Sermon 5-15-11

“MESSED UP, MIXED UP, AND MOVING UP”

Esther 2

Illst of Patty (loving the unlovable)

That is the kind of love we are capable of isn’t it? And it certainly runs deeper when we demonstrate it toward our child that rebels, our spouse whose imperfections we deal with daily, or a parent that drives us crazy. Where do we learn that love from?

1 John 4:19 - “We love because He first loved us.”

Jeremiah 29:11 - “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Context...)

Today we see a personal example of this love taking place...

Read and explain text...

Vs. 1 -

“After these things” - review chapter 1, 4 years have passed and King returns from war with nothing - he has failed and been humiliated in marriage and war,

“remembered” - hints of regret...anger and wrath mixed with alcohol and bad advisors will produce nothing less...

Vs. 2-4 - His advisors come up with a plan...

“beauty preparations” - even in those days, ladies, you were told that you are not good enough, you need help to be beautiful...

This scene becomes the first recorded “Bachelor” reality show...there is nothing new under the sun...

This will open the door for Esther to be used by God...

#1 - God is at work even when you don’t see Him. (vs. 1-5)

Through everyday, unforeseen, and unlikely circumstances God can make us into something (one) that we could never be otherwise.

This event seems to be far removed from anything that would ever affect the Jews. This is a Gentile king trying to find a woman that will meet his needs. How could this event have any bearing on helping the Jews to see that God still loved them and wanted to spare them and use them? It’s because you can’t see what He’s doing.

Illst- I am where I am today b/c of my wife. God was truly working in ways we never saw to bring us together...

****

Vs. 5-7

Mordecai’s great grandfather had been carried away into captivity. This made Mordecai a 4th generation exile. Esther is his cousin. Her parents apparently die early and Mordecai raises her.

All these two have ever known is living in a pagan, godless society. They may have heard stories of what God had done in the past but they haven’t seen it. In the time they live there is no fresh word from God. The Israelites ignored the prophets and God has gone silent. The only thing they have to go on was a promise He made of a better day that would come. You’ll notice there is no mention of Esther’s relationship to God. It likely wasn’t strong. You surely don’t see any evidence of it. There are no sacrifices, no observance of feast days, not concerned with moving back to the Promised Land, and no attempt to live by the law.

Esther has had a rough life. She has no clue what a normal family looks like, she’s been trough a tremendous amount of trauma, never lived in a religious society, and has no real relationship with God to sustain her. With all this against her she has no chance in life does she?

#2 - Your life may have had a bad start but it can have a great finish. (vs. 5-7)

Your past may make your life a challenge but its nothing God can’t overcome. Your past is part of your story. It reveals the glory of a God who could take someone who is broken, has nothing to offer, maybe even seen as unloveable, and yet He will love them, and make them into somebody that mattered.

Some of you don’t know anything about this. You had faithful Christian parents. You started coming to church 9 months before you could even cry and haven’t missed too many Sundays since. You got saved in the nursery, taught Sunday School when you were 8, Deacon at 12, led WMU at 15, preached and baptized 1,000’s by 20. :) If so then praise God for it. Don’t ever get over how blessed you have been. For some people that is your lot in life.

But not everybody gets a life like that.

In these last few years I am so thankful that God has allowed our family to step out into the world a little bit deeper because it has shown me what the world looks like. It is full of broken people.....(broken homes, far from God).....These are people I look at and think they don’t have a chance in the world. Some of you know what I’m talking about.

It doesn’t matter where you came from, what matters is where are you going.

John 10:10a - “The thief does not come except to steal, kill, and destroy.”

He may have done that to you, but Jesus tells us that the story doesn’t have to end that way...

John 10:10b - “I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.”

No one is too broken, too far gone, or too messed up for Jesus to change. No matter where you have come from He still wants you. That may be the first time somebody has ever had anyone tell you that.

With Jesus I now have power, purpose and peace. It doesn’t mean trouble won’t still find me, but it does mean I have the right perspective to deal with it and I am not alone.

Jesus is the hope of the world and the church is the pipeline He uses to get that message out. If you have found that hope, then you need to find others who are broken and unlovable and share with them how they can have a course change in their life.

