So, have you ever been curious about something ever been curious about something? A grandmother invited her daughter and her granddaughter to the zoo and a picnic lunch thought they'd just have a day of it. And so they did, they went to the zoo had a great time. Everything was super. They are sitting down having their picnic lunch and, and the little girl starts curiously looking at her mom specifically at her mom's hair. The sunlight was hitting it just right. And, and she said, mommy, mommy, you're starting to get some gray hairs. Mommy decides to take advantage of this for a little moral lesson. She said that's right, sweetie. She said every time a little girl disobeys her mommy, her mommy gets a gray hair to which the little girl curiously turned to grandma and said, wow, mommy, you disobeyed a lot curious. We, we all have our moments where we are curiously looking at something. Sometimes we're curious because we're bored and what do we do? We scroll and we will watch every reel on every new life hack, kitchen hack kitten, video lift kit for your truck, whatever it is, we, we will scroll and scroll and scroll and just kind of mindlessly curiously. Look at everything that's out there. Sometimes we're curious because we're wanting the latest gossip. Right. Uh, we're, we're calling that friend or texting that friend or, or trying to talk to that friend somewhere. Hey, did you hear about? So, and so what's going on? Did you hear about, what did you hear about what he said? Did you hear about what the kids did? We, we just want information, you know, we, we are curious about the latest gossip. Sometimes we're curious because we want to start something new. You know, we wanna learn how to, to do something new to learn a new skill or a new trade to, to maybe even get a new degree in something. Other times, we're curious because we're actually looking for a way to help someone. And then we're also curious about the most important things in life, right? We, we all have moments where we're curious, why am I here? Why, why do I exist? What, what is this all about and what's going to happen to me after I die? Now, those kind of questions require a little more than just being curious. Those are the kind of questions we really need answers for today. We're going to be looking in the Bible at the gospel letter from Doctor Luke. Luke is going to write to us about those answers to those questions. Our sermon today is beyond curious and what we hope to do is to see in these words from Luke, how we really can move beyond just being curious about the most important questions and actually finding answers for the most important questions. Let's see what Luke has to say, to say to us beginning in Luke nine verse seven. Now here, the TE heard about all that was happening and he was greatly perplexed here. The TE ART was the son of Herod. The great, it is widely believed that Herod gave himself the name great. It was not given to him. And we know he the great Harry, the greats in the Christmas story. And in the Christmas story, we see that he was what he was curious. Oh, he was very curious about this king that had been born. The the news from the wise man. It, it peaked his curiosity but he wasn't curious like he was interested. He was curious because he was kind of arrogantly jealous. He, he wanted to know if there was some young buck that was going to try to take over his kingdom. He heard this news of this king that was born here. The great was not a nice man. He was not well liked at all. In fact, the historian Josephus said this about his death. He died of ulcerated in trails, reified, maggot filled organs, constant convulsions and foul breath. Now look, if after you die, somebody takes a shot at your breath, you've got to be hated. Right. Something's not right about that. Here was hated. He, he was not well liked. And here the te chart. Well, the apple didn't fall too far from the tree. He was not well liked either. And like his father, he was curious about Jesus. He had heard about this. No name, Carpenter. And, and he had heard about miracles that he was performing. He heard that there were hundreds of, and sometimes thousands of people that would sit and listen to him teach about the truth of God for hours. I mean, y'all just gotta sit with me 30 minutes. You know, this is good. But but hours they would sit and listen to Jesus. And Hart thought, what, what is it with this guy? He, he was perplexed. What is it about this carpenter that he would have this kind of healing power that he would have this kind of following? Well, Luke gives us kind of a specific indication of what was really perplexing him. Listen in verse seven, continuing on and he was greatly perplexed because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead and by some that Elijah had appeared and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen, said to himself, I myself had John beheaded, but who is this man about whom I hear such things? So there's a man known as, as John the Baptist and, and he spent time preaching and teaching about the Messiah. He was preaching and teaching about Jesus and Herod had heard John preach and teach about the Messiah. And what did he think about it? In Mark chapter six verse 20 it says this for her was afraid of John knowing that he was a righteous and holy man and he had been protecting him. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed and yet he used to enjoy listening to him. He he was curious, he he loved listening to John preach that message about the Messiah. He he was curious, he was very intrigued. He knew there was something to this Messiah. He knew there was something to this Jesus is that you today. Have you heard the truth about Jesus? Have you heard the story about Jesus? You know there's something to it but you're still just curious, you, you're still for whatever reasons, rejecting the truth about Jesus. You, you, you think it's a good story. You like the story, you like the morals, you, you think he was a good teacher but but you're just refusing, you're just rejecting. Please know this the answers to those questions. Who are you? Why are you here? What's going to happen after you die? All of the answers to those questions all find themselves in the person of Jesus Christ. So for the good of your soul today, quit rejecting, quit refusing and start receiving the truth about Jesus for the good of your soul receive this truth. Harry would not receive it. He, he listened to it. He, he wouldn't, I mean, it, it, there's a lot going on and I heard someone say years ago they said it's very interesting. The