The Word Made Plain

Guest (Male): Welcome to the word made playing with senior pastor Tony Clark of Calvary Chapel Newport News in Virginia. Currently, pastor Tony is teaching in the book of John. Please open your Bible to John chapter 19 verses 7 through 12.

Tony Clark: So this silence of Jesus was judgmental in a sense that pilot had heard the truth and rejected it. So now he would receive no further answer from him. And there are several verses that teach when mankind continues to reject God, he will reject them according to Psalm 81 in verses 11 and 12 and Hosea chapter 4 and verse 17 and Matthew 15 and verse 14. Oh, the same is true for us. If someone is constantly rejecting the truths of the word of God and Christianity, then follow what Matthew 7 verse 6 says, do not give what is holy to dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you into pieces.

In in other words, Jesus is saying in in this verse, he is saying do not take the precious truths of the word of God and Christianity, which are as precious as pearls and give them to people who are constantly rejecting it and turning on you and ready to rip you into pieces for talking to you about these things. He said, don't do it. These truths are precious that God sent his son to die for the sins of mankind to forgive us of all of our sin and people can constantly keep rejecting that. Don't take these precious truths and keep giving it to them who are rejecting it.

That's like the metaphor, the proverb that he was using, casting pearls before a swine. A a swine or pig can appreciate how precious a pearl is. So too with those who constantly keep hearing the message of the word of God and keep rejecting it, they can appreciate how precious the truths of the word of God that these truths are. So don't keep doing it. Don't keep don't keep after that unsaved husband that keeps rejecting the truth. God will open up there, but don't keep just keep casting pearls before swine. Don't keep doing it to a coworker.

Don't keep doing. There is time that we need to be silent. Just like it says here. This goes for married couples as well. There are times to be silent. Proverbs 17 verse 14 says, stop contention before quarrel starts. In other words, when you sense things getting contentious, it is time to be silent. Just say honey, I can tell things are getting a little heated in my heart or in yours and it is best that we end this here and revisit it at a later time when we have calmed down. And ladies, drop it. It's you.

It's you. We can walk away. We're fine with that. We're done. We don't want to talk from the start. So we can walk away. It's you to keep pushing the button, pressing the button, pushing, pushing and put put put put put boom, boom until that to that bump pops. Boom. You just keep hitting we like and then now we blowing up cuz you kept pushing it. Let the button go. Let it go. And there are some men like, hey man, pastor Tony, thank you. Thank you for rescuing us. Stop contention before quarrel starts. So how did pilot respond to Jesus not giving him an answer?

Look at verses 10 and 11. Then pilot said to him, are you not speaking to me? Do you not know that I have power to crucify you and power to release you? And Jesus answered, you could have no power at all against me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore, the one who delivered me to you has the greater sin. Pilot answers in verse 10 and says, you have or you are not speaking to me. Do you not know that I have the power to crucify you and the power to release you? Oh, he was very irritated that Jesus had the audacity not to answer him, the one who could help him.

Oh, he responds angrily to Jesus. I have the power to crucify you or to release you. How dare you not recognize my power or authority over you? And as we have already seen that pilot didn't have the courage to do either one to release Jesus or to crucify him. Pilot lacked the courage to do the right thing. And let this not be said of us that we lacked the courage to do the right thing. Like I mentioned last week, never be afraid to do the right thing. If you know that someone is doing something illegal on the job, don't be afraid to do the right thing, especially if you're in a place of power or authority like pilot was here.

Jesus Jesus answered pilot in verse 11, you could have no power at all against me unless it had been given to you from above. I want you to notice the words and allow these words to sink into your ears. Power and authority comes from God, comes from above. Never forget that. In other words, Jesus is saying pilot, you're only doing what my father is allowing for you to do because he gives power and authority to people. The same is true in our lives. The boss, the government or any family member have no power over us than what has been given to them from God.

There are three areas that has authority over our lives, whether we want to recognize them or not. That's why I prefaced this statement by saying, hey, power and authority comes from God. There are three areas. There are more, but these are the three main ones that we interact with all of the time that has power and authority over our lives, whether you want to recognize that or not. What the first one is the government. The government has a certain power or authority that has been given to them by God. Notice 1 Peter 2 and verses 13 through 15 for you note takers which says, therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man.

Notice why, for the Lord's sake, whether to the king, we don't have a king, we have a president, as supreme or to governors as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. Notice verse 15, for this is the will of God that by doing good, you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. However, when the government starts to make laws and demands that we do things contrary to God's word, then we obey God rather than man like Acts 5:29 teaches us.

The second area that has authority over our lives is we must obey our bosses on the job. Back to 1 Peter chapter 2 and verses 18 and 19 speaking of employer employee relationships, it says, servants be submissive to your masters, speaking of bosses, with all fear, not only to the good and gentle cuz it's easy to submit to them, but also to the harsh. Why? For this is commendable if because of conscience towards God one endures grief suffering wrongfully. But they doing me wrong on the job. I didn't deserve that. Hey, deal with it. This is it's easy to submit to the nice boss.

