What a wonderful time of Praise crown him.
King forever. He will be king forever.
He is King now and has a brother said his dominion and his rule
in his Reign shall be Everlasting and everlasting.
I'm eager to be in the word of God with you.
And so meet me in Mark, chapter 6 and let's come together, the
verse 14. As we discuss this afternoon.
The beheading of a man of God. The beheading of a man of God, a
very graphic title for a message but the Bible is honest and
direct and plain and there is Great Value in what we have
before us today. And so we come to verse 14 and
we've read these verses before, but let's revisit the ones that
we covered and then explore the ones that follow it.
In verse 14 of Mark chapter 6, we read the King Herod heard of
it. For Jesus name had become known.
Some said, John the Baptist has been raised from the dead.
That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.
But others said he is Elijah and others said, he is a prophet,
like one of the prophets of old. But when Herod heard of It.
He said, John whom I beheaded has been raised The human
conscience is one of the most obvious fingerprints, that
testify of the reality of God, the universal impression and
experience that we all have with the conscience undeniably cause
for a Divine designer. Who has determined, what is
right, what is wrong? And has deposited that moral
awareness, in those that he has created in His image and you and
I looked into that we looked into the origin of the
conscience and we looked into the function of the conscience
and how it is. One of the many mercies that
God, has established in this fractured world and more than
just a mercy to restrain evil. It has a Redemptive and
sanctifying On purpose, once that conscience has been, has
been met with the gospel and it is responded to correctly and we
looked at that conscience and we looked at what God says about
it. And what we learned last week
about the conscience was brought forth to us because in the
verses that we just read, we see a man's conscience powerfully at
work. That man has to be dealing with
something to be convinced that John the Baptist has come back
to life. and this is nothing more than a person who is
haunted by his guilt and he is dealing with a past sin and he
can't shake it off easily. And as we come to this text, we
realized that herod's conscience is is alive.
There is a pulse scroll down quickly to verse 22.
Let me prove that to you. It says Universe 24 Herod
feared, John knowing that he was a righteous and holy man and he
kept him safe. Herod knew that John was a
righteous and holy men he could make the distinction between
what was righteous. What was unrighteous?
What was wholly? What was Unholy?
And it's now here to accuse him. He is done something,
unrighteous. He has done something that is
Unholy. And so as unconverted as he was
there is some aspect of Hope in this man.
But why would he think, why would he think that Jesus was
John the Baptist? Well, you already heard it last
week and you heard it again and these verses because he did
something to this man. John the Baptist, he performed a
great Injustice to this man. John the Baptist And in summary,
he killed him. For no justifiable reason.
He had him executed, he had his head removed from his shoulders.
And now day and night he remembers he remembers, he
remembers how it one command so quickly because of the pressure
of his surroundings he removed a holy servant of God and what he
lived with is this anxiety that perhaps this man could come back
and get me. I have the impression reading
about Herod that he always had this feeling that if he were to
do something to John the Baptist that there would be Dreadful
consequences that would follow. That's why he was hesitant to
some degree to touch him, because he knew that he was a
different caliber. He was not like these Pharisees,
he special, he is sent by God. And so, he's riddled with fear.
And as we're about to learn in this very taxed, we're going to
see that John the Baptist's death played a role in the
behavior of Herod here. And I look at this and I think
if you just scale through the verses with your own eyes, you
realize how much is given over to this men's martyrdom how much
of John, the Baptist execution is taking up real estate in our
Bibles. Now the Holy Spirit could have
summarized that he could have summarized that easily here in
verse 16 that John was beheaded and that he he did this Herod
was The one who performed this, atrocious act.
But instead we get this, elaborate detailed angle on how
it happened. Why it happened?
When I look at this, I realize here that this is one of the
most extensive accounts of a person apart, from Christ.
This is about chiefly John the Baptist in.
It's one of the most drawn-out explanations of what happened to
somebody or about somebody apart from Jesus himself.
The Mark was moved by the spirit to patiently, pain, this story,
which tells me, at least one thing he doesn't want us to
glance over it. He doesn't want us to just
understand that John died and he was murdered and to move on from
there. Obviously there's something in
these texts in these verses that are for our benefit and that's
what we will seek to do. We will seek to try to
understand what it is that God intended to say to us.
And I think the best way to go about is not to hold on to a
specific theme but to just pick up certain truths as we go and
to see what it is that God would want to say through this.
This terrible experience in this terrible event.
