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Matthew 8:23-9:9
Skip Heitzig

Matthew 8 (NKJV™)
23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.
24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.
25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!"
26 But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
27 So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"
28 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.
29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?"
30 Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.
31 So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."
32 And He said to them, "Go." So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.
33 Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.
34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.
Matthew 9 (NKJV™)
1 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.
2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you."
3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!"
4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?
5 "For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'?
6 "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"--then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."
7 And he arose and departed to his house.
8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.
9 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." So he arose and followed Him.

New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.

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40 Matthew - 2011

Matthew carefully crafted his gospel to speak directly to the hearts of his Jewish audience. Through his detailed record of Jesus' genealogy, fulfilled prophecy, Jesus' actions, instructions, and miracles, Matthew proves that Jesus is Messiah. Let's take a close look at several of those miracles, and gain a firm grasp of His Deity.

From its opening genealogy through its careful record of Old Testament prophecies fulfilled, Matthew's gospel forms a bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament. In this in-depth study by Pastor Skip Heitzig we'll consider Jesus' ancestry, birth, public ministry, death, and resurrection, and we'll gain a clearer understanding of Jesus as both Messiah and King.

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Study Guide

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Matthew 9
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.
Matthew 9:13
PRAYER: Father, please show me the miraculous powers of Jesus as He continues His authenticating miracles in Matthew 9.
Journal your prayer here:






PREVIEW: In Matthew 9, Jesus teaches, preaches, and heals as He performs marvelous miracles, calls Matthew as a disciple, and casts out demons.
Matthew 9 Outline:
The Paralytic Is Forgiven – Read Matthew 9:1-8
Matthew Is Called – Read Matthew 9:9
The Disciples Eat with Sinners– Read Matthew 9:10-13
The Disciples Do Not Fast – Read Matthew 9:14-17
Life Is Restored – Read Matthew 9:18-26
Sight Is Restored – Read Matthew 9:27-31
Speech Is Restored – Read Matthew 9:32-34
The Need for Delegation of Power – Read Matthew 9:35-38


The Paralytic Is Forgiven – Read Matthew 9:1-8
Matthew 9:1–8 (NKJV)
1 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.
2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”
3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”
4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?
5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?
6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
7 And he arose and departed to his house.
8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.
For more details on this paralytic, read Mark 2:1-12 and Luke 5:17-26


1. Jesus returned to Capernaum (His own city) and began preaching the word to many in a full house (see Mark 2:1-2). Four men brought a paralytic and lowered him through the roof in hopes that Jesus would heal him (see Mark 2:3-4). What does Jesus say to the paralytic instead (v. 2)?






2. PRODUCE: Explain why Jesus’ words to the paralytic were more important than physical healing (Matthew 9:2). (See Matthew 5:29-30 and Mark 9:43.)






3. What is the scribes’ initial response to the miraculous healing of the paralytic (v. 3)? (See Luke 5:21.)




4. PROPOUND: In Matthew 9:3, the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!” What does it mean to blaspheme?







5. One of Jesus’ powers is demonstrated in the first five words of verse 4. What power is that? (See also Psalm 139:2, Matthew 12:25, and Luke 6:8.)




6. PROCEED: In Matthew 9:5, Jesus asked the scribes, “For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?” Which one is easier to “say”?






7. When capitalized, the term “Son of Man” refers to God’s Messiah, destined to preside over the final judgment of mankind. Jesus often used this term regarding Himself. In Matthew 9:6, He used it to demonstrate His power to forgive sins by healing the paralytic. What was the final response of the scribes and the multitudes (v. 8)?




Matthew Is Called – Read Matthew 9:9
Matthew 9:9 (NKJV)
9 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.
8. Jesus called Matthew to follow Him. By what other name is Matthew referred to? (See Mark 2:14.)


9. What was Matthew’s response to Jesus’ call (v. 9)? (See Luke 5:27-28.)




10. PRACTICE: Matthew arose and followed Jesus (v. 9). What did Jesus say is required to follow Him and be His disciple? (See Matthew 16:24-27, Luke 9:23-24, and Luke 14:33.)














The Disciples Eat with Sinners– Read Matthew 9:10-13
Matthew 9:10–13 (NKJV)
10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.
11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
11. Jesus goes with Matthew (Levi) to his house and eats with many tax collectors and sinners (see Mark 2:15). Eating with a person equated to identifying with the person you ate with (see 1 Corinthians 5:11.) The Pharisees questioned Jesus’ motive in eating with these people. What was Jesus’ response to the Pharisees (v. 12)?






12. PROCLAIM: Jesus said in Matthew 9:13, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” How should we do likewise?






13. PROPOUND: Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners, thus identifying with them (v. 9). Read Hebrews 2, How does Jesus identify with sinners?






14. PROPOUND: Jesus told the Pharisees, “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’” What does that mean? (See Hosea 6:6, Matthew 5:7, and Matthew 12:7.)






The Disciples Do Not Fast – Read Matthew 9:14-17
Matthew 9:14–17 (NKJV)
14 Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”
15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.
17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
15. John’s disciples questioned Jesus about why His disciples didn’t fast. Jesus responded by referring to His disciples as friends of the bridegroom (v. 15). What did John say the friend of the bridegroom would do instead of fasting? (See John 3:29.)






16. When answering John’s disciples, Jesus referred to old and new wineskins. This referred to the traditions of Judaism (old wineskins) and the kingdom He was bringing forth (new wineskins). What happens if new wine is poured into old wineskins? What happens if new wine is poured into new wineskins?





Life Is Restored – Read Matthew 9:18-26
Matthew 9:18–26 (NKJV)
18 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.”
19 So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.
20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.
21 For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.”
22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
23 When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing,
24 He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him.
25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.
26 And the report of this went out into all that land.
Read Mark 5:21–43 and Luke 8:40–56 for more details on this account.
17. A ruler of the synagogue named Jairus came to Jesus because his 12-year-old daughter just died (see Luke 8:41-42). What did Jairus believe about Jesus’ power (v. 18)?




18. What was Jesus’ response to Jairus’ request (v. 19)? What was the result (v. 25)?




19. While a woman had a flow of blood she was considered ceremonially unclean (see Leviticus 15:25). A woman who had a flow of blood for 12 years came and touched the hem of Jesus’ garment; immediately her flow stopped (see Luke 8:44). What did the woman say to herself (v. 21)? What did Jesus say to make her well (v. 22)?








Sight Is Restored – Read Matthew 9:27-31
Matthew 9:27–31 (NKJV)
27 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”
28 And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”
30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.”
31 But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.
20. Two blind men followed Jesus as He made His way to the house. It’s very likely that large crowds followed Jesus (see Luke 8:45). As the blind men cried out and followed Jesus, where did He go (v. 28)?




21. PROTECT: Give some thought to the story of the two blind men (see Matthew 9:27-31). Why do you think Jesus waited for them to find Him inside the house, knowing they were blind (v. 28)? The answer is in Jesus’ response to them (v. 29).




22. PROPOUND: Notice that Jesus didn’t ask the two blind men what they wanted Him to do (see Matthew 20:29-34). Rather, He asked them if they believe that He is able. What did Jesus say their restored sight would be in accordance with (v. 29)?






Speech Is Restored – Read Matthew 9:32-34
Matthew 9:32–34 (NKJV)
32 As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed.
33 And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!”
34 But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.”
23. Isaiah 29:18 and 35:4-6 list miracles that would be seen when the Messiah came. Among those miracles is the tongue of the dumb singing (see Isaiah 35:6). What do the multitudes do and say in response to the mute man speaking (v. 33)?




24. How did the Pharisees respond (v. 34)? Why was their response so terrible? (See Matthew 12:24-32.)






The Need for Delegation of Power – Read Matthew 9:35-38
Matthew 9:35–38 (NKJV)
35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”


25. What three things comprised Jesus’ ministry on earth (v. 35)? (See also Matthew 4:23.)






26. PROPOUND: What was Jesus’ response to the multitudes as He went about the cities and villages (Matthew 9:36)?




27. PROPOUND: How were the multitudes described as Jesus saw them (Matthew 9:36)?




28. Jesus told His disciples that the harvest is truly plentiful (v. 37). What harvest is He referring to? (See Matthew 9:35-36.)




29. PROPOUND: Whose harvest is plentiful (v. 38)?




30. Although the harvest is plentiful, Jesus said the laborers are few (v. 37). What is the job of the laborers? (See Matthew 10.)




