Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Apr 19, 2009 5:28:41 GMT -5
Matthew 10:40-42 (King James Version)
40. He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth Him that sent me. 41. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. 42. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
If you will recall, we have been studying the instructions Jesus gave unto His disciples concerning witnessing. We have seen the risks involved, meaning persecution up to and even including death. Today, we are going to look at the rewards involved in witnessing. I hope each one of you learn as much from this as I did when I started studying it.
In verse 40 we see a simple concept. It is the concept of allowing the disciples to use their home as a base of operations, if you will. The word receiveth here is the Greek word dechomai and is defined as to receive by deliberate and ready reception of what is offered. In other words, a person has to make a choice. They can either choose to accept something or reject it. What is it that they are choosing to accept or reject? The disciples into their home! You have to keep in mind here the period we are talking about. When the disciples went into a new city to witness for the Lord, they would find someone to stay with. The people who accepted the disciples into their home were also accepting Jesus into their home because the disciples were His representatives. Look at it this way. When the disciples entered this home, they witnessed to the people of that household by their words and actions. That household got to see the love of the Lord in action, up close and personal. When they accepted Jesus as their Saviour, they also accepted God the Father.
In verse 41 we see the word receiveth again, but this time it is a different Greek word. In this verse it is the word lambano and is defined as to take or receive. These two words that are both translated receive are very similar in meaning, it is just that the one used in verse 40 is a stronger type of word. Anyway, getting back to our verse. If a person receives a prophet into their home, they will receive a prophet's reward. Before we go any further, I need to point out something here. A prophet was someone who declared God's will. Before the New Testament time period, a prophet received his message straight from God, because they didn't have the completed Scriptures. Today, people receive God's message through His Word, the Scriptures. It is still God speaking unto mankind, but in written form instead of oral. Do we have prophets today? I believe in one sense yes, but in another no. What do I mean? Prophet's of old prophesied about future events. I believe that this was done away with when the Scriptures were completed. But we do have men who declare the will of God to the people. We call them preachers. Now don't get me wrong. Even though I have been called to preach the Gospel, I am not putting myself on the same plane as the prophet's of old. I am just a simple man, called to present the Gospel to a lost and dying world. I can do no miracle's, or prophecy, or anything like that. But I can declare the will of God which was the main job of a prophet. Anyway, back to our verse. If a person received a prophet into their home, they would receive a prophet's reward. What is this prophet's reward? I couldn't find anything in my books that specifically said what this is. All I can do is speculate. But I believe that this is referring to the rewards that we will receive in heaven. The Bible mentions several different crowns that will be awarded to people in heaven. Just a couple that I can think of off the top of my head is the martyr's crown (those who die for the Lord), the crown of soul winning (for those who lead others to the Lord), and the crown of faithfulness (for those who have remained faithful). There are a couple of more, but you get my drift. When a person allows a prophet to use their home as a base of operations, they will share in the rewards of that prophet because they helped that prophet. And the same thing goes for a person who receives a righteous man in their home. Folks, God has promised to bless those that serve Him. How better to serve Him than to help someone witness to others about Him?
In verse 42 we see another promise. If you give a little one a drink of cold water, you will in no wise lose your reward. Now before we go any further, I need to point out that this is not referring to salvation. Folks, you can not lose your salvation! But you can lose your rewards. There is a difference! The phrase little ones here does not refer to children, but instead to those who are young in the faith. It may be someone who has just accepted Jesus as their Saviour and they have not had a chance to grow, or it could mean someone who has never matured in the Lord. I believe Jesus was referring to His disciples here. Whichever it is, if you give one of them a cold drink of water you will not lose your reward. Think about that drink of water for a moment. Remember where they are. They are in an arid climate where water is a scarce commodity. A cold drink of water is very refreshing and uplifting. If someone gave a simple drink of water to one of Jesus' children, they will not lose their reward.
Today we have seen the blessing that come with witnessing. We have seen how that those who receive Jesus also receive the Father. We have also seen how that if you help someone witness unto others about the Lord you will be rewarded. But to receive these rewards you must accept Jesus as your Saviour. Have you asked Him to save you? Are you a child of His? If not, by a simple prayer of faith I urge you to turn to Him today, repent of your sins, and ask Him to save you. You will never regret it.
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Post by broncbuster2 on Apr 19, 2009 11:13:59 GMT -5
Thank you Bro freddie; Good to see you back
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Apr 19, 2009 12:35:18 GMT -5
You are welcome and it is good to be back
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on May 3, 2009 7:36:50 GMT -5
Matthew 11:1-6 (King James Version)
1. And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding His twelve disciples, He departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities. 2. Now when John had heard in prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3. And said unto Him, Art thou He that should come, or do we look for another? 4. Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5. The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them. 6. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
If you will recall, we have been looking at the instructions Jesus gave unto His disciples concerning witnessing. I learned a lot during this study, and I hope you did too. Today we are going to look at what happened after Jesus instructed His disciples and hopefully learn what He would have us to learn.
In verse 1, the first thing I noticed was the phrase And it came to pass. This is simply Matthew's way of saying there was a short time lapse here. It might have been a couple of hours, or a few days, we just don't know. But there is a small time lapse between what follows and what we have been studying. Looking further in our verse, the next thing we need to look at is the phrase when Jesus had made an end of commanding His twelve disciples. There are a couple of things that I want us to look at in this particular phrase, so please bear with me. The first thing I want us to pay attention to is the word commanding. This word is defined as to set in order, appoint, command. Simply put, what we have just studied was NOT simply instructions but were more along the lines of a command. Folks, Jesus is NOT suggesting that we witness for Him. He is telling us that we ARE to witness for Him. No excuses, just do it. The next thing I want us to look at is who Jesus commanded. It was His church! The twelve disciples made up the first church, and Jesus gave these commands to the disciples, hence His church. Brethren, Jesus did NOT tell the world to witness of Him, but He told His children. How can someone witness of something they have never experienced? They can't! If a person has never experienced Jesus' love, how can they tell someone else about it? The last thing I want us to notice in this verse is the phrase He departed thence to teach and preach in their cities. Simply put, Jesus went to teach and preach in the local cities after He commanded His disciples concerning witnessing. Why is this important? Folks, Jesus lived what He preached. He didn't tell His disciples to do something that He Himself wasn't willing to do. He went out witnessing to others. You have heard the old saying Do as I say, not as I do. Well, Jesus didn't say that! He did what He preached! Do we?
