Ripped from the Headlines: Comply?

Title, Header, Content & Quote is “USER:Fulcrum”, and Scripture is “Hidden Hand of God”

One can’t listen to any news report very long without hearing the labels Progressive, Moderate, and Conservative. Then extremes outside of that range would include Socialists and the alt-right.

Would it surprise you to know that the social structure in Jesus’ day was very similar? The 3 structures in Jesus Day were Pharisees, Herodian, and Sadducees. The Pharisees wanted everyone to just follow the rules that has been around for years. The Herodians didn’t want to ruffle feathers and just wanted to fly under the radar. The Sadducees thought the grave was the end so this life was to be filled with as much pleasure as possible, unless something was specifically mentioned in the Pentateuch.

Jesus has already shut down the Pharisees when they tried to silence the crowds from praising Jesus, and Jesus really put them in their place when he upended their business dealings in the Temple.

Transition: With the Conservative upset with Him, the other two sects make a run at Jesus, and by the end of v.40 all 3 will be ready to kill Him.

A Failed Attempt by the Herodians (vv.20-26)

Never Overvalue Human Government (v.20)

1. The scoundrels in v.20 believe that the best way to get rid of Jesus was similar to what the Satraps did with Daniel in Babylon. They wanted to leverage political rules to eliminate their enemies.

2. In Daniel’s day, they tricked the King into outlawing something that Daniel was already doing every day.

3. In Jesus’s day, they tried to flatter Jesus into saying something that they could take to Caesar as evidence of sedition.

4. Depending upon power and politics to deal with spiritual realities is like taking a knife to a gun fight.

5. There are areas where the law is not settled and people need to use their best judgment.

Churches have been fined, Pastors have been imprisoned, and properties have been fenced and chained right here in North America in regard to social distancing, masks & vaccines.

You have heard me appeal to mercy and love toward those who disagree with the conclusions that you have reached. Personally, I chose to get the vaccine, just as I do the annual flu vaccine (that I got last Wednesday). I have very close friends within our church family who have used Ivermectin. I have very close friends within our church family who have chosen space and physical distancing. I have very close friends within our church who are relying upon supplements to boost their natural immunity. I have very close friends within our church who have already been through Covid and are trusting their body’s response to the virus to generate immunity.

All of these fit under the category of Matters of Conscience because you will not find either Hydroxychloraquine, Ivermectin, Pfizer, or Moderna mentioned in the pages of Scripture.

In Jesus’ Day the Herodians tried to leverage the power of Rome to intimidate citizens to comply. Today many are using the fear of a crisis to impose restrictions on many of the liberties we have come to enjoy in our country. In the upcoming months these impositions will only get stronger as the free choice to remain in the military, keep one’s job, board an airplane or attend school will fall under mandates by government and employers.

How do responsible, patriotic believers in Jesus Christ respond to these challenges? The rest of this sermon is going to have lots of Scripture references. I encourage you to write them down, look them up and prayerfully seek God’s wisdom. I guarantee that Neither Fox nor CNN will provide these references for you!

Principles for Matters of Conscience

1. Avoid legalism (1 PT 2:16)

1 Peter 2:16 ESV:2016

16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

The entire book of Galatians was written to impress upon a church not to surrender their freedom and yield to a list of unreasonable rules.

2. Avoid Licentiousness (Gal 5:13)

Licentiousness is a $5 word that means, “I’m going to do whatever I want, and you can’t stop me!”

In the very book where Paul rejects submitting to manmade rules, he also warns about being a jerk.

Galatians 5:13 ESV:2016

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

3. Exercise Freedom with Responsibility (Rom 14:21-23)

Romans 14:21–23 ESV:2016

21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

a. Think about the consequences of your decision on other people.

b. Pursue a clear conscience in your decisions

c. Faith (not fear or arrogance) is to shape our decisions

Humans Uniquely Bear God’s Image (vv.24-25)

1. Romans 12 & 13 teaches that unless there is a sin at stake, we should generally be those who obey our leaders.

Romans 12:18 ESV:2016

18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

There are consequences to breaking the law

Romans 13:4 ESV:2016

4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

2. Jesus does NOT say that government is the only authority. God has even more authority, and He is the source of the government’s authority.

