Too often today, I fear, congregations want to feel approved, affirmed and applauded when they leave the Sunday-morning service. Jesus was not concerned with proclaiming a user-friendly gospel. His proclamations sought to confront men with the truth, convict them of their sins, bring about confession and leave them cleansed.
III. The Pastor The man with the unclean spirit who was attending the synagogue is like many who sit in worship services every week. Their cry is the same as his, “Let us alone!” Man without Christ is not only alone but lonely. The trappings of the world serve only as a cover of the desperation underneath.
The current economic crisis in our nation should serve as a reminder that only one thing will never lose its value: a personal relationship with Jesus. When riches, power, position and investments have evaporated and left many empty and hopeless, Jesus speaks the same words as He did to the demon masquerading as a self-sufficient man, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”
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The result of Jesus’ first synagogue sermon triggered two responses. First, some asked, “What is this?” The new always threatens the old. His method of preaching was perhaps different, and His message was plain, simple and—above all—scriptural. The scribes and Pharisees could not get their minds around the truths of this new pastor-teacher who had just delivered this Sabbath message.
Second, others thought Jesus was introducing a new doctrine that they could add to their commentaries known as the Midrashim. However, it was no new doctrine. It was timeless truth expounded by the Eternal Truth, who spoke as never man had spoken.
As the great Bible teacher John Phillips says, “The world is tired of our legalism, ritualism, rationalism, and hypocrisy. It is tired of our sterile teaching, psychological preaching, worn-out clichés, ‘charismatic’ extremism, phony ecumenism, and dead sermons. It is waiting to see the doctrine wedded to Holy Spirit power.” In other words, the world will be amazed once again as were the people in Capernaum when we follow the example of the Master pastor-teacher.
