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: Christmas ‘23
Title: “In crisis, what are you trusting in?”
Scripture: Isaiah 7:1-17; Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:18-25
Bottom line: God uses the crises of life to expose our true faith: If we do not stand firm in our faith in Christ, we will not stand at all.
Question: When you and your family are in crisis, what are you trusting in to get through it?
INTRODUCTION
Does anyone remember the bicentennial train? For a year, a red, white and blue train traveled around the country as a mobile museum celebrating the first 200 years of America as a nation. That’s been 47 years ago now. I vaguely remember stepping onto that train as a twelve year old. The train is firmly in my mind because for Christmas that year I got an HO scale replica of that train engine.
As we consider the historical context of Isaiah 7, it’s about 200 years since Israel divided into two kingdoms: 10 to the north, called Israel, and 2 stayed loyal in Jerusalem in the south, called Judah. 40 years before that Solomon was crowned king. 40 years before that David. 40 years before that Saul.
Here we’re 200 years into the divided kingdom where Judah represents the remnant—the faithful, though they weren’t much more faithful than the northern tribes.
It’s during this time that Isaiah is called to be a prophet. The year is about 740 BC then, and here in chapter 7 it’s 735. Remember that BC counts down to 0 before AD starts back up.
Start with Luke 1:26-38
v. 37: “For no word from God will ever fail.”
What word did Mary just ask about? Matthew 19:26, “Nothing is impossible with God,” is surely appropriate. But I think in light of the fact that she is a virgin and yet about to have a baby leads me to Isaiah 7:14 where 730ish years earlier the Lord prophesied through Isaiah that the sign will be, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” We know that Immanuel means God with us. And he surely was through Jesus, the Son of God.
So we travel back 700+ years from the birth of Christ, 2700 years back from today, and see how God was preparing his people for a Savior way before his physical arrival.
OUTLINE
I. Crisis reveals true faith (7:1-2)
A. The crisis: a scary alliance
B. Fluttering like a leaf
II. The Sovereign Lord Intervenes, Promises, and Warns (7:3-9)
A. God’s command: Don’t be afraid, only believe.
B. God’s promise: The plans of man will fail.
C. God’s warning: There is grave danger for unbelief.
III. The Sovereign Lord Gives a Sign: Immanuel (7:10-17)
A. Stooping to our weakness: The Lord gives a sign.
B. Three issues with the sign “Immanuel.”
CONCLUSION
Bottom line: God uses the crises of life to expose our true faith: If we do not stand firm in our faith in Christ, we will not stand at all.
This crisis was for King Ahvaz and was personal. What about you? What are you trusting in in your crisis?
This crisis was for the nation of Judah (southern kingdom of Israel). What about us? What is our nation trusting in in our crisis? What about your family?
This crisis was for the here and now. The crisis of whether or not the Syrian-Ephraimite alliance would defeat them in Judah. What were they trusting in in the here and now? What are we trusting in in our crisis right here and now?
There’s another crisis coming when Jesus Christ returns as King. Will you be standing firm in your faith in him at his return? Or will you fall?
Question: When you and your family are in crisis, what are you trusting in to get through it?
Turn to Christ the King today as your savior and lord. He is worthy and he is able to save you!
Let me invite you to do 3 things:
Accept Christ.
Join a group.
Give something.
Ask for help.
Text me at 843-830-2464 as needed.
-Pastor Darien
Lord’s Supper
Explain
Read
Confess
Go out into the mission field
Lord’s Supper, 1 Corinthians 11:17-32
“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/1co.11.23-26.NIV
Pray.
Other notes
Preach the Word Commentary on Isaiah, Ray Orland, Jr.
The triumph of grace over failure: Judah (7:1-8:8)
Decision: Will we trust God or ourselves? (7:1-17)
A1 The people of God intimidated by attack (7:1-2)
B1 A symbolic son and the attackers plan (7:3-6)
C1 The Lord’s overruling word of promise (7:7-9)
D The response of distrust (7:10-12)
C2 The Lord’s overruling sign of salvation (7:13-15)
B2 A symbolic son and the attackers’ defeat (7:16)
A1 The people of God destined for attack (7:17)
Judgment: (following verses for another time)
SECTION OUTLINE FOUR (ISAIAH 6-8) from the Outline Bible, Willmington
Isaiah records his vision and new commission, (6) his ministry of comfort to King Ahaz, (7) and his message of destruction to the northern kingdom. (8)
1. THE CALL OF THE PROPHET (6: 1-13)
A. Isaiah and the heaven of God (6:1-7)
1. Isaiah's vision (6:1-4)
a. What he sees (6:1): The Lord seated upon his exalted throne in glory
b. What he hears (6:2-4): The mighty seraphim (angelic beings) praising God for his holiness
2. Isaiah's vexation (6:5): This awesome sight causes Isaiah to cry out, acknowledging his own sin and that of his people.
3. Isaiah's visitation (6:6-7): One of the angelic seraphim touches Isaiah's tongue with a burning coal from heaven's altar, purifying the prophet.
B. Isaiah and the God of heaven (6:8-13)
1. Isaiah hears God's voice (6:8a): God wants to know whom he should send as his messenger to his people.
2. Isaiah heeds God's voice (6:8b-13): Isaiah volunteers.
II. THE CHRIST OF THE PROPHET (7:1-25) (Our focus this week)
A. Isaiah's first prophecy (7:1-12): God sends the prophet to reassure young Ahaz, the terrified king of Judah.
1. The need for this reassurance (7:1-2): The southern tribe of Judah is threatened with invasion by the northern ten tribes and Aram.
2. The nature of this reassurance (7:3-9): God instructs Isaiah to assure Ahaz that this simply will not happen, for the enemy armies will soon be crushed and broken.
3. The negative response to this reassurance (7:10-12)
a. The Lord's sign (7:10-11): God invites Ahaz to ask for any sign he might desire to validate Isaiah's promise.
b. The king's scorn (7:12): Wicked Ahaz refuses, not allowing God to show his mighty power.
B. Isaiah's second prophecy (7:13-16): Many believe these verses predict the births of two babies, one to be born supernaturally in the distant future, the other to be born naturally in the immediate future.
1. The first baby (7:13-14): This will be the Messiah, born centuries later to the Virgin Mary.
2. The second baby (7:15-16): This will be Maher-shalal-hash-baz, born less than a year later to Isaiah and his wife. Ahaz is told that even before this baby is weaned, the enemy kings of both the northern kingdom and Aram will be dead.
C. Isaiah's third prophecy (7:17-25): He warns of a terrible Assyrian attack on Judah.
MAIN COMMENTARY HELP:
Exalting Jesus in Isaiah by Andrew Davis
Preaching the Word: Isaiah commentary by Ray Ortland, Jr.
ESV Global Study Bible
Bible in One Year by Nicky Gumbel
Bible Knowledge Commentary
The Outline Bible, Wilmington
Gospel Transformation Bible
NIV Study Bible
Jesus Through Middle-eastern Eyes, Kenneth Bailey`
Series: A living Hope in a dying world
Title: WWJD: What would Jesus do?
Scripture: 1 Peter 2:18-25
Bottom line: When suffering comes we do what Jesus would do.
SERMON OUTLINE
NOTES
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
OUTLINES
MAIN REFERENCES USED
SERMON OUTLINE
Introduction
WWJD & In His Steps
"In His Steps" is a Christian novel written by Charles M. Sheldon. The story revolves around the fictional town of Raymond, where the local minister challenges his congregation to consider "What Would Jesus Do?" before making decisions. The book follows various characters who commit to living their lives in accordance with this principle, leading to personal transformations and a ripple effect of positive change in the community as they strive to emulate Jesus in their actions and choices. The novel explores themes of social justice, self-sacrifice, and the impact of living a Christian life in a broader societal context. -ChatGPT
The phrase "In His Steps" is not directly derived from a specific Bible verse. Instead, it is inspired by the overall teachings and example of Jesus in the New Testament. The book "In His Steps" by Charles M. Sheldon encourages individuals to consider what Jesus would do in various situations based on the broader principles found in the Gospels, particularly in terms of love, compassion, and self-sacrifice. While the exact phrase might not be explicitly in the Bible, the concept aligns with Christian teachings about following the example of Jesus in daily life. -ChatGPT
I brought a copy of the book “In His Steps” today. While this book isn’t based on any one scripture, it could easily be based on 1 Peter 2:21 where Peter writes (New International Version):
"To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps." (Emphasis mine)
The phrase "What Would Jesus Do?" gained popularity in the late 19th century and became particularly widespread in the United States during the 1990s. It was often used as a moral and ethical guide for decision-making, emphasizing Christian values and teachings. -ChatGPT
Outline
“In time his pain grew so intense that his wife told him, “Curse God and die!” (2:9), but Job responded, “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” (2:10). As his suffering endured Job said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (13:15); and “I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth” (19:25). That is the message Peter is giving. It is commendable to accept suffering with patience because, in the first place, we have been called to that very thing”
Excerpt From
1-2 Peter - An Expositional Commentary
R.C. Sproul
“The other title Peter uses here is “Overseer,” which is sometimes translated “Supervisor.” The Greek word is episkopos. The root of that word in its noun form is skopos, from which we get the English word scope, giving us words such as microscope, stethoscope, and telescope. A scope is an instrument by which we are able to see small things or objects that are far away. Scopes enhance our ability to see. The prefix on the word episkopos, epi, intensifies the force of the root, so that a supervisor or bishop is a super-looker. In the ancient Greek world, the episkopos was one who came unannounced to the troops to see if they were prepared for battle. If they were not, he would chasten them; if they were, he would congratulate and reward them. So it is that Christ, as our Bishop, looks at us intently.”
Excerpt From
1-2 Peter - An Expositional Commentary
R.C. Sproul
Outline
Peter will give us 3 emphases to consider (From David Helms’ commentary):
I. Peter’s Intention
Peter’s intention is actually found in 2:12 which says, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (NIV)
In other words, embody the message so that people cannot deny the goodness of your life, even if they accuse you of doing wrong.
Said another way, let your life be a good apologetic.
