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Post by Hardcase on Jun 25, 2008 20:31:47 GMT -5
Folks are reading them, but no one seems to be posting any discussion?? Maybe they are just a quiet bunch. That's why I stopped my discussion of Mark I thought folks might be on over load. Please finish your study. THANKS AGAIN FOR DOING THIS STUDY HERE.
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Jun 29, 2008 2:55:42 GMT -5
You are welcome Hardcase. I just didn;'t want to take up any more space than necessary if no one was reading them.
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Jun 29, 2008 3:00:47 GMT -5
Matthew 6:27-30 (King James Version)
27. Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28. And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29. And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
For the last few weeks we have been looking at the concept of laying up treasures here on earth instead of treasures in heaven. We have seen how the eye is the light of the body, and how that the Father takes care of the birds even though they do no work. Today we are going to look at another example that Jesus gave to His church, the lilies of the field. I pray that you will learn from this and grow spiritually as I have.
In verse 27 Jesus asks a question that is designed to make the people think. If we were to put this in modern day English, we would say "{i]Who can grow just by thinking?[/i]" As I thought on this a little, my memory carried me back to my high school days. I was always short growing up, and basketball was the sport at Delight High School. We were too small of a school to have football, and baseball was a summer sport, so if anyone played sports during the school year, it was basketball. Even though I was short, I was determined to be a good basketball player. So, I worked at it, trying to get better. I kept thinking that if I grew to be over 6 foot tall, I could dunk the ball and be a star on the team. But it never happened. Folks, this is the same thing Jesus is talking about. We can not change our height just by thinking! We are who God made us to be, and we should be satisfied with that.
As we look now at verse 28 we see Jesus asking another question. "Why are you worried about your clothing?" Then Jesus goes on to make His point. He said "Consider". In other words, He said I want you to think about this. But what are we to think about? We are to think about the lilies (flowers) of the field. Now, I'm sure you have all seen a field full of wild flowers. It is getting close to springtime and here in Arkansas the flowers are blooming. As I drive down the road, I see all sorts of different flowers in the field, blooming. These flowers don't work, they don't do anything but grow and bloom. They don't use a spinning wheel to make clothing, they don't use different dyes to dye their clothing. They don't work. Yet, they are beautiful. Shouldn't we be more like the flowers of the field and not be worried about our clothing?
Jesus goes on to state in verse 29 that "even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." Now, to better understand this, we need to understand a little of Israel's history. Solomon, as many of you know, was the smartest man who ever ruled Israel. In fact, if I was to rank all the smart people of the Bible, he would be number 2, right behind Jesus. During Solomon's reign, Israel was very prosperous. In fact, his reign was considered the "golden age" of Israel. At that time, Israel controlled the largest amount of land they have ever controlled, and silver was like rocks in the street. In other words, silver was very common and people treated it just like they would a common rock. If the people treated a precious metal that way, how do you think the king (Solomon) lived? He lived very luxuriously. Solomon had the finest clothing, the finest everything, that money could buy. Yet, Jesus said that even when Solomon was decked out in all his finery that the flowers of the field were still more beautiful than him. Folks, this tells me that we should not worry about what we are wearing, but instead we should worry about whom we are serving. Are you serving the Lord?
In verse 30 Jesus again asks a question that we should each take to heart. The question is "If God clothe the grasses of the field, shall He not much more clothe you?" Think about this for a moment. If God makes the flowers bloom, and in the heat of the day they wither, won't He take care of His children whom He loves more? YES! Folks, we are not to worry about what we wear but instead we are to worry about our service to the Lord! Before we go any further, I need to point this out. During this time, clothing was very important to the people. It was a sign of status and wealth. It was kind of like a high dollar suit is today. You hear of these people who go out and buy a suit from a clothing store and pay a ridiculous amount of money for it. Why? So they can look good? But what good does it do them? Clothing does not the man make. What is important is where they will spend eternity, not how much their clothes cost. What is important to you?
Today we have seen how God clothes the flowers of the field and how clothing is not that important. Sure, we all need to be clothed, but shouldn't we do what we are supposed to do, and let God worry about it? Are you doing what you should be doing for the Lord? Are you worried more about your service to Him, or your clothing? What is the most important thing in your life today? Is it serving a risen Saviour?
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Jul 2, 2008 2:51:15 GMT -5
Matthew 6:31-34 (King James Version)
31. Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32. (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: ) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34.color=red] Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.[/color][/b]
For the last few weeks we have been looking at the part of the Sermon on the mount about laying up treasures in heaven. We have seen how Solomon, in all his glory, was not as arrayed as the flowers. We have seen how the Father takes care of the birds, and how we should be more like them. Today, we are going to look at the conclusion of this thought, and see Jesus' reasoning.
In verse 31 the first thing I noticed was the logical indicator "therefore". This word is used to denote a conclusion to a thought. So we see that this is Jesus' conclusion to His thoughts about laying up treasures in heaven. The next thing I noticed was the phrase "take no thought". This was a way of saying to not worry about things. What are we to not worry about? Jesus answers that with 3 rhetorical questions. We are not to worry about food, drink, or clothing. Brethren, we have more important things to worry about than what will satisfy our physical body! We should worry more about the things of God than the things of this world. Do we?
In the first part of verse 32 we see that Jesus says that "after all these things do the Gentiles seek". What does He mean? First thing we need to do to better understand this verse is to think about the world at that time. Who had the Temple in their country? Israel! Who was supposed to be a light unto the world so that others would see Jesus? Israel! Now remember, the Jews considered anyone who was not a Jew a Gentile. With that thought in mind, who were the people that populated other nations surrounding Israel? Gentiles! So the word "Gentile" here denotes other nations. Anyway, what Jesus was referring to was that other nations only thought about food, and drink, and clothing. Are we to be that way? NO! We are to show others the love of Jesus so that they too may turn to Him. But why would this verse be relevant to us today? We are not Jews. It is very relevant, because when I was saved, I was grafted onto the Jewish tree. (See Romans 11). I am to show others the love of Jesus so that they too will come to accept Him as their personal Saviour. Are you showing that love today? Jesus goes on to state in verse 32 that "your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things". Folks, I can't spell it out any plainer. God knows we have need of food to sustain our mortal bodies. He knows we have need of water to do the same thing. He knows we need clothing to protect us from the elements. He know what we need! And He will supply that need and He will supply that need if we put Him first. Now this verse is NOT teaching that we should just sit on our stool of do-nothing and say "Lord, I need food. Please give me something", and expect it to just drop in our laps. That is NOT what the Scriptures teach! What this is teaching is that the Lord will supply our needs if we trust in Him. How does He do that? He allows you to work to provide for your family doesn't He? He could take away your health and not let you work. Folks, the Lord knows what we need, because He is God.
Looking now at verse 33 the first thing I noticed was the logical indicator "but". We have gone over this time and time again, but it is still good to refresh our memory. The word "but" denotes that what follows is opposite of what has preceded. So what preceded? To find that we need to look back at verse 31. Worrying about food, drink, and clothing are what precedes. So with that established, we need to find out what is opposite. What is opposite of worrying about these things? Seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness! The word "seek" in verse 33 is defined as coveting earnestly or striving after. It is different from the word "seek" found in verse 32 because that one is defined as desire or inquire. Here in verse 33 it is the stronger usage of the word. Let me try and explain. In verse 32 it is sort of like a person asking about something, and while it is important, it is not the focal point of their life. But in verse 33, it is a goal, something that you would strive toward daily, with all your being. So what is this goal that we should strive toward daily? It is the kingdom of God and His righteousness! Now, before you think that I am preaching works for salvation, I am not. That is not what the Scriptures teach! The word "righteousness" is more properly defined as right-wiseness, or being right in the eyes of God. We should daily seek to be right in the eyes of God in our life. How are we to do this? By living as He would have us to live. By putting His will above all else in our life. We should strive to be like him every day in every aspect of our life. Are we? Or are we like the heathen and worry about needless things? In the latter part of verse 33 we see that Jesus says "that all these things shall be added unto you". Folks, this is a promise that the Lord made to us if we will first earnestly desire to be more like Him. The Lord knows what we need, and He will supply that need, if we will only trust Him to do so. Now, like I said earlier, we are not to think that just because we are His, that we can sit on our stool of do nothing and wait for the Lord to supply our needs. That is not what the Lord had in mind. We are to trust Him, and in doing so, we are to not worry about things of this life, but instead worry about the things of the next. Do you put God first in your life?
