HOW NOT TO BE WEAK
1 Timothy 2:1-7
And the letters to the young pastor, Timothy, are personal and instructive. Two distinctions from 1 & 2 Timothy
1. In 1 Timothy we have the ideal church every pastor ought to have.
2. In 2 Timothy we have the ideal pastor every church ought to have.
Be a Zealous Prayer Warrior vv1-4
Be Steadfast to the Mediator of Prayer vv5-6
Be a Rigorous Teacher of Prayer v7
Series: A living Hope in a dying world
Title: Living with the end in mind
Scripture: 1 Peter 4:1-11; Phil 2:5-8 NIV
Bottom line: Living with the end in mind requires us to arm ourselves with the attitude of Christ.
SERMON OUTLINE
NOTES
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
OUTLINES
MAIN REFERENCES USED
SERMON OUTLINE
Introduction
This is a difficult world to live in for everybody. But Christians have additional challenges that come with our faith. For example, recently, a pastor from Pakistan was speaking about the many challenges that they’ve faced since 2019.
COVID-19 & ARC 2020: Not long after this pastor began a formal partnership with the Association of Related Churches (ARC, based here in Charleston), Covid hit. This caused pastors (along with everyone to quarantine and isolate). Christians in the US explained that because churches in America were not meeting they weren’t seeing a lot of offerings. As a result, they should not expect a lot of support until Covid settled down. But this pastor pushed back saying, “Didn’t Christians in Rome in the first century run into the plague to serve people?” We’re not going to isolate ourselves. We might not have the money now but we’re going to trust him for it. And $4 million would eventually come in for the pastors and ministries of the Pakistani church.
Refugees 2021: Debacle in Kabul, Afghanistan in August ‘21
The Taliban stepped in when the US left Afghanistan returning the country to its Shiria law ways. As a result, many Afghanis who’d been supportive of the US presence began to run for their lives running to other countries like Pakistan.
Because of the agreements between these governments and the Taliban, when the pastors approached the Pak government to see how they could help the refugees, the Pak gov’t denied their existence. Eventually, these pastors found ways to get around this that the govt could accept and ministered to refugees.
Massive Flooding 2022: “While some smaller floods occurred post-2020, the most significant event impacting Pakistan was the 2022 monsoon season deluge. Here's a brief summary of its scale:
Devastating: One-third of the country submerged, impacting 33 million people.
Deadly: Over 1,800 lives lost, making it the world's deadliest flood since 2020 and Pakistan's worst.
Economically crippling: $30 billion+ in damages and losses, pushing millions into poverty.
Widespread: All provinces affected, causing infrastructure destruction, agricultural losses, and health crises. (145 hospitals destroyed)
Remember, this is just a snapshot. The long-term consequences of these floods are still unfolding.” (Bard, 1/14/24)
Persecution 2023: Due to zealous, misguided Muslims, Christians became unfairly targeted accused of slandering Muhammad.
25 churches burned
400 homes burned or looted
But…Water mission water treatment units
Bottom line: Living in light of the end requires us to arm ourselves with the attitude of Christ.
Relying on David Helms’ commentary for this outline and looking back to our previous passage:
3 Commitments to be resolved to
“Arm yourselves also with this same attitude”
Because to be willing to suffer for Christ is to be willing to be done with sin; be holy
Phil 2:5-8 mind/attitude of Christ
Don’t live “for evil human desires” but
Live “for the will of God.”
Enough already!
2 Costs to embrace
They’re surprised you’re done with the past
They’ll heap abuse on you and slander you for being faithful
1 Encouraging conclusion to look forward to—they will have to give an account to God
Who’s ready to judge the living and the dead
Next we see
The reign of Christ
The resurrection of Christ
The return of Christ
4 ways to be a living hope in a dying world:
Be alert and soberminded
Why?
Because it helps us pray
Matt 6:33 reminds us that when we “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, all these things (that we tend to worry about) will be given to us” as well. So we pray with this in mind.
Love each other deeply
Why?
Because God’s love covers a multitude of sins
The cross (the love of God on display) covered all sins (Rom 5:8)
Offer hospitality to one another
How?
By serving believers in particular (“one another”) but not limited to
By serving people using our spiritual gifts
Every Christian has at least one.
No Christian has them all.
They’re to build up the body of Christ.
2 basic categories
Speaking
Serving
Without grumbling (meaning we’re tempted to)
Serve one another using your spiritual gift(s) (not an exhaustive list)
How?
As a faithful steward
Through speaking
Through serving using your specific gifts
Why?
So that in all things God may be praised…
Conclusion
Barney Reeves was the father of Jimmy Reeves, the founding pastor of our church, Grace Christian Fellowship, Summerville.
Barney was a gruff, retired USAF sergeant and he loved God’s word and God’s church. He was a huge fan of his son being a bi-vocational pastor of our church. But he was also excited when Grace stepped out in faith to hire a full-time pastor. That meant that he and I could talk during the day.
Anyway, in Barney’s later years, he fought intestinal cancer a long time. This meant he was in and out of hospitals. I remember one time in particular when I was visiting him there and it was just the two of us.
He was tearing up as he shared with me how he felt like the Lord was right there in the room with him. It was the glory of the Lord in that place. And it greatly encouraged him as he suffered.
I have no doubt that Barney was a great witness to Christ whenever he was in the hospital. But I also believe he needed that glory of encouragement to press on (a phrase he used very often).
We need this too. Glory and suffering…Peter gives us a theology of suffering in this letter and links it to the future glory we will enjoy and receive.
Our Bottom Line today is that we can live in light of the end but it requires us to arm ourselves with the attitude of Christ himself. An attitude that is so willing to serve people that it’s willing to suffer and serve people “To bring them to God.” (3:18)
And we know that God wants to do this in and through us.
Let’s follow Pete’s advice as we embrace the suffering in our lives as an instrument of glory for those with eyes to see and ears to hear.
Pray
Q. What do I want them to know?
A. How to live in light of the end.
Q. Why do I want them to know it?
A. Because it helps us deal with suffering that comes to every Christian.
Q. What do I want them to do about it?
A. Live as Peter describes and calls us to.
Q. Why do I want them to do it?
A. Because this will empower us to show people what God’s love looks like.
Q. How can they begin to do this?
A. By
Staying alert and soberminded
Loving one another deeply
Offering hospitality to one another without grumbling
Serving one another in the power of the Holy Spirit
NOTES
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discovery Bible Study process:
Retell the story in your own words.
Discovery the story
What does this story tell me about God?
What does this story tell me about people?
If this is really God’s word, what changes would I have to make in my life?
Who am I going to tell about this?
Final Questions (optional or in place of above)
What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?
Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast
OUTLINES
NIV Study Bible brief outline
After the opening (1:1-2), the letter has three main sections:
1: Peter first tells his readers to be holy in all you do. As Gentiles they once lived in ignorance (they did not know the ways of God). But they are now a holy nation, part of God's own people, and are called to a new way of life.
2: Peter then explains how this way of life will impress those who might accuse and persecute them without just cause.
3: Peter acknowledges that his readers are suffering for their faith, but he explains that this is only to be expected. The Messiah himself suffered, and believers all over the world are facing the same challenge. The followers of Jesus are waiting for the day God will visit them, and even in their suffering they can show they belong to God.
The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.
“Their ultimate enemy, that roaring lion, stands ready to devour them, but they have the conquering, suffering Shepherd at their side.” - P Schreiner
0. Elect exiles (1:1-2)
Hope as Exiles - The church has hope amidst trials because of their new future and new family. (1-2)
New future - Their new birth grants them an inheritance that can never be taken away. (1:3-12)
New family (and new calling) - Their new birth grants them the rights and responsibilities of God’s people. (1:13-2:10)
Exile Identity - In the midst of the world, they are to live as chosen exiles. (2-4)
Submit - They are to submit to authority figures because this is how Christ acted. (2:11-3:7)
Suffer well - Like Christ, they are to suffer for good because suffering leads to life. (3:8-4:11)
Stand Firm - To keep their exile identity, they must stand firm to the end. (4-5)
Suffer joyfully - They are to entrust themselves to God while doing good. (4:12-4:19)
Resist the devil - The elders should shepherd the people, recognizing the danger they are in. (5:1-11)
In Babylon (5:12-24)
MAIN REFERENCES USED
“1 - 2 Peter and Jude,” by David Helm, Preaching the Word Commentary, Edited by Kent Hughes
“1 & 2 Peter ” by RC Sproul
“1 & 2 Peter and Jude” by Thomas Schreiner
“The Message of 1 Peter” by Edmund Clowney
“Look at the Book” by John Piper (LATB)
“The Visual Word,” Patrick Schreiner (VW)
“1 Peter: A living hope in Christ”, Jen Wilkin Bible study
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)
“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)
Outline Bible, D Willmington (OB)
Willmington’s Bible Handbook, D Willmington (WBH)
NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/
ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.org
“The Bible in One Year 2023 with Nicky Gumbel” bible reading plan on YouVersion app (BIOY)
ChatGPT https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt
Read MoreSeries: A living Hope in a dying world
Title: Is There Any Hope for Me?
Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3-12
Bottom line: Stand firm in God’s grace, even in the midst of trials.
Peter encourages suffering Christians to stand firm in God’s grace because of the living hope of the cross and resurrection that they have received through the new birth.
SERMON OUTLINE
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
NOTES
MAIN REFERENCES USED
SERMON OUTLINE
New series through 1 Peter called “A living hope in a dying world.” Today we’ll answer the question, “Is there any hope for me?”
Context
Peter is writing from Rome to encourage persecuted Christians suffering in the region of Galatia (Asia Minor aka Modern Turkey). He wants to encourage these new Christ-followers about 30 years into Christianity max. They are a mix of Gentiles from the region and Jews who’ve immigrated there due to the persecution in Palestine. Peter wants to give them a living hope to sustain them in their cruel, dying world. This is the letter that he writes them.
Introduction
“Twenty-one-year-old Matthew had been homeless for three years. Mark Russell (who was appointed head of the Church Army aged only thirty-one) met him on the streets of Charing Cross in London, bought him some food and led him to Christ. As he was getting up to leave he said, ‘Matthew, over the next month I am going to be on platforms speaking to thousands of people. What piece of advice do you want me to give to the Church of England today?’ Matthew replied, ‘The church’s job is to stop arguing and *to bring people hope*.’
Mark Russell commented, ‘I have never heard a better definition of what we should be about: Don’t we have a gospel of hope? A gospel that brings hope? A gospel of life, a gospel of transformation and above all a *hope of eternal life*, *the* *hope of Jesus*.’ Many people see only a *hopeless end*; but with Jesus you can enjoy an *endless hope*.” --Nicky Gumbel
THE QUESTION we need to answer for those in the church and those in the world is this: Is there any hope for me?
For the UNBELIEVER, the answer is that there is no hope for you in eternity apart from the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. You find and receive that hope when you humble yourself, trust and follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Otherwise, the Bible teaches, there is no hope. You are hell bound.
For the BELIEVER, the answer is that is a living hope guaranteed for you. This is what 1:1-12 is all about.
Hope in what? I’m talking about hope in my eternal destiny. That is salvation from sin and death, shame and guilt, and hell itself. I’m talking about what the Bible calls salvation. There is hope that you can be saved from God’s holy wrath. And, mercifully, it is God himself who gives you this living hope.
Peter opens with the source of our salvation or hope. It’s found in the triune God: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. God the Father chose the plan, God the Son did his part by atoning for the sins of the world and absorbing the Father’s wrath for those who trust and believe, and God the Holy Spirit sanctifies us throughout the entire journey.
Peter then moves to the guarantee of our salvation/hope. He praises God thoroughly for this living hope we find. He gives us proof of this living hope in showing he resurrects his people into salvation. He did this with Jesus and proof that he will do it for Jesus’ followers. Not only is there proof but there is a permanence to this hope. It will “never perish, spoil or fade”—guaranteed! And we see the power behind this proof in God’s shielding us until Jesus returns and reveals himself as the resurrected Son of God to the whole world—not just his disciples.
Peter then talks about the joy of this salvation/hope. It’s a promise (and God keeps his promise) that he’ll finish what he started. And this promise yields 2 kids of produce or fruit: 1) The fruit of faith in God and 2) The fruit of love for God.
Peter then moves to the prophets. Beginning with the OT prophets he talks about how their ministry in prophesying (orally and/or in writing) was more for us than for their generation. It’s amazing how God does this. He starts with the OT prophets and their attempts to figure out what God was doing both then and in the future. But he also does this with the NT prophets—preachers. Both spoke of the grief of God and the glory of God. We mentioned this last week: the way God chose to do this was the cross before the crown. And this is how he works in our lives too.
So while we find ourselves in suffering and trials, God is using these to make us “Mature and complete not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4). It’s incumbent on us to remember that there’s hope for us because of the source, guarantee, joy and prophetic voice of God in the past for our salvation. The angels give us another reason in that they are peering over the wall, so to speak, to get a glimpse of what God is up to in his redemption story. His story. History.
Conclusion
Bottom line: Stand firm in God’s grace, even in the midst of trials.
“Hope is one of the three great theological virtues – the others being love and faith. As Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa writes, ‘They are like three sisters. Two of them are grown and the other is a small child. They go forward together hand in hand with the child hope in the middle. Looking at them it would seem that the bigger ones are pulling the child, but it is the other way around; it is the little girl who is pulling the two bigger ones. It is hope that pulls faith and love. Without hope everything would stop.’” -Bible in One Year 2023 with Nicky Gumbel: Day 213 • Devotional
Is there hope for us? Absolutely? The key? Believe that this living hope is available to all who would trust and follow the Lord Jesus. Does that mean all my problems will go away? Absolutely not. God uses our trials to make us mature and complete in Christ. He uses our trials to test our faith and refine our faith. This gives us greater confidence and grows our faith as we deal with the struggles in this dying world.
God gives us a living hope in a dying world through the Living Hope, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross so that we could join him in his kingdom.
So don’t lose hope. Keep the Son in your eyes.
Pray
Outline heavily influenced by Wilmington’s Outline Bible
1 Peter 1:
I. The SOURCE of our salvation/hope. (1-2) LAST WEEK
A. We’ve been chosen by the Father.
B. We’ve been made holy by the Spirit.
C. We’ve been cleansed by the blood of Christ.
II. The GUARANTEE of our salvation/hope. (3-5) THIS WEEK
A. The PROOF: It’s guaranteed by the resurrection of Christ. (3)
B. The PERMANENCE: It’s kept in heaven for us. (4)
C. The POWER: God shields us until we get home. (5)
III. The JOY of our salvation/hope. (6-9)
A. The PROMISE: This joy can be yours even in the midst of trials. (6)
B. The PRODUCE: Our trials produce a two-fold fruit:
They increase our faith in God. (7)
They increase our love for God. (8-9)
IV. The PROPHETS of our salvation/hope. (10-12a)
A. What they didn’t understand (10-11): They couldn’t fully comprehend all their prophecies concerning the future work of the Messiah:
In regard to his GRIEF. (10-11)
In regard to his GLORY. (12a) They knew that their prophesies would not be fulfilled until after they died.
V. The ANGELS and our salvation/hope. (12b) They long to know more about this!
NOTES
None
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discovery Bible Study process:
Retell the story in your own words.
Discovery the story
What does this story tell me about God?
What does this story tell me about people?
If this is really God’s word, what changes would I have to make in my life?
Who am I going to tell about this?
Final Questions (optional or in place of above)
What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?
Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast
Q. What do I want them to know?
A. The reasons why we should praise and bless God.
Q. Why do I want them to know it?
A. Because they all revolve around him giving us a living hope in a dying world.
Q. What do I want them to do about it?
A. Stand firm in the grace of God, holy and blameless, persevering through trials until he returns.
Q. Why do I want them to do it?
A. Because of the living hope you have in Christ Jesus.
Q. How can they begin to do this?
A. Embrace the trials you find yourself in and remind yourself that this will pass and you’ll find your living hope with Jesus forever.
MAIN REFERENCES USED
“1 - 2 Peter and Jude,” by David Helm, Preaching the Word Commentary, Edited by Kent Hughes
“1 & 2 Peter ” by RC Sproul
“1 & 2 Peter and Jude” by Thomas Schreiner
“The Message of 1 Peter” by Edmund Clowney
“The Visual Word,” Patrick Schreiner
“1 Peter: A living hope in Christ”, Jen Wilkin Bible study
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)
“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)
Outline Bible, D Willmington
NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/
ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.org
“The Bible in One Year 2023 with Nicky Gumbel” bible reading plan on YouVersion app
ChatGPT https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt
Read MoreSeries: All!
Jesus has all authority,
So that all nations
Might pledge all allegiance to him.
Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20, Title: “What is the Great Commission?
Bottom line: Based on Christ’s authority and promised presence, his followers are to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey Jesus’ commands. (Largely based on David Platt’s main idea)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
SERMON OUTLINE & NOTES
MAIN REFERENCES USED
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discovery Bible Study process:
Retell the story in your own words.
Discovery the story
What does this story tell me about God?
What does this story tell me about people?
If this is really God’s word, what changes would I have to make in my life?
Who am I going to tell about this?
Final Questions (optional or in place of above)
What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?
Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast
Q. What do I want them to know?
A. What the Great Commission is.
Q. Why do I want them to know it?
A. Because we’re called to follow it all our life.
Q. What do I want them to do about it?
A. Obey it to the fullest.
Q. Why do I want them to do it?
A. Because it’s for our good, the world’s good, and God’s glory.
Q. How can they begin to do this?
A. By asking people how you can pray for them.
SERMON OUTLINE & NOTES
Introduction
Kevin at Chickfila
Today at Chickfila (8/25/23), former member (?) Kevin Darby came out from the kitchen to catch me as I walked through to tell me that he’d been a part of leading someone to Christ (not sure if in person or online). He said that this person called themself a former Christian for a time. Kevin discerned that he was probably never a Christian but an intellectual or false Christian. Anyway, over time, Kevin challenged him to move from the head knowledge to a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. He eventually did and reached out to tell Kevin. He also told Kevin that he was the main reason. Kevin had tears in his eyes as he told me.
Kevin is one who likes the intellectual debates about scripture and faith. He and I have had our debates over the years. But what seems to have gotten Kevin’s attention is that God used him to change a life. And he somehow associated his years at Grace as a reminder and impetus to point people to a saving relationship with Jesus. And after all these years he wanted to affirm me and our ministry by testifying to what God did for that young man.
I told Kevin how happy I was for him to have been a part of that. I told him that I wasn’t surprised because he’d been so faithful to share Christ wherever he went. His tears told me he needed to hear that—to be affirmed.
Isn’t that interesting. God saves a young man through the testimony of one of his followers. And he ministers to the one who shared as much as he did the one he saved. God is always at work. And he’s working in so many ways at the same time. It’s never just what’s in front of us.
What is the Great Commission? It is the greatest of missions that God could call his people to. It’s not just a command—it’s a way of life. It’s the way to true life. It’s the way, the truth and the life. It’s our greatest calling! It’s the great adventure!
Last week we saw the victory of resurrection with a hint towards this week which is his authoritative command to make disciples and promise to always be with us.
It’s Jesus’ final words to his disciples before leaving to sit in the place of ultimate authority at the right hand of the Father. It’s why when we are saved we are not immediately swept up to heaven. It’s unfinished business—the unfinished task of the Church today.
It will get finished, however. One day someone from every tongue and tribe and nation will know the Lord. And then the end will come. Our task is to pray, send, give and go to the nations with the gospel until this task is finished.
So it’s a commission—a mission we do together. It’s what follows Jesus’ earthly ministry because Jesus leaves it to us to become our earthly ministry. We won’t do this in heaven, after all.
Bottom line: Based on Christ’s authority and promised presence, his followers are to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey Jesus’ commands.
Nicky Gumbel wrote: “Matthew’s Gospel starts by stating that Jesus is ‘God with us’ (Matthew 1:23). In the very last verse of the Gospel, Jesus affirms his eternal ongoing presence with all of his followers. To those who believe and obey Jesus’ command, he promises, ‘I am with you always’ (28:20b).”
Conclusion
Bottom line: Based on Christ’s authority and promised presence, his followers are to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey Jesus’ commands.
We are Disciples • catalyticministries.com
WE ARE THE UNDERGROUND CHURCH.
We don't just tell stories of the underground church, we are the underground church.
WE OFFER OUR BODIES AS LIVING SACRIFICES.
To love Him so much that nothing else matters. He is worth it all.
WE WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO REACH PEOPLE IN THE DARKEST PLACES.
To reach people no one is reaching, we'll have to do things no one is doing.
WE ALWAYS BRING OUR BEST THROUGH THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT.
To be set apart with integrity honors God and inspires people.
WE GIVE UP THINGS WE LOVE FOR THINGS WE LOVE EVEN MORE.
It's an honor to sacrifice for Christ.
WE ARE DISCIPLE-MAKERS AND WE EXIST FOR THE WORLD.
If we don't love radically and live with integrity then we have nothing.
WE ARE FAITH-FILLED, MULTIPLYING, OBEDIENT RISK-TAKERS FOR JESUS.
We won't insult God with small thinking and safe living.
WE WILL LEAD THE WAY WITH PROFOUND GENEROSITY.
Unconditional love and family are our heartbeat. Generosity is the blood flow.
WE DON'T JUST SURVIVE PERSECUTION, WE THRIVE.