“Apologetics is the branch of theology and philosophy that seeks to provide reasoned arguments or justifications for a particular belief system, typically used to defend and explain the principles and doctrines of a religious faith. In a broader sense, it can also refer to the defense or justification of any idea, position, or philosophy. Apologists aim to articulate and defend their beliefs against objections or criticisms, often employing logic, reason, and evidence in their arguments.” -ChatGPT
“Christian apologetics is a branch of theology that focuses on providing reasoned justifications for the beliefs and teachings of Christianity. Christian apologists seek to defend the faith, address challenges, and offer intellectual explanations for aspects of Christian doctrine. This can involve responding to questions about the existence of God, the reliability of the Bible, the nature of Jesus Christ, and other theological matters. Apologists often use philosophy, historical evidence, and logical reasoning to make a case for the rationality and coherence of Christian beliefs. The term "apologetics" in this context is derived from the Greek word "apologia," meaning defense.” -ChatGPT
Peter’s point is that our lives are the best apologetic that we can offer. Embody the message of Christ and let that win people over.
II. Peter’s Instruction
Peter’s instruction in this chapter is very simple: Submission.
We are to submit to all authorities over us.
We are to submit even when those authorities over us are harsh or unjust.
While there will be times when it’s ok to practice civil disobedience, it’s general taught by Peter (and exemplified by Jesus Christ) to stand firm and suffer out of fear of God and to please him. God uses this to change lives.
“Civil disobedience refers to the intentional and nonviolent violation of a law or a set of laws as a form of protest or resistance. This act is typically grounded in moral or ethical principles, and individuals engaging in civil disobedience often do so to challenge perceived injustices, laws, or policies. The aim is to bring attention to a cause, stimulate public awareness, and provoke change. Key to civil disobedience is the willingness to accept legal consequences for one's actions as a means of emphasizing the moral or ethical stance being taken. Prominent figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. are often associated with the practice of civil disobedience in their respective movements.” -ChatGPT
III. Peter’s Imitation
Jesus is our ultimate example and Peter makes this case using the cross and quoting Isaiah 53.
Conclusion
When we find ourselves suffering because of the gospel, our tendency is to look for a way out. God calls us to stand firm in our calling to suffering injustice for the gospel. Most of the time we’re to persevere and endure suffering for doing good.
A simple way to think through this is to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do if he were in my shoes right now?”
Ask yourself.
Ask God.
Trust and follow the answer you receive.
Pray
NOTES
“I remember a time when, as a boy, I was taking an exam in a science class. In the middle of the examination the teacher accused me of cheating. I felt violated and offended because I had not been cheating. I suffered an injustice, and I hated it, but I never stopped to think of how many times I had cheated but had not been caught. Jesus never cheated”
Excerpt From
1-2 Peter - An Expositional Commentary
R.C. Sproul
This material may be protected by copyright.
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. We love one another deeply because we live by his mercy and grace.
Q. Why do I want them to know it?
A. It leads us to actually love each other deeply, from the heart.
Q. What do I want them to do about it?
A. Love one another deeply from the heart, rid ourselves of the evil that we’re still wearing, and grow in Christ together.
Q. Why do I want them to do it?
A. Because it’s life-giving and leads to blessing.
Q. How can they begin to do this?
A. Repent. Believe. Love. Live.
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, https://www.desiringgod.org/labs/we-cannot-love-without-hope
“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 MoreWhat’s My Relation to Uncle Sam?
1 Peter 2:11-17
This epistle was a circular letter to believers in northern Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey.
It is Peter’s encouragement to believers to live faithfully, even with hard times and persecution.
This letter was penned sometime between AD 64 (fire in Rome) and Peter’s death in AD 66-68.
Most of the recipients of this letter were Gentiles.
Some have called1 Peter a “Handbook of conduct for Christ’s ambassadors to a hostile world.”
3 Perspectives Christians can look at their obligations:
1. As Foreigners vv11-12
2. As Citizens vv13-17
3. As Servants vv18-20,21-25
Looking at Foreigners & Citizens today.
How can we abstain?
1. Live with a renewed mind. Be in prayer and in the Word.
2. Have a disciplined tongue. Be quick to hear and slow to speak.
3. Have a controlled body. Don’t seek to please the flesh. Please God.
As followers of Christ, we submit to His authority.
As Christians in America, we should exercise discernment in our relationships to the government. There are times when the right thing is to set aside our own privileges and other times using our citizenship for the right thing.
We are to be humble and honorable citizens, while always holding fast to the Gospel.
I love Jesus' words in Matt 22:21 in relation to God and government “Caesar’s,” they said to him. Then he said to them, “Give, then, to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
--
How to Measure Up In the Spiritual House.
Grace Christian Fellowship
1 Peter 2: 3-10
Fallen Condition Focus
We must be believe on Jesus to be united in his Kingdom. He is the standard by
which we measure ourselves.
Introduction: (Show Picture of Airplane Assembly)
If you have your Bible this morning I would ask you to go ahead and turn with me
to 1 Peter chapter 2, as we continue our study of that book today.
Notice on the screen I have a picture of an airplane assembly, I remember back in
2011 when I moved to Charleston to take a job in this very building to work on
this very airplane in the photograph. It was the first 787 assembled right here in
Charleston.
And one of the things I didn’t have an appreciation for was the complexity of how
all these parts came together. While as engineer, I understood many of the
technical challenges, I think maybe one of the even greater challenges was
logistically getting all these pieces in place.
How many of you have ever seen the Dreamlifter flying over Charleston? Well
there are four of those giant airplanes and their sole purpose is to fly all over the
globe to collect these parts, and bring them back to Charleston for assembly.
Can you imagine the complexity of wings built in Japan, fuselage sections built in
Italy, a cockpit made in Wichita, the parts literally scattered around the globe.
And when they arrive in Charleston they have to be assembled to exact
specification. Everything has to fit. It’s an overwhelmingly complicated system.
This morning Peter talks about an assembly, in this case a building that has to
come together. How can Christ’s church scattered all over the world be arranged
exactly the way God has designed. In fact this morning we are going to see that it
2
is not designed carelessly, but in a way it is engineered perfectly, designed
thoughtfully by God himself. Beginning in verse four let’s look together.
[1Pe 2:4 ESV] 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,
I think it is interesting that Peter begins with a stone analogy. After all Peter name
was changed from Simon to Peter which literally is translated rock. You may
remember back to Matthew 16 when Jesus asks the disciples a question, “Who do
you say that I am?” Peter has the famous answer, “Thou art the Christ the Son of
the living God”. And do you remember what Jesus says.
[Mat 16:17-18 ESV] 17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-
Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in
heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Jesus reminds him firstly that his knowledge of Christ was first and foremost a gift
of a grace from the Father. And secondly, the Church would be built on Jesus
Christ.
The verse uses 2 words to describe how God views Jesus, chosen and precious.
God views Jesus as precious. As a treasure to be lifted high, to be praised and to
be adored. Peter also notes that he is “chosen” the word is eklekton which literally
means to be selected. More on that later, but for now think back to the airplane.
The dreamlifter does not just stop at a random spot on the globe, grab a couple of
wings and head back to Charleston to slap them on an airplane. No the wings are
carefully chosen or selected to fit.
So if we see Jesus rightly as we sit here today we see Jesus in the same way God
does. We see him as a treasure worthy of all praise and worship. But many people
do not see Jesus this way at all do they. In fact, many people curse his name, and
treat him with supreme disrespect. We saw that in the book of Matthew, but I
think we see it all around us today. Those who are not born again don’t see the
treasure in Jesus.
3
Perhaps even as believers it is good for us to be reminded, we should rightly see
Jesus as the Father sees Jesus.
[1Pe 2:5 ESV] 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
In verse 5 Peter continues his stone building analogy. Peter says not only is Jesus a
living stone, if you are born again (chapter 1), you too are a living stone.
Every year about this time of year, I go to Brooke’s STEM class and talk to the
kids about engineering and about airplanes. And one of the things I always like to
ask he kids is this. If you were going to build an airplane what are some materials
that you might use and why? And then we kind of walk thru the pros and cons of
different building materials; things like weight and strength and corrosion
resistance its always a great conversation.
So one thing I notice as I’m reading Peter’s metaphorical spiritual house is the
building material that he chose for his house is STONE. Jesus is a living stone, we
are living stones. I think Peter is pointing to something here about the significance
of this structure. Jesus is not putting together a tent or a hut. Jesus is a great
powerful stone and he makes great stones out of us. This spiritual house will not
be destroyed.
We know that the Jewish temple was destroyed, and in that destruction they had
no way to continue practicing Jewish religion in terms of sacrifices.
Jesus built a better temple, one not made with rocks, but one made with living
human stones.
Then we have Holy Priesthood. When I think about the Priesthood two things
come to mind. First of all is sacrifice. Did you know you are a priest if you are a
believer? In the old physical temple we know that the primary role of the priest
4
was to perform animal sacrifices. But in what way are we now priest? We are
called in this new spiritual temple to offer up “acceptable sacrifices”.
But we don’t offer up animal sacrifices do we? Our sacrifices are our affections to
God. Our true worship is a sacrifice. In fact in how we choose to live our lives we
choose to make (living) sacrifices each and every day.
[Rom 12:1 ESV] 1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to
present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is
your spiritual worship.
The second thing that comes to mind when I think about the priesthood is access
to God. Remember how the temple was constructed. It was a series of walls. And
in the very center of all of the walls was the arc of the covenant. Now any person
could not just waltz in to the center of the temple. If you were a woman you had to
stop on the outside, men could get a little closer, but then priest could go even
another layer in. Until finally the most high priest on a certain could go all the way
inside to the mercy seat and the ark. He has access to God. Remember the veil that
was in the Holy of Holies the curtain that shielded the ark was torn when Jesus
was crucified signifying that the access to God is now open.
So when Peter says here that we are a Holy Priesthood, he is saying now you can
come in to the most holy place and commune directly with God. And the only way
that was ever possible was because of Jesus!
[1Pe 2:6 ESV] 6 For it stands in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and
precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."
Peter goes on now to quote Isaiah here as he continues with his analogy of this
spiritual building.