As we look now at verse 34 we can sum up the first part of this verse easily. "Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow can take care of itself" is in essence what Jesus is saying. Don't worry about tomorrow, worry about the things of today. Does it do any good to worry about things that haven't happened yet? NO! I find myself falling into this trap very often. I tend to look ahead and worry about things that I shouldn't be worrying about. I am wrong. I should concentrate on the things of today, trusting in the Lord to supply my needs, and He will take care of tomorrow, just like He will take care of today. Folks, put God first in your life, and quit worrying about unnecessary things! The last part of verse 34 is a little harder, but I will try to explain in a way so that all can understand. Jesus said "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof". To put this in a way that we can understand, it would be better to say "Today has it's own troubles". Folks, like I stated earlier, we have enough to worry about today. So why should we worry about something that hasn't happened yet or may not happen at all? We should concentrate on today and not worry about tomorrow. Now am I saying that we shouldn't plan ahead? NO! I believe the Lord gave us enough common sense to plan for the future, but there is a difference between planning for something and worrying about it. An example is retirement. You can plan for your retirement by saving for it, but don't let it be your main concern. You may not even reach retirement. The Lord may call you home before that time. Plan, but don't worry. Concentrate on the things of today, and the let the Lord worry about tomorrow.
Today, we have seen how we should not worry about the things of this life, but instead we should earnestly seek to be more like the Lord and that He will provide for His children. Are you trusting in the Lord to provide? Are you one of His children? To be one of His children, you first have to humbly admit that you are a sinner, turn to Him, and by faith ask Him to save you. Have you?
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Jul 6, 2008 7:15:51 GMT -5
Matthew 7:1-5 (King James Version)
1. Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4. Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5. Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
If you will recall, we have been looking at the part of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus has been teaching His church not to worry about worldly things. We have seen how we should not worry about food or clothing, but instead we should seek after the kingdom of God and His righteousness. I have learned a lot so far during our study, and I pray that you have too.
Before we get started, we need to realize one thing. When the Scriptures were written, there were no verses, or chapter divisions. A lot of time there were no punctuation either, thus making it hard for the translators to determine where to divide the the Scriptures into chapters and verses so that it would make it easier for us to understand. I have found through my studies that the one who is speaking doesn't change subjects at the chapter division. And I believe that is what is happening here. Jesus is still on the same subject!
As we look at verse 1, we see a verse that is very often taken out of context. "Judge not, that ye be not judged." Very often people will take this verse out of context so that they can justify their actions. Take homosexuality as an example. People use this verse to say that it is an acceptable lifestyle when the Scriptures clearly teach that it is an abomination. I could give other examples like capital punishment, but I think you get my drift. Folks, this is NOT teaching that we should not condemn others for their actions! Remember, Jesus is still on the subject of not worrying about worldly things, but instead seeking first the kingdom of God. So what does this mean? Let me try and explain. The word "judge" is a verb and is defined as to select, choose, hence to determine. It carries the meaning of assuming the office of a judge. I believe this verse is teaching that we should NOT look down upon others but instead we should show them the love of the Lord. Folks, ALL people need to come to a saving knowledge of the Lord! If we condemn others, by either what they wear, or eat, or drink, how can we show them that Jesus loved them enough to die for them? We can't! Jesus loved them enough to die for them, so shouldn't we love them enough to tell them about Him?
In verse 2 we see a continuation of this thought. If we judge someone, then we will be judged with the same judgment. In other words, if I condemn someone, I will be judged by the One who is mightier than I by the same standards. Folks, I have said it time and time again. Often God treats us like we treat others. That is what this verse is teaching. If I don't tell someone about the Lord because of the clothing they are wearing, I am in fact saying that they are not worthy to be saved. Folks, this is wrong! I should be willing to tell everyone, no matter who, that Jesus loved them enough to die for them. In the latter part of verse 2 Jesus uses a phrase that everyone in attendance knew about. " And with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." A measure was often a vessel of some sorts, like a cup or bowl, that was used to measure things, like grain sold. If a person bought some wheat from a vendor, they would use a vessel of some type to measure out the wheat. It is a lot like our measuring cups of today. Often vendors would not give a full measure, thus cheating those who were buying the grain. So in fact what Jesus is saying is the same thing that we looked at in the first part of this verse, just in a different way.
In verse 3 the first thing we need to do is define a couple of words. The word "mote" would be a splinter in today's language. Later in the verse we see the word "beam" while today we would say log. Think if you will for a moment about the difference between a splinter and a log. A splinter is a small piece of wood from a much larger piece of wood. If we were to put this verse in modern day English, we would say that Jesus is saying why are you observing the splinter in your brother's eye, and not even thinking about the log in your own eye. Folks, a lot of times we want to condemn people for their actions when there are a lot worse things in our life. Quit looking a the faults of your brother and start looking at your own sins!
In verse 4 Jesus tells us to not to try to pull the splinter out of our brother's eye when a log is in our own. How can a person tell someone else that they need to repent of their sins, when they have much worse sins in their life? They can't! A good example is of me and my wife. As most of you know, I smoke. I know it isn't good for my health, but this isn't a discussion about that. My wife is overweight for her height and age. How can I tell her she needs to lose weight for health reasons when I have a habit that is worse? I can't! Folks, it is the same way in our spiritual life. How can you tell someone that they need to clean up their life when there is worse things in yours?
In verse 5 the first thing I noticed was that Jesus called people who tried to pull a splinter out of their brother's eye a hyprocrite. The word hyprocrite carries the meaning of a play actor. Folks, if you are trying to pull the splinter out of your brother's eye, and still have the log in yours, you are nothing more than an actor in a play. In other words, you are playing a part, not living that part. Jesus goes on to say that we should cast the beam out of our own eye first, then we could see clearly to get the splinter out of our brother's eye. In other words, cleanse your own life of sin before you go trying to cleanse others.
As I sat and thought on this, I asked myself what does all this have to do with first seeking the kingdom of God. And I believe that I found the answer. It is really quite simple. A person needs to know God first before they can tell others about His love. That same person needs to remember to remain humble, and to not look down upon others that might need the Lord just because of what they are wearing or what they eat. So I have one question today in conclusion. Do you know the Lord?
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Jul 9, 2008 2:57:40 GMT -5
Matthew 7:6-8 (King James Version)
6. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. 7. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8. For every one that asketh recieveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
If you will recall, we have been looking at the Sermon on the Mount. We have seen how that we should seek after the kingdom of God and His righteousness and we will be blessed. Now these blessing may come in ways that we don't recognize, but they will still be in our lives. That is a promise straight from the Father. Today we are going to look further in this wonderful sermon that the Lord preached and see what He would have us to learn so that we might be able to live better for Him.
