CROSS TO COMMISSION | The King They Mocked | Matthew 27:27-31 | Philip Anthony Mitchell

Summary

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Podcast Summary: CROSS TO COMMISSION | The King They Mocked

Podcast: 2819 Church
Host/Speaker: Philip Anthony Mitchell (Lead Pastor), Assistant Pastor (interjects/supports)
Scripture Focus: Matthew 27:27-31
Release Date: February 16, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode, titled "The King They Mocked," examines one of the most pivotal and painful moments in Jesus’s journey to the cross: the mockery and brutalization by Roman soldiers before His crucifixion. Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell unpacks Matthew 27:27-31 in the context of both historical events and present-day culture, pressing listeners to evaluate how mockery of Christ persists in today’s world, including within the church itself. The message is a call to embrace true biblical living, to withstand mockery for faith, and to reflect on personal obedience and surrender to Jesus as King.

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Main Themes & Purpose

• Mockery of Christ: Past and Present
• The Symbolism within Jesus's Suffering
• Identity and Dignity in Christ
• Obedience vs. Outward Religion
• Call to Reflection, Repentance, and Total Surrender

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

A. Introduction and Context

• The church is nearing the end of a three-year journey through Matthew (00:01).
• The preacher addresses criticism for the church’s deep commitment to expository teaching:

  “We’re preaching Matthew because the Spirit of the Lord told us to.” (02:30)

B. The Repeated Mockery of Jesus (07:00–12:30)

• The Pastor recalls an “iconic painting” of the Last Supper and contrasts its sacredness with the mockery seen at the 2024 Paris Olympics’ opening, where drag queens parodied Jesus and His disciples (07:15–08:50).
• Cultural reflection: Mockery of Christ is unique among world religions—“They would never do that to Muhammad… The devil attacks what is a threat.” (09:30)
• Mockery did not begin in modern times; it is rooted in the Gospel accounts, especially in Matthew 27.

C. Unpacking Matthew 27:27-31 (12:30–24:00)

The Scene of Jesus’s Degradation

• Roman soldiers (200–600 men) surround and taunt Jesus—He is battered, near death, and utterly alone (13:00–14:30).
• Parallel drawn to times when believers feel surrounded or under spiritual attack.

The Stages of Mockery:

• Stripping Jesus Naked:
  • Symbolic of carrying humanity’s shame; paralleled to Adam and Eve’s shame (15:28).
• Scarlet Robe:
  • Robe of royalty, but faded, becomes a mockery; scarlet, echoing Isaiah’s “your sins are like scarlet” (16:10).
• Crown of Thorns:
  • Originates from the curse of the ground (Genesis); now on Christ, carrying both humanity’s curse and the curse on creation (17:00).
• Reed in His Hand:
  • A fake scepter; mocking kingship.
• Mock Kneeling:
  • Imitating worship but in jest; yet, Philippians 2 promises every knee will bow in true recognition of Jesus as Lord (21:11–22:30).

  “Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. The Muslim knee will bow... the atheist knee will bow...” (21:25)

Application – Identity and Spiritual Warfare

• The devil seeks to strip believers of their God-given identity just as the soldiers tried to rob Christ of dignity (18:50–21:00).
• Stand firm in biblical promises during times of accusation and shame:

  “There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” (19:45)

D. Jesus’s Response to Abuse (24:00–29:00)

The Degradation Continues

• Jesus is spat on and beaten repeatedly—His silence is the ultimate model of “strength under control.”

  “He shows us what it looks like to have strength under control.” (25:53)

Fulfillment of Prophecy

• Isaiah 50:6 prophesied this moment centuries before ("I did not hide my face from disgrace and spitting.") (28:00).
  • If Christ retaliated, He would “break the word of God.” Obedience to Scripture was paramount even amid suffering.

Living By The Word

• Challenge to move from Instagram-able scripture to lived obedience:

  “It’s too easy to quote scriptures, but what about when it’s time to live them?” (29:29)

• Call for the church to stop treating the Bible as mere “devotional material” and make it the guide for all of life.