Esther was the very definition of messed up and mixed up, but we are about to see she is also moving up!

****

Vs. 8-19

“gathered / taken” - Some may have gone voluntarily seeing it as a promotion although that is questionable given the vicarious nature of living with this king. Most were probably taken against their will. Commentators speculate anywhere from 400-1000 women were chosen. Lest you think the king was simply a male chauvinist pig consider what he did to the men...500 boys a year were gathered and made eunuchs!

“allowance” - she ate defiled food that Daniel would have rejected. Some of the blemishes in Esther’s character start to show up...

“had not revealed” - kept quiet about her Jewish identity. It is also very telling that they could be around her and not realize she was Jewish. Esther had adapted to Persian customs and become so worldly that no one would recognize her as being one of God’s people. She had become indistinguishable from the world. That is what happens when you forget God in your daily life.

“perfumes and preparations” - fumigation with other cosmetics. (Fumigation kills :) )

“she obtained favor” - make no mistake, this didn’t happen because they just stayed up all night talking. There is an implication of sexual activity that caused the king to be enamored with her.

“crown” - means this is going to be a marriage. A Jewish girl marrying a pagan Gentile King. This too was unacceptable in Jewish law because God’s people were not to mix marriage with ungodly people.

Here is our Esther...she compromises her religion by eating defiled food, keeping quiet about her God, committing immorality, and marrying an unbeliever. She is one worldly person.

#3 - God still uses imperfect people (vs. 8-17)

Reflecting on this truth absolutely rocked my world this week. If we must be perfect and get everything right for God to use us then I don’t know about you, but I’m in trouble. And if we were perfect then why would we need God?

There has only been one perfect person that has ever lived and been used by God. His name was Jesus. Everybody else falls short, way short, and yet God is still willing to use us. Our usability doesn’t depend on our perfection but His.

Noah was a drunk

Abraham was too old to be used

Isaac was a daydreamer

Jacob was a liar

Leah was ugly

Joseph was abused

Moses had a stuttering problem

Gideon was afraid

Samson had long hair and was a womanizer

Rahab was a prostitute

Jeremiah and Timothy were too young

David had an affair and was a murderer

Elijah was suicidal

Isaiah preached naked

Jonah ran from God

Naomi was a widow

Job went bankrupt

Peter denied Christ

The Disciples fell asleep while praying

Martha worried about everything

The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once

Zaccheus was too small

Paul was too religious

Timothy had an ulcer.

AND Lazarus was dead!

And yet God still used each and every one. Don’t use your sin as a license to keep messing up but also realize it isn’t a scarlet letter painted on your forehead that says God rejects you and won’t use you.

Yes I know that doesn’t seem to make much since, and the pious religious crowd screams “that’s not fair!” But that’s grace and that’s why we sing about it being so amazing.

****

#4 - God’s people will always stand out from among the rest

Everywhere Esther goes she is impressing people. The most telling thing is found in her name. Hadassah was her original Jewish name. The Persian would give her the name Esther. It means “star.” The people God chooses and uses will always stand out. They will be a star. Not b/c of who we are but b/c of who is in us. Jesus can take a messed up, mixed up, broken, hopeless imperfect person like Esther, like me, like you and make us into a star. I’d say that’s moving up!

*****

We could be tempted to look at Esther and judge her. She should have done this or not done that. Maybe so. But since the author doesn’t do that, it tells me there is something else God wants us to see here. This is a reminder that life can sometimes get messy. It’s not always neat and clean. Things happen quickly and you can find yourself in a mess before you know it. Lines between right and wrong sometimes become blurry in the heat of a moment. We have to act as best as we know how and sometimes we fail in doing what is right. Even then God is gracious and all powerful and He can use you and your situations to perfect His purposes in us and through us. Be careful how we judge others because we may just be judging someone that God is working on in a way that we can’t see.

Sermon 5-8-11

“LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND SHAMELESS”

Esther 1

Background:

-author unkown

-Esther and Mordecai are main characters

-Esther isn’t exactly to be seen as a perfect role model

-God is never mentioned yet His presence is evident.