There are some things I want to pull out of verse 6. First of all, notice who is
doing the action. Who is laying the stone? “I” is the Father. It is the Father who
initiated the building of the house. The Father sends the Son into the world to
build this house.
5
The son is the supreme stone he is called here the “cornerstone”. The cornerstone
is the most important stone in the structure. The cornerstone would be the
reference by which all the other stones would be laid. The cornerstone would
establish where the foundation would start. What would be vertical what would be
horizontal. All other stones in the structure would be compared to the cornerstone
to ensure they were correctly place.
So many get this wrong today. They think that they themselves will establish what
is right and what is wrong, and then they will just get a version of Jesus that lines
up with their own wicked ideas. We have to be very careful, if indeed we are part
of this magnificent structure that we align ourselves with Christ the cornerstone.
[2Ti 4:3 ESV] 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound
teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to
suit their own passions,
Paul speaks here of those who have no interest in alignment with cornerstone but
instead have found false teachers who will distort horizontal and distort vertical so
that this false cornerstone lines up with their own sinful desires.
One thing that you should always look for when studying a passage of scripture is
things that are repeated. If something is repeated it is probably important. And
here in verse 6 we see a repetition of “chosen and precious”. To those who are in
this house, there is nothing more precious, more treasured than the cornerstone.
Peter says this most sacred stone was “chosen”. I think what Peter has in mind
here is something from 1 Kings. In 1 Kings we see the building of the Temple. In
this book we get a good look at the physical process that Peter is speaking to in a
spiritual sense.
[1Ki 6:7 ESV] 7 When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the
quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the
house while it was being built.
6
The perfect stone was selected at the quarry. And can you imagine that the stone
was so perfect, that after the stone arrived at the temple no tool was even required.
This is the opposite of how I do carpentry work. Sometimes I will cut a board take
it hold up its to long. Back to the saw. Cut it. I may do that several times before I
get a perfect fit. Jesus was the perfect stone who was chosen because he did not
require shaping are correction he just fits perfectly.
[1Pe 2:7 ESV] 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for
those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,"
[1Pe 2:8 ESV] 8 and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense." They stumble because they disobey the
word, as they were destined to do.
We talked about those who try to shape scripture to shape Jesus into fitting their
personal distorted view right. Remember as we studied the book of Matthew we
saw time and time again the religious leaders try to reshape the cornerstone
because he didn’t line up with what they wanted.
The Jews were looking for a messiah that would be a warrior, who would lead
them and free them from the oppression of Rome. The wanted a messiah who
would validate their corrupt authority, their disgraces at the temple, and their
religious system that crushed the poor and elevated them.
Do you see that the house that they had built was not plumb, it was not level
because they had lost the reference that was given to them in Scripture.
They didn’t look at Jesus and see a treasure or anything precious, but they were
filled with sin and hate to the point of murder. They are the “builders that
rejected” him.
And what does Peter say is the ultimate end of this rejection? They didn’t align
themselves with the cornerstone, but they tripped over the stone and met the
“stone of offense”. Which to the Jews of that day would be to trip over and to be
crushed or fatally wounded by the stone.
7
There really is no middle ground. We either see the infinite value and preciousness
of Christ or he becomes the stumbling block for our ultimate judgement and
destruction.
[1Pe 2:9 ESV] 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession,
that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Here we have our repetition again. Do you see it? Underline that word “chosen”.
Now Peter shifts from Jesus being a chosen stone and he says YOU are a “chosen”
race. Who is you? You are those in the Spiritual house. Those who have been born
again (1 Peter 1). Those who see the preciousness of Christ. Those who have not
stumbled over him. Those who have aligned with him. YOU are a chosen race.
Doesn’t that just make your heart want to burst? Why me Lord? Why have you
extended such amazing grace to me? I don’t deserve it! No you don’t. Let that be
the essence of your worship.
It’s interesting that Peter uses the word race here. Because a race of people share
genetic characteristics. And he we sit as the body of Christ, made up of all
different races, nations, cultures you name it and Peter says you are now all a
chosen race. Because you are my children. The Spiritual DNA of our heavenly
father has bonded us all together in such a way that we are now a common race of
people in all our diversity.
We are now a royal priesthood. Earlier we talked about the significance of being
priest but Peter extends that now and says not only are you a priest but you are a
royal priest because you belong to the King! You worship the King and you are
his possession.
If we find ourselves as part of this Spiritual building then we can worship so
wonderfully this morning and every morning because our cornerstone allowed us
to assemble.
8
We have been called from darkness and into marvelous light. I don’t have to tell
you that the world is a dark place. When you walk outside those doors and into the
world you can see darkness all around. But in Christ we have the light.
(Call the musicians and Lord’s Supper folks)
My prayer this morning is for those this morning who maybe have never trusted in
this Stone. For those maybe who have stumbled over the stone for whatever
reason. Today, you have heard that God is calling people to him. Today maybe he
is calling you to join in this great building.
Maybe you have been a part of the spiritual house and you know that when you
look over at the cornerstone your life is not level. You are not plumb. You don’t
line up with the reference. This morning is your opportunity to confess those sins
and repent or align with him.
Let’s Pray.
Read MoreSeries: A living Hope in a dying world
Title: How should we respond to this living hope?
Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13-25
Bottom line: We respond to this living hope in 2 ways: Be Ready. Be Holy.
SERMON OUTLINE
NOTES
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
OUTLINES
MAIN REFERENCES USED
SERMON OUTLINE
Introduction
V Formation
Picture the V formation of a flock of geese. V. 3 and v. 21 are the back and v. 13 is the point (pun intended). The point of this is to fully set your hope on the grace to be revealed through Jesus Christ.
Context
“Last week, we saw Peter open his letter by laying out the nature of our future hope, our imperishable and unfading inheritance. We marveled at the fact that we are able to understand the good news we have received in a way not even God's prophets and heaven's angels could comprehend.
This week, Peter will transition from description to prescription. Having described our salvation, Peter will now tell us how we should respond to the good news of grace, even as we endure opposition and trial during our time of exile.” -Jen Wilkin
Crows Nest
So the picture is of Peter up in the crow’s nest of a large sailing vessel during a long, turbulent journey, where he can see land before anyone else. So he can shout down to the crew hope because land is near. This helps the crew persevere through the storms because they believe that land (hope) is near.
So Peter is in the crow’s nest. We’ve been at sea for months searching for a new land. We’re nearly out of food and water. We’re discouraged and on the edge of mutiny. The captain sends Peter up to the crow’s nest to see if there’s any sight of land. And sure enough Peter spots land. Land-ho!
Immediately, hope springs from despair. Our circumstances have not changed at all. But our belief that Peter sees land changes everything about how we see life. The captain goes from enemy to hero.
God is allowing trials and tribulations to come our way to test our faith and to make us better (not bitter) through persevering in a living hope.
Verse 13 helps us persevere.
Trials/tribulations
“A picture from ancient Roman times shows the method by which grain was threshed. One man can be seen stirring up the sheaves, while another rides over them in a crude dray equipped with rollers instead of wheels.
Attached to the rolling cylinders are sharp stones and rough bits of iron. As they grind over the recently tossed sheaves, the stones and iron help separate the husks from the grain. The simple cart was called a tribulum.
This agrarian piece of farm machinery is the object from which we get our word tribulation.
Do you ever feel as if you are under the inescapable weight and force of the tribulum? If so, Peter wants to remind you that no thresher ever operated his tribulum for the purpose of tearing up his sheaves.
The thresher's intentions were far more elevated than that. The farmer only wanted to cull out the precious grain. And as it is with the ancient farmer, so it is with God.
Understanding that God's purposes for us include various trials is important, for by them we are tempered. The extracts of this world are removed from us, and we are made fit for Heaven. A simple bar of iron ore, pulled from the earth, might be worth $5.00. However, that same bar, when made into horseshoes, would be worth $10.50. If the owner decided to make the bar into needles for sewing, it could be worth as much as $3,285. And if he turned it into springs for watches, its value could jump as high as $250,000.
What made the difference? Simply the amount of heat by which the iron bar was tempered and honed.
What Peter is saying is that our faith is far more precious to God than a bar of iron. According to the text it is even more precious than gold! So be encouraged. You may find yourself on the anvil of suffering, but God is at work. He is testing the genuineness of your faith. And for him, that faith has eternal value.” -Helms, p. 41
Outline
Last 2 weeks
I. The SOURCE of our Hope. (1:1-2)
II. The GUARANTEE of our Hope. (1:3-5)
III. The JOY of our Hope. (1:6-9)
IV. The PROPHETS and our Hope. (1:10-12a)
V. The ANGELS and our Hope. (1:12b)
This week
VI. The RESPONSE to our Hope. (1:13-17) aka “The 2 Marks of a Decided Hope” (Helms)
A. In regard to ourselves (1:13): We are to be
Alert, and
Fully sober
The idea is the “gird up your loins of your mind” (literally)
B. In regard to our Savior (1:14-17)
We are to be holy before God. (1:14-16)
We are to be respectful toward God. (1:17)
VII. The COST of our Hope. (1:18-21)
A. The price (1:18-19)
Negative (1:18): It was not purchased with silver or gold.
Positive (1:19): It was bought by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
B. The planning (1:20-21): Christ was chosen before the foundation of the world to do this.
VIII. The VEHICLE of our Hope. (1:22-25)
A. The new birth (1:22-23a): One must experience regeneration to be saved.
B. The old book (1:23b-25): It is God’s word that bring this about.
Conclusion
Bottom line: We respond to this living hope in 2 ways: Be Ready. Be Holy.
“Peter’s cry from high above the ship’s decks now comes to rest. He has finished his early call. He wants us to do one thing: set our hope on the grace that is to be brought to us at the revelation of Christ. He has shown us the two distinguishing marks of those who are doing so—a healthy mind and a holy life. And he put forward three reasons to motivate us to it—God’s holy character demands it, his impartial judgment warns us to it, and Christ’s sacrifice compels us in it.” -Helm
So Peter is in the crow’s nest. We’ve been at sea for months searching for a new land. We’re nearly out of food and water. We’re discouraged and on the edge of mutiny. The captain sends Peter up to the crow’s nest to see if there’s any sight of land. And sure enough Peter spots land. Land-ho!
