The Star: A Journey of Peace

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4th Sunday of Advent

The Star: ​​ A Journey of Peace

(Mark 4:35-41; Isaiah 9:6; John 14:27)

 

INTRODUCTION

VIDEO – Peace Bumper video

 

This is the final Sunday of Advent. ​​ What an amazing season it has been as we’ve journeyed together toward Christmas. ​​ We’ve learned together that the word Advent is a version of a Latin term meaning “coming.” ​​ The Israelites were waiting for the coming of the Messiah. ​​ It was a highly anticipated event. ​​ There was great expectation. ​​ Each Israelite family had hoped that their baby boy would be the Messiah. ​​ Their expectation was that the Messiah would bring peace, but it wasn’t the kind of peace they were hoping for.

 

We hear celebrities, politicians, some adults, and especially children talk about wanting world peace. ​​ As followers of Jesus Christ, we are waiting for the second coming of Jesus when true peace will be established. ​​ We wait with hope for the new heaven and the new earth, where the wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a child will lead them (Isaiah 11:6). ​​ As we wait for Jesus’ second coming and the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, we continue on our faith journey that will include hope, love, joy, and peace.

 

Perhaps one of the greatest stories of peace is the story behind the song “It Is Well with My Soul.”

 

[Show VIDEO – It Is Well With My Soul: ​​ The Story Behind the Hymn – Horatio Spafford (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvq3pYsHidA)]

 

Peace is a lot like joy, it can be experienced even when there is turmoil and chaos, hardship, trouble, violence, and fear. ​​ As the hymn so beautifully captures, this journey of peace is not immune from those things. ​​ In fact, they are central to the story. ​​ On this journey, we learn that peace is not the absence of trouble but rather the presence of God.

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Minimally high blood sugar and blood pressure

        • It wasn’t long after moving from Ohio to Missouri that I went to the doctor for a regular physical

        • The bloodwork caused the doctor to order a glucose tolerance test

        • Those are always fun, aren’t they, especially for someone who hates needles

        • The test revealed that I had minimally high blood sugar

        • I was also struggling with minimally high blood pressure numbers

        • The doctor asked me all the questions they normally ask to determine if there was anything I should stop doing

          • Do you smoke? ​​ (No)

          • Do you drink alcohol? (No)

          • Do you take drugs? (No)

        • The doctor then asked me a couple of other questions

          • Do you exercise regularly? (No)

          • Are you under any stress? (YES!)

            • We had just moved to Missouri not long before the appointment

            • We had bought our first home

            • I started a new job at the Headquarters of Child Evangelism Fellowship

            • Judy had had a miscarriage before we moved to Missouri and now she was expecting Levi

        • The doctor’s response was, “Well, there’s nothing I can tell you to stop doing, but I would encourage you to start exercising every day.”

    • Daily exercise

        • I started riding a stationary bike in our basement

        • I started out slow and eventually was riding between 20-30 minutes a day

        • I lost a little bit of weight, I didn’t need to lose much back then

        • The cardio-vascular work out was good for my heart

        • We started eating a low sugar diet also

    • Peace in the middle of trouble

        • Exercise was a part of what I started doing, but I also started praying

        • Prayer is what motivated me to continue to exercise and it helped to bring me peace

        • I knew that everything was going to be alright, because God was with me

 

  • WE

    • What pain are you facing this season?

    • What struggles are weighing you down?

    • What anxiety and stress are stirring up chaos in your spirit?

    • Those pressures and problems can be both external and internal

        • We often take the external pressures and problems and internalize them

          • When we internalize those pressures and problems we begin to experience health problems

          • It’s our body’s way of telling us that something isn’t right

          • Stomach ulcers are a sign that our body is producing too much acid

          • High blood pressure can be an indication that stress is present

          • Headaches and muscle aches can be an indicator that our bodies are tense

          • Insomnia can be a result of our brains trying to process the problems and pressures we are experiencing

    • Are you willing to open your heart to God’s peace even in the midst of your struggles?

 

Through this journey of peace, today, we can be assured that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – God’s presence provides peace.

 

Let’s pray

 

This journey of peace is certainly an appropriate journey for our world today. ​​ Just as the ancient Roman world must have felt during that first Christmas, our world seems full of violence and warfare and uncertainty. ​​ And the pressures of our daily lives barrage us at an unparalleled pace. ​​ Ours is a world in desperate need of peace! ​​ But it is a world where the Prince of Peace has walked and understood. ​​ He has come, and He is present. ​​ His peace is available to us today.

 

  • GOD

    • Peace in the Midst (Mark 4:35-41)

        • The first Christmas

          • We sing about that first Christmas night being a silent night where everything was calm and bright

          • I’m not sure that’s exactly what the characters in the Christmas story were experiencing

            • The city of Bethlehem was hustling and bustling with an influx of those who were from the line of David

            • The city was filled to beyond capacity with people from all over the region

            • These travelers were tired, dirty, and probably testy

            • Everyone was trying to find a place to stay and perhaps food to eat

            • Mary and Joseph were perhaps anxious, nervous, and stressed as Mary went through her first delivery

            • It was shortly after giving birth that the shepherds began to arrive

          • King Herod

            • Sometime during Jesus’ first two years of life, the Magi arrived in Jerusalem

            • They questioned King Herod about the whereabouts of the baby who had been born king of the Jews

            • Matthew tells us that King Herod was disturbed and all Jerusalem with him (Matthew 2:3)

            • The news of Jesus’ birth did not bring peace to King Herod and since the King was disturbed, so were his subjects

            • King Herod ordered that all the boys, two years of age and younger, living in Bethlehem and the surrounding vicinity, were to be killed (Matthew 2:16)

            • Imagine the chaos King Herod’s order created in Bethlehem and the surrounding villages

            • The parents of two year old boys and younger were not experiencing peace

          • Application

            • Can you relate to the chaos that those who were part of the first Christmas were experiencing?

              • Perhaps you’re going to be traveling or have already traveled to be here this morning and you understand the exhaustion, frustration, and testiness that the travelers in the 1st Century felt

              • Maybe you’re experiencing the interruptions of a quiet family time together as others come to see you

              • Some of you may be experiencing the birth of a child or the loss of a loved one during this Christmas season, so you understand the exhaustion and emotions involved in both of those scenarios

            • Our journey of peace this season is not one separated from the realities of life but a journey of peace in the midst of life with all its noise and chaos

            • VIDEO – “The Rain Keeps Falling Andrew Peterson Lyrics” ​​ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn8cbI9jFGc]

              • The lyrics contain a long and honest confession of so many struggles

              • Notice that interjected into and over the lyrics are the words of Jesus, “Peace. ​​ Be still.”

              • We can have peace in the midst of life in a fallen world with God’s presence in our lives

              • The words that Jesus spoke are found in Mark 4:35-41

        • Jesus calming the storm

          • Read Mark 4:35-41

          • The disciples were in a situation where they felt helpless

          • They were afraid!

          • Jesus was sleeping peacefully in the stern of the boat – the storm did not bother Him

          • After the disciples woke Him up, He immediately rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet, Be still!” (most translations have “Peace, Be still!”

          • Jesus asked His disciples why they were so afraid

            • His second question concerned their faith in Him

            • The disciples should have known by this point that Jesus was all-powerful

            • His power, from God, extended to all of creation

            • God’s presence was with Jesus, so Jesus’ presence provides peace

          • Application

            • Jesus’ presence in our lives provides peace also

            • We don’t have to be fear when pain, struggles, anxiety, and stress stir up chaos in our spirit

            • We can have faith in Jesus who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and sovereign

            • Perhaps you need to express that faith today

            • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Trust by faith in the peace that Jesus’ presence can bring during the pain, struggles, anxiety, and stress I am currently experiencing.

              • I’ve found that Jesus’ peace can be found in reading God’s Word the Bible

              • It can also be found in praying – that’s us talking to God

              • God talking to us requires us to sit quietly and patiently before Him – we can experience peace in those moments as well

              • Some people have a specific place where they go to find peace from the chaos of their lives

        • Jesus brings peace right into the center of our hurt and frantic striving

        • He brings power to cease the noise, calm the storm, and overwhelm our hearts with His restorative sense of perfect peace

        • He is indeed the Prince of Peace

    • Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)

        • Isaiah 9:6, For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. ​​ And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

          • Peace is not just a feeling or a state of being

          • Peace is a person

          • Jesus is the Prince of Peace

          • By sending His Son, God sent peace into the world

            • Paul tells the Ephesian Gentiles that before they came to faith in Christ, they were separate from Christ

              • Ephesians 2:12, remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.

              • That is the condition of every person who is born – we are separated from God and Christ and we have no hope

              • Sin is what separates us from God and Christ

              • Sin is the rejection of God and His authority in our lives

              • We become our own boss/authority

              • God’s Word tells us that when we reject Him and become our own boss, that there is a consequence for that – for the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23)

            • When we reject God and His plans and way we are really at war with Him

              • Perhaps you’ve experienced that in the past or are experiencing that right now

              • You know that God is pursuing you, because He puts people in your life who talk to you about Him

              • Your reaction towards them is harsh and unkind, not because you don’t like them but because you’re at war with God – you’re not at peace with God

              • Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty talks about his life in his book Happy, Happy, Happy

                • He thought he was happy, but he was busy “romping, stomping, and ripping with [his] drinking buddies”

                • He owned a honky-tonk bar at this point in his life

                • His sister decided that Phil needed to hear about Jesus, so she brought her pastor, Bill Smith, with her to the bar

                • This was Phil’s reaction, “‘You some kind of preacher?’ ​​ I immediately asked him. ​​ When Smith told me he was, I added, ‘You ever been drunk?’ ​​ ‘Yes, I used to drink a few beers,’ he told me. ​​ ‘Well, what’s the difference between you and me?’ ​​ I asked him. ​​ ‘You’ been drunk, and I’m getting drunk right now. ​​ There ain’t a dime’s worth of difference between you and me, Jack. ​​ You ain’t putting any Bible on me. ​​ That’s the way I was born.’” [Robertson, Happy, Happy, Happy, 79]

            • God made a way for us to reconciled to Him – to have peace with Him

              • It is through the Prince of Peace – Jesus!

              • Ephesians 2:14-18, For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. ​​ His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ​​ He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ​​ For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

                • In this passage, Paul is talking to both Jews and Gentiles

                • He was explaining that through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, all people could now be reconciled to God – it wasn’t just for the Jews anymore

                • Jesus’ sacrifice brought peace between the Jews and the Gentiles

                • It also brought peace between God and humanity

                • Romans 5:1, Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

                  • There is nothing we can do on our own to deal with our sin problem

                  • There is nothing we can do on our own to deal with our rejection of God

                  • God in His infinite wisdom, justice, and love provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him – to have peace with Him

                  • It is through faith in what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross

                  • Justified can be defined as “just as if I have never sinned”

                  • That is how God sees us when we admit we are sinners, repent of our sins, and trust in Jesus by faith

              • Perhaps you’re ready to be reconciled to God today – to be at peace with God

                • You’re ready to end the war with God

                • You’re ready to accept God’s authority in your life instead of rejecting it

                • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Recognize Jesus as the Prince of Peace, admit I am a sinner, repent of my sins, and have peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

        • Peace with God does not guarantee freedom from pain, struggles, anxiety, and stress

          • We are human and still fallible

          • We still make mistakes and fail to trust God in every area of our lives

          • Mary’s example

            • In the midst of all that was happening that first Christmas, we are told that Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:19)

            • On the surface, Mary’s life did not become more peaceful

            • If anything, things got crazier with the announcement of her miraculous pregnancy and the birth of a new baby

            • But Mary was learning to trust the One who was in control

          • When we can surrender control – stop worrying, stop planning, stop striving – to the Prince of Peace, we can find rest in Him

            • The inner and outer chaos, anxiety, noise, and busyness of life may not change, but we can experience peace because we trust the One in control

            • Where do you need to surrender and enter the journey of peace this season?

            • I want to encourage you to pause and embrace the words of the Psalmist, Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10)

            • The same things I mentioned earlier about how to find Jesus’ peace also apply to being still, and knowing that God is God (reading God’s Word, spending time in prayer, and repeating Scripture)

            • This can happen in the morning before your day begins, throughout your day as needed, and before going to bed

        • While we can experience peace through Jesus Christ, we also realize that the world around us may still be experiencing pain, struggles, anxiety, and stress

    • Peace for the World (John 14:27)

        • All we have to do is look at the news coverage to realize that our world is not at peace

          • Countries are at war (Our young people are concerned about what North Korea is capable of doing right now – they’re concerned that they have the ability to launch an attack on the eastern part of the United States)

          • Refugees are far from home

          • Our neighbors are hurting

          • There is violence in our schools

          • Church leadership teams are discussing strategies to provide a safe and secure environment for their parishioners to worship in

          • There is anger in our families

        • While Jesus brought peace to the earth when He came the first time, it is not a perfect or complete peace

          • We live in the tension between the already and not yet

          • We know that Jesus has won the battle over sin and death, but the manifestation of that victory is still to be revealed when Jesus comes again

          • In the interim, we are encouraged to draw close to God and to rely on Him for His peace

          • God’s presence provides peace

          • Philippians 4:6-7, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ​​ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

            • God’s peace doesn’t make sense to us as humans

            • It’s beyond our understanding sometimes

            • Have you or someone you’ve known experienced that kind of peace?

              • Perhaps they’ve gotten news about their health that is concerning, but instead of worrying about it they immediately began to pray and while they should be stressed, they’re at peace

              • When someone losses their job or is just struggling financially, yet they’re not anxious about the situation, but are trusting God, it doesn’t make sense – that’s the peace of God that transcends our understanding

            • Our natural inclination is to worry, fret, and complain instead of turning to God in prayer, waiting on Him, and experiencing His peace

              • So often we come to God asking Him to change our circumstances or those around us

              • Sometimes God answers our prayer by changing our circumstances or those around us

              • More often, He uses the difficult circumstances to change us – He wants us to be transformed and to grow in our faith

              • He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and sovereign

              • He knows what’s best for us

              • He will not give us more than we are able to bear, without providing a way of escape

              • Perhaps you’re feeling anxious, right now, about a particular circumstance in your life

              • Now is the time to turn to God in prayer and present your petitions to Him with thanksgiving

              • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Turn to God in prayer with thanksgiving about the circumstance I’m feeling anxious about.

          • Jesus gave His disciples a promise that is still relevant for us today

            • He promised them the gift of peace

            • John 14:27, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. ​​ I do not give to you as the world gives. ​​ Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

            • We can claim that promise for ourselves

            • We don’t have to be afraid, because we serve a God who is in control of everything

            • Whatever is causing you pain, struggle, anxiety, and stress now, in the end, Jesus’ peace will overcome it

            • His peace will sustain us through our difficulties, which may be great but are also momentary (2 Cor. 4:17)

 

  • YOU

    • You can trust by faith in the peace that Jesus’ presence can bring during the pain, struggles, anxiety, and stress that you’re currently experiencing

    • You can recognize that Jesus is the Prince of Peace, admit you are a sinner, repent of your sins, and have peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ

    • You can turn to God in prayer with thanksgiving about the circumstances you’re feeling anxious about

 

God’s presence provides peace.

 ​​ ​​​​ 

CONCLUSION

VIDEO – “Advent_2_-_Peace_English_Version”

11

 

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The Star: A Journey of Joy

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3rd Sunday of Advent

The Star: ​​ A Journey of Joy

(Luke 2:8-20)

 

INTRODUCTION

VIDEO – Joy Bumper video

 

Today is the third Sunday of Advent, and we’re glad you’re here journeying with us through this season. ​​ We’ve been spending the last couple of Sundays talking about Advent and how it is a season of preparation and expectation. ​​ We’ve already learned about the journey of hope and love.

 

Our guiding symbol through the season is the star. ​​ Just as that Star of Bethlehem drew the wise men toward the Savior thousands of years ago, the star guides our focus on a spiritual journey of hope, love, joy, and peace that all connect us to the Morning Star, the light of the world, Jesus.

 

As we continue to follow the star toward Christmas, it leads us today to focus on the journey of joy. ​​ Joy can be the fuel that brightens our journey, and it is a fascinating concept. ​​ Joy is often misunderstood. ​​ It is often confused with happiness. ​​ And it regularly shows up in situations where it may be least expected.

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Birth of our children

        • I remember with the birth of all three of our boys that while Judy was experiencing labor pains, there was extreme joy that followed as soon as they were born

        • At least for a short period of time, after giving birth, Judy didn’t notice the pain her body was experiencing

        • With Seth’s birth, she was told for the last two months of the pregnancy that she couldn’t have the baby yet

          • She wasn’t able to mentally prepare for his delivery like she had done for Wade’s delivery

          • Then one day, they told her she could have the baby

          • That delivery was probably the most difficult of the three

        • While I didn’t experience labor pains, I was filled with joy and wept at the birth of all three of our boys

    • Being laid-off

        • While working at the headquarters of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) in Missouri, I was caught up in one of the layoffs that took place

        • There had been financial struggles for many ministries that year and CEF was not exempt

        • The night before the layoffs were announced, I remember thinking that they would never lay me off, because of how much I did and how much I knew

          • It was that night that God told me I was one of the ones who would be laid off

          • So, I went to work the next day anticipating that I would not a job by the end of the day

        • There was definitely fear associated with being laid off

          • I had a wife and three boys to take care of

          • We had a beautiful home and a mortgage to pay each month

          • We had two vehicles with monthly insurance payments

          • I had no idea where I would get a job

          • Yet, the next day when the Vice President of USA Ministries came into my office and explained that I was being laid off, I was filled with joy

          • As he prayed for me, I remember raising my hands (under my desk) and thanking God for showing me that it was time for me to leave CEF and pursue other opportunities

          • I had some growing to do and that experience was the catalyst that started that growth, both personally and spiritually

 

  • WE

    • What fears are you facing right now?

        • Health concerns?

        • Financial concerns?

        • Relational concerns?

        • Employment concerns?

        • Educational concerns?

        • Spiritual concerns?

        • Governmental concerns?

        • Societal concerns?

        • The list could go on!

    • Are those concerns stripping you of joy?

        • Are those concerns consuming every waking moment?

        • Are they keeping you awake at night?

        • Are you struggling to find joy in the difficult situation?

 

Through this journey of joy, today, God wants us to understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – We can have joy in life’s journey.

 

Let’s pray

 

As we look at the journey of joy today, we’ll see that joy and pain co-exist, that joy connects us with others, and that our response to joy should be worship.

 

  • GOD (Luke 2:8-20)

    • Joy and Pain (vv. 8-14)

        • Sometimes it’s easier to find joy in our circumstances when we stop focusing on them and begin to focus on the needs of others

          • In America, we are blessed in so many ways

          • We have plenty of food at our fingertips and clean drinking water

          • Most everyone has a safe place to live

          • We have multiple educational opportunities for our children

          • We have a governmental system that provides certain freedoms

          • We have our own toothbrush and toothpaste

          • We have multiple versions of the Bible and many of us have multiple copies of the Bible

          • Yet, there are individuals around the world who have so much less than we have and find joy in it

          • Operation Christmas Child is an organization that provides boxes filled with items we take for granted, but that children around the world cherish and find great joy in

          • Show VIDEO – LoveGrowsinUkraine [https://video.samaritanspurse.org/love-grows-in-ukraine/]

            • I just love the children’s faces with those huge smiles on them

            • Their faces say it all – they are filled with joy!

