Jesus Never Tapped Out
(Note to Pastor’s I started this message with a video made in house of a 5 year old doing mixed martial arts type fighting with his father, it ended with the child putting his father in an arm bar, and the dad tapping out. I used this to explain what tap out means in the world of wrestling and MMA. It was a humorous way of introducing the tap out concept to those who did not know what it meant.)
Today we are going to talk about hanging in there when you are facing opposition. We are going to use a euphemism from the world of sports to illustrate what we are talking about. In the sport of wrestling and mixed martial arts if you are in great pain or can’t take it any more you can tap out.
When someone taps out, they are surrendering to their opponent. They are throwing in the towel, they are giving up, they are quitting the fight. They are saying you win, its over, I’m done, it’s finished.
Tapout is from the world of MMA, or mixed martial arts.
Some of you, who are a little older have heard of the "thrilla in Manilla." Which was the 3rd and final bout between Mohammad Ali and Smoking Joe Frazier. They had fought twice earlier, Frazier won the first match, Ali the second. This third and final match was held in Quezon City, subburb of Manilla in the Philippines. Like I said it was called the "thrilla in Manilla," the contest got its name from the frequent Ali rhymed boast that it would be a "Killa and a Thrilla and a Chilla, when I get that gorilla in Manila".
It was a bruising match and in the 15th and final round Frazier’s trainer, Eddie Futch, refused to allow Frazier to come out and fight, fearing for his personal safety. That resulted in a TKO for Ali, and is the boxing equivalent of tapping out and giving up.
Here is our text for the message today:
Heb 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
We have one more verse to read and I want to show it in three different translations so you can see it from a different angle:
Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. (KJV)
Heb 12:3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart. (NAS)
Heb 12:3 When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. [That] will shoot adrenaline into your souls! (MSG)
I like the KJV and its use of the word contradiction instead of hostility like the other versions use. Growing up on occasion I would hear my mother say, "don’t you dare contradict me!" It was usually followed by some contradiction to my rear end. Can you say ouch!
The Ali-Frazier fight, though billed as the greatest fight in the 20th century was nothing compared to the battle Jesus waged on a daily basis. The word contradiction means to be in direct opposition to, to attempt to overrule, and to assert or express the opposite. The writer of Hebrews tells us that if you are struggling and thinking about throwing in the towel, look at Jesus as your great example of someone who didn’t quit when the battle waxed hot, and his foes multiplied.
I want to talk about the opposition Jesus faced and overcame, but before I do I want to point a few others who faced opposition and temptation and notice how they fared.
The first we would mention are the progenitors of our race.
If anyone was well qualified, and well prepared to handle the fight of life, it was they. No sinful nature, regular fellowship with God Himself, and they only had 1 sin they were capable of committing.
But they tapped out to curiosity, and to attempt to fulfill physical desires.
Following close on the heels of that failure was their son Cain, who tapped out to anger and murdered his own brother.
Then, though, the record is hidden from our eyes we know that wholesale all of mankind tapped out to sin of every type, to the point that God looked on the sins of man, and we read: Ge 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually. It was so great that He decided to destroy all of mankind.
With one exception, Noah, and his family, whom the bible calls a just man, and perfect in his generation. The flood came, and Noah who represents both the best of us and the worst of us should have known better, having witnessed with his own eyes the consequences of tapping out, tapped out. The first act of his after the flood was to build an altar to the Lord, but it wasn’t long before he himself tapped out to the temptation of fleshly fulfillment. He became a farmer, and the only thing the scriptures record him as planting was a vineyard. The verse immediately following that annotation in scripture says that Noah got drunk. While there are great differences of opinion on the consumption on alcohol, without exception drunkenness is forbidden and called sin in the bible. Noah like all godly men have walked on the heights with God, and somewhere along the journey tapped out and walked in the depths with the devil. That is why Jesus said we are to call no man good. I have never understood why some men call other men, "a great man of God." All flesh is as grass, all we like sheep have gone astray. If Jesus wouldn’t let anyone call Him good, Who never sinned nor was guile ever found in His mouth, who are we to so elevate men who have sinned to the status of a "great man of God."
Abraham the father of faith, the example for all who would after him believe, tapped out and lied that his wife was his sister, when he was afraid for his life.
David, the sweet Psalmist of Israel, the giant slayer, saw a beautiful woman and tapped out to lust.
The Apostle Judas decided he wanted money more than God, and that is the sin over which he tapped out.
