Amen, so we're still making our way through the book of Mark and we're starting a new chapter this week and as always
As we've been doing rather going through this this book. We're not going necessarily chapter through chapter, but passage through by passage and
Really? I kind of want to move through the first section a little bit more quick quickly this morning simply because I feel like this
Is something I've preached repeatedly just because it's something that's brought up so often the scripture
It's something that we see being brought up in the Gospels and the New Testament
Just many times over and it's the fact that God has replaced Israel with the people of God
And this is something that again Jesus just makes explicitly clear
in in this chapter and these first several verses here that the Old Testament nation of Israel has been done away with and
That he has brought in the New Testament believer as the people of God. We are the children of faith
We are the children of Abraham by faith, you know, we are the people of God
We are as God's people are excuse me as New Testament believers. We are that royal priesthood that peculiar people
This is something that is just repeated over and over to Scripture and I feel like it's something I've kind of a topic
I've addressed several times over the last several months. So I don't want to spend a lot of time this morning here on the first
verse first seven verses or so
But again, he gives the parable of the vineyard there how this vineyard was planted by a certain man
He goes out into a far country
And so you can see the parallels that Jesus is making here in this parallel with himself in Old Testament Israel
Himself being the Lord God. He's planting the the nation of Israel that's represented by that vineyard that he's going away into a far country
correct and
At the season he sent husband men a servant that he might receive from the husband of the fruit of the vineyard and they caught
Him and beat him and sent him away empty and then talks about how he sent another servant
They sent him away shamefully handled it says a verse 5 he sent again
And again, he sent another and they and him they killed and many others beating some and killing some this is course representative of the Old
Testament prophets that would come to the nation of Israel throughout their history preaching that they should repent and turn to and turn to God and
Often times we saw those same prophets, you know, shamefully entreated some killed some beaten some imprisoned
So on and so forth the point being that the people who have been put in charge of this vineyard are not
Responding as they should right and then we kind of get the reason as to why here
It says in verse 6 having yet therefore one son his well-beloved now
I think it's pretty on-the-nose of you know who that represents. This is of course
representative of Christ himself Jesus at this time, you know
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, right?
And
So this the parallel fits in perfectly with Israel the prophets Jesus being this beloved son
He's being sent unto the last and saying well they will reverence my son
It's expected that you know, if the Son of God showed up you would expect that these people would have respect unto him
They would reverence him
They would fear him and they would render unto him the the fruits of their labor the fruit of the vineyard
But those husband men verse 7 said among themselves. This is the heir
Come let us kill him and the inheritance shall be our shall be ours
So, you know
This is Jesus speaking to the Pharisees to the Sadducees to the the the Jews at that time
And he's pretty much just kind of outing them
Right because he's saying the reason they don't want to get on board with the program is because they're envious
Right, which is something we've talked about at length as well that
Even Pilate himself knew that for envy they had delivered him, right?
They were they were envious of the power the popularity that Christ was commanding in his ministry. They didn't want to lose that
They said this is the heir come let us kill him and the inheritance shall be ours, right?
They want to keep this for themselves. They don't want to
Give it up as they're supposed to and they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard
What therefore shall the Lord of the vineyard do he will come and destroy that husband men and will and will give the vineyard unto
Others so again another great verse that's just again
So crystal clear in the Bible that the vineyard is going to be taken from these people and given unto another
Which is why we believe unashamedly as what is called and known as
Replacement theology. Okay, that's not those aren't dirty words here. We're not afraid of that label. That's not something I you want to call me
That that's fine because that's what the Bible teaches and again
I don't want to go on and on about this tonight or this morning rather simply because I feel like I've talked about this at
length lately, so
But again, you know you have it here in the passage. He's gonna take this vineyard from them and give it unto others
And he goes on to verse 10
Have you not read the scripture and read this scripture the stone which the builder rejected has become the head of the corner and the?
This was the Lord's doing and it's marvelous in our in our eyes
So he's basically rebuking them right and it's not he's not painting a pretty picture of what these people are like
They're beating people. They're killing people. They're killing the air. They're envious
they want to hang on to the vineyard and
He's saying what do you think's gonna happen to people like this? They're gonna be destroyed
They're gonna experience the wrath of the you know
the the owner right the man who actually owns the vineyard and which in this parallel would be God is going to come and
Execute judgment on these people right? So this is a hard saying this is some hard preaching
This isn't just a nice story about a vineyard, you know, it's a bad guys
You know, this is some very in your face right on the nose
Just right up getting their grill whatever you want to call it kind of preaching here, right?
I mean he's stepping on some toes big time and and these people that he's preaching to the Pharisees and others
This doesn't go over their heads now today. It goes over the heads of a lot of you know
Independent fundamental Baptist preachers, you know not so much people in the pulpit, you know
People who are reading their Bibles at home and have the Holy Spirit, you know
They just on their own reading the scripture without any one trying to indoctrinate them to some you know
False teaching they pick up on this pretty quickly because it's just so plain in the scripture
okay, and in fact these unsaid Pharisees even understand it right they hear this parable and
It says in verse 12 and they sought to lay hold on him
But feared the people for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them and they left him and went their way
They said you're talking about us buddy. And if it wasn't for this crowd here, we would get physical with you
And isn't that kind of funny that's exactly what Jesus just got done saying
That that's exactly what they would do to the air that when he came unto them
They would they would kill him and say take, you know
The inheritance let's take that and inheritance shall be ours and then they're literally trying to fulfill that prophecy at right after he gets done
Preaching it. It's kind of interesting
But again, you know, I didn't want to just thank you wanting to think I was skipping over these verses
Obviously, there's a lot of great teaching there
But again, it's just something I feel like I'm sure most people agree
If you've been attending the services when I've been going through the book of Mark
That that's something we've talked about quite a bit and I really want to focus on
verses 13 and on
Up to about verse 17 there
Just those four verses and I want to talk tonight this morning rather about
Rendering unto Caesar. Okay, and I think this is an appropriate kind of sermon
This is a good time to go through this because we're obviously we're coming into a very heavy political season, right?
We've got the presidential elections and all the other elections that are coming up this fall. There's a lot of campaigning
It's in the news. It's on people's minds
So, you know, it's good to talk about these things, right?
It's good to think about our relationship as Christians of what it should be with our government. Okay, and
You know, I typically don't get very political from the pulpit just simply because I don't think the Bible is very political
It does address it. We'll look at it this morning
You know a few passages where it kind of tells us how we ought to conduct ourselves
But you know, the the Bible is not really telling us, you know who to vote for how to vote
Obviously we get biblical principles
We get our morals from the Bible and then we kind of look out in the world and we make our judgments
You know based on that obviously, but you know, the Bible doesn't isn't a blue book or a red book, you know
It's it's a black and white book, right? It's it's it's God's book. Okay, but I
Want to focus really beginning of verse 13 there it says and they said on and then so you have
Others that come on to him and they said unto him
Excuse me
and they send unto him right because these they these Pharisees get mad and leave and they sent on him certain the Pharisees and
Of the Herodians to catch him in his words
So the narrator of the scripture is telling us why this is taking place why this group of people?