The year is 483 BC. The Jewish had been taken into exile approximately 100 years earlier by the Babylonians as discipline from God for repeatedly ignoring His calls to turn from their idols and return to Him. This was a turning point for the Jews that would forever change their way of life. Though God sent them into exile He promised that a remnant would one day return to Jerusalem. Nearly 50 years into captivity Cyrus the Great who founded the Persian empire invaded Babylon and overthrew Belshazzar. He would then issue a decree that allowed the Jews to return home (Ezra 1). His motives were not altogether pure as he likely saw them as another land to collect taxes from. Some Jews would travel back and begin to rebuild but most stayed behind. The story of Esther picks up about 50 years after Cyrus’ decree. His grandson Xerxes is on the throne and the question confronting the Jews is “are we still in the covenant relationship with God?”

This book is for anyone who finds themselves far from God, far from perfect, far from an easy life. You wonder does God still care about me? Does He still want a relationship with me? Can He still use me? The answer is overwhelmingly, yes! One person even with their back against the wall can still be used by God to make a difference. This is Esther’s story and how God used her to save an entire race of people.

Through everyday, unforeseen, and unlikely circumstances God can make us into something(one) that we could never be otherwise. // PROVIDENCE!

*****

We have a fascination with rich people...Ex- The Royal Wedding...no one televised my wedding or got up at 4AM to see it... For some reason we are tempted to think that way of life must be infinitely better than the life I live...Not so fast...

I. WEALTH (vs. 1-5)

Vs. 1 - Leader over most of the known world. Greece only major territory not under his rule.

Vs. 2-5 - He throws a 180 day party for all his important dignitaries and then a 7 day party for the common folk to show off all that he has. Hmmm. Maybe he should have listened to last week’s message...

1 Timothy 6:17 - “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God who gives richly all things to enjoy.”

Here’s why:

Prov. 23:5 - “Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven.”

Let me tell you what happens to the King...Esther is written anywhere from 25-over 100 years after the events happen so the readers would already know this story and be captivated by the irony of it (It’s full of irony.)...Xerxes and the Persians wanted Greece bad. His dad, Darius, when he was the king had been defeated trying to invade Athens. So they are in a period of resting and recuperating. It is believed at this party Xerxes formed a Great War Council to make plans for taking Greece. Four years later he will invade Greece. He gets his backside whooped and ends up coming home broke. Wealth and wisdom apart from God will not last. Being prideful only sets you up for a big fall.

Ex- Donald Trump bragging about forcing Pres. Obama to show birth certificate then Obama gets boost by killing OBL.

Somebody - Jesus = Nothing

Jesus + Nothing = Everything

II. DECISIONS (vs. 6-21)

Vs. 6-8 - Liberty to drink as much as you want. Restraints are cast off... It was also a social norm to drink and deliberate matters of state. The thinking was if we come up with ideas drunk and in the morning when we are sober we still like them then we will act upon them.

First bad decision: Drinking alcohol will help me to make better decisions.

Prov. 31:4-5 - “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Nor for princes intoxicating drink; Lest they drink and forget the law, And pervert the justice of all the afflicted.”

Vs. 9-12 - The king wants his wife to parade naked in the middle of the party. Does anybody think this is a good idea?

Second bad decision: Treat his wife in an undignified and immoral manner.

Vs. 13-21 - “wise men who understood the times” - They base their opinions on what is popular at the time. We call that relevance at the expense of truth.

Third bad decision: Listen to counselors who tell you to do what feels right at the time.

Psalm 1: 1-3 - “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”

III. MARRIAGE (vs. 21-22)

This marital relationship has deteriorated and is now done. He dismisses his wife (and possibly had her executed). If they have kids consider the impact this makes on them and then we wonder why these kings had such a bad history?

What it boils down to here, is that the king is declaring that marriage is all about the man. He is the head of the home and the wife must do everything he says. If she doesn’t then she can be replaced. That sounds kind of far-fetched and out-there, but I think it is closer to reality than we won’t to admit. Marriages get in trouble when they become centered on self rather than the other person. He/she better do what I want and make me happy. If not I’ll find someone else.

If that is your opinion then your marriage is not grounded in the truth of Jesus Christ, it is God-less and it will crumble.

