Mark 3:1-6

[0:00] Morning. Good morning. The New Testament this morning, the Gospel of Mark, the third chapter. Right now. Right now.

[0:14] A lot of things going on in Mark, even though it is just the third chapter, we'll be picking up with just a few verses that we'll be reading from there this morning.

[0:28] Jesus' ministry has begun, which is basically where Mark's Gospel begins. And Mark chapter one is with the ministry of Jesus Christ.

[0:40] But we've seen all kinds of things. Mark chapter one, Mark chapter two leading up to this. I mean, we've seen people healed. We've seen Peter's mother-in-law healed.

[0:52] We've seen a leper healed. We've seen demons addressed. We've seen all kinds of things in Mark's Gospel. Mark's Gospel is sometimes referred to as the Gospel of Miracles, because there are more recorded miracles within the 16 chapters of the Gospel of Mark, or inside of those 16 chapters than there are in the other synoptic Gospels.

[1:17] So, sometimes it's referred to as that. Sometimes it's referred to as the Gospel of Servitude, because there's a lot about servitude in the Gospel of Mark. But regardless of any of that, we've seen all kinds of things happening throughout the ministry of Jesus Christ leading up to Mark chapter three.

[1:38] The last thing we read in Mark chapter two is Jesus and the disciples going through some cornfields as the Scripture teaches, and they're addressed by the religious elite that they shouldn't be plucking those areas of corn for themselves upon the Sabbath day.

[1:57] And Jesus Christ addresses this back to those elite, and he tells them that he is Lord of the Sabbath, and that the Sabbath was created for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

[2:11] And that's where the end of the second chapter of Mark is, and we'll pick up, without a mind, we'll pick up in Mark chapter three beginning at verse one.

[2:24] It says, And he entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there which had a withered hand, and they watched him whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day that they might accuse him.

[2:36] And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand stand forth, and he said unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do good or to do evil?

[2:47] To save life or to kill, but they held their peace. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto them, under the man, Stretch forth thy hand, and he stretched it out, and his hand was restored whole as the other.

[3:06] And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. And back to verse one now, it says, And he entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there which had a withered hand.

[3:22] So Jesus Christ, as I said, when we end with the second chapter of the Gospel of Mark, he has already addressed this religious crowd as far as the Sabbath and Jesus being Lord, off the Sabbath, and that the Sabbath was indeed created for man and not man, for the Sabbath.

[3:43] So we see Jesus enter in to a synagogue here at the beginning of Mark chapter 3, and it says that there was a man that was also in the synagogue here that had a withered hand.

[3:55] This man, we don't have a name for this man. We don't have the cause for his hand to be withered. We don't know if it was disease, if it was a birth defect, if he injured it somehow.

[4:07] I know what the Jewish traditions say about this man. I know what the apocryphal books say about this same man, but we're not going to get into any of that. All we know, as per the Gospel account, is that this man had a withered hand.

[4:20] His hand was deformed, it was drawn in, it was worthless to him, and folks, this man's hand can be a picture to us of our state in the eyes of God before we are ever saved.

[4:33] This man's hand, it was useless to him. He couldn't use it to work. He couldn't use it to make his living. When you think about this for just a moment, the Gospel of Luke in Luke chapter 6, Luke tells us that it was his right hand that was withered, and we know even now in 2023 that most people are right-handed.

[4:53] That's their strong hand. When we read about the strong arm of the Lord and the strong hand of the Lord many times, in the Scriptures we read about his strong right arm.

[5:04] We read about his strong right hand. And we think about this for just a moment. We think about, even in our own time, how people use their hands for most anything.

[5:16] We use our hands to cook. We use our hands to fix things. We use our hands to paint. We use our hands every day of our lives, and this man's hand was withered.

[5:27] It was diseased. It was drawn up. It was worthless to him. It was worthless to anybody that he knew, but he was still hearing the synagogue to hear the Word of God.

[5:39] He didn't let his drawn up hand. He didn't let his handicap. He didn't let his sickness, his disease, or whatever was going on with his body keep him out of the synagogue to hear the Word of God read, to hear the Word of God talk, and to hear the Word of God preach.

[5:57] Did that be the case? He was here in the synagogue on the Lord's Day to see what the Word of the Lord said. And the Word of the Lord was there in the synagogue with this man.

[6:11] For Jesus Christ is the last Word. All the money God for the Bible says, God who in some great times and in diverse manners has been before, spoken up by his prophets and envisioned.

