Latest / Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago / Who Will Receive The Greater Condemnation? | Mark 12:38-40 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Bible Study Series)

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Who Will Receive The Greater Condemnation? | Mark 12:38-40 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Bible Study Series) · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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  Turn with me to Mark chapter 12. In our brief time together,
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  we'll be looking at 2 verses beginning in verse 38 of Mark
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  chapter 12. We don't have that much left for
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  this chapter before we get to Mark chapter 13.
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  And Mark chapter 13 is the riveting teaching of Jesus on
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  the Mount of Olives concerning the last days.
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  And so I'm looking forward to that series.
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  I trust you are as well, but we must honour our pace and so
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  we're here at verse 38 and let's read together.
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  And in his teaching he said beware of the scribes who like
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  to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the
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  marketplaces, and have the best seats in the synagogues and the
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  places of honour at feasts, who devour widows houses and for
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  pretence make long prayers. They will receive the greater
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  condemnation. I usually don't share the title
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  of a message, but I will this time.
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  Today I want to speak to you answering the question who will
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  receive the greater condemnation?
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  Contrary to modern day opinion, Jesus Christ of Nazareth
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  believed, taught and warned about a coming judgement.
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  This judgement will be executed by God and it will determine the
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  fate of every human being concerning their eternal
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  destiny. What we rejoice in, US
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  Christians, are the truths that we've sung about and even
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  witnessed through the obedience of some that our judgement has
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  been settled at the cross of Jesus Christ.
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  We have no reason to fear this judgement that will arrive and
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  will be implemented upon everybody.
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  Christ drank the wrath. Christ took every single inch,
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  every single amount of your sin and satisfied the justice of
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  God. And through your repentant
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  faith, you are now accepted in the Beloved, and you are secure
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  in His hand. Nevertheless, understand this,
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  my dear Christian brother and sister, the Bible does teach
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  that there is still a judgement for Christians, and this
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  judgement will not determine your eternal state.
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  It will determine the degree of reward that you will enjoy in
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  another life, and that will be measured by how you and I lived
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  as forgiven people in the name of Jesus Christ.
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  Additionally, there is a judgement that will come upon
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  those who have rejected the Gospel, who have rejected the
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  mercy and grace of God in the person of Jesus.
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  And what people fail to understand is that judgement
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  will also determine the degree of punishment that unbelievers
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  will have to endure for all of eternity, depending upon the
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  wisdom of God and determining the severity of their sin.
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  And what you and I are reading today is just a glimpse, some
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  insights about what will take place, how and what will be
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  judged on that final day. More specifically, Jesus Christ
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  is actually highlighting those who will bear the heavy penalty
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  granted by God, one of the highest forms of divine
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  retribution that one can receive.
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  And that's made clear by the last part of verse 40.
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  He says they will receive the greater condemnation, not just
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  condemnation, but the greater one.
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  Who is the day that Jesus speaks of the scribes, the scribes, the
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  theologians of this time, the austere scholars, the esteemed
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  men who were revered by the general population as being in
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  tune with God and learned and experts in the mind of God.
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  Jesus underscores that it is this class of men who will
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  experience A level of judgement that is quite terrifying.
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  And when we come to this text, we might wonder, well, what
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  benefit does this prophetic declaration have for us?
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  And that would be an appropriate question.
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  But when you look at it from a different angle, when you look
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  at it from Luke's writing, you get your answer.
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  If you want to with me, turn to Luke 20 and verse 45 and Luke
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  2045 in the parallel account. Notice what the Scripture says
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  concerning the format of Jesus's teaching.
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  It says, and in the hearing of all the people, he said to his
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  disciples, beware of the scribes.
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  He said to his disciples, He wasn't saying this to the
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  scribes, He was saying this to his own followers.
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  Now the full comprehensive teaching that Jesus gives here
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  is provided in Matthew chapter 23 where you get a lengthy index
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  of woes that Jesus proclaims concerning the scribes and the
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  Pharisees. Comparatively, Mark and Luke
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  summarize that lengthy teaching in the way that we just read it
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  in these two verses. But I present to you today that
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  this has great benefit for the disciple of Christ, for him to
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  look at his own 12 and proclaim this teaching.
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  Yes, in the presence of a great crowd implies something super
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  important. Followers of Jesus are capable
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  of embracing the mentality and the practices of these scribes
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  who embody the opposite spirit of what a true disciple of
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  Christ must be. In other words, Jesus wants to
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  teach his own of the things that deeply displease him.
