The Burden of Misapplying God’s Word | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Bible Study Series)

Christ is risen. I don't think we should say that

once a year. He is risen, he is alive.

He is our Lord and he is coming soon.

If you have the Living Word in your hands, would you meet me in

the Gospel According to Mark and chapter 2?

Beginning in verse 23? And our brother prayed but we'll

pray. Again, as we have God's word

before us opened and ask him to help us as we seek to understand

his word as will do. We thank you that you have been

with us up to this point in the gospel of Mark and Lord You Have

Not failed to show us the glory that is in your son and Lord.

As we approach this text, we pray that your Holy Spirit would

help us. See the beauty and Jesus again.

And Lord we pray that as he is magnified that our hearts would

also be magnified and love for him.

And the Lord, he would receive greater worship.

Greater devotion greater adoration as we realize that he

is our substitute. He stood in our place, his

righteousness is ours and we belong to him.

We give you glory and thanks for this word in advance in Jesus

name we pray. Amen.

Mark 223. One Sabbath.

He was going through the grain Fields And as they made their

way, his disciples began to pluck, heads of grain, and the

Pharisees were saying to him. Look, why are they doing?

What is not lawful on the Sabbath?

And he said to them, have you never read what David did when

he was in need and was hungry? He and those who are with him,

how he entered the house of God and the time of a be a thar, the

high priest and ate the bread of the presence which is not lawful

for any, but the priests to eat and also gave it to those who

are with him. And he said to them, the Sabbath

was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

So the son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath.

A careful reading of the gospels will show that one of the major

controversies that centered around the person of Jesus

Christ, was his behavior on a particular day of the week that

day of the week may not have much relevance to us Gentiles

but it is a day of the week that was and still is a trademark for

the Jewish people that day. As you heard many times just in

our reading is known as the Sabbath.

Which in the Hebrew simply means to rest, or to cease, it was on

the Sabbath which defines Friday Sunset to Saturday sunset.

According to Jewish law, that some of the most memorable

miracles of Jesus took place. But it was also on that same day

that the ever-present Pharisees manifested, the depths of the

cruelty and coldness of their heart, especially as it

contrasted to the warm compassion of Jesus Christ

toward people. It's so strange to think how a

day that was divinely ordained by God.

To cause reverential meditation and refreshment from work made

these Pharisees. So intensely vexed and

frustrated. And it is in this teaching that

you will see why. Why was it that these Pharisees

were so caught up and responding to something that was wholly and

for the good of man. But instead became a burden, And

something to be dreaded. And it's going to be a lesson

for you and I to understand that we can take God's word and

misapply it we can take God's word and reinvent the purpose of

it, and bring harm to ourselves and to others.

But more than that, it is the activity of Jesus on the Sabbath

that will bring even greater support to his nature and

character. It was on the Sabbath that the

Pharisees wanted to flex their empty religion, their

performance of piety, but it was also on the Sabbath and many

occasions that Jesus proved that.

He was who he said he was God In the Flesh.

And as you as you behold, that this afternoon mate, pull on

your heart to worship and adore him to a greater degree.

But on this particular Sabbath that we just read the critical

Pharisees vocalize, their unjustified concerns, not

because Jesus performed a miracle.

In fact, Jesus wasn't the direct object of their scorn.

It was his disciples and what they did.

And these disciples just ate some grain.

But that was significant to the Pharisees.

These pseudo spiritual spies were flustered by the sight of

these men snacking on some grain as they walked along a path.

And here's what you and I are going to do this afternoon.

The same way that these disciples walked by specific

path in order to nourish themselves by receiving, some

kind of Strength from these little nuggets.

You and I also as we glean through this passage are going

to pluck. Some truths from these verses

and receive nourishment for our souls.

What do we see here in verse 23? Jesus was making his way to a

certain destination and we are told that his disciples

accompany them and as they accompanied him they were just

pulling some grain as they pass by some fields.

And Matthew is more specific with this exact scene by telling

us that they were hungry, so they pluck the grain, so that

they could eat, and I cannot help.

But even at this point, draw a simple principle that will

hopefully help you. And I, as we commit ourselves to

following Jesus, these Apostles and training as they trailed

behind their Rabbi show us that living for the Lord.

Jesus, serving his purposes and his cause does not guarantee

luxury, or Interrupted physical convenience.

These disciples not too long ago.