31. PROMOTE: What did Jesus instruct His disciples to pray (Matthew 9:38)? How were those prayers answered? (See Matthew 10.)




PROCESS: Take some time to review Jesus’ miracles in Matthew 9. What miraculous touch do you need from Jesus? Imagine Jesus asking you the same question he asked the two blind men: “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” Be ready to share your insights with the group.

PRAY: Father, thank You for Jesus! He is everything I need for all the problems in my life. Please help me to have faith like those in Matthew 9 for the touch from Jesus that I need.
Journal your prayer here:



Detailed Notes

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  1. Introduction
    1. Jews anticipated the Messiah
      1. Daily affirmation: "I believe in the coming of the Messiah, and  even though He tarries, yet I will wait for Him every coming day"
      2. Matthew proclaimed Messiah has come
    2. Matthew demonstrated Jesus is Messiah
      1. Genealogically
      2. Prophetically
        1. "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14).
        2. Jesus born in Bethlehem (see Micah 5:2)
        3. John the Baptist fulfilled Isaiah 40:3—"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.'"
      3. Morally
        1. His baptism to identify with sinners
        2. His temptation in the wilderness
      4. Instructively
        1. Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5-7)
        2. "And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes" (Matthew 7:28-29).
      5. Miraculously
        1. Ten recorded miracles in Matthew
        2. "Though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him" (John 10:38).
  2. Jesus calms the storm
    1. Traveled by boat across the Sea of Galilee
      1. Sea of Galilee: 13 miles x 8 miles
      2. Traveled from northwest to east
      3. Jesus boat
        1. Discovered in 1986
        2. 2000 year old boat
        3. Housed at Kibbutz Ginosar
        4. 26 ½ feet long x 7 ½ feet wide
    2. The Storm
      1. Sudden
      2. The language: "The waves kept coming over the boat and Jesus kept on sleeping"
        1. Know who controls the storm
        2. Are the One who controls the storm
      3. σεισμὸς; seismos- earthquake; emphasizes the enormity of the storm
    3. Jesus slept
      1. Demonstrates His humanity: weary from service
      2. Demonstrates His deity: sovereign
    4. Compare to Jonah
      1. Jonah was tired from disobedience
      2. Jesus calms the storm
      3. Jonah thrown overboard into the storm
      4. "Indeed a greater than Jonah is here" (Matthew 12:41).
    5. Lord, save us!
      1. Natural to feel that way
      2. Truth: they are safe
      3. Fear and faith are mutually exclusive; they cannot dwell in the same
    6. Jesus calmed the storm
      1. The disciples marveled
      2. A double miracle
        1. Jesus calmed the winds
        2. Jesus calmed the sea
  3. Jesus casts out demons
    1. Gergesenes
      1. Gadarenes (Mark and Luke)
      2. Eastern side of the Sea of Galilee
      3. Gentile country
        1. Influenced the Jews
        2. Swine herding an illegal trade
        3. 2000 swine (see Mark 5:13)
    2. Differences in Mark and Luke
      1. Mark and Luke mention one man; Matthew mentions two
      2. Gospel writers record with different emphasis
      3. Matthew writing to a Jewish audience: "By the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established" (Deuteronomy 19:15).
    3. Supernatural World
      1. Parallel to the natural world
        1. Cannot be seen, but it's real
        2. Tune into pictures and sounds with the right receiver
      2. Demonic world
        1. Satan is the ruler
        2. Satan's will carried out by a host of demons
        3. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).
        4. "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy" (John 10:10).
          1. Satan wants people killed before they receive Christ
          2. Satan wants to neutralize believers to make them ineffective
          3. Satan exploits our weaknesses
        5. Demons look for a physical host
          1. "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation" (Matthew 12:43-45).
          2. They cannot inhabit believers: "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4).
        6. Demons have faith: "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!" (James 2:19).
          1. Believe in the existence of God
          2. Believe in the deity of Jesus Christ
          3. Believe in the future judgment (which takes place as recorded in Revelation 20)
          4. Believe in prayer
        7. Demons operate by permission only (see Job 1)
        8. Superstitions about demons
          1. Result from lack of biblical knowledge
          2. During Bible times, some believed demons sought entry to man through food and drink
          3. In Ancient Egypt: 36 body parts named and ailments believed caused by demons
          4. Some equated all disease with demon possession
      3. Satan is powerful; God is more powerful
  4. Jesus heals a paralytic
    1. In Capernaum
    2. Their faith
      1. Not the faith of the paralytic
      2. Jesus noticed the faith of those who brought him
    3. Parallel passage lends more information (see Mark 2:1-12)
    4. Be of good cheer!
      1. Prior Thinking
        1. Jews connected suffering with sin (punishment)
        2. Eliphaz the Temanite: "Remember now, who ever perished being innocent?" (Job 4:7)
        3. An excuse to shirk responsibility to the hurting and diseased.
      2. Priorities
        1. The greatest need: forgiveness
        2. "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26).
        3. Christianity has many benefits: most importantly, the gospel
      3. Power
        1. Jesus knew their thoughts
        2. They marveled; some translations use φόβος; phobos - fear
        3. Easier to say, "Your sins are forgiven"
          1. An internal work no one sees
          2. If you say someone is healed and they aren't,  it's apparent
        4. Both outward healing and inward forgiveness are impossible for men
          1. Possible for God
          2. The outward miracle demonstrates the inward authority
    5. Son of Man
      1. Apocalyptic term referring to Messiah (See Daniel 7:13 and Matthew 24:27-31)
      2. He was alerting them that God's kingdom was breaking in to time
  5. Matthew
    1. Called Levi in Mark and Luke; could be his name was changed to Matthew by Jesus
      1. Jesus gave Simon the name Peter
      2. James and John changed from "Sons of Zebedee" to "Sons of thunder"
      3. Matthew means "Gift of God"
        1. Matthew a tax collector; not viewed as a gift of God by the people
        2. Jesus identifies you not only as who you are, but who you will become when he has hold of you!
    2. He was a Jew
      1. Probably from the tribe of Levi
      2. From a priestly family, but he's a renegade
    3. Tax Collector
      1. Hated; barred from worship and put in class of "sinners"
      2. Tax farming
        1. Right sold to highest bidder
        2. Collected tax for Rome, but charged what they wanted and kept the remainder
      3. Tax Rate
        1. Poll Tax: just for living
        2. Income tax: flat 10%
        3. Harbor tax
        4. Road tax
        5. Import tax
        6. Ground tax: 1/10 of grain and 1/5 of wine
        7. Cart tax: each wheel taxed
        8. Fish tax
    4. Decisive
      1. He followed Jesus
      2. "So he left all, rose up, and followed Him" (Luke 5:28).
      3. Probably had more to give up than the other disciples; gave it all up to follow Jesus

Greek terms: σεισμὸς; seismos- earthquake; φόβος; phobos - fear
Cross references: Deuteronomy 19:15; Job 1; Job 4:7; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 40:3; Daniel 7:13; Micah 5:2; Matthew 5-7; Matthew 7:28-29; Matthew 12:41; Matthew 12:43-45; Matthew 16:26; Matthew 24:27-31; Mark 2:1-12; Mark 5:13; Luke 5:28; John 10:10; John 10:38; Ephesians 6:12; James 2:19; 1 John 4:4; Revelation 20

Transcript

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And we're back.  After some time off we're back to expound.  Let me tell you again what this is all about before we pray.  We want to expand your knowledge of the truth of God by explaining to you the word of God.  That's what expound is all about.  We wanted to be interactive.  We wanted to be enjoyable.  We wanted to be congregational.  It's a chance for you to text questions in.  If you're watching by live streaming you can also do that.  You can write in your computer or text them in. 

We don't promise that we'll answer all of the questions simply because I don't know all the answers.  No, I'm just kidding.  We look at it and it's not like next time but they feed them to me in the back.  And then when they come up usually we take them but it's a way to make it interactive so it's a little bit different.  We're verse by verse, line upon online through every book of the Bible.  We've covered Genesis so far, Exodus, we're in Matthew tonight, and then we'll go back to the Old Testament, back to the New Testament.  We're covering the whole counsel of God this way.

Now again I remind you there are levels at which you can participate.  The most basic level, the entry level I would call it is you just show up.  You just sort of come and you hangout.  You could come and hangout with the Bible open or you could kind of come and hangout like this, the whole time.  It's up to you.  We don't judge you if you want to do that and we don't think you're more spiritual if you have the big old Bible.  It's great if you have a Bible because you can follow along and you can read and hear the explanation and you'll probably remember where that section of scripture is in time to come to reference that again but that's up to you. 