Certain the Pharisees and the Herodians are coming unto him
They're coming with the explicit purpose to catch him in his words to try and trip him up so that they might have wherewith
To accuse him. Okay, and this is something that you see them do several times to Jesus
for example in John where they bring the woman taken in adultery and
You know, they say this woman was taken in the very act Moses says to stoner
What do you say and Jesus wisely answers them by saying, you know, whichever you is without sin first cast a stone at her
So he's not really he's not really answering the question
He's not like condoning adultery and it's not that he's against the death penalty
I mean he said stoner in that you know in that passage
Right, but what he's doing is he's he's answering wisely because he understands that they're not really interested in Jesus's take on the death
penalty or an adultery what they're trying to do is they're trying to catch him in his words so that they could actually accuse him
To the Roman government at that time because if you remember when they took Jesus before Pilate they you know
they would
We learn that it's not lawful for them to put a man to death that the actual civil government at that time had to do
They weren't under Old Testament law
They were being ruled over by the Romans and we actually see one of those political sects within
That government the Herodians right people that are loyal to King Herod. They were not interested in any kind of political change
they wanted to keep things as
They were they didn't like this upstart this rabble-rouser named Jesus any more than the Jews did just for different reasons
They didn't like the the potential, you know
Insurrection someone like him might
You know that at least that they perceived might take place, you know, they might have had the impression
That's that he was there to do
But that's certainly not what Jesus came. He said I did not come to destroy men's lives put to save them. Okay?
So that's where you have these Herodians. That's what they are. That's where they're coming from
They're coming with the Pharisees. They're trying to catch him in his words again. That's the whole purpose behind this
Okay, that's what they're trying to do but notice how they go about doing it
Okay, it says in verse 14 and when they were come they say unto him master, right?
Now that's kind of that's kind of respectful language, right?
You master just meaning it'd be like art, you know, it'd be like Lord or maybe like sir, you know
It's like a term that you would use with that you for somebody that you actually have some respect for okay
Now do you think the Pharisees and the Herodians had a lot of respect for Jesus?
No, okay. They're trying to catch him in his words. They say master
We know thou art true
Now if they really thought he was true
Then would they even be trying to catch him in his words? No, they'd be getting on board with the program
They'd be believing on Christ like so many of the other Jews are like so many the other Pharisees are
They'd actually be accepting him and they'd be getting saved and they'd be following Jesus
They'd be you know
Trying to do what's right not catch him in his words so they could have wherewith to accuse him and
Punish him with the civil authorities. So notice how they're going about this. Like we already understand what their motive is. It's nefarious
It's evil. It's wicked, you know, they're trying to catch him in his words, but they don't just come out and say hey punk
You know, what do you think about this? You know, they're not just straight-up confronting him
They're using this respectful sounding language. In fact, they're even lying
We know though aren't true that's a lie. They don't believe he's true. He is true right and carest for no man
For thou thou regardest not the person of men but teaches the way of God and truth
Very spiritual sounding language very respectful of Jesus very respectful sounding but we already know what their motive is. So what's actually taking place here?
Well, there's a great lesson that we can learn from this
Is that oftentimes when people are trying to do you harm when people are trying to either do something to you or have something happen
To you right or if they're trying to get something from you a lot of times what they'll do is they will use
Flattery and flattery is something that we should when we notice it when we see it, you know
That should immediately put up a red flag. Okay, because yet usually means that there's something going on there. There's something
You know something else going on and it's usually not good
Okay
Wicked evil people often use flattery to get what they want out of others whether that mean whether it's to do them harm or simply
Just to benefit from them in some way
They will use flattery and while the Bible doesn't explicitly say that they were flattering him
That's exactly what they're doing
If you understand what flattery looks like you'll recognize it when you see it
Because again in the passage that we already know why they're there. They're there to catch them in his words
We already know the Pharisees upset because Jesus just basically called them a bunch of murderous idolaters that are gonna have
You know the the kingdom take it from them to giving it another people, right?
They're very upset and of course
We know the Herodians are no fans of him as well because they are representative of that political
Faction within the Roman government that just wanted you know to keep things as they were they didn't want any changes
So they both have vested interests in having Jesus destroyed taken out. They want him out of the way
We already understand that so when we see them using this kind of language we should be able to identify that as
Flattery, okay, and that because that's what it is
We already know their intentions now if you would
We're gonna look at several Proverbs so go to Proverbs chapter number six, you know, whenever you're talking about just
You know the typical day-to-day things in life
So often you find yourself in Proverbs, you know Proverbs such a great book to read because it just addresses
So many just
Situations and things that we're gonna run into our lives a lot of practical wisdom in the book of Proverbs
Highly recommend spending a lot of time reading that book, you know, a lot of people read the book
You know a proverb a day so it works out about once a month. They're short chapters. I highly recommend people do that
You know, I'm not saying to do it for the rest of your life
But you know if you spend a season of your life doing that
You'd be amazed how many times Proverbs just come back to you as you're living your life
You'll just start thinking of things all that reminds me of this problem. It reminds me of that problem
And so we're gonna look at some problems because you know dealing with flattery is a very practical thing, you know
it's something we're all probably gonna have to deal with to some degree another in our lives and
It's one of those things until you really experience or see it, you know
You almost don't believe it's it's true that there's actually people out there like this
That would use flattering words to either do you harm or get something from you?
But the Bible speaks at length about flattery and I believe
Anything that the Bible emphasizes we should pay extra attention to and make sure that we understand
And and are on guard about these things. Okay
Now again before I get into this, you know, I don't want to be misunderstood. Okay?
Obviously, you know flattery is something we want to be guilty of it's but it's something we want to look out for in the people
Don't go on a witch hunt right don't crank up the radar and trying to ping people for flattery
You know a lot of times people do this
Flatterers will come to you right if someone's if someone wants to get to you if someone wants to do something
You don't have to worry about finding them. They'll come to you raise that we saw in the story
That's they you know, they want to get Jesus. They want to catch him those words
They walk right up to him. They start with the flattering speech
They start calling him master how he doesn't care for anybody how he's true and is of God, you know
They'll come to you. You don't have to go looking for it. Okay?
But also, you know when somebody comes and pays you a genuine compliment
Don't just be like take out your little notebook and be like, you know, I'm putting you under flatterer, right? I got you marked
You know, I you know, I'm watching you buddy, you know, you said something nice about my tie, right?
You know someone walks up and pays you some kind of a genuine sincere compliment. They probably mean it
You know, sometimes people just like to make other people feel good. They like to say nice things to other people
Okay, but what we want to look out for is when people start laying it on a little thick, right when people start saying
things like
You know, well, my wife's told me the opposite. So I know it's not true
Where there's things that you know, they're just lying right where they say this about you like well, you know, I've heard otherwise, right?
Or if they just start saying things that are just over the top, you know repeatedly. Okay now I'll be perfectly honest
This is not a problem for me, okay
I haven't had a lot of people come up and flatter and flatter me if anything, you know, I've had the opposite problem
okay, but
You know it is out there. Okay, and it does happen and
We need to make sure that we understand what flattery is and what it isn't, okay
But again people who flatter you they want something from you or they want to do something to you just as we saw in Mark 12
And you know the Bible talks about this a lot and let's just look at Proverbs
I mean, I've got other passages and Psalms we could turn to but let's just look at Proverbs chapter number. Would I had to go six?
So in Proverbs or where are you at?
Proverbs six
Okay, that's that's good. All right Proverbs six go there. It says in verse 23 for the commandment is the lamp and
The law is light and reproofs of instruction or the way of life
To keep thee from the evil woman from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Okay, so
This kind of speaks to the point that I was making that sometimes when people want something from you
They'll use flattering language to get that from you, right?
and again, it's it's tied in with the the the tongue with the use of words, right and
In this instance, you know and if you would go to Proverbs chapter number seven, you know the Bible
Warns us, you know, very specifically in Proverbs
several times that
The strange woman uses flattery to commit fornication and to commit adultery. Okay, so this is something that
You know, we as men need to be on guard against in our lives and young men
You know women who were loose in their morals or what the Bible would call a whore, you know
They this is one of their tactics
Right, they're gonna come to you and they're gonna flatter you
Okay, and the Bible saying here in Proverbs six, I know you already moved on to chapter seven
But it says that the commandment and the law is light and reproofs instruction of the way of life, right?
