Stubborn Inflexibility (Part B)

What happened when Jesus said to his apostles. Last summer, is one of you will betray me. They all said his chair you want to be that guy don't look at me, Lord, just let me know. I could see Jane tell me we are supposed to retain some of this come to the Scripture we read about these things will say before the Lord is and I did my doing this in mind, this narrowminded that I cannot receive the light from heaven Vince's cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville.

Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the gospel of Mark.

Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching.

Now here's Pastor Rick with his study called stubborn inflexibility in Mark chapter 2 verse 15. Now it happened, as he was dining and Levi's house.

Many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many, and they followed him first.

It was Peter's house. Now it's Matthews. These two men would never forget. I think that you would never forget Christ is in your home. Also those of us were born again know that Christ is in our homes matter what goes on struggles that we may face doesn't mean he agrees with everything but we try to get it that way. This calling of Levi led to a trilogy of complaints against Christ and that's why this section as these hard to divide the verses that we have from verses 13 through 28 because out of this calling of Matthew comes division comes conflict because these religious leaders were so stubborn and inflexible. They were looking at the miracles they were listening to the sermons and they refuse to receive it because they were so stuck on trivia that truth and nothing, and that it is loaded is fraught. We might say with instruction for us. Verse 16 when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eating with the tax collectors and sinners. They said to his disciples, how is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners. First time when Christ forgave the sins of the paralytic manage chapter 1 concept to they were silent in their opposition did not verbalize Jesus read like a book called them out on here. They method off when the scribes and the Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and sinners. They said to his disciples. Now this point they're not coming to him face-to-face. They're going to the disciples. This is a different group of Pharisees and scribes in Jesus had already dealt with in Jerusalem.

Mark again picks up the story almost a year into the ministry of Christ, and so will be to get to his ministry in Galilee. John goes back further into the ministry in Jerusalem where it says Jesus knew it was in every matter because when they were all saying how they were all impressed by Jesus but but John says that Jesus knew what was in man he knew that many of them were not interested in his teaching. They just wanted a miracle. He still knows the difference well this time they verbalize their protests to his disciples see the scribes were the custodians of the Scriptures. They were the ones that kept them in print in circulation by writing you know by hand written copies of God's word down through the ages the Pharisees. They were the custodians of the traditions, the oral traditions that had eclipsed the Scripture in time and in this time of Christ. Together these two worthy part of the leadership spiritual leadership.

He had other groups like the Sadducees and the lawyers. Of course, but but here it is, the scribes and the Pharisees that are singled out and they isolated themselves from such people like the tax collectors and sinners. The very people that needed to hear the word of God the most. They refused to be around you could say they bury their talent.

This is a rookie mistake for us today to be isolated from those who need us, is a huge difference between outreach and fellowship. When you know sometimes you have to get close to people and to minister to them. It doesn't mean you agree with them. Maybe sit down and have a meal with them doesn't mean you agree with the theology. Certainly there are boundaries to that you would not go with them to their church and pray with them to their gods and things like that is not what's happening here. Christ is called Levi to follow him. He sort of has this big a lot to celebrate his new no exit from tax collecting in his entrance in the public ministry.

He calls all his friends to common dry, suggesting that with them all in the says they followed him, was a casting pro before swine.

These people were not hostile to him. The Pharisees were hostile to these people were not inflexible because of stubbornness. Sometimes you have to be inflexible, but not because of stubbornness because of truth that is not the case with these scribes and Pharisees as custodians of the Scripture in traditions. They were just stubborn. They wanted Christ to help Judaism, along and he had come to make it obsolete and they just weren't interested in this, and sometimes administering the gospel to the lost are not from you find someone. Once you identify someone's not receiving it and not interested, you move on. Don't make them your pet project to overcome. God has somebody else for you don't want to be those who try to jam the gospel down somebody's throat we win souls because the Holy Spirit doing all the work which is showing up to close and it's a good system so the gospel when you isolate yourself is actually buried.

It is not out there for people to receive and the Pharisees and scribes were habitual in this they were not willing to understand what was going on. They never gave Christ the benefit of the doubt, me, we read of Nicodemus. He did Joseph of Arimathea and there were probably others unnamed with the bulk of them. They never looked to say.