But then there are even deeper levels.  You can join an online social media community in Twitter and Facebook.  We can text you and we can email you different reminders during the week of how to apply it thus, making the word of God deeper in your heart.  Then you can go even deeper than that.  We can send you study guides and if you even want to go deeper than that you could come early on Wednesday nights and join the Come Prepared Group that gathers together, prays and talks through the different things God has shared with the entire group.  And these groups are able to then really help process the information where we've been and where we're going and really saturate themselves in the truths of God to make an impact.

So all the way from that to going really deep and coming early, it's up to you.  But it's a way that we can become a discourse community, we call it.  Just remember that term, a discourse community where we're talking about it together as well as a textual community.  A community of people that love Jesus Christ and then we have been formed as believers around the text, the Revelation that God has given in His word. 

So that's just a sort of introductory to what Wednesday night is all about.  It's more than just a midweek Bible study.  We see it as God speaking to us through His word.  So with that in mind turn in your Bibles to Matthew Chapter 8.  You're already turned there?  Great, Matthew 8.  And we didn't finish Chapter 8 and that's why we can't just immediately go in to Chapter 9. 

We hope to get into Chapter 9 tonight.  I'm prepared to finish Chapter 9 but I'm not prepared to sit here two or three hours.  I'd love to but we have commitments to children and to you et cetera.  So, we'll see how far we go.  That's how we take it.  We pick up where we left off and we'll take up our hour.  And that being said let's pray and get started.

"Father, dear precious Father."  Peter said to us who have been redeemed you are precious.  Lord, you know and you alone know who we are, what we face, what we struggle with, what we stumble over, what we're good at, what we're lousy at and Lord You are not only able but You are prepared in wanting to minister to us from this ancient document but always contemporary living book, Your truths. 

And the truth Jesus said would set us free and I pray you would set us your people, or some who are gathered here who are soon to become your people.  Set us free Lord as we expand our knowledge of your truth by the explanation of your word.  And I pray Lord that our hearts would burn within us just like the disciples' hearts burn on the road to amiss.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Oh, it's good to be back with you tonight.  It really is. 

Hey, listen, Matthew is all about telling us why Jesus Christ is the messiah of Israel.  The Jews had anticipated the messiah would come on the scene.  They were looking for him.  They were anticipating him greatly.  One of the Jewish prayer sometimes said daily was this prayer, an affirmation prayer.  "I believe in the coming of the Messiah and even though he tarries, yet I will wait for him every coming day." 

Matthew comes along and says, "Well, let me tell you, you don't have to wait any longer.  The Messiah has come.  He is here and let me tell you why he's here."  And he gives us at least up until now, five reasons to prove that Jesus is the Messiah.  Matthew shows us that Jesus is the Messiah genealogically, showing that he has the legal root system if you will. 

The pedigree, coming from Abraham fulfilling all of the promises in the genealogical legal records presenting that to us in the first part of his book.  He proves that to us genealogically.  Number two, he demonstrates that Jesus is the Messiah prophetically.  He goes back and he shows how the prophets predicted this and that and something else.  For example, it's Matthew who says, Isaiah Chapter 7 told us and here is the fulfillment of that, "Behold, the virgin will conceive and bear a Son and you will call His name Immanuel, which is 'God with us."  Matthew tells us that prophetically Jesus had always been anticipated by the prophetic scriptures by the prophets. 

It was Matthew who reminds us of the prophecy in Mica Chapter 5 that Jesus, the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem of Judea.  It's Matthew who tells us that John the Baptist's coming on the scene fulfilled the prediction of Isaiah Chapter 40, "A voice of one crying in the wilderness makes straight paths for the Lord." 

So genealogically, prophetically, and then Matthew says, "Let me show you that Jesus Christ was the Messiah morally."  And he paints the picture of Jesus down at the Jordan River being Baptized to identify with sinners then going to a mountain to be tempted by the devil and withstanding that temptation so He has the moral fiber, the moral qualifications to be Israel's Messiah.

Number four, he has shown us that Jesus shows himself to be the Messiah instructively.  Matthew 5, 6 and 7 The Sermon on the Mount, the subject matter the king and the Kingdom of God here is the Messiah giving with all messianic authority, the precepts for the kingdom.  And it blew people away.  When Jesus was done at the end of the Chapter 7, the crowd marveled.  It says, "They marveled because He spoke as one having authority not like the Scribes.

And fifth, and this is where we are tonight.  He shows that Jesus is the Messiah miraculously.  Matthew gives us 10 miraculous signs that irrefutably point that Jesus is then Messiah.  Nobody else has done these things and they were predicted by the prophets themselves. 

And so even Jesus himself said, "Either believe who I am based on what I said or at least believe me for the sake of the works themselves.  The works that I do, they testify as to who I am."  So, we're right in the middle of that, Chapters 8 and 9 talk about those miraculous signs that Jesus is performing. 

We left off right around Verse 23 of Chapter 8 when Jesus is taking a boat ride, Verse 23 now.  "When He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him and suddenly great tempest arose on the sea.  So that the boat was covered with the waves but He was asleep."  Our Lord and His disciples are traveling from one side of a lake called the Sea of Galilee but it's really a lake 13 miles long by about eight miles wide.  They're going from one side, the North Western side over toward the Eastern side.

Back in 1986, I remember because it was the year my son was born.  The Sea of Galilee receded so low.  One day, a couple of Kibbutz farmers were walking up and down the shores of the lake.  They discovered something hard and something wooden and they pulled out a 2000 year-old boat.  If you come with us to Israel, some of you have been with us to Israel.  If you come with us this time, I'll take you over to the Kibbutz' called Ginosar where that boat has been housed. 

It's about 26.5 feet long by 7.5 feet wide and it shows what a typical boat would have been like 2000 years ago from the Roman times.  It's called the Jesus Boat.  So it's not very big and when you look at this boat you think, "Those guys got in that little thing?"  Now, I told you before how the Sea of Galilee can be quite tempestuous.  The storms can come up very suddenly, very violently and that boat can be tossed around.  And that is what is happening here.  Suddenly, a great tempest arose on the sea so that the boat was covered with the waves but He was asleep. 

Now, here's what's interesting linguistically.  There are a couple of verbs there in the imperfect tents.  So, let me paint the picture by the language itself.  The waves kept coming over the boat.  They kept coming over the boat.  They kept coming over the boat.  Jesus kept on sleeping and kept on sleeping and kept on sleeping.  How do you sleep in a storm?  Well, you either know the one who controls the storm or you're the one who controls the storm. 

Jesus fit category number two.  He was God, knew perfectly what was coming down the pike.  He's asleep in the boat.  The disciples wake Him up. His disciples came to Him and woke Him saying, "Lord, save us.  We are perishing."  That little word tempest back in that first verse, Verse 23, a tempest arose.  It's the same Greek word that has often translated earthquake. Listen to the word, here it is, "seismos".  Does that sound familiar?  Seismic, we get our term from "seismos".  A tempest, a seismic, a violent kind of a storm.  It's a word that emphasizes just how enormous the storm was.

Now here's the disciples, these disciples were fishermen.  They have seen storms before but nothing like this.  Now, Jesus is sleeping in the boat to me speaks of a couple of things.  Number one, His humanity and number two His deity.  On one hand He was fully man and He is weary in the service healing, teaching, ministering.  He's just tired, gets in a boat and falls asleep.  That's humanity.  Flip the coin, no.  It also speaks of His deity. He's in total sovereign, absolute control and so He rest. 

Something else had occurred to me as I went through this.  If you are to compare this storm and this crew with another storm the Bible mentions and another crew from the Old Testament, can you think of another storm where there was another crew that told somebody to wake up in a storm?

Jonas.  Jonas, the prophet of God, asleep in the boat, but not because he was sovereignty in control, he was just that tired from disobeying God.  He's asleep in the boat.  The sailors have to wake him up and say, "Dude, you to got wake up and pray to your God.  If we've been praying to our gods, it doesn't work."  Jesus calms the storm.  Jonas says, "Throw me overboard into the storm."  What a comparison.  What a contrast.  And if anything, it reinforces something that Jesus said to his disciples on another occasion, "For I say unto you a greater than Jonas is here."