What's the reproof here? Hey look out for the flattering tongue
Don't be a fornicator don't be an adulterer don't be naive that there's people out there that just want to do you harm
They just want to use you in some way, right?
They just want to get something from you whether it's just some kind of you know
That physical relationship or they actually want to do you harm as in the case of Jesus
Or if they're trying to just get your business or whatever it is, you get your money, you know people are out there
They want to take advantage of you just to
Satisfy themselves just to get something for themselves out of you and the way they do it is to use flattery because you know
A lot of times they can't just walk up and just flat-out say what it is that they want because you you would say no way
Right, you know if a woman came to a married man and just said hey, let's just go commit adultery right now
You know any sensible man obviously would say no
any woman or excuse me young man that was approached by some young woman and
He understands the Bible he knows what the Bible says about these things, you know, and she just explicitly says, you know
I want to commit fornication, you know, hopefully he has enough sense and integrity
To say no
So the way these people get these things that they want out of you is they start to butter you up
Right, they use flattery to get what they want out of you. Look this is probably a tactic
We've all used to some degree to get something out of somebody that we wanted perhaps when we were younger, you know children do this
Right, they really want dad to stop and get ice cream on the way home right from church
They say dad that sermon was so good. That was probably one of the best sermons I've ever heard in fact
You know what? I'm gonna say it's the best sermon I've ever heard you were so dynamic and so cat it was so deep and moving
and powerful
And it's like, okay. What do you want? Right? Obviously that's never happened. That's they just fled
They don't even know how to use flattery my kids. They're just like hey, can we get ice cream, right?
Because I'm pretty much a pushover when it comes to that if you can't tell but anyway, you know
But other you know, we do that we do the same same thing, right? This is just human nature
You know the kid, you know
The the proverbial teenager wants to borrow the car so they come or get some money out of dad so they can have some spending
Money. Oh, did you get a haircut dad? Oh, man, you look good, you know, whatever, you know that this is something people do
So every time this happens, I'm not saying you know, this is a rapper bait, you know, this false prophet, whatever
But it is some a tactic that people use
To get what they want because a lot of times they know if people just straight up it told you what they wanted and we're just
Clearing their intentions, you know, it would it would set off alarms, you know, we would go whoa
What's going on here right in the case of the strange woman as we'll see, you know, she
starts to
Coerce the young man. She starts to flatter with him and she's she kisses him on the mouth and talks about
Oh, I've been looking for you. I've been seeking you all day. It's all a lie
You know she and it's not you she's looking for she's looking for any dude, right? Look this could work both ways. Okay
Men and men could do this to women just as easily. Okay
Men could you know, they they they want to get something out of some girl
They'll just start telling her. Oh, you're the prettiest girl in the world. You're so beautiful. I love you
I'll marry you, you know just so they can get what they want
and then once they get that, you know, they move on with their life and
They leave her in the dust. Look at the Proverbs chapter 7 verse 4
Say unto wisdom thou art my sister and call understanding thy kinswoman. What is he saying here?
Don't be naive be wise be discerning. Don't be a fool when it comes to these things
Keep these things with you call understanding thy kins was why that they may keep thee from the strange woman
From the stranger which flattereth with her words
So again another great example of how people use flattering and to what end jump down to verse 21
We'll move through these verses quickly
This guy falls for it, right?
With her much fair speech. She caused him to yield with the flattering of her lips. She forced him, right?
Obviously, you know this woman isn't gonna physically force this man because men just by nature are stronger than women
And I know we can all point
You know to some some freakish woman out there who's taking has more, you know
Through means of steroids has more testosterone in her system than a 20 year old man, you know, you could go away
No, I know this CrossFit chick who could be yeah, because she's a freak. That's why she looks like a man
Okay, because she's taking men's hormones. All right. I'm sorry to break it to you. I know this is kind of a rant
This is kind of a little rabbit trail
We're going down but you know a lot of these, you know fitness
Influencers of people like that don't fall for their crap because they're all on Royds. They're all on TRT
You know, they're all including the women. Okay, but generally speaking when people are just you know, not
You know filling their bodies with all kinds of foreign chemicals and hormones
Men are just typically stronger than women on average. Okay?
So
She uses she forces him with what with her lips with her fair speech by the flattering words by saying all the nice things
By telling him how big and strong he is and how smart and intelligent a handsome and good-looking and well-dressed
You know just going on and on laying all these compliments on him and just talking about she's been seeking him and looking for him
And so on and so forth. Okay, and it says that she forced him
So this is again the warning about flattery is it it can work on you
If you're not careful, and it'll definitely work on you
If you don't even think it's a thing if you just think oh there there goes the deacon again
There goes the preacher going on going off again
Look, this is a real thing
And if you think that if you don't think it is isn't a real thing
Then you know what you're gonna be all the more susceptible to fall prey to this in your life
Okay
Now if you're not, you know, maybe there's nobody wants to get anything out of you
Maybe nobody has any reason to flatter you
But if there is, you know, you should be on guard against this I
Like how he ends this in verse 22 he goeth after her straightway as an ox goeth to the slaughter
Right or as a fool to the correction of the stocks
He's going he you know
He's being flattered and he's gonna go along with the sin and the Bible says he's like an ox going to the slaughter
He's like some fool getting stuck in the stocks and just being publicly shamed, right?
That's a that's the biblical perspective on
Fornication and look I know we harp a lot on you know, women and girls, you know
Keeping them spells pure until their wedding day, but the same thing goes for young men
The same thing goes for boys, you know, you are not to be having that relationship outside of marriage
Right and the Bible is saying here if you're a fool like that if you allow yourself to get flat
You know you go down to the club or whatever and go home with some stranger
You know you pick up some chick and you get on now I guess nowadays they're all doing it on some app
Right. They all got their dating apps or whatever. They're getting on there and you know, they're hooking up
They're the hookup culture, right? You know what you are? You're like an ox. You're like a big dumb animal
That's what fornicators are they're like big dumb animals. They're just lumbering through life
You know just getting with you know, this one and getting with that one. I mean, isn't that how animals behave?