The Apostle Peter is perhaps the most well known of those who tapped out. Jesus said to him, before the rooster crows twice you will deny me thrice. True enough, when asked following the arrest of Jesus wasn’t he one of Jesus’ followers, Peter cursed and swore that he was not. Twice more he tapped out to fear, and denied the Lord Jesus Christ.
After that third denial he tapped out one more time, do you know when it was? This time it wasn’t to the devil, but to his conscience. The bible tells us he went out and wept bitterly. You see when you are sinning you are tapping out to the devil, but when you are repenting you are tapping out to God. You are saying I can’t take this hurt in my conscience no more. Church history tells us that for the rest of his life, every time Peter would hear a rooster crown, he would weep.
The point I am making is that though all men may tap out for different reasons, all men still tap out. Some to anger, some to sensual pleasures, some to fears, but all men tap out. The case file of humanity is a horrible record of failure and tapping out, that is why the bible says, All we like sheep have gone astray, and again all have sinned and come short of the standard of the glory of God.
Before we talk about Jesus I want to make one more brief point: help is on the way!
If I could sum up what I’ve said so far, it would be this:
All we like sheep have gone astray, All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
The best of us have also been the worst of us, when punch came to shove we all tapped out.
But that isn’t the only the thing the Bible tells us.
If we go all the way back to the first folks who tapped out
Right alongside every zero we got on the test paper, the teacher wrote an encouraging word:
"Help is on the way"
On the very day that Adam and Eve tapped out and fell into sin, God showed up and said your sin has consequences, but help is on the way. There is coming one, who though His heel will be bruised by the serpent, He will crush the serpents head.
Thousands of years later Paul would talk about the mystery hidden that was hidden for the ages, but had been revealed in his day. The mystery he was talking about, was the help that was on the way. That Jesus was the solution to our sin problem.
In the book of Exodus God told the people the angel of death was coming round. But He also told them, help is on the way, He said you put the blood over the door and when I see the blood I will pass over you.
Now I know most folk think He was talking bout the blood of the lamb that was over their door,
but I know deep down in my soul, I said I know deep down in my soul, He was talking about the spotless Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. God may have seen the literal lambs blood, but He was looking forward in time the blood of the spotless Lamb of God. Well, can somebody help me preach a little bit up in here?
When we were yet without strength... Help was on the way
That is why He was called the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
We read in the Psalms the 105th chapter that the Jews were headed for a famine they didn’t know nothing about. Because they couldn’t predict the weather 20 years ahead.
Well there is one Who can. Blessed be His name.
But before He loosed that famine upon that land, help was already worked out.
Turn to your neighbor and say, before your trouble comes, help is already worked out.
We read in the 16th verse, that God called for a famine upon the land, but in the 17th verse we read this amazing fact, before the famine came he sent a man ahead, even Joseph.
In other words, before trouble came, help had been sent on ahead.
Long before Adam and Eve messed up the first time, help was already on the way.
Anybody here want to thank God with me, for the help He has sent our way?
Anybody got some praise in their heart for the sinless Lamb of God?
God looked to His preachers for help but He wound up saying they are just dumb dogs that cannot bark.
So God began looking for someone to help and someone to stand in the gap and it says in Isaiah 59 & 16
Isa 59:16 And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede; Then His own arm brought salvation to Him; And His righteousness upheld Him.
Let’s talk about Jesus for one minute or two and they we will close this message.
I want to talk about the things He faced but didn’t tap out, and then we will close with the winners belt that God gave him.
"He was tempted in all points like as we are"... "But He didn’t tap out."
Jesus was mocked and rejected:
The crowd, the people He came to save rejected Him and said, get rid of Him we would rather have Barabbas, He could have gotten angry, "But, He didn’t tap out"
The soldiers mocked Him and said Prophesy who hit you. I believe that because He had human nature in Him, anger rose up in Him. I could well imagine Him thinking of the name of the very person who had said that and thinking of what He might do in anger, but bless God, He didn’t tap out, to fleshly desires for vengeance.
The chief priest said if you are God come down from the cross and save yourself.
I wonder if He thought within Himself, "How bout I come down there and show you a thing or two?" But He didn’t tap out!
Jesus was rejected
Jn 1:11 By His own nation
Luk 4 By His own town
Mk 3:21 His own friends tried to stop Him thinking He was crazy
John 7:5 His own family didn’t believe in Him
The religious leaders rejected Him, the very ones who were supposed to be worshipping and serving Him!
When He cast out devils they told him to get lost Mk 2, and they had the nerve on one occasion to insult Him and say He was doing it by demonic power. When He told them the truth they wanted to kill him
When he healed the lame they got angry John 5:16
They took up stones to kill Him.
