Reading Between The Lines

Turn to Luke's Gospel. Let's jump on this real quick and see what the Lord has to say to us today. Luke's Gospel, chapter 20, verses 19 through 26. I've entitled this, Reading Between the Lines. And I'm going to tell you by the end of the sermon, you'll know that you've probably been in those situations in your life where you had to read between the lines to know really what was going on. Luke 20, verses 19 through 26. And the scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on him that very hour, for they feared the people, for they understood that he had spoken this parable against them. Now, we talked about that parable in another sermon, And it's a parable that talks about how literally they would kill Jesus. And he was speaking it to the religious leaders. Y'all are going to be involved in my crucifixion. And it offended them, but they knew it was the truth, but they feared the people. And they watched him. That's interesting. And they watched him and sent spies who pretended to be righteous in order that they might catch him in some statement so as to deliver him up to the rule and the authority of the governors. They knew that if Jesus was going to be crucified, they had to get him beyond the Jewish courts to the Roman courts so they could crucify him. And they questioned him saying, Teacher, we know that you speak and teach correctly. Isn't that amazing? They recognized that he was telling the truth. And you are not partial to any. You don't back off. it doesn't matter if the king's there or if a slave is there you're going to tell the truth but teach the way of God in truth is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not that's the question he detected their trickery and said to them. He was reading between the lines, wasn't he? He detected their trickery. Show me a denarius. Now, a denarius was a Roman coin with Caesar inscribed on it. And it was declaring him as a god. And the Jews hated that coin. They hated to put it in their pocket. but they were under Roman control. Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have? And they said, Caesar's. And he said to them, then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. and they were unable to catch him in a saying in the presence of the people and marveling at his answer, it shut them up. They became silent Let bow together in prayer Lord we are your servants in this place and we need to understand who sits on the throne of our heart

So speak to us today in the name of Jesus. Amen. Back some years ago, it's a long time, 1974, I was fixing to graduate from McMurray University and begin the track of being ordained in the United Methodist Ministry. My first interview was with two ordained pastors, much older than me. One was the chairman and one was the vice chairman of the Board of Ordained Ministry. During our conversation, they were complimentary in my desire to pursue God's call in my life. And also in that conversation, they offered all kinds of flattery about my leadership on the campus of McMurray and especially in the Christian Life organization. our college worship growth had grown from 10 to over 200 a week and they were really patting me on the back wanting me to feel good and that they were in my corner they also celebrated the fact that the local district superintendent had told them that he had cleared the way for me to get a free wide to Perkins School of Theology at SMU's campus this was the prima donna seminary in methodism at that time that's when i began to read through the lines their flattery and compliments were nothing more than a smokescreen of intimidation and political maneuvering i did not doubt that they had talked to the district superintendent about me prior to our meeting, and they intentionally were leaving out a part of the conversation they had with him because they knew I turned him down. I didn't want to go to Perkins. I turned him flat down. Now, he would have told them that. I can guarantee you that he would have told them I turned him down. I had no intentions of attending a liberal United Methodist Seminary. my soul was set on attending Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, a seminary that was not owned by the United Methodist Church, but an independent seminary that taught historical Wesleyan doctrine. Reading between the lines, quietly and respectfully, I said to these guys, you guys have done your homework on me, so you know I'm not going to go to Perkins. Now that's when the true colors came out right there. They got angry. And they raised. And they made threats to me because I wasn't going to attend their seminary. My choice of seminary challenged their orthodoxy. It challenged their institutional commitment and their liberal distortion of Scripture. They had a deeply embedded hatred toward evangelicals and charismatics in the United Methodist Church. And their only answer was intimidation in order to control That was the whole I could read between the lines You ever sit in those situations where you been involved in a situation and there flattery going on and you the man for the job or you're the lady and you're reading between the, you've got discernment going, something's not right here. I knew that when I got out of seminary, those guys would still be there and they would be opponents of mine from now on. I always was respectful to those guys, but I never backed down in declaring the truth to them.

You know, the battle of religion, what I call religiosity or legalism, and relationship, true spirituality, grace and truth, is old as Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. it was primarily a battle over control. The encounter with Jesus that I want you to see here in this scripture, let me just make this statement to you. This story that I read to you is much more than just a question about paying taxes to Caesar. It's a story about whose image is on the cornage of your heart. Who is sitting on the throne of your heart today? Who is the Lord of your life today? That's what this story is all about.

This encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees and the scribes, and if you go and look in Matthew's gospel, he even adds the Herodians. the Herodians were the Jewish politicians that were loyal to Caesar now the Pharisees and scribes they hated they hated Romans but it's interesting how people get together when they have a common cause there were two types of pictures described right here worldly control Caesar's domination or divine control God's sovereignty now guys that's the world we live in today that battle's always going on today between worldly and divine supernatural there's a prayer Jesus prayed that helps me see the division between his divine assignment, our worldly existence, and our empowered supernatural sending. It illustrates the ultimate of true authority. It defines who's in charge of all things. In John 17, 14 through 18, it's what the biblical writers call the high priestly prayer of Jesus. He says, Father, I have given them thy word. The world, underscore this, the world has hated them. You see this world and divine? The world has hated them. The world of legalistic Judaism, the world of idolatry, the world of Rome, they hated him because they are not of the world even as I am not of the world. In other words, he and his disciples were outside their control.

Someone said to me one time and it caught my attention they said how do you kill a Christian How do you really kill a Christian You can

Not if you're blood-bought and belong to Jesus, you have a home in heaven.

They may snuff your life out, but they haven't snuffed you out.

He went on and says, I do not ask thee to take them out of the world don't take them out of this world now I want to tell you it would be a lot less trouble if they were not in the world why? because they are under God's control you know immediately I thought about the execution of Charlie Kirk why did they kill him? they hated him they hated him because he was not of this world he was under the sovereign control of the Lord. He said, I pray to keep them from the evil one. How many of you struggle with the devil sometimes?

He's always there knocking, isn't he?

He goes on and says, they are not of the world even as I am not of the world. That's the second time he says this in that prayer about him and his disciples. That ought to be pretty important. They are not of the world, even as I'm not of the world.

Sanctify them in the truth. In other words, set them apart.

Thy word is truth. Set them apart in the word of truth. Separate them from the world. As thou didst send me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. Now, do you hear that? Just like you sent me, Father, guess what, Carol Ann? He's sending you. But you're not of the world. You're in the world, but you're not of the world. You belong to his world. When you step in Jesus, guys, listen to me. When you step in Jesus, you step outside this planet. And you live above this world. You may live in it, but you're here on divine assignment.

As thou sent me in the world, I also have sent them in the world. You guys up here on the front, listen to me. There is divine purpose for each of you young men.

Don't ever believe the lies of this world. God has a divine assignment for each one of you.

Two worldviews are being described here, aren't they?

So let me read verses 22 through 25 again. See if you see the battle that's being described here. Verse 22. Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not? That's the world, isn't it? But he detected the trickery, said to them. He's reading between the lines. Show me a denarius. whose likeness and inscription does it have and they said Caesar's they could see and he said to them well then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's you have responsibility to this world take care of that business but then he says and to God the things that are God that trumps this world the story is much more than just a question about paying taxes it's a story about whose image is on the carnage of your heart

sitting on your throne today? Who is the Lord of your life today? Who's directing your life today? Who's in control of your life today? You know, we talked about last week that if we got our lives right, it would have great influence over our families, wouldn't it? And then it would have great influence beyond that, wouldn't it? But it starts right here with me.

there's only one person that ought to be sitting on the throne of your life, and that's the Lord Jesus.

In most of the commentaries and sermons and Bible studies I came across while building this sermon, they all focus on the in-depth evaluation and diagnosis of those who hated Christ.

They represented the world of legalism. in idolatry, in disobedience, in rejection.

Some of these characteristics of Jesus' haters is how I listed this. The Pharisees, scribes, Sadducees, Sanhedrin, and even the Herodians. Here's the characteristics that these guys listed. Prideful.

It's okay to have confidence in yourself, But when does it cross the line to being prideful?

Hypocritical.

They sent spies in pretending. They were hypocrites, conniving. You ever been conniving? Ooh.

You ever been backstabbing?