Immediately, hope springs from despair. Our circumstances have not changed at all. But our belief that Peter sees land changes everything about how we see life. The captain goes from enemy to hero.
God is allowing trials and tribulations to come our way to test our faith and to make us better (not bitter) through persevering in a living hope.
Do you believe that Peter, in his letter, sees land? Do you believe that your circumstances, which haven’t changed, can be seen and persevered through in a different light? The light of the living hope of God!
I pray that right now you’d surrender your lives to Jesus Christ trusting him with your immediate future and your eternal future. He has risen from the dead. He has proven that he creates and sustains life. Rest in that truth today!
Pray
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
Q. What do I want them to know?
A. What 1 Peter is all about.
Q. Why do I want them to know it?
A. Because I want them to have 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 and persevere through trials as they share the good news with those around them.
Q. Why do I want them to do it?
A. Because this will sustain them through any trial.
Q. How can they begin to do this?
A. Ask someone today, “How can I pray for you today?”
OUTLINES
The Visual Word - 1 Peter
“Paradoxes fill 1 Peter. It is a letter written to encourage a slandered and marginalized minority living in the midst of the Roman Empire. They live in the world but are not of the world. They dwell in the cities, but as sojourners. They look, speak, and dress like everyone, but they pass their days on earth as exiles waiting for their inheritance.” (See the Epistle to Diognetus 5)
Peter seeks to encourage believers in Asia Minor in the midst of suffering to stand firm as they consider the blessings of being in Christ, who is the primary example of one who suffered well and now has received glory and honor. If they also continue in their good conduct, become the true household of God, and don’t revert to their old idolatrous practices, they too will receive the crown of life. They need to have hope as exiles (1:3-2:10), live faithfully as exiles in the world (2:11-4:11), and stand firm until the end (4:12-5:11). Their ultimate enemy, that roaring lion, stands ready to devour them, but they have the conquering, suffering Shepherd at their side. (P. Schreiner)
Hope as Exiles 1-2
Elect Exiles 1:1-2
New future 1:3-12
New family 1:13-2:10
Exile Identity 2-4
Submit 2:11-3:7
Suffer well 3:8-4:11
Stand Firm 4-5
Suffer joyfully 4:12-19
Resist the devil 5:1-11
In Babylon 5:12-14
I. They need to have hope as exiles (1:3-2:10)
II. They need to live faithfully as exiles in the world (2:11-4:11)
III. They need to stand firm until the end (4:12-5:11)
“Their ultimate enemy, that roaring lion, stands ready to devour them, but they have the conquering, suffering Shepherd at their side.” - P Schreiner
Hope as Exiles - The church has hope amidst trials because of their new future and new family. (1-2)
Elect exiles (1:1-2)
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)
Elect Exiles (1:1-2)
“Peter presents the paradox in the first two verses. The God, those in Asia Minor are chosen, but to the world, they are exiles and sojourners. This becomes the theme of the letter (1:17; 2:11; 5:13). It also ties their story to Abraham, who was chosen but also a sojourner on the earth (Gen. 15:13), and Israel, who were God’s wandering people. These elect exiles are dispersed across Asia Minor and living in societies not friendly to the new Christian faith. They are elect exiles according to God’s foreknowledge, but His sanctifying works, and chosen for obedience. This is God’s wonderful plan for their lives.”
Hope as Exiles (1-2)
“After labeling them as elect exiles, Peter’s first section bolsters their hope by praising God for their new future, new family and new calling. Those scattered have been born again and promised a new land. But this new hope cannot be taken away from them because it resides in heaven. Though they suffer now, they a re being guarded for this future (1:3-12). Not only do they have a new future but a new family and calling (1:3-2:10). They are the new exodus people, the new covenant people, and the new temple people. In all of these they have not only a new identity but a new vocation.”
According to the New Testament of the Bible, what is the difference between faith and hope?
“In the New Testament of the Bible, faith and hope are distinct but interconnected concepts. Faith is often described as a firm belief or trust in something, particularly in God or His promises. It involves having confidence in what is unseen or yet to be fulfilled. Hope, on the other hand, is the optimistic expectation or anticipation of something good. It involves looking forward to future blessings, both in this life and the next.
While faith is focused on belief and trust, hope is centered around expectation and anticipation. Faith provides the foundation for a relationship with God and is essential for salvation, while hope sustains believers through trials and challenges, keeping their focus on the promises of God. Both faith and hope are important aspects of the Christian life, working together to inspire and strengthen believers in their journey of following Christ.” -ChatGPT
SUMMARY SO FAR
1 Peter, “Live Such Good Lives”
Let’s live such good lives in this world today that, though they think we’re wrong, they’ll see how we live and follow Jesus anyway because…
They’ll see who we are and that’s we’re different. A new identity: As chosen exiles scattered around the world until Jesus returns+ (1:13-2:10)
Chosen
Exiles/Holy people in the wilderness
New people
New covenant with God
New temple/a people
Kingdom of priests
What else?
They’ll see us living for what matters even though it costs us. Suffering as a witness to Jesus multiplying and magnifying his kingdom (2:11-4:11)
They’ll see us willingly suffer because of our living hope in the future. Suffering in light of an unshakable hope in the future. (4:12-5:9)
From Schreiner:
“To encourage believers to persevere in their suffering as exiles and strangers because of their future eternal reward in Christ.”
“Called to suffer (like Jesus) but suffering characterized by hope.”
“Their lives would demonstrate that they belonged to another king and another kingdom.”
Schreiner is thankful to God who has reminded him through 1, 2 Peter, & Jude of our
“Unshakable hope in Christ,
Of the grace poured out on his people, and
Of the call to live holy and beautiful lives for the glory of his name.”
Though “spiritual exiles” “recipients of a great salvation” “gave them a future hope and inheritance”
“They were homeless spiritually, but they were also bound for a home and an inheritance from which they would never be displaced.”
“As believers, most lived on the underside of society—under:
the authority of Rome
Unbelieving and cruel masters
Unbelieving husbands
From Helms:
“Theme of Christian identity and conduct in light of a settled hope.”
3 biblical correctives for why and how to respond to life’s difficulties.
God’s plan for his followers: “We are (therefore, live as) the elect (chosen) exiles of the dispersion (scattering).”
Peter’s inversion theme: “the way up comes by going down.”
Suffering always proceeds glory. Christ exemplified this.
So, Peter calls these scattered Christians to live as God’s chosen exiles/strangers/foreigners/sojourners with unshakable hope because of you great salvation through Jesus Christ. (My summary)
Questions answered by Peter:
How are Christians supposed to bear witness to Christ’s glory?
How are we to live in the wilderness world?
Peter’s answers to these questions center on the word “conduct” or “live” and it’s various forms.
THE BIBLE PROJECT
I. Greeting (1:1-2)
II. Song of praise (1:3-12)
III. A New Family Identity (1:13-2:10)
IV. Suffering as a Witness to Jesus (2:11-4:11)
V. Suffering & Future Hope (4:12-5:9)
We have a new family identity that propels us to bear witness to a living hope that leads us to live such good lives that we willingly suffer for his glory in light of our glorious future.
We have a new family identity & future hope that compels us to live such a good life that it demands a gospel explanation.
We have a new family identity & future hope that compels us to live like no one else because we will live like no one else in the future
We have a new family identity & future hope that compels us to live a life that includes suffering but that leads to glory—for God and us.
HELMS
Life is hard even for Christians.
3 biblical correctives for why and how to respond to life’s difficulties.
God’s plan for his followers: “We are (therefore, live as) the elect (chosen) exiles of the dispersion (scattering).”
So, Peter calls these scattered Christians to live as God’s chosen exiles/strangers/foreigners/sojourners with unshakable hope because of you great salvation through Jesus Christ. (My summary)
Peter’s inversion theme: “the way up comes by going down.”
Suffering always proceeds glory. Christ exemplified this.
“Peter begins his letter with these 2 seemingly incompatible truths:
Our status in Christ AND
Our sufferings on earth.”
Questions answered by Peter:
How are Christians supposed to bear witness to Christ’s glory?
How are we to live in the wilderness world?
Peter’s answers to these questions center on the word “conduct” or “live” and it’s various forms.
Be holy (1:15)
live out (1:17)
Way of life (1:18)
Live such good lives (2:12)
Behavior (3:1)
Your lives (3:2)
Behavior (3:16)
“Theme of Christian identity and conduct in light of a settled hope.”
Turning point 2:11-12
Peter continues to encourage through examples and exhortation.
He appeals specifically to elders before the community.
“God has
Established our salvation,
Given us our identity,
Conformed our present-day calling,
Secured our future inheritance by means of an inverted irony—namely, the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ. Therefore, just as the exaltation of Jesus followed a season of humiliation, so too our share in his eternal glory will appear after we have learned to follow in his true and gracious ways.”
Subtitle? How to live as God’s fireproof children in this dumpster fire world.
“We are the elect exiles of the dispersion.”
As God’s chosen, I am encouraged and reminded of his great love for me. And I need this as I live in this broken world.
Elect = chosen, those whom God loves
Israel was sent into exile by God because of their presumptuous sin.
Exiles of a different sort? Peter doesn’t mean it wrt Israel’s ancient sin—or their own—for they were living faithful and fruitful lives at this time. Peter means this is simply “the normative state of any follower of Jesus, so long as he or she remains in this world.”