In verse 6 we see that Jesus says "give not that which is holy unto the dogs." Now the word "holy" means something is consecrated unto God. It is something that is set aside for God's use. It could be anything from a person's life to any number of things. Would you give something that is consecrated unto the Lord to a dog? NO! What good would it do to give something that is holy unto a dog? NONE! A dog doesn't realize that something is important and would not treat something that is holy with the respect and reverence it deserves. Jesus goes on in this verse to state that "neither should you cast your pearls before swine". Now the word "pearls" doesn't literally mean pearls. It simply means something that is valuable. Would you give something that is valuable to a pig? NO! That pig, who lays around in the mud to cool off, would trample that valuable thing into the mud and it would be lost forever. What good would it do to have something that is valuable lost in the mud? NONE! Just like a dog doesn't know something is holy, so a pig doesn't know something is valuable. As I thought on this, I started to ask myself the question of what does this have to do with what we looked at last time. Last time, we looked at removing a log from our eyes before we removed the splinter from our brother's eye. I used to think that Jesus changed subjects but He didn't. He is still on the subject of seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness! As I prayed about this, and thought on it, I came to realize that Jesus was in fact saying that each of us should clean up our life which is to be holy and valuable to Him. We are valuable unto the Lord! He loved us so much He gave His life for us! Doesn't that make us valuable? So don't give your life, which is to be consecrated unto the Lord, unto the dogs. Don't give your life, which is valuable unto the Lord, to the pigs. You live your life so that you will bring honor and glory unto the Lord!
As we now look at verse 7 we see a verse that has been used many, many times in invitations across the country and through the ages. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you". As I prayed about this, and meditated on this, I asked myself three questions. What are we to ask for, what are we to seek for, and what will be opened? Now remember, we are still on the same theme of seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. So what are we to ask for? It is simple. It is the forgiveness of sins! Unless a person realizes they are a sinner, and humbly ask Jesus to save them, they will never see the kingdom of heaven. So what are we to seek? It is the righteousness of God! Righteousness is defined as being right in the eyes of God, and there is only one way to be in that condition. That is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ! Jesus suffered and died on the cross so that we might be saved, thus being right in the eyes of God. And what will be opened unto us if we knock? The kingdom of heaven! It is just like a person entering someone's house. You just don't barge in, you knock first and gain permission to enter. A sinner has to gain permission to enter into heaven, and that is only by trusting in Jesus while here on this earth. So have you asked for forgiveness of your sins? Are you right in the eyes of God? Will you one day enter into the kingdom of heaven?
Looking now at verse 8 we see a promise by the Lord. Everyone that asks receives, and everyone that seeks finds, and everyone that knocks will enter. Brethren, this is twofold. First, it is a promise of salvation, and secondly, it is a promise of security. If a person will honestly humble themselves before the Lord, admit they are a sinner, they will receive salvation. That’s all there is to it! There is no works for salvation, there is no living a good life, there is no nothing else. But what about seeking? If a person truly seeks to find Jesus, they will find Him. It says in the Scriptures that even creation declares that there is a God. And Jesus was God in human flesh. And if a person knocks, they are in essence asking permission to enter heaven, and there is only one way that will happen. It is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus turns no one away! Secondly, this is also a promise of security. What do I mean? Anywhere in this verse does it say that only those who don't sin after salvation are saved? Does it say except you are baptized, even though you have asked for forgiveness, you will be turned away? NO! Brethren, when Jesus saves you, He saves you for all eternity! There is no time limit, no exceptions. Do you have this promise of security in your life today?
Today, we have seen one of the most commonly used Scriptures that is used for invitations. We have seen a promise, but we have seen a requirement. That requirement is that you have to ask, seek, and knock. If you have done that, you will receive, find, and gain admittance. Have you asked Jesus to be your Saviour? Have you trusted in Jesus? We have also seen a promise. That promise is that if you ask, you will receive. But first, you have to ask. Have you? Have you humbly turned to the Lord and asked Him for forgiveness?
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Jul 13, 2008 3:50:18 GMT -5
Matthew 7:9-12 (King James Version)
9. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10. Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him? 12. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
By way of introduction, we have been looking at the last part of the Sermon on the Mount. We have seen that we should not assume the office of a judge, but in fact, we should present the Gospel to every living person. As I looked back at my last sermon, at the verses for this sermon, and for future sermons, it hit me. Jesus is doing what every preacher does at the end of sermons. He is starting His invitation! It may not seem like it, but that is what He is doing. It is a such a smooth transition that I almost missed it. But I still believe that we can learn even from this invitation.
In verse 9 and 10, Jesus asks the people a couple of questions that, if taken at face value, seem ridiculous. But they are really designed to make the people think. Jesus asks what person would give his son a rock (stone) if that same son asked for bread. Think about it for a moment. If your son, or daughter, asked for something to eat, would you give them a rock? Would a rock satisfy their hunger? NO! As a loving parent you would give them something to eat, not something that is inedible. The same thing is in verse 10. Would you, as a parent, give your child a poisonous snake if that child asked for a fish? NO! You would give them a fish, tell them watch out for the bones, and satisfy their hunger. You would NOT give them a snake that in all likelihood would kill them. That is not what parents do. As I thought on these two verses I began to realize that Jesus is in fact saying that we take after the Father in this aspect. The Father gave us the greatest gift of all time, Jesus Christ. He didn't give us something that wasn't good for us. He gave us His Son! Just like we wouldn't give our children something that isn't good for them, the Father won't give us anything that is bad for us.
In verse 11, Jesus asks another question that is designed for the people to think even more. Let's look at this question in depth. The first thing that I noticed was that Jesus said "If ye then, being evil". Who is Jesus talking to? He is talking to everyone! The word "ye" refers to everyone who has ever lived. Folks, we, and I include myself in this, are by nature, evil creatures. We inherited this nature from Adam. Romans 3:23 says; "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Folks, whether you want to admit it or not, you are a sinner. You are either a sinner saved by grace, or you are a sinner that has not asked Jesus to save you. The whole world can be divided into those two categories. So we have established who Jesus is referring to here. Looking further the next thing we need to look at is the phrase "know how to give good gifts unto your children". Being the evil creature that I am, I still know that when my children ask me for something to eat or drink, I am NOT going to give them something that is harmful. That is the way God designed me and you. We were not designed to be mean to our children, but to love them. Now let's look at the last part of this verse. Jesus said "how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him"? Before we go any further, I want to make one thing perfectly clear. This is NOT saying that anything you ask from the Father will be given unto you. The Scriptures don't teach that! What it is saying though is that if it is the Father's will, and you ask, He will grant your request. Let me use an example. If one of my sons asked me for stick of dynamite to play with, would I just automatically give it to him? NO! I would know that it wouldn't be good for him to have that, so I would not let him have it. It is the same way with the Father. Sometimes He doesn't give us what we think we want because it isn't good for us. Brethren, the Father wants to bless you so that is why He wants you to ask. But at the same time, He knows what is best for you.
In verse 12 we see a verse that is often referred to but not quoted correctly. Today, we call this verse the "Golden Rule". "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them". Isn't that the same thing as do unto others as you would have them do unto you? Folks, this is something that the world needs to do more. I see more and more men wanting to get revenge or get even, if you will. We should not be that way! We should treat all people like we would want to be treated, even when they do things to us that are mean or hurtful. Isn't that the way the Father treats us? Let me try to explain. Doesn't the Father show us love even though we don't deserve it? There have been many times in my life when I should have been killed. Yet the Father loves me so much that He preserved my life. Folks, He loves me! And I should show that love back to Him and to others.
Today, we have seen Jesus go into more detail as He begins His conclusion, and invitation, to the Sermon on the Mount. My question to you today is have you trusted Jesus as your personal Saviour?