You
Say well no Mallard's mate for like, you know
I'm sure we could all point to some animal that has one mate for life or whatever
I know Mallard's do or not, you know, but but by and large, you know
There's not a lot of fidelity in the animal kingdom
And a lot of times when we see that in the Bible, that's a perfect illustration
Well, you're just one of these people just gets flattered carried away and goes commits adultery here fornication there
You know, you're like a big dumb animal because you don't any control, you know any self-control
You don't know how to restrain yourself
You don't know how to do what it takes to actually have that relationship within, you know, the bonds of matrimony. Okay, and
It's a shameful thing and
Look, I know a lot of people they would scoff and mock and me even proposing that but this is what the Bible says
This is you know, the Bible says that adulterers and fornicators. God will judge but the marriage bed is undefiled
For whoremongers and adulterers. God will judge
You know that sins like fornication should not be once be named amongst us
You know adultery if you know your Bible if the Old Testament was actually punished with the death penalty. I
mean God feels very strongly about these things and
People might want to laugh and scoff and mock at that. But you know what? I'm just going with what the Bible says
You know when I see people out there just you know, sleeping around with each other committing adultery, you know
They're they're fools in my eyes and I don't care and even a lot of people who might not have the boldness to say
It I'm not saying we should go around publicly saying this walking right up to people but you know
I'm preaching everybody this morning
But you know, even a lot of people are thinking it, you know, the Bible says that and I and the proverb, you know
You know he that commit adultery his reproach shall not be wiped away
That it's gonna be it's like being marred, you know, the scarlet letter so to speak
And this is true even among the unsaved
No, no, and not just among, you know, independent fundamental Baptists
And I know it's falling less, you know more and more out of fashion to have this attitude out there today
People are being a lot more permissive
But you know
I remember working with a guy and he ended up committing adultery and
Everyone on the job site knew about it everyone that worked in that company found out about it
And whenever that guy wasn't around that's when the joke started getting made and people started saying things
Because this guy, you know
Proported to be you know, this this holy Catholic guy and went to mass all the time
whatever unsaved guy
But you know a lot of people made fun of that. Oh, you know, so holy whatever word got around. It's unfortunate. Okay
So again, you know how so, you know, what's the point here well
obviously fornication and
Adultery are horrific sins
Okay, they're terrible sins
There's you know, not all sins are equal
Not all sins get you kicked out of church
first Corinthians 5
adultery will
you know fornication will a
drunkenness will
covetousness
extort, you know a
Blackmailing people that'll get you out kicked out. So God doesn't punish every sin the same
So that tells you that you know at least in God's eyes whether or not anyone else shares that that point of view with God
That at least in God's eyes, you know, some sins are worse than others
So how do you go about getting somebody to commit a sin? That's not just your typical sin
That's actually you know, it's it's it's even worse than you're just your average sin
It's something that that God isn't just gonna pass over
necessarily
Right, and we know that obviously all sin is wicked
But I mean, how do you get somebody to commit sins that are exceptionally wicked above the norm? How do you do it?
flattery
The tongue the lips you start to speak and say things that aren't true. You seduce them with your words
That's how people work
You know what in this instance, obviously it's to get something out of them on a physical level
to go commit this
Unclean act as the Bible calls it
Uncleanness and lasciviousness. These are the Bible words, you know not sleeping around
You know not you know, sowing your wild oats the Bible calls it uncleanness
Filthiness, that's what it is
You more preaching on this not less folks
Because we have an STD epidemic in this world today
Pandemic
You know another one, you know say, you know
Maybe you're not gonna have this problem. But you know if you how about and I certainly don't have this problem either
But you know the Bible says in Proverbs chapter
14 the poor is hated of his own neighbor, but the rich hath many friends
You know, sometimes people might want to just use you to get some some wealth out of you
They might just like you for your money. They just want to maybe they know you're the type that's just gonna spend money
Whoever's around and look I knew a guy like this in high school
Okay
The guy when he was in elementary school went on a school field trip to like it was Jellystone Ranch
Remember that and it was like this campground. It was based on
The Jellystone camp with what was his name?
Yogi bear hey boo-boo. It's gonna pick it a biscuit that guy, right?
So they had like Yogi Bear and all the things like that. That was kind of the theme
Anyway, this kid in junior high he's riding on a hay wagon there
He falls out of the wagon and the wagon rolls over his head
Actually, it cracked his skull a little bit his eyeball popped out. I wasn't there
Okay, but good news is they put it back in and he was well
He was kind of kind of strange right, but he got a settlement like they sued he got some
I don't know how much it was but it was like tens and this is back in like the 90s, right?
This is back. Like when before all this inflation got crazy where it was like tens of thousands of dollars
I'm not exactly and he got it all he got paid out to them with starting at 18 like at 18
He just got this huge every year. I don't know if it's like for the rest of his life or what?
But he would get this huge check
And you know what that guy had a lot of friends
And I remember meeting this guy before he started getting paid out and he was kind of kind of you know
He's a weird guy
Not everyone everyone's coming in
But as soon as this guy got money bought a house bought a car started throwing all these party all of a sudden
You know, he's a real popular guy
All of a sudden people are hanging out because you know, he's just spending money
And you know what those people they just they're just oh you're such a great guy
Laughing at those dumb jokes hanging out
You know acting like this is really cool guy why because the Bible says in Proverbs 19 that wealth maketh many friends
You know if you have money sometimes people are just gonna be nice to you say nice things flatter you
Just because they want some of those greenbacks. They just want to get some dollars
They just want you to pay for their lunch pay for their dinner, whatever
And this is something that the Bible warns and we're just looking at the different examples of flattery folks because the Bible warns us against it
And that's what's happening to Jesus in this story. They're literally trying to get him
You know killed arrested and they're doing how are they going about doing it? They're flattering him to catch him in his words
right
You know, we know you're true. We know the art of God
We know that, you know, they'll regard us not the way of man, but teach the way of God and truth, you know
What sayest thou right and Jesus saying? Oh, they're just counting them saying. Oh, they're so interested here on my opinion on the matter
Well, let me tell them exactly how it is
Right, but Jesus obviously is wise to their flattery
Wise to what they're trying to do and he doesn't fall for it
The Bible says in Proverbs 29 a man that flattereth his neighbor spread out his name
Spretteth a net for his feet
He's trying to catch him at something right? That's exactly what they're doing with Jesus
They're spreading a net for his feet through flattering words
Now if you would go to first Thessalonians chapter number two first Thessalonians chapter number two
Because those were you know, those were some really kind of just day-to-day practical ways that flattery might show up in our lives
You know if people want to get something from us physically get us to commit sin
Maybe it's not even the sin of fornication or adultery
They just want us to go along with whatever it is
They're doing right as it says elsewhere in Proverbs they want us to cast in our lot among them
So we all may have one purse that we may lay lie wait for innocent blood, right?
They're trying to get us to commit crime
They're trying to get us to you know, partake in their sin in some way. They'll flatter us. They'll use flattering words
Oh, you're so cool. You're so bad. Whatever right to try to convince you to do something. You know, you shouldn't do
Maybe it's money. Whatever it is. That's something we can understand but maybe when we haven't considered is
when it comes to
ministers
You know ministers today a lot of them want to flatter people
You know, they're more interested in lining their pockets. They're more interested in a full bank account
They're more interested in filling a physical space. They want to have some large
You know congregation and I'm not saying that this is always the case but
I'm sure we could all go around the room and think of examples of people that are like this today ministers false prophets
Who preach who preach things for what filthy Lucas sake they preach damnable lies for filthy
Lucas sake for dirty money. How do they do that? Do they just get up every Sunday and say Sunday?
Where's my money? No, they don't strong-arm people, right?
They get up and they tell you how God wants your best life for you now
You know God loves you and God's not angry with you
God's not mad at you and God's just grace and love and God just wants you just have the you know
doesn't care about your sin and God just happy that just the way he made you and everything's great and you know
That's my sermon now. Let's have 20 minutes of praise and 30 minutes testimony and pray and all these things and they that's flattery folks
Why so you'll put money in the plate?
So you'll buy tickets to their show right when they go on tour, so you'll buy their book
Right because they'll tell you exactly what you wanted
The Bible warns us that in a lot of times people shall heap to themselves teachers having itching ears
Does it mean to have an itching ear? Oh, tell me what you got it. You got a scratch you need itched
You know, tell me what I want to hear
It's my ear, you know, you don't want to go to church and just get a nice little spiritual massage
You
Know and if there's people out there, it's like oh, yes, sir line right up
Well, you know and I'm trying to do my best Joel Osteen because I'm trying to you know
That's immediately comes to mind the Joyce Meyers Joel Steens. You know, these are flattering people that are just interested your money
They're false prophets that preach damnable lies for filthy lucre steak
You know the Billy Graham's of this world, okay?
