Week of Meetings 06 Christ the Nazarene — David Clifford

You will remember friends that John Mark found it necessary in writing to the Romans to explain himself somewhat from time to time. Explain Aramaic words, explain details about Jerusalem that he was speaking about because the Romans wouldn't understand.

I don't expect you dear people to understand everything about our English way. And when I say a Swede dropped off a lorry I must recapitulate and put it in a better way so that you follow my meaning or else we shall have to have an interpreter here from time to time.

It was just that one of these big yellow turnips. Yeah thanks man a kind of big yellow turnip it was that dropped off a truck not a lorry. A truck. Yes. And they put it in the boot. No the trunk. Yeah.

And oh yeah. Well anyway it's nice for me to come to your country and learn some of your ways. And sometimes you know some people in this land try to impress me with the fact that they come from the other side as well.

They seem to be proud about it. I'm not sure whether they are. One American woman was trying to impress me. She said you know my family's ancestry is quite old and very English. I said oh yes. And she said yes.

It goes back to King John of England who lost his jewels in the wash. I said oh yes. She said how old is your family. Well I said I can't really say for sure because you see all our family records were lost in the flood.

Well you know I'm learning some of your ways but I haven't quite got into the way of introducing myself to people like you do in your country. You know I mean if I went to England and said to somebody I'm you know held out my hand and said I'm David Clifford.

The other chap would put both his hands behind his back like this. And he'd look me in the face and say so what they wouldn't understand. And you know when I first came I just didn't understand. But it's nice to get into your American ways.

I sometimes wear an American tie to show you know that I'm half and half. But I hope you forgive me having an English tie on tonight. There's one brother down the front here reminds me of the hymn bless me.

The tie that blinds well in talking about Mark's gospel and being the interpreter for Peter in interpreting the Jewish ideas for the people of Rome and the Gentiles in particular. I think we would do well to turn to the word Mark.

Chapter 6. Don't quite know what to do tonight. It's probably a bit late for me to say something like that but I'll tell you what's on my mind. Shall I. I really want to make a special point about the verses from 45 to 53.

That's really what I want to preach about. But there's such a lot in this chapter about the Lord Jesus and he's portrayed in so many ways. I find it difficult to leave anything out. I'll tell you what we'll do.

We'll have one more week at the Park of the Palm and I'll spend one week on the sixth chapter. How's that. Nobody in favour. All right. We'll have to do what we can this evening. So I think perhaps while I was sitting there a few minutes ago I decided on this idea that I will read through the first part and speak on it while I read through it just to try to get through that fairly quickly.

And then we'll move over to verse 45 and I'll read that through and then give a short sermon if that is possible on those verses now. Then if you had only been here this morning you would have noticed that it was possible for even me to give a short sermon because I finished four minutes early.

How about that history has been made today. And I'm not promising you anything at this moment for tonight. All right. Now let us look at God's precious word from chapter 6. Because in the fifth chapter this morning we were seeing that Christ is portrayed as the saviour.

There was the hopeless man and the helpless woman and the lifeless child and he proved to be a sufficient saviour for each and the master of every situation this morning. Therefore it was Christ the master and Christ the saviour.

Christ the Nazarene and Christ Our Life

I think if I remember rightly the subject tonight is entitled Christ the Nazarene and Christ our life. We get Christ the Nazarene from the beginning of the chapter and Christ our life is portrayed later on in that portion I want to emphasise as I said a little later on toward the end.

Now of course this is all about the Lord Jesus. We can't do anything better than look into the word and read about the saviour and see the ways in which he is portrayed. You know Whitfield the great British revivalist used to say I find preaching Christ the greatest means of converting sinners and of building saints.

So let's have a look at the saviour because in verse 1 he is the Nazarene in his own country. In verse 2 he is the omniscient omnipotent son of God. In verse 3 he is the carpenter and in verse 4 he is the prophet.

In verse 5 he is the healer. In verse 6 he is the teacher. In verse 7 he is the master. Later on he is the judge and then he is the comforter. And then he is the shepherd of the sheep having compassion on the multitude.

