The Cup of Christ — Jim Binney

It is a blessing to be here. I have prayed and I know that many about this time that. And I'm so glad that you've taken the time from your busy schedule to be here. I know every one of you have things to do.

Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

But you have made this a priority and I believe with all my heart that God blesses those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. I'm praying that he will truly bless you in a big big way. I And look at some other scriptures, but let's go to the Lord as we begin our father we come to you today as men of God.

We love you Who desire to please you and Yet Lord, we look at ourselves and we know that when we would do good evil is present with us. And we do that which we would not. And we find then a law that is operating within us law of sin.

But we know that greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world. And we pray that this week this weekend that you would speak to our hearts. I Pray God you'd use me as your servant. I'm just an earthen vessel but an earthen vessel can carry the glory of the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ with him.

I Pray you'd be pleased to use me and use me in such a way that you would receive glory and honor. May this message and every message This weekend be Bible based Christ centered spirit and power heart changing soul searching convicting life-changing.

We know that we can see none of this accomplished apart from your power. So we ask you Who was able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask her thank according to the power that work within us.

That you would do something powerful this weekend in every human heart. And we'll praise you for it in Christ's name. Amen. Turn your Bibles, please to the book of James chapter 4. And I'm going to say to you as we begin that in my counseling and my ministry over the years if there's something that I have Seen consistently.

Surrendering Pride and the Will

It is that until and unless a man comes to the place in his life. When he confronts his pride he confronts his will and he surrenders to God. He will never experience the blessings of God. I've seen men come to me who are pastors.

And I'm thinking of one Not terribly long ago who came to me for counseling angry at his wife and In an entire week of counseling he would not let his anger go. He went home and Held on to his anger. He made some other decisions.

But the one decision he needed to make he wouldn't make. He went home lost his church lost his wife lost his children. And then he called me wanting help. Every man in this room at some time or another in your life is going to come to a place of decision and Until you make that decision until you yield at that decision you will never experience the blessings of God.

Evidences of a hardened will are very clear in the scripture. In fact, I think it's very possible that a person can have a hardened will is in spite of the best training training in the world either being often reproved and Hardeneth his neck Shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy.

Often reproved you can sit in church Sunday after Sunday under the best preaching in the world. You can sit under the best counseling in the world. You can listen to the wisest men of God in the world over and over and over and you can go home and you can Still have a hardened heart and a hardened will and still be no closer to God than you were ten years ago.

You can have a hardened will and be active in Christian service. Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord. Have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils and in thy name done many wonderful works and then while I say unto them I never knew you depart from me that work iniquity.

You see it's possible to witness in Jesus name to do wonders in Jesus name to do works in Jesus name and still Resist the Spirit of God. It is possible to have a hardened will and not even know it. A man came to me on one occasion who?

Had been involved in adultery. And I told I asked him I said let me ask you this question. How is it that you can justify? Adultery and trying to serve God at the same time and I've got to tell you that he didn't blink.

He didn't blush. He didn't hesitate. He instantly held up three fingers. He said three things. But one he said he said God is blessing my ministry. Can I say can I say this to tell us there's a whole lot of difference between God's blessing and success.

If you don't get that right you won't get anything right in the work of God. You can have success without God's blessing. You can have God's blessing without success. Sometimes they stand alone sometimes they stand together.

But what he's saying is well because God is blessing then I must be have merit with God and therefore I justified my sin. Number two, he said when I have my trysts I Go into a compartment of sin. I open the door.

I walk in that door. I shut the door behind. When it comes time for ministry, I leave that compartment. Shut the door behind me go across the hall to a room called ministry open the door walk in shut the door behind me and I have ministry.

I shut out the other this was before Clintonian compartmentalization, but the third thing he said and the thing that That got my attention he said Brother Benny. He said I read the Bible every day and I get a blessing.

Now what he's concluding is therefore because God is blessing and because I compartmentalize my sin and because I read my Bible and I have my devotions every day and get a blessing then. This really isn't that bad a thing.

I Say well, that's good. I said, I'm glad you're reading the Bible. I want you to read something for me. In fact, I'd like you to turn to James chapter 1. And here in James chapter 1 the Bible says that a man can have a hardened will and not even know it.

The man I'm referring to would give his testimony if he were standing here today. He has stood with me and given his testimony a Man who lived in adultery for 24 years and yet he had the blessing of God upon his life.

Now in James chapter 1 I said, please start reading for me in verse 21. And so I Said read it out loud. He began to read wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness. And receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

But be you doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves. He hesitated then deceiving your own self. For if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer. He is likened to a man beholding his natural face in a glass for he beholdeth himself and goeth his way and straightway.