That he's nice. She's nice. But the one that's hard, oh man, I don't have to listen to what you got to say. Yeah, you do. That's when your Christianity really shows up. It's when you're on the job as a Christian and the boss stinks. And you can still follow instructions and still be a good employee. That's when Christianity show that it doesn't show up when you got a good nice boss. Everybody can submit to them and be all happy and cheesing and saying praise the Lord. Everybody can do that, but what about the one that's nasty?

What about the one that that can't stand you because they heard you were a Christian and you go to church? I don't have to listen to them. Oh, that devil is a liar. You do. You do. They been given authority in your life. Now, just in case those of you who are bosses are smiling at these verses, happy over what they say. Colossians 4:1 says, masters or bosses, give your bond service or employees what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a master in heaven. In other words, God is watching how you treat those who are working for you and you will give an account for it.

Simple as that. So it's not like you know those other verses you was like you cheesing yeah yeah yeah you did some good that was some good verses. What would this one is too. This is a good verse too. The third area that has authority in our lives that's been given to us by by God is children are told to obey their parents. Ephesians 6 verses 1 and 1 to 3 says, children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and your mother, which is the first commandment with promise. Now here's the promise, verse 3, that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.

In other words, children, obey your parents. Why? There are three reasons. Number one, God says it is right. That's number one. Number two, that it may be well with you. Number three, so that you may live long on the earth. Oh, could it be the reason why a lot of children or young people are dying young because of disobeying some parent, disobeying the father that left the family, disobeying the father that was never there. And because of these things, there's a disobeying, there's a feeling of justifying or justification to disobey a parent and it could be the reason why many of them are dying young and not in every case, but it could be a reason why a lot of them are.

Because God says a promise, a promise to you, a promise to you, when you as children obey your parents, guess what? You it may be well with you and it's not well with a lot of young people. And number two, that you may live long on the earth. God these are promises God says in his word. And this is very simple here. So these are just a few verses where God has given the government, employers and parents authority in our lives. Now, if the government is corrupt, the boss is mean or cruel or the parent isn't being like Jesus in the home, then Romans 8:28 kicks in which says, all things are working together for good to them who love God and to them who are the called according to his purpose.

This means all means everything and excludes nothing. It means the good as well as the bad. And God will bring something good out of the unfortunate things he has allowed in our lives. If you got a mean nasty boss, then God is going to bring some good out of it. Through your Christian witness, they may come to know the Lord. Have you ever thought of that? Instead of you being in the little break room and into a little corner talking about how mean the boss is, maybe if you lived right in front of them, they may come to know the Lord.

They may say, you know what? I've been mean and nasty and you been nice. What what is it about your life? And you say, I I I I I serve the Lord. I believe in God. And what church you go to? And they be willing to come. They be sitting next to you next week. But if you're in the corner whispering and gossiping with the other people, oh all things work together for good. To them who love God, God will use the unfortunate situation and bring some good out of it. So Jesus tells pilot, you could have no power at all against me unless it had been given you from above.

Then the last part of verse 11 says, therefore the one who delivered me to you has the greater sin. I paused to let that sink in a little bit. Greater sin. Hey pastor Tony, I thought all sin was the same. Well, that's what people falsely say and you keep saying that mess too. That's why I paused and said, greater sin. I didn't make this up. These are these are the words of Jesus here. So if there's a greater sin, there must be a lesser sin. I learned in school greater and lesser. I learned that in school with the little, you know, the greater than less than.

I I learned I was a good student in school. So I I learned that. I remembered that. And and people you can constantly keep saying what you want to say. All sins are the same. Jesus said, those who delivered me to you has the greater sin. I didn't make that up and I really don't have time to get into the argument. It really is not an argument to me. I just say take it up with Jesus. All sins are the same. Well Jesus, what do you have to say? Those who delivered me to you have the greater sin.

That should shut the argument down. However, people still want to say that. My my me lying is is is is the same as you murdering someone. That that doesn't even sound right. Even man's law recognize the difference in that. And so it's just amazing to me that people say I I say that in that time to get in an argument. I really don't. I really don't. However, what Jesus is saying is this. Pilot is guilty of his sin of not doing the right thing and freeing an innocent man. He said three times in verse 4, verse 6, chapter 18 verse 38, I find no fault in him.

So he is guilty of agreeing to put to death an innocent man. This is a sin. But who was guilty of the greater sin were the religious leaders, especially Caiaphas, who was the acting high priest. He was the one who delivered Jesus over to Rome and into the hands of pilot. They were acting out of evil intent towards Jesus and this is why Jesus said those who delivered me to you have the greater sin. Pilot was still not convinced that Jesus has done anything worthy of death. So verse 12 says this. From then on, pilot sought to release him.