And so let's read, let's read from verse 17 and see what it
is. That the spirit of God would say
to us for it was Herod who had sent and sees John and bound him
in prison for the sake of herodias, his brother Philips
wife because he had married her for John.
Had been saying to Herod it is not lawful for you to have your
brother's wife. We get a flashback, we're
getting a flashback of what? What happened with John and why?
It is that Herod is feeling this disturbance that we read and we
learned last week and the first thing that I want to bring to
your attention in light of this. Truth is the Unseen work of
conviction. The Unseen work of conviction.
Notice that, although Herod could get rid of John, he could
not forget him, He could not easily dismiss him.
And what I love about this example, is that even after John
died, what we see here is that conviction was aggressively at
work in this man, this politician this King and for
some time Herod might have seemed calm and collected before
his audience. But what was happening all along
was that there was this internal agitation because he heard a
message from John and he did something to the ER, And I look
at that, I think I'm encouraged. I'm encouraged.
I'm encouraged to some extent and if you're a servant of God
who cares about seeing people coming to God than you'll be
encouraged by this as you look at it, consider it, consider it
further. If you are a person who wants to
see people surrendered their sin and embrace the Savior then
realize that herod's example proves to us, that sometimes
something is happening in some people's hearts and you're not
aware of it. You may not perceive it, it may
not be so obvious to you. I think about John and put
yourself in his shoes. There he is preaching and from
time to time Herod, would come to the one p.m. service.
And when Herod would come, he would be intrigued.
He would pay attention. It says that he listened to him
with gladness. But no sign of change.
Moreover, he mercilessly handles them, he ultimately takes his
life. That would be discouraging
concerning the effectiveness of your message. and yet, even when
John, the Baptist is removed from the scene, The message of
John. What happened to John?
John's submissiveness to the Providence of God at the hands
of Herod, is eating him up inside.
His keeping him up at night. This man, John might be dead,
but I'll tell you this, his message, and his martyrdom was
alive and active in the mind of this corrupt twisted and
cowardly ruler. And as Believers, you have to
understand something don't measure the impact of your life
of your message, the message that you love you.
Sing about, you hear about week after week, don't measure the
impact of that based on somebody's apparent response,
based on their reaction based on their facial expression.
I see a lot of facial expressions week after week.
I'll tell you this. I've learned over time not to
take any of it at face value. Look at this man.
Look, look at. Look at Herod riving, look at
him wondering, look at him, speculate him, look at him,
unable to shake off his encounter with John.
And think about your life and people you've encountered in the
people that you want to see come to Christ.
Are you discouraged so easily are you moved to despair?
Here, we see here, the Unseen work of conviction.
Let it build your faith, that truth and truth alone has the
power to deal with that soul. And you just have to give it and
give it consistently and live. It live.
It consistently by the grace of God.
I'll never forget how the Lord taught me.
This not just in his word but by Ants.
I remember many many years ago, beginning to preach.
Speaking at one particular meaning, and that particular
meaning was about the coming judgment, the coming judgment
for the world in the coming judgment, even for the
Believers, the Judgment seat of Christ.
And after I had preached that message months had gone by and I
was at a different meeting in a different state altogether,
several months have gone by, since that original meaning and
there are was at some conference sitting in the lunch Hall, and I
was sitting at a random Table and there was a young man beside
me and after just talking to them would just, you know,
casual surface. All conversation, this young man
turned to me. And he says, do you remember me
This is honestly, I don't, I'm sorry.
And he named the conference that he was at and he named some
people that we might have known and he said I was at one of your
meetings. And I was sitting in the back
row and I have to apologize to me and my friends were laughing
while you were preaching. As it to be honest, don't have
to apologize because I didn't even recognize any of it.
See, I didn't know you were there.
So, apology accepted, I guess. He says, no, you don't
understand. I wasn't really laughing.
We were laughing and we got up in the middle of your message
and left. I was dying inside.
You were talking about the Judgment, you were talking about
the coming judgment. You were talking about hell,
you're talking about? Are you ready to meet with
Christ? And I have to tell you
something, I'm terrified. And I've been terrified since
and the conviction was so strong.
I couldn't sit there anymore. I had to leave and had to laugh
it off. Try to save face.
And I looked at him, I says, well, are you still scared?
Said, I am. So we put down our pudding and
we left that lunch Hall. We had an hour-long conversation
about the condition of his soul I don't know where that young
man is, but I learned something valuable.
