Often, people want to question the validity of the Lord. They often say, “How do you know Jesus is real?” or “How do you know He is coming back?” This was the question that had to be on the mind of the disciples. After all that Jesus had said to them about going to Jerusalem and suffering and dying, they had to be wondering what was happening. The Lord now gives them a crash course in His glory and being God. Do we see Him that way? Our answer to that determines our eternal destiny.
Winning by Losing (Matthew 16:24-28)
Today’s passage offers a great paradox. Everything about it goes against everything we have ever been taught in our American culture. We have been encouraged to do our very best and win it all. We are never happy with losers. The teams we cheer for actually depress us when they don’t produce a winning season. We seem to take it personally as a culture. But Jesus tells us in today’s passage that we actually win by losing. We give up everything to gain God’s best. It is a struggle that every believer will face at one time or another. It is really a great paradox.
How Do We Offend Christ? (Matthew 16:21-23)
The title “How Do We Offend Christ” offers an interesting thought. Jesus is always portrayed in most people’s thinking of being all loving, all forgiving, all focused on us who live down here on earth. We spend a lot of time ignoring Him, laughing at Him and, sometimes, cursing Him. But, He always seems to ignore all that and continue to focus on being our great protector and genie who will come at a moment’s notice to give us everything that we want. That thought is about as far away from the truth as you can get. It is true that He loves us. He loves us so much that He died for us. But, we do ignore Him and only call on Him when we are in a jam that we can’t get out of. So, how do we offend Him? Today’s message looks at an instance where Peter offended Him and the lesson that was so fitting for Peter is also fitting for us today.
Christ is Always Building His Church (Matthew 16:18-20)
Years ago in another ministry I had an interesting conversation with a young man who was attending the church I pastored. This individual made the following statement, “God has turned His back on the church today because it is irrelevant to the times in which we live. I believe that God now works through other organizations that are not churches. This young man was a leader in a para-church organization that focused on reaching “street kids”. There’s nothing wrong with his approach to ministry but his theology was way off. Granted, there are a lot of churches that no longer reflect God’s intention for His church but God has never given up on His Church. Today’s message shares God’s passion for the Church today.
Who Do You Say I Am? (Matthew 3, 2023)
One of the most pointed and insightful questions that you will ever be asked is, “Who do you say that Christ is?” Your answer to that question literally determines and indicates where you will spend eternity. The Lord was walking with the disciples out in the countryside and He asked them, “Who do the people say that I am?” The disciples seemed to be pretty much in touch with the people of the day so they began to give the Lord the answers that they had heard from the crowds. Then, the Lord turned the question to them, “But, who do you say that I am?” Only Peter responded. If you were asked that question, how would you answer?
The Peace of Christ's Presence in My Life (Matthew 14:22-33)
It is not unusual that on the conclusion of a major spiritual victory comes a great test to show us that we have not arrived yet. The disciples had just witnessed the feeding of the 5,000. That experience should have carried them for a long time. Yet, they get into a boat and begin to travel to the other side of the Sea of Galilee and a terrible storm comes up and they think they are going to drown. The Lord walks out to them on the water and they think He is a ghost. At the Lord’s command, Peter steps out of the boat but takes his eyes off of the Lord and begins to sink. The message here is clear. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus during the good times and the difficult ones. He will never let us down.
Do I Really Trust God? (Matthew 14:14-21)
Interesting question, isn’t it? “Do I trust God?” And, if I trust God, what degree of trust to I have? This message examines the level of faith that different disciples had and also lets us see if we fit into those levels as well. How much do you trust God?
The Power of Unbelief (Matthew 13:53-58)
It is said, “What you believe really determines who you are!” But it can also be said, “What you don’t believe will really determine who you are also!” Matthew brings the chapter on the parables to a conclusion by illustrating them with the “power of unbelief”. What I believe about Jesus will determine where I spend eternity. Do you have “belief” or “unbelief”? That is a question that each person has to answer for themselves.
The Furnace of Fire (Matthew 13:47-52)
During an interview on television, a reporter asked a girl involved in punk rock, “What are you looking forward to?” She said, “I’m looking forward to death.” The reporter asked her why. She said, “I want to die so I can go to hell and have fun!” This is a complete misunderstanding of Hell!
In this final parable in Matthew 13, the Lord shares the story of the “dragnet” which is a picture of the gathering of judgment at the end of the age. All of these parables have been pointing towards God’s kingdom. The Jews looked for the God’s kingdom to be physical but the Lord emphasized that the kingdom would take place within the heart. The culmination of these parables and the kingdom will be the judgment which will separate those who are entering God’s kingdom and those who will not. The end result for the rejecters is the “fiery furnace” where there will be indescribable agony and torment for all eternity. When Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”, it was a wakeup call to pay attention. Are you paying attention?