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  And so, to our benefit, when Christ speaks about this issue,
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  he's not vague. He's surgically precise in his
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  denunciation. And I come to this text and I'm
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  reading. I'm thinking, OK, I know that
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  I'm wonderfully saved by the grace of God, but I also see the
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  mind of my Savior. And what I learned here is what
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  He greatly condemns, what is deplorable to him.
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  I know we rejoice in the truth that God is love.
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  But remember, God also hates. He hates and there are things
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  that He hates more than other things, including this.
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  And so these evils that you and I just mentioned that seem to be
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  culturally bound, when you actually consider the heart
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  behind it, you'll realize that these appetites and these
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  actions are actually universal. They apply today.
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  So yes, these scribes acted in a certain way that deserve such
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  judgement, but they can re replicate it and imitate it even
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  now in 2024. So in this brief time together,
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  I want to show you by way of categorizing these things, four
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  things, four things that the Lord Jesus Christ greatly
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  condemns #1 Jesus Christ greatly condemns showy attention seeking
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  spirituality. Where do we get that from?
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  We see here in verse 38 and in his teaching he said beware of
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  the scribes who like to walk around in long robes.
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  Pause. Jesus is not criticizing a style
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  of apparel. He is pointing out a mindset
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  behind the application of certain garments.
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  Not much is given to us by Mark about what these long robes
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  signify, but again, it's when you go to Matthew's explanation
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  where you get some additional insights that helps us
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  understand what Christ is getting at.
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  So you have to turn to Matthew 23 and you have to see it here
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  in verse five of Matthew 23. Jesus expounds upon what He
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  means here about these lengthy robes that these scribes wore
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  all the time. Matthew 23, verse five, He says
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  about the same group of people. They do all their deeds to be
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  seen by others, for they make their phylacteries broad and
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  their fringes long. What are these two items?
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  Phylacteries are things that devout Jews today even apply.
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  They're those small leather boxes, have you seen them, that
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  are placed in the hands or on the forehead of devout Jews?
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  And they are strapped by leather ties.
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  And in those leather boxes are verses and scriptures.
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  You say, well, why would they do that?
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  Well, they derive that by literally interpreting and
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  observing what Deuteronomy 68 says.
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  And that passage tells us that God commanded the law to be
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  bound as a sign on your hand, as shall be frontlets between your
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  eyes. So they took that and they
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  literally applied it. We're going to put the Word of
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  God here and put the Word of God in our hands.
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  And then you read about these fringes that they were made
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  long. It does not have biblical basis.
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  Absolutely, it has biblical basis.
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  When you read in Numbers 15, you actually see it in verse 38 and
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  39 where God commanded the common Jew to make certain
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  tassels on the corners of their garments, and these tassels at
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  the end of their garments would serve as object lessons to
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  remember to obey and walk in the commands of God.
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  So everything that Jesus is describing here is actually
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  biblical. It's not inherently wrong.
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  He's not condemning the presence of these leather boxes and these
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  fringes and these tassels. What is he?
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  What is he criticizing? Then read the verse again, for
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  they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long.
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  And why did they look for the biggest leather box that they
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  can hold on their hand? Why did they try to find the
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  most noticeable thing to place on their face?
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  The first part of the verse they do all their deeds to be seen by
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  others. The Lord Jesus, can I just talk
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  to you plain and straight? He hates when the commands of
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  God are pursued, an exercise to maintain an image of super
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  spirituality. He hates it.
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  Notice again that it was in the presence of these items, but the
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  motivation behind them. And unfortunately, what these
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  scribes did is possible for us to do today.
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  Not only with your address, but with your words, with your
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  actions. When we act in a certain way
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  because we want not to please God, not to genuinely bless
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  those around us, but with the goal for the outcome of
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  onlookers to say to themselves and others, and maybe even to
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  you, you're holy, you're godly, you're like the real deal,
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  right? You're the real deal.
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  And when that becomes the aim of your adornment of truth, Jesus
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  says that deserves great condemnation.
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  All of this reminds me of a certain man from the Old
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  Testament. By the way, the Old Testament is
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  the best illustration book for New Testament truths.
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  I'm reminded of a certain king by the name of Jehu.