And perhaps those disciples were even thinking back to that storm.  Now they said to Him in verse 25, "Lord save us.  We're going to die.  We're perishing.  We're going to die.  We're kicking the bucket."  No, that's not true.  It's natural that they feel that way.  That's how you feel in a storm.  That's how you feel and then, "Lord help, I'm going to die.  It's over.  The worse is happening."  The truth is they're safe and they're not going to die.  But, it's natural to feel that and it's natural to say that in your time of affliction.

But He said to them in Verse 26, "Why are you fearful, oh you of little faith?"  Then He rose and rebuked the winds, same word as rebuking the demons.  He rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm.  "Why are you so fearful, oh you of little faith?"  Now remember that little sentence, because fear is the opposite of faith.  And faith is the opposite of fear.  They're mutually exclusive.  Faith and fear cannot dwell in the same heart.  If you have fear, it's because you don't have faith.  If you have faith, it will banish your fear.

It allows you to look into the midst of the storm and say, "I'm not worried.  I know the one who created the storm."  And the worst it could happen is, "It's my time.  I'm going to gurgle a little bit and soon I'll be in glory."  Or "I'm going to learn a terrific lesson of faith."  Faith and fear are mutually exclusive.  He rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm, so the men marveled saying, "Who is this guy?"  My text says "Who can this be?"  But same difference, "Who is this guy?"

That even, the winds and, notice this, the winds and the sea obey Him. Now, they cried out for help, thus the expected help to come, but they didn't expect this to happen.  Now, watch this.  This is a double miracle, because typically if a storm seizes that if the wind stops, if you've ever been out to see in a storm where it's windy, once the wind goes through, once the storm goes through and it's calm, the water is not calm.

You're still bouncing around; there are still white cusps for a long period of time.  So calming the air is one thing.  Calming the sea is yet another miracle.  He calmed the wind and the sea.  They had never seen this before.  Even a passing temporary storm that blew through, still left white cusps bouncing the boats around.  So they marveled like, "Wow!  Who is this guy?"

That even the wind and the sea will obey Him.  When He had come to the other side to the country of the Gergesenes, some of the other New Testament writers call it the Gadarenes named after the principal city Gadara.  Again if you're with us, this coming trip we'll take you over to that city, Gadara.  It's there on the eastern side.  There met him two demon-possessed men coming out of the tombs, the original tomb raiders exceedingly fierce so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly, they cried out saying, "What have we to do with you Jesus, you son of God?  Have you come here to torment us before the time?"  No, a good way from there, there was a herd of many swine feeding.

At this point, we have moved from the western side of the Sea of Galilee, the northwestern chore where Capernaum, Jesus' had quarters has been to the eastern side.  This is Gentile country.  And the fact that swine are being herded which is very non-closure shows the influence the Gentile world has had on that part of the Jewish population.  It was an illegal trade that Jews would never do that.  But now we have Gentile influence in this Galilee region and there is, according to Mark, 2,000 herds of swine.   That's where Jesus comes to.

Now you look in Verse 28, it says, "There met Him two demon-possessed men."  If some of you have read ahead and you've compared scripture with scripture, you might be a little bit puzzled, because you're thinking, "Now, wait a minute."  If I read this account in Mark or in Luke, it says, "There was one demon-possessed man."  So you're going -- maybe you're going, "Aha!  I found a contradiction in the Bible."  No, you didn't.  We told you when we began our series in Matthew that the gospel writers will often provide a certain emphasis.

And no doubt of the two that are mentioned here by Matthew, one of them was more prominent than the other.  Maybe one was sort of in the background, not saying anything.  The other, the more prominent was the spokesperson.  Matthew would want to include the fact that there were two and not mention just the one spokesperson or more prominent one, because he's writing to a Jewish audience.  And by the mouth of two witnesses, every testimony is established.  So he wants you to know there were two, not one.

And Matthew does like pairs.  There are two here and two there.  He does that a lot in His gospel.  So there were two men, one of them was more prominent.  It says, "They were demon-possessed" or literally demonized coming out of the tombs exceedingly fierce so that no one could pass that way.  There is a supernatural world.  We live in a natural world, a physical world.  But there is a parallel universe.  It's very real.  This bothers some people because they say, "Well, you can't prove that.  I never see them.  I never see angels.  I never see demons.  I've never seen God.  I never see spirits."

But they're very real.  In as much as right now there are pictures in this room and there are songs in this room and there are smallest bits of information in this room, but you can't see them but they're here.  You could see them and you could hear them if you have the right receiver.  You could tune into a frequency and you could see the pictures or you could hear the sounds, but they're invisible, unless you have the right receiver.  There is a supernatural world.  There is a world of evil, a demonic world ruled over by Satan.

The will of Satan being carried on by a host of demonic beings, and Paul sort of addressed that.  In Ephesians, we said, "We don't wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and spiritual rulers of darkness in high places rankings of these angelic beings, these spiritual beings.  They hate you.  And they would love to destroy you.  Jesus speaking of the devil said, "Satan has come to steal, to kill and to destroy."  That's what he would love more than anything else is to kill a person before that person would ever have the chance to receive Christ.

And then to neutralize a follower of Christ and make them stale and stagnant and not powerful and not rejoicing and not on the edge so to speak, just sort of blasé, just neutralize that person.  He's out to destroy you.  Now, he's been humans for thousands of years, so he's got us pretty wired. We're pretty basically the same, so he knows where our weaknesses are and tries to exploit them.  But, he does want to destroy.  My mind goes back to my teenage years to two boys.  One named Richard Wilhite and one named Skip Heitzig.  On are we boys, curious boys, boys of home the devil tried to destroy.

He was successful with one.  Richard Wilhite, my buddy was always experimental, always up to no good.  My mom said, "Don't hang around that guy."  She was right.  He did influence me, but I think I influenced him as well.  I recall the times where he almost lost his life.  One afternoon, both of us totally, totally stoned on LSD.  I won't tell you about my trip.  It's ruthless, but I'll tell you about his.  He runs out of the room we're in, goes on to a highway and charges into oncoming traffic.  I felt totally invincible.

Now I, at least, had the minimal presence of mind to see that he's going to be killed and I ran out and grabbed him and drew him back.  That was Satan trying to destroy his life.  Some time later after about what the occult in other drugs, I gave my life to Christ and one of the first people I reached out to is Richard Wilhite.  I remembered calling him on the phone, because I knew that Satan was trying to get a hold of him.

And I thought, "If God could only get a hold of this radical guy, he could radically be for Jesus."  Richard didn't want to hear it.  Richard hung up the phone after about an hour of my witnessing to him.  I tried to call him back.  He picked it up.  I talked for a little bit.  He hung it up.  I called him back.  He never answered the phone.  Two days later, he was dead.  He had been shot in the head, because about a day before, he got involved in a drug situation and was busted for about a half a million dollars worth of synthetic heroin in Southern California.

It is if something that night he responded to, because he didn't open his heart.  He closed his heart.  It was the enemy's chance.  "I'm going to destroy that young man."  What a wake up call that was to me.  I think I was awoken, but that was really a wake up call.  Satan wants -- there is a real spiritual world filled with beings who try to neutralize you if you're a believer and destroy you if you're a non-believer.  See it really wouldn't do Satan a lot of good to destroy you as a believer physically because he's going to send you right to heaven.

So, if he can make you stumble other people, if he can make you neutralize in your walk and be a bad example, it's a better attack.  Here's a situation where these lives are practically destroyed.  Now watch this.  They cried out.  "What have we to do with you Jesus, you son of God?  Have you come here to torment us before the time?:  Now a good way off from there was a herd of many swine feeding, so the demons begged him saying, "If you cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  Interesting thing about demons, they seem to not want to be homeless.

That is they're looking for a human host to inhabit or some physical host to inhabit.  In Mathew 12, well get to it.  Jesus said, "When an unclean spirit leaves a man and goes to the dry places and he finds no rests, even though he seeks it, he says, "I will return and go back to the house from which I have come."  And when he goes back and he finds it empty and clean and all swept, he says, "He brings with him seven other spirits worse than himself to inhabit that person," that host, that human form so that the latter situation, the latter part is worse than the first situation with that man.

Satan is looking to inhabit a human person.  He cannot inhabit a believer; just want to lay that ground work again.  He can do that greater as he that is in you than he that is in the world.  He can mess with you, he can oppress you, he can tempt you, but he cannot posses you.  So they asked Jesus, if we want to possess -- no, here's something to note.  These demons have enormous faith.  Notice what they believe.  Now remember James Chapter 2 says, "You say you believe in God," big deal!  That's my translation.

