How To Overcome

Expedient Living

Text: Matthew 14:1-12

Place Preached - (Mississauga International Baptist Church)

Date Preached - (08/04/02)

Introduction:   

EXPEDIENCY - the doing or consideration of what is of selfish use or advantage rather than of what is right or just; self-interest

ILLUS: Expediency in the life of a politician.  In an age of political correctness.

It’s a day of political expediency, financial expediency, religious expediency and moral / ethical expediency.

Certain militant and vocal groups are creating the public agenda.

EG. The Feminists, Pro-abortionists, sodomites etc.

The Tail is now wagging the dog!!

So many are jumping on the bandwagon of catering to and serving public opinion.

IT REMINDS ME - You can Please Some of the people All of the time…. And All of the people Some of the time, but you cannot please ALL of the people ALL of the time!!!

NOW we come to Herod…

Herod the tetrarch,.... Not Herod the Great, in whose reign Christ was born, and who slew the infants of Bethlehem, but his son;

The word "tetrarch": signifying one that has the "fourth" part of government:

Herod divided his large kingdom into four parts, and bequeathed them to his sons,

The family of the Herods were vile, they were immoral, unethical, criminal.   They were the “Mafia” of their day.

Herod would have fit in well in today’s political world!!  His life was ruled by expediency.

GIVE EXAMPLES: (Tell the Story of our Text)

1). The promise to Herodias’ daughter.

2). The beheading of John the Baptist for his wicked oath’s sake, and for his peers (those that sat with him at meat) vs.9.

So Herod was a man controlled by his appetites, by convenience, by public opinion and political expediency.

Fear also, became a huge motivating factor in his life.

Fear of Herodias, of his peers, and of his constituents.

He found himself cornered by his desire to please everyone (Himself first) and had to find the best way out of a bad situation.

In the end he was not sorry or filled with repentance for his actions.  He was only sorry that he was caught, trapped in a web of his own making.  He could no longer be in control of his own fortunes.

The Bottom Line was SELF!!

NOW we are quick to say Amen!! – The politicians are wicked, Herod was an unspeakably evil man! And it’s true!

But, if that’s all we take away from this exercise, then our time has not been profitably spent., and our greater spiritual benefit has not been served.

The truth is we are all prone to be just like Herod in our attitude and thinking.  It is evident in our misplaced priorities and decisions.

In our response and reactions to the events and circumstances of our lives.

EXAMPLES ….

Salvation

The Church

Marriage

Business

Handling of Money

NOW, the question of the hour is….

How do we overcome the tendency in our lives to expedient living?

The answer to the question is in our text.

Found in the negative example of Herod.  We do not want to be like Herod.  We do not want to follow his example!!!!

I. Be Honest About Your Sin vs.3-4

Herod was here confronted by John the Baptist (The Elijah of the NT).

Herod’s sinful life was adulterous, incestuous and immoral.

Yet when confronted he was not remorseful, he was not ashamed, he was not repentant, he was not honest enough to admit his sin!!

The only thing he could think of was how he could murder John.

There are some things we must do in relationship to our sin….

A. You must realize God sees your sin.

Romans 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

You can’t hide from God.

SONG: The Father up above is Looking down in Love…..

B. You must Agree with God

1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

C. You must Repent

Proverbs 28:13  He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

II. Accept the Correction of the Scripture vs.4

John said “It is UNLAWFUL for thee to have her”

Not unlawful by the laws of the Herods (They made their own laws).

Perhaps it was not unlawful in the civil sense.  (ILLUS: Clinton’s Scandal)

But it was certainly unlawful by God’s Standard  - His Word!!

(SEE Lev. 18:6 & 16)

NOW LISTEN – God Said it and that Settles it!!!!

God’s Word was given for our Spiritual benefit in several ways…

A. God’s Word will lead you to Salvation

Romans 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

2 Timothy 3:15  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

B. God’s Word Will Keep You from Sin

Psalms 119:9-11 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

10  ¶With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

11  ¶Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

C. God’s Word will Sustain you in the Christian Life.

Matthew 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

2 Peter 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

III. Come to a Correct Understanding of Christ vs.1-2

Herod had heard of the fame of Jesus,  but he was superstitious.  He had a wrong view of Christ.

He’s like a lot of people in the world today who view Jesus wrongly.

As an historical figure, a good man, a teacher, prophet etc….

There are wrong religious views EXAMPLE

Islam, Mormonism, JW, Catholic etc….

They have another Jesus.

A. You cannot be Saved apart from a proper understanding of Christ

John 8:24  I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

John 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Herod never did get it right…

LOOK UP & READ Luke 23:6-11

B. You will not have a right view of man until you have a right view of Christ.

If your Christology is wrong, then your anthropology will be wrong!!

EXPLAIN – Man is a Sinner, Christ is the Saviour!!!

C. Sanctification requires an accurate comprehension of Jesus Christ.

In fact it requires personal and intimate knowledge of Him.

2 Peter 3:18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

IV. Learn to Control the Fleshly Appetites vs.6

Under the influence of his fleshly appetite, Herod made a rash promise or oath, it was grievous in it’s fulfillment.  It was an oath he should never have made, nor then kept.

The stakes are high!!!

In the marketplace of expediency things quickly escalate beyond what you bargained for!!!

SONG: Sin will take you farther…..

A. The fleshly appetites will entangle you

Proverbs 5:22  His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

B. The fleshly appetites will empty you

Your life will become a shell of it’s God intended form.

You will be bankrupt of any lasting virtue or eternal good.

You will be like the prodigal son.

Luke 15:14  And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

C. The fleshly appetites will Kill you

James 1:13-16   Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

14  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

15  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

16  Do not err, my beloved brethren.

ILLUS: When Caius Caligula had become emperor and when his scheming favorite Herod Agrippa I, the bitter enemy of Antipas, had been made king in 37 A.D.,

Herodias prevailed on Herod Antipas to accompany her to Rome to demand a similar favor. 

The machinations of Agrippa and the accusation of high treason preferred against him, however, proved his undoing, and he was banished to Lyons in Gaul, where he died in great misery

Conclusion:     (Review)

MAIN POINTS

1. Be Honest About Your Sin

2. Accept the Correction of the Scripture

3. Come to a Correct Understanding of Christ

4. Learn to Control the Fleshly Appetites

Don’t live the EXPEDIENT life when you can live the ABUNDANT life!!!!