Even when a man is laughing while you're preaching, he could
be cutting and his own heart bleeding with, conviction
wondering. If there is a wound that could
be healed. I remember another time, one of
my brothers were there for this, so they can testify to it.
You'd have to figure out which one it was.
We're at a meeting different state, different place.
A message was preached, people lingered around, and I saw two
men sitting in one of the pews and one of them looked visibly
Disturbed, and the other ones seemed normal, we approached
them and we greeted, the, my brother was with me, and when
you saw these two sitting beside each other, you could easily
assume and see which one was Disturbed and which ones seem to
have just gone through the motions of that night.
And as we begin to speak to one who is opening up his heart and
distresses of life and where he's brought himself and what's
in has done to him. He'd even in that moment,
expressed how he wants Jesus. And he heard about Jesus and he
wants to, what does it mean to surrender the Jesus?
Can he deal with the situation in my life?
And why was conversing with this man?
I looked at the other one and he was Stone Cold.
He didn't just look disinterested.
He looked upset. And he just stared off into the
distance and so I try to include it from time to time and all
would get back is one word answer.
So I thought to myself, okay, if there's a parable of the surahs
with the for, I can guess which one this one is and I can guess
which one this one is. So we just dealt with the one
individual who seem to be more open obviously And there was
tears, and there was a voice cracking.
And here's his friend here on move like a statue.
We prayed and we moved on Weeks Later months later we reconvene
with that, same group. And I realized something the man
in that moment who poured out his heart and was expressing his
need and his desire was nowhere to be found.
In fact, he was back into his old ways and guess who got
baptized and guess who plugged into the local church and guess
who is serving consistently with that place.
The guy that I thought, no, I don't know if his heart is open.
The Unseen work of conviction, you don't know what's happening
in that heart. You don't know what's happening
in their thoughts. You don't know what's keeping
them up at night. You don't know what they're
thinking about through the day. And there's another example of
this. In the scriptures come with me
to Matthew 21 and notice what Jesus says in a parable in verse
28 of Matthew 21. Matthew 21, 28 Jesus says, What
do you think? A man had two sons.
And he went to the first and said, Son, go and work in the
vineyard today and he answered, I will not. but afterward, he
changed his mind and went and he went to the other side and said
the same and he answered, I go sir but did not go which of the
two did the will of the of his father.
They said the first Jesus said to them.
Truly I say to you the tax collectors and the prostitutes
go into the kingdom of God before you Here's Jesus,
addressing the religious Elite. And he is massively bringing
them to a conclusion on their own, about their own indictment,
their own condemnation of how they're dealing with the gospel
that's been presented to them. But what I love about this, is
this Parable provides a principle.
A principle beyond the obvious notice that the two sons that
Jesus presents gave an immediate response.
They both did they both said something to the wishes of their
father? Once said, I will not the other
said I go sir. Now let me ask you between the
two who seemed more respectful. The second one he didn't just
say I go he says I go sir. So the other one was even a
little bit more rude than the second one.
And so you have these two reactions, you have these two
responses you have these two apparent decisions But what
happens? We see that there is a different
outcome. Now, if you were in the presence
of this interaction between the father and two sons, what would
you esteem about the relationship from the second
one? And the relationship between the
first one. I'll surely this one loves his
father. Surely this one will obey his
father. Surely this one Revere's, his
father and the first one, there's no hope what kind of
attitude is a son have like this to the wishes of his own, his
own dad? And if you would say that, the
second one was walking in obedience and pleasing the
father, you would be wrong, you would be wrong.
Even with all the presentation of politeness and obedience, you
would be wrong. And what Jesus is teaching here,
is that actions are more important than words.
Actions are more important than words.
You said it. But did you do it?
This is what is valuable to Jesus Christ.
Words are important, absolutely. But he's trying to stay here.
Is that actions speak louder? But more than that, here's what
you need to understand initial response is not the indicator.
Of the condition of the heart. Both of them said something.
One of them changed his mind. The other said, something, and
he was hypocritical, you didn't understand what he was agreeing
to. He didn't intend to actually
hold his word, you don't know what's happening in.
Someone's heart. Why am I presenting that truth?
You all? Would you be relieved?
Would you be arrest? Would you just like that
Parable? We heard many weeks ago, plant
the seed and go to sleep. And just believe that truth has
the ability to deal with a man Even though like John, you may
not even be here anymore, you may be gone altogether.
