R1684 Despite Unbelievers

God has an encouraging word for you through the Bible-based teaching of Dr. Don Wilton and a message called, Despite Unbelievers. Gaining a sense of victory in this life where we face unbelievers in an unbelieving world, we'll gain that insight today. From Dr. Don Wilton, well-known author, pastor, and evangelist, as we head to Mark chapter 15 and study God's encouraging word together.

And now, Dr. Don Wilton. So, Lord, what are we asking you to do today? I know what I'm asking you to do. I'm asking you to just bless everyone. We need you, Lord Jesus.

Speak to us. That's our prayer right now. In Jesus' name. Amen. You know, you look at this and I look at families and grandparents and I'm gonna say to you, don't ever underestimate, which you don't, the preciousness of your family, guys.

Don't. I'm just telling you, God visits your faithfulness and the blessings of your life upon the generations that come from you. God does that. And you watch how God uses people to touch people's lives.

So now watch about today. I want you to open your Bibles with me to Mark and chapter 15. So you're gonna need your Bibles. We're gonna be in Mark's Gospel chapter 15.

So I want to read to you a passage and then I'm going to show you something here that is unbelievable, folks. And you know this, but God's going to show you something about Jesus when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem. So I love to go to Jerusalem.

I go once or twice a year. I can't stop when I go and stand on the Mount of Olives with so many of you and you're looking down over Jerusalem. So down there is the city of David and the Temple Mount with the golden dome where the temple was. And you look at these things and I see Jesus standing on this mountain called the Mount of Olives. He arrived. And this is at the end of Jesus' ministry on earth. And when Jesus arrived, the crowds went ballistic. I mean you would have thought J. Lo had arrived. You would have thought Tom Brady had just walked in.

I mean let's just be honest with each other. Judging by what the Bible tells us in Matthew's Gospel and other places, when Jesus arrived to enter Jerusalem at the end of his earthly ministry, the crowd went berserk. I mean they were yelling. They were waving palm branches. Hail Jesus.

This is he. Behold the King Jesus. And do you know that just a little while after that many of those same people who stood in the crowds and waved palm branches screamed for his blood. The same people who had just quote unquote worshiped Jesus went ballistic saying crucify him. I'm going to share a message with you today and this is the title of the message.

Just get a hold of this. Despite unbelievers. Despite unbelievers. So what happened when Jesus was crucified? Let me read to you down the road because we know that when he arrived in Jerusalem he went to the temple and he did this and he did that and eventually he was delivered to Pilate. So I'm fast-forwarding now to the day before Jesus was crucified. Mark chapter 15. As soon as it was morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and the scribes and the whole council and they bound Jesus and they led him away and they delivered him over to Pilate and Pilate asked him are you the king of the Jews and he answered him you have said so.

I've never got that before. Do you know why Jesus answered the question are you the king of the Jews and he just turned around he put it back he said well you've said so. Because they did. These are the same people who cheered when he arrived. What were they cheering?

We'll go and study it. The arrival of the king. They cheered and Pilate here representing them says hey are you the king of the Jews? Jesus answered and he said evidently that's what you let everyone to believe. Alright let me read on. Verse three so the chief priests accused him of many things.

Oh sorry I've got to stop again. Guys I'm a pastor I'm a preacher and I think I look pretty terrific this morning. So here's what I'm going to say to you. Be very careful just because a person is a pastor or a preacher or has a television ministry or has a big following or has this or has that.

You be very careful about who you listen to and who you follow. Evidently what Jesus wanted us to know on the eve of Passion Week is there's a lot of clergy out there that look the part sound the part but they screamed for my death. There were a lot of people in the crowd waving palm branches but those same people said give us Barabbas. Crucify him.

Any rate where was I? So verse three again so the chief priests accused him of many things and Pilate again said you've got no answer to make and see how many charges they bring against you but Jesus made no further answer. So Pilate was amazed. Now at the feast Pilate used to release for the people one prisoner for whom they asked and among the rebels in prison who committed murder in the insurrection there was a man called Barabbas and the crowd came up began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them and he answered saying do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews? I mean hold on a minute guys you all said you all worshipped him when he came here.

