Wonderful. Thanks. If you didn't recognize me, I. Pastor Drew, I was really impressed with those. I don't know if I'm supposed to like it or not, but I. Yeah, that's cool. I'm sure the gentleman could not make them that well, but I might bring.
Up some watercolors and make draw my own face.
That's good. That's a whole, like, therapy session to do that. Also, this is a test. If you watch scary movies, you're in trouble. So I heard someone go like, are we supposed to answer this? Yes. It's good to see you. I am. Drew, I'm excited that you're here, and we're excited to get into this. I'll just. Before we get into it, so excited about that. The women got to get away for 24 hours. I've already heard really cool stuff. And the thing that's been one of the most encouraging things to me, which is why I'm so excited for this weekend with the guys, is just people say I met people I didn't know. I now know people at my church.
That I never knew.
And I think there can be an assumption in a room this size with this many people are like, oh, we all kind of know each other. How can you not? But you don't, because we're busy and we're doing things, and we're connecting to the people we already know. And so what an opportunity for you to know. And not only that, but I heard some. Someone say we have really incredible women at our church. They were left encouraged by that, and I agree, and I think many of you would agree with that. So that's really just encouraging. That's worth the whole trip if we went and connected and understood how good.
Our family is here.
All right, let's get into this today. I'm excited. We are in the book of Mark. If you haven't had a chance to get one of our Mark, it's the book of Mark with some journaling pages. They're free to you. They're out of the tables. We'd love for you to grab one of those. We got those so everybody could have one of those, and we can journey through Mark together. And this question is. Is one that this time of year, I think about. I don't like scary movies. I don't like to be. I'm very startable. Startleable. You could scare me quickly, easily. And so I don't like them because of that, but I do really like terrible old monster movies like that aren't scary because they're so bad. And I grew to love those when I was in film school. We would. Because some of us would make those essentially. And then also we just love watching those and laughing at them. And so it made me start watching kind of old monster movies and the, like, maybe one of the ultimate monster movies ever is. This is a scene from, from Frankenstein, which came out a very long time ago, I believe, like 31.
Anyone know that for sure?
I mean, this is old, old, awesome old film. And this is this moment when the mob all gets together and they have their torches and they follow the monster around trying to find him. It's actually a scene that's in a ton of movies. In fact, any kind of monster movie, scary movie, there tends to be a moment where everyone gathers together to go fight the beast. Uh, it's really, it's really in all sorts of things, right? A lot of stories we read and it's really in just real life. It's why it's in these stories. It's a very real thing, right, that, that there's moments when people find there's something to fear, something scary, and they have to stop it. And so they gather together. This idea of like grabbing our pitchforks and torches is a phrase even that's used to say, hey, together we're going after this thing. And so this great picture of it in Frank, in this old Frankenstein movie where the mob chases the monster, it's been around forever, right? We, we hear many, many stories we know throughout history are. Have this attached to it really since the beginning, it's been a thing where there's a fear of a. Of other person and we have decided to. To destroy them essentially from Cain and Abel, right, all the way on. These are stories. Socrates was killed in this way as people gathered together essentially and had him drink poison. Jonah Arc was killed as a heretic in 1431. Again, a similar kind of people all gathered to decide she was eventually later, many, many years later, they did. They realized she was innocent.
Good.
She had already been killed way before that. Many reformers, as we read church history, people who were burned at the stake and killed because of their faith and because of trying to reformation women were killed in 1600s as witches. It's a thing we maybe hear about right now in. In October often that literally where people gathered together and burned these women claiming that they were witches, right? There's this thing that rises up in the people, including in American history, all over the world. But in American history we have these, these years of just lynching all over the place, especially black men and women who. There was no trial, no just mob of people rising up, taking people. The Communists in the 50s, right. This is like just recent history, but throughout all of history it's the same thing. So I was reading about this. Like this is such a built into us thing. And we're seeing this now in the Gospel of Mark. And today in Mark is when a lot of these build. And essentially this kind of starts. The torches start getting lit, the pitchforks start getting pulled out of the shed. I don't think they had shed, pitchfork sheds. But what happens here? So I was reading about. There's lots and lots of studies about this. And how does this happen? When does this happen? And there's kind of a pattern of it. So some sociologists said typically what happens is tension builds out of fear or envy or losing a power or losing a purity within a culture or a group. Fear, envy, power, purity. That makes sense, right? You're worried about those things being gone or taken away. And then as figure gets kind of represents that fear or that envy or that power. The scapegoat, it's actually a term that is used that we learned from scripture. And then that person is watched and people are just waiting for the opportunity. It's like everyone has their pitchforks ready. They're waiting for the opportunity. And once they can, they say a stir of emotions and certainty about the evil of this person causes a mob to act. Sometimes the name of God or justice or safety. And one of the interesting things, as I read about it said, often these groups of people almost unanimously have a moment of regret where they later say, like when they, they settle, they go.