In verse 2 we again see John the Baptist. Last time we saw him was in chapter 3 when he baptized Jesus. This time though he is in prison. John was put into prison for preaching unto Herod Antipas about Herod's sins of adultery and murder. See, Herod had his brother Philip killed so that he could take Herodias, Philip's wife, as his own. When John reproved him of these actions, Herod had John thrown into prison (Luke 3). Matthew records that while in prison John had heard of all the things that Jesus did. So John sent two of his disciples (followers) to see Jesus and to ask Him a question. Before we look at the question they asked I want us to think on something for a moment. John was in prison, possibly knowing that he would be killed for angering the king, yet he continued to preach and teach to those who were following him. Would we do the same? Or would we be down in the dumps knowing that our freedom was taken away from us and that it was a real possibility that we would be killed? Folks, I can't stress this enough. John did what he was supposed to do for the Lord his entire life. He might have gotten depressed, but he still served the Lord. Today a lot of people get depressed and quit serving the Lord. We should not be that way! We should serve the Lord no matter what the situation is in our life!
In verse 3 we see the question that John told his disciples to ask of Jesus. Art thou He that should come, or do we look for another? In other words, John disciples were to ask Jesus if He was indeed the Messiah that was foretold throughout the entire Scripture that they had up to that time (we call it the Old Testament today). Some people have tried to say that John didn't know that Jesus was the Messiah and he was asking his followers to find out for certain. Folks, that is wrong! John knew for a fact that Jesus was the One who had been promised, because he had seen it with his own eyes. If you would go back and read Matthew 3, you would see that John KNEW then that Jesus was indeed the Messiah and nothing had changed. John had instructed his followers to ask this question of Jesus, not for his benefit, but for theirs. John had preached to his followers about Jesus and now it was time for them to see with their own eyes who Jesus really was. Too many times today, people want to follow the preacher instead of Jesus. They want to put the preacher on a pedestal when in fact the only one who should be on that pedestal is Jesus. Are you following a man or are you following Jesus?
In verses 4 through 6 Jesus gives His answer to John's disciples. Jesus told them to return to John and report on the things that they had seen and heard. Now John was in prison in Machaerus, which was on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. Jesus was north of there around the Sea of Galilee, possibly at Capernaum. I looked at my Biblical atlas, and from Capernaum to Machaerus was about 75 to 80 miles in a straight line. Since the easiest route was probably along the Jordan River, they didn't go in a straight line, but instead had to follow the river through it's twists and turns and through canyons and such. It wasn't an easy journey, and took several days to complete. Just think for a moment if you will what these two men talked about as they were traveling back to John. I believe they talked among themselves about what they had seen and heard while with Jesus. In other words, while returning to John, I believe that they came to realize that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. These men believed! And they reported this fact to the other followers of John. Folks, they witnessed for the Lord. That is what we are supposed to do also! We are to witness to others about Jesus! Do we?
In verse 5 Jesus told them to tell John that the blind received sight, the lame were able to walk, the leper was cleansed, the deaf had their hearing restored, the dead raised up, and the poor had the Gospel preached to them. Just taking a glance at these miracles, a person might say, Well, all these are miracles except having the Gospel preached to the poor. That is pretty ordinary. Folks, that is the greatest miracle of all of these listed! The King of Kings and Lord of Lords was preaching unto those who needed Him! God had taken on human flesh and was walking and talking, and preaching, among men. That is the greatest of all these!
Looking now at verse 6 we see that Jesus said, Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. If you will recall, during our study of the Beatitudes, we saw that the word blessed means spiritually prosperous. The word offended is defined as to put a snare or stumbling block in the way. What did Jesus mean? I believe that Jesus was speaking of those who accepted Him as Saviour. These people would be spiritually prosperous because they accepted Jesus as Saviour and were not offended by Him. Why would they be offended by Him? To answer this, we have to think on the times that they were living in. See, for centuries the Jews had sacrificed animals, and worshiped in the Temple (while it was standing). Each of those sacrifices were a picture of Jesus. But mankind had so distorted these pictures that God decided that mankind would worship Him in a different or new way. That is through grace and His New Testament church. This was a major change from the old way of Temple worship and a lot of people were offended by this, especially the religious leaders. They wanted to keep the old ways! I think that these religious leaders saw that they would lose power and prestige if the way of worship was changed. So they wanted to stick with the old way of worship, therefore those who accepted Jesus as the Messiah were spiritually blessed because they were willing to change. Isn't it the same way today? Those who accept Jesus as their Saviour are spiritually blessed because they are willing to change from their old way of life to a new. And only Jesus can make this change in their heart. Have you been changed by Jesus?
Today we have seen that Jesus lived what he preached, John show his followers exactly who Jesus was, and Jesus response to them. We have seen a change taking place, meaning a new way of worship. My question to you is simple. Have you changed? It says in Romans For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. In other words, every one is a sinner, and every one needs to accept Jesus as their Saviour. He will make a change in your life. Have you changed? Have you accepted him as your Lord and Master? He died one of the most cruel deaths ever devised by mankind because He loved you. Will you accept Him as Saviour today?
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on May 10, 2009 4:12:00 GMT -5
Matthew 11:7-10 (King James Version)
7. And as they departed, Jesus begin to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken in the wind? 8. But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. 10. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
As usual, a short review before we look at our passage of Scripture for this study. Last time we saw that Jesus went out preaching and teaching in the local cities. We also saw that John was in prison, and had sent two of his followers to see Jesus. They asked Him if He was the Messiah, and Jesus sent them back to John and told them to tell him what they had seen and heard. This is where we pick up today. I pray that you learn as much as I did when I studied this passage.
In verse 7 the first thing I want us to notice is the phrase And as they departed. The they referred to here is the two disciples of John who had came to Jesus to ask Him if He was indeed the Messiah. After they had seen Jesus' and heard Him preach, they reported what they had seen to John who was in prison. I have no idea how long these two stayed with Jesus. It could have been as short as a few days to as long as a month. I have no way of knowing. But what I do know is that these two men reported back to John what they had seen and heard. In other words, they witnessed about Jesus. Do we tell others what we have seen and heard about the Saviour? Do we allow it to change our lives like it did to these two men? The next thing I want us to look at is the phrase Jesus began to say unto the multitudes. As these two men left, Jesus began to ask the crowd who was following Him a few questions. We will look at these questions in a moment. What I want us to key on right now though is the fact that there was a crowd following Jesus. Most of the time we tend to think that it was just Jesus and His disciples going around the countryside of Israel. Folks, often times there was a large crowd following Jesus, listening to His teaching and preaching. And Jesus took every opportunity to preach to these people. Do we do the same? Do we look for people to witness to? It doesn't have to be a large crowd, in fact, most times it is better to witness one on one. But do we look for that opportunity? Folks, it is every Christian's job to witness to others, not just the preacher's!