Don't you want me to release him? He's you all got dressed up you all showed up you all evidently wanted everybody to know that you were worshipping him and he had a reason verse 10 because Pilate perceived that maybe it was out of envy that the priests had delivered him up but the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas and Pilate said to them again well then what shall I do with the man you call the king of the Jews? And they cried out again crucify him and Pilate said and why what evil has he done? They shouted all the more crucify him so Pilate wishing to satisfy the crowd released for them Barabbas and having scourged Jesus he delivered him to be crucified and the soldiers led him away inside the palaces the governor's headquarters and they called together an entire battalion and they clothed him in a purple coat and they twisted together crown of thorns to put on him and they began to salute him and say hail to the king of Jews and they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him and when they had mocked him they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him and then they led him out to crucify him.

Can you imagine this? These were these unbelievers they were everywhere and many of them had masqueraded including the chief priests they were very religious but they certainly didn't follow Jesus in their hearts they had all the trappings they had the right answers they could quote the right verses they belong to the right churches but they screamed for the blood of Jesus so to try and help us focus on despite unbelievers what just gets me I mean this just gets to me folks. Can you imagine here's Jesus standing on the Mount of Olives and getting a donkey to ride on and he's being treated for who he is you don't think Jesus knew that? It is an amazing thing that Jesus willingly did what he did despite the unbelievers so let's just look at Jesus there were four things they did to him number one they bound him verse one says they bound him I hope this never happens to any of you but if a police officer has any reason to do what we commonly call cuff you if you don't know what that is ask the person next to you some of you can do it firsthand tell them what it is if if a police officer places handcuffs on you it is intended to restrict you to hold you back do you know that these people the same people who praised him now believed that well yes he is the king of Jews the first thing we're going to do is we're going to try and restrict him you know you cannot restrict God number two they bullied him if you start in verse two and verse three you got a classic case of bullying you're not bullying is it is the most horrible reprehensible unkind thing that any person can do to any other person and usually bullying is done by somebody or some people who think that they are bigger than better than and it's designed bullying is designed to diminish to reduce to mock to belittle it's the it is it's the heartbeat of unkindness it's horrible it's the one of the worst forms of humanity I'm one of those people that I don't believe there should be any toleration for bullying of any gun and I can say that because I'm a product of boarding school as an eight-year-old I'll just stop right there as an eight-year-old bullying that's what they did to Jesus they bullied him the third thing they did was they bartered for him barter to barter reeks of a marketplace they said you know what okay so we're gonna try and bind him we're gonna restrict him number two we're gonna bully him we're gonna diminish him in front of everybody we're gonna make him feel like a worm we're going to just bully him reduce him in his soul spirit significance we're gonna show him up because it's going to give us pleasure to do that a kind of a terrible kind of pleasure and then they resorted to bartering for him get this folks here's Jesus and these unbelievers actually believe that Jesus can be exchanged that you can trade him I don't even want to go there that's what they did they traded him off it's like we got this piece of human flesh it's it's it's reprehensible they just bartered for him and you know all about Barabbas I mean Barabbas nobody the Bible makes clear nobody no doubt about who Barabbas was he was one of the worst kinds of criminals even according to Roman law he was justly going to be executed he was guilty as charged they bartered the son of man for somebody like that that's the extent to which the unbelievers were willing to go to go off to Jesus please forgive the interruption we'll be back in just a moment with more of today's message from dr. Don Wilton called despite unbelievers but dr. Don wants me to remind you we're here connecting with you 24 hours a day both on the phone at eight six six eight nine nine word and on our website TEW online dot o RG it's great to have you in this time of broadcasting but every single day dr. Wilton sends an email of encouragement at TEW online dot o RG you can sign up for the daily encouraging word email and you will get a great blessing that's online at TEW online dot o RG now back to today's great teaching with dr. Don and then the fourth thing they did was they bruised him they bruised him the Bible from verse 15 through 20 gives us this picture of Jesus taking a beating guys you know I don't want to speak out of my turn here but I just want to say to you if we were to give the true picture of what they did to Jesus it's not a very pretty picture and you can start with an instrument called a cat cat o nine tails cat of nine tails it was a whip that inflicted terrible harm on the human body likelihood when Jesus tried to go up that road carrying the cross and when they put him on the cross guys listen I get it I understand it I'm I have no I get it all but I promise you the pretty little picture most of us see of Jesus no no in all likelihood he