Whether well fed or hungry, rich or poor, in persecution or freedom, east or the west, we will be content in Jesus and make disciples.
WE WILL MAKE FAMILY, NOT DESTROY THEM.
Nothing is more fun than serving God with the people you love.
DEAD PEOPLE DON'T HAVE OPINIONS.
Our opinions are His opinions, we will seek first and represent His Kingdom always.
Maybe you need help with your next step. Here’s a suggestion for everyone:
Take out a welcome card or any piece of paper you have handy.
You can do this in the chat online as well.
You can text this to me as well at 843-830-2464. My name is Darien Gabriel.
Put your name on it. Then put a letter at the top:
A- Already believing and following Christ.
B- Believing today for the first time.
C- Considering believing and following Jesus Christ.
D- Declining to follow Jesus Christ at this time.
E- Exploring full-time missions or ministry.
Add your name and cell and I will personally follow up with you to see how I can help.
How can I get started today?
By asking at least one person a day, how can I pray for you today? And then praying for them (and with them if led).
“How can I pray for you today? [pause] May I pray for you right now?”
3 of 8 billion say they are Christians. What about the other 5?
https://twitter.com/visualcap/status/1647012029159309313?s=12&t=idl32xYvZ1Ibm1ALWyhYlg
People should know your church is in the community.
They should be glad your church is in the community.
And they should be better because your church is in the community.
-Dave Adamson
Pray
NOTES
David Platt notes
Main idea: “Based on Christ’s authority and His promised presence, His followers are to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to observe Jesus’ commands.”
I. We will believe in the authority of Christ. His authority compels us to go!
II. We will obey the command of Christ.
Not a comfortable call to come and sit.
An costly call to go, baptize and make disciples of all nations
We share the word; in word AND deed
We show the word; “baptizing” is public profession
We teach the word; “to obey/follow”
We serve the worLd; “nations”
Around the corner and around the world; cf. Acts 1:8
III. We will depend on the presence of Christ.
Nicky Gumbel notes
I have found that there is nothing greater in life than to experience the sense of the presence of the resurrected Jesus.
The risen Jesus commissions his followers to ‘go and make disciples of all nations’ (v.19a). This is our calling as individuals and as a church community. The vision statement of our church is ‘to play our part in the evangelisation of the nations, the revitalisation of the church and the transformation of society’. It is based on this command of Jesus.
Together with the command comes a promise: ‘I am with you always’ (v.20b). The resurrection isn’t just an historical fact or religious idea; it is a life-changing reality. God promises that as you go about fulfilling his commission, the presence of the resurrected Jesus goes with you.
When the women see the empty tomb the angel tells them, ‘He is not here; he has risen… you will see him’ (vv.6–7).
Filled with ‘great joy’ they ran to tell the disciples. As they did so, ‘Jesus met them’ (v.9). They experienced the presence of the risen Jesus (vv.8–10), ‘clasped his feet’ (v.9) and worshipped him as God (vv.9b,17a).
The attempts of others to explain away the empty tomb began very early on (v.13) and, in spite of all the evidence, not everyone believed (v.17b). It was suggested that ‘his disciples… stole him away while [the soldiers] were asleep’ (v.13). Some people still postulate this explanation. But it does not fit the evidence:
The disciples were discouraged and frightened. Only the miracle of the resurrection could have transformed them
They did not expect Jesus to rise from the dead. They had no motive to steal the body
The tomb was heavily guarded (27:62–66)
They were not the only ones who saw Jesus. Many others saw him after the resurrection and interacted with him over a period of forty days (Acts 1:3; 1 Corinthians 15:6)
If the disciples did steal the body, their whole lives thereafter were based on a lie. My friend Ian Walker, a Cambridge scientist, became a Christian because he could not believe that the disciples would have been willing to be tortured and put to death for something they would have known was not true.
It really is true. Jesus is risen. Death and burial are not the end. In Christ, you too will be raised from the dead.
It was women who were the first to be entrusted with the message of the resurrection. This is particularly noteworthy since women at the time were not considered valid witnesses in court…
Matthew’s Gospel starts by stating that Jesus is ‘God with us’ (Matthew 1:23). In the very last verse of the Gospel, Jesus affirms his eternal ongoing presence with all of his followers. To those who believe and obey Jesus’ command, he promises, ‘I am with you always’ (28:20b).
MAIN REFERENCES USED
“Preaching the Word” Commentary, Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Edited by Kent Hughes
“Matthew” by RC Sproul
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)
“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)
“Exalting Jesus in Matthew” by David Platt (CCE)
Outline Bible, D Willmington
NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/
ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.org
“The Bible in One Year 2023 with Nicky Gumbel” bible reading plan on YouVersion app
ChatGPT https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt
Read MoreSeries: All!
Jesus has all authority,
So that all nations
Might pledge all allegiance to him.
Title: “How to prepare for when all hell breaks lose”
Scripture: Matthew 26:31-46
Bottom line: Prepare today for that day when all hell breaks loose.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
SERMON OUTLINE & NOTES
MAIN REFERENCES USED
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discussion questions for group and personal study. Reflect and Discuss:
1. Explain why Matthew 26-27 is so crucial to our understanding of God, the world, sin, salvation, etc.
2. What impact should the cross have on our reading of the previous chapters in Matthew's Gospel?
3. Discuss how the following attributes of God are displayed in the cross: sovereignty, righteousness, wrath, and love.
4. Explain what is meant by the idea that the cross is fundamentally for God's sake.
5. How does the cross expose our sin? What does it say about the seriousness of our sin?
6. How would you explain the terms substitution and propitiation to an unbeliever with little or no theological knowledge or vocabulary?
7. Why is it important to see Jesus as our substitute, propitiation, and reconciliation, and not just a loving example?
8. How does the truth of Christ's substitutionary death impact our daily pursuit of holiness?
9. Discuss several ways in which the cross fulfills Old Testament prophecies and expectations.
10. How does the cross rule out the possibility of a works-based righteousness?
Final Questions (optional or in place of above)
What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?
Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast
Q. What do I want them to know?
A. What to do when all hell breaks loose.
Q. Why do I want them to know it?
A. So they’ll be able to prepare for that day.
Q. What do I want them to do about it?
A. Prepare for the day when all hell breaks loose.
Q. Why do I want them to do it?
A. So that they’ll respond like Jesus did when all hell breaks loose.
Q. How can they begin to do this?
A. 4 parts here:
Remember that he is faithful and forgives even when we bail on him.
Saturate our minds with his word daily.
Surrender, denying ourselves, taking up our cross daily, and following him.
Not your will but mine vs Not my will but yours
Eden vs Gethsemane
Watch and pray as we
do,
remember and
believe these things.
SERMON OUTLINE & NOTES
Introduction
Today we will answer the question: What do we do to prepare for the day when all Hell breaks loose?
Bottom line: Prepare today for that day when all hell breaks loose.
Illustration
The closest thing that fits this disturbing title for me is the day back in December when our family collapsed through a portion of 15 ft high deck putting 10 of us in the ER at the same time.
The very short version is that we were trying to take a family group photo. We were celebrating Christmas at my brother’s house and outside on his elevated deck. We were grouped and ready to snap the picture when the deck opened like a trap door dropping all but my mom in a pile 15 feet below. My brother and his wife, our four daughters, their husbands, and 2 grandsons. I cannot describe to you the horror we experienced looking around and see a pile of bodies of your closes family members and the wailing…it’s still pretty intense. For us, that day felt like all hell broke loose.
SERMON OUTLINE
Q1. What do I want you to know?
A. What to do when all hell breaks loose.
Jesus and the 12 are about to go through a hellacious night and day. Actually, 3 days. The disciples will suffer for bailing on Jesus. Jesus will suffer the wrath of God for humanity on the cross and wherever he goes after that. There will never be a more intense set of circumstances than the ones that Jesus will experience. The 12 will go through a lot too.
As we look at this, we’ll probably realize that while we are going through our stuff too, there are principles that we can take away from this that will prepare us for that eventuality. If you’re not going through your excruciating trauma, you might want to prepare to. Because in this life we will have trouble.
My aim today is to give you four tools to put into your prep or go bag so that you’ll be as ready as you can be for the unexpected trauma that is coming your way.
Q2. Why do I want them to know it?
A. So they’ll be able to prepare for that day.
God gives us some principles here (and next week too) that will help us prepare for the challenges ahead. To know that they are coming and not prepare is just foolish. They may not come. You may be spared. But even then the preparations you end up not needing will equip those around you for the challenges that they will encounter and your preparations will be God’s gracious provision for them.
Q3. What do I want them to do about it?
A. Prepare for the day when all hell breaks loose.
I know it seems a little silly. I don’t care. I carry a back pack in my truck that has a few snacks, bottles of water, and other various things for the unlikely chance that we have an earthquake in Charleston and I’m in Mt Pleasant at the time. If we have an earthquake, the bridges will not be safe to drive across. Of course, I will want to get home. So I will park my truck, grab my bag and start walking.
It’s a 32-35 mile walk, depending on your route. Under ideal circumstances (daytime vs night; calm vs chaos; etc.), it will take you 11-12 hours (without rest stops) to walk from Barnes & Noble at Town Center and my house in the Knightsville area. I don’t know if stores will be open after an serious earthquake or not. But I will be glad I had that backpack. And that’s just an earthquake. (We’re overdue for another, in case you’re new to the area) Hurricanes you can see coming. Tornadoes, bombs, shootings, terrorist attacks…these are no longer far-fetched. To not prepare at all is sticking your head in the sand and hoping nothing happens in your lifetime. And that’s to say nothing about how you’re preparing your kids and grandkids for a future that doesn’t look so bright.
I want us to prepare. Whether it’s a persona/family catastrophe or a national emergency, we need to prepare—physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. But since we all know it’s impossible to prepare for all possibilities, I hope you will see the infinite value in preparing spiritually and will start there. You can do these simultaneously but start with spiritually.
Q4. Why do I want them to do it?
A. So that they’ll respond like Jesus did when all hell breaks loose.
I want us to respond to this. I want us to start to prepare or build on your preparations—starting spiritually. For your sake. For your family’s sake. For your neighbor’s sake. For your church family’s sake. Your preparations will help you and others in the long run.
Q. How can they begin to do this?
A. 3 parts here:
Remember that he is faithful and forgives even when we bail on him.
Surrender, denying ourselves, taking up our cross daily, and following him.
Not your will but mine vs Not my will but yours
Eden vs Gethsemane
Watch and pray as we
do,
remember and
believe these things.
Conclusion
It might sound silly, but I keep a go-bag in my car (and Anita’s) in case we get stuck somewhere and have to walk home. For example, if I was at Barnes & Noble on a Friday afternoon and Charleston was hit by another earthquake like the one in 1886, the bridges would be closed (if not damaged) and I’d have to walk home or drive a long way around in gridlock. (See below for Charleston earthquake of 1886)
Bottom line: Prepare today for that day when all hell breaks loose.
The day our family fell together was traumatic for us. We’re still healing from it. Not just the physical either. In fact, the mental/emotional toil is probably the hardest to heal from.
But I can tell you that our family was prepared and came through this much better than we deserved because of God’s grace. In his grace, he prepared us by
REMINDING US THAT WE ARE FORGIVEN. Even when we bail on Jesus, he forgives when we confess our sins to him.
TEACHING US HOW TO LIVE SURRENDERED. Our lives are a gift. We don’t deserve our life. We don’t have to exist. But we do. And God’s grace is there for us every day whether we acknowledge it or not. Living surrendered is a life-long journey. Because our human nature wants to save our life. But God calls us to live in light of eternity. That perspective really served us well as we took those mental trips down the road called worse-case scenario. This could have ended a lot worse than it did. One daughter still has another surgery ahead. One son-in-law still doesn’t have full range of motion in his shoulder. We’re all dealing with different levels of post trauma stress. We’re still triggered at times by sounds or words. But surrendering your life to God helps with all of these things.
Finally, WATCHING AND PRAYING. We are more alert on any deck now:-). We’re so glad our deck at home is only 12 inches high, I’ll tell you that. Elevators and apartment stairwells are still a challenge at times. But watching and praying remind us to be vigilant about all things in life. Not to stress out about everything but to rest in the peace of God in everything. I like to say, prepare as if it all depends on you, but pray and trust God as if it all depends on him.
God is faithful.
God is able.
God cares. Trust him
Pray
Notes
Sweating drops of blood = Hematohydrosis
The 1886 Charleston earthquake in South Carolina occurred about 9:50 p.m. local time August 31. It caused 60 deaths and $5–6 million ($179.14 million in 2022) in damage to 2,000 buildings in the Southeastern United States. It is one of the most powerful and damaging earthquakes to hit the East Coast of the United States.[3]
Scientists have classified it as an intraplate earthquake, and said that it had an estimated moment magnitude of 6.9–7.3 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). Very little to no historical earthquake activity had occurred in this region, which is unusual for any seismic area.[3]
The shock was felt as far away as Boston, Massachusetts, to the north, Chicago, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to the northwest, New Orleans, Louisiana, to the west, and across water to Cuba to the south, and Bermuda to the east.[4] The earthquake was so severe that outside the immediate area, there was speculation that the Florida peninsula had broken away from North America.[5] There were at least 60 fatalities.
OUTLINE MATTHEW 26
Jesus and disciples celebrate Passover in the upper room. Jesus predicts Judas's betrayal and Peter's denial, both of which come to pass. After supper Jesus prays in Gethsemane, then is arrested and taken before the high priest.
I. THE ACTION PRECEDING THE UPPER ROOM (26:1-16)
A. The prediction (26:1-2): Once again Jesus predicts his betrayal and crucifixion.
B. The plots (26:3-5, 14-16): On two occasions wicked plans are made to kill Jesus.
1. The plot by Caiaphas (26:3-5): Jewish leaders meet at the palace of this high priest to discuss ways to murder the Savior!
2. The plot by Judas (26:14-16): He agrees with Jesus' enemies to betray the Messiah for thirty pieces of silver.
C. The preparation (26:6-13): Jesus is anointed by a woman at Bethany.
1. The dedication (26:6-7): A woman pours a very expensive alabaster jar of perfume over his head.
2. The denunciation (26:8-9): The disciples criticize her for not selling the perfume and giving the proceeds to the poor.
3. The defense (26:10-13): Jesus defends the woman, referring to two aspects:
a. The preparation aspect (26:10-12): She did this to prepare his body for burial.
b. The prophetic aspect (26:13): Her act will be remembered wherever the gospel is preached!
II. THE ACTION IN THE UPPER ROOM (26:17-30)
A. The instructions (26:17-19): Jesus directs two of his disciples to prepare a room in Jerusalem for the Passover.
B. The indictment (26:20-25)
1. Jesus' betrayal (26:20-24): The Savior announces that one of the Twelve will betray him.
2. Jesus betrayer (26:25): He then identifies ludas as the one.
C. The institution (26:26-30)
1. The supper (26:26-29): The Lord's Supper is now instituted.
a. He speaks concerning the bread 26:26): It is his body.
b. He speaks concerning the cup (26:27-29) Itis his blood, poured out to forgive sins.
2. The song (26:30): They sing a hymn, then go out to the Mount of Olives.
III. THE ACTION FOLLOWING THE UPPER ROOM (26:31-75)
A. The prophecy of Jesus (26:31-35, 56b, 69-75)
1. As foretold (26:31-35): Jesus makes a twofold prediction concerning the disciples.
a. All will desert him (26:31-32): He will meet them in Galilee after the Resurrection.
b. One will deny him (26:33-35): He says Peter will deny him three times before the rooster crows!
2. As fulfilled (26:56b, 69-75)
a. The desertion (26:56b): All the disciples flee.
b. The denial (26:69-75): Peter denies Jesus three times.
B. The prayers of Jesus (26:36-46)
1. The assistance he seeks (26:36-38): Jesus requests that Peter, James, and John keep watch with him.
2. The agony he suffers (26:39-46)
a. His first prayer (26:39-41)
(1) The struggle (26:39): Jesus begs his Father to remove the suffering he is about to endure but emphasizes that he desires the Father's will, not his own.
(2) The sleepers (26:40-41): Returning, he finds the three disciples asleep.
b. His second prayer (26:42-43)
(1) The struggle (26:42): Similar to the first prayer.
(2) The sleepers (26:43): Again he finds them asleep.
c. His third prayer (26:44-46)
(1) The struggle (26:44): Similar to the first two prayers.
(2) The sleepers (26:45-46): Upon awakening them, he warns of his imminent arrest.
C. The persecutions of Jesus (26:47-56a, 57-68)
1. He is arrested (26:47-56)
a. Jesus and Judas (26:47-50a): Judas betrays him to the soldiers by a kiss.
b. Jesus and Peter (26:50b-54): Peter is rebuked for cutting off the ear of the high priest's servant.
c. Judas and the soldiers (26:55-56a): He reminds the arrest ing soldiers of his innocence.
2. He is accused (26:57-66)
a. The attempts (26:57-61)
(1) The frantic efforts to locate false witnesses against Jesus (26:57-59)
(2) The futile efforts to locate false witnesses against Jesus (26:60-61): No two people can agree in their testimony.
b. The affirmation (26:62-64): Jesus acknowledges to the high priest that he is indeed the Messiah.
c. The agreement (26:65-66): The Sanhedrin votes to put him to death for blasphemy!
3. He is assaulted (26:67-68): The Jewish leaders spit upon him and strike him.
Nicky Gumbel notes (BIOY)
Your way
The way of Jesus is to say to God, 'not my way but your way! Jesus not only taught us to pray 'your will be done', he also prayed it himself: 'My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do you want?' (v.39, MSG). A second time he prayed, 'My father, if there is no other way than this, drinking this cup to the dregs, I'm ready. Do it your way' (v.42, MSG).
These are not prayers of resignation, but prayers of great courage - being willing to follow God's ways, no matter what.
In this passage we see Jesus' humanity: 'He began to show grief and distress and was deeply depressed' (v.37, AMP). He has his three closest friends with him. The same three who saw Jesus in divine glory at the transfiguration now see Jesus in the depths of human sorrow. He prays for God the Father to show him if there is any alternative. Nevertheless, he is willing to do the Father's will whatever the cost.
For Jesus, the cost was of a totally different order to anything we face. He took the sins of the whole world on his shoulders. Hence his soul was 'overwhelmed with sorrow' (v.38). Three times, Jesus prays for 'this cup' to be taken away from him (VV.39,42,44). The cup refers to his impending suffering and death.
Just before going to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus spoke of the cup at the Passover meal representing his blood 'poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins' (v.28). More than that, as is often the case in the Old Testament, this cup includes reference to God's wrath (for example Isaiah 51:22; Habakkuk 2:16). On the cross, Jesus took the cup in your place.
When you are deeply depressed, overwhelmed with sorrow, troubled or in the middle of tough times, it is such an encouragement to know that Jesus has experienced all that you face, and far more. He knows what vou are going through and vou can follow his example by submitting your ways to God.
There is an amazing contrast between what took place in the Garden of Gethsemane and in the Garden of Eden. 'Not your way, but mine' was the essence of the response of Adam and Eve to God in the first garden. However, in the second garden, 'Not my way, but yours' was Jesus' prayer to the Father. Doing it God's way meant suffering and death. But, it brought the redemption of the whole world.
MAIN REFERENCES USED
“Preaching the Word” Commentary, Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Edited by Kent Hughes
“Matthew” by RC Sproul
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)
“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)
“Exalting Jesus in Matthew” by David Platt (CCE)
Outline Bible, D Willmington
NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/
ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.org
ChatGPT https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt
Read MoreSeries: All!
Jesus has all authority,
So that all nations
Might pledge all allegiance to him.
Title: “How do I stop my hypocrisy?“
Scripture: Matthew 23:1-12
Bottom line: Jesus says the antidote to hypocrisy, pride and sin is to humble yourself and serve one another.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
SERMON OUTLINE & NOTES
MAIN REFERENCES USED
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discussion questions for group and personal study. Reflect and Discuss:
1. Even for unbelievers, hypocrisy is despised. Why do you think this is? Define hypocrisy.
2. Why is it not enough simply to be sincere in what you believe? How does this passage serve as a warning in this regard?
3. Compare Matthew 23 to the teaching about faith and works in James 2:14-26 and the necessity of righteousness in 1 John 3:4-10.
4. What is the difference between strong, biblical leadership and leadership that is self-promoting? How might these principles apply to Christians who aren't spiritual leaders?
5. What other sins does pride lead to? How can you fight against a proud heart? Can you think of any relevant biblical passages?
6. What does it mean to neglect the "more important matters of the law" (v. 23)?
7. If purity begins in the heart, then what should our fight against sin look like?
8. In what ways do you see yourself in Jesus' indictment of the Pharisees? Be specific.
9. What counsel would you offer to someone who is not sure whether his faith is genuine?
10. How can we be diligent about holiness without being overly introspective and without expecting perfection?
Final Questions (optional or in place of above)
What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?
Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast
Q. What do I want them to know?
A. That Jesus warns us about hypocrisy (in us and others) and gives us the antidote.
Q. Why do I want them to know it?
A. To become more self-aware about how insidious hypocrisy, pride and sin really are.
Q. What do I want them to do about it?
A. Humble themselves before the Lord and each other through repentance, faith, and serving one another instead of pursuing greatness as the world defines it.