Forgetteth what manner of man he was and at that point this man in his 60s Dropped his Bible put his face in his hands and he began to sob uncontrollably. And he began to wail the most pitiful sound I've ever heard in my life.

He said over and over I have been such a fool. I have been such a fool. God brought him to his breaking point. God did it by the power of the Word of God. You say that's pretty good counseling brother.

Bing. I didn't counsel anything. That's the Word of God which is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword which will pierce to the dividing asunder of the soul in the spirit and Of the joints in the marrow and it is a discerner of the faults and the intents of the heart.

The problem is because we have a hardened will because our lust has misled us our sin has blinded us. Pride has fooled us. We can open the Bible and we can look at it and we can deceive ourselves and not be.

Here's our doers of the word. Now James chapter 4 there are evidences of a person who has a hard will who's never yield who's never let go at some point in their life. That point varies from man to man.

There's no question. Every one of you at some time if you have not if you have not you will have to Face a decision of surrender. James chapter 4 from whence come wars and fightings among you come they not hence even of your lust that war in your members.

A Person who has a hard will has unresolved conflicts. There's somebody they can't get along with. Maybe they're angry at your wife. Maybe they're angry at your preacher. Maybe they're angry a brother or sister in Christ.

But there's an unresolved conflict. It may be your father. All the way back in your past, but you've never Resolved it. That's an evidence that there is a point of resistance. There's a hardened will there.

Secondly verse 2 you lust and have not. You kill and desire to have and cannot obtain. You fight in war yet. You have not because you ask not a man with a hard will as an unsatisfied craving. He can never get all he wants.

When he gets what he wants his appetite increases. He lusts and he lusts and he lusts but he's never satisfied. Third a person with a hard will has experiences unanswered prayers. Verse 3 he asked and received not because you ask him this that you may consume upon your loss.

You see a man with a hard will has determined what he wants no matter what God wants. And he wants he prays for what he wants. Just ask yourself and and be very honest how many. Point to an answered prayer.

I mean a Absolutely verifiable Supernatural heaven said God provided answered a prayer. In the last year what answered a prayer of you had? And then in verse 4 he says you adulterers and adulteresses.

Know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore be a friend of the world as the enemy of with God. These are unscriptural alliances is talking about. It might be with a woman.

It might be with an unsaved business associate. It might be with the person, you know that you should not be fellowshipping with. But a person who has a hard will will not let go of those relationships.

He will not surrender. Because that means more to him than anything in the world and you my friend have become the enemy of God. Verse 5. Do you think the scripture sayeth in vain the spirit that dwelleth in us?

Lusted to envy a person with a hard will has an unholy envy. He wants something he lusts for it that he does not have. He's not content with the things that he wants. He's always wanting something more.

And be very frank with you. In my counseling almost consistently now we have had to address immorality. When we address immorality we find out that. The root one of the roots of immorality is a lack of contentment.

You see the Bible says to be ravished always with the wife of thy youth. That does not say thy youthful wife. You know, it's a strange thing to me that a man will marry a girl for her lovely figure. And then she will bear babies for him and lose a little bit of that figure and.

Then the moment that that happens he turns away. And he envies somebody else's body. That's what pornography is all about. Pornography is to a man what the home shopping network is to a woman. You watch the home shopping network and what they'll tell you there is you know, this is what you need now.

They'll put it under a light. They'll turn it very slowly. It has the whistles and bells and you don't have that on your toaster at home. Your toaster won't iron your clothes and cook your meals. So they show this toaster and they turn it very slowly under the light and then they say and it's only 99 .95 and and but you got to hurry because down here in the corner of the screen the numbers are ticking off.

There's 20 million of them. But they just sold 5 million while they were talking and you better hurry and get it while you can. But the devil's goal listen to me is always to make you discontent with what you have because less because it begins with discontentment and discontentment their friend goes directly to the will and What he's saying here he's making it very clear.

Is that there is a there can be a hardened will the God giveth more grace. Verse 6. Wherefore he said God resisted the proud but give a grace unto the humble. There is a unsatisfying enmity with God. It's always there.

Let me say this I know people who have a hard will and Aren't aware of it, but I don't people have a hard will and proud of it they call evil good and get good evil. A man in counseling one time sat next to his wife and He unloaded on her and he's he just started calling her everything he could think of and and everything but a criminal.