The next thing I want us to notice is that Jesus asked the crowd following Him the same question three times. In verses 7 He asked the crowd what they went out to the wilderness to see, and in verses 8 and 9 He asked the crowd what they went to see. It is the same question each time, just in verse 7 it is a little more specific. Why? I believe it is because Jesus wanted the crowd to know of whom He was speaking about and leave no doubt in their minds. In the last part of verse 7 Jesus asks another question designed to make the people think. Did they go out in the wilderness to see a man shaken by the wind like a reed? As I studied this, I kept picturing in my mind a reed growing along the banks of a body of water. Here in Arkansas I have seen a couple of different types of reeds growing along the banks, but since I am not a naturalist, I can't tell you their names. I just call them a reed. But I have noticed them while fishing and have seen the wind blow them wherever it wants to. The reed has no control over which way the wind blows it. Now remember, Jesus is speaking of John the Baptist here. Was John a man who was shaken by the every whim of the wind? NO! Folks, John stood for what he knew was right, and he didn't let anyone tell him different. John was like Jesus in this aspect. We should be the same way! We should stand upon the teachings of the Scriptures and not be blown about like a reed. We should stand our ground. Do we?
Now for verse 8. Jesus again asks the people what they went out to see. This is the same as in verse 7 but I believe it is a little more forceful. Think on it this way. When you ask someone a question, and they don't answer you the first time, what do you do? You ask again, but a little more forceful. I don't think Jesus was expecting an answer from the crowd, but He wanted them to think, so He asked them again but this time a little more forcefully. Jesus next asked them if they went out in the wilderness to see a man in soft clothing. If you will recall, when we looked at John in chapter 3, we saw that the clothes that he wore were made out of camel hair and his belt was of leather. Camel hair is very rough and uncomfortable. It is not like the silk clothing that the scribes and priests wore. It was very course and rough. It was designed to protect John from the elements, but not for comfort. Jesus continues this discourse by telling the people where those who wore soft clothing stayed. It was in the king's houses. Now this isn't saying that all who wore soft clothing lived with a king. But those who wore this soft clothing lived in a place where they didn't have to be out in the elements or work. Folks, most of John's ministry was out with the common people. Sure, he presented the Gospel to everyone, but mostly it was among the common people who wore rough clothing, not the rich. We should be like John in this aspect also. In todays' society, often times people look down upon others who are not as well off or fortunate as they are. We should not be this way! We should present the Gospel to everyone, no matter what their status in life is. Do we?
In verse 9 we again see the same question of what the people expected to see when they went and heard John preach. I think it is more forceful than in verse 8 and a lot more forceful than in verse 7. Jesus then asks them if they went out there to see a prophet. Now remember, the basic definition of a prophet is someone who declares the will of God. A prophet was NOT a priest! There is a difference! A priest offered sacrifices for the people while a prophet declared the will of God to the people. See the difference? Anyway, Jesus continues by saying that John was a prophet, but more than a prophet. What did He mean? John was indeed a prophet, declaring the will of God to the people. He preached repentance. But John was also the forerunner of Christ. What do I mean? He was sent to prepare the way for Jesus. To understand this, you have to understand the ways of that time. When a king traveled anywhere he had a person go before him, making sure the road was smooth, and that the lodging was fit for a king, things like that. That was the job of a forerunner. John was the forerunner of Jesus! He was to prepare the way for the King of Kings! And he did! So John was more than a prophet, he was also the forerunner of Jesus.
In verse 10 Jesus quotes from the Old Testament. This is a quote from Malachi 3:1. Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament and there is a time gap of about 400 years between the Old Testament and the New Testament. It was prophesied 400 years before his birth that John would be born and what his job was to be. Think about what all went on during that 400 years time period. The Persian Empire was in power at the time of Malachi, but they fell, and the Greek Empire rose and fell, then the Roman Empire came to power. Folks, 400 years is a long, long time. And this prophecy still came true! God is not slack concerning His promises. He promised that a messenger or forerunner would come, and he did. He promised that a Saviour would follow, and He did. Glory Hallelujah! If God kept these promises, doesn't it stand to reason that He will keep ALL His promises? YES! And He has promised that one day Jesus will come back and gather the ones who has accepted Him as Saviour unto Him. Will you be going with Him?
Today we have seen several questions that Jesus asked the people about John the Baptist. John was a great man in the service for the Lord, but Jesus was, and still is, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. John didn't give his life for you on the cross at Calvary. Jesus did! Jesus came so that you and I might have eternal life with Him. Have you trusted in Him as your Saviour? Have you asked Him to save your soul? Will you be going with Jesus when He comes back for His children? If not, then by a simple prayer of faith, turn to Him, admitting that you are a sinner, and accept Him as your Saviour. Won't you accept Him today?
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on May 17, 2009 6:24:54 GMT -5
Matthew 11:11-15 (King James Version)
11. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 13. For all the prophets and the Law prophesied unto John. 14. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 15. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Last time we started looking at the message that Jesus gave concerning John the Baptist. We saw Jesus ask the crowd following Him several questions, each of which was designed to make the people think. We saw how John was prophesied about by Malachi about 400 years prior. Today we are going to continue looking at this discourse that Jesus gave concerning John, and hopefully learn some things that will help us have a closer walk with the Lord.
