HOFC Sermon Archive: 2025

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SERMON TIMELINE

1. Introduction

2. John the Baptist

3. The Baptism of Jesus

4. Temptation of Jesus

5. The Preaching Ministry of Jesus I

6. The Preaching Ministry of Jesus II

7. The First Disciples

8. A Teacher with Authority

9. At the Home of Simon and Andrew

10. Jesus Cleanses the Leper

11. Jesus Heals the Paralytic

12. Jesus and the Tax Collector

13. Jesus Questioned About Fasting

14. Of Wine and Wineskins

15. Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath & Resurrection Sunday 2025

16. Hard Hearts and Hard Thoughts

17. Three Responses to Jesus

18. Jesus Appoints the Apostles

19. The Family of Jesus

20. The Unforgivable Sin

21. The True Family of Jesus

22. Parable of the Four Soils

23. How Well Do You Listen

24. Parable of the Growing Seed

25. Parable of the Mustard Seed

26. Benefits of Private Teaching

27. Jesus Calms the Storm

28. Who is Afraid of Jesus?

29. The Touch of Jesus

30. When Familiarity Breeds Contempt

Today is Sunday. August 17^th, 2025

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Discipleship Study is starting tomorrow! Monday, August 18th, at 6:00 PM here at the church. We will have coffee and snacks. We hope this day and time works for everyone interested in coming.

This study will focus on the foundational truths of Christianity, with a particular emphasis on building faith and understanding. We have had quite a few people interested, which is great.

We had a Baptism yesterday, and I would like to present Toni with her certificate to remember the day.

REMINDER: Each week the Sunday Sermon will appear on the Facebook page and website, followed by a corresponding Bible Study for one or more to dig deeper into the sermon message, and a Small Group Study, designed for groups to discuss the message together.

We are still in the process of streamlining the church services, and getting the presentations working properly so Terri can take over the music, and bring new songs, many from our hymnals, back into our worship time.

Since opening this church, we have reached over 280 countries around the world with the gospel, and have obtained nearly 2 million sermon downloads by preachers around the world sharing the messages with countless millions, all because this church exists and makes these tools available, and free.

INTRODUCTION

Today we are looking at a very human danger—familiarity breeding contempt.

As the saying goes, “The better we know people, the more likely we are to find fault with them.”

Or, “If you know someone very well or experience something a lot, you stop respecting them.”

English.com puts it this way: “The more you know something or someone, the more you start to find faults and dislike things about it or them.”

We find a sobering example of this in our text, when Jesus returned to His hometown of Nazareth (Mark 6:1–6; Luke 4:16–24).

Instead of rejoicing, they dismissed Him. They saw Him as “ordinary.”

When familiarity breeds contempt, it cuts us off from blessing and blinds us to truth.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

Mark 6:1-6

“And He went out from there and came into His hometown; and His disciples followed Him. And when the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, ‘Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to this man, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are His sisters not here with us?’ And they were taking offense at Him. And Jesus was saying to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.’ And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He was marveling at their unbelief. And He was going around the villages teaching.”

Today we will be looking at how familiarity breeds contempt, and how the message and the blessings are lost in the process.

I. THE MESSAGE IS NOT RECEIVED

a. Jesus’ Countrymen Took Offense

i. At first, they were astonished at His wisdom (Mark 6:2)

Luke 4:22 “And all were speaking well of Him and marveling at the gracious words which were coming forth from His lips”

ii. But they quickly reduced Him to “just a carpenter” and “the son of Mary” (Mark 6:3)

Matthew 13:55 “Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?”

iii. Their familiarity turned to offense (Mark 6:3) and even violent rage

Luke 4:28–30 “And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things, 29 and they stood up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the edge of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, He went on His way.”

iv. Jesus declared: “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, and among his own relatives, and in his own household” (Mark 6:4).

Application: Because of familiarity, they no longer honored Him as God’s messenger.

Illustration: I experienced this many times over the 20+ years of preaching. Firstly in the Baptist church where I served for years as an elder, then two years as interim pastor.

By the end of the two years as interim, I was hated by a handful of women who were accustomed to running the church and controlling the leadership. They spread gossip, lies, tried to defame me. Some of the very people I helped over the years, stood up for, defended, turned against me because they could not control me, or get what they wanted from me.

It has happened in this very church as well. They love you as long as you say and do what they want. The moment they realize they cannot control you, or you dare preach the word of God and it contradicts their personal beliefs, which are always false teachings if they oppose the scripture, they turn on you, and in some cases, even hate you.

As in the case of Jesus returning home, and preaching truth, they murmur, “isn’t he just a carpenter?” “Isn’t that Mary’s son?”