Were feasting, Matthew's house enjoying a banquet, just a few

short hours later, few days. Perhaps here, they are taking

some kernels, rubbing it in their hands and trying to make

the most out of it. When we follow the lord, we have

to understand that it is not always convenient to our flesh.

Does not guarantee that everything will be brought

before us on a silver platter. And that we will have no

discomfort or no test or no concern.

At least immediately. What I see here with these

disciples is a perfect example of quiet.

Contentment in Jesus Christ. No complaints.

No squeaks no squeals here they are walking along with Jesus and

just enjoying what has been provided for them in the

natural. And there are some days where we

will know feasts and there's some days where we will know

some fast and Fast that we did not intend to explore willingly.

But look at these disciples. I love the fact that there is

silence on their part. There are no complaints from

them because their rations look, much more different than it was

just a few days ago. The celebration that they

enjoyed a Matthews home and here's how I take it as long as

crisis with us, it doesn't matter what is before us, as

long as Christ is our portion, it is a matter.

What kind of portion we have in the natural, any portion is a

full portion when Christ is our true portion, And so there's

such a plainness about this scene here.

They are just gazing and grazing while they walk in the shadow of

their Savior. And the Simplicity is so

beautiful. Because what we look here and

see is that the Lord and following him does not mean that

we will experience a series of Supernatural events continually.

Be encouraged that the same way the Lord was in the presence of

his disciples in the grain Fields.

So is he with you? And I, when we are going through

seasons of what may be ordinary or mundane, You see, Jesus knew

that his servants were hungry. He can see it.

Despite the fact he was a mission, he could see it.

And Jesus doesn't take it upon himself to perform some kind of

a miracle instead. He allows his followers. to

pluck some grain to silence their grumbling bellies, and he

was just as present with them, then as he would be, when he

would feed the 5,000, And so Christ is with us.

If I can use this word in are snacking, just as much as in our

serving, That his watchful eye is strong, even what seems to be

normal routine mundane just as much as it would be when we see

him do miracles in our lives. And may we not Reserve our

praise to him. Only when we are promoted in an

unusual way or only, when we seem to have this Supernatural

opportunity, open for us in our favor because his grace spreads

out And extends far beyond the undeniable interventions that he

provides for us. See what these disciples are

doing is what any ordinary Jew would do.

It was a common practice but even though this this is

something that we would dismiss as just going to the gas station

to pick up a little thing because you're hungry and your

commute was a little longer than you.

Thought it was. These disciples are experiencing

in our recipients of the goodness of God, even in the

plucking of the grain. Just feeling the baskets after a

miraculous provision of just a few pieces of bread and fish

into feeding the multitudes even in that.

And the reason is because what these men are doing was only

possible because God made it possible.

He actually made it law. He actually codified it through

Moses. So you're going to have to hear

this verse and understand that understanding, this verse helps

us see and understand the rest of the text in Deuteronomy 23.

25 God gave instructions to the Israelites and he said an

interesting thing in this verse. If you go into your neighbor's

standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you

shall not put a sickle to your neighbor standing grain.

So he actually created a law that these men were fulfilling,

their, they were walking in faithfully and this was just one

facet of The welfare system in Israel, not a system that makes

you lazy, but one, that gives means to strengthen the Hungry

Traveler while at the same time, not significantly, stripping

somebody's hard-earned Prophet away from them.

And though no law exists like this for you.

And I in the New Covenant does not this verse show us and give

us a glimpse of the mindfulness of God for you and me that he

actually cares about going from point A to point B and making

sure that your belly is full. And so he creates this law that

is fair and just and it shows his love for the Israelites just

as much as when he rained Manna From Heaven for 40 years, a

Miracle Day by Day. His love is just a strong in

this lies. It was in the miracle.

And what am I trying to propose to you?

And I met we loved him in the natural not just in the

Supernatural. May we praise him and credit him

for his goodness. And what seems to be something

that his fingerprints are not on when?

In fact he is the supplier of all our good.

He is the permitter of all the things that we enjoy.

And so I am refreshed by this visual of Jesus.

Walking I don't know how it looked was at one line where

they spread a across the field, there's Jesus walking in his

disciples plucking and maybe one disciple is trying to jokingly.

Take the grain out of the other hand of another disciple.