I had to stop him. He sat back smugly with his arms folded and I said you're feeling pretty good about yourself right now. He said yeah, I'm honest. I tell it like it is. I Said well the Bible does say a fool speaketh his whole mind.

There is no merit in calling evil good and congratulating yourself because you've got a hardened will and you make it a matter of merit. You make it a matter of pride. Look, I'm an honest person. I'd tell it like it is.

No, that's not honesty. That's Insensitivity, that's a lack of love. That's a lack of concern. But the man who has a hard will learns to call evil good. Now let me say that this has something you have to learn.

Learning Obedience Through Suffering

Paul said I have learned. And whatsoever state I am there with the deep intent. Coming to the place of learning how to surrender the wills of thing that you have to learn. It's not natural. It's not something that has a life of its own.

It's something that has to be addressed and confronted with the Word of God. Even Jesus learned obedience By the things which he suffered. That's an amazing. That Jesus as a man Learned obedience by the things which he suffered so many times I find that people feel like they have a right to not suffer.

So many times when I talk to people that seems like well, you know, God's being unfair. God's that God's abandoned me or God's being cool to me. The answer that is look to Jesus Christ. If Jesus had to learn obedience by the things that he suffered maybe the suffering that God has appointed you dear friend Is for the express purpose that you come to that point of surrendering.

You've been kicking at the pricks and you've been mad at God. You don't understand and you've been you've been resisting the Spirit of God and you've been pushing him off and you've been holding him off.

And you've been saying in your heart. This isn't right. This isn't fair. I'm trying to live for God. I'm trying to do the right thing now God. Why aren't you blessing me? The fact is the greatest blessing you have may be the thing you're going through.

God knows what he's doing. God has a plan. God's work in his plan and God will accomplish his plan. But it has to be learned. I Want us to go to Matthew chapter 26. Which is really what the message is about.

It's about our precious Lord Jesus Christ. You had to come to this point in his life. Even the Lord Jesus had to face his will. Even the Lord Jesus had to surrender his will that is recorded in one of the most poignant moving narratives ever pinned by man found right here in the Word of God.

Christ’s Cup in Gethsemane

One of the greatest stories and one of the greatest insights into the heart of our Savior is in the Garden of Gethsemane. We begin here in verse 36. Then come of Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane and saith unto the disciples.

Sit ye here while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Notice it says he began To be sorrowful, you know, there's a beautiful picture here.

Why did Jesus? Come to the garden and Take three of his disciples into the garden. Well, if you look at verse 38, he said Watch with me. In verse 40. He said could you not watch? Let me tell you why he took those disciples.

There are other reasons but the reason he needed there. This was probably the most crucial hour of his life the hour of his decision. But he began now notice. He said the scripture says he began To be sorrowful and very heavy and Mark says sore amazed.

He began to be that way. Then he said unto them following that my soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death. Carry ye here and watch with me. And he went a little further and he fell on his face and prayed saying oh my father.

If it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless Not as I will But as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples and findeth them asleep. Now the Bible says in the gospel of Luke that they were sleeping or sorrow.

There's nothing that will make a man any tired or emotionally and any more drained physically Than going into excess sorrow and for hours and days prior to this. They have been prepared by the Lord Jesus that he was going to die.

And they knew in themselves that they were going to take a great loss here, but they were asleep. And he saith unto Peter what could you not watch with me one hour watch and pray that you enter not into temptation.

The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time and prayed saying oh my father. If this cup may not pass away from me except I drink it. Thy will be done. Now he's gone from his first prayer.

If it be possible, let this cup pass from me To a second prayer. If this cup may not pass from me except I drink it Thy will be done. And he came and found them asleep again for their eyes were heaven.

He left them and went away again and prayed the third time saying the same words. Now at this point luke interjects these words and there appeared at this point an angel unto him from heaven strengthening.

And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly and he sweat his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground. And then cometh he to his disciples and saith unto them sleep all now and take your rest.

Behold the hour is at hand and the son of man is betrayed in the hands of sinners rise. Let us be going behold he that is at hand doth betray us now. Here's my question to you and this is the focus of the next few minutes.

What was the cup? He said if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Now our minds are really not Expansive enough to grasp the significance of this. But I do believe that god can shed a little light on what this means and I do believe that the essence of it was.

That jesus was struggling was surrendering. Something very precious to him. Now some people have suggested. Well, his cup was his fear of physical suffering. If it be possible, let this cup pass from me.

And we know that his physical suffering was awesome. It was awful. It was probably the worst physical suffering that any man had ever gone through. The romans had three types of capital punishment. One was that if you killed a man one punishment of roman law is that you had to dig a grave your own grave.