James says, "You say you believe in God you do well."  But even the demons believe and they tremble.  What did the demons believe?  Well, notice here what these demons believe.  Number one, they believe in the existence of God.  You're the son of God.  We don't have any who is an atheist they are too smart.  Every demon believes in God.

Number two, these demons believe in the Deity of Jesus Christ calling him the son of God.  That's the term of deification.  Number three, they believe in future judgment.  Have you come to destroy us before the time?  The time will be Revelation 20 when Jesus will cast Satan and his minions into the lake of fire.  That's the time of their destruction.  The lake of fire temporarily he is going to throw them into the lake of Galilee but they believe in a future judgment.

Number four, they believe in the power of prayer.  They ask Jesus and they have to ask Jesus.  They have to get his permission.  Demons only operate by permission, you know that.  It's not like they decide, "Okay, I'm going to take over today."  They have to operate by God's permission.  In the Book of Job, Satan said, "Hey God if you can -- God said -- I'm getting turn around.  To Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job?"  There is nobody like him in all the earth.  Satan said, "Let me at him.  Let me touch his physical body."  And you will discover he will curse you to your face.

God allowed Satan to wreak havoc in Job's life.  Physically with his family but only up to a point, only up to a point, he operates by permission.  Satan understands that there is a God that Jesus is God.  That there is a future judgment and he believes in the power of prayer.  So when a person, "I believe in God.  I believe Jesus is God."  It's one thing to know that here, it's one thing to leave that here.  Or let me put it the other way.  It's another thing to know what here, it's another thing to know it here in the legs because you put feet to your faith.  Obeying what he said, doing what he said, following him.

And he said to them Verse 32, "Go, and when they had come out they went in.  When they had come out they went into the herd of swine and suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place."  And I can show you today the spot, the area because this is the only place around the City of Galilee where it is precipitous, it's steep.  It's like a cliff almost.  They ran violently down the steep place into the sea and they perish in the water.  Then those who kept them fled and they went in away into city and told everything including what had happened to the demon-possessed man and behold the whole city came out to me Jesus.  And when they saw him they beg him to depart from their region.

Now just a word about superstition over demons. I find the people today are superstitious about demonology and the whole area of demons.  I find many Christians superstitious.  And it is simply because there is a lack of biblical knowledge and so they scare easily, "It must be the devil."  In Ancient times there was lots of superstition.  In this time biblical times there was superstition about the devil.  It was believed by many people 2000, 3000 years ago that the air was inhabited by demons who sought to enter a human being and could gain access by something you would eat or something you would drink.  A demon could attach it self to like your friend chicken, certainly your pork sandwich.  Yeah, that's demon possessed.

I've seen some food that I wonder, "Yeah that's demon possessed.  You don't want to touch that."  But they actually believe that a demon could attach it self to the food and gain entrance into your body.  In ancient Egypt the Egyptians identified 36 different parts of the human body and elements that they said were caused by demonic or evil spirits.

So they would name things like -- or that person has the spirit of disease, the spirit of a fever, the spirit of insanity, the spirit of deafness, the spirit of dumbness all superstitious.  Ancient peoples equated all disease with demon possession.  Some of them not all the Jewish people but a lot of the ancient peoples did that.

Now it is interesting that today even among Christians I've heard things like, "That sister has the spirit of shopping Bench."  That's a cheap shot brother.  It's not a demon that's just the flesh.  Or that person has the demon of whatever it might be.  That's the flesh.  These are superstitions.  Yes, Satan is real.  Yes, he is powerful.  God is way more powerful let's just set the record straight.

So, you never ever need to run from him or be afraid of him and so many stories of the Bible bare that out.  In fact, I rather think Satan enjoys the press.  When people talked about the devil and I'm on a demon hunt and my ministry is casting out demons, and that person has the demon of lust or the demon of boldness or the demon of shopping avenger.  I think the devil goes, "Keep it up man.  You're giving me lots of limelight.  I dig it."

Okay.  Chapter 9, so he got into a boat, they were back in the boat.  And he crossover and came to his own city, now he is going back to Capernaum his own city is Capernaum that's where he headquartered.  Then behold or hey check it out.  Remember that's what behold mean, "Hey, check this out."  They brought to him a paralytic, a paralyzed man lying on a bed.  When Jesus saw their faith, there is so much truth here.  Many groups will try to say, "You're not healed because you don't have enough faith."  I don't read that this man had any faith at all.  And Jesus doesn't notice their or his faith.  He is a paralyzed man.  He probably had no faith.  But the Gospel of Matthew asked the other Gospel accounts point this out, that Jesus notice these guys that brought the paralyzed man, they're the guys that have faith.  Jesus was responding to what he perceives in them.  Not in the man who was diseased.

So when somebody comes in and says, "That person is not healed because he didn't have enough faith.''  I said, "Great, then you become the one who takes him to Jesus and will use your faith to get the job done."  You seem to have a whole world of it, so get the job done.

Now, if you read Mark Chapter 2.  Mark tells us that there were four guys that brought this man.  And here is the rest of the story.  They come to the house where Jesus is at probably Peter's house.  That's where he's staying Simon or Peter's house.  And they notice that Jesus is teaching and there's like a swarm of people around the house there's long line and they go, "I don't want to hang around and wait in line."  Now I can sort of relate to that.  I hate lines.  I hate lines in restaurants.  I hate lines at Disney Land.  I hate lines on freeways.  So, like if there is a way I could just cut through or go onto side, I'll be up for that.  But then if people recognize me it wouldn't be a good thing so.  But I hate lines.

So these guys are thinking, "I don't want to wait in line."  So what they do according to Mark is they climbed the roof, they get access on the roof with their paralyzed friend.  They remove some of the tiles from the roof and they lowered the man right in front of Jesus while he is teaching.  Can you imagine?  Here we are tonight and we are looking up right here.

Now, if this was Peter's house, what do you think Mrs. Peter was thinking about now?  "I knew we shouldn't have done this."  Disrupted the whole meeting.  Jesus saw their faith, these four guys thought, "We go to get him to Jesus."  And notice what he says, he said to the paralytic, "Son, be a good cheer."  Or cheer up man, be courageous would be another translation.  "Your sins are forgiven you."

Why does Jesus say that?  Here is a guy who is withered, he's paralyzed, he can't move and Jesus looks up them and says, "Hey, cheer up men your sins are forgiven."  It almost sounds cruel.  Why does he say that?  Let me give you three reasons why.  Number one because of prior thinking.  Number two, because of priorities.  Number three because of power.  Let me explain.  The prior thinking and the thinking of many Jewish people including Scribes and Pharisees were that, if you have a disease, if you are sick, if you are paralyzed is because there is sin in your life.  Malady equals not being right with God.  There is something going on that we can't see that you are involved in or we're involved in and this is the punishment of God.

Remember back in the Old Testament in the Book of Job when Job's friend came to him and sort of counselling him, remember that?  And one of the guys name Eliphaz the Temanite remember him?  Eliphaz looks to Job who is suffering, he is withering away and he says, "Who being innocent ever perished?"  Is it to say this is universal fact dude, if you were a righteous person you wouldn't be suffering this.  Obviously, you've sin greatly.  You are not innocent.

Now in thinking this way and this wrong kind of thinking.  This was their way of getting out of any responsibility to help people like this.  "I cannot help you, you're curse by God.  I won't dare interfere with that."  So they would happily walk by people like this and have nothing to do with them.  Because their theology was so mess up it allow them to do that.  So number one, prior thinking.

Number two, Jesus said, "Be a good cheer, your sins have forgiven you," because of priorities.  What was it that this man needed more than anything else?  Well, if you were to ask his friends what would they say?  That he can walk.  What he needs more than anything else is a physical healing so that he can physically walk, that's what he needs, that's why we are here.  It is interesting that that's how many of us think.  We think that this person's greatest need is a physical need.  He needs to be physically healed.  Really?  That's not Jesus priority.  Oh, Jesus certainly touch physical bodies, the Bible is filled with those kinds of examples.  But the fact that the first words out of Jesus mouth to a paralyzed man is, "Your sins are forgiven," shows us the greatest priority in a person's life is that their sins be forgiven.

What is the profit of man if he gains the whole world or a physical healing and losses his own soul?  There are many benefits to Christianity some have been orphanages, hospitals, mercy ministries that have gone out all over the world in the name of Jesus to help people.  We've been at the forefront historically traditionally for years.  But, I usually don't get involved in any group who refuses to along with giving out food and medical supplies et cetera refuses to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.  "Oh, we're preaching the gospel with our actions and if necessary we will use words."  It is always necessary to use words.