Eph. 5:21-28 - “submitting to one another in the fear of God. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

*****

When you get to the heart of the matter, this isn’t just a picture of the lifestyle of the rich and shameless, it is a picture of the lifestyle of the world without God. Lives crumble without a relationship to God. As Christians this is what we are up against. This is the type of world we live in and unless we have a deep abiding relationship with Jesus Christ we will conform to it. But with that deep abiding relationship to Him not only can we survive but we can thrive.

“One decision can change everything.”

Romans 12:1-2 - “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Sermon 4-24-11 (EASTER)

“THE TOMB IS EMPTY - WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT!”

Luke 24:1-12

There are several non-negotiable, line - in - the - sand claims that Christianity makes.

Here are a few...

-God is the Holy and Just Creator of the world

-The Bible is His Holy, Inspired Word given to us so that we could know Him more and is the only book we need to live our lives by.

-There is an eternity with two possible destinations and everyone who has ever lived will spend forever in one of those two places.

-Jesus is God who came in the flesh as man and lived a sinless life.

-He died on a Roman cross to pay the penalty for our sin, was buried in a tomb and rose again on the third day thereby defeating death and proving once and for all that He is Lord of all.

If any are not true then our faith is foolish, our doctrine is deception, and our eternity is endangered. But if they are true, that makes anyone who denies them a heretic, false teacher, and a non-Christian. So which is it? Today we will focus on the last of the non-negotiables I mentioned. The fact that Jesus was crucified for our sins and rose back to life three days later. My hope today is not that you leave merely convinced of what is true but that you would also respond appropriately to that truth.

Last week we noticed in John’s Gospel that Jesus was officially and indisputably declared dead on the cross, we studied how Jospeh and Nicodemus publicly declared their allegiance for Jesus by claiming the body and burying him in a tomb that Joseph himself purchased and donated. That is where we pick up our story...

Jesus was hurriedly buried on Friday because the Saturday Sabbath was coming. Sensing an inadequate preparation for the dead body, a group of ladies head out to the tomb on Sunday morning now that the Sabbath has passed. The emotional state of these women is fragile. They are grieving, they are fearful, and they are uncertain as to how they will get in the tomb to do this job.

They show up, the stone is moved, Luke records no guards - perhaps they had abandoned post by now, and most importantly they go in and there is no Jesus.

There was / is no dispute. The tomb was empty. The clothes were there, the body was not. The only questions at stake are where is Jesus and how will people respond to an empty tomb. Consider several responses this morning...

I. CONFUSION (vs. 4a)

“greatly perplexed” - puzzled - it means you have a problem and can’t figure it out. In fact you look at the situation and don’t see any solution or explanation for it. Nothing about this situation made sense for the women. “He’s dead, He should be right here. What happened? There must be some logical explanation but I sure don’t know what it is.”

There is no reason for anybody to ever be perplexed or puzzled about Jesus Christ.

We know who He is:

John 14:9,11 - “...He who has seen Me has seen the Father...believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me.”

We know what His mission was:

Matt. 20:28 - “...the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.”

The only reason anyone ever has to be confused about Jesus is because of a lack of faith. The person who won’t believe in the claims of Christ or the occurance of his death, burial and resurrection ignores overwhelming, indisputable evidence. The person who won’t believe that a God would save them after all the sins they’ve committed ignores the overwhelming, indisputable love of God. The person who thinks he doesn’t need Jesus ignores the overwhelming, indisputable mess that he’s made of his life on his own. At some point you must believe on Jesus and put your trust in Him alone.

A good reason to do that comes from the second response we note:

II. PROPHETIC (vs. 5-8)

Angels appear inside the tomb...

1. The Ladies displayed Reverence (5a)

“bowed”- they recognized they were in the presence of heavenly beings. God was speaking to them through these angelic messengers.

2. The Ladies were Rebuked (5b)

He’s alive, but you’re acting like He’s dead and gone. Too many Christians and churches act like we worship a dead Savior. We walk around all mopey popey, we come to church if we feel like it, and then we moan over the hopelessness of the world and our lives. I’ve been to some funeral home visitations that had more life and liveliness to them than most churches. You go to a funeral home to mourn a person who is dead and not coming back but when you come to chruch you are coming to worship somebody who stared death in the face and said is that all you got! And here’s the thing...today is Easter so we are natually a little more jubilant but next week Jesus will be just as alive as He is today! And the resurrection power we fawn over today will be the same power that is available to us next week, and the week after that.

