1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:03,320 This morning we're continuing our sermon series in the Gospel 2 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:04,760 of Mark. We're in chapter 6 and I've 3 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:10,720 titled our sermon this morning, the Cost of Serving and 4 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:12,920 mentioning this title, The Cost of serving. 5 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:17,120 I would rather like to preach a sermon on the rewards of serving 6 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:21,880 that'd be so much more inviting or so much more attractive. 7 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:24,440 God does reward people for serving. 8 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:27,440 He does that. God rewards people for serving, 9 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:31,560 but they don't always come. Those rewards don't always come 10 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,360 in this life. Sometimes the rewards for 11 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:38,040 serving come after this life. They come when we've gone home 12 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,920 to glory and there are many people in this life. 13 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:44,400 They see no rewards for serving, but a lot of cost, a lot of 14 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:46,440 cost. You may have heard the words 15 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,760 free service. Well, that may be true insofar 16 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,000 as the service is free to you. Their service is not free to the 17 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:56,400 one who's doing the serving. And if you're serving someone, 18 00:00:56,720 --> 00:00:59,520 that someone may be getting something for free, but it's 19 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:02,040 costing you something. There is no free lunch, as they 20 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:05,319 say. And if you've ever been in a 21 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:10,160 place where you've done your utmost, done your best, giving 22 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:16,200 it your all, and then you're met with ridicule, contempt, just 23 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:19,200 ridicule, mockery, what do you do then? 24 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:22,920 You pack your bags and go home and I'm done. 25 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:24,000 I'm finished. I'm quit. 26 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,920 Or maybe it's worse than that. Maybe you've done your all and 27 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:30,640 you ridiculed. You're mocked and what you've 28 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:34,560 done is viewed with contempt. Not only that, then there's 29 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:39,840 oppression, maybe violence, and maybe even death. 30 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:43,840 Maybe you're a person here this morning who at some point or 31 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:46,200 other, maybe even now, are in a place in life where you've given 32 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,960 it your all for a long time, a personal cost. 33 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:52,880 You've been disregarded. You've been ignored, 34 00:01:55,120 --> 00:02:00,240 disrespected, and even viewed with contempt and vilified. 35 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:04,400 If you if you're that, then you know what emotional pain is. 36 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:08,720 That brings emotional pain. It could be in your work, where 37 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:12,000 you work with your employees, employer relationship, in your 38 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,760 school, teacher, student relationship, or even in your 39 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:17,840 marriage. You've served and served and 40 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,600 served and served. Always giving and giving and 41 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:22,640 giving. No appreciation. 42 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:25,840 And not only that, and that's that's one thing, but then it's 43 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:29,600 not it's, it's actually opposed, it's resisted, it's viewed with 44 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,040 contempt. And when life doesn't work out 45 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:36,200 as hope, as planned, as anticipated, what do you do? 46 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:40,960 Well, one thing we do if we do is we give a response. 47 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:45,320 We always give a response. No response is a response to, 48 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:47,760 but we always respond with something, with quiet 49 00:02:48,640 --> 00:02:54,840 stonewalling, rejecting back, resisting, walking away or 50 00:02:55,920 --> 00:03:00,040 serving, continue serving. A person may not be able to 51 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:06,440 avoid suffering or rejection, we may not be able to avoid it, but 52 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:11,400 we are going to respond somehow. That's what we want to look at 53 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,840 this morning. How do you respond when you are 54 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:18,680 not welcome? When what you do is viewed with 55 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:23,880 this despised, it's not valued, it's just rejected. 56 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:29,000 Worse, it's opposed the true the true serving is a cost. 57 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:31,400 Who does the 1 deserving? This morning we'll continue our 58 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:32,800 sermon series in the Gospel of Mark. 59 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:38,160 As I mentioned today we'll go through chapter 6, the 1st 32 60 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:42,640 verses I want to begin reading. Take your Bibles or your devices 61 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:46,040 and let's begin reading in Mark chapter 6, starting verse one. 62 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:49,240 Here's what Mark writes, what Jesus did. 63 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:54,840 Then he went out from there and came to his own country, and his 64 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:57,880 disciples followed him. And when the Sabbath had come, 65 00:03:57,880 --> 00:03:59,480 he began to teach in the synagogue. 66 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,440 And many hearing him, were astonished, saying, Where did 67 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:05,080 this man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is 68 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:07,960 given to him, that such mighty works are performed by his 69 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:10,960 hands? Is not this the Carpenter, the 70 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:15,200 son of Mary, brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? 71 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:17,160 And are not his sisters here with us? 72 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:22,400 So they were offended at him. But Jesus said to them, A 73 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:25,920 prophet is not without honour, except in his own country, among 74 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:27,880 his own relatives and his own house. 