The gospel is the word of the Lord.  So, to heal a person, to make a person well fed so that they can hear the truth and go to heaven is a wonderful thing.  But to feed a person, to heal a person and then that person dies and faces a priceless eternity, you're not doing them any good at all.  You are just prolonging the inevitable.  So the first - because of a prior thinking because of priorities there's the third reason because of power, watch this.  At once some of the Scribes said within themselves, "This man blasphemes."  Now notice where they said this where they say it in themselves.  They didn't say across the room, "Hey slowmo, did you hear what this dude just said?  He is blasphemy."  They didn't say it out loud.  They thought it in their minds.  Jesus knew what they were thinking.

They were thinking this man blasphemes, but Jesus knowing their thought said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?" Well, how do you think these guys felt when Jesus sort of exposed them publicly?  Hey, I know exactly what you're just thinking.  Here's what you just thought, be very uncomfortable to be around somebody like that.  Why do you think evil in our hearts and listen to this question.  For which is easier to say, your sins are forgiven you or to say arise and walk but that you may know that the son of man has power on Earth to forgive sins.  He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed and go to your house." And he arose and he parted to his house.  Now when the multitude sought, they marvel.  Some translation say, "They were filled with phobia," fear like, "Whoa."  And glorify God who had given such power to men.

Okay, let's answer the question.  Which is it that easier to say?  Your sins are forgiven or rise, take up your bed and walk?  Well, I suppose it's easier to say, "Your sins are forgiven," because nobody sees that.  It's an internal word.  You can say it to anybody.  "Your sins are forgiven."  How can you prove they are or not?  So, it's easier to say, "Your sins are forgiven."  It's harder to say, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."  Because if the person doesn't, you're a fraud.  So it's easier to say, "Your sins are forgiven."  But here's the point, both are impossible for any human being to do.  A human can forgive sins, a human can heal a disease like this.  Both are impossible for men.  Both are possible with God and if you can say one, you can say the other.

If you can say, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."  You'd be able to say, "Your sins are forgiven."  Any person who can say -- well -- just a minute, walk and the guy walks, that person has the authority to say, "Your sins are forgiven."  Because the miracle, the outward miracle, the outward power demonstrates the inward authority.  That's the point here.  Jesus demonstrates the inward authority by saying to the paralytic, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."  That you might now that the son of man has the power internally, watch this externally.  One proves the other that you may know that the son of man has power on earth to forgive sins.

Now here's something else interesting and I know I'm going slow in Matthew, but this maybe the last time through Matthew.  I don't know when the Lord's coming back and at the rate we're going anyway.  So I don't want to miss things.  This term, "Son of man" is a fascinating term.  A term that the Jewish leaders would've been alerted to.  It's an apocalyptic term.  It's a kingdom term.  It's a term that comes out of Daniel Chapter 7 and those Scribes and those Pharisees they knew that.  In Daniel 7, Daniel sees a vision of the son of man coming in clouds of glory, something that Jesus will allude to or speak up in Matthew 24.  It's a term of the kingdom coming to the earth.

So what Jesus is saying is, "Alert, alert.  The kingdom of God has come into time and space because you have just seen the King heal and forgive."  The son of man has power, has authority.  And he arose and he departed to his house, just rolled up his bed and booked it.  And when the multitude saw it, they dropped their jaw, they marvel, they glorify God who had given such power to men.  And as He passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office and He said to him, "Follow me."  So he arose and he followed Him.

You want to know something interesting?  In all of the other accounts of Jesus calling Matthew, he's not called Matthew.  He's called Levi.  This is the only book that includes his name Matthew.  Of course, the book was written by Matthew.  It could be that Matthew, I can't prove this but here's a possibility.  It could be that his original name was Levi and his name was changed to Matthew by Jesus.

Now I say that you because Jesus seemed to like to do that.  Simon's name wasn't Peter until Jesus said, "You know your name is Simon, but I'm changing your name to Peter."  Right?

James and John were called sons of Zebedee because Zebedee was there dad.  Jesus said, "I'm giving you a new name.  I'm going to call you sons of thunder because you wanted a new dead village."  He renamed them.  I'm sure they bore that shame and that inside joke among the disciples, the entire three and a half years of ministry.  So, Jesus like to change names and it could be that his name Levi, his background name, his original name was changed to Matthew by Jesus.  Matthew means a gift from God.

Now he's a tax collector.  He's anything but a gift from God.  That's how people viewed him because I know this of Jesus.  What Jesus looks at when He sees you is He identifies not just who you are now, but what you'll become once He gets a hold of you.  He looked at Matthew and said, "You big rip off.  I'm going to turn you into a gift from God."  Not a person who takes gifts from people, but a gift sent from God to people because Jesus is so going to radically change Matthew's life.  He'll never be the same.  So it could be that Jesus gave him that name.

Now look, this is what we know about Matthew/Levi.  Number one, fact number one he was a Jew.  If you asked the name Levi, it's probably because he's from that tribe.  That's a Jewish name.  Gentiles never called their kids Levi.  He was Jewish.  If he was from the tribe of Levi that means he was originally supposed to have been a priest.  So, it's probably safe to say he's from a priestly family, but he's a renegade.  He didn't want the religious lifestyle.  He wanted the money.

Number two, he's a tax collector.  So, automatically he's on the blacklist.  You know, if you were to meet somebody tomorrow and they shook your hand and they said, "I like to talk to you."  And they said to you, "I'm from the Internal Revenue Service."  Would you smile?  Would you be set at ease?  Would you give that person a hug?  Now you'd probably go, "Thanks, boom!  Run the other way."

In those days, it was far worse.  Tax collectors were so despise that one, one Roman writer says, "I have never seen a monument erected to an honest tax collector."  They were barred from synagogue worship.  So that means this guy hadn't been in a church for a long time, kept from the synagogue.  Put in the class of sinners, tax collectors and sinners.  You'll see that in the New Testament and that is because the method of taxation, if you think it is bad now in our country, really bad back then.  Taxes were collected by the Roman government under a system known as tax farming.  A franchise was sold to the highest bidder.  The highest bidder was able to collect taxes for Rome but could add as much as he wanted to add and keep it for himself and give the requirement to Rome.

Now here's the trouble.  In those days, they didn't have the internet.  They didn't have newspapers.  So you would know in one district what you were being taxed versus another district unless you travel there a lot.  You had to pay the tax.  It was required by the Roman government or a stiff penalty would be enacted.  So what was the tax rate?  Well number one, number one just so you know how this guy hated -- people hated Matthew.  Number one, there was the poll tax.  The poll tax was the tax you pay for being alive in the Roman Empire.  For being a person who is able to breathe Roman air, you pay a poll tax.  If you're a male, aged 16 to 65, if you're a female, aged 14 to 65, you pay a poll tax.

Number two, was the income tax.  That's a flat 10%, add to that the poll tax, add to that harbor tax, road tax, import tax, add to that ground tax.  Now ground tax is if you're a farmer, one tenth of all your grain, one fifth of all your grapes or wine the amount is given to the Roman government.

If you had a cart with wheels on it, there was a cart tax.  You would be taxed, get this based on the number of wheels that were on your cart.  If you have four wheels, you were taxed more than if you had two or one.  If you lived by the sea or by a lake like Galilee, there was fish tax.  You would be taxed per fish.

So this made Matthew very rich and very resented.  They hated him.  Jesus says, "Matthew, a gift from God."  He says, "Follow me."  So we know that he is Jewish.  We know that he was tax collector.  The third thing we know is we wind this up tonight.  We know that he was decisive.  He made a decision.  Now watch this.  Jesus passed on from there, saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office and He said to him, "Follow me."  It's not a long sermon.  It's not even an introduction.  It's a single command, "Follow me."

So he arose and he followed Jesus.  That's a decisive man.  Now probably Matthew had heard about Jesus, maybe saw the miracles, maybe he was there at the Sermon on the Mount.  He's collecting the tax right outside of Capernaum.  That was where his tollbooth was.  Oh, and by the way, if you come with us to Israel, I can show you the marker that announces the tax booth from 2000 years ago in Capernaum.  They've uncovered a stone that talks about the tollbooth which is we know Matthew was the one that kept that tollbooth and that inscription in that stone has been uncovered and is there for you to see in Capernaum.

