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Teaching podcast from the Eagle Community Church of Christ in Mont Belvieu, TX.
Hi, friends. Welcome back to the Eagle Community Church of Christ. My name is John Gunter. This week we are in, week 3 of our Mark series and we're talking about when good things are bad. What we're doing is examining people who kept critiquing Jesus every time he did something, especially on the Sabbath.
John Gunter:Jesus was a button pusher and so he uses these times to teach people. Do we have the same heart to hear those teachings and learn those lessons? Are we gonna be hard hearted as well? That's the lesson for today. Hope it helps, and thanks for listening.
John Gunter:Come and worship together. Thank you, Tyler, for leading us in worship. I could sing that last song about 3 more times and still be, not getting enough. We've had a great weekend. I hope you have as well.
John Gunter:My soccer team won 6 to nothing, so that, you know, that keeps me from ruining a weekend. Yes. Evan got to play. He was 1 and 1, and so, also the Razorbacks won, so I know you're interested in that. But we have family in as well.
John Gunter:So, Katie's got family in. The only rule I have is that I'm not supposed to mention my mother-in-law. So sure I won't get in trouble with that. Oh, yes. Okay.
John Gunter:Nana is here, if you haven't heard. She is the one who always put me on the edge of the picture that I have talked about before, and I caught on that she could cut me right out of it if need be. I told her I said that to the church, and she said, well, we've had to cut out a lot of people before. So, that was the reason for that. But we are glad that you're here this morning.
John Gunter:We've been working through a series on the gospel of Mark. Last week, we talked about Jesus' ministry, and I didn't say it out loud. I saw that as a sermon title, Ministry in the Trenches, because ministry, I think a lot of times, looks way different than maybe we perceive it. A lot of times, the church people, or in Jesus' day, the Pharisees, people who were trying to trap Him, they were very uncomfortable with the way He did ministry, because he was hanging out with those dreadful sinners. And when you think about it, who in this audience is not one of those dreadful sinners, right?
John Gunter:Because the problem was, was self righteousness. Well, I'm better than all those people that Jesus is hanging out with, right? And so today, we're going to kind of continue a similar thought, kind of exploring those hardships that Jesus came into, the things that people were constantly fighting him about. And so, we begin from Mark 2, starting in verse 23. 1 Sabbath, he was going through the grain fields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.
John Gunter:The Pharisees were saying to him, look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath? Great question. Right? And he said to them, have you never read what David did when he was in need and was hungry? He and those who were with him, how 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, but also gave it to those who were with him.
John Gunter:Have you not read that? 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. And so, this is one of those recurring themes throughout the gospels. This is one of those things they try to nail him down and say, see, he's not who he says he is or he wouldn't be doing this.
John Gunter:He's not the Lord. He's not the Son of God because, obviously, he is breaking this commandment of working or doing things on the Sabbath. And what I want you to notice is from Deuteronomy 23, 24, and 25. Okay? If you go into your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes as many as you wish, but you shall not put any in your bag.
John Gunter:If you go into your neighbor's, standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor's standing
John Gunter:grain. Well then,
John Gunter:what about those church folks that said Jesus was wrong for plucking the heads of the grain? Are they correct? Or is Deuteronomy correct? Now what I want you what I want you to notice in this is that Jesus could have used this when they were saying, you know, you're doing this. Why are they doing this?
John Gunter:He could've said, if you not read Deuteronomy, it's very clear, right? Jesus actually uses that which is uh-uh a little more in your face. Have you not read what David did that is unlawful for anyone to do other than the priest? And you had to think there were some pearl clutching at that moment. Right?
John Gunter:Because Jesus often did this. Jesus was a habitual button pusher. Do you know that? That's what he did. They had a problem with him, and he was out to teach them.
John Gunter:The problem is not with me, it's that you haven't understood the scriptures. Have you not read? And that's exactly what David because it says, if you've never read what David did when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him, how he entered the house of god in the time of Abiathar, the high priest, and ate the bread of presence, 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. The issue they had was missing the point of what the Sabbath was for.
