John’s Murderers (Part C)

This proves that resource and repentance are not the same thing we can be humanly sorry and then go commit atrocities of the net very next breath. Judas Iscariot, I blew it that when I did make the right call but he did not say what that is, the son of God, righteous and holy. I bow down to him. God forgive me. That is not what he did. Peter went out and wept bitterly just for denying Judas betrayed and hung himself wanted to control over matters. This is 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 book 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, and now here's Pastor Rick in the gospel of Mark chapter 6 with the conclusion of his study called John's murder. John was moving the man's heart, the truth from the Scripture.

He heard he did and gladly that's what it says when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

John, the baptizer's preaching was making progress in this man, this is done a spooky because Herod was close to heaven and he chose Hell instead internally he was conflicted. That's when the war was the Holy Spirit is what you do give worse when heat this up in a moment he knew he was guilty for marrying Herodias taking Philip's wife from him and for his walk for a while. His conscience was alive. It was not yet seared with a hot iron beyond retrieval but he becomes irretrievable about anybody here starting to wade out into the waters of rejection of Christ into making up things about Christ and his word. You going out deeper and deeper until you are either retrievable. You can be irretrievable in this life where God can't get you back is my point is, what if you just don't agree with it fine.

Good don't agreement plentiful right. What I found right in you messing around with these things. Well, the story here tells us otherwise tells us that you can reach a point of no return.

Verse 21, then an opportune day came when heroine on his birthday, gave a feast for his nobles. The high officers and the chief men of Galilee yeah yeah where they too, John. The baptizer was Herod's last chance at eternal life really wouldn't get another. I mean, technically you could say when Jesus stood before me had another chance but realistically speaking, it was he was too far gone, is at the point of no return. It was a defining moment in his life. We have those we have many of them, but this had to do with his soul. This was his last chance as it was with Pharaoh and Moses stood before him. Eventually it became the last chance until Farrell chased them to the sea and was swallowed up there. Then there was Saul. Samuel. Samuel came up at and door and preach tomorrow you'll be dead to Saul. Saul had a chance threw it away. King David. David had a chance to repent over his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah and Nathan confronted him and David took that chance David did not resist it today. I'm the man I met, he repented, he wrote Psalms about it. David shows us how to respond, as did the Ninevites. Jonah comes through 40 days. You guys have done. God will judge you 40 days God will judge that was his sermon. Some of you might be saying why can't you preach short short sermons like that. Will Jonah didn't have the gospel of Mark, but Nineveh repented, if they had not repented that generation would've perished. What about Absalom. Even Joab was used to give Absalom a chance and he threw it away. Judas Iscariot go do what you must do that was in his last chance. He was approaching it there in the garden when he betrayed him.

And Jesus said friend Judas dismissed it and went out and hung himself in remorse but not repentance will come of that moment to.

Then there was Caesar Nero Nero wasn't too bad as seizures go as a ruler until after Paul the apostle spoke with him. History kind of skips over that within Nero goes really wacky, even kills his mentor Seneca but we know Paul went before him. Because act 27 tells us God speaking through an angel the ball.

Do not be afraid, Paul, for you must be brought before Caesar and indeed God is granted you and all those who sail with you. This is when they were on the facing shipwreck and they did shipwrecked but they survive and so the point is, Nero was given a chance one more chance and after he told Paul no, he went into his Christian hatred mode and we know him as the man who really introduced the first Gentile severe persecution of believers, there was the Jezebel of Thyatira Christ gave her a chance revelation to verse 21, where he says you have that woman Jezebel teaches my servant and so here he says and I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent to reach that tipping point, going partway, but not all the way into repentance and harden the heart to the point where it's too late, these were given a chance. One last chance Herod has again.

Galatians chapter 3, Paul lamenting to the church. This is O foolish Galatians as talking to those who said they were believers who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, I am afraid for you Les, I have worked funny. Nothing.

How many times the pastor preached to the use and use love it and then they go out to the world and all of a sudden then all of that pastoring even though he's done nothing to give them the word of God because they found others that give it to them better. I don't dispute that. I know there are better men than I am in the pulpit you really believe that do you know I don't course, I believe it because it is gonna funny right because you want. As luck.

I don't care what you are.

I think if you have any sense of decency you want to be the best at what you do, knowing you can't be that is always going to be somebody better and is no difference in my case, or any other pastor's case. Some of the pastor knows that I'm better than him just like I know he's better than me.

Well anyway, these facts are things we need to be reminded of from time to time and yet some people come to the church because I'm the only girl on the dance floor. Well I go to another church but I can't find one thought is with you. This is very flattered by the others, have been given a chance. One last chance they may want me, you can say the same thing. You and Deb want some point, you were given a chance and you took up the Christ. But maybe, maybe it was your last chance. Maybe you're sitting here and you still undecided.

