YP Sing Address—T. Totems
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Herod is searching for something. I wonder if you've found it. I'm going to give you a little history lesson first. There are actually four members of the Herod family that are mentioned in New Testament. King Herod was the first one. He was called Herod the Great in history. I don't know why he was called Herod the Great. He was a suspicious man and a very deadly despot. He had 10 wives and seven sons.
He killed one of his wives. He killed three of his sons because of, well, I'll tell you a little bit about him. He came from the line of Idomia, the Idomian line, which is Edom, which is Esau. He was an enemy of the Jews, though he had a, an Israeli background. He, he exterminated the last of the Maccabees. That's that time period between the Old Testament and the New Testament. You've heard of John Hyrcanus and Simon and Judas and these different ones. In that line, Herod the Great killed the last of those people.
But he married the beautiful daughter Maryam Mari, AM NE Maryanne, who was of the line of the Maccabees. So he had that going for him, The Jewish people, though, he was appointed by Rome over that troubled country of Israel. And you all know even today what a thorn in the flesh Israel is to the world back then.
Herod the Great had a little popularity with the Jews because of OK, He he had Mary Ann as one of his wives, this Maccabee beautiful woman. Now Can you imagine the problems of a great ruler? He wasn't the world ruler. Caesar was the world ruler from Rome. There was Augustus Caesar, Tiberius Caesar, several other Caesars and they would delegate leadership amongst different men. And King Herod was in the land of Palestine, OK.
He he is the one who had the infants killed in Bethlehem. He died about four AD, so he reigned from 37 BC to 480. Jesus was born possibly BC11BC2 BC somewhere in there. That's the Herod who killed those infants. His son, Herod Antipas is the one who. Oh, I didn't tell you about. OK, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's go through all the four. Herod his son. He had his first three sons killed. The next one in line was Herod Antipas, and he's the one who.
Coveted his brother's wife and had her come over to his side and he married Philip's wife, Herodias. This same haired Antipas is the one who met Jesus at the crucifixion. The third Herod is Herod Agrippa one. In Acts, when Peter was put into prison and had that miraculous deliverance from the Angel, that was Herod Agrippa one. He is a son of Herod Antipas. And then Herod Agrippa 2. He's the one before Paul or who Paul was before in Acts 26. But they're all the first three are called Herod. The last one is just called Agrippa. The first three, it says that they sought for something. And I just want to challenge you young people tonight. You know, God, each generation has a confrontation.
With God, each of these herods had a confrontation with God and each one missed it. Some of them were so close, so close to receiving a blessing and they missed it. And I do want to challenge each of you tonight as God is seeking to enter your life, are you aware of the ways that God is seeking to enter your life? OK, I was going to say, how can Can you imagine how difficult it is for a ruler with a beautiful wife who does not have the advantages of e-mail?
Internet, cell phone technology. OK, he's living in Jerusalem and there are problems, so he has to go to Rome. And when he goes to Rome, he's concerned about his followers that they're going to.
Someone else is going to rise up and take over his Kingdom, and in the process, they might steal his wife. So he gives commands to a trusted friend that this is Herod the Great. When he leaves, he said, if I don't come back alive, I want you to kill Mary Ann. He leaves and comes back. But when he gets back, he finds out that his trusted servant revealed this secret to Mary Ann, and so she is infuriated. Is this love or is this power struggle that you have that you want to keep me closed up? Herod was suspicious of so many things.
King upon king would try to rival this one. This son would poison that dad and that the brother would poison that brother. And there was suspicion rampant. It's just amazing. Herod took his second two boys to Rome to have them schooled in Rome. When they came back, he saw that they were fine upstarts of young men. And the people were very pleased with these two new young men. And these two young men's older brother started to pass around suspicions that these two wanted to take over the Kingdom. So King Herod the Great eventually had those two strangled. And then Herod the Great herd that his first son was trying to poison him, and so he had him killed.
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A brother-in-law, also a fine specimen of young men, came into popularity, and Herod saw how wonderfully the people were taking to him. So on a convenient day when they were hot and they were swimming, Herod gave instructions that they should have little extra rough play in the water. And this young man was drowned accidentally, you know, kind of like upon Herod's orders. Just one thing after another, Herod. When he came to the end of his years, Herod the Great, he ordered many influential men to be taken hostage and put into a building he had built called the Hippodrome. So that when he died, his commands were that these people were supposed to be killed also, so that instead of joy taking place at his death, there would be sadness.
