1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:02,860 Please open your Bible at Mark’s Gospel, 2 00:00:02,860 –> 00:00:05,700 in chapter two, which has been read for us, 3 00:00:05,700 –> 00:00:08,980 where we’re going to learn about the growing conflict 4 00:00:08,980 –> 00:00:12,580 that would lead to the crucifixion of Jesus. 5 00:00:12,580 –> 00:00:16,299 It might surprise you to know that opposition to Jesus, 6 00:00:16,299 –> 00:00:21,299 conflict emerges this early in the story of the gospel, 7 00:00:21,980 –> 00:00:25,020 but it does very clearly and very strongly, 8 00:00:25,020 –> 00:00:27,020 and it’s important for us to grasp 9 00:00:27,080 –> 00:00:30,120 that right from the beginning of the gospel, 10 00:00:30,120 –> 00:00:33,060 you find both the immense popularity of Jesus 11 00:00:33,060 –> 00:00:36,619 with the crowd and an intense antagonism 12 00:00:36,619 –> 00:00:41,480 towards Jesus from the Pharisees and from the scribes. 13 00:00:41,480 –> 00:00:42,660 Now, if you have your Bible open, 14 00:00:42,660 –> 00:00:45,419 I want us to see quickly, so we know where we are, 15 00:00:45,419 –> 00:00:49,060 that Mark brings together four stories in chapter two 16 00:00:49,060 –> 00:00:51,820 that show how Jesus came into conflict 17 00:00:51,820 –> 00:00:54,939 with the religious leaders of his day. 18 00:00:54,939 –> 00:00:56,139 And in each story, 19 00:00:56,139 –> 00:00:59,279 you will find a question that is raised 20 00:00:59,279 –> 00:01:01,820 about what Jesus is doing. 21 00:01:01,820 –> 00:01:04,139 The first is the story that we looked at last week, 22 00:01:04,139 –> 00:01:05,940 the healing of the paralytic, 23 00:01:05,940 –> 00:01:09,019 where in verse seven the Pharisees ask, 24 00:01:09,019 –> 00:01:10,980 why does this fellow talk like this? 25 00:01:10,980 –> 00:01:12,459 He’s blaspheming. 26 00:01:12,459 –> 00:01:17,260 Who can forgive sins except God alone? 27 00:01:17,260 –> 00:01:20,680 Then we move onto the story where Jesus shares a meal 28 00:01:20,680 –> 00:01:23,660 at the house of a man called Levi. 29 00:01:23,660 –> 00:01:26,900 And here you find in verse 16, 30 00:01:26,900 –> 00:01:31,900 they ask, why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners? 31 00:01:32,820 –> 00:01:35,080 And then when the Pharisees were fasting, 32 00:01:35,080 –> 00:01:37,660 some people come and ask Jesus in verse 18, 33 00:01:37,660 –> 00:01:42,300 how is it that the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting 34 00:01:42,300 –> 00:01:44,540 and yours are not. 35 00:01:44,540 –> 00:01:47,639 And then when the disciples pull some corn in the field 36 00:01:47,639 –> 00:01:51,040 on a Sabbath, again the Pharisees ask a question, 37 00:01:51,160 –> 00:01:53,760 why are they doing, verse 24, 38 00:01:53,760 –> 00:01:57,940 what is unlawful on the Sabbath. 39 00:01:57,940 –> 00:02:01,739 By the way, questions can be a way of seeking information 40 00:02:02,680 –> 00:02:05,980 but we all know that questions can be asked in a way 41 00:02:05,980 –> 00:02:09,559 that expresses resistance. 42 00:02:10,440 –> 00:02:12,740 And that is obviously what is happening here 43 00:02:12,740 –> 00:02:16,759 all the way throughout Mark’s gospel, chapter two, 44 00:02:16,759 –> 00:02:21,139 the Pharisees are resisting the ministry of Jesus 45 00:02:21,139 –> 00:02:24,080 and the reason that they’re resisting the ministry of Jesus 46 00:02:24,080 –> 00:02:26,919 is that they want to bring it under their control, 47 00:02:26,919 –> 00:02:28,539 that’s what’s going on here 48 00:02:28,539 –> 00:02:31,779 and there is a growing tension that runs all the way 49 00:02:31,779 –> 00:02:35,300 throughout the second chapter of Mark’s gospel. 50 00:02:36,339 –> 00:02:37,779 Now, as we look at this this morning 51 00:02:37,779 –> 00:02:39,320 I want us to see very clearly 52 00:02:39,320 –> 00:02:43,059 that Jesus chose this conflict. 53 00:02:43,059 –> 00:02:46,460 It wasn’t that he sort of mishandled his relationship 54 00:02:46,479 –> 00:02:50,139 with the Pharisees and got himself into an awkward position. 55 00:02:51,020 –> 00:02:53,660 That’s the sort of thing that we do. 56 00:02:53,660 –> 00:02:55,559 We often have the experience, don’t we, 57 00:02:55,559 –> 00:02:58,559 of saying, I wish I hadn’t said that 58 00:02:58,559 –> 00:03:02,699 or I wish I hadn’t done that because it got me into trouble. 59 00:03:03,899 –> 00:03:06,020 But you never find that with Jesus. 60 00:03:07,500 –> 00:03:11,339 Jesus chose this conflict. 61 00:03:11,339 –> 00:03:14,320 He came into the world to save 62 00:03:15,080 –> 00:03:17,479 and if he’s going to save, 63 00:03:17,479 –> 00:03:20,919 what that means is he has to confront the powers 64 00:03:20,919 –> 00:03:23,880 that are holding people bound 65 00:03:23,880 –> 00:03:27,039 and that begins right from the very start of the gospel 66 00:03:27,039 –> 00:03:29,759 and we’ll see how it runs all the way through 67 00:03:29,759 –> 00:03:33,360 to the crucifixion and resurrection itself. 68 00:03:33,360 –> 00:03:37,919 So, our title this morning is Jesus Stirs Up Conflict. 