Sunday sermon
Posted by: grosey2 <grosey2@...>
Luke 7:18-35 BEATING THE BLUES
18 Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things. 19 And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" 20 When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?' " 21 And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. 22 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. 23 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." 24 When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously apparelled and live in luxury are in kings' courts. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.' 28 "For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." 29 And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him. 31 And the Lord said, "To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying: 'We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not weep.' 33 "For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' 35 But wisdom is justified by all her children."
1. Accept the Reality Of Doubt
He was out of his environment.
John faced fear for the future
John faced mistreatment from the malicious.
John faced the blocking of all his goals.
John faced loneliness
2. Accept The Refreshment From God
A. Go to Jesus
He Picked John Up With Some Public Proofs
He Picked John up With Some Obvious Occurrences.
He Picked John Up With Some Personal Persuasion.
He Picked John Up With Some Prominent Promotion.
b. Receive From Jesus
Conviction Of His Truthfulness
Confidence In His Faithfulness
Confirmation Of Your Usefulness
Luke 7:18-35 BEATING THE BLUES
When you got up this morning did you sing Oh What A Beautiful Morning, or did you sing, Make the World Go Away? When your alarm went off did you loook at it through bleary eyes and say ohhh nooooooo another day and Im still here? Then you may have the blues.
Life has its great times, it has its average times, and then it has its rough times. The mountains always have valleys. The old preacher said, "Sometimes I'm up, sometimes I'm down, and sometimes I'm almost to the ground." Sometimes we feel like we're on the fast track, and other times like we're on the slow track. But sometimes we may feel like we're tied to the track. Those are the times when you feel helpless, hopeless, humorless, and hurt.
Everyone has been through it. People have different names for it. Paul called it losing heart, Chuck Swindoll calls it being at low tide, Spurgeon called it the minister's fainting fits, the psalmist called it the depths, the poet called it the dark night of the soul, psychologists call it depression, and I call it Monday. It's the down time.
Everyone has bad days. One guy's love life was so bad he tried to place an ad in the personals and they put it in the obituaries. Even Robert Schuller, the positive preacher of the possibility persuasion, probably has bad days. I suspect he checks into a hotel under an assumed name and says all day long, "I hate glass and I hate Window cleaner." In that same motel are Big Kev, and hes not excited. And theres the guy wqho says and theres more, but hes run out of puff. Everybody has bad days.
How do you battle the blues?
Today, we are going to look at a discouraged prophet, John the Baptist. Did you know this prophet came to a place in his spiritual life where he doubted Jesus was really the Messiah? He looked at Jesus ministry and said, You dont look much like the Messiah I expected. Come on, lets be honest with each other. Have you ever doubted like John the Baptist? Have you ever wondered if we are all keenly intent on believing and proclaiming some ancient myth? Have you ever thought it possible we are all wrong? I have. Sometimes thoughts of doubt will sneak through my mind, whispering such questions as, Is there really a God? Is the Bible true? Is there really an afterlife? A wise man once said, No person can be truly right unless he has seriously considered the possibility that he may be wrong. I believe what the Bible teaches about God and truth will stand up to any scrutiny and investigation. Healthy doubts always lead us to seek truth. But you may be the kind of person who says, Oh, no! Dont even say those words. Im afraid God wouldnt like it if I doubted. Dont worry, if you have doubts, God isnt going to strike you with a lightning bolt. Lets see how Jesus reacted to Johns doubt.
In the case of John the Baptist, and of countless believers since his time, perplexity, confusion, and even doubt can sweep into a persons' life on the back of some intense personal crisis or loss. Doubt, confusion, perplexity can crowd into a believer's life. John was the greatest man who had lived until his time. When believers' are confused or perplexed, we can take comfort in the way the Lord dealt with John's doubts and fears. We will discover that the same way that the Lord deals with John's doubts, fears and depression is the same way the Lord can and does deal with us who are His Beloved children.
Humanly speaking, the career of John the Baptist had ended in disaster. He had been a fiery, independent, dramatic, courageous man who preached exactly what needed to be preached, and to whom it needed to be preached. He was fearless, aggressive, and faithful to the Lord in every way. He called sin sin, and demanded that people turn their back on sin and turn to the Lord. And now he was in prison because of His faithfulness to the Lord. The last time we heard from John before this passage was in Luke 3:19 where we read, but when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brothers wife, all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
On a trip to Rome, Herod Antipas, governor of Galilee, had taken a liking to Herodias, his brother Phillip's wife, and he had seduced her. Returning to Galilee, Herod divorced his wife and married Herodias. When John the Baptist heard of it, he publicly confronted Herod with his sin and was promptly thrown into prison. Only Herod's fear of the peoples kept John from the executioner's axe.