E. Final Humiliation, Final Orders (36:31–39:00)

• Soldiers returned Jesus’s clothes (to hide their abuse as He faces the public) and led Him to be crucified.
• The secret evil done to Jesus mirrors hidden disobedience in believers’ lives:

  “You want to come in here in the light, act holy. But all that happening when nobody can see.” (38:48)

F. Application: Who Mocks the King? (40:46–47:52)

Three Categories of Mockers

1. Those Mocked for Following Jesus
   • Be silent and let “your fruit speak louder than your words” (41:19).
2. Those Who Mock by Half-Obedience
   • Many claim Christ but live unchanged lives, creating a parody of faith—“You make parodies about Jesus with your life” (41:56).
   • The “mockery” comes through compromise and inconsistent, unrepentant living.
3. Active Scoffers
   • Warned via Galatians 6:7:

     “God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that and that only you will reap.” (45:09)

The Deception of Grace

• God’s patience isn’t permission; it’s an opportunity for repentance (45:40):

  “Grace deceives them, because judgment is not coming right now.”

• A heartfelt pastoral plea for all to turn, fully surrender, and live for Christ with “Romans 12 on the altar, a living sacrifice.” (43:06)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Modern Mockery:

  “Mockery of Christ, it is a serious problem in our society.” (10:20)

• On the Inevitable Bow:

  “Every knee will bow... The fake Christian knee will bow... The Scripture says every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.” (21:20)

• On Obedience:

  “We can’t keep treating the Scriptures like a suggestive devotional. This ain’t no devotional, man. This is the solid written word of God.” (28:45)

• On the Hypocrisy of Worship:

  “Of course the church is a mockery. Look at how we live.” (47:29)

• On Grace and Judgment:

  “Mockery against Jesus and wake up the next morning, it’s only grace keeping them alive, giving them an opportunity to repent before they die and gotta face the person they’ve been mocking.” (45:26)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:01–03:45 — Welcome, series context, expository preaching defense
• 07:12–09:30 — Opening story: Last Supper and Olympic parody
• 10:20–12:37 — The history and seriousness of mocking Christ
• 13:15–18:00 — Soldiers’ abuse, symbolism of robe, thorns, and nakedness
• 21:11–23:42 — Why every knee will bow, the irony of mock worship
• 24:42–25:53 — The ultimate humiliation: being spat on, suffering in silence
• 28:45–29:30 — Challenge to live the Word, not just quote it
• 36:50–38:48 — Soldiers dress Jesus again, hiding abuse, mirror to believers’ hidden sin
• 40:46–43:06 — Calling out the three categories of mockers
• 45:06–47:52 — The warning from scripture, God is not mocked; the plea to repent and surrender

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Conclusion & Pastoral Exhortation

The episode closes with an urgent prayer and impassioned call:

• For believers to live lives “Romans 12 on the altar” (living sacrifices).
• For the deceptive nature of grace to be recognized—don’t wait until judgment.
• For the church to reflect Christ genuinely before the world.

“He suffered too much and bled too much and was beaten too much. He deserves better than that.” (47:49)

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Final Call

Those listening are urged—wherever they are—to:

• Examine their hearts for areas of mockery, compromise, or indifference.
• Move from verbal confessions and outward show to authentic, obedient faith.
• Surrender fully, trusting God for both His commands and His transformative grace.

“Something would shift in them in this moment. I pray you would deliver us from making a mockery of the Son, that we would live for Christ and for Him alone.” (48:10)

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Transcript

[Lead Pastor]

All right, be seated. Everybody. This is my son right here. Very powerful preacher. Gonna put him up here to preach very soon. 35 no. If you are guests, we do not apologize for enjoying God's presence. And if you think that we're doing the most and you have no desire to be in heaven, like if you are repulsed at the thought that followers would sit in Jesus's presence for I want some change and you really have no desire for glory. For he is the light and glory there will be no need for the sun. We would enjoy his presence forever. So this is a foretaste of glory divine. And if you miss your appointment for where you have to go today, I want you to take responsibility for that because I attempted to let you go home. We welcome you to 2819 Church where we are serious about the spread of the gospel and the multiplying of disciples. And to all of our digital disciples watching live across the country and around the world. If you're still hanging out in this chat, we love you, we pray for you. You are our global family and the extension of 2019 and the Kingdom of God wherever you are. If you crept into this room and you're not a follower of Jesus, I know you feel overwhelmed, maybe even a little confused, afraid, skeptic. I know you're probably plotting to never come back here again. And if you do not pray that maybe today before you walk out, the Holy Spirit might tap you and he might draw you in to himself that you might be brought upon the ark of safety, you might be saved. Before time has run out on you, I want you to know that tomorrow is not promised to you and whoever you are. Today is the day of salvation. And maybe today is the day you meet us right here at this altar when this gathering is over and surrender your life to God completely, fully to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are in the end, coming down to the last seven messages in a three year walk through the book of Matthew. And I was sharing with your brothers and sisters earlier how seen some people out there critiquing our church for spending three years in Matthew. And I've learned from my wife and from other people that I always make a defense for myself. So I stopped talking on social media. But for just a second, I will make a defense of Jesus. And I just want to remind all of our detractors and our haters we're preaching Matthew because the Spirit of the Lord told us to. And when I planned to finish this series in one year, the Spirit convicted me and said, who told you to do that.