Matthew had heard.  Matthew had seen.  Matthew had pondered.  Now one day Jesus walked up to him and said, "I want you, come follow me."  Luke's gospel tells us this, "Matthew left everything he had and he went and he followed Jesus immediately."  Now, Matthew probably had more to give up than any of the other disciples.  He was very wealthy and if you worked for the Roman government as a tax collector and you quit that job, you can never return to that job.  It's over, he gave it all up.  He gave it all up.  He rose and he followed Jesus.

I was impressed few years back and I've been to India several times.  One of the first times I was in India, what impressed me the most is that when a believer comes to the faith in Christ in India, there's this immediacy about being baptized.  You never hear a person like, "Yeah, I was saved like four years ago, but I'm getting baptized today."  You'd never hear that.  It's like, "I just got saved about 20 minutes ago.  I'm getting baptized now.  I've got saved yesterday I'm getting baptized now."  They take them and ask the Christians to -- who are newly converted to walk through the streets of their village singing, take them down to the nearest body of water, typically a river and they baptized them there.

Number one, they want to announce to the world, "Hey I'm not a Hindu anymore.  I'm not a Muslim anymore.  I'm following Jesus now and I'm making it public."  And just for the whole city goes out their window and sees this parade of people walking down the street, follows them down to the river to find out what's going on and the preachers down there gives the gospel, baptizes the person.

The first time I went to India, I met a man named Joy Kurichako(ph), Brother Joy, he was called and he was appropriately named because he smile all the time, so full of joy.  And he told me his testimony.  It was remarkable.  He said, "I come from a Hindu background.  My father is a Hindu priest and I haven't seen my father for 20 years."  Because when he found out that I'd given my life to Jesus, he took a sacrificial knife and he tried to kill me and I had to leave home and I haven't been home since.  But he was filled with joy.  He had left all to follow Christ and he was filled with joy.

Here's what I love about the story of Matthew.  All the people that nobody else wants, Jesus wants.  All the rejects, all the ones that people to say, "Oh the tax collectors and sinners."  Jesus said, "I'll take them.  They're my kind because they know that they're sick.  They know that they need help and watch what I can do in them and then through them."

Father in heaven, one of the great troves, one of the great realities is that you don't see like man sees as the prophet Samuel so aptly put it for man looks at the outward.  God looks at the heart.  Jesus saw into the heart of Levi/Matthew and knew what he could become, a gift.  A gift sent and what a gift Matthew has been to us, those to use who read his book and the gift that he is given in his writings and in his life an example.

Lord, you love restoring people.  You love taking rejects, people who are beat up, mangled by the world, depressed, hopeless and giving hope to them, extending forgiveness because that's our greatest need, thus your greatest accomplishment and it's my prayer that you do it again.  I believe there's some who have even gathered tonight or watching online or listening on radio who have not yet committed their lives to Christ and yet Jesus is inviting them to come and be change and to come and become a gift to the world He will send them to.  And for those Lord that are here tonight in this room, I pray that you would do that work of convincing.  You would do that work of salvaging.

If you're here tonight and you've never made conscious personal choice to follow Jesus as Lord, as master of your life, as savior of your soul, I want to give you that opportunity to do it.  If you made a decision at one time but you're not following Him, you haven't been walking with Him in obedience and you need to come back home to him tonight and be restored.  I want you to be also a part of this.  You want to come basically and you want to get right with God tonight as we're praying and so many of us are praying for you friend.

If either of those descriptions fits you, someone who's never personally given their lives to Christ, somebody who's just been disobedient to the Lord and needs to come back home and recommit.  I want you to raise your hand up in the air and as you raise that up, you're saying, "I'm coming home.  I'm coming back.  I want that touch.  I want that forgiveness."  Just slip your hand up so I can see it as I pray for you tonight.

I want you to get up from where you're standing.  We want to be a part of this with you and we want you to publicly, identify with Jesus tonight.  Jesus call people publicly as you can see and Jesus calling you publicly and we'll rejoice with you and we'll pray for you and with you if you raise your hand, even if you didn't, but God is drawing you to Himself as we sing this song, you get up and stand right up here in the front, right now, right here.

Those of you who have walked forward, let me lead you in a word of prayer.  I'm going ask you to pray this prayer out loud.  I wanted you to pray it after me out loud, say it from your heart.  Say it to God.  This is you giving your life back to the one who gave you life to begin with.  You ready?  Let's pray.

Lord I give you my life.  I admit I am a sinner.  Please forgive me.  I believe that Jesus died that He shed his blood and that He rose from the dead and that He did for me.  I turn from my sin.  I turn my life to you as my savior, be my master, in Jesus name.  Amen.

(Applause)

          You're God's gift.  If you prayed that prayer by faith, you belong to Him.  This is the beginning of a whole new way of doing things.

