A Fools Conscience
Notes
Transcript
I want to talk to you this morning about “A Fools Conscience”. To understand the message we must first give a good definition of its title.
Conscience- A capacity or faculty of moral intuition or reflection. A person’s internal awareness or sense of abiding by or transgressing moral standards.
The conscience functions as a personal sense of one’s conduct, character, or intentions. It can hold the role of a moral monitor, witness, judge, and guide.
A lot of people are confused about the conscience and what it does. Many people believe that the conscience was given to us to help us make decisions between right and wrong. That is a false assumption! The conscience will only resist any deviation from the truth, or the right and the wrong, it knows.
For instance, if you have been raised to believe the Bible is absolute truth, your conscience will help you know the difference between what is right and wrong based on the Bible, your standard for truth. If you start to do something the Bible says is a sin, your conscience will rise up and tell you to stop. If, on the other hand, you have been raised to believe that there are no limits in life and you can do as you please, your conscience will not give you any problems. Carr, A. (2015)
The Conscience is not a clear-cut indicator of morality—whether something actually is right or wrong—but an indicator of one’s personal conviction about whether behavior is right or wrong.
Lexham Theological Wordbook. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.Mangum, D.
10 And David’s heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”
14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves,
15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)
Fool- idiot, simple-minded, blockhead, nincompoop.
Foolishness is characterized by thoughts, behaviors, attitudes, or judgments that lack sense, prudence, and discretion. Foolish behavior may be immoral or dangerous and is often used for self-destructive tendencies. Foolishness stands in contrast to wisdom, prudence, and sound judgment.
Foolishness has self-awareness and alertness about the potential of sin but does not avoid temptation and submits to the desire of sin.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
1 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.
A Fools Conscience has the ability to make right choices but willingly submits to sin!
Text; Mark 6:14-29
14 Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known. And he said, “John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.”
15 Others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets.”
16 But when Herod heard, he said, “This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!”
17 For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her.
18 Because John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
19 Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not;
20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
21 Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.
22 And when Herodias’ daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.”
23 He also swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
24 So she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist!”
25 Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
26 And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.
27 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison,
28 brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.
29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.
The ministry of Jesus is spreading fast and far and even Herod the tetrarch began to take notice.
1. Herod the Tetrarch;
1. Herod the Tetrarch;
Herod Antipas was a ruler of one-fourth of his father Herod the Great’s kingdom, who had ordered the killing of the babies in Bethlehem. He ruled over Galilee and Perea until AD 39.
The history of the Herod family is filled with lies, murder, treachery, and adultery. They were evil. Herod Antipas was known for his insensitivity and debauchery. The Herodians were descendants of Esau.
Herod thought Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead. Its amazing he thought this because Herod was a member of the party of the Sadducees. The Sadducees denied the supernatural and did not believe in the resurrection. Another amazing thing is the fact that John the Baptist did no miracles during his ministry. Herod assumes that the miracles could only be done by a man returned from the dead.
What would make Herod feel this way? A Guilty Conscience
2. Herod’s Guilty Conscience; 17-20
2. Herod’s Guilty Conscience; 17-20
Herod feared John- respected John. He knew John was a man of integrity, honesty and truth, so his words carried weight, regardless if one practiced them or not.
Just man- Herod knew John was fair with all people and did not play favorites. John even admonished Herod for marrying his brothers Philipps wife, his niece [v. 18].
Holy man- John was a righteous man, he spoke the truth from God’s law. He was set apart by God to be the forerunner of the Messiah and Herod believed that. When John spoke against Herods marriage, he spoke from the Word of God.
16 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness.
21 If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless.
Heard him gladly- Herod admired John’s preaching. He didn’t like the fact that John’s preaching exposed his sin, but he continued to listen to John. He liked John and liked listening to him preach, though he didn’t act upon it.
27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.”
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”
Protected him- Herod had John imprisoned to please his wife but also so that his wife Herodias would not kill him. John was in prison for a year under the protection of Herod.
He did many things- John’s preaching even influenced Herod to do some good things in his life. Charles Spurgeon said, “Perhaps these were some of the many things:—he discharged a tax-gatherer who imposed upon the people, or righted the wrongs of a neglected widow, or altered a cruel law which he had promulgated, or changed his habits and manners in certain respects; certainly in many points he was an improved man, for John the Baptist had an influence with him for good.”
Spurgeon, C. H. (1880). John and Herod. In The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons (Vol. 26, p. 403). London: Passmore & Alabaster.
Even bad men admire those who tell them truth. However unwelcome the warning, they believe it to be honestly spoken, and therefore they respect them.
Herod’s conscience was guilty because he knew the difference between right and wrong, but chose the latter, and had John beheaded. Remember that the conscience functions as a personal sense of one’s conduct, character, or intentions. It can hold the role of a moral monitor, witness, judge, and guide.
17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
3. Herod’s Foolish Choice; 21-28
3. Herod’s Foolish Choice; 21-28
Fool- idiot, simple-minded, blockhead, nincompoop. Foolishness is characterized by thoughts, behaviors, attitudes, or judgments that lack sense, prudence, and discretion. Foolishness stands in contrast to wisdom, prudence, and sound judgment.
Herod made a foolish choice during his birthday party that cost him more than the head of John the Baptist.
Partying- birthday parties for kids are fine, but when you have adult parties they can easily get out of hand. Drinking, especially men only, and then a provocative dance by a young girl, Herod’s stepdaughter/niece, turned into dirty old men lusting after a young girl and promising anything to gain her affection.
[22-23] In a drunken, sexually aroused moment, Herod offered her anything she wanted up to half his kingdom.
1 Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
Not that it is wrong in itself to give a good party, but such is the propensity of the human mind to wantonness that when the reins are loosed men easily go astray.
John Calvin
[24-28] Salome’s mother, Herodias, had been planning this for a while and she had a fool for a husband that she knew she could outwit.
Exceedingly sorry- remorseful, sorry it happened, hate that one is caught
Though Herod realized that he had been trapped by his wife, he consented to the evil request of his stepdaughter in order to avoid personal humiliation from his peers
There is a big difference between being exceedingly sorry and repentance!
Judas was remorseful but he wasn’t repentant. Judas regretted the actions he had taken but he never repented of them and went an hanged himself.
3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”
5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.
10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
Herod’s Foolish Conscience allowed himself to hear the Word of God, but not to trust God’s Word.
Herod respected and admired John’s goodness, justness and holiness but he did not desire that for himself.
Herod did many good things because of the Word, but he failed to do the right thing by trusting the Word in faith and repenting of his sin.
Herod’s Foolish Conscience allowed him to have a greater fear of rejection by man than rejection of a Holy God!
Close;
TOO EMBARRASSING
Herod did not want to kill John the Baptist, but he gave the order so that he wouldn’t be embarrassed in front of his guests. How easy it is to give in to the crowd and to let ourselves be pressured into doing wrong. Don’t get in a situation where it will be too embarrassing to do what is right. Determine to do what is right, no matter how embarrassing or painful it may be.
Barton, B. B. (1994). Mark (p. 173). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
Today you may need to make a choice concerning Jesus. Salvation, baptism, church membership, going to an offended brother, giving forgiveness, seeking forgiveness, or getting your spiritual life back on track. If Jesus is calling you today, don’t be embarrassed and don’t make a foolish choice by doing nothing. Let your conscience be your guide to Christ! Trust and obey.