And there are certainly many men who are dead, but still speak.
John was one of those men. The Unseen work of conviction.
But let's move forward here and seeing these verses the
consistency of the Baptist for it was Herod who had sent and
sees John and bound him in prison for the sake of herodias,
his brother Philips wife because he had married her for John.
Had been saying to Herod it is not lawful for you to have your
brother's wife. Okay, we look here.
And we realize that Herod was obviously convicted of inciting
an illegitimate marriage and there's a lot of history that
can tell you exactly how this happened.
But if you just come from a purely, scriptural standpoint,
you'll see that all you have here is that he had his
brother's wife somewhere. Along the line Herod must have
convinced herodias to divorce his brother and to be with him
instead. And if that is the case, then
according to the law, you know, that this is an invalid and an
adulterous relationship and it could be that Herod did this
during the time. And during the ministry of John
the Baptist and at outrage, the Prophet this was like a scandal
in the headlines. And John would not keep quiet
about it. He had a public platform, this
was a public sin and he realized that this man was in a place of
authority and he could have influence others.
And so what does he do? He confronts the unrepentant,
man. With this message.
It is not lawful for you to have this.
What you did was illegal, what you did broke God's law.
Now we can turn this into a teaching of divorce but just
wait a few months. There's going to come that
teaching and Matthew Mark chapter 10 rather but instead, I
want you to consider something inspiring about this man of God.
This is the inspiring thing about him that regardless of
whom stood before him. He was a man who did not waver
He would speak the Kings the same way, he spoke to the common
folk of Israel. He would speak to Men of power
and he would speak to poor man. He would speak to Men of
prestige and he would speak to pathetic people.
This was a man who did not change.
This was a man who was constant. This was a man who was Fearless.
This was a man who had courage God help us.
We need a few John, the Baptist in America. and what I love
about this and the reason why I bring this to your attention is
because he was the same person with the same message, whether
he was addressing, whoever and this is the quality that Jesus
Christ, praise about John Those disciples came from the prison
and told Jesus about the doubts that John, the Baptist had, they
went back with the message that Jesus gave them and then Jesus
looks to the crowd that he was teaching that day and he begins
to commend John and to speak of his praises.
And he says, one thing that I love in light of this truth that
we see here in Matthew 11 7. He says, what did you go out to
see when speaking about John, what did you go out to see a
reed shaken by the wind? and a reed shaken by the wind
and the obvious answer is no, what is a read is like a tall,
slender grass like plant, you see them by Riverbanks, you see
them sometimes in the countryside as you're driving
along the freeway and those reeds are so sensitive that any
direction of the wind, they would dance to it, they would
dance to it, Forward backwards side to side, whatever the
breeze was, They Bend, they bend it to wherever the breeze said
to do. And what he is saying here is
unlike the read that is influenced by the elements
outside of it. John was constant?
John was not pressured. John was not influence.
John did not waver, John did not move a wink, despite of all the
things that might be happening around him.
He was an oak of righteousness who stood firm.
And despite the environment you found the same guy, the same
guy. I read that and I thought to
myself, this is what Jesus loved the but John he loved that he
was not a reed shaken by the wind.
He loved that no matter where John found himself and who was
around him, you had the same John whether he was in a palace
or whether he was in the wilderness on some rocks,
screaming his head off towards a bunch of people.
The same guy with the same convictions, the same attitude.
I thought it was Jesus. If you commend John because of
this then, would you find the same characteristic in me?
In me all? Would you give me the grace not
to be a read? That is shaken by the wind.
Oh Lord, would I not be different in my living room that
I am on the pulpit than I am in the classroom that I am in the
workplace. When I am at the outing Lord.
Let me be the same. If this is what you look down
on, you say, ah, this is a reed who is not shaken by the wind
and this is what you adore and praise and love them.
You find it in me. Can he find it in?
You, are you a reed, shaken by the wind?
Do they elements outside of you, the external factors Bend you
are you pliable. Are your conviction stronger in
some settings than others. Are you willing to confront sin
and others? But when it comes to people who
have some business relation to you or who give a certain amount
to your ministry, are you more hesitant to speak up and say it
is not lawful for you to do this.
Oh, that you would be like an olive tree in the house of God.
Oh, that you would be immovable because of your Devotion to
Christ. Oh, that you would have the ever
present awareness of Jesus walking with you living in you.
Ever protecting you ever supervising you so that you can
stand before Harrods. And you can say the same thing,
you would tell some poor soul who comes whimpering to you.