They refuted His:
Claims - Before Abraham was I AM.
sermons John 8
miracles John 11
He was subjected to shame - He hung naked on the cross.
They spit on Him
They mocked Him with a crown of thorns
Ohhh don’t you want to praise Him, because He never tapped out?
Ohhh don’t you want to bless Him, when you realized what He endured, but never tapped out?
Ok Let’s back up for one more trial He had.
Somewhere in eternity past, when God the Father was having "The" conversation with God the Son, the Father told Him, quite clearly, at any point in this process "You can pick Your life up, or You can lay Your life down." In other words, if it gets too hard for you, anytime you want, all you have to do is call and I will send 12 legions of angels and wipe that place out. You can find that in Mt. 26:53, and in John 10:18.
So the fight of the century may have been the thrilla in Manilla, but the greatest fight of all time was fought in garden of Gethsemanee. Jesus understood what was ahead, and all that was human and weak that was in Him, was arguing, and fussing with all that was Divine in Him. To the point His body went in such shock over the situation, that the bible says He sweat drops of blood. It is one thing to stand firm for God, when just a gentle breeze is blowing against you, quite another when you are facing a category 5 hurricane, and that was exactly what Jesus was facing in the garden that day, but He didn’t tap out.
But do you know what pushed Him over the edge in the right direction that He never tapped out?
Do you know what it was?
It is hinted at in Hebrews 12 in our text this morning: "Who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross and despised its shame.
Do you know what it was, that the bible calls the joy that was set before Him?
The answer is found in Psalms the 2nd chapter
1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
7 ¶ I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
The answer is found there in the 8th verse, "Ask of Me and I will give you the heathen for Your inheritance."
Ask Me and I will give you the mockers for Your inheritance.
Those that pushed the crown of thorns on Your head, I will give you them for a reward.
Those that punched and said, "prophesy..."
Those that accused you of casting out demons by devil power...
When I think about what it was that motivated Jesus and kept Him from tapping out, I stand in awe of One who could think so much of us sinners who all have tapped out.
That is why, "I stand amazed the presence of Jesus the Nazarene, and wonder how He could ever love me
A sinner condemned unclean.
How Marvelous, How wonderful and my song shall ever be
How marvelous how wonderful is my Saviors love for me.
I am really going to close now with a few final words.
Because of what Jesus did, and the fact He never tapped out God gave Him two rewards, the first is you and I the heathen, and the second according to the book of Philippians, because He didn’t tap out God gave Him the name that is above every name.
Somebody ought to praise God this morning because the altogether lovely one never tapped out.
somebody out to praise God because He is the lilly of the Valley
somebody out to praise God because He is not just a king, but He is the king of kings.
He is not just Lord, but He is the Lord of Lords,
Whatever superlative you might come up with to describe He is higher,
He is wiser,
He is better,
He is purer,
He is sweeter,
He is stronger,
That is why I can say, I started out a long time ago, and I made a decision deep in my heart:
I’m going to go with the winner
I’m not putting my trust in man
he will let you down
Politicians will let you down
Family members will tap
Preachers will tap out
best friends will let you down
That is why I say
My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
but wholly lean on Jesus name
On Christ the solid rock I stand
I said on Christ
the Lilly of the valley
On Christ
The bright and morning star
On Christ
whose eyes are a flame of fire
On Christ
who wears white because He’s worthy
On Christ
The one at God’s right hand
On Christ
My joy,
my hope,
my healer,
My salvation
My justification
My deliverer
On Christ
I said on Christ
the solid rock I stand
all other ground
is sinking sand
I dare not trust
the sweetest frame
but wholly lean
on Jesus name.
Give Him praise in this place.
Close:
Have you put your trust in Him?
Have you tapped out to sin?
I had to go to court recently, a family in the church asked me to come with them over a legal situation they were facing. One by one cases were heard, some were resolved, others received another date for court action, pleas were made and deals were struck. One young man was there for sentencing, he started to try and reargue his case, I will never forget what I heard the judge say, "We are not here to discuss the case, we are here to mete out punishment." Immediately two scripture flashed through my mind, "It is appointed unto man first to die, and then the judgment." "Today is the day of salvation." As we close this service, if you are struggling with sin and are close to tapping out, consider Jesus the author and finisher of your faith...
But also, I want to tell everyone and anyone under the sound of my voice, today is the day to argue your case, once you cross from life to death, it is not time to argue the case, but it is time for final disposition or judgment, there will be no discussion, your life will be the testimony that will already have been entered into the record. Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