Oh, that got out of control.
That's how. I mean, when. You know this, right? We know this because we see this all over, but we really see it.
Every day online, right?
How many videos have this exact where someone destroys somebody else? So usually it's a debate or usually it's someone talking. Usually it's really not even that. We love though, to see someone destroyed or we love to maybe watch two people destroy each other over outrage, right? And this then has turned the study of this not just on groups, but on like, how is this working in this sort of other world we live in online? Because even people have like a different life almost sometimes online. And so they find the same thing. There's a group that has outrage, it escalates quickly. Collectively, they decide we have to punish a person. Whether it's shaming or stopping them or canceling them. We would use that term or just piling on more things. And that group, they find, doesn't just decide to kind of destroy a person, but they also become certain of their morality, certain that they are the best and right in every way. It actually starts bleeding into, like, all areas of life. Now I know everything exactly right. Even if the thing was just about one topic, they also tend to lose any nuance in their life. So it says once a more. There's a quote. Once a mob forms. Context and empathy seem to vanish as the group grows. Context and empathy.
It's very.
I mean, this isn't like you. I go, oh, I didn't know that was happening, Drew. Right. This is like we. It feels like we swim in this. And today's passage is so encouraging to me because it. It kind of highlights. It brings out, like, what's happening in us and around us. Whether you feel like you're the person who maybe likes to gather a group and destroy something or someone, or maybe you have felt like you're on the other end of it, where you go, I don't. Or maybe you just feel like you're just worried that you will be on the other end of it. I feel that. I feel like, am I gonna say the wrong thing? Am I gonna do the wrong thing? Am I gonna go to the wrong place? And then the watching eyes will say, you're sit, you're done. And then a post goes online, right? And then you're like, you don't have a job and I have to move or something, right? You feel that pressure. Like, this is in our. In the workings and the systems we're in. And today I think Jesus doesn't just talk about this. He's right in the middle of it. And we get to see, like, where do we get there? How do we get to that place of destroying the mean monster? And how do we also deal with that and maybe work that out in our own hearts? And then what's the hope we have in all this? Cause there's actually a great hope in this that this doesn't have to control us or lead us or be our all. And so we're in the book of Mark and we're gonna get after it. I'm excited for this passage. It's been a real encouragement to me to maybe just even better understand myself.
And the people around me.
So we are at the end of Mark 2. So if you have your Bibles, you wanna open the end of Mark 2, we're gonna look at end of Mark 2 in the beginning of Mark 3 today, some passages about Sabbath and groups of people continuing to meet. See what Jesus is doing. And so, end of Mark 2. Let me give you a really quick rundown of what's been happening in the Book of Mark. We're just kind of into it, but a lot has already been happening. Jesus comes, he's born. We don't really get a lot of that story as much as this story of him being baptized and identified. God says, you are my son. I'm pleased with you. I love you. And he says, this is the, the. The one that's come. And so then we see Jesus showing off this kingdom he's ushering in this kingdom of God. He's showing off what that kingdom looks like. As now our king has arrived. He starts casting out demons, showing his authority over supernatural. He heals so many people, so many, in fact, there's times that they are like crushing in on him. And he has to move other places so that he's not just in the crowds all the time. He goes to Peter's house and heals Peter's mom. He touches a man with leprosy, which is such a no, no to do, but he actually heals the man with leprosy.
Remember that?
It pushes him kind of out into the desolate places, pushes Jesus out. A man is lowered into a house where Jesus is teaching and he heals him, declaring that he can actually forgive sins as well. Not just authority over spiritual things, but over sin and also over physical healing. Like just his kingdom takes on all things and whole people crowds everywhere, all the time. He's proclaiming good news that the kingdom is here, that we should turn to him, that we should join this kingdom. He shows that he's real and his presence is real and his kingdom is real and it's not stopping. Last week we looked. He actually ate with sinners. He ate with these people who are outcasts, who shouldn't. Shouldn't have been eating with. But he did. And he calls them to follow him. He talks to this bridegroom in this feast, and why are you fasting? When there's a wedding going on, we have to celebrate. And we ended with him reminding us.