This is how you are saved. This is why you need to repent.
This is why you need to come to Christ.
See the consistency of this man of God.
He was not influenced, he was the same and if you want to win
the Commendation of Christ, I encourage you to ask him for the
grace to not be like a reed shaken by the wind.
But we see something else here when we move on.
He had been saying it is not lawful for you to have your
brother's wife. But then in verse 19 we realized
something else happens, it herodias had a grudge against
him. And wanted to put him to death
but she could not for Herod feared John knowing that he was
a righteous and holy man and he kept him safe.
When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed and yet he
heard him. Gladly Unfortunately, what you
can say about John, you could not say about Herod here.
We find this. Man, although confronted about
his sin 0 though, dealt with concerning his conscience,
although his wife would nag about him every night at dinner
because he shamed their relationship with all of those
things. We are told that he gladly heard
John that he intentionally sat under his preaching even more.
This is this is weird. This is a little strange to me
and yet it is so common. We are told that he heard him,
gladly the word there is with pleasure with pleasure.
John was not an ordinary preacher you know that He was
not like, these cold. Pharisee phds that had no
unction that had no urgency. That had no Authority.
No. When he preached, there was
fire. When he preached, it was plain
when he preached. It was direct when he preached.
It was about Jesus. Oh yeah, John John Behold the
Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
I'm sure Herod heard it. I'm sure you heard something of
the coming of the Messiah. The coming of the kingdom of God
and now only did Herod tolerate that preaching.
He was Charmed by it. He was fascinated, he was
mesmerised, he was Spellbound. He was, he was drawn to this
immense confidence and his Consecration.
And he gladly, he gladly heard him.
This is disturbing. You know, why come to verse 22?
For when herodias is daughter, came in this is later another
scene at his birthday for when herodias.
His daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod And his guests
and the King said to the girl asked me for whatever you wish
and I will give it to you. Okay, this type of dancing is
not a professional performance. It's not an interpretive kind of
dance of some sort. This is provocative, dancing.
This is seductive dancing and this is the entertainment of the
night for his birthday. And we are told that the same
Herod who experienced pleasure sitting under the messages of
John. Also knew a pleasure as he had a
young lady in his home, erratically, dancing before him
and his guests. Isn't that strange?
A great preacher. Once said that Herod was a man
who wanted heaven, but loved the road to hell.
Herod was a man who wanted heaven but he loved the road to
hell. And we see it plainly here.
He could genuinely appreciate a sound well-crafted passionately,
presented truth and yet applaud our young lady very likely
stripping before him His stepdaughter.
How can this be? How is the soul and yet
unfortunately there's a principle here that is too
common. I meditated on this
contradictory way of life and here's what came to mind that
delighting in the ministry of holy men and enjoying the
presence of holy people is not sufficient evidence that such a
person is a yoked with Christ. Delighting.
To sit under the ministry of holy men and enjoying the
presence of holy people is not sufficient evidence that such a
person is yoked to Christ. and I can say that confidently about
Herod here, because regardless of the reasons for his
admiration about John, Regardless of what it is, that
was pulling on his heartstrings. I know this one thing about
Herod, I know, one thing was true about this, man.
Whatever he was enjoying. It wasn't because of Jesus.
It wasn't because of Christ saying.
Prove it preacher, gladly Think about the hours just before the
crucifixion and in those concluding chapters of the
Gospel of Luke, we have an encounter between Jesus and who
Herod. And do you remember what Herod
did with Jesus? Let me remind you and Luke 23,
verse 11, and Herod with his soldiers, treated him with
contempt, and mocked him. That I rang him in Splendid
clothing, he sent him back to Pilate.
The same man who can sit under the teaching and preaching of
John who surely presented Jesus when it came to a face-to-face.
Visit an appointment with the same Christ that he heard about
treated him with contempt. Mocked and scorned him and
despised him. How well, let me tell you this
one thing. Do you remember last week's
message on the conscience? Do you remember how the more you
ignore your conscience? The more you silence, your
conscience, the worst say gets the quieter, it gets the debtor,
it gets and the more danger you invite your life.
I believe that's what's happening here after quieting,
it and silencing. And in suppressing it the same
men who feared to touch. John can now come and openly
mocked Jesus Christ. How did that happen?
Because between John's message and Jesus encounter, he did
something with those thoughts. He buried them, he's subdued
them, he ignored them. And what happened?