John Gunter:The Sabbath was not one of these things to make a legalistic rule out of, Oh, you didn't have food prepared. You can't eat anything. You need to starve. Right? God instituted the Sabbath for us, for people.
John Gunter:You ever heard of a blue law? Ever experienced that? Looking at my crowd here, probably the one you will get the most is liquor stores can't sell liquor on Sundays. Just looking around here, at who I've got here. You've seen that before?
John Gunter:And it started out as something, you know, okay, we are going to observe, you know, this religious day, and so you can't do different things. Now, some states you can't hunt on Sunday, like it extends even further. I know. I I don't know. It's, it's blasphemy for sure.
John Gunter:But it started out as things like that. We want to allow people to to take all the reasons away, right, so they can go and they can worship God. Now, what people started understanding and and realizing is that this shop owner realizes that if we don't have that blue law, then my competition is gonna be open on that day. And so, they started realizing, oh, I benefit from that. It's not that I, I could make some more dollars, but that also means I don't get any rest.
John Gunter:That I have to be open every day. You see, all of a sudden, you realize, though it's not for religious reasons, you realize, oh, this is the day I benefit from. And so, what they were missing was, okay, this is for you to be able to rest. Jesus did nothing wrong. He said, you read your Scriptures?
John Gunter:David did far worse than what you're accusing me of. He ate the bread of presence. Nobody was supposed to
John Gunter:eat that other than the priest. When he
John Gunter:could have said, well, look at Deuteronomy. Well, Jesus, again, he says, so the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath, and of course, we say amen to that, right? Jesus continues with this in Chapter 3, so 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. What an evil man he was, right?
John Gunter:And he said to the man with a withered hand, come here. And he said to them, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm? Foreshadowing. Cut to the end, right? Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?
John Gunter:And they couldn't answer him. Because what you'll see is they already knew what was in their hearts. They already knew what was in their hearts and in their minds. And they knew in that moment they had to shut up. They were silent.
John Gunter:It says, and he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, stretch out your hand. And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. And they all clapped and cheered and said, praise God. Right? We have seen a miracle today.
John Gunter:No. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him how to destroy him. Now, the Herodians were a group that were for Herod. They supported him. They were like this political party that was kind of an outsider.
John Gunter:And basically, what you're seeing here is this group that wanted to accuse Jesus teamed up with this political group because they had a common enemy. Neither one of them liked Jesus. And so the enemy of my enemy, right? Or the, yeah, you get what I'm saying? We become friends because, well, he's your enemy, he's my enemy.
John Gunter:Well, we're friends now, right? The enemy of my enemy is my friend. And that's exactly what happened here, is all of a sudden, okay, well let's team up against Him. And this is why they were silent, because they knew when Jesus said, is it lawful to do good or to do evil? What do they have in their hearts?
John Gunter:Evil. So, they would accuse Jesus and call it evil to heal a man of a debilitating hand, withered hand issue in a culture and a time in history where you needed to work physically. They would call that evil, yet be completely okay with teaming up with whoever would listen and say, we need to destroy him. Now that, church, is a hard heart. That I can't even see that what I'm speaking is evil, and what I'm calling evil is good.
John Gunter:And man, we can do the same thing. And in ministry, you're going to experience that, right? Trying to do good, everyone sets out, and, Scott's prayer this morning was fantastic. We want to do the right thing, we want to do good, and in your pursuit of that, you're gonna find people calling that good evil. And you're gonna be encountering people that call evil good, and you're gonna have to speak into that, and guess what?
John Gunter:They always accept it and say, I'm gonna change. No, they don't. They say, quit telling me about that. I like where I'm at. I'm hard hearted.
John Gunter:Right? Skipping on down to verse 22, it says, and the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, he is possessed by Beelzebul. Alright? He had just healed people. He had just, done this on the Sabbath.
John Gunter:Right? He's got them tuned up. He had just cast out these demons and then their response is, okay, here's how we'll nail him this time. They are searching. They are scratching.
John Gunter:How do we pin Jesus down and make sure everyone knows he's evil? And again, they said, okay, this is what it is. He's been able to cast out demons. He is possessed by Beelzebul, which is another name for Satan, which which means the master of the house. Beelzebul does.