And then it was lined with spears on the bottom pointing upward you were thrown into the grave. You were impaled in midair on those spears and as you writhed and screamed in pain. You were buried alive.

The second type of roman punishment was if you killed a man they took his corpse and they tied it to your body chest to chest hip to hip knee to knee hand to hand face to face without eating without drinking.

You dragged that corpse around as you inhaled the corruption of that corpse and died. An Agonizing death looking into the eyes of the man you killed. But the worst form of roman execution. So bad that even paul in philippians chapter 2 says that jesus became obedient unto death.

Even the death of the cross the worst form was the crucifixion. We know historians have told us the awful agony that jesus went through. He was whipped with a cat of nine tails until his ribs stared at him.

The crown of thorns was put on his head and beat down with a stick. He was beat so badly about the face and his beard was plucked out by so many Grasping hands that his visage was more marred than any human.

He did not look human. This cute little picture of jesus hanging on the crucifix somewhere in a catholic church is absolutely wrong. He doesn't have a neat little loincloth. He isn't he doesn't have a white skin.

He doesn't look unblemished. He is bleeding and writhing in agony. They nail him to a cross. They hang and they drop that cross into the grave and all of his bones come out of joint. This is pure unmitigated agony.

This is the worst thing a man could go through. But I don't believe that was the cup. I don't think his cup was social suffering. He did suffer socially. In fact one man wrote a book that was Quite meaningful to me on this subject.

He said that Our lord suffered socially. Our starting point here must be the recollection that christ loved his neighbor as himself. Not coldly and formally but warmly and affectionately. And naturally wanted that love reciprocated.

It was not easy therefore to be isolated to be condemned by the religious establishment to be deemed an embarrassment by his family. To have the multitude calling for his blood the treatment he received from his immediate disciples.

It was even more painful. They were chosen precisely to be with him. But yet in his humanness he needed their friendship, but one betrayed him another denied him and all forsook him. He died entirely bereft of support encouragement or appreciation.

Knowing that those who were closest to him thought only that he was letting them down. We did esteem him Stricken smitten of god and afflicted we despised him. He was absolutely isolated, but I don't think that was his cup.

I don't think his cup was physical suffering. I don't think it was social suffering. I don't think it was emotional suffering. In fact, if you look at this passage of scripture and you look at the words that that god uses to describe the suffering of christ.

They're phenomenal. The bible says in there in verse 37. He began to be Sorrowful and very heavy and sore amazed mark tells us. Now this this word very heavy means that this was a complete consumption of sorrow depression and despair to the exclusion of every relieving thought.

It's one thing I think to have suffering with the hope that it will end. It's one thing to have suffering with the hope that can be relieved. It's one thing to have suffering knowing that there's you know, there's an option but there's no option for christ.

What he's going through here has no relief. It is consuming him. The word sore amazed means that He was astonished and surprised to the extreme of horror. I mean, this was something that was absolutely Phenomenal in the and the life of the savior.

Is it nothing to you lamentation writes all ye that pass by? Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow. Which is done unto me wherewith the lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.

There's no sorrow like unto his sorrow. There's no emotional struggling like he had. He was exceeding sorrowful even unto death. Surrounded no loopholes. No relief. Now think about this. Jesus said my soul is exceeding sorrowful.

He has come now within an inch of dying. That's why an angel was dispatched from heaven to strengthen him. And that's why the bible says that he got hurt his tears and his crying. His prayer was hurt.

I believe his prayer was to give him life and give him. Give him strength to fulfill his will not just escape the the cup. But luke says he was in an agony. He prayed more earnestly and his sweat was as it were.

Great drops of blood falling to the ground. There is one record in history of a man who suffered so severely that sweat. All that blood literally came through the pores of his skin oozed. But there's no record in history of any man.

Suffering so internally. Was so tender a conscience and so sensitive a constitution. That the struggle that he had inwardly with his surrender. Would force blood from the pores of his skin not in oozing but in great goblets of blood falling to the ground.

Let me tell you something what jesus is facing is what any man faces who really comes to the wall of surrender. The wall of surrender is not something that's made quickly easily logically. The wall of surrender is not something that you face simply because you have an emotional stirring in your heart.

The wall of surrender is something you have to count the costs for the wall of surrender is something you have to experience the pain for. But god brings every man to that point. And you may have been coming to that wall and god may be bringing you to this place today.

So that you can make that choice. Jesus made that choice. But I don't think his emotional suffering was his cup. Down through history the cup has always meant different things but primarily in the scripture means of judgment.