CS Lewis quote, p. 26
Schreiner
OUTLINE OF 1 PETER
1 Opening (1:1-2)
2 Called to Salvation as Exiles (1:3-2:10)
3 Living as Exiles to Bring Glory to God in a Hostile World (2:11-4:11)
4 Persevering as Exiles in Suffering (4:12-5:11)
5 Concluding Words (5:12-14)
1 Opening (1:1-2)
2 Called to Salvation as Exiles (1:3-2:10)
2.1 Praise for Salvation (1:3-12)
2.2 The Future Inheritance as an Incentive to Holiness (1:13-2.3 Living as the New People of God (1:22-2:10)
3 Living as Exiles to Bring Glory to God in a Hostile World (2:11-4:11)
3.1 The Christian Life as a Battle and Witness (2:11-12)
3.2 Testifying to the Gospel in the Social Order (2:13-3:12)
3.3 Responding in a Godly Way to Suffering (3:13-4:11)
4 Persevering as Exiles in Suffering (4:12-5:11)
4.1 Suffer Joyfully in Accord with God's Will (4:12-19)
4.2 Exhortations to Elders and the Community (5:1-11)
5 Concluding Words (5:12-14)
SECTION OUTLINE
2 Called to Salvation as Exiles (1:3-2:10)
2.1 Praise for Salvation (1:3-12)
2.1.1 A Promised Inheritance (1:3-5)
2.1.2 Result: Joy in Suffering (1:6-9)
2.1.3 The Privilege of Revelation (1:10-12)
2.2 The Future Inheritance as an Incentive to Holiness (1:13-21)
2.2.1 Setting One's Hope on the Inheritance (1:13-16)
2.2.2 A Call to Fear (1:17-21)
2.3 Living as the New People of God (1:22-2:10)
2.3.1 A Call to Love (1:22-25)
2.3.2 Longing for the Pure Milk (2:1-3)
2.3.3 The Living Stone and Living Stones (2:4-10)
Schreiner is thankful to God who has reminded him through 1, 2 Peter, & Jude of our
“Unshakable hope in Christ,
Of the grace poured out on his people, and
Of the call to live holy and beautiful lives for the glory of his name.”
1 Peter “sets forth what it means to be Christians in a hostile world, in a world where Christians were persecuted for their faith…”
Though “spiritual exiles” “recipients of a great salvation” “gave them a future hope and inheritance”
“They were homeless spiritually, but they were also bound for a home and an inheritance from which they would never be displaced.”
“As believers, most lived on the underside of society—under:
the authority of Rome
Unbelieving and cruel masters
Unbelieving husbands
They suffered both in:
Every day life
From imperial authority”
IDENTITY
“People of God” “The Lord’s new temple” “priests”
“They are exhorted not to live in fear of human beings but in fear of the Lord, and such fear, paradoxically, would give them confidence and hope.”
“Called to suffer (like Jesus) but suffering characterized by hope.”
“Obedient children”
“Their lives would demonstrate that they belonged to another king and another kingdom.”
“God’s chose race” “royal priesthood” “holy nation”
PURPOSE
“To encourage believers to persevere in their suffering as exiles and strangers because of their future eternal reward in Christ. They demonstrate their hope in this future by standing firm despite injustice and persecution by living holy, blameless lives submitting to their authorities with patient endurance. This shows their belief that this is temporary and that they are citizens of another kingdom and see Jesus as their Lord and king.
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: 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 loose, part 2”
Scripture: Matthew 26:47-75
Bottom line: We prepare for when all hell breaks loose by watching and praying as we surrender to him.
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?
Discovery Bible Study questions:
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?
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.
Q. Why do I want them to know it?
A.
Q. What do I want them to do about it?
A.
Q. Why do I want them to do it?
A.
Q. How can they begin to do this?
A.
Introduction
In his book King Solomon, Phil Ryken recounts a story by Robert Coleman:
It is the story of a little boy whose sister needed a blood transfusion. She was suffering from the same disease that the boy himself had survived two years earlier. The doctor explained that her only chance of recovery was to receive a blood transfusion from someone else who had conquered the same disease. Since the two children shared the same rare blood type, her brother was the ideal donor.
"Would you give your blood to Mary?" the doctor asked. Johnny hesitated at first, but with his lower lip trembling he finally said, "Sure, for my sister."
Soon the children were wheeled into the hospital room Mary, pale and thin; Johnny, robust and healthy. Neither one of them spoke, but when their eyes met, Johnny grinned. His smile faded as the nurse inserted the needle into his arm and he watched the blood flow through the tube. When the ordeal was almost over, Johnny's shaky voice broke the silence. "Doc-tor," he said, "when do I die?"
Only then did the doctor realize why Johnny had hesitated and why his lip had trembled when he agreed to donate his blood: he thought the doctor was asking for all of it! Yet out of love for his sister, he was willing to give it.
Now there is a subtle but significant difference between Johnny and Jesus. The boy was willing to die but didn't understand what was happening.
Jesus was willing to die but fully understood what was about to happen.?? He was about to drink damnation dry.
O’Donnell, pp. 800-801
SERMON OUTLINE & NOTES
Bottom line: We prepare for when all hell breaks lose by watching and praying as we surrender to him.
In the last two weeks, we’ve seen:
A. We’ve seen the prophecies of Jesus. (31-35) (We’ll see their fulfillment in 69-75)
B. We’ve seen the prayers of Jesus. (36-46)
C. Today, we’ll see the persecutions of Jesus. (47-68)
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 arresting 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.
Conclusion
Kent Hughes writes as he wraps up his thoughts on this:
“Conclusion
Gethsemane was not a tragedy, and neither are our Gethsemanes. This does not do away with the wounds of affliction in this life, but it is encouraging to see that behind human tragedy stands the benevolent and wise purpose of the Lord of human history. Life may be dark at times, tragedy may come, and at times the whole world may seem to be falling apart. The wheel may appear ready to crush us. But this is not the end. "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28), even in Gethsemane.”
He shares this poem:
Great Nights of the Bible, quoted in E. W. Wilcox, Poems of Power (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury, 1953), p. 166.
All those who journey, soon or late,
Must pass within the garden's gate;
Must kneel alone in darkness there,
And battle with some fierce despair.
God pity those who cannot say,
"Not mine but thine." who only pray,
"Let this cup pass," and cannot see
The purpose in Gethsemane.
Pray
NOTES
OUTLINE BIBLE, 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.
C. The preparation (26:6-13): Jesus is anointed by a woman at Bethany.
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)
C. The institution (26:26-30)
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.
My personal notes
JESUS ARRESTED: Judas betrays with soldiers and a large crowd sent by chief priests and elders.
Betrayed with a kiss which was a signal to help soldiers ID Jesus in the dark, torch-lit night. Jesus, known for being able to just slip through the crowd and avoid arrest. But now his time has come and he does not resist. In fact, we’ll see him turn the other cheek and not resist at all.
Jesus is arrested. We see him call them out for doing in secret what they were afraid to do in public. Fulfills prophecy.
Tells Peter to holster his sword. He’s not defenseless. It’s just that this isn’t the way to save the world.
“Am I leading a rebellion” - yes, actually. “That you have come out with swords and clubs” - ah, no, not that kind of rebellion.
Jesus is not rebelling against Rome or the Sanhedrin per se. E.g. the current government systems to overpower them and replace them. Jesus is rebelling against the forces of darkness, sin and death. He’s rebelling against the status quo in culture that goes against his kingdom. But he doesn’t fight fair—he fights by his rules—kingdom of God rules. Upsidedown rules.
the last are first
Fight on our knees
Turn the other cheek
Don’t resist evil AND resist evil
Start small and see great transformation come out
Goal isn’t to take over—he already rules; goal is to lead, feed, and protect
What scriptures are being fulfilled?
V. 24 “The son of man will go just as it’s written about him.”
Ex. Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Ps 22
Peter follows Jesus to court of Sanhedrin
Sanhedrin is trying to convict Jesus to crucify him. Couldn’t convict until Jesus confessed.
Jesus finally breaks his silence and admits he’s Messiah, son of God. Then he doubles-down. This is what convicts him in their eyes. But, he’s actually telling the truth!
Peter disowns Jesus. Jesus’ prophecy is fulfilled the same night. Peter leaves devastated.
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 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 MoreYOU HAVE BEEN WALKING THROUGH THE BOOK OF MATTHEW:
- You’ve seen how Jesus used parables to help provide a window into HIS KINGDOM.
- Parable would typically have a singular overarching meaning.
Kent Hughes Commentary - HELPS US CONNECT WHERE YOU’VE BEEN TO TODAY
“So we might say that readiness looks like HOPE (The parable of the Virgins), LOVE (The
Parable of the Sheep and Goats), and FAITH (The Parable of the Talents).”
In this sermon our focus is on faith, more specifically on faithful working, or even more
accurately a faithfulness that works.” -
These set of passages in Matthew are a series of parables about how we should live our
lives at his eminent return.
What we should discovery is an urgency to live out what God has put in each of us, for his
glory and our joy? And caution against not taking it serious.
READ PASSAGE: MATTHEW 25:14-30
The Parable of the Talents
14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants[c] and entrusted
to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents,[d] to another two, to another
one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the
five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So
also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received
the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a
long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he
who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying,
‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His
master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.[e] You have been faithful over
a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who
had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents;
here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and
faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into
the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward,
saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and
gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your
talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him,
‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and
gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with
the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with
interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten
talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance.
But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the
worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.’
1
2 Things to Highlight in this Passage:
1) It helps us see ourselves rightly
2) It helps us see God rightly
1) You cannot know yourself without knowing God
1) You can do a deep dive and know your desires and then find a group of people with
those desires and sprinkle Jesus on top of it...but that is still not HOW YOU ARE
WIRED AND HOW YOU WERE PLACE.
First Thing We See in the Passage:
God distributes his talents and abilities not to all alike, but to each
individually.
• THIS NOT WHAT THE MASTER IS DOING -
“Here’s 5 talents for you and 5 talents for you”
• IN OTHER WORDS - WE ARE NOT ALL GIFTED THE SAME WAY?
- HE GIVES ACCORDING TO THEIR ABILITIES...
• THE TRUTH IS - Some of US would get killed with 5 talents. WE would just be crushed.
The day God has for SOME US and the day he created you for YOU MAY require the 1 talent.
PROBLEM: 5 TALENT PEOPLE ARE MORE IMPORTANT
We look at the 5 talent guy and think important and then the 1 talent guy and think less
important. WHEN WE THIS THIS WAY - IT IS AN ACCUSATION AGAINST GOD.
• ACCORDING THIS PASSAGE:
• 5 TALENT PEOPLE ARE NOT:
• Loved more by God or know more of God’s pleasure
• Listen...its not about “Man I wish I had what that guy or that women has...”
• Praise God our cultural score cards are not His.