By rejecting a messenger of God, you break your faith, and deprive yourself of the truth. You can no longer learn from the messenger of God. Your spiritual maturity stops, all because you reject whom God sent.

What was Jesus’ response to their contempt of Him?

b. Jesus Limited His Teaching

i. Their rejection led Him to depart, leaving them spiritually impoverished.

Luke 4:29-31 “they stood up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the edge of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, He went on His way.

31 And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath;”

ii. Remember Jesus’ earlier words: “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear…For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him” (Mark 4:23–25).

iii. Jesus taught us, whatever we put into the gospel, is how much we get out of the gospel. If we are 1 or 2% into God through the week…guess how much you are going to get out of your faith? Put in 50, 60, 70% through the week, and see the difference!

James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

1. How are sinners who need to draw near to God and cleanse their hands double-minded?

2. Because they claim they follow the Lord, but do not think twice about serving Him through the week. Their works are represented here by dirty hands.

3. They are double-minded because they try to be of both worlds, the spiritual kingdom of God and the world. But you cannot serve two masters.

Application: We see from the scriptures, when contempt replaces faith, learning stops. We lose access to the truth that gives life.

II. THE BLESSINGS ARE NOT RECEIVED

a. Their Unbelief Stopped the Flow of Blessings

i. “And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them” (Mark 6:5).

ii. This verse highlights that Jesus did not perform the mighty works in Nazareth that He had done elsewhere. It doesn’t mean He lost His power—it means the people’s lack of faith created an environment where His power was not welcomed or received. Miracles are not magic tricks; they are acts of God’s grace that require an open heart of belief and trust.

iii. Matthew explains: “And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58).

iv. Matthew makes the reason explicit: unbelief. Where there is no trust in God, there is no expectation of His power, no reliance on His promises, and no submission to His authority. Unbelief closes the door that faith would have opened.

v. Unbelief shuts the door on God’s grace. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

vi. Faith is the channel through which God’s blessings flow. When faith is absent, God is not honored, and His blessings are withheld. Unbelief essentially says, “God, I don’t trust You,” and that attitude blocks the very grace He desires to give.

vii. Thus, unbelief is not a minor weakness—it actively resists God’s grace. Faith, on the other hand, opens the door wide for God’s blessings and miracles.

b. Might We Be Guilty of the Same?

i. We may grow dull through routine:

ii. Treating baptism lightly

1. Acts 2:38 “And Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

2. Acts 22:16 “Now why do you delay? Rise up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’”

iii. Making the Lord’s Supper routine instead of holy

1. 1 Corinthians 10:16 “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?”

iv. Neglecting the Word of God that nourishes

1. 1 Peter 2:2 “Like newborn babies, long for the pure spiritual milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up to salvation,”

v. Forgetting the power of prayer to bring grace, peace, and mercy

1. Hebrews 4:14–16 “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us take hold of our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things like we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

2. Philippians 4:6–7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

vi. Forsaking assembly together, which stirs love and good works

1. Hebrews 10:24–25 “And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

vii. Even despising the blood of Christ by treating it as “common”

1. Hebrews 10:29 “How much worse punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as defiled the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?”

Application: Familiarity with the things of God can harden our hearts and close the channels of God’s blessing.

III. THE WARNING FOR US

a. Contempt Brings Judgment

i. The people of Nazareth judged themselves unworthy of eternal life, just as others would later do (Acts 13:46).

ii. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

b. Guard Yourself Against Spiritual Dullness

i. Spiritual dullness is taking the holy things of God and thinking of them commonly. No big deal. Just another day.

ii. When you do not take the word of God, His messengers, baptism, communion, church, seriously, holy and in reverence, you are disrespecting God, and when that happens, you cut yourself off from God and fall away.

1. “Take care, brothers (speaking to believers), lest there will be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12).

iii. “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves” (James 1:22).

CONCLUSION

When the people of Nazareth allowed their familiarity with Jesus to breed contempt:

· They cut themselves off from His teaching.

· They shut themselves out from His blessings.

· They even placed themselves under judgment.

A similar tragedy can befall us. Let us not treat lightly the Word, the Spirit, the Church, or the Cross.

Instead, let us pray with the psalmist: “Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law” (Psalm 119:18).

And let us heed the warning of Jesus: “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides” (Mark 4:24).

Closing Charge: May your growing familiarity with Jesus Christ breed not contempt, but ever-deepening reverence, obedience, and joy.

NEXT WEEK: “Part 31: Principles of Evangelism”

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Thursday, August 21, 2025

Gospel of Mark Part 30: When Familiarity Breeds Contempt