John Gunter:Keep that in your mind, because that's going to clear some things up, okay, as Jesus tells the story. It says, And by the prince of demons he cast out demons. This is how he's doing it, y'all. That's what they're saying. Because he is the prince of demons, or by the prince of demons, you know, He's in a league with Satan.
John Gunter:That's how He's doing that. He says, And He called them to Him and said to them in parables, how can Satan cast out Satan? How would this work? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. That's what's on your bulletin this this week.
John Gunter:Right? And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. He's saying, if what you're saying is true, Satan's got all this infighting, and what he's fighting for is about to crumble anyway because they're fighting against themselves. Right?
John Gunter:If that's if that's what you're saying, that that's what's coming, but it is coming to an end. In verse 27, he says, but no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house. Truly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin, for they were saying, 'He has an unclean spirit.' They were saying, the work of the Holy Spirit is evil.
John Gunter:Now, I want to back up just a minute, because when you think about this house divided against itself, this idea that Satan has some sort of infighting. They're saying, well, you're part of this. You you know Satan. You're in league with him. But every time I I think house divided, I think of something like this.
John Gunter:I know it makes me nauseated too. How anyone could have any love for either one of these. I don't know. How you could be in a house divided and be a Longhorn fan with the Aggies that their whole song is about the Longhorns, I think, or most of it. I don't understand, but this is what I think about.
John Gunter:And when you think about that, you we think about goofy things and I know people get passionate about things like college football and all of that. But in the scheme of life, it is very small, right, and insignificant. Even though, as I joked earlier, if my soccer team would have lost, it would have ruined my weekend. And it might have. That's a confession.
John Gunter:It shouldn't have, right? But this is what I think about it. It's almost a conflict, right, that is going to bring me down, and that's what Jesus is accused of. So, he's accused of breaking the Sabbath, okay, by by working. That was their issue.
John Gunter:Not that it necessarily that he ate, right, but that he was working on the Sabbath, though he didn't go against any law we read in Deuteronomy. Right? You can do this. Now, you can't get out there and sickle everything and get to work and put everything in a bag. That's that's working.
John Gunter:That's okay. That's missing out on the blessing that is a day off from work. Okay? And he says, alright. Well, look what David did.
John Gunter:Alright. Well, okay. Well, I'm gonna heal a man on the Sabbath. You got an issue. And he said, well, is it is it good to do good on the Sabbath or is it better to do evil?
John Gunter:And they couldn't even answer. And now, as he casts out demons and unclean spirits, they say, well, it must be because you're in league with Satan. And Jesus said, that's ridiculous. This house divided cannot stand. He says, and he called them to him and said, how can Satan cast out Satan?
John Gunter:If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand, and if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand, and if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods unless he first binds a strong man, then indeed he may plunder his house. What Jesus is saying, I'm not in league with Satan, I'm more powerful than Satan. What I have done is I have already bound Satan in some way that I can do whatever I need to do. What you're accusing me of is evil.
John Gunter:What I have shown is that I have authority even over Satan, and he can't stop what's happening right now. You ever feel like the world is just evil? Like that's what controls everything? I think when we feel that way and we kind of get down on the situation, we forget things like this: that He is in control. That He has the authority and the power.
John Gunter:Instead, we're giving that power to Satan, that Jesus says, no one can do that unless he's already bound the strong man. Then he can go in and take whatever he wants. And he said, that's what I'm doing right now. I can cast out those unclean spirits because I have the authority to do so. He can't stop me.
John Gunter:Not that he's given me permission and we're in league. He can't stop me. Me. Then indeed He may plunder his house. Truly I say to you, all sins will be forgiven, the children of man, and whatever blasphemes they utter.
John Gunter:Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin, and here's the explainer right here, you say, I don't want to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. Spirit. For they were saying he has an unclean spirit. They were claiming and saying that the Holy Spirit, the way Jesus was empowered to do the things he was doing, was an unclean spirit. And Jesus says, you don't get forgiveness of that.
