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6 BOCNEWS.comSEPTEMBER 2015 And they all cried out at once saying Away with this Man and release to us Barabbaswho had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city and for murder. Luke 2313-25 NKJV The chief priests and elders persuaded the mass- es they swayed public opinion in opposition to Jesus and called for Jesus to be crucified. Jesus was in many ways crucified according to public opin- ion. In our day we would say that his popularity poll ratings had hit rock bottom. The outcry by the mass- es superseded what Pilate knew to be right and he caved in to public opinion. How did this happen A MATTER OF CHOICE vs. 13-17. Pilate and Herod both interrogated Jesus. They both came to the same conclusion Pilate clearly states I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him no neither did Herod. Pilate and Herod were the minority opinion and the chief priests the rulers and the people the major- ity. Pilate offered them a choice they could vote as to what should be done he opened the door for the masses to decide. In our society being the democratic nation we are we are allowed to vote on a number of issues. The problem is that we are calling for a vote on not just issues of financing of schools or the passage of new and the elimination of outdated laws. We are also voting on issues of morality and spirituality the practice of religion in schools civil unions marijua- na same-sex marriage domestic violence and at the rate we are going probably polygamy pornography and a host of other immoral issues. The problem is that when immoral people are given the opportu- nity to vote the opportunity to decide they tend to always vote on the side of immorality. With the right internet marketing with the use of social media the people can be swayed to accept the immoral over the moral. The Bible says this is not a new concept. Isaiah declared in his day All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way Isaiah 536. That verse speaks to the universality of sin in humankind and it speaks to the ability of people like sheep to be persuaded and led astray. The road to compromise is easily travelled. Those of us who adhere to the teaching of the bible will often find ourselves in the minority in opposition to society and in risk of being ostracized as insensitive haters phobics and manipulators. From a biblical standpoint the majority does not rule no matter how much public opinion declares something to be right or best or the thing for the masses to do. Tweets and blogs Facebook Instagram and all the other social media reflect what is trending not what is truth what is popular not what is proper. The desire of the head may not be what should be the desire of the heart. Bible believing ought not to be diminished by public opinion. The bible clearly defines accord- ing to Matthew 713 14 . . . wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and there are many who go in by it . . . narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it. GIVE US BARABBAS vs. 18-22. Three times Pilate voiced the fact that Jesus was innocent. However this seemed to fall on deaf ears. The incensed crowd when given the opportunity to make a choice called for Barabbas. The world is calling for Barabbas instead of Jesus. The world is saying Away with this Man Jesus and release to us Barabbas. The world is saying away with truth away with righteousness away with con- science away with boundaries away with the traditional understanding of marriage and family away with the Bible away with Jesus and away with God. The world effectively is saying give us Barabbas. We value the release of the criminal over the righteous. We value the error over truth. We value the corrupt over justice. Release to us Barabbas In spite of knowing that Jesus was innocent Pilate attempted to appease the crowd. He said I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go. What Jesus was guilty of Pilate was not sure but to appease the people he suggested a lesser punishment than crucifixion. We are living in a world where concessions and attempts at compromise are the order of the day. In order to get along not alien- ate our family and friends there are concessions and compromises being made. All of us have someone in our family who is on drugs gay gang banging or some other recognizable questionable behavior. If we are to maintain our relationship we are called to make some concessions. We cannot speak into the lives of those in need those we love if we ostracize them bash them brutalize them or homophobe them. They need more than ever a word of correc- tion encouragement and help from us. I recognize that trying to be biblically minded to adhere to the Word to speak a word of correction while at the same time loving the person can be challenging. Nonetheless that is what we are called to do. We must be prayerful and ask Gods guidance as to how we can be both prophet and priest both discipliner and nurturer and corrector and comforter. THE MASSES PREVAILED vs. 23-25. As we view the moral challenges in our society it would appear that the voices of the majority prevail. Truth is defined as to the number of people who adopt a say- ing circumstance or situation. Moreover as it was with Pilate so it is with our society. What the masses want the masses get. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. The one who cries the most gets comforted. The trend towards immorality should not be of any surprise to us. In 2 Timothy 41-5 the apostle Paul gives a charge to his pastoral protg Timothy. The reason for the charge is that even in those days there was an increasing inclination towards immo- rality and Paul recognized the urgency of the need for the Word to permeate the darkness. He declares For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but according to their own desires because they have itching ears they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables. That time is now. We are in a season of itching ears. Meaning that people desire to hear what they want to hear. They are seeking the tantalizing the sen- sational justification for the immoral unnatural affections and inconvenient intimate expression. They are eager to follow those who will promote their immoral lifestyle and agenda. We are to follow Pauls admonition But you be watchful in all things endure afflictions do the work of an evangelist fulfill your ministry. Timothys calling to pro- claim truth to proclaim the gospel is ours as well. We must be the ther- mostat and not the thermometer of our society. We must be about set- ting the moral temperature not just monitoring the moral temperature. We are to be the light of the world that desires to dwell in darkness. Admittedly this sometimes appears that we are swimming upstream that we are against the tide however let us not be disheart- ened or be found among those who have no hope. We have the victory God is on our side 2 Corinthians 103-5. We cannot must not give Jesus over to the will of the masses give in give up nor give out in our stand for the truth. We cannot must not grow weary of declaring what the Word says. We cannot must not be persuaded that truth lies in majority rule. We cannot must not follow the masses for they may be headed down the broad way of destruction. As Christians we are not to condone or ignore sin. We must hate the sin by love the sinner. However we are to share the love of God and the forgiveness of sins that is available to all people regardless of their sin through Jesus Christ. We are to speak the truth in love and contend for truth with gentleness and respect. In all instances we are called to love Mark 1228-31. When Jesus says love your neighbor as yourself. He does not discriminate. He does not say love if they are heterosexual. He says love them is they are homosexual LGBT on drugs alcoholic or otherwise. Love means love. Love is costly in that it is honest truthful and willing to risk persecution. 1 Corinthians 134-7. With the same passion that the masses persuade people to immorality we must declare the veracity the truth the reliability the accuracy of the Word of God. We must persuade those who would deny the truth of the Word of God as a model for right learn- ing right living and right loving. Pilate said to the crowd What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ. Just as the crowd had a choice back then each of us must also decide what we shall do with Jesus. We have the same choice this very day. The crowd back then chose Barabbas the sinner and sin over Jesus the Savior and salvation. The choice is the same today Barabbas or Jesus sin or salvation. Who will you chose Barabbas or Jesus Will you join in with the crowd that yelled Away with this man and release unto us Barabbas or will you choose Jesus The choice is yours Barabbas was the only man in the world who could say that Jesus Christ took his physical place. The good news is that even as Jesus took Barabbas place He took your place too. The death you deserved Jesus took it. The punishment you deserve Jesus took it. The separation from God that you deserved Jesus took it. The truth is I am Barabbas you are Barabbas and we are Barabbas. We deserved to die and Jesus took our place. We deserved that the wrath of God should be poured out on us. We deserved the eternal punishment of the lake of fire. He was delivered up for our offenses. He was handed over to judgment because of our sins. Christ was our substitute. He satisfied the debt of divine justice and holiness. We deserved hell Jesus took our hell there is nothing left for us but His heaven. Let us be willing to be found among the minority. William T. Golson Convicted According To Public Persuasion By Pastor William T. Golson SERMON The road to compromise is easily travelled. Those of us who adhere to the teaching of the bible will often find ourselves in the minority in opposition to society and in risk of being ostracized as insensitive haters phobics and manipulators. From a biblical standpoint the majority does not rule no matter how much public opinion declares something to be right or best or the thing for the masses to do.