TITLE: Pilate's Mistakes
TEXT: Mark 15:1-15
PROPOSITION: The local congregation must learn from the mistakes of Pilate.
QUESTION: Which?
KEY WORD: Mistakes
READING: Mark 15:9-15

 INTRODUCTION:

1.        There are many problems in the church today:

1. Doctrinal

2. Moral

3. Preachers

4. Leadership

2.        Most problems are:

1. Avoidable

2. Personality clashes

3. Attitudes - Unforgiving, grudges, animosity, not willing to cooperate, selfish

3.        We often make the same mistakes that Pilate made.

4.        Learn from Pilate’s mistakes.

 Listen to the wrong people (11-13)

1. We fail to hear God – mind is already made up

2. Remember the boy Samuel? (1 Samuel 3) Eli is not calling, God is.

3. Check their motives.

4. Rehoboam made this mistake – 1 Kings 12 – young men instead of wise counsel

5. Many politicians – Lyndon Johnson (Vietnam), Nixon (Watergate) – listened to bad advice – and resulted in disaster

6. Is this the will of God?

 Believed what he heard (15)

1. Matthew 11:18-19 – John is a demon, Jesus is a winebibber and glutton

2. Little smoke = Raging fire (Gossip, tale bearing, rumor, innuendo)

3. Don't believe everything you hear.

1. Believe the best

2. Put in best possible light

3. Check with the source

4. We should believe little of what we see, and less of what we hear.

5. Acts 17:11 – Checked up on Paul to see if what he said was true

 Washed his hands (Matthew 27:24)

1. We cannot forgive our own sins -

1. First pray to God

2. Next reconcile with brethren (Matthew 5:23-24; 18:15-17)

2. We must not be "quitters"

3. I dent your car in the parking lot – “God forgive me for not paying attention” – You come out – I wave at you, “It is OK. I prayed for forgiveness.” – I have washed my hands of the whole thing.