Q. Why do I want them to do it?
A. Because God will humble those who exalt themselves, but he will exalt those who humble themselves.
Q. How can they begin to do this?
A. They
Confess their own hypocrisy, pride and sinful attitudes, words, and actions.
Repent of this sin and turn back to Jesus for forgiveness and restoration.
Humble themselves further by making it a priority to serve others where they live, work, learn and play.
Lead others to do the same.
OUTLINE & NOTES
Introduction
Today we will answer the question: How do I stop my hypocrisy?
Story/Illustration
In his well-known book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis devotes an entire chapter to pride. He calls pride, or self-conceit, "the great sin." Lewis says, "If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed" (Lewis, Mere Christianity, 114). He then provides the remedy for pride: "If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realise that one is proud" (Lewis, 114). Finally, it is relevant for our purposes to see how Lewis links pride with competition:
Now what you want to get clear is that pride is essentially competitive is competitive by its very nature. ... Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others. If every one else became equally rich, or clever, or good-looking there would be nothing to be proud about. It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. (Lewis, 110)
This terrifies me when I think about how competitive I can be. It explains why competition feels so personal too.
Think about how we pull for our favorite school or team in athletics or anything really. We don’t just want our team to win. We want to bask in the glow of that victory in front of others (as if we did anything to make it happen).
Think about winning a board game. If you win, you did better than everyone else around the table. Your level of how much you care about that speaks to your level of pride. Because does it really matter whether you stomp somebody at a hand of Uno or not? Really!
Pride leads us to do more terrible things than that. It leads to thinks like hypocrisy. To pretend to be someone we’re not. Because we’re competing with others to be seen as relevant, popular, respectable, successful, etc. This is pride at work. And we’re all poisoned by it. The question is are we taking the antidote? Are we applying the best medicine we can to overcome it?
Hypocrisy is pretending to be someone you’re not. It originally referred to actors on a stage wearing masks in a play. It has taken on the additional meaning of people who do this in real life. Most often, it’s used in the negative sense to refer to people who are pretending to be someone better than they believe they so that people will accept them more readily.
Jesus warns the crowds and the disciples of this disease called hypocrisy for at least two reasons:
Because their religious leaders were extremely hypocritical and unaware of it’s sinfulness.
Because they (we) are all infected by this very same disease/poison.
So, how do we stop our hypocrisy?
Outline
I. What’s the disease? 23:1-10
A. Who’s this to? Crowds and his disciples.
B. Who’s this about? Teachers of the Law and Pharisees.
C. What’s this about? Their hypocrisy as seen in…
Their big mouths (2-4)
Good: They teach the word of God, which we all should hear and obey.
Bad: They take away from the word by not obeying what they teach. (Hypocrisy)
Bad: They add to the word their own rules and refs further burdening already burdened people without helping them deal with it.
Their big heads (5-7): Pride on display: Everything they do is to be seen.
They proudly display their obedience for all to see.
Phylacteries
Tassels
They love
Place of honor at banquets/parties
Best seat in synagogue
Greeted with respect in public
Titles can make us look more godly
Titles can make others look less equal
There’s just one teacher and head—Jesus Christ
II. What’s the remedy? 23: 11-12
A. Humble yourself and serve one another…(11-12)
1 Principle: “The greatest among you will be your servant.”
2 Motives:
“For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and…”
“…those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
3 Steps:
Confess their own hypocrisy, pride and sinful attitudes, words, and actions.
Repent of this sin and turn back to Jesus for forgiveness and restoration.
Humble themselves further by making it a priority to serve others where they live, work, learn and play.
4th Step: How do we keep from relapsing?
Lead others to do the same (steps 1-3)
Conclusion
Bottom line: Jesus says the antidote to hypocrisy, pride and sin is to humble yourself and serve one another.
I saw a tweet last week that showed me both sides of this pride/humility dynamic.
The first picture is of a line of 900 people hiking along a ridge to summit Mt. Everest. Most paying $50k to have a Sherpa (a Himalayan with exceptional mountaineering expertise and skill often hired to help others summit Mt Everest) personally help them succeed. Many doing this for personal glory (competition/pride). The comment by the tweeter was that the huge numbers put more people at risk to death than ever before.
The second picture is of Gelje Sherpa leading his client towards the top when he comes across someone laying on the ground dying. He’s only 500 yards from the summit. This Sherpa, on a job helping his client survive the same climb, runs over, wraps the man in a sleeping mattress, gives him oxygen (of which his client might need), put him on his back, and then hiked him down the mountain, a trip that took 6 hours.
The first picture is one of pride. The second, one of humility. We don’t know how many people walked past the guy on the ground. And I’m guessing few of those people could have carried anyone down with the incredible challenge that it is just to summit and descend Mt Everest without dying yourself. But to add the weight of a full grown man to your load…
I think of the parable of the Good Samaritan. Who didn’t walk past the dying man on the road but instead, at great personal cost and risk of life, helped this man recover. He saw this man and humbly saw his neighbor in need and helped him.
What about us?
What is God saying to you?
What are you going to do about it?
Write it down right now.
Pray
MAIN REFERENCES USED
“Preaching the Word” Commentary, Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Edited by Kent Hughes
“Matthew” by RC Sproul
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)
“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)
“Exalting Jesus in Matthew” by David Platt (CCE)
Outline Bible, D Willmington
NIV Study Bible (NIVSB)
ESV Study Bible (ESVSB)
Read MoreTitle: “What does Jesus ask of his disciples?”
Scripture: John 7:37-39 (Main); Jeremiah 2:13; Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:1-12; Psalm 78:15-16
Intro
The Pardoner’s Tale from the Canterbury Tales
Three lawless young men go on a search for Death. They think if they can find Death, they will be able to kill him. As they are searching, they meet an old man who tells them that Death can be found at the foot of an oak tree. Off they go to the tree. There instead of finding Death, they find eight bushels of gold. With Death now out of mind and greed in mind, they decide to sleep there that night and sneak away with the treasure in the morning.
Meanwhile, the youngest goes into town to buy some food and drink.
He also buys some rat poison and poisons the wine. He wants the gold all to himself. Ah, but the other two want the gold for themselves. So they plot to kill him when he returns. Sure enough that is what they do. When the man returns, they stab him to death. To celebrate, they lift their cups and drink the poisoned wine. They too die.
The old man was right. All three greedy men found Death under that tree.
Are you satisfied with your life?
Does Jesus truly satisfy?
If so, how?
Bottom line: Jesus truly satisfies when we come to him on his terms.
The Feast of Booths (Tabernacles) was a harvest feast which portrays the desert wanderings where they lived in tents for 40 years. Talk about a roving RV festival.
Exod 17:15-16
Numbers 20:8, 10-11 (1-12)
Ps 78:15-16
Jeremiah 2:13
““My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”
Jesus speaks at a moment when one of their daily festival rites was climaxing where the priest would pour water from the pool of Siloam (healing/saving water) back to the temple in through the water gate at the blast of the temple trumpets with a crowd in pursuit, and on the last day he’d circle the altar 7 times (on the final day of the festival, 7th) when the priest would be joined by another priest carrying the wine. They’d ascend the ramp to the altar together. A pause as he raised the pitcher of water. Everyone wanted to see the pouring of the water at least once in their lifetime. And then he’d pour it on the altar.
Wine. Altar. Water.
Cross of Christ—> Living water/salvation/healing/eternal life/satisfying life
It’s a this moment that Jesus cries out vs. 37-38.
Are we satisfied or thirsty?
Are we finding satisfaction in Christ?
Are we finding even more satisfaction in sharing Christ with others?
“My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.” Jeremiah 2:13 ESV
Jesus encourages the thirsty to find true satisfaction for their thirst.
Unfortunately, most of us pursue other avenues to slake our thirst to no lasting satisfaction. We chase all kinds of things for satisfaction when the only thing that satisfies is life with Christ himself.
Jesus said blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. For they will be satisfied! (Matt 5:6)
How are we to drink this living water? On God’s terms. See this scene from CS Lewis’s the Silver Chair:
“How are we to drink this water? Although the offer is free and open to all, there are yet some terms to be met. C. S. Lewis in his children's novel The Silver Chair puts his finger on this in the clearest of terms. Jill, seeing a lion, is scared out of her wits and runs into the forest. She runs so hard that she wears herself out and is just about to die of thirst, or so she thinks, when she hears the gurgling of a brook in the distance. She approaches it and is almost ready to go to the brook when on the grass before her is the same lion.
"Are you not thirsty?" said the Lion.
"I'm dying of thirst," said Jill.
"Then drink, " said the Lion.
"May I-could I- would you mind going away while I do?" said Jill.
The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience. The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.
"Will you promise not to -do anything to me, if I do come?" said Jill.
"I make no promise," said the Lion.
Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step
nearer.
"Do you eat girls?" she said.
"I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and em-perors, cities and realms," said the Lion. It didn't say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.
"I daren't come and drink," said Jill.
"Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion.
"Oh dear!" said Jill, coming another step nearer.
"I suppose I must go and look for another stream then."
"There is no other stream," said the Lion.
It never occurred to Jill to disbelieve the Lion - no one who had seen his stern face could do that -and her mind suddenly made itself up. It was the worst thing she had ever had to do, but she went forward to the stream, knelt down, and began scooping up water in her hand. It was the coldest, most refreshing water she had ever tasted.
Do you see what Lewis is saying? When you come to the water, you are coming to a Lion, you must come on the Lion's terms, and you have to yield yourself by faith in order to get the water. Some of us need to realize that we are thirsty, that we need that water so badly that we are going to die without it. We need to step out on faith, yielding to the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and receive the water of eternal life.” —K Hughes, John, pp. 220-221
7:38-39
“Jesus is saying that the part of us that is never satisfied, the part of us that craves so much, becomes, when we receive this water, the part that is satisfied.” —Hughes, p. 221
“Furthermore, not only does such satisfaction come to us in Christ, but it overflows to others. Notice that Christ does not say ‘river’ but ‘rivers.’ Rivers of living water flow out of us by virtue of the in dwelling Spirit of Christ.” Ibid.
Billy Bray was a dynamic Christian and British miner in the 19th century who so overflowed with the living water of Christ that wherever he went men trusted Christ.
Each day as he went down into the mines—very dangerous in those days—he would pray with the miners as he went down. “Lord, if any of us must be killed or die today, let it be me. Let not one of these men die for they are not happy and I am, and if I die today I shall go to be in heaven.”
“Power and overflowing joy—these are the characteristics of great drinkers of the Spirit. But the sublime irony in this is that we never experience satisfaction as we are meant to until our lives give satisfaction o others.” —Ibid, p. 222
You’ve heard the expression, “He drinks like a fish” referring to his drinking of alcohol. Oh that we’d hear of Christians “drinking like a fish” out of the fountain of living water. Not drinking spirits but of THE SPIRIT of Christ! Power & joy abundant and shared.
“Are you satisfied? Is your satisfaction flowing out to others?” Ibid.
“During the desert wanderings that the Feast of Tabernacles portrayed, Moses smote a rock, and out of it came rivers of living (?) water for the people. That was a picture of Christ, and our Scripture refers to this in v. 39.” Ibid.
“Jesus had not yet been smitten on the cross and resurrected. Therefore the S;Iris had not yet come to indwell believers. In the wilderness, the first time the Lord instructed Moses to STRIKE the rock, Moses did, and God provided water. But the second time Moses made a grievous error. God told him to SPEAK to the rock, but in his anger against the people Moses smote the rock. Water nevertheless came out graciously from God, but Moses paid heavily for his action…Moses probably never suspected that he had ruined the type because Christ was not smitten twice but once. Again we see God’s provision and his grace.” Ibid.
“Our Lord is a Lion, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, and we must come to him on his terms, thought he graciously invites us to communicate with him, to speak to him. Are you satisfied? Have you drunk long and deep of that water so that out of your innermost being are flowing rivers of living water? Is your life a beatitude to others? Whether or not that has happened, speak to him about it now.” Ibid, 222-223.
What do we need to do?
Recognize that you thirst for something that exists. Your thirst for more than this life offers. Abundant life forever!
Drink this living water. Drink deeply and often as if our lives depended on it. God gives us thirst so that we’ll know we need it satisfied and that there exists something that can truly satisfy. Drinking is believing.
Pour out (spray, hose down, power wash) what wants out from within. God fills us up so that we have something to give. Our job isn’t to fill someone else’s cup. Our job is to empty our cup.
Living water = Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit
Immerses the person into this living water (baptism of the Holy Spirit)
Saturates the person with the Holy Spirit guaranteeing he will finish what he started in them.
Brings spiritual fruit in unlimited quantity. (Fruit of the Spirit)
Brings spiritual gifts (at least one; no one has all) for the purpose of building up the body of Christ (the Church).
He guides and provides all that we need to then go and saturate this world.
Saturate this world with living water. That is the love of God through Jesus Christ.
Big idea/Bottom line?
What do I want them to know?
That Jesus satisfies us like nothing else.
Why?
Because this satisfaction streams into our world and brings satisfaction there too.
What do I want them to do?
Drink deeply of this living water and share it with others.
Why?
For this leads to even more satisfaction.
How?
Come to God on his terms. He’s a lion and terrifying. Fear God. He’s also inviting you to come. Believe and receive this good invitation of good news that Jesus Christ truly satisfies.
Read MoreFallen Condition Focus
We must enter into God’s Kingdom under the righteousness of Christ.
Introduction
Have you ever been invited to something so important there was no chance you
would say no to the invitation. I was thinking about this, this week.
If you recall now in Matthew we have reached Wednesday of what we call holy
week. Just a couple of days prior you may recall that Jesus had gone into the
temple and out of disgust for what he saw cleansed the temple.
Here Israel was situated on this land bridge that was centrally located between 3
comments. As travelers would come through, God’s design was that through
Israel, they would be pointed to the Lord. His Temple would welcome them into
knowing Him and worshiping.
But nothing could be further from the truth. They had perverted what had been
entrusted to them. To those they should have been ministering to, they were
exploiting for their own financial gain.
So it’s no wonder why Jesus removed them with such emotion. And I suspect they
were boiling about this all day on Tuesday. And in Chapter 21 we find them,
having licked their wounds, back at Jesus again with more questions designed to
trap him. By what authority do you do these things? Where is your degree? What
seminary gives you the right to be a teacher. And it is really this question, that
launches Jesus into a series of 3 Judgement based parables. Two of which we have
already covered, and the final one that I want to cover today, that we will call, the
parable of the wedding feast.
Trilogy of Judgement Parables
2
o Parable of the Two Sons (21:28-31)
o Landowner and the vinyard (21:33-46)
o The wedding feast (22:1-14) Read Text
22:1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,
It’s very appropriate based on what we discussed earlier that Jesus would answer
their questions with a parable. A parable is a simple story, like an allegory, that
uses everyday experience to teach a deeper heavenly meaning. But more than that
these parables had a specific purpose to conceal the truth from the hard hearted
Pharisees and reveal truth to the humble would be disciples who would hear them
with open hearts.
[Mar 4:10-12 ESV] 10 And when he was alone, those around him with the
twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, "To you has
been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside
everything is in parables, 12 so that "'they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be
forgiven.'"
So these parables are blessing are both a treasure to some and at the same time a
judgement for others. So Jesus continues to teach in parables.
22:2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who
gave a wedding feast for his son,
Jesus is very clear about what this parable is about. We don’t have to wonder. We
are talking about the Kingdom of Heaven. Understand this is not some future
state Kingdom that we might find in the book of Revelations, although it does
include that, but Jesus has the present time in mind as he talks about the Kingdom
of Heaven. He is speaking of the area of God’s rule, God’s people who are part of
his Kingdom even here on earth. As we are saved even today we are brought into
God’s Kingdom. So Jesus begins to tell a story about what it is like to be a
member of God’s Kingdom.
3
And he chooses to describe this as a wedding feast. Not just a wedding feast but a
royal wedding feast. One thing I noticed when I moved to Charleston was that
weddings are a big deal here. I can’t tell you how many times I have been on an
airplane flying back home to Charleston and the plane is filled with a wedding
party coming to Charleston to get married. But it was even bigger in ancient
Jerusalem. In fact in was not uncommon for a wedding to last a week. It was an
extremely joyful time full of happiness and feast after feast. And the best part was
as a guest you didn’t have to pay.
Now in the parable we don’t just have a wedding, we have a royal wedding. And
I don’t have to tell you, that if a typical wedding was a week you can imagine the
celebration that this King would be having to honor his Son the crown Prince.
Jesus wants those listening to him to be thinking of the biggest most festive event
that they can possibly imagine multiply it by 10 and then you start to understand
what is going on here. That is the picture.
Now we get to invitation #1.
22:3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the
wedding feast, but they would not come.
Notice something interesting here, I missed it when I first read it but it is very
important. The King sends his servants to call whom? Those who were already
invited. This is very telling. This is not a cold call invitation, in fact, the King has
already provided details of the wedding. He has already sent out the guest list and
notified everyone. All the servants do is go out a remind them the time has come
to attend this most festive occasion. It’s time for the celebration to begin.
Let’s stop here and define who the character’s in the parable represent. Obviously
the King is God the Father. And the Son, is none other than Jesus Christ. But who
are the guests? Who are the ones who have already been notified of the coming of
the Messiah, and in this present day are being invited to come to him. These guests
are the nation of Israel. God’s chosen people in the Old Testament were notified to
4
be on alert because the Son would be coming. He is talking about the Pharisees
and Scribes standing in his midst as he tells this parable. The have been invited by
Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, all the old Testament prophets. This verse is an exact
summary of the entire Old Testament.
“They would not come”. At this point, I want you to audibly hear the crowd
around Jesus gasp as he says these words. What do you mean they would not
come! How is this possible? They have been invited to the Royal Wedding
festivities and they refuse the King! Can you imagine!
Invitation #2
22:4 Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See,
I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been
slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast."'
What a gracious benevolent King! After the rejection and utter disrespect that the
guests have brought upon his Son, he is patient and extends grace. The King
reminds them that there is nothing you have to do. He says I have done all the
work. The preparations are made everything is finalized, all you have to do is
answer the invitation. He bidst them ones more to come.
I was reminded as I read this of Jesus’ Cry just 2 days later as he would be hangin
on the cross, “It is finished.” The work to complete salvation is was done at that
moment. He calls us to him not to add anything to what he has done, but to
simply bask in the work that has been done for us.
This King is patient. You know God is patient with us too. Many times, just like
these Jews, we have ignored God’s call to come to him. But God is patient, and
God is good. So extends another invitation to them.
5
And among these second wave of servants that were sent to them was none other
than, John the Baptist, Jesus himself, All of the apostles have been sent to invite
them again to come to the wedding party.
Look how they respond to this second invitation:
22:5 & 6 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his
business,
while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed
them.
I can imagine that those hearers of this parable by now are ready to rip their robes
at the direction this story is headed. We see here two groups that respond quite
differently. Group 1 responds with indifference. They simply do not care about
the Kingdom, about the King, or about the honored Son.
We see this same response today right. Have you ever shared the gospel or shared
something spiritual with non-believers and they look at you like you have 3 eyes.
They don’t understand, they don’t care to understand, and perhaps they think
you’re a crazy person. Such was this first group.
The first group is wrapped up in the everyday things of the world, maybe it’s the
work they have at the farm, or tending to their business. They are more concerned
about the things of this world and really don’t care about anything beyond that.
The reality is that this represents much of the modern world and certainly much
of the US. Bringing honor and glory to the Son is laughable to them in
comparison to the everyday pursuits of their lives. This is the response of the
secular world.
The second group is different. We see a dramatic statement in verse 6 that they
are so enraged by the repeated invitation that they result to murdering the servants
of the king. These are the religious crowds who are so enraged by the invitation
6
that they ultimately would murder the very ones who were sent to bring them the
news. John was beheaded, Jesus was nailed to a cross, and the apostles martyred.
22:7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those
murderers and burned their city.
The King was kind a gracious, but his invitation has a limit. His patience has a
limit. And now he has had enough. This is a warning to us as well. For a time,
God invites us to come to him, but if we continue to harden our hearts and reject
his invitation we too will see his wrath.
Also verse 7 we get a prophecy from the Lord himself. Notice it also say that the
“burned their city”. We know that their city is Jerusalem, so what is Jesus talking
about here?
In AD70 the city of Jerusalem would be utterly destroyed. The temple would be
destroyed. And the Jewish people would even lose their ability to maintain the
sacrificial sytem without a temple. In the destruction of this city more that 1.1 M
jews were killed and the entire city was left in ruin. As a result the Jewish people
were scattered.
Now we look at the third invitation.
22:8 Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those
invited were not worthy.
Notice that the Son will be honored. The King is not wriging his hands in concern
that nobody will be there to honor the son. In fact, all of the wedding is about the
son. Not the bride! We must be careful that we understand this about salvation.
Salvation is not centrally about you. While we do get the benefit of eternal life, of
getting to be with the God in heaven, the real focus of salvation is about bringing
honor and glory to the Son. That is what is at the root of salvation! The King will
fill the wedding hall with worthy people in order to exhault the name of the Son.
7
22:9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as
many as you find.'
The King instructs them to go out where, unto the main roads. Not the backroads
full of locals, but to the main intersections where tourists, travelers, gentiles
would be passing thru.
We here the echoes here of the great commission. Go ye therefor into all nations.