Or maybe, maybe he is the Messiah. Maybe this is the right way to do it the capacity for human beings to be stupid is big and you know whenever we say that of course we have to include ourselves in that humanity will not meet course With this be waste of time but overall the essence of this parasitical religion was self-righteousness without righteousness in Christ call them out. Matthew chapter 5 for I say to you, unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. That's pretty severe stuff you say those guys are doing that going to hell if you want to behave like that matter what your position is, no matter what you call yourself what others call you. You want to be nasty customer then you will not go to the kingdom. They were meticulous in keeping countless man-made rules and regulations added to the 613 commandments of of the law of Moses was were this pile of rules and regulations at least 39 things you couldn't do on the Sabbath and they would just add to that they knew better. They couldn't attack Christ on his miracles, they can sign is not a miracle is a couldn't do that too many people were getting healed so they attacked as morality is with sinners. How can he possibly be a Messiah. If this man knew what kind of woman that was that was touching him. He would end they would just deal the sovereign we say as we consider these men in my this way, what happened when Jesus said to his apostles. Last supper is one of you will betray me and they all said is it I cared to be that guy goes meal or just let me know. I could see the change I had to tell me we are supposed to retain some of this come to the Scripture we read about these things are to say before the Lord is and I my doing this in my this narrowminded that I cannot receive the light from heaven and I believe the great many Christians are not narrowminded that they do receive.

They listen to these lessons and they embrace them. Russ Christianity will be long gone. But I also know that empty barrels when beat on make the most noise and often times in Christianity. Those loudmouths seem to be the majority amongst Christians may not be verse 17 when Jesus heard it, he said to them, those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance reads as though he's saying that he heard them. And so he says you talking about me.

You're asking my disciples about me is my answer could've been that he heard about it from the stifling of the asses this and he says to them. Here's the answer, but I think he's addressing these Pharisees because that's what the series is trilogy of conflicts that he faces in this chapter have to do with him directly standing up against them.

He was not interested in their rules." Their rabbis. Not once did we hear Jesus or Rabbi Schneerson says never he quotes the father in heaven he quote Scripture and he's about to deal with their battle with the Bible and that's why he brings up David he goes to the Scripture, and he saying to us is how I want to do it should do it just like this.

I mentioned Paul would lock horns with Tammy going to the synagogue many breeds and when they protested deal with this. Both Christ and Paul would say what will move on. Jesus told his disciples.

I want you to go I want you to preach the gospel to preach the good news. Why would the Pharisees and scribes doing a why did Jesus have to deputize apostles to do this when they should've been doing it because they were too stubborn, so he sends them out into the by the way, they don't receive you knock the dust off your feet and no guilty will rise up and say how mean it's not me you at the alternative is to be sucked into the nonsense and no longer preach the gospel lesson if you're listening to the Scripture being preach and hurt your feelings at Scott, trying to deal with your wound if you guilty of something. The root the way to handle that is not to say what I just think this narrowminded and bigoted, or some other thing that where the hell is what is I'm guilty what this how we going to address it. Sometimes he says this going to take a long time to leave a lot of this on you. I have asked this question before and I'll ask it again. What would happen if Christ took from us the capacity for sin.

The ability to send because were born in sin because we are born defective. I am sure that we would become the most smug self-righteous condemning people on earth. We would not love anybody that was struggling with sin, we would come to like it to be like me. Christ leaves little bit on us. I think that's part a big part of it is not all of it, but I do believe it is a part of it. Well, Matthew when he tells the same story he has an interesting note word from Christ for Matthew nine verse 13 Christ is this to them when when he went there challenging his authority says go learn what this means, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. Go learn this supposed to be the teachers of the Lord is think you need to go back to school you missed that class and what could they say because it was true, merciful God stoops down to minister to those who align wounded before him, may we be careful not is a fine line here cannot promote sin especially is a ministry as a church cannot facilitate sin and promoted but on the other hand, you look for opportunities to show mercy when we don't look for opportunities to show mercy, we end up shooting a wound. We want do that we want care for them, not the wounded pull out a pistol and a shoe sketch using I'm not coming in and didn't have to deal with church discipline. Jesus gives that story taken to the elders of the church.

If they don't receive the church and eventually not that the end of the process. Bunuel and these this is you know the gives the individual a chance to receive Judas Iscariot never gave the Lord a chance to rebuild Peter did thieves on the outlaws on the cross. One submitted the other did not. These lessons are patently obvious there.

They're all over the New Testament clear as a bell.

No one is too bad for the Lord Jesus.

That's what he means.

I have come as a physician to minister to those who are sick. However, some think they are too good to need a physician there to spiritually healthy to be bothered with the Savior and his salvation so they stay lost. They die in their sins because they do not repent they think that the standard of righteousness is somewhere in man Romans chapter 2 Paul says in that day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel quote unquote Christ is the standard not you, not somebody you you can't say you know I'm not that bad of a person.

Look, I'm I'm not in jail. Those people in prison their bad then going to hell, but I've never done that or I got never been convicted caught what I would work if the inmates were the standard not God is the standard you have to have righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees and is matched with Jesus Christ and you can't do it. So you need him to help you as we read in second Corinthians 5 is reconciliation. His righteousness is reconciliation is based on his righteousness, becoming our righteousness.

He is the one that saves us cannot save ourselves so sinners that he is dining with that this every body were all sinners and we can be sinners saved by grace are not up to us.

