By Faith Joseph - 61

Well, perhaps um, Your sensibilities were a bit assaulted as I read from Mark chapter 6 this evening. Um I must confess, I was a bit conflicted this week in my preparation. I've been preaching expositionally. verse by verse through the Gospel of Mark and There have been a few times where we've taken a pause for various and sundry reasons. Expositional verse-by-verse preaching isn't the law of the Medes and Persians, okay?

So. But it is a pattern, it is a habit, and as I was preparing to preach I came to this passage in the beheading of John the Baptist. And I thought. Not on Father's Day.

Okay.

So Yeah. In being conflicted, I was preparing another message. While I was working on this, And as the week progressed and the week progressed, I I came to the settled conviction that I needed to preach from John chapter 6 tonight.

So I don't make any apologies about that, but it's just... It's part of my personality, I think, and my... aversion to violence. I don't like I don't like war movies. I don't like blood and all that.

I just have a zero tolerance for it. I've never seen The Passion by Mel Gibson. I just refuse to go see it because of that. That's me.

Some people have no problem with that. We were on vacation this week at the Outer Banks, and our grandchildren were making friends with other children. It's interesting when they come back into the room at night and hear some of the things that. they've encountered through the day and My four-year-old said, I talked to a boy today and said he kills people. I said what?

Well not really kills people, but he plays these games where he kills people. And I thought to myself, Young young boy, that ain't gonna be you. Not under my watch. But what what has that done? It's desensitized us.

To sin and wickedness and debauchery and violence. And yet Let's be realistic. This country kills a million and a half babies a year. In the womb. You can't stick your head in the sand and avoid that.

Or you shouldn't.

So we're looking at a passage tonight that is Well The three synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark, And Luke. Matthew gives us Pretty much the similar account that Mark gives us. Had I been preaching through Luke, I would have been rescued. Because this is all Luke says. Herod said.

John I have beheaded. But who is this of whom I hear such things?

So he sought to see him. That's it. That's all Luke says. He just goes on. And I thought, well.

You didn't choose Luke to preach through. You chose to preach through Mark, so here we are.

So You've heard it said. Let's move on. I've got um I've assigned ten descriptive phrases to this gospel narrative.

So let me give them to you. and then we'll walk through them.

So 10 descriptive Phrases to this gospel narrative. Number one. The provocation. And that's in verse 14.

Now King Herod heard of him, that is, of Jesus. for his name had become well known And he said, John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.

So, when I say provocation, what was the provocation for Mark to go back? and revisit gruesome event, the beheading of John the Baptist.

Well, the provocation is Herod's Number two, a case of guilty paranoia. A case of guilty paranoia. He'd heard of him. He'd heard of Jesus. But Instead of him realizing that it was Jesus' fame that was coming to him.

People were saying, well, John the Baptist has risen from the dead. No, Elijah has come. No, it's one of the prophets. But here's a case of guilty paranoia because. Herod Was the principal person responsible for the execution of John the Baptist?

He violated his own conscience. His own conscience told him not to do it. His own conscience told him that this is a holy and a just man. And yet he bent and bowed to the pressure that was upon him, encave because of his Well, the influences of his associate of his associates and his wicked wife. Herod.

is in the New Testament What? Ahab was in the Old Testament. Ahab had a wicked Godless wife who influenced him for Sin and unrighteousness. Right?

Well, so does Herod. His wife's name is. Herodias. She was the Jezebel of the Old Testament. But a case of guilty paranoia.

Number three, the courageous rebuke. It took courage for John the Baptist to confront Herod with his sin, and his sin was twofold. He had he was a married man. He committed adultery with his brother's wife and then ended up marrying his brother's wife. which was a violation of the law of Moses.

So we see John the Baptist. A courageous rebuke. And then number four, a temporary appeasement. A temporary appeasement in verse 19. Therefore, Herodias.

Held it against him, that is, held. The rebuke against John the Baptist. Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not. Here's a temporary appeasement.

What do I mean by that?