The Cup as Judgment and Separation from the Father

I'm going to tell you what I think the cup is. And i'm going to tell you the reasons I believe that is the cup. You see in john chapter 17 jesus prayed. John 17 is just before Jesus goes into the garden that great high priesthood.

I saw an entire book over on the book table on prayer of christ and john said by the way, can I say this? That's the best book Display I have ever seen on the inner man. Walking with god being filled with the spirit learning to pray.

On the essential things of the christian life every man in this room should go in that bookstore and get some of those books. They will stir your soul. They will feed your soul strengthen your spirit.

And somebody has put a lot of prayer in choosing the books that are over there. So I go far and wide looking for books like that. I'm just going to get one everything be done with it but the fact is. The fact is that the cup that jesus was facing Is revealed by what he really?

Valued look at john chapter 17 for a minute and listen to the heart of the lord because here in this passage of scripture If you want to get to know somebody listen to him pray. Pray with them pray with them at length pray with them at depth.

And you'll and you'll get to know their hearts. Now here's what he prayed in verse 11. The last line he says that they may be one watch this now as We are now, please let that register in your heart. God he said I want my disciples to be one with each other in the same way you and I are one with each other.

Then in verse 21 that they all may be one as thou father art in me and I in thee That the world or that they also may be one in us in verse 22 that they may be one even As we are one. Now, let me say to you that the thing That the lord jesus valued above all else was the fellowship with his father.

In all of history that fellowship has never been broken. And in fact when it says in deuteronomy chapter 6 here, oh israel, the lord our lord is one lord one god. That hebrew word means that there is a mystical spiritual meshing and merging Of the personalities of father son and holy spirit so much.

So they are inseparable. And where you see one you see the other two. This is saying that israel has one god. You can't separate the son from the father you can't separate the spirit from the son. There is a oneness and interestingly enough husbands.

That's the same hebrew word Used when it says for this call shall a man leave his father mother cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh. It's interesting to me that god esteems the marriage relationship.

And the oneness and the spiritual intermeshings Of a husband and wife in the same manner that he sees that bonding of father son and holy spirit. It is something that is not to be broken. It is something that cannot be broken.

It is something that must not be broken and yet When jesus comes to the cross this thing he values above all else is being threatened. He enjoys he treasures he values the oneness with the father. He expressed that value only moments before entering the garden and yet here's what he knows.

He knows that thou art of pure eyes than to behold evil. And at the same time he knows that he God hath made him jesus to become sin for us. Who knew no sin that we might be made in the righteousness of god in him.

Now look Jesus is looking into this cup. And when he looks into that cup there is something that horrifies him. There is something that he dreads. It's not physical suffering. It's not emotional suffering.

It's not social suffering. What he dreads the most is the loss of the thing he values the most. And what does he value the most fellowship of the father? But he knows That in a few minutes He's going to go to a cross and god is going to reach out and with one gargantuan arm Into history past and with the other arm into eternity future and god is going to take every sin Of every sinner of every age and compress it And condense it and he's going to make him to be sin.

That's one thing to suffer because of sin. It's another thing to suffer for sin. But to suffer as It's a horrible thought for christ. Because he knows at that moment. The thing he values most will be lost fellowship with his father.

I remind you if you go to the cross, you know the as the lamb before her shearers is done. We open not as now. You want to know what's important to jesus on the cross? Listen to what he cries out about.

When does he cry out? Does he cry out when they whip him with the cat of nine tails? Does he say anything when they nail the spikes into his hands and his feet? Does he say anything when he when he's hanging on the cross and dropped into the earth.

When does he cry out? There comes a moment in time that you know, he's drinking the cup. It's to his lips. He's swallowing it and he says my god. My god, why is hell forsaken me the first time in history?

Ladies and gentlemen the first time he ever called him anything but. Why. Because he can't call him because now he is the representative of sin. And thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity.

And god turned his back on his son and that was the cup. The thing he valued the most he drank for you and me. Please understand this. But he also wants us to drink our cup. I contend for every man in this room.

At some point in your life. You're going to come to the wall. You're going to look down in the cup. And you're going to decide if you're going to drink it or not. You're facing a choice. And the choice you make this weekend could be a definitive moment of your life.

This is your hour decision, this is your fork in the road. This is no like thing I believe that with that all the prayer that has gone into this meeting. That there's not a single man among you who's here by accident or coincidence.

I believe god brought you here and god wants you to hear this message and god wants you to god wants to change your life. But god knows you've got to yield you got to drink that cup that you have abhorred and been horrified by and rejected for so long.