Things in your life may not be good today but your Savior sure is. He is alive, He is powerful, He is working in you and around you, so lift your head up to Him and if you can’t then let Him lift it for you and trust Him that He is going to see you through the tough times. Christians, don’t you act like your God is dead.

3. The Ladies Remembered (6-8)

The events of this day should not suprise us. Jesus himself predicted or prophecied 3X this would happen.

“must be delivered” - given over. The Jewish leadership wanted Him gone, the Roman leadership was indifferent, and ultimately it was because of all of us that He died. The “sinful people” says it all. Jesus told us He was giving Himself up for us to take our place.

“be crucified” - the beatings, mockings, the nails, the cross all of that was to carry out the physical sacrifice that must be made but the greatest and most horrific occurance on the cross was the spiritual aspect of it where God treated His own Son like a vile sinner and poured out His wrath on Him though He had done nothing wrong. Jesus told us that He must die in order for us to live.

“the third day rise again” - He made it clear...kill me and bury me but in three days I’ll be back. Jesus told us He would not be defeated.

Illst- one of the great legends in our country is Babe Ruth’s called shot...That is disputed but there is no disputing Jesus and "the shot" He called.

III. DISBELIEF (vs. 9-11)

“idle tales” - (leros) - medical language to describe delirium. Not only did the disciples not believe them but they thought the women had lost their minds.

They wanted nothing to do with the thought that Jesus somehow came back to life. This is reflective of some people today who aren’t really looking for God to intervene in their life. They don’t care to believe what He’s done for them. They think we Christians are silly or crazy for believing what we do. But one day the world will care to believe on Him.

John 12:47-50 - “And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

IV. AMAZEMENT (vs. 12)

“But Peter” - there has always been something unique about Peter hasn’t it? No one could show more spiritual insight and wisdom one moment and then turn into a complete dunderhead the next faster than Peter.

He is the first of the disciples to enter the tomb and see the body-less clothes for himself.

“marveled” - amazement with a suggestion of beginning to speculate on the matter. This wasn’t a statement of faith but he was certainly considering it. While others refused to believe, Peter isn’t so certain. He has learned that Jesus can be shocking and surprising but also He was always right. For Peter this is a moment of reflection, decision, and faith.

Is the resurrection the only adequate explanation for what Peter sees? Isn’t the resurrection what Jesus promised? Could He really be alive? Did God’s plan for redemption really come to pass before my eyes?

That’s where we leave the story this morning. You know the rest of it. Now we move away from Peter and turn to ourselves. The questions he wrestled with are the ones we must wrestle with. What do you think about this story?

Paul tells us how we need to respond to it...

Romans 10:9 - “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:11 - “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

Romans 10:13 - “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Sermon 4-17-11

“GOING PUBLIC FOR JESUS”

John 19:38-42

If there is one thing I know about people in the Bible belt, it’s that they are not afraid to let you know about the things they are passionate about. Their allegiance is well known and unashamed...

-football, Nascar, favorite store, political party, clothing, purses, etc.

You have your opinions, your favorites, your loyalties and you are not afraid to share them and support them regardless of what anyone else thinks. But do we feel the same way about Jesus? Some certainly do, but not all. For some reason there are those who claim to follow Christ but only do so at a healthy, secret distance.

Now I am not justifying this as you will notice in the message today but I am not suprised by it either since the very same thing was happening in Jesus’ day as well.

John 12:42-43 - “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men nore han the praise of God.”

Today we will look into the lives of two of those men referred to by John.

1) Joseph of Arimathea

-Wealthy (Matt. 27:57)

-A prominent member of Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43)

-Praying for the Messiah to come (Mark 15:43)

-Good and just man who did not consent to the decision to have Christ crucified (Luke 23:50-51) (although given what comes next we may wonder how public his dissent was)

-Disciple of Jesus (believed in him for salvation, gave evidence by the fruit he bore, desire to follow Jesus)

-He kept it a secret (that means he would tell no one, he would either publically agree with the venom spoken of Christ at the very least remain silent)

His reluctance to identify himself with Jesus could hardly be commendable.