[Assistant Pastor]

Why are you rushing?

[Lead Pastor]

And I just want to remind our detractors that this series, when we launched 2819, started with 183 disciples. 183 disciples. In our first series, the King is here. And as Christ has been exalted, he has drawn men to himself. That's why I want to encourage you to not lend your ears to the voice of people who only scoff at everything that God does, but instead lend your eyes to fruit. We're in our final series in Matthew Cross to commission study in Matthew 26:28. Together our text today, Matthew 27, very short text, very short. 27:31. Eternal God and ever wise Father. We pause in this moment to slow down. I personally want to give you thanks for a body of believers that are hungry for the Word, who love the Scriptures and the proclamation of this holy word. I know that we are tired and we are weary and some of us are hungry and we have worshiped you until we are exhausted. Lord, as we have cried out for this word, I pray you would give us stamina for another few moments that you would open up our eyes to see in our heart, to receive and to believe. And for the one with the microphone, God, your son, who is also wary and tired, I pray you give me energy to proclaim this word a third time. To these, my brothers and my sisters, whom I love deeply, and to the unbeliever, under the sound of my voice. Have your way, Holy Spirit, and give us supernatural stamina to get to the end. We ask in the mighty and the majestic and the matchless name of our soon coming king, the Lord Jesus Christ. And all God's people said Amen. Family it was about two weeks ago, my wife and I and my children and some close friends, we were walking through the Vatican Museum in Rome when I came across a very iconic painting. One of the most sacred and important moments in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was a painting that depicted Jesus on the night before he was crucified, sitting at the table with his closest followers and what history has come to call the Last Supper of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was on that sacred holy night that the Lord took time to explain to these men that he loved that

[Assistant Pastor]

he was about to leave them. He was about to transition out of

[Lead Pastor]

this world to go back to the Father.

[Assistant Pastor]

It was on that night that God in the flesh bent down on his knees and washed the feet of people that he created from the foundation of the world. It was on that night that the Lord Jesus Christ The Son of God taught them about the coming ministry of the Holy Spirit that you Read in John 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17. It is considered in the church around the world one of the most sacred, one of the most holy, and one of the most important moments in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. And yet, in 2024, at the opening of the Paris Olympics, the world watched the desecration of that holy moment and a now condemned parody that stirred up drama around the whole world as the Vatican and the global church cried out against the blasphemous mockery of the Lord Jesus Christ at the opening of those Olympics. Give me my picture. This image that I'm about to put on the screen is a frozen image from a video of how they opened the 2024 Olympics in Paris with drag queens pretending to be Christ and pretending to be his followers and dancing and moving their hips and mocking the Lord Jesus Christ. Mocking and desecrating one of the most sacred, one of the most holy, one of the most important moments in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice, they would never do that to Muhammad. They would never do that to Confucius. They would never do that to Buddha. They would never do that to Jehoshaphat, Joseph. And why would they? The devil has no need to attack what already belongs to him. But Satan loves to attack that which is a threat, the Son of Almighty God and his bride. The Church is why the devil loves to influence men, to constantly mock and desecrate the name and the life of the Lord Jesus Christ in an attempt to discredit the only hope for mankind, the Son of Almighty God. And for years, men, in their ignorance, have mocked Christ in videos and on television, and in music videos and in posts and in blogs. From comedy stages to television stages and sets, men have found this unhealthy, ungodly, dangerous fixation on mocking the Lord Jesus Christ. And they do that like they tough right now, not willing to die and meet him face to face. And family, I want you to hear me. The mockery of Christ, it is a serious problem in our society. And it did not start with the 24 Paris Olympics. It did not start with our generation. It did not start with your grandmother generation. In fact, the mockery of the Son of God started right here. It finds its origins right here in this text that we're about to unpack today. Just a few verses, very, very quickly. You recall how the Lord Jesus Christ was arrested by the religious leaders of Israel and illegally tried. You recall by the time the sun came up On Friday they had found him guilty illegally, you recall, for the agency of capital punishment, they carried Jesus to a man named Pontius Pilate, who was the governor of Judea, a Roman side, and they brought him to Rome because only Rome could execute criminals. You remember how then the Roman trial began and how a man named Pilate presided over the Roman child of Christ and found Jesus not guilty and said, I find no fault in this man. You remember how Pilate did everything he can to release Jesus, but the mob outside his window, led by those religious leaders, cried out for blood. Crucify him, they yelled. Crucified him. You remember? Pilate then took Jesus and I showed you this the last time I preached and sent him off to be scourged, beaten with flagalooms, within an inch of his life, his flesh being ripped from his body, his bones exposed, tendons damaged from those whips, and brought him back, this bloody lump of flesh and stood him up in front of the people. And still that was not good enough. You remember how the people looked at the Lord Jesus Christ and still cried out, crucify him. Pilate brings out an infamous robbery, insurrectionist and thief named Barabbas. Stands them up next to each other and says, choose one to release you. Remember, the people now deceived by the