75 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:32,320 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid his 76 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:36,000 hands on a few sick people and healed them, and He marvelled 77 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,320 because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages 78 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:45,280 in his circuit teaching. Jesus was rejected in His own 79 00:04:45,280 --> 00:04:49,480 hometown. In the Gospel of John, we know 80 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:53,040 Jesus specifically told his disciples life wouldn't be easy. 81 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,840 In fact, there would be resistance and opposition and 82 00:04:55,840 --> 00:04:59,440 persecution. Doesn't make it right, doesn't 83 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:03,480 make it good. And here in his own hometown, 84 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:07,240 where he should have least expected it, there it happened. 85 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:09,680 There were many other places too, but not here. 86 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:11,040 It should have not happened here. 87 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:15,880 As a follower of Jesus, you will face rejection. 88 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:20,480 It's not a question of if. It's a question of when and how. 89 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:25,920 It's one of the prices God's children pay for serving. 90 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:29,440 It just is. Here. 91 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:32,320 Jesus has come to his hometown in Nazareth, the place where he 92 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:35,160 was raised as a man. From his adult, from his boyhood 93 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:38,440 to his adulthood, grown up here. These people knew him. 94 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:39,240 They knew. Yeah. 95 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:40,000 Jesus. Yeah. 96 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:40,800 Yeah. Jesus the Carpenter. 97 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:43,640 Yeah, we know Jesus the Carpenter, but at some point he 98 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:45,720 had left. He had moved on, and when he 99 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:47,280 left, nobody would have thought much of it. 100 00:05:47,280 --> 00:05:49,120 Yeah, Jesus is gone. He's gone somewhere. 101 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:52,440 What they did not know was who Jesus was. 102 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:56,200 The Nazarites, the Nazareth people did not know who he was 103 00:05:56,400 --> 00:06:01,240 or what his mission was. But now he's back and they're 104 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:03,920 together on the Sabbath and the synagogue, Jesus present too, in 105 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:08,480 the worship service. He starts to teach and their 106 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:13,040 jaws start to drop. I start to widen what's going 107 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:14,840 on. Let's look at verse 2 108 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:17,760 specifically. Where did this man get these 109 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:22,120 things and what wisdom is this with with which is given to him 110 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:25,480 and that such mighty works are performed by his hands. 111 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:27,800 This doesn't sound too bad yet. I mean, this is actually good. 112 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:30,720 And if this is all they said, we could live with it. 113 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:33,120 I mean, if that's what somebody said about me, oh, that that'd 114 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:36,600 be fine. Doesn't sound bad at all. 115 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:42,680 He's smart, he's good. They're surprised because that's 116 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:45,080 not how they knew him when he was there before as a young man. 117 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:50,120 And if Mark stopped the story here, we would think that people 118 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:52,120 welcomed him. They appreciated him for what he 119 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:55,600 was doing. But that is not the case. 120 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:58,480 They knew his history, so to speak. 121 00:06:58,840 --> 00:07:02,240 They knew his family, maybe even Mary's reputation. 122 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:05,840 After all, she did have a baby out of wedlock. 123 00:07:07,840 --> 00:07:12,760 Jesus, it says in the end of verse three they took offense. 124 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:16,400 Notice how they react to Jesus after mentioning his wisdom, his 125 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:19,680 works and what all right away they react to Jesus. 126 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:31,330 Is this not the Carpenter? I don't have this verse on you, 127 00:07:31,330 --> 00:07:32,210 sorry. Verse 2. 128 00:07:32,210 --> 00:07:35,090 Let's read verse 3. Is this not the Carpenter, the 129 00:07:35,090 --> 00:07:40,210 son of Mary, the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon 130 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:42,160 are not his sisters here with us. 131 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:45,840 So they were offended at him. Offended at him? 132 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:48,840 Timothy Geddert and his commentary puts it this way. 133 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:51,960 He says they knew he's only a Carpenter. 134 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:55,920 Who does he think he is? They know his family. 135 00:07:55,960 --> 00:08:01,320 In fact, he's known in Nazareth as Mary's son, an unusual link 136 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:03,920 to the mother's name instead of the father's. 137 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:08,720 It's likely that people were obliquely reflecting rumors that 138 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:15,000 his birth was illegitimate. And if we go back in chapter 3, 139 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:17,680 early on in Mark, we know his own people. 140 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:20,840 His own people heard about this. He's ministering. 141 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:23,120 They went and out till a hold of him, for they said he's out of 142 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:26,320 his mind. The people that knew him, these 143 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:28,160 people knew him. Jesus had been away, but now 144 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:31,720 he's back in Nazareth, the place he's grown up and his service is 145 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:35,919 not well received. Jesus was trying to serve his 146 00:08:35,919 --> 00:08:39,640 people for their benefit, for God's glory at his expense. 147 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:43,320 It was costing him. And what's the response? 148 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:46,640 Contempt. If you've ever been in a 149 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:49,920 situation where you've given your best has not been accepted, 150 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:53,480 you're not alone. This happens as much today as it 151 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:57,280 did back then. People have wrong mindsets, 152 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:03,440 wrong attitudes, prideful, full of self, and serving people like 153 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:07,440 that, it's going to cost you. It's just going to cost you. 154 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:13,320 They may repent by God's grace, They they might and they will, 155 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:16,840 they will confess and and turn to God and and then welcome you. 156 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:20,000 But before they do that, very possible they'll, they'll attack 157 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,080 you. They'll view you as a problem. 