That part is up to us. Marion chapter 1 of Luke's gospel and that beautiful song of hers. She says, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, right what would be wrong with who would find fault with that. The only sour note comes from those who were stubborn and inflexible. Who refused to hear what the Bible says so clearly instead of receiving the blessings and look for ways to counter them. Instead of receiving crisis who how this what he just said is pretty deep what he just did is as amazing as miraculous. Maybe I should start listening to him and stop trying to find ways to point out that he's wrong or trying up or maybe I should stop trying to find ways that he agrees with sin as we see today all over the Internet.

People taking the word of God telling you, doesn't mean what it clearly says unfortunately vulnerable little lambs lap up the poison in the war zone. Verse 18 the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting then they came and said to him, why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast would your disciples do not fast. So now he says again. Verse 18 the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting and we cringe when we hear that John's disciples and the Pharisees together challenging Christ. We would like to have read that John's disciples said well will ask when when I with you because John was raised up to go against the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and all the religious element that was crushing their own religion, their man-made rules previously in verse 16. The Pharisees asked Jesus disciples to explain Jesus behavior here there asking Jesus to explain the disciples behavior. So what Marcus captured Mark and Peter. I think without even trying.

Just telling the story like it is with his captor for us is that the matter what Christ did.

He and his people are going to be attacked, molested, to this day, this does not make it easy for Peter writes that the second letter is no less not make it easy for them but use our righteousness as a cloak to do evil want to pull their teeth take away their charges of hypocrisy that are launched against you and other things like that so now again they ask price John's disciples.

We understand while they why they fasted, they probably ate locust like John, any chance the faster they took it with really what businesses, what business is it of anybody else whether I faster not. I don't fast to you before you and you don't fast to me for me why you even asking me this question is none of your business has to be the act. I would've said that you read Matthew chapter 6 on your prayer closet is no one's business. Your prayer routine and things like this find a citizen but I've been praying for you. I guy pray, but it not like this being thrown up into your face being judged by others. You know the law required the Jewish people to fast only one day out of the year, the day of atonement that was that. Everything else was elected as you did. Are you wasn't you know compulsive verse 19 Jesus said to them, can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them as long as they have the bridegroom with them. They cannot fast while we one reason why we fastest. Of course, subdue the flesh as we can draw closer to God that distractions will be minimized well.

There were already as close to God as he did in this world. He was walking with them is his apostles.

His disciples, so you could've said what we faster draw close to God why they don't need to fast on right here to get any closer and closer get my personal space 60 show hundred years from now what is he talking about 6 feet. Anyway, this was a time of happiness, not heaviness walk around all Solomon everything like they were doing as Jesus said in a low be like to put oil in your head will look at me on as all right as you're not oil on your headline again. Egger right thank you he says is not appropriate all the time.

Imagine bacon fast ladies I know you've not been debating fast with glad because it's a guy thing is nothing wrong with feminism is been stealing our women for decades now trying to dictate to you what a woman should be. We go to the Scripture to find out who we are to be men and women anyway imagine showing up to bacon fast full will beat you up takeout back and slap you around me.

Do you know forward food to fight back.

There was just something the wrong we can all understand that he's saying I'm here now. The type of fasting. Verse 20 but the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast in those days, he knew how this was going and he had read the Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 in the other sections in the prophets said spoke of this messiahs death. He knew what Isaiah had to say because he gave it to Isaiah to write authored rejected by humans, but received by God. He knew that he would have a violent death at the hands of religious people and nonreligious people like Wyoming pilot was religious to a narrow Roman kind of way.

Paganism. Let's talk a little bit more about this fasting because it has its place in our life.

It can put an edge on our prayers. It can help us, but if not handled right.

It's a difficult tool to use when I used to work on bridges and buildings. There was a tool called a power vein was used to wean to make a whole larger so if you you wanted to put bolts in the whole the whole building together the holes in lineup you'd use this tool and if you did not use this power vein the right way. It could kill you. I mean, you could certainly beat you up and smiling as I got stories and I you know I would love to tell, but we're not here to hear my stories.

Ointment made any way fasting is that tool it works in its proper place.

But you have to use it the right way and the consequent of not using it the right way is not good for us as a difficult to it can impart a false sense of maturity. I must be mature because I'm back, I haven't.

I never needed all the old and send them like 80 minutes which is quite a feat in our society. If you need help fasting to survivors that were competing for your food and then you will have fast anyway you can make the user feel that God is no obligated Loki suffered all day.

You gotta let me end this is a serious prayer request. I've got before you.

How can you say no, look at my thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com once you're there you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick.

We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast.

When you subscribe will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio. You can search for cross reference radio on your favorite podcast app that's all we have time for today, but we hope you'll join us next time. As Pastor Rick continues to teach through the book of Mark Rocky on cross reference radio