Immense Fools (Part B)

Unbelievers 10 churches from time to time in the very press with the sermon, but they stay unbelievers. Nonetheless, they don't convert these men were impressed. So what is a lesson there to tell an unbeliever is your sharing them pricing and nodding her head in agreement.

This is just one white. Tell me more could say to them. I am going to tell you more if you will let me. The question is will you convert to Christ from the world or you just going to be impressed.

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, you can get a free copy of this teaching. Now here's Pastor Rick with part two of his study called immense fool as he teaches through Mark chapter 12, my prayer and my latter years year of ministry are Lord help me to love your people the way you love them because without you helping me to love them, I won't love. I resent all become jaded. Any pastor will make that prayer.

If I cannot love the flock you know what God says if I if I do not love, I am nothing. I want to be that so I will pursue love, the love of Christ. Paul writes to Titus again that he is. This is the same apostle that wrote of love is is holding fast the faithful word as he is been taught that he may be able by sound teaching both to exhort and convict those who contradict contradict what Scripture which these men were doing with Jesus. So I hope what I'm accomplishing here is showing you that in light of the storm. I think the song Don Francisco. He was talking to the hypocrites and Pharisees and everybody else but me courses being sarcastic when I just reading about these men coming to Christ. Back then, and it has nothing to do with us. It has everything to do with us. It is very relevant to right here right now is not expired. I better read these words and say Lord is that I am I doing these things. Verse 14 when they had come. They said to him, teacher, we know that you are true, and care about no one for you.

Do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not. So they came to him lying there lying to him these things are true.

He does not care enough about what people say to turn back on what his father says with the Scripture says that is truly is not going to play favorites while you is God's favor and he is, of course, God the son, but they're trying to flatter him as they sat him up. We know you're going to give us an honest answer because you're such a godly man there trying to exploit that these are insults woven into otherwise normal words.

These men were intellectually and emotionally committed to wrong things they enjoyed. They like what they would do in the way they live. They found nothing wrong with themselves Scripture.

They had reduced to this chart that goes along with their religion. Joe enjoyed opposing him they would relish the thought of discrediting him of being done with him. They say here you care about no one. That's not true, not true at all.

The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which is loss and bring the truth of God to the people but the truth of God came before opinions and feelings, and again that's what many folks don't want to hear.

They want Christ to agree with the way they want to do it and if he does not agree they'll find a way away to get away from him or to try to leaven the lump. And so it is not true. He has compassion just because he leaves things honest does not mean need does not care and some still try to equate standing firm against their beliefs with hatred. They think you hate them if you don't agree with them. It's a shameful thing to the place to be in one's life. I have every right to disagree with anyone at any time and not hate them at the same time I can do that do not have to show malice to someone because I disagree with them and what they don't like it well will have to live with it all the going to attack you there attacking him. They did not say well you know that's Christ opinion know they are trying to destroy him is then so they ask, is it lawful now.

This is not referenced. This is referring to the Roman law. Yes, but also to the Hebrew Scripture, mainly that at this point. This thing is it lawful, according to the laws of Scripture for us to pay taxes to Caesar because does this not conflict with the sovereignty of God by paying the Romans money are we not demonstrating our servitude said yeah because this is the punishment on you for forsaking the Lord with your many idols. When the prophets constantly warned you not to do what you did it anyway, so this is it lawful.

Now Caesar here that the reference here in verse 14 refers, of course, to that Roman Emperor Tiberius was the present Caesar at this time. Verse 15 shall we pay, or shall we not pay but he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, why do you test me bring me a denarius that I may see it, so he's fully aware of what these these guys were were up to. And the question is is it a crime to pay taxes to Caesar being God's people. Another Herodian's were present and they were pro-Roman. Therefore, I had Jesus said anything against paying taxes to Rome they would prosecute and that would be just what this coalition was after had Jesus said no we should we week we can pay these taxes and the Jewish people order come against him.

They knew that when they were asking this question they thought they had him trapped. How can you get out of this one is no right this is a lose lose situation for the Christly thought, although they would not thought of him as the Christ says in verse 15, but he knowingly hypocrisy said to them, why do you test me because I don't like you.

That's why we don't like what you have to teach we don't like what you say about the way we live. That's why another scenario. This was a silver coin about our days pay for a laborer.

He says bring me a denarius that I may see it, he did not carry cash has what it boils down to so we just briefly review this at his birth. When this parents went to swell. Mary and Joseph went to the temple to make the offering for him. They offered the poor man's offering turtledove's swell. They could afford at here when the and in this life. As he grew up and he was challenged on paying taxes.

He had to send to the sea to get a coin is even avidly paid taxes for himself and Peter. When he entered Jerusalem he had to borrow someone's donkey and to make his point here, of course, he borrows a calling and at his death at his death he had to borrow a tomb for the weekend. Every beast of the forest is mine says God the cattle on a thousand hills. They belong to him. And yet when he walked the earth.