Because all these other people were killed at the same time as Herod died. Can you imagine the warped sense of, I don't know, He's the one who built the temple that Jesus went to. He built many cities. Like I say, I don't know why he was called Herod the Great. But first in line is haired the great in history. Then Herod Antipas, who was in the time of the Lord's life, Herod Agrippa one and Herod Agrippa two. OK, let's see what Herod, Herod the Great was searching for. Matthew chapter two. I think most of you know these stories and just the stories in themselves.
Have some amazing, amazing things in them. I'm just going to touch on the words about their searching. Matthew 2 and verse 8. Herod sent the wise men to Bethlehem and said, go and search diligently for the young child. And when you have found him, bring me word again that I may come and worship Him also. Go and search diligently for the young child. Bethlehem was about 7 miles away from Jerusalem. You could easily walk there in a day we had earlier today in our meetings.
That these people in Jerusalem, the scribes and the Pharisees, the chief priests, even the priests were officials officially placed there by Rome. Such a corrupt scene. And Herod says, go and search, that I may come and worship him also. Herod could have followed the Magi, the wise men. He could have killed that young boy in God's ways. He saw that Herod stayed in his palace. This was a rival to Herod, even though he was an old man now.
Almost nearing the end of his monarchy, this young boy would pose no threat really for several years and yet Herod could not stand the idea of someone else taking over his position. I thought of a number of P's that these men are characterized haired, the great. Of course they all have pride, tremendous amount of pride, but power seems to be Herod the greats 1 Theme just trying to suppress all the different young men who come up and take his place.
Power, I know I'm talking to many precious young people who I don't see you having a power struggle, but you know these things come upon us and I'm just impressed how close these men came to having God enter their life and they stopped short. The next one is Luke chapter 23 and verse 8. And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad for he was desirous to see him of a long season because he had heard many things of him and he hoped to have seen some miracle.
Done by him. This is Herod Antipas Now. Herod had heard many things about Jesus, wanted to see some miracle. Jesus does not respond to people in a sensational, curious way. If there's somebody here this evening who has heard about Jesus, you've maybe heard about some miracles that he has done in peoples lives. Please don't expect a miracle to be shown to you before you accept him as your Savior. We all must come to Jesus on the same level platform at the cross.
Blessed are they that have believed and have not seen. You must believe first. He does do miracles. I have had some in my life, precious ones that I love to share. Some that are some I don't like to share. They tell too much of my pride and myself will. But I can see some miracles of God in my life. But I believe in a God of miracles. But do not accept, do not expect miracles first before you accept Him as your Savior. Jesus will not respond to you in a sensational way.
You must come to him by faith. This man saw Jesus. I don't know how close you are. God speaks to you through his word. He speaks to you through your friends. He speaks to you through circumstances. He speaks to you through possibly a dream. I don't even know in my own family how God is speaking to my members of the family. And I don't know what he's saying to you young people, But how is God seeking to make himself aware to you, my oldest son?
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Several years ago.
Uh, was involved in a little bit of road rage and he ended up having his.
Honda Carroll three times down the median of the highway and came out with seat belt bruise.
Only he should have been a quadriplegic, if not killed. I'm not assessing a judgment on what God was saying to him, but that was a circumstance that I hope he took notice of. That poor man was so close. While I think of it, I'd like to say that OK, I like to think of him as popularity and position. Pilot also had a position of popularity. History states that Herod Antipas was deposed from his Kingdom. This wife Herodias who came over to him, she was given permission to.
Not have to go with him into exile. But she volunteered to go with him into exile. So Herod Antipas ended his life in exile from popularity. Pilate also understand who wavered. What shall I do with Jesus? The people said if you let him go, you won't be a friend of Caesar. And so Pilate vacillated back and forth. He too was deposed from his position. Dear young people, I beg you, when a crucial question comes to you of right and wrong.
Of these tough core issues, I encourage you to stand for God because he will in the long run. It's safe. It pays to serve Jesus. It pays. Acts chapter 13. This is another Herod. I would put the word pleasure with this Herod. I'm sorry, Acts 12, Acts chapter 12 and verse 9. Just look at verse three. It says because he saw it pleased the Jews. He proceeded further to take Peter.
So he had taken James and killed James, and the Jews were happy about that. So alright, let's take some more Christians. So he grabs Peter and throws him into prison. A wonderful story of Peter walking out of the prison, not realizing that he was truly escaped. Acts chapter 12 and verse 19. And when Herod had sought for him and found him not, he examined the keepers. This was a very marked miracle that happened. Probably 16 soldiers that says there were four quaternions of soldiers.