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  And he was commanded by God. He was commissioned by God to
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  clean house, to remove all of Baal worship from the land of
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  promise. And he did so with great zeal
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  and obedience. And at some point he bumps into
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  another man named Jehanadad. And I want you to read or hear
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  these words in Second Kings 10/16, when this man now is on
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  this mission and he is succeeding.
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  Notice the words that he says. He says the quiet part out loud.
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  He says what these scribes felt inside.
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  He perhaps is saying what some feel even in Christendom today
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  in their pursuit of spirituality.
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  Second Kings 1016 and he said, come with me and see my zeal for
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  the Lord. So you had him ride in his
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  chariot. So what's the big deal with
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  that? Here's what it would translate
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  that. Imagine a pastor coming to you
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  before Sunday service calling you saying, hey, can I pick you
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  up? I want you to hear how
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  passionate I am for God. How does that sound?
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  And now you taste it, right? That's exactly what he's saying.
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  Come and see my zeal for the Lord.
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  I have an extra seat in my chariot.
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  What's happening here? Well, you have this man who is
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  confessing a passion for God, but that passion for God has
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  become his platform for self promotion.
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  So it's not for God's sake, it's for my sake.
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  And I have no problem using my consecration, my gifting, my
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  influence, yes, in the name of God, but for you to really love
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  my name and to talk about me, you know, a true preacher will
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  be more disappointed if people walk out of the service talking
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  about him more than Jesus. But there are many like this man
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  and many like the scribes who actually are fishing.
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  They're fishing for the praise. They're fishing for the pat on
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  the back. They're fishing for the
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  comparison where you are incomparable, where you're the
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  next this and you're the next that.
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  Jesus hates showy, attention seeking spirituality, but it's
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  not the only things that he he condemns.
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  There's a second thing that Jesus greatly condemns.
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  Jesus condemns #2 spiritual status as a means for personal
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  advantage. Come back to verse 38 of Mark
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  12. And in his teaching, he said
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  beware of the scribes who who like to walk around in long
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  robes and like greetings in the marketplaces.
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  Pause there. That's elaborated in Matthew 23,
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  where they love to be called by titles rabbi and father and all
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  these different they they got a kick out of that and they would
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  get upset if you didn't. But besides the point, look at
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  verse 39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places
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  of honour at feast. So listen the these scribes were
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  not just fishing for respect verbally expressed, no, they
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  employed their spirituality also to gain social advantage like
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  tangible perks. And so they wielded their pious
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  positions with that in mind. And again this might sound
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  strange, the best seats in the synagogues and places of honour
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  at feast. What kind of feast?
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  It can be any kind of feast, including wedding feasts.
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  And so it may seem formed, but it's not formed because lust for
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  power and authority is not alien within Christendom.
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  It's not. And these scribes remind us that
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  we are all in danger. All of us are in danger, He told
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  his disciples. He told his followers.
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  We are all in danger of developing the attitude of a
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  master rather than of a servant within the sphere of the church.
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  And you've been here long enough to hear so many sermons about
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  Christ elevating and promoting and teaching His own to pursue
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  servanthood. If you're really going to be
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  great spiritually, you're going to serve.
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  What do these scribes do? They did the exact opposite.
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  They they, in the pursuit of greatness, measured that by the
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  privileges that they were able to attain and secure because of
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  their positions of power and their spiritual influence.
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  This is exactly what Christ is getting at, the danger of
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  developing an attitude of being a Lord instead of being a slave.
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  And the ugliness here is when we are now leveraging our gifts,
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  leveraging our knowledge, leveraging our personality,
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  leveraging our influence to collect perks rather than to
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  serve others. And so when you begin to think
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  in this way, I deserve this, I deserve this because I am this
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  or I do this, you're treading on condemnable ground because Jesus
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  hates this. In fact, He teaches in another
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  place something that elaborates on this warning.
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  Turn with me to Luke again. But look here at verse seven of
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  chapter 14, Luke 14, verse 7, because again, we can look at
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  this in a negative, but we also have to see it in the positive.
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  If this is what Christ condemns, then what is He after?
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  What does He want us to pursue as disciples of His?
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  This is what He's asking of you, that no matter your position,
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  you and I have to daily, daily clothe the inner man with a
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  garment of servanthood every single day.
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  As you put on your physical clothes, you're also putting on
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  the inner garments of servanthood and expect to be
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  treated as such, saying, what are you talking?
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  This is discipleship. This is what it means to follow
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  Christ. And look what Christ does when
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  he was invited to a feast, Luke 14 verse seven.