2) Nicodemus

-A member of Sanhedrin also (John 3:1)

-Came to Jesus at night (John 3:2)

-He recognized the hand of God on Jesus, but left confused over the requirement to be ‘born again’ to get in the kingdom of God (John 3:3-9)

-Attempted to take up for Jesus (w/o admitting his allegiance to Him) at a council meeting (John 7:50-52)

Up until this point he is known as someone who has always been interested in Jesus but only from a safe, secretive distance so that no one will find out.

I. Why Would Someone Secretly Follow Christ?

Why would they put their faith and trust in Him but be reluctant to testify of Him or serve Him openly in front of other people, including their friends and peers who aren’t followers of Christ?

To answer in one word: FEAR

Vs. 38 - “fear of the Jews”

What would they have done to these men?

12:42 - “they would have been put out of the synagogue” and by this time who knows maybe something even worse.

12:43 - “loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”

So if you put all this together it comes down to a fear of ridicule, fear of losing your paycheck, fear of losing your prestigious status, and even a fear of physical harm. Now before we harshly condemn these two guys consider that the disciples fared no better. They had all scattered and as Peter tried to watch the crucifixion events unfold from a safe, secret distance he too denied Jesus 3X. But let’s not stop there. Let’s look at ourselves for a moment...

Teenagers, when the peer pressure is on do you boldly stand for Christ even in the face of ridicule? Adults, when the conversation at work or family reunion turns to religious matters or something that affords an opportunity to speak of Christ do you engage it or grow quiet and let it pass? Do you proudly tell of what is happening in your church and your life or do you hide it because you think they will make fun of you, or break off a friendship? If not the root cause if fear!

Here is a fact...if you are going to be the witness for Christ that he wants you to be there will be some ridicule. You will lose some of the praise of men, you will be kicked out of some groups. And if those things are what is important to you, then you will at best only follow Jesus from a safe, secretive distance. Jesus is not your Lord, your comfort is.

If you are living the life of a secret disciple in your family, school, work, among your friends, etc...it is because you fear something. Go ahead right now and name that fear and please know you are not the first to deal with it, but...let’s don’t accept that as our way of living.

Trans: These two men in our text didn’t.

Vs. 38 - “asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus...”

This was a huge developement. In Mark’s account he commends Joseph for the courage it took to do this. The Romans usually only handed the body over to close relatives. And since Jesus was accused of conspiring against the Jewish and Roman authorities this would have put Joseph under the microscope and clearly and publically aligned him with Jesus. Nicodemus is also seen here very publically teaming up with Joseph. These two men are no longer hiding in the shadows, they are fully declaring their allegiance to Christ.

II. What Would Compel Someone To Go Public For Christ?

What is it that after all this time of secret meetings, keeping mouth shut, going along with opinions that you didn’t share would compel you to say enough is enough. I can’t live quietly about Jesus anymore?

To answer in one word: CROSS

Vs. 38 - “after this” - (‘Later’ - NIV) Refers back to the crucifixion.

In these last few hours these men have watched their God fulfill thousands of years of prophecy by dying on the cross as an innocent man so that the forgiveness of the sins of the world could be secured. God was pouring out his wrath on his son He was pouring out his love on us and in the face of that many still chose to gather around and mock, ridicule, laugh, and taunt Jesus.

Romans 5:8 - “But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.”

When these two finally got a hold of that love, they could no longer remain silent. Who could? When you understand how much your God and your Lord and Savior Jesus loved you and what lengths they went to to make that love available to you, you can’t keep silent.

These words spoke to me in my quiet time this week...

John 12:1 - “...Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead.”

I’m like that Lazarus...I was dead but am not any more because Jesus stood at the door of the tomb that was my dead life and called out to me to come out into new life and I thank Him that the alive man who came out wasn’t anything like the dead one they put in!