But something happens because what's so beautiful in this

scene, what showcases, the goodness of God and even

encourages us to know, silent satisfaction, as we follow

Jesus. No matter what's in our hand was

something that was totally different in the sight of these

Pharisees. A sharp accusation arose in

those fields, I don't know where they were, I don't know, they

were in the field spying, it's pretty pathetic sight, but this

group of religious Elite thought that they found something that

would disqualify The credibility of Jesus closest students.

And so they say, look Why are they doing?

What is not lawful on the Sabbath?

Well, you and I just heard it in Deuteronomy, what they are

doing, is lawful it was permitted.

It was granted there was a green light but their issue is not so

much of the plucking and the eating per se, as much as it was

that they were doing this on the Sabbath.

Were they right? Where the disciples breaking the

law, were they working on a day that was calling for rest.

The short answer. No. no, you and I should be

acquainted with the Pharisees enough to understand that they

were Masters and notorious for taking man-made tradition and

elevating it to the degree that it would eclipse the Simplicity

and the clarity of God's word and if this is saying anything

it is showing how their tradition mangled it absolutely

tampered with something as holy as the Sabbath until it became

Unrecognizable until it lost all its life, giving value until it

was Martin to something that was hideous, instead of something

that was wholly legalism tends to do that.

You see if there is something that these Pharisees were doing

on the Sabbath is that they utilized it as a weekly platform

to pump their pride. and so week after week, these men would not

only impose their regulations and their rituals that were out

of bounds of the Bible, but they would, they would use this time

to also police the population and too Criticize and to point

out that to disqualify, men standing with God based on the

fact that they are not adhering to their own rules.

And so you can imagine how this day was generally dreaded by the

Israelite, we don't want the Sabbath to come because outcome

the Cockroaches here, come the Pharisees sniffing and looking.

And we see us a snippet of it even here.

I mean here's Jesus traveling with his disciples and up come

to these Pharisees popping their head out of the grains and say

ha ha, ha look! Look what Doing write it down.

and instead of it being a day of rest for God's people, under the

old Covenant, it was a day of unrealistic expectations in the

name of righteousness quotation marks.

This is a sad thing. All these rules, all these

ideas, conjured up by men, who think they are Pious?

Do we have a glimpse? Do we have any idea of what kind

of these rules look like? Yes, we do the mishnah, which is

really just a historical book of a collection of the Jewish oral

Traditions. Shows us actually.

Just some of the rules that were implemented on this day.

The mission is not a Divine book, it's a historical book and

they have a Sure on the Sabbath and it is through that that we

can see what it was that the Pharisees were trying to

implement so strongly. So on that list, there are 39

works that were prohibited forbidden that would violate

their idea of the Sabbath. And there are some things there

that were obvious types of Labor like hunting or plowing.

But then, as you read on, you realize that the category of

work included hard to believe practices.

For example, a legal work. Would constitute writing more

than one letter on a page? Or God forbid, you are race to

letters. It would mean tying a knot,

untying a knot sewing more than one stitch.

Cleaning clothes walking a certain amount of steps.

And other paralyzing practices. So with that in view, it's no

wonder that the Pharisees were shaken by the sight of the fact

that these disciples were plucking grain because it's

highly possible that in this one scene alone, what they estimated

was that these disciples were breaking the law because they

were traveling too far. And they were working.

Yes, this is work. According to the Pharisees, the

plucking, the removing of the shell, the blowing of the chaff,

equated harvesting and threshing.

And when towing, And so they said you're working.

You're working sounds ridiculous.

There's a not may I propose to you that in this day today The

Same Spirit is at work and many Ministries.

That might be foreign to you. But just just look out into the

Horizon stay in this thing long enough.

Open your networks and Converse with others who are part of

different denominations or different network of churches.

And what you'll realize is, there are some Churches who have

required specific measurements of clothing.

Not not modesty. I mean here comes the ruler and

let's see how long the sleeve is.

Let's see how far down the dress goes.

The same. People will condemn the

application of Cosmetics on a woman's face or on a woman's

body who demand limited technology and each family's

home. And who exalt these rules, which

have zero benefits to True sanctification.

And the sad part is people eat this stuff up.

It's attractive to some to some the Temptation is lawlessness.

I believe that's the greater issue with American Christianity

but to others. It is legalism.

And what you have is people who live their life in this way.

And who adopt these strict observance has to these rigid

rituals because they think this is what pleases God.

This is what puts a smile on his face.