158 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:27,960 The question is not will we face rejection and pain? 159 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:32,480 The question is, what will we do when we face rejection and pain? 160 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:37,520 Some people, when they face rejection and and ridicule and 161 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:41,440 mockery and contempt, they fall into a very dark place. 162 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:44,840 There's a man in the Bible by the name of Elijah. 163 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:50,080 He did. He did all these great things 164 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:54,120 for Israel, for God's people, and they were bail worshippers. 165 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:57,280 And Ahab the king was an evil man and Jezebel, this evil 166 00:09:57,280 --> 00:09:59,880 queen. And one thing after another, he, 167 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:03,600 Elijah did over the years. And the the big one was when he 168 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:07,600 demonstrated on Mount Carmel the sacrifice with the sacrifice 169 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:09,840 that God is God and Bill is just an idol. 170 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:14,360 Jezebel, I'm going to kill you. And he fell into a very dark 171 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:17,440 place. He didn't stay there, 172 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:20,720 thankfully. But sometimes people quit, they 173 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:23,800 give up, they just throw in the towel. 174 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:30,880 It's not worth it anymore. See, rejecting people is wrong 175 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:33,200 and sowing seeds of rejection is wrong and that leads to a 176 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:35,000 harvest. But that's not what I should 177 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:36,760 occupy myself. And I'm preaching to much as 178 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:39,720 much to myself as anybody here. That's not what where my mind 179 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:41,920 should be. I shouldn't be wondering what 180 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:44,560 are they doing. I should be thinking of how am I 181 00:10:44,560 --> 00:10:47,880 responding to God. Well, Jesus does respond. 182 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:51,640 He says a prophet's not without honour except in his own 183 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:53,600 country. Among those are relatives in his 184 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:55,720 own house. The word prophet could be used 185 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:59,360 as teacher as well. In this case, the most respect 186 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:01,880 and acceptance should be given among his own, his relatives and 187 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:03,920 his family. But it's not happening. 188 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:10,560 A prophet is a teacher who speaks truth on on for, from, 189 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:13,800 from God to the people, to declare truth to the people in 190 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:16,360 order for they so they can live well, live right. 191 00:11:17,680 --> 00:11:20,440 Instead, it's like the people say who is he anyways? 192 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:25,840 And the prophet's life in this case is very difficult. 193 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:32,120 People are offended. Well, there's a fall out here 194 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:34,440 too. It says now he could do no 195 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:37,000 mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick 196 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:40,360 people and healed them. And he marvelled because of 197 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:44,000 their unbelief that anyone out the about the villages in a 198 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:49,760 circuit teaching Jesus was limited in what he could do for 199 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:53,000 these people. It's not that he didn't want to. 200 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:57,960 He had the power, the opportunity, but He couldn't. 201 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:02,560 Isaiah 59 verse 1 and 2 has a very important verse says 202 00:12:02,560 --> 00:12:05,840 behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that he cannot save, 203 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:09,600 nor his ear heavy that cannot hear, but your iniquities have 204 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:12,800 separated you from God and your sins have hidden his face from 205 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:16,480 you so that he will not hear. The problem was not Jesus didn't 206 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:20,320 have power, it was the mindset of the people that limited what 207 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:24,480 Jesus could do for them. Often times when there's 208 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:29,800 hardship, discord and chaos, people do want their lives to 209 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:35,360 work well, but on their own worldly conditions they don't 210 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:40,480 want to change. The issue was not Jesus not 211 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:43,720 wanting to, He wanted to. They didn't want to. 212 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:46,400 They had their walls up. They were offended at him. 213 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:49,720 They wanted to continue in their own ways. 214 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:53,320 Jesus supposed to adapt to them, not him, them to him. 215 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:55,800 They wanted to continue in their old ways. 216 00:12:56,880 --> 00:13:01,200 And since Jesus marvelled, wonder if Jesus would marvel 217 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:03,640 today if he would come to Leamington and visit some of our 218 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:06,480 churches in this town and says, oh wow, beautiful. 219 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:08,760 Great. Now let's see some action. 220 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:13,760 I'm not trying to be mean here, but just as a self reflection 221 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:18,640 here. What would Jesus have us do in 222 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:23,160 this story? The people rejected Jesus, but 223 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:26,520 that didn't stop it says he continued on. 224 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:29,360 He kept on serving. It says in the in the last part 225 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:31,720 of the verse, he went about in the villages, in the circuit 226 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:34,520 teaching. So his response is he's going to 227 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:37,160 keep on serving. In fact, he steps it up a notch. 228 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:40,720 We don't find Jesus becoming discouraged as a result. 