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Complete Sermon Notes
Silence The Mocking Voices
You will go through seasons where you “HEAR THE MOCKING VOICES” – the culture, the court’s, friends, enemies, and family.
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to joke, jest, scoff, and ridicule
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the goal is to sidetrack – “you’ll never amount to anything”; “you’ll always be a drunk, or an addict”; “you’re a failure and will always be.”
Matt. 27:27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.
They Mocked His Position –
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Be careful who you mock.
CHARISMATICS MOCK CONSERVATIVES AND CONSERVATIVES MOCK CHARISMATICS
32 Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross. 33 And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, 34 they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink.
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Mark says Simon is the father of “Alexander and Rufus.”
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No evidence for the crucifixion happening on a hill.
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Sour wine was too bitter or He didn’t want to dull His senses.
Talmud – “When one is led out to execution, he is given a goblet of wine containing a grain of frankincense, in order to benumb his senses….”
A WORD ABOUT WINE: The person who consumes alcohol walks a very fine line between freedom and sin, responsibility and carelessness, liberty and abuse.
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Two purposes – Joy and Relief for suffering
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Self inflicted mocking: Proverbs – “Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.”
Pastor John MacArthur states what many of us feel but seldom discuss. “It is puerile and irresponsible for any pastor to encourage the recreational use of intoxicants — especially in church-sponsored activities. The ravages of alcoholism and drug abuse in our culture are too well known, and no symbol of sin’s bondage is more seductive or more oppressive than booze.”
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The Bible never encourages crossing the line. A preoccupation with alcohol is just one indicator of alcoholism; a preoccupation with drinking at events or social gatherings is another. This is not liberty; it’s addiction.
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Jesus was filled with the Spirit. This cannot be said of those who consume alcohol regularly. What is the fruit of today’s preoccupation with alcohol? Conversations often turn away from God, if they were there to begin with. We begin to compromise our time and interests; we’d rather head to Vegas than a prayer meeting.
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In Jesus’ day, society was much more isolated. We cannot calculate how many people are affected by today’s social media. A person with 500 “friends” may be encouraging dozens to stumble. It is the selfless motivation of love that keeps us from causing others to stumble (cf. Romans 14).
Be honest. How much do you drink? Is it really one? Do you often plan activities around alcohol (kids parties, bible studies, potlucks, etc.)? Do you often argue and try to justify your position? Paul said that we should not become a slave to anything (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:12).
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Confess it to others and bring it to the light so that sin loses its power.
BACK ON TRACK – 35 Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.” 36 Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. 37 And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
38 Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. 39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, 42 “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. 43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.
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They Mocked His Power – “shouldn’t God do this or that”
Job 38 NIV Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: 2 “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? 3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? 8 “Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, 9 when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness,10 when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, 11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’? 12 “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place…”
Commentator Leon Morris said, “Their outlook was wrong. They said they would have believed He was the Son of God had He come down from the cross. We believe He was the Son of God because He stayed up.”
45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour [12 to 3] there was darkness over all the land. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
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Have you ever said, “God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus can relate. Hebrews 4:15 says, “We have a High Priest [intercessor] who can sympathize with us.”
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Darkness is often associated with Judgement.
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Separation had to occur – “Forsake or abandon” –
God had to forsake so we could be restored – He had to abandon so we could be found.
How deep the Father’s love for us, How vast beyond all measure, That He should give His only Son To make a wretch His treasure. How great the pain of searing loss – The Father turns His face away, As wounds which mar the Chosen One Bring many sons to glory. Behold the man upon a cross, My sin upon His shoulders; Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice Call out among the scoffers. It was my sin that held Him there Until it was accomplished; His dying breath has brought me life – I know that it is finished.
47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!” 48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink. 49 The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
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People Mock His Timing – “let us see if He will come.”
Waiting on God is very challenging – we have “trust” issues.
51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
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Some say the veil must be the other one that was visible to all.
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Raised bodies – the tombs were split and death was conquered.
The season of mocking came to an end – God gets the final word.
Where are My accusers now?
. . . The Roman soldiers went home fearing and trembling
. . . All of Jerusalem is in upheaval
. . . The people later cried out, “What must we do to be saved?”
. . . The leaders and Pilate were perplexed and astonished.
Where are My accusers now?
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Having Done ALL – STAND!!
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