[Lead Pastor]

religious leader, cries out, give us Barabbas. And then Pilate gives the order, capitulating the pressure for Christ to be executed.

[Assistant Pastor]

And then what happens next in these

[Lead Pastor]

quick few verses, What I would consider

[Assistant Pastor]

one of the most dehumanizing, deplorable, disgusting display of the evils of human depravity

[Lead Pastor]

around the Lord Jesus Christ. Very quickly Matthew says in Matthew chapter 27 and verse 27, then the soldiers of the governor who was Pilate took Jesus into the governor's quarters and they

[Assistant Pastor]

gathered the whole battalion before him. So Pilate gives the order to execute Christ. You remember he washed his hands and got a note from his wife. Have nothing to do with that man. Pilate slides off, I believe, and then he turns Jesus over to the hands of these Roman soldiers. Roman soldiers in history was known to be very brutal, very cruel and very merciless. And I want you to notice this detail in the text. When Matthew says a whole battalion is gathered around the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, a battalion in the first century was a company of soldiers, anywhere from 200 to 600 men. And if we take this one detail in the text very figuratively, that we can reconstruct a scene in our mind. There is the weak, busted, lacerated, destroyed body of the Lord Jesus Christ in a large room, so surrounded by barbaric soldiers, they are like sharks smelling blood in the water. And everywhere the Lord looks through his lumped up eye, he sees soldiers all around him, waiting. Now, if you come out the streets or if you've ever been in beef, if you've ever been surrounded by people, you was about to be jumped, then you know the tension of a moment like this. If you've ever been surrounded by demonic activity and attacks of the devil on every side, and you felt like every everything was closing in on you, then you understand the tension of this moment. If you've ever been surrounded by people that don't have your best interest at heart, they're trying to fire you from your job or your family comes against you in a circle, then you understand the tension of this moment. And there is the Lord, bloodied and bruised. He is weakened. He was beaten within an inch of his life. You would think these soldiers looking at this lump of flesh would think, man, this man has suffered enough, let's just carry him to be executed.

[Lead Pastor]

No, they do not do that.

[Assistant Pastor]

But they remember he was charged with being the king of the Jews.

[Lead Pastor]

And what happens next? They take an opportunity to abuse Christ in private. Verse 28.

[Assistant Pastor]

Watch.

[Lead Pastor]

They came towards him and they stripped him naked.

[Assistant Pastor]

They put a scarlet robe on him

[Lead Pastor]

and they twisted together a crown of thorns. And then they put it on his

[Assistant Pastor]