Something new is coming, which is really good news. Really, really good news.
And in the midst of all this, this is a section in Mark where we get these short moments that Mark wants us to see, that there is.
Also a building tension in all this.
Not just this incredible thing that everyone goes, awesome, the king is here. Some people say, not awesome.
Who is this guy? I don't like what he's doing.
And so there's this confrontation with religious leaders as well, who are in the scenes during these moments. And they confront Jesus. And he explains each time over and over his authority, his dominion, his kingdom, this good kingdom is being shown that he's healed people and has authority over sickness and brokenness, that forgiveness shows his authority over sin, that. That dinner with sinners shows this grace that this king has. And today we're going to see even the Sabbath, this sacred thing that they have created many rules around. And also God has given us. He's going to explain what it's for, but also say, I'm even the Lord.
Over this sacred thing. He's in this series of moments with.
These religious leaders that will build the.
Tension over and over. And they are going to begin to start gathering their pitchforks and their. Their torches as people are.
Are thrilled with what he's doing. And people are not thrilled. And the tension will build and they will gather, and they want to stop this person. They are. They're fearful and they're angry and they're confused and they're plotting. And all these things build to this moment. As we get to kind of the last story in this group of encounters.
That Mark wants to see. Do you see what's happening here? These. These groups are getting kind of separated with Jesus.
So let's get to it. We're going to read this. If you'll stand. We're going to read these passages together, or I will read them. And we'll just kind of just to honor the Scripture and hear the Word. This is this good news in the Word of God from Mark 2. So let me just read this story.
To us here this morning, Mark 2. We'll start at verse 23.
On the Sabbath, he was going through the grain fields. And as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees were saying to him, look, why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath? And he said to them, have you.
Ever, never read what David did when he was in need and was hungry? And he and those who were with.
Him now he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar, the high priest, and ate the bread of.
Presents which is not lawful for any but the priest to eat, and also.
Gave it to those who were with him. And he said to them, the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
So the Son of Man is Lord, even of the Sabbath.
Then again, he entered the synagogue And a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus to see whether.
He would heal him on the Sabbath.
So that they might accuse him.
And he said to the man with the withered hand, come here. And he said to them, it is.
Is it lawful on the Sabbath to.
Do good or to do harm, to save a life or to kill? They were silent.
And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, stretch out your hand.
He stretched it out, and his hands were restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him. How to destroy him.
Jesus withdrew his disciples to the sea. And a great crowd followed from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, Idumia and beyond the Jordan and around Ty and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him. Because the crowd, lest they crush him.
For he had healed many so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried.
Out, you are the Son of God.
And he strictly ordered them not to make him known. Wonderful. You can have a seat.
We're going to take some time here to look at these. We're going to real quick look at the first and last kind of parts of this passage. Because I really want to sink in.
There's just so much here. I really want to take some time to process.
This middle section, this first part, though, is this first section that's talking about the Sabbath. The Sabbath was this time, this commandment that God actually said, hey, I want you to take time to rest, to restore, to reset. Now, there's lots of parts of the Sabbath. It's a great thing to study and look into. It's an opportunity for people and for God to show people this. This restoring aspect of life that he's created. And actually to allow God to restore them. It's also a great opportunity. A Sabbath is to show that, like, it's okay. It's going to be okay if you're.
Not doing stuff like you not working.
Actually, God still's got it. And so the Sabbath is this really great resetting of how we view ourselves and the world. And literally resetting the world. The big Sabbaths, like, Year of Jubilee Sabbaths, which we're, like, restoring, where, like, debts were forgiven and people were set free, land was given to people. It was like this very, very incredible system that God said, I want you to see that how I want the world to work is that there's moments where you rest. We see Sabbath now. We see as you talk to anyone. Your doctor says, hey, you're getting time to just, like, rest, right? How much time are you on your screen every day? That's a question your doctor's asking you about Sabbath. Are you not on it sometimes? Are you able to take a day where you, like, aren't in the midst of insanity and intensity? Are you able to set stuff down that gives your brain, your body and your mind rest? Are you able to do things that helps you restore in your life? This is just a normal thing. You watch enough videos online of people saying, how do I deal with my anxiety? And always there's a part of like, what does it look like to learn how to watercolor? You know, they're all recommending watercolor. Your pastor draw a picture of your pastor. They'll help just relax you. Everyone's knitting because we need a space to like, do something and not have a screen in front of us. So God's built this into our lives. And then over time, what happened? This. This happens. And then the Pharisees, the scribes, as we've been learning, created this oral law, this thing where they go, okay, now if this is what God wants, we're going to create this other written law that says, here's then what it looks like in life. And that has become quite complicated. And they get upset here about what they're doing. And so they see the disciples, they're walking through fields and they're picking grains off of the top and they're eating them. It's actually okay Old Testament, it's actually okay to pick the grains. They're actually were encouraged or commanded to make the edge of your field available so that people who didn't have could have. It actually helps feed the community. So that part wasn't wrong. The part is they consider this harvesting.