229 00:13:41,560 --> 00:13:43,400 We don't find him saying, you're going to look guys, it's not 230 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:45,120 working. So I guess we'll retire, we'll 231 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:50,120 go elsewhere. He did go elsewhere, but he 232 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:53,360 never gave up. Let's continue reading Mark 233 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:58,040 chapter 6 for 7:00 to 12:00. And he called the 12 to himself 234 00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:01,320 and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over 235 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:03,480 unclean spirits. He commanded them to take 236 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:05,240 nothing for the journey except the staff. 237 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:08,960 No bag, no bread, no copper in their belts, but to her sandals. 238 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:12,280 Not put on 2 tunics. He also also, he said to them, 239 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:15,120 in whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you 240 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:17,880 depart from that place. And whoever will not receive you 241 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:21,080 nor hear you when you depart from there, shake off the dust 242 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:23,760 under your feet as a testimony against them. 243 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:27,960 Assuredly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and 244 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:30,280 Gomorrah and on the Day of Judgement than for that city. 245 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:32,800 So they went out and preached that people should repent, and 246 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:36,280 they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were 247 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:40,480 sick, and healed them. Notice what happened, Jesus was 248 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:43,440 rejected in Nazareth, but instead of retreating or doing 249 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:47,200 nothing, what's Jesus do? He increases the ministry, but 250 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:49,920 what does he do? He used his disciples to do it 251 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:52,840 and he of course did too. But his disciples and they had 252 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:56,880 to fully trust him. He sent them out two by two and 253 00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:00,920 gave them power to have control over spiritual, over demons and, 254 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:03,520 and things like that, and to heal people and to preach 255 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:05,440 repentance. You see, when we want to serve 256 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:08,960 Jesus, it takes trust in Him that He'll give us what we need 257 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:12,960 to serve Him on His terms, not in our own strength. 258 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:15,000 If we try our own strength, it's not going to work. 259 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:17,360 You see one reason why many people don't serve well, or 260 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:21,480 serve conditionally, or only as long as it's easy, or as long 261 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:25,080 only as long as they feel like it is because so much of it is 262 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:29,280 done in human strength. The intention may be good, but 263 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:31,640 our strength is never up for the task. 264 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:35,160 And so Jesus here, he's telling OK everything that could 265 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:39,200 possibly distract you from the mission, that could possibly 266 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:41,760 interfere with the mission, don't do it. 267 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:45,520 He gave them power to heal the sick and do miracles, drive out 268 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:46,720 demons, and all that stuff was good. 269 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:51,320 It was was from Him. That's all good stuff, but don't 270 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:56,280 do it on your own strength. Trust Him to the point of not 271 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:58,360 even taking provisions along for the journey. 272 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:06,240 That's extreme. Not even we do that or we plan 273 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:07,480 ahead. I'm not saying there's no no 274 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:11,840 merit to being planning, but if if worldly conditions are always 275 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:14,600 the criteria by which we're going to serve, that's short 276 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:18,760 sighted and this is a real test for many. 277 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:20,920 A would be preacher would be missionary. 278 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:25,000 A lot of very well-intentioned Christians have good intentions 279 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:29,640 to serve as soon as they're ready, as soon as the money is 280 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:33,000 there, as soon as conditions line up, as soon as it's 281 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:35,240 convenient, you know, as soon as things all work out. 282 00:16:36,920 --> 00:16:39,600 And what happens in that case? It's not that they don't want to 283 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:41,000 serve. They want to just not yet. 284 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:43,800 And then one day they end up getting old and retiring and 285 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:46,120 never having served. I've seen it. 286 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:47,800 I've, I've personally met people like that. 287 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:52,120 Jesus, don't take stuff along that's going to distract you. 288 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:55,000 Trust me. Trust, trust me in the journey. 289 00:16:55,680 --> 00:16:59,880 Don't take extra food, don't take extra money, just wear what 290 00:16:59,880 --> 00:17:01,680 you have. Go from house to house, preach, 291 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:03,720 preach repentance. If they welcome you, stay there. 292 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:05,880 If not, you shake the dust off your feet because they're 293 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:07,720 rejecting, not you rejecting the gospel. 294 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:09,920 It's going to be bad on for them on the day of judgment. 295 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:16,560 I think it's it's amazing. Now there are some people whom 296 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:18,720 God calls different than others. I get that. 297 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:22,920 But this calls for trust. And the question we have to ask 298 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:26,680 ourselves is, do we trust? We must learn to fully trust 299 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:33,120 Jesus. Our physical needs for food and 300 00:17:33,120 --> 00:17:36,480 clothing cannot be the number one priority on which we base 301 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:42,200 our decision to walk with Jesus. He didn't want his his disciples 302 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:45,400 to have any attachments, any distractions from serving him. 303 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:50,240 Earthly things are not sin, but they can lead to abandoning the 304 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:55,440 mission that is sin for Jesus. In that particular mission, they 305 00:17:55,440 --> 00:18:00,800 were to travel light. How many Christians today travel 306 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:05,280 light? I think we have some learning to 307 00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:07,200 do, especially we as Christians in the West. 308 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:10,040 I'm not saying having stuff is wrong, but when stuff gets in 309 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:15,760 the way, there's a problem. But then Mark, the writer does 310 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:18,000 something very strange in this chapter. 