Satan loves the bubbleheaded undecided individual, you have no right to be undecided in the face of these truths to that powerful. That's why God will eventually say no more mercy. What a scary thought. Would you rather me just are not just keep on you know you never know just you never know you want me to preach that kind of just and noncommittal stuff what you want to understand that this is serious business.

Every cemetery says to all of us.

This life is not a joke.

For every tombstone.

There's a broken heart. Many of them here. Here we have this worldly party and these can be nasty gatherings. These parties party led to Moses breaking the tablets of the law before the guilty revelers.

It was a party that King has your sorriest tried to parade his wife Vashti. She had the courage to say no and he lost.

He lost her. His wife, King Bell says the last one of the Babylonians, he saw the handwriting on the wall at a party and was not in his favor and his knees knocked against another, and other things. And of course he perished that night and at this party.

The decision to chop off the head of John the baptized, was made and sold on a platter were satisfied with just killing him wanted to parade the D nest of the determined to be damned.

It would determine they felt the fund in this life is more important than the God after this life, and was not supposed to pat him on the head and give him a cookie under what were getting here in the Scriptures, God is saying. Understand this, your choice is a serious business. Go to tamper with what I'm saying want to mess around with who I am. One is blatantly and flagrantly be disobedient.

Their consequences verse 22 and when Herodias daughter herself came in and danced and please Herod and those who sat with him. The king said to the girl ask me whatever you want and I will give it to you. Well, I've already commented on Salomé being his stepdaughter is what she was daughter of Herodias and Philip verse 23. He also swore to her whatever you asked me, I will give you up to have my kingdom know that of course is an exaggeration.

They were going to give her she's okay Kim, you have to kingdom and the half that John is in so that I can go behead him.

I me that would've been just the best, not what's meant by this is is ask anything you know any big gift and and I'm going to give it to you such a silly thing. Why blinded he was by the obscene and his moral blindness only dark and further we all are familiar with. First John for all that is of the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father but is of the world and the world by definition is in opposition to Jesus Christ, to the point that they have rejected him and we go now to verse 24 so she went out and said to her mother. What shall I ask and she said the head of John the Baptist. You see, Herodias, her mother, she had a violent reaction to the Bible and there are those that have this violent reaction to truth.

They think that they know they folded her arms him smugly just begin to pick it off and think the going to get away with it you can get away with it. As these did for one lifetime, but no more. Not a step further. But she Herodias satanically inspired with an unclean spirit aided not only the truth but the God of the truth and his messenger, she hated the whole package wanted nothing to do what you can silence the messenger you can silence the truth. Verse 25 immediately she came in with Jesus is Salomé, the daughter to the king and asked saying I want you to give me at once, the head of John the Baptists on a platter. The apple fell close to the tree with this one. She's just as wicked as her mother. She rushed to give her gruesome reply to Herod's brainless infatuation. She couldn't wait.

Immediately she came in with haste to see her eyes she's happy like a kid heading to heading toward the Christmas tree you notice lies all blowing all excited over this grotesque event the fruit of Satan grows off of evil people and this is what it looks like in print. We get to see it from time to time in her own life and others hopefully not ourselves. Not this evil fruit. Verse 26 and the king was exceedingly sorry yet because of the oath, and because of those who sat with him.

He did not want to refuse her you catch that he's not sorry he is exceedingly sorry is emotional about this is his moment. This is his chance.

If this proves that remorse and repentance are not the same thing we can be humanly sorry and then go commit atrocities with the never very next breath. Judas Iscariot, I blew it that when I did make the right call but he did not say with that is the son of God, righteous and holy and I bow down to him. God forgive me. That is not what he did. Peter went out and wept bitterly just for denying Judas betrayed him, hung himself want to take control over matters, probably trying to punish somebody here. Herod he's sorry that he tripped over his own drunken tongue. Sorry that he didn't see this answer coming not sorry enough to do what was right, not sorry enough about his personal sin not sorry enough to halt the murder of a righteous man who cares about this kind of junk. Sorry useless. So what you're sorry you're going to behave and can and commit atrocities such as this was interested in the war would you want to pity party for this hope or have Rod you got tricked. Come sit down over here.

Verse 27. Immediately, the king sent the executioner commanded his head to be brought and he went and beheaded him in prison. He could've said no I'm not giving you. Thank you.

Anyway things on the king. I'm not doing if he really was serious even Zechariah became a Zechariah. Should we keep the fasting that we had in Babylon.

Zechariah is a God never gave you, not you, not bound by that extra something like that. They didn't really came to him for a blessing of pastor what you think about this book is personal leadership size jump.

I'm leaving the church happens happen more than once they come looking for the blessing you don't give it to them. You got trouble and that there Zechariah. They came to him again.

He told them no you not bound by silly oats and here Herod sealed his own fate. You know, here's the punch to it all. God never spoke to him again. Not that way. Well, me what we, the evidence we have is that God never spoke to him again until it was judgment day.