If you're picking them and then you're eating them, it's like they're technically harvesting.
And so the Pharisees say, hey, you shouldn't be doing on the heart. You're not supposed to be doing that. You're supposed to be resting. And Jesus tells them a story about David. Don't you remember this story about David? David, actually not a priest, but goes in and actually takes the bread of presence and gives it to his men. It's this really great story about this moment where he comes in, they're hungry and they need something, and they say, let's take this bread now, this bread, if you don't know, then that bread is actually this special bread that was created. They'd actually put 12 loaves of bread out that represented the 12 tribes of Israel. And it was a way to represent like that God always provides. And then after that bread was out for a certain amount of time, the priests were allowed to eat that bread. It was a way to actually sustain the priests as well as this symbol of sustaining God's people. And David, it's kind of against the law then in their law to go in there because he's not a priest, he shouldn't be eating the bread of presence. And it wasn't the time you were supposed to do that. And Jesus goes, hey, don't you remember the story, though? It seemed like in the moment, because there was hunger and, and need that God shows mercy. He'd rather have this mercy and restoration happen with these men. And David and his men by being able to eat this bread rather than just follow the rule of how they worked. And so he's saying, hey, don't you remember this story? Actually, sometimes on Sabbath we do eat.
Things because we need it.
We need to be nourished. Because Sabbath was made for human flourishing.
Not for human oppression.
Because Sabbath is for rest and restoration and renewal, not rules to control people. It's like a opportunity to restore you. Almost like I've heard someone say it's like a.
Like an oil change in some way for your car.
Like, your car gets this oil and.
This muck in it.
And by having this oil change or.
A tune up, there's like a restoration.
Out, runs better, runs cleaner, it's no longer stuck. And you're getting worried about where you take it and what kind of oil you have. And I actually went to the get my oil changed once and I said, hey, what kind of oil are you using? And he said, does it matter? I said, nope. I was just trying to sound like I knew something. And I said, well, what kind do you put in my car in case I need to, you know, I want to have some on hand in case it gets low. And he was like, if you're stuck.
Somewhere, any oil's fine.
Don't get stuck in the weeds of what oil? Now I'm sure it does matter what oil, but I thought, oh, I'm really getting stuck in, like, the brand and the kind instead of, like, in the end, you just need, like clean oil.
In your car so your car can run and be renewed. And I think this is where he's Jesus is.
Is getting at. He not only wants us to know he's the Lord of the Sabbath, but he also here states and reminds everyone.
The Sabbath was made for man, not man to the Sabbath. It's this great moment where they are upset about him not following this. And he says, I think you're getting confused. Why the Sabbath was created. It was to help restore and renew man and not for man to serve the Sabbath.
I mean, isn't that so true? It's like every rule or law we kind of. We can make into a thing where, like, my whole job in existence is.
To serve this thing and do it right rather than understand really why it was there.
This gets us to this next. This next part is what I really.
Want us to sit in.
Jesus declares that he is the Lord.
Of the Sabbath, also the Lord of rest, the Lord of restoration.
And like we've seen in our other.
Parts of Mark, he's going to show that now.
And this is a picture of every day of my life and every day of our lives in Christ and not in Christ. And so start looking. As we read through this again, we're.
Going to really look at this, look at what's going on here.
I think you find yourself in this passage a lot. Again, he entered the synagogue. So now again, he's in a synagogue. He's in the place they're worshiping. The Jewish people are there. It's where they'd be teaching. It's where they'd be worshiping. He's doing this a lot, right? It's an opportunity for him to come kind of right in the space of these Pharisees and scribes, in their space, kind of in their turf and able to declare what does the kingdom of God look like? And he's done that over and over. And now he's going to do it to where this tension's really going to build. He entered the synagogue and a man was there with a withered hand.
So there's a hand that is withered. We assume it's kind of closed.
And they watched Jesus to see whether.
