The Final rejection of the King - “It’s my way or not at all”, is the path to disaster!
Notes
Transcript
Main Preaching Theme: Let’s embrace God’s agenda for our lives rather than have the attitude that, “It’s my way or not at all” and so miss out on his blessings.
Main preaching intention: I believe that people will be inspired to look for what God is doing in their lives and to grab the opportunity that he presents.
Scene 1: It seems that almost every week I speak with Pastors, many of whom are heartbroken and burnt that people continually rejected God’s agenda.
Now a number of these people are simply brilliant.
Incredibly gifted and passionate.
Genuinely good Christians, who love God and love his people.
But in each case I can think about they were bought down by people who just didn’t get it or didn’t want to.
And when I look back over my own ministry I can see the same thing.
People who have their own agenda.
People who just don’t get it or don’t want to, because God’s agenda for their life or the church means that there will be a personal cost.
A cost of change.
A cost of surrendering to God.
Now I know that Pastors make mistakes, sometimes they push to fast.
Other times they might ask the wrong person for the job to take something on when a different approach would have been accepted.
Other times they don’t realise what is important to people and how if they will spend time listening and talking it through then people will often come on board.
And I have made those same mistakes.
But other times there are people who just have this attitude, “It’s my way or not at all!”
Have you ever come across a person like that?
It doesn’t matter how much sense the idea makes to everyone else they simply will not shift.
Right now some of you are thinking about the person you are or where married to, am I right?
But you get the idea.
Scene 2: Even in the last hours of his life Jesus faced the same, “It’s my way or not at all” attitude.
And it must have been an incredible burden for him to carry.
Let’s look at four situations, which Matthew’s gospel shares with us.
Firstly a situation where Jesus’ disciples just didn’t get it.
In Matthew 26 verses 6 to 9 we find Jesus at the home of Simon.
The Gospels of Mark, Luke and John fill in the picture for us.
Simon had leprosy, but now he doesn’t because people wouldn’t be eating in his house if he did.
Perhaps Jesus has healed him and he is now showing his thanks by hosting a dinner.
His home is in Bethany his neighbours are Lazarus, who Jesus raised from the dead and Lazarus’ sisters Mary & Martha.
All his neighbours are gathered with Jesus as the guest of honour.
Lazarus is reclining at the table with Jesus, Martha is serving.
But Mary comes in and breaks open a jar of very expensive perfume.
Worth a whole years wages and pours it over Jesus’ head.
This is a hugely significant act.
It is an anointing, something the women sought to do at the Garden tomb, after the crucifixion.
But there was no opportunity because Jesus was already risen.
Mary has been listening.
Her heart is open to what Jesus has been saying and she gets what is about to happen.
The opposition of the leaders of the people is growing.
Jesus has indicated that this will not end as the disciples expect.
He will die!
So in case there is no opportunity at death Mary steps in and carries out the anointing of Jesus’ body whilst he is still alive.
The disciples, lead by Judas, harshly rebuke Mary for this waste.
They just didn’t get it and it is suspected that Judas in particular, saw only the opportunity if this perfume had been given to the disciples to sell it and give the money to the poor and take a little for himself at the same time.
It seems there were two anointings like this in Jesus life.
Earlier in Luke chapter 7 another woman, known as a sinner did a similar thing.
Was it that these women had more insight into what was going to happen and the men were more focussed on the power they might achieve?
It certainly appears so, because Jesus not only defends both Women he commends their actions as having insight and being right and suitable for the time.
The sinful Woman as an act of thanks and Mary an act of preparation.
The second situation is definitely one where someone sees that, “it has to be my way or not at all!”
Judas agrees to betray Jesus in Matthew chapter 26 verses 14-16.
Perhaps Judas was so stung by Jesus’ strong rebuke that he turned against him.
Perhaps as the rock musical Jesus Christ superstar portrays it Judas was trying to force Jesus’ hand into an outright miraculous take over.
Or perhaps Judas saw that he wasn’t going to get power because Jesus wasn’t playing the game, so he may as well make what he can out of the situation.
Whatever it was Luke chapter 22 tells us that this was Satan’s opportunity to enter into Judas and lead him to betray Jesus to the rulers.