The first thing I want us to notice in verse 11 is the word Verily. This word is used quite often by Jesus when He is speaking but is often overlooked by people who study the passage that it appears in. This word simply means truly. Whenever we see this word we know that what Jesus is going to say is of the utmost importance. Now don't get me wrong! Everything that Jesus said while He was here on Earth was, and still is, important. But when He used this word, we need to sit up and pay special attention to what is following. Looking further in verse 11, the next thing we need to look at is the phrase Among them that are born of women. I know I don't need to state this, but it is a natural fact of life that every person that has ever lived, except for two, has had a mother. They were born of women! The two that weren't were Adam and Eve. God created Adam from the dust of the ground and He created Eve from Adam's rib. Everyone else has had a mother. So we can see from just this simple statement that Jesus is speaking of everyone who has ever lived. The next phrase we need to consider is there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist. Was Jesus saying that John the Baptist was greater than He was because Jesus had a mother? NO! Let me explain. What Jesus was saying was that up until He was born, the was not a greater one than John. Now don't get me wrong. John was NOT greater than Jesus! Jesus is simply referring to the character of John. Think of all that John went through preaching that the Messiah was coming. He lived on a strange diet (to us anyway), wore rough clothing, and was mocked of men. John had a rough life, but he still served the Lord by doing what he was born to do, which was to announce the arrival of the Messiah. But what about all the Old Testament saints, like David, and Abraham, and Moses? Was John greater than they were? Yes! John had a special job from birth, which was to be the forerunner of Jesus. None of these other men, although all pictures of Jesus, had this privilege. Now here is where there is a lot of debate. I am referring to the phrase notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. What did Jesus mean? Folks, I look at this as a promise. When I get to heaven, I will be greater than John, in character, than John was while here on earth. What do I mean? Even though John was a great man, he was still a man. He had faults and flaws just like everyone of us has. He still committed sins just like I do. When I get to heaven, I will sin no more, so I will be greater than John while John was on earth. Folks, I look forward to that promise. Do you?
In verse 12 Jesus says And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. To better understand what Jesus is saying, you need to look at the time frame He is referring to. It is from the days of John the Baptist (his birth), until Jesus' ministry. This is a small time frame, about 34 years or so. See, John was about 6 months older than Jesus, and Jesus was about 30 when He started His ministry, and His ministry lasted 3 1/2 years. So if you add all that up, you will see that Jesus is speaking of a time frame of about 34 years. But what did He mean when He said that the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force? I want you to think for a moment if you will on all the things that Satan tried to do to Jesus while He was here on earth. When He was a young child, Satan tried to kill Him by having all the boy children under the age of 3 killed. He tried to discredit Him through the Pharisees and Sadducees. He tempted Jesus severely at one point. Satan even convinced the people that Jesus needed to be crucified. If that isn't being violent, I don't know what is. When Jesus died on the cross, Satan thought that he had won, but he hadn't. When Jesus rose from the grave on the third day, under His own power, Satan was defeated, but he still hasn't given up. Folks, Jesus defeated Satan at every turn. Have you trusted in the One who gave His life for you?
In verse 13 Jesus said For all the prophets and the Law prophesied unto John. Throughout the Old Testament there were prophecies and pictures of Jesus. The Law was designed to show mankind that they could not live a perfect life, therefore they needed a Saviour. All these were up until the time of John. John preached the Gospel unto mankind. There were no more pictures of a coming Messiah, because He would soon be here. In fact, when John started his ministry, the Messiah was already here, but He hadn't started His ministry yet.
As we look at verse 14 Jesus said And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. The words And if ye will receive it refers to the people who were listening to Jesus. They had a choice. They could choose to believe what He said, or they could not. It is the same way today. Each of us has a choice. We can choose to believe that Jesus is the Messiah that was prophesied, or we can not. God is not going to force anyone to believe. Personally, I choose to believe. As we look further in this verse we see that Jesus said this is Elias, for which was for to come. The Elias to which Jesus is referring to here is Elijah. Elijah was a picture of John, and Elias was a picture of Jesus. Elijah and John both dressed alike,and ate the same kind of food. It was prophesied that one would come who would be like Elijah and that person was John.
As we look now at verse 15, we see that Jesus said He that hath ears, let him hear. In other words, if a person had ears, let them understand what Jesus was saying. Have you understood what Jesus taught us today?
Today we have seen Jesus going into more detail about John the Baptist. We have seen how that there was not another born like him, and how that both Jesus and John were prophesied about in the Old testament. John was not greater than Jesus, in fact, no one is. If the prophecies about John and Jesus both came true, doesn't it stand to reason that other prophecies will be fulfilled? YES! Folks, it is prophesied that one day Jesus will return to gather His children. I will go with Him in that day. Will you? To go with Him, first you have to accept Him as your Saviour. Have you trusted in Jesus to save you from your sins?
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Jun 14, 2009 5:47:32 GMT -5
I apoligize for the delay in posting these sermon notes. I have been working on one that has given me fits. It took a lot more research than I am used to, and is easier to preach than to write. Again, my apologies.
Matthew 11:16-19 (King James Version)
16. But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, 17. And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. 18. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. 19. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.
If you will remember, we have been looking at the discourse given by Jesus about John the Baptist. We have seen how he was of great character and was prophesied of in the Old Testament. Today, we are going to look a the last part of His discourse and see what we can learn from it so that we will be better servants of the Lord.
Jesus starts verse 16 by asking those who are listening to Him a question. But whereunto shall I liken this generation? If we were to put this in simple terms, we would say that Jesus said What shall I compare this generation to? This question may have confused some of those listening to Jesus because of His age. See, when the Bible speaks of a generation, it usually means 40 years. Jesus wasn't even 35 yet, but He was speaking like He had seen a lot more generations than the one He was speaking to. And He had! Jesus had seen countless generations, because He had been with the Father from the beginning. We, as mere humans, tend to put the beginning as when God created Earth. But, that was just the beginning of time. God has been around for all eternity, and Jesus was with Him through it all. As we look further in this verse, Jesus said It is like unto children sitting in the markets, calling unto their fellows. What Jesus is referring to here is children playing games. The word market carries the meaning of a public place. It could be something like a town square, where meeting were held, or just an open area in town. But, this is where children played games that emulated the adults. These games taught the children what they needed to know later in life.
In verse 17 these Jesus said that these children while playing called unto their fellows, or other children, saying We have piped unto you and ye have not danced. This is possibly referring to a Jewish wedding ceremony. A Jewish wedding is a very lavish affair, with a lot of music and dancing, and the children would have played like they were getting married, just like they do today. When Jesus said that the children mourned for them but they did not lament, I believe He was referring to a funeral. A funeral, while being a sorrowful affair, was also one that was steeped in traditional and ritual. Just like a wedding, the children played games to learn these traditions.