Well Herod to appease his wife, who really wanted. John murdered, assassinated, killed. He put him in prison, hoping that that would appease her and she would, you know, leave it alone. She seemed more upset about the rebuke than Herod himself was. Because even after the rebuke, Herod speaks of John as a just and holy man.

And he made efforts to protect John. But he had this pressure continually upon him from his godless, wicked wife.

So there was this temporary appeasement. Then there's this ironic reversal in verse twenty. For Herod feared John.

Well that's interesting. John the prisoner. who should have feared the king. And the roles are reversed. Herod feared John.

I call it an ironic reversal. For Herod feared John, knowing these things about John: that he was a just and a holy man. And he protected him. For a while And when he heard him, he did many things, and he heard him gladly.

So there was this attraction that Herod felt toward John's ministry. He was drawn to him. He respected him as a holy and a just man. and he wanted to hear him. Despite the fact That John the Baptist rebuked him for his sin.

It's troubling, isn't it, to us? John the Baptist Loses his head for what reason? For doing evil or doing good. For doing good. And the man who is responsible for his execution said this about him: he's just, he's a holy man.

He heard him gladly. But because of the Unholy associations that he had because of the scenario that he created, because of a wicked wife that he married. And because he had no moral compass, because he was a godless man himself. He did the unthinkable. He killed.

John the Baptist. Then number six, a six Descriptive phrase is The narcissistic Birthday party. Narcissistic birthday party. I doubt you ever got a birthday invitation from somebody who was throwing a birthday party for themselves. But that's what this man did.

It was his birthday, and he had a celebration in honor of himself.

Well, is that not the height of narcissism? That's a phrase that's often thrown around, and I avoid. psychological terms. I think we must we must evaluate things in biblical categories. But for the sake of how we understand narcissism in our day, you Google that.

What are the symptoms of a narcissist? A huge sense of self-importance, number one. constant need for admiration, number two, a sense of entitlement, number three, and often surround themselves with people who feed their ego. Boy, does that not sound like this man? A huge sense of self-importance.

Constant need for admiration, sense of entitlement. and often surrounded himself with people who fe fed his ego. Yeah. That's this man.

So a narcissistic birthday party. Which led to a foolish oath in verse 23. He also swore to her, that is, to. Herodias's Daughter. who was the entertainment for the birthday party.

Unholy entertainment, by the way. He said to her, Whatever you ask me, I will give you up to half my kingdom.

So she went out and said to her mother, I didn't ask your mother, I asked what you wanted. There's no record that she ever appealed to the king for something that she wanted.

So she was also under the spell of this wicked mother. and her manipulation.

So she ran to her mother and said, Your husband has promised to give me anything I want. What shall I ask for? The head of John the Baptist. Foolish oath. The surprising deferral, verse 24 and verse 25.

And I say a surprising deferral because she did not ask for anything for herself, but she deferred to her. Mother. Which surprises me. Most people are given that kind of a blank check, their first think about themselves, but no, she didn't. Unless maybe she hated John the Baptist as much as.

Her mother did. tend to doubt that. Number nine. The reluctant. Resignation.

The reluctant resignation. When the daughter came back, And told her. told him what she wanted. He felt bound by an oath. Oh boy, he's a man of his word.

Oh, yeah, he is. Be careful about a man who's hiding behind. I'm a man of integrity, I keep my word, who breaks his marriage vows. Right.

Some man of integrity he was.

So there's this reluctant resignation, verse 26, and the king was exceedingly sorry. Yet because of the oaths, and because of those who sat with him, He did not want to refuse her.

So what what was really the issue? He wanted to be seen as strong and powerful in the eyes of those that he called to be a part of his birthday party. It wasn't about. He wasn't sorry. For integrity's sake, So immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought, and he went and beheaded him in prison.

the reluctant resignation and then number 10, the sad Postscript. When his disciples heard of it, They came and took away his corpse. and laid it in a tomb.

So those ten descriptive Words Kind of give us a framework to think about what's going on in this passage. Let's think about this man, Herod. Verse 14 says, Now King Herod Heard of him. He was a vassal king. He was not a king in the typical sense of the word.