same people that would never go to their doctor or their lawyer and tell them what to do, feel very comfortable going to the church staff and telling them what to do that, that the very people who are not aware actually of what the job entails are, are very quick to go and criticize. And they said, because church staff is not the kind that turns around and fights back. In other words, they, they just turn the other cheek, the criticizers just intensify the criticizing. That's kind of what happened to the disciples. But Jesus warned him, he said, look, I'm sending you out but you need to know you're going to be criticized, you're going to be rejected and they were, they were rejected by the crowds, they were rejected by the religious leaders. And you have to think that had some kind of impact on them, right? That they would, they would hear this criticism, this rejection when they're going. Oh, we've got the greatest news in the world. Just a reminder when we leave here with the gospel full in our hearts and our minds and we go out into the world, we should not be surprised that the world criticizes and rejects us. We should expect it because it's exactly what Jesus promised. So Jesus told them, look, you're going to be criticized, you're going to be rejected. And and sure enough, they were not to mention the fact that while they're out on this little short term mission trip, they probably heard about John getting beheaded. So they're not like looking over their shoulder thinking if a sword is going to be swinging for their neck. So all of this stuff is happening. They come back. They, they have this exciting report but yet they're also overwhelmed with that sense of, of rejection and criticism. And Jesus says, come on, come on, we're going to go away and we're going to rest. We're not just going to rest casually. We're going to rest in the truth of what it means to know God. He wanted to refresh them. He wanted to be near them. The psalmist put it this way. The nearness of God is good for me. The disciples of Jesus pastors, elders, church staff, deacons, Sunday school teachers, nursery volunteers, church members professing Christians. They all have one thing in common. They need to be near God. In fact, we will not be useful for the kingdom. If we cannot stay near God, the nearness of God, it's our good. It, it's, it's great for us. Jesus takes his friends away to rest, to recuperate and to reconnect with God, but they didn't go alone. The the crowds heard that they were going away. How did Jesus respond? Verse 11 and He welcomed them and began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing. You know what this would feel like? For a lot of us, this would feel like your 10th cousin 73 times removed. I mean, the really, really, really annoying one showing up at your beach house on the first day of vacation with a backpack and they say surprise, surprise and surprise is probably the the least thing that we would feel in that moment. We would not want it. I'm I'm I'm resting. I'm I'm here to take a break. I I don't, I don't need you around and yet how does Jesus respond? Come on in, come, come on, let, let me encourage you. Let me talk to you about the future and and bring your six folks too. Bring those that, that need some help, bring them on in Jesus when he was tired, when he was weary, when he was worn out, when he was trying to encourage his disciples, he still showed compassion and kindness, mercy, patience and help. He, he helped. That's what he did. That's what his disciples saw him do. They, they saw his example. They, they follow this example. You know, we never see Jesus at any point in time. I I'll say this with people outside of the church. Sometimes he has some sharp words for people inside of the church, but we never see Jesus saying get out of here. Go away. You're faking it. You're not sick. Go on. We, we just, we never see Jesus speaking like that. We never see him talking like that. Even when he was trying to rest, Jesus showed compassion. And why did he do that? He did that because he knew that those people needed the Kingdom of God. He, he knew they needed the Kingdom of God. At every point when you pay attention to the person of Jesus, he was showing them compassion because He knew they needed God. They needed the kingdom. They needed to be near Jesus was never primarily about political issues or pandemic issues or the the price of petroleum issues or, or any other issues. He was, he was not an issues oriented person. His issue was one issue. It was the kingdom, it was the kingdom, it was the kingdom. Jesus was always about the kingdom. How about us in 2023 with all the things we scroll through with everything we see on Newsmax and Fox news and CNBC and talk radio and everything else. How much are we as professing Christians all about the kingdom. How much is the world hearing the kingdom from us? How much is the world seeing the compassion and the mercy and the power and the authority of the kingdom from our lives, from our attitudes, from what we say and what we speak. Jesus was always about the kingdom, always about the kingdom because he knew that no matter who he was around, there were people that needed rest because they were weary. There were people that needed truth because they were ignorant and there were people that needed the kingdom. They needed to know that the Kingdom was real that there was hope no matter what happened, which takes us back to Harrod. He was curious about Jesus. He's, he's very curious about the story. He was, he was trying to see Jesus. He kept asking himself who, who is this Jesus? And then he finally met him. It was hours before Jesus was crucified and Jesus is standing in front of hero. Here's this moment, here's this time. He's been trying to see him right. Here you go. And, and what did, what did he do at that moment? He said, hey, show me some tricks, perform some miracles for me. And how did Jesus respond? He was silent. Oh, here it had plenty of opportunities. He had heard the message over and over again. He he had heard it from other people. He had heard it from John the Baptist. He he knew the message but he just stayed curious. He heard the truth, but he just stayed curious. And when the moment that the truth stood before him, it was still like a joke to him. Is there some truth that God has been speaking to you? Maybe even this morning, but maybe in the last week, the last month, the last year is there, there's some truth that that needs to be moving. You. Maybe you need to be a little more excited about the gospel and a little less obsessed