Mark 6_14_29 Outline

Title: your conscience

Text: Mark 6:14-29

Intro:Conscience is that faculty in me which attaches itself to the highest that I know, and tells me what the highest I know demands that I do. It is the eye of the soul which looks out either toward God or toward what it regards as the highest authority. If I am in the habit of steadily facing toward God, my conscience will always introduce God’s perfect law and indicate what I should do. The point is, will I obey? I have to make an effort to keep my conscience so sensitive that I walk without offense. I should be living in such perfect sympathy with God’s Son that in every circumstance the spirit of my mind is renewed.

The one thing that keeps the conscience sensitive to Him is the habit of being open to God on the inside. When there is any debate, quit. There is no debate possible when conscience speaks. - Oswald Chambers

Mark gives more of an account of John’s death than the other gospels perhaps because it is a preview to Jesus’ death. A holy man unjustly arrested and executed by a hesitant secular ruler. Herodias like the chief priest, schemed to bring about the execution, then John’s disciples like Joseph of Arimathea comes and tenderly buries the body. John was the forerunner of Jesus in his ministry and death.

ORENTAITE: This story is nestled in between the narrative of Jesus’ disciples being sent out in two’s and returning to Jesus. Obviously, their teaching and actions glorified Jesus and the news came to Herod’s palace and he wondered who Jesus was.

Herod’s conscience got the best of him, God accuses his heart and all he finds is trouble.

CPS: Be sensitive to your conscience

Troubled Conscience Vs. 17-20

NB) Conscience is God’s witness in your heart which either accuses or excuses your actions

Troubled by the message of God

The preacher worth his weight should preach against sin, this is what we see John the Baptist doing.

You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness.Lev 18:16.

If there is a man who takes his brother’s wife, it is abhorrent; he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They will be childless.Lev 20:21.

PREACHED - “It is not lawful for you to have her.”Mt 14:4.

Divorced your wife

Convinced Herodias to divorce his brother Herod Phillip

Committed adultery

Incest – Daughter of Herod Antipas’ brother “Aristobulus”

When your sin searches you out through God’s word it is sharp it cuts you it offends you!

Illustration: My mother will not go to a Baptist Church because when I was child a preacher preached against divorce now she goes to an Episcopal Church who is acceptive of this and doesn’t preach against sin.

Sin is Sin!

Divorce

Adultery

Incest

Homosexuality

Lust

Foul talking –

All of it is rebellion against God and His ways

Equal opportunist - We are all just a bunch of sinners - No sin in us you a lie

People need to be warned – Turn away from your sin and turn towards God!

Troubled by the man of God

Herodias had a grudge against John – the man who speaks out against evil will find those unrepented hearts begrudging him.

Matthew 14 – We see that Herod wanted to kill John but was afraid of the people because they held him as a prophet.

Jesus said of John “No greater of a man has ever lived born of women”

THE GREATEST PROPHET EVER!

Herod protected John from His Jezebel of a wife

He knew he was a righteous man

He would go down and talk with him (observe & listen)

Herod perplexed over the things John had to say.

Herod, as depraved as he was - I am convinced God was accusing him and his conscience was eating at him.

Illustration: Have you ever done anything and conscious ate at you? I have and it ate at me until I confessed my sin and yet there were still consequences.

Herod had a troubled conscience and rightfully so yet did not act on it and time his conscience would die.

Trapped Conscience Vs. 21-29

Trapped by his passion

Did I say that Herod was depraved?

He had a little party for invited all his officials

Drinking and carrying on

It is not what enters into that defiles but what comes out – Drinking alters your thinking and your concept of right and wrong and THAT WHICH GOES IN YOU MAKES HORRIBLE THINGS COME OUT OF YOU.

Lusted over His great niece/step daughter

DAD’s saying – about making decisions (Best not to repeat it)

Your lust will put you in a situation that you best not be in

Half naked “princess” dancing around for all the men

As young as 12 - 14

Marrying age

Some think she was already married

It pleased him so he was willing to give her anything she wanted

Esther?????/

Illustration: Friends in the Army – never had money – come to find out when they got paid they headed straight for the strip clubs and gave their money away.