[6:26] And these last days have spoken unto us by his Son Jesus Christ. The very Word of God, the Word become flesh, was in the synagogue with this man.

[6:39] Hallelujah. And I'm thankful when I was in a worthless state, when I was in a diseased state, when I was in a drawn up state, and I could do nothing to help myself.

[6:54] This man was in just as bad a shape as the woman with the issue of blood was. This man was in just as bad a shape as any leper that we read about in the Scriptures was.

[7:05] This man was in just as bad a shape as those with the palsy, as those that were blind, as those that were hip. He was in a state of health that he could do nothing about and chances are that this state that he was in was not any fault of his own.

[7:21] Hey folks, when I was out in sin, when I was lost and undone with Jesus Christ, I was in a state that I could do absolutely nothing about.

[7:32] I could not save myself. I could not call myself to repentance. I could not do anything as far as salvation went and that fault goes all the way back to Adam.

[7:44] I could not point my finger at Adam and blame him for my personal sin in my life, but there was nothing that I can do. The Bible says that we were born in the sin.

[7:56] We are shaken in iniquity. You were born a sinner and I was born a sinner. But praise be unto God. He is a magnificent, wonderful and marvelous Savior.

[8:10] So when we're in that state that we could do nothing about, God can do something about it. This man was in a state. He was in a state of health.

[8:21] He could do absolutely nothing about it. It was something that affected his entire life. It was something that would have affected his loveliness. It was something that could have affected his family life.

[8:33] Anywhere that he went, that hand was useless to him and anyone else that was around him. But Jesus came in on the scene. Praise God. He was there at the synagogue.

[8:45] It says, and they watched him, whether he would heal him on the seventh day, that they might accuse him. Who is the they that we're speaking here? It's the same religious elite that we closed chapter 2 with.

[9:00] It's the same type of people that were watching Jesus. Hey Christian, I'll tell you right now. You are being watched by the world. You are being watched by those that wish to destroy the gospel.

[9:11] Not that they ever will. You are being watched by those that hate the gospel of Jesus Christ, by those that hate God, by those that hate the Bible, and they hate you for being associated with Almighty God.

[9:25] Do you remember now? It doesn't matter what you do for God. It doesn't matter how many songs you sing, how many sermons you might preach, or how many listens you might teach. It doesn't matter how many people you witness to, how many tracks you hand out, or anything else that you do to bring glory under God.

[9:43] Jesus Christ said, if the world hates you, know that it hated me first. And He gave us warning that the world would hate us. But you remember it is not because of who you are, or because of anything that you have done, but it is because of whom you are associated with.

[10:01] You are associated with the maker and the master of the entire universe. You are associated with one who came and died and the heal and the save, those which are lost.

[10:15] Hallelujah. When the world comes against you, it isn't because you are you. It's because you have God inside of you. It's because Christ lives within in form of the Holy Spirit of Almighty God.

[10:29] It has nothing to do with me. They don't hate me because I'm me. They hate me because of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ lives inside of me. That's why they hate me.

[10:41] The Bible says here, this religious bunch were watching Jesus Christ. They were watching to see if He would heal, that they might accuse Him. Folks they knew good and well that He would heal.

[10:52] They had already heard about some of the miracles that were being wrought. They had already heard of some of the things that Jesus Christ was doing. And they had seen the evidence. They had heard the evidence that Jesus Christ had compassion on those that could not do for themselves.

[11:10] So when this man was here in the synagogue, unable to do for himself, and Jesus Christ comes in the synagogue, they were watching to see if He would heal. Not that they had any God whatsoever.

[11:21] They were anxious for the time that they could pounce on the Son of God. They were anxious for the time that they could bring a railing accusation against Jesus Christ.

[11:33] But praise be unto God, even in our own lives. If we are doing it for the glory of God, it doesn't matter what the world says. It doesn't matter what the world brings against you.

[11:45] If you're doing whatever you're doing through the glory of God, then keep on doing it, and don't worry about the world. Well, they didn't worry Jesus did it.

[11:58] They watched Him, whether He would heal them on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse Him. And He saved them to the man which had the withered hand. Stand forth.

[12:10] We talked this morning in Sunday school quite a bit about faith and exercising faith. That's exactly what's going on here with this man with the withered hand. Jesus Christ calls him forth.

[12:22] He says, stand forth. I'm assuming straight at the man, and He says, stand forth. Oh, this was a call to faith by Jesus Christ Himself.

[12:33] This was a call to faith by the very object of our faith being born again Christians. It was a call to faith for this man here to stand forth. Now, how do you think that this man would have felt?

