Sunset Hills Baptist Church

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07/28/2020

Letting God Have His Way

John the Baptist had been arrested some time before for telling Herod that marrying his sister in law was adultery, and knew that he could be executed at any time. John had introduced Jesus to the Jews, based on the vision he had received and its confirmation when he baptized him. Unable to continue his ministry freely and not knowing what else was happening, he began to second guess himself, and sent two of his disciples to check if he had been right in what he said about Jesus, according to Matthew 11:2-3. “Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?”

Rather than trying to convince John, Jesus advised the disciples to observe what the effects of his ministry were, in Matthew 11:4-6. “Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.” The miracles spoke for themselves and no other evidence was needed. John should not get discouraged when he heard people disparaging Jesus’ ministry.

John was a chosen messenger for God, and Jesus did not criticize him for a momentary doubt, as we see in Matthew 11:7-15. “And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

Paul warned Timothy, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived,” in II Timothy 3:12-13. Under the constant stress, even the most dedicated and spiritual Christians can experience momentary doubt and need reassurance. It is why Hebrews 10:25 commands, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Christians need that personal interaction and encouragement from each other. The halting of live church services during the Covid-19 pandemic has put many Christian’s faith and spiritual stability in danger. We are told that to hold public services is selfish and puts people’s lives in danger.

The world demands that we go along with their rules without concern for what God has commanded, as Jesus describes in Matthew 11:16-19, and condemns us whichever way we go. “But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.” While we ought to obey the law, the government’s authority does not exceed that of God. We should obey God instead when their orders contradict his word, as the apostles told the rulers in Acts 5:29. “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” We will never win the world to Christ by following their standards.

Some of the hardest people to reach are those who have had the most teaching and exposure to God’s word, because they no longer take it seriously. Jesus had done most of his teaching and miracles in the communities around the Sea of Galilee. While the people there recognized his power to heal, they did not take his message seriously. Jesus warned that they would be more severely judged because they had more knowledge than others in Matthew 11:20-23. “Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in S***m, it would have remained until this day. Mt 11:24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of S***m in the day of judgment, than for thee.”

America has been so blessed by God because so many of our forefathers believed in him. Almost anywhere in America you can find a church close by, and Bibles are readily available. Gospel messages are available on television and radio, so that anyone who is willing to pay attention can hear, and a vast number of people have family members who are Christians. This makes the present attitudes toward Christ and the church especially troubling, because as Jesus said in Luke 12:46, “…For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”

The world thinks God’s standards and teachings are outdated and overly simplistic, with the result that many of the elite, educated people will not even consider them. Thankfully, God has made things simple enough even a child can understand them, as Jesus said in Matthew 11:25-27. “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.”

Because they are looking for something complex and intellectually challenging, many of the highly educated people will never grasp even the simple things that ordinary people have to understand to survive, and they completely ignore God’s role in everything. They work like crazy to fix situations that are not a problem for ordinary people. We see this in the response to the covid-19 virus. God has designed the human immune system to deal with viruses we come in contact with, and we know that if allowed to do so, we will eventually reach what is known as herd immunity and the virus will no longer pose much of a threat. By simply taking some simple logical steps the danger could minimized, but our politicians cannot accept such a simple approach, stirring up fear and burdening the people with illogical and ineffective demands instead.

Sadly, the religious world often adopts the same sort of approach to life. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” When we make Christ our central focus, we no longer live under the fear of failure or the burden of acting like a Christian. II Corinthians 3:18 promises, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Instead of having to fight our instincts to do what is right, doing what is right becomes natural to us. As Jesus said, the yoke is easy, fitting properly so that it doesn’t cause sores, and we will not be overloaded with problems. If your Christian life seems too hard or pointless perhaps you are wearing the wrong yoke. Instead of trying to do everything yourself, let him make the changes that are needed. He understood what John was struggling with, and he understands what you are struggling with. He won’t turn you away.

07/05/2020

What is Your Priority?

Jesus was sending his disciples out to witness for the first time. He had given them specific instructions as to who they were to go to and how they were to handle opposition. He told them if people refused to listen, they should just go to another place and try again. Unfortunately many people get discouraged when people don’t listen and quit trying. They begin to hide their “Christianity” to avoid teasing and mockery. In Matthew 10:32-33, Jesus warned, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”

While we do not attempt to force people who are not interested to accept our beliefs, we must nort hide them either. Imagine what it would be like to be married to someone refused to acknowledge you as their husband or wife, constantly flirting with other people. After a while you would probably to resent giving up your time and energy when they don’t appreciate you enough to acknowledge you as their mate. Why should God continue to bless those who do not appreciate him enough to acknowledge him?