69 00:03:37,919 –> 00:03:40,039 The initiative is with him. 70 00:03:40,039 –> 00:03:42,240 We’re going to see that our Lord, Jesus Christ, 71 00:03:42,279 –> 00:03:45,500 wonderfully and you feel you want to cheer for him, 72 00:03:45,500 –> 00:03:47,639 I think, as we move through this passage, 73 00:03:47,639 –> 00:03:51,059 but you see that he confronts the deadness 74 00:03:51,059 –> 00:03:55,039 and the stuffiness and the silly rules 75 00:03:55,039 –> 00:03:57,380 of religion in his day 76 00:03:57,380 –> 00:04:01,000 and we should thank God for the way 77 00:04:01,000 –> 00:04:03,080 that he does this. 78 00:04:03,080 –> 00:04:04,419 Now, we’re going to see this morning 79 00:04:04,419 –> 00:04:07,619 that Jesus made three choices 80 00:04:07,619 –> 00:04:10,380 that clearly brought him into conflict 81 00:04:10,380 –> 00:04:13,360 with the religious leaders of his day. 82 00:04:13,360 –> 00:04:15,520 We’re going to look at these choices 83 00:04:16,600 –> 00:04:17,920 and when we understand them, 84 00:04:17,920 –> 00:04:20,559 we’re gonna find ourselves faced with a big decision 85 00:04:22,480 –> 00:04:27,480 because if we make the same choices as Jesus, 86 00:04:28,079 –> 00:04:32,640 we will have the same result as Jesus. 87 00:04:32,640 –> 00:04:36,299 If we make the choices he made, 88 00:04:36,299 –> 00:04:39,119 we will find ourselves in the same conflict 89 00:04:39,119 –> 00:04:41,140 he found himself in, 90 00:04:41,140 –> 00:04:45,239 indeed that he intentionally placed himself in, 91 00:04:46,260 –> 00:04:47,600 and the question for us 92 00:04:47,600 –> 00:04:49,679 is going to be at the end of this morning, 93 00:04:49,679 –> 00:04:51,239 are we going to follow Jesus 94 00:04:52,459 –> 00:04:55,239 or are we going to follow the Pharisees? 95 00:04:55,239 –> 00:04:58,200 There’s a very real choice here 96 00:04:58,200 –> 00:05:02,679 and we’re going to be called to take one side or the other. 97 00:05:04,200 –> 00:05:05,920 Now let’s look at these three choices then 98 00:05:05,920 –> 00:05:07,760 that run through this passage of Scripture. 99 00:05:07,779 –> 00:05:12,720 The first choice is that Jesus offers friendship to sinners 100 00:05:12,720 –> 00:05:15,799 and you find this in verses 13 to 17. 101 00:05:15,799 –> 00:05:18,600 Jesus offers friendship to sinners. 102 00:05:18,600 –> 00:05:22,640 That’s what he chose to do and it initiated conflict. 103 00:05:22,640 –> 00:05:26,660 Verse 13, once again Jesus went out beside the lake. 104 00:05:26,660 –> 00:05:28,619 A large crowd came to him 105 00:05:28,619 –> 00:05:30,279 and he began to teach them. 106 00:05:30,279 –> 00:05:31,399 Familiar pattern. 107 00:05:32,359 –> 00:05:35,399 As he walked along he saw Levi son of Alphaeus 108 00:05:35,399 –> 00:05:37,679 sitting at the tax collector’s booth. 109 00:05:38,640 –> 00:05:41,119 Follow me, Jesus told him. 110 00:05:41,119 –> 00:05:45,380 And Levi got up and followed him. 111 00:05:45,380 –> 00:05:46,760 Now this is a familiar pattern, 112 00:05:46,760 –> 00:05:49,399 we’ve seen this before with Simon and Andrew 113 00:05:49,399 –> 00:05:51,679 and James and John. 114 00:05:51,679 –> 00:05:53,220 The thing that is distinct here 115 00:05:53,220 –> 00:05:56,880 is that Levi was a tax collector. 116 00:05:58,200 –> 00:06:01,640 Now remember that Israel was an occupied country 117 00:06:01,640 –> 00:06:02,480 at this time. 118 00:06:02,480 –> 00:06:05,660 The Romans had marched in, they had annexed Israel 119 00:06:05,660 –> 00:06:10,660 and that meant that the Jews were paying taxes to Rome. 120 00:06:11,100 –> 00:06:14,019 The Romans of course needed people to gather the taxes 121 00:06:14,019 –> 00:06:16,399 to administer the system in the country, 122 00:06:16,399 –> 00:06:19,140 but who in their right mind would take money 123 00:06:19,140 –> 00:06:20,500 from their own people 124 00:06:20,500 –> 00:06:24,420 in order to give it to a foreign occupying power. 125 00:06:24,420 –> 00:06:25,760 So the Romans knew that they had 126 00:06:25,760 –> 00:06:28,279 to offer a lucrative incentive 127 00:06:28,279 –> 00:06:31,140 to get people to do this kind of work. 128 00:06:31,140 –> 00:06:34,260 And so what they did was they simply set the amount 129 00:06:34,260 –> 00:06:36,700 that the collectors had to gather as revenue 130 00:06:36,700 –> 00:06:38,980 from any particular town, 131 00:06:38,980 –> 00:06:41,859 and then turned an intentional blind eye 132 00:06:41,859 –> 00:06:45,459 to any additional amount that these folks gathered, 133 00:06:45,459 –> 00:06:47,380 which went into their own pockets, 134 00:06:47,380 –> 00:06:49,640 and they could do that with complete security 135 00:06:49,640 –> 00:06:52,179 because of course, they had the protection 136 00:06:52,179 –> 00:06:53,700 of the Roman Army. 137 00:06:55,100 –> 00:06:56,739 So you can imagine the kind of person 138 00:06:56,739 –> 00:06:59,000 who would take a job like this. 139 00:07:00,380 –> 00:07:03,019 William Lane says in his Commentary on Mark 140 00:07:03,019 –> 00:07:07,459 that when a Jew entered the customs service, 141 00:07:07,459 –> 00:07:11,440 he was regarded as an outcast from society. 142 00:07:11,440 –> 00:07:14,640 He was disqualified as a judge 143 00:07:14,640 –> 00:07:18,040 and excommunicated from the synagogue. 144 00:07:19,380 –> 00:07:21,899 So by definition, this man was someone 145 00:07:21,899 –> 00:07:25,000 who was not welcome at worship. 146 00:07:26,019 –> 00:07:27,559 A tax collector. 147 00:07:28,540 –> 00:07:33,140 Now, to put it in a Bible phrase, 148 00:07:34,100 –> 00:07:37,320 folks who took these jobs 149 00:07:38,200 –> 00:07:41,700 were commonly regarded as the scum of the earth. 150 00:07:43,700 –> 00:07:46,959 That’s what Levi was, 151 00:07:48,119 –> 00:07:51,019 and Jesus called him to be a disciple. 152 00:07:51,019 –> 00:07:51,859 It’s awesome. 153 00:07:53,779 –> 00:07:56,000 And that choice stirred up conflict. 154 00:07:56,000 –> 00:07:57,239 You see it as Mark tells us, 155 00:07:57,440 –> 00:08:00,239 the story Levi is so captivated by Jesus 156 00:08:00,239 –> 00:08:02,019 that he leaves his lucrative job 157 00:08:02,019 –> 00:08:05,160 in order to give himself full time to Jesus’ mission. 