311 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:22,120 He plunks a story in there that you wonder where did that come 312 00:18:22,120 --> 00:18:24,640 from? The story of John the Baptist 313 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:27,960 right in the middle of it. He refers to it in chapter 1 314 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:30,440 verse 14. Herod's already arrested John 315 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:34,360 back there, but now all of a sudden Mark just plunks the 316 00:18:34,360 --> 00:18:37,680 story right here, right smack in the middle of chapter 6. 317 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:42,320 Let's read that chapter and see what it teaches us that that 318 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:45,200 passage rather Mark chapter 614 to 29. 319 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:46,680 This is the story of John the Baptist. 320 00:18:47,360 --> 00:18:51,640 Now King Herod heard of him. Meaning of, of, of Jesus, for 321 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:54,920 his name had become well known. And he said, John the Baptist is 322 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:57,720 risen from the dead, therefore these powers are at work in him. 323 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:02,560 Others said it is Elijah, others said it's the prophet, like one 324 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:05,360 of the prophets. But when Herod heard, he said, 325 00:19:05,360 --> 00:19:08,840 this is John whom I beheaded. He's been raised from the dead. 326 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:12,120 For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John and bound him 327 00:19:12,120 --> 00:19:15,720 in prison for the sake of Herodias his brother Philip's 328 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:18,240 wife. For he had married her, because 329 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:21,080 John had said to Herod, It is not lawful for you to have your 330 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:24,240 brother's wife. Therefore Herodias held out 331 00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:25,800 against him and wanted to kill him. 332 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:28,920 But you couldn't. For Herod feared John, knowing 333 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:31,720 that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. 334 00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:34,280 And when he heard him, he did many things and heard him 335 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:37,320 gladly. Then an opportune day came, when 336 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:40,000 Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high 337 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:43,920 officers, and the chief men of Galilee, when Herodias daughter 338 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:46,600 herself came in and danced and pleased Herod and those who sat 339 00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:48,320 with him. The king said to the girl, Ask 340 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:50,440 me whatever you want, and I will give it to you. 341 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:55,280 He also swore to her, Whatever you ask me, I will give you up 342 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:58,920 to the half of my Kingdom. So he went out. 343 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:01,720 So she went out and said to her mother, What shall I ask? 344 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:03,960 And she said, The head of John the Baptist. 345 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:07,160 Immediately she came in with haste to the King, and asked, 346 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:10,000 saying, I want you to give me at once the head of John the 347 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:13,600 Baptist on a platter. And the king was exceedingly 348 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:17,560 sorry, yet because of the oaths and because of those who sat 349 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:19,720 with him, he did not want to refuse her. 350 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:23,160 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his 351 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:26,520 head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in 352 00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:30,640 prison and brought his head on a platter to your mother. 353 00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:33,960 When his disciples, John's disciples, heard of it, they 354 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:37,640 came and took away the corpse, his corpse, and laid it in a 355 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:41,400 tomb. What a story right there in the 356 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:43,760 middle of Chapter 6. What's that got to do with 357 00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:47,120 anything? I don't know fully. 358 00:20:47,120 --> 00:20:49,080 I'm not the theologian to figure this all out. 359 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:56,480 But it's a story about serving and John and serving paid full 360 00:20:56,480 --> 00:20:59,440 price. And we need to be served, served 361 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:01,880 with that mind. Be willing, be prepared to pay 362 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:05,240 full price. Herod had confronted John in his 363 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:08,000 ministry because John had had a conversation with Herod and 364 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:10,880 said, Herod, you, you took your brother Philip's wife. 365 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:12,840 You married your brother's wife. It's adultery. 366 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:15,880 You shouldn't be doing that. Why in the world would John have 367 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:17,840 done that? I mean, Herod wasn't a believer 368 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:20,600 or he knew, but he was not a not a follower of God. 369 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:23,800 He confronted sin in an unbeliever's life. 370 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:27,560 But Herod was a smart man too. He knew better. 371 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:31,360 And so here Herod gets confronted by John the Baptist. 372 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:34,040 Here it throws him in prison. You see some people, that's how 373 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:38,400 they respond. They make life hard for the one 374 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:42,560 who confronts them. Herod responded too, imprisoned 375 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,440 John. We have many stories in 376 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:47,560 Scripture how people responded when the light of truth was 377 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:50,480 shown on their actions. So John confronts Herod about 378 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:53,280 his adultery. Herod won't repent, instead got 379 00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:55,400 to control him, put him down a bit. 380 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:58,080 He stayed in his adulterous relationship with Herodias and 381 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:00,720 it was Herodias who instigated his death. 