**** Lustful passion is a sin that leads to all kinds of sin! Here it would lead to murder

Trapped by his pride

Herodias in her grudgehad set a trap that he easily fell victim to

Perhaps… had his brain not been altered nor filled with lustful passion it could have been avoided.

Salome asked her mother what to ask for and She said the head of John the Baptist!

Exceedingly Sorry – deeply grieved

The right thing – say no – I said up to ½ kingdom

All his officials were there

To save face he agreed – John’s head was given to her on a platter – platter represents what is on the menu. For Herodias appetite – vengeance, for Herod guilt

Oath’s sake

Sake of those who sat with him that were filled with lustful passion

What about for conscience sake? God was accusing his heart

One of the great temptations is the pride of life

Pride will make you do stupid stuff.

Prideful decisions have dire consequences!

Illustration: Justin Peacock – Stompedon his glasses – friends were around – ultimately kicked out of the army and fell off the face of this world. Can’t contact him

Sometimes it’s too late to apologize, damage has been done.

How many lives have been ruined due to pride?

How many relationships have been broken due to pride.

Suck up your pride and do what is right!

Trapped by pride and passion,Herod’s conscience is slowly dying.

Tormented Conscience Vs. 14-16

Sense of personal responsibility

Haunted by his actions towards John

Herod’s guilty conscience raised the Ghost of John to plague him

Some said this man Jesus and His power is Elijah who they have been waiting to return.

Others said it a prophet like the prophets of the days of old.

Herod’s guilty conscience says “It is John the Baptist risen from the dead.”

Sense of personal accountability

John the Baptist…… Who I beheaded.

When God accuses your heart for what you have done

you can’t hide from it

can’t run from it

everything brings your guilty actions to the forefront of your mind

It is miserable and it is a plaque, there only two ways you can get rid of it

- repent and confess your sins!

- Or one day your heart will become so cold and calloused that it will not affect you any longer, nor will anything else.

Heaven forbid you get to the state, because it will be too late for you.

We see this death of a conscience in Herod -

As Jesus before Herod LUKE 23:8

Finds himself in the same situation: A holy man (THE HOLY MAN) wrongfully arrested

At this point all Herod wants is to be entertained, to see a sign performed by Jesus.

He questioned Him at great length but Jesus would say anything.

By killing John the Baptist, Herod had silenced the voice of God.

What conscience he had earlier was now dead.

Herod’s heart was cold and calloused, we see this in his mocking of Jesus

Application: Beware of your conscience!

Does God accuse your heart or because of unbroken fellowship does He excuse your actions.

Are living in sin?

Romans 14 ANYTHING AGAINST YOUR CONSCIENCE IS SIN

Our conscience speaks to us and we can obey and live in unbroken fellowship or we can deliberately disobey and be guilty of sin.

T.V. Shows you watch – if your conscience questions it and you ignore it then you are ignoring God’s accusations against your heart and you fall into to sin

Music we listen to –

Books we read-

Conversations –

Beer -

Conscience tells you to do something and it lines up with Scripture you should do it – if not you sin by telling God…..no I won’t.

Conscience tells you to not do something and it lines up with scripture – don’t do it – if you don’t you are blatantly telling God…. I will do it because I want to!

God is merciful and gracious but I am convinced that a person can become so far away from God due to sin that God will not speak in your heart clearly and you will down spiral in Rebellion against God.

Lost Person – Repent of your sin while God still accuses your heart, the day can come when He will stop and it is too late for you.

Saved person – do you desire to walk in fellowship with God? Listen to God’s actuations of your heart and obey it, or fellowship with God will be broken.

Conclusion: Don’t tamper with your conscience, Jesus stands before you today. Your conscience tells you that you are a sinner and need forgiveness. What will you do?