158 00:08:05,160 –> 00:08:06,559 But what’s his first thought? 159 00:08:06,559 –> 00:08:09,339 It is, I must share what I have found in Jesus Christ 160 00:08:09,339 –> 00:08:11,920 with my friends, and who are His friends? 161 00:08:13,720 –> 00:08:16,220 Well, if you’re an outcast of society, 162 00:08:17,100 –> 00:08:19,000 the only friends you can possibly have 163 00:08:19,000 –> 00:08:21,440 are the others who, for different reasons, 164 00:08:21,440 –> 00:08:24,079 are outcasts of society. 165 00:08:24,920 –> 00:08:29,760 And so verse 15, you find that Jesus goes to Levi’s house 166 00:08:29,760 –> 00:08:32,340 and he ends up in this company. 167 00:08:32,340 –> 00:08:37,340 Many tax collectors and parenthesis, sinners, 168 00:08:38,679 –> 00:08:41,099 were eating with him and his disciples, 169 00:08:41,099 –> 00:08:46,099 for there were many who followed him. 170 00:08:47,960 –> 00:08:50,440 Now this word sinners, in parenthesis, 171 00:08:50,440 –> 00:08:51,840 is obviously being used here 172 00:08:51,840 –> 00:08:54,979 to describe people of ill repute, 173 00:08:54,979 –> 00:08:59,260 people who were notorious for their immorality. 174 00:08:59,260 –> 00:09:01,580 The Bible says that the sins of some men 175 00:09:01,580 –> 00:09:04,400 are obvious going before them, 176 00:09:04,400 –> 00:09:06,599 and the sins of others are more hidden, 177 00:09:06,599 –> 00:09:07,900 trailing behind them. 178 00:09:07,900 –> 00:09:10,340 Well the sins of these folks, 179 00:09:10,340 –> 00:09:15,340 in whose company Jesus is, were obvious. 180 00:09:15,359 –> 00:09:18,820 And it is a wonderful, wonderful testimony 181 00:09:18,820 –> 00:09:21,479 to the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ 182 00:09:22,039 –> 00:09:25,179 that He called Levi. 183 00:09:26,440 –> 00:09:27,880 Now think about this. 184 00:09:29,039 –> 00:09:32,320 A man who feels there’s a stigma on him 185 00:09:32,320 –> 00:09:34,359 that he can never be free from, 186 00:09:36,880 –> 00:09:40,299 a man who is regarded as the dregs 187 00:09:41,679 –> 00:09:46,260 by the vast majority of people in the society, 188 00:09:46,679 –> 00:09:51,679 and Jesus comes past his wretched little office 189 00:09:55,200 –> 00:09:58,440 and says, Levi, I want you 190 00:09:59,700 –> 00:10:00,739 to follow me. 191 00:10:02,340 –> 00:10:05,039 The sheer grace and mercy of God. 192 00:10:06,219 –> 00:10:08,820 And not only does this man follow Jesus, 193 00:10:08,820 –> 00:10:11,080 he becomes an apostle. 194 00:10:12,099 –> 00:10:15,880 We know him better by the name, Matthew. 195 00:10:16,679 –> 00:10:20,599 The author of the first gospel. 196 00:10:22,299 –> 00:10:24,400 So, what we’re seeing here in this story, 197 00:10:24,400 –> 00:10:27,299 very clearly then, is that Jesus offers friendship 198 00:10:27,299 –> 00:10:28,159 to sinners. 199 00:10:28,159 –> 00:10:29,140 Indeed, you may remember 200 00:10:29,140 –> 00:10:31,979 that this was the name that his enemies gave to him. 201 00:10:31,979 –> 00:10:34,140 Oh, he’s the friend of sinners, they said. 202 00:10:34,140 –> 00:10:36,059 And actually, though they meant it as a slur, 203 00:10:36,059 –> 00:10:39,880 they could not have declared his glory more clearly. 204 00:10:41,000 –> 00:10:43,580 And look at what that means for us. 205 00:10:44,419 –> 00:10:46,919 Whatever choices you may have made, 206 00:10:46,919 –> 00:10:49,659 whatever regrets you may have, 207 00:10:49,659 –> 00:10:51,940 whatever stigma you may bear, 208 00:10:51,940 –> 00:10:54,880 whatever alienation you may feel, 209 00:10:54,880 –> 00:10:58,960 Jesus Christ offers his friendship to you. 210 00:10:58,960 –> 00:11:01,500 And that opens the door of hope. 211 00:11:01,500 –> 00:11:03,880 And there isn’t a person alive in this world today 212 00:11:03,880 –> 00:11:05,359 who is beyond it. 213 00:11:06,640 –> 00:11:09,760 If you receive his friendship, 214 00:11:09,760 –> 00:11:12,739 it will change your life. 215 00:11:12,799 –> 00:11:14,960 You see, Jesus brought tax collectors 216 00:11:14,960 –> 00:11:16,359 out of extortion. 217 00:11:17,799 –> 00:11:21,960 He brought prostitutes out of prostitution. 218 00:11:21,960 –> 00:11:24,559 Jesus will meet you where you are, 219 00:11:24,559 –> 00:11:28,679 but he will never leave you where you are. 220 00:11:28,679 –> 00:11:31,260 His grace will change your life. 221 00:11:34,340 –> 00:11:38,760 Try to picture Jesus sitting in the house of Levi 222 00:11:38,760 –> 00:11:40,760 surrounded by this crowd. 223 00:11:43,159 –> 00:11:45,320 It is a wonderful picture. 224 00:11:47,000 –> 00:11:52,000 Jesus at the table surrounded by unholy people. 225 00:11:54,919 –> 00:11:59,919 Beautiful, because if there were only holy people 226 00:11:59,919 –> 00:12:02,859 welcomed to the table of Jesus, 227 00:12:03,760 –> 00:12:07,219 you and I would not be there, would we? 228 00:12:08,099 –> 00:12:13,099 He extends his friendship and his grace to sinners. 229 00:12:17,719 –> 00:12:22,080 Thank God for that, do you want to say an amen to that? 230 00:12:22,080 –> 00:12:27,080 Amen, we are with that, we thank God for that 231 00:12:28,479 –> 00:12:29,880 but the Pharisees didn’t. 232 00:12:31,200 –> 00:12:32,359 In fact, they hated it. 233 00:12:33,340 –> 00:12:38,340 Their reaction is pure resistance. 234 00:12:40,760 –> 00:12:45,760 Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners? 235 00:12:52,200 –> 00:12:53,440 There’s a choice here. 236 00:12:56,159 –> 00:12:59,559 The question that’s borne itself in on me 237 00:12:59,559 –> 00:13:02,119 as I’ve tried to ponder this Scripture 238 00:13:02,820 –> 00:13:04,260 throughout the week is simply this. 239 00:13:06,000 –> 00:13:10,059 Are we ready to follow the example of Jesus? 