One problem in many marriages is that people have a distorted expectations of what their marriage should be like. They think their mate should just always give them just what they want, no matter what they do. Unfortunately many Christians have similar expectations from the Lord. Jesus warned against such expectations, in Matthew 10:34-36. “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.”

Conflicts with in-laws or with step children are so common as to become a cliché because people become jealous of the attention one pays to their mate, even when they had no interest before. If we yield to that pressure, it can destroy a marriage. It is why Genesis 2:24 commands, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” The marriage relationship must take precedence over other human relationships for the marriage to work properly.

Unfortunately, the same thing often happens when we become Christians, and if we yield to the pressure, it will destroy our relationship with Christ. Matthew 10:37-39 warns that we must not allow human relationships to supersede our relationship with God. “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” Jesus Christ gave his life for you, and if you give anything precedence over your relationship with him, even including some special ministry, you do not deserve what he has done for you.

Some people will not accept your message, and as Jesus instructed earlier, rather than trying to force it on them we should just go elsewhere and let God deal with them. Those who take the message seriously will be rewarded by God, as Matthew 10:40-42 states. “He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”

We go out as God’s representatives, and how they treat his representatives indicates how seriously they take God. If they take the message seriously they will be rewarded just the same as the messenger, whether he came as a pastor of the church or as a Christian just setting an example day by day. If they care enough to even give a cup of cold water, God will reward them accordingly.

Sadly, many today are so busy about “important” things they don’t have time to spend getting to know the Lord. They are busy with their careers and their children’s sports programs or church activities that while they talk about the Lord, they have no real relationship with him and they can’t understand why they don’t feel very close to him. Your priorities determine what your relationship will be like. If you don't make time with God a priority, other things will become your priority and you will not have time for him.

06/28/2020

Workers For The Harvest

Healing the sick was a major part of Jesus’ early ministry, as we have seen. Matthew 9:35-36 tells us, “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” Everywhere he went there were sick people, but God had promised that Israel would have no problems with sickness if the would serve God, in Exodus 23:25-26. “And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.”

While many of the people were very religious, it was obvious they were not being taught to serve the Lord, as Jesus saw in Matthew 9:36-38. “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”

Sheep need a balanced diet, but like people, they tend to prefer certain plants over others. If they are to be healthy, it is critical that the sheepherder does not allow them to just eat what they want. Sometimes he takes them where the “good stuff” is but other days he takes them where there are other things so they have to eat those things as well. It takes a lot of time and effort to keep the sheep healthy, and there are not many who care enough to make the effort. It is a lot easier just to take them where the things they like are, just as many parents find it easier to just give their kids what they want instead of teaching them to eat healthy meals.

The same thing is true in the spiritual realm, and there is a desperate need for pastors and teachers who will make the effort to develop spiritually healthy people. If they are not given a balanced spiritual diet, II Timothy 4:3-4 warns, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” We need to pray for teachers who will teach the people both how to be saved and how to serve the Lord.

With this in mind Jesus sent out his twelve disciples or students to get some experience in what he had been teaching them, as described in Matthew 10:1-4. “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.” Jesus already knew who would betray him, according to John 6:64, yet he sent Judas along with the others.

Matthew 10:5-15 describes their assignment. “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.

And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. And when ye come into an house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of S***m and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.”

On their first preaching experience, the disciples were to go only to those who already had an interest in God. They were to teach the people that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand, literally preparing people to live a godly life style. They were to deal with the spiritual problems people had as a result of their sin, and they were to do it without charge. They were to apply what Jesus had taught them in Matthew 6:20-34, trusting God to supply their needs instead of using the ministry as a means of supporting themselves. They were to associate themselves with those who served the Lord and distance themselves who were not sincere about following God. They were not to waste their time trying to reach people who were not interested. God would deal with those people in his own time.