            • Even though they live a life that we would consider hard or difficult, they find joy in the simple things

          • As we think about joy and pain or joy and fear, I’m reminded of the shepherds the night Jesus was born

        • Shepherds

          • Read Luke 2:8-14

          • The shepherds were a strong, ruddy group

            • They didn’t lead easy lives

            • They were considered ceremonially unclean because of their work and therefore weren’t able to worship at the Temple

            • They continually had to guard their flocks against wild animals

              • We’re reminded of David, the shepherd boy, who killed Goliath

              • When he came before King Saul to offer his services against Goliath, he told the King that he had killed the lion and bear to protect his father’s flocks

            • They also laid in the opening to the sheep pen throughout the night and became the “door” to protect the sheep from thieves

            • The shepherds had their fears and pains, but I’m sure they experienced joy also

          • The angels appearance brought fear

            • While these shepherds were a hardy bunch, the appearance of an angel in the dead of night terrified them

            • They didn’t know what to think about what they were seeing

            • The angel and his group came in peace with the world’s greatest birth announcement, but first he had to help the shepherds get over their fear

              • He calms their fears by telling them not to be afraid

              • They weren’t the first ones to hear those words from an angel

              • Mary and Joseph also heard those same words when they each had their own individual meeting with an angel

            • Once the shepherd’s fear was taken care of, they were ready to hear the angel’s message

          • The angels message would bring joy

            • The angel had good news that would bring great joy to all of humanity

            • There was a baby that was born in Bethlehem that night

            • It wasn’t just any baby, but it was Christ the Lord!

            • The angel gave the shepherds specific information to identify the baby they were to look for (the baby would be wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger – a feeding trough for animals)

            • Before the angel left he was joined with a choir of angels, praising God

        • Application

          • It’s a strange thing about joy – it seems the natural reaction for most of us is to think joy could only come when pain is removed

            • But the truth is, in our fallen world, joy and pain exist side by side

            • Our lives are a constant balance of joy and pain as we walk through the experiences of life

            • In fact, it is often the pain or struggle that magnifies the power of joy

            • And it’s here in this dichotomy that the message of the angel is for us as well: ​​ Do not be afraid!

          • The struggles you’re going through – health, finances, relationships, school, employment, society, government, etc. – those are the exact places where the words of the angel can penetrate the most deeply and powerfully

            • The angel’s message is for you!

            • There is good news of great joy

            • James writes about joy in trials and makes a pretty astounding statement

            • James 1:2-4, Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ​​ Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

              • Can James really mean that?

              • It’s not a “fake it ‘til you make it” idea

              • It’s understanding that through our trials we can grow and become mature in our faith as we seek God

              • As we walk in relationship with God, we can grow to experience a sense of joy that comes from understanding there is more than the pain we’re currently facing

            • We can have joy in life’s journey

          • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Not be afraid of the difficult things I’m currently going through and remember that I can have joy in the middle of it with God’s help.

        • The shepherds experienced joy and fear co-existing, but they also realized that joy brings connection with others

    • Joy and Connection (vv. 15-19)

        • Thinking back about the video from Operation Christmas Child, did you notice that they bring all the children together

          • The children are experiencing the joy of receiving their gift with other children who are also receiving a gift

          • It’s a time of building community and togetherness

          • They are also hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ as they gather together

          • In Ukraine, the children continue to gather together to learn how to read

          • The joy each child experiences is done in connection with other children – they experience joy together

        • Read Luke 2:15-19

        • The shepherds were experiencing the joy of Jesus’ birth together

          • Scripture doesn’t tell us how many shepherds were together that evening, but it was more than one

          • They had experienced a heavenly choir and the incredible news that the Messiah had been born

          • This was who Israel was waiting for!

          • As the shepherds were processing everything they had just seen and heard, they decided to go and see what had happened

          • So, they hurried off into town and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby – just like the angel had said

          • The shepherds didn’t just keep this incredible news to themselves

        • The shepherds connected with others in Bethlehem after seeing Jesus

          • They began to spread the word concerning what they had been told about Jesus

          • He is the Savior, He is Christ the Lord

            • Those were two important terms for the Israelites

            • They were looking for a Savior from Roman rule

            • Christ was even more important for them

            • Christ can be translated Messiah

              • In Greek it was “The Christ”

              • In Hebrew it was “the Messiah”

              • Both mean “the Anointed One”

            • John 3:17, For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

            • What do we need to be saved from?

              • The Israelites thought they needed to be saved from Roman rule

              • We may be feeling like we need to be saved from the difficult circumstances we’re currently in (health, finances, school, employment, relationships, government, society, etc.)

              • In many cases we need to be saved from those things, but there is a greater concern we need to be saved from – the darkness of sin in our lives

                • Sin is an age-old problem that every generation and every individual has been enslaved to since the fall of Adam and Eve

                • Isaiah 53:6, We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

                • We are born with a desire to have our own way

                • It is not a condition that only certain people struggle with – it’s a condition that all humanity struggles with

                • Romans 3:23, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

                • God knew from the beginning of time that we would reject Him and go our own way – we would choose to be separated from Him

                • That is what we earn or deserve for our sin – ​​ for the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23)

                • Since God knew we would choose to reject Him, He already had a plan in place to deal with the darkness of sin in our lives

                • He was waiting for just the right time

                  • Romans 5:6, You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

                  • Galatians 4:4-7, But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive full rights of sons. ​​ Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” ​​ So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

                • God’s plan was to send Jesus from heaven to earth, grow up to be a man, live a perfect life, die on a cross to take our punishment for sin, be buried, and come alive again on the third day, conquering sin and death

                • Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 that Jesus fulfilled God’s plan that was prophesied by Old Testament prophets – He died, was buried, and came alive again in three days

              • Romans 10:9-10, 13, That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ​​ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved . . . for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

                • You have to admit that you are enslaved to sin

                • You have to be willing to turn from your sin (Repent)

                • You have to believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus died, was buried, and came alive again to save you from your sin

                • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Believe in Jesus, confess that with my mouth, and be saved from the darkness of sin in my life.

              • When you make that decision to be saved from your sins, you are connected with millions of other believers around the world

              • The good news of great joy wasn’t just for the shepherds, the Israelites, Americans, or all Christians

              • The good news is for the whole world (everyone), regardless of borders, governments, nationalities, races, or socio-economic levels

          • The shepherds connected with those in Bethlehem and shared the good news about Jesus

        • The response of those they told was amazement!

        • There is one more aspect of joy that we need to investigate

    • Joy and Worship (v. 20)

        • Questions

          • What is our response to joy?

          • What do we do when joy interrupts our everyday lives and sets up camp alongside our fears and pain?

          • How do we live in the balance of joy and pain/fear until Jesus comes again?

          • How do we foster and experience this joy that is offered to us?

        • Feelings about joy

          • Sometimes it’s easy to embrace joy

          • Sometimes our struggles and hurts are so overwhelming that we are trapped and bound by our fear

          • Joy can feel so far away, so distant, maybe even impossible

        • The Bible shows us that the appropriate response to joy is always worship

          • It is even possible that worship can jump-start joy as we fix our eyes on God and His greater reality and plan rather than on our immediate problems or the fears we are facing at the moment

          • In the Christmas story we see the response to joy from three different groups

            • The angels, Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:13-14)

            • The shepherds, The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2:20)

            • The wise men, When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ​​ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. ​​ Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. (Matthew 2:10-11)

          • All of creation rejoices and worships the Lord

            • Psalm 96:11-13, Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. ​​ Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; they will sing before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth.

            • Isaiah 55:12, You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

        • Application

          • We can experience the same kind of joy that causes us to worship this Advent season

            • Peter told us our walk of faith in Jesus brings us a sense of joy

            • 1 Peter 1:8-9, Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

            • When we change our focus from the fear and pain we are currently experiencing and focus on eternity, we begin to realize that what we going through may not be that bad – it gives us perspective

            • 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ​​ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. ​​ For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

          • We have a choice

            • We can wallow in self-pity, fear, and pain

            • Or, we can change our perspective and focus, by worshiping God in the fear and pain

            • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Focus on the unseen by worshiping God in the middle of my fear and pain as a way to jump-start joy in my life.

 

  • YOU

    • Not experiencing joy in your life

        • The brokenness of our fallen world stands at odds with Christ’s joy

        • We straddle the tension between our physical and spiritual realities

        • While we talk about the angels, shepherds, and wise men worshiping God, because of Jesus’ birth, it may be a very difficult and lonely time for many of us

        • What can we do when we find ourselves in that position?

          • First, take the time to connect with others – joy can be contagious (this room is a great place to start if you need to find someone to listen, to pray, and to worship)

          • Second, take time and make a choice to be purposefully thankful (gratitude has a way of reminding us of joy and the reasons we have to rejoice even in the midst of pain – even make a list so you can refer back to it when you’re experiencing fear and pain)

          • Third, let’s worship God for who He is! (we can worship God for who He is, because His eternal love and faithfulness never change and His goodness and mercy never run out)

    • Experiencing joy in your life

        • Make yourself available for those who are struggling this Christmas season

        • Practical ways

          • We will be taking up a love offering during the closing song this morning for a family in the church who is struggling financially

          • There are many individuals within our church and even outside our church who are lonely and would welcome a visit (we can recommend individuals to you)

          • There are individuals who just need someone to pray with them and encourage them

 ​​ ​​​​ 

CONCLUSION

VIDEO – “Advent_4_-_Joy_English_Version”

11

 

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The Star: A Journey of Love

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2nd Sunday of Advent

The Star: ​​ A Journey of Love

(1 John 4:7-21)

 

INTRODUCTION

VIDEO – Love Bumper video

 

Welcome to the second Sunday of Advent. ​​ I hope you have been rejoicing in this Advent season. ​​ Last week we talked about the word advent, which is a version of a Latin term which means “coming.” ​​ And so we use these weeks leading up to Christmas as a chance to look forward with great expectation to the coming of Christ as we embark on a journey of hope, love, joy, and peace.

 

While the star is only mentioned briefly in the Biblical texts concerning Jesus’ birth, it was a star that led people to Jesus, just as the star leads us to Jesus this Advent season.

 

So together we continue to look for the light as we follow the star on this journey of love. ​​ The star signals the brightest love, the love that never gives up, the love that conquered sin and death, the love that surrounds us daily and fills us eternally. ​​ Perfect love. ​​ God’s love embodied.

 

How do we understand love?

 

BODY

  • ME

    • First pet

        • After college, Judy and I moved to Florida

        • While we were there we took in a kitten

        • Kittens are cute, but cats are not always cute

        • We had this cat for about a year

        • It wouldn’t allow us to keep our bedroom door shut at night, because it wanted to be able to come and go throughout the night

        • It’s morning ritual was to jump up on the bed, put its rear end in my face and knead my bladder with its front paws

          • Needless to say, after being asleep all night, my bladder was full

          • It was this cats way of getting me out of bed, so I would feed it

        • This cat did some other irritating things while we had it, but the day we had to take it to a shelter was extremely difficult

          • We were moving to a new apartment in an adult community and they did not allow us to have any pets (except fish)

          • Judy stayed in the car while I took our cat into the shelter

          • I was trying to be strong, but I broke down and cried as I signed the paperwork and handed our cat over

          • While the cat did some irritating things, we still loved it

    • Other pets

        • We had a dog when we lived in Ohio

          • When we knew we were moving to Missouri, we tried to find a loving home for Socks, but weren’t successful

          • We didn’t want to take him to the pound

          • Several months before we moved, he was hit by a minivan and killed

          • I remember Wade’s words that day as we sat in the living room talking about Socks, he said, “I wasn’t ready for Socks to die!”

          • We weren’t ready for Socks to die either

          • We loved him and enjoyed his company even though he did some crazy things that would get on our nerves (like bringing a dead animal up from the ditch and then rolling in them)

        • We had a cat when we lived in Missouri

        • We had turtles in California

        • We have a dog and two cats now

          • We love Fester, CBS (Clyde, Barney, Skittles), and BTCP (Butterball, Tinkerbell, Cinderella, Precious)

          • I’m not looking forward to the day when they are no longer with us, even though I was not in favor of taking in the two cats

          • They have grown on me

 

  • WE

    • Do you know how much Americans spent on their pets in 2016?

        • $60 billion [Michelle Castillo, “Americans Will Spend More Than $60 Billion on Their Pets This Year,” NBCNews.com, July 12, 2015, http://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/americans-will-spend-more-60-billion-their-pets-year-n390181]

        • Why would we do that?

          • We walk them, clean up after them, vacuum up the hair, take allergy pills, clean the tank, apologize to the neighbors, and much more

          • We love them, so we spend our hard-earned money and time caring for them

          • It’s not because of anything they’ve done for us, but simply because we love them

    • How many of you can relate?

        • Have you or are you going to buy your pet a Christmas gift?

        • Is there anything you wouldn’t do to take care of your pet?

          • How many of you have taken your pet to the vet for a dental visit or some kind of surgery?

          • Who has or is currently giving their pet shots for diabetes or medication for some other health concern

        • We do all of that out of love

        • Please don’t think that I’m trying to compare God’s love for you with your love for your pet

        • God’s love is far greater than the love we lavish on our pets

    • Thinking about our love for our pets starts us down the road to think about God’s love for us

        • How do you perceive God’s love for you?

        • Do you feel you need to earn it?

        • Do you wonder if God’s love is meant for you?

        • Do you see the overflow of God’s love in your own life toward others?

 

Through this journey of love, today, God wants us to understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – We love because He first loved us.

 

Let’s pray

 

As we look at the journey of love today, we’ll see that God’s love is a lasting, conquering, and overflowing love.

 

  • GOD (1 John 4:7-21)

    • Lasting Love [love that never gives up] (vv. 7-8, 16b-18)

        • Read 1 John 4:7-8, 16b-18

        • The key phrase we find in these two sets of verses is “God is love”

          • This is one of His many attributes

          • His love has no beginning or ending – no limits

          • His love desires our good and never desires harm or evil

          • He wants our love in return

          • Jeremiah 31:3, The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: ​​ “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.

            • The love that the prophet Jeremiah is describing here is one that never ends

            • God loved us before we were even created

            • He continues to love us, without limits

            • He loves us even when we don’t love Him, even when we don’t desire to be in a relationship with Him

            • This is the love God the Father has for His creation – an unending, unlimited love

            • God doesn’t just love us with words, but He loves us with actions, as well

            • Romans 5:8, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: ​​ While we were still sinners, Christ dies for us

            • We’re going to learn more about that when we talk about the second point, conquering love

        • God’s love demonstrated at Jesus’ birth

          • We often talk about Christmas as the time “when love came down.”

          • We say God’s love entered the world as a baby

          • All of that is true, but God’s love didn’t begin at Jesus’ birth

          • His love has always been and will always be

          • It was manifested on earth during the creation of the world

          • The history of our world, the story of the Bible, is a love story from the first day of creation

          • It’s the story of God’s love for His people and His plan of redemption to bring us back into relationship with Him

          • David expresses in Psalm 139 these truths: ​​ God is all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere present. ​​ God knows us, God is with us, and his greatest gift is to allow us to know him

        • God’s love is expressed through the fulfillment of His plan in Jesus Christ

          • Paul explains this to the Ephesian believers

          • Ephesians 1:4-8, For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. ​​ In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ​​ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

          • God’s love does not depend on us

          • It’s not something we have to earn or perform for to maintain

          • It starts with God, not us – He is the One who initiated a relationship with us – He pursues us

          • God is love

          • It’s His nature and character – it’s who He is

          • His love for us was there from the beginning of time and will continue throughout eternity

        • God’s love is not only a lasting love, but it’s also a conquering love

    • Conquering Love [love that conquered sin and death] (vv. 9-10, 13-16a)

        • Questions

          • Do you ever have a hard time loving God?

          • Do you ever have a hard time accepting His love for you?

          • Do you ever doubt that His love is enough to cover all the pain, hurt, selfishness, and evil of our world?

          • Do you question whether or not His love is enough to cover the pain or hurt in your own heart?

        • God’s love is different than human love

          • The love of a father, mother, spouse, ex-spouse, friend, or enemy is not a perfect love

            • They can and will let you down, hurt you, abuse you, twist the concept of love to inflict damage or pain or heartache or to manipulate you

            • Those betrayals of love can seem hard to heal from or let go of

          • God loves you unconditionally

            • It’s not based on anything you’ve done or have to do

            • It’s not a limited amount of love for a certain period of time

            • God loves you purely, perfectly, wholly, and lavishly

            • He pours love out on us – no matter how unlovable or unworthy we may feel

            • God’s love is more vast and perfect than we can ever fully and completely understand with our human intellect

            • Ephesians 3:17-19, And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

          • God’s unconditional love was expressed for us through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection

        • Read 1 John 4:9-10, 13-16a

        • God’s plan through Jesus

          • God showed His love among us by sending Jesus as an atoning sacrifice for our sins

            • We are all born with a desire to have our own way

            • Romans 3:23, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

            • Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

              • God gave us a will and freedom of choice

              • When we choose sin it results in separation from God – a gap between God and us

              • Isaiah 59:2, But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.

              • Some of us chose avenues that do not bridge the gap, such as good works, religion, philosophy, morality, and many other things

            • There is only one way to bridge the gap that our sin has created between us and God

              • It is Jesus Christ!

              • This was who the Israelites were waiting for, but many of them missed Him, because He did not fit their preconceived ideas of what the Messiah was supposed to be like

              • God became man through the birth of Jesus Christ

              • God’s love was manifested on earth through Jesus

              • 1 Timothy 2:5, For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.

              • 1 Peter 3:18, For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.

          • Acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God

            • This simple fact is what separates true Christianity from the false religions of the world

              • When asked who they believe Jesus was and what He came to earth to do, their answers will inevitably avoid recognizing Jesus’ divinity

              • He was a good teacher

              • He was a another prophet from God

              • He was just a man

            • When we acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God, then God lives in us – we have a relationship with Him

            • John 3:16, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

              • Admit your need (I am a sinner)

              • Be willing to turn from your sins (Repent)

              • Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave

              • Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit (Receive God’s eternal life)

              • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God, believe that He died for me on the cross and rose from the grave, and receive His eternal life.

        • As followers of Jesus Christ we have this promise from God, written in Paul’s letter to the Romans

          • Romans 8:38-39, For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

            • That’s an incredible promise from God

            • Our feelings can deceive us

              • When we’re going through difficult times, we may feel like God isn’t there or that He doesn’t care

              • When a financial crisis hits we may feel abandoned by God and alone

              • When God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we wanted Him to, we can feel like God doesn’t love us

              • When we see widows, orphans, and the poor living ​​ all around us or poverty and the ravages of war in other parts of the world, we can sometimes wonder why a loving God would allow those kinds of things to happen

              • The reality is that our loving God is in the middle of all of those situations (he is all-knowing, present everywhere, and sovereign)

            • Our feelings do not change the truths of God’s Word or His character

            • As followers of Jesus Christ we can know with confidence that nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (we can claim that promise for ourselves today)

          • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Claim God’s promise that nothing will be able to separate me from His love

        • God’s love that conquered sin and death has been around forever and through the Holy Spirit it lives in us and overflows to others

    • Overflowing Love [love that overflows to others on our life’s journey] (vv. 11-12, 19-21)

        • Questions

          • Does anyone have company coming this Christmas? (Parents, siblings, aunts, uncles?)

          • While Christmas is a wonderful time to be together, let me ask you this question, how many of us will be sick of our relatives or guests after the third day of being together all the time?