He was appointed by the Roman government to oversee this particular area. He was the son of Herod the Great. who reigned. Uh and Herod the Great's mentioned in the incarnation passages in the Gospels. Herod the Great.

His empire. stretch from 37 From 37 to 4 BC. And When he died, His kingdom was divided between his four sons.

So this is Herod Herod Antipas The tetriarch. And when we hear that word tetriarch, we don't really know what that means, but it simply means. 1 fourth.

So The whole Roman Empire was divided between his four sons. Each son got. A fourth of the area to rule over it for the Roman government. He was over the area of Galilee and Perea. That's who he is.

It's interesting. That He appears here in Mark chapter 6. Really doesn't know who Jesus is. He's paranoid. He thinks Jesus is the rumors about Jesus and his popularity.

He thinks it's John the Baptist, when, in fact, it is the Lord Jesus Himself. But he's the one who Shows up at the end of Matthew chapter 23. When Jesus is questioned, And he mocks the Lord Jesus. ridicules him and mocks him. We may take a look at that in a moment.

But Herod, he's haunted by. The idea that John the Baptist has returned to life, and in that culture. There was that superstition that when someone died and rose again, came back to life, that they were coming back in judgment. Of a person, and the guilty person obviously was Herod, and he was paranoid. He had a conscience that was troubled.

He knew what he did was wrong. And he could make no peace.

So Even as wicked of a man as he was, as he shows himself to be. he still had a conscience that was functioning at some level. And it's a reminder that God has given every man a conscience. And it is an internal Compass to remind us and tell us what's right and what's wrong, and we, to our own peril, sin against our conscience. Listen to your conscience.

Instruct your conscience. Your conscience is no better than it is instructed by the Word of God. We need to inform our conscience. I know people that have a conscience that, well, my conscience tells me this, my conscience tells me that.

Well, your conscience is. is betraying ignorance. I remember back home in the church that a man and a wife. Left the church. Because they had this, their conscience was troubled that the church would hold fellowship meetings in the church and would eat inside the church.

And your conscience was violated by that.

Well, what do you do with a person like that? I remember going to Larry and I said, Larry, your your conscience is misinformed. I appreciate that you're. I have a conscience that's active, has been activated here, but. You need to go and read about David being uh taking the showbread off the the altar and feeding his men.

God didn't condemn that.

Well, his conscience had told him this was the truth, and no one was going to change his mind.

So be careful about your conscience. Don't sin against your conscience. But if your conscience is misinformed, instruct your conscience. Be open to be taught. The danger of a seared conscience, the danger of a hardened conscience, that's what we see unfolding with this man.

You know, we we really. Um We're told early in Mark's Gospel. Mark chapter 1 and verse 14 tells us.

Now, after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.

So, very early on in Mark's gospel, we're told that John's in prison. And we we didn't know how how long was he in prison? What what was the outcome of his imprisonment? And not until now do we know what happened to John the Baptist.

Now, how much time elapsed from the time he was imprisoned to the time he was executed is not clear. We're not given precise timing there. But John's imprisonment was a puzzle to him. You remember Don't turn there, I'll just read this section to you. This is Matthew's record.

Verse chapter 11, verse 1 of Matthew.

Now it came to pass when Jesus finished commanding his 12 disciples. That he departed from there to teach and to preach in the cities. And when John Had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to him, Are you the coming one or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said to them, Go and tell John the things which you hear and see. The blind see, and the lame walk, and the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them, and blessed is he who is not offended because of me.

And they departed. Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garment?

Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet. Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet, for this is he of whom it is written: Behold, I send my messenger before your face. who will prepare your way before you.

And then listen to what Jesus said about John. Assuredly, I say to you: among those born of women, there has not risen one greater. Then John the Baptist But he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Well, there's a sermon right there in and of itself, and I won't. elaborate too much on that but Jesus had a very, very, very high opinion of John the Baptist, right? None greater born of women than John the Baptist, so he was esteemed. by the Lord Jesus Christ. And we're, if John was puzzled about his imprisonment, And he could not reconcile His role as the The one who was given the role to prepare the way of the Lord, he couldn't reconcile his role and his imprisonment.

