Love Never Budged (Part B)

Risking ritual and status, and perhaps even more. Just to get their hands in the lifeless body of Christ. That's love. There was nothing else to drive. There was no other reason.

Nothing to push them forward.

That should be a ministry for us all. What motivates us to serve what we want to do well we don't want to let down our fellow servants. That's part of it, but the greater part is the love of Christ and if it's not, it needs to be. 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.

Now here's Pastor Rick with his continuing message called love never botched in Mark chapter 15 because of the status of the manlike Joseph of Arimathea most of the site. Disciples probably never got to talk with be around him just a social gap between the two, and I'm sure when they wrote this. They were delighted that such a man could love the Lord if he could do it. What was the excuse of the other ones if if other people your age can love Christ and what's your excuse. If you know that I just want to play. I just you know I'm angry at something and I getting my way and lie whatever it may be not a good enough reason to turn your back on Christ whatever reason these men had for turning their back on Jesus was not good enough for God, and they have where are they now will we know it. Joseph of Arimathea is a Nicodemus, where the rest of them?

If you don't want to go to your grave with on your life. Well, when Joseph went into the presence of Pilate, he contracted defilement. This was the place where the other Jews didn't want to go before the Passover feast. This made it impossible for him to take part in the feast as a righteous Jew would that defilement deepened with contact dead body. Joseph had so now love the Lord ritual meant very little to him. However now that he is defiled from celebrating the ceremony of the Passover. I don't think they could've been a greater celebration of the Passover that he and Nicodemus engaged in and taking care of the body of the Passover lamb. Jesus Christ of this was a greater honor than sitting at a table eating a lamb to take care of the Lamb of God, so they dared ceremonial defilement in order to take the holy one of God and properly take care of what remained with tender hands Rick risking at the same time, being alienated from their colleagues, their social status could've been lost. They could've incurred great many problems for doing what they were doing so again, what did these men feel Joseph and Nicodemus as they attended to the body of Christ.

It was a gruesome task what was happening in their heads. They labored to lay Christ to rest in spite of the misery in their hearts. Hopelessness on their faces, loss of excitement in the tone of their voices, they too were severely injured their money and their status did not protect them from how they were feeling at this moment of all possible disappointments to be disappointed in Jesus Christ is the worst. And if you serve Christ enough there will be those times we you are disappointed with what Christ has allowed or disallowed. You will struggle with this whole concept of the sovereignty of God. If God is sovereign, why doesn't he do more. Why doesn't he. Why doesn't it goes on and on. Hope was dead in their hands for the time being, but they didn't know that they didn't know that he was going to get up hogan from their hearts but love love never botched because there's still so concerned about him risking the risking ritual and status, and perhaps even more.

Just to get their hands on the lifeless body of Christ. That's love. There was nothing else to drive them. It was no other reason. Nothing to push them forward. That should be a ministry for us all. What motivates us to serve what we want to do well we don't want to let down our fellow servants. That's part of it for the greater part is the love of Christ and if it's not, it needs to be.

Maybe you say maybe your you know you seven.

I don't feel like I used to feel it, then your and you're still doing yes why because I love the Lord but I don't feel it. That's war and that's good war that's that's how we beat back the devil we don't wait to feel good about it.

We go by faith, the just shall live by faith. It does not say the just shall live by feelings. What would get done then.

Well, there are things in life that can bring profound misery and disappointment with God's way and we accept that and if we love him we won't budge. We will move those who become apostates have run out of love. There is this love that stands and takes what life throws our way. Because of Christ know people who don't have Christ can take what life throws at them to, but it only carries them through one lifetime and it dies after it dies when they die is in the world. Here they're accomplishing a great many things been building things and developing things and discovering things and yet it Rick, what does it really matter.

I mean, he walked up the Abraham said you know they actually went to the moon and landed and walked on the moon will Abraham had a conspiracy theory know he didn't know what it didn't matter.

I needed to do that they can live up to. Okay so you go to the front of the line and going into heaven. What is it profit a man if he gains the world. It's not about that. I mean, there have to be things on earth to keep us busy as we get into trouble but when it comes down to it comes down to you. Love the Lord, it says here in verse 43 coming and taking courage how much thought went into his taking courage, knowing the consequences there would be evidently a need to be courageous at this point. Otherwise we would not read these words, they would not of been necessary to write Mark and the other apposite writers of the Gospels, when they put the sender ever saying this man was it in danger. It took courage to do what he did. John's gospel chapter 19 verse 38 Joseph of Arimathea being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, again using that recording the Scriptures talking about the Jewish leaders. It's not a ethnic slur at all knowingly putting himself in harm's way for the body of Christ for a dead body John in his letter. Maybe he was thinking of Joseph when he said there is no fear in love, perfect love casts out fear.