In verse 18, Jesus seems like He is changing subjects, but He is not. He goes from talking about children playing games in verse 17 to John the Baptist in verse 18. More on this in a moment. He said that John came neither eating nor drinking. Does this mean that John never ate food or drank liquid? NO! What Jesus is referring to here is John's diet. It consisted of honey and locusts. We have discussed this in the past, so I will not go over it again. But what I want us to think on now is the fact that John's diet was not what the religious leaders of the day ate. They ate the choicest foods and drank the best wine, but not John. His diet was something that the religious leaders would not partake of. They thought they were too good to eat like the common folk. Folks, anytime a preacher or leader of the church thinks he is better than the ones he is trying to lead, the church is in trouble. I'll use myself here as an example. If I think that I am better than the ones I am trying to lead, how can I lead them? I can't! I would be failing in the job that I have been called to do. Notice what Jesus said next in verse 18. They say, He hath a devil. The word they here I believe refers to the scribes and Pharisees. In other words, the religious leaders of the day. These leaders looked down upon John because of his diet and his dress. They thought that because John ate things that they wouldn't eat that he was possessed with a demon, or devil. Folks, there was nothing further from the truth! These men were trying to put John down because of what he was teaching and preaching. In other words, they didn't like his message, so they chose to put him down so that others would not heed his message. It is the same way today! A man comes preaching the truth and some of the people want to do nothing but put him down. Why? Because they don't want to change. A sermon should make each one of us realize that there are things in our life that we need to change to be better servants of the Lord. Do we heed the message? Or do we just brush it aside?
In verse 19 Jesus says The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a man gluttonous and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. The word gluttonous refers to someone who eats too much, and a winebibber is someone who drinks too much. These religious leaders thought that Jesus, who is the Son of man, ate too much and drank too much. See the difference? They said that John had a devil in him because of his diet, yet wouldn't believe Jesus because of His diet. These religious leaders were looking for any excuse to reject the message of my Lord and Saviour. They chose not to listen to John because of his diet, yet when Jesus ate different things than John, they chose not to believe Him as well. What a sad commentary. It is the same way today! People look for any excuse to not believe what the Scriptures say. They want to say that the Scriptures are outdated, and a host of other things. Folks, this is a lie straight from the pits of hell. The Scriptures are just as valid today as when they were when they were first written! In the next part of this verse, Jesus said that the religious leaders said that He was a friend of publicans and sinners. This is one part that they got right. Jesus was, and still is, a friend of sinners and publicans because they were the ones who actually listened and accepted His message. What the scribes and Pharisees didn't want to hear was that they were no better than the publicans or sinners. They thought they were better than them, but they weren't. In Romans 3:23 Paul wrote For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. This means everyone, not just certain ones. The scribes and Pharisees thought that just because they kept a perverted version of God's Law that they were not sinners. But they missed the true picture of the Law, and that is that all men need a Saviour. Are you like them? In the last part of verse 19 Jesus said that wisdom is justified of her children. I'll admit, I didn't understand this until I started breaking it down, and it gets complicated very quickly. Let me try and explain. In the book of Proverbs, which was written by the wisest man to walk the earth, other than Jesus, Solomon often referred to wisdom as a woman. Keeping this in mind, the word justified means being made right in the eyes of God. But what about the the phrase her children? Before we go any further, I need to make one thing clear. I am not a male chauvinist. I believe that God created woman to be a help meet for man, not a servant. And what I am about to say will not seem like it unless you think about it. One of the jobs of a woman, other than being a companion to man, is to bear his children. It is her job. A man can not do this, only a woman. This is how God set up the laws of nature and this is how it is. Another word for job is work. To bear children and give birth to them is work, and very hard work at that. So the phrase her children could refer to her work. So if we break it down and put it in something that we can understand, we could say that wisdom is being right in the eyes of God. The ONLY way to be right in the eyes of God is to accept Jesus as your personal Saviour by faith. Then AFTER salvation, show the world that you are right in the eyes of God by your works. Works is not for salvation but because of salvation. Let me state that again. Works are not for salvation but because of salvation!
Today we have seen that the people were playing games just like a child would. They were choosing to reject the message of both John and Jesus. We have also seen that to be wise is to accept Jesus as your Saviour. Have you accepted Him? Have you by faith, repented of your sins and asked Him to save you? If not, I urge you to do so today.
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Post by broncbuster2 on Jun 15, 2009 16:29:50 GMT -5
Thank you Bro Freddie.
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Jun 21, 2009 5:21:43 GMT -5
This is the sermon that I had to do a lot of additional research on. I post my sermon notes on 4 different message boards, and I am trying to get each on a different sermon so that it doesn't get tedious reading my own notes.
Matthew 11:20-24 (King James Version)
20. Then began He to upbraid the cities wherein most of His mighty works were done, because they repented not: 21. Woe unto thee Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. 23. And thou, Capernaum, which are exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
As usual, a short review before we look at our passage of Scripture for today. We have been looking at the discourse of Jesus concerning John the Baptist. We have seen how John was a prophet, but more than a prophet because of the special job he was to do. This job was to be the forerunner or herald, of Jesus. We have seen that people will make excuses for not serving the Lord, or even accepting Him as Saviour. Today, we are going to look at a pronouncement of judgment and hopefully learn some things that will help us become better servants for the Lord.
In verse 20, Matthew records that Jesus begin to upbraid the cities where most of the miracles that He had performed were done. The word rendered upbraid here is a verb and actually means to reproach or revile. In other words, Jesus was getting on to these cities severely. The closest thing I can think of to relate it to us is scolding a child just short of punishment. We have all been in that situation. A child does something wrong and we tell them that if they don't straighten up and behave themselves, then we are going to punish them. This is sort of what Jesus is saying, bit in a much stronger sense. Why was He doing this though? Because these cities as a whole would not repent of their sins! I believe that there were a few in each of these cities that repented, but not the majority of the people. The people of these cities had seen many of the wonderful miracles that Jesus did but still refused to turn to Him as their Lord and Master. What about you? We have looked at a few of the miracles that Jesus performed in this study. Have you turned to Him?
In verse 21, Jesus says Woe unto thee Chorazin! Woe unto thee Bethsaida! Chorazin was a city that was about 2 1/2 miles north of Capernaum. Bethsaida was also very close to Capernaum. In fact, John wrote that a couple of the disciples were from Bethsaida, while Mark wrote that these same ones were from Capernaum. So as you can see, these three cities were very close to one another. But I want us to notice something more important than where these cities were located. And that is that Jesus used the word woe concerning these cities. When this word is used in the Scriptures, it means judgment is either on the way, or is already here. So what Jesus is telling these cities is that if they don't repent then judgment will come upon them.
