The Gathering Crowds -- Mark 3:7-19
The Gathering Crowds -- Mark 3:7-19
By Pastor Lee Hemen
October 18, 2009 AM
Crowds and their dynamics are very interesting and have been studied by sociologists and pubic bystanders for centuries. Crowds can be mobs, crowds can be audiences, crowds can be steered and directed, or they can become mindless and panicked. And they can form for a myriad of reasons, everything from the looky-loos of a horrible accident to the gathered listeners of a vibrant speaker or musician. In fact, gathering crowds can become like storm clouds that gather on the horizon. They can become threatening and uncontrollable. I was a witness to such crowd dynamics in Vancouver BC during a Christian conference put on by the late speaker John Wimber. A convert to Quakerism, who was the Founding Director of the Department of Church Growth at the Charles E. Fuller Institute of Evangelism and Church Growth, that has spawned much of the emergent church theology of today. He also was a founding member of the music group, The Righteous Brothers and he began the neo-Pentecostal Vineyard movement. It was amazing to watch him hype up the crowd and then to direct them to do whatever he wanted. Including falling on the floor whimpering mindless drivel.
We find gathering crowds during Jesus’ ministry. We also discover that he discourages it because of the “sheep factor” which involves getting large groups to respond the way a speaker desires. We find the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin doing this during Jesus’ trail. We see it on film footage taken of Hitler’s mass rallies or on TV today from the raggedy crowds that gather and chant mindless slogans that always begin with the intellectually pithy: “Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho!” As we look closely at Jesus’ ministry here in Mark’s gospel we discover an interesting thing occurring. We actually get to see how Jesus related to the gathering crowds. Let’s discover this morning what Jesus did and why…
READ: Mark 3:7-19
This begins the second major part of Mark’s gospel. Here we find Jesus’ ministry again by the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd forms in order to hear and see Jesus. Perhaps they came just to see the show that may or may not occur? Crowds often do just that. However, there can be a danger in crowds that form for these reasons. They can quickly turn ugly and unruly. Here…
I. We discover that there can be uncontrollable crowds! (Vv. 7-10)
1. Uncontrollable crowds come only for what they can get out of the spectacle, the show, or the day’s entertainment. Offer free samples and people will show up, give away free services and people will beat down your door, or give the folks a free show and they will come in droves. Modern day marketing schemes know that these kinds of things attract crowds. Many a mega church movement has been marketed by this means. The people of Jesus’ day were no different. The crowd was attracted by what they could get out of Jesus. Mark infers that because of who Jesus was and what he had been doing he “withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed.” They wanted more from Jesus and all he wanted was to withdraw for a period of time, perhaps to reflect and relax, to be spiritually renewed. However, we find that “When they”, the crowd, “heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.” A multitude shows up! And, “Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him,” just in case, “to keep the people from crowding him.” Jesus knew crowds often want more than a person can sometimes give. Mobs only care for themselves. Medical care was almost non-existent then and what was available was often useless. A mild cold or even a minor scratch could often kill you. If someone suffered from a life debilitating disease, people often placed their faith in superstitious cures or bogus faith healers. Therefore, if someone showed up offering a cure or hope, the pressure to see him or to touch him would be great. In fact, Mark tells us that Jesus “had healed many,” and the crowd had gathered, “so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.” The mob could get ugly fast. Jesus could heal and the crowds came to be healed! We discover that there can be uncontrollable crowds!
EXAMPLE: We have seen uncontrollable crowds during rock concerts, soccer matches, or during rallies and marches. When people are deliberately riled up as a group there can take place a mob mentality whereby normal inhibitions are done away with and the mob mentality can take over. It is found in the ungodly behavior of drunken mobs during Spring break at the beach. It can also take place during political rallies or religious crusades. When we participated as a church during the last Billy Graham Crusade they warned of folks coming down because everyone else came down to the front. They therefore trained us to ask specific questions in order to try and sort out those who came forward and why they did. An uncontrollable mob mentality can take hold even during a time of responding to the gospel. I have seen this occur during youth camps or youth conventions. Young people will respond because their friends responded, or because they want to be part of what everyone else was part of, or they get excited about what is happening. During our last NW Baptist Youth Convention I counseled a dozen young people who came down, and only two knew why they had. The others got up and came forward because “everyone else was.” Here, in Mark, we discover that there can be uncontrollable crowds, even for the right reasons.