240 00:13:12,239 –> 00:13:15,039 I have to tell you one of the most encouraging things 241 00:13:15,039 –> 00:13:19,119 I see happening in the life of our Church today, 242 00:13:19,119 –> 00:13:20,179 and there are many, 243 00:13:21,760 –> 00:13:24,840 but one of the most encouraging things I see happening 244 00:13:24,840 –> 00:13:29,700 is that we are broadening the reach of our ministry. 245 00:13:30,619 –> 00:13:35,380 We are serving and reaching people today 246 00:13:35,380 –> 00:13:38,359 that we did not reach five years ago 247 00:13:38,359 –> 00:13:40,599 and that we did not serve 10 years ago. 248 00:13:42,380 –> 00:13:44,260 That’s what Jesus did, 249 00:13:46,140 –> 00:13:51,059 but it brought Him into conflict with the Pharisees. 250 00:13:52,780 –> 00:13:56,159 The Pharisees want to focus ministry 251 00:13:56,200 –> 00:14:01,200 on those who are regarded as already righteous, 252 00:14:01,539 –> 00:14:03,580 folks like us, 253 00:14:06,039 –> 00:14:07,840 but Jesus won’t do that. 254 00:14:09,719 –> 00:14:11,619 He offers friendship to people 255 00:14:11,619 –> 00:14:13,219 who never went to the synagogue. 256 00:14:13,219 –> 00:14:16,500 Indeed, folks who were quite alienated from the synagogue, 257 00:14:16,500 –> 00:14:20,599 and if we follow the example of Jesus, 258 00:14:22,039 –> 00:14:24,460 we will be trying to win people 259 00:14:24,460 –> 00:14:27,640 who would never think of coming to church. 260 00:14:29,179 –> 00:14:31,659 So, here’s the first challenge 261 00:14:31,659 –> 00:14:34,700 that comes home to our hearts, I believe, today, 262 00:14:34,700 –> 00:14:38,039 following Jesus as opposed to the Pharisees 263 00:14:38,039 –> 00:14:40,719 will mean broadening our ministry 264 00:14:40,719 –> 00:14:45,719 because Jesus offers friendship to sinners. 265 00:14:45,840 –> 00:14:47,940 I’ve not come to call the righteous. 266 00:14:48,979 –> 00:14:52,099 I can’t limit the focus of my ministry 267 00:14:52,099 –> 00:14:53,559 to the world of the synagogue. 268 00:14:53,559 –> 00:14:54,780 That’s what he’s saying. 269 00:14:56,239 –> 00:14:58,580 There is a world of need out there 270 00:14:58,580 –> 00:15:00,760 and that is why I have come into the world 271 00:15:00,760 –> 00:15:03,140 and that brings him into conflict 272 00:15:03,140 –> 00:15:05,419 with the religious establishment of the day. 273 00:15:07,960 –> 00:15:11,679 Jesus offers friendship to sinners. 274 00:15:13,320 –> 00:15:14,840 Here’s the second choice that he made 275 00:15:14,840 –> 00:15:19,179 that brought this conflict to be. 276 00:15:20,000 –> 00:15:25,000 Jesus confronts the power of false religion. 277 00:15:25,859 –> 00:15:27,659 Now again, I think as we look at this 278 00:15:27,659 –> 00:15:30,460 we’re going to find ourselves cheering for Jesus 279 00:15:30,460 –> 00:15:35,460 and then thinking seriously about the implications for us. 280 00:15:35,659 –> 00:15:38,619 Jesus confronts false religion 281 00:15:38,619 –> 00:15:41,460 and there are two marks of false religion 282 00:15:41,460 –> 00:15:44,539 that come up very clearly in the second chapter of Mark. 283 00:15:44,539 –> 00:15:47,659 First is false religion always lacks joy. 284 00:15:48,659 –> 00:15:52,900 If your experience has been of religion without joy, 285 00:15:52,900 –> 00:15:56,979 you have not yet experienced the touch of Jesus Christ. 286 00:15:57,940 –> 00:16:00,539 There’s more for you to discover, that’s good news. 287 00:16:01,479 –> 00:16:04,419 False religion is marked by a lack of joy 288 00:16:04,419 –> 00:16:08,260 and false religion secondly imposes heavy burdens, 289 00:16:08,260 –> 00:16:10,760 it always does heavy, heavy burdens. 290 00:16:12,219 –> 00:16:14,580 Now that was how it was in the time of Jesus 291 00:16:14,580 –> 00:16:16,340 and what we find very wonderfully here 292 00:16:16,340 –> 00:16:19,419 is Jesus confronting false religion 293 00:16:19,419 –> 00:16:23,739 and of course that escalated the conflict. 294 00:16:23,739 –> 00:16:25,580 Notice first this theme of bringing joy. 295 00:16:25,580 –> 00:16:29,820 Verse 18, some people came and asked Jesus, 296 00:16:29,820 –> 00:16:32,020 how is it that John’s disciples 297 00:16:32,020 –> 00:16:34,599 and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting 298 00:16:36,500 –> 00:16:39,299 but yours are not? 299 00:16:41,380 –> 00:16:44,679 Now this issue of fasting is very interesting. 300 00:16:45,520 –> 00:16:50,520 The Old Testament had just one day in the year 301 00:16:50,979 –> 00:16:53,200 when God called upon his people to fast. 302 00:16:53,200 –> 00:16:55,140 That was the day of atonement. 303 00:16:56,159 –> 00:16:58,640 Fasts were called in Old Testament times 304 00:16:58,640 –> 00:16:59,960 by the leaders of the people, 305 00:16:59,960 –> 00:17:03,080 especially in times of national crisis 306 00:17:04,319 –> 00:17:07,880 but what the Pharisees had done was they had taken fasting 307 00:17:07,880 –> 00:17:10,140 and they had made it a regular part 308 00:17:10,140 –> 00:17:11,719 of their routine, twice a week, 309 00:17:11,719 –> 00:17:14,660 on Mondays and on Thursdays. 310 00:17:15,780 –> 00:17:18,719 You may remember Jesus teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. 