He would heal him on the Sabbath so they might accuse him. That alone, that verse alone gets right to the heart of how, of many of my moments in life.
They're watching him to mess up. They're going, hey, there's a guy. We know this Jesus guy likes to heal people. We know he has this compassion. We know he's already done this over and over, move towards people that we've encouraged him not to. We've moved towards people that we've even created laws to not touch. And now there's a man. It's Sabbath. There's a clear law that if someone has a deformed hand or a withered hand, that on Sabbath, you don't do the work to heal it or care for it. You wait till the next day. So you wait till Monday, right? Or Sunday. You wait till the next day, and then you deal with it. Hey, man, sorry. Your hand is like that.
It can wait another day.
There is a law that says this.
And they're going, look at this guy.
The withered hand guy's walking in, and.
They go, oh, watch this. I bet he's going to try to heal this guy. And then we got him.
We got him. Because that's clear. He's in the synagogue. It's Sabbath. This guy loves to heal people. What a loser. He's gonna. But the part is, you see, you see the positioning here? They're watching, waiting to accuse. It's like the weapons ready. They got the pitchfork.
It's.
We're ready to get him. He's going to break this rule, this law.
He's going to mess up. And we got him. And Jesus knows this. And here's this really cool moment. We get to see Jesus.
Jesus stands there, and there's a man with a withered hand that he gets to look at. He gets to see his hand that is. That is broken, that isn't right. And then he sees a group of people who are standing there watching him. He. He knows, right? They're here. They want to see what I'm going to do on the Sabbath. And I get a moment to share with them that the Sabbath is for man and not man for the Sabbath, that I am the Lord of Sabbath. They have no idea. He's. He sees a withered hand man, and he sees a very brokenhearted people, a hardened heart.
We're going to hear people.
So he says, the man with the withered hand, come here.
He invites them close. You got it.
I mean, you got to guess.
The Pharisees are like, ooh, he's going to do it.
Get your pitchfork ready. He's going to do it for sure. He invited him over. They just can't wait. They're putting bets on how quick he's going to do it. And Jesus then turns to them, I imagine. I don't know exactly how this works, but he says to them, maybe turns to them, now, it says it is lawful on the Sabbath to do good.
Or is it to do harm? Or to save a life or to kill. That seems like maybe an obvious question.
Hey, it's the Sabbath.
Should we do good or hurt, or should we kill or save? And they're silent.
Silence is a big deal here.
They're silent.
I mean, it's an obvious answer. But if you say, Jesus, we should do good, then it's almost like you're saying you should help the guy. And if you say, well, you know, can't. Well, we should hurt or kill or destroy, then you're like, well, of course we shouldn't. God doesn't want us to do that. It's just kind of stuck in there and then just kind of are frozen because now they. In their convictions and their rules, in the way they're looking at it. What do we say here? And he looked around at them with anger.
This is a word for, like, righteous.
Anger, almost like a disappointment.
And grieved at their hardness of heart. They didn't say anything. He was hoping they go, there'd be.
Like, glimmers of light out of the hard heart.
And they go, it's for good, Jesus. You're right.
It's for good. It's Sabbath is to restore. We should restore things. But they say nothing.
And he says, oh, your hearts are so hard.
And I'm so encouraged that Jesus is.
Like, grieved by that and has this, like, a righteous anger, like a. I just wish you knew what you're missing, anger. You don't understand how much harm you're bringing. It's just like a grace, a mercy even, in that. And he turns then, I assume, turn to the man, right? He says, stretch out your hand. And like we've seen with the leper and Peter's mom and people have probably.
Seen hundreds of times in the crowds.
It says, his hand was restored.
It doesn't actually say he. He stretched out his hand or he. He could move his fingers more than before. It actually uses a word that is the word for the purpose of Sabbath.
The reason God gives a Sabbath is to restore. And he says, stretch out your hand. And now the man is restored. You wonder even, like, is there more? Is there more to that?
We don't know. I want to hear the story of this guy now, too. I want to meet up with him for coffee. I want to meet with the guy who got lowered through the roof for coffee. I want to meet with the leper guy. I want him to be like, tell me what's. What's up now? Give me the little story at the end of the movie, what happened now in your life you see the way happening here. So their heart, they're sitting in their hardness of heart, ready to accuse, watching and waiting. And Jesus is healing and restoring. It's like the man got the best Sabbath ever. You want to be restored on the Sabbath? Hang out with Jesus. He'll restore you on the Sabbath. And then their response, you'd hope their hearts would like the. The hardness would break off and they would become flesh again. And they would say, you're right, you are the Lord of the Sabbath and the Lord of all things. Instead, though this tension is built to.