Tyre and Sidon were two other major cities that were located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. They were about 20 miles apart and have very similar history. Tyre was a city that was of two parts. The main part of the city was on an island, and the defenses were on the coast. This island was about 1/2 mile from the shore. Tyre was an ancient city spoken of in an Egyptian papyrus dated about 14th century B.C. It was spoken of in the Old Testament, mostly concerning it's idolatry, by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, and Zechariah. Tyre was at one time in a state of siege by Nebuchadnezzar for about 13 years. It is not clear if the city was ever taken by Nebuchadnezzar or not. But it is known that Alexander the Great conquered this city by building a bridge across the 1/2 mile stretch of ocean that separated Tyre from the mainland. Tyre suffered violent destruction in the 13th century A.D. when the Muslims took it from the crusaders. It is not much of a city today, consisting of mostly huts, and home to about 5,000 people. (Unger's Bible Dictionary) Sidon was at one time the capital of the Phoenician people. It is also an ancient city, mentioned in Genesis. Whenever you read of the Sidonians, or Zidonians, this is the city from whence they took their name. Sidon was out-classed by Tyre later in it's history, but was still a major city. It suffered the same fate as Tyre and is known as Saida today and is in the country of Lebanon. Our Lord visited both of these cities and so did Paul. (Unger's Bible Dictionary) I have given you a little of the history concerning Tyre and Sidon to point out one thing. These cities were denounced in the Old Testament by several prophets. It was because of their idolatry and wickedness. They were both destroyed because of these sins. But look at what Jesus said. They would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. If Jesus had performed the miracles that He did among these two cities that He did in the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, they would have repented. Folks, these cities that Jesus rebuked here had every opportunity to repent but they did not. What a sad commentary.
In verse 22 Jesus says It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. As I thought on this, and prayed about it, I came to realize that this is a two-fold prophecy. The first part of this was fulfilled when these cities (Chorazin and Bethsaida) were destroyed. It was worse than when the Muslims overran Tyre and Sidon. I have been unable to find out exactly how these cities were destroyed, but I KNOW that it was very horrific. The second part of this prophecy is concerning the end times. The day of judgment is referring to the Great White Throne Judgment. That is where all those who have refused to accept Jesus as their personal Saviour will be formally sentenced to spend eternity in the lake of fire and brimstone. I believe that it will be easier on Tyre and Sidon than on Chorazin and Bethsaida. Now don't get me wrong! The Great White Throne Judgment will be a day of sadness and mourning. And the lake of fire and brimstone will be a place where no person wants to be. But I believe that when the people of Tyre and Sidon stand before the Lord, even though they will be sentenced to spend eternity in the lake of fire and brimstone, that the Lord will not be as harsh to them as He will be to those who have seen His miracles in person. They will still be punished for all eternity, but not quite as severely as others who have seen what Jesus did while here on earth.
In verse 23 Jesus prophecies unto Capernaum. Now each of you should know that Capernaum was Jesus' home town. It was His base of operations, if you will. Jesus spent more time in and around Capernaum than any other place while here on earth. They had seen more proof that Jesus was indeed the Son of God than any other city, and had actually been in His presence more than any other city. They were exalted, or lifted up, because of the Lord's presence. Yet, as a whole, they had rejected Him as Lord and Master. The word hell here is actually the Greek word hades and signifies the region of departed spirits of the lost. This word is used 4 times in the New Testament and every instance it is Jesus who uses it. This is the place where the rich man went to await judgment in the story of Lazarus and the rich man. It is a place of great torment. Now any one who has been in church has heard about Sodom. This city had judgment brought upon them because of their extreme wickedness. A few of their sins was homosexuality, idolatry, and fornication. They were destroyed by fire and brimstone because of these sins. Today, archaeologists are still not exactly sure where Sodom was located before they were destroyed. Some say it was on the edge of the Dead Sea, and is now underneath it, and others say it was somewhere else. But Sodom was totally and completely destroyed.
In verse 24 Jesus pronounces judgment upon Capernaum, His home town. It is exactly the same judgment pronounced upon Chorazin and Bethsaida in verse 22. Again, this is a two-fold prophecy. I have been unable to find out how or when Capernaum was destroyed, but today the city is a mass of ruins. At one time Capernaum had a population of over 15,000, yet today it is nothing more than a mass of rubble. Capernaum will also answer to the Lord, whom they rejected, on the day of judgment.
Today we have seen Jesus pronounce judgment upon 3 cities. These cities had seen the great miracles that Jesus performed, yet they still rejected Him. Each of these cities were destroyed because of their unbelief. Each of the residents of these cities will stand before the Lord one day. Those who accepted Him as Saviour will hear the words Enter in. Those who rejected Him as Saviour will hear the words Depart from Me. Just like the residents of these cities, each of us will stand before Him one day. Which words will you hear? To hear Jesus say Enter in, you must accept Him as your personal Saviour. Have you trusted in Him as your Saviour?
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Jun 28, 2009 5:19:10 GMT -5
Matthew 11:25, 26 (King James Version)
25. At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 26. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
If you will recall, last time we looked at the prophecy concerning the towns where Jesus did a lot of His miracles. We looked at how Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum should have repented but did not, and the results of their disobedience. Today, we are going to look at what happened after His pronouncement of destruction and see another example in the way we should live our life. I pray that those who read this are blessed as I was when I started studying these verses.