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Jul 16, 2008 3:29:53 GMT -5
Matthew 7:13, 14 (King James Version)
13. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat. 14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
We have been looking at the Sermon on the Mount for the last several months now. I have learned a lot and hope you have too. We are drawing closer to the end of this wonderful sermon that Jesus gave to His church. If you will recall, we have learned that this is Jesus' conclusion to His entire sermon. We have learned that we should treat others how we want to be treated, not how they deserve to be treated. Today, we are going to look at another part of this sermon that has been used throughout the centuries as an invitation.
In verse 13 we see Jesus saying "Enter ye in at the strait gate". Now the word "strait" is an old English word that means narrow. So in fact Jesus is saying to enter into the narrow gate. To better understand this verse you have to think of the way towns were back then. Most of the bigger cities had a wall around them, with gates to open during the day and to be closed at night for protection from an enemy. These gates were also closed during times of siege so that it would be harder for the invading army to enter into the city. Some gates were wide, allowing the entrance of caravans and other large traffic. Some were narrow, allowing only one or two people to enter in at a time. It was easier for people to enter into the city using a wide gate rather than a narrow one.
Looking further in this verse, Jesus said "for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction". Think about the gates of a city for a few moments again if you will. What gate into the city would be the most heavily defended? The wide gate! When an invading army tried to enter the city, didn't they want to get the most troops they could into the city the fastest way possible? That would be through the widest gate, if they didn't break down the walls. The most popular way to enter into a city was through the wide gate, thus the path leading into it was broad, or wide also. When an army entered into the city through the wide gate, they met a lot of resistance, so the wide gate was also the way to destruction.
In verse 14 we see that Jesus said "Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it". As I sat and thought on how to get my thoughts of this into words, I kept thinking of a secret passage out of a city. Usually each city that had a wall around it also had a secret exit, where the king could escape in times of trouble. This secret escape route was narrow, easily defended, and not many people knew about it. When an army was about to take over a city, a lot of times the king would try to escape death, or certain imprisonment, by escaping out of the city through this secret passage. What is the opposite of death? Life!
I want us to now think on the spiritual aspects of what Jesus was saying in these verses. When Jesus said "Enter ye into the strait gate", He was offering an invitation for those who were listening to come unto Him. All the people of this world can be divided into two distinct groups. Those who don't care about what happens after this life, and those who do. There are more people in this world today than have ever been in existence. And most of them don't care about where they will spend eternity. Folks, they are on a path that leads to destruction! They will one day stand before the Lord and hear the words, "Depart from me, for I never knew ye". Then they will spend eternity in the lake of fire and brimstone. Then there is the other group, those who have given their life to the Lord. Compared to all of humanity, it is a small group. One day they will stand before the Lord and hear the words "Enter in", and will spend the rest of eternity praising Him. Which group are you in? Do you just go through life, thinking that this is all there is? Folks, there is more to come after this life! Or have you broken away from the crowd, and trusted Jesus as your Saviour? If you have not asked Jesus to save you, then I urge you to do so today. See yourself for what you really are, a sinner, headed to a place where the fire is never quenched. Humbly realize that Jesus suffered, bled, and died for your sins. Then ask Him to save you. That's all there is to it! Then you too will be on the path that does not lead to destruction, but to life. Have you trusted Jesus today?
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Jul 20, 2008 3:53:02 GMT -5
Matthew 7:15-20 (King James Version)
15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17. Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
For the last few sermons, we have been looking at the conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount. It is my belief that this is Jesus' invitation, just like a preacher offers an invitation after a sermon today. If you will recall, last time we looked at the strait gate, and how the broad path leads to destruction. Today we will look at another passage that, while on the face of it looks like Jesus changed subjects, while in fact, He didn't. I'll try to explain as we get into the sermon. I pray that you learn as much from this passage as I did.
In the first part of verse 15 the word "beware" literally means to hold to. In other words, it means to turn one's mind or attention to a thing by being on one's guard against it. In today's language we would say to watch out for this. Looking further we find that the word "false" means telling lies. And the word "prophet" is someone who proclaims the will of God. So we see that when Jesus said "Beware of false prophets" He is actually saying to watch out for those who are speaking lies in the name of God. Brethren, there are literally millions of these people out there today who claim to be from God and are teaching falsehoods. I don't care what their religion, if they are not teaching "Thus saith the Lord" they are teaching lies! I could give several examples, but I will only give one. It might make some mad, but I am obligated to preach the truth, so here goes. There are men today who claim to have powers that were done away with after the first century. Paul wrote in I Corinthians 13:10 "But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away". Now I believe that Paul was referring to the completed Word of God when he used the word "perfect". Remember, the Scriptures weren't complete at the time of his writings. So what did he mean when he said "in part"? It means that which is not perfect. If you will look at the context of the entire thought in I Corinthians 13, you will see that Paul is speaking of the spiritual gifts given unto the churches of the first century. Folks, I'm not trying to make anyone mad, but what follows, to the best of my understanding, is "Thus saith the Lord". People who claim to have miraculous healing powers are teaching a falsehood, thus are false prophets. Same thing for speaking in tongues, raising people from the dead, and so forth. Now, don't get me wrong! I believe in the power of prayer. But any man who claims to be able to heal you by laying on of hands, is teaching a lie,and is therefore by Jesus' definition is a false prophet. The same goes for someone teaching that homosexuality is alright, or that abortion is not murder and so forth. Folks, I could go on and on, but you get my meaning. If a person isn't teaching the truth, and the whole truth, of the Scriptures, then they are teaching a lie, and are thus a false prophet. Looking further in verse 15 Jesus uses an example of life in those days to make His point. Jesus says "which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves". Who are they which come to you? The false prophets which are teaching lies! Jesus is using a reference to a flock of sheep, and His children are the sheep. Think if you will a moment about a flock of sheep and a wolf. A wolf likes nothing better than to scatter the flock, then picking off the weak ones to eat. It is the same way with false prophets! They like to scatter the children of God (the sheep), and then consume those who are weak in the doctrines. Folks, this verse teaches me that it is very important to study. We should study so that when a false prophet comes in our midst, we will know them for what they are, and be prepared to defend ourselves. Do you know what "Thus saith the Lord"?
In verse 16 Jesus says that "Ye shall know them by their fruits". In other words, you shall know these false prophets by their words and deeds. If we have studied the Scriptures, we shall be able to watch these false teachers and we shall be able to know that they are false teachers. But what "fruits" is Jesus speaking of? These are things that should be evident in the life of every child of God. These are faith, hope, and charity (love). These things should be evident in the life of every believer. Are they evident in your life?
In the latter part of verse 16, and through verse 19, Jesus again uses a fact of life that everyone in attendance knew about. It was the gathering of fruit off of trees. Fist, Jesus asks a question that the answer to is simply NO. "Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles?" Let's put this in a way that we here would understand. If you had an apple tree growing out in your yard or garden, would you go out there expecting to get an orange or a pear? NO! You would go out there expecting to get an apple. It would be utter foolishness to think to get a orange off an apple tree. Keeping this in mind, let's look at the other verses in this example. To paraphrase, a good tree brings forth good fruit, not evil, or bad fruit. The same goes for a corrupt tree. It will NOT bring forth good fruit, but evil fruit. The tree that yields evil fruit is therefore cut down, and destroyed. As I sat and thought on this, I was taken back in my mind to a place when we lived for a while when I was growing up. My parents bought a place that was a little run down but quite fixable. In the back yard there was an old apple tree and I can remember waiting for it to produce apples. It wasn't a good apple tree, because of it's age, and never gave us good fruit. My dad eventually cut it down so that it would not be used by the bees to cross pollinate another apple tree. That tree was good for nothing other than firewood! Brethren, it is the same way with false teachers. They will taint the children of God with their perverted teachings, thus the children of God will be led astray and not produce good fruit for the Master. And one day, these false teachers will be cut down, and thrown in the lake of fire and brimstone, where the worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched. BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS!