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  Now he told a parable to those who were invited when he noticed
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  how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, so Can
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  you imagine that, right? You have all these prolific,
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  influential people who invite Jesus and you know what Jesus
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  noticed when he came to dinner? I can just see it, these
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  Pharisees and these scribes entering into the place and
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  bumping into each other and racing to the best seats in the
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  house. And Christ noticed that like
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  little kids, He says, you know what, since I'm here, let me
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  teach on a parable about this very thing.
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  And so on. Verse 8, When you are invited by
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  someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of
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  honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be
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  invited by him. And he who invited you both will
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  come and say to you, give your place to this person, and you
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  will begin with shame to take the lowest place.
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  But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that
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  when your host comes, he may say to you, friend, move up higher.
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  Then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at table
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  with you, that there is a gospel truth tucked into us, but we
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  don't have time to break it down.
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  In fact, there are many, many points to make from this
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  parable. Can I just make one for the sake
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  of making it memorable? Here's a practical tip for
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  discipleship for you and I. It is this.
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  Whenever I walk into a room, I am to never think that I am the
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  most important person there. Any room, any setting, any
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  amount of people. Here's one of the practical
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  truths. We want to be practical.
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  Yeah. Here's one of the practical
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  truths of I want to please Christ as a disciple of his.
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  I am to register, remind myself I am not the most important
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  person in this room. Even if you serve God
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  sacrificially, even if you're a radical follower of his, do not
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  allow your heart to ever get to the place where you think you
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  earn an advantage over another. This is discipleship saying,
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  well, what should my heart be like then?
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  I serve God. I, I do much for God.
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  I, I, I think I'm the most active person actually in my
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  local church. Shouldn't I get something?
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  Here's what you do. You're still in Luke, right?
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  Go to 17 and look at verse 10. Jesus actually instructed you
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  what you should do when you're even serving God and are
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  recognized for it. Look at Luke 17, verse 10.
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  This is Christ speaking and I pray that this would mark the
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  heart of every person at NBC. So you also, when you have done
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  all that you were commanded, say we are unworthy servants, we
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  have only done what was our duty.
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  That's what you say. Not just I'm a servant, I'm
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  actually unworthy to serve. It's one thing to be invited to
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  a high position or to be recognized and praised and say
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  I'm unworthy. No, no, no, you're actually
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  unworthy when you serve. Like it's such a privilege and
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  an honour to serve God in any capacity.
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  We should have the revelation that it's a privilege and an
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  honour to do so. You say what kind of thinking of
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  it? This is not the world, but this
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  is the church. This is the Kingdom.
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  I'm an unworthy servant. I don't get to.
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  I don't deserve this. This is the opposite of what
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  Jesus is condemning here. Jesus hates the Lord.
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  Jesus hates when spiritual status is used to manipulate and
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  gain personal advantage. And it's very close to the third
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  thing that Jesus greatly condemns from our main passage
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  #3 Jesus our King condemns greed being satisfied through
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  spiritual manipulation. Come back to our main text,
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  please. Look at verse 40 of Mark 12.
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  These scribes who also devour widows houses.
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  Pause. I I really do.
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  I actually feel a fear for those who have No Fear in exploiting
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  people with their spiritual authority to make money.
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  I fear for those people because Jesus said such people will
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  receive the greater condemnation.
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  And this would be so important for the disciples to hear
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  because they were soon ready to be sent out into the four
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  corners of the earth. And they were going to preach
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  the gospel, and God was going to enable them to do miracles.
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  And they're going to plant churches, and they're going to
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  bless thousands upon thousands of people.
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  And as much as it might be an honor to be such a person, yes,
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  these apostles were unique in their authority and in their
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  ministry. But on any level, to touch
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  people's lives, as much as that might be a privilege, it is a
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  tremendous responsibility. Because here's the thing, from a
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  leadership standpoint, one of the things that you gain very
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  easily, even within the church, is people's trust, people's
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  trust. And what begins to happen then
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  if you're not careful and you allow this flesh to be
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  unharnessed and not to be under the control of the Holy Spirit,
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  is that the love of money can creep in.
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  And now you are able to convince yourself and even convince
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  yourself to benefit from others who sit under your ministry and
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  believe that you are a man of integrity and serve God
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  wholeheartedly. It's a tremendous
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  responsibility. And we look at this and Jesus
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  highlights this, and I believe it's more than just to keep a
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  watch out for perverted leaders. It's worth mentioning here that
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  financial manipulation is not limited to prosperity preachers
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  or those who embezzle church donations.