A point, the Pharisees went out and immediately they had all counsel. They gathered people and the phrase here is strong. How are we going to destroy this guy? Some translations say kill.
These are the same words that we.
See used in scripture to find a lion that's describing Satan, that he prowls around accusing, destroying.
They don't realize they're even acting out.
The work of Satan in this.
This isn't new. We see this throughout Scripture, right? We see the woman who is caught in adultery, a similar thing. A crowd brings her in and they're going to kill her, destroy her for that. You know, this story Jesus encourages, hey, let the one without sin cast the first stone. And there's also the mob of Jesus we're going to see. This is really a picture of what is building, right? Jesus will actually be taken by a mob. We see this all over the place as Stephen is killed in the Book of Acts. We just learned that last year as.
We went through the Book of Acts.
What happens here is as I, as I was reading about how does this mentality happen in our lives? Social scientists were like, well, the same thing happens over and over throughout all of history.
And still today we see, they say.
You have to dehumanize a person. You have to allow fear and silence to become that person's life. They have to be so scared and so silent so that they cannot even defend themselves. So one of the things that one, one of the scientists said, I find that in communities that become that get world up in this, there is a great erosion of forgiveness. First for the person that they're the monster. And secondly, even within each other, forgiveness.
Becomes something that is no longer in the community. Isn't that interesting? You just study a community that has happens to.
They said also we see a distortion of truth. Complex issues get very flattened to good and evil.
These are obvious, right? You see this?
I think this all comes down for us here. What we can learn from this what we can lead us to Jesus in this is this question that he asked. I think some of the commentators said this. Even the way that Mark frames this passage is so important.
It really gives a picture essentially of what is happening here in the Gospels.
That we start with people looking and watching, ready to accuse him. He then moves towards some people. He asks some questions about, hey, what are you really making choices that are life or death? Like this is choice bringing life or death. And then Jesus heals and restores, and.
Then it bookends it, right? And then they end up trying to destroy Jesus. It's this picture. But he asks this question, right?
Is it lawful on the Sabbath to.
Do good or to do harm, to save or to kill?
I think he's asking the question so that maybe they would think, are you actually harming people and destroying them, or are you doing good and saving a life? And Mark is giving us this literary masterpiece in saying, you're witnessing what it looks like to do harm and kill and what it looks like to do.
Good and to save.
He's showing us this thing that just exposes us how quick I become a Pharisee. And my position without Jesus is this.
Position that I watch and wait and accuse and do harm and kill. I have a hardness of heart and I want to destroy. And Jesus comes and says, come here. He invites.
I want to do good. I want to save lives.
He's grieved. There's no grieving for Pharisees, not like.
Oh, even a little compassion for this guy.
And he restores, right.
He does what the Sabbath truly does. And so we get this moment where we get this shown off clearly what's happening in these people and shows off.
Who this Jesus is to be watched and ready to accuse in a hard heart that you have gathering to destroy rather than gathering to save.
Jesus in the same moment, in these same days is gathering people.
Would you join me in helping people know the good news that the kingdom of God is here, A kingdom that has come to rescue them?
So how does this happen? This is where I want us to land here today. How does this happen? And how do we, other than just leaving here and going, like Pastor Drew said, don't be Pharisees. So I'm going to go home and don't be a Pharisee. How do you root that? How do we get to what's really going on here in our lives? Let me explain it maybe in a less intense way. Let's say I'm a Packer fan.
I am.
Let's Say, my brother bought me this.
Pin that says, forever in our hearts.
If you don't know, that's referencing Brett.
Favre, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
And let's say I love Brett Favre. I'm the president of the fan club. He's the greatest quarterback ever. Maybe not. I don't actually believe. Let's say I do. Thanks. A friend also bought me this other pin. You get a little peek into my pin collection from my ears. Let's say I love Brett Favre. He's the best. He's my favorite. He's the ultimate. I'm in the fan club. I go to, like, meet and greets. I email him maybe every other day to see if he'll, like, email me back. I just want him to, like, acknowledge I exist. I love Brett Favre. He's the best quarterback ever. He brought the Packer to all this glory. I love him. And I'm hanging out with someone and they say, man, Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback. Also a great quarterback for the Packers. I just this week saw a list of greatest Packer quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers, then Brett Favre. And I went, oh, and I got so angry, and I made so many comments about how terrible that is, and I put so many YouTube links of great passes that. That Brett Favre made. So. So what is happening there? There's something I love so much and in the moment, man, you threatened my Brett Favre, right? You said he might not be the greatest thing ever.