John was imprisoned at an old fort at Machaerus, located in a hot and desolate region five miles East and fifteen miles South of the north end of the Dead Sea. He was placed in a dark, stifling dungeon that was little more than a pit.
After about 18 months of preaching in the wilderness, and having grown up in the country, John was now confined and isolated. He had been used to the wide open spaces, the clean wind on his face, the sky for his roof, and now he's stuck in between the four walls of an underground prison. For a man like John, who may have never lived in a house, this must have been an agony.
Once, long ago in Carlisle Castle in Scotland, a highland chieftain had been imprisoned in a small cell with just one window, too high to be looked out of when a man is standing on the floor. On the ledge of the window, in the stone, are two depressions, worn away. the marks left by his hands where, day after day, over many years, he had lifted himself to look out that window on the green hills he would never be able to ride on again. That must be something of the agony that John endured. John had been in prison for perhaps a year before he sent these two disciples to Jesus.
Who is that is expressing doubt? This is the man of God who was the forerunner of the Messiah. We read about his miraculous birth to elderly parents in Luke 1. We are told that he was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mothers womb. John was so certain at one time that he pointed to Jesus and shouted, Look! Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He was the one who baptized Jesus and heard a voice from heaven proclaim, This is my Son, whom I love, listen to Him! Surely this man would never? But he is the very one who said, Are you really the one?
Look at what Jesus said about John : 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.' 28 "For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist;
The greatest prophet, John the Baptist, doubted .woow!
If you ever have doubts, you are in pretty good company. Sometimes those closest to Jesus expressed doubts. You can hear the doubt in the voice of Martha when Jesus arrives four days after Lazarus had died. Martha had sent for Jesus and asked Him to come help Lazarus days before. Its as if she is saying, Jesus you say that you love us, well, if you had been here my brother would not have died! (See John 11:21)
The great prophet, Elijah got so discouraged that he doubted Gods plan for his life. Elijah sits under a tree and says, Lord, I dont like the way things are happening to me, just let me die. We have even given the title doubting to one of Jesus disciples. We call him Doubting Thomas because he wanted to see some proof that Jesus was indeed alive after the crucifixion.
When a believer has faithfully and sacrificially served the Lord for many years, and then experiences tragedy, or a series of tragedies, it is difficult not to wonder about God's love and justice. When a person endures unjust treatment, or when a young husband or wife dies or leaves, or when a child dies, or cancer strikes a loved one, we are tempted to ask: "God, where are you now when I need you? Why has this happened to me? Why don't you answer and help me?"
Often it is times such as these that Satan comes along and tries to magnify these thoughts in our hearts, and like a giant wrestler, he attempts to throw our souls into the depths of despair. Satan begins to whisper lies in our ears, God doesnt care... He doesnt love you. He wouldnt treat His children this way. Maybe you have come to a place of difficulty in your life. Its easy to doubt God and ask, God are you really there? Do you really care? Why dont you get me out of this mess? Or we dont even pray, we just think, I dont believe a God of love would allow all this to happen to me.
1. Accept the Reality Of Doubt
John's circumstances were well-designed to take him to the pit of despair.
He was out of his environment. Maybe you're dealing with a situation that is entirely new to you. You had never before contemplated that this could happen to you.
John faced fear for the future
Uncertainty about what was to happen next must have gripped John on a daily basis. Often he was called in to preach in front of Herod, for the scriptures tell us that Herod liked to hear what he had too say. Each time he must have considered that his greatest critic would one day have John's head on a platter.
Maybe you're faced with a strong, overpowering sense of fear for your future. You don't know what is going to happen next. You don't know what so-and-so is going to do or say next. And you're scared. The tension is "killing you".
John faced mistreatment from his enemies.
I guess that's one class in life that is not optional. Everyone faces mistreatment by people. It's the natural bent of man to hurt others. John had experienced mistreatment from his very own countrymen. "He's too holy, he can't relate to people" or "He's a dangerous man, he'll have the Romans down on our necks in no time." Maybe you're facing continued mistreatment from those who once claimed to be your friends.
John faced the blocking of all his goals.