Jesus knew that crowds can become uncontrollable, but he also knew that God is not the author of confusion. He never works that way. God is not some big game show host in the sky wanting you to try and guess the right answer for your life. That is why He has supplied the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide those who trust Jesus with their lives. However there is one source of confusion that just loves to use the crowd mentality: Satan loves to use crowds as well. He loves to confuse and muck things up. But God has supplied an answer in those whom he calls into service for his kingdom. Therefore…
II. We discover that there can be handpicked crowds for a reason! (Vv. 11-19)
1. God uses those he chooses to establish his kingdom here on earth. Notice that Satan does not rest in stirring up trouble the lives of mankind. He is continually attacking and denouncing God in the lives of believers and slandering God’s people before the throne of God. In fact, we discover that the demons of darkness had caused such havoc in Jesus’ day that many of the ailments that befell folks were caused by their corruption. In the crowds were demoniacs, people whose speech and behavior were dominated by evil spirits and ungodly living. They recognized Jesus’ true status as the “Son of God” and were greatly threatened by His presence. Jesus did not accept their repeated cries of recognition, “But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.” This could bring up a couple of interesting questions: 1) Can crowds be more susceptible to demonic influence simply because of their very nature? And, 2) can individuals be easily swayed by Satanic influence by being part of a large uncontrollable crowd? Perhaps both are true. We find it is true historically from the mob mentality of the Salem Witch Trials to the French Revolution or Hitler’s rise to power. Notice however what Jesus does to thwart this spiritual threat. Jesus, instead of heading to the beach, “went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.” The crowds of the day needed to be directed or guided, one-on-one, by those who follow the Lord. So, Jesus “called” and “appointed twelve—designating them apostles.” Notice the three areas they were to work: 1) “that they might be with him” and 2) “that he might send them out to preach” and 3) “to have authority to drive out demons.” Where the Spirit of the Lord is, Satan and his minions have no authority. Interestingly, we learn that “nearly all major ancient Greek manuscripts and most early versions omit the phrase, ‘designating them apostles.’” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary) However, Jesus appoints 12 men. Some who would question his ministry, some who would abandon him, and one who would betray him, but Jesus personally handpicked everyone of them for a specific purpose! We discover that there can be handpicked crowds for a reason!
EXAMPLE: Jesus would spend the next three years training these twelve men. Not all would learn the lessons he would give them. And we wonder why folks in our day and age sometimes cannot learn to follow Jesus correctly! If Jesus could not sway and train all of his followers, we will also struggle in this area as well. However, Jesus shows us that just as he handpicked certain men and called them to himself, we too are to make sure those who come to him are guided and discipled. Jesus has called us to call others and to train them up to be his disciples. We discover that there can be handpicked crowds for a reason! This is where many of today’s mega movements fail. While the masses come through the door, not all come for salvation, those who are saved can be quickly lost in the shuffle of the crowd and are never discipled properly and live a weak anemic faith. Add to this mixture the fact that many churches do not place an emphasis on Sunday School or Bible Study and you have a concoction for spiritual failure that does more harm than good for the kingdom of God. This is why we have fewer and fewer people witnessing or standing for the Lord in our day and age. Jesus called his disciples for a purpose because out of them would come the future church, his body in the world, that was to reach the world with his gospel message. We discover that there can be handpicked crowds for a reason.
Conclusion:
We have learned two important things form this section of Mark: 1) There can be uncontrollable crowds, and 2) there can be handpicked crowds that Jesus chooses. Which crowd are you part of this morning?