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  Let me say this way, there are many people who are not behind
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  pulpits like this, who don't have TV programs, but see the
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  church as a benevolent institution.
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  And they will come into the church and find a way to exploit
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  the sheep. Get this as fellow sheep.
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  Paul speaks of such people here. It is in Second Thessalonians
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  chapter 3 and verse 10. It's a very brief epistle.
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  And he writes For even when we were with you, we would give you
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  this command. If anyone is not willing to
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  work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you
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  walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busy bodies.
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  Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus
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  Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
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  So Paul here is highlighting a different danger.
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  He's not speaking about the top down, but he's speaking about
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  those on the same field. And he's saying here that we
• 25:40
  hear. So there's something now that's
• 25:42
  arrived to the attention of the apostle.
• 25:44
  It's become a concern in this particular church.
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  Paul is not speaking about the church not taking care of those
• 25:51
  who are genuinely in need within the church.
• 25:54
  You and I's brothers and sisters must look out for those who are
• 25:56
  suffering and who are in seasons of need and to come to their
• 26:00
  aid. That's our call as Christians.
• 26:03
  This is not what he is getting at.
• 26:05
  Paul is speaking about those who have ample opportunity and great
• 26:09
  ability but refuse to provide for themselves.
• 26:13
  They refuse to do so. Now, why would some within the
• 26:16
  church who have opportunity and have ability refuse to work?
• 26:23
  Because Christians are loving and they're generous and they're
• 26:28
  compassionate, and instead of being mindful of their own
• 26:37
  needs, they have no hesitation to take advantage of that
• 26:41
  compassion. And so Paul is highlighting a
• 26:45
  mindset that is not justifiable. Again, let me reiterate here.
• 26:48
  Let me emphasize there are going to be people in your life in the
• 26:51
  church who do need help, and we are not to put them under this
• 26:53
  category. You know what's so interesting
• 26:56
  about these kind of people, though, who are exercising
• 26:58
  idleness? It actually could be because of
• 27:02
  their faulty view of the last days.
• 27:05
  When you read this epistle, Paul is also correcting a faulty view
• 27:10
  of the teaching of the things to come.
• 27:13
  And it could be that some in the wrong theology interpreted and
• 27:18
  applied the last days for them to say, well, what's the point
• 27:22
  of working? Just quit your job.
• 27:27
  Just wait. The end of all things is near.
• 27:30
  And so you remove yourself from your daily duties.
• 27:34
  But what tends to happen? What happened in this case?
• 27:37
  These people who might have believed that we're waiting and
• 27:40
  waiting and waiting and other stomachs are grumbling, but
• 27:47
  there's nothing in the bank account because you haven't
• 27:48
  worked in months. So what happens now?
• 27:52
  In the name of spirituality, they're becoming a burden to the
• 27:57
  church. And so Paul comes in and he
• 28:02
  says, no, no, no. We talked about this and I'm
• 28:04
  ready to talk about it again. This is this is serious.
• 28:08
  So from any angle to financially take advantage of the church as
• 28:12
  a leader or not is a dangerous game to play.
• 28:18
  Jesus hates when greed is satisfied through spiritual
• 28:22
  manipulation. There's one more thing that he
• 28:25
  condemns from this passage Mark 12.
• 28:28
  Let's look at verse 40 once more.
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  Who devour widows houses and for a pretence make long prayers.
• 28:46
  It's as though the Lord is reinforcing his absolute disdain
• 28:49
  for showy spirituality because it it's very similar to the
• 28:53
  first point. Who who wear long robes, right?
• 28:55
  Look at me, look at me, look at me.
• 28:57
  And instead of doing it with their garments, they're doing it
• 28:59
  with their voices. But there's a deeper layer to
• 29:03
  Jesus mentioning this kind of praying because he says here who
• 29:07
  for pretence make long prayers pretend simply means to pretend.
• 29:13
  So what is he putting his finger on those who not are just
• 29:17
  praying to get attention, but those who are pretending while
• 29:20
  they pray there there's something that they're not
• 29:24
  though they're presenting themselves in a certain manner
• 29:27
  through praying. And so Christ here, lastly, not
• 29:34
  only condemns showy spirituality, not only condemns
• 29:37
  those who use their spiritual status to take advantage of
• 29:41
  others, not who only through satisfying their greed will
• 29:45
  manipulate spiritually, but lastly, Jesus condemns
• 29:48
  spirituality without substance. This pretense and pretense
• 29:58
  making long prayers is more than just showy spirituality.
