6-11-23 Willisburg Bulletin
Purpose of the Church
Jesus’ purpose on earth was made clear when His siblings and mother went to rescue Him from His mission in Mark 3:31-35. Jesus was creating a new family and anyone desiring the faith would have to do God’s will. simply, we are here to obey God! Jesus came to seek and save the lost, which we do by obedience and sharing the gospel. Jesus didn’t die in our place in order for the church to do whatever. There is specific boundaries laid out and anything beyond is sin. There are five acts of worship the church must do each Lord’s Day and members are obligated to be there anytime the doors are open. The worship services are simply to worship God, spiritually and in truth (Jn 4:24) and that is it.
Jesus’ Siblings Unbelief
In John’s account of Jesus’ crucifixion, we are told His brothers were too concerned with the earthly nature, they didn’t grasp His spiritual purpose and they believed His methods were wrong. They were thinking salvation by means of conquering Rome, which made all His miracles in Galilee seem useless to them. It was easy for them to fall among the sceptics and not “contend earnestly for the faith” (Jude 3) since they would have been accused of believing just because of their family connections.
Follow Mary’s Example
“Mary was faithful to her Son- as son and as lord- even if it meant the humiliation of the crucifixion. Mary’s faithfulness derives from her conviction that Jesus, in spite of the cross, was the Messiah, and her conviction that God, in spite of this turn of events, was in control.” (Scot McKnight in The Real Mary, p. 90). If Mary could believe and understand His purpose, we can too. Mary could’ve said it wasn’t the Son of God at the trial and it might have stopped the whole event, but she believed in His plan. She denied herself, picked up her crossed, and followed Jesus (the WHOLE way, even amongst all those unbelievers, including family). We are commanded to do the same (Matthew 16:24) even amongst sceptics. If we truly believe in Jesus, we will accept His arrangements with complete confidence that His way is the ONLY way (John 14:6). But you know the best thing about it… we don’t have to do it alone. Jesus has bore the burden and weight of the cross for us. We will still have trying times, but God is there with us every step of the way and if we cast our burdens on Him, He carries them for us as stated in 1 Peter 5:7. However, this comfort Jesus grants us does not allow us to do whatever we want because a desire to use other methods rather than what God commands in scripture is a failure to understand the nature of the kingdom Jesus established. It’s not about earth, nor is it about increasing numbers, nor about bettering society through social activities. It is simply a kingdom composed of individuals whose goals have changed pursuit from earthly to seeking God first (Matthew 6:33).