382 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:04,640 The way the story reads here in Mark, Herod had imprisoned John 383 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:06,960 and it was Herodias who wanted him dead. 384 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:10,120 Herod did not want him dead. Just just just behind bars. 385 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:16,640 Herod liked to listen to him. Herod knew better. 386 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,200 He was a man of knowledge. But see, here's the thing to 387 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:22,640 remember the one of the one of the most dangerous things in 388 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:26,480 life is the knowledge to do right and still decide to do 389 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:28,880 wrong for the sake of convenience or personal 390 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:33,720 advantage, for the sake of getting along with sin. 391 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:36,240 In the end, it leads to disaster. 392 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:40,200 What is interesting in the story here is how sin works. 393 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:43,320 Herod and Herodias saw each other. 394 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:47,200 Lester left each other didn't think the same, but they wanted 395 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:50,760 each other and they got Philip lost. 396 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:52,520 His wife may be divorced. I don't know what happened 397 00:22:52,520 --> 00:22:56,240 there, but Herod and Herodias meet, marry and that's that. 398 00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:00,200 Herodias hated John because she confronted Herod. 399 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:04,640 John loved to listen to John because he was a man of he had 400 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:06,840 something good to say, but he didn't want to give up Herodias. 401 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:13,960 It was a convenience thing here and maybe Herodias was worried 402 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:17,480 that John guy might just get to Herod and then our relations 403 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:19,240 going to end. I don't want that got to get rid 404 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:24,680 of John. The apostle James writes that 405 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:29,320 sin gives birth to death. The truth about sin is that it 406 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:34,880 survives only in the dark, and by keeping it in the dark, sin 407 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:38,880 does not do well in the light. John had brought Herod's sin to 408 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:41,280 the light. He exposed the adultery of 409 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:43,320 Herod. As far as Herodias was 410 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:45,920 concerned, John's got to go well. 411 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:50,000 Her chance to take John's life came on Herod's birthday special 412 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:52,280 day. He had a crowd of his nobles and 413 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:55,200 top officials from Galilee, Nazarth all around that area. 414 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:57,960 He had them come together and celebrate his big birthday. 415 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:01,600 Herodias daughter comes in, does a dance in front of Herod and 416 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:04,880 his nobles and we can imagine what kind of dance that was. 417 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:08,360 And Herod liked what he saw and foolishly offered her whatever 418 00:24:08,360 --> 00:24:10,440 she wished up to the half of his Kingdom. 419 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:13,800 The girl rushes off to mom, says what shall I ask? 420 00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:16,560 Mom says John the Baptist head on a plate. 421 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:21,160 She goes in and asks the king, and he's terribly sorry. 422 00:24:22,120 --> 00:24:25,520 That itself indicates the mindset of these two people, 423 00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:28,040 Herod and Herodias. They didn't think the same. 424 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:30,040 They just lusted after each other, and that was what got 425 00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:33,120 them together, and that's what kept them together, but not the 426 00:24:33,120 --> 00:24:35,920 same ideas about life or about truth. 427 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:40,720 Herod was a compromiser here. He wanted to hear John. 428 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:45,440 He just didn't want to repent. And Herodias, she was evil 429 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:47,280 through and through. Herod was 2. 430 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:50,200 But Herod had some had some some insight. 431 00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:53,720 She wants him dead for interfering in their adulterous 432 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:56,400 relationship. As sorry as Herod was for 433 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:59,600 offering to give this girl what she wanted in order to save face 434 00:24:59,920 --> 00:25:02,360 and not to embarrass himself, not to embarrass his guests. 435 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:07,640 OK, sent the guard go kill John. Two men in history. 436 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:13,440 Herod and John was different as night and day. 437 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:19,840 John had courage, he had boldness, he had strength, 438 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:24,440 stamina, endurance. Yes, at one point in the 439 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:27,120 Gospels, we do write, read that John asked Jesus, are you the 440 00:25:27,120 --> 00:25:28,440 one that should come? He's in prison. 441 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:29,720 I'm languishing here. Are you the one that should 442 00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:31,280 come? And Jesus says he tells him, go 443 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:33,680 tell John what you see. And we don't find John ever 444 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:36,320 abdicating or abandoning his faith. 445 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:44,280 He died for it. You see, He didn't compromise 446 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:48,400 his service to Christ. His service to God stayed 447 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:53,800 constant all the way through. And of course Herod, he did not 448 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:58,200 know when he imprisoned John that John would actually now he 449 00:25:58,200 --> 00:26:02,720 would actually end up killing John to save face and get along 450 00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:05,800 with his wife. You see, once you mess with sin, 451 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:09,040 you have no idea where that trail is going to lead. 452 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:11,200 The best thing to do is never get on it. 453 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:15,000 Herod should have never married Herodias to begin with. 454 00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:17,560 After he did, he had a chance to repent. 