In verse 20, Jesus repeats Himself by saying "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them". Whenever the Lord repeated Himself it was something that was very important, so we need to sit up and take notice of this. Just like a tree that does not produce good fruit, so shall a false teacher not produce good fruit. They will teach others to be just like them, which are false teachers. Folks, if someone is teaching falsehoods, we should show them the error of their ways through love, and then if that doesn't work, we should not have anything to do with them. It is very important that we not be tainted by false teachers.
Today we have looked at Jesus' view of those who pervert the Gospel and teach things that are not in it, like works for salvation, and so forth. Today we have seen Jesus giving us a warning about those who teach falsehoods. Are we heeding that warning? Have you been led astray by a false teacher? If so, repent of your sin, turn back to the pure teachings of the Lord, and become a productive servant for Him. To be a productive servant, first, you have to be saved. Have you accepted Jesus as your Saviour? If not, please do so today. If you have, then bear good fruit, the fruit that is in the Scriptures, not the fruit of false prophets. What fruit are you bearing today?
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Jul 23, 2008 2:36:23 GMT -5
Matthew 7:21-23 (King James Version)
21. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22. Many will say to me in that day. Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils?and in thy name have done many wonderful works? 23. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
We have been looking at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. We have seen Jesus begin His invitation, and is about to conclude it. Last time, we looked at false prophets, how they are wolves in sheep's clothing, and and how we should know them by their fruits. I learned a lot and hope you did too.
In verse 21 we see Jesus giving a warning to the people. This warning is to everyone, not just those in attendance. But as I thought on this, I began to realize that Jesus was also on the same subject as false prophets (or teachers). A lot of times people think that Jesus changed subjects, when in fact He didn't. [bb]Folks, Jesus is still preaching against false teachers![/b] There are a couple of things I want us to notice in this verse that most people never notice. The first thing is the phrase "Lord, Lord". Keep in mind, that whenever the Scriptures repeat themselves, like here, that God is really stressing something through His word. But what is He stressing? I believe that there will be many false teachers who desire to enter heaven but won't be able to. And they say Lord, Lord in a way that is begging. Another thing that I want us to notice is that Jesus used the phrase "but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven". What is the will of the Father? It is that all men should come to repentance! And how do they come to repentance? By trusting in Jesus as their personal Saviour! Folks, there have been many throughout time, and even today, who preach things that aren't scriptural. In fact, they preach things like works for salvation, that baptism saves you, that Jesus was just a good man, and so forth. These false teachers have never accepted Jesus as their personal Saviour, and as a result of that choice will never enter into heaven. Have you accepted Jesus as your Saviour? Will you one day enter into heaven?
In verse 22, we see that these false teachers are telling Jesus what they have done in His name. It is sort of like they don't realize that Jesus knows all, and He knew what they were doing all along. They tell Him that they prophesied in His name, cast out devils, and done many other wonderful works. The key word here I think is the word "works". These false teachers think that they can earn their way into heaven, but they can't. They claim to have done many wonderful things in the name of the Lord, when in fact, all they did was turn more and more people away from what Jesus taught. Folks, there are going to be a lot of people who go to hell, just because they have never trusted Jesus. They tried everything under the sun, except for one thing. And that one thing, accepting Jesus as their Saviour, dooms them to an eternity in pain and torment. I can't stress this enough. Make sure of your salvation! Did you actually ask the Lord to save you? Did He?
In verse 23 we see the sentencing of these false teachers. I look at this like Jesus is the judge, which He is, and the false prophets have pleaded their case before Him. But, they didn't win, so now Jesus, the perfect Judge, sentences them. And He sentences them to and eternity of pain and suffering. Why? Because they never trusted in Him. A simple thing, yet, they never did. What a sad commentary. People, who claimed to be children of God, but aren't, sentenced to spend eternity in a place reserved for Satan and his angels. All because they never trusted Jesus. Have you trusted in Jesus today?
Today we have seen Jesus as the perfect Judge, sentencing those who have never trusted Him to spend eternity in the lake of fire and brimstone. My question unto you today is have you trusted Jesus. Have you asked Him to be your Saviour? Are you sure? Please, be sure of your salvation! If you have not trusted in Him, believe that Jesus came to earth, lived the perfect life, and died to pay your sin debt. He gave His life for you! Accept Him as your Saviour, and be assured of spending all eternity with Him.
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Jul 27, 2008 7:26:04 GMT -5
Matthew 7:24-27 (King James Version)
24. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
By way of introduction, we have been studying the Sermon on the Mount, and are almost through with it. We have learned a lot of great things throughout this wonderful sermon, and I hope you have learned a lot about the Lord.
The first thing I want us to notice in verse 24 is the logical indicator "therefore". This is a word used to denote a conclusion, so in other words, Jesus is making His conclusion to His entire sermon right now. The word "whosoever" means everyone. It does not leave out anybody. In times past, people have said that certain people that were different, maybe skin color, maybe language, whatever, didn't have a soul. So these people were not given the chance to hear the Gospel. Folks, this verse means everyone, not just white, American male, but everyone. We should present the Gospel to everyone we come into contact with. Jesus goes on to say that "whosoever heareth these saying of mine, and doeth them". I want us to look at 3 different things in this one little phrase. The first is His sayings. What sayings is Jesus referring to? The sermon He just preached! Folks, this is the greatest sermon ever preached, by word of mouth, to mankind. The God of creation, who took on human form, has just preached a wonderful sermon. The second is the word "heareth". This word means more than just to hear, but to hear and understand. Many times I have to tell my sons something, and quite often I use the phrase "Do you understand"? This is the same thing that Jesus is referring to. Do you understand what He has just preached? The third thing I want us to notice is the word "doeth". It means action. in other words, Jesus is saying do you understand and are you acting upon that understanding. Folks, there is more to being a child of God than just hearing a preacher preach a message! There will be many people in hell who went to church every Sunday, and still never acted upon His word by asking Him to be their Saviour. There will also be many people in heaven who failed to get any rewards for being a good and faithful servant because they failed to act upon His word. Are you acting upon the teachings of Jesus? Jesus goes on to state that He likens those who understand and acts upon His teachings as a wise man who built his house upon a rock. Now, I'm not a carpenter. So I had to think on this a while. A person who builds a house usually builds that house upon a solid foundation. The foundation has to be solid because it supports the entire structure. What is more solid than a massive rock?
In verse 25, Jesus describes a storm. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew. This storm beat against the house that was built upon a rock. But you know what? That house stood firm! Why? Because of it's foundation! Folks, Satan is the storm in our life. He will use every thing he can to cause you to turn away from God. But, if you have trusted in Jesus as your Saviour, you the best foundation there is. Even though Satan may beat against you, you can stand firm. Is Jesus your foundation today?
In verse 26 Jesus gives the opposite of the wise man. It is the foolish man who hears His teachings and does them not. It is just like a man who builds his house upon the sand. Now, sand is unstable, so therefore it is not suitable for a good foundation to build a house upon. Those who hear the preaching of the word of God, and don't act upon them are just like this foolish man. They refuse to accept the fact that there is only one way to heaven, and that is through Jesus Christ. Folks, there are a lot of people today who think that just because they lived a good life that they will be allowed to enter heaven. They are wrong! Unless a person accepts Jesus as their Saviour then they will never enter into heaven. Have you trusted in Him?