His expectations of himself and of Jesus were unfulfilled! Unfulfilled expectations. This is one of the burdens that bring on the blues. Sometimes we have unrealistic expectations for ourselves. We set our personal goals too high. And when we fail, or circumstances combine to thwart our goals, we become unstuck. John's goal was not to be in prison. John's expectation was, that since the Lord had appointed him to be the one who would prepare the way for the Lord, that John would somehow be involved in pointing out the King and bringing in the Kingdom. He thought, just as Jesus' disciples had thought, that Jesus, being the King of Kings, was going top walk right into Jerusalem and throw out all the bad Jewish leaders, throw out the Romans, bring in everlasting peace, and rule as King over all the world. And here he is, sitting there in that hell-hole while the Lord's enemies, John's enemies, stood around gloating over him. He had been reduced to a thing of amusement for the Lord's enemies. Where was God in all this? John had misconstrued God's plan. He hadn't really understood all that the Old Testament scriptures said about God's plan for His messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. John had only gotten half the story. And he was confused. Maybe, today, you have misconstrued God's plan for your life. You may have listened to the "Health and Wealth Gospel", and you've believed that the Christian life is just an easy cruise into heaven. A pleasure-boat ride! And things haven't been so easy. You need to discover that there is a cross to carry being a disciple of Christ. There is a Saviour to follow. Isaac Watts wrote that hymn:
AM I a soldier of the cross Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas.
And then there was the loneliness. John faced all of this alone. His parents had both been long dead. His parents had had only one child, there were no brothers or sisters to share his grief. There was no wife to carry the load. John's disciples, well he had sent them off to follow Jesus. Few of them were willing to take the risk of visiting this "trouble-maker" in prison. And those who were willing were not able to get in for very long. Perhaps part of your despair is that there seems to be no one with whom you can share this particular burden. But, did you know, that's why the Lord puts us in fellowships, so we can encourage one another. Most problems are common. Others have been through the deep waters you're going through now, only you don't know it. God often places someone in a fellowship who has faced the same problem that you have, just so he or she can comfort you with the same comfort the Lord comforted them with (2 Cor.1:3,4).
John was beginning to face the doubt that maybe he was self-deceived. Maybe he hadn't been sent ahead of Jesus to "prepare the way for the Lord". Maybe he was just a 34 year old who had lost his way, and his life was a waste. Maybe you are facing these very thoughts; "Is Christianity real?" Maybe I've deceived myself?"
It is often in these circumstances that our eyes turn inwards. We become introverted, turned in on our own problems...we start to sing..."Oh Nobody knows the troubles I've seen, Nobody knows but Jesus?!"
2. Accept The Refreshment From God Go to Jesus
Do you know, one of the amazing things about the Lord is that He knows all about you. He knows all about your fears, your uncertainty of the future. He knows all about your mistreatment, the things that have gone wrong, and He cares!
The Lord cares for and comforts His people. John went to the right person with His problem. He took his worries, his doubts, and all his confusion right to the Lord Jesus Christ. Luke 7:18 Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things. 19 And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus
1PE 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
PHI 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Sometimes we wonder whether the Lord will have compassion on us. We know we ought not too doubt, we ought not to lose heart. We know this is sinful, and we think to ourselves "I can't expect anything but reproof from the Lord because of my lack of trust and faith in Him ". You know, we're right. But He is gracious, so tender-hearted and compassionate. He gives us what we don't deserve, He does comfort the heart of those who are down cast. There is a passage in Matthew 12 (20) A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. (21) In his name the nations will put their hope."
I can stand here this morning and give my testimony to this... that there have been many times when I have been the bruised reed, or the smouldering wick, and He hasn't put me out. Oh I've really deserved it, but He hasn't put me out. He picks up the downcast.
Now this morning, I want to show you how the Lord picks up the downcast.
The Lord picked up downcast John. He can pick up downcast Al, Reg, Cheryl, Eunice, He can pick you up when you're downcast, just as easily as He picked up John.
He Picked John Up With Some Public Proofs
21 And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. 22 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. (Luke 4:16-21 NIV)
(16) He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. (17) The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: (18) "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, (19) to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (20) Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, (21) and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
The most the Lord Jesus could give John was what the Scriptures had said. Year in, year out, the Jews had memorised and dwelt on what the prophets had foretold about the Messiah. And here was Jesus saying to John, "OK John, what does the scripture say that the Messiah should do...that's what I'm doing ...I'm FULFILLING the scriptures right in front of you! Don't lose heart!"
You shouldn't lose heart. Jesus has proved who He is. He ahs proved beyond a shadow of doubt that He is the Messiah.
Ive always enjoyed working with electronics. Im not an expert, but I have always been able to set up a VCR or other equipment like that. In other words, if your VCR is blinking 12:00, I can probably fix it if Im ever in your homeor just ask your grandchild to fix it. Several years ago, one of my friends, who is electronically challenged, bought a new piece of equipment to hook into his TV. After a frustrating afternoon of trying to get it work right, he called me (since I had the same piece of equipment). I had a little trouble on my first attempt, so I said, Lets look at the operating instructions. He looked at me and said, Operating instructions? We finally found the operating instructions stuffed in the box out in his garage. After reading the instructions, we got the equipment working.
When life doesnt seem to work right, its a smart thing to read the instructionsthe Bible. I think the letters B.I.B.L.E. could stand for: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. If you are entertaining honest doubts, dont just sit around and brood. Open the Bible and start studying the scriptures. When you are stumbling around in a dark fog of doubt and confusion, remember the words of the psalmist, your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105) Jesus suggested John consider the scriptures and thats good advice for us.