Would you like to know how the Holy Spirit saw these Pharisees?

Would you like to know what he perceived would you like to know

what concerns him? The same Pharisees, who seemed

so disciplined, who seems so devoted to the cause of God.

On one of the teachings of Jesus were the Pharisees were in

attendance. He taught about money and the

holy spirit. Gives us a commentary on

something hidden. Apart from this, we would not

have known, we would have probably assumed but the Holy

Spirit exposes the same men who ran around bullying people with

their standards. Turn with me to Luke chapter 16

Luke 16 · chapter mention

and look at this short verse with me.

In Luke 16, 14 to 15. We are told.

The Pharisees. Who were lovers of money.

Heard all these things and they ridiculed him and he said to

them, you are those who justify yourselves before men but God

knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men?

Is an abomination in the sight of God.

Beneath the rituals, under the holy garments, in quotation

marks, the public prayers, the constant fasting the nagging

criticism and the fault-finding, and the name of Holiness was a

burning infatuation. For money.

The god that most people worship today.

These Pharisees might have been able to fool others and they

might have thought and believed that they were fooling God.

But this verse proves listen to me this afternoon, my people, my

brethren my sisters, my fellow followers of Christ, What this

proves is that the Lord looks past our daily and weekly

performances and the only thing he considers, as what lives and

the deepest chambers of your heart and mind. what a scathing

statement Jesus makes For what is exalted among men is an

abomination in the sight of God, can you imagine?

He's speaking about their empty religion.

This might not Shock you until you do a comprehensive study in

the word of God, to see what is under the category of

abomination, like pervert, sexual practices.

And yet there is a high spot for NT religion, under that

condemning category. And imagine imagine doing all

these things for the sake of people, seeing how spiritual you

are. And God sees it as a Abstention

smell. I cannot help but move past this

text without considering the thought.

Not just not just for those who might be fair, say achill.

Who have magnified tradition, a magnified outward behavior, and

not what God puts weightier emphasis on.

But even for us, in our performances, in our service to

God, what does it matter? What benefit is that?

If there's no spirit-inspired pulse behind it?

God forbid that we would go through the mechanics of

Christianity with hollowness with emptiness with no

connection to this pleasing. My Lord from a position of being

saved by his grace. Yes.

And I can't help. But look at this verse.

And this is what came to mind. When reading it, O Lord, you saw

their hearts, you saw their loves, you didn't see the length

of their beards and their garments.

You didn't see the length of the prayers.

You didn't see the length of their fasting.

You saw what they loved and this is what you look for.

Oh God, were to come into your heart.

And pull it out in the open. What kind of love?

Would he find there? What would he see in that heart?

What would he discover Pastor all the practices and all the

performance of God were to come just to see the pulse of your

heart? What would he see?

Is there a love for him? Are we just empty performers?

Convincing ourselves and others that we're okay.

Everything is fine. What do our affections beat for?

What? Directions are a heart set

toward who is it? That we are the most captivated

by and who is it that we are the most fearful of disappointing in

grieving oh what'd he see the reflection of his own face when

he pulls out that heart And looks at it to see what kind of

loves we have in this life. It may he by his grace keep that

love alive for him until this heart is transformed in the

resurrection, only by his grace, able to perfectly love him for

all of eternity. And so we come back to our tax

and Mark 2. To see, Jesus answer to the

allegation made by the Pharisees, and he would do.

So by masterfully, referencing a scripture, you want to deal with

legalistic people, go to the Bible, you want to deal with

people who love tradition, go to the Bible and we read it, but we

can read it again and verse 25 and he said to them have you

never read what David did when he was in need and was hungry?

He and those who are with them, how he entered the house of God,

and the time of a be a star, the high priests and ate the bread

of the presence. She is not lawful for any but

the priests to eat and also gave it to those who are with him.

It's a very simple story. If you were with us on Fridays,

we cover this in first Samuel, we're in second Samuel.

Now it's a story of David who had to flee his home, his work,

his family because of a sudden Exile, because salt turned on

him and was ready to kill him and because he had no time to

prepare, he comes to the house of God and he handed.

And he seeks something to eat because he is hungry him.

And his men who accompanied him And so he asked the priest if

there's anything for him and the priest said, there's nothing

here but the holy bread the holy bread was something designated

for the priest alone to eat. It was to be there on the table

of showbread and once they would recycle the bread with fresh hot

bread every week, they would eat the old bread.