455 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:20,440 He wouldn't. When the Baptist, John the 456 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:23,800 Baptist confronted him, he had to do something he did not want 457 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:26,720 to do, and he didn't want to be publicly embarrassed. 458 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:33,200 So John had to go. Killed an innocent man. 459 00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:37,600 John had disciples as well as Jesus did, and they had access 460 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:39,840 to him. And they came, took the headless 461 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:45,680 body, and they buried it. This story of John the Baptist 462 00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:50,720 happened prior to the first part of chapter 6 that we just went 463 00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:53,960 over in the beginning. But it was alive and fresh in 464 00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:55,520 the minds of the people and Herod himself. 465 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:56,720 Yep, John is risen from the dead. 466 00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:59,640 He had a guilty conscience. He felt convicted. 467 00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:04,960 The work of the Gospel had not stopped because of what Herod 468 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:07,200 had done. Now Jesus, he's doing more than 469 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:10,480 John did. Well knew we know what happened 470 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:12,000 to Jesus in the end. He got crucified. 471 00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:16,680 Mark continues the story then and goes on to mention that the 472 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:18,960 apostles came back from their short term mission trip and 473 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:21,160 shared with Jesus all that had happened. 474 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:25,880 Verse 30 to 32 says then the apostles gathered to Jesus going 475 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:27,840 back now to chapter 6, verse 1 to the first part. 476 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:30,680 And then that's excluding the the story of John because that 477 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:33,880 had that was history prior. Then the apostles gathered to 478 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:37,400 Jesus and told him all things, both what they had done and what 479 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:38,960 had, what they, what they had taught. 480 00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:42,040 And he meaning Jesus said to him, come aside by yourselves to 481 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:44,720 a deserted place and rest a while, for there were many 482 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:46,320 coming and going. They don't even have time to 483 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:48,480 eat. So they departed to a deserted 484 00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:53,320 place in the boat by themselves. A lot had happened with 485 00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:56,600 everything that had gone on, all the serving that Jesus and the 486 00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:59,760 apostles had done. It was time for a break, time 487 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:03,720 for a rest. And there are those times Jesus 488 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:06,480 was emphasizing serving, serving, but also emphasizing 489 00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:08,240 rest. And he still does today. 490 00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:11,080 Not every single need is your job. 491 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:13,920 Not every single need is your responsibility or mine. 492 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:18,200 And we know from the rest of the passage that is when the story 493 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:20,520 continues. Their rest consisted mainly of 494 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:23,360 the boat ride. Soon as you get to shore, 495 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:26,920 there's another crowd. And yes, we do serve at huge, 496 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:29,640 great cost. It's not at our convenience. 497 00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:32,320 That comes up very loud and clear in the story. 498 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:35,760 So what it comes down to is what are we about? 499 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:40,240 What is our purpose? Our focus can be on ourselves 500 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:44,920 and all that we do, or on God what he called us to. 501 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:49,600 Jesus was God's Son, but Jesus was also a man. 502 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:55,640 As a man, he was like you and IA human being, faced temptations, 503 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:58,320 got tired, marveled at their unbelief. 504 00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:02,120 Jesus knew who he was. God called him to serve, to 505 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:03,720 preach the gospel, teachers to heal the sick. 506 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:08,080 But not everybody was on board. And as we've seen in early 507 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:14,280 passages, Jesus was made fun of. He was ridiculed and viewed with 508 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:17,520 contempt. In today's passage, we saw Jesus 509 00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:20,480 opposed by his very own people. What was his response? 510 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:24,160 Keep on serving. And he did for the apostles. 511 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:27,600 They joined him. And then for Jesus, earthly 512 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:31,200 cousin John the Baptist. Well, He paid for his life, for 513 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:35,160 his call to serve. You see, Jesus ministry was not 514 00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:38,680 built around the opinions and ideas of the people around him. 515 00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:41,880 His ministry was not geared to and focused on and built on what 516 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:43,520 was popular and what's easy to hear. 517 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:49,400 Jesus simply came to demonstrate with his life the will of God in 518 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:52,080 this world. John did the same. 519 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:56,240 The disciples followed too. Well then there's the Herod and 520 00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:59,360 Herodias. They both live to the wills of 521 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:02,640 the flesh and caused a lot of pain. 522 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:07,280 Whose will do you and I want to serve today? 523 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:09,200 Mine. Ours are God's. 524 00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:12,480 Who will we respect? Who will we serve? 525 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:15,080 We may say, oh, I'm going to serve God, God's will. 526 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:18,160 I would hope that's true. So how serious are we about 527 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:21,080 serving? How quickly, How easily do we 528 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:23,360 give up and give in and just throw in the towel and move on? 529 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:28,440 It takes courage to stay. When it's all said and done. 530 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,120 There's what's precious and there's what's valuable and then 531 00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:37,800 there's everything else. You see gold prospectors in the 532 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:39,440 past. I like reading history. 