He also warned them that serving God would not make them popular in Matthew 10:16-22. “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

They would be hated and attacked from every side but they were not to try to defend themselves. Instead of planning what they would say to their attackers, they were simply to allow the Holy Spirit to direct their words. When they were attacked, they were simply to move to another city because they would never reach everyone, as Matthew 10:23-26 states. “But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.” They were to remember that Jesus was persecuted here on earth, and expect similar treatment simply because we are his disciples.

They were not to change their message to alleviate opposition, but simply speak God’s word and trust him to protect them, as Matthew 10:27-31 directs. “What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Romans 8:32 reminds us that God has invested too much in us to forget us now. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

The need for laborers is just as great as ever, and we need to pray for workers. Unfortunately, we frequently send out people who are unprepared spiritually to do the Job. Jesus had spent months preparing his disciple before they went out the first time. He gave them clear instructions as to what they were to do, limiting their exposure to those who would have some interest, so that they could learn to deal with their problems before they were exposed to all the problems they would find among the Gentiles or the Samaritans. They were not to waste time trying to convince people who were not interested in obeying God, but to allow God to deal with them. Jesus is the great teacher and we would be wise to follow his example when sending people out to spread the gospel.

06/23/2020

No Problem Is Too Big For God

Jesus had just explained that Christianity was not just a patch or an add-on to the Jewish religion but was completely different. Just as he finished a man came asking him to heal his dying daughter, in Matthew 9:18. “While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.” The Roman centurion had believed Jesus could heal his servant just by speaking. The ruler knew his daughter might already be dead, but he believed Jesus could still heal her if she wasn’t.

On his way to heal the girl, he was interrupted by a woman who had lived with a constant bloody discharge for twelve years, as Matthew 9:19-21 describes. “And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples. And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.”

Mark 5:26-29 gives more detail. “And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.” She had spent everything she had on medical treatments, but nothing had helped. Jesus was on his way to one of the ruler’s home, and she was just a poor woman in the crowd. There was no reason to think he would take time to notice her, and she would be embarrassed to tell what her problem was but if she could just touch his clothes she believed he could heal her. She hoped no one would notice when she touched him.

No one is beneath God’s notice. Jesus noticed immediately when she touched him, as Mark 5:30-33 tells us. “And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.”

There was a very definite class division among the Jews. The upper class, the Pharisees and Sadducees considered themselves much superior to the other people. While they made a big show about giving to the poor, they avoided associating with them as much as possible, frequently getting angry when someone got too close. Jesus got right down with the people, so the disciples were amazed he would question who touched him in such a crowd. The woman was afraid of the what he would say, but she admitted what had happened. Jesus was not upset, as Matthew 9:22 tells us. “But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.”

While Jesus stopped to help the woman, the ruler’s daughter had died, according to Mark 5:35-36. “While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.” While others might think the girl’s life was more important than the woman’s issue of blood, Jesus considered them both important.

The people believed Jesus could heal the girl while she was still alive, but they didn’t understand he has power over death. They were heartbroken that the girl had died. When Jesus said she was not dead, but only sleeping, they made fun of him, as Matthew 9:23-24 tells us. “And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.”

Jesus had everyone except her parents and three of his disciples put out of the room before he healed the girl. Once they were gone, he took the girl by the hand and told her to get up and she did, as Matthew 9:25 tells us. “But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.” There was no fanfare about it, and Jesus then told the parents and his disciples not to say anything about what had happened. The story spread rapidly, according to Matthew 9:26. “And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.” While everyone could see she had been healed, her privacy would be protected if people just thought she had been unconscious. Jesus was concerned about her emotional health as well as her physical health.

Two blind men came to Jesus next, and he healed them, in Matthew 9:27-31. “And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.” Jesus told them not to tell anyone because those who knew them would soon realize they had been healed anyway, but the men were too excited to keep it a secret.

Next, they brought a man who because of demonic control of his emotions was unable to speak. Jesus took away that Satanic power, restoring the man’s ability to talk, in Matthew 9”32-33. “As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.” The common people recognized that it was God’s power which enabled Jesus to heal thie man, but the religious Pharisees claimed it was Satanic power, as Matthew 9:34 states. “But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.”

Jesus is not limited in his power, but is able to deal with death as effectively as with a minor emotional problem. As a result, there is no reason to get impatient when he takes time to deal with other people’s problems instead of giving ours priority. It cannot get so bad he can’t resolve it, but his priority is seldom the same as ours.

