From Mark Copeland... When Familiarity Breeds Contempt

                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                When Familiarity Breeds Contempt (6:1-6)

INTRODUCTION

1. You have likely heard the saying "familiarity breeds contempt", which
   means...
   a. The better we know people, the more likely we are to find fault
      with them. - The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy
   b. If you know someone very well or experience something a lot, you
      stop respecting them. - The Free Dictionary
   c. The more you know something or someone, the more you start to find
      faults and dislike things about it or them. - UsingEnglish.com

2. We find an example of this in our text...
   a. When Jesus returned to His hometown - Mk 6:1-6
   b. The town of Nazareth, where He had been brought up - cf. Lk 4:16-24

[As illustrated in our text, allowing familiarity to breed contempt can
be to one's disadvantage.  For example, "When Familiarity Breeds
Contempt"...]

I. THE MESSAGE IS NOT RECEIVED

   A. JESUS' COUNTRYMEN TOOK OFFENSE...
      1. At first they were impressed by His teaching - Mk 6:2; cf. Lk 4:22
      2. The people of Nazareth knew Jesus as:
         a. A carpenter and the son of a carpenter - Mk 6:3; cf. Mt 13:55
         b. The son of Mary, with brothers and sisters - Mk 6:3
      3. But the moment He spoke critically, they took offense - Mk 6:3
         a. They became angry - cf. Lk 4:23-28
         b. They attempted to kill Him - cf. Lk 4:29-30
      4. Which led Jesus say: "A prophet is not without honor, except in
         his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household."
         - Mk 6:4
      -- Because of familiarity, they did not respect Him as a prophet

   B. JESUS LIMITED HIS TEACHING...
      1. Their offense led to His leaving and returning to Capernaum
         - cf. Lk 4:31
      2. Thus depriving themselves of further teaching by the Son of
         God!
      3. Remember what Jesus had told His disciples earlier? - cf. Mk 4:23-25
      -- Because of their contempt, they lost access to more learning of
         God's will!

   C. MIGHT WE BE GUILTY OF THE SAME...?
      1. We can easily develop familiarity today
         a. With those teaching the Word of God ("He no longer impresses
            me")
         b. With the message of the Word itself ("I've heard that many
            times before")
      2. Do we allow our familiarity to breed contempt?
         a. No longer respecting those we know well, taking them for
            granted?
         b. No longer appreciating the significance of the Word of God?
      -- If so, then we will cut ourselves off from its powerful
         message!

[Which leads to another disadvantage experienced "When Familiarity
Breeds Contempt"...]

II. THE BLESSINGS ARE NOT RECEIVED

   A. JESUS' COUNTRYMEN DID NOT BELIEVE...
      1. Which caused Jesus to marvel - Mk 6:6
      2. Remember, they even tried to kill Him - cf. Lk 4:28-30
      -- Because of familiarity they were unwilling to believe in Him

   B. JESUS LIMITED HIS MIRACLES...
      1. Mark states that "He could do no mighty work there..." - Mk 6:5
      2. Matthew says it was "because of their unbelief" - cf. Mt 13:58
      3. It wasn't that Jesus could not do miracles, for He healed a few
         - Mk 6:5
      4. Where people would not believe, He could not do a great work
         for them
      5. "Such unbelief as this has immense consequences for evil. It
         closes the channels of grace and mercy, so that only a trickle
         gets through to human lives in need." - J. G. Miller
      -- Because of their contempt, they lost access to receiving more
         blessings!

   C. MIGHT WE EXPERIENCE THE SAME...?
      1. We can easily develop familiarity and contempt toward such
         things as:
         a. Baptism, the Lord's Supper, the Word of God, prayer,
            assembling
         b. Even the blood of Christ, counting it as "a common thing"
            - cf. He 10:29
      2. Such contempt will "close the channels of grace and mercy", for
         we will not:
         a. Emphasize the importance of baptism for the remission of
            sins - Ac 2:38; 22:16
         b. Value the observance of the Lord Supper as a communion with
            Christ - 1Co 10:16
         c. Feed on the Word of God that we might grow thereby - 1Pe 2:2
         d. Utilize prayer in order to receive mercy, grace, peace - 

            He 4:14-16; Php 4:6-7
         e. Assemble as often as we can, to stir up love and good works
            - He 10:24-25
      -- Could contempt bred by familiarity explain our dull spiritual
         lives?

CONCLUSION

1. When the people of Nazareth allowed their familiarity with Jesus to
   breed contempt...
   a. They deprived themselves of a great opportunity
   b. Jesus chose to take His message and His blessings elsewhere - Mk 6:6

2. A similar tragedy can befall us...
   a. We can judge ourselves unworthy of eternal life
   b. And thus deprive ourselves of blessings we would otherwise receive
      - cf. Ac 13:46

The secret is to pay close attention to the words of Jesus and His
apostles, and any familiarity will produce only greater blessings and
not contempt (and prayer will certainly help)...

   Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same
   measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear,
   more will be given." - Mk 4:24

   Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.
                                                        - Psa 119:18

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011