You brought up how many interceptions he's thrown. And I was like, that doesn't matter, right?
I. How quick would I go to, like, hey, we're talking about how awesome the packers are and how it's sweet to not at least be a Vikings fan. And how quick you say, Aaron Rodgers is the best. And I go, I, like, accuse. And I am ready to gather my Brett Favre friends and we are going to destroy you. How much am I willing to spend my time and energy in chat rooms saying how terrible you are because of a thing that does not matter now? This is, like, goofy, right? That's just Brett Favre in football, a game people play in big buildings, like, doesn't matter, but how quick we have a thing and it's exposed when we become accusers and watchers and destroyers. So whatever you're willing, whatever happens, and you go. And something turns and you go, oh, you're done. And now you're, like, on the lookout.
Oh, who's going to say this thing? I'm going to have to use a certain programming to like, look the Internet for whoever's saying Brett Favre and the words isn't good, right?
And I'm going to find you and I'm going to accuse you how terrible you are and I'm going to destroy you. How quick it just exposes to us, in us, in our hearts, this hardness and really this idolatry. I think that's what's happening. The Pharisees, they've created something in this law and, and they forgot what it was for. They forgot that the Sabbath was for restoration. They forgot that God had created people to worship him and be part of his kingdom. And there it seems to be a part of, like, you're really calling out our kingdom.
You're taking over our kingdom that we've created.
And so we have.
We are ready to fight and destroy. Oh, goodness. If only it was Brett Favre that I got worked up about. And I don't really even care. But so many parts of my life, how quickly I get very angry and ready to destroy you and accuse you, whether it's in the moment in my home or with a friend or the.
Co worker, or online, like, whoa, when.
That happens is exposing something in us.
And so what, what does Scripture say? How do we deal with this? How do we move from this? Well, a great counselor believer, a guy who I've really been encouraged by even in some of my studies of counseling and pastoring, is Paul Tripp. And he actually writes about this. He says, what does it look like then, to people who don't do that? So what if we turn our attention, turn our love and our affections to Jesus? What does that look like? Well, actually, Scripture tells us all different ways. I was looking to be people who are restorers, because you go, I don't want to be that. So what does that look like? Well, if we turn our affections to.
Jesus, it looks like restoration. It looks like we're providing an opportunity for God to restore to Sabbath people. Right?
And he actually says, what does it look like?
Just even in our speech, which I think actually applies to lots of other parts of life.
But I just want to share. This is from an article that he wrote that shares what does it look.
Like to be people of restoration, which.
Is essentially people of the gospel? If we're Jesus's people, if he's gathered some people not to destroy, but to restore, what does that look like? And so just practically, this is what he encourages with. He says in James 1:19, encourages us to listen before speaking.
If the gospel's got a hold of us. This looks different, right? Instead of accusing and destroying, we can listen.
We can listen because I'm not in.
It's not harming me to listen.
I don't have to worry about, like, defending. I don't have. Jesus has done all the things that.
Are needed for me.
And so I can stop and I.
Can listen to someone.
I can speak truth in love. I can offer grace to those who hear. I can seek restoration in my own life. Let's just look at these passages really quick. James says this. Know this, my beloved brothers. Let every person be.
Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. I want the righteousness of God in my life, and my anger is not going to produce that. And actually I could take a breath.
I can listen.
Oh, that's what you think about Aaron Rogers. Oh, I guess I didn't think about that.
Right. I can take. Even if I'm like, I disagree with.
You, but I can think that way. Right?
And what about speaking truth in love? Ephesians is great for Ephesians 4 is.
Great for all this.
Rather speaking the truth in love. We are to grow up in every.
Way into him who's the head into.
Christ from whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint with.
Which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow as it builds itself up in love. This. This image of building up and that.
We can actually still speak truth. I can say, hey, this is still true. But I can do like man, I love you. I can see how you really desire this relationship. You desire someone to care for you and love you. I think the way you're doing it isn't helpful. God didn't make you to have this kind of relationship and he did do this. He did give you these people in this way. You could do that in love as we see Christ still even do that in love.
Right? And build up.
We offer grace to those who hear. Let no corrupting talk come out of our mouths, but only such as is good for building up as fits the.
Occasion that it may give grace to those who hear the end here, right? Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
How can I do that?
Only because Christ has first forgiven me.