head and they put a reed in his right hand and kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, hail, King of the Jews. And so there is Jesus. And they approach him and the scripture says the first thing they did to him was they stripped him and naked, and there is his completely bare body as they are mocking him, this mock shift king. Now peep the parallels in the text. For it was Adam and Eve, when they fell and rebelled against God, found themselves naked in their sin. And then they run to cover their nakedness. And here is Jesus standing naked now, preparing to absorb the sins of all humanity. Just peep the symbolism in the text. Then they find a cloak. The scripture says scarlet. Another writer says purple. Maybe it's faded because of the sun. A cloak that belonged to an emperor, a person of royalty. They take that heavy cloak and they put it on his bloody bodies and wrap him in that cloak to mock him as a toy king. But peep the symbolism in the text. The scripture says in the Old Testament that your sins and mine are like scarlet. Gosh, this is so powerful. And there is the son of God carrying a scarlet robe on him, almost symbolic of carrying on him the sins of all humanity. Then they find thorns in a bush. And if you've ever pricked your finger on a rose or pricked your finger on a bush, you know what it is to be pricked and hurt. They plait together a crown of thorns and they squeeze it on his head, blood now dripping from his sideburns, from his forehead. But then peep the symbolism in the text. It was God in Genesis, after Adam and Eve rebelled against him, he said, cursed is the ground, cursed is creation. Thorns and thistles it will bear. Now peep Christ carrying those thorns, almost symbolic, as now he's carrying the curse of humanity, that is sin, and the curse of creation, carrying both of them at the same time. Perfectly symbolic of what he was about to do in a few hours, carry the curse of creation and the curse of our sin to the cross, in which a day is coming when all of it would be fully redeemed. And then they put a reed in his right hand, a false scepter, and then they knelt down and they said, hail, King of the Jews, mocking them with their voice. For what purpose would they do all of this? They've done all of this for no other reason than their attempt and their depravity and evil and wickedness to strip Christ of his dignity and his humanity. And yet Jesus says nothing. And Jesus does not make a defense for himself, because Christ knows who he is. They are mocking him to be a false king, but he knows he is the King of kings and the Lord of Lords. They are attempting to strip them of dignity, but he is sure in his identity. Is this part of the text? I want to remind you the importance of you being sure of your identity in Christ. For in the behavior of these men, I see the behavior of the devil, your adversary, who does everything he can to come to you and try to strip you of the righteous robes that Lord already gave you. You know exactly what this feels like. When he reminds you of your past, when he's condemning you for mistakes, when he's lying to you that God does not love you. And what he's trying to do is clothe you in shame. And it's in moments like that, scripture's got to come up in your heart that when you're beating yourself up in the middle of the night and when you feel condemned for something you do, a scripture rises up in your heart and it says, there is now no condemnation. To those who are in Christ Jesus. And when he's beating you up all the time about something, you've done in the past. A scripture rises up in your heart like Paul that says this one thing I do. I keep forgetting what is behind me and I keep pressing on to what is in front of me. This is you not letting the devil act like these men, stripping you of your external garments and trying to strip you of your dignity and your humanity in Christ. This is why I want to tattoo to you, man, your identity in the Lord. Because if you know who you are in Christ and you know where you're going in Christ and you know how you've been anointed in Christ, man, the devil can't do anything to you but lie. That's why I might remind you a hundred times that he walks around like he is not a roaring lion. He's a parody waiting for judgment. But peep the irony of the text.

[Lead Pastor]

I'm almost done.

[Assistant Pastor]

Peep the irony of the text. They put a crown of thorns on a man who in a few hours was about to be crowned in heaven. They put an old robe on a man who was about to be robed in glory in heaven. But then they knelt down on one knee and mocked a man who they did not know was the real King of Kings and Lord of Lords. That the same need that they knelt down in mockery will be the same need that they will kneel down in the future. And humility for the scripture says every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. The Muslim knee will bow. The Buddhist knee will bow. The Hindu knee will bow. The atheist knee will bow. The fake Christian knee will bow. The thug out knee will bow. The scripture says every knee will bow and every tongue will confess on the Day of Judgment that Jesus is Lord. And the very need that they knelt in mockery because those men are dead right now a day is coming. Those same knees that knelt down in mockery when the judgment happens. Those same men because they're dead now, those same men, they will take an involuntary knee when they have no other choice but to bow before the one that they punched in the face. Ain't nobody that dugout now against Christ. No men make sport of him now. But that will come to an end where there will be no more mocking knees. There will only be trembling knees. It's why we need to pray for the unbeliever. That they will know Jesus now as a loving savior lest they meet him later as a wrathful judge. Ain't no more baby in a manger.

[Lead Pastor]

And you would think their wickedness would be enough. But they don't stop there, because what they do next, I'm gonna say Jesus is better than me because there's still parts of me that he's working on.

[Assistant Pastor]

I came out the street, and so what happens to him next? Like, if that was me, I might have to flex just a little bit and then repent afterwards. So you would think that they would give this man mercy in this moment? No, they don't do that. What they do next is the most dehumanizing, the most deplorable thing you can do to another human being in this life. Not betray you, not curse you out, not abandon you. The most heinous and deplorable thing you could do to another human being is.

[Lead Pastor]

Is what they do to him next.

[Assistant Pastor]

Two more verses, verse 30.

[Lead Pastor]

And they spit on him. Gosh.

[Assistant Pastor]

And they took the reed and they struck him on the head. They hawked up phlegm and spit in his face. Hundreds of them, one after the other. Spit, spit, spit. And there is Jesus, covered in spit and phlegm, running down his face, running into his lip, dripping into his mouth. The Son of God draped in the spit of people he created. And then they took the reed out his hand and they struck him in his head, bashing that crown of thorns into his flesh. Blood mixing with spit.