Illst- Many times someone recomends me to a good new restraunt...why? That place did something for them and they sure enjoyed it...well do you know what Jesus did for you? Do you enjoy it? If so, then at some point you are going to be compelled to be very public about your faith.

III. What Happens When Someone Does Go Public For Christ?

To answer in one word: FREEDOM

1. Freedom from what others think

Joseph and Nicodemus will no longer be bound by the opinions of the Sanhedrin. They will be ‘blackballed’ if not worse but they don’t care. The most freeing thought you can ever have is this: The only person I need to please is God.

2. Freedom from what others do.

Let them talk, let them persecute me, let them fire me, just let me have my Jesus and lift Him up and I will be just fine.

Matt. 5:11-12 - “Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.”

3. Freedom to do whatever God asks you to do.

God used these men in as valuable a role as anyone in the kingdom but he only did it when they went public for Him. Their valuable role was getting the body, preparing it for burial, and placing it in the tomb. Had they not it would have been thrown into a ditch with hundreds of other rotting, decaying bodies and when Christ rises again it would be hard to disprove the theory that his body was stolen. And by doing this the prophecy was fulfilled:

Isaiah 53:9 - “And they made His grave with the wicked- but with the rich at His death because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.”

We needed the tomb. Joseph owns it and gives it for Jesus. Nicodemus will bring a healthy amount of spices. These men give a great effort and amount of resources for their Jesus.

Perhaps the second most freeing thought you could ever have is: Everything I have is His. He can have what He wants when He wants it. Or to say it another way as Jesus did: it is better to give than to receive.

*****

1) Christ wasn’t ashamed of you...

He knows everything you have ever done, and what He knows isn’t pretty is it? Don’t you dare think you deserve God’s love because we don’t. That’s what makes it so amazing. That He could look at us and still say, I want you. I will do what is necessary to make it possible for you to enter My kingdom and be My people.

2) Christ wasn’t ashamed to die a humiliating death for you...

Read the crucifixion narrative, watch Mel Gibson’s movie “The Passion.” There was nothing honorable or glorifying about the death Jesus died. In his death He appeared to be a failure, his cause was hopelessly defeated, how could a self-proclaimed king with the power and authority of God allow himself to die that way? He did it for you so that you wouldn’t have to.

3) Christ wasn’t ashamed to call you to publically follow Him...

Matt. 10:32-33 - “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess befoe My Father who is in Heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”

Ways to go public....

Baptism

Witness

Invite someone at Easter

Sermon 4-10-11

THE KIND OF PEOPLE YOU WON’T FIND IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Mark 4:1-9, 13-20

One of the issues that comes up often in the life of a church, pastor, and those who are genuinely trying to minister is “why aren’t the people responding? Why did no one come forward at the invitation, why was the visitation team not well received by the peopel they visited? Why has my child continued to ignore my conversations with them about Jesus?”

No doubt some of Jesus’ disciples were beginning to ask the same things. We have taught, healed, cast out demons, and yet our numbers aren’t significantly growing. The truth was and still is today that many will gather to hear Jesus but few will follow Him.

The Good news in that and that we should see in this parable is that while many may not follow Christ, some will and that number will do nothing but grow as the years go by.

Vs. 2 - “parables” - An earthly story with a heavenly meaning? Sure but its more...according to Dr. Danny Akin...

1) Parables provide insight into the nature, coming, growth, and fulfillment of the Kingdom of God.

2) Parables are by design intended to be thought provoking and surprising. They have a way of sneaking up on us.

3) Parables are used to stimulate thinking and cause the hearer to carefully contemplate what they ar hearing.

4) Parables use everyday objects, events, and circumstances to illustrate spiritual truth usually with a new turn or twist.

5) Parables reveal more to those with receptive ears and hides truth from those with dull ears.

6) Ultimately parables draw attention to Jesus as God’s Messiah and call us to make a personal decision concerning Him.

I. Rejected the Invitation Into the Kingdom of God (vs. 1-9)

Vs. 3-9 is called the Parable of the Seed / Sower

Cultural context: hold seed in apron with one hand and broadcast with the other. The seed sown would then be plowed under.

In this parable the seed is of course the word of God and more specifically the preaching of the Gospel as the entrance into the Kingdom of God. The soils will be the hearts of the people who respond to the preaching.