• HIS SCORE CARD IS NOT EVEN ABOUT THE TALENT!!!
His Kingdom score card is about FAITH, RISK, COURAGE, and
WILLINGNESS to step into what HE built for you...
• NOT you trying to be a cheap imitation of somebody else.
• ARE YOU WITH ME? WE HAVE GOT TO SEE OURSELVES RIGHTLY.
• He didn’t gift us all the same way.
EXAMPLES:
• America’s Got Talent
• Work Place
• There are people at your job that have a skill set that is not your skill set. And if you
tried...you might even get a B.
• But you’d be EXHAUSTED, It would ware you out, you’d hate it - It would be B level work.
• Meanwhile there’s that guy that came out of the womb asking for a spreadsheet.
• Hello - Im here to create systems and structures.
WE ARE GIFTED IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
• ME: If I tried to get into the weeds at that level - I can pull it off to a point. But then its like
C level work -
2
• BUT if I stay in my lane and I’m me - NOT THEM
• MY STORY - CALLING TO MINISTRY - NOT SURE WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE
SAY
YOU ARE NOT THE BEST AT EVERYTHING, YOU ARE LIKELY NOT THE BEST AT MOST
THINGS - BUT YOU ARE GIFTED BY GOD...WITH A TALENT
ONE THING I LOVE ABOUT - The idea of Compound Interest
• The 1 talent guy could have sewed his - just as the 5 and 2 talent person.
• What’s at stake here is not the TALENT - BUT What you do with the talent.
DISCOVERY:
• SO WHAT ARE EXAMPLES OF YOUR GIFTS:
• 1st - THEY COME FROM GOD - THERE ARE HIS
• Nature abilities God just wove into you
• Your Story - Through your story God has redeemed some things
• Kelly - Single mom who wanted to create a place for other single moms to find love and
hear about the love of Jesus.
• People would tell Kelly - you are so gifted at this - No -“I’m so broken, and know what
others are feeling and have to do something about it.”
• PIC 2 - Kelly & Ladies On Stage
• PIC 3 - Kelly & Family
* PLACE - Story of Dee & Marc
• Somethings Given At Salvation:
• When we surrender to Jesus that a manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common
good
• 1 of 2 Ways:
• Comes in and Begins Something That Wasn’t There Before
• Most Time - Electrifies What Was Already There
1 Corinthians 12:4-7
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of
service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same
God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the
Spirit for the common good.
DO you see what ’s happening -
Where we are prone to go - THAT PERSON’S got this really amazing thing and I got this little
baby thing... God is freeing you up...He’s saying same team, same team, same team...
Why is this so important?
• It frees us up to celebrate one another.
• Whether its the same gift or a completely different gift.
• You see what He’s doing...
- Variety of gifts, variety of services....One God, One Spirt - Same Team, Same Team....
• HE’S BUILDING THAT TEAM - to cause problems with the darkness of the world.
• SAY: Oh if we could see ourselves correctly - Our attention would be ON Him -
And you would realize just how dangerous you are to the darkness. Oh that we
might come awakened.
Some of You Get This:
- Football season is around the corner
3
- Something you will not see
- Is a 6’5 - 350 lb guy lining up in a slot receiver place
- That kinda guy was built to fight you in phone booth.
- You get him out of his spot - He looks stupid and the team suffers.
- BUT - IF HE WILL PLAY HIS SPOT - Its like a cascading effect
- He blocks/opens up a space for the guy to run or creates some protection...not we can
move the ball down the field.
- If we get him out of position - he’s a liability.
SO IT IS - IF WE WILL SEE OURSELVES CORRECTLY - AND YOU PLAY YOUR SPOT.
- Not your friends spot
- Not my spot
- Not your cousins spot
- Not your spiritual hero spot
- YOUR SPOT
- The kind of joy you can walk in that you are not walking now.
My heart breaks for some maybe today - You’ve been walking in someone else’s
spot. You are poor version of someone else. NOT the beautiful version of what
you could be.
SAY:
I’m not trying to puff up your self-esteem. This is God’s economy. He’s involved in
that. Its not you that’s amazing - Its God that’s amazing IN YOUR STORY.
WE MUST SEE OURSELVES RIGHTLY - You have been gifted.
BUT MUST SEE GOD RIGHTLY AS WELL
Now - The Guy w/ 1 Talent
- He has no eagerness and no urgency - no joy and confidence
- Rather - He makes accusations against the character of God
- The bible says to this man - You are lazy and wicked - I don’t know how you are wired - but
I’m not wanting that said about me BY GOD.
How is he lazy and wicked?
- I think this how this works.
- SAY: When you don’t see God rightly - AND you don’t see yourself rightly... You
will begin to think thoughts about God that are out of step with who he is and
what He does.
- In so doing, you will make accusations in your heart just like this servant.
- Maybe He Thought, “Man my talent is so small and God is so rich”. It just
doesn’t even matter. REPEAT —- What I have is so SMALL and God is SO
big...I don’t have to do anything.”
- Let the people with the 5 talents do it.
IF YOU WERE MADE FOR THE DAY AND THE DAY FOR YOU.
- God is intimately involved in shaping and forming you.
- Redeeming You - Redeeming your hurt, victories and losses
- Giving you a life a purpose and belonging with an unshakeable identity.
That kinda thinking - “My gift is too small, he’s so rich, he wouldn’t even miss
this...is an accusation against God.
This is why he calls him wicked and lazy.
4
What we really know - God is actually very generous.
You posses nothing that is not Gods and has been given to you to steward.
CS Lewis - 6 Pence None the Richer
- So it is - You and I have nothing that does not rightly belong to the creator
God. You don’t have a talent, you don’t have an opportunity.
- BUT I WORKED HARD FOR WHAT I GOT.
- Great - But Be Honest:
- Were there other people that worked hard-Did’t get quit as far
as you?
- Were those others that positioned themselves rightly, yet the
opportunity was not there for them?
- Is there nothing naturally not in you that gave you that edge?
GOD IS GENEROUS!
• IT IS GOD WHO:
• ...GIVES, ...SAVES, ...SETS, DRAWS, MAKES A WAY,..POSITIONS US
RIGHTLY, HE IS AT WORK
• JOB MOVING HERE - I WAS NOT THEIR FIRST CHOICE
Vs 25 - He gets real honest about why he was paralyzed- HE WAS AFRAID
- WHY BECAUE HE DIDN”T KNOW WHO GOD WAS:
- HE’S MAKING ACCUSATIONS AGAINST GOD.
- He’s saying I was afraid - of what might happen if I invest it and loose?
- At least the 5 talent guy has margin to spare - “I got 3 left - some
bitcoin got me”
HERE’S ONE OF THE BIGGER TAKE AWAYS - I’ll SAY IT AGAIN - GOD’S SCORECARD IS
NOT THE SAME AS OUR SCORECARD.
SAY: What HE delights in, what HE is honored in —- IS FAITH - Not our
metrics of success.
- I tell you - a lot of us are going to get ROCKED when we get to glory. When we see
who the big deals are. - RANDY ALCORN EXAMPLE
GOD’S SCORECARD IS NOT OUR SCORECARD:
He honors FAITH, RISK, COURAGE
- Our guy here was AFRAID
- THINK ABOUT YOU AND I:
- FEAR Will Likely Keep You From Moving Forward in Faith
- Maybe You’ve Been Hurt:
- Not doing that again, Not trusting anyone with information again,
- Fear of IT not working.
- Here’s I Guy - I WAS AFRAID - I only have 1 talent - What if I bet it and loose it. Your
powerful, so what does that mean for me?
HOW DO WE STAY ROOTED? SEE OURSELVES RIGHTLY?
SAY - Your faith and what Jesus is doing is WAY bigger than your personal
salvation. LOOK AT ME - It is not LESS than your personal salvation.
• But it is epically MORE than your salvation.
• We have been so conditioned to think when we hear Gospel (Good News)
to only think - PERSONAL SALVATION.
5
PERSONAL SALVATION:
- The transfer out of the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of His Beloved Son.
- So, you want to play in the Kingdom, personal salvation is a necessity.
BUT IT IS BIGGER THAN PERSONAL SALVATION - YOU AND I ARE CAUGHT IN A STORY.
ITS THE ONLY STORY - ITS THE STORY THAT ALL STORIES FIND THEIR PLACE.
HIS STORY:
- THE CREATOR GOD OF THE UNIVERSE CREATED THE WORK IN SHALOM.
- In rhythm and beauty to reflect His glory - an overflow of his divine, triune perfection - Father,
Son, Holy Spirit overflowing on the canvas of creation.
- THE MAN AND WOMAN WERE NAKED AND UNASHAMED - Little do with nudity and
everything to do with the heart and their relationship with the Father and each other.
- SIN ENTERS THE COSMOS AND FRACTURES IT
- The man goes from WO-MAN, Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh to - Its that WOMAN
YOU GAVE to ME.
- Relational strife immediately between each other and God and man.
- HERE’S GOD’S RESPONSE: To move towards - to redeem / to save
- He makes a people - Exodus 17 - And you will be for more a Kingdom of Priests that the
Nations might see my light.
- Christ come - kills sin and death for those who would believe
- You and I by the power of His spirit are called into this Kingdom
- Uniquely wired - Uniquely Placed - Set to cause problems for a vanquished enemy who
doesn’t know He quit vanquished yet.
THAT’S THE STORY YOU AND I ARE IN.
If we are to have the urgency we need - The FAITH, COURAGE TO MOVE - WE HAVE TO SEE
GOD RIGHTLY.
If we see God Rightly, We Will See Ourselves Rightly and Place Ourselves into the Story -
There are no SMALL TALENTS?
DEEP WORK, OVER TIME, IN COMMUNITY:
DEEP WORK - IN the quite - With the Holy Spirit
ON SCREEN
TALENTS:
What do I love to do?
What motivates what I do?
What do I constantly think about?
HEART:
What would I do if I knew I wouldn’t fail?
What do I care most about in this world?
How do I hope others describe me when I die?
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 MoreSeries: All!
Jesus has all authority,
So that all nations
Might pledge all allegiance to him.
Title: “What’s Jesus Christ’s Greatest Command?”
