“Do-Be-Do-Be-Do & What Can I Do For You?”October 15, 2017 A.D.by Pastor Ben Willis

MARK 3:13-19 [NLTse]
13 Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones He wanted to go with Him. And they came to Him. 14 Then He appointed twelve of them and called them His apostles. They were to accompany Him, and He would send them out to preach, 15 giving them authority to cast out demons. 16 These are the twelve He chose:
Simon (whom He named Peter), 17 James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them “Sons of Thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon (the zealot), 19 Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed Him).

SERMON
I’ve titled this part of my Sermon, “Do-Be-Do-Be-Do,” and would like us to focus on v. 14 of our reading today. Mark writes, “Then He appointed twelve of them and called them His apostles. They were to accompany Him, and He would send them out to preach, giving them authority to cast out demons.” That’s how our New Living Translation – the Bible in our pews – renders the Greek. But most literally, the Word of God says, “And He appointed twelve, whom He also named apostles, to be with Him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message and to have authority to cast out demons.”

In our pew Bible translation this passage from Mark comes across as though there are three “works” the Twelve were called to: 1) Accompanying Jesus; 2) preaching; and, 3) casting out demons. But most literally there are only two things those first apostles were to be about: 1) Being with Jesus; and then, 2) sharing the good news while setting demonized people free.

And that’s why I’ve called the message “Do-Be-Do-Be-Do”: First off, it sounds catchy since Frank Sinatra made such phrases famous; but second, because we live in a culture that loves and rewards doing. However, the Lord makes clear that our doing-what-He-has-made-us-to-do comes from first being-with-Him, spending-time-with-Him, enjoying-simple-fellowship-and-companionship-with-the-Lord.

Our Lord and Savior says this same thing most famously and directly in John 15: “Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me.
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.” (vv. 4-5)

So, if we want to do good things and change the world for Christ we must first hang-out and spend much time with Christ. If we want to “do” we first have to “be”. (So, I guess Sinatra got it backwards. It should be, “Be-Do-Be-Do-Be”!)

The apostle Paul paints a picture of this reality for the Colossian-Christians, saying, “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ,” (that is, since we were born-anew when we put our trust in Christ), “since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of Heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of Heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life,” (that is, your old life died when you began to believe, and a new life has begun), “and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.” (3:3)

Paul is conveying the truth that every Christian lives every day, that even though we can be preoccupied by and focused on our lives here in this world and the things of our society and culture, our real life is with Christ! Yes, just as Christ is with us and in us, here, likewise, we are with Him and in Him, there, at the right-hand of the Father in Heaven!

And the Lord Jesus makes absolutely clear that He created us for fellowship and companionship with Him and not just for the work of ministry for Him when He famously said to His disciples shortly before being arrested: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me. There is more than enough room in My Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am.” (14:1-3)

Yes, the Lord has called us to be harvest-laborers in His Vineyard – sharing the good news and doing good to those in need – but He has also called us simply to hang-out and be with Him, enjoying one another’s company. He’s given us work to do! But our ability to serve Him well and to “produce much fruit” comes from spending quality and quantity time with Him: Walking with Him and talking with Him and letting Him tell us we are His Own! And letting Him fill up our lives with joy, like no other we’ve ever known!

MARK 10:46-52 [NLTse]
46 Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and His disciples left town, a large crowd followed Him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. 47 When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him.
But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 When Jesus heard him, He stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.”
So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, He’s calling you!” 50 Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.
“My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!”
52 And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.

SERMON
Here in Part 2 of the Sermon I want to invite you to get comfortable where you are in your seat. If you’re leaning up against someone I’d ask you to move just slightly away so – at least for this time – you aren’t distracted by their touch… Put your arms comfortably at your sides or clasp them loosely in your lap…

I want you to begin picturing the scene Neil just read… (Here’s a modern-day picture of Jericho, so you can get a flavor for the city…) Close your eyes… Picture the stone and plaster buildings around you: The narrow alleyways; the broader dirt streets; perhaps there are dung-piles here or there that haven’t been cleaned-up or swept aside yet from the horse-traffic, and the donkeys bearing their burdens, and the sheep and goats being driven to and from the market…

Hear the noises of the flapping awnings… and the horse-noises and donkey-noises and sheep- and goat-noises… Hear the voices of the people around you – some low and murmuring, others speaking and gesturing loudly: “They say He can forgive sins!” “He’s healing the blind and deaf and mute and lame!” “Could He be the Messiah, the Christ?” “EVEN THE DEMONS OBEY HIM; HE’S SETTING PEOPLE FREE!” “He just had a meal with Zacchaeus, and now Zacchaeus is sharing his money with the poor and paying back everyone he treated dishonestly! The little guy’s a new man!”

Feel the heat beating down on you as you… and the dust in your face and the grit in your teeth…

…And as Jesus and His disciples left town, a large crowd followed Him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus was sitting beside the road. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
“Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him.
But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
When Jesus heard him, He stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.”
So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, He’s calling you!” Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.
“My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!”
And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road…

Who are you in the crowd? Are you one of the Twelve, crowding around the Lord, trying to be seen as important, one of His men? … Are you someone in the crowd, trying to get near to Him, to touch Him, if you can? … Are you Bartimaeus, so desperate – so aware of your need – that you don’t care if people give you a hard time for making a fuss? …
Because Jesus is calling to you, “Come here.” …

And He’s standing before you, and you’re standing before Him, and He says to you, “What do you want Me to do for you?” …
You think of how unfair life has been… You think of all the ways people have hurt you… You think of the sins that you just can’t get out of your life…

“What do you want Me to do for you?”
You think about the gifts you wish you had… The personality you with you had… A dream-job comes to mind… Your relationship with your husband or your wife, with your kids, with your folks…

“What do you want Me to do for you?”
He is speaking to the deep places in you… His Spirit – holy – calling out to your spirit – wounded, stained, longing…
“What do you want Me to do for you?”

And you followed Jesus down the road!