Material wealth was not something he was interested in.

So who do you think you are. If you are one of those who claims that God wants you rich in this life with money and wealth to flaunt you know who you are. If you follow the so-called prosperity teaching which is no spiritual prosperity whatsoever than you follow the deception from hell. Your life is to serve Christ and not yourself. And we could beat on that all day long.

But will the guilty listen. Verse 16 so they brought it the coin and he said to them, whose image and inscription is this, they said Caesar's. He wanted to hear him say it out loud.

He knows inscription was on the coin. He wanted them to say it loud so that the witnesses could hear the answers out loud Tiberius Caesar their God son of Divine Augustus. That's the inscription around the image on that coin. Those coins are available today you can buy them for about $1500. He said I checked online.

If you would like to buy one for me. Just give me the cash and let me do what I want to do with it and I don't want to gift card. I want cash but anyway whose image is engraved whose carved whose images carved on this. What is the inscription on this going. Which means whose images carved into you. What is inscribed upon me. Is it Christ or is it Caesar was asking them is that the image of Caesar is in the image of God that you're interested in that. Where's the question coming from because they have no answer when he when he gives the answer.

Colossians 3 again put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him.

We are created in God's image and yes, the fall occurred and more that image and being born again involves having that image restored to us here, as in deposit, but finally of course when we get to heaven. Spurgeon says our Lord Jesus by his death did not purchase a right to a part of us only, but to the entire man all of us. We belong to him and that's where the fight is their name. When Paul writes to the Colossians. Incidentally, likely never visited that church Pepperdine.

This comes to him who was the pastor of that church. And since we have a big problem.

The gnostics are mixing in their teaching for coming to that church and as they come through the doors they're bringing their invisible sacred cows with them and they are mixing and leavening their teaching into the congregation. How do we get amount.

Paul writes the letter to the Colossians in that letter is about. You have Christ stop doing this W in the image of Christ on you.

You don't need these things that are being brought in by those who are trying to salvage something of their paganism. Verse 17 Jesus answers and then render the Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and God, to God the things which are God's.

And they marveled at him and see that coming.

They thought this was a conundrum. He'll never be able to answer this one. Teaching makes it clear that if you're going to follow God then you're not going to be caught up with the things of Caesar, at least if you do, you going to resist them, and so is Jesus said render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God and they marveled at that in the Greek it means they were impressed. They admired his answer answer.

What else could they said it was so ready for him to be stuck even if he said I don't know he would've been answering as they answered him when he said W know what the question that he asked him about John the Baptist.

I don't know that was in his way he handled this sad thing is well first off some bystander noticed this on their faces.

Some bystander part of this event saw that they were blown away by his answer problem that comes from out of this. The lesson is that one can be very impressed with Jesus Christ and still not submit to him.

Unbelievers attend churches from time to time, and they are very moved and impressed with the sermon, but they stay unbelievers. Nonetheless, they don't convert these men were impressed. So what is a lesson there to tell an unbeliever is your sharing them to Christ. You can do nodding their head in agreement this and this is one of life. Tell me more. You can say to them. I am going to tell you more if you will let me. The question is will you convert to Christ from the world or you just going to be impressed and go to hell, marveling verse 18 then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and they asked him, saying, now is the next wave the coalition. Remember, Luke said they plotted to against him, how to bring him down. And of these magnificent fools that they are quite proud of their skepticism in their unbelief tells us right out that they denied the resurrection he did not really have any useful life after death. They also did not believe in spirits and angels miracles in general and yet they claim they claimed to believe and uphold the first five books of the Bible, and only those first five books they were had no interest in Joshua Nick in the bran Isaiah and the prophets of just the books of Moses. That's why Christ is going to answer them from the book of Moses and not from Daniel and Joe will cover some of Jan Daniel and Joe so they claim to uphold the authority of the written law is that not odd. No, not for the religiously faithless, and there are many that are religiously like religion. They love ritual. They liked all the things that go with religion except obedience except conforming in submission to God's word, the revelation of God and true obedience is little value in their lives. We see it when the high priest Caiaphas is conspiring to hire people to come against Christ. Even if there lying he doesn't care that speaks much to us. Matthew at this point in his account. The parallel account of this event says that Jesus said to them out loud that they were hypocrites. In other words he was accusing them of living their lives on the stage that the way they lived was not what you saw it as far as how they lived was not real is rehearsed. There are some that can live on a platform and they can be real. Incidentally, where I am standing on this elevated platform. It is not a stage platform we call the chancel if you want to be fancy, but it is not a stage where there is no acting going on a some attempts at humor have been attempted from here and sometimes successful, or anyway. Verse 19 teacher now here they are they getting their religious faith on Moses is the thing wrote to us that if a man's brother dies and leaves his wife behind and leave no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. While this is part of the Mosaic law. The brother is not obligated though there is some social shame that accompanies it.