Can more, and more seared More and more seared.
But there's something else here. Could it be the how John Rather
hair it is? Treating Jesus.
At this point, is revealing something that was in him all
along? And if that is true that think
about this Herod Herod, being able to love sermons, it's
possible to love sermons and treat Jesus with contempt at the
same time. That's a terrifying thought.
That's possible. This man proves it, I ask you
today to look beyond your respect for the minister.
I ask you today to look beyond your enjoyment of The Fellowship
of the Saints, Being in a place with people who are kind and
nice and have conservative values, look beyond that.
Look beyond all of that. That might be justifying
something that is actually deceiving and ask yourself this
one question. This afternoon, I beg of you.
Please ask yourself this question.
I beg of you who is the person of Jesus to you the person of
Jesus, not messages about him, not the people who claim him who
is Jesus to you personally. What is your face to face
relationship like with Jesus? Is it like Herod?
I hope not, I pray not.
I hope that everything that you hear, no matter how practical or
deep the message is it would stir Your Heart for Jesus for
Christ to love him. An adornment crown him and Obey
him. This was not the case for Herod,
he can digest and and receive, and contemplating be perplexed.
And even be convicted yet when it came to the person of Christ,
Not only was there no connection.
There was contempt. There's some who openly show
content and others who indirectly show contempt to
Christ. But I see something else about
Herod here. His puzzling relationship with
the truth shows shows the danger of being in a setting like this
and being able to praise bold Proclamation.
At the same time be shriveled up in your soul.
Concerning the person of Christ, but there's more to this even
more. Could you believe it?
Yes. What we see here is that even
Herod sitting under the ministry of John, holy men.
Like John also proves that you are not guaranteed Freedom From
The Bondage that you're in. Back at verse 21 of Mark 6, but
an opportunity came. When Herod on his birthday.
Give a banquet for his Nobles and Military commanders and the
Leading Men of Galilee from when herodias his daughter came and
danced. She pleased Herod and his
guests. And the King said to the girl
asked me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.
You're told about that. You're given this scene
immediately. After being informed that Herod
heard John gladly, Meaning that even being under the truth
accurately and powerfully proclaimed does not guarantee
liberation. And transformation.
This same man can come and listen to this and then go home
and have such a birthday. Do you think that happens on
Sundays? Think so possible.
Is it because truth wasn't being preached not necessarily so you
can have John Baptist come up here and preach and still have
people act like Herod how Well it's just like me giving you a
recipe and you hearing every ingredient, me spelling out.
The instructions of how to go about it and you understand it
and you might amen. And you might be even excited
about what that recipe will look like and you go home and you
don't you don't honor the recipe.
It's like me giving you a directions to a desired location
and you understand everything and all the turns and all the
warnings and you're excited because you want to go to this
place that you heard about, but you never get in your car.
You never turn it on and you never go.
You can hear all about Jesus, how wonderful he is.
How glorious is, how you can know how you can grow and him.
Embrace it nod your head to it, maybe even get excited about it
and go home and have a birthday like Herod.
It's true. It's not like people to hear but
it's true. And look at this attitude that
Herod has in the king said, to the girl asked me for whatever
you wish, and I will give it to you.
What's wrong with you, man? You're willing to give half your
kingdom to a girl, a teenager I present to you the intoxicating
influence of lust, Not just alcohol, I'm sure there was
alcohol. But lust lust has the ability to
inebriate you and to cause you to make misjudgments at the
cause you to evaluate certain things more great than they are
and, and see the great things as less as what they truly are men.
If you can conquer lust, you can conquer so much if you can
conquer the appetites of the flesh, you can conquer so much
in life. And here is a man who is so
stirred. So aroused.
So moved by this site that he makes this silly vow your what
whatever half the kingdom and I'll give it to you.
It's Herod. Do you realize that Rome is your
supervisor. Do you realize that?
If you even if you do, if you do get this request for half the
kingdom. Because he's a man who obviously
kept his word, we're about to find out.
You're gonna get in big trouble, you're gonna get in serious
trouble. But this is, this is a picture
here of how sin makes us foolish.
It makes a stupid. I mean, look at it.
What he's willing to throw away? Just for a moment of
Satisfaction, Just because he's been exhilarated In the Flesh,
look what he's willing to give up.
And I think about Sinners today, that throw away so much not
herod's Kingdom, God's Kingdom. His purpose is his plans.