          • Some of us may be feeling that way about your spouse and/or children

          • We can’t wait for the holidays to be done, and the Christmas break from school to end, so we can have some peace and quiet

        • It’s the very nature of God’s unending and unlimited love that it cannot be contained

          • God doesn’t want it to be contained

          • The Bible tells us to love others, even the people who seem unlovable

          • Sometimes that’s easy, and sometimes it’s the hardest thing in the world

          • Expressing God’s love to others is not something we can do on our own

          • It only happens when we have been transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ

          • When we believe in Jesus and repent of our sins, then the Holy Spirit immediately comes to dwell within us

          • He gives us the power to love everyone as God loves us

          • 1 Peter 1:22-23, Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. ​​ For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

          • That doesn’t mean it is easy, but it shifts our focus from trying hard to love others on our own, to experiencing the depth of God’s love in a way that allows it to overflow in our life to the people around us

        • Read 1 John 4:11-12, 19-21

          • We see in verses 11-12 that we should be willing to love others, because God loved us and sent Jesus to take our punishment for sin

          • In verse 19, John changes from saying that we ought to love to the fact that we do love, because God loved us first

          • John tells us that it is impossible for us to love God if we do not love other people

          • In verse 21 John gives us a command from Jesus, Whoever loves God must also love his brother

          • We love because He first loved us

        • Application

          • God’s love is truly the whole reason we celebrate this season

          • The journey of love is not simply about words or even the feelings of acceptance – it is also a journey of action and truth

          • The gift of God’s Son that we celebrate was God putting love into action through Jesus

          • His love is an overwhelming love that calls and moves us to similar action

          • 1 John 3:16, This is how we know what love is: ​​ Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. ​​ And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

          • Advent and Christmas can be an easy season to put this similar love into practice

          • It can also be a difficult season to practice God’s love overflowing through us

          • As you gather to celebrate Christ’s birth this year, will you allow His love to penetrate and overflow your heart as you abide with the source of all love?

          • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Be willing to allow God’s love to overflow into the lives of family members, friends, and coworkers.

 ​​ ​​​​ 

CONCLUSION

VIDEO – “Advent_3_-_Love_English_Version”

10

 

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The Star: A Journey of Hope

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1st Sunday of Advent

The Star: ​​ A Journey of Hope

(Isaiah 7:14; 9:2; Revelation 7:9, 16-17)

 

INTRODUCTION

VIDEO – Hope Bumper video

 

Welcome to the first Sunday of Advent. ​​ Today begins our journey to Christmas. ​​ It’s only four weeks away! ​​ Of course the retail stores have been prepared long before this first Sunday of Advent. ​​ The word advent is a version of a Latin term which means “coming.” ​​ So we use these weeks leading up to Christmas as a chance to look forward to our celebration of the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, the light of world, our Savior. ​​ Advent is a season of great expectation, and I’m glad you’re here with us today as we embark on a journey – actually join in an epic journey that began more than two thousand years ago – and follow the star and discover the light of the world. ​​ It’s a journey of the heart and soul, but it’s also a journey that will realign our expectations and experience of the Christmas season. ​​ And it’s a journey that will explore the gifts of Christmas delivered by and through Christ: ​​ hope, love, joy, and peace. ​​ We will need hope in the storms of life and love that never gives up. ​​ We need fresh joy on our journey and peace no matter what we’re facing or dealing with.

 

We’re going to be focusing on the star as our guiding light. ​​ It guided the Biblical characters to the place where Jesus was and it can guide us to Jesus, the light of the world, even today.

 

BODY

  • ME

    • I have been looking forward to this Christmas season more than in the past couple of years, because of hope!

    • Hope

        • Home

          • I’ve experienced hope at home as Judy and I have continued to deepen our relationship as husband and wife as we move into a new phase of life (almost empty nesters)

          • I’ve also experienced hope at home as I’ve watched our boys develop into fine young men

            • Wade has become more independent

            • Seth is finishing college this year and getting married in June to a wonderful young lady, Emily

            • Levi has matured this past school year and is working more independently on his school work

        • Church

          • I’ve also experienced hope at church

          • There are more people participating in small group Bible studies than in the past couple of years

          • We have vision for the future and faith to move forward

          • God has been challenging us as a congregation and I see Him working powerfully in your lives

          • That brings me great hope!

    • While I’ve been experiencing hope at home and at the church, I realize that not everyone is experiencing hope, especially during the Christmas season

 

  • WE

    • Are you struggling to experience hope right now?

    • There are numerous struggles you may be experiencing today that are stripping you of hope

        • Financial stresses (you want to make Christmas special for your family, but finances are tight)

        • Relational dysfunctions (you’re not looking forward to the family gathering, because of tensions in your family)

        • Memories of loss (perhaps the Christmas season is difficult, because you’re remembering a loved one that has passed away – this may be your first Christmas without that individual)

        • Commercialized expectations (maybe you’re feeling the pressure to keep up with Jones’s)

    • We’ve all been there at some time or another

    • We may be there right now in some form or another

    • We’re not alone

        • Those who were part of the journey toward the first Christmas – Mary, Joseph, an innkeeper, a jealous king, some wise men, common shepherds, angels, and so many more didn’t even understand what was happening all the time

        • Mary and Joseph placed their firstborn son in a manger, because there wasn’t room in the inn

        • Herod wasn’t feeling hopeful when he learned of a king who had been born in Bethlehem

        • The wise men had a long journey to take in order to see Jesus

        • The shepherds were afraid when the angels appeared to them

        • While there were hardships along the journey, most of the characters answered God’s invitation to come and see the arrival of His son, the light of the world and the Savior of all

    • Questions

        • Will you say yes to the journey?

        • Will you peer through the darkness of your life, no matter what that may be, and look for the glimmer of hope?

        • Will you step toward the light of the star even if your vision seems cloudy or muddled?

        • Will you journey toward Bethlehem, drawn by hope for the love, joy, and peace that await?

 

Through this journey of hope God wants us to know that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – Jesus brings hope in the dark times of life.

 

Let’s pray

 

How do we follow the star on a journey of hope? ​​ How can we purposefully live this season of anticipation in light of hope? ​​ Let’s look at three key components – acknowledging the darkness around us, embracing the wait, and committing to the journey.

 

  • GOD

    • Acknowledging the Darkness

        • VIDEO – Methanol – fire (1) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZEEuCHdWFA]

          • In the video we saw that a methanol fire is very hard to see in the daylight, but burns a beautiful blue color in the dark

          • In the darkness the flame is visible and gives off light

        • The same is true of stars

          • We aren’t able to see them during the daytime, but at night (as long as the sky is clear) we can see the stars

          • In fact the darker the night, the better we can see the stars

          • If you live in the country as opposed to the city, you will see the stars more clearly, because there are less light

          • When the moon is that tiny sliver instead of a full-moon we are able to see the stars more clearly

          • The darker the setting, the brighter the starlight

          • Just because we can’t see them in the daytime doesn’t mean they aren’t still there

          • This is the wonder of God’s creation and He chose a star to guide the wise men to Bethlehem

        • Throughout the Bible, we see how God uses His own creation to reveal Himself to us

          • Psalm 19:1-4, The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. ​​ Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. ​​ There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. ​​ Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world (NIV)

          • Psalm 8:3-4, When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? (NIV)

        • Masking the darkness

          • It’s easy for us to mask the darkness that we see in the world around us and in our own hearts, especially during the holidays

          • We allow the holiday glitz to artificially light our lives, but the darkness within us is still there

          • But facing darkness and calling it what it is allows us to see true light

          • Sometimes we have to experience the darkness in order to see the light clearly

            • If you’ve ever heard the testimony of someone who has come out of an addiction, many times you’ll hear the same thing

            • They had to hit rock bottom before they were ready to ​​ acknowledge the darkness within

            • It was only when they acknowledged the darkness that they were able to see the light of hope and kick their addiction

          • There is darkness all around us in our world

            • The recent news stories of Hollywood executives, newscasters, and politicians who are losing their jobs as a result of inappropriate behavior with the opposite sex or with children

            • The shooting that took place in a church in Texas

            • The use of a box truck in New York City to kill individuals

            • The shooting that happened during a concert in Las Vegas

            • We don’t have to look far to see that there is darkness all around us

        • The Israelites were experiencing a dark time also when Jesus showed up

          • There had been 400 years of silence from God between the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament times

          • They were also experiencing Roman rule in Israel

            • They didn’t like having the Romans as their authorities

            • Their belief about the Messiah was that He would come and set them free from Roman rule

            • They were looking for a political savior

          • I’m sure the Israelites felt like God had abandoned them, yet if they remembered the words of the prophet Isaiah they should have been hopeful

          • Isaiah 7:14, Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: ​​ The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (NIV)

            • The time was coming when God would be with man in the flesh

            • Immanuel means, “God with us”

          • Isaiah talked about the coming light and the present darkness, and that darkness continued to grow through the centuries

          • Isaiah 9:2, The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned (NIV)

          • Isaiah was foretelling the future

            • Both of these verses were spoken long before Jesus was born

            • The people of Israel lived in that space between promise and fulfillment

            • They were desperate for a deliverer

        • Application

          • Today we share that common experience of darkness and desperation

            • Every one of us wants to be set free from the darkness we are experiencing

            • Jesus brings hope in the dark times of life.

            • The greatest darkness we all experience is the darkness of sin in our lives

              • We are all born with a desire to sin, a desire to have our own way, to be our own boss, to not submit to anyone else as our authority

              • It is the heart condition of every person

              • Romans 3:23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (NIV)

              • Romans 3:10-12, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. ​​ All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” (NIV)

              • The darkness of sin is found in every one of us

              • When we choose to do wrong in our families, school, workplace, or community, there are consequences

              • The same is true with God, who is holy and just

              • Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (NIV)

              • This verse talks about the consequences of our sin, but it also gives us hope

              • God had a plan to deal with the darkness of sin in our lives

              • It was sending Jesus from heaven to earth to die on a cross so we could be purified from the darkness of sin in our lives

              • Romans 5:8, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: ​​ While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (NIV)

              • 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: ​​ that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (NIV)

              • This was God’s plan and promise, through the prophet Isaiah, fulfilled

              • 1 John 1:5-7, This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: ​​ God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ​​ If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. ​​ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (NIV)

          • Perhaps the darkness you need to deal with today is the darkness of sin in your life

            • Nothing can rescue you from the darkness of sin except God

            • Jesus entered your darkness that first Christmas, so you could have hope

            • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Acknowledge the darkness of sin in my life and accept Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to purify me of my sins.

              • The beginning of the purification process is talking to God and admitting that you are sinner, that you are sorry for your sin, that you believe in Jesus’ perfect sacrifice on the cross, and that you choose to be purified

              • Sanctification is the ongoing process of purification where we deny ourselves and take up our cross daily and follow Jesus

              • It’s a lifestyle change that comes through the transforming power of Jesus Christ living within us

              • Repentance is a 180 degree turn from pursuing sin to pursuing Jesus

              • Total sanctification will come when Jesus Christ returns, but we are still in the waiting process

              • We have to learn to embrace the wait

    • Embrace the Wait

        • Questions

          • Who likes waiting?

          • Does anyone like waiting?

          • How many people waited in a line during Black Friday shopping? ​​ (Did anyone enjoy it?)

          • I remember having to wait on Christmas morning to open presents

            • We didn’t have the tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve

            • We were allowed to open our stockings before my parents got up, but we couldn’t open any of the presents under the tree

            • We’ve continued that tradition with our boys – they are allowed to open their stockings before we get up, but nothing under the tree

            • The older I’ve gotten the earlier I’ve been getting up, so they probably won’t have to wait as long this Christmas

          • Waiting

            • Children can’t wait for their Birthday or Christmas morning to arrive

            • Students wait to hear if they’ve been accepted into a college or graduate program

            • Other students wait to find out if they got the part in the school play/musical or made the team

            • Adults wait to hear if they got a job or promotion

            • Parents wait for the birth of their child or children

            • Other couples wait to hear about adopting a child

            • If you go to Chick-fil-A, though, you won’t have to wait very long

        • Israelites

          • The Israelites knew all about the long wait

          • Since Genesis, in the very first book of the Bible, when sin entered the world, we see that God offered the promise of hope

          • Genesis 3:14-15, So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! ​​ You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. ​​ And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (NIV)

          • God was talking about Jesus, the source of hope from the very beginning

          • God had a plan of hope from the start

          • But constrained by the time of our world, the waiting seemed like forever

        • Illustration

          • Imagine a farmer standing on the dry dust of a parched field and looking up to the sky. ​​ Years of drought have taken everything from him, and he has lost hope. ​​ But then, in the distance, he hears the rumble of thunder – the promise of rain

          • That is the image John the Baptist gave of himself when people asked if he was the Messiah. ​​ No, he was not, but he was announcing the arrival of the long-awaited One. ​​ He was the herald of hope.

          • John 1:23, “I’m thunder in the desert: ​​ ‘Make the road straight for God!’ ​​ I’m doing what the prophet Isaiah preached.” (MSG)

        • Advent is a time of waiting

          • While we struggle with waiting in our culture, there is great benefit in embracing this season as we anticipate the coming of Jesus

          • The waiting reminds us of where our hope is set

          • It allows us the time and focus to hear the distant rumble of thunder, the promise that our hope will be fulfilled

          • God keeps His promises and He has promised to send Jesus a second time

          • As we wait to celebrate Jesus’ birth, we also wait for our true hope to be fulfilled – our complete and total sanctification – the perfecting of our souls

          • The apostle John describes it for us in Revelation 7:9, 16-17

          • Revelation 7:9, 16-17, After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb . . . Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. ​​ The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. ​​ For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. ​​ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. (NIV)

          • We still live in the space between the already and the not yet

            • We have to embrace the waiting just like the Israelites did

            • They were waiting for the arrival of the Messiah the first time

            • We’re waiting for the arrival of the Messiah the second time

            • Hope is what fuels our faith as we wait, because we know that eternity with God will far outweigh what we have experienced here on earth – the darkness that we are currently experiencing, that is stripping us of hope

            • 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Therefore do not lose heart. ​​ Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ​​ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ​​ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. ​​ For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (NIV)

            • Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (NIV)

        • Application

          • Will you allow this Advent season to serve as a reminder of the confidence we have as we wait in hope for what we do not yet see?

          • Will you seek the light of the star, no matter how faintly it might first appear to you, and draw hope from its growing light?

          • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Wait with hope for Jesus’ second coming and for my complete and total sanctification.

        • We normally define waiting as an inactive process, but it can be an active process – we have to commit to the journey

    • Commit to the Journey

        • The concept of waiting throughout the Bible is one of active waiting

          • It is not just sitting around, doing nothing

          • We wait with expectant hearts, but we are constantly moving forward on our journey

        • “Active waiting means to be present fully to the moment, in the conviction that something is happening where you are and that you want to be present to it.” ​​ [Henri J. M. Nouwen, Waiting for God]

          • What an excellent description of Advent!

          • Wait means being active, present in the moment while still anticipating where we are going

          • It not’s easy!

          • It takes strength and courage, but we can receive that from the Lord

          • Psalm 31:24, Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord (NIV)

        • So what does that look like in real life?

          • The apostle Peter gives us great words of wisdom that apply to our real lives – he speaks about being holy

          • 1 Peter 1:13-16, Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. ​​ As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ​​ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ​​ “Be holy, because I am holy.” (NIV)

          • Hope is about waiting, but that waiting involves a commitment to being present in our journey of obedience

          • Preparing our minds means that we are alert, it involves expectation and active anticipation

          • Being self-controlled is also an active process as we wait

          • Each of us is perhaps at a different place in our journey with God

            • That’s natural and normal

            • Don’t compare with those who are also on the journey, but are at a different place – keep following God’s light

            • Advent is not about finding all the answers or checking all the boxes

            • It’s about preparing

            • You just have to show up and be willing to follow God’s lead

            • He wants to fill you heart with hope and healing as you seek His Son, Jesus

 ​​​​ 

CONCLUSION

VIDEO – “Advent_1_-_Hope_English_Version”

11

 

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Jesus in Disguise

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Last Sunday after Pentecost: ​​ Christ the King

Jesus in Disguise

(Matthew 25:31-46)

 

INTRODUCTION

“The surprise was complete. ​​ The attacking planes came in two waves; the first hit its target at 7:53 A.M., the second at 8:55. ​​ By 9:55 it was all over. ​​ By 1:00 P.M. the carriers that launched the planes from 274 miles off the coast of Oahu were heading back to Japan.

 

Behind them they left chaos, 2,403 dead, 188 destroyed planes, and a crippled Pacific Fleet that included eight damaged or destroyed battleships.

 

At 6 A.M. (Hawaiian time) on December 7, 1941, the first Japanese attack fleet of 183 planes took off from aircraft carriers 230 miles north of Oahu. ​​ Ironically, at 7:02 A.M., two Army operators at a radar station on Oahu’s north shore picked up approaching Japanese fighters on radar. ​​ They contacted a junior officer who disregarded their sighting, thinking that it was B-17 bombers from the United States west coast. ​​ The first Japanese bomb was dropped at 7:55 a.m. on Wheeler Field, eight miles from Pearl Harbor. ​​ No one was prepared for what was occurring. ​​ The rest is history.

 

At Pearl Harbor, the consequences for not being ready for an enemy attack was devastating. ​​ There were signs that went unheeded. ​​ Had the U.S. military been ready to spring into action, the losses at Pearl Harbor might have been greatly reduced.

 

The element of watchful waiting applies to the return of Christ. ​​ For the believer, being ready for Christ’s return involves more than not being caught by surprise. ​​ It also involves living a life in faithful obedience to God, investing our resources in the kingdom of God. ​​ Jesus will someday return. ​​ Those who are found faithful and living in obedience to God will be rewarded. ​​ Are you among the ready?”

 

[Stuart K. Weber, Holman New Testament Commentary, 427-28].

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Mission Trips

        • Spokane, WA – an important part of what we did was to take care of Wayne and Denise Miller and their family

        • Mississippi – we are planning a trip to Carthage, MS next summer to help at Abigail Farmer’s church (she is one of our missionaries) – part of the time will again be spent taking care of Abby and ministering to her

    • Serving others

        • Dwane

          • A friend of mine was diagnosed with a brain tumor

          • He was a follower of Jesus Christ

          • I took him once to his experimental treatment and waited with him

          • He had helped me out before when I woke up with something in my eye in the middle of the night

        • Serving homeless in Spokane, WA

          • They were so appreciative of the food and clothing items we brought through the two organizations we served with

          • It was a joy to minister to each person

 

  • WE

    • Youth

        • Week of service this past summer (they took care of other ministries)

          • Tender Care Pregnancy Center

          • Upper Adams Food Pantry

          • Project Share

          • Laurin and Bev Fleming’s home

        • In the past

          • New Hope Ministries in Hanover

          • Adams Rescue Mission

          • Helped with other individuals within the church

    • Adults

        • Gettysburg Soup Kitchen

        • Upper Adams Food Pantry

        • In-Gathering (happened last week)

        • Individuals in our church have used their talents to help others in the church

          • Car maintenance and repair

          • Yard work and mowing

          • Cleaning

          • Financial support

          • Rides to church, doctor appointments, the pharmacy, and the grocery store

          • These are just a few of the ways that we have helped others, but there are countless other ways as well

    • Take a moment to think about how you have taken care of others

 

Jesus has been teaching on the Mount of Olives. ​​ He has been talking about the future and gives a couple parables to help His disciples understand they need to be ready and obediently working at multiplying the Gospel. ​​ He concludes His Olivet Discourse by teaching about the final judgment. ​​ Through His teaching Jesus wants His disciples and us to understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – Serving servants of Jesus is serving Jesus.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Matthew 25:31-46)

    • Jesus will return (vv. 31-33)

        • PROMISE/TRUTH – God will send Jesus to earth a second time

          • When God gives us a promise or truth in His Word, we can claim that promise and believe that truth, wholeheartedly

          • We can put our hope in the fact that Jesus is coming again

          • It will be in power, which is represented by all the angels coming with Him

          • He will also come in authority as He sits on His throne in heavenly glory

          • He will come with God’s glory and authority to judge

        • Nations and people

          • In the Greek the word used for “nations” is talking about all people or the Gentiles and the Jews

          • The Great Commission includes every nationality and people group in the entire world

          • While every nation will be represented, the Greek word used for “the people” is in the masculine gender and “implies that individuals and not just nations or people groups are intended.” ​​ [Blomberg, The New American Commentary, Matthew, 376]

          • This concept agrees with all of Scripture – we are individually responsible for our salvation and how it is evidenced through our actions

        • Separating individuals

          • Jesus uses imagery that would have been familiar to those He was teaching

          • The practice of keeping sheep and goats together in the pasture is still used in the Middle East today

          • Our image of sheep and goats is different than in the Middle East and probably from what was normal in the 1st Century

            • Our image of sheep are those with pure white wool coats

            • Goats can have different colored spots and patches on their coats

            • The sheep being referenced here probably had spots and patches of different colors that made them harder to distinguish from the goats

            • Genesis 30:31-32, “What shall I give you?” he asked. ​​ “Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. ​​ “But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: ​​ Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. ​​ They will be my wages.”