We are ordered to do the same thing as we share the gospel to all those we
encounter. And we invite them to come to this wonderful wedding.
22:10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom
they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with
guests.
We notice that the servants do not discriminate when they make this third
invitation. Those who appear morally good or morally bad, they are all invited to
come to the wedding. I’m reminded of the parable of the soils where the sower
just went about slinging seed. He didn’t worry about where the seed landed he let
God sort all that out. Such is a picture of sharing the gospel. We shouldn’t think
oh man that guy looks like a bad dude, I’m not sharing the gospel with that
person.
22:11 "But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man
who had no wedding garment.
It’s almost like Jesus could have stopped the story at verse 10, but he provides for
us a very interesting plot twist at the end.
Remember these guests were just going about their everyday tasks on the road,
and they got invited to this wedding. So clearly the King made some kind of
provision for them to be appropriately dressed for the occasion. To show up to the
8
vent with dirty, worn, or inappropriate clothing would surely bring dishonor to
the event and to the Son.
It’s also clear from the verse that everybody in the wedding hall has on the
garments, except for this one person.
There has been much discussion from theologians about what these wedding
garments are meant to represent. But most people agree the idea here is that the
garments represent righteousness.
[Isa 61:10 ESV] 10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my
God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me
with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a
beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
This concept goes all the way back to the garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve
first sinned. If you remember they tried to cover themselves but were not able to
make for themselves a suitable covering. So if you recall God killed an animal
and covered their nakedness with the skin. It was the very first picture of the one
who would come someday, and by his bloodshed would provide for us a covering
of righteousness.
Notice the King is gracious in asking why the man doesn’t have on the covering.
He gives the man an opportunity to answer for himself.
22:12 And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a
wedding garment?' And he was speechless.
The man is speechless. He doesn’t have a reason. It must be that this man by his
own will determined that he would enter the wedding party and he would do so
under his own terms. This part of the parable is pointed directly at the church.
There are echos of when Jesus said, many in that day will say to me Lord, Lord…
9
and I will say depart I never knew you. Jesus warns us that there is but one way
into the wedding celebration and that is to be covered by his righteousness.
To bring our own so-called righteousness to the party is tragic mistake. The best
we have to offer is not acceptable.
[Isa 64:6 ESV] 6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our
righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our
iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
22:13 Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast
him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.'
There is a limit to God’s patience. The time will come when he will invite us no
more, when the time to accept the wedding garment is no longer an option.
To keep the man from resisting he is bound, he is immediately removed from the
presence of the King, and he is not allowed re-entry under any circumstances. It is
important that even those of us who find ourselves among the guests in the
wedding party that we take a look at our garments. Who’s garments are you
wearing? Are we trying to attend the wedding party on our own terms or on
God’s terms.
I love this last verse. Jesus tags it on there, and it is simply mind boggling.
22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen."
This entire parable has been about the choices of men. Choices about if they
would attend, if they would not attend. If they would dress appropriately or if
they would defy the King. Man’s will is central to the parable. And just as Jesus
has us fully understanding that, he drops in this verse. “Many are called, but few
are chosen.”
10
Jesus reminds us that in all of these things God is still sovereign. It is one of the
great mysteries of Scripture. John 6:44, no one can come to me unless the Father
draws him in. God is sovereign, and if we find ourselves clothed in righteousness
in the midst of the Son, it only because his grace has been extended to open our
eyes, remove our hearts of stone, and give us a new spiritual birth. And he is
calling all today to come to Him. Let’s Pray.
Lord’s Supper:
Invite musicians and server’s to go ahead and come.
Explain, this is the response part of the service. The covering or wedding garment
that Jesus provided, was not free. His blood was spilled, his body was broken. So
today as we partake in the Lord’s supper we remember that.
You don’t have to be a member here to participate, but you do have to be a
believer in good standing with the Lord. Meaning you have no unconfessed sin or
broken fellowship with others in the congregation.
Perhaps you want to come up here and pray, or pray where you are, that’s all
okay. I’ll be standing right over here if you want to come pray with me.
Read MoreBottom line: Jesus lived his last days well by remembering who he was and what he came to do.
Read MoreSeries: All!
Jesus has all authority,
So that all nations
Might pledge all allegiance to him.
Title: “How is God just and generous in salvation?”
Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16
Heavily indebted to Douglas Sean O’Donnell’s commentary for this message. (See below)
Bottom line: God’s gift of salvation is both just and generous:
It’s just, so we don’t grumble about God’s mercy to anyone;
It’s equally gracious, so we don’t begrudge his unequal generosity.
Main point: God’s gift of salvation is just and generous.
A. God’s gift of salvation is just, so don’t grumble (complain) about God’s undeserved grace (or mercy).
B. God’s gift of salvation is equally gracious (to all), so don’t begrudge (look upon with disapproval) w/God’s unequal generosity. (Envious or jealous)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
SERMON OUTLINE & NOTES
MAIN REFERENCES USED
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discussion questions for group and personal study.
Reflect and Discuss
1. What does the parable of the workers in a vinevard teach us about
God's grace?
2. How does the misguided approach of the disciples beginning in Matthew 20:20 parallel your own approach to God and the Christian life?
3. How does Jesus' healing of the blind men in Matthew 20:29-34 contrast with the request for privilege by James and John in the previous paragraph?
4. Why can't grace and pride coexist? Can you think of other Scriptural passages that speak to this truth?
Final Questions (optional or in place of above)
What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?
Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast
Weekly questions I answer in preparation for the sermon:
Q. What do I want you to know?
A. That God is just and generous in saving people.
Q. Why?
A. Because we tend to live as if we deserve it. And there’s very little gratitude in that perspective. In fact, we do not deserve it.
Q. What do I want you to do?
A. Evaluate your relationship with God. Do you believe you deserve salvation? (You don’t) Do you believe you can earn your salvation? (You cannot)
Q. Why?
A. Because salvation is a gift to the damned. None of us deserve it. All of us need it.
OUTLINE & NOTES
Introduction
Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer (/ˈdɑːmər/; May 21, 1960 – November 28, 1994), also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal or the Milwaukee Monster, was an American serial killerand sex offender who killed and dismembered seventeen men and boys between 1978 and 1991.[4] Many of his later murders involved necrophilia,[5] cannibalism, and the permanent preservation of body parts—typically all or part of the skeleton.[6]
Although he was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder,[7] schizotypal personality disorder,[8] and a psychotic disorder, Dahmer was found to be legally saneat his trial. He was convicted of fifteen of the sixteen homicides he had committed in Wisconsin and was sentenced to fifteen terms of life imprisonment on February 17, 1992.[9] Dahmer was later sentenced to a sixteenth term of life imprisonment for an additional homicide committed in Ohio in 1978.
On November 28, 1994, Dahmer was beaten to death by Christopher Scarver, a fellow inmate at the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin.
Jeffrey Dawlmer coming to Christ. Stone Phillips interviewed Dawlmer where he learned that Dawlmer, his father and his pastor all testify that Jeffrey believes we all will stand before Christ and answer to him. He trusted Jesus as Lord and savior according to all 3.
Dateline NBC has also broadcast an interview with Dahmer. Conducted by Stone Phillips and first broadcast on March 8, 1994, this 90-minute episode—titled Confessions of a Serial Killer—features interviews with Dahmer and his father conducted at Columbia Correctional Institution. Dahmer's mother is also interviewed for this program.[363]
Context:
“The time had come for the owner of a vineyard to harvest his grapes. The permanent workers on his farm were not numerous enough to complete the harvest in time, so when harvest time came, as many farmers did in the ancient world and still do today, he went looking for day laborers he could hire. Such laborers customarily came to the marketplace in the hope that they would be chosen to labor that day and would gain the standard pay for a day’s work in Israel, which was one denarius”
Excerpt From
Matthew - An Expositional Commentary
R.C. Sproul
https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewBook?id=0
This material may be protected by copyright.
God’s gift of salvation (eternal life; kingdom of God; kingdom of heaven) is generous in just, gracious, and merciful.
The landowner was
Just—he paid them all what he agreed to pay them which was fair market value (one day laborers wages). And they all agreed to this up front. They all were paid the same amount. They were probably happy at the beginning of the day because someone hired them enabling them to gain a wage that day. While their circumstances did not change during the day, their expectations did.
Perceived as unjust—the workers who were first hired perceived this generosity to be unfair because the last were paid for a full day when they worked < a full day. As a result, they grumbled/complained to the landowner.
Grace—While some worked all day (earning their fair share of the wages), the rest worked less than a day and yet were generously paid more than they deserved.
Mercy—Some did not get what they deserved (in their minds) which was more than what the latter workers received. Yet, none of them deserved the work. They were mercifully given the opportunity to work when they had no way to create payable work on their own. They were literally at the mercy of a landowner hiring them that day.
8A little bit more…
Also, keep in mind that this was a time of harvest requiring extra workers. Therefore, in addition to his normal crew, he was bringing other day laborers who needed any kind of work they could get. Therefore, it’s safe to assume that they were harvesting grapes—not just tending to the fields.
This matters because it reminds us that this imagery is about more than grace, mercy and justice. It’s about the harvest. God doesn’t just graciously save people to save them. He saves them to serve…in the harvest. This is part of what is referred to as the “Lordship debate”. Does Jesus save, end of sentence. Or does Jesus save that we might join him in saving others? I believe it’s both—and. I believe that we demonstrate that our faith is genuine and our salvation real when we join him in the harvest. Otherwise, I think it’s safe to say there’s evidence to the contrary.
When someone saves your life, you feel like you could do anything for them.
When you are forgiven a great debt, you live your life grateful for what you don’t deserve—more life.
When Jesus saves you from sin and death, shame and guilt, hell itself, and you understand this, you find yourself eager to serve God and serve people to this end.
Do you?
“In the parable, a large group of the workers received grace. One group received justice. However, no one received injustice. But the workers who labored all day thought they received injustice. They thought the owner owed them something”
Excerpt From
Matthew - An Expositional Commentary
R.C. Sproul
https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewBook?id=0
This material may be protected by copyright.
“If we were to try to list everything God owes us, it would be the easiest task we were ever assigned, one we could complete in record time. The truth is, He owes us nothing except His wrath as punishment for all our sins”
Excerpt From
Matthew - An Expositional Commentary
R.C. Sproul
https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewBook?id=0
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Yet, we owe God an infinite debt—our sins are debts against a holy God. Like the servant who owed the king a gazillion dollars, we owe God way more than we could ever pay back.
Excerpt from David Platt:
Main point: God’s gift of salvation is just and generous.
A. God’s gift of salvation is just, so don’t grumble (complain) about God’s undeserved grace (or mercy).
B. God’s gift of salvation is equally gracious (to all), so don’t begrudge (look upon with w/God’s unequal generosity. (Envious or jealous)
Symbolism:
Landowner/Master = God the Father; the Lord God
Workers = Christians; some more and some less in the eyes of the world (and the church)
Harvest = Work of the gospel in the world
Matthew 9:37-38 says, “Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.””
Matthew 9:37-38 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/mat.9.37-38.NIV
JUSTICE - getting what you deserve
GRACE - getting what you DON’T deserve
MERCY - NOT getting what you deserve
“Whenever Jesus teaches on grace…he teaches lordship salvation.” -O’Donnell
“The traditional Protestant position is that salvation is
by grace alone in Christ alone
through faith alone,
but such faith is never alone—it produces fruit.
Faith loves.
Faith works.
Faith obeys. If such fruit is not found, then the assurance of salvation cannot (should not) be offered. Jesus must be both Savior AND Lord.” -O‘Donnell
A last point:
2 rules to the grace game:
Grace and works. Jesus calls us laborers and workers in his kingdom harvest work. Everyone of them in this parable works in the vineyard, presumably for the harvest. The master goes and puts the idlers to work because grace by faith WORKS!
Grace and rewards. These workers were GIVEN a job to work. Jesus rewards every worker who works (gives evidence he’s a worker (Christian)). And they’re doing a specific work too. They are working in the kingdom harvest. Are we?
Conclusion
Bottom line:
Q. What do I want you to do?
A. Stop grumbling and begrudging God and people who are just and generous.
Q. Why?
A. Because he tells us to. Because you know that God is just and generous and that’s enough.
Notes
“20:1-16 Different hours, same wages?
Christ told a parable about a landowner who paid the same wages to all his workers even though they had done vastly different amounts of work. God has the sovereign right to reward us for our work as he sees fit.
Anything he gives us, whether small or great, is a gift of grace and is more than we deserve.” -Wilmington’s Bible Handbook
MAIN REFERENCES USED
“Preaching the Word” Commentary, Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Edited by Kent Hughes
“Matthew” by RC Sproul
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)
“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)
“Exalting Jesus in Matthew” by David Platt (CCE)
Outline Bible, D Willmington
NIV Study Bible (NIVSB)
ESV Study Bible (ESVSB)
Read MoreSeries: All!
Jesus has all authority,
So that all nations
Might pledge all allegiance to him.
Title: “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
Scripture: Matthew 19:13-30
Heavily indebted to Douglas Sean O’Donnell’s commentary for this message. (See below)
Bottom line:
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
SERMON OUTLINE & NOTES
MAIN REFERENCES USED
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discussion questions for group and personal study.
Reflect and Discuss
1. List some ways that our culture's view of marriage is unbiblical (think TV, radio, advertising, etc.).
2. Why is it crucial to begin our discussion on marriage with God's design in Genesis? Discuss the idea that divorce is fundamentally an offense against God.
3. What wrong messages about Christ and His redemption are communicated to the world when Christians don't obey God's Word concerning marriage and divorce?
4. How can churches show both tenderness and courage in confronting the issue of divorce?
5. Why was the Pharisees' questioning misguided and wrongly
motivated?
6. If a friend asked, "When is it OK to get a divorce?" how would you answer?
7. Why is it so crucial for Christians to take the approach that we ought to be looking for every opportunity to reconcile?
8. What are practical steps to strengthen an existing marriage?
9. What does it mean practically for a single person to maximize his singleness?
10. What counsel would you give to someone who had been divorced and who thought their usefulness in God's kingdom had ended?
How would you counsel someone who had abandoned a spouse?
11. How might a wrong view of marriage and divorce be a precursor to other issues in society such as homosexuality, abortion, etc.?
Final Questions (optional or in place of above)
What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?
Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast
Weekly questions I answer in preparation for the sermon:
Q. What do I want you to know?
A. God gives grace for eternal life for those who humble themselves like a child and trust Jesus. This is a total work of God.
Q. Why?
A. Because in God’s economy, king Jesus and his kingdom are most valuable. (Treasure hidden in a field; “Seek first…”)
Q. What do I want you to do?
A. Gladly forsake all and follow him. F.A.I.T.H. = Forsaking All I Trust Him
Q. Why?
A. Because he’s more than worth it! 100X + Eternal life?!
OUTLINE & NOTES
Introduction
In one of his last songs, Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the rock group Queen, asked the question: ‘Does anybody know what we are living for?’ In spite of the fact that he had amassed *a huge fortune* and had attracted *thousands of fans*, Freddie Mercury admitted in an interview shortly before his death in 1991 that he was *desperately lonely*. He said, ‘You can have everything in the world and still be the loneliest man, and that is the most bitter type of loneliness. Success has brought me *world idolisation* and *millions of pounds*, but it’s prevented me from having the one thing we all need – *a loving, ongoing relationship*.’
F.A.I.T.H. = Forsaking All I Trust Him
Bottom line: Jesus calls us to forsake all and trust him: King & Kingdom First.
Pharisees ask 2 questions:
I. Humble yourself. (19:13-15)
A. Principle: God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
B.
II. Seek complete wholeness. (19:16-22)
A. Ask the right question.
B. Go to the best source for your answer.
C. Respond with humble faith
D. Do the math. Recognize how much more Jesus is worth than what you’ll ever have.
E. Be perfect = be complete, whole
III. It’s impossible to see apart from God. (19:23-30)
A. See it starts with God. Total work of God.
B. See your part in it. We have a responsibility to respond by grace through faith.
C. See Jesus clearly. But for that to happen we must see Jesus as he really is. (Supernatural grace)
D. See his value and make the obvious choice.
IV. Finish first: Forsake All and Trust Jesus Christ for eternal abundant life in his kingdom.
Conclusion
Bottom line: Jesus calls us to forsake all and trust him: King & Kingdom First.
Q. What do I want you to do?
A. Finish First. Gladly forsake all and follow him. F.A.I.T.H. = Forsaking All I Trust Him
Q. Why?
A. Claim your prize. Because he’s more than worth it! 100X + Eternal life?!
MAIN REFERENCES USED
“Preaching the Word” Commentary, Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Edited by Kent Hughes
“Matthew” by RC Sproul
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)
“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)
“Exalting Jesus in Matthew” by David Platt (CCE)
Outline Bible, D Willmington
NIV Study Bible (NIVSB)
ESV Study Bible (ESVSB)
Read MoreSeries: All!
Jesus has all authority,
So that all nations
Might pledge all allegiance to him.
Title: “What does Jesus say about Marriage, Divorce & Singleness?” (Darien Gabriel)
Scripture: Matthew 19:1-12 NIV cf. Deut. 24:1-4 NIV
Heavily indebted to Douglas Sean O’Donnell’s commentary for this message. (See below)
Bottom line: Jesus calls us to submit our already high view of marriage and singleness to our highest aim or devotion: Kingdom First.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
SERMON OUTLINE & NOTES
MAIN REFERENCES USED
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discussion questions for group and personal study.
Reflect and Discuss
1. List some ways that our culture's view of marriage is unbiblical (think TV, radio, advertising, etc.).
2. Why is it crucial to begin our discussion on marriage with God's design in Genesis? Discuss the idea that divorce is fundamentally an offense against God.
3. What wrong messages about Christ and His redemption are communicated to the world when Christians don't obey God's Word concerning marriage and divorce?
4. How can churches show both tenderness and courage in confronting the issue of divorce?
5. Why was the Pharisees' questioning misguided and wrongly
motivated?
6. If a friend asked, "When is it OK to get a divorce?" how would you answer?
7. Why is it so crucial for Christians to take the approach that we ought to be looking for every opportunity to reconcile?
8. What are practical steps to strengthen an existing marriage?
9. What does it mean practically for a single person to maximize his singleness?
10. What counsel would you give to someone who had been divorced and who thought their usefulness in God's kingdom had ended?
How would you counsel someone who had abandoned a spouse?
11. How might a wrong view of marriage and divorce be a precursor to other issues in society such as homosexuality, abortion, etc.?
Final Questions (optional or in place of above)
What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?
Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast
Weekly questions I answer in preparation for the sermon:
Q. What do I want you to know?
A. That marriage, divorce, and singleness are all to be viewed in light of our highest pursuit: the kingdom of God.
Q. Why?
A. Because in God’s economy, the kingdom is most valuable. (Treasure hidden in a field; “Seek first…”)
Q. What do I want you to do?
A. Submit our highest view of marriage and singleness to the ultimate agenda of the kingdom of God.
Q. Why?
A. Because God’s agenda should be his followers agenda. “All!”
OUTLINE & NOTES
Introduction
Not long ago, several of the elders and our wives were together and it came up that this passage on marriage and divorce was coming soon. One of the wives gave a quick sermon outline that I loved:
Wives’ Sermon outline in 3 steps:
Select well
Stay together
Say your sorry
Bottom line: Jesus calls us to embrace his already high view of marriage and singleness making it our highest devotion: to King & Kingdom First.
Pharisees ask 2 questions:
Question 1: Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause? (3)
Nerve—
Context
Jesus just taught about forgiveness at the end of Matthew 18
Jesus leaves Galilee marking the end of his significant Galilean ministry which began in 4:12 to “the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.”
He’s moving towards Jerusalem. (16:21; cf. 20:17)
He’s moving towards the cross and ultimate act of forgiveness.
But first he stops and heals the crowds. Multiple crowds. That’s crowds plural!
It’s after all of this healing that the Pharisees show up. Blind men with deaf and dumb question.
Finally, his context is our highest devotion is for our king and his kingdom; even his high view of marriage and singleness fall behind that.
Do you see the nerve of this question?
Instead of asking, “Where do your miraculous powers come from?” They ask about divorce.
Instead of asking, “Tell us more about this death and resurrection business.” They ask about divorce.
Instead of asking, “Are you the Messiah, the promised one?” They ask about divorce.
These were audacious, wicked questions.
Nature—
These men were trying to test, tempt and trap Jesus.
Tricky question. They were inviting Jesus to pick a side and then pay the consequences.
Debate centered on interpretation of Deut. 24:1 and “some indecency” or “anything indecent” or “Any and every reason”
Conservative view (Shammai): taught that God required divorce for sexual unfaithfulness (adultery) focused on the word “indecent” or “reason”
Liberal view (Hillel): taught that God required divorce for “anything” or “any and every reason” in his wife. This could include any trivial reason like burning toast.
They know he’s on the conservative side of things on this issue based on Matt 5:31-32 in the sermon on the mount where he taught that lust = spiritual adultery. And that’s what they want..
Scenarios
Best case: if he sides with the conservatives perhaps he will suffer the fate of John the Baptist. (Remember his beheading and why? Conservative views on marriage and divorce)
Worst case: (still good for them) is that he falls into the next trap, their follow-up question about Deut. Ah, he’s a lawbreaker then! He disregards Moses. Either way, they think they have him. He either angers the powerful or the pious, or both the power and the pious.