In verse 27, Jesus again describes a storm. The same storm that was described earlier, but with a different result. This house, built upon the sand, collapsed. Why? Because it didn't have a firm foundation! Jesus is the ONLY firm foundation! Good works are not a firm foundation. Neither is baptism, or praying to the Pope or to other saints, or even living a good life. The only FIRM foundation there is, is Jesus. Is Jesus the foundation of your life today?
Today we have seen the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. We have seen that Jesus likens those who understand His teachings and does them to a wise man. We have also seen how He likens those who hear but don't obey to a foolish man. Which are you? Are you wise? Have you trusted Jesus as your Saviour? Or are you foolish? Do you think that you will get into heaven just by living a good life? Be like the wise man and build you house upon the solid foundation of Jesus.
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Jul 30, 2008 12:21:45 GMT -5
Matthew 7:28, 29 (King James Version)
28. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine: 29. For He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
We have now come to the end of the Sermon on the Mount. We have been studying this wonderful sermon for the last 6 months or so. And what a blessing it has been! Just think, the people who actually heard this sermon heard it all in one day, but we have been allowed to study it at our leisure. Today, we are going to look at the people's reaction to this sermon. Did they act any different than we do today? That and a few more questions will be answered.
In verse 28 the first thing I noticed was that Matthew used the phrase "and it came to pass". This actually means after-wards without a time frame given, but with a time lapse of some sort. It could have been a day, it could have been a week, but I am more inclined to believe that this happened immediately after-wards. Some people might have gone home and thought on this wonderful sermon and discussed it among themselves, or they could have discussed it right there where it took place. We just don't know. But like I stated earlier, I am more inclined to believe that this happened immediately after-wards.
The next thing I noticed in verse 28 was that Matthew used the phrase "when Jesus had ended these sayings". Matthew left no doubt whatsoever in anyone's mind that this was Jesus' teachings. One of the best sermons to ever be preached to mankind by word of mouth had just been preached and Matthew wanted everyone to know exactly who had preached it. The reason I stated that this was one of the best is that ALL of Jesus' sermons were great, and If I had to rank them, I would say that all of His sermons were tied as being the best that was ever preached.
The last thing I want us to look at in verse 28 is that Matthew said that "the people were astonished at His doctrine". The word "astonished" carries the meaning of being exceedingly struck in mind. The word "doctrine" here simply means teachings. In other words, the people were amazed at Jesus' teachings. But why were the people amazed? To answer this, we need to know one important fact. Jesus had never been to the schools for training in the Scriptures that were in use at that time. We also need to realize that not many believed that He was the Son of God. Remember, this was very early in Jesus' ministry and not many believed that He was the Son of God. If they even thought about it, most would have said that He was a prophet, or a great teacher, but not many would have said that He was God in human flesh.
Looking now at verse 29 we see the word "authority". This word carries the meaning of having leave or permission or liberty to do as one pleases. Folks, Jesus had the liberty of teaching and preaching as He chose. Why? Because He was God in human flesh! Who are we to question the Creator of all things? Jesus taught with authority because He had all the authority. So we see that Jesus taught the people in this manner because He had the authority to do as He pleased.
The last thing I want us to notice in verse 29 is that Jesus didn't teach the people like the scribes did. The scribes was a man of letters, a teacher of the Law. They were considered naturally qualified to teach in the synagogues and were ambitious of honor. They demanded honor especially from their students, which was readily granted unto them, as well as by other people. Their function regarding the Law was to teach it, develop it, and use it in connection with the Sanhedrin and various local courts. Even though they taught the Law, they tried to evade certain parts of it as not applying to them. Folks, these scribes that were teaching the people were not teaching with authority. They were teaching things that were not even in the Scriptures. They were teaching that it is alright to hate your brother if you don't actually kill him. But Jesus said that this was wrong! These scribes were saying "This is what the Scriptures mean" when in fact they were missing the boat on what the Scriptures actually meant. Jesus taught what the Scriptures actually meant because He was the One who inspired them. And don't you know it was refreshing to the people to hear the Scriptures taught to them like they were really meant to be taught?
In conclusion we have seen a lot of wonderful teachings in this great sermon that the Lord preached. We have seen what the Law really meant, and how we should conduct ourselves. There is one thing that each of us need to ask ourself today. Does Jesus have authority over your life? Have you given your life to Him to do with as He pleases?
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Aug 3, 2008 14:26:43 GMT -5
Matthew 8:1-4 (King James Version)
1. When Jesus was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. 2. And behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 3. And Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
If you will recall, we have just finished the Sermon on the Mount. The people were amazed at Jesus' teachings and the authority with which He taught. I think the majority of people thought Jesus was a prophet or a great teacher, but not many thought that He was actually God in human flesh. Today, we are going to look at the continuation of Jesus earthly ministry, His healing of a leper, and how this applies to us today.
In verse 1, we see that Jesus came down from the mountain. Now, we don't know the exact mountain, and if someone tries to tell you that they do, all they are doing is trying to make you believe in something that we have no earthly record of. In fact, this could have been just a big hill, with gently sloping sides, for all the people to sit upon and listen. The main thing I want us to notice in this verse though is that Jesus came down. He didn't stay upon the mountain or big hill! He came down and continued His ministry. Folks, too many people today don't come down off the mountain. After they ask Jesus for salvation, they act like they are satisfied with that and don't tell anyone else about Him. We should not be like that! We are to serve the Lord by telling others about Him. Do we? Or do we just act like we don't care about the eternal soul of others? Also in verse 1 we see that great multitudes of people followed Jesus. This was after He came down from the mountain so it is a logical assumption that these people were listening to Him preach the Sermon on the Mount. Now, we don't know how many people there were. The number doesn't really matter. What matters is the fact that the people heard a great sermon and it changed their lives. They followed the Lord! When a sermon is preached, do you allow it to change your life?
In verse 2 we see a leper that came to worship Jesus. That's all we know about him. We don't know his age, his background, nothing. All we know is that he came to worship the Lord. But isn't that enough? Folks, our hearts should rejoice when a person realizes that Jesus is Lord over all and comes to worship Him. Sunday,April 8th we had the most people we have ever had at church since I became pastor. I know it is not because of my preaching, because I am not that great of a preacher. These people came to hear the Word of God and to worship Him! I was overjoyed! When someone comes to worship the Lord, do you rejoice? Also in verse 2, notice what the leper said. He said "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean". There is one important fact that we can learn from this statement. Brethren, this leper recognized that Jesus Christ was Lord over everything. He KNEW Jesus was God! I believe that there was no doubt whatsoever in his mind of who Jesus was and of the power that Jesus controlled. Before we go any further, we need to look at the disease of leprosy. Now I'll admit. I don't know much about this disease, but what I have found out is interesting. The Biblical leprosy is NOT what we know as leprosy today. In this day and age, leprosy is a disease which affects the feet eventually crippling the person who has this disease. It also causes folds on the forehead and cheek giving the person a leonine appearance. People who have this disease have to be carried around and eventually die from the effects of this disease. Did this leper have to be carried to Jesus? NO! He walked! Biblical leprosy is a whiteness which disfigured the victim but did not disable him. It is described in Leviticus as a white spot, spreading or disappearing, sometime with a reddish base, or as raw spots. This leprosy gave the appearance of being scaly. It is quite possible that this disease was in fact psoriasis.