But the Jews cried out saying, if you let this man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar. Pilot was scared to death and and and and this is why this verse says that he sought to release him. Or that Greek word sought is and and the tense of this verb implies a series of attempts that were shouted down by the religious leaders. He kept seeking. He kept seeking to release Jesus. And this is why they cried out in the second part of verse 12, if you let this man go, you're not Caesar's friend.

Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar. Oh, this statement was so damaging to pilot's psyche that he would dare let someone go who claimed to be on the same level as Caesar. And this would be considered treason against the Roman Empire. Oh, they shouted, if you did this, pilot, you're not Caesar's friend, but his enemy. Oh, this statement convinced him that he had to condemn Jesus to death because not to do so would be political suicide if word got back to Caesar about this incident. And this was the Jews' trump card to get what they wanted, which was to put Jesus to death.

I believe that we are living in a time where we will be faced with the same decision. Believe in this way or believe this way or sign this paper that you believe this or it will be vocational suicide. We will fire you or you will never get promoted or we'll put you out just short of your retirement. If you don't go along with us, you're not the boss's friend. Support this view or you're fired. And so will you make a stand for your beliefs or will you give in to the crowd and go against your conscience in order to keep your little job?

I believe that we're living in a time where our society will pull out their trump card to try to force us to sin against our conscience and sin ultimately against our God. And this is the time I believe we're living in. Are you going to go against your conscience? Go against your beliefs in the word of God just to keep your little job so you know, no one know you believe in Christianity or you don't support this view or them doing that or them over there and and and you make one statement that sending you to sensitivity classes or you make a statement you you you're hate monger.

All this kind of stuff, this is the time we're living in. There's going to be a clear distinction between those who are believers and those who are not. Those of you who like to hang out on the fence, I'm going to tell you you're going to get knocked off your fence and the and here's the thing, what side are you going to fall on? There will be no more fence. Do you believe and will you support and be down for your beliefs or will you cave in? Or you cave in all in order to keep your job, but your conscience you went against the beliefs of your conscience.

This is the time we're living in. And we we need to be ready and and not be like an ostrich with our head in the sand and hoping that all this will just go away that we pull our head out and everything will be better. No, it's going to get worse. Bible say evil time and imposters will grow worse and worse. And it it's not going to get better. The way things are in our beloved country that many of us served, it's not going to get better. It's going to get it's going to get worse.

And we going to make a stand. Or are we going to chicken out and give in all to keep our little $2 and some cent job. Hey, I'm going to tell you right now, I I can't live with myself when I go against my conscience. It eats me up. It'll eat you up all in the name of keeping your little job. So how did pilot react to this? Well, we have to wait until next time to find out when we pick it up in verse 13. Cuz pilot has some things he had to say. Let me let me conclude with this.

As we can see from these verses, pilot was really the one on trial and not Jesus because how he handles this case would have devastating consequences for him in this life and in the life to come. So we cannot put our lives on autopilot and as we go through life just acting like none of this is going on. We're going to be faced with decisions that can have devastating consequences for us. Will we do the right thing in the eyes of the Lord or will we sin against our conscience in order to appease the crowd or keep our jobs?

I pray that I pray that we can fulfill what Proverbs 28 verse 1 says, it says the righteous are as bold as a lion. Where are the lions today? Where the one where the righteous there are as bold as a lion. There's some righteous today, but they're not very bold as a lion. They're more like a chicken instead of a a bold lion, afraid to speak up and the world has us afraid. You speak up and we will come down on you like you would think the sky fell on you. But the righteous are as bold as the lion and and we need that boldness.

The boldness doesn't come from us stirring it up ourselves. The boldness come from the Holy Spirit who gives us the power to be as bold as a lion. And it doesn't mean we bold and we we got a vein popping out on our forehead, vein in our neck and we're seeing we're pointing and we're yelling and spit flying. No, that doesn't mean that. The Bible says speak the truth in love. The Bible says let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt that you may know how to answer each one. And and may God give us that boldness so we can speak and not be afraid to speak in this world that we live in.

God has us in this world. This is the generation that God has us in. The early Christians, they were living under the reign of Caesar Nero, which by far was the worst Caesar in Roman history. And they had to live for the Lord during that time. We're not quite in those days, but we're getting close. And it's no wonder that once we finish the Gospel of John, we move right into the book of Acts so we can see how the believers lived under the reign of Caesar Nero because the days will come that our world that we live in will be very similar to what they endured in the book of Acts.

So it's going to be no wonder we go right into there. And may God help us to be as bold as a lion. Let's pray. Father, thank you so much for your word. I pray, God, that your word has stirred the hearts of your people. Lord, I pray, God, for those who have been timid and afraid to speak. You your word says that you have not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. And God, I just pray that you will grant your people this. Lord, I pray for those who are here who've never repented of their sin and accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior.

I pray, God, that you would draw them to you by your spirit. Lord, that you would lead them to the throne of grace. Lord, I pray, God, that you would do a work, Lord, today. Do a work in the hearts and minds of your people. Lord, I pray for those who need to come home who've strayed strayed away. May they come back to you by your spirit in Jesus' name. Amen.

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