And then he is seen as the omnipotent son of God and the miracle of the loaves and fishes. And then he is seen as the intercessor going to the mountain top to pray in verse 46. And then he is seen as the overcomer in verse 48 he is overcoming the waves that were overcoming them.

And then later on he comes to get in the boat and is portrayed typically or in picture as Christ the life of the believer. And he went out from thence and came into his own country and his disciples followed him.

I thought his country was Judah. He was born in Judah but he was to be called Nazarene. And he came into his own country because that's where he was brought up as a boy. But you know thou Bethlehem of Judah art not least amongst the cities of Judah Bethlehem Ephrata.

For out of thee shall come one who shall be governor ruler of my people Israel. And so really Judea was our Lord's own country in one sense. But in another sense heaven was his own country. He came from the glory that was his country from the Father's bosom and the adoration of the angels the splendor of heaven.

That was his country. Really and you know he's gone back to his own country. And one day he's coming to take us there. And our politics and our manner of life is in heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour which by the way is our home because we are pilgrims and strangers here.

His country is our country. Heaven is our home. We are strangers down here. You can call yourself a pilgrim or a stranger or an ambassador while you're in America. But that's all you can call yourself.

And that is very scriptural language because heaven is your home. And he left his home his own country to come to this sin-cursed world to bring us to his country out of the ivory palaces into a world of woe.

Only his great eternal love made my Saviour go and into the ivory palaces out of this world of woe saved by his great eternal love. I shall one day go. Well Judah really was his country. Heaven really was his country.

Nazareth was his own country too. He was brought up in Nazareth and he came back to his own country. You've been there, have you? And did you go up the hillside of Nazareth and you saw the cave there which was the home of our Lord as tradition has it and in this case I think tradition is correct.

There's quite a bit of ground for this supposition or this traditional belief that this particular cave was the home of our Saviour carved out of a stone of the hillside. And we went down, a few of us because only about ten of us could get in at one time.

And what a poor dwelling place this was. And softly we sang together Man of Sorrows. What a name for the Son of God who came to this country from his country to make this Nazareth hillside his own country ruined sinners to reclaim.

Hallelujah. What a Saviour he came to his own country. Now it says in the first verse that his disciples follow him. Now you would expect that, wouldn't you? That's what disciples do follow. And true disciples follow him all the way the Lord Jesus said if any man will come after me will follow me come after me will be a disciple.

Let him deny his self. And that's not grammatically correct. But it's Lancashire. Let him deny himself. It gives the sense much better. Let him deny his self and take up his cross and follow me all the way.

Which way are you going Lord? I'm going to die. The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. But first of all he must die suffer many things and be crucified and die except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it bideth alone.

But if it die it bringeth forth much fruit. And if any man serve me let him follow me. Which way are you going Lord? I've just told you I'm going into death. It is the way the Master went. Shall not the servant tread it still?

And his disciples follow him. That's what disciples do. And true disciples follow him all the way. Like Ittai the Gittite when David had a usurper on his throne in the form of his own rebellious son Absalom he gathered his bits and pieces together and loved ones and started to go over the Brook Kidron just by the side of Jerusalem into the wilderness.

And Ittai comes up and he said where are you going my Lord O King? He said I'm going into the wilderness. I'm rejected. The kingdom has been stolen from me. Somebody else is sitting on the throne. Well Ittai I said I'll come with you I'll follow you.

No he said you needn't not compulsory. You know he said you can go back and dwell with King Absalom just like once before when I went into the wilderness and Jonathan let me go into the wilderness alone.

And he went back and dwelt with King Saul the man that God had rejected because of his sin. You can do what Jonathan did if you want to said the King to Ittai the Gittite. But the Ittai said no sir he said where my Lord the King will be whether in death or life.

I will follow as a true disciple all the way. And the King said to him Ittai come along Passover. And he shared his rejection up and down in the wilderness whether he would. And of course what was the sequel.

Well in the first case when King David went into the wilderness before you know Saul was slain fighting the Philistines. And they sent for David and said come and sit on the throne. And he did. And at last the shepherd boy had become the King.

