Have You Seen This Guy?

Have you heard of “The

Alabama Face Guy”?

He’s the red-headed kid who goes

to all the Crimson Tide basketball

games and distracts the opposing

players by holding up a picture of

himself scowling.

Facing Down The Scowlers

Of all the challenges Jesus experienced while on

earth, perhaps the most relentless and taxing were

the constant attacks by the Sanhedrin.

Let’s Face It…

1. Jesus was REGULARLY criticized.

2. The Apostles were NEVER left alone.

3. Being a Christian in NEVER popular.

4. Being a Christian means FACING some very

difficult challenges today.

But HOW Do we FACE Them?

The Commands of the Sanhedrin –

Acts 4:18 – “And…they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.”

The Answer of Peter and John –

Acts 4:19 & 20 – “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard!”

(NAS)

But HOW Do we FACE Them?

Acts 5:17-18 - But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy; and they laid hands on the apostles, and put them in a public jail.

Acts 5:19-20 - But an angel of the Lord during the night opened the gates of the prison, and took them out and said, "Go your way, stand and speak to the people in the temple…”

But HOW Do we FACE Them?

Further Actions of the Sanhedrin –

Acts 5:28, 40 - "We gave you strict orders not to continue

teaching in this name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem

with your teaching… and they flogged them and order them to

speak no more…”

Further Response of the Apostles:

Acts 5:29 – "We must obey God

rather than men.”

Christians OBEY God’s Will.

RE: Jesus and Defiance

Tradition describes Jesus as a man of peace,

mercy and love.

THE WHOLE PICTURE?

Was Jesus NEVER defiant?

RE: Jesus and Defiance Scripture provides a much broader picture of the

Savior. He was indeed a man of passion and zeal!

JN. 2:17 – “Zeal for Thy house will consume me.”

MATT 21:12-13 – “ 'My house shall be called a house of prayer'; but you are making it a robbers' den.”

MT. 23:15 – “ You make one proselyte; and he is twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

*Jesus WAS defiant when God’s Will was being abused.

RE: Jesus and Defiance

defiance (n.) (Hebrew ְגלּויָה ִהתנַגדּות (ַמרָדנּות ,

1. The act or an example of defying; bold resistance to an

opposing force or authority.

2. disposition to resist : willingness to contend or fight.

RE: Jesus and Defiance

“Jesus is defiant to any faith without compassion. He

is defiant to any ‘religion’ that used its rules and its

belief systems to justify lack of compassion and concern

for God’s children.” ("The Controversial Jesus" by Erwin McManus)

When is RIGHT To Defy the Scowlers?

It is NEVER RIGHT.

It is ALWAYS RIGHT.

It is ONLY RIGHT when it a man-made

command contradicts the God-Given Truth.

Acts 5:29 –"We must obey God

rather than men."

Case in Point: Luke 6:1-11

Luke 6:1-2

1 Now it came about that on a

{certain} Sabbath He was passing

through {some} grain fields; and

His disciples were picking and eating

the heads {of grain,} rubbing them in their hands.

2 But some of the Pharisees said, "Why do you do what is

not lawful on the Sabbath?"

Let’s Face It!

1. All they were doing was “snacking”.

2. This wasn’t even a meal.

3. The 12 were just “rubbing” wheat together in their

hands.

4. It certainly wasn’t an attempt to circumvent the

Sabbath Law!

Jesus’ Answer

Luke 6:3-4 (*We have Precedent)

3 And Jesus answering them said, "Have you not even

read what David did when he was hungry, he and those

who were with him?

4 How he {similarly} entered the house of God, and he

{similarly} took and ate the consecrated bread which is not

lawful for any to eat except the priests alone, he {similarly}

giving it to his companions?" (See 1 Sam 21:6)

Jesus’ Expanded Answer

Luke 6:5 – “And Jesus was saying to them, “The Son of Man is (the) Lord of the Sabbath!”

1st reason – *not unprecedented.

The 2nd & Ultimate reason is – “I AM THE LORD OF THE SABBATH!”

The *Traditions of the Pharisees

Understand by the time Jesus arrived, the legalistic Pharisees

had so reinterpreted and litigated the Law that it was almost

beyond recognition.

The original Sabbath Laws had morphed from simply,

“Remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy” [a reference to

honoring God ] (Ex. 20:8, Deut.5:8), to a list of Laws so thick that it

would choke a horse.

That’s the issue Jesus is defying in Luke 6.

Another Sabbath

Luke 6:6,8,10 – “And it came about on another Sabbath,

that Jesus entered the synagogue and was teaching; and there

was a man there whose right hand was withered…{And}

Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, “‘Rise and

come forward!’” And he

rose...”

And after looking around at

them all, Jesus said to him,

"Stretch out your hand!" And he

did {so;} and his hand was

restored.

Jesus FACES the Scowlers

Luke 6:6 – Jesus entered the synagogue {on the Sabbath to

teach.} *He KNEW His critics would be there. He KNEW it was

the Sabbath.

Luke 6:8 – He knew what the Pharisees were thinking,

{when} He said to the man with the withered hand, "Rise and

come forward.” *He KNEW the consequences of His actions.

Luke 6:10 – After looking around at them all, He said to

him, "Stretch out your hand!"

* He KNEW He would challenged.

The “View”of the Scowler

Luke 6:7 – And the scribes and the Pharisees were

watching Him closely, to see if He would heal on the

Sabbath, in order that they might find {reason} to accuse

Him.

Luke 6:11 – But they themselves were filled with rage,

and conspired together what they might do to {stop}

Jesus.

Jesus TEACHES the Scowlers

But He Acted Anyway-

Luke 6:9 – And Jesus said to {the scowlers},

"I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to

do good, or to do harm, to save a life, or to

destroy it?"

Christ DEFIES Demagoguery

demagoguery (Greek: δημαγωγία, from δῆμος dēmos

"people" and ἄγειν agein "to lead")

a strategy for gaining political power by appealing to men’s

prejudices, emotions, fears, vanities and expectations of the public –

typically via impassioned rhetoric and propaganda, and

often using nationalist, populist or

religious themes.

Paul and the Judaizers

*Interestingly, when Paul was once confronted by the false Brethren of his day, men who insisted that Titus be circumcised, he makes the statement in Gal 2:5 –

“But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the Gospel might remain with you.”

Let’s FACE It…

1. Phariseeism DIDN’T end in the 1st Century.

2. Phariseeism ISN’T being “conservativism,” it’s

obstructionism!

3. Phariseeism is USUALLY accompanied by

HYPOCRISY.

4. Phariseeism is really DEMAGOGUERY.

5. Phariseeism STILL NEEDS Defying.

The Lesson of Luke 6:1-11

1. Jesus came to bring us the TRUTH of God.

2. Jesus NEVER defied HIS GOD. But He did defy and

even EXPOSE the demagoguery of men.

3. The TRUTH of God is “RELIGION which ONLY

JUDGES and NEVER HEALS is NOT GOD’S

RELIGION.

Application Time

Before you make plans to Defy…

Discern the situation FAITHFULLY. If it is a

RIGHTEOUS CAUSE, Stand your ground.

Choose your battles HONESTLY. If your MOTIVE is

true, Take the action.

In ALL things, LIVE WISELY. If it is GOD’S WILL, DO

IT. You REPRESENT Jesus.

Let’s FACE It…

The world will NEVER see things “our” way.

They DIDN’T see thing’s Christ’s Way.

Don’t let the world’s scowls keep you from seeing

things GOD’S WAY!