Scripture: Matthew 22:34-46
Bottom line: Jesus Christ’s greatest command is to love.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
SERMON OUTLINE & NOTES
MAIN REFERENCES USED
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discussion questions for group and personal study. Reflect and Discuss:
1. What were the underlying motives of those who questioned Jesus in Matthew 22:16-40?
2. What is at the root of all rejection of Jesus? (Hint: Read John 3:19-21.)
3. Explain why Jesus' question in Matthew 22:41-46 would have been perplexing to these Jewish leaders.
4. How would you respond to someone who said they rejected the authority of God's Word but they loved Jesus?
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
OUTLINE & NOTES
Introduction
Today we will answer the question: What is Jesus Christ’s greatest commandment?
Story/Illustration:
I run a few times per week. One of the things I sometimes do is run around a pond on the sidewalk. It’s narrow and slightly higher than the grass and dirt around it. So I don’t want to run off of it or I might turn an ankle or trip.
Running forward isn’t a big deal. I can see where I’m going easily and keep my eyes on the path ahead of me. Smooth sailing.
But running backwards, which works different muscles, though a good workout, is much harder. I have to turn my head around side to side and keep looking. And since the pathway is continuously curving one way or the other, I often get near the edge. I’m constantly looking from side to side to make sure I don’t fall of the path. It’s awkward and slow.
Walking with Christ is the same way.
Bottom line: Jesus Christ’s greatest command is to love.
Outline
I. Jesus’ greatest command is LOVE (34-40)
Definitions of Love
Not I love pizza
Not I love my brother
Not I love my brother from another mother
Not I love my girlfriend/boyfriend
Not I love my child even
I love my wife/husband…
Sacrificially (costs me)
Unconditionally (No strings attached)
Directions of Love
Vertical
Horizontal
God
People (our neighbor as ourselves)
Jesus defines neighbor in Luke 10, parable of the Good Samaritan, as anyone in our path in need
II. Jesus’ greatest identity is LORD (41-46)
Son of Man (humanity)
Son of God
The son of God has all authority given to him by the Father
III. Conclusion
Which is easier: To walk forward or backward?
I run a few times per week. One of the things I sometimes do is run around a pond on the sidewalk. It’s narrow and slightly higher than the grass and dirt around it. So I don’t want to run off of it or I might turn an ankle or trip.
Running forward isn’t a big deal. I can see where I’m going easily and keep my eyes on the path ahead of me. Smooth sailing.
But running backwards, which works different muscles, though a good workout, is much harder. I have to turn my head around side to side and keep looking. And since the pathway is continuously curving one way or the other, I often get near the edge. I’m constantly looking from side to side to make sure I don’t fall of the path. It’s awkward and slow.
Walking with Christ is the same way.
When I try to walk backwards constantly trying to stay on the narrow way by not sinning, it takes a lot of effort, it’s awkward, it’s slow, and I still find myself getting off track sometimes.
But when I turn around and walk forwards with my eyes ahead of me on Jesus, I find I don’t need to watch the sides of the pathway. Keep my eyes on Jesus keeps me on the straight and narrow.
Hebrews 12:1-2 says,
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV
Let’s walk in love. Our eyes fixed on Jesus, who is love manifest.
When we have a decision to make, let’s ask ourself, what would love do in this situation. And then do that.
Walk in love.
Pray
“Rules without relationship lead to rebellion.” -Josh McDowell
“Jesus’ two-fold answer should warn Christians against emphasizing either piety for God or social concern at the expense of the other.” -Craig Blomberg
Note: explore the extremes as potential strengths/weaknesses in the body of Christ
Jesus then asks about the Messiah (his identity) because who we say he is matters.
22:41-42 Jesus now turns the tables on his questioners. He has evaded all their traps, which were based fundamentally on their refusal to recognize him as Messiah. This is the topic they really should be talking about. Their problems largely stem from the fact that they are looking for a purely human, nationalistic liberator. Jesus directs his question so as to explore the scriptural nature of messiahship. From whose ancestry is the Messiah to come? The answer, at least for Jesus immediate audience, would have indisputably been "from the lineage of David" -Blomberg
22:43-44 The Pharisees' answer (v. 42b) sets up Jesus' real question. If the Messiah is merely the human offspring of David, why does David himself speak of him as "Lord" _a master or sovereign above the one who is king of Israel and the highest human authority in the land? -Blomberg
22:45-46 So how can this Christ be merely a human descendant of David? The Pharisees have no answer, nor does anyone else, and no one dares to ask him any further questions. All the traps have failed, and Jesus' listeners have in fact been trapped. Not surprisingly, Ps 110:1-4 becomes the Old Testament passage quoted more than any other in the New Testament. It points to Jesus' messiahship and his exaltation, and the first Christians take their cue from its effectiveness here for use in their later apologetic (see, e.g., Acts 2:34-35; Heb 1:13; 5:6,10; 7:17,21).
Blomberg
Conclusion
Bottom line: Jesus Christ’s greatest command is to love.
Q. What do I want them to know?
A. Who Jesus really is and what he considers his greatest (most important) command.
Q. Why?
A. Because the whole OT depends on them. They are how to live out our faith UP, IN and OUT.
Q. What do I want them to do?
A. Re-orient/reset their lives (further orient/reset their lives) UP, IN and OUT from Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
Q. Why?
A. Because that’s the only appropriate response. It balances our love for God (who we cannot touch) with our love for people (whom we can touch) empowering us to love our intangible Creator with our tangible neighbors each day. It empowers us to thus balance piety with justice. Think Micah 6:8, what does the Lord require?
Act justly (towards people) (IN & OUT)
Love mercy (towards people) (IN & OUT)
Walk humbly with God. (UP)
Q. How?
A. By living a life of relational balance (UP, IN & OUT)
A. Start by employing the means of grace that God gives us in his word to surrender to him in all things.
Learning the word
Regularly
Prayerfully
Obeying what you read by grace through faith
Leading others to do the same
I’ll go back to where we started at the beginning.
Which is easier: To walk forward or backward?
I run a few times per week. One of the things I sometimes do is run around a pond on the sidewalk. It’s narrow and slightly higher than the grass and dirt around it. So I don’t want to run off of it or I might turn an ankle or trip.
Running forward isn’t a big deal. I can see where I’m going easily and keep my eyes on the path ahead of me. Smooth sailing.
But running backwards, which works different muscles, though a good workout, is much harder. I have to turn my head around side to side and keep looking. And since the pathway is continuously curving one way or the other, I often get near the edge. I’m constantly looking from side to side to make sure I don’t fall of the path. It’s awkward and slow.
Walking with Christ is the same way.
When I try to walk backwards constantly trying to stay on the narrow way by not sinning, it takes a lot of effort, it’s awkward, it’s slow, and I still find myself getting off track sometimes.
But when I turn around and walk forwards with my eyes ahead of me on Jesus, I find I don’t need to watch the sides of the pathway. Keep my eyes on Jesus keeps me on the straight and narrow.
Hebrews 12:1-2 says,
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV
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 MoreIt Really is About Resurrection!
Marriage is important on Earth, but in Heaven there is no marriage.
All relationships will be perfect and God will provide the intimacy and closeness as our Heavenly Father.
Pharisees
Believed in the OT books.
Believed in resurrection
Believed in angels
Heaven for God and His people
Sadducees (not like Jesus – spoke heaven, judgment and hell)
Only first 5 books
No resurrection
No judgment or punishment
No heaven
Jesus quotes Exodus 3:6 (Jesus knows his audience). Like John 3:16 to us today, Ex 3:6 to the 1st Century Jew.
God is not the God of the dead but the God of the living!
Title: “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
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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.”
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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: “Why did Jesus come to earth?
Scripture: Matthew 20:20-34
Heavily indebted to Douglas Sean O’Donnell’s & David Platt’s commentaries for this message. (See below)
Bottom line: The way of greatness is the narrow way as seen in the humble example and sacrificial substitution of Jesus Christ on the cross.
““Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/mat.7.14.NIV
The cross of Christ is great because
It shows that humble servanthood and sacrificial suffering are exalted actions, (Example) and
It gave eternal life to many as he died in their place. (Substitution)
“The first reason can be shortened to Jesus’ death as example, the second reason to Jesus’ death as substitution.” -O’Donnell
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
SERMON OUTLINE & NOTES
MAIN REFERENCES USED
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discussion questions for group and personal study. Reflect and Discuss:
1. How does the misguided approach of the disciples beginning in Matthew 20:20 parallel your own approach to God and the Christian life?
2. 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?
3. 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. Why Jesus came to earth. That he came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom. And he came to show us how to live after our rescue. He came to show us how to live and to empower us to live that way.
Q. Why?
A. To remind us why we follow Jesus in this way. His example and sacrificial act should inspire us through gratitude.
Q. What do I want you to do?
A. Live like he lived serving others sacrificially. (SOS)
Q. Why?
A. Because his example and his substitution are worthy of our entire lives. This is why we were saved in the first place.
OUTLINE & NOTES
Introduction
James Cameron, director of the movie *Titanic,* describes the Titanic as a ‘metaphor’ of life: ‘We are all living on… \[the\] Titanic.’
When the Titanic set sail in 1912, it was declared to be ‘unsinkable’ because it was constructed using a new technology. The ship’s hull was divided into sixteen watertight compartments. Up to four of these compartments could be damaged or even flooded, and still the ship would float.
Tragically, the Titanic sank on 15 April 1912 at 2.20 am. 1,513 people lost their lives. (111 years ago almost to the day)
At the time, it was thought that five of its watertight compartments had been ruptured in a collision with an iceberg. However, on 1 September 1985, when the wreck of the Titanic was found lying upright on the ocean floor, there was no sign of the long gash previously thought to have been ripped in the ship’s hull. What they discovered was that damage to one compartment affected all the rest.
Many people make the Titanic mistake. They think they can divide their lives into different ‘compartments’ and that what they do in one will not affect the rest. However, as Rick Warren (from whom I have taken this illustration) says, ‘*A life of integrity is one that is not divided into compartments.’* David prayed for ‘*an undivided heart*’ (Psalm 86:11). He led the people with ‘*integrity of heart*’ (78:72). Supremely, Jesus was a ‘*man of integrity*’ (Matthew 22:16; Mark 12:14).