Protective, especially of your own turf? even political. In Mark 3, after Jesus healed on the Sabbath and the Pharisees went out, it says, and immediately began to take counsel with the Herodians. And they didn't like the Herodians, but they got together to take counsel with the Herodians against them as to how they might destroy him. Would you say they had a hatred for Jesus? Their number one goal was to kill him. to put him on the cross and crucify him in front of everybody, to stop his movement, to stop his divine authority over all things. You know, I just looked at the verses myself here, characteristics in our own text. Number one, they were fearful. Verse 19, and they feared the people.

Where did this fear come from? I think it came from a sense of insecurity and jealousy. You ever been jealous?

You ever had a sense of insecurity?

You need to detect where that's coming from.

Jesus was becoming very popular in Luke 4, 14 through 15. In Luke 6, 17 and 19. It talks about how he was becoming popular. And the crowds were just wanting to touch him because the power was coming out of him. And by the thousands, scores of people were coming to Christ. And his opponents hated that. These haters of Jesus were insecure and jealous and fearful because they were losing control of people Ever been in a situation where you were losing control It not comfortable sometimes is it

It's not comfortable. I've been there.

I like it when I've got thumbs on things. When I've got everything that I planned out going my way, and then all of a sudden the Lord just turns it in another direction.

The haters of Jesus were insecure, jealous, fearful because they were losing control.

Hypocritical.

Verse 20 says, And they watched him and sent spies who pretended to be righteous.

You ever had friends that were two-faced? they put one face on in front of you, but you know on the backside, they're willing to dagger you in the back. Ever been there? I knew. I knew those two men that were interviewing me that day, that when I got out of seminary, I'd have to work with them. You don't think I wasn't cautious every time I was around them? Because I knew they'd stab me in the back at a heartbeat. when I got chose to start Aldersgate over here, they were both on the cabinet, and they both opposed it. They didn't want me to start Aldersgate because they knew what kind of church Aldersgate would turn into be. An evangelical, charismatic church in the system. They knew that, that it would turn into that, and they fought it hard, blind. Verse 21. And they questioned him saying, Teacher, we know that you speak and teach correctly and you are not partial to any but teach the ways of God. They know this. Do you hear that? We know.

Isn't it amazing? You can have knowledge and not see.

Now that's something to sink your teeth in.

You have all this intellectual knowledge, but you don't believe it.

Jesus had proven himself.

He had given them all the evidence they needed to know that he was the Messiah. Their brains were crammed packed with all the right information and they could regurgitate it, but transformation had escaped them because they were spiritually blinded. Their hearts were hardened.

That's where blindness comes from when you get hard-hearted.

If I could tell you what the truth today is, protect your heart. guard your heart. Don't let your heart become a heart of stone. There are circumstances and situations.

Every one of you could write on a sheet today the things that I have just caused to be hard-hearted about.

Let me just give you a warning. Please guard your heart because when you start becoming hard-hearted, you start blinding yourself from reality.

Lastly stubborn They were downright stubborn You know stubborn that word gets us all doesn it Sometimes we think that's a compliment. Well, he's just stubborn, isn't he? He's just stubborn. It's okay to be stubborn for Jesus. but make sure that's where it's at. Verse 26 says, And they were unable to catch him in a saying in the presence of the people, and marveling at his answer, they became silent.

Their stubbornness, their stubbornness was revealed in two ways here. Marveling at his answer. Jesus could have only answered the question in one of two ways. It was a catch-22 for him. If he said this, if Jesus said, do not pay your taxes, he would have pleased the crowd because they wanted a political Messiah. But if he would have been, but it would have been firewood for the haters because they would have had the evidence that he was an insurrectionist and wanted to destroy Roman domination and thus could get Rome to crucify. You see, it's a catch-22 there. If he had said, pay your taxes to Caesar, it would have proven, which he did, it would have proven to the crowd that he was not the Messiah and caused them to turn on him. and join the Pharisees in wanting to kill him.

If it would have been all the firewood the Pharisees needed, that's why they marveled. He made his death sentence too easy. Pay your taxes.

Pay your taxes.

It made his death sentence too easy. It says here, they became silent.

I wrote down, they were simply dumbfounded in surprising silence.

Dumbfounded is a compound word that separates into two words. it combines dumb, meaning unable to speak, and confound, meaning to confuse. Thus it conveys the idea of being surprised or confused that one is momentarily speechless.