He plays straight into their hands.
And gives them the opportunity that they had been looking for in verses 1 to 5.
Peter the leader of the disciples also had expectations of how things should be.
Take a look at Matthew 26 verses 31-35.
Peter had tunnel vision.
Jesus was going to take over and it would be tough but there was no way that Peter would ever let the master down.
All of the others might be weak, but not Peter.
He was the tough man.
Even if it was only he and Jesus they would succeed and if they didn’t then he would die a hero.
The rulers of the people are the fourth group and they above all others have the; “It’s my way or not at all,” attitude.
Now I am pretty hard on these people.
They know the Scriptures; they should have recognised the Messiah.
But they didn’t.
For them two things shaped everything.
Firstly the temple and maintaining the sacrifices was essential.
Secondly their position of power and prestige.
Revolutionaries and Messiahs were a threat to both as far as they could tell.
The Romans were invincible and they had a good little arrangement in place.
The Romans would stay out of their temple and not interfere in their religion and the religious rulers would keep things quiet and make sure that the taxes were paid that were due to the emperor.
As long as everyone knew their place and stayed in it then everything would be fine.
Trouble was, the common people were looking for a Messiah and there had been plenty willing to advance the cause.
Jesus, as far as they were concerned was another threat to the status quo which they had worked so hard to keep in place.
What’s more he had revealed their hypocrisy and shown them to be fools in front of the people.
It didn’t matter that he was fulfilling all the prophecies.
There was only one way to do things, the way they were.
So he had to be gotten rid of.
We can have that same, “It’s my way or not at all” attitude in our lives.
It might be about something at home.
It might be something at work or school.
It could be something at church.
I guess we have all been guilty of such an attitude.
Illustrate from Life
Scene 3: For each of these four groups of people the results of their attitude was disastrous.
For the disciples in Matthew 26:10-13
10 But Jesus, aware of this, replied, “Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me? 11 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. 12 She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”
A focus on money and power, led them to miss what Jesus really valued and needed at that time.
And they were very firmly rebuked for it.
In Matthew 27:1-10 we find that for Judas agreeing to betray Jesus led to utter devastation.
An agony of the soul that is simply indescribable.
It lead to suicide and a reputation that throughout history is associated with betrayal.
Not a nice legacy to leave behind.
For Peter the big bravado attitude lead to humiliation.
In Matthew chapter 26 verse 56 he runs away, just like all the others.
In verses 69-75, he lies.
He denies he even knows Jesus.
This big tough man, who was going to rule with Jesus, or die trying, is reduced to a coward who lies to save his own skin.
And when he realises he weeps in shame and despair.
The rulers of the people condemned themselves by their attitude and actions.
They sought to silence one whom they considered a threat to their power.
And what does Jesus tell us will be the result.
Look at Matthew chapter 26 verse 64. Matthew 26:64
64 Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
The one they thought they silenced will rule over all.
And the cost of their attitude and actions.
Look at Matthew chapter 27 verses 24 and 25.
“It’s my way or not at all” lead them to have innocent blood on their hands.
Pilate tried all he could to release Jesus.
But finding himself out manoeuvred by the religious rulers.
He washes his hands.
He says to the people, obviously worked up by the religious leaders”
You want him dead; fine let your God hold you responsible.
And God did.
They and their children were slaughtered when they rebelled against Rome in the war of AD 66 to 70.
Jerusalem and its temple were destroyed and the nation taken away from them.
Saying to God, “It’s my way or not at all” is a very dangerous thing to do.
Scene 4: But looking for the opportunities God puts in front of us is a wonderful thing.
It means we are open to be challenged about our lives.
It means we are not closed.
It means we will see his blessing in our lives.
Even through the hard times.
God will usually challenge us through another person.
Or through reading his word.
Or through our thoughts as we spend time with him in prayer.
So we need to look and ask, what could God be saying to me?
We need to record what he might be saying.
And we need to test it against Scripture and the counsel of wise Christians, who are willing to step out in faith themselves.
It could be about anything, but often God asks us about the small things first.
How about making your statement;
“Lord show me your way and I will follow!”