In verse 25 the first thing I noticed was the phrase At that time. This phrase tells me that as soon as Jesus pronounced judgment upon Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum that this happened. There was no time lapse or anything like that. This happened immediately after. Please keep this fact in mind because I believe that it is very important to our study. The next thing we need to look at is that Jesus said I thank thee, O Father. What is Jesus doing? He is starting to pray and praise the Father! Immediately after Jesus prophesied about the destruction of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, He went to the Father in prayer. Folks, we should always be willing, and able, to go to the Father in prayer no matter what our situation in life is. Prayer is one of the most powerful tools we have. Prayer is where we are able to talk to the Father, tell Him about our problems, and leave these same problems with Him. Notice also how Jesus begins this short prayer. It is by thanking the Father! Folks, it is always wise to begin a prayer by thanking God for everything He has done. No matter how bad the situation in your life seems, there is always something you can thank the Father for. It all depends on how you look at it. Let me use an example here. When I broke my arm on September 6th, 2007, I could have easily looked at it as a chastisement from God. And at first I did. But as I started healing, I started seeing things in a different light. I was off work for 3 months, and during this time I saw how the Lord blessed me. He provided for me and my family, even though I took a pay cut, because workman's comp doesn't pay the full amount of a salary. I was able to study the Scriptures every day, in depth, and grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. I was able to thank and praise the Lord for this time to grow in Him! See, no matter what the situation, you can always find something to praise the Lord about. Next, look at who Jesus prayed to. It was the Father! Jesus didn't pray to an angel, a prophet, a saint, or anyone else. He went straight to the Father. And we can too! When Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the Temple was rent from top to bottom. This veil was about 4 inches thick and extremely tough. It was designed so that the temple priests could not see into the Holy of Holies. This veil signified a separation between a holy God and unholy man. When Jesus gave His life on the cross for us, He provided a way for us to go straight to the Father without needing a mediator. Folks, we can go straight to the Father in prayer! Do we? We need to look at the phrase Lord of heaven and earth next. Why did Jesus say this in this short prayer? It is very simple. Jesus is praising the Father who is Lord over all. God the father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit were all there when the earth and all the things in it, and surrounding it, were created. The Creator is Lord, or Master, over what He creates. If you were to paint a picture, or make a clay pot on a potter's wheel, you are the master, or owner, of what you have made. I would not be the master over it, you would be. It is the same principle with God! He created everything, therefore He is the Master, or Lord, over everything. Have you praised the Father? He created you, so why not praise Him? The next thing I want us to look at is the phrase because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent. As I studied this, I asked myself a couple of questions. First, what are these things that Jesus referred to? Who are the wise and prudent? Why did the Father hide these things? Let's take these one at a time. (1). What are these things that Jesus referred to? I believe that Jesus is referring to His teaching when He mentioned these things. (2). Who are the wise and prudent? This would be the religious leaders of that time, meaning the Sadducee's and Pharisees. See, these people thought that they knew what the Law taught, but as we have learned, they did not. They thought that by keeping the letter of the Law, that they were righteous, or made right in the eyes of God. But we have seen that they did not keep the spirit of the Law. They thought of themselves as being wise and prudent. (3). Why did the Father hide these things? I believe that the Father didn't actually keep the meaning of what Jesus was preaching and teaching from these religious leaders, but that the religious leaders chose not to accept Jesus as the Son of God, therefore He abided by their choice. God doesn't force Himself on anyone. We each have a choice whether to receive or reject Jesus as our Saviour. What is your choice? The last part of this verse says and hast revealed them unto babes. The word babes here is referring to someone that is immature, a child if you will. The best example I can give on what Jesus is referring to here is the relationship between my sons and myself. My sons trust me to do what I say. If I tell them to jump, and I will catch them, most of the time they will jump, trusting daddy to catch them. It is this childlike faith that a child has that Jesus is speaking about. It is through this childlike faith that we come to the Lord, trusting in Him to save us for all eternity, and growing in His grace and knowledge. As we grow in Him, the harder things of the Scriptures are made known unto us, through prayer and study. But we still have to have a childlike faith to realize that what the Scriptures teach is true and will always be true. Do you have a faith like a child today?
In verse 26, we see another part of prayer that we should each have in our daily prayer life. This is that the Father's will will be done. That is essentially what Jesus is saying in this verse when He said Even so, Father. God the Father created us, and as His creation we should do what He desires of us to do. Do we? In the last part of verse 26 we see the phrase for so it seemed good in thy sight. What Jesus is speaking of here is that God has designed a way for mankind to have a Saviour, and for us to avail ourselves of this way, we have to have a childlike faith. This is the way God designed it in eternity past, meaning before creation, and it is the way it is to be. There is no way around it.
Today we have seen a very short prayer by Jesus, but one that is very, very profound. My question to you today is simple. Do you have a childlike faith? Have you trusted in Him to save you?
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Jul 19, 2009 5:27:44 GMT -5
Matthew 11:27 (King James Version)
27. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
If you will think back, we have been studying a short sermon Jesus gave concerning John the Baptist. We have also looked at a pronouncement of judgment concerning those cities that Jesus performed a lot of His miracles in. And, we have looked at a short prayer that Jesus prayed unto the Father. Today, we are going to look at the transition between this prayer, and Jesus' invitation. I hope each of you learn as much from this as I did when I started studying it.
The first thing I want us to look at, and break down, is the first phrase of this verse. All things are delivered unto me of my Father. The two words all things simply means everything. The word delivered is defined as to give over into one's power or use or to deliver to one something to keep, use, take care of, or manage. Me signifies Jesus, and my Father is God the Father. Now that we have the main parts of this phrase defined, let's put them all together. What Jesus is saying is that everything was given unto Him by God the Father. And when I say everything, I mean everything, including the laws of nature that God put into place when He created the universe. These things were given unto Jesus for His use while He was here on earth. And why shouldn't these things be given unto Him? He was God in human flesh! Folks, Jesus had all the power of God at His disposal while here on earth. Yet, some people want to say that He was just a good man. He was more than that! He was God in human flesh.
On a side note, I want us to think about this power that Jesus had for just a moment. He could have destroyed those who disagreed with Him, but He didn't. He could have just thought about destroying those cities that refused to accept Him as Saviour, but didn't. Why? Because He loved them! Folks, Jesus loved even those who nailed the nails in His hands and thrust the spear in His side during His crucifixion. If He loved even them, doesn't it stand to reason that He loves you too? He gave His life for them, as the perfect sacrifice, and He gave His life for you too. He loved you that much. Have you accepted His gift of love?
The next thing I want us to look at is the phrase no man knoweth the Son, but the Father. This is pretty straightforward, yet complex too. No one truly knows God the Son except God the Father. We can say we know Jesus, but we don't know Him as completely as God the Father does. Why? Because they are One! God the Son (Jesus) and God the Father (God) and God the Holy Spirit (Holy Spirit) are all one, yet are different. This is called the Triune Aspect of God. I can't explain it, yet I believe it. Why? Because the Bible teaches it! Folks, there are some things in the Scriptures that we may not understand, but we have to accept it anyway by faith. I don't understand it totally, I can't explain it, but I KNOW that it is true.
The next phrase is neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son. This is the same as the previous phrase. The word save is Old English for except. No man knows the Father except the Son. Just as I stated previously, God the Father and God the Son are One, and being One, they know each other better than anyone else can. The best example I can think of is a husband and wife that have been married for several years. My wife and I have been together for over 20 years. I know her better than anyone else, meaning her moods, her thoughts, etc. But I don't know her every thought. I know her, yet I don't. Brethren, God the Father knows every thought of God the Son, while He was here on earth, and while in heaven. He knows every thing about the Son! And the Son knows everything about the Father!