That's what David was looking for and it was granted to him.

Now, that's simple story, may seem straightforward.

But the question is, why is Jesus alluding to it out of all

the things, why this story and let me give you what?

Perhaps you grew up, understanding it to mean, if you

grew up in the church, let me give you the most popular

interpretation. It seems that people think that

Jesus is by pointing to David. Providing an illustration to

promote A principle of Mercy. Meaning what after the Pharisees

can, then the disciples. The Lord points to David to

teach that under certain circumstances God is willing for

ceremonial laws for rules to be set aside for the sake of

meeting. A human need, it's a lesson on

compassion. The idea here is that observing

regulations is not more important than providing

assistance in emergency situations.

Like David was in Even if our help means that we need to bend

the commands of God a little bit, then let's bring it about.

So you can imagine how a text like this is often referred to

to support the notion of situational ethics All that

means is that under unique situations, it would be

acceptable to commit. If we're honest, what would be

known as a sin in order to promote a greater good.

So that's what Jesus is teaching.

Look, David did what was wrong. He wasn't punished for it

because there was a need. So why are you Pharisees getting

all flustered? When the disciples here are just

doing the same thing, they're eating, okay?

If it confuses, what it means to be, not working on the Sabbath.

What's the big deal? Personally, I do not believe

that's what Jesus teaching. And I may have stepped on some

toes, but would you bear with me?

Because I've heard this from many people myself and as I

looked further into it, I realized that perhaps that is

not Jesus main point. Maybe that's not even his point

at all. Because this would make sense,

this message would fit if the disciples actually broke the

law. But they didn't, they were

Guiltless. But look how Jesus speaks about

David in verse 26, how he entered the house of God in the

time of a Bea, Arthur the high priest and ate the bread of the

presence, which is not lawful for any, but the priest to eat

So what David did was a clear violation of God's law.

He did break it. It's undeniable that alone

should cause us to, at least question the popular

understanding and interpretation of this passage.

Why would Jesus use a guilty man to justify those who are

Guiltless? Definitely not to promote

situational ethics, but I present to you.

The possibility and the strongest understanding that he

is calling out the inconsistency of the Pharisees.

In other words, think about it this way, as Jesus brings about

David, he is not justifying David's trespass.

He is not justifying an idea that God winked at this whole

thing and turned back because David was hungry and you know,

okay if we have the ignore the law for him to be fed then we'll

do that. That's not what's happening

here. This is Jesus.

Using the story of David to Corner the Receives in their

hypocrisy. Here's how the argument goes.

Are you willing to overlook? What David did and how he broke

the law. While you at the same time are

condemning my disciples for breaking your human tradition.

Do you see? It helps to go to Matthews

version to see this expounded. So, go to Matthew chapter 12,

Matthew 12 · chapter mention

and look with me here, And verse 5.

And the verse is proceeding. He says the same thing that he

does here in Mark to he brings up David.

When we come to Matthew 12, he builds on that point and he

brings up another example. And so in Matthew 12, 5 notice

what Jesus says, Have you not read in the law?

How the Sabbath on the Sabbath? The priests in the temple,

profane, the Sabbath and are Guiltless.

So what is he saying here? Even the strictest Pharisee

wouldn't see the priest guilty. On the Sabbath for performing

more work than any other day of the week for killing the

animals. Preparing the sacrifices

performing their duties but according to their laws, the

priests should be guilty. The priest should be hey

according to your standards, the priests themselves should be

indicted and yet they are quick to come to the disciples and

their modest grain picking and to criticize them and condemned

them something that took much less effort and work than what

the priest did on the Sabbath. Now some might protest those who

know their Bibles well and know the story.

Well, who might have used this story to justify certain things

and so the protest says brother Jesus quotes Hosea and chapter

12 of Matthew verse 7. And what do we see in Matthew 12

7 Jesus says and if you had known what this means I desire

mercy and not sacrifice. You would not have condemned the

Guiltless. You see God is trying to show us

that. Sometimes the most compassionate

thing to do is to meet a need. Even though we ignore the law,

that my Ender, that Mercy from being extended you see God is

promoting Mercy, Mercy. So great that it exceeds above

law, keeping and Rule, observing But is that how Jesus is

applying Hosea? Is that is it again?

Is that what Jesus is doing here?