I would add that what makes this sinking so tragic is the hubris behind the idea that because of technological cleverness, they could move full steam ahead without concern for anything bad happening. But they were vulnerable because of this.
So are we.
Bottom line: The way of greatness is the narrow way as seen in the humble example and sacrificial substitution of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Why did Jesus come? “To serve and give his life as a ransom for many.” (20:28)
He came to show us how to live and to empower us to live that way.
Because…5 reasons:
He came to suffer. The “cup” was descriptive of Jesus “drinking down the wrath of God in the place of sinners.” (Platt, p. 271)
He came to save. “Ransom is a word that can refer to a payment made to release someone from slavery.” As in slavery to pay off a debt.
He came to be our substitute. “For” can also be translated “in place of.” Read the verse again substituting these words (no pun intended). He died for you but he also died instead of you.
He came to show us how to live.
A different kind of leadership.
To selflessly live for the good of others instead of yourself.
Love people by serving people.
SOS = Serving Others Sacrificially
James was beheaded and John was exiled to the island of Patmos.
This kind of sacrificial service is what defines kingdom greatness.
He came to serve us.
He came to be our lowly servant by becoming a man and providing salvation for us.
The one who deserves to be served came to serve, and this service was ultimately demonstrated on the cross.
Cf. Phil 2:3-8 Furthermore, He said He came “to give His life a ransom for many.” Some scholars say Jesus paid a ransom to the devil to set us free, but that is not the biblical picture. It is true that ransoms were paid in military tribunals in antiquity to secure the release of those who were held captive by the enemy. More frequently, however, ransoms were paid to secure the freedom of those who could not pay their debts and were facing indentured servitude. Jesus paid a ransom to purchase His beloved people out of their bondage to sin. Is it any wonder that the Apostle Paul says, “You were bought at a price” (1 Cor. 6:20)
Jesus is our servant.
But this doesn’t mean I tell Jesus what to do.
It does mean Jesus gives us what we need.
We are Jesus’ servants.
But this doesn’t mean that Jesus needs our aid.
This does mean that we submit to Jesus’ authority.
Two Blind Men
Applications:
Boldly confess your need for his mercy.
Humbly believe in his power to do the miraculous.
Conclusion
A missionary to Africa told someone, “When we want to share the gospel in a village in Africa, we don't send them books. We send them a Christian family.”
Why is it better to send the family than some books? It’s certainly cheaper. Seems more efficient. But this experienced missionary understood that the Christian life lived like Jesus would demonstrate the love of God through serving others sacrificially. Therefore, the gospel wouldn’t just be taught but caught.
It’s not about putting God or our church experience into a compartment and then living the rest of our lives without a care for what Jesus did for us. We recognize that we are vulnerable if even one compartment gets hit. We need God to cover everything in our lives. We must live with him at the center of our lives as we trust and follow him completely.
What about your neighbors? Co-workers? Classmates? Teammates? Coffee dates?
Bottom line: The way of greatness is the narrow way as seen in the humble example and sacrificial substitution of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Q. What do I want you to do?
A. Live like he lived serving others sacrificially. (SOS)
Q. Why?
A. Because his example and his substitution are worthy of our entire lives. This is why we were saved in the first place.
Notes
LGLP = SGSP
Compassion motivated by love
SOS = Serve Others Sacrificially
Search and Rescue Operation at great personal risk
Matthew 20:17-28
Mrs. Zebedee (Salome?) asks Jesus to elevate her 2 sons to second highest in his kingdom. She obviously thinks they deserve it and she wants the honor for them and for herself. Some think that Salome is Mary’s sister (Jesus’ mother Mary) so they’d be related. This seems inappropriate to ask. Perhaps she feels so safe with Jesus (they were among the earliest followers) that she boldly asks the desire of her heart. And is it really a bad thing for a parent to want to see their sons in such a prominent, honorable position empowered to serve under Jesus’ reign?
Jesus clearly sees the inappropriateness of her question. For he makes decisions by the leading of the Holy Spirit. she may not yet realize that.
Jesus gives 2 responses:
“You don’t know what you are asking.” Because she—and they—don’t yet see that his kingdom is not of this world. That his kingdom is not run like other king domes. Her ignorance is not her fault.
“Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” This question seems to be directed towards her sons (you is plural) for they answer Jesus. The “cup” refers to God’s holy wrath for the sins of the world. This will happen at the cross. It refers to suffering for his kingdom cause/mission. Now they may know what he’s referring to. After all, he just shared that in vv. 17-19 (and that for the 3rd time)
Well, whether they do or not, they answer that they can drink from that cup. It’s hard to believe that they comprehend what that could be like. In our zeal, we all tend to be overly optimistic about what we can and will do. Certainly they are willing. “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”
Jealous replies that they will indeed drink from the same cup but ot so they can get what they want. That’s for the Father to decide.
Of course, the other 10 are infuriated about this because either
It’s inappropriate for them to ask,
It means they think they’re more worthy and that Jesus might choose them. Hence, jealousy, or
It means they asked first and the rest missed their chance.
Jesus moves now to teach them a kingdom principle: unlike the rulers of the kingdom of this world, if you want to be great or first in God’s kingdom, you must serve others sacrificially. (SOS)
Jesus is the ultimate SOS example. He served by literally exchanging his life for ours at the cross. Great love!
O’Donnell says that Mrs. Zebedee’s question is cowardly, commendable and condemnable.
Cowardly in that the guys seem to have put their mother up to it. (Maybe not, but they didn’t stop her either; this is bold for a woman (unless she’s Jesus’ auntie))
Commendable in that they believed Jesus’ kingdom was inevitable.
Condemnable in that they were asking for glory when Jesus just said he was going to pathway of shame via the cross. Who are they to think their path would be any better? “Jesus will be lifted up on a tree, and these boys want to be lifted up to thrones number two and three.”
I would like to add some thoughts here on American Christianity and our collective desire to be in power politically.
Our desires to affect change in our culture is not bad in and of itself. But the way we tend to want to go about it is the same as the “Gentiles” and Romans did. (And everyone else) We want to operate from a position of power. But Jesus calls us to change our ambition from being served and first to being he servant and slave and last. Who’s doing this today? Very few.
What I’m trying to say is that I wonder if we’re not operating more like Mrs. Zebedee, James and John than we are like Jesus.
Matthew 20:29-34
Two blind men are out panning for alms as they likely did every day. They hear a large crowd coming. They’re excited because they’ve already heard that Jesus of Nazareth is coming through. They believe he will heal them.
So when he comes through, they cry out for mercy. They call him:
Lord = master, sir at the very least; but, in context, probably even Messiah
Son of David = Not only a king in David’s dynasty but the prophesied king of kings (divine)
Have mercy on us. They are indeed in need of mercy. They can’t see and so are dependent on others for most needs. Those they depend on already have a hard life.l
Jesus stops after they cry out again (despite the crowd’s reaction) and asks them what they want him to do for them. They reply they want what they obviously need—to see.
Jesus, motivated by compassion, gives them what they ask for but way more than they asked for. He gave them the ability to see
In this world
Into the next world. This was the greater blessing.
So Jesus models SOS adding a key ingredient to the recipe of LP: Compassion. That is our motive—the mercy and love of God for those in need around us.
Notes from Douglas Sean O’Donnell
Nothing funny about prideful ambition.
O’Donnell says that Mrs. Zebedee’s question is cowardly, commendable and condemnable.
Cowardly in that the guys seem to have put their mother up to it. (Maybe not, but they didn’t stop her either; this is bold for a woman (unless she’s Jesus’ auntie))
Commendable in that they believed Jesus’ kingdom was inevitable.
Condemnable in that they were asking for glory when Jesus just said he was going to pathway of shame via the cross. Who are they to think their path would be any better? “Jesus will be lifted up on a tree, and these boys want to be lifted up to thrones number two and three.”
2 lessons:
“We should recognize that true faith and real error can be mixed in the heart of the Brest Christian’s…Thus we ought to persistently pray for purity, and we ought to gently seek to purify one another.”
“Do we believe Jesus will reign? Do we give a passing thought to the eternal kingdom? Do we hope to get a good spot in it?
Jesus won’t condemn the 12 but he will correct them.
He’s given us his last-first theology (his view of kingdom greatness) twice in these last 2 sections in Matthew.
He follows with telling them why the cross is so great:
“The cross of Christ is so great because it shows that humble servant hood and sacrificial suffering are exalted actions.
“The cross of Christ is so great because the two-day death of one man gave eternal life to many.”l
Jesus’ Death as an Example
“Jesus’ corrective her is straightforward:
A. Gentile or pagan rulers rule this way because they view greatness this way;
B. You are to rule another way because you view greatness in the opposite way; and
C. That way is the way of the cross. And the way of the cross is humble servanthood.”
“Whoever would be great among you
Must be your servant.
Whoever would be first
Must be your slave.” Vv. 26-27
Synonymous focus:
“I’ll put it this way. Do you want to be ‘great’? Then you need to be a ‘servant’ (diakonos)—that is, wait tables, serve others. Do you want to not just be ‘great’ but to be ‘first’ I(the first among the greats)? Then you need to be a ‘slave’ (doulos)—that is, someone ‘who has no right or existence on his own, how lives solely for others.” P. 571
“Our culture ‘ceaselessly’ directs us up, up, up; we must ‘pray almost daily for the wisdom and courage’ to go down, down, down.” “He descended into greatness.” Cf. Phil 2:5-11
Jesus’ Death as a Substitution
“The cross of Christ is so great because the three-day (Good Friday, Holy Saturday) death of one man gave eternal ire to many. The first reason can be shortened to Jesus’ death as example, the second reason to Jesus’ death as substitution.
3 Key words: (2 from v. 28)
“For” — or “in the place of”; The preposition means substitution
“Cup” — 1) “the hostilities that arise from faithful gospel proclamation and living?, 2) “God’s wrathful judgment upon wickedness.”
“Ransom” — The price paid to release slaves. “It could also refer to money pain int he place of capital punishment.”
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: “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
This material may be protected by copyright.
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 More
