would be closed in silence by death

The water that Moses turned to blood, turned back to water

The Red Sea filled back up

The fire Elijah called down from Heaven went away

The most powerful SIGN & WONDER is that which affects time & eternity & never fades and one the enemy cannot replicate: it’s where the Triune God, His Word, and a man/woman/boy/girl collide and a soul is

transferred from the Kingdom of darkness into the marvelous light

where a soul that was dead in trespasses and sins has been made alive in Christ Jesus

where a soul is truly converted from Rebel to Disciple!

THIS IS THE POWER THE KINGDOM AND THE GLORY FOREVER!

The power of God displayed in the proclamation and reception of the Gospel!

God’s power still goes with us today:

dynamis = God’s explosive power shows up quite a bit in the Gospels through His mighty works.

But God’s explosive power shows up with ETERNAL fruit HERE…with the Gospel!

“I am with you”

“receive power”

Maybe you say this morning, “I don’t feel like God is with me”.

He promised He would be with you always WHILE YOU ARE MAKING DISCIPLES.

Maybe you say, “I haven’t felt the POWER of God in some time…or ever.”

He promised that kind of dynamite power for His witnesses, His disciples…His Great Commission people!