Is the Kingdom Important? (Matthew 13:44-46)
In the two parables that the Lord shares in this passage, He uses “treasure hidden in a field” and “a priceless pearl”. Both of these items had great value. They were so valuable that the individuals sold everything they had to obtain them. Both items represent the “kingdom of God”. The “kingdom” is so valuable that we should do anything we can to make sure that we have the “kingdom” in our own lives. The question is: “Do you have the kingdom?” and, if not, “why are you not seeking it?”
The Power & Influence of Christ's Kingdom (Matthew 9:13-31-33
In the two parables that the Lord shares in this passage, He uses a mustard seed and leaven to illustrate spiritual principles. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The mustard seed and leaven are both very small items. The underlying meaning is that the Kingdom of Christ starts out small in the believer’s life but its influence is huge. Are these in your life? The message touches upon this…
The Kingdom and the World (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)
Matthew 13 introduces parables to the reader of the Gospel. Parables are earthly stories with heavenly meanings. The Lord begins to use this form of teaching to reveal and conceal truth to the listeners. In this second parable (The parable of the “Wheat and the Tares”), the Lord emphasizes the two types of seeds (“wheat” or “tares”) that are planted into the field (“the world”). The question is: “Are you wheat or a tare?”
Responding to the Gospel (Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23)
Matthew 13 introduces parables to the reader of the Gospel. Parables are earthly stories with heavenly meanings. The Lord begins to use this form of teaching to reveal and conceal truth to the listeners. In this first parable (The parable of the Sower), the Lord emphasizes the types of soils (hears) that the seed (Word of God) touches. The question is: “What type of soil are you?”
The Parables of the Kingdom (Matthew 13:1-17)
Sometimes, the easiest way to understand a principle is to have someone explain it very simply with an illustration from everyday life. The Lord knew that so He began to teach using everyday situations and things to illustrate spiritual principles. In Matthew 13, the Lord emphasizes that His teaching ministry is changing. So, He begins to teach in parables which is an earthly story with an heavenly meaning. He also indicates that teaching in parables emphasizes God’s judgment in a part of the parable process. Are you receiving truth or are you having truth hidden from you? Today’s message talks about both.
A Man After God's Own Heart (Psalm 63:1-8)
King David was an interesting study in contrasts. He was a great king and a poor father. He loved God and yet wandered away from God’s intents. He followed God and yet followed his own way on more than one occasion. In all of his weaknesses and strengths, he is the only one that God called “a man after His own heart”. Our desire should be to me “people after God’s own heart”. This is a special “Fathers’ Day” message.
Learning How To Walk (Galatians 6:16-25)
I loved watching my kid’s first steps. Before they took those steps successfully, they held on to things and often fell down. After victory, they began to venture out more and more and became bolder in their attempts to walk. There is a parallel in our spiritual lives as well. As we begin to develop the fruit of the Spirit and move away from the deeds of the flesh, we begin to really enjoy our freedom in Christ. Where are you today? Are you clinging to the old ways of life or are you beginning to really flex your spiritual muscles?
Overcoming Doubt (Matthew 11:1-6)
Do you ever struggle with doubt? Interesting question because everyone has struggled with some form of doubt from time to time. John the Baptist struggled with doubt. He had been imprisoned by Herod for about a year when he sent two of his followers to Jesus to ask Him the question, “Are you really the one that we have been looking for?” The Lord gave John an interesting answer. His response serves as a format for the way that He would answer us if we were to take our doubts to Him as well.
What Makes a Church Great? - "Stones of Remembrance" (Joshua 4:1-9)
It is a very profound question – “What makes a church great?” There is a wide variety of opinions on how that question should be answered. But the correct answer is, “How do they treat the Word of God?” In Joshua 4, the Israelites crossed over the Jordan River into the promised land and laid “stones of remembrance” into a monument to remember God’s faithfulness. Using that format, we are speaking of three stones that comprise a monument to God’s faithfulness in our lives as well. How do we treat those stones in our lives and in our churches? Today’s message speaks of what is important to God.
What Does a Disciple Look Like? [P#3] (Matthew 10:34-42)
The United States is normally considered a Christian nation. In surveys regarding the religious background of Americans, it is thought that up to 80% of respondents said that they were Christian while 40-50% considered themselves evangelical. Yet, many don’t attend church and seldom read the Bible. The Lord addresses this issue in the next few verses. He emphasizes that there are certain characteristics that make up the life of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Are these a part of your life? This is the third message in this mini-series in the Gospel of Matthew.
The Greatest Force in the World (2 Timothy 1:1-5; 3:12-17)
“Happy Mothers’ Day”
God has blessed every one of us with a mother. God designed the mother to be a very powerful and impacting influence in the lives of her children. As a matter of fact, a mother is the “most powerful force on the earth”. She has the unique ability to influence and shape the generations to come. Today’s message talks about Timothy’s mother and grandmother. They really impacted his life for all eternity. They serve as wonderful role models for all of us.