3. We must render to God the things that are God’s!

You May not account to the Government, but you WILL account to God! (Rom 14:12, 1 Pt 4:5, Mt 10:28)

1. There are so many millions of people in millions of circumstances, that it is possible you may not be caught or penalized for resisting various mandates.

2. I have read those who claim a Christian should not claim a religious objection to any “health” mandate.

3. BUT, if you are genuinely convinced that compliance with any mandate is poor stewardship of the one body that God has entrusted to you, you have an obligation to obey God, even if man imposes consequences on your decision.

Romans 14:12 ESV:2016

12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

1 Peter 4:5 ESV:2016

5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

Matthew 10:28 ESV:2016

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

If you are convinced that one of the vaccines is safe or even beneficial, there is NOTHING wrong with rendering to Caesar. If you are convinced that any/all of the vaccines have reasonable potential to harm the body God has entrusted to you, you have an obligation to honor God above any other authority. My decision may not be your decision, and your thoughts may not be my thoughts, but that the beauty of matters of conscience—you won’t have to give an account for the decision I believe God has led me to make.

Transition: In the next group of verses we see the danger of only looking at part of Scripture and making short-sighted conclusions.

A Failed attempt by the Sadducees (vv.27-40)

Who were the Sadducees? (v.27)

1. The Sadducees believed the Torah, and ONLY the Torah. Anything mentioned in Torah was not up for debate and anything NOT mentioned in Torah was free game.

2. They liked to poke fun at those who had believes based upon the other 34 books of the Old Testament.

3. They concluded that life after death is not mentioned in Genesis-Deuteronomy, so it must not exist. If there is no afterlife, then there is no need to fear a future judgment. Any revenge God is going to get, He is going to get this side of the grave.

Faulty Conclusions from Inadequate Truth (vv.28-33)

1. They start by laying a case based upon the levirate marriage law of Deut 25:5

2. They then reason, “since we know each brother is obligated to have relations with the woman, IF there is an afterlife (which we know there isn’t) it would create a bizarre dilemma.

Jesus Clears the Misunderstanding

1. Marriage is a GOOD Human Institution (v.34)

a. Honored by all (Heb 13:4)

b. Gift of partnership (Gen 2:18)

c. Procreation (Gen 1:28)

2. Earthly Covenants do not bind eternal relationships (35-36)

a. How are deceased humans like the angels?

i. Angels don’t die. Since they don’t die, they don’t need to be replaced.

ii. Angels are in the very presence of God, so they don’t need companionship or partnership.

iii. When we cross over we don’t die, we don’t need to reproduce and our desire for companionship will be satisfied by God himself.

b. Temple is a picture of an eternal reality (Rev.21:22)

Revelation 21:22 ESV:2016

22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.

c. Marriage is a picture of an eternal reality (Eph 5:31-32)

Ephesians 5:31–32 ESV:2016

31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

d. Our Mormon & Muslim friends do not believer what Jesus says here.

3. Jesus explains that God is the God of the living (37).

The Sadducees didn’t see the afterlife in the books of Moses, so Jesus showed them from the burning bush incident (Ex 3) that AFTER the patriarch were dead and buried, God spoke to Moses saying “I AM, not I WAS”

God speaks of the Patriarchs as They ARE, not they WERE.

Since They ARE and He IS, then their own Scriptures teach the doctrine of an afterlife.

Transition: People squabbling with Jesus may not seem real relevant to Chase County 2021. So let me highlight 3 things you can take from this passage.

Conclusion:

2021 Applications

Keep God in His Rightful Place

Be Prepared for Eternity

Listen to All of God’s Word

The Herodians thought Caesar had clout, but Jesus said God is a higher authority.

The Sadducees thought this life was the end, but Jesus said Heaven is a higher plane.

We each have attained a certain level of understanding, but the Spirit says we should keep pressing toward maturity.

Our final song is a toe-tapper, join me as we celebrate our pilgrimage toward Higher Ground.

Song of Response #399. “Higher Ground”

Benediction: Philippians 4:23 (ESV) — The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.