The last thing I want us to look at is the phrase and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Now this may get a little tricky, so bear with me. The word him should be capitalized as it means God the Father. But the word he, used in the first part of this phrase, means mankind. So what Jesus is saying is that to whoever (mankind) He (Jesus) chooses to reveal Him (God) to, they (mankind) will know Him (God the Father). What did Jesus mean? Let me use another example here. When I was saved, I didn't know anything other than Jesus loved me, and that He died on the cross for me. That's it! But as I study, and grow in the Lord, I learn more and more about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is revealed to me! Not by a vision, or an audible voice, or anything like that. He is revealed to me through His Word! I discover things about God I never knew. And if you have asked Jesus to be your Saviour, He will show you more and more aspects of Him that you never knew. But you have to put in the time and effort. How? Through prayer and study!
Today we have seen that Jesus and God the Father are One. We have seen that Jesus has all the authority of God and that He is in fact God. We have seen that through His Word, He will slowly make known unto us the things that we need to know. But there is one thing you have to do before you can go through this process. You have to accept Jesus as your personal Saviour. Have you accept Him today? Have you, by faith, repented of your sins and turned to Him?
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Post by broncbuster2 on Jul 19, 2009 5:55:44 GMT -5
Thank you Bro. Freddie
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Aug 2, 2009 5:00:17 GMT -5
Matthew 11:28-30 (King James Version)
28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.
If you will recall, last time we looked at a verse that I call a transition verse. It is a verse that flows from one subject to the next. This verse was the transition point between Jesus' short prayer, and His invitation. Today we are going to look at His invitation to His sermon and learn what He would want us to learn.
The first part of verse 28 is very simple. Jesus just said Come unto me. This carries the meaning of a person having to do a certain act. In other words, you have to surrender yourself unto Jesus. That's it. He doesn't say that you have to be baptized, or that you have to do so many good works, or anything else. All He says you have to do is to give yourself over to Him. The second part of verse 28 is what I like to call a qualifier. It qualifies who is to come. Jesus said that if you labour and are heavy laden then come unto Him. In simple terms, if you work, and have a heavy burden, then you are eligible to be saved. Who among us does not work? NO ONE! Folks, everyone of us has a job of some sort. It could be out in the public sector or at home or anywhere, but we all have a job. And each of these jobs, whatever it may be, has a burden. I'll use myself as an example here. As most of you know, I drive a truck locally for a living. In fact I haul chicken feed to chicken houses. This usually means a 12 hour work day, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter, but on average about 12 hours per day. These long hours, along with working in all types of weather conditions, makes this a hard job at times. It is a burden! Everyone who works knows this feeling. Therefore, each and every person is eligible to be saved. The last part of verse 28 is along these same lines. Jesus said I will give you rest. There is nothing more enjoyable than coming home after a hard day of work, kicking my shoes off, sitting down in my favorite chair, and unwinding. This is restful to me. The human body needs to rest, to get ready for the next day of work. Folks, this is the same thing Jesus is talking about, except He is speaking about spiritual things, not physical things. If you will give yourself over to Jesus, you will find a rest that is indescribable. It is a peace that is in your soul knowing that you will one day spend eternity with Him and the Father. Have you given yourself over to Him? Do you have a peace within yourself?
In verse 29 Jesus begins by using an example of farming life that everyone in that day and age knew about. He said Take my yoke upon you. Now there are two types of yokes. One is placed upon an animal, meaning a donkey or an ox, and has two wooden pieces, one on the top of the neck, and the other underneath. It has reins so that the farmer can control the animal, turning it at the proper time, guiding it in a straight line, and things like that. The other type of yoke is just one piece of wood, and is designed to sit across a humans shoulders. I know you have all seen pictures of this type of yoke with people carrying water on them. Now I don't know if they used the human yoke or not in that day and age. But I know for a fact that they used the ones designed for animals. Jesus said to take this yoke upon us. The word take carries the meaning of willingly doing something. Folks, we are to willingly take this yoke on us and let the Lord guide us in our life. The next thing we need to look at is what we are to do after we take Jesus' yoke upon us. We are to learn of Him! Folks, after we submit unto the Lord, we are to learn what He would have us to know. How? By studying His word! After we have been saved we are not to just sit back and wait on the Lord to call us home. We are to learn about Him. The Lord has provided two ways for us to learn about Him in this present day and age. It is through the Bible and His New Testament church. The church was founded during Jesus' personal ministry on earth, and is the perfect place to learn more and more about Him. The Bible, which man has tried to destroy on numerous occasions, is also a great place to learn more about the Lord. We each should have a time set aside every day to study the Bible. It is the word of God! Bible study, coupled with worshiping in the church, is the way we are to learn about Jesus. Are you learning more about Him daily? The next thing that we need to look at is what Jesus said about Himself. I am meek and lowly in heart. This phrase essentially means that Jesus was humble in every aspect of His life. Jesus didn't go around all puffed up, telling everyone to look at Him and what He had done. He proved to the people that He was indeed the Son of God and let the people decide for themselves if they wanted Him as their personal Saviour or not. We should be the same way! We should learn of Jesus, but remain humble, knowing that we are nothing without Him. How many preachers do you see on T.V. that wear thousand dollar suits, drive fancy cars, and say Look at me and what I have done for the Lord? Folks Jesus wasn't that way and neither should we be. Notice the last part of verse 29. And ye shall find rest unto your souls. The word rest carries the meaning of peace or contentment. Folks, when you accept Jesus as your Saviour there will be a peace in your soul that is is indescribable. It is a peace that is beyond all comprehension. I have a peace in my life today that I can't describe. Do you have this peace in your life?
Verse 30 continues with this same theme. Jesus said that My yoke is easy and My burden light. Folks, Jesus doesn't ask us to move mountains in His name. All He asks of us is to serve Him. What is so hard about learning of Him, growing in His grace and knowledge, and living a life that is pleasing unto Him and glorifies Him? Folks, Jesus will never put more on you than you can handle. At times it may seem like He does, but in reality, it is just our lack of faith in Him.
Today we have seen the classic invitation that is used very often in this day and age. We have seen Jesus calling the people to Him, offering to give them a rest in their souls that is beyond all human understanding. Do you have this peace in your soul today? If not, I urge you to repent of your sins, and turn to Jesus. Believe that He gave His life on the cross at Calvary for you, and ask Him to save you. Then, learn of Him, so that you may grow in His grace and knowledge. Do you know Jesus as your Saviour?
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Post by broncbuster2 on Aug 2, 2009 6:02:37 GMT -5
Great message Thank you
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Bro. Freddie
4 Pointer
Missionary Baptist Minister
Posts: 184
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Aug 2, 2009 6:34:45 GMT -5
You are welcome.
If you will notice, it took me two weeks to post another one. I am having trouble, wanting to present a lot of information, yet not too much. I hope the next one, which I finished this morning, isn't too long.
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