Is he trying to make a case for situational ethics?

All you have to do is read the verse again in verse 7, very

carefully to see. No, he is not, that's not his

point look again. And if you had known what this

means, I desire. Mercy and not sacrifice, you

would not have condemned the Guiltless.

That's the main point. That's what he's trying to drive

at. You are condemning the

Guiltless. and by quoting Hosea, he's actually exposing how

merciless their Traditions are And so he says here.

I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you're condemning the

Guiltless. That's how we know the disciples

were Guiltless and you're doing this with your supposed

justification. That your, your observance, your

strict standards are some kind of a sacrifice to God.

When in fact, they are merciless, you are merciless.

God desires Mercy. but as we heard, Lovelace spiritual

sacrifice, especially when it violates and contradicts his

word is an abomination. So I understand, let me say this

again. Jesus is using David as an

argument to expose the hypocrisy of the Pharisees who are willing

to run around with their traditions and hit people over

the head. When they would not dare do that

to the priest who work just as hard if not twice as hard on

that day. And David, their beloved hero

who actually broke God's law. We pause and say this.

At this point, this is an example for us to remember

something. So crucial and it is to rightly

divide the word of God. To rightly divide the word of

God. Lest we be found guilty

promoting legalism like these Pharisees or less.

We make the mistake of making some room for lawlessness by

misunderstanding the teachings of Jesus Christ.

And legalism and lawlessness thrive on the same malpractice,

if you want to know how these things grow and how they become

strong, and how they make way in people's lives and Ministries,

it's actually found in Matthew 12.

Jesus into different verses in the same.

Confrontation with these Pharisees says in verse 3 and

verse 5, have you not read Have you not read?

Have you not read? What the law says?

Have you not read? What is this?

This is an accusation of ignorance.

You don't know your Bible and if you know about it you have

misapplied it and this malpractice is what breeds

either legalism or lawlessness in our lives.

What is extremely needed? As a careful interaction with

the scriptures less? We open a door for a world of

Sorrow to flood the lives of naive people.

And so Jesus here says, have you not read what another scathing

statement to Pharisees? Were apparently Experts of the

law. You clearly didn't read you,

clearly didn't see it. Listen much of the division and

are Evangelical circles. Can be solved if we just really

get to the Bible and stick with the Bible, I'm on any extreme on

any doctrine of this is what we should do or this is what we

should or should not do, praise God.

That most of those feuds are secondary issues but I want to

be as close to the truth as possible.

That's what I want. I want every facet of the will

of God to be in line with the truth in my life.

And you want to know how we can solve most of these issues

between Brethren who love Christ.

Just to stick with the word. I'm not concerned about your

denominational tradition. I really am not.

I'm not even concerned about what the ancient fathers.

Believe they're not my authority.

Have you not read? Have you not read?

Jesus. Is my example in yours?

I hope and if you think that the Pharisees were rattled by what

he just said you would be right, I would love to see the sight of

these Eyes offer son becoming silent because Jesus wields, the

sword of the spirit. I remember I was on a walk, not

too far from you, and it was on a midday morning and from a,

from a distance. I saw what you cannot deny to be

to Mormons. The bicycles, gave it away.

Bicycles in the white dress shirts.

I don't mean to be, I'm not trying to mock them but I'm just

being honest, that's how I recognize them.

And so I just walked and walked and walked in there was sitting

there and I thought, you know what, let me just pull up beside

him and they were young. I knew that they were on

Mission, you know, Mormons. If you don't know this Mormons,

dedicate their serious Mormons, two years of their life.

They pause on everything in life to do Mission.

They go to a different country, they raise their own funds, they

move away from home and they preach a false gospel for two

years of their lives. And most of them do Matt the

younger years of their lives. So I sat beside them and hearing

their idea of the gospel and hearing what heaven is all

about. And it's amazing if you study

Cults, all cults really have a Fascination for sexuality, study

called very carefully and you'll realize that there is this

emphasis on sex. Look at Islam Mormons.

What's the what's the Pinnacle of Glory?

You having a Celestial wife and populating planets?

And so we talked about that, we talked about their understanding

of Heaven. Well, there's no real.

Hell, there's three tiers of heaven, and if you were good

enough, you can get to the top tier if you don't, you're in

this lower compartment. And so we really want to get to

the top and idea of the top is and their language enjoying

family and having your loved ones and you dig deep, it's much

more than that. And here's where the argument

ended and there is different arguments.