They put the crown on his head and everybody said God save the King. And where was Jonathan. Jonathan was dead. He wasn't a true disciple didn't share his glory and didn't share his reign didn't follow him all the way and his disciples follow him.

What about the other case. Then when David went into the wilderness the second time Ittai went with him he shared his rejection. He shared his suffering and he shared his shame and he was a true disciple and he followed him all the way.

And then Absalom lost his life. He caught his head in between some branches as he was riding through a wood and he hung there till he died. And then they sent for David and said come and sit on the throne again and be our King once more.

And they did and they put the crown on and he did and they put the crown on his head and everybody said God save the King. Once again David was King. And where was Ittai. He was with him. He came back with him.

He shared his glory and he shared his reign because he was a true disciple. And he followed his master into his rejection. He followed all the way and our Lord is now rejected. And his true disciples follow him all the way into his rejection.

And when he comes in bright array as surely he will and leads the conquering line. It will be glory then to say that he is a friend. If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him. So his disciples follow him.

Jesus as Teacher, Prophet, Carpenter, and Son of God

And when the Sabbath day was come he began to teach in the synagogue. Here is the Lord Jesus as the teacher but revealing himself as the omniscient son of God. And many hearing him were astonished saying from whence hath this man these things.

And what wisdom is this which is given unto him. That even such mighty works are wrought by his hands. So both the omniscient one and the omnipotent one is seen here. The wisdom in his teaching was revealed and manifest to be of God.

And the might of his working was proved to be almighty. You see true wisdom is from God. Earthly wisdom manifested. In Luke 24 we read that the disciples reasoned together and they were sad. Their reasoning brought them sadness but his talk brought them gladness.

This was the wisdom of God personified because you know what he did. He opened the scriptures to them. Their reasoning their talk was reasoning and his talk was revelation. Their talk brought sadness but his talk brought gladness.

This was the wisdom that was from on high. And the beautiful thing about it is beloved. Is this that Christ by God the Father has been made to you to become your wisdom. Did you only think that Jesus was your saviour.

God's given him to you to be your wisdom too because your wisdom isn't good enough to get you through you. And I will utterly fail at ourselves. The arm of flesh will fail us. We dare not trust our own might and we dare not trust our own wisdom.

And this is why God has given Christ to us to be everything to us including. Is not this the carpenter. Verse 3. They said the son of Mary the brother of James and Joseph and of Judah and Simon are not his sisters here with us.

And they were offended that is they were stumbled at him. They despised him you see because they looked upon him just as an ordinary local working man. Although these in the previous chapter had seen his omniscience and his omnipotence.

Yet there were those in his own country who just looked upon him as a carpenter. Now the word here is teklon in the Greek and it means rather more than a carpenter. It really means a craftsman. In the Greek Homer a teklon is said to build both houses and ships and even temples.

So you can see that our Lord Jesus was very very gifted in his trade and profession as a craftsman a teklon. But these people you see they said we know his mother Mary. Now they didn't say is not this the carpenter's son Joseph's son they said is not this the carpenter the son of Mary.

By this time it is evident that Joseph had passed away he being quite a few years older than Mary. And it does seem that the Lord Jesus being the oldest one in the family the oldest son and he being not only the son of Mary but the son of God with power he was the one in his in his profession as a teklon would be supporting the family till the other brothers were old enough so to do.

But Jesus said unto them a prophet is not without honour but in his own country and among his own kin and in his own house. And of course the Lord Jesus certainly was a prophet and he was not assuming another's right here.

Moses said of him prophetically a prophet. Shall the Lord your God raise up unto you like unto me him shall you hear. However it says in verse 5 he could do no mighty works there say that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk and healed them.

You know the atmosphere was wrong. The atmosphere was wrong. Now William Barclay one of our modern commentators a bit of a modernist in some respects but he says some very very good things sometimes. And he said that the congregation the Christian congregation should know that they preach more than half the sermon.

Now listen if the atmosphere was wrong in this chapel tonight I just wouldn't be able to preach much at all. I'd say something and I'd keep on for half an hour or three quarters of an hour. Or if I hadn't got any liberty I might keep on for an hour and a quarter you know trying to get through all the time.