• 30:02
  It's spirituality without substance.
• 30:06
  And Jesus talks about this in so many different ways.
• 30:08
  And you're familiar with that passage in Matthew chapter 6
• 30:11
  where he also condemns early in his ministry, a type of prayer
• 30:16
  that is drawn out and framed and shaped in a way so that people
• 30:22
  can hear you instead of God hearing you.
• 30:25
  And do you remember what Jesus's answer to that kind of praying
• 30:28
  was? Do you remember what he says he
• 30:30
  looked for instead? Matthew 66 But when you pray, go
• 30:37
  into your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is
• 30:42
  in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
• 30:46
  That is not to say that Christ is against public prayer
• 30:48
  meetings. But you know what?
• 30:49
  He is against public prayer meetings without personal
• 30:54
  intimate relationship. Who for pretense make long
• 31:03
  prayers where the heart is. I want people to know that I
• 31:08
  have a connection with God. I want people to know that I am
• 31:12
  indeed deep, passionate, sold out.
• 31:17
  Call it what you will, but your room has cobwebs and the prayer
• 31:26
  closet has not felt the warmth of your hand on its knob.
• 31:34
  That's what Jesus condemns. So that's in particular with
• 31:39
  prayer. But let's broaden it, right?
• 31:41
  What does Christ want from people who call upon his name?
• 31:45
  Substance. What is substance defined by
• 31:51
  private, real, secret intimacy with the Lord, not just in
• 31:57
  prayer, like who you are Once we check out of here in a few
• 32:01
  minutes, that's what the Lord is after.
• 32:05
  And the scribes, and I say this with a broken heart.
• 32:09
  Buildings like this are packed with those who for a pretense
• 32:14
  show up, who for a pretense give, who for a pretense hold
• 32:22
  the Bible. They might even beat it up a
• 32:24
  little bit so it looks like they've read it for a long time.
• 32:27
  Pretence. It's all pretend.
• 32:32
  And when you peel through the layers of public show, there's
• 32:37
  nothing. Nothing.
• 32:42
  I don't get people who are caught up in that.
• 32:45
  Let me say this boldly. What does it matter if you fool
• 32:48
  everybody but end up in hell for eternity for it?
• 32:52
  So these are the things I know this is a heavier one for a
• 32:56
  baptism service, but what do we begin the service with John
• 33:00
  telling us that he rejoices those who walk in the truth.
• 33:05
  A true disciple wants the whole truth.
• 33:08
  And these are the things that Jesus our Lord, precious name of
• 33:10
  God, our Savior, our Master hates.
• 33:15
  And I want to let you know today that if you were like the
• 33:18
  scribes in any way, the same Jesus who condemned these things
• 33:24
  can change your heart. He can't.
• 33:27
  You might have played the fool for years.
• 33:30
  You might even fooled your spouse.
• 33:31
  You might have fooled your kids. You might have fooled your
• 33:34
  pastors. You can't fool God.
• 33:36
  And God at this very moment is willing to change.
• 33:39
  Why do you think this is in the Word?
• 33:42
  To just seal the fate of those who are living this way?
• 33:45
  No, may not be so of you. May this be the invitation of
• 33:50
  true Christianity and believers, though, yes, we are saved.
• 33:53
  Beware of these things too. Don't condemn yourself when
• 33:56
  you're visited by those thoughts and temptations, but by the
• 34:00
  power of the Spirit, swatted away when it comes.
• 34:03
  That's not, that's not true spirituality.
• 34:06
  And here's one of the marks of you growing in the faith, my
• 34:09
  precious brother and sister. As you grow, you become less
• 34:12
  concerned about public validation and more and more
• 34:17
  concerned about what God has to say.
• 34:20
  That's one of the marks of growth.
• 34:22
  You become more and more detached.
• 34:24
  Not that you're careless with your character.
• 34:26
  No, no, I'm not talking about that.
• 34:28
  But you don't find your prize and the praises of others.