Billy Graham has said, you know, the Muslims are just following the light that they have
You know, they don't want to condemn sin, you know, remember that famous clip of Osteen of Osteen. I know how you say Osteen
Osteen
Osteen oh
My when he's on, you know, what was that Larry King CNN? I think it was him who asked him about
You know, what do you think? What does God think about homosexuals?
And he's just like well, you know, I'm not one to condemn, you know, I'm not not for me to judge
It's like the Bible is so clear on that topic
It's like it just couldn't be and it's and it's harsh
It's a harsh truth, but that's what the Bible says
He's just you know
Or this there was that other, you know that other famous rock star pastor from hell song or Hillsong Church
Sorry, I got I don't know where that came from
You know who who was on like the view or something like some lady's daytime talk show and they're trying to corner him about abortion
He's like, well, you know, I'd have to sit down and have a talk about you know
Your past and I don't want to judge anyone and you know condemn anything about that
You know, the Bible says that that's murder that it's wicked
Okay, but you know, he's again and that coincidentally that guy went on and got busted for
You know committing adultery in some shape or form
But again, you know that people often we think about flattery
Yeah
You'll think about the fact that somebody maybe just wants your money just wants you get involved in sin in some way people might come
To you but what about ministers who want to flatter you?
And I feel pretty safe and preaching this message because if anyone's been around me like I am NOT a flatterer
Like I don't want your money. I don't need your money. Whatever
right
You know, I feel like you know, I'm got a lot of distance here on this one
But there's a lot of space between me and the Joe Osteen's of this world. But you know, this is something that happens
And maybe it's not even on that degree where it's just a straight-up false prophet
It was just trying to fleece you
But maybe it could even be a genuine sincere born-again man of God
Who just you know rather than rocking the boat doesn't want to upset anybody
Doesn't want to lose any church members has whatever his motives are, you know, instead of saying what needs to be said
You know just tiptoes around certain things never addresses certain subjects
Never preaches on things never corrects anything from the pulpit
You know to me that's that that's almost like a form of flattery in a way
You have to tell people there's nothing wrong and when there's something wrong to say, oh there's nothing wrong
It's like there's nothing wrong. I'm not gonna dress it. That's that's weak. Maybe it's not flattering, but it's weak and it's poor leadership
Did I have you go to first Thessalonians
Let me read you from Galatians 1 it says for do I now persuade men or God so Paul said
Or do I seek to please men for if I pleased men I should not be the servant of Christ
you know, that's the attitude you have to have as a minister as
A pastor as someone who's preaching the Word of God, you cannot be worried about pleasing people
But to me it's like you look around and minister at ministries today
It seemed like that's what they're all about. And look I'm not saying we're gonna go out of our way to be belligerent jerks to people
But what I'm saying is like you have to preach the whole counsel of God and not spare for people's feelings the Bible
You know Bible says to lift up thy voice like a trumpet and show my people their sins
to cry aloud and spare not
and
I'm not saying that every single time you get on the pulpit has to just be
you know face ripping but it's like
when that's never happening when it's just like never takes place when you could go to church for years and
Never see the pastor get fired up about sin never see him call out the things the Bible calls out
What is that?
Is that you're gonna tell me that something that's sincerely concerned about trying to please God or are they trying to please men?
Because I'm telling you if you do that if you preach the Bible you're gonna upset people
You get up and you preach what the Bible says on every topic and don't hold back people are gonna get upset
That's a natural response
I mean
I'm not saying there's anything wrong when people get upset when you get up and you preach on certain sins and
People are guilty of those sins like what that's a natural response. It's like I'm not mad at people get upset
It's how they handle it. It's what they do with that
It's how they respond to preaching that lands on you know, it's when it steps on their toes. That's real hard preaching
You know hard preaching isn't just
Screaming and yelling and frothing at the mouth and you know and kicking the pulpit or whatever
You know hard preaching is when you're saying the things that people don't want to hear
Okay
But Paul's saying like look if I were the servant of men, I would not be the servant
It sounds like there's a choice to make
Who do I want to please as a minister?
You want to please God or want to please people and that one of the ways you can please people?
Is just by not preaching things?
Right and when people start telling you when you start hearing from the pulpit
That you don't need to make any changes that everything's just fine the way it is that person's flattering you my friend
You know it better, you know
It's better to be open rebuke is better than secret love another proverb
This is coming to mind open rebuke is better than secret love
I'd rather go to a church where the pastor if I don't care was every Sunday
He came in and just like was in my face whether he knew it or not was just like you need to fix this
Need to fix that I would rather have that
Then to go to some church for years where?
They never tell me anything's wrong. I
Walk out every site say I don't have to change anything in my life
He didn't he didn't bring up a single thing that I could probably work on in all the years
I I would rather go to church where every Sunday
It's just like offended offended offended offended
Because then I'd walk out and do something with it because then who I walk out hopefully I'd make those changes in my life
That's what people need. I mean why why do we come to church?
Hopefully, you know, it's yeah, it's being courage to be exhorted, but it's all to be reproved and rebuked
That's why Paul told Timothy reprove rebuke and exhort. It's two negatives and one positive there
Now look at first Thessalonians chapter number two verse four
But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel even so we speak
Not as pleasing men, but God which triath our hearts
You know, we have to preach as we're trying to please God because God knows our hearts
For neither used me at any time time used we flattering words
This is a form of flattery that people don't think about
The minister who will flatter you by not telling you what you need to hear or telling you only what you want to hear
Okay, and Paul's saying we didn't use to you flattering words
as you know
He's like, you know
You you heard the sermons you read those epistles. I
Mean Paul tore it up
Nor a cloak of covetousness
God has witness and again another reason why people use flattering words whether it's in the pulpit outside the pulpit because they covet something
They you have something they want
They want your money
Or they want to commit sin with you and that can happen, you know that happens
but that's that's those statements are true inside pulpit and outside as
Much as it is out in the world. I mean that's true both cases. That's what I'm trying to say
Look, there's plenty of you know
So-called ministers out there today that go out there and they start the little ministries just so they can you know sleep with their church
members
Just like commit adultery with the women in the church. You don't think that happens
Happens all the time all the time. It's an abomination. It's wicked as hell
Come to church and get flattered by some wicked sinner
sick I
Mean who would get up behind the pulpit and proclaim the Word of God and then try to eat flatter people
So that it could commit some horrific sin should be preaching against that stuff not committing it
It's wicked as hell folks and it's out there
Nor of men sought we glory for six
You know, some people just want to preach to be glorified. Oh, what a great preacher
Such a profound speaker
You know, they they have it's you know, it's funny. I'm not saying every guy that does this is wrong, but you know
Sometimes people preachers can they can it's like they they they sound different like behind the pulpit than they do in real life
And I'm not saying like I don't talk like this when I'm at home all
Like every certain every time I'm talking my way for my kids
I got to stand behind, you know up on a podium or something and start you know what I mean?