Note the different soils the seed lands on:

-Path (wayside)

-Rocky Ground

-Among Thorns

-Good fertile soil

The point we need to see clearly in this section is that we must sow the seed of the Gospel so that others may hear and respond. Responses will vary and its not our job to take soil samples and then go preach where it is fertile. It is our job to preach and leave the harvest up to God.

-pastor the deadest church, still must preach

-minister in the most pagan city, still must sow

-most spiritually disinterested kids, still must tell

Romans 10:14 - “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”

So that there is no misunderstanding...what about those who never have the opportunity to hear the word about Christ and His Kingdom?

1) They are not innocent. They are still condemned b/c they are sinners.

2)They can know some revelation about God (Romans 1).

3) Their plight should increase our urgency to go tell them.

4) If they truly went to heaven for not knowing then our best mission strategy would be to not tell anyone. That was not Jesus’ strategy though was it?

II. Reacted With Their Heart (vs. 13-20)

Jesus now explains the parables. We get insight into how people will respond to the Gospel and from the looks of things there are some who won’t be in the kingdom and we’ll see why...

1. Hard Heart (vs. 4,15)

They heard it, which means they were somewhere listening to someone tell them about Jesus. Satan comes and takes away the seed though. This path represents the hard hearted or tough minded individual.

This is the guy you went to visit and after a couple of minutes he yelled at you to get off his porch. Maybe its the guy who came to church last Sunday and if you talked to him in the parking lot he would say - music too loud, sermon too long, didn’t like what preacher had to say, ready to get my beer, boat, and head to lake so I can really enjoy myself.

This person is totally unresponsive. He quickly dismissed the Word without giving it careful consideration. He has listened to the devil far too long.

2. Shallow Heart (vs. 5-6, 16-17)

Vs. 16 - “Likewise” puts him in same spiritual standing as first heart.

This person heard the word, immediately received it with joy, had no root, endured for a while, but troubles came and they fell away.

This is the one who doesn’t immediately try to escape on Sunday after the sermon is over but instead comes up to me and excitedly says - best sermon I ever heard, needed that, God spoke to me. They may even be so excited they come back on Sunday night and bring a friend. But by Monday...their old friends put pressure on them to return to their old ways, someone laughs at them for being in church, and they are never seen again. [Yea i’ve had a few of those...]

They are easy listeners who make a quick profession of faith, pray a prayer, lift a hand, say a quick yes without considering all that it means.

3. Crowded Heart (vs. 7, 18-19)

They get closer than #1,#2...They heard, received and started to grow but the cares of the world, lure of riches, and desires for things not of God (idolatry) crowd out the word in their heart. When you fill your life with the cares of the world you leave no room for God.

This is the person who has some interest in God but he is letting other things get in his way. He says - lake, working (tired when I’m not), travel on the weekends, etc. This life is more important to them than the life to come. His stuff is more important to him than the Savior. There is no real surrender to Jesus as Lord. He finds more pleasure in wealth and desires than in Jesus.

Matt. 6:24 - “No one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.”

4. Fruitful Heart (vs. 8, 20)

They hear, accept, bear fruit

Satan was unconvincing, tribulations and persecutions do not deter them, worldly cares and riches do not distract them.

Some are more fruitful than others but they bear fruit nonetheless. There are places around the world in which the Gospel may be more fruitful, some cities and some churches will bear more, some generations may see more saved, but since Christ began to proclaim the Gospel countless millions that can only be numbered in heaven have received the seed and bore fruit. If the Lord tarries millions more will too. As long as the Gospel is being sowed there will be rejections but their will be salvations.

*****

Some will try to figure out how they fit in these parables? Do some of these soils represent lost people, backsliders, does it mean you can lose your salvation? There is debate over this and perhaps trying to apply these questions to this parable is not what our Lord intended. But here is my interpretation:

The first three soils represent lost people. They were never saved and have never been saved even though some may have given that impression.

Matt. 24:13 - “He who endures to the end shall be saved.”

The final soil is obviously the one who is saved and this should offer us assurance of our salvation.

John 15:5- I am the vine you are the branches, He who abides in me and I in Him bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.”