PREACHED: OldhamLane,8-10-03,pm

 

“BINDING THE HANDS OF JESUS”

 

TEXT:  John 18:12. “So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him…”

 

INTRODUCTION:

 

11  Who do we remember from that fateful night?

 

          A.      We remember JUDAS -

 

                   1.      Betrayed

 

a.                John 18:1-3. “When Jesus had spoken these words,  he went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas,  who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. So, Judas having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons.”

 

B.      We remember PETER -

 

                   1.      Impetuous action…

 

a.      Mark records that in the garden, Peter said to Jesus, “…emphatically, ‘If I must die with you, I  will not deny you…”

                                      (Mark 14:31)

 

          C.      We remember ANNAS AND CAIAPHAS -

 

                   1.      Hated Jesus

 

a.      John 18:14. “It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.”

 

          D.      We remember PILATE -

 

                   1.      Weak, immoral, cynical, cowardly…

 

21  Unknown Culprit

 

          A.      The one who bound the hands of Jesus!

 

                   1.      Wonder who he was??

 

                   2.      Did he do it gladly…reluctantly??

 

          B.      That culprit is still lives today:

 

1.      Heb 12:15. “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble.”

 

C.      I suggest that there are possibly some of us in the church who bind the hands of Jesus!

 

DISCUSSION:

 

1Ţ   DISHONESTY AND A LACK OF INTEGRITY

 

A.      Psa 101:2,3. “I will ponder the way that is blameless…I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless…”

 

Isa 29:15. “Ah, you who hide deep from the Lord your counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say,  ‘Who sees us? Who know us?’”

 

B.      “You know it is an honorable deal, if you can sign God’s name to the contract.”

 

“Success lies only in one direction: Straight ahead. If you backtrack, you get sidetracked.”

 

          C.      We bind the hands of the Lord:

 

                   1.      Acts hypocritically

                             Fail to pay our bills

                             Shady business deals

                             Neglect our spiritual stewardships

                             Wrong others to avoid personal loss

 

 

 

2Ţ   EVIL SPEECH

 

A.      We’re not talking just about what we say, but the way that the say it!

 

1.      Col 4:6. “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

 

Eph 4:29. “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building others up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

 

2.      Hateful, accusatory, haughty, condemning, slanderous speech may cause a brother to give up and be lost, cause a lost soul to reject the gospel, cause a young parent to fall away,

 

          B.      By dishonest speech -

 

                   1.      Outright lying

                             Deceit (double-tongued) – JUDAS!!

                            

2.      Rev 21:8. “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral,  sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

 

Eph 4:25. “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each of you speak the truth with his neighbor…”

 

Col 3:9. “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices…”

 

Psa 101:7. “No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes.”

 

a.      “Always tell the truth, and you won’t have to remember what you said.”

 

          C.      Cursing and vulgarity -

 

1.      Ex 20:7. “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.”

 

Matt 6:9. “…hallowed be your name…”

 

Eph 5:4. “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk or crude joking, which are out of place…”

 

2.      Being out with just a bunch of boys or in football practice or just joining in with the conversation is no excuse!

 

                             a.      Matt 5:13-16.

 

3Ţ   SEXUAL IMMORALITY

 

A.      David  - II Sam 12:14. “By this deed you have given great occasion for the enemies of God to blaspheme…”

 

B.      II Cor 7:1. “Let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement of the flesh and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”

 

Eph 5:3. “Sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints (holy ones).”

 

I Cor 5:11. “I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.”

 

I Cor 6:9,10. “Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

 

Col 3:5-8. “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these things the wrath of God is coming. In these you once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away…”

 

B.      Heb 10:26-29, the inspired writer says that “anyone who go on sinning deliberately, after receiving a knowledge of the truth…has spurned the Son of God (bound his hands anew), and has profaned the blood of the covenant (driven the spear into his side anew), and has outraged the Spirit of grace (spit in the face of the God who sent Jesus)…”

 

1.      Earlier he testified, “…they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt,” (Heb 6:6).

 

CONCLUSION:

 

“Not merely in the words you say,

Not only in the deeds confessed;

But in the most unconscious way,

Is Christ expressed—

For me ‘twas not the truth you taught—

To you so clear, to me so dim;

But when you came to me,

You brought a sense of Him.

And from your eyes He beckons me,

And from your heart His love is shed,

Till I lose sight of you,

And SEE THE CHRIST INSTEAD.”