Answer 1: “Haven’t you read…” (4-6) 2 Observations:
Jesus goes to the Bible for his answer.
He goes to Genesis—not the last word on marriage but the most foundational.
He challenges their basic Bible knowledge on the A, B, C’s of marriage. Letter A: God intended marriage between man and woman for life. There was no provision for divorce in paradise.
His brief commentary on Genesis emphasizing God-ordained unity: “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
In 4-6 “Jesus could have emphasized the equal image of the sexes, that both man and woman are made in the image of God. That’s true, but that’s not the issue at hand.”
Or he could have emphasized the concept of heterosexual monogamy (one man and one woman)—that these texts teach against both polygamy and homosexuality. That’s true, but again that’s not the issue at hand here. Neither fits in God’s original intent for marriage.
“Rather, he emphasizes God-ordained unity.
“be united to his wife” (5)
“One flesh” (5)
“No longer two,” (6)
“but one flesh” (6)
“Let no one separate” (6)
Unity, unity, unity, unity, and unity—obvious theme.
Not so obvious, God is the focus here.
While Genesis speaks of man’s action “a man will leave his father and mother…”
Jesus speaks of God’s action “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
It is God who brings people together into holy wedlock.
EHarmony at it’s best—E is for Elohim:-) (Hebrew for God)
God brings them together and doesn’t want man to separate what God has brought together—a physical and metaphysical new creation—one man/woman/flesh.
That’s God’s math: 1 + 1 + 1 = 1 (Trinity)
Marriage: 1 + 1 = 1 (Marriage)
Jesus gives a divinely inspired purpose statement on marriage.
Question 2 & Answer 2
Question: “Why then did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
They’re trying to prove their point that Jesus’ view of divorce is not Moses’ view.
Jesus responds offering 2 corrections and 1 command.
First correction: Moses didn’t command divorce, but rather he allowed it. (7-8)
NT Wright illustration: “Just as a car is made to drive safely on the road, not to skid around colliding with other cards, so marriage was made to be a partnership of one woman and one man for life, not something that could be split up and reassembled whenever one person wanted it…Moses didn’t say, as it were, ‘when you drive your car, this is how to have an accident’; rather, ‘when you drive a card, take care not to have an accident; but if, tragically, and accident occurs, this is how to deal with it.’”
Moses didn’t command, “go wreck your car and get a new one.” Rather, he saw all the car wrecks and felt compelled to write some rules of the road. He tried to regulate the wrecks.
Specific law: “If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the Lord. Do not bring sin upon the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.” Deut 24:1-4 NIV
Second correction: “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard.” (8)
Two wills of God:
God’s idea will—the original intention of marriage advocated in Genesis “from the beginning” and
God’s allowed (permissive) will—the necessary regulations due to human sin.
Notice Jesus’ use of “You” and “Your”
He doesn’t say “our” like a preacher would say—“it’s due to our sin”
He doesn’t say “their” referring only to the men of Moses’ day.
He says “your,” excluding himself (sinless savior) and including these Pharisees in the sins of their forefathers. Their hard-heartedness runs in the family.
Marriage is not the problem.
Hard-hearted men (and let’s add women, to be fair) are the problem. You and I are the problem. Not marriage.
Take away hard-heartedness and you can take away all divorce laws, attorneys, courts and settlements.
Oh that we would think first of Genesis and not Deuteronomy!
One Command: “I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” (9)
What’s surprising about this? Surprise 1: That, after vv. 4-6 & 8, Jesus allows for divorce at all.
He seems to balance the 2 wills of God.
He hates divorce—it’s never desirable. (Malachi)
But, he allows divorce.
Surprise 2: Jesus’ authority.
“The Bible says…” (4-5)
“The Bible says…” (8)
“I tell you” (9)—Remember, Jesus has “All” authority. (28:18-20)
Jesus is the greater Moses, greater Bible/word, greater authority!
Exception clause:
First, let’s read the command without the exception, “Anyone who divorces his wife…and marries another commits adultery.” (9)
Jesus is clear: To divorce your spouse (for any reason you can come up with) and marry another is to commit adultery. That behavior, so common in our culture, is clearly against Christ’s command.
But—adding the exception clause back in—if your spouse has been sexually immoral, you can get a divorce. It’s not required but it is permitted.
4 Questions:
Question 1: What is meant by “sexually immorality” (porneia)?
Answer: “Sexual intercourse that is contrary to the moral standards of OT law—e.g. incest, bestiality, homosexuality, fornication, and adultery. In our context it primarily but not exclusively refers to adultery—that is, having sexual relations with someone who is not your spouse.”
Question 2: Why is adultery the one exception?
Answer: “Because adultery is the one sin that tears apart the “one flesh” Jesus talked about in 5-6. According to the OT law, the punishment for adultery was death (Deut 22:22). Death—that’s the end of the marriage. In Roman culture (and Jewish culture) at that time of Jesus, this punishment was not in place. So Jesus puts something similar in place: adultery = (in some cases and in many cases) death, the death of the marriage via divorce.”
Question 3: Is adultery the only exception?
Answer: It is here. However, in 1 Cor 7:15 Paul adds another exception in a very different context. He allows divorce for abandonment often called “willful desertion.”
Question 4: Does the sin of adultery (or any other grave sin) necessitate divorce?
Answer: Certainly not. Why not?
The lesson of Matthew 18 just prior is to forgive (70x7) because God forgave you for much more.
If adultery occurs, you have 2 choices:
Divorce. He/she has broken the “one flesh” covenant. It’s the death penalty.
Forgive. “To re-embrace the repentant, to offer anew the gospel of forgiveness—70x7 forgiveness for a zillion-dollar debt.”
For all your questions not answered here
Think Genesis: Be united as one flesh. Hold fast to one another.
Think Gospel: Forgive one another.
Think Goal: What God has joined together, let no one separate.
Higher View of the Kingdom
Pharisees seem to disappear.
Disciples step up and say, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”
Chauvinists? “If I can’t get rid of this woman whenever and for whatever, then why marry in the first place?” Perhaps
Realists? “What marriage is so great that it lasts a lifetime? Come on, Jesus, lighten up.” Perhaps
Clueless? Their track record on the teachings of Jesus is pretty clear.
What’s unexpected is how Jesus shifts the conversation from marriage to singleness. He doesn’t reply to their comment.
“Instead, he gives a eulogy for eunuchs, a tribute to single-minded singles:”
A eunuch is someone who is single and not sexually active for one of 3 reasons:
Natural (born that way)
Unnatural (someone made that way), or this new category Jesus has introduced, which we’ll call
Willfully or Volitionally (someone who desires to be that way or stay that way) for the gospel/kingdom.
But his point is grander than “Esteem and embrace the gift of singleness.” “His point is this: The kingdom of heaven is so important that it should seem perfectly normal if someone would want to give up marriage for it.” P. 543
Context:
“Jesus teaches that you can’t have too high a view of marriage. It is so high the disciples are taken aback by it.”
“But in vv. 11-12 he adds that however high your view of marriage is, your view of the kingdom ought to be far higher.”
“The Church misses the point when we make marriage the point.” -543
Marriage & Singleness from a Kingdom Perspective (God’s perspective)
16: self denial and cross bearing
18:21-35 Forgiveness
19:1-9 Marriage
19:10-12 Singleness, but more on single-minded devotion to the king and his kingdom gospel mission
First focus: Always the Gospel.
Not against focusing on the family. He started there in v. 1
“But he is against focusing on the family or marriage or work or money or house or land or anything else ahead of the kingdom. Gospel first; everything else second—that’s his motto, and that’s his model.”
That’s how he lived
Denied himself marriage and the pleasures of marriage
Companionship
Physical intimacy
Children
“For the spread of the kingdom of heaven on earth. He was a eunuch for the kingdom.”
And He calls those who can to do the same.
And He calls those who can’t do the same to want the same “for the sake of the kingdom.” “Seek first…”
Conclusion
Bottom line: Jesus calls us to embrace his already high view of marriage and singleness making it our highest devotion: to King & Kingdom First.
Raise your view of marriage to God’s original design and intent.
Raise your view of singleness to God’s original purpose.
Raise your devotion for what matters most to God: His kingdom mission.
Find forgiveness and freedom from guilt in these words either by
Recognizing that you may not be guilty of anything, or
Confessing, repenting and receiving his merciful forgiveness for your sin of an unbiblical divorce.
MAIN REFERENCES USED
“Preaching the Word” Commentary, Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Edited by Kent Hughes
“Matthew” by RC Sproul
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)
“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)
“Exalting Jesus in Matthew” by David Platt (CCE)
Outline Bible, D Willmington
NIV Study Bible (NIVSB)
ESV Study Bible (ESVSB)
Read MoreSeries: All!
Jesus has all authority,
So that all nations
Might pledge all allegiance to him.
Title: “Why Forgive?” (Darien Gabriel)
Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35 NIV
Bottom line: We forgive others for their significant offenses against us because he first forgave us for our infinitely significant offenses against him.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
SERMON OUTLINE & NOTES
MAIN REFERENCES USED
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discussion questions for group and personal study.
Reflect and Discuss
1. What does it mean to become like children in verse 3? What is the difference between having childlike faith and being immature in your faith?
2. How does the requirement of humility in verses 1-4 compare with our culture's view of greatness?
3. Explain how a biblical view of the church goes against a culture that prizes independence?
4. How should the parable of the Lost Sheep in verses 10-14 inform our view of church discipline?
5. Respond to the following objection to church discipline: If our church disciplines members, then unbelievers will be turned off and discouraged from coming.
6. What is the ultimate goal of church discipline?
7. What does Matthew 18 have to add to our view of church membership?
8. List things that should and should not be matters of church discipline.
9. What is the main point of the parable of the Unforgiving Servant (wv. 23-35)?
10. If you aren't showing mercy to others, how might that be an indica tion that you are not being shaped by the gospel?
Final Questions (optional or in place of above)
What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?
Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast
Weekly questions I answer in preparation for the sermon:
Q. What do I want you to know?
A. God forgives a sinner’s infinite offense against a holy creator God when they repent and believe in and through Jesus Christ.
Q. Why?
A. Because God is love, he loves his enemies this way. Because one humbly responds to God on his terms by grace through faith.
Q. What do I want you to do?
A. Embrace a perpetual heart attitude of forgiveness. Stop harboring un-forgiveness and forgive one another—those who’ve sinned against you.
Q. Why?
A. Because embracing this attitude reflects the love of God into a needy world.
Bishop Sandy Millar speaks of a time when he was walking along the beach and he noticed how the sand had been churned up by the footprints of those who had gone before him. The next morning the footprints were all wiped away by the sea. He sensed Jesus saying to him, ‘That is a picture of forgiveness.’
Or to use another analogy, forgiveness from Jesus Christ is like deleting the file of all the bad stuff in our lives.
Forgiveness is never easy. We all know how hard it is to forgive others. However, we often assume that forgiveness from God is almost automatic. On her deathbed, the Empress Catherine the Great of Russia (1729–1796), said, ‘I shall be an autocrat: that’s my trade. The good Lord will forgive me: that’s his.’
OUTLINE & NOTES
Introduction
Bottom line: We forgive others for their significant offenses against us because he first forgave us for our infinitely significant offenses against him.
Refer to “Boomerang Kindness” youtube video https://youtu.be/nwAYpLVyeFU
During one of the severe potato famines in Ireland, a number of families wrote letters to their landlord saying they had absolutely no money at all to pay their rent and begged to be let off all their debts.
The Irish landlord was Canon Andrew Robert Fausset, born near Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ireland, in 1821. Canon Fausset wrote back to his tenants. He said it was quite impossible to let them off their debts. It would set a bad precedent. They had to pay every single penny.
‘*But*,’ he wrote, ‘I enclose something that might help you.’ In contrast to so many of the other landlords at the time, he sent a cheque for a very large sum of money – which far more than covered all their debts.
Their hearts must have leapt with joy when they saw the word ‘*but*’. ‘*But*’ is a powerful word when facing trouble, tests and temptations.
Emmanuel Nine forgiving Dillon Roof—some of them forgave him publicly.
Context
Matt. 18:1–20:34 The Community of the Messiah Revealed.
This is the fourth of Jesus’ five major discourses in Matthew’s Gospel
As his earthly ministry draws to a close, Jesus has spent considerable time clarifying his identity and mission (chs. 14–17).
He instructs his disciples on the nature of his covenant community, explaining the kingdom community’s characteristics (18:1–35),
its implications for the sanctity of marriage (19:1–12), and
its value (19:13–20:34). ESV Study Bible note
What’s important to remember about this context is that Jesus is dealing with how local believers interact with each other. They pursue wandering brothers and sisters in Christ. They lovingly confront sinful behavior. This is different than confronting someone in the world outside of the church.
I. Q&A (18:21-22)
A. The Question: How many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? (18:21)
Peter knows rabbi’s taught 3x
Peter suggests 7x
B. The Answer: Every time. (18:22)
Jesus answers leveraging 7 into infinity.
Jesus continues with another kingdom parable
II. Parable of unmerciful or unforgiving servant. (18:23-34)
A. First servant. (18:23-27)
An insurmountable debt owed.
Millions or billions. Some have said it essentially means an insurmountable amount of debt for anyone.
An extravagant mercy given.
Note
It wasn’t easy. It costs us. It cost Jesus the cross. It will cost us too. That’s what Jesus means when he says, “If anyone come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Luke 9:23
Gumbel wrote,
“We do not earn our forgiveness; Jesus achieved that for you on the cross.
But your willingness to forgive is evidence that you know God’s forgiveness.
Forgiven people forgive.
All of us have been forgiven so much by God that we must keep on forgiving the comparatively small offences committed against us.”
It wasn’t natural. C.S. Lewis wrote: ‘Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive.’
The servant didn’t deserve it.
He didn’t feel like it but was moved by love.
He didn’t all of a sudden trust the guy with more money.
Yet, motivated by compassion/mercy/love, he forgave.
Nicky Gumbel wrote, “Forgiveness is not easy. The cross reminds us how costly and painful it is. Forgiveness does not mean approving of what the other person did, nor excusing it, nor denying it, nor pretending that you are not hurt. Rather, you are aware of what the other person has done and yet you are called to forgive. In your personal relationships lay aside all malice, revenge and retribution and show mercy and grace to the person who has hurt you.”
B. Second servant. (18:28-34)
A challenging debt owed.
Ten thousand dollars?
Significant, yes.
Insignificant in light of the millions and billions he owed and was forgiven of
An unbelievable lack of mercy given.
Revealed a lack of comprehension for the mercy he’d received.
Revealed a heart unwilling to give what he’d received.
Note
It wasn’t easy. He wasn’t willing to pay anything.
It wasn’t natural. C.S. Lewis wrote: ‘Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive.’
The servant didn’t deserve it.
He didn’t feel like it and was NOT moved by love.
He didn’t all of a sudden trust the guy as seen in imprisoning him.
Not motivated by compassion/mercy/love, he DID NOT forgive.
Conclusion
Ultimately first servant loses benefit of being forgiven forever.
When we don’t forgive, we show we have the same attitude of the heart.
III. Final word. (18:35)
A. Your mercy or lack of mercy reveals your spiritual position with the Lord. God will judge you accordingly—with justice, not mercy.
Matthew 6:14-15
Forgiving others is evidence you’ve truly been forgiven and born again.
Not forgiving others is evidence you’ve not been forgiven and not born again.
James 2:13 “…because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
B. Solution: Humble yourself before a holy almighty God and repent of your sins and surrender your life to him today. This is THE way.
Conclusion
Emanuel Nine forgiving Dillon Roof for murdering their loved ones in their church motivated by racism.
Our bottom line today is
Bottom line: We forgive others for their significant offenses against us because he first forgave us for our infinitely significant offenses against him.
Application:
Remember: God forgave us for our infinitely significant offense against a holy God.
In response: We appropriately forgive all others every time for their significant offenses against us.
What is God saying to you right now?
Let’s pray.
David Platt’s notes
We Forgive One Another (18:21-35)
The context for Matthew 18 is how we as Christians treat one another when they sin against us.
Last exhortation in Matthew 18 is to forgive our brothers and sisters in Christ when they sin against us. This is a continuation from church discipline.
In those days, rabbis encouraged people to forgive a brother for repeated sin up to 3 times, after which there would be no forgiveness. So Peter decides to ask if 7 times would be enough, thinking he was greatly exceeding Jesus’ standard. Jesus responds with 70 X 7 times. Jesus follows this with an extreme example in the form of a parable. The parable is about a man who owes the king millions if not billions of dollars and cannot come close to paying it back. Yet the king motivated by mercy forgives the debt completely and sends the man away displaying amazing mercy and grace.
A number of takeaways:
In Christ, we have received extravagant grace.
There is no price tag we could ever put on our sinfulness before an infinitely holy God.
“When you and I think, ‘Well, I haven’t sinned as much as this person or that person,,’ we show that we have no clue as to the extent of our own sin. Our debt is deep—infinitely deep.” P. 246
“But Christ has paid it.” Motivated by compassion the Father sent his Son Jesus to the cross to free us—from sin’s penalty to be not just his servant but his son.
Freed from the penalty of sin (justification).
Freed from the power of sin (sanctification).
Freed from the presence of sin one day (glorification).
As Christians, we now extend extravagant grace.
How harsh it is for a man forgiven so much to then send someone that owes him a tiny fraction as much to prison.
“Yet for a Christian not to forgive is to do the exact same thing.”
Not saying it’s easy to forgive.
Not saying it’s natural to forgive.
Am saying it’s Christ-like to forgive. As Christians, we have no other option.
“We forgive not because we have to, but because in love we are compelled to.”
“Only Jesus can enable the kind of forgiving heart this passage calls for.”
“This kind of forgiveness should characterize the church.”
In sum: Stop harboring sin and forgive those who’ve sinned against you.
Douglass Sean O’Donnell’s notes
The Heart of Perfect Forgiveness
Peter asks his question on the heals of hearing about church discipline. He wants to know how many times he must forgive the one who sins against him and he knows it must be more than what the Jewish rabbis say, which is 3x based on some verses in Amos.
Jesus responds to Peter’s ambitious response of more than doubling the rabbis’ take with a more unrealistic number—every time.
70X, 70 X 7, 77X whatever—using this number that represents perfection, Jesus is saying every time. Limitless number of times. You don’t get to the 491st time and stop forgiving them because they’ve exceeded their allotted number of forgiveness chips.
Of course, as we saw last week, the church has the authority to forgive (keep in fellowship) and not forgive (remove from the fellowship) when one is unwilling to repent of their sin. That’s why the church has the authority to “bind”. God and his church are to hold the guilty accountable. Those who do not cut off sin are in turn cut off from the fellowship God calls to be holy.
“What Jesus says in 18:22 is that Christians must forgive other Christians who ask for forgiveness and must forgive them (if needed) over and over.” P. 522
Will we sin 490 times?
It’s safe to say we sin once a day (at least), I think.
365 days/year x 1 sin/day x 57 years (my age) = 20,805 sins so far
I mean we sin 490 times every 16 months at this rate. (And I think we sin much more than this)
Through Christ, God doesn’t keep count. So don’t keep count.
Unless you don’t know Christ. Then know that he’s keeping count whether you are or not. In fact, he has a book with each one written down. Every idle word you’ve spoken is written. Every social media post you’ve responded to or posted—recorded. He knows every thought you’ve had that never left your brain. Accountable. You’re accountable for every one.
This is why we need his forgiveness. Extravagant forgiveness.
And as Christ has forgiven us over and over again, we’re to forgive each other over and over again. It’s that simple. Not easy—but clearly what we should do.
The Question of Chapter 18
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Matthew 18:1
The rest of the chapter is a response to that question.
--God's Search and Rescue Plan: Church Discipline by David V. Edling, p. 6
From John Stott wrote in "Christian Counter-culture":
"The addition of the words as we also have forgiven our debtors is further emphasized in verses 14 and 15 which follow the prayer and state that our Father will forgive us if we forgive others but will not forgive us if we refuse to forgive others. This certainly does not mean that our forgiveness of others earns us the right to be forgiven. It is rather that God forgives only the penitent and that one of the chief evidences of true penitence is a forgiving spirit. Once our eyes have been opened to see the enormity of our offence against God, the injuries which others have done to us appear by comparison extremely triffling. If, on the other hand, we have an exaggerated view of the offences of others, it proves that we have minimized our own. It is the disparity between the size of debts which is the main point of the parable of the unmerciful servant. It's conclusion is: 'I forgave you all that debt (which was huge)...; should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'" pp. 149-150
God loves you. Love is not love if it is forced; it can only be love if there is a real choice. God gave human beings a choice and the freedom to love or not to love. So much suffering is caused by us choosing not to love God or others: ‘The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods’ (Psalm 16:4).
However, Jesus expressly repudiates the automatic link between sin and suffering (John 9:1–3). He also points out that natural disasters are not necessarily a form of punishment from God (Luke 13:1–5). But some suffering is a direct result either of our own sin or the sin of others. In this passage we see three examples:
Wandering away
Jesus speaks about a sheep that ‘wanders away’ (Matthew 18:12). When we wander away from the protection of The Shepherd we become vulnerable. But God will never stop searching for us because he ‘is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost’ (v.14).