Luke chapter 23 now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad last time he was exceedingly sorry over the over the botched party event here is exceedingly glad to Jesus, the amoebae of the some miracle, for he had desired for a long time to see him because he had heard many things about him and he hope to see some miracle done by him. Then he questioned him with many words, but he answered him, nothing." Luke's gospel chapter 23 verses eight and nine. That is the that is what happened. He's asking Jesus all these questions and the Bible tells us he answered him, nothing is the only person in Scripture that Jesus Christ ignored that we know she fooled around playing around with that last chance and there it is, is ironic. Herod's birthday became his eternal death day if I if I'm wrong about that would be good, but the Bible gives the strong warnings to us.

John was the last prophet of the Old Testament age to die in the first prophet of the New Testament age to die because it was worth it to him. God said about John the Baptist that there were none better. What kind of group is those that put him in Abraham and I say no to able into all of these powerful figures of Scripture. Matthew's gospel chapter 11. Surely, I say to you among those born of women there is not risen one greater than John the Baptist, but he was least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. This is who Herod Herodias Salomé and the accident killed one whom Jesus said, none is better but what about this party.

It was everybody always wants to hear something about it, and rightfully so. He was least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. What does that mean our ministry is greater, and our message is superior because our Savior is the crucified and risen Lord and we have that information, and we've submitted to among men none better than John, but among the messages that are out there, none is as glorious as ours is not John.

Personally, it's the message he had only one so far. Ours goes beyond and in that sense, it is greater. What is so great about a prophet's message. What is so great about us, our message is our message greater than Isaiah is in that sense, yes, even though Isaiah included wasn't as developed as what we have greater than Solomon greater than Jonah. Our message is one of recurrent cleansing as opposed to the law of recurrent covering.

What I mean by that is in the Old Testament, you took your blood sacrifice to the temple and your sins recovered but they were still there. You are not going to go to heaven you could go to righteous. She old you are not going to make it into heaven because your sins were not dealt with sufficiently that is the Old Testament law, recurrent covering New Testament grace is recurrent cleansing so that we can say the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin, past, present, and those to come.

That is grace.

None us on flagrant sin. The Senate will you know you just tell God to guide I cannot ramp him up of those who believe in Jesus Christ, we stumble we mess up God forgives and we should be very grateful. That's why Paul said he is made, who has made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant.

Second million through six.

Well, I'm almost out of time is going to finish this up. Verse 28. It brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl and the girl gave it to her mother.

These are goals. Remember that is what Richard Juan Brandt had to say in torture for Christ. I recommend you read torture for Christ pastor warmer and said he was beheaded because he did not confine himself to abstract teaching. It got as a novice black-and-white you want to. Maybe this maybe that could be eliminated. These if he got to the point, you can have your brother's wife is no gray zone here and today we have abstract teachers we've always had them where they just won't get to the point. Everybody loves a sermon so they don't convict anybody. As Dozier said it was poison. It wouldn't kill you lose medicine.

He couldn't cure you.

Who wants a kind of preaching. So they continued with their party. While the grisly deed was prorated and then they woke up the next day and then the next day and then the next year they kept going. Then death came then they trembled before the throne of Jesus Christ and of their are separated from him. To this very moment. They did not die that day, they forfeited their last hope of salvation as far as we can tell, that's what we need to be look.

You know what that's what we are concerned with verse 29 when his disciples heard of it. They came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb, not the ending. John had expected.

Are you the Christ or do we look for another is saying how come I'm still in jail if you the Messiah where's the Army to deliver me and establish your kingdom. His disciples perhaps they thought Satan has another victory.

There were other martyrs from the days of able forward. So this wasn't entirely new.

Matthew chapter 14 verse 12 Matthew says after John was beheaded that they went and told Jesus. Jesus made some profound comments about John but then acting as though he wasn't surprised.

She continued forward with ministry ministry marched on to other needy souls existed this wet day. To this day. You know you can. The messenger can die, but the message keeps going forward. And so closing with this grotesque, that is before us, who sees the godly murder yet still supposes that all roads lead to heaven. Such backwards twisted thinking it defies reason and justice and holiness. Our sense of these things animals don't have a sense of justice.

They have instincts, they diss in a different world. We have the sense is that they don't have is it noble to hold such idiotic foxes, Herod God and Herodias, if it comes from an entertainer if it comes from a professor on author or friend or parent if it is contrary to God. A week supposed to hold such notions as honorable. Well, all roads lead to heaven they do not is a straight and there's a narrow one, and there's abroad and there's a wide one, and the choice is up to you and you may get a day in your life if you cannot open your heart to Christ were you gotta make that choice or just remember Pharaoh.

Just remember Herod. Just remember the Jezebel of the entire crisis. I gave her space to not John remain loyal to the death. Then Jesus said to his disciples of anyone desires to come to me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and file follow me. Let us remain loyal to Christ no matter what mood 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 could 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