See text below, or you can go here to view the formatted google doc:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1y21NRp3VJodNVGQuBn80Oykf5ywzJx13RAzaFjhsitc/edit
You can see the actual execution of this sermon here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoY-gkamBaU&t=277s
***OUTLINE***
Summary / Activate Prior Knowledge (3-7 min.)
[PRAY]
Review from Previous Week
Overarching Questions
How often do we justify ourselves? Why?
What rights did Jesus have? How did he respond to them being taken?
What can we learn from the Captain of our salvation?
Mission statement:
I want to help us prepare for what is always coming for Christians. John 15:20 -- Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. We need to be made ready, by the power of the holy spirit, to suffer persecution with grace and humility. In order to do this, we will need to overcome our own righteousness, and our righteous indignation. Jesus is, and will always be, the greatest example in history of denying his own rights and giving up his own power.
Opening Scriptures (For Context and Structure)
Proverbs 21:2 -- Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.
This is a law. You see it playing out in ourselves and others every single day.
The hardest thing to do in the world is to get a person to see that he is deeply and fundamentally wrong. Without the holy spirit, we do not see this.
Today we get to see the continuation of the greatest contradiction in human history.
God is put on trial and found guilty under his own law.
Romans 10:3 -- For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
Righteousness is not something to be gained or defended by my actions.
Righteousness is something to be submitted to. Profound.
[PRAY]
Scripture:
Morning Schemes
Matthew 27:1 -- (1) When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. (2) And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.
What happened in the night?
Irony of laying out formal charges against the law giver.
Jesus Before Pilate
(11) Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” (12) But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. (13) Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” (14) But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
What is the normal human response?
Examples. (our kids fighting, “how dare you!”)
Self-righteous Indignation. (human instinct)
Why is Jesus’ response amazing? (contrast)
Not afraid to die.
Not defending his own righteousness.
What does Jesus’ answer mean?
Segue to John's account.
John 19:10-12
(10) So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” (11) Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”
Powerful insight into Jesus’ mindset.
He only saw God. He saw himself in the hands of God, not man.
The Crowd Chooses Barabbas
(15) Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. (16) And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. (17) So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” (18) For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. (19) Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” (20) Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. (21) The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” (22) Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” (23) And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”
Pilate takes a gamble. Offers a real criminal to call their bluff. (elaborate)
Why did it backfire? (he banked on them being reasonable)
What is the nature of this mob?
Luke 23:23 “Their voices prevailed.” Not justice. This wasn’t about justice.
Jesus lost in the court of popular opinion. So will we.
Application
What was going on in Jesus’ mind? Contrast how far he humbled himself. He had ultimate power, ultimate rights, and he was perfectly righteous. And yet he was accused and sentenced as a criminal. And made no defense for himself. How do we do this?
1 Peter 2:19-23 ESV — For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. (24) He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
Mindful of God. By faith [Moses] left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. (Hebrews 11:27)
See Jesus, remember Jesus, and determine to follow in His steps.
Entrust ourselves to Him who judge’s justly (not man). Don’t think you are in the hands of man. Don’t trust that your deliverance will come from man.
Randy Alcorn, as an example of a man who suffered unjustly. He took a stand against abortion and lost the civil suit to the tune of millions of dollars -- he was personally bankrupted. And yet he continues to praise God. See article: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/randyalcorn/2019/07/8-2-million-judgment/
[PRACTICAL EXAMPLE TO HELP US CHECK OUR OWN HEARTS]
Response to Tim Keller’s 2018 Article (NYT)
(See article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/29/opinion/sunday/christians-politics-belief.html)
SUMMARY:
Tim Keller wrote a very reasonable, gentle article in 2018, calling the church to consider how to be effective in the realm of politics while remaining faithful to the gospel witness. The article was great, but I want you to pay attention to one of the responses. Pay attention to yourself as you listen to this:
“As a strong believer in the separation of Church and State, I believe that religion has no place in political discourse. I am sick and tired of so-called Christians and other faith-based groups. using their religious beliefs to influence public policy. You want to pray. Fine. Go to church. You want to live your life in accordance with some religious belief. Fine. Do it in the privacy of your home. But, do not use your religious belief to argue that your right to free speech is infringed upon when you are asked to bake a cake for a same sex couple, provide birth control under your company's health insurance plan, deny science, etc. In short, do not use your religious beliefs to deny my right to live as I see fit. To influence public policy which denies millions of women, minorities, and children, access to health care, abortion, voting rights, civil rights. I am simply fed up with the hypocrisy of the so-called religious people in this country preaching to the rest of us who simply want to live our lives freely and openly without the burden of dealing with someone's else's gods foisted upon us.”
How does it make you feel? What does it make you want to do?
Does it make you want to defend yourself? (How dare you!)
Not saying a defense is always wrong. But who are you defending?
Defending yourself, or the gospel. Our defense should not be personal. (Christ’s example: “father forgive them.”)
How does that line up with the example of Jesus?
How do I NOT see this person the way this person sees me? (a threat, an obstacle)
This helped me see how far I am from the ideal of Jesus, just reading and paying attention to the responses in my own heart.
Conclusion:
[WORSHIP TEAM COME UP]
Matthew 5:10-12 (Beatitudes)
(10) Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (11) “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. (12) Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to give us the radical humility required to suffer persecution for the sake of Christ. To somehow transcend our deeply ingrained instinct for self-righteous indignation. To see Jesus and know we are not held in the hands of man. We do not put our trust in reason, or in the reasonableness of humankind. But in Christ alone to judge justly.
Response:
[RESPONSE ACTIONS]
Call to be born again. (See Jesus!)
Call to repentance from pride/self righteousness.
Call to giving.
Call to remembrance / Communion.
Call to prayer. Women’s ministry.
[SEGUE] Prayer to worship.