[Lead Pastor]

Better than me.

[Assistant Pastor]

Better than some of y'. All. Some of y' all would have flexed right there, But peep. The Lord.

[Lead Pastor]

Watch. Says nothing.

[Assistant Pastor]

Does not retaliate. Does not fight back. Modeling for us. Strength under control for the Lord. If he wanted to. I'm almost done. Could have called down a legion of angels. I'm talking to you. The Lord, if he wanted to. You think you dug out? The Lord could just give one. One whisper from his mouth and call down half of heaven to fight for him. But he does not do that in that moment. He does not retaliate. He shows us what it looks like to have strength under control. He shows us what it looks like to trust God in the middle of a circumstance. I'm going to go deeper. He shows us what it looks like to be submitted to the will of God. Even when it hurts. You know why the Lord doesn't say anything right here, Watch. A young man around the age of 20 named Isaiah. He was writing about Christ 700 years before he was born. And look at what he said about Jesus. He writes about this very moment, 700 years before Christ is born. A young man named Isaiah writes about this. He prophesies into the future in Isaiah, chapter 50, verse 6. Listen to what he Says, he says about Christ. This is Christ now, figuratively typecast. In the text, I gave my back to those who struck. They strike me on my cheeks. And those who pulled out my beard, that they yanked his beard out of his face. Watch, watch, watch. And I did not hide my face from disgrace and from what? Spitting. Okay. Lord, help us, Jesus. If the Lord retaliates in that moment, he breaks the word of God. If the Lord fights back in that moment, he violates the word of God. If the Lord retaliates in that moment, then this prophecy falls to the floor. But the Lord knowing what was written about him. I'm about to help some of you. The Lord knowing what was written about him has composure in the middle of a difficult circumstance because he does not want to violate the Word. This is the Lord modeling for you and I what it looks like to be in the middle of a battle, what it looks like to be in the middle of trouble, what it looks like to be persecuted, what it looks like to be going through. And that you don't wild out in the flesh, but instead you let your life, your mind, your heart, your actions be governed by the word of God, man. No, I'm talking to you. I'm about to close. I'm serious, man. We can't keep treating the Scriptures like a suggestive devotional. This ain't no devotional, man. This is the solid written word of God. And at some point in time, we gotta model what Jesus did for us. You gotta get to the point where the Word is not something you post, but something you live. Come on, man. I'm serious about this. It's too easy to quote scriptures,

[Lead Pastor]

but

[Assistant Pastor]

what about when it's time to live them, man? This is my. My gripe with the Western church is the bane of our existence, that we sing and we dance and we go to conferences and we put it on script, on shirts. We got all of that stuff. But when it comes time to actually obey, we don't do it. And this makes me angry in my flesh because, man, we got people that serve demon spirits and false religions who have more discipline than those of us who serve the God of heaven and earth. At some point in time. Listen to me. I'm talking to you like this because I love you. At some point in time, it can't just be a service. You have to get to the point where this becomes the guiding factor for your life. It's like you read it. I don't understand. Y' all be reading it and putting highlights in it and you mark it up because your marked up Bible looks cute, but your soul does not reflect what you're marking. How long will you cry about what God is not doing but you won't cooperate? Let me go deeper. But then how long would you let the devil lie to you? Because you don't know what the Word of God has said about you? Because Jesus knew the Word. He knew how to govern himself in that moment. This is me right now in a battle that I won't tell you. And opening my Bible to Psalm 91. She who dwells in the secret place and the shelter of the Most High. He will abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress, My God and whom I trust. For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions and under his wings you will find refuge. Refuge. His faithfulness is a shield and a buckler. You will not fear any terror, Biden. Nor any arrows that flies in the day, nor any pestilence that strikes in darkness. Nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall. Fall at your side and 10,000 at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look. You will only look. You will only look. You will only look. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place. The Most High, who is my refuge. No evil. No evil. This is what I call to myself when I feel demonic warfare all around me. No evil shall be allowed to befall you, nor shall any plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. And in their hands they will bear you up lest you strike your foot against the stone. You will. You will. That's a promise. You will. You will. You will. You will. You will. That's a promise. You will. You will tread on the lion and on the adder, and on the young lion and the serpent. And you will trample them on the foot because he holds fast to me in love. I will. I will. First you will. Now God wills. Watch the promise. I will deliver you. I will protect you. When he calls to me, I will answer you. I will be with you in trouble. I will rescue you. And with long life I will.