[12:45] Hey folks, the people, the religious leaders of the time, they were casting people through the Gospels. They were casting people out of the synagogues for believing on the Son of God in the book of Acts they were doing.

[12:59] The same thing, they wouldn't allow in the congregation. What makes you think that this man, it might not have, that it went through his mind for just a moment. If I stand forth to my show, one grain of faith in this man, they may not let me back in the synagogue.

[13:13] These people might attack me instead of attacking him. But Jesus Christ calls him to faith. Hey Christians, sometimes Jesus Christ will call you to faith in your own life if you're doing exactly what we've been talking about.

[13:27] Open on all morning. You're looking at the world. You're looking at the circumstances. And everything seems grim. Everything seems black. And everything seems hopeless.

[13:39] And if we concentrate on those things, we won't forget about the God that we have our faith in. Jesus Christ calls us man to faith. Amen. Stand forth, he said.

[13:51] Stand forth, sometimes Jesus calls us. Stand forth. Stand forth, and that's what you proclaim. Stand forth in what you say that you believe. Come forth amongst all these others.

[14:03] Come forth in front of the world that hates you. Come forth in front of those that despise you and despise your Savior. Come forth in front of them.

[14:15] Show them the glory of God. Show them your works of righteousness. Not that our works of righteousness have anything to do with our salvation. But show them the faith in the Son of God that he saved your soul.

[14:27] Stand forth, and folks, this call goes out to Christians of all ages. But since ever since this happened here in the Gospels, what we're reading now, this call has gone forth to stand forth in your faith.

[14:41] Stand up for your faith in Almighty God. Stand upon the truths that are written in the Scripture. Stand upon what God has said to a lost and dying world.

[14:53] And upon what he has said to us who believe. Stand on the word of God. Stand on the truth. And bring it forth. Stand forth is what he told this man.

[15:05] He saved none of the men which had the withered hands. Stand forth. And he said unto them, is it lawful to do good on Sabbath days or to do goody or to do evil?

[15:17] To save life or to kill. But they held their peace. And it was lawful to do good on Sabbath days or to do evil to help someone or not.

[15:29] To do that which is right or to do that which is wrong. And what Jesus Christ is getting at here in this statement. But he says something peculiar.

[15:41] He says, to save life or to kill. Folks, this was Jesus Christ. What those elite leaders were thinking in their minds.

[15:53] He knew exactly what the Pharisees and the scribes were thinking. He knew that they were seeking to destroy. And he knew that they hated him and hated his ministry and hated everything about him. And why was that?

[16:05] For one, because the religious leaders, the Pharisees and the scribes, they had more clout in Judaism than anyone else did. And they didn't want to lose that clout. They didn't want to lose that prestige that they had with the rest of the Jews.

[16:19] And this man was coming in. This man, Jesus Christ, and he was performing miracles. Most of the miracles that Jesus Christ performed were direct evidence of the testimonies of the Old Testament.

[16:31] Of the miracles that Messiah would work when he came forth. So these religious leaders they should have known before anyone else did that this was indeed Messiah.

[16:43] This was indeed the one that was promised to come. But what did they do? They stood there and they watched to see if he would heal this man so that they could accuse him. And Jesus turns a right back around on them and he says is it lawful to do good or to do evil? To give life or to kill?

[17:03] He knew, he knew that they were pondering in their minds how they could destroy him. And that's why he would have said what he did. To save life or to kill.

[17:15] And they were right there in the synagogue where the Old Testament Scriptures were being read and where they were being expounded on and they were being taught. They were right there in what we call nowadays in the house of God.

[17:29] Amongst God's people pondering in their hearts how they could destroy the Son of Man. How they could destroy the Son of God. How they could destroy this Galician healer that had come in on the scene.

[17:41] How they could destroy this man that was causing such a ruckus in all this region. They were pondering in their hearts while they were in church doing that. Folks, what do we pondering in our hearts when we enter the doors of the church building?

[17:55] I've been guilty of it. Everybody in here has been guilty of it. If you're born again child of God we walk in the doors with the cares of the world waiting down on our heart waiting down on our mind we'll walk in, we couldn't worship God if we had to.

[18:11] At that point we feel like that everything is hopeless. There's no hope for anything. We feel like that God may have already give up on us. We feel like just laying down and quitting, crawling up in our shell and just waiting on Jesus to come back. And that is no shape for a Christian to allow themselves to get into.

