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I Have the Right
Rev Thomas (TA) West, Sr
January 2, 2022
Introduction
Over the last year or so, we have all hear these words ..
--- I HAVE THE RIGHT ---
Yes, under the US Constitution we do have certain rights or freedoms.
--- FREEDOM ---
Many take that to mean that I can do what I want when I want to.
Hummmmmm, for to many of Americans they forget a very important part of the constitution.
We have CERTAIN rights, much like the Pharisees of old, we believe that we can make up the rules as we go along.
Need I remind you that, freedom for a Christian does not mean the absence of rules or laws to live by.
Christian “rules” for living are summed up in their relationship in Christ.
Christians are free to live not as they want to, but to live in Christ and his ways.
An example of this freedom can be understood in the sentence “You are free to move about the cabin” when you are on a flight.
A person can take off their seat belt and freely move, but there are still some restrictions, for their own good and the good of others on the flight.
For example, they can’t freely move into the captain’s chair or outside of the plane.
Now think about this …
Two men in a truck, neither one very bright, were passing through a small town.
They came to an overpass with a sign that read, “Clearance: 11’3.”
They got out and measured their rig.
📷
It was 12’4″ tall.
As they climbed back into the cab, one of them asked, “What do you think we should do?”
The driver looked around, then shifted into gear saying, “Not a cop in sight.
Let’s take a chance.”
Many people regard God as some kind of cosmic cop whose rules are designed to cramp our style and cheat us out of good times.
So if they get a chance to beat the rap, they go for it.
The opposite is really true.
God is a loving heavenly Father whose rules are designed to protect us from harm and guide us toward the good life.
If we violate God’s rules, we do so at our own peril.
(Bill Bouknight, “Just a Thought,” 2/26/04)
Our title for today is “I Have the Right!”
Our Scripture is taken from Mark 2:23 thru Mark 3:6
{{Play recording of Scripture}}
Few things are more destructive, seductive, and deceptive to a relationship with God than the deadly poison of legalism.
It is destructive because it breeds death rather than life.
It is seductive because it has a natural allurement for the flesh that causes us to look to ourselves rather than to Christ for our spiritual status before God.
It is deceptive because it makes us think we are the spiritual elite when actually we are spiritual slaves.
Do Not Let Man-Made Rules Make You a Spiritual Slave(Mark 2:23–24)
As we look in the Book of Mark the 2nd chapter verses 23 and 24 As Jesus and His disciples were walking, the disciples began to pick a few heads of grain.
In the eyes of the Pharisees, they were guilty of reaping.
You see, the Pharisees had constructed a man-made mountain of rules that enslaved those who tried to follow them.
No one could live up to the expectations, nor should it have been expected that they would.
In a reversal of Genesis 50:20, what God had meant for good they had turned to evil.
The clash is not over the rules, but over who makes the rules.
[ show verse ONLY ]
20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
Remember That the Lord’s Day Is to Be a Blessing, Not a Burden (Mark 2:25–27)
Jesus completely ignores the Sabbath question and turns to an event in the life of King David.
Jesus’s point is simple.
While it was not normal or lawful for David and his men to eat the showbread, it was even more the case that God did not want them to starve.
He was primarily concerned with protection and provision for His servant David, the anointed king of Israel.
Jesus concludes with the principle that should have guided Jewish observance of the Sabbath all along: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).
Jesus had a liberating vision of the Sabbath that frees us from legalistic constraints instead of binding us with unbearable burdens.
Let the Lordship of Jesus Christ Be Your Anchor and Guide (Mark 2:28)
As we continue on in verse 28, we find that …
Modern readers cannot easily grasp the striking declaration of verse 28.
Jesus weds the “Son of Man” title to that of “Lord of the Sabbath” and declares that He is both.
Jesus puts Himself in the place of and with the authority of God.
And
As the Lord of the Sabbath, He determines what is lawful and unlawful on the Sabbath day.
He makes the call, and His Word is final!
With one bold declaration, He silences His adversaries and all opposition.
The Pharisees relied on their own traditions for guidance, and in doing so, they missed the Law-giver entirely.
Jesus Christ is our anchor for spiritual authority in all things.
As God, He is Lord of the Sabbath!
It is a fact, regardless of our permission.
As we continue on we find that the battle as been brewing for a while .. If we read the entire chapter 2 and move onto chapter 3 …
… we see the build up to inevitable conflict.
The hostility now reaches a climax, with anger and ill will on both sides.
Jesus will not back down, though He understands where this will lead.
Consumed with the will of His Father and emboldened by uncompromising conviction, He moves ahead with His face set toward the cross, convinced that “it is always right to do good!”
Doing Good for the Glory of God Will Invite Critical Scrutiny(Mark 3:1–2)
Look at Mark chapter 3 verse 1 and 2 … we find …
For Jesus, doing good for the glory of God is not restricted by date or location.
This encounter occurs on the Sabbath in the synagogue.
One cannot help but believe Jesus is deliberately provoking a confrontation with the religious leaders.
Be Sensitive to Those Who Need Compassion (Mark 3:1)
Jesus sees a man with a withered hand.
This man needed Jesus’ attention, and his healing would be the occasion for God’s power to be displayed.
Jesus, with sensitivity and compassion, was determined to act.
Be Ready for Those Who Always Criticize (Mark 3:2)
In verse 2 we see that the Pharisees had one goal: they sought to “accuse Him.”
They were enslaved to their own critical hearts, and they did their best to enslave others as well.
Doing Good for the Glory of God Will Require Personal Conviction (Mark 3:3–5)
There will be no retreat in Jesus’ message and actions.
With courage and conviction, He pressed forward, obedient to the will of His Father regardless of the consequences.
Be Right in What You Do (Mark 3:3–5)
In this act of mercy, Jesus fulfills the Great Commandments.
The Pharisees knew nothing of this love, thus were far from fulfilling the law of Moses.
Be Right in What You Say (Mark 3:4)
Jesus raises the right question, and it is shocking and sad that the Pharisees could not respond.
Their silence condemns them, and reveals a tragic flaw in their theology concerning the nature of God’s of grace and mercy, His love and compassion.
Be Right in What You Feel (Mark 3:5)
Jesus is angered and grieved at their hardness of heart.
Pride is dangerously deceitful, and it provoked our Lord to righteous anger.
Doing Good for the Glory of God Will Encourage Hostile Opposition (Mark 3:6)
For some, it is not enough to do the right thing.
If you do not arrive at the “correct” destination by the “correct” route, you get criticized and misrepresented.
The Enemy of My Enemy Is My Friend
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