But some guys they they they have like a it's it's like a performance almost
It's like their voice takes on a different tone when they're on the pole
They find another octave and they speak and say and I understand that, you know
We should try to preach in certain ways that captivate people and things like that
right, but a
Lot of times people they want to just put on this show they want wife to get glory. Oh
He's such a great preacher
Well, he's a very gifted speaker. He's a some people are just natural orator. Some people are just very good at being
Dynamic public speakers. There's some people are very good
They could speak very well that they can really provoke emotions in people
and when you're kind of when you have that ability, you know, you could that can go to your head and
You could start to get glory from people, right? I
Mean you say you're making it up. This is this is the Bible this morning
We're reading from first Thessalonians and Paul saying we didn't use flattering words as a cloak
We didn't use as a cloak of covetousness
We're not seeking
Glory from men. We're not trying to get things out of you. We're just trying to preach the Bible here
You know, so cut me some slack. All right, if I'm if my sermons am I preaching maybe isn't as polished as other people
Maybe it's a little rough around the edges. Sometimes at least it's sincere. This is genuine. This is me
You know, it's not you know, at least you know, I'm not trying there's a boy
Deacon if you're trying to flatter us and get something out of us
You're not doing a very good job
If if I was up here trying to flatter people I'd be I'm doing a very poor job at it
I could tell you that it's six years
You know, I've I've I could say that with all sincerity
If flattery was my job, I would get an I'd be fired
He said we didn't seek sought glory men neither of you nor yet of others when we might have been burdensome as the apostles of
Christ go back to mark chapter number 12
Okay, so that's the first thing I wanted to point out in this passage
Is that when people are trying to get something from you or make something happen to you?
They're trying to do something to you to manipulate you in some way to whatever whatever their motive is
A lot of times the way they do it is through flattering words
The way they talk the things they say to you, okay
Again
Verse 13 mark 12
They said they sent him certain of the Pharisees and of Herodians to catch him in his words
And when they're come they say master
We know thou art true and cares for no man for thou regardest not the person of men
But teaches the way of God and truth and here's here's what they were how they're trying to catch him, right?
So they butter him up first
Hoping that he'll be like, oh, yes, let me expound upon what I think of, you know your question
Let me answer it with all my wisdom and knowledge which Christ could have done and he does answer wisely here because he's he's wise
to their game
They say is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not? So that's what they're trying to get out of him now
Basically, they're saying is should we pay taxes?
Right. You say what's the what's the big deal about that?
Well, the Herodians are there right and they know if they can catch Jesus saying oh, we shouldn't be paying tax
That's a form of insurrection
They can say this guy is trying to teach that you know, that's how they threatened Pilate to get him to crucify Christ
You know, you're you you're no friend of Caesar, right?
There's only one king but Caesar right Pilate. Oh
Yeah crucify him
So they're using
The government as a strong arm to try and get Jesus right to catch him, you know
And quite frankly not much has changed right now today we have the protected class, right?
Protected classes that are trying to strong-arm people in the workplace, right?
Censorship, you know, they don't want the message getting out there
About the truth about the sodomites and things like that. It's a protected class of people and they use
You know policy they use laws and things like that the same way today
But specifically taxes is what we're talking about this morning
Okay, and the government and how should we be because you say you've been talking a lot about flattery
But you started out by saying that this was about, you know, our relationship with government politics. Okay. Well
I'm trying to get multiple lessons out of this first of all
He said they're at they're questioning him on taxes. Shall we give verse 15 or shall we not give?
But he knowing their hypocrisy
Said of them why tempt ye me?
Bring me a penny that I may see it and we all know this story and they brought it and he said unto them
You know whose image and superscription is this?
they say unto him Caesars and
Jesus answering said on them render there
I've always managed him flipping the coin back to them, you know
Like render unto Caesar the things that which are Caesars and to God the things that are gods and they marveled at him
So it's kind of a non answer, right?
Like should we pay taxes or not?
Well give Caesars what's his do and unto God what's God's like they can't really argue with that, right?
But when you really think about it Jesus did just say pay your taxes
Look no one likes doing it, but they've been paying taxes for a long time, you know, and that's you know
And I think it's important to preach because sometimes some of God's own people sometimes Christians they get really caught up in politics
They get really caught up in certain movements
they get really caught up on the things of this life and the Bible says that a soldier does not
Entangle himself with affairs of this life that he may please him who have called him to be a soldier
Right if we're here to serve God, let's serve God and again
I'm not saying you know that we're gonna we don't have to attend to our responsibilities
We have to render unto Caesar the things which are Caesars
You know, we're gonna we're gonna have to all, you know participate in this economy
We're all gonna have to get jobs and support ourselves and and honestly, thank God that we live where we do
Thank God that we live in the most prosperous country the most prosperous times
Obviously, there's a lot of inherent danger that comes along with that as we're seeing today
Sometimes it's it's good for people to you know suffer a little bit but
you know still we don't want to get go be go overboard with some of this stuff like
Don't you know, we're gonna pay taxes here. Okay
An example of this is you know, some people they get really obsessed whether or not your church is 501c3
It's been so long since I said, is that right 501c3?
in it and I've seen people literally quit Church quit quit a faithful word Baptist Church because you know
We're not 501c3
You know every religious institution every charitable institution is automatically tax exempt
Okay, I you know and I've looked into 501c3 when people were making a big deal out of it
And I'm just like what's going on here because they're all trying to say, you know
It's hush money from the government to shut these pastors up. It's like no, that's that's not what the yeah
They have if you want to file as a 501c3. Yeah, you got to go by their rules and
Basically all it is, you know, it's been so long since I looked at it
I'm kind of shooting from the hip so don't quote me exactly on this
But basically if you're a 501c3, you cannot endorse a political candidate so many weeks or so from an election
and
You know, I know so little about it because that's really I really don't care about any of that
Is that you know, but there are a lot of churches, you know where the pulp it's just a political platform
Where they'll bring in their political candidates who they're gonna want for senator who they want for mayor who they want for councilman
You know who they're gonna tell you who to vote for for president
Whether Republican or Democratic, you know, depending on the church
You know that they'll they and they are 501c3 and they have a lot of political influence because they're a big church
So, of course the government saying hey, you know, if you're gonna be 501c3, you have to you can't talk about this stuff
You know so many weeks or months before an election
Which you know, that's a great reason to not be 501c3
But that's the extent of it like that's it
That's that's how they're censoring you but I've the point is is that that
People will get so caught up in that. Well you guys 501c3
Well that I can't go to church here
You know cuz I you know, I want to know who I'm supposed to vote for every four years
Right. Look if I went to a church that was 501c3, I wouldn't I don't care what they're gonna talk about politics
I don't care
You know, I'm glad that our church isn't one that goes on and on about politics
You want politics, you know?
Go listen to people want to talk about politics
You know, I'm not really interested in a lot of political sermons
People's even necessarily the political point of view from the pulpit because quite frankly the Bible doesn't talk a lot about
politics
And we can we could form our politics based on the Bible
But
It just seems like there's so many more practical things that people need to hear
So many things that people need just to live their life
Than to be told how to vote or something like that
and look I have my own personal philosophy about voting and things like that and
I I'm I'll talk about it to people who whenever but just not right now
And I'm not really interested in getting up, you know, I
I'm not trying to use this as a political platform
Okay
But some people get really caught up in that they get really caught up in this stuff
I mean, what about people who decide that? Well, we shouldn't pay taxes
Man, I've heard Christians say this, you know, they want to promote some kind of like
Anarchy some form of you know, and a characteristic and if that's the word and philosophy
You know, they want to promote that within
The church and things like that. They want to get other people on board with this stuff
You know what render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar
Yeah, but our tax money goes to this wicked thing and that would good thing. Well, they're the ones that are spending it
You know how they use their tap my tax money that's on them
You know, it's not like I'm earmarking my tax money for foreign wars of aggression
It's not like I'm earmarking my tax make sure this goes towards abortion, you know, make sure this goes towards, you know
The suppression of the poor make sure this goes towards, you know, the welfare system
You know make sure this goes towards whatever, you know wicked thing that you disagree with
You know when I pay my taxes whatever they do with it after that that's on them that blood is on their hands
I'm just rendering unto Caesar the things that are Caesars that go to Matthew 17, Matthew 17
And I'm bringing it up because you know, this was Jesus attitude towards the government in his time the politics
You know, Jesus wasn't trying to lead a political movement
And look I'm not against people that take an interest in that stuff they want to talk about that stuff that's fine
But don't go overboard with it
And to me just you know, and I'm reading through the Bible. It's just it doesn't address it a lot
It doesn't go into politics a lot. It does talk about how we are the attitude we ought to have towards the government
We'll look at that
But here's a real specific example about paying taxes
Look at Matthew chapter 17 verse 24 and when they were come to Capernaum
They that receive tribute money came to Peter and said doth not your master pay tribute. Hmm
You know aren't you guys gonna file this year, huh?