[18:31] There is no excuse for any Christian, myself included, to allow themselves to get in that kind of condition where they just feel like there is no hope left for them and no hope left for the world where we were saved by the God of all hope. We were redeemed by the God of all hope so for us to come into any church house, into any assembly, into any service to worship Almighty God. We should have all that hope that is in the world where we worship the God of all hope.

[19:03] That same God of all hope is the very one that called this man to face when he said stand forth. These men though, they were watching. Jesus asked him the question, is it lawful to do good or to do evil?

[19:19] What do you think about it? Folks, there are people out there and people out there don't think you should do anything on service, include a good church. There's some that are so wrapped up in this very thing and keeping the Sabbath holy which I understand is part of the Ten Commandments and those commandments have not been brought to naught.

[19:43] They were not brought to naught by Jesus Christ. They were not brought to not by anybody. The law that Jesus Christ came in the boss was the ceremonial law. But the Ten Commandments of God, the moral law that God Almighty put into place in Exodus chapter 20, those Ten Commandments, they still stand. We are still not to lie.

[20:03] We are still not to steal. We are still not to commit adultery. We are still not to covet after our neighbor's things. We are still not to do any of those things as born again children of God.

[20:15] But this one here, these fast season these scribes and even the Sadducees were somewhat guilty of doing it. They had added their own laws, they had added their own ceremonies and their own thoughts to where the Sabbath day that was created for man, the Sabbath that God Almighty had given man to rest on.

[20:35] They had made it a form of bondage for men that you cannot do anything on the Sabbath day. And that is what a lot of so called Christian groups have done with the Sabbath. They're just as guilty as these Pharisees are.

[20:51] You can't do this, you can't do that. Folks, I've heard people say that nobody should go to hospitals and visit on Sunday. My gosh, what is wrong with Christians to have that mindset to say you shouldn't go visit so and so, it may not be here tomorrow.

[21:13] You shouldn't go visit with them, don't go pray with them, don't go read Scripture with them, don't go try and lead them to the Lord because it's a Sabbath day, that's a type of work. Shame on the Christians for thinking that.

[21:25] But there's people out there, I've heard saying that. That is not what God meant. And Jesus is bringing that into focus right here. Is it lawful to do good?

[21:37] Or is it lawful to do evil on the Sabbath? Folks, it is lawful to do good any day of the week. And any day of the month, and any hour of any given day. And it is unlawful to do evil any day of the week, and any day of the month, and any hour of the day. It is never lawful to do evil, but it is always lawful to do good and to do right for your neighbor and for yourself and for your family and for anyone else.

[22:05] Don't you listen to these religious hypocrites that tell you it is unlawful to do good on the Sabbath. It's lawful to do good at all times.

[22:17] At all times. Frick, what do we say all time? I've never seen the movie but I know it comes from a movie. God is good all time. God is good if God is good all the time. Folks, it's right to do good all the time.

[22:33] And it's right to do correctly and do boldly from the word of God all the time. Don't let yourself get so wrapped up in ceremonial law that Christ himself done away with.

[22:49] If he hadn't done away with the ceremonial law, we'd still be having to offer the blood of bulls and goats. We'd still be having to offer the blood of oxen and of heifers and of turtledoves and all these things.

[23:01] But that part of the law was abolished with Jesus Christ. He came to offer him so much sacrifice once and for all, for all of humanity, for everyone that would believe on him, everyone that would confess him and everyone that would believe in their heart that God has raised him from the dead. Jesus Christ died for all. Hallelujah.

[23:23] Amen. And he's the only reason that those laws are abolished. Is it lawful to do good or do evil? To give life or to kill on the side.

[23:35] But this would have called Pharisees out right there in front of everybody. He done called one out of the faith. He was calling the Pharisees out though. Right here in front of everybody that was in that synagogue.

[23:47] Because he knew what was in the back of their mind. When he had looked round about on them with anger being grieved for the hardness of their hearts. He said, under the man's stretched forth by hand and he stretched it out and his hand was restored whole as the other.

[24:05] When he had looked round about on them with what? With anger. With anger. Jesus Christ was angry with these Pharisees. He was angry with them. But what brought on that anger?

[24:21] Continuing being grieved for the hardness of their hearts. The hardness of their hearts is why he was angry with them. He was grieved, yes, but he was angry with them for the exact same reason. And why were their hearts hardened? Because of sin in their lives. Because of sin that they had in their own lives. And because of that sin and because they loved that sin and because they refused to repent of that sin. They grew their heart hard and Jesus Christ looked around on them with anger.