Sin of others
Jesus says, ‘If your brother or sister sins against you’ (v.15). So much suffering in the world is the result of other people’s sin – both at a global and community level, and also at an individual one. In this passage, Jesus sets out a way of reconciliation.
He calls his disciples to unlimited forgiveness. Jesus says that when people sin against us we are to forgive them – not just seven times, but seventy-seven times (vv.21–22). (Or 70 x 7)
Forgiveness is not easy. The cross reminds us how costly and painful it is. Forgiveness does not mean approving of what the other person did, nor excusing it, nor denying it, nor pretending that you are not hurt. Rather, you are aware of what the other person has done and yet you are called to forgive. In your personal relationships lay aside all malice, revenge and retribution and show mercy and grace to the person who has hurt you.
Unforgiveness
Sometimes forgiving can be extremely hard. As C.S. Lewis wrote: ‘Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive.’
In the final parable, we can see the destructive nature of unforgiveness. The first servant’s unwillingness to forgive a comparatively minor debt (around three-and-a-half month’s wages compared to around 160,000 years’ wages for an average person) destroys his relationship with the other servants, and leads to the second servant being cast into prison. So often unforgiveness destroys relationships between people, and results in them lashing out against those they think have sinned against them. We see the results of this in marriage breakdowns, broken relationships, or in conflicts between different communities.
We do not earn our forgiveness; Jesus achieved that for you on the cross. But your willingness to forgive is evidence that you know God’s forgiveness. Forgiven people forgive. All of us have been forgiven so much by God that we must keep on forgiving the comparatively small offences committed against us.
I’m so thankful that God does not put a limit on how often he forgives me. Yet when I look at others I am tempted to think, ‘I’m happy to forgive once, or even twice, but if they keep on doing this surely I’m not expected to keep on forgiving.’
Cultivate in your heart the same attitude towards others as God has towards you.
Lord, help me to use my freedom to love, to search for the lost and to have mercy. Help me not to cause suffering but rather to give my life, following the example of Jesus, for the relief of suffering.
MAIN REFERENCES USED
“Preaching the Word” Commentary, Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Edited by Kent Hughes
“Matthew” by RC Sproul
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)
“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)
“Exalting Jesus in Matthew” by David Platt (CCE)
Outline Bible, D Willmington
NIV Study Bible (NIVSB)
ESV Study Bible (ESVSB)
God's Search and Rescue Plan: Church Discipline by David V. Edling
Read MoreSeries: All!
Jesus has all authority,
So that all nations
Might pledge all allegiance to him.
Title: “How to Practice Church Discipline” (Darien Gabriel)
Scripture: Matthew 18:15-20 NIV
Heavily relied on O’Donnell for this one. (See below)
Bottom line: We all practice church discipline by lovingly confronting those who sin against us (per Matthew 18) with the aim of restoring the relationship.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
SERMON OUTLINE & NOTES
MAIN REFERENCES USED
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discussion questions for group and personal study.
Reflect and Discuss
1. What does it mean to become like children in verse 3? What is the difference between having childlike faith and being immature in your faith?
2. How does the requirement of humility in verses 1-4 compare with our culture's view of greatness?
3. Explain how a biblical view of the church goes against a culture that prizes independence?
4. How should the parable of the Lost Sheep in verses 10-14 inform our view of church discipline?
5. Respond to the following objection to church discipline: If our church disciplines members, then unbelievers will be turned off and discouraged from coming.
6. What is the ultimate goal of church discipline?
7. What does Matthew 18 have to add to our view of church membership?
8. List things that should and should not be matters of church discipline.
9. What is the main point of the parable of the Unforgiving Servant (wv. 23-35)?
10. If you aren't showing mercy to others, how might that be an indica tion that you are not being shaped by the gospel?
Final Questions (optional or in place of above)
What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?
Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast
Weekly questions I answer in preparation for the sermon:
Q. What do I want you to know?
A. How to practice church discipline
Q. Why?
A. Because it leads to a holier and healthier church family
Q. What do I want you to do?
A. Practice church discipline/confrontation per Matthew 18
Q. Why?
A. Because these steps lead to a holier, healthier church family.
OUTLINE & NOTES
Our oldest grandson is almost 2-1/2 years old. He trusts his parents and grandparents right now. He has an implicit faith in us. When we tell him something, he just believes us. You might call him innocent. He is not! You might call him naive. But for now he trusts us implicitly and humbly. He just knows he doesn’t know near as much as we do.
This is what I think Jesus was trying to communicate to his 12 earlier here. To know that you’re a son off the king, you must humble yourself and turn and become like a 2-3 yr old trusting your Heavenly Father in all he says.
Context
Matt. 18:1–20:34 The Community of the Messiah Revealed.
This is the fourth of Jesus’ five major discourses in Matthew’s Gospel
As his earthly ministry draws to a close, Jesus has spent considerable time clarifying his identity and mission (chs. 14–17).
He instructs his disciples on the nature of his covenant community, explaining the kingdom community’s characteristics (18:1–35),
its implications for the sanctity of marriage (19:1–12), and
its value (19:13–20:34). ESV Study Bible note
What’s important to remember about this context is that Jesus is dealing with how local believers interact with each other. They pursue wandering brothers and sisters in Christ. They lovingly confront sinful behavior. This is different than confronting someone in the world outside of the church.
Introduction
Bottom line: We all practice church discipline by lovingly confronting those who sin against us (per Matthew 18) with the aim of restoring the relationship.
Church discipline is the act of lovingly confronting one who sins against us so that they humbly respond with repentance restoring their relationship with us and the Lord.
How do we do this?
First, Why confront?
My notes after reading O’Donnell
Have you ever been legitimately confronted over something you did wrong? Or sin?
It’s a humbling experience. Makes you feel small.
“But small, as we learned (earlier in Matthew 18), is the appropriate size to get into the kingdom as well as move up in it. Thus, if confrontation can lead to that kind of smallness, it is something we all, from time to time, very well need.” P. 509
Why confront?
This passage is about how the church (the people) confronts the one who sins against them. But before we tackle how, let’s understand why we even do it.
Most churches want to do this as much as a parent wants to spank a child in the Super Walmart. It’s hard form some to hear that a church can excommunicate someone. It sounds harsh, judgmental, unloving and so against the spirit of the age. This is why we start with why?
4 reasons one Christian confronts another:
1 from our passage and
3 from the surrounding context
The first reason for Christian confrontation is the value of one straying sheep.
Notice how Jesus moves from his parable of the lost sheep directly to this. Matthew inserts nothing in between. Presumably, Jesus does not stop talking in between.
From: Sheep—how God values each individual Christian, even and especially strayed sheep
To: This
Why? Because they are thematically linked.
The Father’s concern for sinners and the Shepherd’s rescue of those who’ve wandered from the fold are now the church’s concern.
The Church confronts because we value each and every sheep, even and especially straying sheep.
The second reason for Christian confrontation is the hope of forgiveness and family reconciliation.
Immediate context: Theme is the forgiveness of a brother’s sin.
Note “Brother” is generic for Christian but is also familial language. He could have used “disciple”
Family reconciliations are the best. Think of the prodigal son. (Luke 15)
The third reason for Christian confrontation is, a little laxity leads to a lot of lapsing.
Paul said, “a little leaven leaven’s the whole lump.” 1 Cor 5:6
A little leaven (neglected sin in the church) leaven’s the whole lump (affects whole church)
A little laxity (let this or that sin go unchecked) leads to a lot of lapsing (I guess if he does that, I can do this)
Cutting off sin (18:8-9) “That by guarding our own personal holiness we guard others, especially those weaker in the faith” p. 511
Ex. “Newly baptized Christian sees an elder in the church sinning, and that elder is not confronted and corrected by the church, then the younger Christian will likely be tempted to similarly sin.” p. 511
“Christian confrontation helps protect and purify the church (like salt), and it helps prevent the spread of sin throughout the Body of Christ.”
The fourth reason for Christian confrontation is that it is a command of Christ…because Jesus is Lord.”
Reproof and love go together.
“Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” Lev 19:17-18
Tolerating sin is not loving.
Because God loves, God disciplines.
It’s the loving shepherd who goes after the lost sheep.
The unloving shepherd stays at home
He’s either indifferent (what’s 1 out of 100), or
He’s lenient (oh, sheep will be sheep)
So, Christians are to confront sinning Christians because
We value one straying sheep
We hope for forgiveness and family reconciliation
We know that a little laxity leads to a lot of lapsing, and
Christian confrontation is a loving command from the most loving man who ever lived.
Then, How confront?
3 Strikes and You’re Out (Quick and dirty)
Confront one on one.
If they listen, you’ve won them over. It’s over.
If they don’t, proceed to step two.
Confront with 2-3 witnesses.
If they listen, you’ve won them over. It’s over.
If they don’t, proceed to step three.
Confront with the church.
If they listen, you’ve won them over. It’s over.
If they don’t, you expel them from the church and treat them as a non-Christian.
More detailed outline…
How to Lovingly Confront—3 Steps (O’Donnell)
Go and win (gain)
First, 3 important details
Notice who is confronting whom—it’s brother to brother…
Not brother to person in the world.
There’s a time for that—this isn’t about that.
Notice when this occurs—only “if your brother sins against you.” (In ESV text; footnoted in NIV)
Just between you and him alone (if have “against you” personally as in ESV)
And it is “sin”, behavior that is clearly and consistently contrary to Christ’s commands
This is not bad personality traits or poor hygiene
Notice (speaking on sin) that Jesus assumes Christians will sin
Step 1: Go and win (Gain) PRIVATE CORRECTION / LOVING CONFRONTATION
First step is not…
To wait
To sit and sulk
To give a cold shoulder or silent treatment
Indifference
Tit for tat
To gossip
To slander
Rather, step 1 is a private conversation—underline “just between the two of you” (15)
Gently and/or
With holy harshness
Nathan modeled this in a balanced way with King David (2 Sam 12:1-7)
Paul throughout his ministry; Gal 2:11 I opposed Peter to his face
Jesus showed holy harshness in 18:8-9
Regardless, the spirit is that of humility and love, a solemn concern for your brother’s soul
So we go hoping to win i.e. restore, gain to God and to fellowship with the church
Hoping to bring light to their darkness. If he sees this darkness, confesses it, asks for forgiveness, you’re won or gained your brother
Step 2: Establish Testimony (evidence) SMALL GROUP CLARIFICATION
Jesus is practical
Jesus is also realistic. Most of us get defensive when confronted.
Why? Because we’re proud. Instead of melting like butter, we harden like clay.
“Jesus’ lesson on becoming like little children applies well here as well. Humility is needed! and such humility is helped along by bringing others to hear the case.” P. 516
2 or 3 others/witnesses comes from Deut 19:15. Why?
To protect against a false accusation—brother B is exaggerating or lying about brother A’s offense.
To help brother A, if he’s been rightly accused, to see his sin as sin, or in other words, to add their voice of reproof so he might repent, and
To be public witnesses, if needed, if the matter comes to the whole church (2 Cor 13:1; 1 Tim 5:19)
Step 3: Church Censure CHURCH ADMONITION & POSSIBLY EXCOMMUNICATION
A censure is an official reprimand and judgment. Here it is the church saying, “3 strikes and your out—you’ve been excommunicated from the fellowship.”p. 516
First, let’s be clear on who is to blame here—it’s the unrepentant brother—he has refused to “listen”
This text isn’t just how to confront—it’s how to respond to confrontation
3 Strikes and you’re out
“If a sinner won’t cut off his sin, the church cuts him off.” V. 17
That is, treat him like someone who has betrayed the covenant (like a traitor tax collector) and someone who does not currently believe in the covenant (gentile or pagan); their actions move leaders to declare that they are not a follower of Christ
In NT, excommunication meant not allowing this unrepentant “brother” to participate in the public gatherings—
A worship service
Lord’s Supper
Prayer meeting
A judicial meeting
For some, this is the limited version
For others, it was unlimited restriction:
“If any false teacher ‘comes to you…do not receive him into your home or give him any greeting’” (2 John 10)
“As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice (i.e. Matthew 18:15-17), have nothing to do with him.” (Titus 3:10)
“[Do] not …associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is justly or sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater, reviled, drunkard, or swindler”—[Do] not even eat with such a one.” (1 Cor 5:11)
“Yet for both—with limited and unlimited restriction—the hope was held out that this ‘severe measure’ would make the sinner come to his senses, that this ‘brother’ would act like a brother should —repent and return.” P. 517
1 Cor 5-6
2 Thess 3:14-15
Coming out of 15-17, Jesus masterfully assumes there will be pushback. “Says who?” AUTHORITY
“You see, when a brother or sister is excommunicated, before they leave (and/or sue) the disciplining church and go to another, they will nearly always reply to the disciplining church, ‘You’re not God. Who gives you the right?’ And to that objection our Lord leaves his church 18-20, his gentle way of saying ‘shut it’” pp. 517-18
“These verses are not about the value of prayer meetings.”
“Rather, these verses are about Jesus giving his divine authority to forgive sins (or loose) or not forgive (to bind) into the hands of the church.” P. 518
“If the local church gathers together in the name of Christ—even two or three—to judge another brother (that’s the context, v. 17 esp.), then what these brothers decide on earth is decided (already) in heaven. Why? Jesus’ answer is, ‘Because I say so’…It’s a matter of transference of authority.” P. 518
“The church has been given the authority to forgive (receive back into fellowship) or excommunicate (remove from fellowship). This is how we use the keys to the kingdom.
Conclusion
Our bottom line today is that we all practice church discipline by lovingly confronting those who’ve sinned against us with the aim of restoring the relationship.
Are you ever confronting sin?
When you do, do you do so with humility and love and the aim to restore the relationship?
Is someone confronting you?
Are you responding with humility and repentance?
Is the Lord challenging you to join your local church?
What is God saying to you right now?
Let’s pray.
Church discipline -various levels by warren wiersbe
“Various levels of church discipline
If a brother or sister sins against me (either deliberately or unknowingly), I should go to that person privately and seek to get the matter settled. Only if the person refuses to settle the matter should I bring anyone else in; and the problem must not go to the church family until every other means has been exhausted.
Determine first of all why the person is teaching wrong doctrine. Perhaps it is because of ignorance and lack of Bible knowledge. In that case, patiently teach him the truth (2 Tim. 2:23–26). If he persists, rebuke him (Titus 1:10–14). Paul had to do this to Peter (Gal. 2:11ff). If the error continues, avoid him (Rom. 16:17–18), and then separate yourself from him (2 Tim. 2:18ff; 2 John 9ff).
Even the great Apostle Peter denied the Lord. And David yielded to lust and committed adultery. When a Christian is caught in known sin, the spiritual members of the church must seek to restore him with gentleness and love. The word restore here means “to set a broken bone”—and that takes tenderness and patience. Too often the church quickly passes judgment on a believer who has sinned, and the damage done causes problems for years to come.
The word heretic does not refer to doctrinal error, but to a proud attitude of one who gets people to “take sides” in the church. The Greek word means “to make a choice.” This leads to divisions and cliques in the local church (see Gal. 5:20 where heresies ought to be translated “sects, parties”). There is hardly a church that does not have its parties for or against anything—the pastor, the building program, even the color of the kitchen walls. Usually these “heretics” are people who like to be important; they want a following. Often they have deep emotional problems that Satan can use to create spiritual problems in the church. Perhaps they are frustrated at home or on the job; or perhaps they have, in the past, been hurt by some pastor or church.
These “factious people” should be given two official warnings. If they repeat their sin of dividing the church, they should be given a third warning and rejected. “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned” (Titus 3:10–11, niv).
It is my conviction that such people should not hold office in the church. It is also my conviction that, if they leave the church “in a conviction that, if they leave the church “in a huff,” they should be restored to fellowship only twice. The third time—they are out!
The church must mourn over the sinner (the same word is used for mourning over the dead) and seek to bring him to repentance. If he refuses, the church collectively should dismiss him (1 Cor. 5:13, where the Greek word means “expel”). If he repents, he must be forgiven and restored to fellowship in the church (2 Cor. 2:6–11).
In the case of the “lazy saints,” Paul told the believers to exhort them, warn them, and if they did not repent, withdraw intimate fellowship from them. This probably meant that these believers were not permitted to share in the Lord’s Supper, and that the church members would not invite them to their homes. Second Thessalonians 3:14 does not apply to every case of discipline. It applies only to the matter of saints not working for a living.
“Have no company” literally means “do not get mixed up with”; the same word is used in 1 Corinthians 5:9. There is a difference between acquaintanceship, friendship, and fellowship; for fellowship means “to have in common.” For obedient saints to treat disobedient Christians with the same friendship they show to other dedicated saints is to give approval to their sins.
However, Paul (knowing the tendency of human nature to go to extremes) cautioned them not to treat the offenders like enemies. “They are still your brothers in Christ,” he added. Lot was out of fellowship with God and Abraham because he lived in Sodom; yet Abraham rescued Lot from the enemy because Lot was his brother (Gen. 14, and note especially v. 14). It requires much patience, love, and grace to help an erring brother; and this is why Paul added a final motive for earning a living.”
Church Discipline by Warren Wiersbe
The Question of Chapter 18
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Matthew 18:1
The rest of the chapter is a response to that question.
--God's Search and Rescue Plan: Church Discipline by David V. Edling, p. 6
From John Stott wrote in "Christian Counter-culture":
"The addition of the words as we also have forgiven our debtors is further emphasized in verses 14 and 15 which follow the prayer and state that our Father will forgive us if we forgive others but will not forgive us if we refuse to forgive others. This certainly does not mean that our forgiveness of others earns us the right to be forgiven. It is rather that God forgives only the penitent and that one of the chief evidences of true penitence is a forgiving spirit. Once our eyes have been opened to see the enormity of our offence against God, the injuries which others have done to us appear by comparison extremely triffling. If, on the other hand, we have an exaggerated view of the offences of others, it proves that we have minimized our own. It is the disparity between the size of debts which is the main point of the parable of the unmerciful servant. It's conclusion is: 'I forgave you all that debt (which was huge)...; should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'" pp. 149-150
MAIN REFERENCES USED
“Preaching the Word” Commentary, Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Edited by Kent Hughes
“Matthew” by RC Sproul
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)
“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)
“Exalting Jesus in Matthew” by David Platt (CCE)
Outline Bible, D Willmington
NIV Study Bible (NIVSB)
ESV Study Bible (ESVSB)
God's Search and Rescue Plan: Church Discipline by David V. Edling
Read MoreSeries: All!
Jesus has all authority,
So that all nations
Might pledge all allegiance to him.
Title: “How to Care for New Believers” (Darien Gabriel)
Scripture: Matthew 18:10-14 NIV
Bottom line: Because he values them so, it’s our (the Church) responsibility to intentionally care for new believers with focused urgency so that they will persevere in their faith.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
OUTLINE & NOTES
REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discussion questions for group and personal study.
Reflect and Discuss
1. What does it mean to become like children in verse 3? What is the difference between having childlike faith and being immature in your faith?
2. How does the requirement of humility in verses 1-4 compare with our culture's view of greatness?
3. Explain how a biblical view of the church goes against a culture that prizes independence?
4. How should the parable of the Lost Sheep in verses 10-14 inform our view of church discipline?
5. Respond to the following objection to church discipline: If our church disciplines members, then unbelievers will be turned off and discouraged from coming.
6. What is the ultimate goal of church discipline?
7. What does Matthew 18 have to add to our view of church membership?
8. List things that should and should not be matters of church discipline.
9. What is the main point of the parable of the Unforgiving Servant (wv. 23-35)?
10. If you aren't showing mercy to others, how might that be an indica tion that you are not being shaped by the gospel?
Final Questions (optional or in place of above)
What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?
Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast
Weekly questions I answer in preparation for the sermon:
Q. What do I want you to know?
A. That God values “little ones” or new believers greatly!
Q. Why?
A. Because they are no longer enemies but his family.
Q. What do I want you to do?
A. That we’re to care for new believers with the same intensity that an angel from God does.
Q. Why?
A. Because He “is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.” We have a responsibility to disciple and shepherd them on his behalf.
OUTLINE & NOTES
Our oldest grandson is almost 2-1/2 years old. He trusts his parents and grandparents right now. He has an implicit faith in us. When we tell him something, he just believes us. You might call him innocent. He is not! You might call him naive. But for now he trusts us implicitly and humbly. He just knows he doesn’t know near as much as we do.
This is what I think Jesus was trying to communicate to his 12 earlier here. To know that you’re a son off the king, you must humble yourself and turn and become like a 2-3 yr old trusting your Heavenly Father in all he says.
Context
Matt. 18:1–20:34 The Community of the Messiah Revealed.
This is the fourth of Jesus’ five major discourses in Matthew’s Gospel
As his earthly ministry draws to a close, Jesus has spent considerable time clarifying his identity and mission (chs. 14–17).
He instructs his disciples on the nature of his covenant community, explaining the kingdom community’s characteristics (18:1–35),
its implications for the sanctity of marriage (19:1–12), and
its value (19:13–20:34). ESV Study Bible note
Introduction
Let’s review 1-9
Jesus is speaking to his disciples who presumably are already in the kingdom. But Jesus cautions, not so fast?!
He shows them that they are not citizens of the kingdom until they are sons of the king. First things first.
Context shows this isn’t about evangelism but discipleship. This whole chapter is about how believers are to interact with one another.
Only second time “church” is used in Matthew in this chapter. (See 18:17)
Jesus reminds the 12 how to become a son/citizen—humble faith.