He Picked John up With Some Obvious Occurrences.
22 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.
Notice the specific examples Jesus mentions: the blind, lame, lepers, deaf and even dead people. People with needs were being helped. You really cant argue with a person whose life has been changed.
Years ago, Robert Ingersoll, a noted atheist, was quite wealthy and used his wealth to travel around and publicly discredit the Bible and Christianity. Once in London he stood in a large hall before an audience and said, There is no God. If there is a God may He strike me dead in the next five minutes! Then he would take out his pocket watch and count down the minutes. Men sweated and ladies fainted, expecting a lightning bolt to incinerate this man. Nothing would happen, then he would make his lecture scoffing at the Bible and God. Someone told Pastor Joseph Parker about Ingersolls five-minute challenge of God. Parkers response was, And so, the gentleman from America thinks he can exhaust Gods patience in only five minutes?
Upon hearing this statement, Ingersoll invited the Pastor Joseph Parker to a public debate about the claims of the Bible and Christianity. Dr. Parker accepted the debate on certain conditions. He told Ingersoll he would bring ten men from his church that had been delivered from alcoholism by their faith in Jesus and all Ingersoll had to do was bring one man whose life had been saved from drunkenness by atheism. Dr. Parker offered to bring ten married couples whose marriages had been saved and renewed by Christ; all Ingersoll had to do was produce one couple who could say the same about atheism. Ingersoll declined. Why? You cannot refute a changed life. Jesus was changing lives 2,000 years ago, and He is still changing lives.
If you are struggling with doubts about the Christian life, I want to challenge you to do what Jesus suggested. Take some time and conscientiously study the Bible. So consider the scriptures, but also look around and see the thousands of peoples whose lives have been changed because of Jesus.
He Picked John Up With Some Personal Persuasion.
23 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.
He Picked John Up With Some Prominent Promotion.
24 When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously apparelled and live in luxury are in kings' courts. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.' 28 "For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."
b. Receive From Jesus
Conviction Of His Truthfulness
Confidence In His Faithfulness
Confirmation Of Your Usefulness
Jesus points out John was more than a prophet. John the Baptist was a transitional character between the Old and New Testaments. He was the last in a long line of great Old Testament prophets. But he was more because he was the Elijah who was to come before the Messiah. Of all the people ever born of woman (thats most of us), John was the greatest. What a compliment! Jesus was saying John was greater than Abraham, Moses, Elijah, King David and all the rest. In other words, humanly speaking, John is the very best mankind can do. But is that enough? No really.
The Kingdom of God is Greater than humanitys best. Jesus said the least in the Kingdom of God was greater than humanitys best. What does He mean? The phrase born of woman is important. That speaks of our human identity. We have all been born of a woman but Jesus told a fine, religious man there is another birth more important than being born in the flesh. Jesus told Nicodemus a person must be born again or they will never see or enter the Kingdom of God. When you experience this second birth you become a part of Gods kingdom. All you need to have a kingdom is a King and Jesus becomes the personal Lord or Ruler of your life. John was the servant in the kingdom; we are heirs of the King! John was the friend of the bridegroom, we are actually the bride! Today, the youngest believer has spiritual riches John the Baptist could never imagine. We have Jesus residing in our hearts, we have the scripture describing the new Covenant, we have the fellowship of other believers. You can rejoice today that in the eyes of Jesus, the least in Gods kingdom are greater than humanitys best.
Sometimes, doubts arise. Even the most faithful Christians sometimes doubt, especially when we are going through periods of adversity. Were not told what happened to John the Baptist when the messengers reported back to him. I suspect a smile peeked out from his bushy beard. Later, Im certain others reported to him, John, Jesus said you are the greatest man ever born of woman!
Mark reports on the night of Herods birthday, there was a lot of drinking and dancing. Salome, the daughter of his stolen wife, Herodias, inflamed Herod with her movements. When Herod said, Ask for anything, Ill give it to you, up to one half of my kingdom. (He was just boasting, because he didnt even have a kingdom. He was like a county judge over four provinces.) After consulting with her mother, she asked Herod to give her Johns head on a platter. Herod couldnt break his word so a soldier was dispatched to Johns cell. What do you think was going through Johns mind at the last? Doubt? I doubt it. As the sword swished through the air, Johns earthly life endedand so did his captivity. He was instantly escorted into the presence of God. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Elijah were already there. Jesus said John was greater than all of them! I would suspect in heaven John must have thought, Why did I ever doubt?
You see folks, doubt cant keep you out of heaven; it just keeps you from experiencing the JOY of heaven now!