If he denies Deuteronomy 25 is where the drawings from, and the idea is that if your brother married someone and you could be married also and that your brother dies. How is she going to survive and to keep it in the family. Your brother's possessions in his name, and even it connects to the line of Messiah because the two events we have in this Scripture from Genesis and Ruth have to do with Judah in the messianic line but other than that just under the social benefits to this will.

What was she supposed to do. There was no welfare program. She could not always go back to her home where her father was they were trying to survive themselves.

He married her often. It will look at will when the smell of the feed. And so this law existed, the firstborn that she would have if she remarried to one of the brothers was to take the brother of the deceased brother's name and this of course would preserve his name in Israel is property would transfer to his son and would not be lost on someone else so there were great merits to this in that economy can't look back from where it how we live now owns sneer at them. This system goes back even before Moses.

As I mentioned, it was found with one of the sons of Jacob and Judah Tama's of the Ruth of the story of Ruth is based on this law so they're trying to bring this law up to him and we have much to say about how they're doing in verse 20. Now there were seven brothers.

The first took a wife, and dying. He left offspring. Verse 21 and the second took her and he died and nor did he leave any offspring and the third. Likewise, the seven at her and left offspring. Last of all the woman died, leave it to these miscreants to come up with such a distasteful conundrum. I mean, this is just this never happens but they've created it anyway you supposed to answer things you no hypothetical questions while I can answer them.

Hypothetically, these abilities going to take them to the Scripture. But wouldn't there be an ominous regularity going on with this, that would arouse suspicion and say you know what, how many of my brothers have died marrying you yeah that's why this would never happen there twisted story.

It would take courage to be husband number three, half a dozen of them die. I think the townspeople need to investigate so I do not believe for a moment that this is based on a true story. One or two husbands may be in in the family, but you know that just is that moving down the Geisinger not marrying her. No way.

This is a black widow kind of a thing. Verse 23.

So here that he comes that their punchline therefore in the resurrection when they arise whose wife will she be for all seven had her as wife. What a low view of women and cynicism towards the resurrection life after this life. That is what is is coming out in this and is seated in their disdain for accountability to God.

Unbelievers have a reason for rejecting the truth and these men are no different. Do people really think that the resurrection means life continues where it left off. After you die I mean do you think is going to be a Chinatown in heaven a little Italy mean to be nice restaurants. I mean do you really think that saying that maybe I'll come visit you in your neighborhood.

This is going to be something so glorious possible be a crime to try to describe these things you I caught a glimpse of it follows then that is just amazing and I said I guess anymore so verse 24. Jesus answers it of them. Are you not therefore mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God is not impressed with their grotesque scenario you not I will.

That's a hard 1 Marked Their Insensitive Way of thinking.

We see this and some other religions you know you'll get 70 virgins when you dive you blow yourself up killing other people twisted sick is that that should be twisted and sick to anybody not just Christians.

Just saying. Would you like that to happen to you would would you like that to happen to your daughter to be stuck with somebody who blows himself up when he gets up to the next life.

The whole thing is madness but there blow you up for saying that.

Anyway, this insensitive thinking of theirs out in the open before them in the Lord must as hard part of it must've broken. Another part was just like this. This is so ridiculous it doesn't happen and you know it, but the Don's committee. They have to be answered. That's how it is in life you just can't always ignore the Don's committee and they thought this successfully proves disprove the resurrection give a talk on. I believe in a smugly think they've got you and you shoot that down. Still go back to the drawing board like Wiley Coyote blueprints under their armpits, try to figure out another gadget instead of just saying you know maybe a better dress like a rabbit just change the heights anyway. The six things human beings will believe once they reject the truth of Christ, he says, are you not therefore mistaken, so he has a question for them. Get you know what is going to their little heads who cares pretty much is is because you don't know the Bible are you not wrong because you don't know the Scripture, if you know the Bible you wouldn't be long like this but you don't know the Bible and you consider yourselves custodians of the Bible, so his replies biblical it was be like saying to Einstein that your theory and you call yourself a scientist pretty dimwitted that she could frighten us in their faces is not you know is is pretty heavy stuff to say into these. This group, they had no excuse for their ignorance they were what we call today for liberal theologians. They picked and choose what to believe. From the Bible and we have them. Today there and universities there in seminaries there in churches or in pulpits and they tell you of that part of the Bible is not true with this part as well. How do they become the way the truth and the life. How do they become the Holy Spirit, whatever you don't like in the Bible just edit it out we have in trying with this. What homosexuality will Jesus never came again. Debbie said don't think I can destroy the law and the prophets, but to uphold them and the prophets and the law they can them that kind of behavior they did many other kinds of behavior.

Yet they mostly are drunk with their brand of religion who 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 right here on cross reference radio