Keeping Peter, that might have been four at a shift, I'm not sure. Anyway, these men were killed because in Roman days, if a prisoner escaped, the soldiers took their place in death. So I don't know if it was four men that were killed or two or 16. But Herod had him killed, thought nothing more of this brushing with God that he had. How about you? What kind of a brushing have you had with God? What is, what is God saying to you? Pleasure.
Pride. Let's go to the last last one, Acts 26, and I've chosen verses 27 and 28.
Acts 262728. This one is just called Agrippa. Paul says, King Agrippa, believeth thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost Thou persuadest me to be a Christian. Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. Actually I wanted to read verse 29 also. And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am, except these bonds. Something had happened in Paul's life.
He had a brushing with the Almighty. I don't know why God didn't send a light from heaven and blinded haired the great or haired Antipas. I don't know why God didn't do that. But you don't choose the way God speaks to you. God chooses the way he speaks to you. Are you listening? This man Paul had a blinding light that knocked him down and he was obedient to it. And he says, I wish everybody else was just like me. And I got I was thinking what's what's so great about Paul? He's in prison and he's been a great missionary and he's all bound up and.
He has love, joy. You know, I'm just pausing. Think about him. Peace.
Oh my, He does not have these suspicions of people trying to usurp his Kingdom and having to put this person down and poison that one and being worried about this beautiful wife. Or he has peace of joy, peace. He's a he's a gentle, he's long-suffering. He's gentle. Dear old Paul, a gentle, gentle missionary Lovejoy, peace, long-suffering, gentle good goodness.
Goodness, he says, though, though the more I love you, the less I beloved. I would encourage you young people to give whenever you can give good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over. Give whatever you have. Whenever you can give. It will return to you in abundant measure. Couple years ago our family was returning from lasting on a hot day going across Nevada and in the summer we like to fill up at a gas station, fill up cups with these small chips of ice.
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I took the cups from my smallest children so they wouldn't spill them in the car. So I had this quantity of ice up front and the little kids had maybe an inch and a half, two inches in their cups. As we're traveling along, I began to hear, hey, you've got more than I have. You're eating yours too fast. Can I have some of yours? No. You know what I'm looking for? The daddy, the father, the guide of this family. I'm looking for someone to say, hey, you don't have very much. I have more. You want some of mine. Thank you.
Oh, that's OK. I'm looking for generosity in my children. When that one has emptied his cup, pasture cup up here. I got some more for you, and I put some more in their cup. Dear young people, give, give, give not, not just money. A song has no tune till you sing it. A bell has no tune till you ring it. So love in the heart was not put there to stay. Love is no love till it's given away. Give, give what you have, the Lord will give you more.
Paul, dear old Paul here, he wishes that everybody was like him.
Except for these bonds, I believe that I have found the baby, the King of Kings.
I've accepted him as a lowly rejected one. I believe that I have found the crucified Jesus. He comes with no popularity, no pomp. I have accepted him as my savior. I believe I have found some miracles in my life. I don't ask enough for little miracles from him, big miracles. I have to say I'm I haven't found what Paul has here. I feel that I have a ways to go to be such as Paul was. What I mean is.
Filled with the spirit my days are not filled with the spirit, but I would encourage you dear young people, God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power power. Did you catch that power herd the great power, a different kind of power he's given you the spirit of power and of love. Is it first Timothy or second Timothy that says I join you to stay at Ephesus in the end of the commandment is love love out of a three I love to think of a a river flowing in our life called love, but it comes from three.
Artesian wells, young people, as much as you can, try not to stop up any of those artesian wells. Love out of a pure heart, a good conscience and faith unfeigned. I'm not totally sure how to define a pure heart unless it's the the day by day desire to just seek to walk in the light that God gives you, to walk as honestly as you can before Him. You know what a good conscience is, right as you spend time in prayer and God.
Just gives you a little nudging in your mind.
You spoke to someone harshly yesterday. You might have hurt their feelings. OK, I want to go and apologize to him. Lord, you spoke to me. I want to have a good conscience. I don't want to have anything on my conscience. Oh, what a delight. The Lord can open up treasures in His Word. And if you young people get married, I want to tell you there's no greater joy in the physical realm, the emotional soul realm or the spiritual realm. But to have a clear conscience between you and your mate, don't have anything between you. You won't enjoy the height of bliss that God.
Plans for marriage. And that's why premarital sex is so damning. Damning.
Because you have a bad conscience and a bad conscience just eats at you and it just ruins it ruins the IT ruins many things. Love out of a pure heart, a good conscience and faith unfeigned. Sometimes God will lead you into areas, into frontiers that nobody has gone before. And he's challenging you to use faith to go into an area. He says trust me.