533 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:41,720 Gold prospectors in the past were going to the mountains and 534 00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:44,240 explore, prospecting for gold, seeing if they could find gold 535 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:46,480 somewhere in the mountains. They'll come to a mountain 536 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:50,920 stream and take a pan and squat down and scoop a pan of sand 537 00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:54,800 from the bottom of the stream and wash out the sand to see if 538 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:59,040 there's gold in the stream. I shared with the Christian 539 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:01,760 brother this last week. I said if you pan for gold in a 540 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:05,080 stream, when you wash out the sand, what stays? 541 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:08,480 The sand washes up, but the gold stays because gold is always 542 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:11,120 heavier than sand. You see, there's a lot of sand 543 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:14,560 in this world. Sand people always wash out 544 00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:17,320 gold. People, they stay. 545 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:19,960 I'm not talking with staying in one congregation necessarily, 546 00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:22,440 but staying with Christ, staying with the church, staying 547 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:24,920 faithful. There's a lot of sand, but gold 548 00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:27,640 is scarce. It's easy to be sand. 549 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:30,480 Gold is heavy. It's hard to be gold. 550 00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:35,440 Gold stays. How are we serving for what we 551 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:36,840 can get out of it? What feels good, what's 552 00:31:36,840 --> 00:31:41,320 comfortable, what's convenient? What selfishly or like gold, 553 00:31:41,640 --> 00:31:47,360 precious, internal, enduring to continue in service with Jesus 554 00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:50,000 when the work is hard, that takes commitment. 555 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:52,440 I want to close with this short story. 556 00:31:53,800 --> 00:31:58,120 Richard Wurmbrand was born in 19 O 9 in a Jewish Home. 557 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:00,960 In his young adult life he became an atheist. 558 00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:04,960 In 1936 he married his sweetheart Sabina. 559 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:09,320 At some point a German Carpenter in their community introduced 560 00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:11,200 Richard to Christ and later Sabina. 561 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:13,520 He became a follower of Christ and Sabina joined him. 562 00:32:14,280 --> 00:32:15,840 She also became a follower of Jesus. 563 00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:18,960 Richard became a minister of the Gospel and devoted his life to 564 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:21,240 serving Christ. World War 2 came along and he 565 00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:24,080 witnessed to the occupying Nazi forces in his country. 566 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:27,560 But then when the Nazis lost to the Russians on the on the 567 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:31,320 Eastern Front, the Russians came and he witnessed to them in 568 00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:33,600 Romania. And while Romania was under 569 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:36,000 Russian control, Richard openly preached the gospel. 570 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:39,280 Under communist rule and time, communism took over completely 571 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:41,400 and Romania became a communist state. 572 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:45,200 When religious freedom was squashed and abolished in 573 00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:47,680 Romania, he continued to serve publicly and secretly. 574 00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:52,280 He was arrested in 1948 and imprisoned for a combined total 575 00:32:52,280 --> 00:32:58,400 of 14 years, much of that in solitary confinement and brutal 576 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:01,360 torture. When he was released, he was 577 00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:04,600 warned to stay silent, but he continued in time due to 578 00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:06,800 pressure on the outside Christian world. 579 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:08,960 Foreign authorities played a role in this. 580 00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:12,040 He was released from Romania and he moved to the US. 581 00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:16,160 He founded the Voice of the Martyrs, which supports which 582 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:17,840 supports persecuted Christians globally. 583 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:19,840 He wrote a book called Torture for Christ. 584 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:22,160 That book has strengthened and wakened the faith in many. 585 00:33:22,840 --> 00:33:25,840 His legacy continues to raise awareness even today. 586 00:33:26,320 --> 00:33:31,760 He was an example of a man who was willing, who's willing to 587 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:38,080 pay full price. Jesus was rejected in Nazareth. 588 00:33:38,840 --> 00:33:41,360 Instead of folding and quitting, he stepped up the ministry. 589 00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:44,480 John the Baptist had the difficult task of confronting 590 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:46,720 Herod. He paid full price for his 591 00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:49,600 witness. Many Saints today continue to 592 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:56,240 serve faithfully at huge cost. You know what our service always 593 00:33:56,240 --> 00:34:01,560 reveals what we are made of? Gold or sand. 594 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:05,720 May we be faithful. May God give us grace to serve 595 00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:09,400 faithfully, to endure well and receive the reward eternally. 596 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:17,239 Let's pray, Lord, you've called us to serve with all that we are 597 00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:21,560 and all that we do. Lord, may we be found faithful. 598 00:34:22,199 --> 00:34:25,520 Help us not to look around at the culture around us, at the 599 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:28,800 conveniences and opportunities that the world provides for us. 600 00:34:29,239 --> 00:34:32,800 Help us to look at our own selves, reflection in the 601 00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:34,320 reflection of your Word and Your light. 602 00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:36,880 Help us, Lord, to look at ourselves through the lens of 603 00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:39,239 Scripture where we want to serve You. 604 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:42,800 Or help us to serve faithfully, with total commitment and 605 00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:44,960 loyalty and dedication pleasing to you. 606 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:46,800 In your name we pray. Amen.