On last Lord’s day, we just got our feet in the door into the final stint of our trek through the gospel of Mark in chapter sixteen and seen that God was raising up the good news, who is Jesus Himself and presenting the awesome fact of His resurrection to His most beloved disciples who were having much difficulty believing just how great this reality was. Pastor Fisher ended with some comments about the many controversies that have arisen in recent times concerning certain verses in this chapter that have produced considerable doctrinal division in Christendom. Well listen in today as our bible teacher, Pastor Fisher addresses from the Word the biblical position on these verses as we approach the conclusion of this series of messages in Saint Mark that he calls “Validating The Infant Church”.
Old Testament Scripture Reading: Exodus 4:1 – 9 (KJV)
Exo 4:1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. Exo 4:2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. Exo 4:3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. Exo 4:4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: Exo 4:5 That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee. Exo 4:6 And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. Exo 4:7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh. Exo 4:8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. Exo 4:9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.
New Testament Scripture Reading: Mark 16:9 – 20 (KJV)
Mark 16:9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
Mark 16:10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
Mark 16:11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
Mark 16:12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
Mark 16:13 And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
Mark 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Mark 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Mark 16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
Mark 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Transforming Power Statements:
#1) The Bible teaches that God in times past chose to give His people signs to validate the authenticity of His Word to them as in the days of Moses and through out the Older Testament Prophetic Ministries through which He sent His Word and even to some individuals whom He chose to use for His purposes to fulfill His will according to His plan for the salvation of the elect. #2) A misunderstanding of the intention of the giving of signs for this purpose has led to much confusion and heresy in the church and continues to be a problem up to this very minute and creates a bone of contention among many in the body of Christ and has spawned several unnecessary denominations of the Church. #3) It is clear in the Word that the signs that were given were to validate the authenticity and teaching of the Apostles and provide special conditions for the early Church who did not have the full New Testament available during the time that it was being compiled as a safeguard against those who chose to subvert people to a different gospel just as Janes and Jambres did in the days of Moses, as there will always be antagonists against the truthfulness and completeness of the Word of God. 2 Tim 3:8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 2 Tim 3:9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