---
Pastor Lee Hemen has been the outspoken pastor of the same church for 25 years in Vancouver, WA. He writes regularly on spirituality and conservative causes and maintains several web blogs. This article is copyrighted © 2009 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my written permission.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
October 18, 2009 AM
Crowds and their dynamics are very interesting and have been studied by sociologists and pubic bystanders for centuries. Crowds can be mobs, crowds can be audiences, crowds can be steered and directed, or they can become mindless and panicked. And they can form for a myriad of reasons, everything from the looky-loos of a horrible accident to the gathered listeners of a vibrant speaker or musician. In fact, gathering crowds can become like storm clouds that gather on the horizon. They can become threatening and uncontrollable. I was a witness to such crowd dynamics in Vancouver BC during a Christian conference put on by the late speaker John Wimber. A convert to Quakerism, who was the Founding Director of the Department of Church Growth at the Charles E. Fuller Institute of Evangelism and Church Growth, that has spawned much of the emergent church theology of today. He also was a founding member of the music group, The Righteous Brothers and he began the neo-Pentecostal Vineyard movement. It was amazing to watch him hype up the crowd and then to direct them to do whatever he wanted. Including falling on the floor whimpering mindless drivel.
We find gathering crowds during Jesus’ ministry. We also discover that he discourages it because of the “sheep factor” which involves getting large groups to respond the way a speaker desires. We find the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin doing this during Jesus’ trail. We see it on film footage taken of Hitler’s mass rallies or on TV today from the raggedy crowds that gather and chant mindless slogans that always begin with the intellectually pithy: “Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho!” As we look closely at Jesus’ ministry here in Mark’s gospel we discover an interesting thing occurring. We actually get to see how Jesus related to the gathering crowds. Let’s discover this morning what Jesus did and why…
READ: Mark 3:7-19
This begins the second major part of Mark’s gospel. Here we find Jesus’ ministry again by the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd forms in order to hear and see Jesus. Perhaps they came just to see the show that may or may not occur? Crowds often do just that. However, there can be a danger in crowds that form for these reasons. They can quickly turn ugly and unruly. Here…
I. We discover that there can be uncontrollable crowds! (Vv. 7-10)
1. Uncontrollable crowds come only for what they can get out of the spectacle, the show, or the day’s entertainment. Offer free samples and people will show up, give away free services and people will beat down your door, or give the folks a free show and they will come in droves. Modern day marketing schemes know that these kinds of things attract crowds. Many a mega church movement has been marketed by this means. The people of Jesus’ day were no different. The crowd was attracted by what they could get out of Jesus. Mark infers that because of who Jesus was and what he had been doing he “withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed.” They wanted more from Jesus and all he wanted was to withdraw for a period of time, perhaps to reflect and relax, to be spiritually renewed. However, we find that “When they”, the crowd, “heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.” A multitude shows up! And, “Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him,” just in case, “to keep the people from crowding him.” Jesus knew crowds often want more than a person can sometimes give. Mobs only care for themselves. Medical care was almost non-existent then and what was available was often useless. A mild cold or even a minor scratch could often kill you. If someone suffered from a life debilitating disease, people often placed their faith in superstitious cures or bogus faith healers. Therefore, if someone showed up offering a cure or hope, the pressure to see him or to touch him would be great. In fact, Mark tells us that Jesus “had healed many,” and the crowd had gathered, “so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.” The mob could get ugly fast. Jesus could heal and the crowds came to be healed! We discover that there can be uncontrollable crowds!
EXAMPLE: We have seen uncontrollable crowds during rock concerts, soccer matches, or during rallies and marches. When people are deliberately riled up as a group there can take place a mob mentality whereby normal inhibitions are done away with and the mob mentality can take over. It is found in the ungodly behavior of drunken mobs during Spring break at the beach. It can also take place during political rallies or religious crusades. When we participated as a church during the last Billy Graham Crusade they warned of folks coming down because everyone else came down to the front. They therefore trained us to ask specific questions in order to try and sort out those who came forward and why they did. An uncontrollable mob mentality can take hold even during a time of responding to the gospel. I have seen this occur during youth camps or youth conventions. Young people will respond because their friends responded, or because they want to be part of what everyone else was part of, or they get excited about what is happening. During our last NW Baptist Youth Convention I counseled a dozen young people who came down, and only two knew why they had. The others got up and came forward because “everyone else was.” Here, in Mark, we discover that there can be uncontrollable crowds, even for the right reasons.