about all the news that is in the world. Maybe you need to be a little more excited about the, the kingdom and a little less excited about all the kingdoms of the world. Maybe you need to show a little more compassion to people. Maybe, maybe that's something that God's moving you toward. But, but you just, you just standing off, maybe you need to quit being curious about Jesus. Maybe Jesus needs to be more than, than just a Bible study to you or, or just some historic information. Maybe there needs to be a passion that says, I really want Jesus to increase in my heart. You know the old saying says what curiosity killed the cat? Well, that's cute. But being curious about Jesus is far worse because being just curious about Jesus can kill your soul. It can separate you from all that's good and holy and happy forever and ever and ever. But if you receive Jesus, if you believe in and rely on and trust in and cling to Jesus as your Messiah, as your wonderful mercyful savior. If Jesus day after day after day, a little more increases in the attitude of your heart, then there is something that will keep happening and what will keep happening. Well, what will keep happening is exactly what we see in Jesus all the time. Jesus will keep welcoming you over and over again and he will keep giving rest to your soul. I have a just kind of a strange way. I, I want to apply this aspect of, of curiosity. It's going to sound like it's out of left field, but just, just hang with me in the last couple of months. I have experienced, um just an overwhelming amount of just really hard news. I've just been in, in so many hard conversations, I've, I've had my own heartbroken this as well and, and just so much, you know, coming at me and in the last week I've had two different people say, what do you say? What do you say when someone's suffering? What do you say when, when someone's heart is broken? What do you, what do you say? And this week I found myself in a conversation saying what you don't say and I caught myself and I, uh and, and I, I just went, oh OK, think, think, think and, and, and that, that saying is, is this, how are you? I mean, it, it sounds like a, a fine question and it's not evil. Don't get me wrong. There's nothing evil about it, but there is a better way, a way that I would even say is best when we are approaching and, and interacting with people that are suffering. David and Nancy Guthrie they lost and experienced the death of their daughter. Hope and then their son Gabriel all in a span of about 16 months. Hope and Gabriel were, were born with a very rare genetic disease and, and hope lived about six months and, and so did Gabriel. So they experienced this, this depth of heartbreak. And if you've never heard of Nancy Guthrie, go Google her and, and start reading what she has, Nancy has just an amazing ability to send some great, strong mercyful help to those who are grieving and suffering. But I was reading an article earlier this week and the title of the article is this, I forgot the title of the article. Oh, here it is. Uh what not to ask someone suffering, what not to ask someone suffering. And, and what she talks about is not, don't ask how are you, but she gives some helpful ways to think a little differently. And, and I just wanna share a few of those she says this instead of saying, how are you ask this? What is your grief like these days? What's, what's your grief like? Or this are there particular times of day or days of the week that you're finding especially hard? I have not driven by my father's place of work in probably 25 or 30 years. It's, it's been a long time and, and I had to go to North Augusta uh uh last night and just in a roundabout way, ended up passing by where his workplace was. And, you know, it was just that moment I told Karen as we were coming up, I was like, I think I'm getting ready to start crying like a baby. And she's like, why I was like, oh, and then she realized where we were and, and I kind of fought the tears back but I felt it, you know, it's like, that's, that's why I learned how to ride a bike that, that place right there. That's where I learned how to change the oil in my car. You know, it was just this, this moment. My dad worked at that place for almost 40 years at that spot and he managed it and he let it, it was part of our lives. I, I rode my first semi truck in that place. So we have those moments, right? Those moments where are there particular times of day or days of the week that you find especially hard. Yeah, we do, don't we, we, we have moments like that and then she gets a little deeper, listen to these examples. She says, I often think of you when I'm gardening or driving by your house or going for a walk or getting up in the morning, whatever it may be. I've shared with you before my friend Wayne used to um, have a paper route and he would pray for a different person with every paper that he, he threw so she's like, alright, I, I think of you and this is what it says and I whisper a prayer for you to experience God's comfort. Are there particular things I could be praying for you as you go through this time of grief. And then this one, I know that the name of the person who died, their, their birthday or the anniversary of their death is coming up. And it must be so very hard to anticipate that day without him or her here. What are you thinking about that day? Is there anything we could do to help you get through that day? That that's different than just how are you? And then one more, I know the holidays or Mother's day or father's day or anniversary or whatever is coming up. I'll be especially thinking of you and praying for you as that approaches. We would love to have you over. Would you join us? See, it's simple, rewording, but it's deep rewording. And someone would say, well, why does it matter it? And how are you good enough maybe? But why should we go the extra mile? Here's why? Because when Jesus was tired, when he was worn out, when he was exhausted and the people came to him, he knew how much they needed the kingdom. So he showed them compassion, he showed them mercy. The reason that we go the extra mile with our questions is because it's one small way, not, not a, you know, not a big crazy fun way but, but one small way that we can help people see the kingdom of God that we can help people find the welcome of Jesus that we can help people find the rest of salvation. Because far beyond curious, the welcome and the rest that our souls are longing for right now are all found in the person of Jesus and it's his kingdom and only his kingdom that is forever.