          • While sheep and goats grazed together in the fields, when it was time to separate them, they would be sent down a chute that required them to go one at time in a single line

            • A shepherd would sit on top of the fence and swing a gate back and forth to guide each animal into the appropriate pen [Weber, Holman New Testament Commentary, Matthew, 424]

            • If the sheep and goats were both spotted, it would take a trained eye to quickly separate them

          • Jesus has that trained eye

            • We do not know the heart of man, but God does

            • We may think from outward actions or superficial knowledge that we know who are God’s people and who are not

            • Praise the Lord, He knows!

          • Right and left

            • Jesus will separate each individual from all nations

            • He will put the sheep, who represent those who are righteous, on His right side – this is the place of honor

            • He will put the goats, who represent those who are cursed, on His left side – in this context, it was a place of disgrace

        • Now that the righteous and the cursed have been separated, Jesus explains what will happen to each group

    • Blessed (vv. 34-40)

        • Reward (v. 34)

          • Jesus refers to Himself as the King in this parable

          • He will beckon those on His right – the righteous ones – to come and take their inheritance

          • These individuals are blessed by God the Father

            • This blessing is not the same as in the Beatitudes, where the Greek word means “happy”

            • It rather means someone who enjoys God’s good favor [France, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Matthew, 962]

            • It also has the idea that these individuals have received God’s spiritual and material blessing and favor already and that they will continue to receive it [Weber, Holman New Testament Commentary, Matthew, 424]

          • Their reward is the inheritance of the Kingdom of God

            • This was prepared for them since the creation of the world

            • There are two beliefs concerning the wording “since the creation of the world”

              • One belief system says that the identity of the individuals who will enjoy God’s blessing and favor have been determined before their birth

              • The other belief system is that Jesus is referring to the group of those who are saved as a whole

              • “God has prepared this kingship for those who will prove to be worthy of it, but who those people will be remains to be discovered on the basis of their response to the gospel and to the will of God.” ​​ [France, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Matthew, 963]

              • As we’ll see in vv. 35-36, how individuals respond to Jesus’ disciples who are in need, is evidence of a genuine relationship with Him

        • Service (vv. 35-36)

          • The righteous ones recognize three basic human needs (food, shelter, and companionship) and step in to help

          • These individual did not have to be told to do these things, because it was an outpouring of their love for Christ

          • Their perspective on humanity had been transformed by a relationship with Jesus Christ – they now saw each person as a valuable creation of God the Father

          • The amazing thing is that they didn’t even realize they were serving Jesus

        • Surprise (vv. 37-39)

          • These verses make it sound like the righteous are confused or surprised by the King’s statement

          • They didn’t realize that serving servants of Jesus is serving Jesus

          • Jesus is saying to the righteous that they fed Him, gave Him water to drink, invited Him in to their homes, gave Him clothing, took care of Him when He was sick, and visited Him when He was in prison

            • Jesus is talking to His disciples about the final judgment

            • So, it could be confusing how these individuals had taken care of Jesus in the various scenarios outlined, since He was already back in heaven

            • I like how Wilkins addresses the surprise that the righteous ones are experiencing

            • “Such surprise indicates that these were not intentional meritorious acts to gain access to the kingdom. ​​ Rather, these acts of mercy are evidences that the sheep belong to the kingdom . . .” ​​ [Wilkins, The NIV Application Commentary, Matthew, 810]

              • The righteous were ​​ not doing these things as a way of working their way to heaven

              • They were doing these things as evidence that they were already citizens of heaven

              • They had been transformed by Jesus Christ and the proof was evident through how they served servants of Jesus

              • PRINCIPLE – Acts of service are a sign of salvation.

                • Our acts of service do not have to be “great” things

                • They are usually little things that seem insignificant to us

                • Providing food and drink to those who are need

                • Welcoming someone into our home who is a stranger

                • Offering clothing to those who need them

                • Caring for the sick or visiting those in prison

                • Perhaps the righteous didn’t even remember doing these things because they seem so insignificant

          • Application

            • Are we helping those in need?

              • There are individuals all around us who are in need

              • There are those who are hungry and thirsty

              • There are individuals who need shelter and clothing

              • There are many in our congregation right now who are sick and can use help

              • We financially support Chaplain Will Olson and his ministry at Adams County Adult Correctional Facility, but he needs volunteers to help with Bible studies to both men and women

              • There are other needs in our church and community that we can help with

                • Financial counseling

                • Those who have experienced divorce and separation (children and adults)

                • Various addictions (drugs, alcohol, pornography, etc.)

                • There a things we can do corporately as the body of Christ

              • What can you do individually?

              • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Commit to helping those in my church and community who are in need.

            • What is our motivation for helping those in need?

              • The righteous in Jesus’ parable weren’t motivated by accolades or the hope of salvation by serving others

              • It was an outpouring and evidence of the transformational power of the Gospel in their lives

              • “True disciples will pass an examination not because they are trying to pass an examination but because they will love his brothers and sisters – and therefore Jesus.” ​​ [D.A. Carson cited by Boice, The Gospel of Matthew Volume 2, An Expositional Commentary, 541]

              • We should be serving others, because of the salvation we have received through Jesus Christ

          • This passage has been used by many in the social Gospel movement to motivate Christians to serve the poor, but those Jesus is referring to here are not just any poor or needy person

        • Servants (v. 40)

          • Disciples of Jesus

            • The least of these brothers of mine refers to Christ’s disciples or all Christians

            • In Matthew’s gospel the Greek word used for “least” is the superlative form of the adjective “little [ones]” which without exception in the gospel of Matthew refers to the disciples (10:42; 18:6, 10, 14; cf. also 5:19; 11:11)

            • The same is true of the Greek word used for “brothers” – “when not referring to literal, biological siblings, always means spiritual kin (5:22-24, 47; 7:3-5; 12:48-50; 18:15 (2X), 21, 35; 23:8; 28:10).” ​​ [Blomberg, The New American Commentary, Matthew, 377-78]

            • John Broadus explains it this ways, “Our Lord is not expressly speaking of benevolence to the poor and suffering in general, but of kindness to his poor and suffering ‘brethren’ for his sake.” ​​ [Broadus cited by Boice, The Gospel of Matthew Volume 2, An Expositional Commentary, 541]

              • For this particular passage of Scripture, Jesus is saying that our future depends on how we relate to His followers, which is a reflection of how we relate to Him

              • The Apostle Paul reiterates Jesus’ teaching when writing to the Galatians about doing good to all

              • Galatians 6:10, Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

            • While this passage does not speak to the social justice for all people, that does not mean that God is ambivalent towards the poor and needy who are not followers of Jesus Christ

          • Importance of taking care of the poor, the widow, and the orphan

            • There are multiple passages throughout the Old Testament that speak about God’s will concerning the poor, the widow, and the orphan

            • Nearly every prophetic book in the Old Testament has a warning from the Lord concerning taking care of the poor, the widow, and the orphan

            • There are additional warnings against taking advantage of those who are less fortunate

            • The king and those in authority were not to forget about those in their kingdom who were in need

            • From those passages and others in the New Testament, we know that we have a responsibility to take care of all who are poor and needy, whether they are in our church or in our community

        • We see that the righteous are blessed and will receive the Kingdom as their inheritance, because they willingly took care of Jesus’ disciples who were in need as evidence of their salvation and relationship with Jesus Christ

        • But Jesus has something to say to those on His left who are cursed

    • Cursed (vv. 41-45)

        • Punishment (v. 41)

          • We see some mirrored opposites here

          • The cursed are told to depart from Jesus instead of coming to Him

          • They are cursed instead of blessed

          • Their destiny is the eternal fire instead of kingship

            • The eternal fire was prepared for the devil and his angels

            • We have no evidence in Scripture that the fallen angels were given a chance to repent

            • That is not the case with humanity

            • No one should have to face eternal fire – it was prepared for the devil and his angels

              • Yet there are those who have chosen hell by rejecting Jesus Christ

              • They have no one else to blame but themselves

              • God has given each of us a free will to either accept or reject His plan of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ

              • There are individuals who readily say they welcome hell as their destiny, but they don’t understand what they are saying and what’s at stake

                • Hell is total separation from those in heaven and from God – if those in hell are able to, they will understand the vastness of God’s grace and mercy because they will no longer be experiencing it – He will no longer hold back His wrath

                • Those who go to hell will be together with the devil and his angels in total rebellion against God

                • Hell is suffering – it will be eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 25:30)

              • There is still hope!

                • Jesus has not yet returned the second time

                • God’s grace and mercy are still in full force

                • God’s salvation is still available to anyone and everyone who repents and submits to Jesus as their master

                • Ephesians 2:8-9, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

                • The beginning of our relationship with Jesus Christ comes in believing in Him, but it doesn’t stop there

                • It’s a total transformation that takes place in our lives through the Holy Spirit that now lives within us

                • Matthew 16:24-26, Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ​​ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. ​​ What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? ​​ Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”

                • Luke shares the same teaching from Jesus, but adds that the we have to take up our cross daily

                • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Begin my relationship with Jesus today by accepting God’s grace through faith in Jesus, and then grow in my faith by denying myself and taking up my cross daily.

          • Those on Jesus’ left did not make that decision and therefore neglected to take care of Jesus’ disciples

        • Neglect (vv. 42-43)

          • Here is the sad reality – the cursed did not do some great evil against Jesus’ disciples, they simply neglected to do good

          • The reality for us is that there are some who claim to have a relationship with Jesus Christ and attend church on a regular basis, but will be separated to Jesus’ left hand

            • Their relationship with Jesus was only lip service

            • A true transformation never took place

            • The evidence is clear from what Jesus says about those individuals

            • They did not take care of the basic needs of Jesus’ disciples who were suffering

        • Surprise (v. 44)

          • This group is also surprised by Jesus’ statement of not taking care of Him

          • They also didn’t recognize that taking care of Jesus’ disciples who were suffering meant they were taking care of Jesus

          • They didn’t understand that serving servants of Jesus is serving Jesus

        • Servants (v. 45)

          • The same disciples of Jesus were around these individuals, but they refused to take care of them

          • Their perspective on humanity had not been transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ

          • They perhaps looked right past or through these suffering servants of Jesus

          • Their hearts were not compassionate towards those followers of Jesus who were suffering for Him

          • They were more concerned about themselves instead of others

    • Accountability (v. 46)

        • PRINCIPLE – Every one of God’s people will be held accountable for their response to Jesus’ disciples who are in need.

        • Those who neglect to help Jesus’ disciples will experience eternal punishment

        • Those who serve Jesus’ disciples will experience eternal life

        • “The presence of kingdom life will always produce evidence in the transformed speech, thought, actions, and character of Jesus’ followers. ​​ The absence of transformation is proof that a person has not accepted the invitation to the kingdom. ​​ Reward or penalty is distributed according to the evidence.” ​​ [Wilkins, The NIV Application Commentary, 813]

 ​​​​ 

  • YOU

    • Does your life evidence a transformation by Jesus Christ?

    • If you’ve never accepted God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ are you ready to do that today?

    • If you stood before Jesus today would you be a sheep or a goat?

 

  • WE

    • We all have an individual responsibility to serve Jesus’ disciples who are in need

    • We also have a corporate responsibility

        • We need individuals who will lead various ministry aspects

        • Men’s ministry leader

        • Single’s or divorce recovery ministry for adults and children

        • Addiction recovery

        • Prison ministry

        • Many more

        • We need individuals who have a passion for these various areas to step up and lead

 

CONCLUSION

“When a friend cared for her housebound mother-in-law, she asked her what she longed for the most. ​​ Her mother-in-law said, ‘For my feet to be washed.’ ​​ My friend admitted, ‘How I hated that job! ​​ Each time she asked me to do it I was resentful, and would ask God to hide my feelings from her.’

 

But one day her grumbling attitude changed in a flash. ​​ As she got out the bowl and towel and knelt at her mother-in-law’s feet, she said, ‘I looked up, and for a moment I felt like I was washing the feet of Jesus Himself. ​​ She was Jesus in disguise!’ ​​ After that, she felt honored to wash her mother-in-law’s feet.

 

Today, might you echo my friend, who now wonders when she meets someone new, ‘Are you Jesus in disguise?’”

 

[Amy Boucher Pye, Our Daily Bread, September, October, November 2017, October 24]

12

 

/by

Untrappable

,

20th Sunday after Pentecost

Untrappable

(Matthew 22:15-22)

 

INTRODUCTION

In the recent past, we were noticing a mouse that would scurry from under the dishwasher to the stove and refrigerator. ​​ We also saw it scurry from under a side table in our dining room under the basement door.

 

We saw evidence of the mouse behind the dishwasher, because there were fresh droppings and dog food that had been carried there. ​​ Judy had cleaned all of those items up previously, so we knew they were fresh.

 

I had the old fashioned mouse traps (show picture of mouse trap) that I baited and put down behind the dishwasher and the refrigerator and one at the top of the basement stairs. ​​ It was frustrating to find the bait gone and the mouse traps still set. ​​ So, I decided to buy the newer mouse traps (show picture of newer mousetrap) that are pre-baited and have a more sensitive trigger. ​​ I even added more bait to the traps and set them in the same locations as the old fashioned traps. ​​ Still nothing!!! ​​ I finally bought the multi-use traps that have pre-baited glue traps inside them with a one-way door (show picture of multi-use trap), so the mouse cannot escape. ​​ You’ve guessed it; we still didn’t trap this mouse.

 

This mouse was untrappable!

 

VIDEO: ​​ “Hilarious Commercial! ​​ Mouse Trap Survivor – Nolan’s Cheddar Cheese” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoSQyXBagLk)

 

One day our indoor cat had the mouse between her paws and was playing with it. ​​ When we tried to get the mouse, it scurried away. ​​ Another time I found the mouse in the cat’s litter box, where it was trapped. ​​ It was in the middle of the night and I figured that it couldn’t get out, because the cat enters from the top of the litter box. ​​ There was no way that mouse could get out. ​​ When I woke up in the morning and went to the litter box, the mouse was gone. ​​ I assumed that the cat had taken it out of the litter box and was playing with it. ​​ Finally, the cat presented the DEAD mouse to us on the kitchen floor one morning.

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Hard questions from children

        • Working with Child Evangelism Fellowship for ten years allowed me to field some difficult questions from children

        • “Who is God’s father?”

        • “Can the devil be saved?”

        • “How did Noah fit all the animals on the ark? or “How did Noah get all the animals to come to the ark?”

    • Hard questions from adults

        • I’ve also heard hard questions from adults

        • “How can you believe that God brought all the animals to Noah so he could put them on the ark?” ​​ (I don’t understand how it happened, but I believe by faith that God accomplished it)

        • “Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?”

        • “Why did God allow my family member or friend to die so young?”

 

  • WE

    • Trapped by children’s questions ​​ (Bruce Kluger) [http://www.parenting.com/article/the-toughest-questions-kids-ask]

        • “Why do people die?”

        • “How much money do we have?”

        • “What is God?”

        • “Why do you and Mommy fight?”

        • “Where did I come from?”

    • Trapped by skeptics questions

        • Has it ever happened to you that when someone at school or work finds out you’re a Christian, they start asking the hard questions

        • Those questions can sometimes make us feel trapped, because we don’t have the answer(s) readily available

        • Here are 7 Questions Skeptics Ask that Rusty Wright has compiled [http://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/articles/evangelism/seven-questions-skeptics-ask.html]

          • Why is there evil and suffering?

          • What about all the contradictions in the Bible?

          • What about those who never hear of Jesus?

          • How can Jesus be the only way to God?

          • Isn’t Christianity just a psychological crutch?

          • I could never take the blind leap of faith that believing in Christ requires.

          • It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re sincere.

 

In the final verses of Matthew 22, the Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees try to trap Jesus in His words. ​​ They use three avenues, political (22:15-22), doctrinal (22:23-33), and ethical (22:34-40) to try to trap Him so they could arrest Him. ​​ Jesus concludes by asking them a question that they cannot answer. ​​ It proved His authority as the Son of God. ​​ The religious leaders were unable to trap Jesus in His words. ​​ What we learn from these three attempts is that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – Jesus has the answers to our hard questions.

 

Let’s pray

 

We are only looking at the first attempt by the religious leaders to trap Jesus, but I encourage you to read the other two attempts and then Jesus’ question for the religious leaders.