Don't you guys pay taxes and Peter verse 25 he said yes
Now Peter just kind of blurted that out it sounded to me like he doesn't really know he's just like yeah
Right because if the IRS man shows up at your door and say hey, I do you pay taxes, you know all of your
You know virtuous, you know idealistic ideas about taxes are gonna go right out the window
Right. Well, I'm just you know, I'm gonna stand my ground. I'm not gonna pay taxes
Well, there's gonna be guys that show up with semiotic rifles eventually, you know and and little blue coats with with yellow lettering on the back
They're gonna make sure you pay your taxes, right if it gets that extreme. I'm not saying every time right?
There's gonna be a guy that shows up when they called an auditor
Right. The IRS is not gonna let you get away without paying taxes
And it just gets kind of funny that Peters just like yeah, you know, does he pay taxes? Yep. Yep. We pay him, right?
Doesn't get salt with Jesus like well should we pay? He's just like yeah, of course, right render under Caesar things that your Caesars
And say yes and he was coming to the house Jesus prevented him
So Jesus is like in the door like he's coming that he's wants to come in, you know
Take his sandals off wash his feet relax and Jesus like ah
Peter before you get comfortable
What thinkest thou Simon of whom do the kings of the earth take custom your tribute of their own children or strangers?
Peter saith unto him of strangers
Jesus saith unto him then are the children free
Not withstanding lest we should offend them
Go down to the sea and cast and hook and take up the fish that first cometh up and when thou has opened his mouth
Thou shalt find a piece of money take that take that and give it unto them for me and thee
What did he just tell him to say? What did Jesus tell him to do pay your taxes?
He just said go get some money and pay them
Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars
Why because we have more important things in this world to worry about
Than the politics of this world and the policies of this world these you know
The world is going to wax old is that the garment and God is gonna change this world like a
Vesture the Bible says it's God's gonna be done with this like put like he's throwing a dirty shirt in the hamper
All the man's government all the world's systems one day. God's just gonna be like, okay, we're done with that now
It's my turn and it's gonna happen like that
It's all gonna go away and no one's gonna remember the names of any of these people
No one's gonna care who the 45th 46 47th president United States was
It's a big deal to us right now, and I'm not saying that you shouldn't consider these things
You know what there's a lot more important things in life than you know, who's gonna tax us
And
He's just saying look let's go pay him let's let's actually focus on the things of God
It's an important message right now because we can all get really caught up in
Politics right now and look I'm not against people
Tuning in I mean I tune into some of this stuff
You know and sometimes I wonder for being brainwashed by the rhetoric
Okay
You know and I understand, you know, my you know, I said I don't want to go into my political philosophy
But I guess I will a little bit, you know
My approach has always been I don't like the idea of voting for the lesser of two evils. I
Don't like it
You know, it's like I would rather if there was you know, someone that was that's one thing I've noticed
You know this political season very little talk of God a lot of talk about money a lot of talk about you know
money and money and money
It seems like that's all people and look I'm not saying it doesn't have its place and
It's something worth considering
You know another thing that's been talking about it's like the border. Yeah, I get that it's an important issue
Right and my political philosophy typically is I don't like voting for the lesser of two evils, but let me just go ahead and say this
That's a there's quite the chasm this year between the less these two evils
It's like one's evil and then one's like the far lesser of two evils
So do with that what you will that's kind of like my take this year. Like I'm no fan of
Trump I think you know
What I have my opinions and I'll keep it to myself
But it's like at least it's not that at least it's not you know, what's whatever color Camila
Yeah
You know Camila the communist the socialist that woman's a nightmare talk about a hot mess
And that I mean it's it's frightening, you know, so do that what you will right? Well, look
I don't want to get overly caught up in that
Start campaigning. You're not gonna come in here and we're gonna have the flags up and we're gonna have you know
I'm not gonna come out with a MAGA hat on
and
That's kind of funny to think about but I know Baptist churches that do that
Pastors, they get all fired up about whatever, you know the Republican ticket
It's like who cares
You know, you want to go cast a vote go cast a vote great go for it participate in our democratic process
What do you want to call it? But here's the thing. It's all gonna be done away
It's all gonna go away and no one's gonna remember any of it
You think a thousand years in a millennial reign of Christ anyone's gonna walk up to you and be like
So who did you vote for in?
2024 right
You know, what did you think of this political process here that no one's getting it's not even it's not even gonna register
We're not even gonna think about those things
That's my opinion so, you know what
Less we should offend them. You know what just just give them their money
You know, you just just get them out of your hair
The
Bible does address our behavior within society. That's what the Bible emphasizes
You know Jesus here doesn't seem to me like he's overly concerned with man's governance
Doesn't seem to me like he's trying to start a political philosophy a movement here that he's you know promoting a political philosophy
I mean was the Roman government the bastion of virtue and righteousness. It was a bunch of heathens
It was a bunch of idolatrous
You know pantheistic heathens
They they were wicked people a lot of them I
Mean remember when Jesus was crucified. He was he was crucified between what two thieves. I
Mean that's like worse than the Muslims folks Muslims will like chop your hand off
There the Roman government's like no we'll kill you
What would you rather have right
Would you rather have just have one member gone or your whole life gone, right?
There's a wicked government Jesus like, you know, give them pay them their due. Let's move on
Not let's start a rebellion. Let's change things from with it. No, no, it's just we've got as God's people
We've more important things to attend to
But yeah, don't go overboard render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars. I
Know I got to wrap up but go to Romans 13. Just a couple passages. Okay, I
Know this kind of feels like two sermons this morning
Right the warning about flattery, but again, I'm just going through the passage
You know, I'm just going through these verses kind of pointing some things out making commentary
We need to be on guard against flattery. We need to look out for this stuff because when people are flattering us
They want something from us
Now who is another group of people that this kind of ties in with the rest of the sermon that are gonna flatter you
Politicians
You don't think politicians are gonna flatter you
They're gonna tell you exactly what they want to hear. I mean, isn't that what Kamala Harris has been doing?
You know no tax on tips
Right, it sounds good. Yeah, except it wasn't your idea, you know, it was your competitors idea and
All of a sudden it's like oh, we're gonna she's saying all the things that that people want to hear. She's a flatterer
We gotta be on guard against flattery don't get duped by people are trying to flatter you I
Feel like I've gotten political enough for an entire year looks like a Romans chapter 13 verse 1
Let every soul be subject under the higher powers
For there is no power but of God but the powers that are we are ordained of God
You know you say who's gonna win the election?
You know, we're gonna get whoever this nation deserves
That's what we're gonna get
We're gonna get exactly what this nation deserves because the powers that be or ordained of God
Do I have a preference? Yes, and it's not Kamala, okay
So that leaves it down to one guy, right?