06/14/2020

Not The Same Old Religion

Jesus had begun his ministry a few weeks before. After his baptism, he had spent forty days in the wilderness. Immediately after his return he had called Peter and Andres and Janes and John. Just days after that had preached the Sermon on the Mount, and a few days later, he called Matthew, in Matthew 9:9. “And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.” As Peter says in II Peter 1:16, they were eyewitnesses of what Christ did. “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”

Writing about fifty years later, Papias stated that John had told him Matthew originally wrote in Hebrew, and like the book of John, it was later translated into Greek. Mark and Luke were written in Greek about fifteen or twenty years later, after the church started reaching out to the Gentiles, in Acts 11. John told Papias that Mark had gotten his information from Peter, but that some of his stories were out of sequence. Luke tells us he got his information from the other apostles, in Luke 1:1-4. “Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.” As a result, Matthew and John give us the most accurate details and sequence of events, while Mark and Luke call our attention to thing Matthew and John overlooked.

Between the four gospels we get a fairly detailed account of Jesus’ ministry and his teachings. The very fact that they differ in minor details indicates the authors were not colluding with one another. The fact that they agree in every major point indicates that they were reporting what they had actually seen and heard. Contrary to what some modern experts claim, the other gospels are not just expanded versions of Mark’s gospel. There is no reason to doubt their validity.

Matthew collected customs for the Roman government. In his position he had contact with many who were Gentiles and with the less religious Jews. Publicans or public employees and less religious Jews were looked down on by the elite, the scribes and Pharisees. According to Luke 5, Matthew , also known as Levi invited them to his house for dinner and many of them came to meet Jesus, as Matthew 9:10 describes. “And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.” Jesus and the disciples made them all welcome, sitting together and eating with them as friends.

Like many zealots, the Jews considered it disgraceful to associate with people who were not part of their religion or were not as involved as they were. The leaders questioned why a man who claimed to be from God would associate with such people, in Matthew 9:11. “And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?”

In response, Jesus used the illustration of a doctor, as Matthew 9:12-13 describes. “But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” People who consider themselves healthy have little reason for going to the doctor, but those who know they have health problems make a special effort to see one. The religious Jews thought they were good people and had no need of forgiveness, but the publicans and nonreligious people were aware they were not good enough.

Jesus quoted a portion of Hosea 6:4-7 to drive home the point that Pharisees were not as good as they thought. “O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth. For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.”

Familiar with the entire passage, the Pharisees could hardly fail to understand that Jesus was effectually saying just ceremonially keeping the law was not what God wanted. He wants people who sincerely want to know him. Jesus came for those who realized they need a savior, not for those who think they are good enough by themselves.

This led to another question, as Matthew 9:14 describes. “Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?” John had come, warning the Jews that God required more than what the Pharisees were doing. He had told them that Jesus was the Messiah, and they were having trouble understanding why he was not insisting on their fasting like John had done. They didn’t understand the purpose of fasting was to draw close to God rather than to try to get God to do something as we saw in the lesson on Matthew 6:16-18.

As Jesus pointed out in Matthew 9:15, going off somewhere to think about the Lord would make no sense when the Lord was right there to talk to them. “And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.” The time to go off by themselves and think about him would be when he wasn’t physically there anymore.

He then went on to explain that Christianity was not something that one simply added to their old religion but was something entirely different, although similar, in Matthew 9:16-17. “No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.” As Jesus said, simply adding Christianity to the Old Testament beliefs would actually make things worse.

Hebrews 8:7-12 explains. “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.”

Hebrews 10:3-4 tells us, “But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” Under the old religion, sin was never taken away, but sacrifices just deferred judgment. Every year they were brought up again, and another sacrifice offered to defer them for another year. Under the law, Christ could not offer a sacrifice, as Hebrews 7:14 tells us. “For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.” God has replaced the old religion with a new one, as Hebrews 7:18-19 tells us. “For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.”

Because of that new covenant Jesus is able to take the sin completely away so that it will never be remembered again, as Hebrews 7:24-25 tells us. “But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Thanks to that new covenant, those publicans and sinners the Jews despised are welcomed into the kingdom. Galatians 3:28 tells us, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

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30 Road 6480
Kirtland, NM
87417

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Sunday 9:30am - 12pm

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