Uses 2-3 yr old as object lesson
They have implicit faith—they just believe because they trust their parents (Lincoln is 2-1/2)
RC Sproul wrote:
Then there’s the warning about causing them to stumble.
“Little ones” = new & naive believers
Better not be one who causes them to stumble!
Then we get to 10-14
Because of this context, we see that while Luke is coming at this from angle of evangelism, Matthew is more like discipleship.
But what this really shows is that evangelism is discipleship happening before conversion.
“The man” (Shepherd, parent, teacher, church member) pursues the wandering lamb until he brings it home or is unable to bring it home.
God greatly values “little ones” as seen in his assigning angels to minister to them specifically.
God’s will…
His will of decree (“Let there be light” and there was light)
His will of precept (It is God’s will that his people have no other gods before him. Exod 20:3)
His will of disposition (Ezekiel 33:11 God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked)
God wants us to know that he values new believers greatly!
God doesn’t want them to perish! But since they can,…
God wants us to care for them with focused urgency so that they will persevere in their faith until the end.
Conclusion
End with Andy Stanley story
Bottom line: Because God values them so, it’s our responsibility (the Church) to care for new believers with focused urgency so that they will persevere in the faith.
God wants us to know that he values new believers greatly!
God doesn’t want them to perish! But since they can,…
God wants us to care for them with focused urgency so that they will persevere in their faith until the end.
Let’s pray.
Church discipline -various levels by warren wiersbe
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Darien Roger Gabriel<no-reply@evernote.com>
Date: Wed, Dec 3, 2014 at 9:47 AM
Subject: Church discipline -various levels by warren wiersbe
To: darien.gabriel@gracetoday.net
If a brother or sister sins against me (either deliberately or unknowingly), I should go to that person privately and seek to get the matter settled. Only if the person refuses to settle the matter should I bring anyone else in; and the problem must not go to the church family until every other means has been exhausted.
Determine first of all why the person is teaching wrong doctrine. Perhaps it is because of ignorance and lack of Bible knowledge. In that case, patiently teach him the truth (2 Tim. 2:23–26). If he persists, rebuke him (Titus 1:10–14). Paul had to do this to Peter (Gal. 2:11ff). If the error continues, avoid him (Rom. 16:17–18), and then separate yourself from him (2 Tim. 2:18ff; 2 John 9ff).
Even the great Apostle Peter denied the Lord. And David yielded to lust and committed adultery. When a Christian is caught in known sin, the spiritual members of the church must seek to restore him with gentleness and love. The word restore here means “to set a broken bone”—and that takes tenderness and patience. Too often the church quickly passes judgment on a believer who has sinned, and the damage done causes problems for years to come.
The word heretic does not refer to doctrinal error, but to a proud attitude of one who gets people to “take sides” in the church. The Greek word means “to make a choice.” This leads to divisions and cliques in the local church (see Gal. 5:20 where heresies ought to be translated “sects, parties”). There is hardly a church that does not have its parties for or against anything—the pastor, the building program, even the color of the kitchen walls. Usually these “heretics” are people who like to be important; they want a following. Often they have deep emotional problems that Satan can use to create spiritual problems in the church. Perhaps they are frustrated at home or on the job; or perhaps they have, in the past, been hurt by some pastor or church.
These “factious people” should be given two official warnings. If they repeat their sin of dividing the church, they should be given a third warning and rejected. “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned” (Titus 3:10–11, niv).
It is my conviction that such people should not hold office in the church. It is also my conviction that, if they leave the church “in a conviction that, if they leave the church “in a huff,” they should be restored to fellowship only twice. The third time—they are out!
The church must mourn over the sinner (the same word is used for mourning over the dead) and seek to bring him to repentance. If he refuses, the church collectively should dismiss him (1 Cor. 5:13, where the Greek word means “expel”). If he repents, he must be forgiven and restored to fellowship in the church (2 Cor. 2:6–11).
In the case of the “lazy saints,” Paul told the believers to exhort them, warn them, and if they did not repent, withdraw intimate fellowship from them. This probably meant that these believers were not permitted to share in the Lord’s Supper, and that the church members would not invite them to their homes. Second Thessalonians 3:14 does not apply to every case of discipline. It applies only to the matter of saints not working for a living.
“Have no company” literally means “do not get mixed up with”; the same word is used in 1 Corinthians 5:9. There is a difference between acquaintanceship, friendship, and fellowship; for fellowship means “to have in common.” For obedient saints to treat disobedient Christians with the same friendship they show to other dedicated saints is to give approval to their sins.
However, Paul (knowing the tendency of human nature to go to extremes) cautioned them not to treat the offenders like enemies. “They are still your brothers in Christ,” he added. Lot was out of fellowship with God and Abraham because he lived in Sodom; yet Abraham rescued Lot from the enemy because Lot was his brother (Gen. 14, and note especially v. 14). It requires much patience, love, and grace to help an erring brother; and this is why Paul added a final motive for earning a living.
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Matthew 18:1
The rest of the chapter is a response to that question. -God's Search and Rescue Plan: Church Discipline by David V. Edling, p. 6
See various levels by Warren Wiersbe
From John Stott in "Christian Counter-culture":
"The addition of the words as we also have forgiven our debtors is further emphasized in verses 14 and 15 which follow the prayer and state that our Father will forgive us if we forgive others but will not forgive us if we refuse to forgive others. This certainly does not mean that our forgiveness of others earns us the right to be forgiven. It is rather that God forgives only the penitent and that one of the chief evidences of true penitence is a forgiving spirit. Once our eyes have been opened to see the enormity of our offence against God, the injuries which others have done to us appear by comparison extremely triffling. If, on the other hand, we have an exaggerated view of the offences of others, it proves that we have minimized our own. It is the disparity between the size of debts which is the main point of the parable of the unmerciful servant. It's conclusion is: 'I forgave you all that debt (which was huge)...; should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'" pp. 149-150
REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY
“Preaching the Word” Commentary, Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Edited by Kent Hughes
“Matthew” by RC Sproul
“CSB Christ Chronological,” Holman
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)
“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)
“Exalting Jesus in Matthew” by David Platt (CCE)
Outline Bible, D Willmington
NIV Study Bible (NIVSB)
ESV Study Bible (ESVSB)
Read MoreSeries: All!
Jesus has all authority,
So that all nations
Might pledge all allegiance to him.
Title: “How does worshiping Jesus Christ affect my daily life? Part 2” (Darien Gabriel)
Scripture: Matthew 17:14-27 NIV
Bottom line: Treasuring Christ transforms us when we “listen to him” as the Father commands.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
OUTLINE & NOTES
REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discussion questions for group and personal study.
Reflect and Discuss
1. How is Jesus' patience different from our culture's idea of tolerance?
2. What about Jesus' prediction in verses 22-23 tells us that He wasn't a victim of circumstances?
3. Does Jesus' promise that nothing will be impossible for the one who believes (v. 21) mean that God is obligated to give us what we want if we believe sincerely enough? Why not?
4. What was Jesus' attitude toward the political powers of His day?
Final Questions (optional or in place of above)
What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?
Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast
Weekly questions I answer in preparation for the sermon:
Q. What do I want you to know?
A. That we are transformed by what we treasure; we live our lives based on what we worship.
Q. Why?
A. Because you are changed by what you value—what you truly love. This drives your motivations and decisions.
Q. What do I want you to do?
A. Treasure Christ above all so that you’ll “listen to him” through verses 14-27.
Q. Why?
A. Because there is no better way to please God (our eternal rabbi) than to “Listen to him.”
OUTLINE & NOTES
Introduction
Dave Adamson writes, “I ONCE ASKED A RABBI why he didn't believe Jesus was the Messiah.
The rabbi, a personal friend of mine from New Jersey named Rabbi Lubin, told me that while he believed Jesus was a great rabbi, he couldn't accept Jesus as Messiah because his followers have done so many destructive things in his name.
"Jews judge a rabbi based on the behavior of their followers," he said.
Read that again: "Jews judge a rabbi based on the behavior of their followers." This was the reason my friend didn't believe Jesus was the Messiah. He followed up by adding, "The behavior of the disciple reflects the authority of the rabbi."
If you're like me, that line felt a lot like a punch in the gut. As it should!
Now, with that thought ringing in your ears, what does it look like to "make disciples" who accurately reflect the teachings of Jesus? This is a question I've been processing almost every day since I started…”
“…When I first started going to church as a 17-year-old, I thought being a disciple meant completing the six-week discipleship class my church held twice a year. And that's because the Hebrew word we translate as "disciple" in the Bible is "talmid" (n7n't pronounced "tal-meed"), which we usually translate as "student." But, as Rabbi Lubin taught me, while this word does mean "student, it can actually be translated as "apprentice"-someone who is being led to become just like their teacher. The translation of n7n't as student is correct, Rabbi Lubin told me, but the English concept of "student" doesn't quite cover the nuance of this important Hebrew word.” (Emphasis mine)
-Dave Adamson
A Jewish rabbit doesn’t just expect his disciples to listen to his words and teachings. He expects them to walk in his ways.
Let’s just ask this question. What if someone was here today and they said that they’d trust and follow Jesus if after looking into the lives of the Jesus followers in this room today they concluded he was a good rabbi.
How would your life help or hurt his decision?
It starts with this question:
How does worshipping Jesus Christ affect my daily life? I submit it does so in 5 ways (with some help from David Platt). Last week we covered the first one. Today we’ll cover 2-5.
Now, let’s review a phrase from last week that should ripple through this entire message: “Listen to him.” (God the Father)
Points 2-5 are what we would do if we “Listened to him.”
I. It transforms me from what I value to what Jesus Christ values. (17:1-13; cf. 16:23)
Why? Because we become what we behold.
Ex. My pursuit of Anita has transformed me over the years into a more mature person, a husband (we’re one), a father and a follower of Jesus Christ.
How? Through glad obedience.
II. It helps me suffer long. (17:14-21) Long-suffering = patience. Love is patient (1 Cor 13:4)
Why? Putting others first is hard but it’s what love does.
How? By the power of faith (prayer)
Rick Warren says he can tell a person’s faith by their prayers
This is the point Jesus wants to make (and why he’s frustrated). We either
Don’t believe God can do it, or
Don’t believe God will do it. (Or both)
God can do it. He is able. He is able to do more than we can ask or imagine in fact. So most of the time we’re asking for too little.
God cares about it. He may care about something else too (or more) so he answers in accordance with his perfect wisdom and will. But he cares.
III. It helps me surrender my life. (17:22)
Why? Because of his merciful example. Romans 5:8; 12:1
How? Buy the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2; 2 Tim 3:16-17
Jesus willingly surrendered his life for us. He did this because
Of his love for his Father
Of his love for us
Jesus knew where he was headed. This is the second time he predicts this to his disciples. They are so preoccupied with his death (because it means they’ll likely die too) that they miss the second part…his resurrection!
This should help me have this same perspective. If I know I’m going to die but not really there’s a freedom and peace in that. I’m willing to live life without fear of dying—and that’s freedom! I don’t care what other people think—just what God thinks.
IV. It helps me with my perspective. (17:23)
Why? It reminds me that Jesus Christ won at the cross.
How? By grace through faith.
Jesus also predicts his resurrection. While the 12 miss this every time he mentions it, it’s clear to us that he knew what was coming and was preparing for it along the way. (Prayers)
When I have this perspective that this isn’t all there is I’ll live with more freedom because I’ll be free from fear…fear of death, fear of failure, fear of rejection, etc.
V. It helps me live humbly and confidently. (17:24-27)
Why? Because I know who’s authority I have and live under already.
How? By forsaking/surrendering my rights in this world.
Jesus models humble contentment and submission to authorities for the sake of the mission.
Jesus models great faith. Think of all the miracles that have to happen for that coin to be in that fishes’ mouth.
Conclusion
Bottom line: Treasuring Christ transforms us when we “listen to him” as the Father commands.
Are you long-suffering with others? with your circumstances?
Are you living surrendered daily? Denying yourself and taking up your cross daily?
Are you living victoriously as if you really believed that the best is yet to come?
Are you living humbly and confidently?
Are you listening to him?
Let’s pray.
REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY
“Preaching the Word” Commentary, Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Edited by Kent Hughes
“Matthew” by RC Sproul
“CSB Christ Chronological,” Holman
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)
“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)
“Exalting Jesus in Matthew” by David Platt (CCE)
Outline Bible, D Willmington
NIV Study Bible (NIVSB)
ESV Study Bible (ESVSB)
Read More“Who Do You say I Am”?
Matthew 16:13-28
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the
Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the
prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and
blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, [ a ] and on this rock I will build my
church, and the gates of Hades [b] will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of
heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be [c] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will
be [d] loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Jesus Predicts His Death
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many
things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be
killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to
you!”
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not
have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up
their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life [e] will lose it, but whoever loses their life
for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or
what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s
glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man
coming in his kingdom.”
13 “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah;
and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
-John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeramiah, or one of the prophets back from the dead. A good man or
Godly man, but not God Himself
- There’s irony in that they were closer to believing that He was a prophet raised from the dead,
than the Savior who would actually be raised from the dead
- There were a lot of people in the first century who would have said they believed in
Jesus – that He was a prophet or a good man
- There are a lot of people in the 21 st century who would say the same thing
- approx.. 85% of Americans believe that Jesus was a real historical figure –
-52% of Americans think Jesus was a great teacher
-They didn’t say “the Messiah”, and many don’t now.
CS Lewis: liar, lunatic or Lord
l am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about
Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God.
That is the one thing we must not say.
A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral
teacher. He would either be a lunatic-on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg-or
else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the
Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit
at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not
come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that
open to us. He did not intend to. ... Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor
a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept
the view that He was and is God. (Mere Christianity, 55-56)
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
- “you” here is plural, directed at the apostles
- Everything now and for eternity hinges on your answer
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
- This is the first time we see the apostles confess who Jesus is
- Who you say Jesus is determines everything about how you follow Him.
- If you believe He’s a good teacher, that’s how you follow Him. If you think He has some
good ideas, you’ll listen to Him once in a while
- If you believe He’s the Savior, that should change everything about how you live your
life.
- 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and
blood, but by my Father in heaven.
- Divine revelation rather than human deduction
- The grace of God is the only way anyone can behold the beauty AND PURPOSE of Christ
John 6:44-45
““No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the
last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the
Father and learned from him comes to me.”
-A Biblical argument can be made that the only way we will know Jesus for who He truly is, is ONLY
through the revelation of God our Father…but God reveals it to others through our evangelism.
-In fact, the only reason why we are together as a family is because God our Father made it so.
18 And I tell you that you are Peter, [ a ] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades [b] will
not overcome it.
- “You are Peter” (Petros = rock) - this parallels Peter’s confession
- First use of the word “church” or “ekklesia” in the gospels
- Jesus isn’t implying anything of a particular church structure, just promising that he will establish a
gathered community of his followers, and help them grow. – a community of people who submit to
Gods Kingly rule.
Jesus promises the indestructibility of His church.
- Gates of Hades, sometimes referred to the gates of hell – probably the powers of death.
- Gates are largely defensive, so if you consider the gates of hell, or the powers of death on the
defense, that means those gates cannot withstand the power over death that Jesus instills in the
church.
- This passage may not be about protecting the church from the gates of hell (and death)…Hell is on the
defensive…not us! Jesus is saying the gates of hell, death itself cannot withstand His power through the
church. The church needs to be storming the gates of hell, not sitting in our cozy buildings waiting for it
to come to us. Either way, death is defeated…
- We overcome death – we don’t have to defend against it’s power
- Death cannot stop this Messiah, nor His followers – Christ gives His authority to the church
- Being a part of a church is not like joining a club –it comes with an extremely important confession with
eternal ramifications.
- All too often in the US, joining a church looks more like joining a country club these
days.
- multi-million dollar facilities with racquetball courts, gyms, recreational
facilities, bookstores and sometimes a place to gather and worship. Even then,
the logos, jerseys, bumper stickers, Sunday concerts and worship albums help to
build membership, but may not build God’s kingdom.
- WHAT YOU WIN THEM WITH, IS WHAT YOU WIN THEM TO.
-we have to be careful not to do to the church what the Jews did to the temple.
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be [c] bound in
heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be [d] loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not
to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
- I grew up Roman Catholic, and the Catholic church uses this passage to justify Peter as the first
Pope, and through apostolic succession, confessing sins to priests in confessionals. As they forgive, they
loose on earth…but….
- this is not about the authority of Peter, but the authority of Jesus Christ
- this is not about a supreme pope, but a sovereign Savior
- this is not about an infallible pope, but an invincible mission
There is imagery of keys that close and open, lock and unlock (Isaiah 22:22) and take the binding and
loosing referring to Christians making entrance to Gods kingdom available or unavailable to people
through their witness, preaching and ministry. This will tie in closely with John 20:23
When Peter or the other apostles, or any follower of Christ for the matter, proclaims the gospel, it is
done under Jesus' authority-His authority to save sinners and to judge sinners. Jesus' authority to save
means that we can say to any person in the world, "If you turn from your sin and trust in Jesus as Savior
and Lord, you will be free from sin forever' That's a guarantee based on the authority of Christ and His
Word. At the same time, we can also say to any person in this world, "If you do not tum from your sin
and trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord, you are bound to your sin and its payment for all eternity in hell."
Authority has been entrusted to us as the church to proclaim this message.
We speak with the authority of Christ. The urgency and priority of evangelism flows from these truths
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many
things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be
killed and on the third day be raised to life.
-Jesus speaks plainly of His coming fate - anticipating that he may be killed does not require any
supernatural insight…Matthew 12:14
“But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.”
But, more than common sense must lie behind the prediction of His resurrection.
Elders - not previously mentioned - members of the Sanhedrin
“Chief priests and scribes” - teachers of the law
Jesus doesn’t explain here the use of the word “must”, but accounts for it in Matthew 20:28
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a
ransom for many.”
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to
you!”
-Peter does not recognize that Jesus’ death and resurrection must precede the establishment of the
church and that His followers must also suffer before Gods kingdom will triumph.
-Peter has not yet conceived of a suffering Messiah
-Peters is emphatic…basically “no way”, “this shall never happen”!!
-Trying to thwart God’s plan for Jesus life is, in fact, the role of the devil, not a disciple…hence Jesus’
reply.
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not
have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
-He’s not saying Peter is the devil or possessed, but dramatically stating that the perspective Peter
represents here, however unwittingly, is the same as Satan’s.
-Peter moves very fast from foundation block to stumbling block
-Peter represents the viewpoint of unredeemed humanity, rather than God’s will.
-Get behind me means get away, or out of my site…similar to his rebuke of satan in Matthew 4:10
Where a similar temptation was aimed at Jesus in the desert:
“Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him
only.’””
- “Take up his cross” is metaphorical - submission to God’s will, wherever it may lead = deny himself. It
also represents an ominous possibility that some of the disciples might literally be crucified.
-Self-denial means putting God and His kingdom priorities first.
-This is so counter cultural to life in America
you deserve a break today
Get the pampering you deserve
You deserve only the best
The pursuit of happiness is a constitutional right, not a biblical right
Do you know what we truly deserve? Death
Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Any preacher who tells you that you deserve anything better than death…you know, your best life now,
is a wolf in sheep’s clothing and does not have your eternal soul in mind…run
This is how we find life.
Galatians 2:19-20
““For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I
no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who
loved me and gave himself for me.”
The logic of Jesus’ command depends wholly on the existence of life beyond the grace
Live for yourself and you will die. Die to yourself and you will live.
27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each
person according to what they have done.
-Glory awaits ahead, but only after suffering
-“What he has done” is more literally like “his practice” and refers to an individual life viewed in its
entirety
28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man
coming in his kingdom.”
Verse 28 is kind of cryptic but is probably referring to the transfiguration, which is coming up next . The
transfiguration will be a foretaste of his resurrection.
2 Peter 1:16-18 (Peter later referring to the transfiguration)
“For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the
Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with
him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him
on the sacred mountain.”
-Regarding suffering having to precede glory is a tough one for Christians today, especially in the US,
where prosperity preaching contradicts the teachings and life of Jesus.
-Have you died to yourself?
-Have you taken up your cross?
James 1:27
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in
their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
James 1:27 NIV
Romans 12:1-2
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern
of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and
approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:1-2 NIV
Matthew 25:31-46 NIV
““When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.
All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a
shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his
left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your
inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you
gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you
invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison
and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and
feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in,
or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King
will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine,
you did for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the
eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was
thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes
and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will
answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in
prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the
least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous
to eternal life.””
“Who Do You Say I Am”? - Verses for slides
Matthew 16:13-28
Mathew 16: 13-14
Matthew 16:15
Matthew 16:16
Matthew 16:17
John 6:44-45
Matthew 16:18
James 1:27
Matthew 16:19-20
Matthew 16:21
Matthew 12:14
Matthew 20:28
Matthew 16:22
Matthew 16:23
Matthew 4:10
Matthew 16:24-26
Romans 6:23
James 1:27
Romans 12:1-2
Matthew 25:31-46
Galatians 2:19-20
Matthew 16:27
Matthew 16:28
2 Peter 2:16-18
Read MoreSeries: All!
