Sunday Sermon June 28 Matthew 21:33-46 Part 1
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Good morning and welcome to FCC where we worship The Lord in Spirit and in Truth, one verse at a time.
I am so glad each one of you are here today, and I pray you have a wonderful 4th of July week.
Through this next week, let’s take time to thank God for the men and women who have fought for our independence, but let us also Praise and Thank God that because of Jesus and the finished work of the Cross we are free indeed.
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Jesus came to set the captives free and his desire is that we would:
Come to Him
Follow Him
Learn from Him
And Abide in Him
If we do what Jesus desires of us, then we will be Free as he hath spoken!
Prayer
Prayer
Barbara’s sister for healing
Comfort for Gary and Cathy Hendricks for the passing of his mother
Lord, help us to navigate these times in such a way you will be glorified
Read Matthew 21:23-46
Read Matthew 21:23-46
We come to a new section of Scripture that we will wrestle with over the next couple of weeks.
Hopefully, you saw the connection with the Vineyard with John 15 that we have been in for several weeks. Jesus said:
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
Backdrop
Backdrop
Our Lord spoke this parable as He was being confronted by the religious leaders of the Jewish people in the temple—just a few days after He made His triumphal entry into the city, and just a few days prior to His death on the cross.
After he over turned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves he moves into cursing the fig tree.
The temple priest were allowing the money changers to exchange the Roman coinage for temple shekels for a huge exchange fee.
And those that sold doves were inspecting the doves and other animal sacrifices that they bought for pennies on the dollar outside the temple only to find them blemished, therefore they would reject them and if the wanted to offer a sacrifice, they had to buy the temples doves and other animals.
Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.
Here in Matthew, some scholars believe this is a second cleansing of the temple
Jesus had what is called righteous anger or what one might call righteous indignation
The fig tree church, like the vineyard is symbolic of Israel. When he curses the fig tree and it withers, this symbolizes God’s judgement on Israel because of her spiritual fruitlessness. They rejected Jesus as Messiah and still do today.
The 1st Adam came to the Fig Tree for leaves, the last Adam/Jesus came to the Fig Tree, not for leaves, but for FRUIT. Jesus still expects Fruit.
So Jesus cleansed the temple, healed the blind, and the lame in its courts, and was teaching the people within its walls.
The Sadducee’s and Pharisee’s were questioning his authority and wanted to know where his authority came from, they wanted to see his credentials. Because it was clear to them he did not attend their seminary, their Bible schools, or their Universities.
Remember, you either accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or you reject the Gospel. When we reject the Gospel, we are rejecting the Son of Man the Lord Jesus Christ.
Lets pick up in Matthew 21:23
The religious leaders came to Jesus intent on getting from him answers to two questions:
1) Where did his credentials come from?
2) Who gave him the authority to do these things?
But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
In keeping with current Rabbinic methods of discourse, debate, and tradition: Jesus responds with his own question
Jesus asks them a question about John's baptism in regards to their question about his authority.
"Was it from heaven, or from men?"
The Son of Man had them backed in a corner again, he brought them to the place of facing the truth but their response is completely prompted by their fear of the people.
The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
The religious leaders feared the people more than the feared God.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Church, I believe there is three things missing in today’s church and these are why the church in the western world is dying and not thriving.
The fear of the Lord is missing
Lack of Discernment
Lack of true Biblical teaching
Lack of discipleship
They were between a rock and a hard place:
If they admitted that John was a prophet, as the people believed, the conclusion was inevitable: Jesus was the Messiah, for Jesus was the One to whom John gave witness. If they disowned John, the people would react against them. Caught in the middle, without the courage or spiritual insight to concede to the obvious, they refused to acknowledge what they knew to be true.
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Church, Jesus is the living and powerful Word in flesh:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
They reasoned away their opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as being from the Father and as of Messiah.
They reasoned among themselves. They did not take this to God in prayer, they reasoned away Jesus church.
How many times do we reason away Jesus in our own lives?
How often do we reason alone or with others, but not run to God in prayer?
There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise.
Here we see the religious leaders becoming fools church!
Remember, we either accept the Gospel or reject the Gospel!
When we reason apart from God, our flesh, just like the flesh of these boys will always lead us away from the Truth.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Lets look at their answer:
So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
THET STRAIGHT UP LIED! WHY?
The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.
They were trapped by fear. Had they had the humility to admit they were wrong about their assumptions about John and Jesus, God would have given them the grace that saves.
John and Jesus’ authority came from the Father
Notice Jesus’ response to their answer:
So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
Church, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
They reasoned their way out of knowing the Messiah because of the fear of man that presented a snare.
They did not have the humility to admit they were wrong, that the were persecuting the Messiah.
Read 2 Samual 12 and share about how God sends Nathan’s into our lives.
Church, let us not be like the Pharisees and Sadducees, when confronted with the Truth, let us humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, admit we are wrong, and repent and follow Jesus! Let us not reason away the Truth that has come our way.
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
Church, if we become religious, we will not become repentant.
See repentance is a relational transaction, while religion is just going through the motions.
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
All means all in the Greek, not just some, but all, it means everybody, it means the whosoever’s the King Jimmy talks about.
It means you and me, it means our family, co-workers, and our neighbors
It means that person or people you cannot stand in your life, yes even your brother or sister, it means or children or that one teacher that you struggled with.
Church, it means that person or people who hurt you, who abused you or even someone you love.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Repentance/ repent- metanoia- "repentance" from sin, this change of heart and change of mind involves both a turning from sin and a turning to God. It also means conversion and abandonment.
repentance ⇔ reconsideration n. — a change of self (heart and mind) that abandons former dispositions and results in a new self, new behavior, and regret over former behavior and dispositions.
As we leave here today, I would ask what Paul asked of the Church of Corinth:
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.
Church, we must examine ourselves, we must allow God’s Holy Spirit to search our hearts!
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.
Do we have anything in our hearts that we need to repent of? So we do not reason away the Truth?
Prayer
Prayer
Announcements
Announcements
Does anyone have any announcements?
Hopefully this week we will be back up and running with online devotionals. They are called connection-reflection and you can access them via our website.
Have a blessed week and a wonderful fourth of July.
Read ahead here in Matthew 21:23-46 as we will pick up, where we left off.
Benediction
Benediction
Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
The Lord Bless you!
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