[Lead Pastor]

See,

[Assistant Pastor]

I just taught you how you're supposed to use the word of God. It ain't no whack weak devotional. Those are the words of God Almighty who cannot lie. This ain't no joke. That's why you got to know what it says about you and every promise God has made to you. You got to have something to stand on on this life. Other than your job and your bank Account and your 401K and your Roth Ria. You gotta have something stronger than that to stand on in this life. You ain't spending no money in warfare. Ask me how I know. Because the scripture says the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. Can't touch them. But they're mighty in God strongholds. Faulty thought patterns. Lies built up in your mind about your own self.

[Lead Pastor]

I'm done. Last verse.

[Assistant Pastor]

Last verse.

[Lead Pastor]

Verse 31. And when they had mocked him.

[Assistant Pastor]

Watch the word.

[Lead Pastor]

Mocked ed.

[Assistant Pastor]

Watch this. Finished. Now watch the text. When they had mocked him. Finished. Watch what they did.

[Lead Pastor]

Carefully.

[Assistant Pastor]

They stripped him again. Pay attention. So you got to read the scripture. Slowly. They stripped him a second time. And they put. Watch the words. His own clothes back on him. And then they did what they was told to do the first time. Then they led him away to be crucified. Watch. Why do you put his clothes back on him?

[Lead Pastor]

Because now you bring him back out into the light.

[Assistant Pastor]

You don't want nobody to know all the abuse you just committed in the dark. Pilate didn't tell you to strip him. Pilate didn't tell them to put a crown of thorns on his head. Pilate didn't tell him to punch him in his face with a reed. Pilate didn't tell them to spit in his face. He didn't tell them to do any of that. He just said, carry him away to be crucified. Yet they do all of this in the dark. They are akin to people that don't follow the instructions of their leaders. They are akin to people who deviate from clear commands and wonder why you're not blessed. I'm gonna go deeper. I know you're not gonna like this part.

[Lead Pastor]

I don't care.

[Assistant Pastor]

They are akin to you and I who got all of these commands and deviate from them. All that junk in the dark.

[Lead Pastor]

And then you want to come in here in the light,

[Assistant Pastor]

act holy. But all that happening when nobody can't see. We just like them. You think they're depraved? So are you. We do the same thing to the Lord. Look at all of these. Watch. Promises and commandments that watch you follow. They will actually lead you into the best life possible. They are designed. Watch. Watch for human flourishing. The evidence of that is everyone who goes against them only feels pain. You cannot tell me that you've disobeyed this word and come out with joy. No. But you have testimony after testimony after testimony, and scar after scar after scar of what happens in your life every time you go against the wisdom of God's word. You have no wins. You just keep coming out with another regret until it clicks in your mind. If he created you, he knows what's best for you. And if you would just buckle down and say, you know what? From this day forward, I'm going to read and actually obey, you will look up six months from now, one year from now, five years from now, 22 years from now, your life be in a different place. And I ain't talking about platforms. I'm talking about character, intimacy, holiness, purity, maturity, poise, peace, favor. So I'll close with these words. I want to talk to three categories

[Lead Pastor]

of people that mock Jesus.

[Assistant Pastor]

First, I want to talk to people that mock you because you serve the Lord. A lot of y' all have them in your family. These are people in your family that don't understand you anymore. They don't understand why you're faithful to go to church. They don't understand why you give. They don't understand why you serve. They don't understand why you pray. They don't understand why you don't want to hang out in certain places. They just can't understand that you are a different woman now. You are a different man now. Your values have changed. These are people that's constantly mocking you, tearing you down, trashing you for who you are. But just follow what Jesus did. You know what's the ultimate flex in the text? Silence. That you don't have to defend yourself against people that don't understand. You watch. Let your fruit speak louder than your words. In time. The Lord will vindicate you. In time. But then I'm talking to another category of people that like to mock the Lord.

[Lead Pastor]

You do.

[Assistant Pastor]

I'm talking to you now. You wish you would have left when I gave you the out, but I'm talking to you. You. You mock the Lord. You say, I don't. I don't. I don't make parodies about Jesus on social media. You don't, but you make parodies about Jesus with your life because you claim to be a Christian but don't have a life to match. And so when people look at you, they see a person who goes to church but lives foul. And then they look at the Christ you claim you serve, and they laugh at him. Why do we want him if he can't change you? And then the way we live, we make a mockery, mockery of the Son of God. Our love affair with sin, our love affair for all that is ungodly. And then we come right back and mark up the Bible. We're making a mockery of Jesus. It's a joke. It's. It's not a life. Romans 12 on the altar, a living sacrifice.