[24:53] There is no black and white issue here. There are no lines to read between. There is no reason to drag out a concordance or a commentary. The Bible says that Jesus Christ looked around on these people with anger.

[25:09] He was angry with them. He was mad. He was furious with them. Because of the hardness of their hearts. This just sinks the boat of these people that all they were to scream is God is love.

[25:25] I praise God that God is love. I thank God that God is love. I thank him that he is light. And in him is no darkness at all. I thank him that he's long suffering. I thank him that he's patient.

[25:37] I thank him that he is kind. I thank him that he is all of these things. He is a God of wrath. Just as much as he is a God of love. He is a God of fury. Just as much as he is a God of love.

[25:53] He is a jealous God. He is an angry God. Hey folks, let me tell you now. When God sent the flood back in those days God did not flood the world and kill everybody in it. Save eight people because he was tickled to death with how the world was acting.

[26:09] He did it out of anger when he burnt the cities of the plain to the ground. He didn't do it because he was happy with the people. He did it out of righteous anger.

[26:21] He did it because they wouldn't repent. They would not repent. It's the same God now. Here in 2023 it was the same God here in the synagogue.

[26:35] It's the same God now. 2000 years later, he is a God of love and he is a God of mercy. He is also a God of fury and he's a God of wrath and he's a God of jealousy. And one of these days his fire is going to burn up this entire world with the fervent heat. The very elements according to the Scripture are going to melt with the fury and the fire of Almighty God that he ascended on this world to do. Why would he do that to burn up the sand?

[27:03] He's going to do it in his anger and he's going to do it in his fury. Because he is disgusted with mankind. Ain't they what the Bible teaches in Genesis 6?

[27:15] It repented the Lord that he even made man because of the wickedness of man's thoughts. Their thoughts were wicked continually. That's our God.

[27:29] That's the God that saved me. If you're sitting here saying that's the God that saved you. But he called this man forth into faith. This God of fury, this God that looked around on these other people in anger. He looked on this other one with compassion.

[27:45] And he called him forth in faith and said stand forth and he gave him another commandment. Stretch forth thine hand and he stretched it out and his hand was restored whole as the other.

[27:57] Two commandments were given to this man. Both of them were called to faith. Stand forth. Come up here in front of this world that despises me. Come up here in front of these people that you might be cast out from. You might be cast out of the synagogue.

[28:15] Come up here before these people stand forth and stretch out your hand. Not one touch to this man is recorded in the scriptures.

[28:27] Jesus didn't have to touch him. Always say he'll stretch forth thine hand. Stretch it forth. And the man in faith will first, the man had he not had faith.

[28:41] I've not stretched this hand up and months or in years or hours long in the bed. God I've never stretched this hand out in my life. Master you don't know what you're asking of me.

[28:53] But Jesus told him to do the impossible. He told him to stretch forth thine hand and the man I don't read in the scriptures that he once hesitated. I don't read where he once questioned Jesus cross.

[29:07] It says that he stretched out his hand and it was made whole just as the other. Hallelujah. When God calls us forth to faith hey if you're here lost this morning anybody online that made me watch it lost God will call you forth in the faith. He will call you to stand forth.

[29:25] I'm not saying to come up and kneel down in an altar at your local church house or one of the cases what a wonderful place to get saved. But that's not what I'm saying. He will call you front and center to show you who you are to show you what you've done to show you what a nasty wicked filthy wreck that you really are.

[29:45] God will call you to stand forth and then he will give another command to stretch forth on him and if we do these things in faith and repentance Almighty God will save your soul. Hallelujah.

[30:01] But there's two calls that go out. One of them is to stand forth. The other one is to act. Act on that faith. God gives faith.

[30:13] Praise God. He grants faith. He grants faith. He grants repentance. He grants salvation. He grants mercy. He grants redemption. Hallelujah. To my God, to the God of all love and to the God that was angry with these people. Hallelujah to him. Praise be unto God.

[30:29] But there are two two things that are two commands that will go forth. Stand forth. Stretch out on him. This man and the Bible says his hand was restored whole. As the other. It wasn't that four fingers went out but the thumb stayed in.

[30:43] There wasn't that three fingers in the thumb stayed in but the pinky was still grown in. It says that it was made whole just as the other. Hey when God heals somebody, he does it completely and he does it entirely.

[30:55] When God spiritually heals someone, he doesn't leave anything to be wanted for. When God saves the soul, he doesn't save a little bit this day and save a little bit another day. When God saved my Richard, unworthy soul.