His love his satisfaction. They're willing to just just
waste it and throw it away for, what, for something.
So, trivial for something, so silly for something.
So there is a perverted Yes, yes, Sinners makes foolish
decisions. They make rash vows and make
rash decisions, and they're willing to give up so much for
something that is so trivial. And so temporary.
But here's a man who would leave unchanged after being under
John. How do you change then?
How do you change will go beyond appreciation?
Go beyond being perplexed, and stirred and challenged and come
to him. Come to Jesus.
Come to the Lord. He's real.
He's there he's available. I remember the early days of
walking with the Lord sitting under a young, adults Ministry
and the Lord was so fresh to me. So real to me, still is but in
that time the the you know, the first moments and I always use
this example as a joke. But I remember there was a
particular Sunday night. We had a Sunday night service
and the preacher got up there and he shared about Elijah.
When those young kids came out says go up.
You bald head go Up you bald head?
And Elijah turns around with the authority of God, calls a curse
upon him. And two.
She bears come out and Mall 40-something of those kids to
tragic story but it's deeper than how it sounds.
And I remember sitting there hearing that story a story that
would cause the skeptic to say how can a good god do such a
thing. How can the true God that, you
know, what? I was feeling in my heart.
Oh, Lord, you're amazing, you're beautiful.
Lord. I want to spend time with you,
your glorious Lord. Look at the authority.
Look at the Holiness of God, look at the faithfulness of God,
look at his protection over his servant.
Look at how this was actually fulfillment of a warning in The
Vedic is that if you were to continue to reject God and his
purpose is that your children would suffer by wild animals,
that's what it was. Oh, Look how deep your word is
a. I just want to spend time with
Jesus. After hearing about the Bears.
Mauling children. Yes.
Because it's God's word and it reveals God.
Oh, come to him. Everything in this text even
hearing about even hearing about John the Baptist being beheaded,
let your heart be stirred and hear the wisdom of Christ and
let it pull you to his person. I love this verse in Acts 17
when Paul preached there to these Gentiles.
And he said in Acts 17 27, that they should seek God talking
about how God created the world and how he put different people
in different parts of the world and he has determined the
boundaries of their dwelling place for what purpose.
And he says here in verse 27 and acts 17, that they should seek
God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.
And then he says this in verse the second part of the verse and
he's actually not far from each one of us.
That they should seek on and perhaps feel their way toward
him and find him. God created you so that you
would find him. And then he goes on to say, he's
actually not far from each one of us.
And he confirms it in the following verse for in him.
We live and move and have our being he is here, he's always
around you, he's One Call Away. He is the City of Refuge that
has been established at a distance where you can go and
find safety. That's Christ.
Also, even in A Moment Like This Before, a message, even ends you
can call upon Christ, Lord, I've been far from you, but now I
want to come to you, Lord. I don't want to leave this
message Shackled In my sin anymore, Or how I want to be
free. I want these chains to fall down
at my feet, Christ can do it, he can do it.
And we see here. Paul says, he's right there, you
don't have to jump through hoops, you don't have to stand
on your head. You don't have to climb some
Mountain. You don't have to spend some
weeks with monks, he's right here, Jesus, the son of the
Living. God the resurrected, Lord.
The one who conquered the grave, the one who will return again.
He's here and he's always here. We preach a Christ.
Who can save and set free. This is the Jesus whom I bear
witness. This is the Jesus who
commission's us to preach this truth, not the one who just
saved. But one who satisfies one, who
delivers one who sets free. And Herod heard it, I'm sure
John preached it. But he couldn't let go of that
once in he couldn't he couldn't get away from that claw. that
was around his neck herodias, is her name a New Testament kind of
Jezebel couldn't. He feared her, he feared the men
that he invited over for his birthday more than God and it
would cost him. I can say so much more, but I'm
going to scroll down here. We see what happens next.
He vows us to her the little girl goes to his mother.
Her mother. What should I ask?
What should I ask him? I want you to give me at once
the head of John the Baptist on a platter.
And Herod was sorry, exceedingly.
Sorry, not sorry for what you would think.
He's not convicted, he's worried about what kind of consequences
this will breed and he's in this place of tension.
If I say no, these men will mock me.
I'm not a man of my word. If I say yes, the people they
prize John, we can cause some kind of upheaval here.
But his pride got the best of him.
He could not deny his oath, even though his oath was for evil,
and he submits to the request of his, which of a wife, And it
says, in verse 27, immediately the king sent, an executioner
with orders to bring John's head.