But this is this is all that put a stop to any idea being

proposed on their part. Have you not read?

And I looked at me says, have you not read what Jesus said to

the Sadducees who try to make a case against the resurrection?

That one woman had several wives, whose husband will be

hers in the resurrection? And Jesus says, you do not know

the scriptures or the power of God, those who will be

resurrected on to life will be like the angels of God.

So you guys are you're motivated for your works here because you

want to get to the top tier of Heaven which the main theme of

it is populating and having a family and Jesus himself said,

you ain't gonna get married, have you not read all would we

know our Bibles so that we can be free from false doctrines.

So we come to Jesus, where was I?

And there are talking to him about these disciples.

And the rattled. What is Jesus going to do?

Apologize for being too strong. No, he's gonna he's gonna up the

ante if you think they're mad. Now he's about to make them very

mad and he's going to do. So with two statements, we're

going to stay in Matthew since we're already there.

Two of these statements are in Matthew, one of them has shared

with Mark, almost word for word. And so, here's what he says in

verse 6, after he talks about the priests, And Matthew brings

up something in verse 6, I tell you something greater than the

temple is here. Why does it Mark?

Bring that up? Well if you understand Matthews

main audience, they were Jews. This would mean a lot more to

the Jew than the Gentiles that Mark was writing to.

So he brings up the temple. He brings up the that prize

building for the Jewish people and he says something

astounding. I mean, he could have stopped at

bring up David in the priests and they could have moved on.

But like with Jesus loves to do is bring up further truth using

these opportunities to amplify his person I tell Something

greater than the temple is here. This is after he spoke about the

priest who work in the temple, even on the Sabbath.

Jesus means that he is greater than Temple, which is what he is

saying the what an astounding claim this is because this is

what he is conveying if the priests of the physical Temple,

pay attention to this. If the priests of the physical

Temple, we're allowed to be dismissed.

From The Binding regulations of the Sabbath because the nature

of their work was divinely ordained.

How much more should these Disciples of mine be exempt?

because they're eating as a result of their service to what

the temple is pointing to you see if you're willing to

overlook the priests because of their sacrificial service in the

physical House of God, do you not realize that these men are

working because they have been serving The one who is greater

than the temple. And he's here greater than the

temple. Who does this man?

Think he is. I tell you who he is.

He is the true Ark of the Covenant God's presence dwelling

with man. He is the sacrifice that

fulfills all the Shadows of the ceremonies and the ordinances he

is the priest who does not continually stand to perform

sacrifices. But now is seated at the right

hand of God because his shed blood suffice has the standard

of God's righteousness. He is are omnipresent access to

the father. That veil has been torn and at

any time and any place in the name of Jesus we can come boldly

to the throne of grace. He is to be worthy of all praise

and reverence and adoration for his Beauty, outshines Solomon's

designs and herod's expansion to that design.

He is greater than the temple and he is our Temple.

Jesus Christ. Think he stopped there.

I mean, it's possible for these Pharisees to have misunderstood

what he said. They did that many times.

Maybe he did register but Jesus is about to say in his second

statement, shared my Matthew and Mark would be clear as day

because how he ends this whole discourse, how he ends this

dialogue with these men as by saying.

So the son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath.

Mark says it almost word for word.

Here's a translation and it's a beautiful translation.

He looks at these Pharisees who were running around Jerusalem in

a different streets, and if it's of Israel to try to try to find

people who are breaking their law and he says, you don't get

to make the rules about the Sabbath.

I do, I am the lord of the Sabbath.

I'm the one who has authority over it.

I created it. I instituted it.

I declared it and I alone determine what happens on it.

I mean to see their faces, these men who made so much about who

they were around the Sabbath and here's Jesus, looking at them

and saying I'm the lord of the Sabbath even.

I yes, Am Lord over the Sabbath up to this point in Mark, we've

seen him Lord over so many things.

The Lord over Temptation, Lord over sin, Lord over demons,

Lord, over disease. And here he is.

Now saying I'm Lord even of the Sabbath.

I want to end here. Because again, we could be

tempted to just look at that as an observation that admire the

Insight, not realize how it has direct instruction for our

lives. We get into a lot of trouble in

our spiritual Endeavor. Is when we feel confident like

the Pharisees to add or remove rules or interpretations to the

things that God has made clear in his word.