Scripture: Matthew 15:21-39
Title: “Are you at the table with Jesus?” (Darien Gabriel)
Heavily relied on David Platt, Kenneth Bailey, and Sean O’Donnell. (See below)
Bottom line: Jesus’ beloved are those who respond to his invitation to feast with him by grace through faith.
Just as the Father sent Jesus to save, satisfy and serve, Jesus sends us to do the same. To multiply disciple-makers around the corner and around the world.
Jesus invited everyone to his family feast. You get in by faith. You’re invited. Are you going? It’s not just a one and done decision. It’s a daily, count-the-cost decision that leads to walking with (or without) God. That looks like being sent by Jesus to save, satisfy and serve our neighbors.
Discussion questions for group and personal study.
Reflect and Discuss
1. Like this Gentile Canaanite woman, what unlikely converts has God placed around you?
2. How have you doubted God's power and mercy in relation to such people?
3. How does Jesus' interaction with this Canaanite woman and His feeding of the Gentile crowd help forecast the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20?
Final Questions (optional or in place of above)
What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?
Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast
Q. What do I want you to know?
A. Jesus invites you to come and feast with him and his family by grace through faith.
Q. Why?
A. To empower us to save, satisfy and serve all peoples of all nations.
Q. What do I want you to do?
A. Accept his invitation by faith.
Q. Why?
A. So that you’ll be propelled to save, satisfy and serve your neighbors.
INTRO
Our kitchen table is sacred ground in our house to Anita and I. It’s where we’ve shared over 2,100 meals with our family of six plus for over 30 years. Sitting at the head of that table might be my favorite place in the house…maybe in the world.
Why? Because from there, when they are all in our house together, along with their growing families, I can see and speak to our closest family members. It is there where for a few seconds before we dive into our latest feast that I can pray another blessing over them and say an encouraging word to them. For a brief moment I have their undivided attention and I can remind them that they are our beloved.
Do you feel like Jesus’ beloved today?
In Rev 3:20, Jesus asks to come in and sit at our table. And while he’s there he will remind us that we’re his beloved and bless us.
Our Lord uses a similar metaphor in an unlikely place here today. He’s outside of Israel giving his 12 a peak at the future of his kingdom.
Today I want to answer 2 questions:
Who’s invited to sit at the table of the Lord?
How do you get there?
The final question I’ll have for you is: will you join him at his table today?
CONTEXT
Jesus and his disciples leave Israeli territory and go to Gentile territory. First, they go to Tyre and Sidon (modern day Lebanon). Next, they go to the decapolis (a region east of Judea made up of 10 Gentile cities). This marks the last time Jesus will do ministry in the Galilean region as his remaining ministry will happen in Judea and especially in Jerusalem. It is also the only season he will enter Gentile territory.
The religious leaders make a trip to where Jesus and his disciples are ministering to continue to confront him with the hopes of exposing him and condemning him.
Notice that this is in the wake of some pretty amazing miracles and teachings. He’s fed over 5,000 men plus women and children with a few loaves and fish. He’s walked on water across the Sea of Galilee. He continues to heal all who come to him including just by walking by them and they reaching out to touch his cloak. He’s gaining immense popularity as a result. He’s being seen as a Messiah if not THE Messiah by the populace. Even Canaanite women knows about him and that he’s the Messiah. As a result, the religious leaders are getting desperate. A leader like this will disrupt the status quo with Rome. And this means the loss of influence and affluence for the religious leaders of Israel.
All of this challenges the Disciples and their prejudices against Gentiles. Jesus takes them to Gentile (unclean) territory (after his lesson on what is unclean comes from your heart not from what you eat) and immediately blesses a Gentile (Canaanite = enemy; woman = less than a man) and her daughter. He then blesses thousands of Gentiles (through his D’s) just like he did the Jews earlier. This would help them to see that his vision is for more than Israel—it’s for the whole world!
2 Themes. 2 Miracles.
I. Who’s invited to the family feast? Everyone. (21-28)
A. Jesus takes them to Gentile territory. Not sure why but he isn’t getting away from being known and sought after.
B. Canaanite woman.
Strike 1–Canaanite. Ancient enemy of Israel.
Strike 2–Woman. Less than a man in the eyes of men in that day.
Strike 3–Gentile. A dog.
C. Model of faith.
Desperate. “Crying out” Her daughter “is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” I can’t imagine being demon possessed. But she makes it sound like this is worse than normal possessions.
Humble, respectful. Even if just being respectful, called him Lord.
Messiah. She uses the title for Messiah, “Son of David.”
D. Jesus’ & Disciples’ reactions
Jesus is silent.
Disciples are not interested in helping. (Everyone is exhausted and hungry) 3 Days.
Jesus replies with a discouraging word. But truth.
She doesn’t disagree. In fact, she kneels and prays profoundly, “Lord, help me!”
Jesus again appears to discourage her. (More likely testing) Explains it’s not right to take what is for God’s people and give to those who are his enemies. Calls her a dog. A “little dog” like a pet, not a rabid dog. But still a dog.
She doesn’t flinch but does disagree. Points out that it’s appropriate for people to get this crumbs. She may not be the kids at the table but there’s room for the pet dog to get some. She understands and therefore knows what’s available for her. Great faith!
What a contrast to the faith (or lack) of the religious leaders (none) and the 12 (little).
Why did Jesus ignore, refuse, rebuke and then bless her? 2 possibilities:
To test her
She approached Jesus as a Jew (Son of David). Later she calls him Lord which is more universal. She doesn’t have to become a Jew first. (Wiersbe)
Jesus applauds her amazing faith. Only 2 people get this accolade in Matthew (Centurion is the other).
Jesus answers her prayer without going anywhere.
II. How do you get in? Faith. (29-39)
A. Feels like a repeat of feeding of the 5,000. Lots of things are this same.
Thousands of men + women and children.
Bread and fish.
Gave, gave, gave.
Through his 12.
Lots of leftovers.
B. Differences…a few.
Biggest is likely that this was for Gentiles, not Jews.
This is why I think the 12 did not suggest he feed them like he just fed the others. I don’t think it was a lack of faith but compassion. My take.
One in spring and one in summer.
One in Jewish territory and one in Gentile territory.
Crowd with him one day vs 3 days.
7 instead of 12.
12 tribes of Israel
7 number of perfection & completeness = rest of the world; this is a huge takeaway Jesus would emphasize in the Great Commission.
C. Bottom line: How do you get healed and fed? Faith in Jesus Christ, the source of abundant life and life itself.
CONCLUSION
Have you been invited to the family feast to end all feasts? Yes.
Have you accepted it? How? By believing that there is an amazing feast that we do not deserve and that when we trust and follow Jesus Christ, he shows us the way there.
Will you trust and follow Jesus to the feast today?
What is God saying to you? What are you going to do about it?
Pray
NOTES
2 miracles
Canaanite Woman (21-28)
Least, last, lost
Canaanite/Gentile/ancient enemy of Israel
Woman
Unclean—outside of Disciple’s comfort zone
“Crying out”
Desperate for her daughter—demon-possessed and suffering
“Have mercy on me!” - desperate for herself too
Human—she’s just like them just not a Jew
Disciples reaction is to see her great need vs their great lack of resources; but maybe even more they don’t want to help her because of their prejudice
Send her away—she’s not one of us
She’s crazy desperate and Jesus seems to not want to help her (his silence) so they try to get rid of her for Jesus
Jesus comes out with his mission—to the lost sheep of Israel
She is persistent, desperate and believes in Jesus’ character and competencies
“Lord”
On her knees humility
Wise words and perspective
Jesus recognizes great faith and gives her her request
Healing for daughter
Healing for herself
Witness to the Decapolis
Who is Jesus and what will he do?
Who is Jesus?
What will he do?
Chief missionary, Disciple-maker/trainer, sent-one
Multiplying disciple-makers on his way to the ultimate example (cross, rez)
Lord/Son of David/ King/Messiah/Master
Exercising ultimate authority over all things including disease, demons, disciple-making
Merciful judge “Have mercy on me” as if she doesn’t deserve it
Exercising ultimate authority over all things including disease, demons, disciple-making
Deliverer/Savior/Healer
Save/Deliver; Exalt Gentile woman; Applauds her faith & persistence; save all people; not just Israel
Global King
Here for all nations
Suffering servant
Serve all people/nations
Provider; Groom
Feast together; satisfy/bless all nations
Jesus came to save, satisfy and serve all people. -Platt
OUTLINE BIBLE
SECTION OUTLINE FOURTEEN (MATTHEW 15)
Jesus confronts the Pharisees, teaches the crowds, and explains his teachings to Peter and the other disciples. He heals a Canaanite woman's daughter and feeds the 4,000.
1. THE MEETINGS (15:1-20)
A. Jesus' meeting with the Pharisees (15:1-9)
1. Their accusation (15:1-2): They accuse Jesus of breaking the
Mosaic law by permitting his disciples to ignore the ceremonial hand washing ritual before eating.
2. His condemnation (15:3-9)
a. Jesus speaks concerning their corruption (15:3-6): The Pharisees twist God's law in such a way that it allows them to ignore their responsibilities concerning their parents!
b. Jesus speaks concerning their character (15:7-9): Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites and says they fulfill Isaiah's terrible prophecy concerning them (Isa. 29:13).
B. Jesus' meeting with the people (15:10-11): Jesus tells the crowd that uncleanness is not caused by what goes into a person's mouth (nonkosher food) but rather by what comes out!
C. Jesus' meeting with Peter (15:12-20): He says the same thing to Peter and the disciples.
II. THE MIRACLES (15:21-39)
A. Healing a Canaanite woman's daughter (15:21-28)
1. The brokenhearted mother (15:21-23)
a. The place (15:21): Jesus is in the region of Tyre and Sidon.
b. The plea (15:22-23): A mother in this area begs him to heal her demon-possessed daughter.
2. The kindhearted Messiah (15:24-28)
a. His reminder (15:24-26): He tells her that his key ministry is to the Jews, not the Gentiles.
b. Her response (15:27-28)
(1) The reasoning (15:27): She agrees but asks for some of the crumbs that might fall from Israel's spiritual table.
(2) The reward (15:28): Jesus immediately grants her request.
B. Feeding the 4,000 (15:29-39): Jesus ministers to this group of 4,000 men as he did previously for the 5,000.
1. Meeting the needs of the hurting (15:29-31): Jesus heals the lame, blind, crippled, and the mute.
2. Meeting the needs of the hungry (15:32-39)
a. The amount of food (15:32-34): He has only seven loaves of bread and a few small fishes.
b. The abundance of food (15:35-39): Seven full baskets remain after all have eaten their fill!
The teaching of Jesus is fascinating. In the first section of today’s passage he seems to be saying, ‘You can’t win.’ On the one hand, John the Baptist was an ascetic and was accused of being demon-possessed. On the other hand, Jesus went to parties with all kinds of people and made friends with those who were regarded as unsavoury characters. He was accused of being ‘a glutton and a drunkard’ and ‘a friend of tax collectors and sinners’ (v.18).
Whatever you do may be misinterpreted. Yet Jesus adds, ‘But wisdom is proved right by her actions’ (v.19). I take this to mean that all we can do is the right thing and not worry about what anybody else thinks. ‘Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating’ (v.19, MSG).
Jesus then denounces the cities that he has visited and performed miracles in, where people have neither repented nor believed. He suggests that their sin is worse than the sin of Sodom (v.24). The sin of unbelief is perhaps the most serious of all.
Jesus goes on to teach in such a way that it is clear that he believed in both predestination (that God has already determined everything that will happen) and free will. He teaches both alongside one another. It is a paradox. The two seemingly contradictory things are both true at the same time.
It is not 50% ‘predestination’ and 50% ‘free will’. Jesus says we are 100% predestined and we have 100% free will. This may seem impossible, but God is able to transcend and yet not distort human freedom. We ultimately see this in the incarnation: Jesus is 100% God and 100% human; he is fully God and fully human.
Predestination
‘All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him’ (v.27).
Why God chooses to reveal himself to some and not to others is a mystery. It is certainly not based on wisdom and learning. Sometimes the great intellectuals simply cannot see it: ‘you have hidden these things from the wise and learned’ (v.25). And yet sometimes people of little or no education, or those who are very young (‘little children’, v.25), seem to have a very profound understanding of Jesus. ‘You’ve concealed your way from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people’ (v.25, MSG).
Free will
Jesus says, ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest’ (v.28). The invitation to come to Jesus is for everyone. No one is excluded. We are all invited. We all have a choice whether to accept the invitation of Jesus or to refuse it.
I find it difficult to get my mind around this paradox. However, I have found the following illustration helpful. Imagine a room with an arched doorway. The outside of the arch is inscribed with the words, ‘Come to me, all you…’ (v.28). Everyone is invited into the room. When you get into the room, on the inside of the same arch is written, ‘No one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him’ (v.27b).
In other words, free will is a doctrine for everyone. No one can say, ‘I am not going to become a Christian because I have not been chosen.’ The invitation is to all. On the other hand, predestination is a doctrine of assurance for those who areChristians. Once you have accepted the invitation and entered, you can know that God has chosen you and therefore he will not let you go.
I love the fact that in a stressful world, where so many are ‘weary and burdened’, Jesus promises you rest. He offers to take your burdens and replace them with his own.
The yoke (something that Jesus would have made in the carpenter's shop) was a wooden frame joining two animals (usually oxen) at the neck, enabling them to pull a plough or wagon together. The function of the yoke is to make burdens easier to carry. I love this image of walking in step with Jesus, sharing our burdens, making the trials to be endured and the battles to be faced ‘easy’ and ‘light’ by comparison.
Jesus is not a slave driver. When you pursue his agenda for your life you carry a burden but it is ‘not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant’ (v.30, AMP). When you do what Jesus asks you to do, he gives you the strength and wisdom to do it and you carry his burden with him. There will, of course, be many challenges and difficulties, but there will also be a lightness and ease.
Jesus says to you: ‘Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly’ (vv.28–29, MSG). Just relax and let God be God.
References/Bibliography:
“Preaching the Word” Commentary, Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Edited by Kent Hughes
“Matthew” by RC Sproul
“CSB Christ Chronological,” Holman
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)
“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)
“Exalting Jesus in Matthew” by David Platt (CCE)
Outline Bible, D Willmington
NIV Study Bible (NIVSB)
ESV Study Bible
“Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes” by Kenneth E. Bailey
Read MoreSeries: All!
Scripture: Matthew 13:53-14:36
Title: “How to Live the Normal Christian Life” (Darien Gabriel)
Outline inspired by David Platt
Bottom line: The normal Christian life is built on the belief that God cares and is able to do something about it through his people as they suffer.
Discussion questions for group and personal study.
Reflect and Discuss
1. How can the rejection of Jesus by His own hometown serve as a warning for you?
2. Why is costly faith better than convenient unbelief? What means of grace does God use to strengthen our faith?
3. Explain the difference in merely being amazed at Jesus' miracles and responding in faith.
4. Why did John the Baptist lose his head?
5. What was John’s character like?
6. How does what John experience discourage you? Encourage you?
7. How do you view suffering in the Christian life? Cf. Matt 16:24
Final Questions (optional or in place of above)
What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?
Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast
Q. What do I want you to know?
A. That true, genuine belief in the power and person of Jesus Christ leads to worship and evangelism.
Q. Why?
A. Because the American church is largely missing these fruit of belief indicating there are a lot of people deceiving themselves thinking that they are trusting in Jesus Christ alone.
Q. What do I want you to do?
A. Evaluate your life.
Do you believe that Jesus is who he says he is and that he’ll do all he’s promised to do?
Do you worship him with a sense of awe and wonder at what he can do and does?
Does your faith lead you to worship and then overflow into sharing good news with those around you?
Q. Why?
A. Because if you are not walking out true, genuine faith, you want to know so you can repent and believe.
Intro
Headline on the AP app stated:
“AP’s top 2022 photos capture a planet bursting at the seams”
“Amidst the turmoil in this world, we sometimes find ourselves longing for good news—good news on the economic front, good news in the political world, good news in the educational realm, good news in our personal lives. These looming issues can tend to overshadow that which is the most important, the most essential, the most eternal good news—the “good news of great joy” for all people (Luke 2:10).
In our longing for things to change in this temporal world, let us not lose sight that the greatest news has already been announced.” —Truth78 (book)
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
This naturally could lead us to ask God, "What are you going to do about this? Where are you?"
We just celebrated Christmas—the first Christmas where the world felt like it was bursting at the seams too. And they were asking the same question then too.
God answers the question when are you going to do something with I have, am, and I will.
The real question for me is how do we live in the meantime?
The answer is found in the normal Christian life.
The answer is not found in a baptized version of the American dream (life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, house, spouse, 2.5 kids, cat and dog).
I love this tweet by Ian Harbor:
“At the end of the day, I’m just convinced that there was a guy who was killed by the state and religious leader of his time and three days later he wasn’t dead anymore. Everything else is just trying to figure out what to do with that.” @IanHarber
What does this look like?
In a nutshell, it looks like someone who’s compassionately helping people through life as they themselves suffer believing that the one who died yet lives is worth living for and even dying for.
Let’s see how Matthew tells us over the next half hour.
Context
If someone were to ask you, what does the normal Christian life look like, how would you respond? What would be your answer to the question, what does the normal Christian look like? What does biblical Christian faith look like? That’s our question today.
First a little context. Back in 13:53-58 we see an example of what a hard heart looks like. We mention this because Matthew just wrote 8 parables of Jesus the first of which was the parable of the sower. And the 4 different soil types represent 4 different spiritual heart conditions. The first being hard, like the Pharisees giving Jesus such a hard time. (No pun intended)
But here in 13:53-58 we see another group of people giving Jesus a hard time—his hometown. Sad but true. The home crowd is the hardest to reach. Why? They remember you when you were young.
I remember reconnecting with a high school classmate (I went to SHS) online after about 35 years. When I told him I was a pastor, he said, “You are a pastor?!” We didn’t know each other that well. But I was a practicing Christian at that time. I went to church nearly every Sunday. Now, did I live like one? No. Was I truly one? No. That came later. Apparently he’d seen enough to respond that way 35 years later. Just reminds us that God is in the miracle business.
So as we head into this chapter on what does biblical Christianity look like, let us remember our hearts drift towards hardness. Let’s invite God to search our hearts for unbelief so that we can repent and believe anew.
I. Two pictures of unbelief. (13:53-58)—
A. Here we see it’s not just the Pharisees who have hard hearts unwilling to believe. It’s Jesus’ earthly family that’s not there yet.
B. Here we see the hard heart of Herod Antipas and his family and his court.
II. Two pictures of belief. (14:1-32)—
A. Belief is by the crowd. Disciples, not so much.
B. Belief is by Peter, then the Disciples.
III. A picture of genuine worship with words. (14:33) They see and recognize Jesus and are moved to believe on the heals of the feeding of the 5,000.
IV. A picture of genuine worship as life.
It feels like this is just tacked on. But it adds an important evidence of true, genuine belief that springs from worship—evangelism.
Evangelism comes from Greek word evangelion = good news. (Aka Gospel) It can be used in many settings.
Ex. When I talk about how awesome my new Smart Wool socks are, and I can’t stop talking about how amazing they feel and where has then been all my life, I’m sharing what I perceive to be good news. That’s me being a Smart Wool sock evangelist.
Do we talk about Jesus and his kingdom this way? Ever? This is an important question. Because, as Ken talked about last week, if we believe something is truly good news, we can’t help but tell others about it. Even if our motives tend to be a bit selfish, we still do it. (Not that we want that but we’re not perfect)
“Normal Christianity”
Chinese pastor Christian Watchman Nee wrote a book called Normal Christianity. He wrote,
“(It’s) not so much about suffering as it is about living the so-called ‘victorious Christian life.’
Yet, to borrow his title, I will say this about how the apostles defined the normal Christian life.”
What’s a normal Christianity look like? Let’s see what Peter and Paul said:
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you (suffering is the normal Christian life). But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings (cf. Roman’s 8:17), that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed (at his return). If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” 1 Peter 4:12-14
“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” 2 Timothy 3:12
I would wager in America it looks more like a baptized version of the American Dream:
Good career arc that is up and to the right.
Good marriage or relationship heading towards, “And they lived happily ever-after”
2.5 kids (boy and girl, of course), dog, cat (that get along and do great reels on insta).
Family and friends around during the holidays at just the right time and place.
A life that reflects our instagram pics (we wish)
Healthy mind and body. Maybe lost a few pounds this year.
Feeling some relief or easing of stresses of life. Maybe a vacation or weekend trip to remember.
These things are fine in and of themselves. But are they what the early church would have recognized as normal, biblical Christianity? After all, they lived in a day when their government was at times aggressively persecuting Christians.
Conclusion:
Bottom line: The normal Christian life is built on the belief that God cares and is able to do something about it through his people as they suffer.
As we head into this new year, will you courageously, purposefully evaluate your life through this lense?
Will you assess your belief?
Will you assess your worship of the power and person of Jesus Christ?
Will you assess your enthusiasm for sharing the good news?
What is God saying to you? What are you going to do about it?
Pray
References/Bibliography:
“Preaching the Word” Commentary, Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Edited by Kent Hughes
“Matthew” by RC Sproul
“CSB Christ Chronological,” Holman
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)
“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)
“Exalting Jesus in Matthew” by David Platt (CCE)
Outline Bible, D Willmington
NIV Study Bible (NIVSB)
ESV Study Bible
Read More8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
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