Looking now at verse 3, we see Jesus answering this leper. He said "I will; be thou clean." Folks, Jesus touched this man and his disease was immediately gone. There was no waiting to see what would happen, there was no reappearance of this disease. This disease was gone for all time and completely from this man. As I sat and thought on this, three things hit me. (1). There was an actual disease that people could see that Jesus cured. It wasn't like some of these so-called "faith healers" of today who supposedly cure people of diseases that we can not see. This man was cured of something that was visible to the people around. (2). This was also a picture of salvation. This man came to Jesus desiring to be cleansed from his disease. And Jesus did it. Isn't that the same way with salvation? We come to Jesus, desiring to be cleansed from the effects of sin (which is eternal separation from God), and Jesus heals us from the effects of sin. (3) And Jesus healed this man for all time! Glory Hallelujah! This is also a picture of eternal security of the believer. We have no record of this man ever getting this disease again. Isn't salvation the same way? After we are saved, we are saved forever, not just for a short period of time. Can you see the pictures Jesus painted here for us to see?
In verse 4 Jesus gave this man specific instructions on what to do next. First, he was not to tell anyone. But why would Jesus not want him to tell others about this miracle? It was so that His ministry would not turn into a circus act. Jesus knew why He came to earth, which was to be the perfect sacrificial lamb for all mankind, and he knew that if this man spread the word about being healed there would be multitudes of people coming just to be healed. Secondly, Jesus told this man to go his way and show himself to the priest. To understand this, we need to think about the Levitical Law which covered leprosy. If a person had this disease, they were unclean, because of their mottled appearance and the contagiousness of this disease. To be clean again, which means they were either completely covered with this disease, thus not contagious, or they were cured. Either way, they had to go show themselves to a priest at the Temple, the priest would examine them, and either declare them clean, enabling them to return to society, or unclean, or being an outcast. So you see, Jesus told this man to do what the Law told him to do, which was go and show himself to the priest. Thirdly, Jesus told this man to offer the gift that Moses commanded. This gift that the leper was to give is found in Leviticus 14. The leper was to offer a trespass offering and a meat offering. This trespass offering was a lamb, without spot or blemish, in other words, perfect in appearance. The meat (or meal) offering was of oil and flour. The trespass offering was a picture of cleansing of sin, or if you will, salvation. The meal offering was a "Thank you" to God. Folks, this all paints a picture to us of salvation, it's effects, and that we should be thankful for being given this free gift. Are we? Are we truly thankful that Jesus has saved us?
Today we have seen a picture of salvation, security of the believer, and of thankfulness to the Lord for His free gift unto us. Have you seen the pictures Jesus laid out for us? Have you trusted in Him totally and completely like the leper did? Have you been saved? Jesus died on the cross so that you might have eternal salvation. Are you like this leper?
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Aug 6, 2008 3:36:44 GMT -5
Matthew 8:5-13 (King James Version)
5. And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto Him a centurion, beseeching Him, 6. And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10. When Jesus heard it, He marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great a faith, no, not in Israel. 11. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness:there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
If you will recall. last time we saw that Jesus came down from the mountain (or hill) and gave us an example of salvation by healing the leper. He also gave us an example of security of the believer. We also saw how the offerings that the leper was to make was a "Thank you" to God. Today, we will meet another man that each one of us could learn from. I pray that you will learn as much as I did when I studied this.
In verse 5 we see that Jesus has returned to Capernaum. Capernaum (town of Nathan) was on the western shore of the sea of Galilee in the province of Galilee. It was large enough that every time it was mentioned in the Scriptures it was referred to as a city. It had it's own synagogue in which the Lord taught. Although the Lord was raised in Nazareth, Capernaum was His residence. So as you can see, Capernaum was an important place at this time. Also in verse 5 we meet a centurion. A centurion was what we would call a commander today. He is a captain of a company of 100 men in the Roman army. He carried a staff of vinewood as a badge of office. There were various degrees of rank among the centurions, and while we don't know this centurions rank, he must have been an important man. If you will notice, this centurion came beseeching the Lord. The word "beseeching" carries the meaning of calling to one's aid. As I studied this, I got the idea that asking someone for help was out of character for a centurion. I got the idea that centurions in general didn't like to ask anyone for help, that they could solve their problems on their own. Folks, at some point in everyone's life they will need to call upon someone to help them. We may think we can do it all on our own but we can't. This centurion went to the ONLY person that could help him. He went to Jesus! Jesus is the ONLY one who can help us in times of trouble. But it is a sad commentary that is true. Most people only turn to Jesus in times of trouble. During times of prosperity they forget about who helped them in times of need. Do you?
In verse 6 we see why the centurion came to Jesus. His servant was in bed, sick with palsy and grievously tormented. Palsy in those days is what we call paralysis today. The most common causes of paralysis was inflammation of the brain or spinal cord, injuries to the spinal column, pressure from curvature of the spine or apoplexy. Apoplexy was sometimes curable while all the others was incurable. I think that the centurions servant was paralyzed due to an accident or that his spine was curved. I believe that what this servant had was incurable thus when Jesus healed him it showed the Lord's marvelous power. But what ever it was, this servant was in pain. Now I have had back problems, and I know what it is like to be in this kind of pain. It is not fun. Every step you take, every bump you hit, jars your back and causes pain. This servant was in a lot of pain and was useless to his master. Now remember, a servant was a very valuable commodity during this time. If a servant was injured in such a way that they could not perform their duties, they were useless to their master.
In verse 7 we see that Jesus had compassion upon this centurion and upon his servant. Jesus said "I will come and heal him". Jesus did not say that He would come and try. He would come and do it! Folks, Jesus (God in human flesh) always does what He says He will do. He keeps His word! The next time you read prophecy, keep this fact in mind.
Now I want us to notice what the centurion said in verses 8 and 9. First, he said that he was not worthy for the Lord to even enter his house. This tells me that the centurion recognized that Jesus was God and that he was humbled by this fact. Now remember, a centurion commanded 100 men, so he was often times a proud man. But this centurion humbled himself before the Lord. Folks, we should do the same! We should never forget the fact that Jesus is Lord over all! Secondly, this centurion showed faith. He said that all Jesus had to do was to speak and his servant would be healed. Now isn't that faith? Do we have that kind of faith in our lives today? Thirdly, the centurion told the Lord that he was a man of authority (power) that commanded many men. He could tell someone to go and they would go. He could tell someone to come and they would come. He could tell his servant to do something and it would be done. This centurion was a powerful man, but he was useless against his servant's palsy. He realized that there was ONLY one person who could help him and that was Jesus Christ. Folks, there is only one person that can help us with the penalty of sin and that person is Jesus. Have you trusted in Him today?
In verse 10 Jesus marvelled (was amazed) at the centurions response. I found it interesting that Matthew used this phrase here, but after a little thought it made perfect sense. First I had to ask myself why was Jesus amazed. He is the God of the universe, and He knows everything, so why was He amazed? Then it hit me. Jesus was amazed simply because He wanted to show those that were following Him that the centurions faith was so great. Folks, Jesus wasn't surprised at the centurions answer. He KNEW what the centurion was going to say. He was simply showing those that were with Him that the centurions faith was something special. Would Jesus do the same for us if we were like the centurion? Also notice what Jesus said in verse 10. "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." What a sad situation. This man, who was a Roman soldier, had greater faith that all the scribes and Pharisees of Israel. And the scribes and Pharisees were supposed to be the religious leaders of the land! Could Jesus say the same thing about us today?
Now, verses 11 and 12 gets a little tricky and it is going to take a little bit to explain, so please bear with me. In verse 11 we see that Jesus says "That many will come from the east and the west". Who is Jesus speaking about? He is speaking about the Gentiles! Remember, the Jews consider everyone who is not a Jew a Gentile. And when He gave these directions He was not meaning specifically east and west, but He was referring to people outside of Israel. So we see that Jesus was speaking about those who are not Jews. Jesus went on to say that these Gentiles "shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven." One question that needs to be answered here is who is Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. A simple answer is that they were the children of the promise. If you will recall, God promised Abraham that through his seed all nations would be blessed. Jesus is a direct descendant of Abraham. Jesus is who God was speaking about in that passage! But what about Isaac and Jacob? They were both descendants of Abraham, son and grandson respectively, thus they were also the heirs to the promise. So what does this verse mean? These Gentiles that Jesus was speaking of will be in heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Everyone that is reading this is probably a Gentile. Are you going to be with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven?
