Tabor Baptist Church

Bible Text: Hebrews 10:11-25; Luke 9:7-9 | Preacher: Andrew Love | Series: Luke’s Gospel | Introduction

The Power of God

The word of God speaks to people
Often through your conscience
Looking at Herod

He was so troubled
His conscience was plaguing him
He did nothing about it

Reading: Luke 9:7-9

The parallel passages show us he came to the persuaded position this was John the Baptist risen from the dead

Background

Herod’s father – “Herod the Great”

A murderer
A ruthless and immoral man

Herod the Tetrarch was the son – he followed in his father’s footsteps

He married his brother’s wife
He was denounced by John the Baptist

His wife was livid and persuaded Herod to imprison him

This sadly happens today

Herod would see John the Baptist in prison

His conscience must have been troubling him
He started to make changes in his life

We know the story – explanation

Herod makes a rash promise, perhaps because of drink
Herod is exceedingly troubled by the request for the death of John the Baptist
Herod gives way to keep his promise
John the Baptist is executed

What has his conscience saying to him?

He publicly declares that Jesus is John the Baptist raised from the dead

Overview:

A terror of an unawakened conscience
The danger of ignoring it
The necessity of responding aright

A terror of an unawakened conscience

The talk of the town was not about the disciples but about Jesus

Who is He?
Is he Elijah or another great prophet?
Was it somebody from the past?
Some were asking – is this John the Baptist?

Have you answered this question of ‘who is Jesus?’

Have you come to the right decision?

Herod is troubled

He makes his concern public
Such is his troubled mind

God speaks primarily through the word of God
God also speaks through our conscience
The only place for your conscience to be cleansed is in the blood of Jesus Christ

A suppressed conscience

Can cause irrational fears
Can cause depression and suicide

Conscience is God given

Quote from Mark Twain
An inner voice given to every person
We must listed to our conscience and not dull or quiet it

The danger of ignoring it

It becomes damaged and seared

Like a branding iron
Causes insensitivity – examples

Did Herod have a conscience

Reading Mark 6:20

He believed there was something genuine in John the Baptist
He believed John the Baptist was from God

He was under the sway of his wife

Do we listen to others?
He had no moral courage to refuse others

Results:

He no longer had access to the word of God
He no longer had access to the presence of God

Would God stop speaking to him?
Would God withdraw His presence from him?
Would God no longer open His truth to him? – Example of Saul
Remember that Jesus did not answer Herod

The necessity of responding aright

You may think that Herod responded aright

Luke 9:7 – His conscience indicated he wanted to meet Jesus
Luke 13:32 – God knew the motive of his heart

We must come to Jesus

Some can think that maybe we have gone too far

Example of Herod
Example of David – the latter requested forgiveness and was forgiven
Example of Saul/Paul

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners

But we must acknowledge our sin

If you don’t come to Christ

You will be judged justly and righteously
Your conscience will continually trouble you in hell

If you come to Christ

You will be cleansed
You will be forgiven
You will be given a new heart
You will be taken to heaven

Respond to Jesus if you hear His voice speaking this morning