Additional Messages in this Series

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9/7/2011
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Matthew 1:1-18
Matthew 1:1-18
Skip Heitzig
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As we turn our attention to the New Testament, Pastor Skip explains what transpired during the 400 years of silence since the Old Testament. Our firm grasp of the political setting, language, and Matthew's purpose and perspective establishes a solid foundation for understanding his gospel. In Matthew 1, we see Jesus revealed as the royal Heir to the throne of David—the Messiah, Immanuel: God with us.
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9/14/2011
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Matthew 1:18-2:23
Matthew 1:18-2:23
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Every year people around the world recognize the birth of a poor Jewish child born in an insignificant city. The birth of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Scriptures, beckons us to worship and obey the King of the Jews. Let's examine Matthew's account of the miraculous circumstances of the nativity and the prophecies it fulfilled.
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9/21/2011
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Matthew 3
Matthew 3
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Jesus called John the Baptist the greatest man among those born of women. John saw himself in the light of who Jesus is: not even worthy to loose His sandal. From the womb, he was filled with the Spirit, continually pointing people to Christ. Let's consider this powerful prophet, his ministry, and the message he preached.
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9/28/2011
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Matthew 4:1-17
Matthew 4:1-17
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Prior to the start of Jesus' public earthly ministry, He was led up to be tempted by the devil. As we review His encounter with Satan, we uncover important principles of spiritual warfare. We consider not only when and how Jesus was tempted, but also how He fought—and the ministry that began on the heels of the battle.
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10/5/2011
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Matthew 4:18-5:4
Matthew 4:18-5:4
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Leaving life as they knew it, the disciples followed Jesus and became intimate witnesses of Jesus' teaching, preaching, and healing. As we dive into this portion of Matthew, we turn our attention to their calling and listen in as Jesus begins the greatest sermon ever preached.
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10/19/2011
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Matthew 5:5-16
Matthew 5:5-16
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The economy in God's Kingdom is quite different from that of the world: it's paradoxical; it's progressive. Let's consider the Beatitudes and discover what kingdom living looks like, and how it impacts those around us.
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10/26/2011
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Matthew 5:17-32
Matthew 5:17-32
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The multitudes listening to Jesus teach were undoubtedly shaken by His powerful statement: "Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20). How, then, could one be saved? As we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount, we remember that salvation is not available through human achievement--only by divine accomplishment.
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11/2/2011
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Matthew 5:33-6:8
Matthew 5:33-6:8
Skip Heitzig
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As we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount, we'll grow in our understanding of the contrasts between the world and the kingdom of heaven. Followers of Jesus are called to a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees—a righteousness based on our genuine relationship with Christ, rather than mere outward obedience.
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11/9/2011
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Matthew 6:9-34
Matthew 6:9-34
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Jesus taught His disciples to pray in this manner: "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). As we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount, we learn that when we make God's kingdom our focus, He provides everything we need.
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11/16/2011
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Matthew 7
Matthew 7
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Jesus calls His followers to live differently from the world -- to live a kingdom lifestyle. In this study from the Sermon on the Mount, we consider what kingdom living looks like in both our relationships with others and our relationship with God.
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12/7/2011
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Matthew 8:1-26
Matthew 8:1-26
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Throughout his gospel account, Matthew presents Jesus as the Messiah. Building upon the foundation of fulfilled prophecy, Jesus' identity is authenticated by miraculous signs. As we examine Matthew chapter eight, let's consider the compassion and grace Jesus demonstrates.
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1/25/2012
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Matthew 9:10-31
Matthew 9:10-31
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To the Pharisees, tax collectors and sinners were part of a lower, unpleasant class. But Jesus longed for fellowship with all people. He shared intimate meals with them, ministered to their needs, and reached out to the unlovely. As we study this passage in Matthew 9, we learn how we are also called to be heralds of the good news that brings spiritual health and enduring joy.
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2/1/2012
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Matthew 9:32-10:31
Matthew 9:32-10:31
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The Lord calls His followers to proclaim His message to the world—we are appointed to carry out a divine purpose. We learn in this study that we, like the apostles, find abundant life only in letting go of our own ambitions, plans, and comfort.
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2/8/2012
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Matthew 10:32-11:19
Matthew 10:32-11:19
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In His second major discourse of Matthew, Jesus equips and instructs His apostles about going into the world and reaping the spiritual harvest. In this passage, Jesus expounds on the courage needed to complete the mission and warns His followers of certain persecution. He reminds us that while not all who hear will believe, God's wisdom is powerfully demonstrated in changed lives.
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2/15/2012
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Matthew 11:16-30
Matthew 11:16-30
Skip Heitzig
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In order to truly worship God, you must know Him. Speaking clearly and openly in this passage, Jesus proclaims some of His strongest warnings and makes some of His most intimate promises. He reveals the Father to His followers and assures us that life lived under His rule yields peace and rest.
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2/22/2012
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Matthew 12:1-21
Matthew 12:1-21
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Though God intended the Sabbath to be a day of rest, keeping the Sabbath became difficult work by New Testament times. The oral traditions of the Pharisees had become weighty burdens-burdens the Lord did not mean for His people to bear. In this passage, Jesus demonstrates mercy and the true intent of the Sabbath as He and His disciples meet physical needs in the face of strong opposition.
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2/29/2012
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Matthew 12:22-42
Matthew 12:22-42
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Though our current culture embraces a form of spirituality, the biblical view of God, Satan, and good versus evil has been dismissed by most. Ignorance and indifference cause them to relegate Satan to the stuff of fairy tales and myth. In this study from Matthew 12, Jesus demonstrates His authority over the devil and his minions--giving us a glimpse into the supernatural and a reminder that, "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).
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3/7/2012
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Matthew 12:43-13:17
Matthew 12:43-13:17
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Jesus consistently brought His message of hope to the common man: He spoke in parables to bring revelation to His followers and to conceal heavenly truth from the hard-hearted. In this message, we examine parables of our Master Teacher and Holy Judge, and discover that truth can be a blessing, but also a curse--we must be diligent to understand and apply God's Word to our lives.
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3/14/2012
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Matthew 13:18-52
Matthew 13:18-52
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Jesus often used parables to explain spiritual truth to His followers. In Matthew 13, His seven kingdom parables are recorded--word pictures which explain the beginning, opposition, expansion, and culmination of His kingdom. Let's consider His teachings and apply these lessons, so that we may be fellow workers with Him in spreading the good news.
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3/21/2012
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Matthew 13:53-14:36
Matthew 13:53-14:36
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In this passage from the gospel of Matthew, we see powerful examples of the results of both faith and the lack of it. Those who might have known Jesus best failed to trust in Him and missed out on His work in their lives, while others were carried through the storm in His care. As we consider our own trials, we should rest in His hands, knowing He has power to change us and use our lives for His glory.
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3/28/2012
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Matthew 15
Matthew 15
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God is less concerned with the outward appearance than He is with the inward attitude. In this passage, Jesus boldly proclaims truth in a confrontation with the Pharisees, warning his followers to avoid hypocrisy. We also witness His tender response to the persistent faith of a Gentile woman, and His mercy for the multitudes. As we study Matthew 15, let's consider our own approach to Him: Do we recognize that we cannot live without Him?
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4/11/2012
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Matthew 16:1-20
Matthew 16:1-20
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Through stern rebuke, gentle prodding, and powerful teaching, Jesus instructs those around Him about who He is and how we can know and serve Him. Matthew 16 records several lessons in faith - warnings and wisdom which encourage us in our own spiritual journey.
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4/25/2012
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Matthew 16:21-17:27
Matthew 16:21-17:27
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Jesus calls His followers to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. From this passage, we gain a clearer understanding of what it means to exalt Him as King in our lives and also get a preview of His future glory, when He will reign over all the earth.
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5/2/2012
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Matthew 18
Matthew 18
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How should sin be dealt with? As we examine Matthew 18, we learn not only to deal radically with sin in our own lives, but also the steps toward reconciliation with a sinning brother.
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6/13/2012
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Matthew 19
Matthew 19
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In the U.S., the lifestyle of Christians often mirrors that of unbelievers--divorce, self-indulgence, misaligned priorities. Using God's Word to teach lessons about divorce and eternal life, Jesus exhorts his followers to enter the kingdom of heaven--to live in wholehearted faith and obedience to the Him. Let's consider what Scripture says about godly living and the reward Jesus promises to His faithful followers.
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6/20/2012
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Matthew 20
Matthew 20
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As followers of Christ, what awaits us in eternity? In this study, we consider not only our eternal home but also our eternal reward. Saved by grace through faith, we must see beyond the circumstances and status of this world, and look toward our future glory.
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7/11/2012
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Matthew 21:1-32
Matthew 21:1-32
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In this intriguing passage, Jesus enters Jerusalem in a precise fulfillment of prophecy. It's an exciting study, where those who know they need forgiveness find refreshment and hope—and those who rely on their own righteousness receive a stern rebuke.
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7/18/2012
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Matthew 21:33-22:22
Matthew 21:33-22:22
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Jesus taught with complete authority, denouncing the misconceptions of the religious leaders of the day. With skill and precision, Jesus uses parables and their own words to silence their challenges and expose their motives. Let's consider His words, heed His warnings, and remember that He alone is righteous and worthy of praise.
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7/25/2012
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Matthew 22:23-23:39
Matthew 22:23-23:39
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In dealing with the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus speaks wisely, uncompromisingly, and with the authority of heaven—His Words shoot straight to the heart. Though many try to fit Jesus into their pre-conceived mold—to accept Him and His Words only as far as they are comfortable—we learn here danger of that the perilous position.
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8/1/2012
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Matthew 24:1-30
Matthew 24:1-30
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In this passage—the Olivet Discourse— Jesus provides a summary of end time events: the future of the world. We look forward to the Rapture and the Second Coming of Jesus, but those found outside of Christ face unparalleled suffering and judgment. Let's contemplate the wrath of God that's in store for this world—and share the hope of the gospel with those who don't yet know Him.
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8/8/2012
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Matthew 24:31-25:46
Matthew 24:31-25:46
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In this section of the Olivet Discourse, we consider Jesus' Warning Parables. As we examine the text, let's remember that while the church escapes judgment, many are left to suffer the Great Tribulation. We must be righteous, be ready, and be responsible.
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8/15/2012
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Matthew 26:1-30
Matthew 26:1-30
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As Jesus gathered with His disciples to observe the Passover one last time, He brought fresh meaning to a festival which had been celebrated for thousands of years. Rather than a memorial to their physical deliverance from bondage in Egypt, the meal represents His broken body and shed blood—and spiritual deliverance from sin for those who believe.
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8/22/2012
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Matthew 26:31-75
Matthew 26:31-75
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Following the Last Supper, Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemane and willingly surrendered Himself to the will of the Father: Jesus was crushed for our sin, abandoned to the Cross, so that we might have fellowship with Him. As we study Matthew 26, we consider the spiritual battle before us, the choices we make, and the ultimate victory that is ours through Jesus Christ.
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8/29/2012
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Matthew 27:1-50
Matthew 27:1-50
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In this message, we see the ultimate demonstration of God's love—the cross. Jesus, the King of the Jews, was betrayed, falsely accused, illegally tried, scourged, and ultimately crucified. As we consider the details of His crucifixion and death, how could we be anything except amazed and humbled?
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9/19/2012
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Matthew 27:50-66
Matthew 27:50-66
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As He hung on the cross, betrayed by his friends and separated from His Father, Jesus declared "It is finished!" Victorious, not defeated—He completed the work the Father gave Him to do. In that dark hour, the grave gave up some of her dead, the earth quaked, and in the temple, the curtain that separated men from God was torn from top to bottom. As we study this text, let's consider the price Jesus paid to redeem us and the personal, intimate fellowship with God now available.
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9/26/2012
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Matthew 28
Matthew 28
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Jesus' resurrection: great news for His disciples—troubling news to his enemies. As the chief priests grappled with a cover up, the disciples met with the risen Lord and were commissioned to "Go and make disciples of all the nations." As we consider our text, we discover the good news for ourselves: Jesus is not dead—He's alive and has all authority in heaven and earth.
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There are 36 additional messages in this series.
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