311 00:17:18,719 –> 00:17:22,319 He speaks about fasting and how it is to be pursued 312 00:17:22,319 –> 00:17:26,079 when it is pursued and from Jesus teaching there, 313 00:17:26,079 –> 00:17:28,560 it seems clear that the custom was 314 00:17:28,560 –> 00:17:30,839 that they made quite a big thing of having long faces 315 00:17:30,839 –> 00:17:32,619 and making it generally known 316 00:17:32,619 –> 00:17:36,199 that they were engaged in this spiritual discipline 317 00:17:36,199 –> 00:17:37,599 twice a week. 318 00:17:37,599 –> 00:17:40,060 Do you remember the Pharisee in Luke chapter 18 319 00:17:40,060 –> 00:17:42,780 who comes in and makes this boastful prayer 320 00:17:42,780 –> 00:17:45,280 to the Lord in the temple and he says, 321 00:17:45,280 –> 00:17:50,280 I fast twice a week and I give a tenth of all that I get. 322 00:17:53,520 –> 00:17:55,219 Now, this was a big deal for the Pharisee, 323 00:17:55,219 –> 00:17:57,380 so the question is now why 324 00:17:57,380 –> 00:18:00,140 are the disciples of Jesus not fasting? 325 00:18:00,140 –> 00:18:04,260 I mean, if he was a real, serious, spiritual teacher, 326 00:18:04,260 –> 00:18:06,339 surely he’d be leading them into this. 327 00:18:06,400 –> 00:18:08,760 And Jesus answers in verse 19, 328 00:18:18,239 –> 00:18:20,020 Now, that is a wonderful picture. 329 00:18:21,280 –> 00:18:25,680 I mean, can you imagine fasting at a wedding? 330 00:18:26,900 –> 00:18:27,819 Think about it. 331 00:18:29,880 –> 00:18:31,880 We’ve all been to the service 332 00:18:32,699 –> 00:18:35,800 and now we’ve all arrived at the banqueting hall 333 00:18:37,339 –> 00:18:39,420 As everyone settles around the tables, 334 00:18:39,420 –> 00:18:42,459 the father of the bride stands up 335 00:18:42,459 –> 00:18:46,699 and to everyone’s surprise, he really looks quite miserable. 336 00:18:48,640 –> 00:18:50,500 I’m glad you’re here today, he says, 337 00:18:50,500 –> 00:18:53,459 for this very important occasion of my daughter’s wedding. 338 00:18:55,160 –> 00:18:57,180 I expect that some of you have been looking forward 339 00:18:57,180 –> 00:19:00,119 to a meal, but I have to tell you 340 00:19:00,119 –> 00:19:02,060 we aren’t going to have any food today, 341 00:19:02,099 –> 00:19:03,040 we’re fasting. 342 00:19:04,560 –> 00:19:07,219 And there isn’t going to be any music, 343 00:19:07,219 –> 00:19:09,660 there’s going to be silence, 344 00:19:09,660 –> 00:19:13,219 and there isn’t going to be any dancing. 345 00:19:13,219 –> 00:19:15,339 I want you all to sit still. 346 00:19:15,339 –> 00:19:20,339 You see, he continues, marriage is a serious business. 347 00:19:23,359 –> 00:19:26,239 And so today at my daughter’s wedding I want us all 348 00:19:26,239 –> 00:19:29,359 to take it seriously. 349 00:19:30,199 –> 00:19:35,140 And so, my wife and I are inviting you to participate 350 00:19:36,140 –> 00:19:38,800 in a time of self-examination, 351 00:19:39,979 –> 00:19:43,719 and reflection, and meditation, 352 00:19:44,800 –> 00:19:47,000 because we all fail in many ways. 353 00:19:48,239 –> 00:19:50,540 And above all else, I want you to remember 354 00:19:50,540 –> 00:19:55,540 my daughter’s wedding as a day of fasting. 355 00:19:55,959 –> 00:19:57,000 It’s a day of fasting. 356 00:19:58,540 –> 00:20:02,239 Now you laugh, because it’s ridiculous. 357 00:20:03,520 –> 00:20:05,300 The whole point of a wedding 358 00:20:05,300 –> 00:20:08,280 is that is a joyful celebration. 359 00:20:09,339 –> 00:20:12,920 And that is the point that Jesus is making. 360 00:20:12,920 –> 00:20:17,920 Jesus brings his friends into joy! 361 00:20:18,239 –> 00:20:21,579 That is the very heart of the gospel. 362 00:20:21,579 –> 00:20:24,739 And he’s not objecting to the Pharisees fasting. 363 00:20:24,739 –> 00:20:25,959 Fast if you want to. 364 00:20:25,959 –> 00:20:27,619 Fast when you want to. 365 00:20:28,760 –> 00:20:31,579 But don’t imagine that the heart of the gospel 366 00:20:31,579 –> 00:20:35,459 is about imposing a load of laws and disciplines 367 00:20:35,459 –> 00:20:38,099 and burdens upon people’s lives. 368 00:20:38,099 –> 00:20:39,640 Don’t imagine that it’s something 369 00:20:39,640 –> 00:20:41,319 that brings us into restriction, 370 00:20:41,319 –> 00:20:43,640 because Jesus is saying my coming 371 00:20:43,640 –> 00:20:46,219 brings my followers into joy! 372 00:20:47,680 –> 00:20:51,739 If you have tasted joyless religion, 373 00:20:51,739 –> 00:20:54,239 you’ve touched the world of the Pharisees, 374 00:20:54,300 –> 00:20:58,479 you have not yet experienced Jesus. 375 00:20:58,479 –> 00:21:01,339 And we have to get this difference clear in our minds! 376 00:21:01,339 –> 00:21:03,319 That is what Mark is proclaiming to us! 377 00:21:03,319 –> 00:21:05,239 There’s all the difference in the world 378 00:21:05,239 –> 00:21:06,380 between these two things! 379 00:21:06,380 –> 00:21:10,660 And they are in conflict, always! 380 00:21:12,579 –> 00:21:14,520 Jesus brings his friends into joy, 381 00:21:14,520 –> 00:21:17,520 and Jesus also confronts false religion 382 00:21:17,520 –> 00:21:18,900 by lifting many burdens. 383 00:21:18,900 –> 00:21:20,339 Look at the next story, 384 00:21:20,339 –> 00:21:23,680 about the disciples going through a cornfield 385 00:21:24,260 –> 00:21:25,099 on the Sabbath. 386 00:21:25,099 –> 00:21:27,420 And the Pharisees pick up on this now. 387 00:21:27,420 –> 00:21:29,640 Why, verse 24, are they doing 388 00:21:29,640 –> 00:21:32,380 what is unlawful on the Sabbath? 