Their moment of silence reinforced their stubbornness against Jesus. They were silent only for a moment. Did you know that? In Luke 23, 1 through 2, then the whole body of them, the haters, arose and brought him before Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, we found this man misleading our nation, and listen to what they said, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar. Did he say that? forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar and saying that he himself is Christ a king. Is that what Jesus said? I think he said render unto Caesar what is Caesar Their hatred for Jesus only stalled momentarily It propelled them into a stubborn lie.

Stubbornness, guys listen to me. That's why I warn you not to be stubborn. It will always lead to lying.

It will lead to lying. If not to others, you'll lie to yourself.

You'll talk yourself out of him being Christ, Savior and Messiah.

They were fearful. They were hypocritical. They were blind. And they were stubborn.

They had surrendered to the emperors of worldliness. that's why Jesus said time and time again what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul in return the image of lostness and fallenness was stamped all across their hearts the Lord was not on their throne render to God the things that are God's. Let me read a good scripture to you. Romans 12, verse 1. I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God to present, which literally means offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

Who's on your throne? The way he gets there is you offer yourself to him. Let me tell you a story and I'll be finished. some of you may have read about Robert Moffat along with David Livingston gave his life to healing leprosy on the continent of Africa they were Christians even secular historians write about Livingston and Moffat taking the gospel to Africa but you may not know about Moffat's conversion. He was a poor boy from Scotland, dirt poor. The town folks called him wee little Bobby because he was a beggar. He showed up at church one evening when they were having a missionary meeting. When they passed the offering plate, that night, after the missionary had talked and given an invitation to come to meet Jesus, as the offering plate passed by wee little Bobby,

he asked the usher to put the plate on the floor. He then stepped into it with his bare feet, saying, I give myself. I have nothing else to offer.

Isn't that amazing?

I thought, I'd like to have 25 offering plates here this morning so we could all

step into that offering plate.

Lord, I, silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, give I thee in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.

He stepped in that offering plate that night, dirt poor, raggedy, and he became a man of God that gave his life to cure leprosy. Literally gave his life for Jesus.

Young people, listen to me.

You can step in that offering plate.

You can step in that offering plate.

You can give your life to Jesus. if we were to undergo spiritual heart surgery here today let me ask you a personal question what image would be stamped on your heart 2 Corinthians 3 18 says but we all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory just as the Lord the Spirit

When I was 14 years old, a guy named Ed Robb came to my church in Lorenzo. And he preached on the crucifixion of Christ that night. And all us youth were sitting up at the front of the church. And I remember him pointing his finger out. And I'm sitting right on the front pew, kind of where Andy was. There was a divided church. He's sitting kind of where Andy would have been sitting. And I thought, man, his finger is right on my heart.

And he's made this statement. Didn't say my name, but I knew what he was saying. He said, if you'd been the only person on the face of the earth, Jesus Christ would have died for you.

I got into offering plate that night.

14 years old. now did I struggle some to where I finally understood all that I did But I got in the plate and look where I am today

I'm still in the plate, offering myself as a living and holy sacrifice. I don't know where you're at spiritually next Sunday and some of you may want to do this along with Justin next Sunday he's going to be baptized he wants to make that declaration public to this group that he wants Jesus to be Savior and Lord of his life you may be in that boat too it might be time for you to say I'm tired of living in the world I'm going to go live for Jesus I'm going to get in his offering plate and I'm going to give my son to Jesus if it'd be on your heart next Sunday to get baptized you just let me know this week let me know we'll baptize you next week too. Amen? Amen Amen Caesar not on my heart

The Lord Jesus is on my heart. That's his image. And if you give your heart to Jesus, he stamps that image on your heart forever. He loves you.

Amen.

let's bow together in prayer Lord I thank you so much for this day and for every person in here from young to old Lord you know who's on the throne of our hearts and Lord if it's not you if it's someone else even if it's us if our whole life centered around us God forgive us and Lord help us open our hearts and say Lord Jesus come into my heart live in my heart I want to be your person I want to be your witness I want your image stamped on me Lord I pray that that would be our response in Jesus name I pray Amen Thank you.