was probably not even recognizable now the Bible says he was bruised for our transgression right so now watch this anyone got any questions about these unbelievers anyone doubt whether or not there were people who didn't believe in Jesus they were there when they meant to worship they were there when he marched down through the streets they were there in the temple they were there in the house of Caiaphas they were there in the religious sectors they were among the priests and the Sadducees the Pharisees they were there they were everywhere now watch this despite these unbelievers this is the point of Easter here guys despite these unbelievers number one Jesus saw them you know Jesus sees you I I have I have no doubt every one of us worshiping today my prayer is you love the Lord Jesus this house and those by way of television those who are live streaming with us right now thousands of people around the world I I've I'm speaking as a human being because I can't see beyond I've got no doubt but you could be or are you one of those people waving a palm branch but your hearts and altogether different matter you know something Jesus sees you you he sees you but furthermore he didn't only see them he loved them what kind of love is this are you kidding guys you you think when Jesus mounted that donkey with all the accolades getting this heroes welcome and all these people worshiping and singing songs and gathering together and saying yes Jesus and Jesus Jesus saw them he he knew the the hundreds there were many incredible believers there but he knew the hundreds of them that were just masquerading he knew who all the hypocrites were he knew all those he knew what they did on Saturday he wasn't he saw right through that even on Sunday morning he saw that he knew it and in that can you believe this that he loved them have you ever tried to describe the great love of God in Christ Jesus I'd be honest with you I know it but I don't get it he really loved them he do you have any greater love than Jesus loving these people but he saw their hearts he knew he not only saw them and loved them get this Jesus died for them he did what he said he was going to do he went through what I just read because he saw them and he loved them God so loved the world wow I mean isn't that amazing which leads me to the fourth point he carried them you know who Jesus carried to the cross every single person ever born or ever will be born in their unbelief that's why Jesus went to the cross despite unbelievers he saw them he loved them he died for them and he carried them he took the sin of all unbelievers on himself he was punished listen he was bound he was bullied he was bartered for and he was bruised for unbelievers what kind of love is this so yeah yeah here's the here's the issue our unbelieving world number one should really sadden us does it sadden you do you how much time do we need to spend today talking about the world that we live in it should really sadden those of us who know about Jesus but on the second hand it should motivate us I'm telling you there's no I have never in my ministry and I've been in the ministry for a few years I've never been more excited about the potential for the gospel than now the fields are ripe under harvest now folks is not the time to back off this unbelieving world should sadden us this unbelieving world should motivate us but this unbelieving world should strengthen us too I find a kind of a strange mixture I've never in my whole life and ministry felt more exhilarated and purpose-driven than I am today I've never been more I've never been more just wanting to be engaged in this world because the unbelieving world saddens me there are so many people going to a Christless eternity there's such a hunger and thirst but it motivates me some of you say well pastor why are you getting so excited up there that's why it's hard to be about the business of sharing the love of Christ and articulate snoring at the same time I can't get up here and say well I can't do that I can't I can't get out there and cheer for the people that I cheer for out in the streets and go ballistic and and do the things I do and love going to the beach with a passion I could go today if somebody would let me and I I love to do this and I love to do that but when it comes to the things of Jesus well you know let's just kind of sit around and tickle each other's toenails you can you hear that this is a matter of life and death guys such powerful teaching from the pulpit with Dr. Don Wilton now I pray you'd open your heart to what he wants to share as he steps into the studio with us are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ why don't you pray this prayer with me right now dear God I know that I'm a sinner and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross today I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart in Jesus name my friend I welcome you today into the family of God this is exciting news if you just prayed along with Dr. Wilton to give your life to Christ or rededicate your life to Jesus we are so excited to rejoice with you and Dr. Wilton wants to pray for you he also has some free resources he wants to give you absolutely free if you'll call us at eight six six eight nine nine word that's eight six six eight nine nine nine six seven three or meet us on our website at www.tewonline.org that's www.tewonline.org it's also the place you'll discover great resources like this my book Saturdays with Billy is about an extraordinary relationship with a precious man who impacted lives across the world you don't want to miss this opportunity to be inspired by his life too that's just one of many great resources on our website www.tewonline.org this broadcast ministry is made possible by the financial and prayerful support of friends like you thank you for giving to the encouraging word