389 00:21:33,400 –> 00:21:35,579 They had picked a few ears of corn, 390 00:21:35,579 –> 00:21:37,479 and as far as the Pharisees were concerned, 391 00:21:37,479 –> 00:21:40,660 this was harvesting, and that was work. 392 00:21:41,420 –> 00:21:44,000 Well, the fourth commandment, 393 00:21:46,079 –> 00:21:51,079 God calls us to set aside one day in seven for rest. 394 00:21:51,959 –> 00:21:56,119 To stop working and to enjoy all that He has done, 395 00:21:57,439 –> 00:21:58,939 and that is a gift. 396 00:22:00,020 –> 00:22:02,280 That is a blessing from God. 397 00:22:03,540 –> 00:22:05,520 But you see what the Pharisees did, 398 00:22:05,520 –> 00:22:09,199 it’s what formal religion always does. 399 00:22:09,199 –> 00:22:13,719 It turns God’s gifts and His blessings into burden. 400 00:22:13,719 –> 00:22:17,359 It takes the sheer goodness of God 401 00:22:17,359 –> 00:22:22,280 and refabrics it into a dullness of life 402 00:22:22,280 –> 00:22:24,880 and a burdensome existence. 403 00:22:24,880 –> 00:22:28,099 That is what religious systems do, 404 00:22:29,760 –> 00:22:31,680 and Jesus confronts it. 405 00:22:34,400 –> 00:22:35,359 Do you know what, I have to tell you, 406 00:22:35,359 –> 00:22:37,060 I meet many people 407 00:22:38,119 –> 00:22:40,979 who have had a bad experience of religion 408 00:22:40,979 –> 00:22:44,219 that has really alienated them from God. 409 00:22:44,839 –> 00:22:48,839 It was all about rules and about traditions 410 00:22:48,839 –> 00:22:51,579 that seem to have no point. 411 00:22:52,760 –> 00:22:55,300 You felt over time that it looked increasingly 412 00:22:55,300 –> 00:22:59,140 like a means of control exercised by people 413 00:22:59,140 –> 00:23:03,239 who seem to have very little joy in their own lives, 414 00:23:06,939 –> 00:23:08,619 and if that’s been your experience, 415 00:23:08,619 –> 00:23:12,040 you’ve probably come to the fringes of this congregation 416 00:23:12,780 –> 00:23:15,199 very cautiously, 417 00:23:15,199 –> 00:23:18,979 because you don’t want to get tied up in that again. 418 00:23:21,199 –> 00:23:24,859 Can you see from the Bible today 419 00:23:24,859 –> 00:23:29,339 that that kind of pettiness, that kind of control, 420 00:23:29,339 –> 00:23:32,900 that kind of drabness, that kind of system 421 00:23:32,900 –> 00:23:36,239 is the very thing that Jesus is against. 422 00:23:36,979 –> 00:23:37,819 against. 423 00:23:39,319 –> 00:23:42,439 He comes to break the power of dead religion. 424 00:23:43,540 –> 00:23:45,839 He leads his disciples into joy. 425 00:23:45,839 –> 00:23:47,959 He lifts heavy burdens. 426 00:23:47,959 –> 00:23:52,959 He breaks through silly rules and stuffy traditions. 427 00:23:55,760 –> 00:24:00,560 And so, a Christ-centered church 428 00:24:00,560 –> 00:24:04,119 will be a church that is marked by joy. 429 00:24:04,119 –> 00:24:06,660 It will not be a place where human rules 430 00:24:06,660 –> 00:24:10,579 are imposed on people, but rather where burdens are lifted. 431 00:24:10,579 –> 00:24:13,060 And when you see that, 432 00:24:13,060 –> 00:24:17,880 you will have a new interest in following Jesus. 433 00:24:20,219 –> 00:24:22,180 Aren’t you glad he came to confront 434 00:24:22,180 –> 00:24:24,579 the dead stuffiness of formal religion? 435 00:24:25,420 –> 00:24:26,739 Amen. 436 00:24:26,739 –> 00:24:28,099 Thank God for that, 437 00:24:28,099 –> 00:24:30,520 because around the world, 438 00:24:30,640 –> 00:24:35,640 it is a burden to millions and millions of people. 439 00:24:40,239 –> 00:24:43,839 Now seriously today, to the person who has had 440 00:24:43,839 –> 00:24:45,839 a bad experience of religion, 441 00:24:45,839 –> 00:24:47,520 will you try and take this in 442 00:24:47,520 –> 00:24:50,760 as from the Lord and from the Bible? 443 00:24:52,040 –> 00:24:57,040 If you have suffered, endured a world of religion 444 00:24:57,119 –> 00:25:02,119 a world of religion that lacks joy, and imposes burdens, 445 00:25:04,959 –> 00:25:09,560 grasp today that that is what Jesus is against. 446 00:25:11,079 –> 00:25:16,079 He comes to free you from this, not to impose this. 447 00:25:20,640 –> 00:25:23,319 And I hope that if that is your background, 448 00:25:23,319 –> 00:25:26,439 and if you’re carrying baggage from that, 449 00:25:26,439 –> 00:25:28,300 that God, in his wonderful mercy, 450 00:25:28,300 –> 00:25:30,880 will free you from that today, 451 00:25:30,880 –> 00:25:33,760 that he’ll break the power that that has over you, 452 00:25:33,760 –> 00:25:36,199 so that now you will be able to move forward 453 00:25:36,199 –> 00:25:39,199 in the joy of knowing him, 454 00:25:40,079 –> 00:25:44,239 and of experiencing the one who lifts burdens, 455 00:25:44,239 –> 00:25:46,219 rather than laying them upon us. 456 00:25:47,439 –> 00:25:50,599 Thank God for the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ. 457 00:25:50,599 –> 00:25:52,880 Thank God for the choices that he made, 458 00:25:53,719 –> 00:25:57,680 to offer friendship to sinners, 459 00:25:57,680 –> 00:26:01,939 and to confront false religion. 460 00:26:03,479 –> 00:26:05,640 Here’s the last thing this morning. 461 00:26:05,640 –> 00:26:07,420 Third choice that Jesus made, 462 00:26:08,819 –> 00:26:13,680 Jesus refused to be distracted from his mission. 463 00:26:13,680 –> 00:26:14,500 I love this, 464 00:26:14,500 –> 00:26:18,079 and we’re moving into the beginning of chapter three here. 465 00:26:18,079 –> 00:26:21,540 Jesus will not be distracted from his mission. 466 00:26:22,459 –> 00:26:24,780 Now remember where we are at the end of chapter two, 467 00:26:24,780 –> 00:26:27,260 the tension between Jesus and the Pharisees 468 00:26:27,260 –> 00:26:29,380 now has escalated. 469 00:26:29,380 –> 00:26:34,380 Their antagonism towards Jesus is clearly at a high level. 470 00:26:35,719 –> 00:26:37,579 And so at the beginning of chapter three, 471 00:26:37,579 –> 00:26:40,160 we read that another time, 472 00:26:40,160 –> 00:26:43,619 Jesus went into the synagogue and a man 473 00:26:43,619 –> 00:26:46,140 with a shriveled hand was there. 