But the when there's the right atmosphere you see this is such a help to the preacher. He is by the enabling of the Spirit of God able to do something because there's the liberty of the Spirit where there is the right atmosphere this depends on you not on me on me to some degree on you mostly the congregation must know that it preaches half or more of the sermon.

There was no atmosphere there, there was the wrong reception, there was the spirit of criticism and he could do very very little. And if you have found during these three months or more a blessing from the Lord the word of the Lord has had free course and be glorified in your life bringing blessing to you then thank God for the liberty of the Spirit and make sure that you as the congregation always preaches a good fifty or sixty percent of the sermon by bringing the right atmosphere with you into the chapel every time preparing your heart in the Spirit before you get here and looking to the Lord himself without any spirit of criticism or any wrong attitude toward anybody else so that God's Holy Spirit can move amongst us unhindered.

And I tell you what when the Holy Spirit is unhindered he is powerful and he will work and he couldn't do much. There could the Lord Jesus, not even the omniscient and almighty Son of God because of their unbelief.

He marveled because of their unbelief. On other occasions the Lord Jesus marveled at people's belief and here he marveled at their unbelief. I don't think I'd better start that subject, it's a big one on it's own but he just marveled at their unbelief, may we turn over the page, well it is in my bible anyway to verse 45 straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida while he sent away the people.

Christ’s Compassion, Intercession, and Power in the Storm

When he had sent them away he departed into a mountain to pray. Then even was come. The ship was in the midst of the sea and he alone on the land. He saw them toiling and rowing. The wind was contrary unto them about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them walking upon the sea and would have passed by them.

When they saw him walking upon the sea they supposed it had been a spirit and cried out. They all saw him and were troubled immediately. He talked with them and saith unto them be of good cheer it is I be not afraid.

And he went up unto them into the ship and the wind ceased. They were so amazed in themselves beyond measure and wondered for they considered not the miracle of the loaves for their heart was hardened.

When they had passed over they came into the land of Nesareth and drew to the shore. May the Lord bless to us those few verses and those few we looked at briefly at the beginning of the chapter as well.

You remember earlier in the chapter the Lord Jesus as the master had sent his servants out to serve him two by two. What a wisdom in that. You know he certainly was the wisdom of God personified. Ecclesiastes 4 says that two are better than one.

They work more successfully in verse 9 and they walk more safely in verse 10. And they walk more easily in verse 11. And they withstand more effectively in verse 12. That's Ecclesiastes chapter 4. Two are better than one.

This has been so in my experience. Ernest Woodhouse used to work with me. Alf McGregor a missionary to South America used to work with me and Jim Boswell used to work with me. And Bill Davis used to work with me.

And I found that I needed to have somebody with me in my service to the Lord and I expect they felt exactly the same. And now Mrs W E Clifford works with me. You see two are better than one. Scripture says so.

And he sent them out two by two. And then of course after a little while they return. This is in verse 30 and 31 of our chapter. And they reported to the Lord and told him all things both what they have done and what they have taught.

And it's interesting to see his response every time this happens. But we can't go into those other times tonight there isn't time to go into those other times. So we'll just mention this time. Verse 31 he said unto them come yourselves apart and rest a while.

He realised that they were very tired and that they wanted rest but rest of a certain and special kind rest in his presence. He didn't say go and rest. He said come and.

Rest a while.

And it was Mary who sat resting at Jesus feet and that's why she heard his word. If you rest in Christ who is our knight and sit at his feet you'll certainly.

Hear his word.

So he said come yourselves apart and rest a while but you know although then they had no leisure so much as to eat they didn't get the rest that he called them into that day as a matter of fact they went by ship privately to another piece of ground round the coast but even then they didn't get the rest because the people were watching like this they saw them go across the lake and they said come on they've landed round there seven miles up the road and they all got together and started walking away and crowds and crowds and crowds and thousands of people came and you know the Lord Jesus had a very busy time teaching them the word of God I have given to them thy words and the disciples had a busy time feeding the multitude.