 

  • GOD (Matthew 22:15-22)

    • Trap laid (vv. 15-17)

        • The reason (v. 15)

          • The religious leaders have just been reprimanded by Jesus for not leading the Jews correctly

            • He exposed their desire for financial gain, by clearing the temple

            • The religious leaders challenged Jesus’ authority

            • He used three parables to show them that His authority came from God

            • The three parables also highlighted the fact that the religious leaders’ authority was soon ending and their responsibility to show the world what a relationship with God was supposed to look like was being given to others instead of them

            • Because the religious leaders do not have eyes to see and ears to hear and are unrepentant, they begin to plot and plan

          • The Pharisees get together to plot a way to get Jesus to say something that will allow them to arrest Him

        • The trappers (v. 16a)

          • The disciples of the Pharisees

            • These men would have been those who were in training to become full initiates to the brotherhood of Pharisees [Wilkins, 719]

            • They were well versed in the law and would perhaps be perceived as less of a threat to Jesus than the Pharisees themselves

            • Perhaps this was their final test before becoming full-fledged Pharisees themselves

            • Against paying taxes (poll tax) ​​ [Wiersbe, 80]

              • They did not want to submit to a Gentile power (amazing they also did not want to submit to God’s authority through Jesus – submission problem)

              • Caesar was revered as a god (they were monotheistic – only one God)

              • They had better uses for their money than to give it to Rome (although they benefited from the advancements that Rome had provided – roadway infrastructure)

            • So, the disciples of the Pharisees were there and represented one group within the culture, but an unlikely ​​ opposing group had joined with the Pharisees against Jesus

          • The Herodians

            • They were a small group of Jews who supported the Herodian family and dynasty

            • The current leader was Herod Antipas who ruled in Galilee

            • He was ruling only a portion of the territory that his father, Herod the Great, had ruled

            • The Herodians were interested in advancing the Herod’s influence in Israel

            • The end game for them was to have the Herod’s ruling over Judea in place of Pilot, whom Rome had appointed

            • The Herodians were in favor of paying the poll tax, because Herod received his power from Caesar

            • This was all part of supporting the Herodian family and dynasty

          • So we know who the trappers are, which sets the stage for the bait and the trap

        • The bait (v. 16b)

          • The Pharisaic disciples and the Herodians speak well of Jesus – they’re trying to butter Him up

          • They call him “Teacher”

            • This title was used for Jesus in Matthew by outsiders instead of His disciples

              • In Matthew 9:11; 12:38; 17:24; 22:24, 36 we see the religious leaders referring to Jesus as “Teacher”

              • In Matthew 19:16, the rich young ruler addresses Jesus as “Teacher”

            • The disciples and those who believed in Jesus addressed Him as Lord

              • Matthew 14:28, “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

              • In Matthew 15:21-28 Jesus sends a demon out of a girl after her mother approaches Jesus and addresses Him as Lord

              • In Matthew 17:4, Peter says to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here.” ​​ (he’s talking to Jesus after His transfiguration)

            • They not only use a title of respect, but they talk about His character

          • They speak of His integrity and character

            • Man of integrity

              • It more literally means, you are true

              • He was honest in His teaching

              • He did not say one thing and do another

              • They recognized that in Jesus

            • Teach the way of God truthfully

              • This is interesting to hear them admit this

              • We realize they aren’t being truthful themselves, because they believed Jesus’ teaching was heretical

              • They called Him a blasphemer when He spoke about being the Son of God

            • You are impartial

              • The literal translation of the text would read, it is not a care to you concerning anyone, for you do not look on a person’s face

              • The way they had formed their question, was an attempt to get Jesus to be partial – to take a side

              • We’ll see that in v. 17

              • The disciples of the Pharisees and the Herodians were correct in their assessment of Jesus’ integrity and character, whether or not they genuinely believed it

              • PRINCIPLE – God does not show favoritism.

                • Acts 10:34-35, Then Peter began to speak: ​​ “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.

                  • Peter had experienced the vision of the sheet being let down from heaven with both clean and unclean animals in it – God told him to get up, kill, and eat, but he refused three times

                  • This was preparation for Peter to go to Cornelius’ house (a Gentile’s house) where he would experience the salvation and filling of the Holy Spirit within Gentiles

                • Romans 2:9-11, There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: ​​ first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: ​​ first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. ​​ For God does not show favoritism.

                • Matthew 5:43-45, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. ​​ But I tell you: ​​ Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. ​​ He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

              • Jesus was definitely not being partial or playing favorites with the those He ministered to

              • This was all part of the religious leaders plan to trap Him – they were hoping to be able to call His integrity and character into question after He answered their question

          • The religious leaders feel confident that the trap has been baited, so they ask Jesus their question

        • The trap (v. 17)

          • Their question

            • They want to know what Jesus thinks about paying taxes to Caesar

            • Is it right or wrong?

            • The tax

              • It was either the annual head tax or the more general poll tax

              • “. . . the poll tax was a direct tax levied on every adult Jew (including women and slaves), and was a potent symbol of political subjection.” ​​ [France, 832]

              • The Romans were not the only ones taxing the Jewish people

              • The Jewish religious leaders also collected taxes from the Jews for the upkeep of the temple and other expenses

              • “Some estimate that a Jewish family paid approximately 49-50 percent of its annual income to these various taxes.” ​​ [Wilkins, 720]

            • They believed their question could only be answered one of two ways

              • “Yes, it’s right to pay taxes to Caesar.”

              • “No, it’s not right to pay taxes to Caesar.”

          • Their hope

            • They have Jesus trapped!

            • If He answers that it is right to pay taxes to Caesar, He will alienate Himself from a large part of His followers

              • The Pharisees would use His answer to accuse Him of sympathizing with the Romans

              • He would be labeled a collaborator

              • While this wasn’t a crime, it was also not a popular position with the Jews

              • If Jesus sympathized with the Romans, then He obviously could not be the Messiah or from God, because some of them believed that paying taxes to Rome was robbing from God

            • If He answers that it is not right to pay taxes to Caesar, He could immediately be arrested for treason against the Roman Empire

              • He would be labeled an insurrectionist

              • Insurrectionists were dangerous, because they threatened the Pax Romano (Roman Peace)

        • I can just imagine the delight that’s spread across the religious leaders face as they anticipate Jesus’ response, because they believe He will condemn Himself no matter what

    • Trap avoided (vv. 18-21)

        • Jesus knew their intentions

          • Whether it was a supernatural knowledge from God, or simply Jesus’ seeing through their flattery, He knew their intentions were evil

            • PRINCIPLE – God knows His people’s heart.

            • We may be able to mask our true feelings and intentions from those around us, but we can never hide them from God

            • God is omniscient (all knowing)

              • This is one of His many attributes

              • He knows us better than we know ourselves

              • Jeremiah 17:10, “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.”

              • Luke 16:15, He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. ​​ What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.

              • 1 Chronicles 28:9, “And ​​ you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. ​​ If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

              • Proverbs 21:2, All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.

            • What are your intentions?

              • Perhaps you’ve been struggling with some evil intentions that no one else knows about

              • You’ve been hiding them from everyone else, but God knows those intentions

              • Examples

                • You’ve been struggling with pornography, but you haven’t been caught yet

                • You’ve been thinking about taking the emotional affair at work to the next level

                • You’ve been struggling in school and have decided to cheat on the next test to help boost your grade

                • You’ve been holding a grudge against someone else

                • You’re negative thoughts about someone else show that you’re struggling with pride in your own life

                • You’ve been contemplating cheating or your taxes

                • You’ve thought about ways to steal money or products from your employer

                • You’ve been thinking about hurting yourself or someone else

              • God knows all about those thoughts and intentions of your heart

                • He wants you to confess those before Him and find help from those around you

                • Some of those things are not easy to voice to another person, but having someone to hold you accountable helps to have victory over them

                • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Recognize that God knows my heart, confess my evil intentions to Him, and seek accountability.

            • God knows our intentions and He knew the intentions of the religious leaders, which is why Jesus calls them hypocrites

          • He calls them hypocrites

            • They weren’t really interested in His answer, but rather in which group He was going to alienate with His answer

            • Their flattery was disingenuous – Jesus wasn’t misled by it

            • They did not really believe that He was a man of integrity, that He taught the way of God in accordance with the truth, or that He was impartial

            • They were hypocrites (they were wearing masks)

          • He asks why they are trying to trap Him

            • The Greek word behind our English word “trap” is peirazo and is the common word for “test” or “tempt”

            • “There is certainly an element of ‘testing’ here, but the malicious intent of the questioners makes this more akin to the devil’s ‘tempting,’ trying to get Jesus to do or say something which he should not.” ​​ [France, 833]

            • They obviously thought they were backing Jesus into a corner, therefore tempting or forcing Him to say something He should not

          • But, Jesus is not flustered by their question instead He asks them for something

        • Visual illustration

          • He wants them to show Him the coin that was used to pay the tax they were referring to

            • They produce a denarius (one penny coin)

            • The tribute to Rome was not too much (it was the amount of one day’s pay for a common laborer)

          • He asks them two questions

            • Whose portrait is this? ​​ Whose inscription?

              • NLT – Whose picture and title are stamped on it?

              • “A denarius of Tiberius would carry his garlanded portrait surrounded by the inscription ‘Ti[berius] Caesar Divi Aug[usti] F[ilius] Augustus’; on the reverse would be ‘Pontif[ex] Maxim[us].’ ​​ He is thus proclaimed to be not only son of the divine Augustus, but also a high priest; the two titles together could hardly be more calculated to offend Jewish piety.” ​​ [France, 833]

            • Portrait

              • The Greek word for “portrait” is eikon from which we get the English word icon

              • Blomberg explains that “‘portrait’ is, literally, image and perhaps highlights imperial ownership of the money.” ​​ [Blomberg, 331]

              • That concept will be important as we look at Jesus’ response to their question

          • The answer to Jesus’ question about the portrait and inscription on the coin is easy – Caesar’s!

        • Jesus’ response to their question

          • His response is not what the religious leaders expected

            • It was not a simple “Yes” or “No”

              • “Wait! ​​ Jesus isn’t getting trap by His words”

              • “Our plan isn’t working!”

            • The Greek word for “give” means “give back” or “pay back” what is rightfully due

          • Jesus’ answer did two things

            • It validated submitting to civil authority

              • Jesus said “Yes” to paying taxes to Caesar which endeared Him to the Herodians, yet His answer did not alienate Him from the Jews

              • “The use of Caesar’s coinage acknowledges his authority and, with it, the obligation to pay taxes. ​​ They could not benefit from imperial roads, education, justice and freedom from invasion without making their contribution . . . those who enjoy Caesar’s benefits should pay Caesar’s taxes.” ​​ [Green, 233]

              • The same holds true for us today – we must pay our taxes because we benefit from the local, state, and federal authorities

                • They provide improved infrastructure, education, justice, and freedom from invasion

                • There are many legal ways to reduce our taxable income, so we should take advantage of them

                • It is never right for us to not pay our taxes

 

“In their book Freakonomics, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner explain how a simple change to U. S. tax rules in 1987 exposed the depth of the public's willingness to deceive for financial gain:

In the 1980s, an I.R.S. research officer in Washington named John Szilagyi (shee-la-jee) had seen enough random audits to know that some taxpayers were incorrectly claiming dependants for the sake of exemption. Sometimes it was a genuine mistake (a divorced wife and husband making duplicate claims on their children), and sometimes the claims were comically fraudulent (Szilagyi recalls at least one dependent's name listed as Fluffy, who was quite obviously a pet rather than a child).

Szilagyi decided that the most efficient way to clean up this mess was to simply require taxpayers to list their children's Social Security numbers… The idea never made its way out of the agency.

A few years later, however, with Congress clamoring for more tax revenue, Szilagyi's idea was dug up, rushed forward, and put into law for tax year 1986. When the returns started coming in the following April, Szilagyi recalls, he and his bosses were shocked: seven million dependents had suddenly vanished from the tax rolls, some incalculable combination of real pets and phantom children. Szilagyi's clever twist generated nearly $3 billion in revenues in a single year.”

 

[Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, Freakonomics (William Morrow 2006), p. 239; submitted by Kevin Miller, executive vice president of Christianity Today International]

[http://www.preachingtoday.com/search/?query=Matthew+22:15-22&searcharea=illustrations&type=scripture].

            • It also validated submitting to spiritual authority

              • While Jesus had said “Yes” to paying taxes to Caesar, He also said “No” to worshipping Caesar which endeared Him to the Jews, without alienating Him the Herodians

              • What the religious leaders and those in the crowd needed to understand is that God had provided them with many benefits also, as the Creator of the universe

              • What God required was not material, but spiritual – it was worship of Him as divine, instead of Caesar

          • PRINCIPLE – God validates both civil and spiritual authority.

            • Four options [Boice, 475-476]

              • God alone as an authority – monasticism

              • Caesar alone as an authority – secularism

              • The authority of God and Caesar but with Caesar in the dominant position – cowards

              • The authority of God and Caesar but with God in the dominant position – biblical Christianity

            • Jesus was not validating one authority in exclusion of the other

            • “The two claims by the two authorities were not in conflict with each other. ​​ Obedience to both was not contradictory. ​​ Both God and civil government were valid authorities.” ​​ [Weber, 355]

              • Read Romans 13:1-7 [#1]

              • Read 1 Peter 2:13-17 [#2]

              • “The coin bears Caesar’s image: ​​ give it back to him. ​​ You bear God’s image: ​​ so give yourself back to Him!” ​​ [Green, 234]

              • As Christians we must honor and obey our civil authorities and God

                • It goes without saying that if they are not following God’s laws, we must obey God rather than men

                • Are you obeying the civil authorities?

                • Are you obeying God?

                • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Give myself back to God by obeying Him and the civil authorities He has placed over me.

        • Jesus has the answers to our hard questions

    • Trapper’s amazement (v. 22)

        • His answer amazed the disciples of the Pharisees and the Herodians (they simply left and went away)

        • It probably amazed the crowd that was also listening to this exchange

 

  • YOU

    • We serve an awesome God who does not show favoritism, but invites everyone to join Him in His kingdom

    • We also serve an omniscient God who knows our hearts and minds

    • Finally, we serve a Savior who has the answers to our hard questions

        • I encourage you to take time to ask Jesus the hard questions you’re struggling with today

        • He is waiting to hear from you

        • Quietly wait before Him and read His Word so you can hear from Him

        • The Bible is your guidebook for life – it has all the answers for your hard questions

 

  • WE

 

CONCLUSION

“An unknown writer said, "This Book is the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding; its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's character. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. Follow its precepts and it will lead you to Calvary, to the empty tomb, to a resurrected life in Christ; yes, to glory itself, for eternity.”

[Source Unknown]

[http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/b/bible_value_of.htm].

13

 

/by

Prepped and Ready to Attend

,

19th Sunday after Pentecost

Prepped and Ready to Attend

(Matthew 22:1-14)

 

INTRODUCTION

“When Katie Hosking decided to break up with her fiancé, it was only 12 days before the wedding. Along with her parents, Katie had reserved a country club for the reception. With 150 invited guests, the cost was $6,200. Club policy required 60 days’ notice for any cancellation, meaning the Hosking’s were required to pay the full amount.

 

The family decided to have a party anyway. In place of wedding guests, Katie and her parents invited the residents of the Interfaith Family Shelter to a country club banquet. More than 50 close family friends joined 40 homeless people, and together they danced and feasted on baron of beef, salmon, shrimp cocktail, fettuccine, and fruit. Strawberry shortcake replaced wedding cake. Afterwards they packed up the leftover food and sent it back to the shelter. It was enough to feed the homeless for several more days.

 

When it was over, the almost-bride, Katie, said, ‘We had so much fun!’

 

[Kenneth Peterson, Omak, Washington; source: The Wenatchee World (6-29-05) (AP story)]

 

[http://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2005/august/failedreceptionbecomespartyforthehomeless.html].

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Aunt Diane’s wedding

        • May 23, 1981 was my Aunt Diane’s wedding at Prince Street UB Church

        • I was 11 years old and played Little League baseball at the time

        • I was one of the acolytes at her wedding and I had a baseball game that same day

        • In fact, my brother had a baseball game before the wedding and mine was after the wedding – it was a busy day for us

        • So, I wore my baseball uniform under my dress clothes, so I could leave as soon as the wedding was done and make it to my baseball game on time

        • I rode my bike from the church to Norcross Stadium in Shippensburg

        • I was prepped and ready to attend two events

          • I had the correct clothes for a wedding

          • I also had the correct clothes for a baseball game

 

  • WE

    • Have you ever felt underdressed for an occasion?

        • In most of those situations we weren’t underdressed on purpose

        • There is always some explanation

        • Something went wrong and we found ourselves having to wear clothes that we were not planning on wearing

    • Sporting event

        • If you ever played sports, perhaps you or someone you know showed up to the game missing a part of their uniform

        • Perhaps it was a jersey or the right pair of shoes

        • It’s difficult to prepare for the game mentally when you’re not prepared physically

    • Hunting/Fishing

        • Perhaps you’ve gone hunting or fishing and realized when you got there that you didn’t have everything you needed

        • It’s hard to catch fish without a fishing pole or lures

        • It’s impossible to harvest a deer without arrows or bullets

    • We have to be prepped and ready to attend whatever event we’ve been invited to

 

Jesus shares one final parable as He challenges the religious leaders concerning their failure to lead God’s people correctly. ​​ In this third parable He wants the religious leaders and us to wrestle with the concept that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – All are invited, but only some are prepped and ready.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Matthew 22:1-14)

    • Rejected (vv. 1-7)

        • A certain king had prepared a wedding banquet for his son

          • Jesus begins the parable with the words, “the kingdom of heaven is like”

          • Jesus is using a parable to help the religious leaders and the crowd go from something they were familiar with to something that was new for them

          • With this understanding we can assume correctly that the king represents God, the son represents Jesus, the servants represent God’s messengers, the prophets, and the guests represent the religious leaders and humanity as a whole

        • Three invitations

          • It was cultural for two invitations to be sent out in preparation for a banquet

          • 1st Invitation – it’s like our modern day “save the date” cards

          • 2nd Invitation

            • The wedding day had come and the banquet was ready

            • The king sent his servants to those who had been invited to let them know it was time to come

            • The reaction of the guests who had received the 1st invitation was a refusal to come (a more literal translation would be, “they were not willing”)

          • 3rd Invitation

            • The king is not deterred by their refusal

            • Instead he sends more servants and lets them know how great the meal is going to be

              • There was going to be oxtail soup

              • Ox tongue hors d’oeuvres

              • T-bone steaks and filet mignon

              • Ox and beef liver pâté

            • Two responses to the 3rd invitation

              • Some paid no attention to the servants and went off to take care of their farms and businesses

                • A literal translation is “they didn’t care”

                • The ordinary activities of life took priority over loyalty to their king [Blomberg, 327]

                • Matthew’s wording (“his field” and “his business”) lets us know some of the guests put their selfish concerns before their responsibilities to the king (God) ​​ [France, 824]

              • “In Fast Company Richard Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute?, was asked, ‘What stands in the way of people finding their mission?’ Bolles replied:

                Prior agendas. For example, my wife, Carol is a well-known career counselor in her own right. She was meeting with a client who worked in the rubber industry, let’s call him George. George told her in their first session, ‘I’ve got to get out of the rubber industry.’ So she gave him some homework to do before their next session. He came back the next week, and he hadn’t done a lick of the homework. My wife, rich with intuition, asked him, ‘What will happen if you don’t get out of the rubber industry?’ George said, ‘My wife will divorce me.’ Carol said, ‘Do you want your wife to divorce you?’

                He couldn’t keep the smile off of his face. She knew then that he would never change his job until it had given him what he wanted: a divorce, with his wife taking the initiative and the guilt. Based on his behavior, my wife named this ‘the doctrine of the prior agenda.’ You can’t help people change or find their mission when they have a conflicting prior agenda.

                People will never change until they truly want to.

                [Daniel H. Pink, "What Happened to Your Parachute?" Fast Company (September 1999)]

                [www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1999/october/12009.html]

              • The rest of the invited guests seized the servants, mistreated them and killed them

            • The kings response

              • When the king heard how the invited guests treated his servants, he was enraged

              • He sent his army and destroyed those who had killed his servants

              • He also burned their city

        • Application

          • 1st Century

            • The application is fairly straight forward for the hearers in the 1st Century

            • God had invited the Israelites to join Him in the kingdom of heaven with Jesus Christ

              • God’s plan was to involve the Jews in leading others to the kingdom of heaven

              • Paul has been called the Apostle to the Gentiles, yet at the beginning of his ministry he would go into the synagogue in a town, first, before preaching to the Gentiles

              • John 4:21-23, Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ​​ You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ​​ Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

              • Romans 2:9-10, There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: ​​ first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: ​​ first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

              • God’s plan was to use the Jews to model what a relationship with Him looked like, but they didn’t keep up their end of the covenant

                • In the parable of the two sons, the 2nd son initially agreed, but never followed through

                • In the parable of the wicked tenants, they broke their contract by not providing fruit as rent payment – they weren’t bearing good fruit

                • In this parable they dishonored God by refusing His invitation and being preoccupied with the things of this world

            • They refused to come to the celebration of the establishment of His kingdom through Jesus

            • He sent multiple prophets to let them know that He was ready to establish His kingdom and that they were welcome to join Him

            • The religious leaders and those who followed them were too preoccupied with their own selfish pursuits to be concerned about joining God in His plan of salvation

            • When the prophets shared God’s message with them about how they were leading incorrectly and needed to make some changes, they seized the prophets, mistreated them, and killed some of them

            • God allowed the Israelites to experience exile in foreign lands on multiple occasions, because of their rebellion and treatment of His prophets

            • Most scholars agree that Jesus’ reference to the burning of the guests’ city is an allusion to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70

          • Principles for us today

            • PRINCIPLE – God will not force anyone to be part of His kingdom.