In verse 12 Jesus uses the logical indicator "but". This denotes that what follows is exactly opposite of what precedes. What precedes? Gentiles being in heaven! What follows? The children of the kingdom being cast out! Before we go any further we need to define something. That is who are the children of the kingdom. I believe that Jesus is referring to the Jews in general. They were the children of the kingdom of Israel. What Jesus is telling His disciples and others who were following Him is that, even though they were of the kingdom of Israel, the Jews would be cast out of the kingdom of heaven into outer darkness. Before we go any further, remember, Jesus is speaking in general terms here, not specific. Not every Jew will be cast out, but most will. The Jewish nation as a whole has never come to accept Jesus as Saviour. To this day they still think that Jesus was just a prophet, but not the Son of God. And what is this outer darkness? I have heard it preached many ways, but through my study, and prayer, I have come to the conclusion that this is speaking of hell. If you will look further in verse 12 you will see that Jesus uses the phrase "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth". Isn't this how peoples reactions in hell are described? Folks, there are going to be a lot of Jews in hell weeping and gnashing their teeth because they did not accept Jesus as their Saviour. Will you be among them?
In verse 13 Jesus told the centurion to go along his way, as he believed so would it happen. The centurion believed that Jesus would heal his servant, and in the last part of verse 13 we find that Jesus did exactly that. I also think that if the centurion had not believed that his servant would not have been healed.
Today we have seen another picture that Jesus has painted for us. It is the picture of salvation, in Him and Him alone. We have seen that Jesus is the ONLY way to heaven, and it doesn't matter who your parents were, unless you personally trust in Jesus you will spend eternity in hell. Have you trusted in Him? Have you placed your faith totally and completely in Jesus?
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Aug 10, 2008 4:25:23 GMT -5
Matthew 8:14-17 (King James Version)
14. And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. 15. And He touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. 16. When the even was come, they brought unto Him many that were possessed with devils: and He cast out the spirits with His word, and healed all that were sick: 17. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sickness.
If you will recall, last time we met the centurion and saw how his faith was so great. We also noticed that, even though Israel is God's chosen people, not all Jews will be saved. Those that are not saved will spend eternity in hell just like Gentiles who refuse to accept Jesus as their Saviour. Today we are going to look more into Jesus' ministry at Capernaum and see what the Lord will have us to learn to be better servants for Him.
In verse 14 we see that Jesus went to Peter's house. Now, if you will recall, Jesus met the centurion in Capernaum, and hasn't left that city yet, so it is a logical conclusion that Peter's house was in Capernaum. We also see that Peter's wife's mother was sick with a fever. In fact she was so sick that she was in bed. There are 2 things I want us to learn from this simple verse. (1.) Peter was married. Folks, there is a religion today that teaches that Peter was the first pope, and this religion also teaches that the pope isn't to be married. Now, if Peter was the first pope, and was married, it seems like to me that these people have double standards. If these people have double standards in teaching this, wouldn't it stand to reason that they have double standards on other things, thus making them a false religion? Folks, Peter was NOT the first pope! He was a normal man, just like you and me. In fact, a lot of times I act a lot like Peter. I talk before I think, which is what Peter did a lot during his time with the Lord. (2.) The other thing I want us to notice is that Peter's mother-in-law was so sick that she was in bed with a fever. Now the custom of those days was for the woman to take care of the household, meaning cooking and cleaning, and the man to work outside of the house, meaning gardening, fishing, or other jobs. I noticed also that there is no mention of Peter's wife here. So, it could be that Peter was a widower, taking care of his mother-in-law, or it could be that this lady just lived with Peter and his family. We don't know. But I think that Peter's wife was around somewhere, and that both women took care of the household. This household was probably run by both women, and it eased the burden on them. But, if one was sick, wouldn't it make life harder on the other? She would have to take care of her part of the household, plus the other's part, plus take care of a sick person. So, as you can see, this household was probably not running as smoothly as it was used to.
In verse 15 we see that Jesus touched this lady's hand. Now we don't know for sure, but no where do I see that this lady asked Jesus to heal her. She might have, we just don't know. But what I want us to learn from this simple phrase is that Jesus had compassion upon her, and healed her by just touching her hand. Jesus didn't have to do anything fancy, like you see some of these T.V. preachers do. He simply touched her on the hand. And you know what? She was immediately healed! There was no time delay, nothing like that. She got up, and ministered (served) them. As soon as Jesus touched her, her fever left her, and her strength was restored. Whenever I have had a fever, after it breaks, or leaves me, I feel like I am drained. I am as weak as a newborn. But that didn't happened when Jesus healed this woman. She immediately got up and began to do what she was supposed to be doing. Another thing I want to point out here is that the word "ministered" means served. This does NOT mean that this lady was a woman preacher! This simply means that she served them at the table. In other words, she waited on the table. Folks, people have long tried to use this verse as means for a woman to be a preacher, when the Bible clearly teaches otherwise. The qualifications for a preacher are given in I Timothy 3 and in Titus 1. Folks, these qualifications are clear that a preacher is to be the husband of one wife. How can a woman be the husband of one wife? She can't! And since the Bible doesn't contradict itself, this verse does NOT mean that a woman can be a preacher. It simply means that this lady got up and served Jesus and His disciples a meal.
In the first part of verse 16 we see that Jesus stayed in Peter's house until the even, or evening. Why is this important? Think about it a moment. Jesus, and his disciples, and Peter's household, spent part of the day together visiting in an informal setting. Jesus was able to just rest and teach His disciples in a relaxed setting. Just think of what Jesus was able to teach His disciples during this time. Now we don't know what He taught during this time, because we have no record of it. But it is safe to assume that the disciple's faith was strengthened during this time. Folks, this is why it is so important to spend time with other believers! This is why it is so important to attend church regularly. It strengthens our faith and allows us a closer walk with the Lord. Looking further in verse 16 we see that the people brought many others to Jesus that were possessed by devils, and with just His word, He cast them out. He also healed all that were sick. I want us to think on this just a moment. Jesus, by just speaking, cast out these devils. Folks, this is just another demonstration of the power of Jesus. He has control over everything, even devils! Jesus didn't have to get holy water, or anything else for that matter. He just simply spoke, and the demons came out of these people. What a picture of the awesome authority Jesus has. And then, Jesus healed these people. From my limited understanding of demon possession, when a demon possess someone, they cause physical harm. Jesus healed these people of all the physical damage that these demons did. What a picture of the love that Jesus has for us! He loves us so much that He even healed them after He had cast out the demons. Do you see the picture that Matthew painted for us?
In verse 17 we see that Jesus fulfilled a prophecy of Isaiah (Esaias). This particular prophecy is from the first part of Isaiah 53:4. Now it is not word for word, but has the same meaning. Isaiah prophesied in the 8th century B.C. Folks, this prophecy was over 700 years in the fulfillment, yet God still fulfilled it. God is faithful in keeping His promises. If God kept that promise, wouldn't it stand to reason that he would keep His promise to save you for all eternity? YES! Folks, God keeps ALL His promises.
Today, we have seen Jesus healing Peter's mother-in-law, cast out demons, and fulfill a prophecy that was over 700 years old. This all paints a picture of Jesus' authority over everything, and of His love for us. Have you trusted in that love today? Have you given your life to Jesus?
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