And he was puzzled by that. Go and ask him, is he the one or Well, John, you're the one who said, Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world. You said that, John. But when the hard blows of life hit us. We can get confused quickly, can't we?

And he was confused.

So, we're talking about. Herod and The courage that the prophet had to confront him. We're told There in John chapter, or not John, but Mark chapter 6. Herod himself had sent out and laid hold of John. and bound him in prison.

for the sake of Herodias. his brother Philips's wife, for he had married her. That tells me that Herod left to himself would not have imprisoned John. This was an appeasement. She was angry.

She was furious. That Her sin would be pointed out by the prophet. And she wanted him killed. But Herod Who really wasn't, he was just a weak man, lacking moral character. and manipulated and in con and controlled by his wife.

You say some king, yeah, well. I say he was a vassal king. He did what the Romans told him to do, and as long as he did, he was in a position. of that vassal king, but They had l they had very little tolerance for any resistance, so He fit the role quite well. Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, for he had married her, because John had said to Herod, It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.

That's pretty straightforward, isn't it? Pretty clear. This is It is unlawful. It's against the law, what you're doing and what you've done. Therefore, Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, But she Could not.

Interesting. She could not. For Herod feared John.

Knowing. that he was a just and holy man. And he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things and heard him gladly.

Some of us are a little more bold in our demeanor and our character than others.

Some of us are more timid. But regardless of our personality type, We're bound by Scripture. And listen to what the scriptures have to say about how we should respond to a culture that's full of sin and debauchery. It's all around us. This is Ephesians chapter 5.

Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. But rather Expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light for whatever makes Whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore, he says, Awake you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.

But What should be our posture? I know our timidity. I know my nature. When Things are being talked about, things are being done that are obviously. against the law of God and the revealed will of God.

It's easy to be quiet. Why stir the hornet's nest? Why be the one who points out the wrong? Why be Well I don't know how you get around that. Expose it.

Sometimes it's difficult when we get with our family. Because we've got unsaved Family members. And they have a lifestyle that we don't approve of, nor does the Bible endorse.

So, what do we do? Just keep our mouths shut and pretend everything's fine and everything's okay and don't make waves and Well, I'm not saying ruin pay everybody's vacation. But we've got to wrestle with this what the Bible says here. Don't we? There are times we're invited to attend a wedding that's an unholy union.

Well, what do we do? Do we go just to keep peace, or do we see it as an opportunity to stand for truth? knowing that we'll be misunderstood, knowing that we'll probably be Malign for it.

Well, we're a Christian. Right?

We're a child of God. We represent our Lord.

So, those are some of the things that we have to understand come with being a Christian. There's a price to be paid. And we'll look at what Jesus has to say about that in a moment. I find this interesting about. the effect that John had upon Herod.

Herod feared John. Now you just have to stop and think about that. Harry's not the one in prison. John's the one in prison. Herod's the one who's in control, who has the power to...

Make edicts to take his life, but it says. Herod. Feared John. Knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him, and when he heard him, he did many things and heard him gladly. Dr.

R. C. Sproll tells the story. Of a man who knew this man who was a professional golfer. He was, I don't know the name of the golfer, but he was.

voted Golfer of the Year. And this man played a round of golf with Dr. Billy Graham. And this man that's telling R. C.

Sproll this story said he observed the man on the 18th hole. 18th green, and he stormed off the green and went over to the practice tee and was taking his frustrations out on golf balls. He hitting him as hard as he could.

So he went over to say something to him, and he said, I'm not going to listen to a man shove religion down my throat.

So He didn't say too much more to him a little bit later. He said to him, He said, Well, Dr. Graham must have come down pretty hard on you, didn't he? No, he didn't say a word.

Well, what's the lesson? It's the reputation of Dr. Billy Graham. And what he stood for that trouble this man's conscience. He didn't have to say much.

Now I'm not saying You know, we're to adorn the gospel and let that be the end of all of your. witnessing and No. But Don't be out talking to people about the Lord and living a life that is in contradiction to the gospel.