• 34:33
  You get more consumed by God. You come more aware of His all
• 34:37
  seeing eye and His all listening ear and the ultimate reward at
• 34:41
  the end where you will stare at those eyes and hear from that
• 34:47
  saving mouth. Well done my good and faithful
• 34:52
  servant. May that be said of all of us.
• 34:55
  By His grace. Can we pray and ask Him to
• 34:57
  cleanse us of anything that He would condemn?
• 35:14
  Lord, thank you that you can even save hypocrites.
• 35:22
  And Lord, we know that the testimony of the scribes is the
• 35:26
  testimonies of so many who've experienced your grace and
• 35:31
  mercy. Lord #1 as disciples of you, we
• 35:35
  want to live in greater purity and humility and grace.
• 35:39
  Can you help us, please, to do that?
• 35:43
  Please, Lord, help us. And when we're visited by these
• 35:45
  vices that try to latch on to the throne of our will or our
• 35:50
  affections or ambitions, Lord, may the truth that we just heard
• 35:53
  today just be one of the many ammunitions that would shoot
• 35:58
  those things down. We, we want to be more like the
• 36:03
  disciples you have purchased us to be.
• 36:06
  Thank you, Lord, that we can even bend our knee before you
• 36:09
  and say, Lord, for some reason I'm craving the praise of man.
• 36:13
  Help me deliver me from this and you will.
• 36:16
  Thank you, O Lord, that we can come to you and and we can admit
• 36:21
  that there are things that you don't want, that we for some
• 36:25
  reason want and you can destroy it by your grace and power.
• 36:29
  Thank you for that. But Lord, we secondly pray for
• 36:32
  the person in here who might be defined exactly like these
• 36:37
  scribes. They have no true born again
• 36:39
  experience. They have no true private
• 36:42
  devotion. They have no true holiness.
• 36:46
  It's all a mask. It's all superficial.
• 36:50
  It's all surface level, Lord. May they hear the resounding
• 36:54
  words of this book, of this particular passage, and may it
• 36:57
  set them free. May they know that they can be
• 37:01
  transferred from condemnation to commendation forever and ever if
• 37:05
  they just admit their guilt and come to the foot of the cross.
• 37:10
  Lord, we as a family come to you saying thank you for all that
• 37:14
  you had to say. And we ask Lord, that these
• 37:17
  things would help us walk in the truth in Jesus name, Amen.
• 37:22
  Amen. Let's stand.
• 37:26
  Let's stand and worship the Lord together as the praise team
• 37:28
  comes and serves us in that way. I want to encourage you, if
• 37:40
  you're a person here who's visiting and you don't know
• 37:42
  Jesus Christ, you can know salvation today.
• 37:46
  You can have all of your sins forgiven today.
• 37:50
  You can be a new creature today. You can know everlasting life
• 37:54
  for sure today. What you have to do is
• 37:57
  acknowledge that you are a Sinner and also acknowledge that
• 38:01
  Christ is the only Saviour and be willing to say this sin that
• 38:05
  I know condemns me. I put it aside, I repent of it,
• 38:10
  and I receive the payment that Jesus made for all my sin.
• 38:14
  I'm telling you today, listen, you can leave this place going
• 38:17
  to bed with the assurance that you have peace with God and you
• 38:22
  can wake up tomorrow and the day after and the years to come
• 38:25
  knowing for certain no matter what comes my way, I have this
• 38:29
  inheritance. I am a child of God.
• 38:33
  Why would you throw away that gift?
• 38:36
  Why would you relinquish it? Why would you dismiss it?
• 38:39
  Why would you even delay on that?
• 38:40
  It's a free gift and God wants to give it to you today and it's
• 38:45
  Providence. You're hearing the gospel maybe
• 38:47
  for the first time, maybe for the 100th time.
• 38:50
  Here's why I'm saying this at this point, even while we're
• 38:52
  singing, you can, in your own words, speak to the Lord and ask
• 38:59
  Him to forgive you of everything.
• 39:02
  The things that you do know about the things that you don't
• 39:04
  know about, the things that you're ashamed to talk about.
• 39:06
  And listen, if you are truly repentant in this place, you
• 39:10
  will know a supernatural experience of forgiveness that
• 39:14
  cannot be explained apart from the truth of this book.
• 39:17
  I want that for you. More importantly, God in heaven
• 39:20
  wants that for you. And I pray that you would make
• 39:23
  that choice before you leave this place.
• 39:24
  It's a free gift. Don't leave it here whenever
• 39:28
  you're ready, guys.