[Lead Pastor]

And at some point in time, at some point in time, something has to click in your heart where you say, you know what?

[Assistant Pastor]

I am sacrificing and forfeiting the best of what God has for me. Some of you, you have no idea what's on the other side of a yes. If you would just fully surrender and just like Jesus, just submit. You said, well, what if I got to be single? Submit. What if I never get married? Submit. Well, what if he tells me, give away some money to somebody else?

[Lead Pastor]

Submit.

[Assistant Pastor]

What if he tells me, shut down your ministry and be a part of 2019? Submit. What if he tells you, this is not your season to be on a platform, Just stay in a chair. Submit. What if he tells you, give up that thing that you are pursuing because it's not his will for you? But Lord, it was on my vision board for years. Submit. What if he tells you, break up with that person? Submit. What if he tells you, come out of that bad relationship? Submit. What if he tells you, get your finances in order? Because I want to do something two seasons from now. Why is this enough for you?

[Lead Pastor]

And now you're mad. But this is called love.

[Assistant Pastor]

Because if someone, if just one person

[Lead Pastor]

walks out here and says, you know what, I was convicted, I'm going to change.

[Assistant Pastor]

I bet you have a different testimony six months from now.

[Lead Pastor]

But I want to talk to one

[Assistant Pastor]

more category of mocker.

[Lead Pastor]

Give me the camera. I want to talk to all of you who like to make sport with Jesus. See, and you love to mock him. But I want to tell you what

[Assistant Pastor]

the scripture says about mockers.

[Lead Pastor]

In Galatians, chapter 6 and verse 7,

[Assistant Pastor]

God said through the apostle Paul, Listen carefully. Verse 7, do not be deceived. See, that's what's wrong with people. Now. You have people deceived by grace. They think because they. They blasphemed Jesus and wake up the next morning that he does not exist or he does not care. No, they are being deceived by grace. It's only Christ being merciful to allow them to breathe another day while they crucify him. Blasphemous. Mockery against Jesus and wake up the next morning, it's only grace keeping them alive, giving them an opportunity to repent before they die and gotta face the person they've been mocking. So grace deceives them, because judgment is not coming right now. But God says through Paul, do not be deceived. Watch, watch. God is not mocked. Impossible. For whatever a man sows that and that only you will reap. You sow mockery of Jesus in this life, you're going to reap judgment in the one to come. You sow dishonor of Christ in this life, you're going to reap that dishonor in the world to come. You ignore Christ in his life, he said, I will not stand up for you in the judgment in the world to come. Ain't nobody getting away with mockery. It's only temporary. It's why we should be praying for

[Lead Pastor]

mockers and praying for scoffers and why we should be praying for people who don't know that they are violating a person they're going to have to meet in the judgment. That's why I want to pray for you that something would change right now

[Assistant Pastor]

in your heart,

[Lead Pastor]

that we will no longer continue to mock him. I see you, sister, on your feet. I see you on your feet. I want to pray for us that we would stop mocking him like, why

[Assistant Pastor]

are you mad at Drewski? Why are you mad at people that

[Lead Pastor]

make parodies when we're the ones acting like a fool?

[Assistant Pastor]

I'm not mad at him. I'm mad at us.

[Lead Pastor]

Of course the church is a mockery. Look at how we live.

[Assistant Pastor]

They see us dance and go to

[Lead Pastor]

church on Sunday and don't live any of that. At what point do you say enough is enough?

[Assistant Pastor]

He suffered too much

[Lead Pastor]

and bled too much and was beaten too much. He deserves better than that. And so, eternal God and of a

[Assistant Pastor]

wise Father,

[Lead Pastor]

I pray for the brother and sister Lord, that something, something would click in them right now. Something that the conviction they feel they would not run from, that they will see that as love wooing them into a better life. Fuller surrendered life to the Lord and God. I pray something, something would shift in them in this moment. I pray you would deliver us from making a mockery of the Son, that we would live for Christ and for him alone. We will live surrendered and submitted. Turn away from our ungodliness. And we pray for the mocker God, that you would deliver them before they die. And we thank you for the example that your son set. I've done my part. Now, Holy Spirit, I ask you to do yours. I ask in the mighty and the majestic, in the matchless name of our soon coming king, the Lord Jesus Christ. If you receive that, if you want

[Assistant Pastor]

that,

[Lead Pastor]

say amen and clap your hands.