              • He invites us to be part of the kingdom of heaven, but He will never force us to join Him

              • We have to come to Him of our own free will

              • “God will not force Himself upon anyone against his will. ​​ It is your part to believe. ​​ It is your part to receive. ​​ Nobody else can do it for you.” ​​ [Billy Graham]

              • John 1:10-13, He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ​​ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ​​ Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

              • We’ll come back to this verse in just a little while

            • PRINCIPLE – God continues to pursue His people to the very end.

              • He continues to give the Jews multiple opportunities to join Him

              • He gives us multiple opportunities to join Him, as well

              • It is never too late, you have not used up all your chances with God

              • The fact that He has not sent Jesus back to earth for the second time, means you still have an opportunity to join Him

              • Don’t squander that opportunity

              • 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. ​​ For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” ​​ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

              • He is patiently waiting for you to believe in Jesus and receive Him

              • His desire is that you are a fully committed follower of Jesus Christ

            • PRINCIPLE – God will punish those who refuse His invitation to be part of the kingdom of heaven.

              • If you squander every opportunity that God has given you to join Him in the kingdom of heaven, then there are consequences for that decision

              • The same spirit that was in the religious leaders of Jesus’ day is still found in “religious” people today

              • “Today this same class will be found among the children of godly parents; dedicated from their birth, prayed for by loving piety, listening to the gospel from their childhood, and yet unsaved. ​​ We look for these to come to Jesus. ​​ We naturally hope that they will feast upon the provisions of grace, and like their parents will rejoice in Christ Jesus; but alas! ​​ How often it is the case they will not come! . . . A preacher may be too rhetorical: ​​ let a plain-speaking person be tried. ​​ He may be too weighty: ​​ let another come with parable and anecdote. ​​ Alas! ​​ With some of you the thing wanted is not a new voice, but a new heart. ​​ You would listen no better to a new messenger than to the old one.” ​​ [Spurgeon cited by Boice, 468]

              • Many of us can get caught up in the things of this world and pay no attention to God’s invitation to join Him in His kingdom

                • We may not see it as an active refusal of His invitation, but it is a refusal none-the-less

                • “Do you fit that pattern? ​​ Are you more interested in your good credit than in Christ? ​​ Do you read the stock quotations more than you read your Bible? ​​ You do not have to murder a prophet to miss out. ​​ You have only to fritter away your time on things that will eventually pass away and thus let your opportunities for repentance and faith pass by.” ​​ [Boice, 468]

                • We started the study on the Not A Fan this past Wednesday evening

                  • Through the video, Kyle Idleman challenged us to “Define the Relationship” that we have with Jesus

                  • Are we really followers of Jesus Christ or just enthusiastic admirers

                  • Read Luke 9:18-25 [#1]

              • All are invited, but only some are prepped and ready.

        • The Jews had been invited to join God in celebrating the establishment of His kingdom, but they were not prepped and ready and consequently refused His invitation

        • We see next in vv. 8-10 what the king did in order to fill his banquet hall

    • Replaced (vv. 8-10)

        • Parable

          • The wedding banquet is ready and the king does not want it to go to waste

          • He instructs his servants to go into the streets and gather all the people they could find

          • The servants obediently went out and gathered everyone they could find – it included both good and bad

          • The wedding hall was now filled with guests

        • Application

          • 1st Century

            • Jesus had made it clear in His explanation of the parable of the wicked tenants that the kingdom of God was being taken away from the religious leaders and given to another nation that would produce good fruit

            • Jesus is again making it clear that the Jews had failed to model for the world what a relationship with God should look like, so God was going to invite others to partner with Him to share His plan of salvation

            • “Whereas those who should have been “good” (Israel, God’s chosen people) had shown themselves to be evil, the king treated all who were evil as though they were good.” ​​ [Weber, 352]

            • The reference to “anyone you find” is perhaps pointing back to what Jesus said in the explanation of the first parable concerning how the tax collectors and prostitutes were entering the kingdom of God ahead of the religious leaders

              • Those from the street corners were both good and bad

              • All are invited to be part of the kingdom of God

              • We saw in Matthew 13:24-30, which is the parable of the weeds, that the wheat and the weeds grew together until harvest time when they were separated (the wheat was saved, while the weeds were burned up)

              • We see the same scenario in the parable of the fishing net in Matthew 13:47-52 that all kinds of fish were caught in the net, the good were saved in baskets while the bad were discarded (the angels will separate the wicked from the righteous and throw the wicked into the fiery furnace)

          • Principle for us today

            • PRINCIPLE – God invites everyone to be part of His kingdom.

            • Factors that don’t matter in order to be invited

              • Good or bad

              • Wealthy or poor

              • Jew or Gentile

              • Slave or Free

              • Male or Female

              • Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, Indian, Native American, etc.

            • God invites everyone

              • John 3:16, For God so loved the world . . . that whoever believes . . .

              • John 1:12, Yet to all who received him . . .

              • Romans 10:13, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord . . .”

              • 2 Peter 3:9, . . . He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

            • “It was as shocking then as it is now that God accepts the worst sinners unconditionally. ​​ As long as a sinner shows willingness to accept God’s grace by faith, God will transform him or her into a kingdom citizen.” ​​ [Weber, 353]

        • So the king invited everyone from the street corners to come to the wedding banquet and whether they were good or bad they came

        • In the final set of verses in this parable we see that while everyone was invited to come, there was a requirement in order to remain at the banquet and enjoy the feast

        • “Although the invitation was given to all, proper attire was expected.” ​​ [Wilkins, 717]

    • Required (vv. 11-14)

        • Parable

          • The king entered the banquet hall to see the guests that had come

          • One particular guest stood out to him

            • It was a man who was not wearing wedding clothes

            • This would have been unusual for a couple of reasons

              • There is some scriptural evidence (Gen. 45:22; Est. 6:8-9) that the king would have provided festal garments for his guests

                • In the wedding feast of the Lamb it is stated specifically that garments are provided

                • Read Revelation 19:6-8 [#3]

              • Cleanest and best clothes

                • The king certainly could have provided the clothes

                • It could also be referring to the cleanest and best clothes that each person had

                • It was not their everyday work clothes

            • Declined to wear the proper clothes

              • “In either case, since the individual is addressed as ‘friend’ and is left speechless when confronted by the king, the implication is that the guest has proper clothing available but has declined to wear it.” ​​ [Wilkins, 717]

              • This man had determined that he didn’t need to put on his cleanest and best clothing or to wear the wedding clothes that were provided by the king

              • He was coming to the banquet feast on his own terms – no one was going to tell him how to dress, because he was his own man

            • The kings response

              • He asked the guest how he got into the banquet hall without wedding clothes

              • The man has not response

              • The king instructs his attendants to bind the man hand and foot and throw him outside

              • The imagery of darkness and the weeping and gnashing of teeth is representative of hell

          • Jesus concludes his parable triad with these words, “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

            • All humanity is invited to experience God’s grace and mercy through faith in Jesus Christ

            • Not everyone will accept God’s free gift of grace

              • Some will refuse it outward

              • Others will give excuses why they can’t

              • Some will think they can come to God on their own terms

        • Application

          • 1st Century

            • Jesus wanted those in the crowd, who were listening to Him, to not misunderstand what He was saying

            • He was teaching in the court of the Gentiles, so it was possible that there were Gentiles who were listening to His teaching at this point

            • The religious leaders understood clearly that Jesus was saying they had not led the people of God correctly and that they would not be part of the kingdom of heaven unless they repented

            • Jesus had said that the tax collectors and prostitutes were entering the kingdom of God ahead of the religious leaders, but that was not a universal blanket of acceptance

            • The Gentiles were going to be given the opportunity to enter the kingdom of heaven, but they had to be dressed in the correct garments

              • The man in the parable and perhaps the Gentiles in the crowd thought that their best was good enough for God, but that was not true

              • The wedding clothes probably referred to the righteousness of Christ provided by God through Jesus’ death

              • Isaiah 61:10, I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. ​​ For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a ​​ robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

            • The same is true for us today

          • Principle for us today

            • PRINCIPLE – God will only accept those individuals who are clothed in Jesus’ righteousness.

            • Personal response

              • Each one of us is accountable for our own response to Jesus’ invitation

              • Donald Grey Barnhouse is the one who started asking the question “Suppose you should die tonight and appear before God in heaven and he should ask you, ‘What right do you have to come into my heaven?’ what would you say?”

              • He learned that there were only three responses a person could give

                • Many would cite their good works, saying, “I’d say I’ve done the best I can, and I’ve never done anything particularly bad.”

                  • Isaiah 64:6, All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;

                  • Romans 3:20, Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

                  • We’ve all sinned and fall short of God’s perfection (Rom. 3:23)

                • Others would not have anything to say – they would be speechless

                  • That was what the man who was not prepped and ready did in the parable

                  • He had no response for why he was not wearing the proper wedding clothes

                  • He knew what the requirement was, but refused to comply

                • The third and acceptable answer is this, “None at all, so far as I myself am concerned. ​​ But Jesus died for my sins and has given me the covering of his own righteousness in which alone I dare to stand before you. ​​ I come at your invitation and in that clothing.”

 

  • YOU

    • God invites everyone to be a part of His kingdom and continues to pursue you to the very end, but He will not force you to join Him.

        • He provided Jesus Christ as the perfect sacrifice, so you could be clothed in His righteousness

        • Read John 1:10-13 [#2]

        • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Accept God’s invitation to be part of His family by clothing myself in Jesus’ righteousness.

    • God will punish those who refuse His invitation to be part of the kingdom of heaven, or try to enter on their own terms.

        • Are you refusing God’s invitation today?

        • Are you more concerned about the things of this world instead of eternal things?

        • Are you trying to get to heaven on your own terms?

        • The result of doing things your own way is eternal separation from God

  • WE

 

CONCLUSION

All are invited, but only some are prepped and ready

 

“So the meaning of this parable is clear. ​​ God has provided the feast of the kingdom. ​​ It is the wedding feast for his Son. ​​ The invitation goes out far and wide. ​​ If you reject it, you miss the party. ​​ If you think you can get in relying on your own fitness, you will be thrown out. ​​ Many are invited, but few show, by their response, that they are chosen (14).” ​​ [Green, 232]

12

 

/by

Second Chances

,

18th Sunday after Pentecost

Second Chances

(Matthew 21:33-46)

 

INTRODUCTION

“Thomas A. Edison was working on a crazy contraption called a "light bulb" and it took a whole team of men 24 straight hours to put just one together. The story goes that when Edison was finished with one light bulb, he gave it to a young boy helper, who nervously carried it up the stairs. Step by step he cautiously watched his hands, obviously frightened of dropping such a priceless piece of work. You've probably guessed what happened by now; the poor young fellow dropped the bulb at the top of the stairs. It took the entire team of men twenty-four more hours to make another bulb. Finally, tired and ready for a break, Edison was ready to have his bulb carried up the stairs. He gave it to the same young boy who dropped the first one. That's true forgiveness.”

 

James Newton, Uncommon Friends: Life with Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Alexis Carrel and Charles Lindbergh, 1989, p.22.

 

[http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/s/second_chance.htm]

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Ford Bronco II

        • My father did not react how I thought he would

        • He was very gracious and merciful

    • With my boys

        • Harsh with my boys

        • Had to apologize to them and ask for their forgiveness

 

  • WE

    • Affair – Physical or emotional

        • Some of us have experienced at least an emotional affair with another coworker and especially pornography

        • When our spouse found out about it, we were hoping for grace and mercy and a second chance

        • Some of us have been given third and fourth chances

    • Failure at work

        • Depending on the circumstances of our mistake at work, our boss has given us a second chance

        • They’ve extended grace toward us

    • Failure at school

        • Our teachers or professors will sometimes give us a second chance

        • Maybe we failed a test or didn’t complete a project the way that we were supposed to

        • The teacher or professor can extend grace by allowing us to retake the test or have more time to complete the project the correct way

    • All of us can probably say that we are grateful for second chances

 

Jesus continues to teach the religious leaders in Jerusalem and the crowds about God’s plan. ​​ He exhorts the religious leaders concerning their failure to lead God’s people like they were supposed to. ​​ In this second parable of three He wants the religious leaders and us to understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – Embracing God’s mercy is important.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Matthew 21:33-46)

    • The Parable (vv. 33-39)

        • Characters involved

          • Landowner = God

          • Tenets = Jewish religious leaders

          • Vineyard = Israelites

          • Servants = Prophets

          • Landowner’s son = Jesus

        • Landowner’s provision (v. 33)

          • The language found in this verse is very close to the language found in Isaiah 5:1-7 (read Isaiah 5:1-7 [#1])

          • We see here that the landowner provided everything that the tenant farmers needed to be successful is producing a harvest

            • Winepress to extract the juice from the grapes to make wine

            • Watchtower for shelter and burglar control

            • Wall to keep out wild pigs and other trespassers

          • God had provided everything for the Jewish religious leaders to be successful in leading the Israelites spiritually

            • He had provided the law and the sacrificial system

            • Unfortunately, they added to the law and disobeyed some of the law

            • Instead of producing good fruit, they were producing bad fruit

            • They continually went their own way

          • God has given us everything we need to be successful in producing good spiritual fruit for Him

            • PRINCIPLE – God equips His people to do His work.

              • Holy Spirit – guides, prompts, convicts, protects, teaches, and gifts us

              • The Bible – we know God’s will for us as followers of Jesus Christ (read Matthew 28:18-20 [#2]); we know His plan of salvation for humanity – the Gospel (Romans road, John 3:16, etc.)

              • The body/church – to encourage and be encouraged; to hold us accountable

              • “Has he not planted us in our lands, whatever they may be? ​​ Has he not fenced us in? ​​ Has he not watered and cared for us? ​​ Has he not built a watchtower for us?” ​​ [Boice, 461]

                • God has placed us in the job where we are to be a witness for Him

                • God protects us as we gather together as the church

                • God feeds us and takes care of us through small group Bible studies and through His messages on Sunday morning

                • He has provided the Holy Spirit to watch over us as we serve Him

            • Sometimes we do just what the religious leaders did in the 1st Century

              • We add to the Bible or take individual verses out of context to justify our beliefs

              • We time and time again go our own way instead of following God’s leading

                • We give God excuses as to why we can’t do what He is asking us to do

                • We explain that we can’t make the sacrifices He is asking us to make to be a true follower

                • We express our fear in sharing the Gospel with our neighbors, coworkers, and family members

            • What kind of fruit are we producing?

              • Since God has equipped us to be successful in producing good spiritual fruit, the question we have to ask ourselves is what kind of fruit are we producing?

              • If we are not being obedient to what God is asking us to do, then we are producing bad fruit

              • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Recognize that God has equipped me to do His work and to be obedient to what He is calling me to do for Him.

          • The idea behind the landowner going on a journey is that he was not present during the growing and harvesting time

            • God is not present with us on earth in a physical sense

            • He has given us the Holy Spirit that lives within us as another Counselor/Helper, but again not in a physical sense

            • There is a harvest coming and God has expectations for us as His tenets or workers

          • Since the landowner had provided everything for the tenants to be successful, he expected to receive his portion of the fruit

        • Landowner’s expectation (v. 34)

          • While the landowner was not present for the harvest, he was not unaware of when the grapes were supposed to be ready

            • So he sent his servants to the tenets to collect his fruit

              • There were certain servants, in wealthy households, who were highly trusted and put in positions with great responsibility

              • They represented the master or landowner in his absence

              • To mistreat one of these servants was to mistreat the landowner

              • This information will be important when we talk about the tenants actions in vv. 35-39

            • This would have been the rent payment required from the tenets for the vineyard

              • The landowner had put up the capital to plant the vineyard, wall it in, build the watchtower, and dig the winepress

              • The fruit was the return on his investment

          • God’s expectation for the religious leaders that He would receive a good return on His investment in a spiritual sense

            • He was looking for Israelites who were dedicated to Him, because the religious leaders had carefully tended to their spiritual needs and pointed them to God

            • He was looking for Israelites who were obedient to His commands and laws

            • He was looking for Israelites who had a repentant heart and were seeking forgiveness through the sacrificial system

          • God has the same expectations of us as followers of Jesus Christ – He looking for a good return on His investment

            • He is looking for individuals who dedicated to Him, because we have been carefully sharing the Gospel with those in our sphere of influence

            • He is looking for individuals who are growing in their faith, because we are mentoring and discipling those who have repented of their sins

            • He is looking for individuals who are not just fans, but rather followers – who recognize that a relationship with Jesus requires more than just admiring who He is and what He came to do, but are willing to sacrifice everything for Him

          • God has expectations for us as His workers just like the landowner had expectations for the tenants of the vineyard, but we see that the tenants did not live up to those expectations

        • Tenant’s actions (vv. 35-39)

          • The landowner sent three different groups to the tenants in an attempt to collect the return on his investment

            • He sent, what appears to be, three servants

            • Next he sent a larger number of servants

            • Finally, he sent his own son (his son was sent with all the father’s authority)

          • The tenants mistreated all of the landowners representatives

            • They beat some of them

            • They killed some of them

            • They stoned some of them

          • The tenants were not loyal to the landowner

            • Even after the landowner had provided everything they needed to be successful, they were not loyal to him

            • They did not respect him, his son, or his servants

            • They had a false sense of entitlement over the vineyard

            • “On my side of the family there has been a steady arrival of tiny nieces and nephews. When we gather for holidays or other occasions, it is interesting to watch the toddlers handle the toys. My little nephew Bryan is about two years old, and his cousin, Kate, is four. One day Bryan and Kate were playing at my parents' home. Suddenly I heard those adamant words, "mine, mine." They were at both ends of a toy pulling with all their might. "Mine, mine," they would repeat as though no one got the point. After two days I began to understand "toddler property laws:"[1]

 

1.  If I like it, it's mine.

2.  If it's in my hand, it's mine.

3.  If I can take it from you, it's mine.

4.  If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.

5. ​​ If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.

6.  If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are ​​ mine.

7.  If it looks just like mine, it is mine.

These rules are easily observed in the lives of children. They seem to continue in force even among us adults.”

 

[The Rev. Dr. Robert G. Moore; https://soundfaith.com/sermons/61694-matthew-21-33-43-(sermoncentral)]

          • Amazingly, the landowner shows incredible grace and mercy to the tenants by giving them more than a second chance to do what is right

            • PRINCIPLE – God is infinitely gracious and merciful toward His people.

            • God gave the religious leaders multiple chances and opportunities to lead His people correctly, to repent of their sins and turn to Him

            • He sent prophets time-and-time again to call them to repentance, yet they mistreated them and even killed some of them

              • Jeremiah 20:1-2, When the priest Pashhur son of Immer, the chief officer in the temple of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and pout in the stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin at the Lord’s temple.

              • 1 Kings 18:4, While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in tow caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.

              • 2 Chronicles 24:20-21, Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. ​​ He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ​​ ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? ​​ You will not prosper. ​​ Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’” ​​ But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple.