474 00:26:47,000 –> 00:26:51,739 Now, some of them were looking for a reason 475 00:26:51,739 –> 00:26:53,579 to accuse Jesus. 476 00:26:53,579 –> 00:26:54,900 Notice how early this comes. 477 00:26:54,900 –> 00:26:57,280 They’re looking for a reason to accuse him. 478 00:26:58,339 –> 00:27:01,180 So they watched him closely 479 00:27:02,119 –> 00:27:06,479 to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. 480 00:27:06,479 –> 00:27:08,300 Maybe you’ve known this kind of experience 481 00:27:08,300 –> 00:27:11,880 when people who are antagonistic towards you 482 00:27:12,359 –> 00:27:16,280 are watching you because they want to catch you 483 00:27:16,280 –> 00:27:17,239 in some way. 484 00:27:19,040 –> 00:27:21,239 And can you imagine the tension then? 485 00:27:22,520 –> 00:27:24,319 Jesus is in the synagogue, 486 00:27:24,319 –> 00:27:27,780 he knows that there are folks there who are hostile to him. 487 00:27:29,479 –> 00:27:31,000 They’re watching him closely 488 00:27:31,000 –> 00:27:35,420 and they’re looking for a way to accuse him. 489 00:27:37,160 –> 00:27:39,339 And they already think that they have him 490 00:27:39,339 –> 00:27:41,500 on the Sabbath issue, 491 00:27:41,500 –> 00:27:44,400 and now they see what might be a great opportunity. 492 00:27:45,560 –> 00:27:46,400 Because there’s a man 493 00:27:46,400 –> 00:27:48,079 with a shriveled hand in the synagogue, 494 00:27:48,079 –> 00:27:49,880 a man with a particular need. 495 00:27:50,900 –> 00:27:53,500 And Jesus knows that if he heals the man 496 00:27:53,500 –> 00:27:55,579 in the service on the Sabbath, 497 00:27:55,579 –> 00:27:56,920 they will say ah, he’s working. 498 00:27:56,920 –> 00:27:59,560 You see, he’s breaking the Sabbath law. 499 00:28:00,800 –> 00:28:02,119 So what will Jesus do? 500 00:28:03,739 –> 00:28:05,479 Now, it’s worth remembering 501 00:28:05,479 –> 00:28:07,280 that Jesus had options here. 502 00:28:08,119 –> 00:28:12,880 I mean, he could have at the end of the service 503 00:28:12,880 –> 00:28:17,359 gone away quietly and healed the man, couldn’t he? 504 00:28:18,800 –> 00:28:20,439 He could have said for all the people 505 00:28:20,439 –> 00:28:22,020 who are healed there are many 506 00:28:22,020 –> 00:28:23,880 who will not be healed. 507 00:28:23,880 –> 00:28:27,819 And I’m not here to meet every healing need. 508 00:28:27,819 –> 00:28:29,000 We learn that already. 509 00:28:29,000 –> 00:28:31,660 And he could have passed by the man’s need. 510 00:28:31,660 –> 00:28:33,800 Jesus had options. 511 00:28:34,560 –> 00:28:39,560 But I want you to see the sheer drama of this moment. 512 00:28:40,560 –> 00:28:44,079 If you felt the tension in the situation, 513 00:28:44,079 –> 00:28:46,880 look at what Jesus says in verse three. 514 00:28:47,920 –> 00:28:49,160 They’re all watching him. 515 00:28:50,760 –> 00:28:54,619 And Jesus says to the man with the shriveled hand, 516 00:28:54,619 –> 00:28:58,560 stand up in front of everybody. 517 00:28:58,560 –> 00:28:59,560 Love that. 518 00:29:00,339 –> 00:29:05,339 Jesus is taking them on, he’s going for it. 519 00:29:06,739 –> 00:29:09,040 He’s saying, I know you’re out there 520 00:29:09,040 –> 00:29:11,140 and you’re trying to fault me and accuse me, 521 00:29:11,140 –> 00:29:13,380 and I’m not going to be distracted in any way 522 00:29:13,380 –> 00:29:16,099 from the mission that I have come to fulfill in the world. 523 00:29:16,099 –> 00:29:19,380 Stand up, he says to the man, in front of everybody. 524 00:29:19,380 –> 00:29:21,339 As public as could be. 525 00:29:22,459 –> 00:29:25,739 And then Jesus says, what is lawful on the Sabbath 526 00:29:25,739 –> 00:29:28,819 to do good or to do evil? 527 00:29:28,880 –> 00:29:31,380 To save life or to kill? 528 00:29:32,540 –> 00:29:34,500 And, of course, they remain silent. 529 00:29:35,500 –> 00:29:37,420 By the way, notice Jesus’ mission, 530 00:29:38,500 –> 00:29:43,500 right in this verse, to do good and to save life. 531 00:29:44,219 –> 00:29:47,180 That’s a great mission statement, by the way, isn’t it? 532 00:29:47,180 –> 00:29:50,760 To do good and to save life. 533 00:29:52,400 –> 00:29:54,979 That’s why I have come into the world, 534 00:29:55,000 –> 00:29:59,060 Jesus is saying to do good and to save life, 535 00:30:00,099 –> 00:30:02,660 and he’s taking the Pharisees on, and he’s saying, 536 00:30:02,660 –> 00:30:04,979 I’m not going to be stopped from either of these things 537 00:30:04,979 –> 00:30:06,680 just because of you. 538 00:30:07,560 –> 00:30:09,099 Thank God for that. 539 00:30:10,880 –> 00:30:13,339 So he looked around, verse five, 540 00:30:13,339 –> 00:30:15,160 he looked at them in anger, 541 00:30:15,160 –> 00:30:17,060 that’s the Pharisees in anger, 542 00:30:17,060 –> 00:30:20,060 and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts. 543 00:30:20,060 –> 00:30:22,680 Can you feel this pathos from Jesus 544 00:30:22,800 –> 00:30:25,839 that those who bear the name of God in the world 545 00:30:27,140 –> 00:30:29,78 should be so far from his heart? 546 00:30:32,000 –> 00:30:35,540 And with deep distress towards the Pharisees 547 00:30:36,819 –> 00:30:39,140 Jesus says to the man with the shrivelled hand, 548 00:30:39,140 –> 00:30:43,180 stretch out your hand, and as Jesus says it, 549 00:30:43,180 –> 00:30:44,880 the man finds power to do what he had 550 00:30:44,880 –> 00:30:46,819 never been able to do before, 551 00:30:46,819 –> 00:30:51,819 he stretched it out and his hand was completely restored. 