Now that golfer was like Herod Antipas in front of John the Baptist. He could not deny That John was a just and holy man. He was both fearful and fascinated, and he agreed to put John in jail to make his wife happy. But he would not go any further. And he didn't want to put John to death, but he created this scenario that.

Put them between a rock and a hard place. And this wasn't, you know, when we have birthday parties, you've got to think about: okay, how large of a venue are we having this inside the home if it rains?

So when you're planning a birthday party for your kids, usually it's six or eight, maybe ten or twelve of their friends.

Well, this was not one of those kind of a birthday parties. This guest list was the who who who's who. of that particular region. Notice it says in verse 21, then an opportune day came when Herod... On his birthday, gave a feast for his nobles.

the high officers and the chief men of Galilee.

Now we don't know how many were there, but Some of the commentators said there could have been anywhere between 500 and 1,000 people at this birthday party.

Well, that's a birthday party and a half, isn't it? A lot of people. Influential people, military personnel. And again, I think it's ironic that somebody else wasn't planning the birthday party for Herod, Herod planned it for himself. Uh But there was this entertainment.

It says and You can kind of read between the lines. It seems to me that the wine was flowing. And it compromised what little conscience was functioning with Herod.

So he calls His wife's daughter to come out and dance. For these guests that he'd invited to his birthday party and The obvious implication is that it was a sensual dance. It was to appeal to. to the flesh. And There was nothing honourable about it.

When Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced and pleased Herod, and those. who sat with him. The king said to the girl, Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you. He not only said that, but he swore by an oath. The next verse says, He also swore to her, whatever you ask me, I will give it up to half the kingdom.

Now That's an idiom that didn't mean literally, I'll give you up to half the kingdom if you ask for it. It simply means whatever you ask. You have this guarantee that I will. reward you generously. I think the last thing he was expecting her to request was what she requested.

Again, there's no indication in the text that the girl was disappointed. not to get something for herself. As I said, she perhaps hated John as much as her mother did, but again there's no evidence of that. But she ran to her mother, so she was. And again, I don't want to read too much into this, but I've seen this in relationships where there is a controlling, manipulative mother who has everybody under her thumb.

She knows how to push people's buttons and get them to do what she wants. Any time The children are around her. She has this way of putting everybody on a guilt trip, to manipulate them, to do what she wants them to do.

Well that's what's going on here. Again, I think. John was as shocked as he could be. That She came back with this request. that she wanted the head of John the Baptist.

Because we're told there in verse 26, and the king was exceedingly sorry. Yet Because of the oaths, and because of those who sat with him. He did not want to refuse her.

So he didn't want to Back down.

Well There's nothing in the scriptures that bind anybody to keep a vow that is. an unholy vow. I have done a fair amount of counseling to try and help some people who have.

Sore On their mother or dad's deathbed, that they would do something that their mother and father wanted them to do. that really was questionable. But boy, they were bound by I promised mom I would do this and I promised daddy I would do that Well, let's think about what it is you promised. The Bible isn't going to bind you to do something that violates a principle in the scriptures. You're not bound by that.

If you want to please the Lord. And again, it comes down to Who are we living our life for? Are we living our lives as professing believers to please the Lord. Or to please Mother and father who are no longer on this earth. But I'm telling you, that loyalty runs deep with people.

Well, I promised Daddy that I would do such and such.

Well It sounds a bit Shady to me. that your daddy would ask you to do something like this, and yet you promised to do it. And when you show show people that God would not require you to keep an oath Concerning something that is forbidden in the scriptures, it's freeing to people. But they've been bound by it for years. You mean You mean God wouldn't be unhappy with me for for breaking an oath?

Absolutely not if it violates the Word of God. He's been unhappy with you for for maintaining that oath. That has no biblical validity. You know, sometimes we're weak and vulnerable, and we can make promises to people. Be careful with that.

Be very careful with that because The Bible does say some things about oath. If you're going to make an oath, be sure you're going to keep that oath. And I'm wrestling with maybe bringing another message on oath keeping and see what the scriptures have to say about that because there is a lot there. But again, I don't know how to escape the ghastly narrative that this passage is. A birthday party, really?

And yet We read about it in the news.