Now of course they couldn't have done that without the omnipotent son of God manifesting his almightyness once again on this occasion and multiplying the loaves and the fishes it would be very very interesting to go into that story wouldn't it.

I love that story the five barley loaves and the two small fishes, the little boy's little bit, some of his lunch left over which he handed to the Lord and the Lord made such a lot of his little bit, little is much if God is in it you know, and man's long days not worth God's minutes and there was a manifestation of God's power and thousands shared in the blessing that day because he handed over his little bit to the Lord, it's a great story and lesson in that, so they had a very busy time feeding the multitude they didn't get the rest that he called them into and as a matter of fact they got into a storm instead but I want you to see if I can remember this at the end, remind me if I forget they did right at the end get the rest after they learned their lesson and they had found the secret of rest in Christ who is our life but now they were very busy and then of course he constrained his disciples after he sent the people away to get into a ship, verse 45 and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida while he sent away the people, now he knew very well there was going to be a storm, earlier on in the chapter we saw he was the omniscient son of God, he knew everything, he knew there was going to be a storm and he sent them into it now he does that sometimes in his wisdom God did that in Exodus in chapter 3 he said to the people, you should go three days journey into the wilderness and worship the Lord your God and in chapter 15 they are exactly three days journey in the wilderness, what did they find?

No water to drink and they were in the line of his perfect will. Now God does that sometimes you see they had 40 long years before them in the wilderness with no one to provide victuals for them save the Lord God himself so right at the beginning of the journey in his will he brought them to the place of need to the place where there was nothing so that they might prove his power to provide and learn more of their almighty God right at the beginning of the journey, isn't that good.

And the Lord Jesus he knew these disciples had got to learn something and he sent them into the storm. Now when you get into a storm in life, when the waves are high and your bath is being tossed about like a cork on the ocean of time just turn to the Lord and say now Lord what is it you want me to learn and he'll show you and they had to learn here the biggest lesson in their life that they needed the Lord Jesus Christ with them in every vicissitude of their life just as you and I have to learn that very important lesson Christ who is our life when he had sent them away verse 46 he departed into a mountain to pray so they went across the sea and he went up to the mountain top, here the Lord Jesus is pictured as the intercessor in our Lord's presence session he is our advocate with the Father that's one thing which I'm not talking about and he is our intercessor, in other words he is praying for you, just say it in plain English, Jesus now prays, isn't that nice.

And when you think that he was praying from the mountain top, it doesn't say he was praying for them but it does say he saw them and it does say the wind was contrary unto them and there was a storm you see so I'm sure if he saw them and they were in the storm and he was praying, I'm sure the deduction is correct that he would be praying for them, notice they couldn't see him it was a dark and stormy night but he saw them, now remember these two things, whatever darkness of circumstance may shut out him from your view none can shut out you from his view.

He sees, he knows he loves and he cares and Jesus is praying for you. Now I know you rejoice in the fact that the Holy Spirit helps you to pray, make it in procession for you, that is gives you his enabling in your prayer life, that's one thing, this is all together different, on the throne Jesus beholds you in the storm of life and he prays now for you in your need and when even was come the ship was in the midst of the sea and he alone on the land and he saw them toiling in rowing.

Now when in the midst of the sea, in other words they had got three and a half miles in about nine hours. I'm not going to waste my time and explain how I worked that out to you waste of time. It's true though.

Well I found to give you a clue, when I was on the lake of Galilee at this point it was seven miles wide and it says they were in the middle, so I gather they were about three and a half miles. That's easy isn't it, my mathematics is good tonight three and a half miles in nine hours and well you say I thought these men were fishermen mostly, yes born and bred at the oars, yes and yet in all that time they'd only got three and a half miles.

Correct. Well why was this? Well you say there was something wrong. It was a dark and it was a stormy night, the wind was contrary it was right against them. Oh no I disagree with you. It wasn't really that that was wrong because this is how I prove that you were wrong if you say that because because when the wrong was put right the wind ceased.

They had to learn that they needed the almighty son of God with them in control in every circumstance of their experience. Who is our life now I'm sure he not only saw them and and prayed for them but I'm sure that he pitied them as well trying to do his will.

