UNHOLY MOTIVATIONS

“And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her” (Mark 6:26 NKJV).

In context, King Herod was having a birthday party. Part of the entertainment was the obscene dancing of his stepdaughter. This so excited Herod that after the dance he told the girl that he would give her anything she wanted. With the help of her murderous mother, the girl requested the head of John the Baptist. This request was quite a shock to Herod (“was exceeding sorry”), yet he granted the request. Why did he grant such a wicked request? The answer is that he was motivated by pure evil. His evil motivations involved passion, priorities, and people.

Passion - The obscene dancing of Herod’s stepdaughter stirred up his immoral passion. He then let this passion rule him instead of principle. Shameful entertainment will always corrupt. Wherever there are places of contemptible entertainment, they will motivate folks to evil conduct. They cause passion to rule instead of principle. One way to stay holy is to keep away from unholy places.

Priorities – “Because of the oaths.” Herod was more concerned about keeping his word than God’s Word. His words took priority in his life rather than God’s Word. This resulted in his doing an evil deed: ordering the beheading of John the Baptist. We will never live a pure life if our word or men’s word has priority over God’s Word. If we are to keep ourselves from doing evil, God’s Word must have priority in our lives.

People - “And because of those who sat with him.” Herod wanted to please the people at his banquet more than he wanted to please God. He was more concerned about the honor of people than the honor of God. He was more afraid of ridicule from the people than about retribution from God. Herod wanted to be popular with unholy people more than be popular with a Holy God. Such a motivation will ultimately lead to much evil.

(Adapted from Butler’s Sermon Starters Vol. 2)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“The fear of man strangles us, because we can never please everybody; but the fear of the Lord frees us, because it challenges us to live and serve for an audience of One!”

Paul Chappell (1962 -)

American Pastor and Author

Word Study

Exchange

In Mark 8:37 we read, “Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (NKJV).

Exchange is the Greek word antállagma (ἀντάλλαγμα = an-tal'-ag-mah). It is made up of two words: “anti” which means over or against, and “allásso” which means to change. Thus, the word means something given in exchange, an equivalent, a substitute. In classical Greek, antállagma is used to describe that which is given in place of another thing by way of exchange. In the Septuagint antállagma also carries the idea of exchange. In the New Testament antállagma spoke of that which was given or taken in exchange. This word is used only here in Mark 8:37 and in Matt. 16:26. There is nothing a man can give in exchange for his soul. The Lord Jesus is emphasizing the fact that the soul of a man is totally irreparable; a man cannot purchase back a lost soul at any price. Nothing equals in value to the soul’s salvation.

“Fear Nots” Found in the Bible

“Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not” (Lam. 3:57 KJV).

Did You Know…

Solomon had all the furnishings for the house of the Lord, made with gold, even the hinges for the doors of the inner room (the Most Holy Place) and for the doors of the main hall of the temple were made of gold (1 Kings 7:48-50).

Bible Quiz

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, who was the first person to encounter the injured man?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: Why did God send a fire to devour the two sons of Aaron in the tabernacle? Because their offering was not commanded by God (Lev. 10:1).

Names For the Lord Jesus in the Bible

“LORD JESUS CHRIST”

"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Cor. 15:57 NKJV).

1. Meaning – LORD JESUS CHRIST speaks of the Lord Jesus as the last Adam through whom came victory and life.

2. Insights – Here the apostle Paul is expressing his gratitude to God for the victory obtained through the Lord Jesus Christ. Human ability cannot conquer death and the grave. The Lord Jesus Christ died because of our sins and conquered death for us by rising from the grave. Through His death and glorious resurrection, He set us free from the bondage of sin and declared us righteous before God. By faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we share His victory over Satan, death, hell, and the grave. Our risen Lord triumphantly holds the “keys of Hades and of death” (Rev. 1:18).

Did You Know – Christian History

Saturninus was born sometime in the 3rd Century in Patras, Greece. He was a Greek Bishop and missionary to the Gauls (modern-day France).

Saturninus was sent to Toulouse, France as a missionary-bishop by Pope Fabian. To get from his home to his small church, Saturninus had to pass by the Capitol, the chief pagan temple in the town. Through his preaching, many of the idol worshippers were converted to Christianity. No doubt this loss of trade stung the pagan priests. One day, as Saturninus was passing by the Capitol, temple leaders seized and chained him. They gave him an ultimatum: either worship their gods or pay with his blood.

Without hesitation, Saturninus replied, “I adore one only God, and to him I am ready to offer a sacrifice of praise. Your gods are devils, and are more delighted with the sacrifice of your souls than with those of your bullocks.” He added, “How can I fear them who, as you acknowledge, tremble before a Christian?” A man in the crowd outside the pagan temple pointed to Saturninus and said, “This is the one who preaches everywhere that our temples must be torn down and who dares to call our gods devils. It is his presence that imposes silence on our oracles.”

Outraged by Saturninus’ reply, the pagans began to whip the bishop. When they had unleashed their anger upon him by all sorts of humiliating and cruel acts, they looked for a way to kill him. A bull had been brought in for sacrifice. They tied Saturninus to the animal and set it loose. The maddened bull dashed through town, dragging the faithful bishop. It continued to gallop until the ropes broke. Saturninus was dragged to his death in AD 257. Two faithful women rescued what was left of the bishop’s battered body and hid it in a ditch so that the pagans could not get to it. Later, Christians gave his body an honorable burial.

Within two centuries, Christians of Toulouse built a church at the very spot where the ropes had broken and allowed Saturninus’ corpse to come to rest. It remains to this day and is called the church of the Taur, “The Church of the Bull.”  November 29 is the feast day of saint Saturninus.

A Little Humor

A man goes out ice fishing one morning. He reaches the ice and is about to cut a hole in it when he hears a voice from above: “There are no fish here.” The fisherman is shocked but gets up and moves to another spot. As he’s about to cut a hole, he hears a voice from above again, “There are no fish here either.” He gets up and moves to a third spot. Before he’s even finished walking, the voice says, “I’m telling you, there are no fish here.” The fisherman says, “God, how can you be so sure there aren’t any fish here?” The voice replies, “This is the ice rink manager.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“The door of heaven is open to everyone whose heart is open to God!”