Somebody's shot and killed at a birthday party. Right?

We heard in the news. It's not uncommon for us. It tells us when his disciples heard of it. I think his disciples It's hard to know whether this is John's disciples. or whether this is the disciples of Jesus.

When the disciples heard of it, heard of the execution of John the Baptist, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb. And as hard as it is for me to preach this tonight, It's a precursor. to what sinful men did to the sinless Son of God. Right?

They brutalized him, they murdered him, they killed him.

So let's think about some lessons here. Lesson number one, I think, here is the lesson on the influence of a godly life. John was a just and holy man. None greater born among women, Jesus said. And we can have an influence.

In this world, we can have an influence in our family, we can have an influence in the workplace. The influence of a godly life. Lesson number two, lesson on courage in the face of danger. You know, as I was reading Matthew's account. just to try and get my mind around what is recorded about this event.

I came to um An appreciation, I guess I hadn't, I don't know, I had missed this. But in preparation for this message, when I went back and began to read in Matthew chapter 10 and Matthew chapter 10 and 11. I began to come away with a a deep appreciation for context.

Alright, now let me, if you turn over to Matthew chapter 10, I'll show you what I mean. And one of the things that hinder us here is. Chapter divisions. They're not inspired. But something happens in our head when we come to the end of a chapter.

Somehow we bookend that and say, okay, it's a new subject. And sometimes, in fact, Oftentimes It's a continuation of what's been going on, and we don't fully Factor in the context that helps us understand the impact of what Jesus is saying.

So I told you I read from John chapter 11. John's in prison. And we know why he's in prison. And he has questions. He sends two of his disciples.

Ask Jesus if he is the Messiah or shall we look for another? That's the context of chapter 11. But when you back up into chapter 10, Listen to the words of Jesus. Chapter 10, verse twenty seven. Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light, and what you hear in the ear, preach.

on the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. I've read that, but I never connected it to the context of the death of John the Baptist. in the price John was willing to pay for truth and righteousness. And looking the king in the face and saying, What you're doing is sin.

You're violating the law of God. You're an adulterer. And it was against the law to have sexual relations with your brother's wife. Clearly spelled out in the book of Leviticus. Verse 29.

Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin, and not one of them falls to the ground apart from your father's will? but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear, therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows.

Now notice this, verse 32. Therefore, whoever confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father in heaven. But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven. I never read that in the context of John. At the threat of his own life, speaking up and confessing his allegiance to Christ.

Tell an Aaron, what you're doing is sin. and knowing there'd probably be a price to be paid for that. What about the mess his marriage was in? Notice what it says in verse 34: Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's enemies will be there of his own household. Herod? Your greatest enemy is the wife you married. Herodias.

He who loves father or mother more than he is not worthy of me, and he who loves Son or daughter? More than me is not worthy of me, and he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake. We'll find it. Let's not feel bad about John.

I know this righteous indignation rises up in us and says, Really? John loses his head? And Jesus said, and there's none greater than John born among women? John What's its way? He found his life by what losing his life?

You can't live your life. I know people whose modus operande. Their agenda is to try and manage their life to the degree and minimize all pain, all the hurt, all disappointment. Their whole life's driven by that.

Well, that might work.

Well, I'll just say this. It didn't work in Eden. Did it? It is certainly not going to work in this broken world. You can't insulate yourself, you can't protect yourself.

from evil and sickness and all the rest.

So Let's not be driven by. keeping my life. Saving my life. Let's give ourselves away for the cause of Christ. And in so doing, we will gain our life.

Now lose it. That's what Jesus says. There's a warning here against sinning against conscience. There there's there this man, this uh Herod. I'm not defending him.

What he did was. was wicked, horrible, cruel. But His conscience wasn't completely dead. He had a conscience that was partially functioning. And had he Had he listened to his conscience Because his conscience was troubled.

He put John the Baptist to death. He thought John. has risen from the dead. He's paranoid. He's coming back.

He's going to exact judgment on me for what I did to him. No, he wasn't. No, he didn't. This is the Lord Jesus. You got bigger issues.