Now he had said to them my will for you is very simple and clear, I want you to go to Bethsaida in Galilee, there's the boat that's my will go, and they tried to do his will, now fair play they did their level best.

Most sincere were they they got in the boat and they toiled of the oars and they were trying to do his will and they couldn't do it themselves and he pitied them toiling and rowing and not making it. I'm quite sure the lord Jesus today looking from heaven beholds a lot of his own children just like these disciples of old honestly and sincerely trying to do his will in their lives and yet failing so to do.

I think the Galatians were like this the Galatian believers the apostle said to them in chapter 3 he said oh foolish Galatians who have bewitched you. They were bewitched and bewildered because they were not now still believing they had begun by faith but they had turned to striving at the oars toiling at the oars attempting to live the Christian life where the Galatian Christians in their own strength he said you began correctly but in the spirit through faith in Jesus.

That's the way to begin. But he says that's the way to continue through faith in Jesus. He said are you so foolish to think that you may be made perfect by the flesh and by fleshly energy and by toiling and rowing after that you have begun in the spirit by faith.

And lots of Christians are like that. You know they began the Christian life right by trusting in Jesus and they believe that Jesus could keep them out of hell save them from hell. But they don't believe that Jesus can save them day by day.

Think of that now. And so they try themselves in the energy of the flesh and they toil at the oars to get there. They're honest and sincere they're trying to do his will but they haven't realised that God won't help their fleshly energy to do anything.

He in his reckoning crucified it with Christ 2000 years ago. And they were toiling at the oars and he pitied them. There's a hymn we sing to the unsaved if they come in to listen to it. In England it goes like this.

Lay thy deadly doing down down at Jesus feet rest in him in him alone gloriously complete. And you know I suppose most of us are saved tonight because the day came when we gave up our own trying to be Christians and we trusted Christ.

We laid our deadly doings our own workings down. But of course this is what we have to do day by day. You began by doing that continue by doing that. The Christian life's not imitation. The Christian life is indwelling Christ who is our life.

Lay thy deadly doing down down at Jesus feet. You Christians rest in him in him alone gloriously complete. His work on the cross was enough for your eternal salvation. That's why you're saved. But his work in you by his spirit is enough for you and for your day by day.

Lay thy deadly doing down. But they were toiling at the oars. Captain Reginald Wallace used to say we never conquer by doing only by dying. Now what did he mean. He meant really that we never overcome the waves and the problems and the sins and the temptations of this life by our own efforts but only by ceasing from our own efforts and turning to the almighty Christ is the victory.

We never conquer by doing only by dying. I have a little piece in my Bible somewhere if I could find it. It comes to me just here about our friend George Mueller of Bristol. And somebody said to him one day why is it Mr. Mueller.

You are so successful in God's service. And you have so many answers to your prayers. And by this time very old man he was about 90 years of age or perhaps a little more. And he bowed his head and fell back to the ground as far as it would go.

And he said listen. A day came in George Mueller's life. When George Mueller died he said I utterly died. He said I died to the criticisms from without. And he said I died to the commendations as well.

And I died to my own brethren's opinions and criticisms. And from hence forth it was the Lord and his will and his desires and his life. And he said I utterly utterly died. You never overcome by doing only by dying.

And this is what they had to learn at this time that their toiling and rowing must cease and that Christ must be in control. So he came to them from the mountain top walking on the wave and would have passed by them.

Now he presents himself to them as the overcoming saviour. You see he was overcoming the wave and they were overcoming them he was overcoming the very things that were overcoming them and he presented himself to them like that in as much as to say well I'm the one you want.

As a matter of fact he said it it is I be not afraid, be of good cheer and you can be of good cheer.

When Christ is in the boat and when he's in control of things because everything changes when the almighty one is at the helm so he presents himself to them as the overcoming saviour and he's walking on the waves and he says it is I be not afraid now.

That's my message for you tonight really that the Lord Jesus Christ himself the living Christ who comes to your side nay into your heart and life by his spirit tonight is sufficient for you. He is enough for your present situation.