You see the connection between what this man is doing in love. It was not his duty as an Council member of the Sanhedrin. There was no sense of wellness. The decent thing to do. Otherwise he would've asked for the bodies of the two other outlaws to the two outlaws, not other outlaws.

Christ was no outlaw's sole purpose is sole focus was Christ and his love for Jesus and though he may have been a secret disciple prior to the crucifixion watching how Jesus handled it all and how he was out Christ was handled by his enemies just made this man love more Roman mine had a different view. King should not be treated this way.

That's carnal, you, Joseph new he knew better by what he heard preached because he knew enough of the Scripture to make it at least sound conclusions concerning the righteousness of Jesus is just the whole Messiah thing escape them. Who else amongst the disciples would be granted an audience with Pilate. I mean John may have wanted to meet with Pilate asked for the body, but Pilate would never meet with a man like Johnny Lee he was not. He did not have the social stock clout to merit an audience but here is Joseph he has. He can get a meeting with the governor, and he does get he went into Pilate and asked for the body of Christ.

Whatever shame they had in mind to handle the body of Christ with before Joseph showed up was blocked by the father, God would not allow so God provides the servant Joseph it is a divine appointment and we read this was supposed to say there comes a time when God needs a specific individual. Will there come a time when he needs me with there come a time when he wants me to do something and I am handpicked for the task.

Will I notice what I act on. Or maybe I live my life in such a way God can ever ask me. Maybe my Christianity is too shallow. Maybe I don't have enough desire for Jesus Christ. These are questions that were supposed to face what are we supposed to do.

Run from them and then blame God for not using us, we who love the Lord. We want God to use us. And when God uses us many times is a lot of waiting involved in those who can't wait for the Lord, often with her instead of continuing to wait and save awake on their watch. So God provides this servant Joseph, this incidentally would allow for the body of evidence at the resurrection.

All the Christ haters had to do to refute the resurrection was produce the body of Christ. If someone had said one of the outlaws that was crucified next Christ had risen from the dead. It would've just exhumed his body as a know it. They could do that with Christ. They would need to do with the other two. There was no such claim attached to them. This is a stroke of God's hand saying I'm going to preserve the body. I'm going to do it my way. I'm going to put it where I want it God totally in control. To this day, the Christ haters and are not our enemies. They are those that we should have a passion for and saving their souls. But the Christ haters, many of them nonetheless. They have been able to rid the world of the body of Christ in the church. The church is the body of Christ.

Colossians Paul wrote in the first chapter he said for the sake of his body, which is the church pulses I'm suffering these things for the sake of his body, which is the church. He certainly knew of Luke's gospel, you would've known about Joseph of Arimathea he would've known that Joseph put himself in harm's way because of love.

Even if he didn't know what he had enough other things to arrive to this understanding for the sake of his body, which is the church church is very problematic. There's some beautiful things about the church and there are some problems always with the church because of the people who attend so was supposed to be ready for this and our response to whatever comes our way is supposed to be love and prayer and endurance and perseverance that only are we supposed to take the pain were supposed to look to keep advancing moving forward. The difference between endurance and perseverance you endure.

You take the head hurts.

It's not a lot of fun. When is your feelings. Perseverance means you still moving forward is still taking territory. Verse 44, Mark writes, Pilate marveled that he was already dead and summoning the century and he asked him if he had been dead for some time. Crucifixion was intended to be long and painful. Of course there was, not there weren't to be no survivors. It was not well will just force you with this and that, if you last enough days will bring you down over it was a long and painful death. That's what it was designed to do. You can look up in history course unit makes is easily years ago you had the buying cycle. Britannica something to get these answers now is right at your fingertips as Daniel promised in the end date. In the end times knowledge will increase and that was an understatement.

In many ways it seems what you can look up how the Persians just worked on ways to torture people and he didn't like him some pretty mean. So this is a competitor. Some of the Persian methods. This was relatively was the word I want whatever it is were not so that they would go anyway.

Of course the hands and feet would be mailed to the tree to the to the wood and this would allow for the individual with his arms stretched out his rib cage. Of course, stretched out like that.

It was difficult.

The breezeway could push up on his leg stealing and catch a breath every now and then.

The reason why pointing this out because Pilate is inquiring about him. The Jews had asked for the bodies to be taken often to do this to going to break the legs when they break the legs. You can hoist yourself up anymore to take those breath and that hastens death, John's gospel chapter 19 then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first end of the other who was crucified with him, but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs when one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear and immediately blood and water came out and he who has seen has testified in his testimony is true and he knows that he is telling the truth so that you may believe night. I left that last part in their that seems to be separate from the account of how they handled the body of Christ. The Romans after he died. To verify that he was dead.

Will there we read that they want to break the legs of the other outlaws which would speed up their death so they could take them off the cross but John in telling this he says and he who has seen has testified in his testimony is true and he knows what you that he is telling the truth so that you may believe as I was there. I'm telling you the truth I'm telling you this I want you to believe. I'm not making this stuff up. There's no benefit to making the stuff I'm not going to stand before God making up things about God. I'm telling you the truth.