Jesus knew that crowds can become uncontrollable, but he also knew that God is not the author of confusion. He never works that way. God is not some big game show host in the sky wanting you to try and guess the right answer for your life. That is why He has supplied the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide those who trust Jesus with their lives. However there is one source of confusion that just loves to use the crowd mentality: Satan loves to use crowds as well. He loves to confuse and muck things up. But God has supplied an answer in those whom he calls into service for his kingdom. Therefore…
II. We discover that there can be handpicked crowds for a reason! (Vv. 11-19)
1. God uses those he chooses to establish his kingdom here on earth. Notice that Satan does not rest in stirring up trouble the lives of mankind. He is continually attacking and denouncing God in the lives of believers and slandering God’s people before the throne of God. In fact, we discover that the demons of darkness had caused such havoc in Jesus’ day that many of the ailments that befell folks were caused by their corruption. In the crowds were demoniacs, people whose speech and behavior were dominated by evil spirits and ungodly living. They recognized Jesus’ true status as the “Son of God” and were greatly threatened by His presence. Jesus did not accept their repeated cries of recognition, “But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.” This could bring up a couple of interesting questions: 1) Can crowds be more susceptible to demonic influence simply because of their very nature? And, 2) can individuals be easily swayed by Satanic influence by being part of a large uncontrollable crowd? Perhaps both are true. We find it is true historically from the mob mentality of the Salem Witch Trials to the French Revolution or Hitler’s rise to power. Notice however what Jesus does to thwart this spiritual threat. Jesus, instead of heading to the beach, “went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.” The crowds of the day needed to be directed or guided, one-on-one, by those who follow the Lord. So, Jesus “called” and “appointed twelve—designating them apostles.” Notice the three areas they were to work: 1) “that they might be with him” and 2) “that he might send them out to preach” and 3) “to have authority to drive out demons.” Where the Spirit of the Lord is, Satan and his minions have no authority. Interestingly, we learn that “nearly all major ancient Greek manuscripts and most early versions omit the phrase, ‘designating them apostles.’” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary) However, Jesus appoints 12 men. Some who would question his ministry, some who would abandon him, and one who would betray him, but Jesus personally handpicked everyone of them for a specific purpose! We discover that there can be handpicked crowds for a reason!
EXAMPLE: Jesus would spend the next three years training these twelve men. Not all would learn the lessons he would give them. And we wonder why folks in our day and age sometimes cannot learn to follow Jesus correctly! If Jesus could not sway and train all of his followers, we will also struggle in this area as well. However, Jesus shows us that just as he handpicked certain men and called them to himself, we too are to make sure those who come to him are guided and discipled. Jesus has called us to call others and to train them up to be his disciples. We discover that there can be handpicked crowds for a reason! This is where many of today’s mega movements fail. While the masses come through the door, not all come for salvation, those who are saved can be quickly lost in the shuffle of the crowd and are never discipled properly and live a weak anemic faith. Add to this mixture the fact that many churches do not place an emphasis on Sunday School or Bible Study and you have a concoction for spiritual failure that does more harm than good for the kingdom of God. This is why we have fewer and fewer people witnessing or standing for the Lord in our day and age. Jesus called his disciples for a purpose because out of them would come the future church, his body in the world, that was to reach the world with his gospel message. We discover that there can be handpicked crowds for a reason.
Conclusion:
We have learned two important things form this section of Mark: 1) There can be uncontrollable crowds, and 2) there can be handpicked crowds that Jesus chooses. Which crowd are you part of this morning?
---
Pastor Lee Hemen has been the outspoken pastor of the same church for 25 years in Vancouver, WA. He writes regularly on spirituality and conservative causes and maintains several web blogs. This article is copyrighted © 2009 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my written permission.
Comments