We get into a lot of trouble. But what kind of blessing and

Purity comes and is assessed and is maintained in every believer.

Especially leaders in the church who would live in light of the

lordship of Jesus Christ in all things.

Who really believe that as Jesus highlights the Sabbath.

He says, yes, I'm even lord of the Sabbath.

What do we, what do we know? What would we know if we believe

that Christ is Lord over? Yes, everything even fill in the

blank. Lord.

You have the final say you are the Lord of what we preach at

this church. You have complete lordship over

what we sing, how we deal with one another, how we build our

lives in your name. Teach us to see that your way is

the only way. And it is the best way to teach

us to understand your word that we may apply it.

So that you may be maximally glorified a, we may be maximally

blessed teach us to Understand that your decrees were designed

to be adored to certain degree for you are our Lord.

Yes. The Lord of everything.

Do you want to know what happens when you?

And I make our own rules and I bump into a lot of Christians

who do about what it means to be a true follower of Jesus Christ.

You want to know what happens when we come up with our own

convictions and standards that contradict this book that

violate the clear teachings of Jesus.

We get exactly what the Pharisees produced by promoting

their rules burdens. Burdens.

Legalism clear burden. It's obvious.

Miserable people miserable Ministries?

No joy. No freedom.

And it does, he even it doesn't even heal you.

Some of the most heinous people come from legalistic

backgrounds. But lawlessness being loose and

light with God's word, that also brings burden into our lives.

It does have a guilty conscience.

Of the natural repercussions of sin.

Rob of the blessing of God's face shining Upon Us robbed of

the assurance that our lives are not open to Satan and his

schemes. Robbed of fellowship with God

burdens, when we come up with our own rules, when we come up

with our own ideas of what it means to be a True Believer, all

we open our lives to burdens when Jesus said, come to me.

Come to me all who are weary and are heavy laden.

When he says, take my yoke upon. You know what he's saying there?

Take my burden upon you, roll off the burden of your own ideas

of what it means to please. God of what it means to live

free in this life and take my yoke upon you. it's light, its

life giving It was such a free. I want to ask you today. for

those who are visiting, especially, Is your relationship

with God. According to this book, Are you

burdened? Are you burdened by sin?

Are you burdened by trying to strive your way to please God.

Are you burden with the sense of purposelessness where you just

floating around in this life, you're just a number.

Come to Jesus. And trust.

That is he lays upon you his word?

It will be the most freeing thing you've ever experienced.

He made you, he created you. And when he did, he gave us the

option to continue in fellowship with him or to have our own way.

And when we made our own way, we turned our back on him and we

walked as fast as we can. Some are running in the other

direction, but because he loves you, he dies for you and he

calls for you to come back to him.

He paid a price, the price that separates you from him.

And he wants you to know, the life that only he can offer

because he is the author of life.

He is the author of life. So, stop running.

Stop making up your own idea and rules about what life is come to

the one who created you and who died for you.

And you will know, not just life according to the words of Jesus

about life abundantly and that's not waiting for us in heaven.

Oh no, you can bubble up with that join life today.

Even in this chaotic world you can do a deep-seated joy that no

one can rob from you and he paid a high price for that to be

real. Would you give up?

You know what repentance simply means.

Up stop fall at his feet and as you're there, look at those feet

and realize that they were pierced for you.

He was nailed to a piece of wood so that you can know freedom.

And I pray that you would be safe today.

And for those who are saved, would we prepare our hearts to

partake on the truth? That Jesus took our place and

that we have life in him alone. Let's do that.

Lord, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

That you are a good God. You were not like Pharaoh, you

do not make. Our Lives of Burden.

You do not call us to make bricks without straw.

Oh, Lord, Even in our obedience to your word, you Empower us and

you forgive us when we fail. And you do not give up on us

because your love is patient. Thank you.

And Lord, as we partake of this meal, we pray that our eyes

would be on the grace of God. In the person of Jesus Christ,

that all that we hear about do's and don'ts come from the

position of being forgiven freely, because of the Lord,

Jesus Lord. May this have a sanctifying

effect on this congregation, we want to be in your will.

We want to, please you, we want to love you, Lord, look into our

hearts and would you see a For you a true love for you.

An imperfect love yes but a love nonetheless we adore you Lord

for the cold heart, the cold heart that will walk up to this

table by faith made this revive them.