            • God gives us multiple chances and opportunities to pursue, grow, and multiply disciples

              • There are family members, coworkers, and neighbors who are looking for the meaning of life

              • God has equipped us to share the Gospel with them

              • He also gives us multiple chances and opportunities to share with those around us

              • Sometimes we are so focused on ourselves that we miss the opportunities that God brings our way

              • There are times we’re simply content with the fact that we are saved and it doesn’t matter about anyone else

              • God may be sending opportunities our way to disciple new believers, but we find excuses not to get involved

            • God gives us multiple chances and opportunities to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ

              • It’s been said that it can take as many as five times of hearing the Gospel for someone to understand the Gospel and make a decision for Jesus

              • God sent Jesus to earth the first time to take our punishment for sin

                • The son in the parable represents Jesus

                • Jesus is alluding to what the religious leaders will do to Him in the not too distant future

              • God is patiently waiting to send Jesus back to earth the second time, because His desire is that no one will perish

              • 2 Peter 3:8-9, But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: ​​ With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. ​​ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. ​​ He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

              • Admit – Rom. 3:23; 6:23

              • Believe – 1 Cor. 15:3-4

              • Call – Romans 10:13, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

              • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Call on the name of the Lord and be saved.

        • Jesus finishes the parable and immediately asks the religious leaders a question concerning the landowner

    • Explanation of Parable (vv. 40-46)

        • Landowner’s actions (vv. 40-41)

          • The question that Jesus asks them would have been easy for the religious leaders to answer

          • “Drawn into the movement of the story by its sheer power, they blurt out, almost against their will, the obvious answer: ​​ they knew what happened to bad tenants on estates – it was not an uncommon situation in those days.” ​​ [Green, 228]

          • The religious leaders are basically pronouncing their own sentence when they tell Jesus what the landowner will do when he comes

            • The religious leaders had been leading God’s people astray and abusing them for personal gain

            • They had killed the Lord’s prophets – the most recent one being John the Baptist

            • They were going to eventually kill the Son of God

          • Their punishment would be complete destruction

            • “A literal translation of the passage would be, ‘The bad ones, he will destroy them badly.’ ​​ Destroy here is an amplified verb meaning ‘to destroy utterly.’” ​​ [Weber, 349]

            • The responsibility for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ was no longer going to be in the religious leaders hands

            • God would use the Apostles, Messianic Jews, and Gentiles to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to a dying world

            • He would use them to produce spiritual fruit that they would return to Him as an offering to Him for His glory

        • Jesus’ self-identification (v. 42)

          • Jesus asks the religious leaders a rhetorical question about Psalm 118:22-23

            • He is questioning whether or not they have every read that Psalm before

            • It’s fairly likely that they had, but they perhaps didn’t understand that it was speaking of Jesus

            • They had misunderstood or misinterpreted other OT scriptures that prophesied about Jesus, so it’s not improbable that they never made the connection in Psalm 118

          • We know that Jesus was rejected by His own hometown as well as the religious leaders and many of His own disciples

            • Luke 4:24, “I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.”

            • John 10:30-33, “I and the Father are one.” ​​ Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles form the Father. ​​ For which of these do you stone me?” ​​ “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

            • When Jesus started teaching hard things about His death, burial, and resurrection and what would be required of His disciples, we learn from John that many of Jesus’ disciples turned back and no longer followed him (John 6:66)

            • They did not realize Jesus’ importance in God’s plan

              • “Back when the Old West was being settled, pioneers flocked across the country to California and Oregon. In one particular spot on the Eastern slopes of the Rockies there was a large, dirt covered rock protruding in the middle of the trail. Wagon wheels were broken on it and men tripped over it. Finally someone dug up the odd stone and rolled it off trail into a nearby stream. The stream was too wide to jump over, but people used the stone as a step to cross the cold creek. It was used for years, until finally one settler built his cabin near the stream. He moved the odd stone out of the stream and placed it in his cabin to serve as a doorstop.

                As years passed, railroads were built and towns sprang up. The old settler’s grandson went East to study geology. On a visit to his grandfather’s cabin, the grandson happened to examine the old lump of stone and discovered within that lump of dirt and rock was the largest pure gold nugget ever discovered on the Eastern slope of the Rockies. It had been there for three generations, and people never recognized its value. To some it was a stumbling stone to be removed. To others it was a stepping-stone, and to others it was just a heavy rock. But only the grandson saw it for what it really was--a lump of pure gold.

                Jesus is the precious rock God has given us to be both the cornerstone and the capstone of our lives. Will you come to the rock today? Will you build your life upon Him? One day, you will discover Jesus will either be a stepping-stone that gives you access to God, or He will be a rock over which you stumble…so close and yet so far. The choice is yours.”

                [David Dykes; https://www.sermoncentral.com/illustrations/sermon-illustration-sermoncentral--stories-jesuschrist-83678?ref=TextIllustrationSerps]

              • Jesus is the foundation stone on which He would build His church

              • Jesus is the capstone that holds the building together

          • The religious leaders did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the Savior of the world – they rejected Him and would suffer the consequences of their rejection

        • Punishment explained (vv. 43-44)

          • The kingdom of God was taken away from them and given to a people who would produce fruit

            • We’re not told who this people group is

            • A better translation of the Greek for “people” is “nation”

            • Jesus is probably referring to the church universal, which encompassed Jews and Gentiles

            • PRINCIPLE – God will accomplish His plans even when His people reject it.

          • Jesus then refers back to the stone imagery again

            • Jesus is the stone in this metaphor and depending on whether or not they reject or accept Him will determine how they see Him as the stone

            • To Israel, Jesus was a stumbling stone

              • Isaiah 8:14-15, and he will be a sanctuary; but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. ​​ And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare. ​​ Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured.”

            • To the church, Jesus is the foundation stone, the head of the corner

              • Ephesians 2:20-22, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. ​​ In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. ​​ And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

            • At the end of the age, Jesus will come as the smiting stone, destroying Gentile kingdoms

              • Daniel 2:34, While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. ​​ It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them.

              • Read 1 Peter 2:4-10 [#5]

            • PRINCIPLE – God will punish those who mistreat His messengers and reject His plan.

        • Rejecting God’s mercy (vv. 45-46)

          • The religious leaders knew that Jesus was talking about them

          • Instead of repenting of their spiritual pride and entitlement, they harbored bitterness in their hearts

          • They wanted to arrest Him, but were afraid of the crowd

          • The crowd understood who Jesus was even when the religious leaders refused to accept it

 

  • YOU

    • Embracing God’s mercy is important for the believer

        • He has been infinitely gracious and merciful toward us

        • He has given us many second chances to fulfill His plan through pursuing, growing, and multiplying disciples

        • We need to make sure that we are obediently following what He has asked us to do

    • Embracing God’s mercy is important for the unbeliever

        • He continues to patiently wait to send Jesus back to earth for the second time

        • He loves everyone so much that He is continues to woo us until the very end of time

 

  • WE

 

CONCLUSION

VIDEO – “Mike Foster – Second Chances” ​​ [https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/VideoElement/114091].

11

 

/by

More Than Just Words

,

17th Sunday after Pentecost

More Than Just Words

(Matthew 21:23-32)

 

INTRODUCTION

“Dr. J.B. Gambrel tells an amusing story from General Stonewall Jackson's famous valley campaign. Jackson's army found itself on one side of a river when it needed to be on the other side. After telling his engineers to plan and build a bridge so the army could cross, he called his wagon master in to tell him that it was urgent the wagon train cross the river as soon as possible. The wagon master started gathering all the logs, rocks and fence rails he could find and built a bridge. Long before day light General Jackson was told by his wagon master all the wagons and artillery had crossed the river. General Jackson asked, where are the engineers and what are they doing? The wagon master's only reply was that they were in their tent drawing up plans for a bridge.”

 

[Pulpit Helps, May, 1991 (http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/a/action.htm)].

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Saying “Yes”

        • There have been times when I’ve told someone that I would do something for them, but then did not follow through

        • I didn’t intentionally blow them or their project off

        • For me, if I don’t write it down on my “To Do” list or put the appointment in my calendar, then, odds are, I’ll forget to do it

        • That’s why I try to immediately put the request in my phone, so I won’t forget

    • “I’ll pray for you!”

        • I used to say that more often than I do now

        • I can’t remember where I heard it, but someone used to do the same thing, but would sometimes forget to pray for the individual

        • They began to stop and pray for the individual as soon as they shared the request with them

        • I try to do that more often than not, so I don’t forget to pray for an individual

        • I also try to write down the request and later add it to my prayer list, so I can continue to pray for them

 

  • WE

    • Said “Yes,” but didn’t do it

        • I’m sure you can think of someone who has promised to do something for you, but never followed through on their promise

        • They may have the same problem I do – they didn’t write it down or put it in their calendar and then forgot

        • Every one of us can probably think of a situation where that happened to us

        • When we went back to ask them about it, they were apologetic and explained that they had forgotten, or had some other explanation of why they didn’t keep their promise

    • Said “No,” but did it anyway

        • This scenario is more rare

        • It doesn’t happen very often that someone refuses to help with something and then later goes and does it anyway

        • Perhaps some of us can think of a time when that happen, but most of us probably don’t have a situation like that, that we can remember

 

Jesus has just cleared the Temple of all the commercial vendors and comes back the next day to teach in the Court of the Gentiles. ​​ He is approached by the religious leaders and questioned about His authority. ​​ Jesus uses this confrontation to help the religious leaders, His disciples, and the crowds to understand who He is and where His authority comes from. ​​ Jesus wanted the religious leaders and us to understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – Actions > Words.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Matthew 21:23-32)

    • Jesus’ Authority Challenged (vv. 23-27)

        • Jesus is teaching in the temple courts

          • It appears as though everything that happens between now and the end of chapter 23 takes place on Tuesday, after Palm Sunday and before the Passover and Christ’s crucifixion

            • There are multiple parables told by Jesus

            • The religious leaders continue to question Jesus concerning paying taxes, the resurrection, and the Greatest Commandment

            • Jesus eventually condemns the religious leaders openly instead of indirectly through parables

          • Everything also happens in the Temple courts from now until chapter 24

            • Most likely, Jesus is teaching under one of the colonnades that surrounded the courtyard in the Court of the Gentiles

            • Show picture of Herod’s Temple

          • While Jesus is teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people come to him

        • Chief priests and elders ask Him two questions

          • Mark, the Gospel writer, also includes the teachers of the law in the group that comes to Jesus while He’s teaching

            • The chief priests and the elders made up the Sanhedrin which had executive, legislative, and judicial power within the Jewish governing system

            • They were the authority figures for the Jews

            • The chief priests worked together with the high priest to provide oversight for all of the temple activities, the treasury, and the priestly orders

            • These religious leaders were perhaps “approving” and “rejecting” anyone who was teaching in the Temple courts

          • Two questions about Jesus authority

            • “By what authority are you doing these things?”

              • When Jesus had cleared the Temple courts of the commercial activity that was taking place, it basically shamed the chief priests and the elders because they had “authorized” these kinds of transactions to take place on the Temple grounds

              • Any time we’re shamed in front of other people, what is our natural desire? ​​ (to get back at that person by shaming ​​ them publicly)

              • That is basically what the religious leaders are doing with Jesus

              • They probably spent the rest of the previous day and part of the evening talking about how to get back at Jesus – how to shame Him publicly

              • Jesus was just a carpenter from Nazareth who had never attended any of the scribal schools and had not received any formal authorization to give spiritual leadership in Israel [Green, 224]

              • They were the authority figures and they had not given Jesus their “seal of approval” to teach in the Temple courts

              • “These things” points back to several activities that had taken place (where did Jesus get the authority to do these things?)

                • Where did He get authority to purge the temple on the previous day and quote God from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11

                • Where did He get the authority to accept the crowds praise as the “Son of God” during His triumphal entry?

                • Where did He get the authority to teach about God in the Temple courts?

                • Where did His authority come from to do miraculous signs and wonders, including healings?

            • “Who gave you this authority?”

              • They wanted to know who had given Him His authority, because it definitely had not come from them

              • The religious leaders were flexing their “spiritual muscles” in an effort to shame Jesus in front of the crowd who was listening to His teachings

          • PRINCIPLE – Jesus’ authority threatens those who claim authority falsely.

            • The religious leaders in the 1st Century were claiming to have God’s authority, but they were not always following God’s Law

            • They had created a complex set of rules and regulations that sometimes set aside even the laws of God [Dubler, 4]

            • When Jesus came with God’s authority and began to challenge their authority, it created problems for them

            • The people began to turn to Jesus for their religious and spiritual instruction

            • The religious leaders were feeling marginalized

            • They didn’t like having their spiritual authority and actions questioned

            • Application

              • Jesus’ authority threatens our false claims to authority

              • It can happen within the modern church today, just like it did in the 1st Century

              • Individuals can have a false sense of authority in leading the church

              • It can be elders, deacons, pastors, board members, other leaders within the church, and even just church members or attenders

              • Isaiah 29:13-14, The Lord says, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. ​​ Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. ​​ Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.

              • We might be able to fool those around us, but we cannot fool God

              • Our outward appearances can look really good, but inwardly we can be struggling with sin

                • Pride, Bitterness, Hatred

                • Lust, Gossip, Selfishness

                • A desire for wealth and riches

              • When someone confronts us about those sins in our lives or the Holy Spirit convicts us through a sermon, we don’t always cheerfully change

                • We become defensive with others

                • We express our reasons to the Holy Spirit for feeling justified in having ungodly, unbiblical thoughts and feelings and sometimes acting on them

              • Are we just giving God lip-service and claiming authority falsely?

                • The danger becomes speaking for God (as His authority) when He has not said something

                • Or, speaking against God and His plans when He has said something (using our authority and influence to try to stop God’s plans)

                • We need to make sure we are submitting to Jesus’ authority and not our own

                • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Submit to Jesus’ authority and not be threatened by it.

                • Three important things about Jesus authority that we see from Matthew 28:18-20 (read Matt. 28:18-20, #1)

                  • Jesus’ authority is God’s authority (“all authority in heaven”)

                  • Jesus’ authority validates his teaching (the teachers of the law were astounded with His knowledge at 12 years old; others recognized that Jesus’ teaching was different than the teachings they had previously heard)

                  • Jesus has authority to forgive sins (this is our greatest problem, yet Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection proved that He has authority over sin and death)

            • Jesus wants the religious leaders to recognize that they have been claiming authority falsely – they have not been leading the people of God correctly

          • Jesus then uses a common rabbinic debate technique

        • Jesus responds by asking them a question, where did John’s baptism come from – heaven or men (vv. 24-25a)

          • Were they going to submit to Jesus’ authority as the Son of God or not?

          • Jesus could easily have answered their question about where His authority came from (it was from God), but if He had done that, they could have easily accused Him of blasphemy

            • Jesus recognized the trap that the religious leaders were trying to set for Him

            • Instead, Jesus creates an incredibly difficult scenario for the religious leaders to have to work through

          • Jesus will answer their question about where His authority comes from, if they answer His question about where John’s baptism came from – heaven or men

        • Discussion and answer from the religious leaders (v. 25b-27)

          • These religious leaders show great wisdom in not responding immediately, but taking their time to discuss their answer

            • They were trained in the art of oratory and debate

            • They knew better than to simply speak the first thing that comes to mind

            • They are measured and cautious, so they don’t fall victim to a trap

          • From heaven

            • The religious leaders cannot answer that John’s baptism came from heaven, because they had been rejecting his ministry

            • If they say that John’s baptism came from heaven, they would be acknowledging that his authority came from God

            • In turn, if they acknowledged John’s authority came from God, they would also have to acknowledge that Jesus’s authority came from God

            • John and Jesus’ ministries were similar in several ways

              • Neither of them had studied in the rabbinic schools

              • Neither had been endorsed by the Jerusalem authorities

              • Both had been accepted by the people

            • John’s baptism was pointing to Jesus as the Messiah

              • Read Matthew 3:11-17 ​​ [#2]

              • Read Matthew 11:1-6 ​​ [#3]

              • “John’s message, ‘Repent,’ is the precondition for Jesus’ message, ‘Believe’.” ​​ [Green, 225]

            • The religious leaders were unwilling to change their minds about John’s ministry or Jesus’ claims to being the Messiah

            • “It is a basic principle of Christian living that we cannot learn new truth if we disobey what God has already told us.” ​​ [Wiersbe, 77]

            • Acknowledging that John’s baptism came from heaven was not an option for them, because then they would have to explain why they didn’t believe him or accept Jesus’ authority as being from God

          • From men

            • They also could not answer that John’s baptism came from men, because they were in a crowd of people who believed, correctly, that John was a prophet, sent from God

            • They were afraid of the people

              • Several scholars believe that if Jesus had asked them this question privately, that they would have readily said that John’s baptism did not come from God, but rather from men

              • God’s sovereignty is at work in this scenario

              • He will not allow the religious leaders to get off the hook so easily

              • They either have to face the truth that is in front of them or be dishonest

            • It’s amazing that the people were accepting of the truth, while the religious authorities were not

              • Religious pride is a serious issue

              • It’s the idea of not being teachable

              • When we have been taught something for a long time, we hold tightly to those beliefs

              • When we learn something different about a particular passage of scripture that perhaps contradicts what we’ve been taught for years, we tend to condemn it outright

              • Seminary and sermon preparation have been good for me, because through professors and the Holy Spirit, God has refined some of my beliefs about things I was taught while growing up

          • PRINCIPLE – Pride and fear can keep God’s people from speaking the truth and being obedient to the truth.

            • The religious leaders allowed pride and fear to stop them from speaking the truth

            • We’ll see in v. 32 that their pride and fear stopped them from being obedient to the truth

            • The same is true for us today

              • We can allow pride and fear to keep us from speaking the truth and being obedient to the truth

              • We know what scripture teaches and we’ve been shown that our long held belief about a particular scripture was incorrect or taken out of context, but we’re unwilling to accept the truth of God’s Word

                • We continue to hold to our incorrect belief

                • We criticize others, privately and sometimes publicly, who teach the truth of God’s Word correctly and in context

              • We also let the opinions of others determine what we say and do concerning God’s Word

                • Sometimes we agree with someone when we’re in a group setting, but inwardly we don’t believe what they are saying

                • If the conversation would take place privately we would perhaps share out beliefs with them, but sometimes we don’t because we’re afraid they will tell others what we truly believe

                • The fear of man can be very powerful

                • The Apostles were confronted with a situation where they had to determine whether or not they would give in to the fear of man

                • Read Acts 5:27-33

              • We have to determine, just like the Apostles, that we will obey God rather than men

            • Pride and fear can keep us from speaking the truth of God’s Word and from obeying God’s Word

            • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Confess my spiritual pride and fear and ask the Lord to give me strength to speak the truth of His Word and be obedient to His Word.