You think dealing with John, what you did to him, is bad? You're going to have to answer to the Lord Jesus on Judgment Day, friend. There's a warning here against sinning against conscience, of a seared conscience, of a hardened conscience. There's a lesson here on A life well lived. And not in terms of longevity, but in terms of fulfilling the purpose for which God put you on this earth.

John the Baptist Had an assignment, a critically important assignment, to prepare the way of the Lord. And when he fulfilled that role, He could Exit this stage of life. with no regrets. You see the danger of being a man-pleaser. He was more interested in pleasing men.

His wife. than he was the Lord. That's a dangerous, dangerous posture to assume. Be careful. I've got a book on my shelf that's about war out.

I've read it so many times, used it in counseling. When people are big and God is small. Dangerous to be living your life to please men.

Well, what happens when this man wants you to do this and this person wants you to do that, and they're opposite? You're going to be conflicted. You're going to be torn. You're going to be like James chapter 1, verse 8, a double-minded man. He's unstable in all his ways.

That's Herod. Unstable man, and that In my opinion, James chapter 1 verse 8 is not talking about a Christian. He's talking about an unconverted man. He's unstable in all his ways. That's Herod.

The lesson of indulging the flesh. It weakens the conscience and it diminishes moral resolve. Drinking. Satisfying is carnal desires. Having a woman come and Dance provocatively.

for his pleasure and for the pleasure of his friends. That weakens. your moral resolve. He was weak-willed and swept into into crime he abhorred by wicked associations of stronger willed in himself. He's a man to be pitied.

He was, even though he had a position of authority. He was weak. He had no character, no moral character. What's sad? This is the same man.

Turn to Matthew chapter 23. Matthew 23.

Well, I thought it was Matthew 23, verse 11. I was Incorrect about that.

Sorry about that, Goose Chase. Verse one. Pilate was questioning Jesus. And Jesus didn't say a word. in response to And the Bible tells us that Herod, this same Herod Antipas.

ridiculed and mocked the Lord Jesus.

So what happened to him? What little bit of conscience he had. became seared and hardened. And he was A hopeless man.

Well. There's a price to be paid for. living for the Lord Jesus Christ. And we're going to need courage. And we're gonna need a backbone.

Because There are going to be times where The pressure is going to be on and there is going to be Danger for speaking up for the Lord. And let's be willing to do it. Unless you have a hard time reconciling, well, God, how. What a horrible way to treat a man that you said so Mm so highly uh uh uh had such high regard for.

Well, if they killed the Lord Jesus, my friends. Who was the only perfect person who's ever walked on this earth Came to do good and to bless people, and yet they hated him so much they killed him. And why would we think that we're above that? We have brothers and sisters around this world. Who are paying the price for being a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ?

We need to pray for them. that they'll have courage. to stand for Jesus. and not crumble under the thread. And who knows?

What's coming down the road? We've seen this I hate to use the word acceleration, almost deceleration downward in the moral. condition of our country, the the erosion is taking place. in just a short period of time, what's 20 years going to look like? If the Lord tarries his coming, what's 30, 40 years going to look like if he tarries his coming?

We think things are bad now. Things continue in the trajectory that they're going. No wonder Jesus said, Will there be any faith when I come? I thank you for your interest tonight on this Father's Day. evening for your attendance.

Let us pray together. Father, we thank you for. What we've considered tonight, we see something. Very stark and dark about the depravity of the human heart. Men men who are enemies of yours.

and what they're capable of doing. It frightens us, our Lord, to see this. It troubles us. And yet we Ask you to fortify us and strengthen us and strengthen our resolve that we will be men and women who Our defenders of truth will not have We will not be cowards in the face of of difficulty and danger. We thank you for what you've revealed to us.

We know that. This is a part of your revealed will. You've preserved it for us. It's there for our No admonition. It's there for our instruction and righteousness.

So Father, whatever I've said that is Consistent with your truth, may it find lodgement in our hearts, and whatever I've said that would be contrary, may it fall away. Father, glorify yourself in and through our lives for our eternal good and for your own glory, we pray in Christ's name. Amen. Amen.