552 00:30:53,359 –> 00:30:58,359 Well, it doesn’t take much imagination 553 00:30:58,359 –> 00:31:00,859 to work out what happened after the service, right? 554 00:31:02,599 –> 00:31:03,800 Look at verse six. 555 00:31:05,239 –> 00:31:07,020 The Pharisees went out 556 00:31:08,339 –> 00:31:11,119 and began to plot with the Herodians 557 00:31:11,119 –> 00:31:14,760 how the might kill Jesus. 558 00:31:16,119 –> 00:31:19,680 An unholy alliance if ever there was one. 559 00:31:20,599 –> 00:31:25,079 The Pharisees, the religious establishment, 560 00:31:25,079 –> 00:31:29,780 the Herodians the political establishment, 561 00:31:31,400 –> 00:31:33,880 church and state 562 00:31:35,500 –> 00:31:37,300 in representative form, 563 00:31:39,060 –> 00:31:44,060 conspiring to do away with Jesus Christ. 564 00:31:44,219 –> 00:31:45,839 with Jesus Christ. 565 00:31:49,099 –> 00:31:49,920 Powerful. 566 00:31:53,000 –> 00:31:55,160 Three choices that Jesus made 567 00:31:56,400 –> 00:32:00,239 that drew him into escalating conflict, 568 00:32:01,880 –> 00:32:05,540 he didn’t make them by mistake, he makes them deliberately, 569 00:32:05,540 –> 00:32:07,140 and they advanced the purpose 570 00:32:07,140 –> 00:32:08,880 for which he came into the world. 571 00:32:10,660 –> 00:32:13,339 He offers friendship to sinners, 572 00:32:15,020 –> 00:32:18,739 he confronts false religion by bringing joy 573 00:32:18,739 –> 00:32:20,420 and lifting burdens, 574 00:32:21,420 –> 00:32:26,160 and he will not be distracted from his mission. 575 00:32:28,040 –> 00:32:30,300 The more I look at this, the more awesome it is. 576 00:32:30,300 –> 00:32:32,500 Don’t you just thank God 577 00:32:32,500 –> 00:32:35,359 for the courage of the Lord Jesus Christ? 578 00:32:39,020 –> 00:32:41,739 And so we come to our question in this last moment. 579 00:32:44,160 –> 00:32:45,479 Which side are we on? 580 00:32:46,859 –> 00:32:48,560 And that really is the question, isn’t it? 581 00:32:48,560 –> 00:32:51,339 Which side are we on when it comes to 582 00:32:51,339 –> 00:32:55,739 these critical choices that are right upfront 583 00:32:55,739 –> 00:32:57,260 in the story of the gospel? 584 00:32:58,780 –> 00:33:01,540 And there are real choices for us that 585 00:33:01,540 –> 00:33:04,699 will actually be made in the secret places of our hearts 586 00:33:04,699 –> 00:33:06,800 and in the quiet conversations that we have 587 00:33:06,800 –> 00:33:10,000 with one another over cups of coffee about this and that. 588 00:33:10,839 –> 00:33:15,359 And I put it to you as three questions. 589 00:33:17,560 –> 00:33:22,439 Will we follow the Pharisees in ministry 590 00:33:22,439 –> 00:33:25,560 to a narrow group of people like ourselves? 591 00:33:26,959 –> 00:33:31,959 Or will we follow Jesus and open our hearts 592 00:33:32,459 –> 00:33:34,900 to many in great need? 593 00:33:35,400 –> 00:33:39,079 It’s a real choice. 594 00:33:40,959 –> 00:33:43,300 And our choice will be indicative 595 00:33:43,300 –> 00:33:44,699 of whether we’re really with Jesus 596 00:33:44,699 –> 00:33:46,099 or more like the Pharisees. 597 00:33:48,780 –> 00:33:49,619 Second, 598 00:33:51,020 –> 00:33:51,859 will we 599 00:33:54,119 –> 00:33:55,359 be the kind of church 600 00:33:55,359 –> 00:33:57,859 that follows the Pharisees 601 00:33:58,979 –> 00:34:02,979 in promoting a religion of discipline and duty 602 00:34:05,420 –> 00:34:06,939 or will we follow Jesus 603 00:34:06,939 –> 00:34:10,179 in proclaiming a gospel that brings joy 604 00:34:11,300 –> 00:34:12,739 and lifts burdens? 605 00:34:14,979 –> 00:34:15,879 Third question, 606 00:34:17,219 –> 00:34:19,560 will we follow the Pharisees 607 00:34:20,540 –> 00:34:23,020 in resisting the work of God 608 00:34:25,459 –> 00:34:27,260 or will we follow Jesus 609 00:34:28,699 –> 00:34:30,959 in refusing to be distracted 610 00:34:30,959 –> 00:34:34,219 from the work that God has given us to do? 611 00:34:35,899 –> 00:34:37,719 They’re real choices. 612 00:34:39,300 –> 00:34:43,439 Let us follow Jesus. 613 00:34:46,219 –> 00:34:49,060 I’m going to ask that as a moment of response, 614 00:34:49,060 –> 00:34:52,340 we stand together and there are some words of a prayer 615 00:34:52,340 –> 00:34:55,540 that we might use together as a response today 616 00:34:55,540 –> 00:34:57,879 as we stand in the presence of the Lord. 617 00:34:57,879 –> 00:34:59,939 I think they will come up on the screen 618 00:34:59,939 –> 00:35:01,860 and both in the sanctuary and in the gym, 619 00:35:02,159 –> 00:35:06,040 so let us make these words our prayer together 620 00:35:06,040 –> 00:35:10,899 and offer this as a response to the Lord together. 621 00:35:11,919 –> 00:35:14,179 Lord Jesus Christ, 622 00:35:14,179 –> 00:35:18,739 we want to be your friends and your followers. 623 00:35:18,739 –> 00:35:23,739 We see today how we might become like the Pharisees. 624 00:35:23,879 –> 00:35:26,320 These men were your enemies, 625 00:35:26,320 –> 00:35:29,159 so deliver us from being like them. 626 00:35:30,139 –> 00:35:32,719 Plant in us your compassion 627 00:35:32,719 –> 00:35:36,219 for those who are despised in this world. 628 00:35:36,219 –> 00:35:40,300 Renew in us the joy of following you. 629 00:35:40,300 –> 00:35:44,080 Help us to be people who lift burdens 630 00:35:44,080 –> 00:35:48,199 rather than those who impose them on others. 631 00:35:48,199 –> 00:35:53,040 Strengthen us to do good and to save life 632 00:35:53,040 –> 00:35:55,360 and help us to press forward 633 00:35:55,360 –> 00:35:58,600 in the work that you have called us to do. 634 00:35:58,600 –> 00:36:00,860 We pray this in your name, amen.