John Gunter:You don't get forgiveness that you can call me whatever, but you do not say the Holy Spirit of God is an unclean evil spirit. So, don't you do it, church. But what I'm telling you is that no matter what you do and Jesus is our perfect example, Jesus is the perfect minister, though we, I think, sometimes appreciate it if He'd be a little more gentle, instead of in your face. When you read about Jesus, He is in your face, He is a button pusher. But what you'll get in ministry is you will get these times where you go, What in the world?
John Gunter:People are calling good evil, people are calling evil good, and you feel like, okay, this world is evil. What are we up against? I'm all alone here. One thing I want you to remember is you're not the only one that has felt like that, and that's what I love about Scripture. You are not the only one that has felt that way and felt like, what do I do?
John Gunter:Because we have stories, don't we? Back in 1 Kings 19, talking about Elijah here, there he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, what are you doing here, Elijah? Rest in peace, James Earl Jones, because that's what I think about when I think about the voice of God. How about you?
John Gunter:He said, what are you doing here, Elijah? He said, I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. I have I have been doing everything I know to do for God with a clear conscience. I've been living the best life I can live. I've been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, for the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant.
John Gunter:They have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with a sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life to take it away. That is a moment of despair, church. I feel like I'm the only one left because when I look around, all I see is evil. Do you see what they're doing, God? Because what they're not trying to do is live for you.
John Gunter:They're throwing these down, they're killing the prophets. I'm the only one. And God doesn't really let Elijah hang out there. Just a few verses later, he says this, he says, God talking to Elijah, yet I will leave 7000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him. Elijah thought, I'm the only one and God says, even in Israel, there are 7,000.
John Gunter:What I love about our assemblies throughout the week is that we may go out, and you may be part of a toxic work culture, or you are just around things that you don't want to be around all week, and there are moments in the week, like right now, that we get to come back together and realize we're not the only ones, that I'm not the only one when I'm out there in the world, that I come back and I get to see your faces, and we get to be here together worshiping God, singing praises to Him, and realize I can draw encouragement and support from that. Yes, sometimes I'm in despair and going, okay, what next? What's happening next? Like Elijah. What's going to happen?
John Gunter:Jesus going around, he's healing people, they're calling it evil. He's casting out demons, setting people free from this demonic possession, and they're saying, you've got an unclean spirit. And you'll I'm mad that you picked that grain on Sunday or Saturday, but as soon as you do that, I need to kill you, and I'm okay with that. You're going, what? You ever just throw your hands up and go, I don't know where it's going?
John Gunter:And sometimes you will feel like you are the only one. But number 1, God always has your back. You understand that, church? God is always walking with you. In the Old Testament, it talks about God being your rear guard.
John Gunter:I kind of like that. That's just God saying, I've got your back. I've got your back, I go with you, and you can find encouragement. Look around the room. There are people here fighting the same fight you're fighting, walking the same walk.
John Gunter:But you don't have to feel alone. There are people that love God, that are trying to live the best way they know how to follow Him. And we come together, and we do that, not as just an individual, but as a community. That we go, and we walk, and we bring Heaven to Earth. I think too much time is spent on, okay, when I get to Heaven, more time should be spent on, how do I bring Heaven into my situation right now?
John Gunter:How do I bring heaven into someone else's life right now that's having a tough time? So focus on that as you focus on ministry. Celebrate those things that, you see as wins. Sometimes those are very small, because always the noise and the the negative outweigh. Right?
John Gunter:Everybody this morning, you could all line up and, you know, I grew up in a church where you had to stand by there and everybody felt pressured to say, good sermon, preacher. Every one of you could say great sermon this morning, and, one of you decide, you know what? I'm gonna go the other way with this. I'm gonna say, oh, that was not good. And guess which one I'm gonna think about?
John Gunter:The 99 or the 1? The 1. The negativity is always loud. So come back to God. Realize that he's got your back, that you don't walk alone, that you are surrounded by people trying to walk the same walk that you are.
John Gunter:Let's withdraw encouragement from that. Let's go out and do ministry in this community. Amen, sir. We've got a song of invitation picked out this morning. If you'd like to pray with us, we'd love to pray with you.
John Gunter:If you'd like to put on Jesus in baptism, we'd love to do that as well, this morning as well. Would you come as we stand and as we sing?