He went and beheaded him in the prison and brought his head on a
platter and gave it to the girl. And the girl gave it to her
mother. They couldn't even wait for the
birthday to end. Wonder what kind of Silence was
in that room? I wonder what kind of feeling
came over them as that Grizzly, man's head laid on that platter
perhaps with his eyes opened. I don't just look at Herod as a
coward. I look at these men who knew
very well, John the Baptist as cowards just, as much, not being
able to speak up to stop this evil.
And here, they are with this decision, irreversible,
determined done, and something happens in verse 29, when his
disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in
a tomb. These brave men, they came to
that place. They retrieve the body,
headless, their love teacher. The preacher that they learn so
much from his way of life, that inspired them to be ready for
the coming of the Messiah. Is no longer alive.
Put him away with dignity and honor.
But what I love about this verse is how Matthew adds a detail to
it, and I want to show you that detail and clothes and go to
Matthew 14 verse 12. Matthew 14:12 it says and his
disciples came and took the body and buried it and they went and
told Jesus. They went and told Jesus.
Wise men. I don't know what was going on
through their minds if they go tell Jesus to warn Jesus.
Do you think John was afraid of Herod?
Not if you preach like this, Cave, John wasn't afraid.
Do you think Jesus was afraid of Jesus?
Jesus was afraid of Herod know. When he was told another time
about Harry's is go, tell that fox.
Remember those words go tell that fox, doesn't sound like a
man who was afraid about what Herod could do it then?
They come and tell Jesus, I'm sure to inform them, but I'm
under this persuasion, you could disagree with me.
You would have to disagree with me.
And Matthew Henry though. That they did more than report,
what happened? They sought comfort from Jesus.
Jesus, John is gone. Lord.
The 4Runner, he's no longer here and they opened their hearts to
him, they brought this tragedy to him, they brought their
sorrows their Heavy Hearts to to the perfect person.
So yes. He is so close to the sinner as
Paul preached in Acts 17. If he is not so far from them,
how much closer Is He To You. Beloved child of God, how
available is he to you? That you can come to him.
Once you are holding your arms, something that you can't fathom
and comprehend and trust that. As you do come to him, he can
console you and pour his love and his presence heal, you and
strengthen you I look at this and I think to myself, Lord,
don't only teach me how to be like, John, Who was not like a
reed easily shaken, by the wind, teach me to be like John's
disciples, who knew, who to go to when even their counselor,
their Mentor, their father in the faith was no longer
available, you know, who you can go to when the most spiritual
man, you know, of is no longer there, the one who called him
and made him the one who used him to bless your life.
The Source, the mouth of the river of all the blessings that
you enjoyed through him or through her go to Christ and sit
at his feet and pour your heart out.
But trust that men and women of God will come and go.
But Christ will remain forever. He's there and he's a friend and
he's the ever-present mentor. He's the one who's given all
those things. All those things through those
people to you. Does he not have an abundance
himself? Does he not have all the things
that you need himself? He does.
He surely dies all. There's so much more I can say,
and maybe we'll say more next week, but for now, I think
that's a perfect. Place to end.
Come to Jesus. Come to Jesus with your sorrow.
Come to Jesus for salvation. He is closed.
Lord this afternoon. We magnify Your Great Name.
With the Simplicity of these truths.
Lord, we are reminded of things perhaps that we have known.
But Lord, we ask that at this time, we would not be like Herod
far from it. Lord that what we heard today
would draw us closer to you and which stir us to say, oh I want
to be with him. I want to walk closer to him.
Lord, we pray that You would make us like pillars in your
house not like reads but pillars.
And Lord you would also help us as we go out into this world and
try to be faithful and effective that we would believe in the
power of your truth. And that like Herod we don't
know what's occupying a heart when it has come into contact
with who you are. Help us believe that you are in
control of all things and help us be like John who was faithful
until the end though, he could not perceive the great extent of
his efforts and a man as hardened and difficult.
And Herded and deviant, as Herod.
Well, we know that there are people like Herod who will be
convicted but never changed but oh help us.
Oh God, believe that there can be people like the parable that
Jesus taught that can say, I will not but will later change
their minds and submit to your will And Lord, if there is that
person in this place, who has many times that I will not, I
will not May today be the day where they say, I will.
I won't walk away anymore. Not only you can do it.
We bless you. Jesus name.
Amen.