And it's not like I'm pro that guy, but if I had to choose
That'd be the guy I chose
But you know what what are you worried what's gonna happen if Kamala gets in the White House and drives this country into the ground
Well, maybe that's what we need
Maybe some people again because it's you know, as I'm listening these people talk
No mention of God's Word no mention of the Bible if anything. It's just a little lip service
You know, they got their campaign songs and you know, it's so funny
I'm listening one of these Trump speeches at the very end
He gets all fired up about you know, not letting schools and stuff promote this transgenderism, which amen
I'm for but then right after that, you know, his song comes on and it's why
MCA literally a song that was sung by just a quartet or quintet wherever it was of faggots a
Bunch of degenerate freaks, that's the song he starts playing right after he goes off on, you know, the trannies
for a second
He's like, okay
You think you think this guy's gonna bring righteousness back to a nation
No
Well, you want to go cast the vote go cast the vote great
But you know don't expect it to change or to bring this nation back to God
Because the power is it being ordained of God. So if you know commu law gets in there, maybe that's who we deserve
Whosoever resisted the power resist at the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive for themselves to themselves damnation
For rule this is the proper role of government
This is what it should be for. The rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil
Will thou not not be afraid of the power do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same
You know, if you're not around doing evil, the government's not going to bother you
That's the way it ought to be anyway
For he is a minute is the minister of God to thee for good
But if thou doest evil be afraid
For he beareth not the sword in vain for he is a minister of God a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil
You know, the Bible does have I should take back some of things
I said the Bible does give us a system of government. It's very limited
Right if they're there to execute the evil they're there to you know punish people that break the law
But obviously, you know, we're gonna be subject under the higher powers
So when our government starts trying to get us to do things that are against God, that's when we would go against them
That's when we would rebel
That's when we would say no, I'm gonna suffer whatever punishment as a result of not going against God
That's the highest power, right? I
Don't know there's a lot of that going on today. I don't think that's really something we're too concerned about right now
First six for this cause paying also tribute
Pray tribute also for they are the ministers of God attending continually upon this very thing
Render therefore to all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custom to who custom fear to whom fear honor to whom honor
You know pay your city taxes pay your state taxes pay your federal taxes
Render unto them and whatever they do with it. It's on them. We have more important things to do
There's plenty of people today that are gonna you know, try to keep the wheels of government moving with or without us
But you know what? There's not a lot of today people that are out there preaching the gospel
People that are out there attending under the things of God, but there's there's whole there's just thousands of people
People are lining up
To run for these offices people are lining up going to school spending tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars
Hoping to get into some body of government somewhere, you know, there's no shortage of those people
There's a stream shortage today of people that are willing to labor and minister for God
So that's what I get out of that is, you know, Jesus says, you know
Render unto them they're due, you know pay them and let's let's not offend them
Let's just do the things that only we can do
You know, maybe Donald Trump can do something about the border. Maybe I hope he does
Maybe Donald Trump can do something about the cost of living. I hope he does
But you know what Donald Trump isn't gonna do anything for the gospel
He isn't
Who's gonna do that me and you that's us
So we need to just render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and move on with our lives
And this is something Bible talks about go to 1st Timothy 2. I'll close
1st Timothy 2 in Titus
He says put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers to obey magistrates
And you know, I know I've known Christians over the years. They get so worked up about whatever the evil plot the
Government is scheming that it actually dictates the course of their life and it's unfortunate
You know, they're so worried about you know, whatever the government's doing they get all concerned about their their their bullets and
their bunkers and their beans
They're all want to start turning into preppers and things like that. And look I'm not against some practical
prepping
You know the power goes out. Yeah, it would be good to have some water on hand
The water gets shut off for some reason and it's not you know, some grand conspiracy, you know, it's just
The infrastructure fails because of just you know
That's just the way things work great. Yeah have some backup stuff
I'm not against that but people who are just convinced that you know
The blood-drinking occultists are all gonna come for our daughter's overnight. It's like
Pump the brakes a little bit. Okay
And people but people go you sound you say this sounds crazy people Christians God's people they get caught up in this stuff and
Then they start isolating themselves
They start cutting themselves off and they're not doing the one thing that they're commanded to do which is to preach the gospel
They're not involved in a local church. They're not reaching this the the unsaved. They're not preaching the kingdom of God
You know, they're so busy just trying to you know, shore up against some boogeyman
The you know, the the god of this world they're trying to you're so worried about this world's kingdom
They're doing nothing for the kingdom of God
You know, I say render unto Caesar the thing once your Caesars
You know book and and live for God serve the Lord
Obey magistrates
Well, don't you think we should go down to the public council and
Get them to do something about the speed limits in this town. No
Look, I wish there were things they were do
Do you think we should go down to the city hall and raise hell about all the homeless what are they gonna do about it?
What are they gonna do?
They're gonna ask for more federal money
That's all they're gonna do it's not gonna make any bit of difference
The end look hopefully they do, you know, hopefully there's somebody out there that does take up that cause it takes up that mantle and
Helps these people that are suffering and don't and does what needs to be done
which is they need to be rounded up and put in an asylum and cleaned up and sobered up and taught some skills and
And and if possible if they haven't completely ruined their minds and bodies
Go back into society with some money in their pocket and some and some skills
That's not some you know, harebrained idea. That's the way things used to kind of be in this country. We used to have
Places for people like that to go
And look, I hope somebody goes and does that you know what? I don't have time to do it
I'm busy doing this and
There's people out there. Hopefully, you know that we'll take care of it
But don't hold your breath on that one. Look at first Timothy chapter number two
first one I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving a thanks be made for all men for
Kings and for all that are authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life at all godliness and honesty
You know who I want to win the election whoever is gonna let me continue to serve God
And as far as I can tell I can do that just fine on either under either one of them I
Can do that with Republican in office. I can do that with the Democrat in office because hello
I mean, we've been serving God for the last three and a half years and it's been a Democrat in office
As it hindered me one bit
This is a good acceptable the sight of God who have all men to be saved to come into the knowledge of truth
So I know it's kind of a scattered sermon this morning
I know there's probably a couple things, you know, it could have been tied together maybe a little bit better
But that's what I got for you out of these passages this morning
Look out for the flatterer because they're trying to get something out of there trying to manipulate you
Whether it's in your personal life. Well, there's from the pulpit or whether it's in politics
They people are flattering us and the people are trying to get us to think the way they want us to think
And to do the things they want us to do
And and look we need to render onto scenes of the things that are Caesars and then we need to render on to God
The things that are God's
Where do you think we should put the emphasis in our life on the things of God?
You know a lot of it's it's unfortunate so many Christians to get they get more excited
About some political candidate than they do the Lord Jesus Christ
That's sad
Look if that's us this morning, you know, we need we need to go home and search our hearts
We need to go home and ask God to help us to you know
Get our priorities straight and to get excited about the things of God
Because look if we could get all worked up about our favorite political candidate
And hopefully it's not her
you know we could go out there and and try to get everyone to vote and
in four years that won't matter in four years, it'll you have to do it all over again and
they're gonna do whatever they're gonna do and
It'll just be a drop in the bucket
When it comes to you know, things that really matter in this life
Or we could get excited about the things of God
You know obey the magistrates
Lead a quiet and peaceable life that we can serve serve God and in all honesty
Godliness honesty you excited about the things of God and actually make an impact on eternity
on eternity
You know, Jesus isn't gonna hold up your ballot in heaven be like you had a boy
He's gonna say, you know, where were the sheaves? Where's the fruit? Where are the precious stones?
Where are the souls that you brought with you? Who did you win to me?
Who did you get to say yes to me? That's what Jesus gonna that's how we're gonna be judged
Let's go ahead closing word prayer your Lord again