Has healed me, has given me grace, has listened to me, and has made that hardened heart soft again.
We can offer grace to those around us and we can seek others restoration, not our own relief. This one is tough. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility, count others more significant than ourselves. Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of.
Of others. This one is tough because this might.
Mean that I suffer or I'm uncomfortable in order to make sure you can be restored.
This after this.
In Philippians 2, it describes who Jesus is. He comes from heaven, becomes a man.
Lays down his throne, and says, I'm going to come and rescue people. I'm going to die and I'm going to suffer, and even a cross so.
That my people could be restored.
What? There's no story like this. The one we turn and worship that can change us and transform us into being people who restore and redeem and not people who destroy, is the one who came and was the most uncomfortable and thought the most of us and set aside his own interests because we were his interests. It's this beautiful picture, right? Paul Tripp ends this. This party says, as we remember that Christ's own words brought both truth and.
Mercy, we're invited to let our speech bear his likeliness, firm in truth and love and hope.
That's where I want to leave us today. This is the filter.
I think that we could help. Help us.
Why?
Why am I so angry at my friend who loves Aaron Rodgers? Why do I want to destroy him?
Is my speech or my action, Is it coming out of a firmness in truth? Is it coming out of love? Is it coming out of hope? I think hope often presents itself even as like a discontentment. That person is hopeless, which doesn't. Which is actually a destructive thing. Right. And so what does it look like for us to live lives?
Because Jesus is our truth and has shown us love and is our great hope. We can be people who live in truth and love and hope. It's really good news.
The last passage here that we see, the last part of this is just what life looks like. And I think it looks like what life looks like for us today. Jesus continues to do ministry and heal people. He continues to go all different places, all over the. All over the area. And people continue to gather around him, crying out, heal us. Restore us. And at the very same time, demons.
Unclean spirits come and they say, you.
Are the Son of God. They're not saying, oh, you're so awesome. They're actually declaring and yelling out who he is so that people can know where he is and the Pharisees can go, there he is, get him.
At the same moment, these things are happening all around us. And we get to choose then are we gonna turn our turn towards Jesus.
Be restored, be transformed, and then get.
To be part of those who restore or part of those who destroy? I'm going to invite our worship team.
Up as we move to a time to worship. This moment that we see in this movie just really shows our own hearts.
And our own lives of people, of where we're going to stand and where we're going to put our hope.
And thankfully, we don't just get the stories that the people in Mark got in that moment in history. We actually get the continued story of our God, who didn't just heal them, but was willing to go to a cross, was willing to be destroyed so that we could have life becoming our crucified king, our resurrected king, our loving and reigning king, our Lord of Lords, the Lord of the Sabbath, and the Lord of restoration.
And we get to get to cling to him today, making us also restorers in his kingdom. That's really good news. Friends, as we move to a time of worship, I want you to consider a few things.
Consider, will you look to Jesus to restore you? I. There's so many things I'm going to look to that I think will restore me. I think in some sense, loving Brett.
Favre will make me some whole.
Right. Whatever that is.
And it doesn't.
And so what is it that we're looking to? And.
Will you turn to Jesus?
Maybe consider who or. Or what will you destroy others for? Could indicate, maybe expose a little bit of what that idol is in your life, who encourages you with truth, love.
And hope, and who needs to hear this great news.
We also love to take communion. It's an opportunity. Our whole service moves towards a moment when we get to sing and worship and praise God and also take communion, which is us remembering his body broken.
And his blood shed, that he actually was moved to and allowed these people to destroy him and kill him so that he could raise from the dead and defeat death.
And so we do that every week. They're out in the hallway. There's tables there. If you're a follower of Jesus, we'd love for you to take communion. Do it by yourself or with others to remember this good news of Christ. We also sing. There's people who'd love to pray for you in the back of the room if you want prayer. And we always give as an opportunity to.
Just as Jesus is generous with us, we are generous with one another.
Let me pray for us as we.
Keep moving towards worship here Lord. Thank you. Oh, thank you for your restoration of us. We are broken and withered, and you have restored us. And we look forward to the day when you will truly restore all things. Thank you, Lord, for that goodness.
I pray that would soak into our hearts, that that would cause our hard hearts and our hard parts of our hearts to become soft and alive. Lord, that you'd help root out any idolatry that we have that's turning us away from you, that's not just harming.
People around us, but ourselves. We would be rest in you, and you'd be restored by you. Thank you, Lord, for these people in this moment that we get to have together to worship you.