          • Because of pride and fear the religious leaders tell Jesus that they don’t know where John’s baptism came from

            • In reality they did know, but were not willing to be honest with Jesus

            • They were also not being honest with the crowd that had been listening to Jesus’ teaching

            • They were not leading God’s people correctly

        • Jesus’ response

          • Jesus knows the answer to their question, but He will not answer their questions as long as they are unwilling to be honest with Him

          • Jesus had told His disciples in Matthew 13:10-17 why He was teaching in parables – it had to do with those who have eyes to see and ears to hear

          • The religious leaders did not have eyes to see or ears to hear

          • So, Jesus was placing a hurdle between them and the answer to their question [Weber, 344]

          • He wasn’t going to make it easy on them although He was going to answer their questions through three parables

        • Jesus uses the three parables to explain that the religious leaders have failed to respond to God’s call and what the consequences of that failure have been for the future of His people

          • All three parables contrast two groups of people (those who assume they have a right to their privileged position and those who find themselves unexpectedly promoted

          • All three talk about the radical and unexpected reversal of roles

    • Parable of the Two Sons (v. 28-32)

        • Read Matthew 21:28-30

          • “What do you think?” was a commonly used question to prompt students to use their minds to solve a problem

            • Jesus wants the religious leaders to pay attention to the parable

            • He wants them to basically answer their own questions

          • The parable

            • The parable is simple enough

            • There are two sons who are asked by their father to go work in a vineyard

            • The first son does not hesitate to refuse his father, but later goes into the vineyard and works

            • The second son immediately agrees to work in the vineyard, but never follows through

          • So, Jesus has set the stage for the explanation of this parable, which will address the fact that actions are greater than words

        • Read Matthew 21:31-32

          • Jesus asks the religious leaders which son did what his father wanted

            • They did not hesitate to respond that it was the first son

            • Jesus’ parable was not difficult to understand, but as the religious leaders were about to find out, the explanation of the meaning will be difficult for them to accept

            • Jesus’ question about which son did what his father wanted shows that He was more concerned about what they did instead of what they said they would do

          • The first son represents the marginalized and rejected in the 1st Century culture

            • Tax collectors were despised by the Jews because they had sided with the Romans

            • Prostitutes were also despised because they represented something that was unclean

            • “The son that originally refused but then obeyed is like those in Israel who were disobedient to the law, such as tax collectors and prostitutes. ​​ But when John arrived with the message of true righteousness through the announcement of the arrival of the kingdom of God, they obeyed God’s call through John and were repentant.” ​​ [Wilkins, 696]

          • The second son represents the religious leaders

            • They were all talk and no action

            • They said they were obedient to God, but they rejected His prophets

            • This happened in the Old Testament and was happening in the 1st Century with John and Jesus (God’s representatives to them)

            • Jesus’ claim that tax collectors and prostitutes were entering heaven ahead of the religious authorities in Jerusalem must have come as a shock

            • Their spiritual pride and entitlement, through their heritage, gave them a false confidence that they were already guaranteed heaven (they were externally obedient to the law)

            • Yet they refused the way of righteousness that John and Jesus preached

            • Their pride and fear kept them from being obedient to the truth

              • They had seen the marginalized repent and turn to Jesus for salvation

              • Some of the religious perhaps knew about Mary Magdalene and her sorted past and watched as she was transformed by the power of the Gospel

              • Others were perhaps aware of Matthew’s previous employment as a Jewish tax collector or the transformation that took place in Zacchaeus’ life

              • Yet they were unwilling to let go of their spiritual pride and release their grip on their spiritual authority in order to repent of their sins and believe in Jesus as the Messiah

            • ​​ Actions > Words

              • PRINCIPLE – God values obedient deeds over claims to obedience.

              • “What Jesus denounced is an insincere profession, the profession of one who cries, ‘Lord, Lord . . .’ but who does not do what Jesus says.” ​​ [Boice, 459]

              • Are we in that category?

                • Is our obedience to God simply lip-service?

                • It is if we say that we have joined the church, can recite the Apostles creed from memory, list all the books of the Bible in order, have a reputation as a good Christian, volunteer at the church or in another ministry on a consistent basis, give a tithe and/or offering each week, support a child through sponsorship, or even have a career as a Christian worker or minister

                • We can do all those things and still be disobedient to God, because we reject Jesus Christ as the Messiah, our Savior from sins

              • “In the final analysis, it is the fruit of our lives that proves whether or not we are submissive to God’s message through his messengers.” ​​ [Wilkins, 696]

              • “Like the father sending his sons to work, God commands all people to carry out his will. ​​ Like the son who ultimately disobeyed, some promise but do not perform rightly and so are rejected by God. ​​ Like the son who ultimately obeyed, some rebel but later submit and so are accepted . . . In the kingdom performance takes priority over promise.” ​​ [Blomberg, 322]

              • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Make sure that my obedience to God’s will is more than just words, but is followed by repenting and believing in Jesus for salvation.

 

  • YOU

    •  

 

  • WE

 

CONCLUSION

Pastor John E. Dubler summarizes this passage with a phrase he once found on the back of an envelope he received. ​​ It said, “Only what you do, do you believe.” ​​ He goes on to say, “Talk is cheap. ​​ In the end, actions matter more than words and are the only reliable standard for obedience. ​​ Saying ‘I will obey You, Lord,’ and actually acting in obedience are two different things.” ​​ 

 

[http://www.johndubler.com/Parables_09_WEB_Two_Sons.pdf]

 

We see this through the story of Rachelle Starr. ​​ Read Rachelle Starr’s story from Not A Fan, pages 186-187.

11

 

/by

First or Last

,

16th Sunday after Pentecost

First or Last

(Matthew 20:1-16)

 

INTRODUCTION

VIDEO – “Last to First.”

 

BODY

  • ME

    • CEF Headquarters

        • Working as State Director for CEF of Ohio, Inc.

        • Asked three times to consider joining the USA Ministries Department at the CEF Headquarters

        • I finally accepted the position of Associate Director of Administration and Finance

        • It wasn’t long after arriving at the headquarters that the first layoff occurred

        • A couple of years later a second layoff happened

    • CEF layoff

        • Another round of layoffs were coming and I was thinking to myself that I am too valuable to the USA Ministries Department for them to lay me off

        • It was the night before the layoff that God spoke to me and let me know that I was one of the people who was going to be laid off

        • I was considering myself to be first, but through that layoff ​​ I understood that I was last

 

  • WE

    • Entitlement

        • We can have those same feelings in many areas of our lives

        • Sports – we may feel like we should be starting, because we’re better than to other person playing that position

        • Work – we may feel like we have a better work ethic or we deserve a raise or promotion over other people

        • Government – we may feel like we are entitled to certain privileges or tax deductions from the federal, state, and/or local governments

        • School – we may feel entitled to a certain grade in school or to special treatment, because we our grades are good

        • Church – we may feel like others should look up to us because we serve on the board or have been a long-time member of the church

        • It’s not in every case, but it does happen sometimes that those who were popular in high school have not really made anything of themselves as adults (perhaps this happened because they didn’t work hard and felt entitled to certain privileges)

        • Again, not in every case, but in many cases, those who were marginalized as “nerds” (band, math, science, etc.) are now the ones who are successful and have done something significant with their lives ​​ 

    • Attitudes

        • In every case above, our attitude determines the outcome

        • Pride and entitlement can cause problems with our relationships

        • Humility and service can also affect our relationships in a positive way

 

As Jesus continues to teach His disciples, He explains, again, what the kingdom of heaven is like. ​​ He uses another parable to help them understand an important truth. ​​ Jesus wanted His disciples and us to know that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – Our attitude in service determines our place in line.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Matthew 20:1-16)

    • Background

        • What Jesus teaches us in Matthew 20:1-16 is a result of His conversation with the rich young ruler in 19:16-22, and Peter’s response to Jesus’ statement about how difficult it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God

        • The disciples are astonished and wander who is able to be saved if it’s difficult for the rich to be saved

          • This was part of the cultural belief of the 1st Century that the wealthy were able to achieve whatever they wanted

          • Perhaps we have the same misconception about the wealthy in our culture today

          • It’s not hard to have that opinion when we see some celebrities receiving what looks like an easier sentence for something that would land us in jail

          • In God’s economy, wealth has no standing

        • Peter then makes the statement about how the disciples have left everything to follow Jesus and wants to know what there will be for them?

          • The rich young ruler refused to sacrifice his wealth to follow Jesus

          • The disciples have sacrificed everything to follow Jesus (businesses, family, etc.)

          • Jesus explains that the Twelve Disciples will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel

          • Everyone who sacrifices to follow Jesus will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life

          • Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first (notice that He doesn’t say all)

            • Many who look successful here on earth, may not be the ones who are regarded as successful in heaven

            • Many who look unsuccessful by the world’s standards here on earth, may be the ones who are considered successful in heaven

          • Jesus will repeat this principle in reverse order in 20:16

        • So, Jesus begins His parable the same way He has started other parables, “For the kingdom of heaven is like . . .”

    • Hiring workers (vv. 1-7)

        • Read Matthew 20:1-7

        • The “For” lets us know that what Jesus is about to say points back to the previous information we just talked about in 19:16-30

        • God is the landowner in this parable

        • Believers are the laborers

        • The ancient work day was typically split into three-hour increments

          • The typical work day in the Ancient Near East began at 6:00 am and concluded at 6:00 pm (sunset)

          • The landowner would have gone to the marketplace earlier than 6:00 am to begin hiring day workers

          • The third hour would have been 9:00 am

          • The sixth hour would be 12:00 pm (noon)

          • The ninth hour would be 3:00 pm

          • The eleventh hour would be 5:00 pm

        • Verbal contract

          • It’s interesting to note that the only group of workers who are given a specific amount that they will be paid is the first group

          • Some scholars believe these workers were asking what the pay would be and received a verbal contract from the landowner of one denarius (that was considered a fair wage for one day’s work as a laborer)

          • Families often went day-to-day, earning only enough money for the food for that particular day

          • Notice that the other laborers were told that they would be paid whatever is right

            • Perhaps the laborers who worked three-quarters of the day, half the day, and a quarter of the day were only expecting to receive that portion of a denarius

            • We’ll see in vv. 11-12 that there was obviously an expectation by the laborers who were hired first that there should be a sliding scale or tiered scale for pay based on the number of hours worked

        • Who do the various workers throughout the day represent?

          • This is a fair question

          • In our humanness we want to know if the full-day workers represent those who have been Christians most of their lives, while the other workers represent those who became Christians later on in their lives

          • Trying to figure that out distracts us from the main point of the parable – the distinction of the various workers is not important

          • “God’s way of compensating for righteous working may differ from what we expect. ​​ God’s sense of ‘fairness’ is not the typical self-serving human perspective. ​​ He does not compare us to one another but to our fulfillment of our own stewardship.” ​​ [Weber, 318]

          • God is concerned about how we, as an individual, are accomplishing what He has called us to do for the kingdom of God

            • When we believe in Jesus for salvation, we receive a gift or gifts from the Holy Spirit

            • These gifts are to be used in the body of Christ to encourage and strengthen the body and to lead others to Jesus Christ

            • If we neglect to use our gifts, we run the risk of losing them (Matthew 25:14-30, parable of the talents)

            • We are rewarded for what we do for the kingdom of God based on our own labor

          • Read 1 Corinthians 3:3-9 [#1]

        • The landowner continues to hire more workers throughout the day, which is a picture of God continuing to send believers into His spiritual vineyard (the world), to share the Gospel, until the last possible moment

        • After the work day is done, the landowner tells his foreman to gather all the laborers

    • Paying workers (v. 8-10)

        • Read Matthew 20:8-10

        • Difficult concepts in our human understanding

          • It seems like the landowner is doing things backwards in paying the workers hired at 5:00 pm before the workers hired at 6:00 am

            • Had he done it in the reverse order (first hired to last hired) then those who worked the longest hours wouldn’t have been around when he paid the group who only worked one hour

            • Yet, Jesus is telling the parable in such a way that He can teach spiritual truths to His disciples

            • He wanted them to understand that God’s economy works differently than man’s economy

          • It’s also difficult for us to understand why all of the workers, regardless of how long they worked, were paid the same amount

            • Each of the workers needed to be able to feed their families

            • It took a day’s wage in order to buy all the food they needed

        • Principles

          • PRINCIPLE – God cares for people more than things.

            • In the parable, the laborers who are not hired at 6:00 am, ​​ are not criticized

            • They were willing and eager to work and obviously needed the work

            • “The owner hired them not for what he could get out of them in just a few hours, but because they needed the work, and he paid them the full denarius for the same reason. ​​ The owner was not thinking of his profit. ​​ He was thinking of people, and he was using his ample means to help them.” ​​ [Boice, 420]

            • The same is true of God concerning sharing the Gospel through us

              • He doesn’t need us to share the Gospel, because His invisible qualities are clear through His creation

              • Romans 1:20, For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

              • Luke 19:37-40, When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: ​​ “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” ​​ “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” ​​ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” ​​ “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

              • He uses us to share the Gospel, so we can join Him in His divine plan and experience the joy that comes when someone turns from darkness to light – from death to life – from condemnation to redemption

            • Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:29-30)

              • The older son was angry because the father rejoiced in the return of his younger brother

              • He should have been rejoicing, but instead he was consumed by the fact that his younger brother had wasted his inheritance

              • He was more concerned about the fact that he had been responsible and was not carefree and careless like his younger brother

              • What was the attitude with which he remained faithful to his father?

                • Was it an attitude of love and gratefulness?

                • Or was it with an attitude of duty?

                • Did he really want to do the same thing as his younger brother, but didn’t feel like he could

            • Attitude in service is important

              • Why do we serve God?

              • Is it out of love for Him and a desire to see others come to salvation?

              • Or, is it because of what we can get Him to do for us or because we feel obligated or a sense of duty?

              • We struggle in our humanness for equality and fairness, but we don’t always understand God’s divine equality and fairness

                • We want God to operate in our idea and understanding of equality and fairness

                • If we’ve been a Christian for a long time, that should count for something more, than for those who become Christians later in life or on their death bed

                • We should be compensated for our long Christian life

                • Yet, God is more concerned about our attitude and the quality of our service for Him and not just the length of time

              • Do we have the same attitude as God does concerning people? ​​ (He values them more than things)

              • Our attitude in service determines our place in line.

          • PRINCIPLE – God is infinitely generous and gracious and will always give us better than we deserve.

            • We may struggle with the fact that God treats every believer equally

            • The God of Scripture delights to lavish blessing on His children

            • Read Ephesians 1:3-14

            • We have to understand that none of us deserves salvation, yet God was infinitely generous and gracious towards us

              • He sent Jesus from heaven to earth to die on a cross to pay our sin debt

              • We were so deep in debt, because of our sins, that we could not take care of it on our own

              • We had to have someone help us to remove the debt of sin

              • That’s exactly what Jesus did when He died on the cross, was buried, and came back to life in three days

              • He was the only One who could pay our debt, because He was perfect, without sin

              • 2 Corinthians 5:21, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

              • Jesus took our punishment for sin, so that we could be in a right relationship with God – a restored relationship with Him

              • That relationship was broken when Adam and Eve disobeyed God

              • It remained broken until Jesus Christ came to earth to die

              • God provided a covering for Adam and Eve and a way for the Israelites to cover over their sins (sacrificial system) until Jesus came to restore the relationship between us and God

              • Ephesians 2:8-9, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

            • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Recognize God’s infinite generosity and grace and accept His gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

        • Jesus addresses the incorrect attitude of the laborers who were hired first

    • Complaint about pay (vv. 11-12)

        • Read Matthew 20:11-12

        • “Little seems more unequal than the equal treatment of unequals!” ​​ [Blomberg, 303]

        • That was the attitude of the laborers hired at 6:00 am

          • We worked a twelve hour day while the last ones hired only worked one hour

          • We worked during the heat of the day and they began to work after the sun was nearing the western horizon, about to set

        • They were upset that because he paid them the same, that it made them equal

        • Application

          • We can fall victim to the danger of comparing ourselves to others and having expectations that are higher than reality

          • We have developed a sense of comparison and entitlement

          • “The blessing of eternal life is the same for all. ​​ Some are not more saved than others.” ​​ [France, 751]

          • The amount of time we’ve been saved does not guarantee a greater salvation than those who have been saved a shorter period of time

          • The only yardstick that we should be comparing ourselves to is Jesus Christ, and when we do that we realize that we fall short – we are to be striving each day to become more like Him

          • “Jesus made the point that heaven’s rewards are based upon: ​​ God’s standards and our faithfulness to our calling in both attitude and action.” ​​ [Weber, 319]

          • 1 Corinthians 4:5, Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. ​​ He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

        • The landowner addresses the complaint of the laborers who were hired first

        • Jesus is addressing the concern that Peter raised concerning what there would be for them as disciples who had sacrificed everything and were with Him from the beginning

        • The attitudes of the laborers and the disciples are revealed at this point

    • Attitudes revealed (vv. 13-16)

        • The landowner explains that he has not been unfair with the workers that were hired first, because he paid them what was agreed upon

        • He explains that he wants to be generous with everyone that he hires and has the right to do that with his own money

        • He challenges the twelve-hour laborers concerning what is going on in their hearts – they are envious of his generosity

        • What is the attitude with which we serve the Lord?

        • PRINCIPLE – God is concerned about our attitude and motives in serving Him.

          • Our attitude should be one of gratitude, because none of us would receive anything aside from Jesus’ intervention in our lives

          • We would be eternally separated from God in our sin without Jesus’ perfect sacrifice

          • “Jesus says we have to stop thinking of our service in terms of debt or obligation. ​​ Instead, we have to serve in the spirit of a son who serves because he loves his father, rather than in the spirit of a hireling who serves only for his wages.” ​​ [Boice, 419]

          • Read illustration from Reuben Torrey in Boice’s commentary, page 419.

          • We may be surprised one day when we get to heaven and realize that “many Christians who have worked hard for God over a long period of time will have a lowly place in the kingdom, because their motives were not purged of the ideas of merit and reward. ​​ Many poor Christians who came to faith only at the end of their life will be high in the kingdom because they knew they had done nothing to boast of, and never gave rewards a thought.” ​​ [Green, 213]

        • We should be careful not to criticize God for His graciousness

          • Blomberg says, “. . . we are fools if we appeal to God for justice rather than grace, for in that case we’d all be damned.”

          • We normally only think about God’s justice when we think we aren’t getting what we deserve

          • Unfortunately we sometimes spend more time thinking about God’s justice for us, instead of God’s grace towards us

          • Grace is not getting what we deserve

        • Jesus returns to the same statement He made in 19:30, but He reverses the order

          • Now He says, “the last will be first, and the first will be last”

          • Our motivation in serving God is so important

          • Our attitude in service determines our place in line

 

  • YOU

    • First

        • If you’re attitude and motivation in serving the Lord is based on merit and reward, or debt and obligation, then the only place you will be first is on earth

        • Others may look at you and say how committed you are and much time or money you sacrifice in serving the Lord

        • Matthew 6:1, 5, “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. ​​ If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven . . . And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. ​​ I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.”

    • Last

        • If you’re attitude and motivation in serving the Lord is based on love for Him, then you will rejoice with those who turn from sin and find salvation through Jesus Christ – you’ll be glad for those who are laboring with you even if for a short time

        • It may appear on earth that you are last, but in God’s economy you will be first

    • Where do you want to be when Jesus returns? ​​ (First or last)

        • I would venture to say that most of us want to be first in God’s economy and not the world’s

        • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Be honest about my attitude and motivation in serving the Lord, and determine to serve the Lord out of love for Him and not out of merit and reward or debt and obligation.

  • WE

 

CONCLUSION

“The noted English architect Sir Christopher Wren was supervising the construction of a magnificent cathedral in London. A journalist thought it would be interesting to interview some of the workers, so he chose three and asked them this question, ‘What are you doing?’ The first replied, ‘I'm cutting stone for 10 shillings a day.’ ​​ The next answered, ‘I'm putting in 10 hours a day on this job.’ ​​ But the third said, ‘I'm helping Sir Christopher Wren construct one of London's greatest cathedrals.’” ​​ 

 

(Source Unknown) [http://sermonillustrations.com/a-z/a/attitude.htm]

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