So what Pilate says is he dead already. Centurion verifies goes to verify. Would they don't take Joseph word the go to see and they could not break his legs because it was against the Scripture, he being the Passover Lamb the Lamb of God, not a bone was to be broken. Exodus 12 verse 46, when God said you take the Passover lamb and you you sacrifice and you put the blood on the threshold of the of the house but you don't break any of the bones and the he is fulfilling that type. It is important to understand, you cannot receive moral lessons from the Bible and at the same time charges writers with dishonesty. How can you say you know we need to listen to these memory talk about not stealing and not killing an outline with the making of the gospel story that's a contradiction that defies reason and we should point that out. Any chance we get to the naysayers.

These were godly men what they wrote was godly and righteous, and it would be foolish to wear your eternity on such a petty complaint as yeah but they were making it up when you have no proof.

Verse 45. So when he found out from the century, and he granted the body to Joseph so he called for the investigation. He received the verification at this point, the world is beginning to pilot representing the world is beginning to think that they're done with Christ. You can have the dead body of Christ. It would scoff and there stands Joseph, our hero heart bursting with love, love lost would love found at the same time he lost in his head he lost Christ to death, but he has his newfound love for him now. Otherwise, again, he would not be there doing what he's doing.

I think maybe your serving in the kids ministry. Maybe your serving us somewhere in the and the ushers ministry and you just don't again I'm coming back to this because it plagues us and you just don't have the feeling anymore what your serving anyway how important it is because were seeing this take place here in this man is a typhoon of heartache that he is enduring because of love. Why did he say you know I thought he was the Messiah God himself killed is not the Messiah. He said he was.

He lied to me. I'm done. But what he does.

Thomas comes close to that. But he does neither Thomas is know what to do is just like I don't he just completely will enjoy just fell apart to believe because I'm not going to that again. I believe Christ was the Messiah, said Thomas.

It turns out he wasn't now know what to do and believe he is risen because I get I'm not going to that, but of course the Lord fix that.

Did he not, it was a defective faith but who has perfect faith amongst us while still remaining before them is again the gruesome task to remove the body from the cross. Gruesome task with a beautiful deed.

We don't need to go into how difficult that must have been wasn't just a matter of untying some ropes only hands of love now touched the body of Christ should not be the way it is with the church. The church is the body of Christ shouldn't be cared for by loving hands. I think I think we all believe that is if I have not love, what do I have what am I left with. If this love is to cast out fear this perfect love, then it must be something I want this love covers a multitude of sins which I have, that's what I want. Speaking about this multitude of sins lesson for all you parents raising your children teach them that it is easier to take a plank out of somebody's eye than it is to take a moat out of your own eye place just areas grab moat little more tricky in a plank may leave some moats anyway. Teach your children that obedience involves more judgment of myself examination of myself than putting somebody else under a microscope and examining them. That's Pharisee is we don't want that. We don't want our children or adults going around sticking people under a microscope. Evaluating this service to the Lord.

Now that does not mean that blatant sin is to be ignored or trivialized. That's different.

And if you come to a church pastor as a cop you say hey how are you doing what sins you wrestling with. I'm looking for trouble. But if you come to church and you know you still got the bag of money that says your First National Bank on it course then you know that's rather blatant. Is it not if you tell us listen pastor. This is what I'm doing and it what you telling us is a sin when I can say I don't worry about it.

Then we got a deal with but were not looking at the difference is a big difference between the plank in someone's eye and the moat as I am saying it to you, and I think this is a lesson we all need to remember I have enough things about me that I'm trying to fix and to waste time trying to point it out to others what they're doing wrong method works very much anywhere you pointed out using the enemy anyway just a side note, but everything in Scripture has everything to do with other parts of Scripture so verse 46 then he bought fine linen, took him down, wrapped him in the linen. And he laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of rock and roll the stone against the door of the tomb is so hard to preach on this subject again to preach to Christians who know the story as well as I do, and to keep you into it when I first started pastor and I tried to teach the arcane sections of Scriptures. You know the minor prophets you know to tell people about Zephaniah and and had AI because it was fresh ground in NY didn't know that you keep their attention, but the whole story. The gospel story the Christians you know very familiar with and just think it was coming and I'll be up here again trying to teach you something from an and. But God's been good to me and I got some surprises for you and start making up stuff so why didn't I was in the Bible you going to find I can't find it. Pastor wears it pleasing to busy. Anyway they are back to verse 46 where the brings the fine linen. They take him down, and they recommend women here. These two rich men Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. They are two rich men who made it through the eye of the needle again. If these two rich men can make it with everybody else's excuse who is rich you don't have one 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 what you 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 Reiki on cross reference radio