[31:09] I was healed. I was delivered. I was redeemed. And I was saved. And one instantaneous moment praise God. When salvation happened to you, it happened the same way.

[31:23] If salvation hasn't happened to you, it can't praise God. The Bible says not one that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. God desires for people to be saved.

[31:35] God wants for people to be saved. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God. And the Pharisees went forth and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against them. This is this is a intriguing statement. The Pharisees went forth and sought counsel with who?

[31:53] With the Herodians. If you've read much scripture and you've done much studying on who Pharisees are and who SanctiCes are and what scribes were and who the Herodians were, the Pharisees and the Herodians hated each other.

[32:05] They couldn't stand each other. The Pharisees hated the Herodians because the Herodians had hopped in bed with the Roman government. And that's all they were worried about was how their agenda could be furthered.

[32:21] And they were in cahoots with the Roman government the Herodians were and the Pharisees couldn't stand them for that. And the Herodians hated the Pharisees because the Pharisees hated the Herodians and the Pharisees called them out for being traitors to the nation Israel.

[32:37] They couldn't stand one another. But here we have two groups that hate each other. Two groups full of sin. Two groups full of wickedness and unrepentance. Not one penitent heart in the whole group as far as I'm telling this scripture.

[32:51] Coming together for one common cause to destroy Jesus Christ. Something they could never accomplish.

[33:03] Even upon the cross my Jesus wasn't destroyed. Even in the grave he wasn't destroyed. Even in those three days he wasn't destroyed. Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and forever Jesus Christ was eternal here. He was eternal in the beginning. The Bible refers to all money God as the ancient of days.

[33:25] He is the Alpha, the Omega he is the beginning and the end he is the first and the last he has always been. He is right now and he will be forever praised God in the book of Revelation he says I am he that lived with him was dead and behold I am alive forevermore amen and hold the keys of hell and of death that's my Jesus. These people come together. These people that despised each other. But two groups of sinners that hated each other came together for the common cause of destroying Jesus. Destroying this works and destroying the gospel and it could never happen. But this is just how the devil works. This is just how his little minions and how demons will work.

[34:09] Bring as many together as you can against God and against God's people. As many as possible. I know you will get along with this group. But there is a God out there that we need to debunk. Folks it will never happen.

[34:25] It will never happen. God's word will stand true when the entire world is on fire. The Bible says the grass withers and the flower faded. But the word of our God shall stand forever.

[34:37] The Bible says the word of God is forever settled in heaven. And it was if it was forever settled in heaven and so 119 a thousand years before Jesus Christ ever rained I assure you that two thousand years since Jesus Christ was born and was killed and was resurrected and ascended it is still raining in heaven and it is still in heaven it is still written down in heaven and praise God there is no devil there is no demon there is no spirit there is nothing that can change that.

[35:09] Hallelujah. They come together to work out how they might destroy him. We began this little passage that's six verses with people that have been pondering anyway about how to destroy Jesus and we ended in the same way just six verses and one account people wanted to destroy the gospel people wanted to take Jesus out of the scene so they could have their own glory so they could have their own way so that men could continue in this bondage of being in bondage to the ceremonial laws that the Pharisees had put into place that wasn't even part of scripture as far as the Sabbath day went and not to mention tons of other ones that they had put into play that were not part of scripture and were seeking to destroy the very one that came to set the captives free that came to bring people out of bondage they were seeking to destroy him and folks the world is the same way now they seek to destroy the gospel they seek to destroy the church they seek to destroy the people of God maybe not physically but if they can run us down one time if they can mess up one time hey folks we will be under a magnifying glass we already are but if they found out that we messed up we tripped up we said something we shouldn't have we went somewhere we weren't supposed to go we found something we weren't supposed to do what does that do what does that do now that we have God destroying our testimony we wreck our testimony folks if we continue in the ways of God we continue in the ways of God that are recorded in this book for us we keep our faith in God when Jesus says stand forth and we stand forth with boldness because he is our Redeemer yes we have a fear of God yes we should have a fear of God but the Bible says we can come before the throne of grace in boldness why because if we've been redeemed it's no longer a throne of judgment it's a throne of grace it's a throne of grace to the people of God and he gives help in a time of need how many of you need help I need it all the time in halloween I was saved by the very God that is able to give me the help that no one else can how about Lydia when you come to stand forth do it when you come to stretch out your hate to show why you stood forth do it

[38:01] God bless you all that's the message from this morning I appreciate it hey hey right the Lord